COVID-19 Health and Wellness Information |
With the sharp decline of omicron cases, every day brings news of loosening restrictions. On the one hand, this is excellent news. We all want to be done with this pandemic. However, the narrative that we can all throw caution to the wind and go back to life before 2020 is inaccurate and unfair to the most vulnerable who live among us.
According to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, more than 2.7 percent of the U.S. population takes some form of immunosuppressing medication. That’s almost 9 million people who have an increased risk of being infected by the SARS-CoV-2 virus and developing severe illness. This does not count those who are older or children under five who are not yet able to be vaccinated. While we have developed treatments like Paxlovid and Evusheld that can protect these patients, the medications are in short supply.
As we move toward fewer restrictions, keep that in mind. This pandemic isn’t over yet, especially for them.
Be kind, be well, and stay safe.
Roy E. Weiss, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor of Medicine
Chair, Department of Medicine
Chief Medical Officer for COVID-19 |
COVID-19 AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE
As we learn more about COVID-19, one thing is increasingly clear—we don’t know enough to say a “mild case” of the illness is harmless. For example, last week, an extensive study was published showing a substantial increase in cardiovascular risk after illness. The researchers analyzed an extensive sampling from the U.S. Veterans Affairs health-record database comparing more than 150,000 veterans who survived for at least 30 days after contracting COVID-19. The researchers found that “rates of many conditions, such as heart failure and stroke, were substantially higher in people who had recovered from COVID-19 than in similar people who hadn’t had the disease.” Although this is in an older population of veterans it gives us reason to be diligent about getting vaccinated.
POSSIBLE OMICRON ORIGINResearchers continue to look for the origins of omicron and the original SARS-CoV-2 virus. One of the prevailing theories is that omicron was transmitted from animals to humans, perhaps through mice or rats. According to researchers, this would explain why the closest relative to omicron is a strain found in early 2020. It could also be why three sublineages of omicron were able to circulate before scientists noticed.
The virus has been found in many species, including deer, hamsters, and even domesticated pets. Outbreaks have also been traced to animals in the Netherlands, where the virus spread to minks and then back to mink farmers.
WASTEWATER SURVEILLANCE Lending to the theory that animals may be a potential source of omicron is the presence of SARS-CoV-2 lineages that “share many mutations with the omicron variant of concern” found in New York City wastewater. Researchers narrowed down potential hosts to rats, cats, or dogs.
Tracking variants is one of the goals of wastewater surveillance. According to the FDA, “studies have shown that SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) variants of concern from wastewater can be identified 1-2 weeks prior to being detected in clinical samples from the same area, making wastewater surveillance useful for detecting and monitoring SARS-CoV-2 at the population scale.”
THE DOG NOSE (KNOWS) Dogs have been shown to be able to detect several different human ailments, including diabetes, Parkinson’s, malaria, cancer, and even COVID-19. In fact, according to a study published last year in the United Kingdom, “bio-detection dogs” identified COVID-19 with up to 94 percent accuracy.
Humans release volatile organic compounds when infected with COVID-19, which have a robust and distinctive scent. While we cannot smell them, dogs can because they have more than 250 million more scent receptors in their nose than humans. They also devote 40 percent more brain space to analyzing odors.
THE OPTIMIST’S MIND According to research, seeing the glass as half full can also affect the amount of attention you pay to negative stimuli. Several studies have used eye-tracking technology and the Life Orientation Test to prove this correlation. Participants were given the test to measure their levels of optimism and then were asked to look at different images while wearing a device that measured how quickly and how long they focused on negative images. For example, in one study, optimistic individuals spent less time fixating on skin cancer images.
Researchers believe optimism, hope, and attention to emotional information may reduce psychological stress. Think of it this way. If you can try to see the glass as half full, maybe you don’t need those rose-colored glasses.
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We will share more health and wellness news in the next edition. |
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COVID-19 RESOURCES
Students, faculty, and staff on the Coral Gables and Marine campuses who are experiencing possible symptoms consistent with, or who have been potentially exposed to, COVID-19 should contact the University's COVID-19 hotline at 305-243-ONE-U, where UHealth physicians and providers are available to answer your questions and provide telemedicine services if needed.
Members of the Medical Campus should contact 305-243-8378.
For additional University of Miami COVID-19 information and resources, visit coronavirus.miami.edu.
If you are a student in distress or need counseling services, the Counseling Center provides mental health services through HIPAA-compliant teleconferencing platforms. Counselors are certified and available to help any time by calling 305-284-5511. Additional resources are also available by visiting counseling.studentaffairs.miami.edu.
If you are a faculty or staff members in need of support visit fsap.miami.edu. |
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