Here are nine COVID-19-related research findings covered by Becker's Hospital Review since May 4:
1. Pulse oximeter measurements are less accurate among Black, Hispanic and Asian COVID-19 patients compared to white patients. These inaccuracies may have led to minority patients receiving delayed or no treatment, according to a study published May 31 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
2. Pregnancy-related misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccine is still highly prevalent in the U.S., according to a Kaiser Family Foundation survey published May 27.
3. Vaccination protection from long COVID-19 and the use of a popular heart failure drug to treat symptoms have been the focus of two recent publications.
4. Healthcare-associated infection rates fluctuated in conjunction with COVID-19 hospitalization trends in 2021, hitting a new high in the third quarter as the delta variant swept the country, according to a study published May 20 in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology.
5. One in 5 adult COVID-19 survivors between the ages of 18 and 64 has experienced at least one health condition that could be considered long COVID-19, a May 24 study from the CDC found.
6. Seventy-five percent of patients with post-COVID-19 conditions weren't hospitalized during their acute illness, a study published May 19 from FAIR Health found. The findings are based on private claims data from 78,252 patients diagnosed with the official ICD-10 diagnostic code for post-COVID-19 conditions, which became effective Oct. 1, 2021.
7. Fifty-five percent of hospitalized COVID-19 patients still have at least one symptom two years later, according to findings based on an analysis of more than 1,000 patients published May 11 in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine. Researchers are calling it the longest follow-up study to date. More than 1,000 COVID-19 patients hospitalized in Wuhan, China, with COVID-19 in 2020 were involved in the study. Follow-up health assessments were conducted six months, a year and two years after discharge.
8. Researchers in London estimate the cognitive impairment caused by severe COVID-19 is equivalent to 20 years of aging or the loss of 10 IQ points, according to a study involving 46 patients. Cognitive effects on memory, attention or problem solving were strongest among patients who required mechanical ventilation. The findings also found deficits were still detectable six months after acute illness.
9. Nearly one-third of Americans say they think the pandemic is over, despite COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations rising nationwide, according to Axios-Ipsos Coronavirus Index poll findings published May 18.