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COVID-19 variants of concern (VOCs), especially the Delta (B1617.2) variant, are more virulent than the wild type, according to an Ontario-based study published in CMAJ yesterday. The cohort included 212,326 cases of non-VOCs (22.4%) and VOCs with the N501Y mutation (76.7%), such as Alpha (B117), Beta (B1351), Gamma (P1), and Delta.
In other global developments, New Zealand announces a plan to loosen restrictions as Delta cases pop up in new parts of Australia.
Report says the supply chain needs more assessment, and mitigation steps must be fully developed.
Also, the persistence of depressive symptoms for more than 1 year was greater than after the Sep 11 attacks.
Though the Delta surge appears to be ebbing, several states are still experiencing overcrowded hospitals.
Reinfection from SARS-CoV-2 under endemic conditions will most likely occur at a median of 16 months, according to a modeling study published late last week in The Lancet Microbe.
Diagnostics company OpGen announced today that it has received 510(k) clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market a new rapid molecular diagnostic tool that could aid in treating antibiotic-resistant or non-susceptible infections.
One study highlights the fallout of unstable housing on Americans' mental and physical health.
Two studies assessed COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in minorities and toward specific vaccine brands.
Also, Merck says its investigational oral antiviral drug reduces the risk of COVID-19 death by 50%.
Hospitalized COVID-19 patients who were treated with remdesivir within 2 days of admission had lower mortality rates than their matched cohort, according to a study today in Clinical Infectious Diseases. The observational cohort consisted of US adults hospitalized with COVID-19 from August to November 2020; 28,855 received remdesivir and 16,887 did not.
Our weekly wrap-up of antimicrobial stewardship & antimicrobial resistance scans
New antimicrobials to treat severe bacterial and fungal infections were among the drugs that the World Health Organization (WHO) included in its new Essential Medicines list, which is updated annually and serves as its recommended list of medicines that every health system should have.
Also, the monoclonal antibody combo resolved symptoms and reduced viral load faster than a placebo.
The 10-year plan starts today and gives recommendations for a range of scientific disciplines to better address seasonal flu and prepare for the next flu pandemic.
People in rural areas are currently twice as likely to die from COVID-19 as their urban peers, new data show.
Results from a worldwide survey of hospitals suggests that the Global Point Prevalence Survey of Antimicrobial Consumption and Resistance (Global-PPS) has helped inform stewardship activities, Belgian researchers reported this week in Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control.
Critically ill COVID-19 patients who received extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) at the end of 2020 had a higher mortality rate than those who received it in the first half of the year, according to a study published yesterday in The Lancet.
Also, CDC data show similar side effects after a third Pfizer vaccine dose as seen after the second dose.
Cases and deaths continue to drop globally, but infections continue at very high levels.
