U of M Studies Look at Health Care Worker Safety and Possible New Treatments for COVID-19

Boozhoo, I’m Cole Premo. Here’s your daily update!

First up: A recent study from the University of Minnesota found no COVID-19 infections among a sample group of hundreds of health care workers in the Twin Cities.

The study was intended to examine the prevalence of the virus among health care workers who didn’t exhibit symptoms, and to determine whether the rate of infection has changed over time.

In the study, nearly 500 health care workers were screened over an eight-week period -- and all of the study participants were found to be infection-free.

According to the university, the findings suggest protection practices of health workers are, in fact, keeping them safe and that infection levels among them remain low.

The same study group of health care workers will be tested again within the next six months for SARS-Cov-2 antibodies … this will help to monitor the proportion of workers who become infected as the pandemic progresses.

Statewide, health officials say in general…. over 6,600 health care workers have tested positive among the approximately 60,000 total cases confirmed so far.

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Next up, in other news from the University of Minnesota:

The first patient has received treatment in a new clinical trial at the University, testing to see if a therapy used to treat acute myeloid leukemia and lymphoma…. Could also be an effective treatment for COVID-19.

The university calls it a first-of-its-kind treatment…. where engineered “natural killer” cells… may play a role in stopping or slowing the viral replication of the novel coronavirus.

Health experts say these so-called natural killer cells have been known to play a role in protecting the body against viral infection, but it’s not yet known if they can safely control COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

For more on both topics discussed, visit the University of Minnesota’s website.

Chi-Miigwech, I’m Cole Premo.