The number of patients diagnosed with hepatitis C virus (HCV) is markedly higher than the number initiating treatment indicating gaps in the care cascade, likely centered around reaching at-risk populations. Understanding changing characteristics of patients with HCV allows for targeted programs that increase linkage to care. We investigated changes in demographic and clinical characteristics of… Continue reading The changing characteristics of patients infected with chronic hepatitis #C virus from 2014 to 2019: Real-world data from the German #Hepatitis C-Registry (DHC-R)
Category: Infectivology
Influence of #angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers on the risk of all-cause mortality and other clinical outcomes in patients with confirmed #COVID-19: A systemic review and meta-analysis
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, physicians concerned about the potential adverse effects of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs)/angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs). To explore the relationship between ACEIs/ARBs and the risk of mortality and other clinical outcomes in COVID-19 patients, the authors conducted a systemic review and meta-analysis. An electronic search was performed from inception to November… Continue reading Influence of #angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers on the risk of all-cause mortality and other clinical outcomes in patients with confirmed #COVID-19: A systemic review and meta-analysis
Favorable outcome on viral load and culture viability using #Ivermectin in early treatment of non-hospitalized patients with mild #COVID-19 – A double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled trial
Ivermectin, an anti-parasitic agent, also has anti-viral properties. Our aim was to assess whether ivermectin can shorten the viral shedding in patients at an early-stage of COVID-19 infection. Methods The double-blinded trial compared patients receiving ivermectin 0·2 mg/kg for 3 days vs. placebo in non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients. RT-PCR from a nasopharyngeal swab was obtained at… Continue reading Favorable outcome on viral load and culture viability using #Ivermectin in early treatment of non-hospitalized patients with mild #COVID-19 – A double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled trial
Vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals have similar viral #loads in communities with a high prevalence of the #SARS-CoV-2 delta variant
SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.617.2 (delta) is associated with higher viral loads [1] and increased transmissibility relative to other variants, as well as partial escape from polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies [2]. The emergence of the delta variant has been associated with increasing case counts and test-positivity rates, indicative of rapid community spread. Since early July 2021, SARS-CoV-2… Continue reading Vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals have similar viral #loads in communities with a high prevalence of the #SARS-CoV-2 delta variant
Limited protection against #SARS-CoV-2 infection and virus transmission after mRNA #vaccination
Stang and coworkers have recently reported in the Journal that “RT-PCR test results as gold standard for assessing and controlling infectiousness fail” (1). The authors analyzed two scenarios and used Ct25 and Ct30 as thresholds for infectiousness and conclude that more than the half of their patient cohort was unlikely to have been infectious, i.e.… Continue reading Limited protection against #SARS-CoV-2 infection and virus transmission after mRNA #vaccination
lab alert: Changes to CDC RT-PCR for SARS-CoV-2 Testing
Audience: Individuals Performing COVID-19 Testing Level: Laboratory Alert After December 31, 2021, CDC will withdraw the request to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) of the CDC 2019-Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) Real-Time RT-PCR Diagnostic Panel, the assay first introduced in February 2020 for detection of SARS-CoV-2 only. CDC is providing… Continue reading lab alert: Changes to CDC RT-PCR for SARS-CoV-2 Testing
#Masitinib is a broad coronavirus 3CL inhibitor that blocks replication of #SARS-CoV-2
There is an urgent need for antiviral agents that treat SARS-CoV-2 infection. We screened a library of 1,900 clinically safe drugs against OC43, a human beta-coronavirus that causes the common cold and evaluated the top hits against SARS-CoV-2. Twenty drugs significantly inhibited replication of both viruses in vitro. Eight of these drugs inhibited the activity… Continue reading #Masitinib is a broad coronavirus 3CL inhibitor that blocks replication of #SARS-CoV-2
Is the cure really worse than the disease? The health impacts of #lockdowns during #COVID-19
Summary boxRestrictive non-pharmaceutical interventions against COVID-19 (known as ‘lockdowns’) are associated with health harms However, it is challenging to determine whether lockdowns have caused the harms or whether these harms are a direct consequence of the underlying health disaster of the pandemic Careful analysis of excess mortality suggests that lockdowns are not associated with large… Continue reading Is the cure really worse than the disease? The health impacts of #lockdowns during #COVID-19
Impaired local intrinsic immunity to SARS-CoV-2 infection in severe #COVID-19
SARS-CoV-2 infection can cause severe respiratory COVID-19. However, many individuals present with isolated upper respiratory symptoms, suggesting potential to constrain viral pathology to the nasopharynx. Which cells SARS-CoV-2 primarily targets and how infection influences the respiratory epithelium remains incompletely understood. We performed scRNA-seq on nasopharyngeal swabs from 58 healthy and COVID-19 participants. During COVID-19, we… Continue reading Impaired local intrinsic immunity to SARS-CoV-2 infection in severe #COVID-19
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