Coronavirus

As school districts nationwide begin the fall semester in person, questions about keeping children and staff safe as the delta variant romps across the country consume parents, pediatricians, and administrators.

A neighborhood-level assessment of major cities show areas impacted the most by historic COVID-19 deaths are significantly less vaccinated.

Although the risk of contracting COVID-19 remains low post full vaccination, investigators found there was a 49% less risk with developing long COVID.

The STOP Spillover project is aiming to prevent remerging infectious disease outbreaks.

JAMA study highlights more reluctance among communities of color.

The World Health Organization (WHO) reports on a newly classified variant of interest (VOI) and information about another South African strain is made public. In the US, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) prepares for meetings on COVID-19 booster doses.

The company reported its third shot induced antibody responses of more than 40 times against the Delta variant.

This virtual meeting of its Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) will be held on September 17.

The European Council decides to remove the United States from the list of safe countries for non-essential travelers to come into the European Union (EU).

Annals of Internal Medicine study shows move away from hydroxychloroquine to more proven therapies.

New Zealand is reporting the first death of a person shortly after the vaccine was administered.

AstraZeneca’s combination of 2 long-acting antibodies (LAAB), reduced the risk of developing symptomatic COVID-19 significantly.

In a head-to-head randomized controlled trial, 30% of outpatients who received convalescent plasma had disease progression, compared to 31.9% of patients who received placebo.

Public health guidance differed between countries in part because of a lack of relevant scientific evidence, resource limitations, and differing strategies, according to a new report.

The deaths occurred this month in Japan, and investigations into the deaths and the vaccine batches are ongoing.

A study from the United Kingdom shows the newer variant led to an increase in severe infections in a mostly unvaccinated population.

Here is a glimpse of the surge in incidence rates of the variant as it began to take hold in Mesa County, Colorado.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released data this week that showed greater breakthrough infections in a large study mainly compiled before the emergence of Delta as the predominant variant in the US.

Positive results of a phase 3 trial of Regeneron’s monoclonal antibodies treatment REGEN-COV among people at high risk for COVID-19 because of household exposure support the drug’s use for post-exposure prophylaxis.

An Israel study estimates vaccinated persons' risk of side effects including myocarditis, relative to the risk brought on by SARS-CoV-2 infection.

A new report says the public health officials within the Biden Administration are preparing for making the interim period closer together.

The company announced it filed its submission to prevent COVID-19 in individuals 18 years of age and older.

August is National Immunization Month. With the FDA’s approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, providers will likely be having more conversations with patients on the topic. Motivational interviewing is an emerging strategy for providers to consider in their conversations with patients who are reluctant to get the vaccine.

An extra dose generated a rapid and robust increase in antibodies.

Study comparing mRNA shots finds variability in response, though both generally safe and effective.

Attendance of professional and college football games may resume with COVID-19 mitigation measures, according to a study that found no association between games with limited attendance and COVID-19 cases.

David Weber, MD, MPH, explains what portion of the population may buy into the newly approved Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

Kevin J. Downes, MD, and Contagion® Section Editor Conan MacDougall, PharmD, MAS, BCPS, BCIDP, discuss these important topics as another season approaches.

With the full FDA approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, Mark McClellan, MD, PhD, says more employer mandates will likely be coming, but he does not see federal government intervention in this area.

The most common adverse event was myocarditis, which was reported in nearly 500 patients. None of those patients had died as of the new analysis, and the rate per million cases was 3.5 cases.