Tracking Long-COVID effects with tech | Repurposed drug helps with COVID survival

Using goggles to track neurological effects of COVID

PITTSBURGH, PA—Scientists at Allegheny Health Network are studying the neurological effects of Long-COVID. One of the ways they’re doing this is using goggles to track patients’ eye movements to determine cognitive dysfunction. Eye movements help them better understand which parts of the brain ay be affected in a given patient.

Drug could help ventilated COVID patients

NASHVILLE, TN—Dr. Wesley Ely is leading a study at Vanderbilt University Medical Center to determine which drugs can be repurposed to treat ventilated COVID patients. The research has indicated that the drug baricitinib, given once a day for up to 14 days, yielded one of the largest survival advantages seen yet in the COVID pandemic.

Virtual reality used to reduce stress of health care workers

ATHENS, OH—Treating the onslaught of COVID patients has challenged front-line health care workers’ peace of mind in an unprecedented way. Researchers at Ohio University study are looking into how a tranquil virtual reality (VR) experience can reduce the stress of health care workers amid the COVID pandemic.

A quicker and highly accurate COVID antigen test

MADISON, WI—The lack of sustainable infrastructure for quick and accurate testing throughout the COVID-19 pandemic motivated researchers at the University of Wisconsin to find an alternative to the “gold standard” of PCR testing. They have developed an antigen test that prove to be highly accurate within the span of a couple of days.