COVID-19 Remains A Leading Cause Of Death, Especially Among Seniors

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There have been over 200K COVID-19 deaths this year, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis of death certificates.  And that number may be low, because other studies have shown that the cause of death in many COVID-19 cases have been blamed on pre-existing conditions.  Most of the deaths are in older people with underlying health conditions and compromised immune systems.  “I don’t think people realize that this is still a big deal,’ the daughter of a man by the name of Mark Pfundheller who died at the age of 66 despite having the vaccine and a booster, told the Wall Street Journal.  About 85% of deaths from COVID_19 through mid-August were among those 65 and older.

Long COVID Responsible For 15% Of Employees Who Left The Workforce

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Researchers are reporting that some people who contracted coronavirus and only had a mild case, suddenly took a turn for the worse after they thought they had made a full recovery.  Long COVID is very unpleasant, with symptoms like heart palpitations, headaches and cognitive issues.  There are at least 7 million cases of long COVID in the U.S. alone, and research has shown that it is more prevalent in people in their 30’s and 40’s, when they are in the prime of their careers.  Many have left the workforce.  “We’ve got to, as a nation, recognize that the majority of people will be of working age, and we need to facilitate these guys working in an environment that allows them to recover while working,†Fauzia Begum, an occupational health doctor for Britain’s National Health Service, told The New York Times.  If you don’t do that, you end up in a position where you have a lot of people who are off work,†he said.  A study published by the Brookings Institution found that long COVID could account for 15% of the millions of unfilled jobs in the United States.  Since there is no single test for diagnosing long COVID, many of these people have to forgo unemployment and disability benefits.

Nursing Homes And Assisted Living Hit With COVID-19 Lawsuits

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Now that the pandemic seems to be calming down, a flurry of class action and individual lawsuits accusing nursing homes of not properly protecting its residents from COVID-19 have been filed.  The wrongful-death lawsuits have been spurred by a repeal of liability protections and statutory deadlines to file the suits.  Many nursing homes are claiming that the virus was beyond their control, with staffing shortages, inadequate testing supplies and a lack of masks and other personal protective equipment all contributing to the problem.  “It’s going to be a knock-down-drag-out battle,†said Steven Levin, a partner in Levin & Perconti and one of the many lawyers seeking damages for the families of those who died of COVID-19 while in a facility.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/nursing-homes-face-growing-number-of-lawsuits-from-covid-19-fallout-11649507400

 

Free COVID-19 Tests Rolling Out For Seniors On Medicare

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Millions of seniors on Medicare can get up to eight free coronavirus home tests each month from pharmacies at more than a dozen national and regional chain retailers.  This has been a long time coming but I will certainly keep my eyes peeled to see if these show up on the shelves.  Locations which are now committed, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, are Albertsons, Costco, CVS, Food Lion, Giant, Hannaford, H-E-B, Hy-Vee, Kroger Family, Rite Aid, Stop & Shop, Walgreens and Walmart.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2022/04/04/covid-tests-medicare-pharmacies-free/7265479001/

 

Yet Another Deadly COVID-19 Variant Is On The Way

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A new variant of COVID-19 has emerged in the United Kindom, and this one could be a doozy.  It combines two different omicron strains and has been called the XE variant.  According to data from the British Public Health Officials at the World Health Organization, this could be the fastest-spreading COVID variant yet.  It has not been discovered in the United States yet, however, it has been detected in Cina and Thailand.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2022/04/05/heres-what-we-know-about-omicron-xe—the-new-covid-variant-found-in-the-uk/?sh=241c0f4b2a8c&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=dailydozen&utm_content=uaddsubscribe&cdlcid=607e1442fe2c195e916f3bb4

COVID-19 Can Cause Dementia For Those 60+

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A new study which was published this week in the journal JAMA Neurology found that COVID-19 survivors over the age of 60 may face heightened risk of mild cognitive impairment, cognitive decline and even dementia.  The study followed more than 1,400 COVID-19 survivors aged 60 or older and used their uninfected spouses as a control population.  Participants were tested on their cognitive functions using a questionnaire and a telephone interview six months after their discharge and then again 12 months after being released from the hospital.  At the end of the study, 12% showed cognitive impairment.  Of that group, 3% had dementia and another 9% had mild cognitive issues.  The researchers also said that 15% of those with severe COVID-19 developed dementia compared to just 1% amongst those who had a mild case of it.

https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/A-new-study-says-COVID-19-can-cause-dementia-Is-17012645.php?sid=5936af7424c17c09a38000c4&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=headlines&utm_campaign=sfc_morningfix

Poll : Health Care Workers Still Love Their Job

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It’s hard to believe, but that was the headline of a recent USA Today story which, to me, was shocking.  They are under so much stress right now with the number of COVID-19 cases and staffing at the bare minimum, I would have thought that they would be extremely unhappy.  But 75% of them say that they still love their jobs, according to a USA TODAY/Ipsos Poll of doctors, nurses, paramedics, therapists and others in the health care industry.  “The pandemic has actually made me realize how important this career is, and how I really do make a difference,†Christina Rosa, a 33-year-old mental health counselor told USA Today, despite the fact that she had to close her office and serve clients remotely.  About half of the poll respondents described themselves as burned out and 20% said they were feeling angry.

 

Economic Problems About : Life Insurers Now Suffering Due To COVID-19

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There are so many economic problems surrounding us, one of them I hadn’t even thought of recently hit the headlines of The Wall Street Journal : Life Insurers Facing Huge Losses Due to COVID-19 deaths.  Although the increase in losses for last year’s victims of coronavirus were expected, what was not were losses attributable to people who died from something other than COVID-19.  Some medical experts believe that these were due to people not going to the doctor because they feared getting the coronavirus or simply couldn’t get an appointment.  “The losses we are seeing continue to be elevated over 2019 levels due at least in part, we believe, to the pandemic and the existence of either delayed or unavailable healthcare,†Globe Life finance chief Frank Svoboda told analysts and investors.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/rise-in-non-covid-19-deaths-hits-life-insurers-11645576252

 

As If We Haven’t Had Enough Stress, A New Omicron Variant Arrives

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Just as the number of infections started plummeting and it appeared that it would soon be safe to go outside again, health authorities have announced that a more infectious type of the Omicron variant has surged and now accounts for a full one-third of global COVID-19 cases sequenced in recent weeks.  Known as BA.2, this strain may extend the length of a new COVID-19 wave.  “We’re looking not only at how quickly those peaks go up, but how they come down,†World Health Organization (SHO) epidemiologist Maria Van Kerkhove told The Wall Street Journal.  “And as the decline in cases occurs…we also need to look at: Is there a slowing of that decline?  Or will we start to see an increase again?† she continued.  Fingers crossed that this is not another huge wave.

 

Robert Califf Confirmed As FDA Commissioner

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In a close vote, The Senate voted 50 to 46 in favor confirming Robert Califf to lead the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).   Califf was opposed by some Republicans after being pressured by abortion-pill opponents as well as some Democrat’s because of Dr. Califf’s industry ties.  Six Republicans voted for confirmation while four Democrats and independent Senator Bernie Sanders voted against him.  As FDA Commissioner, Dr. Califf will play a key roll in overseeing the response to the coronavirus pandemic.