August 14, 2023: Increases in summer COVID cases, "smart" bandages that heal chronic wounds and carbon capture projects get $1 billion in federal funding. —Andrea Gawrylewski, Chief Newsletter Editor | | | After months of declining rates, hospitals have been reporting a steady uptick in COVID cases. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a 12.5 percent increase in COVID hospital admissions for the week of July 29, totaling 9,056 patients, and wastewater surveillance of viral load shows that cases have been trending upward since the last week of June. Those most at risk of hospitalization are still those who have other medical conditions, are immunocompromised, are above the age of 65, or are unvaccinated or haven't received a vaccination against the most recent strain.
Why this is happening: A variety of reasons may account for the current rise in cases which seems to be more a ripple than a wave. Waning immunity from vaccines and past infection is likely to blame, in combination with lax masking and social distancing.
What the experts say: Most respiratory viruses like flu or the common cold usually fall into a seasonal cycle, spiking in winter and subsiding in spring. But SARS-CoV-2 has yet to settle into such a pattern. "It is still causing disease at a time that we don't expect respiratory viruses to cause disease; ergo, it has not entered a seasonal phase yet. It is still in pandemic phase," says Archana Chatterjee, dean of Chicago Medical School and vice president for medical affairs at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science. | | | Researchers have developed an electric "smart bandage" that can heal chronic wounds faster. The bandages are made of stretchy polymer and adhere to the skin. They are embedded with medication and a thin layer of electronics that attract immune cells and skin cells around the wound, in addition to monitoring the wound wirelessly. Some versions of the bandage use biosensors that can detect inflammation, infection and stage of healing. So far the bandages have only been tested in rats, but plans to test in humans could happen within the year.
Why this is important: Tens of millions of people have chronic wounds that won't heal by themselves. These lesions include certain diabetic ulcers, burns and surgical injuries. Current treatments usually involve surgery or heavy use of antibiotics.
What the experts say: "There's an urgent need for personalized wound treatment," says Wei Gao, a biomedical engineer at the California Institute of Technology. | | | Credit: California Institute of Technology | | | • The world's best tuberculosis drug was too expensive for sufferers. After a year's-long campaign by advocates and vocal social media pressure, Johnson & Johnson will allow generic versions of the drug to be sold for $8 a month. | 10 min read | | | • Claims from two weeks ago of a room-temperature superconductor are all but debunked. But valuable lessons have been learned about the scientific process, and how such discoveries play into the energy crisis. | 6 min read | | | • False claims about racial susceptibility to COVID by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and others are dangerous and reveal a widespread misunderstanding of our shared vulnerability to disease, write Eleanor J. Murray and Monica H. Green. Murray is an assistant professor of epidemiology at Boston University, and Green is an historian of medicine. | 5 min read | | | Welcome to a new week, readers. Thanks for sharing your weekend Perseid meteor sightings with me! I saw a few very bright streaks and it was thrilling each time. Our September issue goes live tomorrow, so keep an eye out for exciting coverage on deep-sea mining, why sauropods got so huge, the science of staving off dementia, and much more! | —Andrea Gawrylewski, Chief Newsletter Editor | | Subscribe to this and all of our newsletters . | | | | Scientific American
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