General Interest
Scientists say the rush to do Covid research led to a whole lot of waste
28 Apr, 2021 | 08:34h | UTCScientists Say The Rush To Do COVID Research Led To A Whole Lot Of Waste – NPR
Original Article: How COVID-19 has fundamentally changed clinical research in global health – The Lancet Global Health
Related: Data Show Panic and Disorganization Dominate the Study of Covid-19 Drugs (other commentaries on the subject)
See also: The Lancet Series: Clinical Trials in Global Health
Commentary on Twitter (thread – click for more)
Quantity > quality? The magnitude of #COVID19 research of questionable methodological quality reveals an urgent need to optimise clinical trial research—but how?
A new @LancetGH Series discusses challenges and solutions. Read https://t.co/z4SluR3yuh 1/5 pic.twitter.com/94RRVT0qhF
— The Lancet (@TheLancet) April 16, 2021
Tracking the Evolution of a ‘Variant of Concern’ in Brazil – “P.1 may be 1.7 to 2.4 times more transmissible than earlier variants”
28 Apr, 2021 | 08:38h | UTCTracking the Evolution of a ‘Variant of Concern’ in Brazil – NIH Director’s Blog
Related: Genomics and epidemiology of the P.1 SARS-CoV-2 lineage in Manaus, Brazil – Science
Immunization services begin slow recovery from COVID-19 disruptions, though millions of children remain at risk from deadly diseases – WHO, UNICEF, Gavi
27 Apr, 2021 | 08:41h | UTCRelated report: Disability considerations for COVID-19 vaccination: WHO and UNICEF policy brief, 19 April 2021 – World Health Organization
Commentary on Twitter
While immunization services begin slow recovery from #COVID19, millions of children around the 🌍🌏🌎 remain vulnerable to deadly diseases.
More info 👉https://t.co/YjskC8z6nc pic.twitter.com/SEv8d2VSAB
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) April 26, 2021
Why the World Should Worry About India – “The world’s largest vaccine producer is struggling to overcome its latest COVID-19 surge—and that’s everyone’s problem.”
27 Apr, 2021 | 08:33h | UTCWhy the World Should Worry About India – The Atlantic
See also: Covid-19: Countries rally to support India through “storm that has shaken the nation” – The BMJ AND As India breaks another global Covid-19 record and hospitals run out of oxygen, countries pledge assistance and aid – CNN AND India’s COVID-19 crisis prompts global response – CIDRAP
M-A: Prophylaxis against Covid-19: 1 – no benefit from Hydroxychloroquine; 2 – as studies on ivermectin so far have been small, it remains very uncertain whether ivermectin reduces SARS-CoV-2 infection
27 Apr, 2021 | 08:44h | UTCProphylaxis against covid-19: living systematic review and network meta-analysis – The BMJ
Opinion | Real-world data, not predictions, should drive decisions on Covid-19 and school opening
27 Apr, 2021 | 08:26h | UTCReal-world data, not predictions, should drive decisions on Covid-19 and school opening – STAT
Commentary from the author on Twitter
Real-world data, not predictions, should drive decisions on Covid-19 and school opening with @elbeezuchdt @citizen_oregon: Concept is simple. Schools are half/closed due to alarmist inaccurate models. Use real-world data to drive our decisions on kids.https://t.co/HfZl8IAVXq
— Monica Gandhi MD, MPH (@MonicaGandhi9) April 23, 2021
Covid-19: Infections fell by 65% after first dose of AstraZeneca or Pfizer vaccine, data show
25 Apr, 2021 | 22:06h | UTC
Commentary on Twitter (thread – click for more)
Over one year into the #COVID19 pandemic, about 9⃣0⃣% of countries surveyed still report one or more disruptions to essential health services. Major efforts are required to restore and strengthen services in all countries.
👉 https://t.co/P34xPKY1Io pic.twitter.com/UYDQPX67Vw
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) April 23, 2021
Opinion | The International Community Has One Job: Getting COVID-19 Under Control
25 Apr, 2021 | 22:09h | UTC
Commentary on Twitter
India is in a crisis of unimaginable scale & predictable severity–and our international leadership is MIA and ready to move on. Pull it together & do your ONE JOB: getting the entire world out of the COVID mass casualty catastrophe.
w/@glassmanamanda https://t.co/0Xj3KZgUTh
— Rachel Bonnifield (@rachelbnfield) April 23, 2021
WHO chief – The world can bring the global COVID-19 pandemic under control in the coming months provided it distributes the necessary resources fairly
25 Apr, 2021 | 22:08h | UTCSee also: Opinion | I Run the W.H.O., and I Know That Rich Countries Must Make a Choice – The New York Times
Commentary on Twitter
We have all the tools to tame the #COVID19 pandemic everywhere in a matter of months. It comes down to a simple choice: to share or not to share. My piece on #VaccinEquity in the @nytimes. https://t.co/OIRAogZPwl
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) April 23, 2021
Recommendations to address patients fear of adverse effects and COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy
25 Apr, 2021 | 21:58h | UTC
WHO: COVID-19 continues to disrupt essential health services in 90% of countries
25 Apr, 2021 | 22:12h | UTC
Commentary on Twitter (thread – click for more)
Over one year into the #COVID19 pandemic, about 9⃣0⃣% of countries surveyed still report one or more disruptions to essential health services. Major efforts are required to restore and strengthen services in all countries.
👉 https://t.co/P34xPKY1Io pic.twitter.com/UYDQPX67Vw
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) April 23, 2021
Malaria vaccine becomes first to achieve WHO-specified 75% efficacy goal
25 Apr, 2021 | 21:17h | UTCNews release: Malaria vaccine becomes first to achieve WHO-specified 75% efficacy goal – University of Oxford
Original study (preprint): High Efficacy of a Low Dose Candidate Malaria Vaccine, R21 in 1 Adjuvant Matrix-M™, with Seasonal Administration to Children in Burkina Faso – The Lancet
Commentaries: Malaria vaccine hailed as potential breakthrough – BBC AND Oxford Malaria vaccine proves highly effective in Burkina Faso trial – The Guardian
Commentary on Twitter (thread – click for more)
💡AMAZING—First high >75% efficacy vaccine for a disease with 229 million cases & 409,000 deaths worldwide in 2019 —#Malaria!
Created by Oxford, produced by Serum Institute of India, & supporting adjuvant by Novavax, SII expects to make 200 mil doses a year!
Science! #vaccine pic.twitter.com/gnPMvXxww6
— Eric Feigl-Ding (@DrEricDing) April 23, 2021
Opinion | What it Means to be a Medical Conservative
25 Apr, 2021 | 21:06h | UTCWhat it Means to be a Medical Conservative – Stop and Think
Long Covid: Largest post-acute COVID-19 study to date examined the health outcomes in more than 73,000 people who’d had COVID-19 and were not hospitalized
23 Apr, 2021 | 08:48h | UTCHigh-dimensional characterization of post-acute sequalae of COVID-19 – Nature
Commentary on Twitter (thread – click for more)
Happy to share the latest paper from our team in @nature
A comprehensive characterization of post acute sequelae of COVID-19#longcovid #PASChttps://t.co/AGLnYCamWe@VAResearch @vahsrd @WUSTL @WUSTLpubhealth @WUSTLmed @WUSTLnews @VREFSTL @Biostayan @BCBowe
— Ziyad Al-Aly, MD (@zalaly) April 22, 2021
RCT: Single-Dose Johnson & Johnson Vaccine has 85% efficacy against severe/critical Covid-19 and maintains efficacy against variant B.1.351
22 Apr, 2021 | 08:50h | UTC
Preliminary Findings of mRNA Covid-19 Vaccine Safety in Pregnant Persons
22 Apr, 2021 | 08:49h | UTCAudio Interview: Covid-19 Vaccines and Pregnancy — A Conversation with CDC Director Rochelle Walensky – New England Journal of Medicine
Commentaries: No evidence that Pfizer or Moderna vaccines are unsafe during pregnancy, a preliminary study says. – The New York Times AND Preliminary data show no safety concerns for pregnant women receiving COVID-19 vaccines – AAP News AND Messenger RNA COVID vaccines likely safe for pregnant women: Study – ABC News
Covid-19: What do we know about airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2?
23 Apr, 2021 | 08:33h | UTCCovid-19: What do we know about airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2? – The BMJ
Related: Ten scientific reasons in support of airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 AND Editorial: Covid-19 has redefined airborne transmission
COVID vaccines and kids: five questions as trials begin
23 Apr, 2021 | 08:37h | UTCCOVID vaccines and kids: five questions as trials begin – Nature
Related perspective: Do Kids Really Need to Be Vaccinated for Covid? Yes. No. Maybe. – Undark
Do you really need to drink 8 glasses of water a day? An exercise scientist explains why your kidneys say ‘no’
23 Apr, 2021 | 08:11h | UTC
Financial Toxicity in Advanced and Metastatic Cancer: Overburdened and Underprepared
22 Apr, 2021 | 08:24h | UTCRelated: Opinion – The high price of anticancer drugs: origins, implications, barriers, solutions AND Tackling the High Cost of Cancer Care AND Study: Clinician Engagement Regarding Financial Toxicity After Diagnosis of Cancer AND
A year in the COVID-19 vaccine scheme COVAX
22 Apr, 2021 | 08:43h | UTCA year in the COVID-19 vaccine scheme COVAX – Reuters
Study shows low incidence of post-acute COVID-19 symptoms (“Long Covid”) in children after mild disease
22 Apr, 2021 | 08:40h | UTC
Commentaries on Twitter
Early data from @RCHMelbourne show that, at 3-6 month follow-up, all 151 children with mild and asymptomatic #COVID19 had returned to their baseline health status and post-acute COVID-19 symptoms had resolved.
Letter from @Shidan_Tosif & colleagues: https://t.co/XXa0EPIgPY
— The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health (@LancetChildAdol) April 20, 2021
Given such little available data, this study from Australia on post-acute COVID-19 symptoms in children is very important
Findings are extremely reassuring
Post-acute symptoms were rare, and mild (cough 4%, fatigue 2%, cough and fatigue 1%)
Great news!https://t.co/TEJyES3Crx
— Alasdair Munro (@apsmunro) April 21, 2021
Great to see research looking at whether long Covid is a problem in children.
From this Melbourne cohort, enduring cough and fatigue are uncommon.
It hasn’t been clear to me whether borders will reopen before children are vaccinated so this is VIP https://t.co/iLXqwXJmOt
— Jin Russell (@DrJinRussell) April 21, 2021
Truly encouraging data on post-acute #COVID19 in children. Single-center in Australia. n=151.
8% post-acute symptoms – all symptomatic COVID-19.
Mild symptoms: cough 4%, fatigue 2%, both 1%. Duration: cough 3-8w; post-viral fatigue 6-8w. All solved in follow-up time 3-6 months. https://t.co/vKrEFZlw3C— Pablo Guisado Vasco (@PabloGVasco) April 21, 2021
Perspective | Do Kids Really Need to Be Vaccinated for Covid? Yes. No. Maybe.
22 Apr, 2021 | 08:38h | UTCDo Kids Really Need to Be Vaccinated for Covid? Yes. No. Maybe. – Undark
Commentary on Twitter
Great article by @Sara_Talpos
key qs:
1 Does a kid need to be vaccinated for their sake?
2 Does a kid need to be vaccinated to protect adults who decline?
3. Does a kid need to be vaccinated to protect adults who were vax'd?— Vinay Prasad MD MPH (@VPrasadMDMPH) April 20, 2021
India’s massive COVID surge puzzles scientists
22 Apr, 2021 | 08:36h | UTCIndia’s massive COVID surge puzzles scientists – Nature
See also: ‘The system has collapsed’: India’s descent into Covid hell – The Guardian AND India’s COVID-19 surge intensifies – CIDRAP
How COVID hurt the fight against other dangerous diseases
22 Apr, 2021 | 08:35h | UTCHow COVID hurt the fight against other dangerous diseases – Nature
Related: World TB Day | Report: COVID-19 Eliminates Twelve Years of Progress Against Tuberculosis AND WHO: Benefits of continuing to provide life-saving HIV services outweigh the risk of COVID-19 transmission by 100 to 1