This was published 4 years ago
Young, healthy adults with mild COVID-19 take weeks to recover: study
Washington: Young, previously healthy adults can take weeks to fully recover from even a mild COVID-19 infection, with about a fifth of patients under 35 years reporting not returning to their usual state of health up to 21 days after testing positive, according to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
A telephone survey across 13 US states of symptomatic adults with mild COVID-19 found 35 per cent had not returned to their usual state of health when interviewed two to three weeks after testing, the CDC reported in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report on Friday, US time.
A woman has her temperature taken at Adolfo Suarez Madrid-Barajas Airport in Madrid, Spain this month. Credit: Getty Images
Cough, fatigue and shortness of breath were among the symptoms reported while testing that persisted even weeks later, according to the report.
The findings indicate recovery can be prolonged even in young adults without chronic medical conditions, making a case for public health messaging to target populations that might not perceive COVID-19 as being a severe illness.
Between April 15 and June 25, telephone interviews were done with a random sample of people over 18 years of age who got themselves tested for COVID-19 at an outpatient visit, the CDC said.
The interviews were done 14 to 21 days after the test date, and patients were asked about symptoms during testing, whether they had returned to their usual state of health, and if they suffer from a chronic medical condition.
Among 292 people interviewed, 274 reported experiencing one or more symptoms at the time of testing. Among symptomatic respondents who reported not having returned to their usual state of health, 26 per cent were between 18 and 34 years of age, 32 per cent were between 35 and 49 years, and 47 per cent were over 50.
Researchers said social distancing, frequent handwashing, and the consistent and correct use of face coverings in public should be encouraged to slow the spread of COVID-19.
France advises citizens to avoid Spain's Catalonia
French Prime Minister Jean Castex advised people on Friday not to travel to the neighbouring north-eastern Spanish region of Catalonia in a bid to help contain the spread of the coronavirus.
Castex's recommendation was the latest blow to Spain's beleaguered tourism sector after Norway announced that travellers returning from the country would have to undergo a 10-day quarantine.
The French border with Spain remains open, but Castex said he was in talks with Madrid to reduce traffic flow.
"Concerning the situation in Catalonia, which is displaying worsening indicators for infection, we strongly encourage French citizens to avoid going there until the health situation improves," Castex said.
In Catalonia, 8563 cases were diagnosed in the 14 days up to Thursday - almost half of the 17,842 detected throughout Spain - despite guidelines for residents of regional capital Barcelona to stay at home.
A source in Catalonia's regional government said that the region, where wearing a mask is mandatory in public, was taking more stringent steps than France.
"We are holding everyone to a much higher degree of security than is asked elsewhere in Europe, such as in France," the source said.
Johnson says maybe he could have managed pandemic differently
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who has been criticised for acting too slowly in the COVID-19 pandemic, said on Friday there may have been things he could have done differently.
He has pledged to hold an inquiry into his handling of the coronavirus crisis but not yet.
"Maybe there were things we could have done differently and of course there will be time to understand what exactly we could have done, or done differently," he told the BBC.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.Credit: Getty Images
Johnson has come under fire from critics over his handling of the pandemic, from the high official death toll of over 45,000 and the slow roll-out of testing to a later lockdown than many other countries.
One member of the government's scientific advisory group said the death toll could have been halved if lockdown had come a week earlier.
Johnson said the government had stuck to scientific advice "like glue".
Asked whether lockdown came too late, he said: "When you listen to the scientists, the questions that you've just asked are actually very open questions as far as they are concerned."
He said the biggest thing that the government failed to understand in the early part of the pandemic was the extent of asymptomatic transmission between people.
"[COVID-19] was something that was new, that we didn't understand in the way that we would have liked in the first few weeks and months," he added.
FAA issues emergency directive on 2000 Boeing 737s
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Friday issued an emergency airworthiness directive for 2000 US-registered Boeing 737 NG and Classic aircraft, warning of possible corrosion on parked planes that could lead to a dual-engine failure.
Inspectors found compromised air check valves when bringing aircraft out of storage following four recent reports of single-engine shutdowns on planes that had been parked, prompting the directive for aircraft not operated for seven or more straight days.
Global airlines parked thousands of airplanes after the coronavirus pandemic sharply reduced travel demand.Credit: Getty Images
Alaska Airlines said one of its aircraft is likely one of the four incidents, noting a recent engine shutdown issue.
"The safety of the flight was not compromised," Alaska said in a statement, adding it is now inspecting the check valves before returning planes to service.
If airlines find corrosion, they must replace the valve prior to flying the aircraft again, the FAA said.
Boeing said on Friday it had advised operators to inspect the planes and added "with aeroplanes being stored or used infrequently due to lower demand during the COVID-19 pandemic, the valve can be more susceptible to corrosion".
Global airlines parked thousands of aeroplanes after the coronavirus pandemic sharply reduced travel demand but some have started flying again as demand picks up.
Mel Gibson has recovered from coronavirus
Mel Gibson spent a week in a Los Angeles hospital in April after testing positive for COVID-19, his representative said.
The 64-year-old actor and director has completely recovered and is doing "great" according to the representative. He also said Gibson has tested negative "numerous times" since then.
Mel Gibson has recovered after contracting coronavirus in April.Credit: AP
Gibson is the latest in a long string of high profile figures to go public with coronavirus diagnoses and recoveries including Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson and the singer Pink.
For many people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and those with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness and even be fatal.
The US has more than 4 million known cases of the coronavirus, with more than 140,000 deaths, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
South African police disperse protesters over lockdown pain
South African police officers used water cannon to disperse protesters marching on Friday outside parliament over the plight of the hospitality industry during the coronavirus pandemic.
Businesses say revenues have fallen because of the country's lockdown and they are seeking further loosening of restrictions.
The protest occurred in Cape Town, one of the world's most well-known tourist destinations. Officers shooed away protesters, who shouted and whistled.
South Africa once had one of the world's strictest lockdowns to delay the spread of the virus, but the government has been loosening it under economic pressure.
Sit-down restaurant service was one of the activities allowed in recent weeks, and yet restaurant workers this week protested across the country over the impacts on business and jobs. “Curfew is for wartime, not for restaurants!!!” one sign read.
Others seek the return of alcohol sales, which the government abruptly banned again this month after emergency beds in hospitals filled up.
South Africa now has the world's fifth largest virus caseload, and confirmed cases surpassed 400,000 on Thursday. Africa's most developed country is struggling as the number of infections continues to climb.
Reuters, AP