Health Headlines - 5-20-20

In today's health headlines we talk about a new study that shows that an enlargement in the right ventricle of the heart may have been more at risk of dying from COVID-19.

Also, the FDA has authorized a new home test to self collect a sample for COVID-19 testing.

A NEW STUDY SHOWS... ANENLARGEMENT OF ONE OF THEHEART'S FOUR CHAMBERS... WASTHE BEST PREDICTOR OF MORTALITYAMONG COVID-19 PATIENTS.MANDY GAITHER TAKES A CLOSERLOOK AT THE FINDINGS.PATIENTS WITH SEVERE CORONAVIRUSINFECTIONS, WHO PRESENTED WITHENLARGED RIGHTVENTRICLES OF THE HEART, WEREMOST LIKELY TO DIE FROM THEDISEASE BASED ON DATA FROM A NEWSTUDY.A TEAM FROM THE ICAHN SCHOOL OFMEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI --LOOKED AT HEALTH RECORDS OF MORETHAN ONE HUNDRED COVID-19PATIENTS HOSPITALIZED AT MOUNTSINAI MORNINGSIDE IN NEW YORKCITY -- BETWEEN MARCH 26 ANDAPRIL 22ND.31-PERCENT HAD DILATION OF THERIGHT VENTRICLE --41- PERCENT DIED BY THE END OFTHE STUDY PERIOD, COMPARED TO11-PERCENT OF THOSE WHOSE RIGHTVENTRICLES WEREN'T ENLARGED.THE STUDY -- WHICH HAS BEENACCEPTED FOR PUBLICATION IN THEJOURNAL OF THE AMERICANCOLLEGE OF CARDIOLOGY -- SAYSRIGHT VENTRICLE ENLARGEMENT WASTHE ONLY VARIABLESIGNIFICANTLY ASSOCIATED WITHMORTALITY IN THIS GROUP OFCOVID-19 PATIENTS.

THE REASONBEHIND THE NEW FINDINGS REMAINSUNKNOWN.ENLARGEMENT OF THE RIGHTVENTRICLE CAN BE CAUSED BYOBSTRUCTION OF BLOOD FLOW IN THELUNGS DUE TO BLOOD CLOTS OR LUNGTISSUE DAMAGE, ACCORDING TO THENEW STUDY'S AUTHORS.THEY SAY DIRECT DAMAGE TO HEARTTISSUE BY THE CORONAVIRUS MAYALSO BE A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR.FOR TODAY'S HEALTH MINUTE, I'MMANDY GAITHER.THE LEAD AUTHOR OF THE STUDYSAYS..

AFTER THIS RESEARCH...DOCTORS CAN USEBEDSIDE ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY TOINDENTIFY PATIENTS WITHCOVID-19... WHOARE AT THE HIGHEST RISK OFADVERSE HOSPITAL OUTCOMES.THE F-D-A HAS AUTHORIZED AN AT-HOME SAMPLE COLLECTION KIT FORCOVID-19.THE EVERLYWELL COVID-19 TESTHOME COLLECTION KIT... ISAVAILABLE BYPRESCRIPTION... AND LETS APERSON SELF- COLLECT A NASALSAMPLE AT HOME.

THAT SAMPLE THENGETS MAILED TO A CERTIFIEDLAB... FOR RESULTS IN THREE TOFIVE DAYS.IT'S THE ONLY AT-HOME SAMPLECOLLECTION KIT AUTHORIZED TO BEUSED WITH MULTIPLEDIAGNOSTIC TESTS.THAT ALLOWS THE COMPANY TO WORKWITH A NUMBER OF CERTIFIED LABSAROUNDTHE U-