Clarifying the evidence on SARS-CoV-2 antigen rapid tests in public health responses to COVID-19

The use of rapid lateral flow antigen testing (LFT) for SARS-CoV-2 has been questioned1, 2, 3 with uncorroborated4 reports of poor LFT sensitivity. The debate surrounding the use of the Innova Lateral Flow SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Test in the UK risks confusing policy makers internationally and potentially stalling deployment of LFTs in other countries.5 As scientists… Continue reading Clarifying the evidence on SARS-CoV-2 antigen rapid tests in public health responses to COVID-19

Atypical Kawasaki Disease after COVID-19 Vaccination: A NewForm of Adverse Event Following Immunization

Abstract: Kawasaki disease (KD) is a medium-vessel vasculitis that is typically presented duringchildhood; fewer than 100 cases of KD have been reported worldwide in adult patients who metthe criteria according to the American College of Rheumatology. This study presents the case ofan 18-year-old patient with no previous history of any disease, who presented atypical KD… Continue reading Atypical Kawasaki Disease after COVID-19 Vaccination: A NewForm of Adverse Event Following Immunization

Triple Vaccinated put the most pressure on the NHS by far over the past 4 weeks according to UKHSA with 74% of Covid-19 hospitalisations recorded among the Vaccinated

The latest data available from the UK Health Security Agency confirms that the triple vaccinated population accounted for the majority of all Covid-19 hospitalisations between 20th Dec 21 and 16th Jan 22, with the double vaccinated population not far behind. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) publish a weekly Covid-19 Vaccine Surveillance Report containing data… Continue reading Triple Vaccinated put the most pressure on the NHS by far over the past 4 weeks according to UKHSA with 74% of Covid-19 hospitalisations recorded among the Vaccinated

Innate Immune Suppression by SARS-CoV-2 mRNA Vaccinations: The role of G-quadruplexes, exosomes and microRNAs

The mRNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccines were brought to market in response to the widely perceived public health crises of Covid-19. The utilization of mRNA vaccines in the context of infectious disease had no precedent, but desperate times seemed to call for desperate measures. The mRNA vaccines utilize genetically modified mRNA encoding spike proteins. These alterations hide… Continue reading Innate Immune Suppression by SARS-CoV-2 mRNA Vaccinations: The role of G-quadruplexes, exosomes and microRNAs

COVID-19 Risk Appears to Vary Across Different Alcoholic Beverages

Objectives: To evaluate the associations of status, amount, and frequency of alcohol consumption across different alcoholic beverages with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) risk and associated mortality. Methods: This study included 473,957 subjects, 16,559 of whom tested positive for COVID-19. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate the associations of alcohol consumption with COVID-19 risk… Continue reading COVID-19 Risk Appears to Vary Across Different Alcoholic Beverages

Effectiveness of Adding a Mask Recommendation to Other Public Health Measures to Prevent SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Danish Mask Wearers

Observational evidence suggests that mask wearing mitigates transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). It is uncertain if this observed association arises through protection of uninfected wearers (protective effect), via reduced transmission from infected mask wearers (source control), or both. Objective:To assess whether recommending surgical mask use outside the home reduces wearers' risk… Continue reading Effectiveness of Adding a Mask Recommendation to Other Public Health Measures to Prevent SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Danish Mask Wearers

Recognising Italy’s mistakes in the public health response to COVID-19

The Day of the Dead in Italy this year was not only a time for remembrance but also for demanding justice for lives lost to COVID-19. On Nov 2, 2021, members of the #Sereni (also known as Serene and Always United) Association demonstrated in Rome against institutional omerta (ie, law of silence) and for the… Continue reading Recognising Italy’s mistakes in the public health response to COVID-19

Covid-19 vaccines and treatments: we must have raw data, now

Data should be fully and immediately available for public scrutiny In the pages of The BMJ a decade ago, in the middle of a different pandemic, it came to light that governments around the world had spent billions stockpiling antivirals for influenza that had not been shown to reduce the risk of complications, hospital admissions,… Continue reading Covid-19 vaccines and treatments: we must have raw data, now

Persistence of clinically relevant levels of SARS-CoV2 envelope gene subgenomic RNAs in non-immunocompromised individuals

Highlights•SARS-CoV-2 activity is difficult to assess with conventional PCR assays.•Subgenomic RNA (sgRNA) may be a better proxy for infectivity.•Over 10% of COVID-19 patients were sgRNA positive beyond a 10-day period.•Long-duration sgRNA-positive patients were clinically unremarkable.•Vulnerable settings may require additional measures to minimize transmission.Abstract ObjectivesThis study aimed to evaluate the associations between COVID-19 severity and active… Continue reading Persistence of clinically relevant levels of SARS-CoV2 envelope gene subgenomic RNAs in non-immunocompromised individuals