William Msemburi, Ariel Karlinsky, Victoria Knutson et al.: The WHO estimates of excess mortality associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, in: Nature (December 2022), online in: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-022-05522-2. Abstract The World Health Organization has a mandate to compile and disseminate statistics on mortality, and the authors have been tracking the progression of the COVID-19 pandemic since the beginning of 2020. Reported statistics on COVID-19 mortality are problematic for many countries owing to variations in testing access, differential diagnostic capacity and inconsistent certification of COVID-19 as cause of death. Beyond what is directly attributable to it, the pandemic has caused extensive collateral damage […]
Monthly archives: December 2022
8 posts
Waasila Jassat et al.: Trends in Cases, Hospitalization and Mortality Related to the Omicron BA.4/BA.5 Sub-Variants in South Africa, in: Clinical infectious diseases (December 1, 2022), online in: https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciac921. Abstract Background: This study compared admission incidence risk across waves, and the risk of mortality in the Omicron BA.4/BA.5 wave, to the Omicron BA.1/BA.2 and Delta waves. Methods: Data from South Africa’s national hospital surveillance system, SARS-CoV-2 case linelist and Electronic Vaccine Data System were linked and analysed. Wave periods were defined when the country passed a weekly incidence of 30 cases/100,000 people. In-hospital case fatality ratios (CFR) in the Delta, […]
Florian Bonnet, Josselin Thuilliez, Hippolyte d’Albis: Influenza mortality in French regions after the Hong Kong flu pandemic, in: Demographic Research, Vol. 47 (October 12, 2022) Article 19, p. 545-576, online in: https://doi.org/10.4054/DemRes.2022.47.19. Abstract Influenza mortality has dramatically decreased in France since the 1950s. Annual death rates peaked during two pandemics: the Asian flu (1956–1957) and the Hong Kong flu (1969–1970). This study’s objective was to evaluate whether the second pandemic created a structural change in the dynamics of influenza mortality in France. The authors employed a new database on influenza mortality since 1950 at the subnational level (90 geographic areas) […]
Sara Y. Tartof et al.: BNT162b2 vaccine effectiveness against SARS-CoV-2 omicron BA.4 and BA.5, in: The Lancet. Infectious Diseases Volume 22 (December 2022) Issue 12, pp. 1663-1665, online in: https://doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(22)00692-2. Summary Following their first detection in South Africa in late 2021, the SARS-CoV-2 omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 have become the predominant subavariants. In their study, the authors evaluated the efficacy of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine BNT162b2 (Comirnaty) against BA.4/5, concluding that two doses of the vaccine provided only modest protection against all measured BA.4/5 illnesses, including hospitalizations. Booster vaccination (third or fourth dose) did provide protection against BA.4/5, but this […]
Ramandip Grewal, Sophie A. Kitchen, Lena Nguyen, Sarah A. Buchan, Sarah E. Wilson, Andrew P. Costa,Jeffrey C. Kwong: Effectiveness of a Fourth Dose of COVID-19 Vaccine among Long-Term Care Residents in Ontario, Canada: Test-Negative Design Study, in: medRxiv (June 1, 2022) 32 pages, online in: https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.04.15.22273846. Abstract Background: As of December 30, 2021, Ontario long-term care (LTC) residents who received a third dose of COVID-19 vaccine ≥84 days previously were offered a fourth dose to prevent a surge in COVID-19-related morbidity and mortality due to the Omicron variant. Methods: The authors used a test-negative design and linked databases to estimate […]
Paul-Ehrlich-Insitut (ed.): Sicherheitsbericht. Bericht über Verdachtsfälle von Nebenwirkungen und Impfkomplikationen nach Impfung zum Schutz vor COVID-19 (Berichtszeitraum 27.12.2020 bis 30.06.2022) [Safety Report. Report of suspected adverse events and vaccine complications following vaccination to protect against COVID-19 (reporting period 12/27/2020 to 6/30/2022)], Langen September 7, 2022. In the current safety report, the Paul Ehrlich Institute summarizes the reports of suspected cases of adverse reactions and vaccine complications it has received since the start of the vaccination campaign in Germany on December 27, 2020, through June 30, 2022.
Amy L. Bellinghausen, Robert L. Owens: Recovering from COVID ARDS and post-intensive care syndrome, in: The Lancet. Respiratory Medicine vol. 10 (15. Juli 2022) issue 10, pp. 932-933, online in: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2213-2600(22)00265-X. In their article, the two authors focus on Beatrice Garcia Diaz, who suffered from a lung disease due to SARS-CoV-2 and whose recovery was extremely difficult. Garcia Diaz developed Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) and later struggled with the consequences of the intensive life support treatment required. She was initially hospitalized for pneumonia and respiratory failure and received non-invasive positive pressure ventilation. Beginning on the tenth day of her […]
Elliot Hannon, Layth Hanbali, Susanna Lehtimaki, Nina Schwalbe: Comment. Why we still need a pandemic treaty, in. The Lancet Global Health Vol. 10 (September 2022) Issue 9, p. e1232-e1233, online in: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109X(22)00278-9. In May 2022, 194 member states of the World Health Assembly debated changes to the International Health Regulations (IHR), which are binding under international law. The Corona pandemic highlighted the limitations of the IHR reporting system. The authors address the difficulties of a) administering the IHR at the national level and b) ratifying a new agreement. They see potential in a new WHO instrument to make a difference […]