Covid-19
WHO Consensus: A clinical case definition of post COVID-19 condition (Long Covid).
8 Oct, 2021 | 10:45h | UTCRelated:
Characterizing long COVID: a living systematic review.
Long Covid – The illness narratives.
New guidelines to help doctors manage long COVID patients published.
M-A: More than 50 long-term effects of COVID-19. (several articles on the subject)
Commentary on Twitter (thread – click for more)
🆕 WHO clinical case definition for post #COVID19 condition, also called 'long COVID' https://t.co/WoiLcwsgJX pic.twitter.com/Z0olrHlWPC
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) October 7, 2021
WHO Launches Strategy to Achieve Global Covid-19 Vaccination by mid-2022.
8 Oct, 2021 | 10:41h | UTCStrategy to Achieve Global Covid-19 Vaccination by mid-2022 – World Health Organization
News release: WHO, UN set out steps to meet world COVID vaccination targets – World Health Organization
Commentaries:
WHO launches global COVID vaccination strategy – CIDRAP
Study shows an increased risk of Guillain-Barré Syndrome with the J&J vaccine; the estimated observed to expected rate ratio was 4.18 for the 42-day window.
8 Oct, 2021 | 10:40h | UTC
Commentary on Twitter
Study suggests a potential small but statistically significant safety concern for #GuillainBarré syndrome following receipt of the @JanssenUS #COVID19 vaccine; findings considered preliminary pending analysis of medical records to establish a definitive Dx https://t.co/yZjJVkp6BA
— JAMA (@JAMA_current) October 7, 2021
Real-world data shows increased reactogenicity in adults after heterologous compared to homologous prime-boost COVID-19 vaccination.
8 Oct, 2021 | 10:29h | UTCRelated:
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
As more & more countries consider adding a 3rd #COVID19 vaccine dose into their national immunisation programmes, vaccine reactogenicity will become important, especially if 3rd dose is different to first 2 doses. We need more mix-n-match booster studies 👉https://t.co/G57i9Ej7Nd
— Shamez Ladhani (@ShamezLadhani) October 7, 2021
Ivermectin: How false science created a Covid ‘miracle’ drug.
8 Oct, 2021 | 10:24h | UTCIvermectin: How false science created a Covid ‘miracle’ drug – BBC
Commentary on Twitter
Scientists evaluating ivermectin data for #COVID19
"had not found 'a single clinical trial' claiming to show that ivermectin prevented Covid deaths that did not contain 'either obvious signs of fabrication or errors so critical they invalidate the study'." https://t.co/Xndr6Q5LaS— Isaac Bogoch (@BogochIsaac) October 7, 2021
How the risk of Covid-19 for kids compares to other dangers.
8 Oct, 2021 | 10:26h | UTCHow the risk of Covid-19 for kids compares to other dangers – Vox
Bioethics | People who want organ transplants must get the COVID-19 vaccine, a hospital says.
8 Oct, 2021 | 10:21h | UTCPeople who want organ transplants must get the COVID-19 vaccine, a hospital say – NPR
Opinion | Covid-19 keeps delivering lessons about health care worker burnout. Will we learn them?
8 Oct, 2021 | 10:18h | UTCCovid-19 keeps delivering lessons about health care worker burnout. Will we learn them? – STAT
Commentary on Twitter
Opinion: Delaying the important work of addressing burnout under the guise of "let's just get through this first" does a disservice to health care workers who need support and relief now. https://t.co/21s5NRvhdk
— STAT (@statnews) October 7, 2021
Observational study in Qatar showed the effectiveness of Pfizer vaccine against any SARS-CoV-2 infection dropped to 20% in months 5 through 7 after the second dose, but effectiveness against severe Covid-19 remained high.
7 Oct, 2021 | 10:55h | UTC
Commentary on Twitter
In this 900,000-participant study in Qatar, vaccine effectiveness peaked at 77.5% in the first month after the second dose. The effectiveness fell to as low as 20% in months 5 through 7 after vaccination. #Covid19vaccine #IDTwttier https://t.co/TeDcLLftIH pic.twitter.com/pEBoxs6Hmr
— NEJM (@NEJM) October 6, 2021
Large cohort study with over 2.5 million individuals showed the incidence of myocarditis after the Pfizer vaccine was 2.13 cases per 100,000 persons.
7 Oct, 2021 | 10:51h | UTCCommentary: Studies Highlight Rarity of Myocarditis With mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines – TCTMD
Related Study: Myocarditis after BNT162b2 mRNA Vaccine against Covid-19 in Israel – New England Journal of Medicine
Commentaries on Twitter
Among 2.5 million patients who received the BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine in a large Israeli health care system, the incidence of myocarditis at 42 days was 2.13 cases per 100,000 persons. #Covid19vaccine #IDTwitter https://t.co/EzmsaW2u4Y pic.twitter.com/P95eUm8xo9
— NEJM (@NEJM) October 6, 2021
Just out in @NEJM: Two studies on myocarditis after vaccination with Pfizer
Among 2.5 million vaccinated:
– 54 cases of myocarditis
– 94% men, median 27 y.o.
– Most cases mild, only one fulminanthttps://t.co/xGf7rtwGfr— David Juurlink (@DavidJuurlink) October 6, 2021
Study with over 5.1 million vaccinated individuals showed the incidence of myocarditis after the receipt of the Pfizer vaccine was low and more common after the second dose in young male recipients.
7 Oct, 2021 | 10:49h | UTCMyocarditis after BNT162b2 mRNA Vaccine against Covid-19 in Israel – New England Journal of Medicine
Commentary: Studies Highlight Rarity of Myocarditis With mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines – TCTMD
Related study: Myocarditis after Covid-19 Vaccination in a Large Health Care Organization – New England Journal of Medicine
Commentaries on Twitter
In an Israeli Ministry of Health database, 136 cases of myocarditis were detected among 5 million vaccinated persons. #Covid19vaccine #IDTwitter https://t.co/c1wLBCq8UN pic.twitter.com/D2DAGrIuXe
— NEJM (@NEJM) October 6, 2021
Two new @NEJM reports on Pfizer vaccine related myocarditis: very rare (~2 per 100,000) and usually mild; in-depth review of 190 cases, most cases were in males 16-29 years, 2nd dosehttps://t.co/nHgxXTgQ6ohttps://t.co/pchL0VDi4b pic.twitter.com/7pUxNy36Zo
— Eric Topol (@EricTopol) October 6, 2021
Perspective | No one is safe until we are all safe.
7 Oct, 2021 | 10:47h | UTCNo one is safe until we are all safe – Science Translational Medicine
Commentary: Covid ‘still running rampant’ worldwide, warns creator of Oxford vaccine – The Guardian
Related: Opinion: Vaccine Nationalism Harms Everyone and Protects No One
Commentary on Twitter
No one is safe until we all are safe, by Sarah Gilbert @JennerInstitute @NDMOxford @UniofOxford and @DrRHatchett @CEPIVaccines
With a forecast of global vaccine supply for 2021https://t.co/iUgC6euvz6 @ScienceTM a large proportion are Sinopharm and Sinovac from China pic.twitter.com/w4KfUAsU45— Eric Topol (@EricTopol) October 6, 2021
Sweden, Denmark pause Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for younger age groups.
7 Oct, 2021 | 10:45h | UTCSweden, Denmark pause Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for younger age groups – Reuters
Cohort Study: Effect of COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns on planned cancer surgery for 15 tumor types in 61 countries.
6 Oct, 2021 | 10:09h | UTC
Commentary on Twitter (thread – click for more)
What were the unintended consequences of COVID lockdowns on cancer care?@CovidSurg study in @TheLancetOncol:
🔹Lockdowns independently associated with delayed treatment
🔹At median 5.3 months f/u, 1 in 7 pts had not had planned cancer surgery🆓https://t.co/UZe0euq5kg pic.twitter.com/4fPl6UEb9D
— Dmitri Nepogodiev (@dnepo) October 5, 2021
Opinion | Why Are Americans Still—Still!—Wearing Cloth Masks?
6 Oct, 2021 | 10:04h | UTCWhy Are Americans Still—Still!—Wearing Cloth Masks? – The Atlantic
Related:
Evidence shows that, yes, masks prevent COVID-19 – and surgical masks are the way to go.
[Preprint] Largest study of masks yet details their importance in fighting Covid-19.
Commentary on Twitter
Any mask is better than no mask, especially indoors. But for those who are at higher risk of severe disease or around lots of unvaccinated people, consider upgrading to an N95 (or equivalent) mask, which are more protective. https://t.co/vhNPadTP8O
— Dr. Tom Frieden (@DrTomFrieden) October 5, 2021
EMA recommendations on extra doses and boosters of BioNTech/Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines.
6 Oct, 2021 | 10:15h | UTCComirnaty and Spikevax: EMA recommendations on extra doses and boosters – European Medicines Agency
Related: The difference between COVID-19 ‘third doses’ and ‘boosters’ – Emory News Center
Commentary on Twitter
EMA recommended additional doses and boosters for #Comirnaty and #Spikevax. https://t.co/qefPg2kMMO
In this context, see below what the difference between an additional dose and a #boosterdose is. pic.twitter.com/HeyOACbWXm
— EU Medicines Agency (@EMA_News) October 5, 2021
What we know — and don’t know — about Merck’s new Covid-19 pill.
6 Oct, 2021 | 10:07h | UTCWhat we know — and don’t know — about Merck’s new Covid-19 pill – STAT
Related:
Merck’s Covid-19 pill is great news but may not be a game-changer.
Video | A Pill For COVID? A Doctor Explains Molnupiravir.
Cohort study: Acute myocarditis following COVID-19 mRNA vaccination in adults aged 18 years or older is rare, and most cases are not severe.
5 Oct, 2021 | 10:07h | UTCEditorial: COVID-19 Messenger RNA Vaccination and Myocarditis—A Rare and Mostly Mild Adverse Effect
Commentary on Twitter
New report on very rare acute myocarditis after mRNA vaccination in age 18+
5.8 cases/million after 2nd dose, 0.8/million 1st dose, all cases fully resolved with conservative managementhttps://t.co/Mfh5ImiSpW @KPSCALnews @KPSCalResearch @JAMAInternalMed— Eric Topol (@EricTopol) October 4, 2021
Cohort study: Pfizer vaccine effectiveness against any infections declined from 88% during the first month after full vaccination to 47% after 5 months. Vaccine effectiveness against hospital admissions remained high; 87% within 1 month, and 88% at 5 months after full vaccination, with no significant waning.
5 Oct, 2021 | 10:09h | UTCCommentary: Expert reaction to study on Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine effectiveness up to 6 months – Science Media Centre
Commentary on Twitter
Study of 3.4 million people @aboutKP @TheLancet
Vaccine efficacy against infections:
– First month post: 88%
– 5 months post: 47%But vaccine efficacy against hospitalization (Figure):
– First month post: 87%
– 5 months post: 88 %https://t.co/1Gse0FKpoI pic.twitter.com/p9wyiaWGeg— Vincent Rajkumar (@VincentRK) October 4, 2021
RCT: Another study shows convalescent plasma does not improve outcomes in critically ill patients with Covid-19.
5 Oct, 2021 | 10:06h | UTCRelated:
M-A: Convalescent plasma is safe but does not improve outcomes in the treatment of COVID-19.
RECOVERY Trial: No benefit from convalescent plasma in patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19.
New Zealand acknowledges it can no longer completely get rid of the coronavirus.
5 Oct, 2021 | 10:02h | UTCNew Zealand acknowledges it can no longer completely get rid of the coronavirus – NPR
See also:
New Zealand admits it can no longer get rid of coronavirus – Associated Press
Battling Delta, New Zealand Abandons Its Zero-Covid Ambitions – The New York Times
Video | A Pill For COVID? A Doctor Explains Molnupiravir.
5 Oct, 2021 | 09:57h | UTCA Pill For COVID? | A Doctor Explains Molnupiravir – ZDoggMD
COVID-19 and metabolic disease: mechanisms and clinical management.
5 Oct, 2021 | 10:03h | UTCRelated: Review | Interplay between endocrinology, metabolism, and COVID-19 infection.
Merck’s Covid-19 pill is great news but may not be a game-changer.
5 Oct, 2021 | 09:59h | UTCMerck’s Covid-19 pill is great news but may not be a game-changer – CNN
[Press release – not published yet] Merck announces oral antiviral Molnupiravir reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50 Percent compared to placebo for patients with mild or moderate COVID-19.
3 Oct, 2021 | 23:02h | UTCCommentaries:
Expert reaction to interim analysis of oral antiviral molnupiravir – Science Media Centre
Covid antiviral pill can halve risk of hospitalization – BBC
Why Merck’s Covid-19 pill molnupiravir could be so important – Vox
Commentaries on Twitter
.@DrEricDing convinced many that stopping the #molnupiravir trial early for benefit was a good idea
But it was NOT
Large body of evidence suggests that stopping early for benefit biases the results: overestimates the benefits of the treatment #EBM https://t.co/b3tHEtliO0 https://t.co/LwuCgqcY0C pic.twitter.com/vyPWc0nd37
— Kari Tikkinen (@KariTikkinen) October 2, 2021
(thread – click for more)
💡BREAKING—New oral anti-viral drug *molnupiravir* cuts risk of #COVID19 hospitalization and death **in HALF** in a randomized trial. Results so astounding that the trial is being stopped early, and Merck plans to apply for emergency authorization ASAP. 🧵 https://t.co/g8JGNzvuRg pic.twitter.com/K1SwC3QFXS
— Eric Feigl-Ding (@DrEricDing) October 1, 2021