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Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas Inc. has approved a grant of $22,662 to the School of Dentistry.
The School of Dentistry received this emergency grant to provide care to the homeless population at Haven for Hope and other services to the public.
We thank all of our front-line health care providers for their tireless efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Spurs Coyote thanks you, too!
He is showing some love for all the essential workers in our community as part of the #weheartSAheroes campaign.
This citywide celebration honors our front-line health care providers and essential workers.
People are encouraged to post photos or videos of support on social media and tag @weheartSAheroes and use hashtags #weheartSAheroes and #SAheroeswearmasks.
The campaign started June 25 and runs through July 14.
Learn more about the #weheartSAheroes campaign.
The majority of children with COVID-19 in 26 countries fared well clinically compared to adults during the first four months of the pandemic, a newly released study shows.
Researchers from the Long School of Medicine prepared the study, which is the largest systematic review to date of children and young adults with COVID-19. EClinicalMedicine, a journal of The Lancet, published the results, which cover studies published between Jan. 24 and May 14.
Among the findings:
“Our data is compiled from 131 studies and encompasses 7,780 patients who span the pediatric age spectrum,” said study senior author Alvaro Moreira, MD, MSc, assistant professor of pediatrics at UT Health San Antonio and a fellowship-trained neonatologist.
“In the study, we report the most common symptoms, quantify laboratory findings and describe imaging characteristics of children with COVID-19,” Dr. Moreira said. “Furthermore, we summarize treatments that were administered and offer an initial glimpse of a handful of patients who met the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) criteria for multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children.”
The most frequent symptoms, similar to the adult population, were fever and cough. Those were found in 59% and 56% of the pediatric population.
In 233 individuals, a past medical history was noted, and among this group, 152 were children with compromised immune systems or who had underlying respiratory or cardiac disease.
The number of children with excellent outcomes surprised the research team. “Although we are hearing about severe forms of the disease in children, this is occurring in very rare circumstances,” Dr. Moreira said.
The majority of journal articles were from China. The largest study that was included was a case series of 2,572 patients reported by the U.S. CDC COVID-19 team.
Laboratory measures that were consistently abnormal in pediatric COVID-19 patients included inflammatory markers such as creatine kinase, interleukin-6 and procalcitonin.
Only a small number of patients met inclusion for multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children. Their disease paralleled the extreme forms of COVID-19 seen in adults.
“Children with systemic inflammation had a significant decrease in the amount of lymphocytes in their blood,” Dr. Moreira said. “COVID-positive children who didn’t have the extreme form of the disease had 42% lymphocytes in their blood, versus 11% in children with the multisystem syndrome.”
Lymphocytes are one of the main types of immune cells in the body.
Kidney failure was seen in nine pediatric patients, liver failure also in nine and shock in 19. Mechanical ventilation was required by 42 patients.
The study does not take into consideration a new surge of patients in New York, England and Italy where specialists are now starting to see children with multisystem inflammatory syndrome, Dr. Moreira said.
In addition to Dr. Moreira, the team consists of two study co-first authors who are medical students in the Long School of Medicine; a pediatric intensive care fellow at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston; undergraduate students from Texas A&M, The University of Texas at San Antonio and Cottey College; a student accepted into the McGovern Medical School at UTHealth in Houston; and a San Antonio high school student.
The majority of children with COVID-19 in 26 countries fared well clinically compared to adults during the first four months of the pandemic, a newly released study shows.
Researchers from the Long School of Medicine at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio prepared the study, which is the largest systematic review to date of children and young adults with COVID-19. EClinicalMedicine, a journal of The Lancet, on June 26 published the results, which cover studies published between Jan. 24 and May 14.
Among the findings:
“Our data is compiled from 131 studies and encompasses 7,780 patients who span the pediatric age spectrum,” said study senior author Alvaro Moreira, MD, MSc, assistant professor of pediatrics at UT Health San Antonio and a fellowship-trained neonatologist.
“In the study we report the most common symptoms, quantify laboratory findings and describe imaging characteristics of children with COVID-19,” Dr. Moreira said. “Furthermore, we summarize treatments that were administered and offer an initial glimpse of a handful of patients who met the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) criteria for multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children.”
Symptoms
The most frequent symptoms, similar to the adult population, were fever and cough. Those were found in 59% and 56% of the pediatric population.
In 233 individuals, a past medical history was noted, and among this group, 152 were children with compromised immune systems or who had underlying respiratory or cardiac disease.
The number of children with excellent outcomes surprised the research team. “Although we are hearing about severe forms of the disease in children, this is occurring in very rare circumstances,” Dr. Moreira said.
The majority of journal articles were from China. The largest study that was included was a case series of 2,572 patients reported by the U.S. CDC COVID-19 team.
Laboratory measures that were consistently abnormal in pediatric COVID-19 patients included inflammatory markers such as creatine kinase, interleukin-6 and procalcitonin.
Few severe cases
Thankfully, only a small number of patients met inclusion for multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children. Their disease paralleled the extreme forms of COVID-19 seen in adults.
“Children with systemic inflammation had a significant decrease in the amount of lymphocytes in their blood,” Dr. Moreira said. “COVID-positive children who didn’t have the extreme form of the disease had 42% lymphocytes in their blood, versus 11% in children with the multisystem syndrome.”
Lymphocytes are one of the main types of immune cells in the body.
Kidney failure was seen in nine pediatric patients, liver failure also in nine and shock in 19. Mechanical ventilation was required by 42 patients.
The study does not take into consideration a new surge of patients in New York, England and Italy where specialists are now starting to see children with multisystem inflammatory syndrome, Dr. Moreira said.
In addition to Dr. Moreira, the team consists of two study co-first authors who are medical students in the Long School of Medicine; a pediatric intensive care fellow at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston; undergraduate students from Texas A&M, The University of Texas at San Antonio and Cottey College; a student accepted into the McGovern Medical School at UTHealth in Houston; and a San Antonio high school student.
# # #
COVID-19 in 7,780 pediatric patients: A systematic review
Ansel Hoang, Kevin Chorath, Axel Moreira, Mary Evans, Finn Burmeister-Morton, Fiona Burmeister, Rija Naqvi, Matthew Petershack, Alvaro Moreira, MD, MSc
First published: June 26, 2020, EClinicalMedicine
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2020.100433
The Long School of Medicine at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio is named for Texas philanthropists Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long. The school is the largest educator of physicians in South Texas, many of whom remain in San Antonio and the region to practice medicine. The school teaches more than 900 students and trains 800 residents each year. As a beacon of multicultural sensitivity, the school annually exceeds the national medical school average of Hispanic students enrolled. The school’s clinical practice is the largest multidisciplinary medical group in South Texas with 850 physicians in more than 100 specialties. The school has a highly productive research enterprise where world leaders in Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, cancer, aging, heart disease, kidney disease and many other fields are translating molecular discoveries into new therapies. The Long School of Medicine is home to a National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center known for prolific clinical trials and drug development programs, as well as a world-renowned center for aging and related diseases.
The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, also referred to as UT Health San Antonio, is one of the country’s leading health sciences universities and is designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution by the U.S. Department of Education. With missions of teaching, research, patient care and community engagement, its schools of medicine, nursing, dentistry, health professions and graduate biomedical sciences have graduated more than 37,000 alumni who are leading change, advancing their fields, and renewing hope for patients and their families throughout South Texas and the world. To learn about the many ways “We make lives better®,” visit www.uthscsa.edu.
Stay connected with The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.
To see how we are battling COVID-19, read inspiring stories on Impact.
Wearing a mask isn’t always fashionable, and it isn’t always comfortable. But during the pandemic, donning a face mask or covering is the best thing we can do for ourselves, our families and the community.
Masking can reduce the surge; science proves it.
“Masking is the centerpiece of the “We Can Stop the Spread” public education initiative at UT Health San Antonio, and with good reason,” said Ruth Berggren, MD, MACP, infectious diseases specialist in the university’s Long School of Medicine and director of the Center for Medical Humanities and Ethics.
“When San Antonio and Bexar County went on lockdown in March and April, and a high percentage of people were wearing masks and social distancing, we did an excellent job limiting exposures to COVID-19,” Dr. Berggren said. “Now, with cases and hospitalizations on a steep rise, it is imperative that we do it again and practice safe behaviors. This virus is not going away.”
The coronavirus spreads through respiratory particles that travel up to 6 feet. Masking stops the droplets and prevents potentially infected individuals from spreading the virus to others.
A study published recently in the journal Health Affairs served as a “natural experiment” on state government-mandated face mask use in 15 states and the District of Columbia. Mandates were issued between April 8 and May 15.
“The researchers examined rates of growth of COVID-19 in the population according to the number of days after the masking orders took effect,” Dr. Berggren said.
Just five days after mandated masking began, the daily COVID-19 growth rate declined by 0.9 percent. After 21 days, there was a daily 2% decrease in the growth rate of COVID-19.
The researchers estimated that a quarter of a million or more cases were prevented.
“Imagine how many senior adults, cancer patients or transplant recipients were spared from contracting COVID-19,” Dr. Berggren said. “Masking is an inexpensive and effective intervention that helps grandmothers and grandfathers, infants and those with complex medical conditions.”
It also helps everyone else: business owners, customers, travelers and so forth.
“Opening up is necessary economically, but do it successfully, we need to mask and continue other safe behaviors, such as 6-foot social distancing and hand washing and sanitizing,” Dr. Berggren said.
If nothing is done differently, the coronavirus surge by August is projected to take San Antonio and Bexar County hospitalization needs above the 1,400 COVID-19-dedicated beds currently available in the city.
But if safe behaviors – masking, social distancing, hand washing and avoiding large indoor gatherings – are embraced again by the public, the demand for hospital beds by COVID-19 patients can stay well within the bed limit, Dr. Berggren said.
A significant exposure occurs when an infected person has been within 6 feet of an uninfected person for at least 15 minutes unmasked, said Dr. Berggren, a member of the Health Transition Team that gave medical counsel to assist the reopening of San Antonio and Bexar County.
The Health Transition Team recommended public masking in May. Currently, Bexar County businesses are under a mandate to require that their clients wear the mask. Businesses that don’t do this can be fined.
Dr. Berggren recalled a story about a hair salon where workers, who later learned they were infected, cut patrons’ hair. Because they were masked, there was no transmission.
“We protect others when we wear a mask,” Dr. Berggren said.
The numbers, both in San Antonio and in the 15 states studied, show it.
Wearing a mask isn’t always fashionable, and it isn’t always comfortable. But during the pandemic, donning a face mask or covering is the best thing we can do for ourselves, our families and the community.
Masking can reduce the surge; science proves it.
“Masking is the centerpiece of the ‘We Can Stop the Spread’ public education initiative at UT Health San Antonio, and with good reason,” said Ruth Berggren, MD, MACP, infectious diseases specialist in the university’s Long School of Medicine and director of the Center for Medical Humanities and Ethics.
“When San Antonio and Bexar County went on lockdown in March and April, and a high percentage of people were wearing masks and social distancing, we did an excellent job limiting exposures to COVID-19,” Dr. Berggren said. “Now, with cases and hospitalizations on a steep rise, it is imperative that we do it again and practice safe behaviors. This virus is not going away.”
The coronavirus spreads through respiratory particles that travel up to 6 feet. Masking stops the droplets and prevents potentially infected individuals from spreading the virus to others.
A study published recently in the journal Health Affairs served as a “natural experiment” on state government-mandated face mask use in 15 states and the District of Columbia. Mandates were issued between April 8 and May 15.
“The researchers examined rates of growth of COVID-19 in the population according to the number of days after the masking orders took effect,” Dr. Berggren said.
Just five days after mandated masking began, the daily COVID-19 growth rate declined by 0.9 percent. After 21 days, there was a daily 2% decrease in the growth rate of COVID-19.
The researchers estimated that a quarter of a million or more cases were prevented.
“Imagine how many senior adults, cancer patients or transplant recipients were spared from contracting COVID-19,” Dr. Berggren said. “Masking is an inexpensive and effective intervention that helps grandmothers and grandfathers, infants and those with complex medical conditions.”
It also helps everyone else: business owners, customers, travelers and so forth.
“Opening up is necessary economically, but do it successfully, we need to mask and continue other safe behaviors, such as 6-foot social distancing and hand washing and sanitizing,” Dr. Berggren said.
If nothing is done differently, the coronavirus surge by August is projected to take San Antonio and Bexar County hospitalization needs above the 1,400 COVID-19-dedicated beds currently available in the city.
But if safe behaviors – masking, social distancing, hand washing and avoiding large indoor gatherings – are embraced again by the public, the demand for hospital beds by COVID-19 patients can stay well within the bed limit, Dr. Berggren said.
A significant exposure occurs when an infected person has been within 6 feet of an uninfected person for at least 15 minutes unmasked, said Dr. Berggren, a member of the Health Transition Team that gave medical counsel to assist the reopening of San Antonio and Bexar County.
The Health Transition Team recommended public masking in May. Currently, Bexar County businesses are under a mandate to require that their clients wear the mask. Businesses that don’t do this can be fined.
Dr. Berggren recalled a story about a hair salon where workers, who later learned they were infected, cut patrons’ hair. Because they were masked, there was no transmission.
“We protect others when we wear a mask,” Dr. Berggren said.
The numbers, both in San Antonio and in the 15 states studied, show it.
# # #
The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, also referred to as UT Health San Antonio, is one of the country’s leading health sciences universities and is designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution by the U.S. Department of Education. With missions of teaching, research, patient care and community engagement, its schools of medicine, nursing, dentistry, health professions and graduate biomedical sciences have graduated more than 37,000 alumni who are leading change, advancing their fields, and renewing hope for patients and their families throughout South Texas and the world. To learn about the many ways “We make lives better®,” visit www.uthscsa.edu.
Stay connected with The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.
To see how we are battling COVID-19, read inspiring stories on Impact.