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After reviewing the latest COVID-19 developments last week, the World Health Organization (WHO) emergency committee said the pandemic is far from over, though countries are making progress in rolling out vaccines and treatments.

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Study links March Madness parties to more county COVID cases

A research letter yesterday in JAMA Network Open ties large gatherings of unvaccinated students and nonstudents at US universities during last spring's National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) March Madness basketball tournament to COVID-19 outbreaks in the surrounding community.

Beth Israel Usa Israel city Boston county Covid covid-19 gatherings infection

News Scan for Oct 25, 2021

First responders' risk for COVID-19 infection is about 60% more than other essential workers, including healthcare workers (HCWs), according to a study published late last week in JAMA Health Forum.In Arizona, 1,766 HCWs, first responders, and other essential worke

state Arizona covid-19 death vaccine

FDA primed to consider Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for younger kids

Tomorrow the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee will meet to consider Pfizer-BioNTech's application for emergency use authorization of its COVID-19 vaccine for children 5 to 11 years old.

Anthony Fauci covid-19 vaccine travelers

US hospitals took huge, unequal financial hit during COVID, studies show

Three new studies describe how the COVID-19 pandemic cratered the finances of many US hospitals, one finding that most federal relief funds went to the already best-resourced facilities and the other two showing the devastating monetary effects of delaying or canceling surgeries.

Usa hospital covid-19 patient

European regulators to speed review of COVID-19 antiviral drug

The European Medicines Agency said today that it has started a rolling review of molnupiravir, an oral antiviral drug developed by Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics for treating newly diagnosed COVID-19 in adults.

covid-19 vaccine Merck

Millions of Americans now eligible for COVID-19 boosters

This week the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) signed off on booster doses of all three COVID-19 vaccines currently in use in the United States. As of today, White House officials said 70 million Americans are eligible for a booster, and more than 120 million Americans will be eligible in the coming weeks, or 2 out of 3 vaccinated people in the United States.

Rochelle Walensky Usa hospital covid-19 vaccine

European countries track rising COVID-19 numbers

More European countries, including Germany and the Netherlands, are experiencing new upticks in COVID-19 activity, and in the United Kingdom, where cases have already been on the rise for several weeks, officials designated the AY.4.2 Delta subvariant a variant of interest.

Usa Germany Britain Netherlands covid-19 Government reports track

COVID-19 Scan for Oct 22, 2021

Two recent studies in Pediatrics look at risk factors for severe pediatric COVID-19 and COVID deaths in those younger than 21 years of age.The first study, which was published in the October print issu

Usa covid-19 death vaccine

Brain fog can persist 8 months after COVID diagnosis

Adult COVID-19 patients who were hospitalized or visited the emergency department (ED) at a New York City hospital still had cognitive impairments an average of 8 months after diagnosis, according to a research letter today in JAMA Network Open.

city New York hospital covid-19 patient diagnosis Brain

CDC panel OKs Moderna, J&J COVID boosters, mixed doses when needed

Certain people who received Moderna and all who got Johnson & Johnson (J&J) COVID-19 vaccines should receive a booster dose, and in general, people should stick with the original vaccine they got, an advisory panel for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said today.

covid-19 recommendations vaccine

Low COVID vaccine uptake, worse outcomes noted in racial minorities

Two new JAMA Network Open studies confirm that US racial minorities have borne an outsized burden during the COVID-19 pandemic, with showing a 30% higher rate of vaccination in White adults compared with their Black and Hispanic peers, and the other finding that non-White coronavirus patients were much more likely to be hospitalized, need intensive care, and die.

Usa county White covid-19 vaccine patient

COVID-19 Scan for Oct 21, 2021

COVID-19 vaccination does not increase the risk of miscarriage during the first trimester of pregnancy, according to a Norwegian case-control study that involved 13,956 women, 5.5% of whom were vaccinated against the virus. The results were published yesterday as a letter to the editor in the New England Journal of Medicine.The study consisted of 13,956 pregnant women, 5.5% of w

Norway covid-19 vaccine Pregnancy

WHO calls for health worker protection against COVID-19

At a media briefing today, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) issued an urgent call to protect health workers against COVID-19 and other health threats based on new data. It also pressed nations and pharmaceutical companies for more access to COVID-19 vaccine supplies.

covid-19 vaccine Health

Trials: COVID vaccines 90% effective against Delta infection, death

A pair of new real-world COVID-19 vaccine studies show good protection against the Delta (B1617.2) variant, one from Scotland finding higher than 90% effectiveness in preventing death in adults and the other showing 93% efficacy against symptomatic infection in Israeli adolescents after the second dose.

Britain Israel Scotland death vaccine infection

Global COVID-19 decline shows signs of stalling

A steady fall in COVID-19 cases under way since August shows signs of stabilizing, reflecting an activity rise in Europe against the backdrop of decreases in other world regions, the World Health Organization (WHO) said yesterday in its latest weekly pandemic update.

covid-19 death reports

COVID-19 pregnancy studies detail impacts from second vaccine doses, male fetuses

While pregnant and lactating women were largely not included in COVID-19 vaccine trials, two studies yesterday in Science Translational Medicine look at how the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines affect the groups differently than nonpregnant women and at how the sex of the fetus may affect maternal immune response and vertical antibody transmission.

covid-19 vaccine Immunic

White House readies nation for pediatric COVID-19 vaccines

During a briefing today White House officials said they are preparing to vaccinate up to 28 million American children aged 5 to 11 as soon as the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine gains approval from regulators.

Jeff Zients Usa covid-19 vaccine reports

News Scan for Oct 20, 2021

COVID-19 outpatients were more likely to have more respiratory symptoms if they were overweight or obese, according to a study published yesterday in Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses.The researchers enrolled 522 people, 63.8% of whom were consid

covid-19 symptoms Health

FDA, CDC poised to make call on mixed COVID-19 boosters

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as early as today may approve "mix and match" booster shots, meaning people can get a different COVID-19 vaccine from the one administered during their initial series if they need a booster.

Usa Britain Eu Washington hospital covid-19 vaccine

New local COVID cases prompt measures in China; Valneva reports promising vaccine findings

In the latest global COVID-19 developments, clusters of new local cases prompted lockdowns in a few northern areas, and France-based Valneva reported positive results for its vaccine when compared to the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine.

China France region Inner Mongolia province Fujian city Oxford province Shaanxi covid-19 vaccine reports

Trials find no benefit of interferon, colchicine in COVID hospital patients

New clinical trials detail the failure of two COVID-19 treatments—a combination of interferon beta-1a and remdesivir and the drug colchicine—to reduce death by 28 days, length of hospital stay, or risk of requiring invasive mechanical ventilation or dying in hospitalized adults.

South Korea Japan Singapore Usa Mexico state Nebraska hospital covid-19 patient

News Scan for Oct 19, 2021

COVID-19 patients with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) may benefit from tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors, according to a study published yesterday in JAMA Network Open. TNF inhibitors are already first- or second-line treatments for IMIDs, but debate has centered on whether they would help mitigate COVID-19 severity because of their ability to inhibit cytokines or if they would hurt it due to associated increased infection vulnerability.The researchers pooled three international COV

hospital covid-19 patient

Northern states report more COVID-19 activity

Northern states, including Vermont, Colorado, New Hampshire, Michigan, and Minnesota have the fastest rising COVID-19 case counts in the country, according to the New York Times' COVID-19 database.

New York Usa state Minnesota state Vermont state Alaska state New Hampshire state Montana state Michigan state Wyoming state Colorado state North Dakota state Idaho covid-19 vaccine reports

UK, Eastern Europe battle rising COVID

The United Kingdom's COVID-19 cases, which have been slowly rising, reached a 3-month high today, with countries in Eastern Europe, especially Russia, battling surges.

Britain Russia covid-19 infection reports

Hospital COVID patients may owe thousands as insurance waivers end

COVID-19 patients hospitalized in 2021 could be on the hook for thousands of dollars in bills for hospital, physician, and paramedic care after insurance companies started charging members for these costs again, an analysis of 2020 US data today in JAMA Network Open suggests.

Usa Washington hospital covid-19 patient

COVID-19 Scan for Oct 18, 2021

SARS-CoV-2 dose may affect infection rates, but current data do not show an association between viral dose and COVID-19 severity, according to a review of more than 100 SARS-CoV-2 studies that looks at COVID-19 infectious dose, viral load, severity, and variants.The aggregated findings were included in Clinical Infectiou

Usa state Minnesota covid-19 vaccine infection

FDA advisors approve J&J COVID vaccine boosters

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) vaccine advisory group today unanimously approved a booster dose of Johnson & Johnson (J&J) vaccine for all Americans 18 years old and older who received a single dose.

Usa recommendations vaccine Immunic

White House lifts COVID-19 ban for air travelers

Today, the White House announced that fully vaccinated foreign nationals can travel freely in and out of the United States beginning Nov 8.

Usa Britain Washington South Africa Brazil covid-19 vaccine reports

COVID-19 Scan for Oct 15, 2021

A 17-study literature review looking at vaccine effectiveness (VE) during the Delta (B1617.2) variant shows a pooled VE of 90.9% versus hospitalization with a 75.7% and 63.1% VE against symptomatic and asymptomatic infection, respectively.The results, published yesterday in Eurosurveillance, were b

county Delta covid-19 vaccine infection

Understaffed, underfunded, under siege: US public health amid COVID-19

A study yesterday in PLOS One details how the COVID-19 pandemic pummeled an already underfunded and understaffed US public health system, straining workers, upending services, and putting patients at risk.

Usa state Tennessee covid-19 pandemic Health

FDA panel green-lights Moderna COVID boosters for risk groups

Vaccine advisors for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today unanimously approved a third and smaller dose of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine for vulnerable groups.

covid-19 vaccine Health

Biden encourages COVID-19 vaccine mandates

Today President Joe Biden addressed the nation on the ongoing battle against the coronavirus pandemic and said vaccine requirements are working to raise the number of vaccinated Americans.

Joe Biden Usa covid-19 vaccine reports

COVID-19 Scan for Oct 14, 2021

Using COVID-19 viral load and viral cultures from 110 children, researchers suggest that children may serve as reservoirs for COVID-19, furthering transmission and viral evolution.The researchers created a prospective cohort of patients 21

state Massachusets hospital covid-19 patient

Study: Home monoclonal antibody program averted COVID hospital care

A research letter today in JAMA Network Open describes how nurses in Michigan may have reduced emergency department visits and hospitalizations of high-risk COVID-19 patients by coordinating at-home administration of neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (MABs) during the spring 2021 surge.

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COMMENTARY: What can masks do? Part 1: The science behind COVID-19 protection

Editor's Note: Part 1 of a two-part commentary explains the differences in cloth face coverings and surgical masks, the science of respiratory protection, and the hierarchy of disease controls. Part 2, to be published tomorrow, will outline what makes a good mask study and why so many fail.

state Minnesota covid-19 2020 mask

Global COVID decline continues, except in Europe

COVID-19 cases continue to fall in most world regions, continuing a pattern that started in August, but Europe reported a modest increase, the World Health Organization (WHO) said today in its weekly pandemic update.

county Pacific Britain Russia Turkey covid-19 vaccine reports

Most COVID-19 survivors have symptoms 6 months on, review finds

A systematic review of 57 studies involving more than 250,000 COVID-19 survivors reveals that 54% still had at least one symptom 6 months or more after initial diagnosis or release from the hospital.

state Pennsylvania covid-19 symptoms reports

White House: Mandates are boosting COVID-19 vaccination rates

Today during a White House press briefing, Jeff Zients, the coordinator of the Biden administration’s COVID-19 pandemic response, said vaccine mandates are driving up vaccination rates across the country.

Jeff Zients Usa covid-19 vaccine travelers

COVID-19 Scan for Oct 13, 2021

While the absolute risk of acquiring COVID-19 in the hospital was low—up to 0.75% risk per day of exposure pre-Delta (B1617.2) variant—patients or healthcare workers (HCWs) with COVID-19 nonetheless can be factors in the spread of COVID-19, a study published yesterday in PLOS One says.The researchers looked at four UK teaching hospitals, where 6

Britain covid-19 infection patient

COMMENTARY: What can masks do? Part 2: What makes for a good mask study — and why most fail

Editor's Note: Part 2 of a two-part commentary. Part 1, published yesterday, outlined the differences in face coverings masks, the science of respiratory protection, and the hierarchy of disease controls.

state Minnesota experts mask Health why

US COVID-19 mandates still a battle; Moderna to request booster

Across the country, states and school districts continue to be battlegrounds for ideological arguments for and against COVID-19 mandates, including mask mandates and vaccine requirements, and vaccine maker Moderna this week will request approval of a booster dose of its vaccine.

Greg Abbott Usa Washington state Texas covid-19 vaccine reports

WHO advisers recommend 3rd COVID vaccine dose for highest-risk groups

World Health Organization (WHO) vaccine advisers met last week to discuss and weigh in on several vaccine issues, including a recommendation that people who are moderately or severely immunocompromised receive a third COVID-19 vaccine dose.

recommendations vaccine reports

SARS-CoV-2 infected kids, adults at Belgian school equally, study suggests

SARS-CoV-2 may infect kids and adults at similar rates, although the former are much more likely to be asymptomatic, according to a study today in JAMA Network Open.

Belgium covid-19 testing infection

News Scan for Oct 12, 2021

An estimated 53.2 million additional cases of major depressive disorder and 76.2 million additional cases of anxiety disorders occurred during the pandemic, with women and young people most affected, according to a study published late last week in The Lancet.The researchers used a systematic literature review to find 48 eligi

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Merck applies for approval of first COVID-19 antiviral pill

Today, pharmaceutical giant Merck submitted an emergency use authorization (EUA) application to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for molnupiravir, its oral antiviral medication, for the treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 in adults at risk for severe disease.

Usa covid-19 death vaccine

DRC confirms new Ebola case in earlier outbreak area

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) over the weekend reported a lab-confirmed Ebola case and three suspected infections, all fatal, in an area in North Kivu province that was one of the main epicenters in earlier outbreaks.

Congo outbreak Ebola Health

COVID infects all ages in family equally, but immunity plays a role

Two new studies explore the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission among household members, one finding that children and adults are at similar risk and one showing that COVID-19–naïve family members' risk was 45% to 97% lower, depending on the number of members immune through infection or full vaccination.

city New York county York state Utah covid-19 vaccine infection

United States	Cases: 46 252 513 Deaths: 750 423 Recovered: 0
India	Cases: 34 321 025 Deaths: 459 652 Recovered: 0
Brazil	Cases: 21 835 785 Deaths: 608 235 Recovered: 0
United Kingdom	Cases: 9 215 683 Deaths: 141 607 Recovered: 0
Russia	Cases: 8 494 589 Deaths: 237 619 Recovered: 0

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