Blood Plasma as Treatment? And More Info Straight from the Science Journals

With misinformation and deliberate disinformation running almost as rampant as the virus that causes COVID-19, we thought it would be best to go to the source for the latest insights. Compiled by veteran medical journalist Brian Owens, Hakai Magazine in partnership with The Tyee regularly presents this roundup of some of the newest science on the COVID-19 pandemic, straight from the scientific journals.

Blood from recovered patients could help treat COVID-19

A small study of 10 patients in China has found that blood from recovered patients, known as “convalescent plasma,” could be a safe and effective treatment for COVID-19. One dose of blood could significantly increase the level of antibodies in the recipient’s body, and improve symptoms within three days. The authors call for further clinical trials, one of which is already underway in Canada.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, April 7, 2020

Hydroxychloroquine study attracts expression of concern from publisher

Recently we highlighted a study from France that suggested the malaria medication hydroxychloroquine might be an effective treatment for COVID-19, an idea that has been heavily promoted by U.S. President Donald Trump. The study has since attracted criticism from many scientists for having missing and confusing data, a rushed peer-review process and ethical lapses. Now the scientific society that publishes the journal in which the work appeared has expressed concern about the study, saying: “the article does not meet the society’s expected standard.” Such expressions of concern can be the first step toward an article being retracted.

International Society of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, April 3, 2020

Conflicting data on the effectiveness of masks

Although public health officials now recommend that people wear masks if they have to leave the house, the data on whether masks are effective in preventing the spread of COVID-19 is not clear. A systematic review of existing studies found that, for health-care workers, surgical masks and N95 respirators offer similar protection against respiratory viruses, including coronaviruses, in the routine care of people with coronavirus. But a study in South Korea that had four patients with COVID-19 cough into a surgical mask and a cotton mask found signs of the virus on the outer surface of both types of mask. That study did not, however, test whether the masks shorten the distance that droplets travel during coughing, or whether they could reduce viral transmission from people without symptoms or who were not coughing.

Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses, April 4, 2020

Annals of Internal Medicine, April 6, 2020

How to protect your skin when wearing a mask

Health-care workers on the front line of COVID-19 must spend much of the day wearing face masks, and public health officials now recommend that the rest of us do the same when we have to leave the house. But masks can cause you to sweat, and the masks themselves can rub against the nose and cheeks causing significant skin damage that can lead to infections. Earlier this year, researchers in the United Kingdom published guidance on how to protect your skin while wearing a mask: you should keep your skin clean and dry, well-hydrated and moisturised, and apply barrier creams at least half an hour before you put your mask on. They also recommend relieving the pressure from the mask every two hours.

Journal of Wound Care, Feb. 18, 2020

How effective are school closures in preventing the spread of COVID-19?

More than 100 countries around the world have closed schools as part of their efforts to stop the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19, but two new studies indicate that school closures may have only a small effect on transmission rates. One study found that school closures alone would prevent two to four per cent of deaths — much less than other physical distancing measures. Another study looked at how school closures affect health-care workers in the United States and found that around 15 per cent might have to miss work to care for their children. Taken together, these studies highlight the need to combine school closures with other physical distancing measures, and the importance of ensuring health-care workers have adequate access to child care while schools are closed.

The Lancet Public Health, April 3, 2020

The Lancet Child and Adolescent Health, April 6, 2020

Common characteristics of fatal cases of COVID-19

A study of 85 fatal cases of COVID-19 at two hospitals in Wuhan, China, has identified some commonalities among patients who died of the disease. The most common symptoms were fever, shortness of breath and fatigue, and the greatest number of deaths among the group were men over the age of 50 with non-communicable chronic diseases such as hypertension, coronary heart disease and diabetes. They also found that while respiratory problems may not develop until a week after symptoms appear, once they do there can be a rapid decline — on average patients died just six days after being admitted to hospital.

American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, April 3, 2020

Anti-parasitic drug shows potential against SARS-CoV-2

The anti-parasitic drug ivermectin can effectively eliminate the SARS-CoV-2 virus in a test tube within 48 hours. The next step is to determine the correct human dosage, to ensure the amount needed to potentially treat the virus is also safe for humans. Ivermectin has previously been shown to be effective in test tubes against other viruses such as Zika, HIV, dengue and influenza.

Antiviral Research, April 3, 2020

Oral antiviral drug effective in test tubes and mice

Early studies in test tubes and mice suggest that an experimental antiviral drug called EIDD-2801 could be helpful in treating COVID-19. The drug is similar to remdesivir, a drug originally developed to fight Ebola, which has also shown promise against COVID-19. The advantage to EIDD-2801 is that it can be taken orally as a pill, rather than given intravenously, which would make treatment easier. Clinical trials in humans are expected to begin later this spring.

Science Translational Medicine, April 6, 2020

COVID-19 prediction models have been based on weak evidence

Many models developed to predict diagnosis of COVID-19, prognosis for infected patients, and detection in the population appear to be based on weak and overly optimistic evidence from studies that are biased and unreliable, according to a systematic review of those models. The researchers call for more data sharing, better reporting, and the use of standard guidelines to improve the models that support medical decisions.

BMJ, April 7, 2020