Category: Emerging Infectious Diseases
Increase in invasive Group A streptococcal infections among children in Europe, including fatalities
(WHO) A number of European countries (including France, Ireland, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United Kingdom) have indicated an increase in 2022, particularly since September, in the number of cases of invasive Group A streptococcal (iGAS) disease among children under 10 years of age. During the same period, several deaths associated with iGAS disease in children […]
Dec 13, 2022
China Covid: Hospitals under strain in wave of infections
(BBC) China’s hospitals are already under so much pressure, following the country’s rapid 180-degree shift in Covid policy that doctors and nurses could be infecting patients. It seems frontline medical workers are being told to come in even if they have the virus themselves because of staff shortages.
Dec 13, 2022
Ohio Measles Outbreak Jumps to 74 Cases
(MedPageToday) Measles cases continue to rise in central Ohio, with total cases hitting 74 this week, up from about 50 reported last week, according to Columbus Public Health. Of the 74 reported cases, all have occurred in children and adolescents, with 69 cases among those younger than 5 years (18 cases in those ages 3-5 years, […]
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
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
An early lesson from the Uganda Ebola vaccine trial: Shots must be ready to go before the next outbreak strikes
(STAT) A clinical trial of vaccines targeting the Ebola Sudan virus is starting this week in Uganda, with first doses going into arms potentially on Tuesday. Already, though, this effort has taught the World Health Organization and partners two important lessons. They’ve learned they can get clinical trials to test countermeasures for rare but dangerous […]
Dec 13, 2022