Focus on Infectious Disease
July 05, 2022
The Phase 3 NIH study assessed the efficacy and safety of a single dose of immune modulators including intravenous abatacept (Orencia) 10 mg/kg compared with placebo and standard of care Show More
SARS-CoV-2 BA.5 vaccine breakthrough risk and severity compared with BA.2: a case-case and cohort study using Electronic Health Records in Portugal
Background In a context of multiple Omicron lineages circulation, it is relevant to clarify the effect of vaccination and previous infections on the risk of infection and severe post-infection outcomes. see more
Interpretation: This study shows that the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.5 lineage is associated with higher odds of reinfection compared with Omicron BA.2, regardless of the vaccination status.
Breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infections in immune mediated disease patients undergoing B cell depleting therapy: A retrospective cohort analysis - PubMed
doi: 10.1002/art.42287. Online ahead of print. 1 Department of Rheumatic and Immunologic Diseases, Cleveland Clinic. 2 Mellen Center for Multiple Sclerosis Treatment and Research, Cleveland Clinic. 3 Department of Dermatology, ..... see more
Association of periodic fasting with lower severity of COVID-19 outcomes in the SARS-CoV-2 prevaccine era: an observational cohort from the INSPIRE registry
Objectives Intermittent fasting boosts some host defence mechanisms while modulating the inflammatory response. Lower-frequency fasting is associated with greater survival and lower risk from COVID-19-related comorbidities. This study evaluated associations ..... see more
Source : https://nutrition.bmj.com/content/early/2022/06/30/bmjnph-2022-000462
Poxviruses package viral redox proteins in lateral bodies and modulate the host oxidative response
Author summary Vaccinia virus is the prototype member of the Poxviridae family, whose members include monkeypox and variola virus, the causative agent of smallpox. All poxvirus particles, including vaccinia, are ..... see more
Using targeted repression and/or deletion viruses we found that deletion of individual LB-redox proteins was insufficient for host redox modulation suggesting there may be functional redundancy. In addition to defining the spatial proteotype of VACV LBs, these findings implicate poxvirus redox proteins as potential modulators of host oxidative...
Poxviruses package viral redox proteins in lateral bodies and modulate the host oxidative response
Author summary Vaccinia virus is the prototype member of the Poxviridae family, whose members include monkeypox and variola virus, the causative agent of smallpox. All poxvirus particles, including vaccinia, are ..... see more
Transient Global Amnesia Related to the Third Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19) Vaccination
We present a case report of transient global amnesia (TGA) after vaccinating the third dose of coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19). A 65-year-old Japanese woman presented with TGA after her third vaccination, ..... see more
Conclusions: We experienced the case with TGA after the third COVID-19 vaccination. A 65-year-old Japanese woman showed TGA after her third vaccination, which spontaneously resolved. This article aims to facilitate the clinicians’ understanding that TGA could occur after vaccination in the COVID-19 global outbreak. We should be careful of...
Interpretation: Vaccination against COVID-19 in children aged 5–11 years in Italy showed a lower effectiveness in preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe COVID-19 than in individuals aged 12 years and older. Effectiveness against infection appears to decrease after completion of the current primary vaccination cycle.
Admission Hyperglycemia as a Predictor of COVID-19 Pneumonia, Cytokine Release Syndrome Progression, and Clinical Outcomes in a Tertiary Care Hospital
Introduction Diabetes and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are interrelated. The presence of hyperglycemia per se during COVID-19 infection regardless of diabetes status has been associated with poor prognosis and increased ..... see more
Conclusions: Admission hyperglycemia was associated with an increased risk of progression to critical condition in patients hospitalized with COVID-19 independent of the history of diabetes. Therefore, it should not be overlooked but instead should be detected and appropriately treated to improve outcomes. In addition, post-COVID-19 care should...
New COVID-19 Rapid-test Technology Performs PCR Faster than Similar Tests on the Market
Newswise - New York, NY-July 25, 2022-For more than 30 years, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has been the gold standard in molecular diagnostic testing, detecting genetic material, such as those ..... see more
Sample-to-result workflow of RT-qPCR for rapid detection of SARS-CoV-2, including simple extraction-free sample preparation using a custom cartridge. Results are achieved in 23 minutes of thermocycling, facilitated by plasmonic heating of gold nanoparticles and multiplexed fluorescence monitoring in real-time.
Acute and post-acute COVID-19 presentations in athletes: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Objective To describe acute/postacute COVID-19 presentations in athletes. Design Systematic review and meta-analysis. Data sources The search was conducted in four databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, SCOPUS, SPORTDiscus) and restricted to studies ..... see more
Conclusion: This broad characterisation of COVID-19 presentations in athletes indicates that ~94% exhibited mild or no acute symptoms. The available evidence did not confirm a causal relationship between COVID-19 and myocardial involvement. A small proportion of athletes experienced persistent symptoms while recovering from infection, which...
Interpretation: Vaccination against COVID-19 in children aged 5–11 years in Italy showed a lower effectiveness in preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe COVID-19 than in individuals aged 12 years and older. Effectiveness against infection appears to decrease after completion of the current primary vaccination cycle.
Rapid Diagnostic Testing for Response to the Monkeypox Outbreak ..
On July 8, 2022, this report was posted online as an MMWR Early Release. Tricia A. Aden 1; Patricia Blevins, MPH 1; Shannon Whitman York, PhD 1; Stacy Rager 1; ..... see more
Source : https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/wr/mm7128e1.htm?s_cid=mm7128e1_w
Summary:
What is already known on this topic?
The Laboratory Response Network (LRN) includes U.S. laboratories validated to perform the non-variola Orthopoxvirus (NVO) assay.
What is added by this report?
During May 17–June 30, 2022, LRN laboratories tested 2,009 specimens from patients with suspected monkeypox. Among these,...
Homogeneous surrogate virus neutralization assay to rapidly assess neutralization activity of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies - Nature Communications
The COVID-19 pandemic triggered the development of numerous diagnostic tools to monitor infection and to determine immune response. Although assays to measure binding antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 are widely available, more ..... see more
The results obtained with our assay and other neutralization assays are comparable but with significantly shorter preparation and run time for Neu-SATiN. As the assay is modular, we further demonstrate that Neu-SATiN enables rapid assessment of the effectiveness of vaccines and level of protection against existing SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern...
Association of periodic fasting with lower severity of COVID-19 outcomes in the SARS-CoV-2 prevaccine era: an observational cohort from the INSPIRE registry
Objectives Intermittent fasting boosts some host defence mechanisms while modulating the inflammatory response. Lower-frequency fasting is associated with greater survival and lower risk from COVID-19-related comorbidities. This study evaluated associations ..... see more
Source : https://nutrition.bmj.com/content/early/2022/06/30/bmjnph-2022-000462
Nearly One in Five American Adults Who Have Had COVID-19 Still Have "Long COVID"
New data from the Household Pulse Survey show that more than 40% of adults in the United States reported having COVID-19 in the past, and nearly one in five of ..... see more
Source : https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/nchs_press_releases/2022/20220622.htm
For all U.S. adults, the new data show:
Overall, 1 in 13 adults in the U.S. (7.5%) have “long COVID” symptoms, defined as symptoms lasting three or more months after first contracting the virus, and that they didn’t have prior to their COVID-19 infection.
Older adults are less likely to have long COVID than younger adults. Nearly...
Nitric oxide boosts oxygen in pregnant women with COVID-19 pneumonia
Inhaled high-dose nitric oxide (INO 200) safely shortened time on supplemental oxygen and hospital stays among pregnant women diagnosed as having severe bilateral COVID-19 pneumonia, suggests a new study led ..... see more
"Being able to wean patients from respiratory support quicker could have other profound implications, including reducing stress on women and their families, lowering the risk of hospital-acquired infections, and relieving the burden on the health care system," Berra said. "We hope more physicians will consider incorporating it into carefully...
Abatacept, Infliximab Improved Survival in Adults Hospitalized With COVID-19
Topline results were announced from a phase 3 trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of a single dose of abatacept or infliximab in adults hospitalized with moderate to severe COVID-19. ..... see more
Intramuscular AZD7442 (Tixagevimab–Cilgavimab) for Prevention of Covid-19
The monoclonal-antibody combination AZD7442 is composed of tixagevimab and cilgavimab, two neutralizing antibodies against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that have an extended half-life and have been shown ..... see more
Source : https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2116620
Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 Infection: A Descriptive Clinical Study
The American Psychiatric Association (APA) has updated its Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, including with new information specifically addressed to individuals in the European Economic Area. As described in ..... see more
Source : https://neuro.psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.neuropsych.21070193
Conclusions: These preliminary findings suggest that post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 vary in frequency and duration with relation to premorbid history and that these conditions affect functional domains and patients’ ability to return to work. Longitudinal research with larger cohorts is needed to characterize PASC and to optimize care,...
Conclusions and Relevance: This cohort study of SARS-CoV-2 exposure in utero found preliminary evidence that maternal SARS-CoV-2 may be associated with neurodevelopmental sequelae in some offspring. Prospective studies with longer follow-up duration will be required to exclude confounding and confirm these associations.