Global & Public Health (all articles)
Viewpoint: Confronting the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2.
19 Aug, 2021 | 09:03h | UTCConfronting the Delta Variant of SARS-CoV-2, Summer 2021 – JAMA
Studies: COVID vaccine protection waning against infection but not hospitalization.
19 Aug, 2021 | 09:05h | UTCStudies: COVID vaccine protection waning against infection but not hospitalization – CIDRAP
Commentary on Twitter (thread – click for more)
Very excited to share our most recent publication about #CovidVaccine effectiveness, just published today by the IVY network. Especially relevant in light of today’s news about #boosters (spoiler – I’m skeptical about the need for boosters for all). 🧵https://t.co/GbAxgzpo7R
— Nida Qadir, MD (@NidaQadirMD) August 18, 2021
Vaccine stockpiling by nations could lead to increase in COVID-19 cases, novel variant emergence.
19 Aug, 2021 | 08:58h | UTCVaccine nationalism and the dynamics and control of SARS-CoV-2 – Science
Commentary on Twitter
Published at @sciencemagazine, a new @PrincetonEnviro study shows that stockpiling driven by vaccine 'nationalism' could increase #COVID19 cases and the potential emergence of novel variants, stressing the importance of rapid global vaccine equity. https://t.co/ziN5fX0u2X
— Princeton University (@Princeton) August 18, 2021
U.S. officials’ decision on Covid-19 booster shots baffles — and upsets — some scientists.
19 Aug, 2021 | 09:00h | UTCU.S. officials’ decision on Covid-19 booster shots baffles — and upsets — some scientists – STAT
Commentary on Twitter
Scientists I spoke to today had a lot of questions about the administration's decision to start giving Americans 3rd doses of the mRNA vaccines next month. “I’m not sure we had enough [data] to pull the trigger right now," one said. https://t.co/eHUndOrQL4
— Helen Branswell 🇨🇦 (@HelenBranswell) August 18, 2021
NICE Guideline: Antenatal care.
19 Aug, 2021 | 08:53h | UTCAntenatal care – National Institutes for Health and Care Excellence
WHO Practical Guide: Antimicrobial stewardship interventions.
19 Aug, 2021 | 08:52h | UTCAntimicrobial stewardship interventions: a practical guide (2021) – World Health Organization
As use of widely prescribed stimulants increases, experts see troubling parallels to opioid crisis.
19 Aug, 2021 | 08:46h | UTC
Brazil and Peru join growing number of countries in the Americas that are eliminating industrially produced trans fats.
19 Aug, 2021 | 08:41h | UTCRelated:
WHO: More than 3 billion people protected from harmful trans-fat in their food
Action Package: WHO Plan to Eliminate Trans-fatty Acids from Global Food Supply
WHO Draft Guideline: Saturated Fatty Acid and Trans-fatty Intake for Adults and Children
WHO Draft Guideline: Saturated Fatty Acid and Trans-fatty Intake for Adults and Children
Trans-fat – The Worst Fat in the Food Supply
Banning trans fats in New York prevented thousands of heart attacks
[Abstract Only] Cohort Study: Eating Trans-fat May Increase the Risk of Dementia
Commentary on Twitter
Trans fat intake is responsible for approximately 500,000 premature deaths from coronary heart disease each year around the world. I welcome #Brazil's 🇧🇷 and #Peru's 🇵🇪 commitments to eliminate industrially-produced trans fats. Let's #BeatNCDs!https://t.co/oAsx6Byn14
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) August 18, 2021
ANALYSIS- Here’s why there may be no need for boosters for everyone just yet.
18 Aug, 2021 | 09:00h | UTCANALYSIS- Here’s why there may be no need for boosters for everyone just yet – CNN
Lab study shows heterologous AstraZeneca/Pfizer vaccination produces strong immune response against SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant.
18 Aug, 2021 | 09:04h | UTCRelated:
Another study shows increased immune response with heterologous Oxford-AstraZeneca/mRNA vaccination (several articles on the subject)
Commentary on Twitter (thread – click for more)
Mix and match vaccines, AZ then mRNA (@BioNTech_Group) achieves a very strong immune response against the Delta variant.
This is the 1st report to look at mix vs Delta, specifically.https://t.co/6N46cUh8HW @TheLancet pic.twitter.com/cvlHp2XtXJ— Eric Topol (@EricTopol) August 17, 2021
U.S. to recommend COVID vaccine boosters at 8 months.
18 Aug, 2021 | 09:02h | UTCSources: US to recommend COVID vaccine boosters at 8 months – Associated Press
See also: Biden administration expected to advise Covid booster shots for most Americans – CNN AND US experts expected to recommend Covid booster shots for all – The Guardian
Commentary on Twitter (thread – click for more)
This decision seems to reflect a common fallacy; trying to reason about whether we "need X" just based on what things are like without X, rather than how much X will do to help.
It's surprising to see it at play in a decision of such consequence.
— Wes Pegden (@WesPegden) August 17, 2021
Editorial: COVID-19 vaccine equity and booster doses – “by Aug 9, only 12·6 million of the 4·46 billion doses administered globally were in low-income countries”.
18 Aug, 2021 | 08:58h | UTCCOVID-19 vaccine equity and booster doses – The Lancet Infectious Diseases
See also: New waves, new variants, old inequity: a continuing COVID-19 crisis – BMJ Global Health
Has COVID taught us anything about pandemic preparedness?
18 Aug, 2021 | 08:55h | UTCHas COVID taught us anything about pandemic preparedness? – Nature
Commentary on Twitter
Pandemic preparedness needs good surveillance in all countries, rapid and transparent data sharing, consistent implementation of public health measures, attention to Equity & global Solidarity https://t.co/GlouOA4Om3
— Soumya Swaminathan (@doctorsoumya) August 14, 2021
Editorial: The WHO is right to call a temporary halt to COVID vaccine boosters.
18 Aug, 2021 | 08:56h | UTCThe WHO is right to call a temporary halt to COVID vaccine boosters – Nature
The animal origin of SARS-CoV-2 – “Trading of animals susceptible to bat coronaviruses is the likely cause of the COVID-19 pandemic”.
18 Aug, 2021 | 08:53h | UTCThe animal origin of SARS-CoV-2 – Science
Video: Evolutionary Origins of SARS-CoV-2
Related: Fauci says natural origins theory of coronavirus is still the most likely.
Commentary on Twitter (thread – click for more)
Big news! Our perspective on the origins of SARS-CoV-2 is now out at @ScienceMagazine❗❗ https://t.co/lrCQHgARdB
— Spyros Lytras (@SpyrosLytras) August 17, 2021
Opinion | Go Ahead. Vaccinate the Kids. The risk of vaccinating children will never be zero, but the alternative is so much worse.
18 Aug, 2021 | 08:50h | UTCGo Ahead. Vaccinate the Kids. – The Atlantic
Global, regional, and national burden of respiratory tract cancers and associated risk factors from 1990 to 2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study.
18 Aug, 2021 | 08:44h | UTC
Commentary on Twitter (thread – click for more)
https://twitter.com/simonihay/status/1427465401303142417
Study provides suggestions for keeping classroom air fresh.
17 Aug, 2021 | 09:08h | UTCStudy provides suggestions for keeping classroom air fresh – MIT News
Original study: Patterns of SARS-CoV-2 aerosol spread in typical classrooms – Building and Environment
Related:
WHO: Roadmap to improve and ensure good indoor ventilation in the context of COVID-19
CDC releases new ventilation guidelines for indoor environments to reduce Covid-19 risk
We studied how to reduce airborne COVID spread in hospitals. Here’s what we learnt.
17 Aug, 2021 | 09:09h | UTCRelated:
WHO: Roadmap to improve and ensure good indoor ventilation in the context of COVID-19
CDC releases new ventilation guidelines for indoor environments to reduce Covid-19 risk
Cohort study: Younger children may be more likely to transmit SARS-CoV-2 infection in households compared with older children, the risk being higher for contacts of children aged 0 to 3 years.
17 Aug, 2021 | 09:05h | UTCAssociation of Age and Pediatric Household Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 Infection – JAMA Pediatrics
Editorial: Yes, Children Can Transmit COVID, but We Need Not Fear
Commentary on Twitter (thread – click for more)
A new, large Ontario study of >6000 households (>1700 w/ secondary attacks) concludes that younger children (0-3 years) may transmit covid more than older (14-17); odds ratio 1.4https://t.co/TosD0Hc1Ve @JAMAPediatrics pic.twitter.com/LLHpTXOckt
— Eric Topol (@EricTopol) August 16, 2021
Rapid, large-scale wastewater surveillance and automated reporting system enabled early detection of nearly 85% of COVID-19 cases on a University campus.
17 Aug, 2021 | 09:06h | UTCCommentary: The Newest Disease Detection Tool for Covid and Beyond: Poop – Kaiser Health News
Related:
[Preprint] Wastewater genomic testing can effectively track COVID-19 variants of concern.
Human Waste Could Be The Next Big Weapon in Controlling COVID-19 – TIME
Next steps for wastewater testing to help end this pandemic — and prevent the next one – STAT
The myriad ways sewage surveillance is helping fight COVID around the world – Nature
It’s time to begin a national wastewater testing program for Covid-19 – STAT
Coronavirus: Testing sewage an ‘easy win’ – BBC
[Preprint] Full vaccination suppresses SARS-CoV-2 delta variant mutation frequency.
17 Aug, 2021 | 08:59h | UTCFull vaccination suppresses SARS-CoV-2 delta variant mutation frequency – medRxiv
Commentary: Research debunks myth that COVID vaccination promotes mutations – News Medical
Commentary on Twitter
Evidence that vaccinations successfully suppress viral mutations and that the unvaccinated are the source of the variants. https://t.co/U80T4JLO7A
"No one is safe until everyone is safe." pic.twitter.com/B2pVeMm96r— Daniel Griffin MD PhD (@DanielGriffinMD) August 15, 2021
Accuracy of novel antigen rapid diagnostics for SARS-CoV-2: A living systematic review and meta-analysis.
17 Aug, 2021 | 09:02h | UTC
FDA authorizes additional Covid-19 vaccine dose for certain immunocompromised individuals – Other fully vaccinated individuals do not need an additional vaccine dose right now.
16 Aug, 2021 | 01:22h | UTCCommentaries:
CDC, FDA recommend COVID booster for immune-compromised – CIDRAP
FDA authorizes additional dose of Covid-19 vaccine for the immunocompromised – STAT
Covid booster: US approves third jab for the immunocompromised – BBC
CDC Panel Recommends 3rd Vaccine Dose For Immunocompromised People – NPR
6 Things To Know If You’re Immunocompromised And Considering A 3rd Shot – NPR
CDC recommends third Covid-19 vaccine dose for certain immunocompromised people – CNN
Commentary on Twitter
The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) supports the @FDA and @CDCgov's decision to authorize a supplemental vaccine dose for immunocompromised patients.
Read our statement: https://t.co/odzzSgIxnY pic.twitter.com/4PZfUwpjhM
— IDSA (@IDSAInfo) August 13, 2021
Perspective | Don’t panic, but breakthrough cases may be a bigger problem than you’ve been told.
16 Aug, 2021 | 01:17h | UTCDon’t Panic, But Breakthrough Cases May Be a Bigger Problem Than You’ve Been Told – Intelligencer
Commentary on Twitter (thread – click for more)
The vaccines are still performing quite well in preventing severe disease. But with Delta they are doing much worse in stopping transmission. Breakthroughs are probably now 10-20% of new infections, and perhaps as much as 5% of new deaths. A thread. (1/x) https://t.co/NvGends1ZP
— David Wallace-Wells (@dwallacewells) August 12, 2021