Top 10 COVID-19 stories for pulmonologists in 2022
Healio Pulmonology has compiled the top news on COVID-19 posted in 2022.
COVID-19 continued to top headlines this year, with stories including the latest research about persistent symptoms and small airway disease in long COVID, where COVID-19 outcomes were the worst, and delayed COVID-19 treatment due to racial and ethnic biases in pulse oximeters.
Here are Healio’s top 10 most-read stories on COVID-19 from 2022.
CDC: Updates in COVID-19, 58% seroprevalence in US
A report published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report on seroprevalence in the U.S. showed children demonstrated the highest SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence from December 2021 to February 2022, whereas those aged 65 years and older demonstrated the lowest. Read more.
55% of patients have persistent symptoms 2 years after COVID-19 infection
More than half of patients who were hospitalized with COVID-19 reported at least one persistent symptom 2 years post-infection, regardless of initial disease severity, researchers reported in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine. Read more.
Historical redlining in California linked to worse COVID-19 outcomes
Residents affected by historical redlining in California communities had worse COVID-19 outcomes, according to data presented at the American Thoracic Society International Conference. Read more.
Racial, ethnic biases in pulse oximetry accuracy may have delayed COVID-19 treatment for some
Racial and ethnic biases in pulse oximetry accuracy may have resulted in delays and unrecognized eligibility for COVID-19 therapies among Black and Hispanic patients, according to results of a cohort study published in JAMA Internal Medicine. Read more.
Small airways disease may persist for many with long COVID
Small airways disease was common in patients with persistent symptoms following COVID-19, independent of severity of initial infection, according to a single-center study published in Radiology. Read more.
Oral corticosteroid use, prior asthma hospitalization up risk for poor COVID-19 outcomes
Risk for COVID-19 hospitalization, ICU admission or death was increased for adults in Scotland with asthma who had a prior hospitalization or required two or more courses of oral corticosteroids in the previous 2 years, researchers reported in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine. Read more.
Many patients with chronic conditions may have low antibodies after second COVID-19 vaccine
One-fifth of patients with chronic medical conditions who received two doses of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine had insufficient antibody levels at least 14 days after the second dose, researchers reported in CHEST. Read more.
X-ray technology creates clearer picture of lung changes that occur in long COVID
With advanced X-rays and blood biomarkers, researchers have found how lung tissue scarring in patients with COVID and pulmonary fibrosis forms a distinctive form of fibrotic interstitial lung disease, according to a study in eBioMedicine. Read more.
Long-term lung abnormalities common 1 year after COVID-19 pneumonia
Long-term CT abnormalities were common up to 1 year after COVID-19 pneumonia, according to a study published in Radiology. Read more.
Lung abnormalities persist after COVID-19 hospitalization even without severe illness
Among patients previously hospitalized with COVID-19, researchers estimated that up to 11% had fibrotic patterning, according to a study published in American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. Read more.