Author: Shannon Becker
COVID-19 Viral Rebound Occurs With Molnupiravir, No Antivirals
(US Pharmacist) Viral rebound sometimes occurs after treatment with Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir; ritonavir) for the treatment of COVID-19. Apparently, viral rebound also occurs with molnupiravir but not very commonly, according to a new study. Researchers from the Chinese University of Hong Kong sought to examine the incidence of viral rebound in patients with COVID-19 who were […]
Dec 13, 2022
Paediatric Inflammatory Multisystem Syndrome (PIMS-TS) following SARS-CoV-2 Infection: Diagnosis and Management
(Perth Children’s Hospital) PIMS-TS [also known as Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children associated with COVID-19 (MIS-C)] is a rare but severe complication that occurred in around 1 in 3000 children 2-6 weeks following infection with previously circulating variants of SARS-CoV-2.1 Observed PIMS-TS incidence has been lower following Omicron infection compared with earlier waves.2, 3Consider PIMS-TS in […]
Dec 13, 2022
How COVID-19 Immunity Works at This Point in the Pandemic
(Time) When SARS-CoV-2 was a brand-new virus, it met little resistance in immune-naïve hosts—that is, us. Vaccines, boosters, and infections have increased our immunity to varying degrees. But how much protection do each of these provide at this point in the pandemic? Here’s what researchers are learning about how the human body reacts to COVID-19 […]
Dec 13, 2022
Jeremy Farrar leaves top job at Wellcome Trust to become chief scientist at WHO
(Science) Jeremy Farrar, director of the Wellcome Trust, one of the largest nongovernmental science funders, will step down early next year to become the chief scientist at the World Health Organization (WHO). He will replace Soumya Swaminathan, the first person to hold the post. Swaminathan, a pediatrician, announced last month that she would be leaving to focus […]
Dec 13, 2022
Scientists’ understanding of long covid is improving
(Economist) PODCAST Our podcast on science and technology. This week, we examine the latest research into what may be causing long covid, and ask whether the hunt for answers could shed light on other chronic conditions. SOON AFTER the pandemic began, another health crisis started to emerge. Long covid now affects millions of people around the world. […]
Dec 13, 2022
Suffering Endures on the Other Side of the Mpox Curve
(MedPageToday) OPINION At the height of the outbreak, many of the patients we saw with mpox at NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue — the city’s main public hospital where I lead our group of infectious disease physicians — came from similar backgrounds. They were undocumented, gig economy workers who were uninsured or underinsured, non-English speaking, with […]
Dec 13, 2022
Plunge in US imports accelerates; volumes near pre-COVID levels
(Freight Waves) The situation remains far from normal at some U.S. ports. There were still 18 container ships at anchor waiting for a berth in Savannah, Georgia, on Monday. But for the country overall, plummeting inbound cargo volumes are bringing imports close to where they were before the pandemic-induced spending splurge. Descartes reported Monday that […]
Dec 13, 2022
The Covid Pandemic’s Hidden Casualties: Pregnant Women
(NYT) Many expectant women have avoided vaccination, unaware that the virus poses great risks to both fetus and mother. Of all the groups still threatened by Covid-19 — including the elderly and the immunocompromised — it is pregnant women who seem the most unaware of the risks. Covid can kill pregnant women and can result in miscarriage, preterm births and stillbirths […]
Dec 13, 2022
It’s Time to Wear a Mask Again, Health Experts Say
(NYT) A high-quality, well-fitting mask is your best protection against infection from the coronavirus, influenza and R.S.V. Masks are back, and, this time, they’re not just for Covid-19. A “tripledemic” of the coronavirus, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus, known as R.S.V., sweeping through the United States has prompted several cities and counties, including New York City and Los […]
Dec 13, 2022
Two Years of U.S. COVID-19 Vaccines Have Prevented Millions of Hospitalizations and Deaths
(Commonwealth Fund) It has been two years since the first COVID-19 vaccine was given to a patient in the United States. Since then, the U.S. has administered more than 655 million doses — 80 percent of the population has received at least one dose — with the cumulative effect of preventing more than 18 million […]
Dec 13, 2022