Category: Infectious Disease

woman sleeping on a sofa in a darkened room
Coronavirus, COVID, Women's Health

Most long COVID cases had mild initial infections, UW study finds

January 5, 2023

Study found that a staggering 90% of people living with long COVID initially experienced only mild illness with COVID-19. After developing long COVID, however, the typical person experienced symptoms including fatigue, shortness of breath and cognitive problems such as brain fog – or a combination of these – that affected daily functioning. These symptoms had an impact on health as severe as the long-term effects of traumatic brain injury. Our study also found that women have twice the risk of men and four times the risk of children for developing long COVID.

Coronavirus, Immunology, Public Health, Vaccines

COVID in 2023 and beyond – why virus trends are more difficult to predict three years on

January 3, 2023

So how will the pandemic be felt in 2023? This question is in some ways impossible to answer, given a number of unknowns. In early 2020 the scientific community was focused on determining key parameters that could be used to make projections as to the severity and extent of the spread of the virus. Now, the complex interplay of COVID variants, vaccination and natural immunity makes that process far more difficult and less predictable.

Coronavirus, COVID, Infectious Disease

China could face a catastrophic COVID surge as it lifts restrictions – here’s how it might play out

December 7, 2022

Given the low level of immunity in China, a major surge would likely see large numbers of hospitalisations and might lead to a dramatic death toll. If we assume, say, 70% of the Chinese population becomes infected over the coming months, then if 0.1% of those infected die (a conservative estimate ), a back-of-the-envelope calculation suggests we’d see around one million deaths.

Photomicrograph of Streptococcus bacteria on a petri dish,
Infectious Disease, Streptococcus

Strep A: three doctors explain what you need to look out for

December 7, 2022

Group A streptococcus is a type of bacteria that can live in the back of the throat or on the skin, especially in children. It can spread between people through close contact or coughing and sneezing. In most people, it either causes no illness or only mild throat or skin infections or scarlet fever. Children with scarlet fever have a sandpaper-like rash over their body, often with fever and sore throat and a “strawberry tongue” – where the tongue is red with a white covering.

Environmental Health, Infectious Disease

Pandoravirus: the melting Arctic is releasing ancient germs – how worried should we be?

December 6, 2022

All the viruses cultured so far are far from viruses that affect mammals, let alone, humans and would be very unlikely to pose a danger to humans. A more relevant area of concern is that as the permafrost thaws it could release the bodies of long-dead people who might have died of an infectious disease and so release that infection back into the world.