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COVID patients at high risk of readmission, death after hospital release

A large UK study yesterday in PLOS Medicine finds that COVID-19 patients released from the hospital were more than twice as likely as the general population to be rehospitalized or die within the next 10 months. They were also at nearly five times the risk for death from any cause.

H5N6 avian flu hospitalizes 2 more in China

China has reported two more human H5N6 avian influenza infections from two different provinces, part of a small but steady stream of illnesses involving the strain, according to a statement today from Hong King's Centre for Health Protection (CHP).

Similar immune response after same, different COVID-19 vaccine booster

Among 457 adult participants in an ongoing phase 1/2 clinical trial who completed primary COVID-19 vaccination with the Moderna, Johnson & Johnson (J&J), or Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines, a booster dose with either the same (homologous) or a different brand (heterologous) induced an immune response and was safe.

Third COVID vaccine dose boosts effectiveness against hospitalization

A third COVID-19 vaccine dose increased vaccine effectiveness (VE) against hospitalization from 82% to 97% among adults with healthy immune systems and from 69% to 88% among those with impaired immunity, according to a study today in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).

New EU rules on antibiotic use on farms take effect

New rules limiting the use of antibiotics in food-producing animals in the European Union went into effect today.

Our weekly wrap-up of antimicrobial stewardship & antimicrobial resistance scans

New EU rules on antibiotic use on farms take effect

New rules limiting the use of antibiotics in food-producing animals in the European Union went into effect today.

Stewardship bundle tied to better antibiotic prescribing for virtual visits

A multifaceted stewardship intervention aimed at virtual visits was tied to improvements in guideline-concordant antibiotic prescribing for upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) and sinusitis, University of Michigan researchers reported today in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology.

Medicare patient care-seeking for severe mental illness down in COVID-19

Significantly fewer adult Medicare beneficiaries with schizophrenia or bipolar 1 disorders had mental health-related outpatient, emergency department (ED), and hospital visits, as well as fills for antipsychotics and mood-stabilizing drugs in the first 8 months of the COVID-19 pandemic.

COVID vaccine-elicited T cells provide robust protection against Omicron

Two studies yesterday in Nature show that the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) and Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines provide robust cellular protection against serious illness caused by the highly transmissible Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant, despite evidence of waning neutralizing antibody protection against the virus.

US COVID-19 cases in first pandemic wave may have been 5 times higher

During the first US wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, there may have been almost 17 million undiagnosed COVID-19 infections in addition to the known 3 million cases, or about five times more than officially reported, according to a study in Science Translational Medicine yesterday.

CWD detected in a deer from another Wisconsin county

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) has been detected in an adult deer found dead in early May in the Wisconsin city of Brooklyn, marking the state's first such case in Green Lake County, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) said late last week.

COVID-19 vaccination tied to reduced household transmission

COVID-19 transmission among household members may be reduced 40% to 50% when a person has been vaccinated 21 days or more, according to a New England Journal of Medicine letter to the editor yesterday.

Little flu circulating globally; most is influenza B

Only a few countries reported sporadic flu detection, mostly involving influenza B, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in its latest global flu update, which covers the end of May and the first week of June.

New C difficile guidelines favor fidaxomicin over vancomycin

Guidelines published yesterday by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) and the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) contain three new recommendations for treating adults who have Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI).

Study: First COVID-19 case likely occurred in November 2019

A modeling study yesterday suggests that the first human case of COVID-19 likely occurred in or around November 2019 in China, with the most likely date of origin being Nov 17. The study was published in PLOS Pathogens.

Our weekly wrap-up of antimicrobial stewardship & antimicrobial resistance scans

New C difficile guidelines favor fidaxomicin over vancomycin

Guidelines published yesterday by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) and the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) contain three new recommendations for treating adults who have Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI).

Point-of-care COVID antibody test is accurate, adaptable, low maintenance

Duke University researchers developed a point-of-care test (POCT) that can detect SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and four other coronaviruses with 100% accuracy, according to initial test results from a small cohort published in Science Advances late last week.

Chinese study finds lower prevalence of MCR-1 in healthy residents

The prevalence of the colistin-resistance gene MCR-1 in healthy residents of a Chinese city declined following China's ban on colistin as a growth promoter in livestock in 2017, researchers reported today in Clinical Microbiology and Infection. But seafood may be an emerging risk factor for MCR-1 colonization.

Analysis of 10 studies shows ivermectin not effective in treating COVID-19

A new meta-analysis of 10 studies shows ivermectin (IVM), an anti-parasite drug, is not an effective treatment for COVID-19 and is not a viable treatment option for patients. The study was published yesterday in Clinical Infectious Diseases.

AHRQ publishes antibiotic stewardship toolkit for long-term care

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) yesterday released a toolkit to improve antibiotic use in long-term care facilities.

Study: Obese men not at increased risk for COVID-19 ICU death

A new meta-analysis of 58 studies shows obese men are not at increased risk of death from COVID-19 when admitted to intensive care units (ICUs), but those with a history of smoking, diabetes, or kidney disease were at increased risk.

The study, published yesterday in Anaesthesia, contradicts other published findings that have linked male sex and obesity to worse COVID-19 outcomes.

WHO certifies China as malaria-free

Following China's 70-year battle against malaria, the World Health Organization (WHO) today announced that the country has been awarded a malaria-free certification. In a statement, the WHO said that the achievement is notable, given that China reported about 30 million cases each year in the 1940s.

COVID spread in households early in the pandemic

COVID-19 transmission was most commonly identified in households early on in the pandemic, but interviews also show an association with healthcare settings, according to a study yesterday in Emerging Infectious Diseases.

Global prevalence of vanco-resistant Staph has more than tripled: study

The global prevalence of vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VRSA) has more than tripled in the past two decades, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis yesterday in Antimicrobial Resistance & Infection Control.

Intervention linked to reduced prescribing for respiratory infections

A provider-focused antibiotic stewardship intervention was associated with reduced antibiotic prescribing for respiratory tract infections (RTIs) at 31 primary care practices, with no impact on prescribing for infections that require antibiotics, researchers reported today in Clinical Infectious Diseases.