Aktuelle smitsomme sygdomme

BackgroundThe PCR quantification cycle (Cq) is a proxy measure of the viral load of a SARS-CoV-2-infected individual.AimTo investigate if Cq values vary according to different population characteristics, in particular demographic ones, and within the COVID-19 pandemic context, notably the SARS-CoV-2 type/variant individuals get infected with.MethodsWe considered all positive PCR results from Cheshire and Merseyside, England, between 6 November 2020 and 8 September 2021. Cq distributions were inspected with Kernel density estimates. Multivariable quantile regression models assessed associations between people’s features and Cq.ResultsWe report Cq values for 188,821 SARS-CoV-2 positive individuals. Median Cqs increased with decreasing age for suspected wild-type virus and Alpha variant infections, but less so, if not, for Delta. For example, compared to 30–39-year-olds (median age group), 5–11-year-olds exhibited 1.8 (95% CI: 1.5 to 2.1), 2.2 (95% CI: 1.8 to 2.6) and 0.8 (95% CI: 0.6 to 0.9) higher median Cqs for suspected wild-type, Alpha and Delta positives, respectively, in multivariable analysis. 12–18-year-olds also had higher Cqs for wild-type and Alpha positives, however, not for Delta. Overall, in univariable analysis, suspected Delta positives reported 2.8 lower median Cqs than wild-type positives (95% CI: 2.7 to 2.8; p < 0.001). Suspected Alpha positives had 1.5 (95% CI: 1.4 to 1.5; p < 0.001) lower median Cqs than wild type.ConclusionsWild-type- or Alpha-infected school-aged children (5–11-year-olds) might transmit less than adults (> 18 years old), but have greater mixing exposures. Smaller differences in viral loads with age occurred in suspected Delta infections. Suspected-Alpha- or Delta-infections involved higher viral loads than wild type, suggesting increased transmission risk. COVID-19 control strategies should consider age and dominant variant.…

We analysed SARS-CoV-2 PCR Cq values from 3,183 healthcare workers who tested positive between January and August 2022. Median Cq values were lower in symptomatic than in asymptomatic HCW. The difference in Cq values between HCW with mild vs moderate/severe symptoms was statistically significant but negligibly small. To prevent nosocomial infections, all symptomatic HCW should be tested irrespective of symptom severity. This information can support decisions on testing and isolation, in the context of ongoing pressure on healthcare systems.…

New data for the bivalent COVID-19 booster shot shows that it cuts the risk in half for symptomatic infection from the now predominant Omicron subvariant, XBB.1.5. WebMD Health News…

This report describes a broadened antibody response among nursing home residents who received an updated COVID-19 vaccine.

This report describes lower weekly rates of COVID-19 among nursing home residents who are up to date with COVID-19 vaccination.

Is pivoting to an annual COVID-19 shot a smart move? WebMD Health News…

US health officials want to simplify the recommended COVID-19 vaccine protocol. WebMD Health News…

I efteråret 2022 blev alle over 50 år tilbudt et 4. stik for at øge beskyttelsen mod covid-19. Der blev tilbudt en opdateret covid-19-vaccine, der skulle beskytte bedre mod omikronvarianten, der herskede på det tidspunkt. Nu viser resultater fra en stor fælles nordisk kortlægning, at dette også var tilfældet.

COVID-19 -- ChinaOn 19 Jan 2023, there were 471 739 hospitalized cases of COVID-19 infection in 31 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the central government) and Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, with 51 683 severe cases, including 3874 severe cases of COVID-19 infection[s] and 47 809 cases of COVID-19 infections with severe underlying medical conditions. From 13 to 19 Jan 2023, there were a total of 12 658 COVID-19-related deaths in 31 provinces and medical institutions…

The nation's first case of COVID-19 was diagnosed in Snohomish County, Washington, on January 20, 2020. WebMD Health News…

The drugs' effects go beyond LDL-lowering in ways that might potentially benefit hospitalized patients with COVID-19, at least those who are sickest, preliminary results suggest. Medscape Medical News…

It’s called “hybrid immunity” and it offers better protection from COVID reinfection. WebMD Health News…

This issue of the Communicable Disease Threats Report (CDTR) covers the period 15-21 January 2023 and includes updates on COVID-19, diphtheriae, influenza, Mpox and Cholera.

BackgroundPost-authorisation vaccine safety surveillance is well established for reporting common adverse events of interest (AEIs) following influenza vaccines, but not for COVID-19 vaccines.AimTo estimate the incidence of AEIs presenting to primary care following COVID-19 vaccination in England, and report safety profile differences between vaccine brands.MethodsWe used a self-controlled case series design to estimate relative incidence (RI) of AEIs reported to the national sentinel network, the Oxford-Royal College of General Practitioners Clinical Informatics Digital Hub. We compared AEIs (overall and by clinical category) 7 days pre- and post-vaccination to background levels between 1 October 2020 and 12 September 2021.ResultsWithin 7,952,861 records, 781,200 individuals (9.82%) presented to general practice with 1,482,273 AEIs, 4.85% within 7 days post-vaccination. Overall, medically attended AEIs decreased post-vaccination against background levels. There was a 3–7% decrease in incidence within 7 days after both doses of Comirnaty (RI: 0.93; 95% CI: 0.91–0.94 and RI: 0.96; 95% CI: 0.94–0.98, respectively) and Vaxzevria (RI: 0.97; 95% CI: 0.95–0.98). A 20% increase was observed after one dose of Spikevax (RI: 1.20; 95% CI: 1.00–1.44). Fewer AEIs were reported as age increased. Types of AEIs, e.g. increased neurological and psychiatric conditions, varied between brands following two doses of Comirnaty (RI: 1.41; 95% CI: 1.28–1.56) and Vaxzevria (RI: 1.07; 95% CI: 0.97–1.78).ConclusionCOVID-19 vaccines are associated with a small decrease in medically attended AEI incidence. Sentinel networks could routinely report common AEI rates, contributing to reporting vaccine safety.…

BackgroundIt sparked considerable attention from international media when Denmark lifted restrictions against COVID-19 in February 2022 amidst widespread transmission of the new SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant and a steep rise in reported COVID-19 mortality based on the 30-day COVID-19 death count.AimOur aim was to investigate how coincidental infections affected COVID-19 mortality estimates following the introduction of the Omicron variant in late 2021.MethodsWe compared the 30-day COVID-19 death count with the observed mortality using three alternative mortality estimation methods; (i) a mathematical model to correct the 30-day COVID-19 death count for coincidental deaths, (ii) the Causes of Death Registry (CDR) and (iii) all-cause excess mortality.ResultsThere was a substantial peak in the 30-day COVID-19 death count following the emergence of the Omicron variant in late 2021. However, there was also a substantial change in the proportion of coincidental deaths, increasing from 10–20% to around 40% of the recorded COVID-19 deaths. The high number of 30-day COVID-19 deaths was not reflected in the number of COVID-19 deaths in the CDR and the all-cause excess mortality surveillance.ConclusionOur analysis showed a distinct change in the mortality pattern following the introduction of Omicron in late 2021 with a markedly higher proportion of people estimated to have died with, rather than of, COVID-19 compared with mortality patterns observed earlier in the COVID-19 pandemic. Our findings highlight the importance of incorporating alternative mortality surveillance methods to more correctly estimate the burden of COVID-19 as the pandemic continues to evolve.…

COVID-19 continues to hit seniors with disproportionate severity. Experts say Paxlovid is an effective therapy that is being underprescribed for people 65 and older. Kaiser Health News…

Den høje covid-19-smitte ser ud til at være på retur, og smitten med RS-virus og influenza er også faldet, viser denne uges tal fra Statens Serum Institut. Men den samlede dødelighed i Danmark er stadig høj.

This report describes an online survey of previously vaccinated residents and their reasons for not getting a bivalent COVID-19 booster dose.

When should we think about the next COVID-19 vaccine? Or should we? WebMD Health News…

Pediatric emergency department visits and hospitalizations for COVID-19 continue to decline. MDedge News…

Measles -- AfghanistanKey figures---------152 253 people reached with emergency health services (PHC)32 405 people received trauma care services957.5 tonnes medical and non-medical supplies provided489 health workers trained121 surveillance support teams deployed to outbreak areas Summary of outbreaks (cumulative cases)---------------------------------------77 210 total measles cases207 616 total COVID-19 confirmed cases (since the outbreak began)242 562 total acute watery siarrhoea cases…

COVID-19 accounted for about 270,000 deaths in 2022, according to death totals compiled by Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. WebMD Health News…

Frailty may help identify patients who would benefit from interventions to reduce the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on health and social outcomes, researchers say. Medscape Medical News…

COVID-19 -- Abstract--------Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is known to cause multi-organ dysfunction during acute infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), with some patients experiencing prolonged symptoms, termed post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2.However, the burden of infection outside the respiratory tract and time to viral clearance are not well characterized, particularly in the brain. Here we carried out complete autopsies on 44 patients who died with…

This issue of the CDTR covers the period 9-13 January 2023 and includes updates on COVID-19, Ebola, diphtheriae, influenza, measles and MERS-CoV.

This case study is aimed at building capacity on outbreak response in municipalities that have large numbers of foreign temporary workers, where an outbreak response needs to involve the employers and possibly other municipal services, including public health services.

This course covers key risk communication and community engagement (RCCE) principles and illustrates how they can be operationalized in the context of an extended outbreak that affects different populations with varying risk levels.

According to the current ECDC assessment, there is moderate probability of XBB.1.5 becoming dominant in the EU/EEA and causing a substantial increase in the number of COVID-19 cases within the next one to two months.

With numbers of COVID-19 cases having substantially increased at the end of 2022 in China, some countries have started or expanded testing and genomic surveillance of travellers. We report screening results in Italy in late December 2022 of 556 flight passengers in provenance from two Chinese provinces. Among these passengers, 126 (22.7%) tested SARS-CoV-2 positive. Whole genome sequencing of 61 passengers’ positive samples revealed Omicron variants, notably sub-lineages BA.5.2.48, BF.7.14 and BQ.1.1, in line with data released from China.…

Antallet af nye covid-19-tilfælde steg med 56% fra uge 2 til 3. Samtidig faldt andelen af nyindlagte, der indlægges på grund af en covid-19-diagnose, til 60% i uge 1. Det viser den nyeste tendensrapport fra Statens Serum Institut.

Antallet af covid-19 relaterede indlæggelser var i uge 51 på 59,1 pr. 100.000 uvaccinerede personer fra 12 år og derover. For personer med fuld effekt af det primære vaccinationsforløb og personer med fuld effekt af revaccination var antallet henholdsvis 10,8 og 12,7. Altså langt mindre.

Polio har i flere år været tæt på at være udryddet i hele verden, men dette endemål har i de senere år været truet. WHO har derfor siden maj 2014 erklæret international spredning af poliovirus (både vildtype og vaccinetype) for en folkesundhedsmæssig krise af international betydning. I år har covid-19-pandemien yderligere lagt kontrollen med polio under pres.

COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness against hospitalizations was stable, but it declined against new infections among adults in New York during May-July 2021.

MMWR erratum volume 69 issue 43 - COVID-19-associated hospitalizations among health care personnel-COVID-NET, 13 states, March 1-May 31, 2020…

COVID-19 remained the top-ranked cause of death among law enforcement officers last year. WebMD Health News…

Becerra issued a statement saying the decision was “a result of the continued consequences of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.” WebMD Health News…

De seneste tal fra Statens Serum Institut viser, at covid-19-smitten falder i alle landets regioner. Men den samlede dødelighed i Danmark er stadig høj.

This report describes similar early safety findings from the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System for bivalent booster vaccination in children aged 5-11 years as the monovalent booster vaccination.

Ebola -- UgandaThis Ebola outbreak wasn't the largest or the longest Uganda or Africa has seen, but experts who were involved in the response say it was challenging on a number of fronts. For one thing, it happened in the midst of another outbreak.The COVID-19 pandemic -- and the flood of misinformation that followed -- eroded public trust in health officials in Uganda in much the same way it did in other countries, Boore said, making it harder to persuade Ebola patients to come to hospitals for…

Europe has agreed on measures to be applied in aviation in response to the specific localised worsening of the COVID-19 epidemiological situation in China, making recommendations which could potentially also be applied in other geographical regions in similar situations.

This document provides operational recommendations regarding the implementation of a set of measures that has been agreed by the Member States in the context of a precautionary approach to potential severe worsening of the COVID-19 epidemiological situation.

A psychiatry resident and professor, co-authors of a study on psychological impacts of the pandemic on US med students, share their thoughts about what they uncovered. MDedge…

The virus that causes COVID-19 can be found throughout the entire body and remains present for more than 7 months. WebMD Health News…

This pediatric illness occurs 2 to 6 weeks after being infected with COVID-19. WebMD Health News…

A new report shows wide racial and ethnic differences in COVID-19 vaccination of children. WebMD Health News…

Just because you start out with a mild case of COVID-19 doesn't mean you won't develop long COVID, researchers say. WebMD Health News…

Other Human Disease -- A large series of molecular and serological specimens to evaluate mother-to-child SARS-CoV-2 transmission: a prospective study from the Italian Obstetric Surveillance SystemCorsi Decenti et al.Int J Infect Dis. 2023;126:1-9Post-acute symptoms 3-15 months after COVID-19 among unvaccinated and vaccinated individuals with a breakthrough infectionBrunvoll et al.Int J Infect Dis. 2023;126:10-13Reduction in severity and mortality in COVID-19 patients owing to heterologous third…