Young Adults: A Hard Shrug‑but‑Still Harder Fight Than Heart Attacks
Out of 419 U.S. hospitals that cared for COVID‑19 patients between April and June, a meager about 5 % were between 18 and 34 years old. Yet this tiny cohort faced a quite brisk curve of complications:
- 1 in 5 required intensive‑care support.
- 1 in 10 went on ventilators.
- Nearly 3 % turned fatal.
Although rates are lower than those seen in seniors, the dying odds here are roughly twice as high as that of a young adult drowning in a heart attack—a stark reminder that age does not always mean invincibility.
Crank the risk engine: obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes turned the dial up, raising the chance of a bad outcome to match that of a middle‑aged adult without any of these conditions. Even more hit‑hard, the study found that over half of the hospitalized youths were Black or Hispanic, spotlighting an ongoing plague of inequality in disease severity.
“With COVID‑19 rates climbing in the younger crowd, we need to crank up prevention and keep the virus out of their corner,” the authors conclude.
Azithromycin: The Antibiotic That Just Can’t Pull Its Weight Back
A Brazilian experiment at 57 hospitals set out to see whether the breast‑bone‑threatening antibiotic azithromycin could ease the breathing pain of hospitalized COVID‑19 survivors. A total of 426 patients were split: 243 received the drug and 183 did not.
Both groups got a routine cocktail that included hydroxychloroquine—a malaria pill that other studies tell us is a dead weight in the fight. After 15 days, bent azithromycin made No difference in recovery pace or mortality. And, per the researchers, it didn’t even hurt.
In an April survey, azithromycin was the second‑most ordered medication for COVID‑19 worldwide. The evidence, however, whispers a quiet “stay away” for routine use.
Hospitals Ain’t Scented with COVID: 2 Out of 8,500 Are COVID‑Acquired on Stay
From early March to the end of May, a Boston hospital admitted nearly 8,500 patients—yet only two ever contracted the virus during their stay. One seemed to pick up the bug from a visiting spouse, the other clawed symptoms four days post‑discharge, source unknown.
The study, appearing in JAMA Network Open, blazes a trail of best practices: dedicated COVID units, airborne isolation rooms, full protection gear, strict masking, visitor limits, and sweeping testing for anyone who stumbled out of breath.
“These hard‑knocking protocols keep the risk low,” the authors note. “If the data hold elsewhere, patients should feel a breath of relief.”
Long‑Term Lung Damage: The Stitch Slowly Heals
At the European Respiratory Society’s virtual congress, researchers examined 86 former COVID patients—half of them smokers, about a fifth of whom needed ICU help.
Six weeks after leaving the hospital:
- Almost half (47 %) still felt winded.
- CT scans showed damage in a staggering 88 %.
At the twelve‑week mark:
- Breathlessness dropped to 39 %.
- Imaging showed improvement: only 56 % still carried lung scar tissue.
The research leads to a clear takeaway: Early, disciplined rehab—walking, breathing exercises, muscle work, and endurance training—accelerates recovery for patients who dived out of ventilators.
“Start it quick, keep it long, and patients breathe better—literally,” the co‑authors remarked.
For the freshest updates, keep an eye on the latest coronavirus research. Stay in the know—and stay safe.
