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Only heart disease and cancer killed more Americans than COVID-19, and COVID deaths increased by 1% in 2021 over 2020.
A third mRNA dose boosts the immune system to better fight Omicron infections, 2 studies find.
Also, the WHO revised its assessment of remdesivir, recommending it for mild or moderate infections in high-risk groups.
Adults hospitalized early in the pandemic with COVID-19 were at more than triple the risk of death than those with influenza, despite the flu patients being older and having more chronic illnesses, according to new data from Spain to be presented at this year's European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (ECCMID), which starts tomorrow.
Testing conducted on hedgehogs in Helsinki, Finland, revealed the presence of antibiotic-resistant pathogens and genes known to cause human infections, according to a paper to be presented at the upcoming European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (ECCMID).
Our weekly wrap-up of antimicrobial stewardship & antimicrobial resistance scans
Of prescriptions, 74% written for elderly patients and 64% for Black patients were deemed inappropriate.
This school year 35,000 more US kids were not protected against common diseases.
The data reveal about 6 instances per 100,000 Pfizer vaccinees, compared with 18 for Moderna.
Over 73% of participants were at elevated risk of infection owing to risk factors.
A 31-year-old woman from Spain contracted COVID-19 twice within 3 weeks, despite being fully vaccinated and recently receiving a booster shot, according to a case report that will be presented at the upcoming European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) meeting. The case provides evidence that the Omicron strain is able to evade previous immunity.
Four states, including hard-hit Minnesota, reported more highly pathogenic avian flu outbreaks, pushing the nation's poultry losses to more than 28.8 million birds from 29 states.
An increase in resistance to ciprofloxacin among poultry isolates was primarily due to Salmonella Infantis.
The findings, of course, do not suggest infection is preferred over vaccination, which is much safer.
Given our polluted world, "the association may be of great significance to public health," one author says.
Though at-risk people are strong candidates, "For every COVID-19 vaccine dose recommended, uptake declines," a CDC official says.
The H5N6 avian flu virus has sickened one more in China, a man from Sichuan province in the country's southwest, Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection (CHP) said today.
The 56-year-old man's symptoms began on Mar 31, and he was hospitalized on Apr 4 where he is remains in serious condition. An investigation found that he had been exposed to live domestic poultry before he got sick.
A randomized controlled trial found that suppressing androgen hormones in male COVID-19 patients hospitalized with the virus did not improve outcomes. The study was published yesterday in JAMA Network Open.
Also, new CDC data show that 9 of 10 young kids hospitalized with Omicron were not vaccinated.
A commentary, however, cautions about applying the findings to all patient populations.
