Copy-editor: Rob Camp
Only openness can confound the deluge of fake narratives: www.CovidReference.com.
Vaccine
GAVI. How did scientists manage to develop safe COVID-19 vaccines in just ten months? GAVI – The Vaccine Alliance 2020, published 17 December. Full-text: https://www.gavi.org/vaccineswork/how-did-scientists-manage-develop-safe-covid-19-vaccines-just-ten-months
The COVID-19 vaccines currently rolling off production lines have been developed faster than any other vaccine against a new disease in history. How have scientists achieved this incredible feat? And could the lessons learned enable more rapid development of future vaccines as well?
Clinical
Aziz M, Goyal H, Haghbin H, Lee-Smith WM, Gajendran M, Perisetti A. The Association of “Loss of Smell” to COVID-19: A Systematic Review and Meta-Nnalysis. Am J Med Sci. 2020 Nov 1:S0002-9629(20)30427-4. PubMed: https://pubmed.gov/33349441. Full-text: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjms.2020.09.017
Patients with olfactory dysfunction or “loss of smell” might have a milder course of the disease. This is the result of a “Systematic Review and Meta-Nnalysis” (sic!) of 51 studies with 11.074 confirmed COVID-19 patients. Let’s hope that the analysis is more accurate than the copy-editor of The American Journal of the Medical Sciences.
Severe COVID
Shashikumar SP, Wardi G, Paul P, et al. Development and Prospective Validation of a Deep Learning Algorithm for Predicting Need for Mechanical Ventilation. Chest. 2020 Dec 17:S0012-3692(20)35454-4. PubMed: https://pubmed.gov/33345948. Full-text: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chest.2020.12.009
Can a transparent deep learning (DL) model predict the need for MV in hospitalized patients and those with COVID-19 up to 24 hours in advance? The authors used commonly available data in electronic health records as well as commonly used clinical criteria (heart rate, oxygen saturation, respiratory rate, FiO2 and pH) to feed their deep learning algorithm. The model provided significant improvement over traditional clinical criteria (p < 0.001).
Comorbidities
Shields AM, Burns SO, Savic S, Richter AG; UK PIN COVID-19 consortium. COVID-19 in patients with primary and secondary immunodeficiency: the United Kingdom experience. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2020 Dec 15:S0091-6749(20)32406-4. PubMed: https://pubmed.gov/33338534. Full-text: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaci.2020.12.620
In comparison to the general population, adult patients with primary immunodeficiency (PID) and symptomatic secondary immunodeficiency (SID) display greater morbidity and mortality from COVID-19. This is the result of a study that enrolled 100 patients by 1 July 2020, 60 with PID, 7 with other inborn errors of immunity including autoinflammatory diseases and C1 inhibitor deficiency and 33 with SID.
Pediatrics
Marlais M, Wlodkowski T, Al-Akash S, et al. COVID-19 in children treated with immunosuppressive medication for kidney diseases. Arch Dis Child. 2020 Dec 21:archdischild-2020-320616. PubMed: https://pubmed.gov/33355203. Full-text: https://doi.org/10.1136/archdischild-2020-320616
Most children with kidney disease taking immunosuppressive medication have mild disease with SARS-CoV-2 infection. This is the result of a cross-sectional study by the European Rare Kidney Disease Reference Network which included 113 children from 30 different countries. The main underlying reasons for immunosuppressive therapy: kidney transplant (47%), nephrotic syndrome (27%), systemic lupus erythematosus (10%). The authors suggest that children on immunosuppressive therapy should not be more strictly isolated than children who are not on immunosuppressive therapy.
Collateral Effects
Mourouvaye M, Bottemanne H, Bonny G, et al. Association between suicide behaviours in children and adolescents and the COVID-19 lockdown in Paris, France: a retrospective observational study. Arch Dis Child. 2020 Dec 22:archdischild-2020-320628. PubMed: https://pubmed.gov/33355154. Full-text: https://doi.org/10.1136/archdischild-2020-320628
There was a 50% decrease in the incidence of suicidal behaviors in children and adolescents during the COVID-19 lockdown in Paris, France. The authors of this retrospective observational study conducted in Necker Hospital for Sick Children, Paris (January 2018–June 2020), speculate about the reasons for this decline.
Spanish
If you read Spanish, read Peiró P. Cómo la polio dejó de aterrorizar al mundo y otros momentos en que la ciencia venció a la muerte. El País 2020, published 29 December. Full-text: https://elpais.com/sociedad/2020-12-28/como-la-polio-dejo-de-aterrorizar-al-mundo-y-otros-momentos-en-que-la-ciencia-vencio-a-la-muerte.html
De la expedición de Balmis para llevar la vacuna de la viruela por todo el mundo, a la fabricación en masa de penicilina en la segunda Guerra Mundial, la humanidad ha superado retos como los que plantea ahora la covid.
Güell O. El toque de queda de París también ‘funciona’ en Burdeos. El País 2020, published 29 December. Full-text: https://elpais.com/sociedad/2020-12-28/el-toque-de-queda-de-paris-tambien-funciona-en-burdeos.html
Una investigación en Francia revela cómo la medida benefició a ciudades donde no fue aplicada.
González B. Razones por las que, aunque se vacune, no podrá quitarse la mascarilla. El País 2020, published 29 December. Full-text: https://elpais.com/buenavida/salud/2020-12-28/razones-por-las-que-aunque-te-vacunes-no-podras-quitarte-la-mascarilla.html
Aunque el final de esta pesadilla parezca cada vez más cerca, todavía queda recorrido.
Llaneras K. ¿Adiós a un año malo? 42 buenas noticias para empezar 2021 con optimismo. El País 2020, published 29 December. Full-text: https://elpais.com/politica/2020/12/27/actualidad/1609093070_533150.html
Una lista de datos positivos para el año nuevo, en la ‘newsletter’ de Kiko Llaneras.
French
If you understand French, listen to Le vaccin contre le Covid-19 va-t-il nous sauver rapidement de l’épidémie ? Le Monde 2020, published 27 December. Video : https://www.lemonde.fr/planete/video/2020/12/27/covid-19-le-vaccin-va-t-il-nous-sauver-rapidement-de-l-epidemie_6064589_3244.html
Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca… les vaccins de ces laboratoires vont-ils assurer une immunité globale suffisante pour arrêter la transmission du coronavirus ?
Roucaute D. La seconde vague de Covid-19 en France est plus meurtrière que la première. Le Monde 2020, published 29 December. Video : https://www.lemonde.fr/planete/article/2020/12/29/une-deuxieme-vague-plus-meurtriere-que-la-premiere_6064736_3244.html
Si le taux de mortalité dans les hôpitaux a été divisé par deux depuis avril, près de 32 500 personnes sont mortes des suites de la maladie lors des cinq derniers mois, contre un peu moins de 30 300 entre février et juillet.
German
If you read German, read Albrecht H. Zwischen Euphorie und Panik. Die Zeit, published 29 December. Full-text: https://www.zeit.de/2021/01/corona-impfungen-virologen-mutation-grossbritannien-herdenimmunitaet-usa
Der Beginn der Impfkampagne darf nicht täuschen: Sars-CoV-2 steckt voller Überraschungen.
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