THE following is a summary of some recent studies on COVID-19. They include research that warrants further study to corroborate the findings and that has yet to be certified by peer review.
Omicron breakthrough infections may spare young hearts
The Omicron variant of the coronavirus does not have a negative affect on cardiovascular health in young adults who have been vaccinated, a small study suggests.
Earlier variants have had a detrimental affect on patients' hearts and blood vessels, and researchers expected to see similar patterns when they compared 23 young adults with Omicron breakthrough infections diagnosed within the past six weeks to 13 vaccinated young adults who never had COVID-19.
The average age of study participants was early- to mid-20s. As reported on Friday in the American Journal of Physiology - Heart and Circulatory Physiology, markers of cardiovascular health included blood vessel function and responsiveness to stimuli, stiffness of artery walls, heart rate variability, and the heart's responses to changes in blood pressure.
"Contrary to our hypothesis," the researchers said, there were no differences in any of these parameters between healthy, vaccinated young adults who contracted COVID-19 during the Omicron wave and those who never had COVID.
The finding that "not all variants may be detrimental to cardiovascular health in young, otherwise healthy adults... is all very promising," they said. "However, there is some recent evidence that cardiovascular health may still be impacted in the long term... Therefore, follow-up studies will be needed to determine long-term cardiovascular health outcomes."
Delaying mammography after COVID vaccination unnecessary
Women should not delay routine mammograms after receiving a COVID-19 mRNA vaccine, experts now say.
In some women, the vaccines cause swollen lymph nodes around the armpits, which could be misread as a possible sign of breast cancer on a mammogram. Early after the vaccines became available, the Society for Breast Imaging advised women to wait four-to-six weeks after the second shot before having a screening mammogram because it was thought the abnormalities would resolve by then.
New research shows that so-called axillary lymphadenopathy after vaccination can last longer than initially reported. In 111 women with this side effect after receiving an mRNA COVID vaccine, the swelling took an average of 12-13 weeks after the second shot to resolve completely, researchers reported in the American Journal of Roentgenology.
Women should not delay their mammograms for extended periods, the Society for Breast Imaging now says.
In an updated guideline directed at asymptomatic, average risk women with no history of breast cancer or lymph node cancer, the group now advises that if screening mammograms show the kind of lymph node abnormalities associated with the vaccines, the exams should be repeated six months later.
mRNA vaccine response stronger after fourth dose vs third
A fourth dose of a COVID-19 mRNA vaccine can boost antibodies and other immune responses to levels higher than those seen after the third dose, according to UK trial data.
Researchers recruited 166 adults who had received a booster dose of the Pfizer PFE.N/BioNTech 22UAy.DE mRNA vaccine after two doses of either AstraZeneca's AZN.L viral vector vaccine or initial inoculation with Pfizer/BioNTech's shots.
They were randomly assigned to receive either another Pfizer/BionTech shot or Moderna's MRNA.O mRNA booster as a fourth dose. Half of the participants were older than 70, and the average interval since the third shot was seven months.
Two weeks after the fourth dose, levels of antibodies targeting the spike on the coronavirus were up to twice as high as antibody levels seen four weeks after the third dose for both vaccines, regardless of initial vaccine schedule, the researchers reported in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.
Responses of immune cells called T cells were significantly increased 14 days after the fourth dose compared with 28 days after the third dose, but only in participants who received three Pfizer shots followed by a Moderna booster.
Researchers cautioned that all of the increases "will probably wane rapidly, as has been observed after third doses."
Participants with high levels of immune responses before the fourth dose had limited boosting from that shot, they said, which suggests there may be a "ceiling" to the booster effect and that people with high antibody levels "are unlikely to gain much boosting from additional doses."
Reuters
Tue May 24 2022
A fourth dose of a COVID-19 mRNA vaccine can boost antibodies and other immune responses to levels higher than those seen after the third dose, according to UK trial data. - BERNAMA
Suruhanjaya Eropah saman Hungary atas dakwaan pelanggaran hak asasi
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PM Pakistan gembira atas perbincangan produktif dengan PM Malaysia
Bidang-bidang utama itu termasuk perdagangan, IT, tenaga, pertanian, eksport daging halal, pelancongan, pendidikan dan pertahanan.
Rwanda catat 7 lagi kes virus Marburg dan satu lagi kematian
Rwanda mencatatkan tujuh kes baharu penyakit virus Marburg dan satu lagi kematian.
Menurut angka terkini yang dikeluarkan lewat Rabu Kementerian Kesihatan Rwanda,
jumlah keseluruhan jangkitan virus Marburg sejak wabak bermula kini sebanyak 36 kes, dengan 11 kematian dilaporkan setakat ini.
Menurut angka terkini yang dikeluarkan lewat Rabu Kementerian Kesihatan Rwanda,
jumlah keseluruhan jangkitan virus Marburg sejak wabak bermula kini sebanyak 36 kes, dengan 11 kematian dilaporkan setakat ini.
Lebih 140 sekolah UNRWA diserang sejak 7 Oktober
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Perkara itu dimaklumkan Pesuruhjaya Agung Agensi Bantuan dan Kerja Pertubuhan Bangsa-Bangsa Bersatu untuk Pelarian Palestin (UNRWA) Philippe Lazzarini dalam satu hantaran di X.
Perkara itu dimaklumkan Pesuruhjaya Agung Agensi Bantuan dan Kerja Pertubuhan Bangsa-Bangsa Bersatu untuk Pelarian Palestin (UNRWA) Philippe Lazzarini dalam satu hantaran di X.
28 petugas dilapor maut dalam tempoh 24 jam lalu di Lubnan
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Perkara itu dimaklumkan Ketua Pengarah Pertubuhan Kesihatan Sedunia (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus pada Khamis.
Perkara itu dimaklumkan Ketua Pengarah Pertubuhan Kesihatan Sedunia (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus pada Khamis.
UNIFIL kekal pada posisi walaupun didesak berundur
Pasukan pengaman PBB di selatan Lubnan terus bertahan pada kedudukan mereka, di bawah mandat UNSC, walaupun diarah Israel untuk berundur.
G7 desak pemain serantau di Asia Barat bertindak cermat dalam krisis
Pemimpin Kumpulan Tujuh (G7) mengulangi kebimbangan mereka terhadap krisis di Asia Barat dan menyeru pemain serantau supaya bertindak dengan bertanggungjawab serta berhemah.
Mereka turut menegaskan sokongan penuh terhadap keselamatan Israel.
Mereka turut menegaskan sokongan penuh terhadap keselamatan Israel.
AS sokong operasi Israel di Lubnan meski risiko meluaskan konflik
Pentadbiran Joe Biden menyatakan bahawa adalah wajar untuk Israel meneruskan serangan darat dan udara terhadap Hezbollah buat masa ini, menurut jurucakap Jabatan Negara Amerika Syarikat, Matthew Miller.
Namun, beliau mengakui risiko operasi di Lubnan mungkin melangkaui matlamat semasa Israel.
Namun, beliau mengakui risiko operasi di Lubnan mungkin melangkaui matlamat semasa Israel.
Shamsul Iskandar dakwa kesepakatan parti dalam PN kian longgar
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Politik stabil, dasar kerajaan tarik minat syarikat global melabur di Malaysia - Gobind
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COVID-19 terkawal tetapi virus akan terus ada bersama kita - KKM
Kebanyakan kes COVID-19 yang dilaporkan mengalami gejala ringan dan tidak memerlukan rawatan di hospital.
COVID-19: Kes aktif varian Omicron bergejala ringan - Pakar perubatan
Beliau berkata kes COVID-19 dijangka berkurangan selepas satu bulan berdasarkan pemerhatian trend jangkitan virus oleh KKM.
COVID-19: Kes meningkat kepada 12,757 pada ME49/2023
Walaupun terdapat peningkatan kes COVID-19, keadaan di Malaysia masih terkawal dan tidak membebankan fasiliti kesihatan sedia ada.
COVID-19: Kes jangkitan meningkat kepada 2,305 minggu lalu, 21 varian Omicron
Daripada jumlah itu, terdapat 20 kes Variant of Concern (VOC) dan satu kes Variant of Interest (VOI).
COVID-19: Qatar kesan kes pertama varian baharu EG.5
Qatar mengesan kes pertama varian baharu COVID-19 dikenali EG.5 di negara itu, kata Kementerian Kesihatan Awam pada Khamis.
Saintis seru rakyat UK pakai pelitup muka ekoran varian baharu "Eris"
Saintis menggesa orang ramai di United Kingdom kembali memakai pelitup muka di tengah-tengah kebimbangan "mutasi" subvarian Omicron, "Eris" yang kini menyumbang satu daripada 10 kes di negara itu.
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COVID-19: Indonesia kesan tujuh kes Arcturus setakat ini
Indonesia mengesan lima kes baharu subvarian Omicron, Arcturus, menjadikan jumlah keseluruhan kepada tujuh kes setakat semalam.
Kes COVID-19 dalam negara masih terkawal - Dr Zaliha
Kes COVID-19 di dalam negara ini masih lagi terkawal meskipun berlaku sedikit peningkatan kebelakangan ini dan rakyat tidak perlu panik, kata Menteri Kesihatan Dr Zaliha Mustafa.
Vaksin COVID-19: Australia lancar dos penggalak kelima
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