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China's CoronaVac COVID-19 vaccine is tied to a slight increased risk of Bell's palsy, while the Fosun/BioNTech (Pfizer/BioNTech's parallel product in China) did not show a significantly increased risk, according to a study yesterday in The Lancet Infectious Diseases. Both the researchers and a related commentary conclude that COVID-19 vaccines' benefits outweigh the risks.
A WHO official says the case is concerning because it was detected in Abidjan, a city of 4 million people, but it's not linked to an earlier outbreak in Guinea.
Vaccination is key to protect adult household members, an editorial on the study notes.
For the first time since February, the US topped 900,000 cases in a week, and more kids are hospitalized than ever before.
US wildfires were associated with excess COVID-19 cases and deaths from mid-August to mid-October 2020, according to a study published late last week in Science Advances.
An analysis of hospitalized geriatric patients found that rigorous de-escalation and curtailing of antibiotics was associated with reductions in hospital readmission and mortality, US researchers reported last week in JAC-Antimicrobial Resistance.
Japan and Thailand report record daily cases, and South Korea says its fourth surge hasn't peaked yet.
"The science teams have done remarkable work. It's not a science problem; it's an economics problem."
The authors say factors could include high patient numbers and underestimating airborne transmission.
Also, two states with relatively high vaccination rates are seeing COVID-19 surges.
Our weekly wrap-up of antimicrobial stewardship & antimicrobial resistance scans
Outpatient antibiotic use in British Columbia has declined by more than 23% over the last two decades, driven by significant decreases in pediatric use, Canadian researchers reported yesterday in JAC-Antimicrobial Resistance.
COVID-19 transmission among households was three times more likely if the household had a high living density, according to a study yesterday in Clinical Infectious Diseases. Higher living density is defined as having more than three household members but fewer than six rooms.
Also, two states make up 30% of COVID hospitalizations, and third doses for immunocompromised people are likely.
Data indicated a third dose was safe and had efficacy in the immunosuppressed.
The next study phase includes examining raw data and stored blood samples.
An analysis of Google Trends suggests World Antimicrobial Awareness Week has not improved public awareness of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine was safe in adolescents 12 to 17 years old, with a similar immune response to that in young adults, according to results of an ongoing phase 2-3 trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine yesterday.
In another development, the WHO announced the next phase of a treatment trial, which will test three repurposed drugs across 52 countries.
Also, the CDC recommends vaccination for pregnant women, as hospitals are stretched to their limits in COVID-19 hot spots.
