Daily Sabah logo

Politics
Diplomacy Legislation War On Terror EU Affairs Elections News Analysis
TÜRKİYE
Istanbul Education Investigations Minorities Expat Corner Diaspora
World
Mid-East Europe Americas Asia Pacific Africa Syrian Crisis Islamophobia
Business
Automotive Economy Energy Finance Tourism Tech Defense Transportation News Analysis
Lifestyle
Health Environment Travel Food Fashion Science Religion History Feature Expat Corner
Arts
Cinema Music Events Portrait Reviews Performing Arts
Sports
Football Basketball Motorsports Tennis
Opinion
Columns Op-Ed Reader's Corner Editorial
PHOTO GALLERY
JOBS ABOUT US RSS PRIVACY CONTACT US
© Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2023

Daily Sabah logo

عربي
  • Politics
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • Elections
    • News Analysis
  • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Expat Corner
    • Diaspora
  • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • Islamophobia
  • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
  • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
  • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Reviews
    • Performing Arts
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
  • Gallery
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
  • TV
  • Life
  • Health
  • Environment
  • Travel
  • Food
  • Fashion
  • Science
  • Religion
  • History
  • Feature
  • Expat Corner

COVID-19 roundup: Pollen, kidneys and vaccine response in pregnancy

by REUTERS

Mar 14, 2021 - 12:10 pm GMT+3
Pollen imitates snow floating through the Anthony Wayne Recreation Area, Friday, Nov. 10, 2017, near Fort Montgomery, N.Y. (AP Photo)
Pollen imitates snow floating through the Anthony Wayne Recreation Area, Friday, Nov. 10, 2017, near Fort Montgomery, N.Y. (AP Photo)
by REUTERS Mar 14, 2021 12:10 pm

This week's roundup of some of the latest scientific studies on the coronavirus and efforts to find treatments for COVID-19 explores vaccine responses in pregnant and lactating women, establishes a link between pollen season and COVID-19 rates, and reveals longer-lasting kidney issues in patients.

Pollen levels linked to COVID-19 rates

Higher pollen concentrations in the air have coincided with increases in COVID-19 infection rates, a large study shows, suggesting a possible link.

Using data from 130 sites in 31 countries, researchers found that airborne pollen levels, sometimes in combination with humidity and temperature, accounted for up to 44% of the variability of COVID-19 infection rates during the spring of 2020. The effect was not connected with pollen allergies, the researchers said.

In a report published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, they explained that in everyone, exposure to pollen reduces the ability of the respiratory tract lining to defend itself against viruses by diminishing the release of the antiviral protein interferon. The study also reports that under similar pollen concentrations, infection rates were halved when lockdown measures were in place because the lockdowns limited exposure to both the virus and the pollen that diminishes the immune response.

"As we cannot completely avoid pollen exposure, we ... encourage high-risk individuals to wear particle filter masks during high pollen concentrations," said co-author Athanasios Damialis of the Technical University of Munich, in Augsburg, Germany.

A women receives a shot of Sinovac's COVID-19 vaccine during a drive-thru mass vaccination in Jakarta, Indonesia, Wednesday, March 3, 2021. (AP Photo)
A women receives a shot of Sinovac's COVID-19 vaccine during a drive-thru mass vaccination in Jakarta, Indonesia, Wednesday, March 3, 2021. (AP Photo)

Robust vaccine responses during pregnancy and lactation

Pregnant and lactating women who received the mRNA vaccines from Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna had immune responses similar to those seen in non-pregnant, non-lactating women, a new study found.

In all cases, the COVID-19 antibodies induced by the vaccines were transferred to the babies via the placenta or breast milk, according to a report published on medRxiv ahead of peer review. The researchers studied 84 pregnant women, 31 breastfeeding women, and 16 non-pregnant women who received the vaccines. Immune responses were equivalent in all three groups, and all three groups had higher antibody levels than another group of 37 women who were infected with the coronavirus while pregnant.

"Dampened response to vaccination has been noted in the past for other vaccines in pregnancy," said co-author Galit Alter of the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. She added that the study addressed an important question as COVID-19 vaccines are rolled out, given that there is currently "limited to no data on how they work in this population."

Pregnant and lactating women were not included in initial COVID-19 vaccine trials. A study testing the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in pregnant women got underway last month.

Kidney problems from COVID-19 particularly severe

Sudden kidney problems from severe COVID-19 appear to be worse, and longer-lasting, than kidney problems that develop in other seriously ill patients, a new study found.

Doctors at five hospitals in the U.S. states of Connecticut and Rhode Island studied 182 patients with COVID-19-associated acute kidney injury (AKI) and 1,430 patients with AKI not associated with the coronavirus. The COVID-19 patients had steeper declines in their kidneys' ability to filter waste from the blood while hospitalized, the researchers reported.

In addition, among patients whose kidneys were still impaired at hospital discharge, those with COVID-19 were significantly less likely to have recovered to their pre-illness kidney status six months later, and their kidney function was predicted to decline over time at a faster rate than in the other patients.

The data, published in JAMA Network Open, shows that "acute kidney injury associated with COVID-19 has a worse prognosis than traditional acute kidney injury," said co-author Dr. Francis Perry Wilson of the Yale University School of Medicine. "Those with COVID-19 associated acute kidney injuries should probably be monitored more closely than others once they are out of the hospital."

  • shortlink copied
  • RELATED TOPICS
    fight-against-terrorism DEUTSCHE-BANK US-LIBYA-RELATIONS
    KEYWORDS
    news roundup covid-19 pandemic pollen kidney health pregnancy lactation vaccines&immunity
    The Daily Sabah Newsletter
    Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey, it’s region and the world.
    You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
    Percival Lugue, who has the Guinness world record for the largest fast-food toy collection, poses with his toy collection in his home in Apalit, Pampanga province, Philippines, April 20, 2021. (REUTERS Photo)

    Filipino man collects record 200,000 toys from fast-food chains

    TOY-MANIA
    Parts of the newly completed last section of the Northern Marmara Motorway, Istanbul, Turkey, May 19, 2021. (DHA Photo)

    Turkey raises speed limits on highways starting from July

    SPEED-LIMIT

    Türkiye inaugurates biggest natural gas storage facility in Europe

    NATURAL-GAS-SUPPLIES

    Istanbul's consulate chronicles: Sudhi Choudhary, Consul General of India

    SUDHI-CHOUDHARY
    No Image
    Jewish people across Europe celebrate Purium, pray for Ukraine
    PHOTOGALLERY
    • POLITICS
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • News Analysis
    • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Diaspora
    • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • İslamophobia
    • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
    • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Performing Arts
    • Reviews
    • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
    • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
    • Photo gallery
    • Jobs
    • privacy
    • about us
    • contact us
    • RSS
    © Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2021