Category: Emerging Infectious Diseases
(Nature) An accurate estimator of the real-time fatality rate is warranted to monitor the progress of ongoing epidemics, hence facilitating the policy-making process. However, most of the existing estimators fail to capture the time-varying nature of the fatality rate and are often biased in practice. A simple real-time fatality rate estimator with adjustment for reporting […]
Nov 1, 2022
UNMC tapped for trial of monkeypox treatment
(Nebraska Examiner) The University of Nebraska Medical Center is among more than 60 sites nationally that has been tapped for a trial study of a monkeypox treatment. The STOMP (Study of Tecovirimat for Human Monkeypox Virus) is a phase 3 trial evaluating the safety and effectiveness of the antiviral tecovirimat drug.
Nov 1, 2022
Where Will All the Sick Children Go?
(MedPageToday) A surge in viral infections among kids is straining hospital capacity across the country. On January 20 of this year, Tufts Medical Center announced it would be closing all inpatient pediatric care as of July 1. The current pediatric areas would be given over to adult services. The plan was to maintain the level 3 neonatal […]
Nov 1, 2022
Bird flu infects Iowa egg farm with 1 million chickens
(ABC News) Iowa agriculture officials say another commercial egg farm has been infected with bird flu, the first commercial farm case identified since April when a turkey farm was infected. Iowa agriculture officials said Monday that another commercial egg farm in the state has been infected with bird flu, the first commercial farm case identified […]
Nov 1, 2022
Cholera Outbreaks Surge Worldwide as Vaccine Supply Drains
(New York Times) A record number of outbreaks have been reported after droughts, floods and wars have forced large numbers of people to live in unsanitary conditions. Outbreaks have been reported in the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East and South Asia, putting the health of millions at risk and overwhelming fragile health systems. Untreated, the […]
Nov 1, 2022
Covid uses our proteins against us. A new strategy seeks to block that.
(Washington Post) With the United States headed into its third full winter of the pandemic amid fears that new variants will evade immunity from vaccines and prior infections, some scientists are seeking ways to blunt the coronavirus’s slippery evolution by blocking the human proteins it uses against us. If the strategy works, it has the potential […]
Nov 1, 2022
Supreme Court leaves TSA mask requirement ruling in place
(The Hill) The Supreme Court on Monday let stand a ruling that allows the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to require mask-wearing on planes, trains and other forms of transport. California lawyer Jonathan Corbett had argued that the TSA did not have the authority to mandate masks on airlines and surface transportation, like buses and trains, when […]
Nov 1, 2022
Chinese authorities race to contain new waves of ‘dire and complicated’ outbreaks
(South China Morning Post) Covid flare-ups in Guangzhou have authorities ramping up restrictions, mass testing to contain infections. New variants are spreading faster, forcing parts of the country to endure chaotic Covid curbs. Authorities in Guangzhou said they faced a “dire and complicated” outbreak as the number of Covid-19 cases rose sharply reporting more than […]
Nov 1, 2022
10/31/2022 Research successfully integrated into the Ebola outbreak response in Africa (Nature) Clinical trials conducted during Ebola outbreaks in Africa have been crucial in expanding the capacity to combat the disease. The latest Ebola outbreak in Uganda is expected to further improve knowledge on the disease, including testing new tools and vaccines. 10/27/2022 Moderna Nears […]
Oct 31, 2022
China rolls out first inhalable COVID vaccine
(Reuters) In what is believed to be a world first, China’s commercial capital of Shanghai this week introduced a new type of COVID-19 vaccine that is inhaled rather than administered via injection. Chinese regulators approved the vaccine, produced by Chinese pharmaceutical firm CanSino Biologics for use as a booster in September. And now the first […]
Oct 28, 2022