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Covid shot associated with fewer cardiac events – US study

After analysing the most extensive datasets in the United States, researchers have revealed that vaccination against Covid-19 is associated with fewer heart attacks, strokes...

Most long Covid symptoms go after a year – large Israeli cohort study

Although not everyone recovers, a recent study analysing nearly 2m patient records in Israel concludes that for most people, the troubling symptoms that persist after a...

Are severe Covid- pneumonia patients on ventilation longer than needed? US study

Patients on mechanical ventilation for severe Covid-19 pneumonia had similar mortality rates to patients with other forms of severe pneumonia, but those with Covid...

Long Covid stigma an added problem for sufferers – UK study

A recent study has found that people with long Covid may experience a non-physical side-effect of the virus, apart from dizziness, headaches, sleep problems,...

Pandemic far from over as kraken sub-variant and surge in China show

As China buckles under a surge in Covid-19 cases, sparking fears of a new coronavirus mutant being unleashed on the world, South Africa has...

Prone position shows benefits for patients with respiratory distress – global meta-analysis

COVID-19 patients can develop hypoxaemic respiratory failure, potentially necessitating hospitalisation for supplemental oxygen or ICU for mechanical ventilation, and although most will have mild...

Coronavirus survives on some foods for a week, but low risk for consumers

UK scientists, in a series of tests for the Food Standards Agency (FSA), found that the COVID-19 virus can live on some ready-to-eat groceries...

'Acceptable loss' debate as COVID-19 becomes plague of the elderly

COVID-19 is still with us but its focus has shifted with more older people now at risk of death, a situation which has again...

Next coronavirus variant could cause more illness, SA study finds

As health experts urged government to prepare for the next pandemic, a new South African study has shown that the next coronavirus variant could...

Repeat COVID infections riskier than first bout – US study

The risk of death, hospitalisation and serious health issues from COVID-19 jumps significantly with reinfection compared with a first bout of the virus, regardless...

British man with long COVID finally cured of virus after 411 days

A British man (59) whose COVID infection was thought to have been one of the longest in the world is finally clear of the...

Exercise boosts protection derived from COVID jab – South African study

Regular physical activity may boost the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine, according to research done by Discovery Vitality, which showed that a combination of...

Surge of 300 COVID variants with increased immune escape properties

Omicron sub-variants are showing signs of “increased transmissibility and properties of immune escape”, the World Health Organisation has warned, but reduced surveillance has limited...

Vaccine hesitancy among adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa reaches 88%

COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy rates are up to 88% among adolescents in some sub-Saharan African countries, often because of concerns over safety and efficacy, according...

COVID-19 vaccination and menstrual cycle – global cohort study

COVID-19 vaccination is associated with a small and likely temporary change in menstrual cycle length but with no change in menses length, nor any...

African study finds bulk of COVID-19 variants came from abroad

African scientists and public health institutions have revealed that most of the continent’s COVID-19 variants originated from abroad, even though African countries were the...

WHO estimates 17m long COVID cases in Europe and urges action

A possible 17m people experienced long COVID in the first two years of the pandemic in Europe, new modelling conducted for the World Health...

Antibody discovery might make COVID jabs redundant – Tel Aviv study

A team of scientists from Tel Aviv University has demonstrated that antibodies isolated from the immune system of recovered COVID-19 patients are effective in...

‘Most transmissable’ Omicron variant re-infects within weeks

Deleted: Global experts have warned that Omicron BA.5, the coronavirus strain currently outpacing other variants in infection and the dominant strain in most countries,...

Higher myocarditis risk in young males after mRNA jabs – Nordic cohort study of 23m

A massive cohort study of 23.2m people across four Nordic countries showed higher rates of myocarditis and pericarditis within 28 days after being vaccinated...

Omicron variant: 56% of infected people unaware – LA study

Most people with Omicron probably don’t even know they’re infected, according to a recent small study, which says that 56% of people who are...

UK approves dual-strain Moderna COVID vaccine that targets Omicron

Britain has become the first country to approve a dual vaccine that tackles both the original COVID virus and the newer Omicron variant, and...

One in every eight adults likely infected with long COVID, large study finds

Long COVID is far more widespread than thought, a recent study shows, while another has found that a common symptom of the condition is...

Fourth jab slashes breakthrough COVID infections – Israeli cohort study

There are definite benefits to administering a fourth dose of the COVID vaccine, say researchers, after a cohort study of 29  611 healthcare workers...

South African research sheds light on microclots’ role in long COVID

There is no global consensus among researchers and clinicians on a definition for long COVID, no adequate diagnostic test for the debilitating condition, and...

New studies point COVID origin evidence to Wuhan wet market

Scientists have repeated their assertions of “compelling evidence” that Wuhan’s Huanan seafood and wildlife market was at the centre of the COVID-19 outbreak. Two peer-reviewed...

SA companies, institutions, do U-turn on COVID and vaccine mandates

An increasing number of South African companies and institutions are relaxing or dropping their COVID-19 restrictions, with Standard Bank and Old Mutual being among...

New BA.2.75 Omicron subvariant – and what we know so far

Even as BA.4 and BA.5 continue to climb the charts, crowding out earlier Omicron subvariants, scientists are warning about an even newer strain: BA.2.75....

Lessons from the pandemic: vaccines prevent deaths, and ‘listen to scientists’

As South Africa last week joined the ranks of a growing number of countries which have dropped all COVID-19 restrictions, bringing to an end...

Scientists probe link between COVID symptoms, blood clots

Studies has suggested that fewer than a third of patients who have ongoing COVID symptoms after being hospitalised with the disease feel fully recovered...

Babies’ protection with mothers' COVID jab dips during Omicron – CDC study

Babies younger than six-months-old whose mothers received an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine had a lower risk of hospitalisation with the virus, but protection dropped considerably...

FDA panel recommends COVID baby, toddler jab

An advisory committee has recommended that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) give emergency use authorisation (EUA) to both Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech’s mRNA...

Milestone delays in babies exposed to COVID in womb – US cohort study

Lags in basic milestones of infancy – rolling over, reaching for objects or babbling – have been observed in babies whose mothers caught COVID-19...

Unvaccinated heart failure patients three times likelier to die from COVID – US study

Heart failure patients unvaccinated against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, are three times more likely to die if infected with the virus, compared...

How race, money and where you live affect who survives COVID

When COVID-19 hit South Africa, it was clear it was a disease that showed no prejudice in who was targeted for infection, with the...

Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine holds up against Omicron – Discovery analysis

Pfizer-BioNTech’s Covid-19 vaccine provided strong protection against hospitalisation during SA’s fifth wave of coronavirus infections, suggesting the shot held up against the Omicron sub-lineages...

Nearly everyone in SA has COVID antibodies – SANBS study

The latest COVID seroprevalence survey shows that nearly every adult in South Africa has some antibodies, either from being vaccinated or having had COVID....

Vaccines safe for pregnant women, Wits study confirms

A local study has found there are no major safety concerns regarding the use of mainly the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines in pregnant women. News24 reports...

Super-antibody UT28K 'active against variants' – Japan study

Recent research from Japan describes a neutralising antibody against COVID-19 that the study team says is active against Omicron as well as several other...

Long COVID impacts heart, lung and kidney – Scottish study

The condition called long COVID, say some experts, could result in a generation affected by disability. Damage to the lungs and kidneys is common in...