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Two studies yesterday in Nature show that the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) and Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines provide robust cellular protection against serious illness caused by the highly transmissible Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant, despite evidence of waning neutralizing antibody protection against the virus.
The secondary attack rate was shown higher in Denmark for BA.2 than the original Omicron—39% vs 29%.
People with disabilities had 36% longer COVID-19 hospital stays and 77% more readmissions.
Pre-Omicron data show 93% protection against COVID-19 and 98% protection against severe COVID-19.
Significantly fewer adult Medicare beneficiaries with schizophrenia or bipolar 1 disorders had mental health-related outpatient, emergency department (ED), and hospital visits, as well as fills for antipsychotics and mood-stabilizing drugs in the first 8 months of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A multifaceted stewardship intervention aimed at virtual visits was tied to improvements in guideline-concordant antibiotic prescribing for upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) and sinusitis, University of Michigan researchers reported today in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology.
Also, people are concerned about the impact of Omicron on the economy and on hospitals.
One study finds that 2 vaccinated parents are better than 1 at protecting kids.
Our weekly wrap-up of antimicrobial stewardship & antimicrobial resistance scans
New rules limiting the use of antibiotics in food-producing animals in the European Union went into effect today.
A third COVID-19 vaccine dose increased vaccine effectiveness (VE) against hospitalization from 82% to 97% among adults with healthy immune systems and from 69% to 88% among those with impaired immunity, according to a study today in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).
Both studies show promise for boosters against Omicron, with one focusing on dose interval.
Also, the ECDC says the BA.2 subvariant is now dominant in Denmark and is rising elsewhere.
US hospital data show 150,000 COVID-19 patients being treated, down from a record 160,000.
"Without antibiotics, we are set back 100 years."
Among 457 adult participants in an ongoing phase 1/2 clinical trial who completed primary COVID-19 vaccination with the Moderna, Johnson & Johnson (J&J), or Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines, a booster dose with either the same (homologous) or a different brand (heterologous) induced an immune response and was safe.
China has reported two more human H5N6 avian influenza infections from two different provinces, part of a small but steady stream of illnesses involving the strain, according to a statement today from Hong King's Centre for Health Protection (CHP).
Overall, patients had only modest benefit, but some subgroups fared better.
The US has donated more to COVAX than any other nation, with the latest shipments bound for Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Officials confirmed more than 21 million new global cases last week, the highest weekly total ever.
