Extended Paxlovid Treatment Shows Mixed Results for Long COVID
Alison K Cohen, PhD, MPH Image credits: UCSF A case series published in Communications Medicine explored the effects of extended courses of oral nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (Paxlovid) for individuals with Long COVID. The study involved 13 patients who took extended courses ranging from 7.5 to 30 days. Of these, 11 participants were not experiencing an acute reinfection, […]
Men Experience More Pronounced Health Decline After Lower Respiratory Tract Infections
Image credit: Engin Akyurt, Unsplash A Swedish population-based study finds that older men with lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) had a greater likelihood of health decline vs men who did not have them. And women did not show any statistically significant differences in health decline. The population was assessed utilizing the Health Assessment Tool (HAT) […]
Simplifying Vaccine Access Translates to Better Uptake
Image credit: Studio Romantic, stock.adobe.com Defined by researchers as a simplification of the vaccination process, they agree that the further overall vaccine access increases, the more eligible patients will actively seek immunization. With the COVID-19 pandemic serving as a prime example of patients independently seeking out vaccination, the authors believe that an infrastructural change in […]
Top 5 Infectious Disease News Stories Week of December 28-January 3
This week, the CDC MMWR highlights a major blastomycosis outbreak and increased tularemia cases, CHOP’s feedback reports improve antibiotic stewardship in pediatric pneumonia, and more. Source link
Survey Reveals African Hesitancy to Get Mpox Vaccination
Image credit: Road Ahead, Unsplash A new survey conducted amongst Africans across 6 countries found that 32.7% of respondents were hesitant to get vaccinated against mpox and for those who were parents, 38.9% were hesitant to get their children vaccinated.1 The results of the survey were published in eClinicalMedicine. “The weighted rates of mpox vaccination […]
Nirmatrelvir-Ritonavir (Paxlovid) Reduces Short and Long-Term Adverse Outcomes in COVID-19 Patients with Kidney Disease
Close up of the antiviral by Pfizer, Paxlovid. Image credits: Unsplash A recent study published in Open Forum Infectious Diseases demonstrates that nirmatrelvir-ritonavir (Paxlovid), an antiviral treatment for COVID-19, significantly reduces short- and long-term adverse outcomes in patients with kidney disease. This cohort study involved 1,095 patients with kidney disease who received Paxlovid, compared to […]
NIH Offers Updated Risk Assessment on Avian Influenza
Three influenza A (H5N1/bird flu) virus particles (rod-shaped; yellow). Note: Layout incorporates two CDC transmission electron micrographs that have been repositioned and colorized by NIAID. Image credit: CDC and NIAID The National Institutes of Health (NIH) updated its risk assessment for highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza A virus (HPAI H5N1) saying the risk to the […]
Updated Tuberculosis Treatment Guidelines
Different TB tests Image credits: Unsplash New clinical practice guidelines for tuberculosis (TB) treatment, based on recent clinical trial data, have been issued by the American Thoracic Society (ATS), US CDC, European Respiratory Society (ERS), and the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA). These updates apply to both drug-susceptible and drug-resistant TB in settings with […]
RSV Vaccine for Immunocompromised Seniors Shows Limited Seroconversion
Andrew Karaba, MD, PhD Image credit: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine A new study highlights limited seroconversion in 2 of the FDA approved RSV vaccines for seniors who are immunocompromised. “Approximately 40% of immunocompromised participants did not seroconvert or achieve a conservative neutralization threshold post-vaccination,” the study authors wrote. 1 The 2 vaccines studied […]
Rising Antibiotic Resistance in H pylori Infections Among Children
Helicobacter pylori Image credit: Unsplash A recent systematic review and meta-analysis published in BMC Medicine highlights growing antibiotic resistance in Helicobacter pylori (H pylori) infections among children. Led by researchers from Iran’s Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, the study analyzed 63 studies from 28 countries across five World Health Organization (WHO) regions, involving 15,953 […]
