Infectious Diseases (all articles)
Covid pandemic over in Britain, say experts.
2 Jun, 2021 | 08:31h | UTCCovid pandemic over in Britain, say experts – The Telegraph
Related: In rich countries, vaccines are making Covid-19 a manageable health issue – The Guardian AND Covid: Zero daily deaths announced in UK for first time – BBC AND Expert reaction to zero COVID-related deaths reported today – Science Media Centre
[Press release – not published yet] The city of Serrana in Brazil has seen a 95% drop in Covid-19 deaths after almost all adults were vaccinated with Chinese CoronaVac – The findings suggest the pandemic can be controlled after 75% of people are fully vaccinated.
2 Jun, 2021 | 08:39h | UTCCommentaries: Study in Brazilian town shows 95% efficacy of Sinovac’s vaccine in reducing death by COVID-19 – Global Times AND Brazil Covid: Deaths plunge after town’s adults vaccinated – BBC AND Sinovac vaccine restores a Brazilian city to near normal – Associated Press
China reports first known human case of H10N3 bird flu.
2 Jun, 2021 | 08:23h | UTCChina reports first known human case of H10N3 bird flu – LiveScience
See also: China reports first human case of H10N3 bird flu – CNBC
The ‘time has come’ for a global pandemic treaty, WHO’s Tedros says.
1 Jun, 2021 | 08:21h | UTCThe ‘Time Has Come’ For A Global Pandemic Treaty, WHO’s Tedros Says – NPR
See also: Will a global preparedness treaty help or hinder pandemic preparedness? – BMJ Global Health
WHO renames COVID-19 variants with the Greek alphabet (i.e., Alpha, Beta, Gamma, etc), making them simple, easy to say and remember. The naming system aims to prevent calling COVID-19 variants by the places where they are detected, which is stigmatizing & discriminatory.
1 Jun, 2021 | 08:26h | UTCTracking SARS-CoV-2 variants – World Health Organization
Commentaries: The name game for coronavirus variants just got a little easier – STAT AND Covid: WHO renames UK and other variants with Greek letters – BBC
Study shows low risk of SARS-CoV-2 reinfection 1 year after primary infection.
1 Jun, 2021 | 08:23h | UTCEditorial: Protection Because of Prior SARS-CoV-2 Infection
Commentary on Twitter
Lombardy, Italy was one of the worst-hit places in the world in the 1st wave of the pandemic. Now, a year later, how many had reinfections?
0.3%
And 13-15 X infections for those who did not have covidhttps://t.co/ewpMRcPIMB @JAMAInternalMed pic.twitter.com/I7z2L04Evp— Eric Topol (@EricTopol) May 28, 2021
Where could the next coronavirus jump to humans? New research offers clues.
1 Jun, 2021 | 08:18h | UTCWhere could the next coronavirus jump to humans? New research offers clues. – Vox
COVID has caused ‘mass trauma,’ worsening mental health globally.
1 Jun, 2021 | 08:14h | UTCCOVID Has Caused ‘Mass Trauma,’ Worsening Mental Health Globally – Health Policy Watch
Perspective | Can I get AstraZeneca now and Pfizer later? Why mixing and matching COVID vaccines could help solve many rollout problems.
1 Jun, 2021 | 08:20h | UTC
Vaccines that can protect against many coronaviruses could prevent another pandemic.
1 Jun, 2021 | 08:15h | UTCVaccines that can protect against many coronaviruses could prevent another pandemic – Science (a few articles per month are free)
How a superspreader festival seeded Covid across India.
1 Jun, 2021 | 08:17h | UTCHow a superspreader festival seeded Covid across India – The Guardian
Opinion | 7 reasons why we should not need boosters for COVID-19.
31 May, 2021 | 08:21h | UTC7 Reasons Why We Should Not Need Boosters for COVID-19 – by Monica Ghandi, MD
No COVID-19 cases found after a well-controlled indoor concert.
31 May, 2021 | 08:24h | UTCNo COVID-19 cases found after well-controlled indoor concert – CIDRAP
Invited Commentary: Innovations in COVID-19 testing: the road from pandemic response to control – The Lancet Infectious Diseases
Commentary on Twitter (thread – click for more)
Report of the Barcelona music event out here. These are difficult studies to do – and you need to carefully review them.
Same-day SARS-CoV-2 antigen test screening in an indoor mass-gathering live music event: a randomised controlled trial https://t.co/KDMtsGD23v
— Jon Deeks FMedSci (@deeksj) May 28, 2021
Opinion | The Covid-19 lab leak theory is a tale of weaponized uncertainty.
31 May, 2021 | 08:19h | UTCThe Covid-19 Lab Leak Theory Is a Tale of Weaponized Uncertainty – Wired
See also: Divisive COVID ‘lab leak’ debate prompts dire warnings from researchers – Nature
New IDSA Guidelines on antigen testing for the diagnosis of COVID-19.
31 May, 2021 | 08:25h | UTC
What the science says about lifting mask mandates – “Wearing masks should probably be one of the last things we stop doing”.
31 May, 2021 | 08:17h | UTCWhat the science says about lifting mask mandates – Nature
Covid-19 vaccination prevents transmission from vaccinated to unvaccinated household members.
31 May, 2021 | 08:18h | UTCThe indirect effect of mRNA-based Covid-19 vaccination on unvaccinated household members – medRxiv
Commentary on Twitter
More on less transmission, yet another incentive:
"Our results suggest that mRNA-based vaccines do not only prevent #SARSCoV2 infections among vaccinated individuals but lead to a substantial reduction in infections among unvaccinated household members"https://t.co/sIqoOLiH3b pic.twitter.com/6rv2tojR2m— Eric Topol (@EricTopol) May 29, 2021
Vietnam finds new rapidly spreading SARS-CoV-2 variant, hybrid of B.1.617.2 and B.1.1.7 strains.
31 May, 2021 | 08:16h | UTCVietnam finds new virus variant, hybrid of India, UK strains – Associated Press
See also: Covid: Vietnam detects new UK-Indian variant, health officials say – BBC AND Vietnam says new Covid variant is hybrid of India and UK strains – The Guardian
[Not published yet] Observational study in Uruguay found CoronaVac reduced mortality by 97 percent – “In people who had received two doses, it reduced infection with the coronavirus by 57 percent and intensive care admissions by 95 percent”.
31 May, 2021 | 08:14h | UTCCoronaVac reduces mortality by 97 percent: Uruguay study – Associated Press
Oxygen shortages threaten ‘total collapse’ of dozens of health systems.
31 May, 2021 | 08:12h | UTCOxygen shortages threaten ‘total collapse’ of dozens of health systems – The Guardian
Related: How covid-19 revealed the scandal of medical oxygen supplies worldwide – Nature AND COVID-19 Oxygen Needs in Low- and Middle-Income Countries Have Tripled in Just Three Months – Where are Solutions? – Health Policy Watch
Guideline | Primary prophylaxis of bacterial infections and Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia in patients with hematologic malignancies and solid tumors.
31 May, 2021 | 08:09h | UTC
RCT: Among children with protracted bacterial bronchitis, a 4-week course of amoxicillin–clavulanate is not better than a 2-week course in achieving clinical cure by 28 days.
31 May, 2021 | 08:02h | UTCCommentary: Four weeks of antibiotics for kids’ chronic cough no better than 2, study finds – CIDRAP
Commentary on Twitter
NEW Research—4 weeks of amoxicillin–clavulanate for children with chronic wet cough and suspected PBB confers little advantage vs 2 weeks in achieving clinical cure by 28 days
RCT from Tom Ruffles & colleagues https://t.co/77w08dZ20z pic.twitter.com/LYgOeJbDX8
— The Lancet Respiratory Medicine (@LancetRespirMed) May 26, 2021
Observational study suggests ceftriaxone is similarly effective to benzylpenicillin for the treatment of neurosyphilis, potentially decreasing the length of hospital stay (mean 13.8 days vs. 8.9 days).
31 May, 2021 | 08:06h | UTCCeftriaxone compared with benzylpenicillin in the treatment of neurosyphilis in France: a retrospective multicentre study – The Lancet Infectious Diseases (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Lab study found CoronaVac serum neutralization efficiency was significantly decreased against B.1.526, P.1, and B1.351 SARS-CoV-2 variants.
28 May, 2021 | 08:26h | UTC
COLCORONA RCT: Colchicine for community-treated patients with COVID-19 – findings suggest it may lower death and hospital admission rates, but further studies are required.
28 May, 2021 | 08:27h | UTCInvited Commentary: Exploiting an early immunological window of opportunity in COVID-19 – The Lancet Respiratory Medicine