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The “Journal of the Canadian Medical Association” has analyzed the strengths and limitations of digital contact tracing as a means of controlling the spread of COVID-19. The newspaper concludes that mobile phone applications tracking movements and contacts are only useful if they are adopted by a large percentage of the population. This means that their effectiveness depends on their acceptance by the public. The newspaper says governments like Alberta that plan to search for digital contacts must ensure that these apps respect privacy, use reasonable thresholds to measure exposure, and are coordinated between different public health agencies. The authors warn that such measures do not replace frequent and precise tests.
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Research published in the “Journal of the Canadian Medical Association” suggests that the mortality rate in older patients with COVID-19 may not be as high as previously thought. Initial studies in China, Italy and the United States have shown mortality ranging from 23 to 62% in critically ill patients. A survey of 117 COVID-19 patients in intensive care in Vancouver, however, showed a 15% mortality rate, even though the median age was 69 years and almost three-quarters of the patients had problems underlying health.
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The science blog “Retraction Watch” notes that a widely circulated article that casts doubt on the ability of masks to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus has been removed. The newspaper was widely cited in the media and social media after its publication, but the journal “Annals of Internal Medicine” subsequently deleted it. The review cited problems with sample size – four participants – and the fact that the authors did not consider the limitations of the test they used to detect the virus. “Retraction Watch”, which has been monitoring research on the pandemic since it started, lists more than a dozen articles on COVID-19 that have been withdrawn, both from pre-peer review and on the sites of prestigious magazines such as “The Lancet”.
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The Canadian Thoracic Society publishes guidelines on asthma and COVID-19. Asthmatics are not at greater risk of getting the new coronavirus, the guidelines say, highlighting large studies showing that the percentage of asthmatics among patients with COVID-19 matches their share of the general population. The company says asthma may well be exacerbated by the disease, but this has not been directly proven so far. There is also no solid evidence that asthmatics have a higher risk of serious illness or death from the virus. Society encourages asthma sufferers to continue their regular treatment.
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The journal “Biomedicines” published research showing that food supplements, including vitamin D and quercetin (a flavonoid found in plants), could play a role in the treatment of people suffering from COVID-19. Quercetin has been found to modify the activity of many genes that encode proteins targeted by the virus, potentially interfering with the functions of 85% of viral proteins in human cells. Vitamin D is thought to have a similar impact. The authors suggest that an age-related vitamin D deficiency may contribute to the high mortality of older adults with COVID-19. The authors suggest further research and clinical trials.
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