Epidemiologists are adjusting their expectations for the future course of the pandemic after data from a recent outbreak in Massachusetts in the US suggest that while vaccination remains highly protective against the worst consequences of infection, it may not be sufficient on its own to stop the spread of the delta variant. Testing conducted among… Continue reading Covid-19: #Delta infections threaten herd immunity #vaccine strategy
Category: Infectivology
‘Mathematically Impossible’ for #Vaccines to Eliminate #COVID
The latest data suggest the wave of COVID among unvaccinated has peaked and natural herd immunity has set in, while vaccinated individuals are actually becoming more prone to infection The Defender is experiencing censorship on many social channels. Be sure to stay in touch with the news that matters by subscribing to our top news… Continue reading ‘Mathematically Impossible’ for #Vaccines to Eliminate #COVID
Functional human #IgA targets a conserved site on #malaria sporozoites
A role for IgA in malariaImmunoglobulin (Ig)A is known to play a protective role against pathogens at mucosal surfaces. However, the protective effects of IgA in the serum are less well understood, particularly in the context of pathogens such as Plasmodium falciparum. To address this question, Tan et al. isolated and characterized serum IgA from… Continue reading Functional human #IgA targets a conserved site on #malaria sporozoites
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)
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)
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
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