Respiratory Infections

The vast majority of COVID-19 infections are diagnosed at home, with rapid antigen tests. How has this affected public reports of COVID-19 prevalence?

University of Missouri investigators found people experiencing post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (long COVID) are susceptible to developing 7 health defects in the year following infection.

The designation was based on positive top line data from the ConquerRSV phase 3 efficacy trial.

COVID-19 mortalities tend to be lowest in children, but the virus is still the #8 cause of death in children and young people 0-19 years old.

Experts provide an overview of the clinical presentations of respiratory infections such as COVID-19, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus.

Tina Tan, MD; Wendy Wright, DNP, ANP-BC, FNP-BC, FAANP, FAAN, FNAP; Priya Nori, MD; Jacinda Abdul-Mutakabbir, PharmD; and Kevin Michael Reiter, MD, PA, discuss patient populations that are at greater risk of contracting and suffering from complications related to respiratory viruses.

The week's most-clicked COVID-19 stories included vaccine updates, new variants, and a pivotal FDA advisory committee vote.

What factors contribute to post-COVID-19 conditions (“long COVID”)? Can vaccination before or after a COVID-19 infection decrease the risk of long COVID?

Reported reasons adults had not received a bivalent COVID-19 booster dose differed across age groups.

Click on the slideshow images to read the full stories featured in this weekly infectious disease recap.

With these results, the company plans to submit their investigational vaccine, MRNA-1345, for regulatory approval in the first half of 2023.

High levels of mucosal IgA antibodies in the airways were found to protect against COVID-19 reinfection for at least 8 months.

Preclinical testing suggests that a newly developed SARS-CoV-2 vaccine could protect against current and future variants.

This live-attenuated investigational vaccine was developed by Codagenix, which uses its codon de-optimization platform for its candidates.

As COVID-19 continues to mutate, immunocompromised persons need new, effective treatments. Convalescent plasma could be the answer.

It's Friday the 13th, but you can counteract bad luck by catching up on this week's top infectious disease news.

A 2-year retrospective study looking at patients admitted to the ICU showed that the number of intubated males infected with Acinetobacter baumannii (AB) was double the number of intubated females.

The agency licensed the new indication for Sanofi’s Adacel (Tetanus Toxoid, Reduced Diphtheria Toxoid and Acellular Pertussis Vaccine, Adsorbed [Tdap]) shot for immunization during the third trimester of pregnancy.

RSV cases spiked to unprecedented levels this season. Why were these infections so frequent and severe? Why has vaccine development taken so long?

Newer diagnostic technologies can play a role in identifying specific bacterium, decrease the time to optimal therapy, and offer the possibility of better outcomes.

So far, these are Contagion's 5 most-read stories of 2023.

Developed by Sanofi and AstraZeneca, the single-dose long-acting antibody was designed to help protect all infants from birth through their first respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) season.

The 24-valent investigational pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, VAX-24, met its primary endpoints in a phase 1/2 trial.

Due to negative results, the I-SPY COVID Trial is no longer evaluating cyproheptadine to treat critically ill COVID-19 patients.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, cigarette sales differed from projected sales volume. One study examined these trends at the state level.

Editor-in-Chief Jason Gallagher discusses the surging number of cases of influenza and RSV while there is a concomitant shortage of amoxicillin suspension.

With these findings, the Uppsala University investigators believe loss of the Y chromosome in white blood cells can predict which patients are at high risk of severe COVID-19 disease progression.

All regions are experiencing influenza-like illness levels above the baseline, the CDC said.

Priorix and M-M-R II are fully interchangeable vaccines to protect against measles, mumps, and rubella, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices said.

Earlier and higher rates of RSV and other respiratory illnesses following reduced COVID precautions challenge capacity of pediatric units.