Top 10: December 28

Copy-editor: Rob Camp

Vaccine

The Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, codenamed BNT162b2, is now being sold under the brand name Comirnaty™ (INN: Tozinameran). Find here a summary of the product characteristics and the package leaflet if you want to be able to answer the questions of your patients: https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/product-information/comirnaty-epar-product-information_en.pdf

 

Transmission

Birgand G, Pfeiffer-Smadja N, Fournier S, et al. Assessment of Air Contamination by SARS-CoV-2 in Hospital Settings. JAMA Netw Open 2020;3(12):e2033232. Full-text: https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.33232

Controversy remains regarding the level of air contamination from SARS-CoV-2 in hospitals. After reviewing 24 cross-sectional observational studies, the authors report that the air close to and distant from patients with coronavirus disease 2019 was frequently contaminated with SARS-CoV-2 RNA; however, few of these samples contained viable virus. High viral loads were found in toilets and bathrooms, staff areas, and public hallways.

 

Prevention

Baggett TP, Scott JA, Le MH, et al. Clinical Outcomes, Costs, and Cost-effectiveness of Strategies for Adults Experiencing Sheltered Homelessness During the COVID-19 Pandemic. JAMA Netw Open. 2020;3(12):e2028195. Full-text: https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.28195

A modeling study of simulated adults living in homeless shelters. Daily symptom screening with PCR testing of individuals who had positive symptom screening paired with non-hospital care site management of people with mild to moderate coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was associated with a substantial decrease in infections and lowered costs.

 

Severe COVID

Asch DA, Sheils NE, Islam N, et al. Variation in US Hospital Mortality Rates for Patients Admitted With COVID-19 During the First 6 Months of the Pandemic. JAMA Intern Med. Published online December 22, 2020. Full-text: https://doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2020.8193

COVID-19 mortality in hospitals seems to be lower when the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in their surrounding communities is lower; and hospital outcomes for patients with COVID-19 have been improving throughout the year 2020. These are the key messages of a cohort study of 38.517 adult patients by David Asch and colleagues from the University of Pennsylvania. See also the comment by Boudourakis L. Decreased COVID-19 Mortality—A Cause for Optimism. JAMA Intern Med. Published online December 22, 2020. Full-text: https://doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2020.8438.

 

Pediatrics

Edlow AG, Li JZ, Collier AY, et al. Assessment of Maternal and Neonatal SARS-CoV-2 Viral Load, Transplacental Antibody Transfer, and Placental Pathology in Pregnancies During the COVID-19 Pandemic. JAMA Netw Open. 2020;3(12):e2030455. Full-text: https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.30455

Knowledge is scarce about the factors that determine SARS-CoV-2 transmission to the newborn. In this prospective cohort study including 127 pregnancies, Andrea Edlow et al. found no maternal viremia, placental infection, or vertical transmission of SARS-CoV-2. However, the authors describe also a compromised transplacental transfer of anti–SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. Discover the implications and read the comment by Jamieson DJ, Rasmussen SA. Protecting Pregnant Women and Their Infants From COVID-19: Clues From Maternal Viral Loads, Antibody Responses, and Placentas. JAMA Netw Open. 2020;3(12):e2030564. Full-text: https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.30564

 

Journal Feature

Callaway E, Ledford H, Viglione G, Watson T, Witze A. COVID and 2020: An extraordinary year for science. Nature, December 2020. Full-text: https://www.nature.com/immersive/d41586-020-03437-4/index.html

The coronavirus pandemic shaped the year in research — from vaccines and treatments to campus shutdowns and virtual meetings.

 

Spanish

If you read Spanish, read de Lis PF. El año de la ciencia. El País 2020, published 27 December. Full-text: https://elpais.com/elpais/2020/12/22/eps/1608637752_983427.html

La investigación científica resulta tan compleja que muchos sintieron que era poco relevante para su vida. Pero el virus SARS-CoV-2 cambió de golpe esta percepción. Nunca en la historia se había logrado una vacuna en tan poco tiempo. Hemos visto lo mejor y lo peor de la ciencia este 2020. ¿Mantendrá ese esencial reconocimiento y apoyo en el futuro?

El virus que lo cambió todo. Esta imagen de microscopio electrónico de barrido muestra el SARS-CoV-2 (coloreado en azul) emergiendo de la superficie de células cultivadas en laboratorio. Fotografía de NIAID

 

Silva R, Alonso A, Linde P. España se vacuna. El País 2020, published 27 December. Full-text: https://elpais.com/sociedad/2020-12-26/espana-se-vacuna.html

Tras la aprobación por parte de la Agencia Europea del Medicamento y de la Comisión Europea, el fármaco de Pfizer comienza a distribuirse en la mayor parte del territorio europeo. Un viaje ultrafrío a 70 grados bajo cero desde una fábrica de Puurs (Bélgica) hasta los almacenes de cada comunidad

 

Sampedro J. La revolución del ARN. El País 2020, published 27 December. Full-text: https://elpais.com/ciencia/2020-12-26/la-revolucion-del-arn.html

Así se ha gestado la innovación tecnológica radical que ha permitido desarrollar las vacunas de la covid en un tiempo récord

 

French

If you read French, read Audureau W, Maad A. Nos conseils pour identifier les discours complotistes et ne pas tomber dans leurs pièges. Le Monde 2020, published 22 December. Full-text : https://www.lemonde.fr/les-decodeurs/article/2020/12/22/nos-conseils-pour-identifier-les-discours-complotistes-et-ne-pas-tomber-dans-leurs-pieges_6064200_4355770.html

En 2020, les discours expliquant la pandémie de Covid-19 par des complots ont séduit des millions d’adeptes. Leur succès tient moins à leur véracité qu’à des ficelles rhétoriques éprouvées. Notre guide pour les débusquer. (Netflix, tout comme Amazon Prime Video, propose des documentaires conspirationnistes.)

 

Foucart S. Les silences de la Chine, un virus repéré dès 2013, la fausse piste du pangolin… Enquête sur les origines du SARS-CoV-2. Le Monde 2020, published 22 December. Full-text : https://www.lemonde.fr/sciences/article/2020/12/22/a-l-origine-de-la-pandemie-de-covid-19-un-virus-sars-cov-2-aux-sources-toujours-enigmatiques_6064168_1650684.html

Du pangolin à la chauve-souris, en passant par des expériences de laboratoire controversées, « Le Monde » a tenté de remonter jusqu’aux origines de l’épidémie, responsable de plus d’un million et demi de morts dans le monde.

 

Cabut S. Dagorn G, Maad A. Covid-19 : neuf questions sur le nouveau variant du SARS-CoV-2 observé au Royaume-Uni. Le Monde 2020, published 21 December. Full-text : https://www.lemonde.fr/les-decodeurs/article/2020/12/21/neuf-questions-sur-le-nouveau-variant-du-sars-cov-2-observe-au-royaume-uni_6064152_4355770.html

Un variant du virus, porteur de plusieurs mutations génétiques, semble être associé à une hausse brutale du nombre de cas dans la région de Londres. Mais la preuve d’une contagiosité accrue n’a pas été faite.

 


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