- When compared to other masks, only N-95s were found to meet or to be close to occupational health standards, according to a small study published in PLOS One. The study found that N95s had 97-99% filtration efficiency (without fit testing), compared to KN94 and KN95 masks, which were found to have around 70% filtration efficiency. Researchers assessed 12 participants for the study and tested a limited number of each type of mask, including surgical masks, which they found had about 50% filtration efficiency. “In the media, in CDC messaging, and in epidemiologic research, KF94/KN95-type masks are often conflated with N95s, FFP3s, and CaN99s,” but these masks are in fact less effective, the study’s authors wrote.
- Two recent studies have shown the global impact of Long COVID on healthcare workers. The first, a systematic review of 28 studies in BMJ Public Health, found that 40% of healthcare workers who were infected with SARS-C0V-2 experienced Long COVID. The review’s authors stated that the burden of Long COVID on healthcare workers was “substantial.” The disease also affects many dental professionals, according to a Scientific Reports study. The survey of dental workers in Germany, which included 267 participants, found that about 23% reported Long COVID symptoms, with higher rates among hygienists and assistants than dentists.
- A new clinical trial called ADDRESS-LC is currently recruiting to test the drug Bezisterim (NE3107) for neurological symptoms of Long COVID. The study, funded by the Department of Defense, will evaluate the anti-inflammatory drug which is also being investigated for Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and traumatic brain injury. The trial has four sites in California, Florida, Maryland, and Michigan. Participants will take the drug or a placebo twice a day for 84 days and visit the trial site five times. Contact: Penelope Markham, pmarkham@bioviepharma.com.
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