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Brazil's activity intensified after Carnival, and, unlike its first surge, spikes aren't contained to a few main hot spots.
Researchers who tracked B117 variant spread in the UK found that the virus quickly found its way into nursing homes.
Hot spots include the Upper Midwest, Northeast, and Middle Atlantic and may reflect variant spread.
Among 3,008 US nursing homes in counties in the top quartile of COVID-19 prevalence, those with larger proportions of racial minority residents, Medicaid participants, and fewer direct patient care hours experienced more coronavirus infections amid the pandemic, according to a research letter published yesterday in JAMA Network Open.
A team of Indian scientists yesterday reported the detection of Candida auris isolates from two sampling sites on islands in the Indian Ocean—the first time the multidrug-resistant yeast has been isolated in a natural environment. The discovery was reported in mBio.
The European Medicines Agency and an expert WHO group are reviewing vaccine data.
The trial wasn't able to assess impact against severe disease because of the relatively young age of participants.
About 12% of the US population is fully vaccinated, and at least 21% have 1 dose.
Melinta Therapeutics of Morristown, New Jersey, announced yesterday that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Kimyrsa (oritavancin) for treatment of adult patients with acute bacterial skin and skin-structure infections (ABSSSIs) caused by susceptible gram-positive pathogens, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).
Roughly 15.9 million asymptomatic US COVID-19 cases may have gone undetected as of Sep 30, 2020, which would double the cases reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) during that time, according to a research letter detailing a 6.6% nationwide SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence rate.
In other hopeful news, 1 dose of the Pfizer vaccine may be 63% effective.
The proportion of antibiotics obtained without a prescription is highest in Vietnam and Bangladesh.
Findings in more than 2.2 million people suggest B117 has a 61% higher death rate.
Probes by European regulators and AstraZeneca have found no link between the vaccine and blood clotting or bleeding.
Out of 67 intensive care unit (ICU) patients who underwent simultaneous SARS-CoV-2 and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) testing in Saudi Arabia, 8 (11.9%) had coinfections, according to a new Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease study.
The study didn't find any anomalous symptoms or mortality rates, although the researchers say more data are needed around mortality.
"We should work toward improving care for our patients with right-sized antibiotic courses."
Also, Novavax says its vaccine candidate shows 96% efficacy against COVID-19.
The findings add to a growing body of evidence highlighting psychological repercussions.
Meanwhile, more countries announce temporary suspensions of use of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
Our weekly wrap-up of antimicrobial stewardship & antimicrobial resistance scans
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) announced yesterday that it has awarded $2.5 million in grants to support research on bacteriophage therapy.
