Chest Medicine
Early data from South Africa hints Omicron variant may cause less severe Covid, but more research is needed.
5 Dec, 2021 | 23:51h | UTCOriginal report: Tshwane District Omicron Variant Patient Profile – Early Features
Fauci says early reports encouraging about omicron variant – “Thus far, it does not look like there’s a great degree of severity to it”.
5 Dec, 2021 | 23:47h | UTCFauci says Omicron variant doesn’t look severe, but ‘got to be careful’ – Associated Press
WHO has no reports yet of Omicron Covid deaths.
5 Dec, 2021 | 23:48h | UTCWHO has no reports yet of Omicron Covid deaths – MedicalXpress
Commentary on Twitter
Despite #OmnicronVariant's global spread, the WHO says there are no Omicron deaths so far. The agency warns it may take weeks to determine how infectious the variant is, whether it causes more severe illness & how effective antivirals & vaccines are https://t.co/NSN6Ysf3gc pic.twitter.com/Wnp90HvUng
— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) December 4, 2021
[Preprint] Preliminary data points to increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 reinfection associated with the emergence of Omicron variant in South Africa.
3 Dec, 2021 | 10:29h | UTCCommentaries:
Global Omicron COVID cases rise as evidence for immune escape grows – CIDRAP
Omicron seems to carry higher Covid reinfection risk, says South Africa – The Guardian
Reinfections three times more likely with Omicron: S. African research – MedicalXpress
Commentary from the author on Twitter (thread – click for more)
[Thread] We have updated our preprint on SARS-CoV-2 reinfection trends in South Africa to include data through late November. @hivepi @jd_mathbio @carivs @Dr_Groome @nicd_sa #SACEMAhttps://t.co/yvIRtfQH6I#notyetpeerreviewed https://t.co/EKr8fgJVba
— Juliet Pulliam, PhD (@jrcpulliam@mathstodon.xyz) (@jrcpulliam) December 2, 2021
Podcast: The Omicron Variant of SARS-CoV-2.
3 Dec, 2021 | 10:21h | UTCThe Omicron Variant of SARS-CoV-2 – New England Journal of Medicine
Interactive Infographic: Visualizing SARS-CoV-2 transmission routes and mitigations.
3 Dec, 2021 | 10:26h | UTCVisualising SARS-CoV-2 transmission routes and mitigations – The BMJ
Commentary: New interactive graphic tool illustrates SARS-CoV-2 transmission routes and mitigations – News Medical
Commentary on Twitter
Is it risky to sing in a choir or eat in a small restaurant? How much difference does it make if I open windows or clean surfaces?
A new #BMJInfographic helps people decide what to do in everyday situations to protect themselves, and others, from covid-19 https://t.co/RMoEwZ9wTz pic.twitter.com/XV9ElCoOGa
— The BMJ (@bmj_latest) December 2, 2021
Omicron is supercharging the COVID vaccine booster debate – “The data are growing that booster jabs enhance protection — but their durability, impact and ability to quash the new variant are unknown”.
3 Dec, 2021 | 10:19h | UTCOmicron is supercharging the COVID vaccine booster debate – Nature
How bad is Omicron? What scientists know so far.
3 Dec, 2021 | 10:18h | UTCHow bad is Omicron? What scientists know so far – Nature
Opinion | Omg, Omicron! Why it’s too soon to panic about COVID vaccines and the new variant.
3 Dec, 2021 | 10:16h | UTCOmg, Omicron! Why it’s too soon to panic about COVID vaccines and the new variant – The Conversation
The Omicron Variant Is a Mystery. Here’s How Science Will Solve It – “So far, panic about the new Covid variant has outpaced actual information. Here’s what scientists around the world are trying to uncover”.
2 Dec, 2021 | 10:08h | UTCThe Omicron Variant Is a Mystery. Here’s How Science Will Solve It – Wired
See also the latest articles on the subject:
Where did ‘weird’ Omicron come from? – Science
We can prevail over Omicron. We just need to use the tools we have – The Guardian
How South African Researchers Identified the Omicron Variant of COVID – The New Yorker
The omicron variant has been found in 23 countries – NPR
These countries have found cases of the Omicron Covid-19 variant so far – CNN
Scientists say it will take weeks to tell how dangerous Omicron really is. Here’s why – CNN
Coronavirus variants: Here’s what we know – CNN
To catch variants like omicron, the world needs to sequence way more virus genes – Vox
Omicron’s Best- and Worst-Case Scenarios – The Atlantic
Africa: tackle HIV and COVID-19 together – Nature
The mystery of where omicron came from — and why it matters – NPR
A reason for optimism on Omicron: Our immune systems are not blank slates – STAT
Omicron – Science-Based Medicine
Covid: Omicron may require ‘very stringent response’, say Sage scientists – BBC
WHO warns against Omicron travel bans as nations shut borders – MedicalXpress
Israeli doctor believes he caught Omicron variant of Covid in London – The Guardian
First case of Omicron coronavirus variant identified in the U.S. – STAT
Retrospective Cohort Study: Except for Rituximab, most immunosuppressive medicines were not associated with increased risk of mechanical ventilation or death in patients hospitalized with Covid-19.
2 Dec, 2021 | 10:07h | UTCCommentaries:
What does endemic COVID-19 mean for the future of rituximab? – The Lancet Rheumatology
Study: Immune-suppressed not at higher risk of poor COVID outcomes – CIDRAP
Commentary on Twitter
NEW RESEARCH—Long-term use of immunosuppressive medicines and in-hospital #COVID19 outcomes: data from N3C shows no increased risk of mechanical ventilation or in-hospital death with the exception of #rituximab https://t.co/vEyTzfvK5q #LancetRheumatology
@JohnsHopkins pic.twitter.com/NqlttjGrpj— The Lancet Rheumatology (@TheLancetRheum) November 16, 2021
AAP Clinical Report | Tuberculosis Infection in Children and Adolescents.
2 Dec, 2021 | 09:58h | UTCTuberculosis Infection in Children and Adolescents: Testing and Treatment – Pediatrics
Systematic Review: Models of COVID-19 vaccine prioritization – “for countries seeking to minimize deaths, prioritizing vaccination of senior adults was the optimal strategy and for countries seeking to minimize cases the young were prioritized”.
2 Dec, 2021 | 10:02h | UTC
Fluvoxamine for the early treatment of SARS-CoV-2 Infection: a review of current evidence.
2 Dec, 2021 | 10:04h | UTCFluvoxamine for the Early Treatment of SARS-CoV-2 Infection: A Review of Current Evidence – Drugs
Related:
ERS guideline on non-CPAP therapies for obstructive sleep apnea.
2 Dec, 2021 | 09:56h | UTC
Chronic cough: new insights and future prospects.
2 Dec, 2021 | 09:43h | UTCChronic cough: new insights and future prospects – European Respiratory Review
E-cigarettes may be independently linked to erectile dysfunction.
2 Dec, 2021 | 09:44h | UTCNews Release: E-cigarettes may be independently linked to erectile dysfunction, new research finds – NYU Langone Health
Complete countrywide mortality in COVID patients receiving ECMO in Germany throughout the first three waves of the pandemic.
1 Dec, 2021 | 09:52h | UTC
FDA panel narrowly recommends authorization of first antiviral pill to treat COVID.
1 Dec, 2021 | 09:56h | UTCFDA panel narrowly recommends authorization of first antiviral pill to treat COVID – STAT
See also: An FDA panel supports Merck COVID drug in mixed vote – NPR
Related:
8 lingering questions about the new Covid pills from Merck and Pfizer.
The U.K. approves Merck’s COVID-19 antiviral pill, calling it a world first.
Merck to allow other nations to produce new COVID-19 antiviral.
Video: Merck’s Covid pill could transform treatment. Here’s how it works.
How antiviral pill Molnupiravir shot ahead in the COVID drug hunt.
What we know — and don’t know — about Merck’s new Covid-19 pill.
Merck’s Covid-19 pill is great news but may not be a game-changer.
Video | A Pill For COVID? A Doctor Explains Molnupiravir.
Using wearable data, a real-time alerting system can be used for the early detection of Covid-19 and other stress events.
1 Dec, 2021 | 09:59h | UTCReal-time alerting system for COVID-19 and other stress events using wearable data – Nature Medicine
Commentary: Scientists develop a smartwatch-based device for early detection of COVID-19 – News Medical
Commentary on Twitter
A study in @NatureMedicine shows that a smartwatch-based alerting system was able to detect pre-symptomatic and asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection in a high percentage of cases. https://t.co/tquzpYa4pV pic.twitter.com/VIq3phKZ7J
— Nature Portfolio (@NaturePortfolio) November 30, 2021
Another randomized trial showed convalescent plasma does not benefit patients hospitalized with Covid-19.
1 Dec, 2021 | 09:49h | UTCRelated:
M-A: Convalescent plasma does not reduce mortality in COVID-19.
M-A: Convalescent plasma is safe but does not improve outcomes in the treatment of COVID-19.
RECOVERY Trial: No benefit from convalescent plasma in patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19.
Commentary on Twitter
The TSUNAMI RCT showed that high-titer convalescent plasma (CP) did not reduce the risk of severe respiratory failure or death in hospitalized patients with #COVID19 pneumonia. https://t.co/4q0S2AtfMj
— JAMA Network Open (@JAMANetworkOpen) November 29, 2021
Cohort study: Allergic conditions linked to lower COVID-19 infection risk.
1 Dec, 2021 | 08:52h | UTCNews Release: Allergic conditions linked to lower COVID-19 infection risk – BMJ
Original Study: Risk factors for developing COVID-19: a population-based longitudinal study (COVIDENCE UK) – Thorax
NICE Guideline | Tobacco: preventing uptake, promoting quitting, and treating dependence.
1 Dec, 2021 | 08:50h | UTC
M-A: Efficacy of non-invasive and invasive respiratory management strategies in adult patients with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure.
1 Dec, 2021 | 08:44h | UTC
RCT: Small caliber 14-Fr percutaneous catheters (pigtail) were as effective as 28- to 32-Fr chest tubes in their ability to drain traumatic hemothorax with no difference in complications.
30 Nov, 2021 | 10:11h | UTCThe small (14 Fr) percutaneous catheter (P-CAT) versus large (28–32 Fr) open chest tube for traumatic hemothorax: A multicenter randomized clinical trial – Trauma and Acute Care Surgery (link to abstract – $ for full-text)