Contagion Live News Network: Coronavirus Updates for May 8, 2020

With US measles cases nearing 3,900 this year and Pennsylvania reporting its fifth measles-related death, here is a review of how the virus spreads, how it is prevented and managed, and what severe disease looks like.

Vaxcyte's 31-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine candidate met every prespecified primary immunogenicity and safety endpoint against PCV20 and PCV21 in the OPUS-1 trial of 4,047 US adults.

Irkutsk anti-plague institute death prompts quarantines and conflicting official accounts.

A laboratory technician at a Siberian anti-plague institute has died of pneumonia of unknown cause, prompting quarantines and contact monitoring while Russian officials stop short of confirming plague.

A study finding clesrovimab comparable to palivizumab in protecting at-risk infants in their first RSV season was extended to demonstrate clesrovimab effective and well-tolerated when administered in their second season.

Lori Handy, MD, provides guidance in these areas, including presentation before rash onset, when patients should be considered for the inpatient setting, and what treatment looks like.

Jason Pogue, PharmD, BCPS, BCIDP, contextualizes preliminary data looking at this trial and other extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) studies, which reopens the debate around carbapenem-sparing treatment options.

In the phase 3 LIBERTY study, the investigational monoclonal antibody, VYD2311, had significantly fewer adverse events than an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, and it did not blunt vaccine-induced neutralizing titers when the two were given together.