Omicron

In his weekly clinical update Dr. Griffin discusses the efficacy and safety of two RSV vaccines in older adults, health care vaccine mandate remains as some push for an end, past SARS-CoV-2 infection protection against re-infection, a third vaccine dose equalizes the levels of effectiveness and immunogenicity of heterologous or homologous COVID-19 vaccine regimens, Sotrovimab retains activity against SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant BQ.1.1 in a non-human primate model, effect of higher-dose Ivermectin for 6 Days vs placebo on time to sustained recovery in outpatients with COVID-19, viral burden rebound in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 receiving oral antivirals in Hong Kong, serological response to vaccination in post-acute sequelae of COVID, sex differences in cardiovascular complications and mortality in hospital patients with COVID-19, association of COVID-19 vaccination with risk for incident diabetes after COVID-19, postacute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 in university setting, the CDC’s long-Covid deception, and podcast companies, once walking on air, feel the strain of gravity.

In his weekly clinical update Dr. Griffin discusses the political polarization of COVID-19 treatments among physicians and laypeople in the United States, seven alternatives to evidence-based medicine, Malawi’s cholera death toll crosses 1,300 in its deadliest outbreak on record, impact of coronavirus infections on pediatric patients at a tertiary pediatric hospital, maternal mRNA COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy and delta or omicron infection or hospital admission in infants, yes masks reduce the risk of spreading infection, despite a review saying they don’t, COVID-19 and airborne transmission: science rejected, lives lost. can society do better, what were the historical reasons for the resistance to recognizing airborne transmission during the COVID-19 pandemic, a randomized trial comparing Omicron-containing boosters with the original COVID-19 vaccine mRNA-1273, SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies after bivalent vs. monovalent booster, the impacts of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine dose separation and targeting on the COVID-19 epidemic in England, intra-host evolution provides for the continuous emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants, real-world use of Nirmatrelvir–Ritonavir in outpatients with COVID-19 during the era of Omicron variants including BA.4 and BA.5 in Colorado, viral burden rebound in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 receiving oral antivirals in Hong Kong, and guidance on the use of convalescent plasma to treat immunocompromised patients with COVID-19.

In his weekly clinical update Dr. Griffin discusses the consistency of COVID-19 trial preprints with published reports and impact for decision making, the negative effect of preexisting immunity on Influenza vaccine responses transcends the impact of vaccine formulation type and vaccination history, highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) virus infection in farmed minks in Spain, Peru confirms H5N1 avian flu in marine mammals, prior vaccination enhances immune responses during SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough infection with early activation of memory T cells followed by production of potent neutralizing antibodies, bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccine for prevention of COVID-19 and other respiratory tract infections in older adults with comorbidities, incidence of chronic spontaneous urticaria following receipt of the COVID-19 vaccine booster in Switzerland, relationship between immune response to SARS-CoV2 vaccines and development of breakthrough infection in solid organ transplant recipients, early treatment with pegylated interferon lambda for COVID-19, and how long-term high-dose immunoglobulin successfully treats long COVID patients with pulmonary, neurologic, and cardiologic symptoms. 

In his weekly clinical update Dr. Griffin discusses co-detections of other respiratory viruses among children hospitalized with COVID-19, preprint review should form part of PhD programs and postdoc training, early and increased Influenza activity among children, COVID-19 vaccines versus pediatric hospitalization, SARS-CoV-2 variant-related abnormalities detected by prenatal MRI, protective effectiveness of previous SARS-CoV-2 infection and hybrid immunity against the Omicron variant and severe disease, protective effectiveness of previous SARS-CoV-2 infection and hybrid immunity against the omicron variant and severe disease, persistent COVID-19 Symptoms at 6 months after onset and the role of vaccination before or after SARS-COV-2 infection, effect of Dexamethasone use on viral clearance among patients with COVID-19, and the impact of vaccination on post-acute sequelae of SARS CoV-2 infection in patients with rheumatic diseases.

In his weekly clinical update Dr. Griffin discusses China reporting almost 60,000 Covid-related deaths after abrupt shift in policy, detection of SARS-CoV-2 IgA and IgG in human milk and breastfeeding infant stool 6 months after maternal COVID-19 vaccination, effect of Fluvoxamine vs placebo on time to sustained recovery in outpatients with mild to moderate COVID-19, hyperimmune globulin for severely immunocompromised patients hospitalized with COVID-19, long COVID outcomes at one year after mild SARS-CoV-2 infection, long COVID: major findings, mechanisms and recommendations, a systematic review of trials currently investigating therapeutic modalities for post-acute COVID-19 syndrome and registered on World Health Organization international clinical trials platform, and the effect of using a structured pacing protocol on post-exertional symptom exacerbation and health status in a longitudinal cohort with the post-COVID-19 syndrome.

In his weekly clinical update Dr. Griffin discusses poliovirus returns to New York wastewater, COVID-19 is more widespread in animals than we thought, increasing ventilation reduces SARS-CoV-2 airborne transmission in schools, the use of carbon dioxide monitoring to assess ventilation at a national infectious diseases conference, effectiveness of the bivalent mRNA vaccine in preventing severe COVID-19 outcomes, 7-month duration of SARS-CoV-2 mucosal immunoglobulin-A responses and protection, and long COVID outcomes at one year after mild SARS-CoV-2 infection.

In his weekly clinical update Dr. Griffin discusses the infectiousness of SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough infections and reinfections during the Omicron wave, virological characteristics of the SARS-CoV-2 XBB variant derived from recombination of two Omicron subvariants, antibody evasion properties of rising SARS-CoV-2 BQ and XBB subvariants, comparative effectiveness of third doses of mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines in US veterans, time to negative PCR conversion among high-risk patients with mild-to-moderate Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 COVID-19 treated by Sotrovimab or Nirmatrelvir, COVID drug Paxlovid was hailed as a game-changer, what happened?, the Fc-effector function of COVID-19 convalescent plasma contributes to SARS-CoV-2 treatment efficacy in mice, SARS-CoV-2 infection and persistence in the human body and brain at autopsy, long-term cardiovascular outcomes of COVID-19, and how heart-disease risk soars after COVID — even with a mild case.

In his weekly clinical update Dr. Griffin discusses modelling the adjustment of COVID-19 response and exit from dynamic zero-COVID in China, canine real-time detection of SARS-CoV-2 infections in the context of a mass screening event, two masks can be worse than one: N95 respirator failure caused by an overlying face mask, airflow patterns in double-occupancy patient rooms may contribute to roommate-to-roommate transmission of severe SARS-CoV-2, clinical validation of a novel T-Cell receptor sequencing assay for identification of recent or prior SARS-CoV-2 infection, antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity against SARS-CoV-2 Omicron sub-lineages is reduced in convalescent sera, regardless of the infecting variant, VV116 versus Nirmatrelvir–Ritonavir for oral treatment of Covid-19, Nirmatrelvir plus Ritonavir for early COVID-19 in a U.S. health system, Molnupiravir plus usual care versus usual care alone as early treatment for adults with COVID-19 at increased risk of adverse outcomes, higher dose corticosteroids in hospitalized COVID-19 patients with hypoxia but not requiring ventilatory support, FDA approves Roche’s Actemra (tocilizumab) for the treatment of COVID-19 in hospitalized adults, structural brain changes in post-acute COVID-19 patients with persistent olfactory dysfunction, persistent post–COVID-19 smell loss is associated with immune cell infiltration and altered gene expression in olfactory epithelium, epidemiology of long COVID in US adults, persistent symptoms and sequelae after SARS-CoV-2 infection not requiring hospitalization, and outpatient treatment of Covid-19 with metformin, ivermectin, and fluvoxamine and the development of Long Covid over 10-month follow-up.