cidrap.umn.edu Main News

Weekly COVID-19 deaths dropped to the lowest level since March 2020, signaling an encouraging development that should be seen through a cautious lens, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said yesterday at a briefing.

Adhanom Ghebreyesus China Usa city Shanghai city Beijing, China covid-19 death vaccine

European studies shed light on long COVID risk and recovery

A trio of new observational studies from Europe describes long COVID prevalence in Luxembourg, the effect of initial infection severity on risk in Sweden, and an occupational therapy program to ease symptoms in Ireland. The research was presented at the annual congress of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) in Portugal, which ended yesterday.

Ireland Portugal Sweden Luxembourg city Luxembourg symptoms patient reports

News Scan for Apr 27, 2022

Following the reappearance of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo's (DRC's) Equateur Province, the country today launched an rVSV-EBOV vaccine campaign, tapping an initial shipment of 200 doses, the World Health Organization (WHO) African regional office said today.The campaign will use a "ring vaccination" strategy, targeting contact

Congo province Équateur outbreak vaccine Health

CDC: 58% of Americans have had COVID-19

New COVID-19 seroprevalence data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that the Omicron surge infected a huge swath of Americans, with overall seroprevalence rising from 33.5% in December of 2021 to 57.7% in February 2022.

Rochelle Walensky Usa covid-19 vaccine infection

COVID-19 Scan for Apr 26, 2022

Israelis aged 60 and older given a fourth dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine amid the Omicron surge had a 64% lower risk of hospitalization and 78% lower risk of death than those who received three doses, suggests an observational study published yesterday in Nature Medicine.Clalit Health Services researchers compared the outcomes of 328,597 pati

Israel hospital covid-19 patient

'Do you want us to pull the plug?' PTSD in families of COVID ICU patients

Two thirds of family members restricted from visiting their loved ones admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) for COVID-19 had significant symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) 3 months later, with the greatest severity in those of Hispanic ethnicity, female sex, and previous use of a psychiatric drug, according to a study published yesterday in JAMA Internal Medicine.

Usa India state New York Washington state Massachusets state Louisiana state Oregon county Early state Colorado hospital symptoms patient

CIDRAP to develop vaccine roadmap for future coronavirus threats

New coronaviruses armed with the capacity to cause severe human disease are becoming more frequent, raising the stakes for global preparedness, along with a need for a vaccine that could broadly protect against the most dangerous ones, such as SARS-CoV-2.

state Minnesota virus vaccine Coronavirus

China tracks rising COVID activity in Beijing as US cases climb

As China battles an Omicron-fueled COVID-19 outbreak in Shanghai, its largest city, it is also now seeing cases rise in Beijing, its capital and home to more than 21 million people.

New York China Usa city Shanghai covid-19 death reports

Omicron less severe than Delta but more easily evades boosters

Three new observational studies from Scotland, Denmark, and the United States detail reduced hospitalizations and emergency department (ED) visits for Omicron COVID-19 infections relative to those caused by the Delta variant, as well as strong but waning third-dose vaccine effectiveness over time against Omicron.

Usa Denmark Scotland covid-19 vaccine infection

News Scan for Apr 25, 2022

A modeling study estimates that COVID-19 vaccination prevented more than 1.5 million infections, 72,000 hospitalizations, and 19,000 deaths in the first 10 months of vaccination in California, according to a study published late last week in JAMA Network Open.University of California researchers created a statistical model usin

state California covid-19 vaccine reports

COVID-19 third leading cause of death in US in 2021

COVID-19 was the third leading cause of death in the United States last year, and deaths from COVID-19 increased by 1% in 2021 over 2020, according to new data from the National Vital Statistics System released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Usa India covid-19 death mask

WHO backs Paxlovid for high-risk COVID patients

The World Health Organization (WHO) today strongly recommended Pfizer's Paxlovid drug for mild to moderately sick COVID-19 patients who are part of high-risk groups, but also called for efforts to boost access to the treatment for low- to middle-income countries.

Usa covid-19 recommendations patient

Effect of nations' COVID restrictions on mental health varied by type, group

Two studies published yesterday in The Lancet Public Health detail how COVID-19 restrictions moderately affected adults' mental health in 15 nations, with one finding that the type of lockdowns were linked to the level of distress and opinion of the government, and the other suggesting that mental health declined slightly but significantly under lockdown—especially among women.

South Korea Japan Singapore Italy Germany Spain Britain France city Singapore Australia Canada Netherlands Denmark city London Norway Finland Sweden covid-19 Health Strategy

Studies suggest current vaccines boost immune response against Omicron

Despite being developed to fight the original COVID-19 strain, a third dose of mRNA vaccine boosts the immune system substantially to better fight infections caused by the Omicron variant relative to the standard 2-dose primary series, according to two new studies in Nature and JAMA Network Open.

vaccine infection strain

News Scan for Apr 22, 2022

Adults hospitalized early in the pandemic with COVID-19 were at more than triple the risk of death than those with influenza, despite the flu patients being older and having more chronic illnesses, according to new data from Spain to be presented at this year's European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (ECCMID), which starts tomorrow.The researchers also found that COVID-19 is associated with longer h

Spain covid-19 patient reports

Longer COVID vaccine dose interval tied to higher antibody levels

An interval of over 10 weeks between COVID-19 vaccine doses was associated with SARS-CoV-2 antibody levels up to 11 times higher than with an interval of 2 to 4 weeks in never-infected participants, according to a preprint paper to be presented at the upcoming annual congress of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (ESCMID).

Britain Portugal city Lisbon, Portugal covid-19 vaccine infection

Global COVID cases drop as pandemic disrupts routine US kids' vaccines

In its weekly snapshot of the pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) said yesterday that global cases dropped for the fourth straight week, with illness levels—as well as deaths—down in all regions.

China South Korea Japan Usa Italy Germany France Russia city Shanghai Haiti Andorra Guam Niger Zambia Kyrgyzstan region European Mozambique Suriname covid-19 vaccine reports

AstraZeneca's Evusheld slashes risk of symptomatic COVID-19 up to 83%

AstraZeneca's monoclonal antibody combination tixagevimab-cilgavimab (Evusheld) reduced the risk of symptomatic COVID-19 infection by 83% over placebo at a median follow-up of 6 months, finds a phase 3 randomized clinical trial published yesterday in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Usa Spain Britain France Belgium covid-19 infection symptomatic

News Scan for Apr 21, 2022

A 31-year-old woman from Spain contracted COVID-19 twice within 3 weeks, despite being fully vaccinated and recently receiving a booster shot, according to a case report that will be presented at the upcoming European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) meeting. The case provides evidence that the Omicron strain is able to evade previous immunity.The woman, a healthcare worker, first tested positive in December o

Spain Australia state Indiana vaccine infection Health

Risk of myocarditis after COVID vaccine low but highest in young men

A new study of 23.1 million Scandinavians suggests that the risk of myocarditis after mRNA COVID-19 vaccination is low but highest in 16- to 24-year-old males after the second dose. The results were published yesterday in JAMA Cardiology.

Denmark Norway Finland Sweden covid-19 vaccine

CDC advisers discuss future of COVID-19 booster shots

Though all Americans age 50 and older are now eligible to get a second booster of COVID-19 vaccine, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) said some groups may benefit more than others from the shot.

Usa state Maryland county Oliver covid-19 death vaccine

COVID-19 infection may offer similar immunity as vaccination

In the pre-Omicron variant era, previous symptomatic COVID-19 infection in unvaccinated patients conferred a level of protection against subsequent infections on par with that of mRNA vaccines but longer-lasting, according to a US study of more than 121,000 participants published today in JAMA Network Open.

Usa city Chicago covid-19 vaccine infection

News Scan for Apr 20, 2022

A randomized controlled trial found that suppressing androgen hormones in male COVID-19 patients hospitalized with the virus did not improve outcomes. The study was published yesterday in JAMA Network Open.The data come from the Hormonal Intervention for the Treatmen

Usa hospital covid-19 infection

Air pollution may raise risk of positive COVID-19 test

An observational JAMA Network Open study today involving young adults in Sweden suggests that short-term exposure to even relatively low levels of air pollution is tied to a higher risk of later testing positive for COVID-19, likely by worsening symptoms in those already infected.

Sweden city Stockholm covid-19 testing infection

Masks off on US public transit as COVID-19 cases rise

Numerous companies are dropping requirements for facial coverings in the wake of yesterday's ruling by a federal judge in Florida that overturned the federal COVID-19 mask mandate on public transportation.

Kathryn Kimball Mizelle New York Usa state Florida hospital covid-19 reports

Study suggests worse outcomes for awake COVID patients in prone position

A nonrandomized controlled trial yesterday in JAMA Internal Medicine shows worse outcomes for hospitalized COVID-19 patients with low oxygen levels placed in the prone (chest-down) position while awake, although a commentary cautions about study design shortcomings.

covid-19 Ventilators patient

COVID-19 Scan for Apr 19, 2022

Use of the common maintenance drugs angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs), angiotensin-receptor blockers (ARBs), warfarin, statins, direct-factor Xa inhibitors, and P2Y12 inhibitors was tied to lower risk of COVID-19 infection, hospitalization, and death, a large US National Institutes of Health (NIH) study suggests.The observational study, published yesterday in PLOS One, identified CO

Usa covid-19 infection patient

Judge nixes travel mask mandate as COVID-19 cases inch up

A federal judge in Florida today struck down the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) mask mandate for airline flight and other travel, just days after the agency extended it by 2 weeks to assess activity related to the BA.2 SARS-CoV-2 subvariant.

Ashish Jha Kathryn Kimball Mizelle New York Usa India state Florida Washington city Shanghai covid-19 mask reports

Global data reveal half may have long COVID 4 months on

Worldwide, 49% of COVID-19 survivors reported persistent symptoms 4 months after diagnosis, estimates a meta-analysis of 31 studies published late last week in The Journal of Infectious Diseases.

Usa state Michigan covid-19 symptoms patient

News Scan for Apr 18, 2022

COVID-19 mRNA vaccine effectiveness (VE) against infection was 5% to 7% higher when the two primary doses were given at least 7 weeks rather than 3 to 5 weeks apart, according to an observational study of hospital and community healthcare workers (HCWs) in British Columbia published late last week in Open Forum Infectious Diseases.Researchers from the BC Centre for Disease Control, Communicabl

Britain Canada city Columbia, Britain covid-19 death vaccine

RDSP maps medicine supply to US to predict, prevent shortages (part 2 of 2)

The Resilient Drug Supply Project (RDSP) has built the world's largest database on pharmaceutical manufacturing, procurement, and distribution. Composed of more than 60 public and proprietary datasets, it can monitor the drug supply chain from start to finish and predict likely shortages of essential drugs affecting the United States.

Usa state Minnesota pandemic medicines Manufacturing

Psychiatric disorders may up risk for COVID-19 reinfection

A history of certain psychiatric disorders may predispose fully vaccinated COVID-19 survivors to reinfection, according to a study of 263,697 US veterans published yesterday in JAMA Network Open.

Usa state California San Francisco covid-19 vaccine patient

FDA authorizes COVID breath test for emergency use

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) yesterday authorized for emergency use the first COVID-19 test based on breath samples, a system that looks for chemical signatures of infection and can provide a result in about 3 minutes.

Jeff Shuren Usa Washington state Texas covid-19 testing infection

News Scan for Apr 15, 2022

Rates of upper airway infections (UAIs) such as croup and bacterial tracheitis among pediatric COVID-19 patients, though low, rose after the Omicron variant became dominant in December 2021, with more than one fifth of hospitalized children with both conditions developing severe illness, estimates a study today in JAMA Pediatrics.The University of Colorado–led US National COVID Cohort Collaborat

Usa state Colorado covid-19 outbreak reports

China clings to zero-COVID policy; Pfizer touts booster for kids

Today China reported 29,317 new COVID-19 cases, which include 26,318 asymptomatic cases. Shanghai has 85.7% of the symptomatic cases and 95.5% of the asymptomatic cases, according to officials.

Xi Jinping Michael Osterholm China Hong Kong state Minnesota city Shanghai city Hong Kong covid-19 vaccine reports

Fourth COVID vaccine dose gives 76% added protection against death

Compared with a third vaccine dose, a fourth dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine lowered the risk of infection, symptomatic infection, hospitalization, severe illness, and death 52% to 76%—depending on the measure—amid the Omicron surge among older adults, finds a new Israeli study.

Israel city Tel Aviv covid-19 vaccine infection

News Scan for Apr 14, 2022

In its first evaluation of COVID-19 exposures among US healthcare professionals (HCPs) over the first year of the pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that most HCPs were likely infected at work rather than in the community.The study, published yesterday in the American Journal of Infection Contro

Usa covid-19 outbreak infection

Global COVID cases fall as CDC extends travel mask order

Global COVID-19 cases have declined for the third week in a row, with deaths easing off to levels seen early in the pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in its latest assessments of the pandemic.

Adhanom Ghebreyesus South Korea Usa Italy Germany France Vietnam covid-19 death reports fall

Pandemic cut US life span almost 2 years, more than any peer nation

Life expectancy in the United States declined 1.87 years from 2019 to after the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, more than any of 21 other high-income countries—with greater losses in Hispanic and Black populations, according to a modeling study published today in JAMA Network Open.

Taiwan South Korea Usa Switzerland Italy Austria Germany Spain Ireland France Israel Canada New Zealand Netherlands Denmark county White Scotland state Virginia Norway Portugal Belgium Finland Sweden death pandemic Health

News Scan for Apr 13, 2022

Two new studies describe benefits of the monoclonal antibody (mAb) treatment casirivimab-imdevimab in adult COVID-19 outpatients, both suggesting lower rates of hospitalization, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and death in an era dominated by the Delta variant.University of Pittsburgh researchers led the first study, published

state Arizona city Pittsburgh hospital covid-19 outbreak

Estimate: Less than half the world has had COVID-19

From March 2020 to the emergence of the Omicron variant in late 2021, about 3.8 billion COVID-19 infections and reinfections occurred, with nearly 44% of the world's population infected at least once but with wide regional variations, estimates a statistical analysis of 190 countries and territories published late last week in The Lancet.

Usa India Canada covid-19 infection reports

Officials closely track rising COVID levels in Northeastern states

Rising COVID-19 activity in a few Northeastern states appears to be driving a slight increase in national cases, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Usa state New York Puerto Rico Washington state New Jersey state Massachusets state Connecticut state Vermont city Philadelphia county George state Maryland state New Hampshire state Maine state Rhode Island city Columbia county Hopkins city Washington, county George New York, state New Jersey Virgin Islands covid-19 Health reports track

News Scan for Apr 12, 2022

Approximately 2.4 out of every 1,000 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 developed myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle that typically follows viral infections, according to an international study published yesterday in the American Heart Association (AHA) journal Circulation.When including possible myocarditis cases, the rate increases to 4

Usa covid-19 outbreak patient

Shanghai tweaks lockdown as COVID-19 surge presses on

As Shanghai's lockdown enters its third week and amid public outcry about lapses in food supply and services, including medical treatment, officials today announced a plan to ease measures in some of the city's districts where no cases have been reported in the past 2 week.

China Taiwan Usa city Shanghai province Guangdong city Guangzhou city Jilin covid-19 reports Citi

News Scan for Apr 11, 2022

Depression and loneliness have increased among older adults during the pandemic, prompting a need for more coordinated efforts to address the issue, according to a report on social isolation in older Canadians.The report was conducted by researchers at Simon Fraser University's

county Canadian hospital patient reports

Study details COVID's toll on essential workers, health workers

Of all essential workers in Sweden in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare professionals and immigrants were at highest risk for infection, hospitalization, and admission to an intensive care unit (ICU), according to a study late last week in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health.

Sweden hospital covid-19 infection

Study sheds light on death spike in Hong Kong COVID-19 surge

The recent Omicron variant surge in Hong Kong came with a mortality rate among the world's highest yet in the pandemic, a troubling development in a region known for its strong pandemic measures, and today researchers from the United States, Hong Kong, and China who dug into the data suggest that vaccination lapses in older people played a major role.

China Usa Hong Kong New Zealand city Hong Kong covid-19 vaccine reports

COVID-19 Scan for Apr 08, 2022

A study today in Pediatrics suggests a test-to-stay (TTS) strategy, as opposed to quarantine, was a safe and effective tool for Massachusetts public schools for the 2021-22 school year, as it was associated with both limited COVID-19 transmission and increased in-person learning days for students.The TTS program required all students exposed to a COVID-1

state Massachusets covid-19 testing 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

cidrap.umn.edu Main News

Related News