Global & Public Health (All Articles)
WHO: Vaccine inequity undermining global economic recovery.
23 Jul, 2021 | 10:53h | UTCNews release: Vaccine inequity undermining global economic recovery – World Health Organization
Dashboard: Global Dashboard for Vaccine Equity
Commentaries: Urgent need for COVID-19 vaccine equity – University of Oxford AND COVID-19 Vaccine Inequity Undermines Global Economic Recovery – Health Policy Watch
Commentary on Twitter (thread – click for more)
COVID-19 vaccine inequity is undermining 🌍 economic recovery. 🆕WHO, @UNDP and @BlavatnikSchool Dashboard on #VaccinEquity finds that low-income countries would add $38B to their GDP forecast if they had the same vaccination rate as high-income countrieshttps://t.co/BsYF2eYL1G
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) July 22, 2021
Perspective | SARS-CoV-2 human challenge studies — establishing the model during an evolving pandemic.
23 Jul, 2021 | 10:49h | UTCRelated: World’s first coronavirus “Human Challenge” study receives ethics approval in the UK (several texts on the subject) AND Are SARS-CoV-2 Human Challenge Trials Ethical? – “A clinical trial is underway in the UK in which young, healthy participants are exposed deliberately to SARS-CoV-2 to assess the viral inoculum needed to produce an infection and to test vaccine efficacy”.
How the Delta variant achieves its ultrafast spread – “Viral load is roughly 1,000 times higher in people infected with the Delta variant than those infected with the original coronavirus strain, according to a study in China”.
23 Jul, 2021 | 10:46h | UTCHow the Delta variant achieves its ultrafast spread – Nature
What are the Delta, Gamma, Beta and Alpha Covid variants?
23 Jul, 2021 | 10:45h | UTCWhat are the Delta, Gamma, Beta and Alpha Covid variants? – BBC
Related: Increased transmissibility and global spread of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern – “Estimated transmissibility increases of alpha 29% (95% CI: 24–33), beta 25% (95% CI: 20–30), gamma 38% (95% CI: 29–48) & delta 97% (95% CI: 76–117)”. AND WHO renames COVID-19 variants with the Greek alphabet (i.e., Alpha, Beta, Gamma, etc), making them simple, easy to say and remember. The naming system aims to prevent calling COVID-19 variants by the places where they are detected, which is stigmatizing & discriminatory.
The Lambda variant: is it more infectious, and can it escape vaccines? A virologist explains.
23 Jul, 2021 | 10:43h | UTCRelated: Lambda, the Newest WHO Variant of Interest, is Now in 29 Countries – Health Policy Watch
New series from The Lancet: Physical Activity 2021.
23 Jul, 2021 | 10:37h | UTCHomepage: Physical Activity 2021 – The Lancet (free registration required for all articles)
Summary and commentary: Experts call for immediate action to ensure physical activity is built into everyday lives – News Medical
Commentary on Twitter (thread – click for more)
🆕 In the early stages of the #pandemic, #PhysicalActivity was considered *essential* for health by many governments—but inactivity remains a major issue.
Ahead of #Tokyo2020, we launch @TheLancet #PhysicalActivity21 Series 🤸♀️👨🦽
Access here: https://t.co/j0GhLGKAAD pic.twitter.com/mrcOnRPyR6
— The Lancet (@TheLancet) July 22, 2021
Study shows AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines are effective against Delta variant, but both doses are needed.
22 Jul, 2021 | 11:16h | UTCCommentaries: Study Finds Pfizer And AstraZeneca Vaccines Effective Against The Delta Variant — As Long As You Get Both Doses – Forbes AND Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine works very well against the Delta variant — but only after 2 doses – Insider
Related: [Preprint] 2 doses of Covid vaccines (Pfizer-BioNTech or Oxford-AstraZeneca) highly effective against hospitalization from Delta variant. AND Reduced sensitivity of SARS-CoV-2 variant Delta to antibody neutralization. AND Should I get my second AstraZeneca dose? Yes, it almost doubles your protection against Delta.
Commentary on Twitter
Public Health England's test-negative case-control study for Delta variant now in NEJM: over 14,000 people with Alpha, over 4,000 with Delta https://t.co/3l1QhKeXBT
Vax effectiveness against testing positive for Delta after 2 doses:
– BNT-Pfizer 88.0% (85-90)
– AZ 67.0% (61-72) pic.twitter.com/9UFy6CLSWw— Hilda Bastian, PhD (@hildabast) July 21, 2021
COVID-19 antibodies persist at least nine months after infection – “98.8 percent of people infected in February/March showed detectable levels of antibodies in November”.
22 Jul, 2021 | 11:14h | UTCNews release: COVID-19 antibodies persist at least nine months after infection – Imperial College London
Original study: SARS-CoV-2 antibody dynamics and transmission from community-wide serological testing in the Italian municipality of Vo’ – Nature Communications
Should children get COVID vaccines? What the science says.
22 Jul, 2021 | 11:06h | UTCShould children get COVID vaccines? What the science says – Nature
Analysis finds benefits of COVID-19 vaccination outweigh risks of rare cases of myocarditis.
22 Jul, 2021 | 11:05h | UTCNews release: Study finds benefits of COVID-19 vaccination outweigh risks of rare cases of myocarditis – American Heart Association
Original study: Myocarditis with COVID-19 mRNA Vaccines – Circulation
Commentary: Myocarditis and COVID-19 Vaccines: New Review Tackles Knowns, Unknowns – TCTMD
Commentary on Twitter
Just published ahead of print- Myocarditis with Covid mRNA Vaccines https://t.co/mc2yrr5pDV Mechanisms, benefit of COVID-19 mRNA vaccination over low risk, management strategies – review of all myocarditis cases published to date, CDC&other reports @PeterHotez @ishannovation
— BiykemBozkurt (@BiykemB) July 20, 2021
Opinion | The benefits of a COVID vaccine far outweigh the small risk of treatable heart inflammation.
22 Jul, 2021 | 10:57h | UTC
Opinion | Kids aren’t just littler adults – here’s why they need their own clinical trials for a COVID-19 vaccine.
22 Jul, 2021 | 10:55h | UTC
WHO Guidelines for the management of symptomatic sexually transmitted infections.
22 Jul, 2021 | 10:54h | UTCNews release: Launch WHO guidelines for the management of symptomatic sexually transmitted infection – World Health Organization
Commentary on Twitter
Great see @WHO new guidelines #STIs https://t.co/SgkCtcMDbv BUT hope last edition w syndromic management. Must deliver diagnostic capacity LMICs pic.twitter.com/B7ugeUpIRG
— Michael Marks (@dr_michaelmarks) July 17, 2021
More than 1.5 million children lost a primary or secondary caregiver due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
21 Jul, 2021 | 10:52h | UTCNews release: More than 1.5 million children lost a primary or secondary caregiver due to the COVID-19 pandemic – NIH News Releases
Original study: Global minimum estimates of children affected by COVID-19-associated orphanhood and deaths of caregivers: a modelling study – The Lancet
Invited commentary: Answering the call to support youth orphaned by COVID-19 – The Lancet
Related: Covid-19 Has Created Thousands Of Newly Single Parents And Orphans
Commentary on Twitter (thread – click for more)
NEW—Over 1.5 million children lost a parent, custodial grandparent, or other relative who cared for them during the first 14 months of the #COVID19 #pandemic, first global study estimates.
🔗 Read https://t.co/Ug2ADTvO8G (1/2)
— The Lancet (@TheLancet) July 20, 2021
Exploring the gap between excess mortality and COVID-19 deaths in 67 countries.
21 Jul, 2021 | 10:51h | UTCExploring the Gap Between Excess Mortality and COVID-19 Deaths in 67 Countries – JAMA Network Open
Report: Three new estimates of India’s all-cause excess mortality during the COVID-19 Pandemic – pandemic death toll estimated to be between 3.4 million and 4.9 million excess deaths.
21 Jul, 2021 | 10:49h | UTCCommentaries: India’s pandemic death toll could be in the millions – Associated Press AND Covid-19: India excess deaths cross four million, says study – BBC AND India’s true pandemic death toll is likely to be well over 3 million, a new study finds. – The New York Times AND India’s excess deaths during Covid ‘could be 10 times official toll’ – The Guardian
Commentary on Twitter
India's official COVID death toll is 400,000.
But new research shows the death toll could be much higher, up to 4 million.
↘️ @abhishekecon @JustinSandefur & @arvindsubraman breakdown the numbers from three data estimates: https://t.co/rdOcZvHZQU.
— Center for Global Development (@CGDev) July 20, 2021
Perspective | Potential COVID-19 endgame scenarios: eradication, elimination, cohabitation, or conflagration?
21 Jul, 2021 | 10:48h | UTC
Is the cure really worse than the disease? The health impacts of lockdowns during COVID-19 – “While there are certainly costs to be expected from intervening against COVID-19—every decision has a cost, after all—the counterfactual of an unmitigated epidemic makes these restrictions far less damaging than some have suggested”.
21 Jul, 2021 | 10:46h | UTCCommentaries: Expert reaction to a narrative review looking at the health impacts of lockdowns – Science Media Centre AND Lockdowns do not harm health more than Covid, say researchers – The Guardian
Commentary on Twitter (thread – click for more)
The smiley faces, cherry blossoms, Great Barrington Declaration fans, "natural herd immunity" enthusiasts & anti-maskers do not approve of our new @GlobalHealthBMJ analysis on lockdowns 😉
So, here's a long-ish thread on what we did & did not find 1/nhttps://t.co/CFtT9j44vo
— Prof. Gavin Yamey MD MPH (@GYamey) July 20, 2021
UK National Food Strategy: Tax sugar and salt and prescribe veg, report says.
21 Jul, 2021 | 10:30h | UTCNational Food Strategy: Tax sugar and salt and prescribe veg, report says – BBC
Report: National Food Strategy Independent Review
Related: Fiscal policies for diet and the prevention of noncommunicable diseases – World Health Organization (free) AND The Lancet taskforce on NCDs and economics (free series and commentaries) To improve global health, tax the things that are killing us – Financial Times (free policies, articles and commentaries) AND Reducing cardiovascular disease burden through targeted dietary policies (free study and commentaries) AND Fiscal policies for the prevention of diseases (free study and commentary) AND The potential impact of food taxes and subsidies on cardiovascular disease and diabetes burden and disparities (free)
WHO Guidance for clinical case management of thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) following vaccination to prevent coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
20 Jul, 2021 | 10:29h | UTCRelated Guidance: AHA/ASA Guidance: Diagnosis and Management of Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis with Vaccine-Induced Thrombotic Thrombocytopenia – “No heparin products in any dose should be given.” AND ISTH Interim Guidance for the Diagnosis and Treatment on Vaccine Induced Immune Thrombotic Thrombocytopenia
WHO and UNICEF warn of a decline in vaccinations during COVID-19.
20 Jul, 2021 | 10:27h | UTCWHO and UNICEF warn of a decline in vaccinations during COVID-19 – World Health Organization
Related: Millions of children worldwide missed routine vaccinations during the pandemic, study suggests.
WHO warns that HIV infection increases risk of severe and critical COVID-19.
20 Jul, 2021 | 10:24h | UTCNews release: WHO warns that HIV infection increases risk of severe and critical COVID-19 – World Health Organization
Commentary on Twitter (thread – click for more)
🆕 report confirms that #HIV infection is a significant independent risk factor for both severe/critical #COVID19 presentation at hospital admission & in-hospital mortality. 23.1% of all people living with HIV who were hospitalized with COVID-19, died.
👉 https://t.co/UBd0OyFKnd pic.twitter.com/UHLo9RPa1g
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) July 16, 2021
Editorial: Defining covid-19 elimination.
20 Jul, 2021 | 10:20h | UTCDefining covid-19 elimination – The BMJ
What vaccinated people should know about Covid-19 exposure, tests and more.
20 Jul, 2021 | 10:17h | UTCWhat vaccinated people should know about Covid-19 exposure, tests and more – CNN
Experts recommend Covid jabs for some under-18s in UK – “advice is that 16 to 18-year-olds can be offered a Pfizer jab if they are in a priority group or live with someone who has a weakened immune system”.
20 Jul, 2021 | 10:15h | UTCCommentaries: Experts recommend Covid jabs for some under-18s in UK – BBC