Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
A new study has found that long-term symptoms after mild COVID-19 infection can persist for up to six months, including in young people.
While long-term complications after COVID-19 are common in hospitalized patients, the study, conducted by researchers out of the University of Bergen in Norway, noted that symptoms in milder cases can also linger for months.
"The main novel finding is that more than 50 per cent of young adults up to 30 years old, isolated at home, still have persistent symptoms six months after mild to moderate disease," the study’s lead author and University of Bergen professor Nina Langeland said in a press release.
The findings were published Wednesday in peer-reviewed journal Nature Medicine.
According to the study, researchers analyzed the symptoms of 312 patients from Norway's first wave of the pandemic six months after they were first infected with COVID-19. Of the patients studied, 247 isolated at home and 65 people were hospitalized with mild to moderate symptoms.
The study found that 61 per cent of all COVID-19 patients studied had symptoms six months after initially contracting SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, and 55 per cent of the 247 home-isolated patients experienced long-term symptoms.
Researchers noted these symptoms were "independently associated" with severity of the initial illness, pre-existing conditions and increased convalescent antibodies.
According to the study, 52 per cent of patients between the ages of 16 and 30 who suffered mild COVID-19 infection complained of prolonged symptoms including loss of smell and/or taste (28 per cent), fatigue (21 per cent), dyspnea, more commonly known as shortness of breath and chest tightness, (13 per cent), impaired concentration (13 per cent), and memory loss (11 per cent).
Researchers reported that patients aged 15 or younger had no persistent symptoms six months after infection.
According to the study, 51 per cent of participants were women and 44 per cent had one or more comorbidities, the most frequent being chronic lung disease and asthma.
The study noted that the age of hospitalized patients were older than those who isolated at home. As well, this group had higher body mass index and other comorbidities such as chronic heart disease, hypertension and diabetes.
While the lasting impairment of lung function due to COVID-19 has been well documented, associate professor and study author Bjorn Blomberg says more research is needed to further assess the long-term impacts of the disease on other organs.
He noted in the release that the study’s findings also highlight the importance of infection control measures in younger age groups.
"The cognitive symptoms of impaired memory and concentration difficulties are particularly worrying for young people at school or university and highlights the importance of vaccination to prevent the long-term health implications of COVID-19," Blomberg said.
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
B.C. conservation officers recently seized a nine-foot-long Burmese python from a home in Chilliwack.
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
The Ontario government is introducing changes to auto-insurance, but some experts say the move is ill-advised.
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
Newfoundland’s unique version of the Pine Marten has grown out of its threatened designation.
A Toronto man is out $12,000 after falling victim to a deepfake cryptocurrency scam that appeared to involve Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
It started small with a little pop tab collection to simply raise some money for charity and help someone — but it didn’t take long for word to get out that 10-year-old Jace Weber from Mildmay, Ont. was quickly building up a large supply of aluminum pop tabs.
There’s a group of people in Saskatoon that proudly call themselves dumpster divers, and they’re turning the city’s trash into treasure.
Ontario is facing a larger than anticipated deficit but the Doug Ford government still plans to balance its books before the next provincial election.