Contagion Live News Network: Does ACE2 Explain COVID-19 Pediatric Incidence?

Transcript:

Hello and thank you for joining Contagion. I’m here with a brief on our latest infectious disease clinical coverage:

A new study found that children have less angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) in nasal epithelium than older populations, which might confer some protection against SARS-CoV-2 entering cells at this vulnerable site for infection and transmission, and explain their lower incidence of coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19).

The current trials testing broad-spectrum antibiotics before treating tuberculosis are not aligned with protocols designed to minimize the use of antibiotics, according to a paper published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.

Investigators from London conducted a review and meta-analysis in order to organize available evidence on the diagnostic performance of the trial of antibiotics for tuberculosis. They wrote that there are suboptimal diagnostics for the infection and broad-spectrum antibiotics are given to patients who test negative but remain symptomatic, typically to try and identify tuberculosis vs. a lower respiratory tract infection.

And as a reminder: Contagion’s June print edition is on its way. In his June letter, titled “COVID-19 Preprints: Reader, Beware”, our editor-in-chief Dr. Jason Gallagher explored the proliferation of preprints amid the ongoing rush to publish information during the COVID-19 pandemic.

For more on these stories and the latest infectious disease news, visit contagionlive.com. Thanks for watching.