COVID-19

Cardio-metabolic changes after COVID infection A huge UK study tracking nearly a million patients has just reported some startling results. The special type of study, a matched cohort study, was designed to see how COVID affected people after infection with the virus. Researchers from King’s College London suggest in the BMJ that anyone infected with

How long does COVID vaccine immunity last? The results from a huge clinical study into COVID vaccine immunity have just been published. The study, one of the largest ever conducted in the UK, tracked over 6 million people’s vaccination status and matched it with COVID infection. The results contain illuminating data on just how effective

A breath test for COVID For anyone who doesn’t enjoy being swabbed, news of a new COVID breath test may be welcome. Claimed as the first “ultra-rapid COVID-19 detection technology” a Finnish medical company has just received CE certification for their device, which means it can now be sold across Europe. The device, called a

Returning to work after Long Covid Covid-19 is still a new illness, even though we’ve lived with the pandemic for nearly two years. Although more reliable data is beingpublished all the time, much is still unknown about the long-term impacts of Covid infection on health. Some people recovering from Covid-19 still experience symptoms months after infection. It can

New data shows Pfizer vaccine safe for children The Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency (MHRA) approved the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine for use in children (aged 5-11) just before Christmas. The MHRA is responsible for approving all medicines and medical devices in the UK. The MHRA conducted a detailed review of the available evidence in late

How is Omicron affecting South Africa? It’s difficult to escape the Omicron virus in the news. Case numbers and hospitalisations are being widely reported. We know it will take time for the true risk levels to become clear. The current case trend gives a very clear idea of the rapid change in number of cases

New drugs are coming to treat COVID Whilst the world has its gaze fixed upon the latest COVID variant, new treatments are coming to the rescue in the fight against the pandemic. They herald the beginning of the end to the pandemic and the disruption to daily life. Although the treatments are still sometime away, the data from trials

Long-covid update for employers So far there have been over 246 million reported cases of Covid worldwide, with over 5 million deaths. In the UK, there have been over 9 million cases reported and 575,000 admitted to hospital. Although mortality rates have fallen from over 30% of hospitalised patients to less than 20%, the spectre

The latest COVID vaccine developments AstraZeneca safety update Many people have believed the AstraZeneca vaccine to be in some ways inferior to the Pfizer or Moderna alternatives. The vaccine was bedevilled by safety concerns in the early days of the pandemic. However, most clinicians consider the risk of serious illness from COVID far outweighs the

Are mRNA vaccines safe for use during pregnancy? Are COVID vaccines safe for use during pregnancy? Between December 2020 and February 2021, 35,961 pregnant people were monitored via the v-safe pregnancy registry and the Vaccination Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). The aim was to identify the safety of mRNA vaccines during pregnancy. Tracking vaccines during

Managing COVID-19 stress and anxiety in the workplace Covid-19 has changed the way people work and the transition into new ways of working is not without risks or problems for some employees. With lockdown restrictions easing and most venues opening again, many employees are being asked to come back into their workplaces.  Some may experience

New data shows which lateral flow tests perform best How well lateral flow tests work has been the subject of great debate. This is because the tests can give very different results depending upon how they are used. New data just published from a team within the Department of Health & Social Care (“DHSC”) shows

Dogs are more accurate than lateral flow tests A French study has demonstrated that dogs are more accurate at detecting COVID-19 in humans than lateral flow tests. The study, conducted by the l’Ecole nationale vétérinaire d’Alfort in partnership with the French Ministry of Agriculture, compared canine olfactory testing with gold-standard PCR testing. Dog testing in

Lateral Flow Test Update Whilst the success of the vaccination programme and government measures are rightly making headlines, regular testing remains necessary to try and find cases in the community. Lateral flow tests have been publicly available for some weeks. The aim is to test people who do not have symptoms in order to find

HSE advisory committee reports on COVID testing in the workplace Recently, the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) asked their Workplace Health Expert Committee (WHEC) to consider how various testing regimens can be used to prevent individuals with COVID-19 from entering the workplace, particularly when they may be asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic. Workplace Health Expert Committee (WHEC)

Workplace covid testing guidance for employers The expansion of free workplace covid testing is intended to help find cases which would otherwise be undetected. Although the tests have weaknesses, they do have a place in helping to control the virus. Employers can register to order free test kits online.  However, there are important steps for

COVID-19 vaccination and mammograms The impact of COVID-19 vaccines on mammograms has started appearing in news articles in recent weeks. Concerns have been raised that “false positive” results may be triggered by the vaccines, leading to anxiety and possibly unnecessary treatment amongst patients.It has been suggested that the vaccines may cause swelling in glands under

Strengths & weaknesses of lateral flow tests The debate about lateral flow tests continues to twist and turn. Reports about the tests appear in the news on a daily basis. Opinion about the accuracy, effectiveness and value of the tests amongst clinicians is deeply divided. Lateral flow tests process saliva or fluid samples without the use of a

The Long Road Ahead A Guide For Businesses (originally published Jan 2021) “Long COVID” continues to break new ground for both businesses and doctors. Although doctors are trained in how to diagnose and support post viral syndrome, the scale and complexity of Long COVID is presenting new challenges for businesses. It’s likely to do so

The latest news about the Moderna vaccine Occupational Health Assessment has been tracking and reporting on COVID-19 vaccinations for many months. The mRNA-1273 “Moderna” vaccine was a promising candidate and has shown positive results in every stage of testing. We first reported on its potential in October 2020. Although the Moderna vaccine is very similar

COVID-19 minimum testing standards The Department of Health and Social Care DHSC) has updated guidance for private providers who wish to provide COVID-19 testing services. It contains COVID-19 minimum testing standards that businesses who purchase testing services should consider. The number of providers providing testing services has exploded in recent months. Other than ‘CE’ marking,

The limits of COVID antibody testing Testing for COVID-19 antibodies is intended to show is a person has previously been infected with SARS-CoV-2. Although many tests are being marketed commercially, very few have been rigorously tested, assessed and approved by Public Health England (PHE). The largest independent pathology laboratory in the country, The Doctors Laboratory

New treatments for COVID-19 Monoclonal antibody treatments have revolutionised cancer care. Herceptin, which is used to treat breast cancer, is just one good example.  Now the same treatments may be able to achieve results with COVID-19 too. Monoclonal antibody therapy Monoclonal antibodies are antibodies (blood proteins that fight infections or disease inside the body) which

More progress with mRNA vaccines Concerns have lingered over the ChAdOX (“the Oxford”) vaccine candidate since pre-clinical trial data suggested it would be unlikely to provide complete protection. It appeared to provide good protection against lower-airway viral replication, but no evidence of a reduction of viral replication in nasal tissue was provided. That means the

A new type of test for COVID-19 An article published in the New England Journal of Medicine today highlights some promising advances in finding new ways to quickly test for COVID-19, as well as some of the best acronyms seen in healthcare for quite some time. CRISPR gene editing technology is fairly well-known. By exploiting

Good news in the race for a vaccine A trial study published yesterday has shown encouraging results from an mRNA vaccine candidate amongst patients in the over-50’s age group – those most at risk from COVID-19. Although there are huge number of vaccine trials being conducted worldwide, many of which have shown positive results so

COVID Immune Confirmation May Help Find Vaccine Nobody yet knows if any of the hundreds of COVID-19 vaccines under development will work. Talk of “moonshots” and, recently,  a prominent vaccine trial being temporarily suspended, have received wide coverage in the media. Because as a species we don’t have any existing immunity to COVID-19, we are

COVID-19 Group Testing The early problems with testing for COVID-19 have been well documented. The physical limits to the number of tests that can be run through a lab represent an upper limit to the number of tests that can be processed each day. That limit meant that tests were limited to frontline health workers

Temperature checking for COVID-19 Many businesses are having to consider the logistical and legal aspects involved in bringing people back into offices and workplaces, as we start to re-open businesses following the first wave of COVID-19. HR Professionals are frequently being asked about technical solutions to help manage risks, from online risk assessments, to non-contact

COVID-19 rehabilitation – top tips for employers We all know that COVID-19 has changed our world. It may not have changed the world or work beyond recognition for all of us (unless you’ve lost a loved one because of it), but it’s clear that it’s here, it’s not going away and it’s going to cause

Returning to work after “swab” testing It’s generally been accepted that, if tested for COVID-19 with a “swab test” (the “do I have the virus now” test), employees should not return without knowing their results. This is because of two main considerations: It may offer reassurance to the employee that they are fit to work.

Can I get re-infected with COVID-19? At present, nobody knows for certain whether having had COVID-19 prevents you from becoming re-infected in the future. That means that if you have had COVID-19 and then develop the symptoms again (a cough, temperature, loss of sense of taste/smell etc), you will need to self- isolate and be

What if I’ve been in contact with a colleague who’s tested positive for COVID-19? We know that we can catch COVID-19 from anyone else who has the virus and we also know that the virus spreads mostly via droplets from the nose or mouth, which can be expelled when an infected person coughs, sneezes or

COVID-19 testing for companies – important information The Faculty of Occupational Medicine has released updated COVID-19 testing guidance for employers and occupational health providers, following a recent meeting of the Faculty’s Ethics Committee. Much confusion and misunderstanding about the implications and reliability of COVID-19 testing and its limited role in informing work placement decisions is