* La vacuna contra la gripe podría reducir el riesgo de COVID
Los trabajadores de la salud que recibieron la vacuna contra la influenza también estaban protegidos contra el COVID-19, pero el efecto podría no durar mucho.
Influenza vaccines have a surprising health benefit: they might also prevent COVID-19, particularly in its most severe forms1.
A study of more than 30,000 health-care workers in Qatar found that those who got a flu jab were nearly 90% less likely to develop severe COVID-19 over the next few months, compared with those who hadn’t been recently vaccinated against flu.
The study, which was conducted in late 2020, before the roll-out of COVID-19 vaccines, is in line with previous work suggesting that ramping up the immune system using influenza vaccines and other jabs could help the body to fend off the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Read more…
* La luz ultravioleta lejana elimina los patógenos transportados por el aire en condiciones realistas
03 mayo 2022 Isabelle Dumé
Far ultraviolet-C light can reduce the level of airborne microbes in a room by more than 92%, according to a new study by researchers in the UK and the US. The result suggests that lamps operating at this wavelength could be used to combat common airborne viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, and thus prevent the transmission of diseases like COVID-19.
While ordinary UVC light is very effective at destroying microbes like bacteria and viruses, it is hazardous for humans because it can damage skin and eyes. A decade ago, researchers at Columbia University in the US discovered that a different wavelength of UVC light, known as far-UVC light, would be just as effective at killing germs, but without the safety concerns. This is because, at 222 nm, its wavelength is too short to penetrate human skin or eye cells. These early tests of the technology were, however, conducted in small experimental chambers, rather than room-sized ones that better reflect real-world human environments. Read more…