Need counseling about the care of bone or joint issues? During the coronavirus pandemic, it may be available on the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons’ (AAOS) website. Its OrthoInfo.org blog includes tips for treating bone and joint pain while sheltering in place, as well as a look the pandemic’s implications for postponed surgery. “To say that the COVID-19 pandemic has been an unparalleled challenge for all of us is an understatement,” AAOS spokesman Dr. Stuart Fischer said in an academy news release. “The AAOS recognizes that patients, families and caregivers are facing a host of unique and unexpected worries about their current, and even future, orthopedic care.” The blog provides answers to common patient questions, including: How can I continue my orthopedic care while sheltering in place during the pandemic? Telehealth phone and video calls can be used if it’s not possible to see your doctor in person. What should I do if my orthopedic surgery is postponed? Talk to your doctors. They can help patients better understand what is an “elective procedure” and why many hospitals are postponing these procedures during the pandemic, the AAOS says. Can my orthopedic surgeon still provide treatment? AAOS says: “Although the COVID-19 pandemic presents many hurdles to delivering patient care, orthopedic surgeons continue to provide safe and effective treatment in the midst of what has become the ‘new…  read on >

It’s happened before: Couples stuck at home during blizzards, hurricanes or other natural disasters enjoy some “alone time” — and a baby boom follows. But a new survey from researchers at the University of Florence in Italy suggests the same probably won’t unfold during the COVID-19 pandemic. Why? “What we found the main reasons that led people to not wanting to conceive included worries related to future economic difficulties and consequences on pregnancy,” said study author Elisabetta Micelli, from the university’s Assisted Reproduction Technologies Center. The researchers conducted nearly 1,500 online interviews and found that nearly 82% of those surveyed said they didn’t plan to conceive during the coronavirus pandemic. The survey was conducted in the third week of the lockdown in Italy and included men and women in a stable heterosexual relationship for at least one year. The findings were published May 7 in the Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics and Gynecology. Of the 268 participants who said that, prior to the pandemic, they had plans to have a child, more than one-third abandoned their intentions when the pandemic struck. The main reasons were worries about future economic struggles (58%) and any potential consequences on pregnancy (58%) from the new coronavirus. Even though almost half of those who responded to the survey had not lost their jobs or income, “the fear of imminent and future…  read on >

Fear of exposure to COVID-19 appears to be exacting an unexpected toll on public health: Childhood vaccination rates have plummeted, leaving millions at risk for other life-threatening illnesses. “We’re seeing a general drop in pediatrician visits of 70% to 80% — and that’s very concerning,” said Dr. Sara Goza, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). She added that the pandemic has prompted many parents to skip “well visits” for their little ones. Babies under age 2 traditionally get check-ups this time of year, and older kids get vaccinated for summer camp. But not this spring, she said. Dr. Sean O’Leary, an associate professor of pediatrics-infectious diseases at the University of Colorado, in Aurora, agreed. “Most practices are seeing a huge drop,” he said. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is trying to get a handle on the pandemic’s effect on childhood vaccine rates. “We are currently examining the impact on a national level,” said Dr. Melinda Wharton of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. The agency’s findings and additional guidance will be published in the next several weeks, she added. Evidence of a potential public health disaster is already more than anecdotal. The New York Times reported last week on a pediatric vaccine survey by the Physician’s Computer Company (PCC), a pediatric electronic health records firm. PCC contacted…  read on >

The severity of COVID-19 illness may be influenced by what researchers call “cytokine storms.” In a new study, investigators assessed 522 COVID-19 patients, aged 5 days to 97 years, who were admitted to two hospitals in Wuhan, China, in December and January. The study also included a “control group” of 40 healthy people. Compared to the control group, 76% of COVID-19 patients had significantly lower levels of T cells — a type of white blood cell that plays a crucial role in immune response against viral infections. Patients admitted to the intensive care unit had much lower T cell counts than those who didn’t require ICU care. Patients over age 60 had the lowest T cell counts, the findings showed. And the T cells that did survive in COVID-19 patients were exhausted and unable to function at full capacity, the study authors said. COVID-19 patients also had high levels of cytokines — a protein that normally helps fight off infection. Too many cytokines can prompt an excessive inflammatory response called a “cytokine storm,” which causes the proteins to attack healthy cells. That suggests the new coronavirus does not attack T cells directly. Instead, it triggers the cytokine release, which results in the loss and exhaustion of T cells, according to the authors of the study published May 1 in the journal Frontiers in Immunology. The…  read on >

Though most Americans are well aware that protecting themselves from sunburn is important, many don’t take precautions, a new survey finds. Protecting yourself from exposure to sunlight is the best way of preventing skin cancer, according to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). The results of the AAD survey show that 76% of Americans know the importance of sun protection, but only 41% regularly protect themselves outdoors. Exposure to harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays is the most preventable risk factor for skin cancer, but 28% of survey respondents said they rarely or never use sun protection and 65% don’t know that shade protects them from UV rays. “It is estimated that more than 9,500 people are diagnosed with skin cancer every day, and nearly 20 Americans die every day from melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer,” said Dr. Bruce Thiers, the president of the AAD. “Skin cancer affects more Americans than any other cancer, yet most cases are preventable by seeking shade, wearing sun-protective clothing and applying sunscreen on all skin not covered by clothing,” he added in an AAD news release. The AAD recommends that everyone: Seek shade when the sun’s rays are the strongest, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Wear sun-protective clothing, such as long-sleeved shirts, pants, a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses. Use a broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen with a sun-protection factor (SPF)…  read on >

Contact lens users may be at increased risk for coronavirus infection, so they need to be extra careful, an eye expert says. “There are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 transmission by handling of contact lenses,” said David Chu, assistant professor of ophthalmology at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, in Newark. “However, since contact lenses can cause eye irritation, wearers tend to touch their face or to rub their eyes more often, which puts them at a higher risk for acquiring infection.” Strict hygiene is essential when wearers handle their contacts. “They must wash their hands for a minimum of 20 seconds with soap and water, and dry their hands completely before handling contact lenses,” Chu said in a Rutgers news release. Standard contact lens care techniques should be adequate during the coronavirus pandemic. But people who are more vulnerable to COVID-19 or who live with someone diagnosed with the virus should consider switching to glasses, Chu suggested. Even though SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, has been found in human tears, it seems to be uncommon, Chu said. In case studies, patients who tested positive for the virus in their nose and throat did not have detectable levels in their tears. It’s not clear whether tears can transmit COVID-19, but it appears unlikely, according to Chu. Conjunctivitis (“pink eye”) is a symptom of COVID-19, but…  read on >

You can’t hug or shake hands these days without risking coronavirus infection, but new research finds that sexual intercourse might be safe. Researchers analyzed semen samples from 34 men in China an average of one month after they were diagnosed with mild to moderate cases of COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Laboratory tests did not detect the coronavirus in any of the semen samples, and there was no evidence of the virus in the men’s testes, according to the study published online recently in the journal Fertility and Sterility. While this small study suggests that the chances of sexual transmission of the coronavirus are remote, it wasn’t comprehensive enough to fully rule out the possibility, the researchers noted. “The fact that in this small, preliminary study that it appears the virus that causes COVID-19 doesn’t show up in the testes or semen could be an important finding,” said study co-author Dr. James Hotaling, an associate professor of urology specializing in male fertility at University of Utah Health. “If a disease like COVID-19 were sexually transmittable, that would have major implications for disease prevention and could have serious consequences for a man’s long-term reproductive health,” he said in a university news release. Along with the small number of patients, another limitation of the study was that none of them were severely ill with COVID-19,…  read on >