Covid-19
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 (@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)
Open schools in Sweden during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic were associated with low incidence of severe Covid-19 among schoolchildren and children of preschool age
18 Feb, 2021 | 03:19h | UTCOpen Schools, Covid-19, and Child and Teacher Morbidity in Sweden – New England Journal of Medicine
India’s dramatic fall in virus cases leaves experts stumped
18 Feb, 2021 | 03:06h | UTCIndia’s dramatic fall in virus cases leaves experts stumped – Associated Press
What place should COVID-19 vaccine passports have in society?
18 Feb, 2021 | 03:12h | UTCWhat place should COVID-19 vaccine passports have in society? – Ada Lovelace Institute