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COVID-related thyroiditis still detectable 1 year later in some patients

While COVID-19–related thyroid inflammation usually resolves shortly after the acute illness, about half of participants in a study presented today at the 24th European Congress of Endocrinology still had thyroid abnormalities a year later. The congress is being held May 21 to 24 in Milan, Italy.

Study shows fourth dose of Pfizer COVID vaccine wanes faster than third

A study from Israel published today in BMJ shows that the effectiveness of a fourth dose of Pfizer-BioNTech's mRNA COVID vaccine waned faster than a third dose in adults ages 60 and older.

COVID-19 vaccination tied to less disease spread, shorter virus shedding

Transmission of COVID-19 was significantly lower, and viable virus was detected for a shorter period, in fully vaccinated patients and staff isolated at a South Korean hospital than in their partially vaccinated and unvaccinated counterparts, finds a study published yesterday in JAMA Network Open.

Mix-and-match booster shots shown more effective against Omicron strain

A letter yesterday in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention scientists shows homologous (same-vaccine) boosting for Johnson & Johnson (J&J) vaccine recipients was significantly less effective than mix-and-match booster doses when the Omicron strain was predominant in the United States.

Asymptomatic COVID-19 may not spread as easily as symptomatic

Symptomatic COVID-19 cases are responsible for more viral transmission than asymptomatic infections, suggests an updated systematic review and meta-analysis of 130 studies published yesterday in PLOS Medicine.

Study: Vaccine could have averted 75% of COVID deaths in some Chicago areas

About 75% of COVID-19 deaths in the least-vaccinated Chicago areas could have been prevented if their uptake would have equaled that of the highest-coverage areas during the Alpha and Delta variant surges, suggests a study late last week in JAMA Network Open.

3 doses of same, different vaccines protect against mild, severe COVID-19

Three COVID-19 vaccine doses offer good protection against infection and hospitalization, including those caused by variants of concern—regardless of brand, type, or combination, according to an ongoing meta-analysis published yesterday in BMJ.

Study says dogs 97% sensitive at detecting COVID-19 in patients

Compared with reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing, dogs can detect COVID-19 infections via scent with high sensitivity (97%)—though lower specificity (91%)—even when patients are asymptomatic, according to a study in PLOS One yesterday.

Data show Paxlovid halves the risk of severe Omicron disease, death

A study of 4,737 COVID-19 patients in Israel conducted during the Omicron surge concludes that Pfizer's antiviral drug Paxlovid roughly halves the risk of severe COVID-19 or death, according to findings published yesterday in Clinical Infectious Diseases.

Nearly all patients at long-COVID clinic had fatigue, half slept poorly

Nearly all long-COVID patients at an Ohio health system reported moderate to severe fatigue, and about half said they had serious sleep disruptions, which were up to three times more common in Black participants, according to findings presented this week at the Associated Professional Sleep Societies' annual meeting.

The research abstract was published May 25 in an online supplement of Sleep.

Those who believe in COVID-19 conspiracies may be at risk for depression

People who believe in conspiracies about the COVID-19 pandemic are at an increased risk of experiencing anxiety and depression, according to new research presented at the European Congress of Psychiatry and published in Frontiers in Psychiatry.

COVID-19 quintupled in-hospital deaths in pregnant women in Africa

COVID-19 infection and pregnancy independently raised the risk of intensive care unit (ICU) admission, the need for supplemental oxygen, and death among hospitalized women in sub-Saharan Africa, finds a study published today in Clinical Infectious Diseases.

Risk of COVID-related syndrome lower in kids after breakthrough Omicron

The risk of COVID-19–related multisystem inflammatory system in children (MIS-C) was significantly lower among vaccinated versus unvaccinated Danish children after infection with the Omicron variant rather than with previous strains, according to a research letter published yesterday in JAMA Pediatrics.

Unvaccinated heart-failure patients at 3 times the risk for COVID-19 death

Unvaccinated heart-failure patients who contract COVID-19 are three times more likely to die of their infections than their vaccinated and boosted counterparts, concludes a study published yesterday in the Journal of Cardiac Failure.

Childcare-related work disruptions increased by a third during COVID-19

Work disruptions related to a lack of childcare in 2020 increased by one-third relative to before the pandemic—especially for caregivers of children with special healthcare needs, low-income families, and those from racial minority groups, estimates a study published today in JAMA Pediatrics.

Texting as effective as calling for encouraging COVID vaccine uptake

Automated text messages were as effective as direct phone calls in encouraging study participants to get the COVID-19 vaccine, according to a JAMA Network Open study yesterday from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania,.

Data highlight greater impact of COVID-19 vs flu in young children

A study today in JAMA Network Open comparing COVID-19 versus flu in kids 5 years old and younger finds that the novel coronavirus led to twice the rate of admissions to pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) and rates of intubation one-third higher during the first 15 months of the pandemic.

Africa sees significant jump in COVID-19 vaccination

Levels of COVID-19 vaccination in 31 African countries in the first 5 months of 2022 show a significant rise in COVID-19 immunization among high-risk groups, officials from the World Health Organization (WHO) African regional office said today at a briefing.

Report spotlights impact of COVID-19 on adults with disabilities

Rates of COVID-19 hospitalization among adult Medicare beneficiaries with disabilities were almost 50% higher than rates among elderly beneficiaries with no disability, according to a study today in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).

Kawasaki disease drop during pandemic leaves hints at possible triggers

Rates of Kawasaki disease, a rare acquired cardiac condition in kids, fell nationally during peak COVID-19 transmission when control measures were in place, potentially providing a clue that multiple triggers and upper airway inhalation might be involved.

UK expands monkeypox vaccination to more risk groups

The United Kingdom today expanded monkeypox vaccination to include men who have sex with men who are in high-risk groups, instead of just those who are known contacts and those at occupational risk.

Data show moderate protection in infants born to COVID-vaccinated moms

Maternal COVID vaccination during pregnancy provides 52% protection against COVID-19 hospitalization in infants but only 38% protection against Omicron hospitalization, according to a study yesterday in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Protection against an intensive care unit (ICU) stay, however, was 70%.

Fourth Pfizer dose effective against severe COVID-19 in nursing homes

A study yesterday in JAMA Internal Medicine shows that a fourth Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine dose provided 64% to 67% protection against hospitalization and 72% protection against death in nursing home residents, but only 34% protection against infection during an Omicron-dominated period.

Study: COVID vaccine-related myocarditis mild, resolves quickly

Today in Circulation, researchers report that most cases of rare yet potentially serious episodes of myocarditis related to COVID-19 vaccinations in teens and young adults were mild, and the case-patients recovered quickly.

CWD detected for first time in southern Arkansas

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) recently announced the first positive chronic wasting disease (CWD) test in a hunter-harvested deer in Union County, far from the nearest known positive finding in the state.