General Interest
India coronavirus: How do you vaccinate a billion people?
27 Nov, 2020 | 08:24h | UTCIndia coronavirus: How do you vaccinate a billion people? – BBC
CDC Study showing decline in SARS-CoV-2 antibodies after infection suggests antibody surveys underestimate infections
26 Nov, 2020 | 09:08h | UTCCommentary: COVID-19 antibody surveys underestimate infections: study – MedicalXpress
Commentary on Twitter (Thread – Click for more)
1/📌Precipitous decline in #SARSCoV2 antibodies: study participants who'd been infected and had detectable antibodies were retested 60 days later. 94% showed antibody decline & 28% had no detectable antibodies. They had "seroreverted". How that impacts reinfection risk is unknown pic.twitter.com/QsvQTE9jVH
— Dr. Ali Nouri (@AliNouriPhD) November 25, 2020
Should COVID-19 vaccines be mandatory? Two experts discuss
26 Nov, 2020 | 09:05h | UTCShould COVID-19 vaccines be mandatory? Two experts discuss – The Conversation
Testing sewage can give school districts, campuses and businesses a heads-up on the spread of COVID-19
26 Nov, 2020 | 09:03h | UTC
Opinion: “The AstraZeneca Covid Vaccine Data Isn’t Up to Snuff”
26 Nov, 2020 | 09:02h | UTCThe AstraZeneca Covid Vaccine Data Isn’t Up to Snuff – Wired
Commentaries: A timeline of the oxford-Astrazeneca Covid-19 vaccine trials – by Hilda Bastian AND After Admitting Mistake, AstraZeneca Faces Difficult Questions About Its Vaccine – The New York Times AND AstraZeneca manufacturing error clouds vaccine study results – Associated Press
Cluster-randomized trial: Postexposure hydroxychloroquine does not prevent Covid-19 in healthy persons exposed to a PCR-positive case patient
25 Nov, 2020 | 09:15h | UTC
Commentary on Twitter
Another RCT in @NEJM of outpatient treatment with Hydroxychloroquine in high risk folks to prevent COVID transmission
No benefit
But about 10X rate of adverse events in HCQ group
Happy to keep studying HCQ
But it really doesn't look like it workshttps://t.co/9nAfir0CMX
— Ashish K. Jha, MD, MPH (@ashishkjha) November 24, 2020
[Preprint] Study shows cloth face coverings help protect both wearers and those nearby. Study design represents conditions closer to real-world use, with the control of laboratory testing
25 Nov, 2020 | 09:11h | UTCStudy shows cloth face coverings help protect both wearers and those nearby – Virginia Tech
Original study: Inward and outward effectiveness of cloth masks, a surgical mask, and a face shield – medRxiv
With more data on its COVID-19 vaccine, Russian institute offers new evidence of success
25 Nov, 2020 | 09:13h | UTCWith more data on its COVID-19 vaccine, Russian institute offers new evidence of success – Science
Commentaries: Expert reaction to press release reporting the second interim analysis of the efficacy of the Sputnik V vaccine – Science Media Centre AND Russia says Sputnik V virus vaccine 95% effective – MedicalXpress
Opinion: “Children may transmit coronavirus at the same rate as adults: what we now know about schools and COVID-19”
25 Nov, 2020 | 09:09h | UTC
Commentary from the author on Twitter
I've written a new article describing what we know about children, schools, & #COVID19.
➡️ Children & adults are equally susceptible, & likely transmit the virus at the same rate.
➡️ Schools are a driver of the second wave in Europe, Canada, & elsewhere.https://t.co/25T9HwHBlt
— Dr Zoë Hyde (@DrZoeHyde) November 24, 2020
Systematic review: Financial payments from the pharmaceutical industry is associated with more physician prescribing of the drug made by the company that they got the payments from
25 Nov, 2020 | 09:07h | UTCAre Financial Payments From the Pharmaceutical Industry Associated With Physician Prescribing? A Systematic Review – Annals of Internal Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentary: Financial payments from drug industry associated with physician prescribing – American College of Physicians
Commentary from the author on Twitter (thread – click for more)
"Are Financial Payments From the Pharmaceutical Industry Associated With Physician Prescribing?"
Our latest on physician-industry COI is out today in @AnnalsofIM!Not to bury the lede, the answer is "yes."
Thread to follow.https://t.co/2lfAjWSQuq
1/— Aaron Mitchell (@TheWonkologist) November 24, 2020
Kids’ COVID cases on the rise, but most are mild, new studies show
24 Nov, 2020 | 09:35h | UTCKids’ COVID cases on the rise, but most are mild, new data show – CIDRAP
Why does the AstraZeneca-Oxford COVID-19 vaccine’s efficacy vary so much? Here’s what we know
24 Nov, 2020 | 09:30h | UTCWhy Does the AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine’s Efficacy Vary So Much? Here’s What We Know – TIME
Related: Why Oxford’s positive COVID vaccine results are puzzling scientists – Nature
Why the AstraZeneca-Oxford Covid-19 vaccine is different. It does not require extremely cold temperatures for storage, and the price will be “a fraction” of the expense of the other vaccine candidates
24 Nov, 2020 | 09:32h | UTCWhy the AstraZeneca-Oxford Covid-19 vaccine is different – Vox
Four reasons why we need multiple vaccines for Covid-19
24 Nov, 2020 | 09:27h | UTCFour reasons why we need multiple vaccines for Covid-19 – Wellcome Trust
Emergency COVID-vaccine approvals pose a dilemma for scientists. It could complicate efforts to study long-term outcomes, such as safety, how long protection lasts and whether the jab prevents infection or just the disease
24 Nov, 2020 | 09:28h | UTCWhy emergency COVID-vaccine approvals pose a dilemma for scientists – Nature
Opinion – Football and dementia: heading must be banned until the age of 18
24 Nov, 2020 | 09:24h | UTCFootball and dementia: heading must be banned until the age of 18 – The Conversation
Covid-19: Oxford University vaccine shows 70% protection
23 Nov, 2020 | 09:54h | UTCCovid-19: Oxford University vaccine shows 70% protection – BBC
News release: Oxford University breakthrough on global COVID-19 vaccine
Commentary on Twitter
Today marks an important milestone in the fight against #COVID19. Interim data show the #OxfordVaccine is 70.4% effective, & tests on two dose regimens show that it could be 90%, moving us one step closer to supplying it at low cost around the world>> https://t.co/fnHnKSqftT pic.twitter.com/2KYXPxFNz1
— University of Oxford (@UniofOxford) November 23, 2020
Meta-analysis: SARSCoV2 most contagious within the first 5 days of symptom onset
23 Nov, 2020 | 09:53h | UTCCommentaries: COVID-19 most contagious in first 5 days of illness, study finds – CIDRAP AND Infectiousness peaks early in COVID-19 patients, emphasising the need to rapidly isolate cases – The Lancet AND Covid-19 carriers ‘most infectious earlier on’ – BBC
Commentary on Twitter (thread – click for more)
Our systematic review and meta-analysis on #SARSCoV2, #SARSCoV & #MERSCoV viral load dynamics, duration of viral shedding & infectiousness out now in @LancetMicrobe 👇@mugecevik @silverfoxdoc @CVRinfo @UofGlasgow @Infection_StAnd https://t.co/Tac3A2RR3E
— Antonia Ho (@DrToniHo) November 20, 2020
Cochrane review finds we are still uncertain about the effects of face masks to reduce the spread of respiratory viruses. Editorial: “Policy makers must act on incomplete evidence in responding to COVID‐19”
23 Nov, 2020 | 09:51h | UTCPhysical interventions to interrupt or reduce the spread of respiratory viruses – Cochrane Library
Editorial: Policy makers must act on incomplete evidence in responding to COVID‐19
Commentary: Face masks cut disease spread in the lab, but have less impact in the community. We need to know why – The Conversation
Trends in COVID-19 incidence in counties with and without a mask mandate. Counties with mask mandates saw a decrease in cases compared to counties that didn’t
23 Nov, 2020 | 09:50h | UTCCommentaries: A new CDC report found that Kansas counties who complied with a mask mandate saw a decrease in cases compared to counties that didn’t – Business Insider AND Masks mandates worked to slow the spread of Covid-19 in Kansas, CDC research shows – CNN
Commentary on Twitter
New @CDCMMWR finds that after Kansas put in place a mask mandate in July 2020 rates of #COVID19 decreased in counties with a mask requirement & increased in counties without one. Wear a mask, stay 6 feet apart from others, & wash your hands often. More: https://t.co/kSgJxDhZUq. pic.twitter.com/w85jEQ8Fv9
— CDC (@CDCgov) November 20, 2020
A proposed framework and timeline of the spectrum of disease due to SARS-CoV-2 infection: Illness beyond acute infection and public health implications
23 Nov, 2020 | 09:48h | UTC
Commentary on Twitter
The #COVID19 response focuses on acute illness, but accumulating evidence shows morbidity beyond acute infection, with at least 2 other periods of illness: a rare postacute hyperinflammatory illness, and late inflammatory/viral sequelae https://t.co/mrf8WDxKY4 @jtsylee @CDCgov
— JAMA (@JAMA_current) November 19, 2020
Covid-19 screening: Test sensitivity is less important than frequency and sample-to-answer reporting time
23 Nov, 2020 | 09:47h | UTCCommentaries: Frequent, rapid testing could cripple COVID-19 within weeks, study shows – University of Colorado at Boulder AND Rapid testing 75% of a city every 3 days could ‘drive the epidemic toward extinction’ within 6 weeks, a new study claims – Business Insider AND Speed of test results and frequency of testing are paramount for effective COVID-19 surveillance – News Medical
Commentary on Twitter
Rapidity and frequency of #COVID19 testing override the concerns about sensitivity. Very strong case @ScienceAdvances today by @DanLarremore @michaelmina_lab Roy Parker and colleagues https://t.co/B3hxaTunNu
(We urgently need mass scale rapid home testing rolled out) pic.twitter.com/6JJcpw2kWV— Eric Topol (@EricTopol) November 20, 2020
Randomized trial: No difference in oral health with a risk-based, 6-monthly and 24-monthly dental check-ups for adults
23 Nov, 2020 | 09:44h | UTC
Randomized trial suggesting mask use does not protect the wearer from Covid-19 sparks controversy
20 Nov, 2020 | 08:48h | UTCEditorials: Of Masks and Methods AND The Role of Masks in Mitigating the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic: Another Piece of the Puzzle
Commentaries: Expert reaction to paper using an RCT to assess mask use as a public health measure to help control SARS-CoV-2 spread (DANMASK-19) – Science Media Centre AND Here’s How to Think About the Danish Mask Study – MedPage Today AND Lead Researcher Behind Controversial Danish Study Says You Should Still Wear A Mask – Forbes AND Denmark trial measures effectiveness of adding a mask recommendation to other public health measures for preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection – ACP Newsroom
“questioning why a top medical journal would publish a large randomized trial on an important issue is absolutely antithetical to science. Of course they should, so we may all read and debate it” (via @VPrasadMDMPH see Tweet)
Commentaries on Twitter (threads – click for more)
Not perfect, nor confirmatory, but a good enough study to modulate the probability of a large self-efficacy from masks. Study powered to a 50% RRR, correctly concluded that it does not reduce infection by 50%. A negative study is negative only for the effect size it was powered https://t.co/aDPxRoIuqS
— Luis Correia (@LuisCLCorreia) November 19, 2020
So, The Big Mask study has been published, and I thought rather than expound on what the results DID show (everyone's doing that), I might point out a few things that they DIDN'T show 1/n pic.twitter.com/zG4jtXQVVq
— Health Nerd (@GidMK) November 18, 2020
Evaluating COVID risk on planes, trains and automobiles
20 Nov, 2020 | 08:45h | UTCEvaluating COVID Risk on Planes, Trains and Automobiles – Scientific American