Latest news with #COVID-positive
Time of India
a day ago
- Health
- Time of India
Study finds COVID-19 may have aged blood vessels by 5 years, especially among women
New Delhi: A COVID-19 infection could age one's blood vessels by about five years, especially among women, according to a new study. The effect was found to be stronger among women who experienced persistent symptoms after recovering from COVID-19 -- collectively termed 'long Covid' -- such as shortness of breath and fatigue. "Since the pandemic, we have learned that many people who have had (COVID-19) are left with symptoms that can last for months or even years. However, we are still learning what's happening in the body to create these symptoms," lead researcher Rosa Maria Bruno from Universite Paris Cite, France, said. The study, published in the European Heart Journal, looked at around 2,400 people -- about half were women -- from across 16 countries, including Australia, Brazil and those in Europe. While blood vessels are known to become stiffer with age, a COVID-19 infection can accelerate the process and can heighten the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, including stroke and heart attack, the researchers said. The participants' vascular (blood vessel) age was measured using a device that looks at how quickly a wave of blood pressure travels between the carotid artery (in the neck) and femoral arteries (in the legs) -- called 'carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity'. A higher value indicates more stiffness and ageing of blood vessels. Measurements were taken six months after a COVID-19 infection and again after 12 months. An increase in pulse wave velocity of around 0.5 metres per second is clinically relevant and roughly amounts to ageing by five years, with a three per cent increased risk of cardiovascular disease, in a 60-year-old woman, the researchers said. The study found that, on average, pulse wave velocity among women who had a mild infection was increased by 0.55 metres per second, by 0.60 metres per second in those hospitalised and by over one metre per second for women treated in intensive care. "(Pulse wave velocity) differences were significant in women, but not in men. Among COVID-19 positive women, persistent symptoms were associated with higher (pulse wave velocity)," the authors wrote. "A stable or improved (pulse wave velocity) after 12 months was found in COVID-positive groups, whereas a progression was observed in the COVID-negative group," they wrote. Explaining how COVID-19 impacts blood vessels, Bruno said that the disease-causing virus "acts on specific receptors in the body, called the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptors, that are present on the lining of the blood vessels." "The virus uses these receptors to enter and infect cells. This may result in vascular dysfunction and accelerated vascular ageing. Our body's inflammation and immune responses, which defend against infections, may also be involved," the lead researcher said. Further, compared to men, women are known to produce a more rapid and robust immune response which can protect from infection but can also inflict damage on blood vessels after initial infection, Bruno said. In a related editorial, published in the European Heart Journal, researchers from Harvard Medical School in the US wrote, "Although the acute threat of the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic has waned, a new challenge emerged in its aftermath: post-acute COVID-19 syndrome." The study highlights that "COVID-19's vascular legacy is real, measurable, and with a plausible likelihood of sex-specific findings," they wrote. "COVID-19 has aged our arteries, especially for female adults. The question is whether we can find modifiable targets to prevent this in future surges of infection, and mitigate adverse outcomes in those afflicted with COVID-19-induced vascular ageing," the authors said.>
New York Post
16-07-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Andrew Cuomo's new plan to punish New Yorkers: He's staying in the race
It's official: Andrew Cuomo has decided to force New Yorkers to endure his whining and pleading and begging for votes for the remainder of the mayoral campaign. Ouch. On Monday, the disgraced ex-gov announced he'll continue his quest for City Hall by running as an independent. Apparently, it isn't enough that he was forced to step down as governor just a few years back by members of his own party. Or that the was then he was soundly defeated in the mayoral primary — again, by members of his party. You'd think maybe he'd get the message: Voters are just not that into you, Andrew. Instead, Cuomo is insisting on making Gothamites put up with his preening and dissembling and waffling for the next four months, even as that forces them to recall all the pain he caused them as governor: Skyrocketing crime rates, thanks to his disastrous criminal-justice reforms. Soaring utility bills, thanks to an insane climate law he OK'd. Congestion pricing, which socks folks who drive into mid-Manhattan, like those from the outer boroughs. The COVID lockdowns and crazy rules (Cuomo chips, anyone?) and prolonged school closures that worsened learning loss among kids. And, of course, his fatal order forcing nursing homes to take in COVID-positive patients that almost certainly led to hundreds of preventable deaths. No wonder New York's share of the US population plunged during his years as governor, costing the state a congressional seat. Now, Cuomo's insistence on staying in the race, along with Mayor Eric Adams and Republican Curtis Sliwa, seems sure to deliver the election to socialist antisemite Zohran Mamdani. Thanks, again, Andrew. Meanwhile, recent polls have found fully 70% of voters cite candidates other than Cuomo as their top choice. Nor is he likely to recapture lefties by parroting the guy who beat him, Zohran Mamdani: In a new New York magazine column, Cuomo described himself as 'anti-billionaire.' (An aide denied that, arguing the ex-gov's words were taken out of context.) Back in 1989, after Mayor Ed Koch lost his bid for reelection, he was asked if he'd ever run for office again. 'No,' he replied. 'The people have spoken … and they must be punished.' Cuomo, by contrast, aims to punish the city by continuing to run. New Yorkers should pray that at some point, he takes the hint. Do us all a favor, Andrew: Just Cuo away.
New York Post
16-06-2025
- Health
- New York Post
Two sons who blame Cuomo for elderly dad's COVID death endorse Lander for NYC mayor
Two grieving sons who blame then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo's controversial nursing-home edict for the death of their father and scores of others from COVID-19 have endorsed rival Brad Lander for mayor. Peter and Daniel Arbeeny's dad, Norman, 89, died from COVID after a rehab stint in a nursing home in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn. Under Cuomo's policy, which was instituted in March 2020, patients who were infected with the coronavirus but stabilized were admitted or readmitted to nursing homes at a time when the facilities were not able to test for the deadly bug or provide adequate personal protective equipment to contain the infection, critics said. Cuomo, who resigned as governor in 2021 amid a spate of sexual-misconduct accusations he denies, is now the front-runner in the Democratic primary for New York City mayor. The Arbeeny brothers' endorsement of Lander was held outside the Cobble Hill Nursing Home where their dad had been cared for. 'It is my honor to endorse Brad, because he answered our families call for help during the height of COVID in April of 2020 when the city shut down,' Peter said Monday of the current city comptroller and mayoral candidate. 'Five years ago, when no elected official would meet or stand up for us, Brad Lander was the one public official who fought alongside us to expose Andrew Cuomo's lies, and seek accountability for our father and so many other grieving New the current city comptroller seeking the mayoralty,' the son said. 'Brad has empathy, is a decent, honest and tough person and is exactly what we need in a mayor.' Lander invited Peter as a guest at last week's mayoral debate. He urged the son to stand up and be recognized and demanded that Cuomo apologize to him and other nursing-home families for the disastrous policy, which was revoked six weeks later, after thousands of vulnerable sick New Yorkers had already been either admitted or readmitted into nursing homes. 'I have so much admiration for Peter and Daniel Arbeeny, who have bravely sought accountability from disgraced ex-governor Andrew Cuomo for five years and are still fighting to honor the legacy of their father, Norman. I'm deeply touched to receive their endorsement today,' Lander said. During the debate, Cuomo did not apologize for his nursing-home directive. 'Mr. Arbeeny lost a father,' Cuomo said. 'I am very, very sorry for that.' But Cuomo said Lander and Arbeeny were wrong on the facts. Cuomo noted Arbeeny sued the state and said legal papers in the case found that no COVID-positive person was sent from a hospital to the nursing home where his father was admitted. 'So it is factually impossible, Brad, that he got COVID, OK, from someone coming from a hospital,' Cuomo said. Daniel Arbeeny led a class-action federal lawsuit against Cuomo, which was dismissed by a Brooklyn federal judge. But the COVID-19 controversy continues to haunt Cuomo. Last week, Cuomo said he not only saw a controversial report on nursing-home COVID deaths in the state while he was governor but may have altered the document before its release – a bombshell confession that contradicts his sworn congressional testimony. 'I did not recall seeing the report at the time. I did see the report, it turns out,' Cuomo told PIX11 News. 'I'm sure if I read the report, I made language changes.' The mea culpa comes after the Department of Justice earlier this year reportedly opened a criminal investigation into whether Cuomo lied on Capitol Hill when he adamantly denied that he drafted, reviewed, discussed or consulted on the nursing-home report. Emails obtained by a congressional subcommittee show that Cuomo aides discussed his role in drafting the report and include the former governor's own handwritten edits. The report downplayed the consequences of Cuomo's March 25, 2020, directive that forced recovering COVID patients into senior care facilities without mandated testing to see if they could still infect others. The state also initially underreported the deaths of nursing home residents by nearly 50%. Cuomo has long maintained his administration was following federal guidance when the state Health Department implemented the COVID-19 nursing-home directive and that all COVID deaths were reported. During his grilling by the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic in June 2024, he denied accusations of mishandling the COVID response and pointed to federal guidance as having hampered his administration's response. .
The Hindu
16-06-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Kishan Reddy inspects Gandhi Hospital, calls for upgrading facilities
Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy on Monday, June 16 visited State-run Gandhi Hospital, Secunderabad and reviewed infrastructure and services across departments, amid growing concerns over a fresh surge in COVID-19 cases. During the inspection, the minister interacted with the hospital Superintendent and staff, seeking details about patient amenities, departmental preparedness, and the status of key medical infrastructure. He also visited the oxygen plants installed during the COVID-19 pandemic, which continue to remain operational. Speaking to the media after the visit, the Union Minister said, 'Gandhi Hospital is the largest government healthcare facility in the Secunderabad Parliamentary constituency, which I represent. I visited to assess the facilities available to patients and to ensure that the hospital is equipped to handle increasing patient loads. With COVID-positive cases rising again, hospital staff must remain vigilant, and the public should be reminded to follow safety protocols,' he added. 'There is an urgent requirement to fill the vacant Resident Medical Officer (RMO) posts and to operationalise newly sanctioned departments,' he said. The minister also highlighted the implementation of the Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme, under which patients are being issued Aadhaar-linked health cards. 'These cards enable beneficiaries to access free treatment not just at Gandhi Hospital, but at other empanelled hospitals as well,' he said.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Andrew Cuomo admits he saw COVID nursing home report — and may have amended it after DOJ probe into testimony
Mayoral hopeful Andrew Cuomo admitted Thursday that he not only saw a controversial report on nursing home COVID deaths while he was governor, but may have doctored the document – a bombshell confession that contradicts his sworn Congressional testimony. 'I did not recall seeing the report at the time. I did see the report, it turns out,' Cuomo told PIX11 News. 'I'm sure if I read the report I made language changes.' The mea culpa comes after the Department of Justice earlier this year reportedly opened a criminal investigation into whether Cuomo lied on Capitol Hill when he adamantly denied that he drafted, reviewed, discussed or consulted on a nursing home report on Empire State nursing home deaths. The controversial report downplayed the consequences of Cuomo's now-infamous March 25, 2020 directive that forced recovering COVID patients into senior care facilities without mandated testing to see if they could still infect others. When he revoked the order, thousands of sick New Yorkers had been either admitted or readmitted into nursing homes. Yet, the state underreported the deaths by nearly 50%. Emails obtained by a congressional subcommittee show that Cuomo aides discussed his role in drafting the report, and include the former governor's own handwritten edits. But during his grilling by the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic in June 2024, he denied accusations of mishandling the COVID response and pointed to federal guidance as having hampered his administration's response. During private questioning by House members, Cuomo claimed he didn't review a draft of the nursing home before it was released, and didn't remember editing or speaking about it before it was released on July 7, 2020, according to a transcript. 'I do not recall reviewing,' Cuomo said. When he was asked if he had edited the report, he said 'I don't recall seeing it.' Rep. James Comer, chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, took issue with the ex-governor's new stance on Thursday. 'It's remarkable that former Governor Cuomo now admits he read and edited the COVID nursing home report, only after facing a federal investigation for lying to Congress about it,' Comer (R-KY) said in a statement. 'Cuomo's deadly order forcing COVID-positive patients into nursing homes led to the deaths of thousands of seniors,' he added. 'He must be held accountable for the order, the cover-up and the lies.' Relatives of nursing home patients who died as a result of the botched call also slammed Cuomo's new 'weasel answer' Thursday. 'I hope it's a smoking gun,' said Vivian Zayas, who lost her mom to COVID inside a Long Island nursing home in 2021. 'I hope it's the tip of the iceberg of the accountability that will come,' Zayas said. 'Cuomo wants to be mayor, but he has selective memory.' Peter Arbeeny, whose father died in another home during the pandemic, said Cuomo has 'selective memory.' 'Cuomo said he wrote a 320-page book from memory, but can't remember reading and writing a health department report,' Arbeeny told The Post,, calling the wannabe mayor 'slick.' 'They were suppressing a narrative about nursing home deaths because they were writing a book,' he said. Despite his new admission, a spokesman for Cuomo claimed the ex-governor has always been up front about the 'politicized' controversy. Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi defended his boss and claimed in a statement that he has been consistent when addressing the controversy in the past. 'Despite attempts to paint this otherwise, Governor Cuomo's comments are consistent with what he has said all along,' Azzopardi told The Post Thursday. 'He testified truly and to the best of his recollection. 'He also offered, in good faith, to review any additional documents the [congressional] committee may have had in its possession to refresh his recollection, which they declined to present,' he said. 'That's because this was never about fact-finding. It was all politics from day one.' Cuomo's tenure in Albany was marred by allegations of sexual harassment and charges that his administration undercounted nursing home deaths during the pandemic — claims he has denied. A former HUD secretary and New York State attorney general — and son of former Gov. Mario Cuomo — Andrew Cuomo was elected governor in 2011 and served until the mounting sex harassment claims forced him to resign in 2021. He is considered the front-runner to replace Eric Adams as mayor of the Big Apple.
