Analysis

COVID-related loss of smell tied to changes in the brain A new study of 73 adults recovering from COVID-19 finds that those who lost their sense of smell showed behavioral, functional, and structural brain changes. CIDRAP

..."Given the significant global incidence of COVID-19, identifying factors that can distinguish individuals at risk of developing brain alterations is crucial for prioritizing follow-up care," the study authors wrote. 

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Now that mpox is a global health emergency, will it trigger another pandemic? The World Health Organization has declared the ongoing outbreaks of mpox in Congo and elsewhere in Africa to be a global emergency, requiring urgent action to curb the virus’ transmission. AP News

Is mpox going to trigger another pandemic:

That seems highly unlikely. Pandemics, including the most recent ones of swine flu and COVID-19, are typically sparked by airborne viruses that spread quickly, including by people who may not be showing symptoms.

Antiviral used for mpox no better than placebo, NIH says Just as mpox is declared a global health emergency, the antiviral tecovirimat is found to be no better than placebo against it. Jason Mast STAT

The National Institutes of Health said Thursday that an antiviral often used to treat mpox did not resolve patients’ symptoms faster than placebo in a randomized trial.

The results are notable because the drug, tecovirimat, has rarely been studied clinically for mpox, despite its wide use during the 2022 and 2023 outbreaks in the U.S. and Europe.