Global & Public Health (all articles)
Under-reporting of deaths limits our understanding of true burden of covid-19.
29 Oct, 2021 | 10:18h | UTCUnder-reporting of deaths limits our understanding of true burden of covid-19 – The BMJ
Related:
Study shows COVID-19 has caused the biggest decrease in life expectancy since World War II.
Just how do deaths due to COVID-19 stack up?
Exploring the gap between excess mortality and COVID-19 deaths in 67 countries.
COVID-19 has caused 6.9 million deaths globally, more than double what official reports show
Commentary on Twitter
Mortality data have been essential in understanding the spread of covid-19 and navigating the trade-offs that underlie political decision making, yet under-reporting in official death records has greatly obscured this understanding.
What should be done?https://t.co/pI8aVpa3NR
— The BMJ (@bmj_latest) October 14, 2021
mRNA vaccines induce durable immune memory to SARS-CoV-2 and variants of concern.
29 Oct, 2021 | 10:16h | UTCmRNA vaccines induce durable immune memory to SARS-CoV-2 and variants of concern – Science
Commentary from the author on Twitter (thread – click for more)
Antibodies come and go, but memory cells are forever (maybe not forever, but at least 6 months). Our latest in @ScienceMagazine: https://t.co/YHHBMrMsTA
How long does immune memory last after #mRNA vax? Is it effective vs. variants? What about “boosted” responses?
Full 🧵⬇️… pic.twitter.com/oZ5BxLuVdw
— Rishi Goel (@rishirajgoel) October 14, 2021
Nine Pandemic Words That Almost No One Gets Right.
29 Oct, 2021 | 10:12h | UTCNine Pandemic Words That Almost No One Gets Right – The Atlantic
WHO Guideline for clinical management of exposure to lead.
29 Oct, 2021 | 09:56h | UTCGuideline for clinical management of exposure to lead – World Health Organization
Executive Summary: Guideline for clinical management of exposure to lead
See also: International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week 2021
Commentary on Twitter (thread – click for more)
It's International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week
Exposure to lead affects human health, especially children's health. There is no safe level of exposure to lead. Even low levels of lead exposure may cause lifelong health problems.
Let's #BanLeadPaint
👉https://t.co/O7NeRcMrW7 pic.twitter.com/mBV13Urf9r
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) October 24, 2021
Merck to allow other nations to produce new COVID-19 antiviral.
28 Oct, 2021 | 10:18h | UTCMerck to allow other nations to produce new COVID-19 antiviral – CIDRAP
See also:
Merck will allow drugmakers in other countries to make its COVID-19 pill – NPR
Related:
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.
Two observational studies cast doubt on the effects of school closures to reduce the spread of Covid-19.
28 Oct, 2021 | 10:17h | UTCStudy 2: The impact of school opening model on SARS-CoV-2 community incidence and mortality – Nature Medicine
Commentaries on Twitter
Results from a study in the US published in @NatureMedicine indicate that schools can reopen for in-person learning without substantially increasing community case rates of SARS-CoV-2. However, the impacts are variable and more study is needed. https://t.co/NFt1vNNb76 pic.twitter.com/fNgsJn6WLg
— Nature Portfolio (@NaturePortfolio) October 27, 2021
(thread – click for more)
2 new @NatureMedicine papers
First from half of US public school data
"Schools can open for in-person learning during the pandemic with minimal contribution to sustained community incidence of infections, provided other public safety measures are adopted."https://t.co/gn8MzrYVxE pic.twitter.com/qGfQLMzDEW— Eric Topol (@EricTopol) October 27, 2021
What COVID vaccines for young kids could mean for the pandemic.
28 Oct, 2021 | 10:15h | UTCWhat COVID vaccines for young kids could mean for the pandemic – Nature
Related: FDA advisory panel recommends Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine be authorized for children ages 5 to 11.
Breakthrough infections occur in those with lower antibody levels.
27 Oct, 2021 | 01:45h | UTCOriginal study: Covid-19 Breakthrough Infections in Vaccinated Health Care Workers – New England Journal of Medicine
FDA advisory panel recommends Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine be authorized for children ages 5 to 11.
27 Oct, 2021 | 01:48h | UTCFDA advisory panel recommends Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine be authorized for children – STAT
See also:
Tracking the FDA advisory panel meeting on Covid-19 vaccines for kids – STAT
FDA advisory panel recommends Pfizer vaccine for kids ages 5 to 11 – NPR
Mix-and-match COVID vaccines ace the effectiveness test – “No need for brand loyalty”.
27 Oct, 2021 | 01:42h | UTCMix-and-match COVID vaccines ace the effectiveness test – Nature
Related:
Should You Mix and Match Your Booster Shot?
A primer on what we know about mixing and matching Covid vaccines.
Another study shows increased immune response with heterologous Oxford-AstraZeneca/mRNA vaccination.
RCT: Mixing 2 different Covid vaccines is associated with increased risk of side effects.
Heterologous AstraZeneca/Pfizer vaccination seems to be associated with increased effectiveness against Covid-19 compared to homologous Pfizer/Pfizer vaccination.
27 Oct, 2021 | 01:44h | UTCImmunogenicity and efficacy of heterologous ChadOx1/BNT162b2 vaccination – Nature
Related:
Should You Mix and Match Your Booster Shot?
A primer on what we know about mixing and matching Covid vaccines.
Another study shows increased immune response with heterologous Oxford-AstraZeneca/mRNA vaccination.
RCT: Mixing 2 different Covid vaccines is associated with increased risk of side effects.
Commentary on Twitter
A dose of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine followed by a dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine confers better protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection than two doses of the Pfizer vaccine, according to a study in healthcare workers published in @Nature. https://t.co/6hIVkiOLQ1 pic.twitter.com/AmsyVUMpoj
— Nature Portfolio (@NaturePortfolio) October 26, 2021
What game theory can teach us about controlling pandemics.
27 Oct, 2021 | 01:39h | UTCWhat game theory can teach us about controlling pandemics – The BMJ Opinion
Commentary on Twitter
https://twitter.com/glassmanamanda/status/1451498564044136450
[Press release – not published yet] Moderna says its COVID vaccine produced a strong antibody response for kids 6 to 11.
26 Oct, 2021 | 02:06h | UTCPress release: Moderna Announces Positive Top Line Data from Phase 2/3 Study of COVID-19 Vaccine in Children 6 to 11 Years of Age
Commentary: Moderna says new data supports its COVID vaccine for kids 6 to 11 – NPR
Infection with Covid-19 carries a much higher risk of developing neurological complications than Covid-19 vaccines.
26 Oct, 2021 | 02:04h | UTCOriginal Study: Neurological complications after first dose of COVID-19 vaccines and SARS-CoV-2 infection – Nature Medicine
Commentaries:
Covid: Vaccine study links virus to rare neurological illness – BBC
Commentary on Twitter
A study in @NatureMedicine finds there is an increased risk of neurological complications in those who received COVID-19 vaccines, but the risk of these complications is greater following a positive SARS-CoV-2 test. https://t.co/WKnFa9InbL pic.twitter.com/xir6U3JhL8
— Nature Portfolio (@NaturePortfolio) October 25, 2021
COVID: how worried should we be about the new AY.4.2 lineage of the coronavirus?
26 Oct, 2021 | 02:01h | UTCCOVID: how worried should we be about the new AY.4.2 lineage of the coronavirus? – The Conversation
What It Means To Be Fully Vaccinated.
26 Oct, 2021 | 01:57h | UTCWhat It Means To Be Fully Vaccinated – Think Global Health
Association of a sweetened beverage tax with reduction in soda consumption in high school students.
26 Oct, 2021 | 01:30h | UTCAssociation of a Sweetened Beverage Tax With Soda Consumption in High School Students – JAMA Pediatrics (free for a limited period)
Related:
UK National Food Strategy: Tax sugar and salt and prescribe veg, report says.
Perspective – Sugar-sweetened beverage taxes: Lessons to date and the future of taxation
Cohort Study: Association Between Tax on Sugar Sweetened Beverages and Soft Drink Consumption
Meta-Analysis: Impact of Sugar‐sweetened Beverage Taxes on Purchases and Dietary Intake
Study: Snack Tax May be More Effective than a Sugary Drink Tax to Tackle Obesity
Sugar Tax: Why Health Experts Want it But Politicians and Industry are Resisting
The Effect of Food Price Changes on Consumer Purchases: A Randomized Experiment
Taxes on Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Associated with Reduced Consumption
Soda Tax Linked to a 50 Percent Reduction in Sugary Drink Consumption
Fiscal policies for diet and the prevention of noncommunicable diseases – World Health Organization
The Lancet taskforce on NCDs and economics
To improve global health, tax the things that are killing us – Financial Times
Reducing cardiovascular disease burden through targeted dietary policies
Fiscal policies for the prevention of diseases
Commentary on Twitter
Sweetened beverage consumption is higher among adolescents and young adults than any other age group. A new study at #jamapediatrics reports that sweetened beverage taxes are associated with reduced soda consumption in this group. https://t.co/UJdxpY7gl2 pic.twitter.com/aEdcUccLYW
— JAMA Pediatrics (@JAMAPediatrics) October 23, 2021
Half doses, third doses, kids’ doses: Covid vaccine delivery goes next-level difficult.
24 Oct, 2021 | 23:52h | UTCHalf doses, third doses, kids’ doses: Covid vaccine delivery goes next-level difficult – STAT
How you’ll know when Covid-19 has gone from “pandemic” to “endemic”.
24 Oct, 2021 | 23:53h | UTCHow you’ll know when Covid-19 has gone from “pandemic” to “endemic” – Vox
AstraZeneca vaccination not linked to reduced fertility rates and adverse birth outcomes.
24 Oct, 2021 | 23:58h | UTCFertility rates and birth outcomes after ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (AZD1222) vaccination – The Lancet
Related:
Editorial: Covid-19 treatments and vaccines must be evaluated in pregnancy.
Study shows high effectiveness of the Pfizer mRNA COVID-19 vaccine in pregnancy.
5 Crucial Things to Know About COVID-19 Vaccines and Pregnancy.
CDC Guidance: Pregnant people should be vaccinated against COVID-19.
Cohort study: Pfizer/BioNTech COVID vaccine associated with 78% lower risk of Covid-19 in pregnancy.
Commentary on Twitter
New research letter: Fertility rates and birth outcomes after ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (AZD1222) vaccination. Authors analysed pregnancies occurring in four ongoing clinical trials in the UK, Brazil, and South Africa. https://t.co/hDM1olKts9@OxfordVacGroup | #COVID19 #AstraZeneca pic.twitter.com/m5qvWhPcph
— The Lancet (@TheLancet) October 23, 2021
Coronavirus: Chinese residents start receiving vaccine boosters.
24 Oct, 2021 | 23:51h | UTCCoronavirus: Chinese residents start receiving vaccine boosters – South China Morning Post
Corporate influence linked to slow implementation of public health policies globally.
24 Oct, 2021 | 23:37h | UTC
Commentary on Twitter (thread – click for more)
🔥 Major New @LancetGH study with @hampusholmer & @sdwigley
📈 How has #NCD #Policy Implementation changed from 2015 – 2020?
🎯Which policies are being ignored?
🥇Country ranking
🗺️Regional assessment
💰 Corporate permeation
Summary below🧵…https://t.co/6pbwi5ybUM
— Luke Allen (@drlukeallen) October 20, 2021
Extreme heat is broiling people in developing cities: New analysis finds the explosive growth of cities is helping drive dangerous conditions.
24 Oct, 2021 | 23:34h | UTCExtreme heat is broiling people in developing cities – Science
Original Study: Global urban population exposure to extreme heat – Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Commentary on Twitter
People in major cities are exposed to deadly temperatures 3X more often than in the 1980s—with cities in South Asia, Africa, and the Middle East bearing the brunt, according to a new analysis of 13,000+ cities. https://t.co/C864clE4Cq
— Global Health NOW (@ghn_news) October 9, 2021
[Press release – not published yet] A phase 3 trial with more than 10,000 participants showed a booster dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine had an efficacy of 95.6% against disease; there were 5 cases in the booster group and 109 cases in the non-boosted group, not classified according to severity.
22 Oct, 2021 | 10:34h | UTC
Commentaries on Twitter
This will presumably mean everyone gets boosters early next year. That’s great, because they do work. Except it’s likely to be boosters for rich countries at the expense of primary vaccination for poorer countries. You won’t stop the pandemic when half the world is unvaccinated https://t.co/F31DMSI2zf
— Niall Conroy (@NICU_doc_salone) October 21, 2021
The 1st randomized trial of a booster (3rd) shot in 10,000 people, placebo-controlled, shows 95.6% efficacy, with 5 cases (Pfizer vaccine) vs 109 in placebo group, Delta variant, broad benefit across age groups https://t.co/TQpF35d8Jk pic.twitter.com/3RkqvXNfsU
— Eric Topol (@EricTopol) October 21, 2021
WHO estimates that between 80 000 to 180 000 health and care workers could have died from Covid-19.
22 Oct, 2021 | 10:29h | UTCNews release: WHO and partners call for action to better protect health and care workers from COVID-19 – World Health Organization
WHO Statement: joint statement on WHO’s estimates of health and care worker deaths due to covid-19
Commentaries:
WHO calls for health worker protection against COVID-19 – CIDRAP
Covid may have killed up to 180,000 health workers globally, WHO says – The Guardian
Commentary on Twitter
.@WHO estimates 115,000 health workers have died from #Covid19. Huge, tragic loss.
And while some health workers in the US are QUITTING jobs because they don't want to be vaccinated, many HCWs around the world are still waiting for vaccine. Unconscionable. https://t.co/z4u9XSX2Wj— Helen Branswell 🇨🇦 (@HelenBranswell) October 21, 2021