Flu jabs help COVID-19 patients who need surgery
By Nidz Godino
“Transmission is likely to have begun by late January in California and early February in New York state, but possibly up to two weeks earlier in Italy,” coauthor Northeastern University in Boston Alessandro Vespignani disclosed summary of some recent studies on COVID-19. They include research that warrants further study to corroborate findings and that have yet to be certified by peer review.
COVID-19 patients who require surgery appear to face fewer complications if they have previously been vaccinated against flu, new data suggest.
In a preliminary study that has not yet undergone peer review, researchers analyzed outcomes after various types of surgery on nearly 44,000 COVID-19 patients worldwide, half of whom had received a flu vaccine in the previous six months.
American College of Surgeons reported flu-vaccinated patients had significantly fewer serious blood infections, fewer potentially life-threatening blood clots in their veins, fewer serious wound-healing problems, and fewer heart attacks.
Flu vaccine was also linked with lower rates of stroke, pneumonia and death.
University of Miami Miller School of Medicine in Florida study leader Susan Taghioff said study still cannot prove flu vaccines were protective, and “flu shot is by no means substitute for COVID-19 vaccination. “We strongly recommend that everyone get both their flu and COVID-19 vaccines this year in accordance with current guidelines.”
The virus that causes COVID-19 was circulating undetected in the United States and Europe as early as January 2020 and was becoming widespread well before broad testing was implemented.
By March 2020, for every SARS-CoV-2 infection diagnosed in the United States, another 97 to 99 infections went undetected.
Shortage of tests, plus narrow criteria for testing, helped virus to spread undetected.
“If testing had been more widespread and not restricted to having a travel history from China, there would have been opportunity for earlier detection and intervention,” Vespignani said.
Meanwhile, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) reported 101 new cases of COVID-19 among Filipinos overseas, raising the total tally to 23,569.
Latest data from DFA showed total recoveries rose to 13,833 after 102 more patients defeated the respiratory illness.
The death toll also climbed to 1,398 with three new fatalities.
So far, there are 8,338 patients undergoing treatment for the disease.
The Middle East/Africa still has the highest number of COVID-19-positive Filipinos abroad at 13,125, including 6,646 recoveries and 927 fatalities.
The Asia Pacific Region followed with 5,752 cases including 3,944 recoveries and 89 deaths.
In Europe, a total of 3,651 cases have been recorded, 130 of which have died and 2,562 have recovered.
In the Americas, 1,041 Filipinos have been infected with the respiratory illness. A total of 681 people have recovered, while 252 have died.
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