MERS-CoV

Study: MERS antibodies persist up to 6 years

A study of antibodies in 48 people in Saudi Arabia who survived their MERS-CoV infections found that some neutralizing antibodies persisted 6 years, a Saudi-led team reported yesterday in Emerging Infectious Diseases.

Australian study shows long-term benefits of ICU stewardship intervention

An audit of an electronic medical record–integrated antimicrobial stewardship intervention in an Australian intensive care unit (ICU) demonstrated long-term benefits and sustainability, Australian researchers reported today in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology.

Small Saudi study finds 12% in ICU had both MERS and COVID-19

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.

Higher nursing home use of certain antibiotics, COVID therapies noted

US nursing homes saw an increase in prescribing of antibiotics commonly used for respiratory infections during the pandemic, and large number of residents were prescribed drugs being evaluated for COVID-19 treatment, according to a study yesterday in Clinical Infectious Diseases.

High vaccine uptake in Israel tied to fewer severe COVID cases in elderly

Israel's national COVID-19 vaccine rollout, which saw 84% of people 70 and older fully vaccinated by Feb 9 , was associated with less need for mechanical ventilation in the elderly. The finding could show that COVID-19 vaccine rollouts help prevent severe cases at the national level, according to a study in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Antibiotic prescribing in telehealth can be appropriate with guidance, study finds

Telemedicine visits in Brazil performed under rigorous adherence to antibiotic stewardship guidelines were associated with appropriate antibiotic prescribing for patients with low-risk conditions, Brazilian and Australian researchers reported yesterday in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases.

Unemployment insurance, stimulus tied to less food insecurity

Unemployment insurance was tied to a food insecurity reduction of 4.3 percentage points and a reduction in the need to eat less because of financial constraints of 5.7 percentage points during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a JAMA Network Open study published late last week.

Survey: 2 of 10 school districts mulling keeping e-learning after COVID-19

About 2 in 10 US school districts have said they will continue, or are considering continuing, distance learning after the COVID-19 pandemic ends, citing student and parent demand, according to a Rand Corporation study released yesterday.

Italian study finds daily ID consults linked to reduced hospital antibiotics

Daily infectious disease (ID) consultation in an Italian hospital was associated with reduced antibiotic consumption compared with weekly ID consultation, Italian researchers reported late last week in BMC Infectious Diseases.

WHO advisors propose new vaccine virus strains for pandemic readiness

During recent meetings to recommend the flu strains to include in the Southern Hemisphere's 2021 flu season, the World Health Organization (WHO) advisory group also reviewed the latest developments with zoonotic strains and recommended two new candidate vaccine viruses for pandemic preparedness.