Covid-19
Can COVID vaccines stop transmission? Scientists race to find answers
23 Feb, 2021 | 01:42h | UTCCan COVID vaccines stop transmission? Scientists race to find answers – Nature
Related: Fauci: There’s evidence COVID-19 vaccines don’t just protect you — they may stop you from spreading the virus to others, too – Insider AND [Preprint] Covid-19 vaccination associated with reduced viral load, may reduce transmission (study and commentary)
Opinion – Is it time to delay second doses of coronavirus vaccines?
21 Feb, 2021 | 22:39h | UTCIs it time to delay second doses of coronavirus vaccines? – CNN
3-month interval between first and second dose of Oxford COVID-19 vaccine results in higher vaccine efficacy than 6-week interval
21 Feb, 2021 | 22:42h | UTC
Opinion – Delayed second dose of the BNT162b2 vaccine: innovation or misguided conjecture?
21 Feb, 2021 | 22:38h | UTCDelayed second dose of the BNT162b2 vaccine: innovation or misguided conjecture? – The Lancet
Study: One Pfizer/BioNTech shot gives 85% Covid protection
21 Feb, 2021 | 22:41h | UTCOne Pfizer/BioNTech shot gives 85% Covid protection – study – The Guardian
Original study: Early rate reductions of SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 in BNT162b2 vaccine recipients – The Lancet
Commentary on Twitter
NEW Correspondence reports early findings from study of #Pfizer #vaccine in health-care workers in Israel, suggesting early reductions in #COVID19 infection and symptomatic rates following first dose. Read https://t.co/ONU8bS3Iwo pic.twitter.com/BDDvA7Juyb
— The Lancet (@TheLancet) February 19, 2021
Pfizer vaccine doesn’t need ultra-cold storage after all, company says
21 Feb, 2021 | 22:37h | UTCPfizer vaccine doesn’t need ultra-cold storage after all, company says – ARS Technica
News release: PFIZER AND BIONTECH SUBMIT COVID-19 VACCINE STABILITY DATA AT STANDARD FREEZER TEMPERATURE TO THE U.S. FDA
Commentary on Twitter
🔥Pfizer BioNTech announced submission of new data to the U.S. FDA demonstrating the stability of their COVID-19 vaccine when stored at -25°C to -15°C (-13°F to 5°F), temperatures more commonly found in pharmaceutical freezers and refrigerators🔥https://t.co/egFsSe4oBB
— Antibiotic Steward Bassam Ghanem 🅱️C🆔🅿️🌟 (@ABsteward) February 19, 2021
Twelve criteria for the development and use of COVID-19 vaccine passports
21 Feb, 2021 | 22:36h | UTCTwelve criteria for the development and use of COVID-19 vaccine passports – The Royal Society
Commentaries: Vaccine passports can work, but face 12 challenges – University of Oxford AND UK scientists highlight 12 criteria for Covid vaccine passports – The Guardian
See also: What place should COVID-19 vaccine passports have in society? – Ada Lovelace Institute AND WHO looks at possible ‘e-vaccination certificates’ for travel – Reuters
Intensive care management of patients with COVID-19: a practical approach
21 Feb, 2021 | 22:34h | UTCRelated Guideline: Surviving Sepsis Campaign Guidelines on the Management of Adults With Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the ICU: First Update AND Infographic
Coronapod: our future with an ever-present coronavirus
21 Feb, 2021 | 22:32h | UTCCoronapod: our future with an ever-present coronavirus – Nature
Long Covid: Sequelae in adults at 6 Months after COVID-19 infection
21 Feb, 2021 | 22:13h | UTCSequelae in Adults at 6 Months After COVID-19 Infection – JAMA Network Open
Commentaries: Almost a third of people with ‘mild’ COVID-19 still battle symptoms months later, study finds – CNN AND Nearly One Third of Covid-19 Survivors Have Symptoms, Some Up To 9 Months Later, New Study Finds – Forbes
Commentary on Twitter
Long COVID:
~1/3 of COVID-19 pts had lingering symptoms of a median of 6 mths after infection onset.Among pts whose infections ranged from asymptomatic to severe, 2 problems — fatigue & loss of smell/taste persisted most frequently.https://t.co/xoaWwskPnP
— Christopher Lee (@chriskc_Lee) February 20, 2021
SR: Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children related to COVID-19
21 Feb, 2021 | 22:11h | UTC
Commentary on Twitter (thread – click for more)
Very proud to present our systematic review on the hyperinflammatory syndrome associated with SARS-CoV-2 in children #PIMS_TS #MISC, as published today in @EurJPediatrics.
We analyzed and summarized over 950 cases from more than 60 records. https://t.co/jO3te1KUIE
(1/n) pic.twitter.com/6BwEw7qFzi
— Levi Hoste (@LeviHoste) February 18, 2021
WHO call to action: Vaccine equity declaration – We must accelerate vaccine equity for all health workers – Now
19 Feb, 2021 | 03:03h | UTCCall to Action: Vaccine Equity Declaration – World Health Organization
A single dose of the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine is 92.6% effective in preventing Covid-19. Is delaying the second dose to get more people vaccinated an alternative?
19 Feb, 2021 | 02:59h | UTCSafety and Efficacy of the BNT162b2 mRNA Covid-19 Vaccine – New England Journal of Medicine
Commentary: Researchers urge delaying Pfizer vaccine’s second dose as first highly effective – Reuters
Covid-19: In vitro studies show Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines produce fewer antibodies against South African variant
19 Feb, 2021 | 03:01h | UTCCommentaries: Expert reaction to two NEJM Correspondence articles on in vitro studies of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines and different variants/mutations including mutations on the South Africa variant – Science Media Centre AND Lab studies suggest Pfizer, Moderna vaccines can protect against coronavirus variant – CNN AND Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have reduced effectiveness against South African variant, newly published studies show – The Washington Post AND Pfizer, Moderna vaccines less effective against South African COVID variant – MedicalXpress
Commentary on Twitter
New reports @NEJM today confirming some immune evasion of the B.1.351 variant (identified in South Africa) to both the mRNA vaccines, in vitro data @BioNTech_Group/@Pfizer and @moderna_tx. Less vaccine efficacy vs B.1.351 has been confirmed in clinical trials for 3 vaccines pic.twitter.com/2N7eKDllso
— Eric Topol (@EricTopol) February 17, 2021
Years of life lost to COVID-19 in 81 countries
19 Feb, 2021 | 02:55h | UTCYears of life lost to COVID-19 in 81 countries – Scientific Reports
News release: COVID-19: Over 20.5 million years of life may have been lost due to COVID-19
Commentaries: Expert reaction to study estimating years of life lost globally to COVID-19 – Science Media Centre AND 20.5m years of life may have been lost to Covid across 81 countries, study finds – The Guardian
What does 95% COVID-19 vaccine efficacy really mean?
19 Feb, 2021 | 02:58h | UTCWhat does 95% COVID-19 vaccine efficacy really mean? – The Lancet Infectious Diseases
Related: Pfizer vaccine: what an ‘efficacy rate above 90%’ really means – The Conversation
COVID‐19 convalescent plasma: Interim recommendations from the AABB
19 Feb, 2021 | 02:56h | UTCCOVID‐19 convalescent plasma: interim recommendations from the AABB – Transfusion
News release: AABB panel issues interim recommendations for Covid-19 convalescent plasma use
Fauci: There’s evidence COVID-19 vaccines don’t just protect you — they may stop you from spreading the virus to others, too
19 Feb, 2021 | 02:46h | UTCRelated: [Preprint] Covid-19 vaccination associated with reduced viral load, may reduce transmission (study and commentary)
How many people get ‘long COVID’ – and who is most at risk?
19 Feb, 2021 | 02:54h | UTCHow many people get ‘long COVID’ – and who is most at risk? – The Conversation
The price of success—how to evaluate Covid-19 vaccines when they’re available outside of clinical trials
19 Feb, 2021 | 02:43h | UTC
SOFA score is not accurate enough for mortality prediction in severely ill patients with COVID-19 pneumonia
19 Feb, 2021 | 02:44h | UTC
Commentary on Twitter
'The discriminant accuracy of the #SOFA score for
mortality prediction in patients prior to intubation for#COVID-19 pneumonia was poor and significantly inferior to simply using age.' Age, apparently can't be used because 'discrimination'. #bioethics https://t.co/QJIxqupoVx— udo schuklenk 🏳️🌈🇨🇦🇦🇺🇩🇪 (@schuklenk) February 17, 2021
RCT: Vitamin D3 does not improve outcomes in hospitalized patients with moderate to severe COVID-19
18 Feb, 2021 | 03:20h | UTCEditorial: Vitamin D3 to Treat COVID-19: Different Disease, Same Answer
In this RCT a single high dose of #vitaminD3 (100K IU) raised mean serum 25OH D levels but had no effect on hospital LOS (primary outcome), in-hospital mortality, ICU admission, or need for mechanical ventilation (secondary outcomes) https://t.co/eozVaYnb25
— JAMA (@JAMA_current) February 17, 2021
Clinical decisions: Delayed second dose vs. standard regimen for Covid-19 vaccination
18 Feb, 2021 | 03:17h | UTC
World’s first coronavirus “Human Challenge” study receives ethics approval in the UK
18 Feb, 2021 | 03:14h | UTCWorld’s first coronavirus Human Challenge study receives ethics approval in the UK – GOV.UK
Commentaries: Covid-19: World’s first human trials given green light in UK – BBC AND UK to infect up to 90 healthy volunteers with Covid in world first trial – The Guardian
WHO Guidance on the subject: Feasibility, potential value and limitations of establishing a closely monitored challenge model of experimental COVID-19 infection and illness in healthy young adult volunteers – World Health Organization AND Key criteria for the ethical acceptability of COVID-19 human challenge studies – World Health Organization
See also: Challenge Trials—Could Deliberate Coronavirus Exposure Hasten Vaccine Development? – JAMA AND Ethical guidelines for deliberately infecting volunteers with COVID-19 – Journal of Medical Ethics AND Challenge trials can speed development of a Covid-19 vaccine. Planning for them needs to start now – STAT AND Accelerating Development of SARS-CoV-2 Vaccines — The Role for Controlled Human Infection Models – New England Journal of Medicine AND Human Challenge Studies to Accelerate Coronavirus Vaccine Licensure – The Journal of Infectious Diseases AND Ethics of controlled human infection to address COVID-19 – Science AND Extraordinary diseases require extraordinary solutions – Vaccine
M-A: The effect of convalescent plasma therapy on COVID-19 patient mortality
18 Feb, 2021 | 03:07h | UTCRelated study (not published yet) with conflicting results: RECOVERY trial: No Benefit from convalescent plasma in hospitalized patients with Covid-19 (news release and commentary)


