Even as COVID-19 was correlated with worse outcomes for people with asthma, the number of people receiving care for asthmatic episodes decreased during the pandemic, according to three studies published in Thorax. Two focused on the United Kingdom, the first a study in England comparing general practitioner (GP) visits and hospital admissions, and the other…
People living with HIV are approximately two-thirds more likely to be current tobacco smokers than HIV-negative individuals, according to the findings of a global meta-analysis published in AIDS. Elevated smoking prevalence was observed in both men and women with HIV and in all world regions except the Western Pacific. “This systematic review and meta-analysis is…
Johnson & Johnson has begun shipping nearly 4 million doses of its newly authorized COVID-19 vaccine across the U.S., officials said Monday, and is expected to further scale up supply in the coming weeks and months. “We think literally within about the next 24 to 48 hours, Americans should start receiving shots in arms,” Alex…
The Global Strategy for the Diagnosis, Management, and Prevention of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Science Committee recently released a report on COVID-19 and COPD. The committee does a great job of providing timely, consensus-based recommendations for all things COPD. The new report is a long, comprehensive document. Our goal here will be to highlight a…
Guessing the emotions behind the masks. In a world of masks, it’s harder than ever to read the faces around us. Only now are scientists learning how we manage without the revealing tells of smiles, sneers, dimples and frowns that signal our state of mind, as masks in public settings become common in more than…
Everyone agrees about the good news — folks whose asthma is spurred on by allergies don’t appear to have an increased risk of life-threatening illness if they contract COVID-19. “Asthma has not risen as one of the top comorbid diseases for worse COVID-19 outcomes,” said Dr. Sandhya Khurana, director of the Mary Parkes Center for…
The use of face masks does not cause intoxication induced by exhaled carbon dioxide (CO2), even in people with lung function impairment such as those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a study reports. The study, “Effect of Face Masks on Gas Exchange in Healthy Persons and Patients with COPD,” was published in the Annals…
Almost two million people die each year from tobacco-induced heart disease, a new report by the World Health Organization has found. Around one in five deaths from heart disease are caused by tobacco use or exposure to second-hand smoke. And just a few cigarettes a day, occasional smoking, or exposure to second-hand smoke increase the…