COVID-19 Science Update released: June 4, 2021 Edition 92

Posted on | Posted on John Murphy | Leave a Comment on COVID-19 Science Update released: June 4, 2021 Edition 92

Authors: From the Office of the Chief Medical Officer, CDC COVID-19 Response, and the CDC Library, Atlanta GA. Intended for use by public health professionals responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. PEER-REVIEWED Safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy of the BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccine in adolescents.external icon Frenck et al. NEJM (May 27, 2021). Key findings: Vaccine efficacy was 100% (95% CI 75.3%-100%) […]

SARS-CoV-2 infection induces long-lived bone marrow plasma cells in humans

Posted on | Posted on John Murphy | Leave a Comment on SARS-CoV-2 infection induces long-lived bone marrow plasma cells in humans

Authors: Jackson S. Turner, Wooseob Kim, Elizaveta Kalaidina, Charles W. Goss, Adriana M. Rauseo, Aaron J. Schmitz, Lena Hansen, Alem Haile, Michael K. Klebert, Iskra Pusic, Jane A. O’Halloran, Rachel M. Presti & Ali H. Ellebedy  Abstract Long-lived bone marrow plasma cells (BMPCs) are a persistent and essential source of protective antibodies1,2,3,4,5,6,7. Individuals who have recovered from COVID-19 have a substantially lower risk of reinfection with SARS-CoV-28,9,10. Nonetheless, […]

Why it’s time to move on from Covid

Posted on | Posted on John Murphy | Leave a Comment on Why it’s time to move on from Covid

The Delta variant may have dashed hopes of herd immunity, but we can still live with the virus. Authors: DAVID LIVERMORE During the winter and spring the swiftly developed vaccines began to show startling success. Deaths from Covid fell, and severe side effects were rare. The UK rollout was among the most efficient in the […]

The most vaccine-hesitant group of all? PhDs

Posted on | Posted on John Murphy | Leave a Comment on The most vaccine-hesitant group of all? PhDs

A new study found that the most educated are the least likely to get jabbed Authors: RAY HALL The percentage of each education group that is somewhat vaccine hesitant. Source: Carnegie Mellon University There has been much debate over how to get the unvaccinated to get their jabs — shame them, bribe them persuade them, or treat them as victims […]

Early COVID-19 symptoms differ among age groups, research finds

Posted on | Posted on John Murphy | Leave a Comment on Early COVID-19 symptoms differ among age groups, research finds

Authors: King’s College London Symptoms for early COVID-19 infection differ among age groups and between men and women, new research has found. These differences are most notable between younger age groups (16 to 59 years) compared to older age groups (60 to 80 years and over), and men have different symptoms compared to women in […]

Risk for COVID-19 Infection, Hospitalization, and Death By Age Group

Posted on | Posted on John Murphy | Leave a Comment on Risk for COVID-19 Infection, Hospitalization, and Death By Age Group

Authors: CDC Rate ratios compared to 18- to 29-year-olds1   0-4 years old 5-17 years old 18-29 years old 30-39 years old 40-49 years old 50-64 years old 65-74 years old 75-84 years old 85+ years old Cases2 <1x 1x Reference group 1x 1x 1x 1x 1x 1x Hospitalization3 <1x <1x Reference group 2x 2x 4x 6x 9x 15x Death4 <1x <1x Reference group […]

Underlying Medical Conditions and Severe Illness Among 540,667 Adults Hospitalized With COVID-19, March 2020–March 2021

Posted on | Posted on John Murphy | Leave a Comment on Underlying Medical Conditions and Severe Illness Among 540,667 Adults Hospitalized With COVID-19, March 2020–March 2021

Authors: Lyudmyla Kompaniyets, PhD1; Audrey F. Pennington, PhD1; Alyson B. Goodman, MD1,2; Hannah G. Rosenblum, MD1,3; Brook Belay, MD1; Jean Y. Ko, PhD1,2; Jennifer R. Chevinsky, MD1,3; Lyna Z. Schieber, DPhil, MD1; April D. Summers, MPH1; Amy M. Lavery, PhD1; Leigh Ellyn Preston, DrPH1; Melissa L. Danielson, MSPH1; Zhaohui Cui, PhD1; Gonza Namulanda, DrPH1; Hussain […]

Age-Adjusted Associations Between Comorbidity and Outcomes of COVID-19: A Review of the Evidence From the Early Stages of the Pandemic

Posted on | Posted on John Murphy | Leave a Comment on Age-Adjusted Associations Between Comorbidity and Outcomes of COVID-19: A Review of the Evidence From the Early Stages of the Pandemic

Authors: Kate E. Mason*, Gillian Maudsley, Philip McHale, Andy Pennington, Jennifer Day and Ben Barr Objectives: Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, people with underlying comorbidities were overrepresented in hospitalised cases of COVID-19, but the relationship between comorbidity and COVID-19 outcomes was complicated by potential confounding by age. This review therefore sought to characterise the international evidence base available in the early stages […]

The Age-Related Risk of Severe Outcomes Due to COVID-19 Infection: A Rapid Review, Meta-Analysis, and Meta-Regression

Posted on | Posted on John Murphy | Leave a Comment on The Age-Related Risk of Severe Outcomes Due to COVID-19 Infection: A Rapid Review, Meta-Analysis, and Meta-Regression

Authors: Karla Romero Starke 1, Gabriela Petereit-Haack 2, Melanie Schubert 1, Daniel Kämpf 1, Alexandra Schliebner 1, Janice Hegewald 1, Andreas Seidler 1 Abstract Increased age appears to be a strong risk factor for COVID-19 severe outcomes. However, studies do not sufficiently consider the age-dependency of other important factors influencing the course of disease. The aim of this review was to quantify the isolated effect of age on […]

Potential for False Positive Results with Antigen Tests for Rapid Detection of SARS-CoV-2 – Letter to Clinical Laboratory Staff and Health Care Providers

Posted on | Posted on John Murphy | Leave a Comment on Potential for False Positive Results with Antigen Tests for Rapid Detection of SARS-CoV-2 – Letter to Clinical Laboratory Staff and Health Care Providers

Authors: FDA The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is alerting clinical laboratory staff and health care providers that false positive results can occur with antigen tests, including when users do not follow the instructions for use of antigen tests for the rapid detection of SARS-CoV-2. Generally, antigen tests are indicated for the qualitative detection […]