Covid-19 (Public Health Issues)
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
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
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
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
Fauci says natural origins theory of coronavirus is still the most likely.
18 Jul, 2021 | 23:40h | UTCFauci says natural origins theory of coronavirus is still the most likely – CNN
Related article (preprint): The Origins of SARS-CoV-2: A Critical Review – Zenodo
See also: A Group of Scientists Presses a Case Against the Lab Leak Theory of Covid – The New York Times (a few articles per month are free) AND Leading scientists push back against Wuhan lab leak theory – The Age
Related: Opinion | The Covid-19 lab leak theory is a tale of weaponized uncertainty.
CDC warns Covid-19 vaccines might not protect people who are immunocompromised – “CDC is looking into ongoing research exploring the possibility that immunocompromised could benefit from an additional dose”.
18 Jul, 2021 | 23:38h | UTCCDC warns Covid-19 vaccines might not protect people who are immunocompromised – CNN
Study: Pooled saliva analysis is a low-cost and effective strategy for surveillance of Covid-19 in schools and universities and allows to rapidly assess transmission and adjust prevention protocols.
18 Jul, 2021 | 23:37h | UTCRelated: Pooling of Samples for Testing for SARS-CoV-2 in Asymptomatic People AND Implementation of a Pooled Surveillance Testing Program for Asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 Infections on a College Campus — Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, August 2–October 11, 2020 – CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report