Here are 13 COVID-19-related studies Becker's has covered since Aug. 16:
1. A new study from researchers at Boston-based Harvard Medical School found the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus may linger in long COVID-19 patients' blood for up to a year after infection. The findings reinforce a leading theory among scientists that lingering virus particles stimulate an immune system reaction that causes symptoms.
2. Psychological distress — including depression, anxiety, worry, perceived stress and loneliness — prior to COVID-19 infection was associated with an increased risk for long COVID-19, a new study from Boston-based Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found.
3. While droplet or airborne COVID-19 transmission while changing linens is possible, the risk is low for clinicians, a study published Sept. 2 in Nature suggested.
4. Medical schools across the nation experienced disruptions to pathway programs and other measures intended to boost diversity during the COVID-19 pandemic, a study published Aug. 29 in JAMA Network Open found.
5. Nightmares became more prevalent among adults during the pandemic, according to a study published Aug. 26 in Nature and Science of Sleep.
6. Smaller community hospitals have been most affected by the COVID-19-related uptick in healthcare-associated infections, a study published Aug. 23 in Clinical Infectious Diseases found.
7. The more SARS-CoV-2 antigens someone had, the more serious their COVID-19 symptoms were, a study from the National Institutes of Health found.
8. The prevalence of Clostridioides difficile infections decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic, but inpatient mortality and treatment costs went up, a study published Aug. 25 in Open Forum Infectious Diseases found.
9. Misuse of gloves may have increased rates of hospital-acquired infections during COVID-19, a report published Aug. 29 in Nursing Times found.
10. With each new COVID-19 variant, the interval between exposure and symptom development appeared to shorten, according to a study published Aug. 22 in JAMA Network Open.
11. Brain fog and other neurological issues may linger for two years after a COVID-19 diagnosis, according to a study published Aug. 17 in The Lancet Psychiatry.
12. A study of more than 2,900 healthcare workers in Switzerland found those who reported using respirator masks were 40 percent less likely to contract COVID-19 than those wearing surgical masks after being exposed to COVID-19 patients.
13. Around 98 percent of COVID-19 reinfections are occurring in patients previously infected with the virus more than 90 days ago, suggesting that waning immunity — rather than highly transmissible variants — is propelling the uptick, according to Helix, a lab that helps the CDC with viral surveillance.