Category: Latest News

Immunotherapy makes advanced head and neck cancer patients live longer

Immunotherapy has revolutionised the care of many patients with kidney, bladder, skin and various other cancers.

Now a UK led study has shown that given the immunotherapy drug- pembrolizumab – before and after surgery– makes people live substantially longer.

Pembrolizumab is a very costly drug with limited affordability in developing countries.

In western countries, only people with private medical insurance or people having a publicly funded health systems such as NHS can afford it.

The fascinating immunotherapy data was presented at the prestigious annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) at Chicago.

Dr Sundar is a member of American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) for more than 25 years.

References

  1. BBC News. Breakthrough cancer drug doubles survival in trial. Philippa Roxby
    Heath Reporter. May 2025.
  2. American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2025: Neoadjuvant and adjuvant pembrolizumab plus standard of care (SOC) in resectable
    locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (LA HNSCC): Exploratory
    efficacy analyses of the phase 3 KEYNOTE-689 study    . ( Distant Metastasis-Free Survival (DMFS) data:
    Median DMFS was 51.8 months with pembrolizumab + SOC versus 35.7 months with SOC (HR 0.71, 95% CI 0.56–0.90).
    Estimated DMFS rate at 36 months was 59.1% versus 49.0%, respectively. )
  3. American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting. 2025. Addition of Perioperative Pembrolizumab to Standard of Care in Newly Diagnosed Locally Advanced Head and Neck Cancer.
  4. Pembrolizumab With or Without Chemotherapy in Recurrent or Metastatic Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Updated Results of the Phase III KEYNOTE-048 Study.

Disclaimer: Please note – This blog is NOT medical advice. This blog is NOT a expert medical opinion on various topics. This blog is purely for information research only and do check the sources where cited. Please DO consult your own doctor to discuss concerns and options, which are relevant and specific to you. The views expressed in this blog are NOT, in any way whatsoever, intended to be a substitute for professional advice. The blog is NOT previewed, commissioned or otherwise endorsed, in any way, by any organisation that the author is associated with. The views expressed in this blog likely represents some of the author’s personal views held at the time of drafting the blog and MAY CHANGE overtime, particularly when new evidence comes to light.

Can too much vitamins harm the body ?

Absolutely Yes. Vitamins can cause harm.

Vitamins are very essential for life.

But too much of vitamins is bad.

You can buy paracetamol in a supermarket and it (rightly) comes with a big list of side effects .

You can freely buy various vitamins and supplements in supermarkets and none of them come with any warning what so ever.

Because vitamins are heavily promoted over Social media, newspapers, TV, and internet, many people think vitamins are safe and good. So people overindulge hoping for more benefits. But taking too much of vitamins is risky and can cause health problems due to Hypervitaminosis.

A recent article in Guardian points out the risks from taking too much of vitamin supplements. A man took too much of vitamin B6 and this resulted in damage to his nerves!

So be very careful with extra vitamins and supplements. Check whether you need the supplements at all. Try natural products rather than factory produced artificial supplements.

Reference

Guardian newspaper: Simon never linked the pain in his hands and feet to multivitamins – but a pathology test did. Natasha May and Sharlotte Thou. Published Sat 4 Jan 2025 19.00 GMT. Last modified on Sun 5 Jan 2025 01.55 GMT

Wiki. Hypervitaminosis

Disclaimer: Please note – This blog is NOT medical advice. This blog is NOT a expert medical opinion on various topics. This blog is purely for information research only and do check the sources where cited. Please DO consult your own doctor to discuss concerns and options, which are relevant and specific to you. The views expressed in this blog are NOT, in any way whatsoever, intended to be a substitute for professional advice.

The blog is NOT previewed, commissioned or otherwise endorsed, in any way, by any organisation that the author is associated with. The views expressed in this blog likely represents some of the author’s personal views held at the time of drafting the blog and MAY CHANGE overtime, particularly when new evidence comes to light.

Is dark chocolate good for You ?

Is dark chocolate good?

And is milk chocolate bad?

The answer to both the question is YES.

A recent paper published in British Medical Journal (BMJ) found that “people who consumed ≥5 servings/week of dark chocolate showed a significantly LOWER risk of developing diabetes”.

The study also found that eating milk-chocolate was bad. Milk-chocolate was associated with weight gain, which is not surprising to everyone.

Any study relating to “health benefits of food and drinks” always needs a healthy dose of scepticism because of commercial industry.

But the beneficial effect of dark chocolate found in this study aligns with previous findings and more research is, of course, needed to clarify and define the mechanisms involved.

So add more dark chocolate to the Christmas hampers !

Share your dark chocolate with colleagues and spread the good will !

References

BMJ 2024: Chocolate intake and risk of type 2 diabetes: prospective cohort studies. BMJ 2024; 387 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2023-078386 (Published 04 December 2024). BMJ 2024;387:e078386

BMJ 2012: The effectiveness and cost effectiveness of dark chocolate consumption as prevention therapy in people at high risk of cardiovascular disease: best case scenario analysis using a Markov model. BMJ 2012; 344 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.e3657 (Published 31 May 2012). BMJ 2012;344:e3657

BMJ 2011: Chocolate consumption and cardiometabolic disorders: systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ 2011; 343 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.d4488 (Published 29 August 2011). BMJ 2011;343:d4488

BMJ 2023. Christmas 2023: Champagne problems. Chocolate brownies and calorie restriction: the sweetest paradox? BMJ 2023; 383 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.p2585 (Published 20 December 2023). BMJ 2023;383:p2585

Disclaimer: Please note – This blog is NOT medical advice. This blog is NOT a expert medical opinion on various topics. This blog is purely for information only and do check the sources where cited. Please DO consult your own doctor to discuss concerns and options relevant to you. The views expressed in this blog are NOT, in any way whatsoever, intended to be a substitute for professional advice. The blog is NOT previewed, commissioned or otherwise endorsed, in any way, by any organisation that the author is associated with. The views expressed in this blog likely represents some of the author’s personal views held at the time of drafting the blog and MAY CHANGE overtime, particularly when new evidence comes to light.

How common is prostate cancer in men under 50?

Sir Chris Hoy, who is six-time Olympic cycling champion stunned the British public recently by revealing that that he has stage 4 incurable prostate cancer.

It was even more shocking because of his young age. He is only 48 years old !

Naturally, many men under 50 yrs would be concerned.

According to CRUK statistics “1 in 6 men in UK will be diagnosed with prostate cancer”.

But majority of cancers occur in men 60 yrs and above. The peak age for prostate cancer is in the 75-79 age range. Prostate cancer is very uncommon before age of 50.

So in most men, screening for prostate cancer is not recommended before the age of 50.

There are some exceptions to this age limit of 50. For example, men with black ethnicity or those with a family history of prostate cancer are at a higher risk. These men can consider requesting a PSA test in their mid 40s.

Please note prostate cancer screening does NOT result in better lives for everyone. Screening has its benefits but it also has drawbacks .

A cancer diagnosis is terrifying but it is important to note that NOT Everyman with prostate cancer will die due to prostate cancer. Lot of men with early prostate cancer will die of something else. Moreover, treatment for early prostate cancer has significant side effects.

That is why every man is NOT routinely and automatically offered screening by their GP surgery in UK.

Even though routine PSA testing is not offered on the NHS, as mentioned in the NHS website “Men aged 50 or over can ask their GP for a PSA test, even if they do not have symptoms”. 

References

1. BBC news. Prostate cancer symptoms and treatment: What to check for.

2. BBC news. NHS to review prostate cancer testing after Chris Hoy call for change

3. NEJM. Fifteen-Year Outcomes after Monitoring, Surgery, or Radiotherapy for Prostate Cancer

Disclaimer: Please note – This blog is NOT medical advice. This blog is NOT a expert medical opinion on various topics. This blog is purely for information only and do check the sources where cited. Please DO consult your own doctor to discuss concerns and options relevant to you. The views expressed in this blog are NOT, in any way whatsoever, intended to be a substitute for professional advice. The blog is NOT previewed, commissioned or otherwise endorsed, in any way, by any organisation that the author is associated with. The views expressed in this blog likely represents some of the author’s personal views held at the time of drafting the blog and MAY CHANGE overtime, particularly when new evidence comes to light.

Does exercise help the brain ?

Yes, moderate and vigorous physical activity helps the brain to stay sharp.

A large study looked at people born across England, Scotland and Wales in 1970 and followed-up throughout childhood and adulthood

A report of the study with 4481participants (52% female) found that moderate and vigorous physical activity helps cognition compared to light intensity physical activity.

But a word of caution though !

People with sedentary behaviour in this study had better brain sharpness than doing light intensity physical activity !

It seems bizarre to suggest Sedentary activities are good for brain !

We don’t know why this study showed this particularly unexpected finding. It could be that the study missed to collect some important information that influences brain.

This fact about sedentary behaviour is counterintuitive but science does sometimes show unexpected results. Sometimes unexpected findings are true and Sometimes they are false due to data collection issues or convoluted statistical tests.

That’s why it is important that information from multiple studies is taken together rather than relying on one study to make any scientific conclusion on any topic !

References

Exploring the associations of daily movement behaviours and mid-life cognition: a compositional analysis of the 1970 British Cohort Study.

Minerva. BMJ. Physical activity and cognition in middle age.

Disclaimer: Please note – This blog is NOT medical advice. This blog is NOT a expert medical opinion on various topics. This blog is purely for information only and do check the sources where cited. Please DO consult your own doctor to discuss concerns and options relevant to you. The views expressed in this blog are NOT, in any way whatsoever, intended to be a substitute for professional advice. The blog is NOT previewed, commissioned or otherwise endorsed, in any way, by any organisation that the author is associated with. The views expressed in this blog likely represents some of the author’s personal views held at the time of drafting the blog and MAY CHANGE overtime, particularly when new evidence comes to light.

Should you elect to wear masks when restrictions are lifted ?

U.K. is on course to lift almost all COVID restrictions in mid July 2021.

A U.K. minister has said that “wearing masks” would become a personal choice.

Just because there is a choice, it does not mean it is always good for you.

Government decisions are often made not only with scientific facts but also with economic and political considerations. Compulsory masks may not be liked by a section of society and Government has to take that into account in a democratic society.

Personally electing to wear masks in crowded public places could be sensible for the following reasons.

– There is some debate about the extent of protection a person gets wearing masks following the Danish mask study. But no robust scientific study has shown significant harm from wearing masks. So it is better to be safe and wear masks even if the extent of protection is debatable.

– Infections are rising now and luckily, vaccines seem to have protected most people from getting severe COVID. But Vaccines are not 100% effective. Moreover, when infection rates go up further and society opens up more, there is a risk of variants emerging that may be partially vaccine resistant. So wearing masks may provide some protection.

– Not all people get poorly when they get COVID. But these people with COVID can still pass infection to other vulnerable family members and people who don’t have the protection from vaccines. So wearing a mask can stop people with mild COVID from spreading the infection to others.

– Some people do not want to wear masks because they think they are not at risk of death or hospitalisation. Remember, COVID related problems affect different people in different ways. Lot of people do recover from COVID without major problems. But some people do develop long-term symptoms from COVID. So it is better to wear masks for COVID protection.

References

1. BBC news. Covid-19: Masks will become personal choice, says Robert Jenrick
By Emma Harrison & Kathryn Snowdon
BBC News

2. Bloomberg. Face Masks in England to Become ‘Matter of Personal Choice’
By Andrew Atkinson
4 July 2021, 09:47 BST
Updated on 4 July 2021, 11:14 BST

3. Daily Mail. SAJID JAVID: The economic arguments for opening up Britain are well known. But, for me, the health case is equally compelling. By Sajid Javid For The Mail On Sunday 22:02, 03 Jul 2021 , updated 23:13, 03 Jul 2021

4. BBC news. Covid-19 in the UK: How many coronavirus cases are there in my area?
By The Visual and Data Journalism Team
BBC News

5. Daily Mail. Face masks do NOT protect the wearer from coronavirus, but will stop them from infecting other people, Danish study finds. By Mary Kekatos Senior Health Reporter For Dailymail.com and Reuters
15:26, 18 Nov 2020 , updated 18:02, 20 Nov 2020

6. BMJ. Danish mask study: masks, media, fact checkers, and the interpretation of scientific evidence. BMJ 2020; 371 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.m4919 (Published 23 December 2020)
Cite this as: BMJ 2020;371:m4919

7. NICE. COVID-19 rapid guideline: managing the long-term effects of COVID-19
NICE guideline [NG188] Published: 18 December 2020

8. Coronavirus: When can we stop wearing face masks or coverings?
By Michelle Roberts
Health editor, BBC News online

9. Science. Implications of defective immune responses in SARS-CoV-2 vaccinated organ transplant recipients. Peter S. Heeger, Christian P. Larsen, Dorry L. Segev

Disclaimer: Please note- This blog is NOT medical advice. This blog is NOT a expert medical opinion on various topics. This blog is purely for information only and do check the sources where cited. Please DO consult your own doctor to discuss concerns and options relevant to you. The views expressed in this blog represent the author’s views held at the time of drafting the blog and may change overtime, particularly when new evidence comes to light. The blog is not previewed, commissioned or otherwise endorsed by any organisation that the author is associated with. The views expressed in this blog are not, in way whatsoever, intended to be a substitute for professional advice.

How effective are the COVID vaccines against the new Indian variant?

Everyone in U.K. hoped that we have turned the corner with this pandemic after the recent spike in infection from the Kent Variant,

But now comes the Variant from India. (the scientific name is B1.617.2 variant of concern).

The Indian variant appears to be more transmissible but no evidence yet that the Indian variant is inherently more deadly than the Kent variant.

Naturally, we are in a better place now than last year because of the vaccination.

But there is some evidence that spontaneous changes (mutations) in the B.1.617.2 variant virus may make it partially resistant to antibodies produced by vaccines.

So how effective are the current vaccines against this Variant from India?

Lab testing shows that the current vaccines can be still effective against the Indian variant but may not be highly effective as it is against the Kent/U.K. variant.

PHE data shows that after two doses, Pfizer vaccine is 88% effective against Indian variant compared to 93% effectiveness against the Kent strain.

After two doses, AstraZeneca jab is 60% effective against Indian variant compared to 66% effectiveness against the Kent variant.

But after the first dose, both vaccines were only 33% effective against Indian variant compared to around 50% efficacy against the Kent strain.

The vaccine protection is better with two doses of vaccine and that’s why the Govt is speeding up second vaccine dose in affected areas.

Fingers crossed, hope this strategy works !

References

BMJ. Covid-19: Caution urged while lockdown eases in England because of vaccine success
BMJ 2021; 373 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n1203 (Published 11 May 2021)
Cite this as: BMJ 2021;373:n1203

BMJ News Covid-19: UK cases of variant from India rise by 160% in a week
BMJ 2021; 373 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n1315 (Published 21 May 2021)
Cite this as: BMJ 2021;373:n1315

U.K. Govt. Most vulnerable offered second dose of COVID-19 vaccine earlier to help protect against variants. From: Department of Health and Social Care. Published 14 May 2021

Telegraph: Two doses of AstraZeneca vaccine provide over 80 per cent protection against Indian variant, PHE study finds.

Guardian. India Covid variant: is it a threat to the UK’s reopening plans?
Ian Sample Science editor
@iansample
Fri 14 May 2021 11.19 BST

Daily Mail. UK is in a ‘very good position’ against Covid variants as Pfizer says there is NO proof current jab needs updating to fight mutant strains. By Luke Andrews Health Reporter For Mailonline
16:30, 10 May 2021 , updated 18:12, 10 May 2021

Daily Mail. How deadly is India’s Covid variant and is it REALLY behind explosion of cases? Scientists say ‘perfect storm’ fuelled nation’s crisis and mutant strain just had a ‘head-start’ – as study shows vaccines DO work against it. By Connor Boyd Assistant Health Editor For Mailonline
16:26, 27 Apr 2021 , updated 08:17, 28 Apr 2021

Collier, DA et al. SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 sensitivity to mRNA vaccine-elicited antibodies. Nature; 11 March 2021; DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03412-7

BBC. What is the India Covid variant and will vaccines work?
Soutik Biswas
India correspondent

BBC. Covid: Increasing confidence jabs work against Indian variant
By Doug Faulkner
BBC News

ONS. Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infection Survey, UK: 21 May 2021 (“early signs of a potential increase in the week ending 15 May 2021”)

BBC. Covid: Pfizer and AstraZeneca jabs effective against Indian variant – study
By Dulcie Lee
BBC News

Disclaimer: Please note- This blog is NOT medical advice. This blog is NOT a expert medical opinion on various topics. This blog is purely for information only and do check the sources where cited. Please DO consult your own doctor to discuss concerns and options relevant to you. The views expressed in this blog represent the author’s views held at the time of drafting the blog and may change overtime, particularly when new evidence comes to light. The blog is not previewed, commissioned or otherwise endorsed by any organisation that the author is associated with. The views expressed in this blog are not, in way whatsoever, intended to be a substitute for professional advice.

How effective is a single dose of Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccine?

UK government wanted as many people have “some” degree of protection against the COVID-19 rather a only few people having “full” protection against COVID-19.

So the U.K. government delayed the second dose of Covid vaccine for 12 weeks.

Some people have now been offered two vaccines but still there are many people who were yet to have the second dose. They would be wondering how effective a single dose of the vaccine is. How much protection they have now.

A recent paper published in BMJ provides very encouraging news .

With Pfizer vaccine, vaccine effectiveness reached 61% after 4 to 5 weeks of the first dose.

With AstraZeneca vaccine, vaccine effectiveness reached 73% after 5 weeks of first dose.

This data is very reassuring

But the data also stresses the importance of having the second dose for further protection.

Please do make a note that (a) vaccines do take a few weeks to be become effective after the first dose (b) no vaccine is 100% effective and (c) we also do not know how long this protection from vaccine will last.

BMJ. Effectiveness of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines on covid-19 related symptoms, hospital admissions, and mortality in older adults in England: test negative case-control study
BMJ 2021; 373 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n1088 (Published 13 May 2021)
Cite this as: BMJ 2021;373:n1088

BMJ. Public health impact of delaying second dose of BNT162b2 or mRNA-1273 covid-19 vaccine: simulation agent based modeling study
BMJ 2021; 373 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n1087 (Published 12 May 2021)
Cite this as: BMJ 2021;373:n1087

Disclaimer: Please note- This blog is NOT medical advice. This blog is NOT a expert medical opinion on various topics. This blog is purely for information only and do check the sources where cited. Please DO consult your own doctor to discuss concerns and options relevant to you. The views expressed in this blog represent the author’s views held at the time of drafting the blog and may change overtime, particularly when new evidence comes to light. The blog is not previewed, commissioned or otherwise endorsed by any organisation the author is associated with. The views expressed in this blog are not in way intended to be a substitute for professional advice.

New treatment for Cervical cancer

Advanced Cervical cancer which has come back after surgery or radiotherpy is usually treated with chemotherapy.

There is a new immunotherapy treatment option for all advanced cervical cancer patients now .

At the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO 2021) virtual conference, an international team of investigators, presented trial data regarding this new immunotherapy drug called cemiplimab.

One group of patients in the trial received the immunotherapy drug cemiplimab every 3 wks and another group of patients received intravenous chemo (pemetrexed, vinorelbine, gemcitabine, irinotecan or topotecan).

Cemiplimab significantly improved survival of patients and was better than chemotherapy.

This new immunotherapy drug cemiplimab is already being used for skin cancers and vulval skin cancers. Very soon, it would be used in cervical cancer patients.

Reference

ESMO 2022 Virtual Plenary Resources:
RANDOMISED PHASE III TRIAL DATA ON THE EFFICACY AND SAFETY OF CEMIPLIMAB AS OPPOSED TO CHEMOTHERAPY IN PATIENTS WITH PROGRESSIVE ADVANCED CERVICAL CANCER. Presenter: Krishnansu S. Tewari, USA; Discussant: Mansoor Mirza, Denmark;

Disclaimer: Please note- This blog is NOT medical advice. This blog is NOT a expert medical opinion on various topics. This blog is purely for information only and do check the the sources where cited. Please DO consult your own doctor to discuss concerns and options relevant to you. The views expressed in this blog represent the author’s views held at the time of drafting the blog and may change overtime, particularly when new evidence comes to light. The blog is not previewed, commissioned or otherwise endorsed by any organisation the author is associated with. The views expressed in this blog are not in way intended to be a substitute for professional advice.

Here we go again – another new variant that can derail the plans to return to normality in U.K.

The UK is coming out of lockdown and the infection rates, hospital admissions and deaths are reassuringly low.

The vaccination rates are rapidly going up and understandably many people are hoping for some sort of normality very soon.

But a new variant has been detected across the country. The scientists are worried about this new variant of coronavirus- called India variant. This variant can derail government plans in UK.

The current vaccines seem to offer somewhat less protection against this new variant . If this variant takes a strong foothold in UK , then we have to wait a bit longer for normality.

References:

Guardian: India Covid variant: is it a threat to the UK’s reopening plans?
Ian Sample Science editor
@iansample
Thu 13 May 2021 15.35 BST

BBC. Covid: Three cases of Indian variant found in Leicester
Published 28 April.

BBC. Covid: Targeted testing in Nottingham after Indian variant rise. 11 May.

BBC. Covid: Boris Johnson ‘anxious’ about Indian variant
By Hazel Shearing & Joseph Lee
BBC News. 13 May.

BBC. Covid vaccine: How many people in the UK have been vaccinated so far?
By The Visual and Data Journalism Team
BBC News

Disclaimer: Please note- This blog is NOT medical advice. This blog is NOT a expert medical opinion on various topics. This blog is purely for information only and do check the the sources where cited. Please DO consult your own doctor to discuss concerns and options relevant to you. The views expressed in this blog represent the author’s views held at the time of drafting the blog and may change overtime, particularly when new evidence comes to light. The blog is not previewed, commissioned or otherwise endorsed by any organisation the author is associated with. The views expressed in this blog are not in way intended to be a substitute for professional advice.

Can someone die due to COVID-19 infection even after having the full course of protective vaccination?

Yes, rarely it can happen.

COVID vaccines are very highly effective in preventing serious infections that would result in hospitalisation. Even a single dose of the vaccine has very good efficacy.

But vaccines are not 100% effective.

So until the pandemic is under full control, older adults, particularly those over 60 years, should be cautious even after full vaccination.

It also has to be said that the risk is dramatically small after full vaccination. Only a tiny minority of people get serious COVID-19 infection after full vaccination.

In USA, about 5800 “breakthrough” COVID-19 infections has been reported so far among the roughly 77 million people who had been fully vaccinated. That’s less than 0.008% cases.

A much more smaller minority among this minority group had serious infections. Among the 5800 cases, 396 patients were admitted to hospital and 74 patients died from COVID-19. That’s less than 0.0001% deaths.

So unless new viral mutations dramatically reduce vaccine efficacy, it looks very promising.

References:

1. BMJ News. Covid-19: Infections fell by 65% after first dose of AstraZeneca or Pfizer vaccine, data show BMJ 2021; 373 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n1068 (Published 23 April 2021)
Cite this as: BMJ 2021;373:n1068

2. BMJ news. Covid-19: US reports low rate of new infections in people already vaccinated
BMJ 2021; 373 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n1000 (Published 16 April 2021)
Cite this as: BMJ 2021;373:n1000

3. Sun News. DOUBLE TROUBLE ‘Concerning’ Indian Covid variant now in UK has two ‘escape mutations’ that could dodge antibodies
Vanessa Chalmers, Digital Health Reporter
12:22, 16 Apr 2021Updated: 12:25, 16 Apr 2021

4. BBC news. Coronavirus: ‘Double mutant’ Covid variant found in India. Published 25 March

5. Daily Mail. Could the Indian ‘double mutant’ coronavirus derail Britain’s roadmap out of lockdown? Experts warn variant could ‘scupper our escape plan’ and urge Boris to put country on red list. By James Robinson for MailOnline
01:49, 17 Apr 2021 , updated 11:08, 17 Apr 2021

Disclaimer: Please note- This blog is NOT medical advice. This blog is NOT a expert medical opinion on various topics. This blog is purely for information only and do check the the sources where cited. Please DO consult your own doctor to discuss concerns and options relevant to you. The views expressed in this blog represent the author’s views held at the time of drafting the blog and may change overtime, particularly when new evidence comes to light. The blog is not previewed, commissioned or otherwise endorsed by any organisation the author is associated with. The views expressed in this blog are not in way intended to be a substitute for professional advice.

COVID-19 infection affects brain and mental health

A recent paper published in Lancet Psychiatry reports that at least 1 in 3 patients , who have recovered from severe COVID, have substantial neurological and psychiatric problems during the next six months .

This report is very worrying .

If study findings are confirmed by other studies, this would be yet another substantial reason to consider getting the vaccine as soon as it is offered.

References

Guardian. One in three survivors of severe Covid diagnosed with mental health condition
Study finds 34% developed psychiatric or neurological conditions after six months.
Sarah Marsh
@sloumarsh
Wed 7 Apr 2021 06.00 BST

BMJ. Covid-19: One in three has neurological or psychiatric condition diagnosed after covid infection, study finds
BMJ 2021; 373 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n908 (Published 07 April 2021)
Cite this as: BMJ 2021;373:n908

Taquet M, Geddes JR, Husain M, Luciano S, Harrison PJ. 6-month neurological and psychiatric outcomes in 236379 survivors of COVID-19: a retrospective cohort study using electronic health records. Lancet Psychiatry 2021 (published online 6 Apr). doi:10.1016/S2215-0366(21)00084-5. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(21)00084-5/fulltext.

Disclaimer: Please note- This blog is NOT medical advice. This blog is NOT a expert medical opinion on various topics. This blog is purely for information only and do check the the sources where cited. Please DO consult your own doctor to discuss concerns and options relevant to you. The views expressed in this blog represent the author’s views held at the time of drafting the blog and may change overtime, particularly when new evidence comes to light. The blog is not previewed, commissioned or otherwise endorsed by any organisation the author is associated with. The authors views are not in way intended to be a substitute for professional advice.

COVID pandemic: finally, the end is in sight !

The latest good news about Oxford vaccine is hugely encouraging and denotes the end of pandemic is in sight.

The latest positive results show that even a single dose of the vaccine is highly effective.

“The vaccine offered 76% effective protection from a single dose for three months”. This validates the UK decision to prioritise first dose of the vaccine and delay the second dose of booster vaccine.

Most importantly the Vaccine was shown to reduce spread of the virus causing the COVID.

“It is the first time a vaccine has been shown to reduce transmission of the virus”

If all the vaccines now in use continue to be safe and highly effective in real world population, then it is only a matter of months before the pandemic comes to an end and normal life returns in 2021 !

A separate study also reports very positive news. The study reports that 9 out of 10 people who had an actual COVID infection will have protective antibodies for at least six months.

Vaccines work by tricking the body into thinking that there is a real infection and hence the body produces antibodies. So this study indirectly indicates the protection from vaccines will also last longer and yet another reason to be hopeful about the end of pandemic in 2021.

BBC news. Covid-19: Study showing Oxford vaccine slows virus spread ‘superb’ – Hancock.

BBC news: Covid: Antibodies last at least six months in most.
By Rachel Schraer
BBC Health reporter

Disclaimer: Please note- This blog is NOT medical advice. This blog is NOT a expert medical opinion on various topics. This blog is purely for information only and do check the the sources where cited. Please DO consult your own doctor to discuss concerns and options relevant to you.

The views expressed in this blog represent the author’s views held at the time of drafting the blog and may change overtime, particularly when new evidence comes to light. The blog is not previewed, commissioned or otherwise endorsed by any organisation the author is associated with. The authors views are not in way intended to be a substitute for professional advice.