Covid-19
The IMF says ending the COVID-19 pandemic is possible by vaccinating at least 40% of the population in all countries by the end of 2021, and at least 60% by the first half of 2022 at the cost of $50 billion.
25 May, 2021 | 08:58h | UTCA Proposal to End the COVID-19 Pandemic – IMFBlog
Commentary: IMF says ending COVID-19 pandemic possible at cost of some $50 billion – Reuters
Living systematic review: The evidence is insufficient to determine the benefits and harms of vitamin D supplementation as a treatment of COVID‐19.
25 May, 2021 | 08:55h | UTCSummary: Is vitamin D an effective and safe treatment for COVID-19? – Cochrane Library
Perspective | Coronavirus: so many variants, but vaccines are still effective.
25 May, 2021 | 08:46h | UTCCoronavirus: so many variants, but vaccines are still effective – The Conversation
Secondary analysis of RCT finds Tocilizumab was beneficial to patients hospitalized with Covid-19 if CRP levels were greater than 15.0 mg/dL, but not if CRP levels were 15.0 mg/dL or less.
25 May, 2021 | 08:52h | UTC
Mild COVID-19 induces lasting antibody protection, study finds.
25 May, 2021 | 08:51h | UTCOriginal study: SARS-CoV-2 infection induces long-lived bone marrow plasma cells in humans – Nature
Commentary on Twitter (thread – click for more)
Just published @nature
After even mild covid infections there are, in addition to memory B cells, bone marrow plasma cells are induced to provide long-term protection > 1 yrhttps://t.co/zVfUFvciVk
@TheBcellArtist @WUSTLmed
(NB vaccination still provides further protection) pic.twitter.com/rUd8pMAP1T— Eric Topol (@EricTopol) May 24, 2021
WHO: At least 115,000 health workers have died from COVID
25 May, 2021 | 08:49h | UTCAt least 115,000 health workers have died from COVID: WHO – MedicalXpress
CDC is investigating several reports that teenagers and young adults may have developed myocarditis after receiving mRNA vaccines. Most cases were mild, more often in males than females, more often following dose 2 than dose 1, and typically, within 4 days after vaccination.
24 May, 2021 | 08:41h | UTCCommentaries: C.D.C. Is Investigating a Heart Problem in a Few Young Vaccine Recipients – The New York Times AND U.S. CDC looking into heart inflammation in some young vaccine recipients – Reuters
Related: Israel said probing link between Pfizer shot and heart problem in men under 30 – The Times of Israel
[Preprint] RCT: Both REGEN-COV 2400mg and 1200mg antibody cocktails significantly reduced Covid-19-related hospitalization or all-cause death compared to placebo (71.3% reduction and 70.4% reduction, respectively).
24 May, 2021 | 08:46h | UTCREGEN-COV Antibody Cocktail Clinical Outcomes Study in Covid-19 Outpatients – medRxiv
Commentary on Twitter
REGEN-COV Antibody Cocktail(casirivimab with imdevimab) Clinical Outcomes Study in Covid-19 Outpatients: N:>4000 pts
Both 1200mg IV&2400mg REGEN-COV led to a ≥70% ⬇️ (vs placebo) in Covid-19 hospitalization or all-cause death over 28 days after treatmenthttps://t.co/NJxF4BjZRs pic.twitter.com/CFdvEEIWEL— Antibiotic Steward Bassam Ghanem 🅱️C🆔🅿️🌟 (@ABsteward) May 21, 2021
[Preprint] Pfizer and AstraZeneca Vaccines effective against B.1.617.2 variant after 2 doses.
24 May, 2021 | 08:42h | UTCNews release: Vaccines highly effective against B.1.617.2 variant after 2 doses – Public Health England
Original study: Effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines against the B.1.617.2 variant – Public Health England
Commentary: Covid: Pfizer and AstraZeneca jabs effective against Indian variant – study – BBC
[Preprint] Effectiveness of the CoronaVac vaccine in the elderly population during a P.1 variant-associated epidemic of COVID-19 in Brazil – “CoronaVac was 42% effective in the real-world setting of extensive P.1 transmission, but significant protection was not observed until completion of the two-dose regimen”.
24 May, 2021 | 08:43h | UTC
M-A: Tocilizumab in COVID-19 – “For hospitalized COVID-19 patients, there is some evidence that tocilizumab use may be associated with a short-term mortality benefit, but further high-quality data are required”.
24 May, 2021 | 08:39h | UTC
Commentary on Twitter
Tocilizumab as IL-6 antagonist in hospitalized #COVID19 pts, SR/MA/TSA:
➡️10 RCTs/6493 pts (52.2% ➡️ tocilizumab)
➡️some evidence suggests tocilizumab may be associated with short-term mortality benefit
➡️tocilizumab may prevent disease progression to MVhttps://t.co/sWR4Y351sl pic.twitter.com/JPD31Nb5rn— Intensive Care Medicine (@yourICM) May 22, 2021
WHO: The impact of COVID-19 on global health goals – COVID-19 responsible for at least 3 million excess deaths in 2020.
24 May, 2021 | 08:49h | UTCThe impact of COVID-19 on global health goals – World Health Organization
Related: Covid-19 pandemic: approximately one million excess deaths occurred in 2020 in 29 high income countries. AND Perspective | Tracking lives we’ve lost to COVID-19. AND COVID-19 has caused 6.9 million deaths globally, more than double what official reports show
Commentary on Twitter (thread – click for more)
🆕 The latest World Health Statistics report finds that #COVID19 is responsible for at least 3 million excess deaths in 2020 👉 https://t.co/yAXB5bzx1g#HealthData pic.twitter.com/DMd9fg69I2
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) May 21, 2021
Using resources wisely in the COVID-19 pandemic: an international list of Choosing Wisely recommendations.
24 May, 2021 | 08:36h | UTC
Neutralizing antibody levels are highly predictive of immune protection from symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection.
24 May, 2021 | 08:38h | UTCCommentary: Scientists find new way of predicting COVID-19 vaccine efficacy – University of New South Wales
Commentary on Twitter (thread – click for more)
Just published @NatureMedicine: For 7 vaccines, the neutralizing antibody levels are highly predictive of the magnitude of clinical efficacy, support long term protection vs severe illness, and preserved efficacy vs variantshttps://t.co/ZQIrTQErMm pic.twitter.com/rUl9TMbVrC
— Eric Topol (@EricTopol) May 17, 2021
Risk factors for illness severity among pregnant women with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection – moderate-to-severe COVID-19 was associated with age 25 years and older, healthcare occupation, pre-pregnancy obesity, chronic lung disease, chronic hypertension, and pregestational diabetes mellitus.
24 May, 2021 | 08:34h | UTC
Indirect Protection by Reducing Transmission: Ending the Pandemic with SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination – “Tell the hesitant: the vaccines protect both you and protect others — a lot!”
24 May, 2021 | 08:31h | UTC
Commentary on Twitter
*Strongly* recommend this comprehensive review of just how much COVID19 vaccines reduce the risk of transmitting the virus to others. Tell the hesitant: the vaccines protect both you and protect others — a lot! @mugecevik @AaronRichterman @EricMeyerowitz https://t.co/Cv3t3zNMRL pic.twitter.com/sOLAKKIJnQ
— Paul Sax (@PaulSaxMD) May 21, 2021
Covid-19 pandemic: approximately one million excess deaths occurred in 2020 in 29 high income countries.
21 May, 2021 | 08:52h | UTCEditorial: Measuring the impact of covid-19
Commentary: Nearly 1 million excess deaths in 29 nations during pandemic – CIDRAP
Related: COVID-19 has caused 6.9 million deaths globally, more than double what official reports show
Perspective | Tracking lives we’ve lost to COVID-19.
21 May, 2021 | 08:51h | UTCTracking Lives We’ve Lost to COVID-19 – Think Global Health
Related: COVID-19 has caused 6.9 million deaths globally, more than double what official reports show
How the Covid pandemic ends: Scientists look to the past to see the future.
21 May, 2021 | 08:46h | UTCHow the Covid pandemic ends: Scientists look to the past to see the future – STAT
Commentary on Twitter
https://twitter.com/HelenBranswell/status/1395007060002152450
Observational study finds a single dose of either Pfizer-BioNTech and Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines in older adults is about 80% effective at preventing admission to hospital with covid-19.
21 May, 2021 | 08:54h | UTCEditorial: Effectiveness of England’s initial vaccine roll out – The BMJ
M-A: Prevalence and outcomes of co-infection and superinfection with SARS-CoV-2 and other pathogens – The pooled prevalence of co-infection at the time of a SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis was 19%, and that of superinfection was 24%.
21 May, 2021 | 08:48h | UTC
Report: Face masks effectively limit the probability of SARS-CoV-2 transmission.
21 May, 2021 | 08:49h | UTCFace masks effectively limit the probability of SARS-CoV-2 transmission – Science
Perspective | Contact Tracing for Covid-19 — A Digital Inoculation against Future Pandemics.
21 May, 2021 | 08:45h | UTC
Cohort study: 14% of adults aged 65 years or less who were infected with SARS-CoV-2 had at least one new type of clinical sequelae that required medical care after the acute phase of the illness.
20 May, 2021 | 08:59h | UTCEditorial: Unpacking post-covid symptoms – The BMJ
Commentary on Twitter (thread – click for more)
After covid infections, 14% of >266,000 people, age ≤ 65, developed at least 1 sequelae that required medical care #LongCovid Just out @bmj_latest @OptumLabs @mlipsitch Risk increased w/ pre-existing conditions but also found in healthy, age < 50 https://t.co/h8IlnRNp2v pic.twitter.com/e15uSj9BXN
— Eric Topol (@EricTopol) May 19, 2021
FDA In Brief: FDA advises against use of SARS-CoV-2 antibody test results to evaluate immunity or protection from COVID-19, including after vaccination.
20 May, 2021 | 08:55h | UTC
Commentary on Twitter (thread – click for more)
Today, we issued a safety communication notifying the public and providers that results from SARS-CoV-2 antibody tests should not be used to evaluate immunity or protection from #COVID19 at any time – especially after receiving a #COVID19 vaccination. https://t.co/KlywV04WYO pic.twitter.com/TPdIVxWzSh
— U.S. FDA (@US_FDA) May 19, 2021