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Our weekly wrap-up of antimicrobial stewardship & antimicrobial resistance scans
Originally published by CIDRAP News Jul 15
One more Ebola case has been reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Equateur province outbreak, raising the total to 57, the World Health Organization (WHO) African regional office said on Twitter today.
The added case is a probable infection, involving a patient who apparently died. Of the 57 cases, 53 are lab-confirmed and 4 are now listed as probable. The fatality count is now at 22.
Racial and ethnic minorities are more likely to have evidence of severe COVID-19 disease on chest x-rays, according to a study yesterday in Radiology.
Experts acknowledge that reopening in the midst of COVID-19 will be difficult and require deep resources.
Hong Kong and Japan, which had contained the virus, are experiencing flare-ups and recorded record cases.
Only Delaware and Maine reported declining cases in the past 2 weeks.
In a large US study, 35% of ICU patients died within 28 days of hospitalization.
Officials have confirmed 4 more Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Equateur province Ebola outbreak, raising the number to 56 and passing the total of an outbreak that occurred in the same province in 2018.
The vaccine generated an immune response and was generally well tolerated.
"Vaccines can be delivered safely even during the pandemic."
Total US cases now number almost 3.5 million, including 136,940 deaths.
Health officials in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have confirmed one more Ebola case in the outbreak in Equateur province, raising the total to 52, the World Health Organization (WHO) African regional office said on Twitter today.
Data released today from a randomized controlled trial evaluating the use of hydroxychloroquine in hospitalized COVID-19 patients show that the antimalaria drug was not associated with reductions in 28-day mortality but was linked with increased time in the hospital and an increased risk of progressing to mechanical ventilation or death.
"The time to ensure that health and essential workers are adequately protected is now," the authors say.
Efforts are under way to use PAHO funds to help nations buy vaccine, and the group is advising them on trial participation.
The only reason to change guidelines is new data and new science, not politics, they say.
Some low- and middle-income countries could see deaths due to HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria spike by as much as 10%, 20%, and 36%, respectively, over the next 5 years because of health service disruptions amid the COVID-19 pandemic and response, according to a modeling study published yesterday in The Lancet Global Health.
The results of a survey sent to pediatric antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP) physicians and pharmacists indicate that most pediatric ASPs conduct antifungal stewardship but many don't feel confident about making antifungal recommendations, US researchers reported today in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology.
With the global total about to top 13 million cases, the WHO warns countries to act.
In both studies, patients receiving tocilizumab had about half the risk of dying.
