Week in Review: Researchers Investigate Whether Asthma Increases Risk of Contracting, Severity of COVID-19

Top news of the week from Pharmacy Times®.

5. Researchers Investigate Whether Asthma Increases Risk of Contracting, Severity of COVID-19

A team of investigators at Rutgers University have found that asthma does not appear to increase the risk of contracting coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) or to influence the severity of the disease. Read more.

4. AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine Shows Promise

The study found that a single dose of AZD1222 resulted in a 4-fold increase in antibodies to the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 in 95% of participants 1 month after injection. Read more.

3. Blood Test Can Detect Positive COVID-19 Result in 20 Minutes

The test uses 25 microliters of plasma from blood samples and looks for agglutination, or a clustering of red blood cells caused by COVID-19. Read more.

2. Pharmacy Technicians Play Key Role in Medication Error Prevention

As the role of the pharmacist grows, the technician is in a unique place to be able to catch errors and prevent them from happening in the first place. Read more.

1. Mental Health, Impact of Trauma on Health Care Professionals During COVID-19

The spread of the virus contributed to associated morbidity and mortality, but also lead to the development of mental health issues and even trauma from lived experiences among health care professionals at the center of the pandemic. Read here.