Dr. Stuart Weiss: COVID-19 Update Tuesday 25-August-2020
Dr. Stuart Weiss, FACEP, FAAP, CBCP
August 25, 2020
Today’s topics: Convalescent Plasma, Reinfections, Persistent symptoms
| Convalescent Plasma There was lots of press after the big White House announcement about Convalescent plasma on Sunday. Let me just tell you that it was ALL political hype and nothing new medically. I suspect that we will see many of these “amazing discoveries” in the coming months leading up to the election. President Trump even announced over the weekend that he expected that there would be a vaccine approved prior to completion of the phase 3 trials. That would be a very dangerous move and I certainly wouldn’t take that shot or give it to any of my friends or family. So back to convalescent plasma. This is something that has been done for quite some time now. It is the process of giving very sick people in the hospital antibodies from people who have recovered and have lots of these antibodies floating around in their blood. There have been posters up for months now in NYC asking people who have recovered to donate blood. This is not new. In fact, in an article in the New York Times yesterday, the very scientists who worked on the study mentioned by the President as proof were so upset by what he said that they reached out to the New York Times. The scientists said that the administration grossly misrepresented the blood plasma data. Convalescent plasma has been the subject of months of enthusiasm as a possible treatment for severe CoViD-19 however, there have been no randomized clinical trials that show that is actually works. The fact that the F.D.A,. took part of the study results and misrepresented them is very disappointing and further erodes trust in important government institutions. Reinfections Scientists in Belgium and Hong Kong reported yesterday that they have viral sequencing evidence of patient being reinfected with SARS-CoV-2 virus, the virus that causes CoViD-19. In both locations, the scientists did genetic sequencing of the virus and found that a few mutations in the virus allowed the patients involved to get reinfected. The patient in Belgium had their second infection 3 months after their first infection.Tis is the first time there is documented reinfection where the viruses were studied. CoViD-19 symptoms can last for months In a letter to the editor of the Journal of Infection, researchers reported about a followup phone survey done on patient who had been hospitalized for CoViD-19. They found that symptoms can persist for over three months after discharge. The most common persistent symptoms were fatigue, shortness of breath, memory loss, lack of concentration and sleep disorders. A surprising 20% also reported hair loss. This is addition to some people taking a prolonged period of time to regain lost sense of smell or taste. Some people have not yet recovered these senses. Be well and take care of yourself. There are storm clouds and asteroids on the horizon. –Dr. Stu |
COVID-19 HEADLINES FOR TODAY
| Coronavirus update for August 25, 2020 World Wide Updates Iraq reports nearly 4,000 new coronavirus cases and 77 deaths France warns of “strong rise” of coronavirus transmission Coronavirus disrupting polio vaccination efforts in Africa, WHO regional director says Italy has seen a steady increase in cases in the past week, health authorities say Brazilian president’s son tests positive for Covid-19 Madrid will mandate masks in schools for children Argentina reports highest number of new Covid-19 cases and deaths Patients were infected twice with the coronavirus, say virologists Belarus to become first country to receive Russian coronavirus vaccine Mass testing underway in Spain as country sees a “U-shaped” curve in cases South Korea says 66 virus cases linked to cluster at Starbucks store Students over 12 will be advised to wear masks in Scottish school Gaza imposes 48-hour closure after family in refugee camp tests positive for coronavirus Oxford coronavirus vaccine could be put before regulators by end of 2020 Hong Kong to relax some social distancing rules as virus cases drop Recovering from Covid-19 “doesn’t mean you are immunized for life,” researcher warns Schools in Seoul will shift to online classes until September 11 due to coronavirus outbreaks Pakistan records lowest daily cases since April, as country slowly reopens South Korea reports 280 new Covid-19 cases Brazilian government approves Doctors Without Borders medical assistance to Indigenous people Japan’s new daily cases fall below 500 for the first time in more than a month Colombia joins a clinical study alongside US and Belgium to develop a coronavirus vaccine Mexico reports more than 3,500 new coronavirus cases Boris Johnson drops advice against face mask use in English schools Lebanon service sector says it will rebel against lockdown Turkey records highest number of new daily infections since mid-June India’s new Covid cases top global tally for 8th straight day Nearly 2.500 new cases in Indonesia Total Cases Worldwide: 23,968,134 Total Deaths Worldwide: 820,559 Total Recovered: 16,484,375 US Updates Georgia reports more than 2,200 new Covid-19 cases Illinois announces new Covid-19 restrictions for restaurants and bars Pennsylvania debuts state’s first mobile Covid-19 testing facility Texas shelters will have PPE and have Covid-19 testing as state braces for hurricane Los Angeles NFL teams will hold games at new stadium without fans until further notice Almost half of US states are reporting Covid-19 cases on college campuses Connecticut Covid-19 outbreak linked to travel, places of worship and sports US immigration agency cancels furlough of more than 13,000 employees American Airlines says it will cut 19,000 jobs unless it gets more help from Congress New York removes Alaska, Arizona, Delaware, Maryland, and Montana from its travel advisory list Iowa State University reports 130 Covid-19 cases after first week of class Florida reports more than 2,600 new Covid-19 cases Students in Danbury, Connecticut will start the school year online after Covid-19 outbreak North Carolina State pauses athletic activities due to Covid-19 clusters The University of Alabama started class less than a week ago. It now has 566 coronavirus cases FDA commissioner defends authorization of convalescent plasma Fauci warns against early authorization of a coronavirus vaccine Coronavirus outbreak at Maine jail linked back to wedding which infected at least 60 Dozens of Georgia Tech students test positive for COVID-19 Tuscaloosa shuts down bars after ‘unacceptable’ coronavirus outbreak at University of Alabama Florida appeals ruling that blocks state order to reopen schools amid coronavirus pandemic Indoor dining can resume next week at 50% capacity in Miami-Dade county, mayor says Kentucky moved from red state to yellow one in terms of overall Covid-19 infection rates Total US cases: 5,942,719 Total US deaths: 181,987 Total Recovered: 3,232,660 Total Tested in US: 72,889,910 Total cases in CA: 679,370 Total deaths in CA: 12,297 Total cases in TX: 610,600 Total deaths in TX: 11,887 Total cases in FL: 605,502 Total deaths in FL: 10,580 Total cases in NY: 461,523 Total deaths in NY: 32,978 Contact us |
| YouTube Channel |
| The Doctor Stu YouTube channel is up and running with many videos answering your questions. A new video goes up each day so subscribe. Go to www.DoctorStu.org to submit questions. DoctorStu YouTube channel |
