The WHO Director-General recently announced ‘he concurs with the advice offered by the Emergency Committee regarding the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and determines that the event continues to constitute a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.’
CDC Report Addresses Impact of COVID-19 on Antimicrobial Resistance
Increases in resistant infections from 2019 to 2020 seen for carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter, antifungal-resistant Candida auris
Breakthrough Infections in Lupus Patients Down With COVID Booster
Sixty-four percent of those with breakthrough COVID-19 had received booster compared with 82 percent of those without breakthrough infection
Modest Increase Seen in Methadone-Involved OD Deaths in March 2020
Increase in methadone-involved deaths in March 2020 not thought to be tied to expanded opioid treatment program take-home policies
Spike RBD IgG Antibodies Persist After SARS-CoV-2 Infection
Antibody levels higher for children versus adults across all follow-up time points up to 10 months after infection
Worldwide Drop in Cancer Screening Seen Early in Pandemic
Significant drops in cancer screening observed for several types of cancer
COVID-19 Incidence Not Increased With Corticosteroid Injections
Incidence of COVID-19 lower for adults receiving image-guided corticosteroid injections for pain management
Hajj 2022 Health Plans Were Successful
The Minister of Health Fahd Al-Jalajel, announced yesterday the health plans success for this year's Hajj 1443 AH (2022), citing that it is free from disease outbreaks or other effects on public health.
In a statement to Saudi Press Agency on July 11, 2022, the Minister of Health said that “in light of the great support of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and HRH the Crown Prince, I am pleased to announce the success of Hajj health plans for this year 1443 H.”
Nipah Vaccine Candidate Gains U.S. NIH Pandemic Preparedness Support
The U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) announced yesterday that it launched a phase 1 clinical study evaluating an investigational messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine to prevent infection with the Nipah virus.
The mRNA-1215 vaccine candidate is manufactured by Moderna, Inc. and was developed in collaboration with NIAID’s Vaccine Research Center.
mRNA-1215 will be tested in a dose-escalation clinical trial to evaluate its safety, tolerability, and ability to generate an immune response in 40 healthy adults in Maryland.
Infant Hospitalization for COVID-19 Reduced With Maternal Vaccination
Effectiveness of maternal vaccination against COVID-19 hospitalization in infants 80 percent during delta, 38 percent during omicron