Mar 25, 2010
Georgia reports rise in flu hospitalizations
Georgia health officials said that flu hospitalizations are at their highest level since last September, with 70 to 80 reported in each of the past 2 weeks, the Associated Press (AP) reported today. Dr Susan Lance, state epidemiologist, is advising clinicians to continue immunizing adults and children and consider pandemic H1N1 infections in those who present with flu-like symptoms, according to a posting on the Georgia Division of Public Health Web site.
http://www.11alive.com/news/health/story.aspx?storyid=142139&catid=13
Mar 25 AP story
Study highlights pregnancy risk factor
A case series of New York City pregnant women who needed intensive care unit (ICU) treatment of pandemic flu infections in 2009 found that only 2 of 17, one of whom was postpartum, had underlying conditions other than pregnancy. The study, published today in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), also revealed that, although all received oseltamivir (Tamiflu), only one woman received it within 2 days of symptom onset, a time frame linked to better outcomes. Two of the women died.
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5911a1.htm
Mar 26 MMWR report
UK begins post-pandemic review
Britain's Department of Health (DH) today announced an independent review of the UK response to the H1N1 influenza pandemic. Deirdre Hine, a former Welsh chief medical officer, will chair the review and forward recommendations to health ministers before the summer parliamentary recess. "This review is being conducted as part of the normal procedure following a major emergency event," today's DH release stated. "The findings will be used to inform future planning for pandemics."
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/MediaCentre/Pressreleasesarchive/DH_114588
Mar 25 DH news release
Novavax reports cell-based vaccine effective
Novavax Inc., of Rockville, Md., announced that its H1N1 virus-like particle (VLP) vaccine produced good immune response and safety profiles in 1,000 volunteers, replicating results of a study on 500 volunteers reported in December. The vaccine provided protective immunity in two doses of either 5, 15, or 45 micrograms. The next step is a 3,500-person study. Novavax said its VLP vaccine can be grown in weeks instead of the months it takes to make a traditional egg-based vaccine.
http://www.novavax.com/download/releases/DSMBfo2.pdf
Mar 24 Novavax release
Masks and N-95s performed equally in study
An observational study in the April 1 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases of health workers at a Singapore hospital suggests that surgical masks were as effective as N-95 respirators against pandemic H1N1 infections. For one month last summer workers wore N-95s in emergency and isolation areas, and the following month they wore surgical masks. Few workers got sick, and all transmission occurred outside the hospital. The CDC recommends N-95s for health workers caring for H1N1 patients.
http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/full/10.1086/651159
Clin Infect Dis study
