Covid Info Digest–January-May 2022–Part 5

10 January 2022

Rapid Diagnostic Testing for SARS-CoV-2. https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMcp2117115

Audio Interview: Covid-19 Vaccination and the Omicron Variant.https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMe2120098?query=featured_home

Effect of Covid-19 Vaccination on Transmission of Alpha and Delta Variants.https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2116597?query=featured_home

JAMA Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/pages/coronavirus-alert?utm_campaign=COVID19&utm_medium=banner&utm_source=house&utm_content=box&utm_term=300×250

False-Positive Results in Rapid Antigen Tests for SARS-CoV-2.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2788067

A COVID Vaccine for All. With proved technology and no-frills tech transfer, CORBEVAX is poised to reach hundreds of millions in the coming weeks.https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/a-covid-vaccine-for-all/

Neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant is increased after heterologous ChAdOx1 nCoV-19/BNT162b2 versus homologous BNT162b2 vaccination.https://www.cell.com/iscience/fulltext/S2589-0042(21)01664-3

mRNA-1273 vaccine-induced antibodies maintain Fc-effector functions across SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Concern. https://www.cell.com/immunity/fulltext/S1074-7613(22)00030-9

Cell Press Coronavirus Resource Hub. https://www.cell.com/COVID-19?utm_medium=homepage

Effectiveness and feasibility of telerehabilitation in patients with COVID-19: a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/1/e058932

Africa CDC says severe lockdowns no longer tool to contain COVID-19.https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/africa-cdc-says-severe-lockdowns-no-longer-tool-contain-covid-19-2022-01-06/

Omicron leads to fresh wave of scientific meeting cancellations. Annual in-person meetings for AAAS, astronomers, mathematicians, and meteorologists nixed but biology meeting goes ahead. https://www.science.org/content/article/omicron-leads-fresh-wave-scientific-meeting-cancellations

Efficacy and safety of two neutralising monoclonal antibody therapies, sotrovimab and BRII-196 plus BRII-198, for adults hospitalised with COVID-19 (TICO): a randomised controlled trial.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1473309921007519

Time to knock monoclonal antibodies off the platform for patients hospitalised with COVID-19. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1473309921007623

Mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic: the blind spots in statistics.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1473309921007672

OTHER NEWS

Equity impact of minimum unit pricing of alcohol on household health and finances among rich and poor drinkers in South Africa. https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/1/e007824

A growing disadvantage of being born in an urban area? Analysing urban–rural disparities in neonatal mortality in 21 African countries with a focus on Tanzania.https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/1/e007544

Innovative, enhanced community management of non-hypoxaemic chest-indrawing pneumonia in 2–59-month-old children: a cluster-randomised trial in Africa and Asia.https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/1/e006405

Primary care doctor and nurse consultations among people who live in slums: a retrospective, cross-sectional survey in four countries.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/1/e054142

Effectiveness of conditional cash transfers (Afya credits incentive) to retain women in the continuum of care during pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period in Kenya: a cluster-randomised trial. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/1/e055921

Preoperative sonographic prediction of intra-abdominal adhesions using sliding sign at repeat caesarean section at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Nigeria: a prospective observational study. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/1/e046334

Busting contraception myths and misconceptions among youth in Kwale County, Kenya: results of a digital health randomised control trial.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/1/e047426

Characteristics and impacts ofSystematic review nutritional programmes to address undernutrition of adults living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review of evidence. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/1/e047205

Critical care nursing role in low and lower middle-income settings: a scoping review.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/1/e055585

Magnitude of optimal adherence and predictors for a low level of adherence among HIV/AIDS-infected adults in South Gondar zone, Northwest Ethiopia: a multifacility cross-sectional study. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/1/e056009

Cost-effectiveness analysis of an active 30-day surgical site infection surveillance at a tertiary hospital in Ghana: evidence from HAI-Ghana study.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/1/e057468

Spend wisely to eliminate malaria.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1473309921002565

13 January 2021

Rapid epidemic expansion of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in southern Africa.https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-03832-5

COVID-19 Vaccines Have Been Available in the US for More Than a Year—What’s Been Learned and What’s Next? https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2788213

Nurses Struggle through a New COVID Wave with Rage and Compassion.https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/nurses-struggle-through-a-new-covid-wave-with-rage-and-compassion/

‘Killer’ immune cells still recognize Omicron variant. Amid concerns over lost antibody defences, some researchers argue that more attention should be paid to T cells. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00063-0

Pulmonary barotrauma in patient suffering from COVID-19.https://www.cell.com/heliyon/fulltext/S2405-8440(22)00033-0

Covid-19: Omicron drives weekly record high in global infections.https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o66

Covid-19: We have good treatments for omicron, but questions remain, say doctors.https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o61

OTHER NEWS

Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards 2022 (CHEERS 2022) statement: updated reporting guidance for health economic evaluations.https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj-2021-067975

Tom Nolan’s research reviews—7 January 2022.https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o31

Determinants of undernutrition among older adults in South Gondar Zone, Ethiopia: a community-based study. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/1/e056966

Prevalence and risk factors of depression symptoms among rural and urban populations affected by Ebola virus disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: a representative cross-sectional study. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/1/e053375

13 January 2022

Some COVID Patients Need Amputations to Survive. Impaired blood flow leads to loss of limbs. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/some-covid-patients-need-amputations-to-survive/

The COVID generation: how is the pandemic affecting kids’ brains? Child-development researchers are asking whether the pandemic is shaping brains and behaviour.https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00027-4

COVID vaccines safely protect pregnant people: the data are in. Despite evidence that pregnant people are at high risk of serious disease, many remain unvaccinated.https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00031-8

Duration of Protection against Mild and Severe Disease by Covid-19 Vaccines. We observed limited waning in vaccine effectiveness against Covid-19–related hospitalization and death at 20 weeks or more after vaccination with two doses of the ChAdOx1-S or BNT162b2 vaccine. Waning was greater in older adults and in those in a clinical risk group.

https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2115481?query=featured_home

Effectiveness of BNT162b2 Vaccine against Critical Covid-19 in Adolescents. Among hospitalized adolescent patients, two doses of the BNT162b2 vaccine were highly effective against Covid-19–related hospitalization and ICU admission or the receipt of life support.

https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2117995?query=featured_home

Assessment of Functional Mobility After COVID-19 in Adults Aged 50 Years or Older in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2787975

Perioperative Cardiovascular Considerations Prior to Elective Noncardiac Surgery in Patients With a History of COVID-19.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamasurgery/fullarticle/2788012

OTHER NEWS

Here’s how scientists pulled off the first pig-to-human heart transplant. The effort involved genetic engineering, an experimental drug, and cocaine.https://www.science.org/content/article/here-s-how-scientists-pulled-first-pig-human-heart-transplant

Mapping where HIV hides its genes suggests cure strategy. Long-term antiretrovirals may corner viral genomes in inactive regions of DNA.https://www.science.org/content/article/mapping-where-hiv-hides-its-genes-suggests-cure-strategy

Gender Differences in the Amount and Type of Student Participation During In-Person and Virtual Classes in Academic Medicine Learning Environments.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2787980

Patient Factors Associated With Appendectomy Within 30 Days of Initiating Antibiotic Treatment for Appendicitis. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamasurgery/article-abstract/2788013

14 January 2022

Zimbabwe says China to donate 10 mln doses of COVID vaccine in 2022.https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/zimbabwe-says-china-donate-10-mln-doses-covid-vaccine-2022-2022-01-12/

US Insurer Spending on Ivermectin Prescriptions for COVID-19.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2788253

Covid-19: WHO recommends baricitinib and sotrovimab to treat patients.https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o97

Update to living WHO guideline on drugs for covid-19.https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o80

Time for Africa to future-proof, starting with COVID-19.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1473309922000111

The origin of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1473309922000159

Omicron thwarts some of the world’s most-used COVID vaccines

Inactivated-virus vaccines elicit few, if any, infection-blocking antibodies — but might still protect against severe disease. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00079-6

Antibodies elicited by SARS-CoV-2 infection or mRNA vaccines have reduced neutralizing activity against Beta and Omicron pseudoviruses.https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scitranslmed.abn7842

SARS-CoV-2 prolonged infection during advanced HIV disease evolves extensive immune escape. https://www.cell.com/cell-host-microbe/fulltext/S1931-3128(22)00041-5

OTHER NEWS

Quantifying within-city inequalities in child mortality across neighbourhoods in Accra, Ghana: a Bayesian spatial analysis. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/1/e054030

Every ounce counts: A call for comprehensive support for breastfeeding surgeons by the Association of Women Surgeons.https://www.americanjournalofsurgery.com/article/S0002-9610(21)00785-6/fulltext

17 January 2021

J&J booster 85% effective against Omicron hospitalisation, South Africa says.https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/jj-booster-85-effective-against-omicron-1-2-months-safrican-study-2022-01-14/

South African study suggests Omicron less severe even for unvaccinated.https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/safrican-study-suggests-omicron-less-severe-even-unvaccinated-2022-01-14/

Poorer nations reject over 100 mln COVID-19 vaccine doses as many near expiry.https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/more-than-100-million-covid-19-vaccines-rejected-by-poorer-nations-dec-unicef-2022-01-13/

Factbox: Latest on the worldwide spread of the coronavirus.https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/latest-worldwide-spread-coronavirus-2022-01-03/

Africa joins race to acquire Pfizer’s COVID-19 Paxlovid pills.https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/africa-cdc-talking-pfizer-about-importing-its-covid-treatment-pill-2022-01-13/

S.Africa still seeing serious COVID-19 in unvaccinated, vulnerable during Omicron wave. https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/safrica-still-seeing-serious-covid-19-unvaccinated-vulnerable-during-omicron-2022-01-13/

COVID-19 starkly increases pregnancy complications, including stillbirths, among the unvaccinated, Scottish study shows. Separate study finds timing of infection during pregnancy predicts prematurity. https://www.science.org/content/article/covid-19-starkly-increases-pregnancy-complications-including-stillbirths-among

Developing pan-β-coronavirus vaccines against emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern. https://www.cell.com/trends/immunology/fulltext/S1471-4906(22)00023-0

The mysterious origins of the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2.https://www.cell.com/the-innovation/fulltext/S2666-6758(22)00002-9

SARS-CoV-2 prolonged infection during advanced HIV disease evolves extensive immune escape. https://www.cell.com/cell-host-microbe/fulltext/S1931-3128(22)00041-5

Omicron’s Message on Vaccines: Boosting Begets Breadth.https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(22)00006-X

Effect of Subcutaneous Casirivimab and Imdevimab Antibody Combination vs Placebo on Development of Symptomatic COVID-19 in Early Asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 Infection. A Randomized Clinical Trial.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2788256

Realizing the Potential of Anti–SARS-CoV-2 Monoclonal Antibodies for COVID-19 Management. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2788257

COVID-19 Therapeutics for Nonhospitalized Patients.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2788254

Shinrin-yoku, yoga and other strategies in the fight against COVID-19.https://www.surgjournal.com/article/S0039-6060(21)00854-0/fulltext

OTHER NEWS

Breastfeeding Is Associated With a Reduced Maternal Cardiovascular Risk: Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis Involving Data From 8 Studies and 1 192 700 Parous Women. https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/JAHA.121.022746

Accelerating progress on early childhood development for children under 5 years with disabilities by 2030. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(21)00488-5/fulltext

18 January 2022

SARS-CoV-2 Beta and Delta variants trigger Fc effector function with increased cross-reactivity. https://www.cell.com/cell-reports-medicine/fulltext/S2666-3791(22)00003-9#%20

Case Series of Thrombosis With Thrombocytopenia Syndrome After COVID-19 Vaccination—United States, December 2020 to August 2021.https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M21-4502

Investigation of the relation between risk assessment of exposure and nosocomial SARS-CoV-2 transmission in healthcare workers: a prospective single-centre study.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/1/e056858

Development and external validation of prognostic models for COVID-19 to support risk stratification in secondary care. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/1/e049506

Emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants: shooting the messenger.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1473309921007702

OTHER NEWS

Protection against tuberculosis by Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccination: A historical perspective. https://www.cell.com/med/fulltext/S2666-6340(21)00380-9

Association between prelabour caesarean section and perinatal outcomes: analysis of demographic and health surveys from 26 low-income and middle-income countries.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/1/e053049

Adoption and continued use of mobile contact tracing technology: multilevel explanations from a three-wave panel survey and linked data.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/1/e053327

What prevents pregnant women from adhering to the continuum of maternal care? Evidence on interrelated mechanisms from a cohort study in Kenya.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/1/e050670

Fluid therapy for severe malaria.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1473309921004710

19 Jan 2022

The mysterious origins of the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2.https://www.cell.com/the-innovation/fulltext/S2666-6758(22)00002-9

The pandemic’s true death toll: millions more than official counts. Countries have reported some five million COVID-19 deaths in two years, but global excess deaths are estimated at double or even quadruple that figure.https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00104-8

Frequency of Adverse Events in the Placebo Arms of COVID-19 Vaccine Trials. A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2788172?s=09

Neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron by BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine–elicited human sera. https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abn7591

Early non-neutralizing, afucosylated antibody responses are associated with COVID-19 severity. https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scitranslmed.abm7853

Frequency of Adverse Events in the Placebo Arms of COVID-19 Vaccine Trials. A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2788172

Covid-19: Focus should be on new vaccines rather than boosters, says WHO.https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o108

Importance of epidemiological factors in the evaluation of transmissibility and clinical severity of SARS-CoV-2 variants.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1473309921004746

Protection against COVID-19: beyond antibodies.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1473309921005612

Breakthrough infections with SARS-CoV-2 omicron despite mRNA vaccine booster dose. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/onlinefirst

Wearable AIEgen-Based Lateral Flow Test Strip for Rapid Detection of SARS-CoV-2 RBD Protein and N Protein. https://www.cell.com/cell-reports-physical-science/fulltext/S2666-3864(22)00004-2

Durability of immune responses to the BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine.https://www.cell.com/med/fulltext/S2666-6340(21)00406-2

SARS-CoV-2 Beta and Delta variants trigger Fc effector function with increased cross-reactivity. https://www.cell.com/cell-reports-medicine/fulltext/S2666-3791(22)00003-9

Ex vivo and in vivo suppression of SARS-CoV-2 with combinatorial AAV-RNAi expression vectors. https://www.cell.com/molecular-therapy-family/molecular-therapy/fulltext/S1525-0016(22)00024-7

Developing pan-β-coronavirus vaccines against emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern. https://www.cell.com/trends/immunology/fulltext/S1471-4906(22)00023-0

CELL PRESS CORONA VIRUS RECENT ARTICLES https://www.cell.com/COVID-19

OTHER NEWS

Online medical school—a win for accessibility?https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o131

Sounds of Mosquitoes’ Mating Rituals Could Help Fight Malaria. “Wing beats” can help identify targets for control programs.https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/sounds-of-mosquitoes-mating-rituals-could-help-fight-malaria/

Practice Of Early Breastfeeding Initiation On Primigravida With A Cultural Perspective: A Systematic Review. This article is a preprint and has not been certified by peer review [what does this mean?]. It reports new medical research that has yet to be evaluated and so should not be used to guide clinical practice.https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.01.15.22269367v1

20 Jan 2022

Assessment of Clinical Outcomes Among Children and Adolescents Hospitalized With COVID-19 in 6 Sub-Saharan African Countries.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/2788373

Early assessment of the clinical severity of the SARS-CoV-2 omicron variant in South Africa: a data linkage study.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00017-4/fulltext

COVID-19 will continue but the end of the pandemic is near.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00100-3/fulltext

Omicron severity: milder but not mild.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00056-3/fulltext

Global Representation During a Global Pandemic.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/2788374

Covid-19 vaccines and treatments: we must have raw data, now.https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o102

Official list of covid-19 symptoms must be updated. That omicron infection produces milder symptoms and causes less severe illness is certainly a good thing, but this also means that it is much harder to detect, making an effective testing programme more crucial than ever. Given that we now know from research such as the ZOE study that the primary symptoms of the omicron variant include runny nose, headache, fatigue, sneezing, and sore throat,5 it is profoundly unhelpful that the government has not updated its official—and now outdated—list of symptoms, which highlights high temperature, a new continuous cough, or a loss or change to sense of smell or taste.

https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o121

Long covid in children and adolescents. https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o143

Audio Interview: Crushing the Covid-19 Curve.https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMe2200865?query=featured_home

Immunogenicity and Reactogenicity of Vaccine Boosters after Ad26.COV2.S Priming.https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2116747?query=featured_home

Rapid Diagnostic Testing for SARS-CoV-2.https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMcp2117115?query=featured_home

Three-dose vaccination elicits neutralising antibodies against omicron.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00092-7/fulltext

Building research capacity to correct global health’s wrongs.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(21)00491-5/fulltext?dgcid=raven_jbs_etoc_email#%20

Variations in risks from smoking between high-income, middle-income, and low-income countries: an analysis of data from 179 000 participants from 63 countries.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(21)00509-X/fulltext?dgcid=raven_jbs_etoc_email

Ethics of Educating American Global Surgeons: An Approach to Conscientious Training on the Individual, Departmental, and Institutional Levels.https://journals.lww.com/journalacs/Fulltext/2022/02000/Ethics_of_Educating_American_Global_Surgeons__An.20.aspx

Identification of human and mosquito receptors for alphaviruses

Alphaviruses are transmitted by mosquitoes to many species, and can be fatal to humans. The identification of virus receptors that are evolutionarily conserved between mosquitoes and humans might explain the wide range of viral hosts.https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00052-3

Vaccine Development Is Charting a New Path in Malaria Control.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2788387

Atrial fibrillation and mortality in outpatients with heart failure in Tanzania: a prospective cohort study. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/1/e058200

Global burden of bacterial antimicrobial resistance in 2019: a systematic analysis.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(21)02724-0/fulltext

The overlooked pandemic of antimicrobial resistance.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00087-3/fulltext

A three-step support strategy for relatives of patients dying in the intensive care unit: a cluster randomised trial. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(21)02176-0/fulltext

24 Jan 2022

Psychological distress and associated factors among hospital workers in Uganda during the COVID-19 lockdown – A multicentre study.https://www.cell.com/heliyon/fulltext/S2405-8440(22)00095-0

The blood-brain barrier is dysregulated in COVID-19 and serves as a CNS entry route for SARS-CoV-2. https://www.cell.com/stem-cell-reports/fulltext/S2213-6711(21)00650-0

Potential role of neurofilament in COVID-19 and preeclampsia.https://www.cell.com/cell-reports-medicine/fulltext/S2666-3791(21)00367-0

Deltacron: the story of the variant that wasn’t. News of a ‘super variant’ combining Delta and Omicron spread rapidly last week, but researchers say it never existed and the sequences may have resulted from contamination.https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00149-9

These Are the Latest COVID Treatments. But shortages mean that new antivirals and other drugs may be hard to come by. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/these-are-the-latest-covid-treatments/

Boosting immunity after CoronaVac. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00095-2/fulltext

Long COVID and self-management.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(21)02798-7/fulltext

Do vaccines protect from long COVID?https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2600(22)00020-0/fulltext

Why scientists are racing to develop more COVID antivirals

The first crop of antivirals against SARS-CoV-2 is promising. But new drugs will be needed to counter the looming threat of resistance.https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00112-8

Covid live: Ireland to lift almost all curbs from 6am on Saturday; France reports 400,851 new cases — as it happened.https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2022/jan/21/covid-news-live-africa-sees-cases-drop-significantly-experts-say-australias-omicron-wave-likely-peaked

Dozens of firms to make cheap version of Merck COVID pill for poorer nations.https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/merck-covid-pill-molnupiravir-be-produced-by-27-drugmakers-2022-01-20/

In rare cases, coronavirus vaccines may cause Long Covid–like symptoms. Brain fog, headaches, blood pressure swings are being probed by NIH and other researchers.https://www.science.org/content/article/rare-cases-coronavirus-vaccines-may-cause-long-covid-symptoms

Association Between 3 Doses of mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine and Symptomatic Infection Caused by the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron and Delta Variants.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2788485

Booster Vaccination to Prevent COVID-19 in the Era of Omicron. An Effective Part of a Layered Public Health Approach.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2788487

Comparison of mRNA-1273 and BNT162b2 Vaccines on Breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 Infections, Hospitalizations, and Death During the Delta-Predominant Period.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2788408

Cannabidiol inhibits SARS-CoV-2 replication through induction of the host ER stress and innate immune responses. https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.abi6110

Billionaire Soon-Shiong opens new vaccine plant in South Africa.https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/billionaire-soon-shiong-opens-new-vaccine-plant-south-africa-2022-01-19/

OTHER NEWS

Powerful ideas? Decolonisation and the future of global health.https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/1/e006924

Enhancing quality midwifery care in humanitarian and fragile settings: a systematic review of interventions, support systems and enabling environments. In total, 24 papers were included from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan and Sudan, Ethiopia, Pakistan, Uganda and Liberia. https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/1/e006872

Prevalence of depression and anxiety symptoms and their determinant factors among patients with cancer in southern Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/1/e051317

Multimorbidity of non-communicable diseases in low-income and middle-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/1/e049133

Proportionate translation of study materials and measures in a multinational global health trial: methodology development and implementation.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/1/e058083.share

25 Jan 2022

UN data reveals ‘nearly insurmountable’ scale of lost schooling due to Covid. Up to 70% of 10-year-olds in low- and middle-income countries lack basic reading skills, with learning losses seen from US to Ethiopia. https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2022/jan/25/un-data-reveals-nearly-insurmountable-scale-of-lost-schooling-due-to-covid

COVID-19: endemic doesn’t mean harmless. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00155-x

How Immunocompromised People without Strong Vaccine Protection Are Coping with COVID. People with diseases or treatments that suppress their immune system cannot count on the same protection most vaccinated people have.https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-immunocompromised-people-without-strong-vaccine-protection-are-coping-with-covid/

Structural and functional characterizations of infectivity and immune evasion of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron. https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(22)00077-0

Persistent B-cell memory after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination is functional during breakthrough infections. https://www.cell.com/cell-host-microbe/fulltext/S1931-3128(22)00039-7

A Fc-enhanced NTD-binding non-neutralizing antibody delays virus spread and synergizes with a nAb to protect mice from lethal SARS-CoV-2 infection.https://www.cell.com/cell-reports/fulltext/S2211-1247(22)00089-4

Clinical Outcomes Among Patients With 1-Year Survival Following Intensive Care Unit Treatment for COVID-19. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2788504

Effect of Noninvasive Respiratory Strategies on Intubation or Mortality Among Patients With Acute Hypoxemic Respiratory Failure and COVID-19. The RECOVERY-RS Randomized Clinical Trial. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2788505

Defining Optimal Respiratory Support for Patients With COVID-19.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2788506

Preventing SARS-CoV-2 Transmission in Health Care Settings in the Context of the Omicron Variant. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2788503

OTHER NEWS

Massive open index of scholarly papers launches. OpenAlex catalogues hundreds of millions of scientific documents and charts connections between them.https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00138-y

Lost in translation: a caution against using automated and commercial translation services for medical communications. https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/1/e008067

Neonatal rotavirus vaccine (RV3-BB) immunogenicity and safety in a neonatal and infant administration schedule in Malawi: a randomised, double-blind, four-arm parallel group dose-ranging study.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1473309921004734

Universal health coverage: an effective intervention for a tuberculosis-free world.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(21)00564-7/fulltext

26 Jan 2022

COVID-19: endemic doesn’t mean harmless. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00155-x

Structural and functional characterizations of infectivity and immune evasion of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron. https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(22)00077-0

Persistent B-cell memory after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination is functional during breakthrough infections. https://www.cell.com/cell-host-microbe/fulltext/S1931-3128(22)00039-7

Clinical Outcomes Among Patients With 1-Year Survival Following Intensive Care Unit Treatment for COVID-19. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2788504

Defining Optimal Respiratory Support for Patients With COVID-19.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2788506

Preventing SARS-CoV-2 Transmission in Health Care Settings in the Context of the Omicron Variant. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2788503

OTHER NEWS

Lost in translation: a caution against using automated and commercial translation services for medical communications. https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/1/e008067

Universal health coverage: an effective intervention for a tuberculosis-free world.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(21)00564-7/fulltext

27 Jan 2022

When Should You Get a COVID Test? It depends, but vaccinated people should generally wait five days after exposure before taking an antigen test. Here’s why.https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/when-should-you-get-a-covid-test1/

Menstruation and covid-19 vaccination. https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o142

Long-COVID symptoms less likely in vaccinated people, Israeli data say. People who’ve both been vaccinated and had COVID-19 are less likely to report fatigue and other health problems than unvaccinated people.https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00177-5

Structural basis of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron immune evasion and receptor engagement.https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abn8652

Vaccination before or after SARS-CoV-2 infection leads to robust humoral response and antibodies that effectively neutralize variants.https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciimmunol.abn8014

SARS-CoV-2 Beta variant infection elicits potent lineage-specific and cross-reactive antibodies. https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abm5835

The SARS-CoV-2 monoclonal antibody combination, AZD7442, is protective in non-human primates and has an extended half-life in humans.https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scitranslmed.abl8124

Cell Press Coronavirus Resource Hub—27 Jan 2022. https://www.cell.com/COVID-19

Audio Interview: Addressing the Omicron Variant of SARS-CoV-2.https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMe2201214?query=featured_home

Homologous and Heterologous Covid-19 Booster Vaccinations.https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2116414?query=featured_home

SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant Neutralization after mRNA-1273 Booster Vaccination.https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2119912?query=featured_home

Myocarditis after BNT162b2 Vaccination in Israeli Adolescents.https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2116999?query=featured_home

Early Remdesivir to Prevent Progression to Severe Covid-19 in Outpatients.https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2116846?query=featured_home

Duration of Protection against Mild and Severe Disease by Covid-19 Vaccines.https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2115481?query=featured_home

Waning mRNA-1273 Vaccine Effectiveness against SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Qatar.https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2119432?query=featured_home

Effects of a Prolonged Booster Interval on Neutralization of Omicron Variant.https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2119426?query=featured_home

Efficacy of Antibodies and Antiviral Drugs against Covid-19 Omicron Variant.https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2119407?query=featured_home

A Possible Role for Anti-idiotype Antibodies in SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Vaccination.https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMcibr2113694?query=featured_home

Universal Coronavirus Vaccines — An Urgent Need.https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp2118468?query=featured_secondary

COVID-19 and the Common Cold—Preexisting Coronavirus Antibodies May Hinder SARS-CoV-2 Immunity. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2788621

Safety and immunogenicity of an AS03-adjuvanted SARS-CoV-2 recombinant protein vaccine (CoV2 preS dTM) in healthy adults: interim findings from a phase 2, randomised, dose-finding, multicentre study.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1473309921007647

A Literature Review And Meta-Analysis Of The Effects Of Lockdowns On Covid-19 Mortality. https://sites.krieger.jhu.edu/iae/files/2022/01/A-Literature-Review-and-Meta-Analysis-of-the-Effects-of-Lockdowns-on-COVID-19-Mortality.pdf

OTHER NEWS

Pembrolizumab induces HIV latency reversal in people living with HIV and cancer on antiretroviral therapy. https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scitranslmed.abl3836

Using scientific authorship criteria as a tool for equitable inclusion in global health research. https://ethicsresource.ringsgenderresearch.org/resource/using-scientific-authorship-criteria-as-a-tool-for-equitable-inclusion-in-global-health-research/

28 Jan 2022

Indirect protection of children from SARS-CoV-2 infection through parental vaccination. https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abm3087

Is social media, as a main source of information on COVID-19, associated with perceived effectiveness of face mask use? Findings from six sub-Saharan African countries. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/17579759211065489

China’s zero-COVID strategy: what happens next? With Omicron or Delta outbreaks already in multiple provinces, scientists say next week’s Winter Olympics will present a major test of China’s zero-tolerance approach.https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00191-7

Daily briefing: Vaccination could reduce long COVID risk. Data from Israel suggest that vaccination can help to reduce the risk of long COVID. Plus: how a mega drought may have toppled ancient civilizations. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00201-8

Three, four or more: what’s the magic number for booster shots? COVID vaccine boosters are proving a useful tool against Omicron, but scientists say that endless boosting might not be a practical or sustainable strategy.https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00200-9

Covid-19: Cuba will request WHO approval for homegrown vaccine.https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o230

High-dose immunoglobulins from convalescent donors for patients hospitalised with COVID-19. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00112-X/fulltext

Hyperimmune immunoglobulin for hospitalised patients with COVID-19 (ITAC): a double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3, randomised trial.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00101-5/fulltext

Effectiveness of Curcumin on Outcomes of Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients: A Systematic Review of Clinical Trials. https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/14/2/256

The Risk of Postoperative Complications After Major Elective Surgery in Active or Resolved COVID-19 in the United States.https://journals.lww.com/annalsofsurgery/Fulltext/2022/02000/The_Risk_of_Postoperative_Complications_After.7.aspx

OTHER NEWS

Measles. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(21)02004-3/fulltext

Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the universality of health and human rights.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00121-0/fulltext

Retinoblastoma outcomes: a global perspective.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(21)00598-2/fulltext

Global retinoblastoma survival and globe preservation: a systematic review and meta-analysis of associations with socioeconomic and health-care factors. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(21)00555-6/fulltext

Analysis of Registered Clinical Trials in Surgical Oncology, 2008-2020. Between 2008 and 2020, only 7.6% of oncology clinical trials investigated surgical interventions, which is lower than previously reportedand reflects low proportions of cancer research involving surgery worldwide.

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2788458?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social_jamajno&utm_term=6256885099&utm_campaign=article_alert&linkId=149823251

Improving the medical curriculum on planetary health and sustainable healthcare.https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o209

Promoting surgical research in the Global South: Perspectives from surgical trainee researchers.

https://www.surgjournal.com/article/S0039-6060(21)00940-5/fulltext

Gallbladder cancer in Africa: A higher than expected rate in a “low-risk” population. Abstract available. NOT open access. https://www.surgjournal.com/article/S0039-6060(21)00935-1/fulltext#%20

31 Jan 2022

Where did Omicron come from? Three key theories. The highly transmissible variant emerged with a host of unusual mutations. Now scientists are trying to work out how it evolved. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00215-2

HIV and covid-19 in South Africa. https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj-2021-069807

UAE to lift entry, transit ban on passengers from 12 African countries.https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/uae-lift-entry-transit-ban-passengers-12-african-countries-2022-01-27/

Does the world need an Omicron vaccine? What researchers say. Public-health specialists are debating the need for a shot targeting the variant, now causing a record-breaking surge in COVID-19 cases. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00199-z

Human genetic and immunological determinants of critical COVID-19 pneumonia. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-04447-0

Cell Press Coronavirus Resource Hub. https://www.cell.com/COVID-19?utm_medium=homepage

Assessment of a Smartphone-Based Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification Assay for Detection of SARS-CoV-2 and Influenza Viruses.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2788464

APOL1 Risk Variants, Acute Kidney Injury, and Death in Participants With African Ancestry Hospitalized With COVID-19 From the Million Veteran Program.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2788707

Don’t worry about the drug industry’s profits when considering a waiver on covid-19 intellectual property rights. https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj-2021-067367

Persistence of protection against SARS-CoV-2 clinical outcomes up to 9 months since vaccine completion: a retrospective observational analysis in Lombardy, Italy.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1473309921008136

COVID-19 vaccine inequity, dependency, and production capability in low-income and middle-income countries: the case of Bangladesh.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1473309922000287

COVID-19 vaccine: what are we doing and what should we do?https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1473309922000032

A Literature Review And Meta-Analysis Of The Effects Of Lockdowns On Covid-19 Mortality https://sites.krieger.jhu.edu/iae/files/2022/01/A-Literature-Review-and-Meta-Analysis-of-the-Effects-of-Lockdowns-on-COVID-19-Mortality.pdf

OTHER NEWS

WHO’s 2021–30 roadmap for neglected tropical diseases.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanmic/article/PIIS2666-5247(20)30227-5/fulltext?utm_campaign=lancet&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social

Why early-career researchers should step up to the peer-review plate. Science benefits when junior scientists sign up as reviewers. It’s also good for their careers.https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00216-1

Association of Antihypertensives That Stimulate vs Inhibit Types 2 and 4 Angiotensin II Receptors With Cognitive Impairment. These results, if replicated in randomized clinical trials, suggest that certain antihypertensive medications could be used to prevent the development of cognitive decline.

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2788465

Advising patients with existing conditions about fasting during Ramadan.https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj-2020-063613

Worldwide experience of homozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia: retrospective cohort study. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(21)02001-8/fulltextClosing the gap: Triangulation of surgeons’ respectful behaviors perceived by medical students, residents, and patients. https://www.surgjournal.com/article/S0039-6060(21)01184-3/fulltext#.YfdeJqGqCWg.twitter

1 Feb 2022

Ten billion COVID vaccinations: world hits new milestone. More than ten billion doses have gone into arms in a remarkably short period of time — but scientists warn that woeful inequities in access remain. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00285-2

Will Omicron end the pandemic? Here’s what experts say. The variant’s rapid spread, different vaccine strategies and varying levels of immunity worldwide make the pandemic’s future difficult to model. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00210-7

How Many COVID Vaccine Boosters Will We Need? Endless boosting might not be a practical or sustainable strategy, scientists say.https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-many-covid-vaccine-boosters-will-we-need/

Multiple Early Factors Anticipate Post-Acute COVID-19 Sequelae.https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(22)00072-1?utm_medium=homepage

Omicron sub-lineage BA.2 may have “substantial growth advantage,” UKHSA reports.https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o263

Covid-19: Antibody “signature” could predict risk of long covid.https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o245

Covid-19 as a long multiwave event: implications for responses to safeguard younger generations. https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj-2021-068123

OTHER NEWS

Derivation and Validation of a Score Using Prehospital Data to Identify Adults With Trauma Requiring Early Laparotomy.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2788497

A Hippocratic oath for medical communicators. If there were a Hippocratic oath for those aiming to communicate about science and medicine, might we pledge to choose words carefully and back them up with good data? Both are in short supply when it comes to understanding and treating “long covid.”

https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o211

Impact of newly constructed primary healthcare centres on antenatal care attendance, facility delivery and all-cause mortality: quasi-experimental evidence from Taabo health and demographic surveillance system, Côte d’Ivoire.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/1/e054355

Factors associated with the longer-term unmet supportive care needs of stroke survivors in Ethiopia: a multicentre cross-sectional study.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/1/e053579

What is the community’s knowledge and understanding regarding epilepsy? Epilepsy knowledge and its determinants among residents of Debub Bench District, Bench Sheko Zone, Southwest Ethiopia, 2019: a cross-sectional study.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/1/e052480

Determinants of accessing healthcare in Sub-Saharan Africa: a mixed-effect analysis of recent Demographic and Health Surveys from 36 countries.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/1/e054397

Report of the Lancet Commission on the Value of Death: bringing death back into life.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(21)02314-X/fulltext

The precariousness of balancing life and death.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00162-3/fulltext

World malaria report 2021. https://www.who.int/teams/global-malaria-programme/reports/world-malaria-report-2021

Decolonizing global health: what should be the target of this movement and where does it lead us? https://ghrp.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s41256-022-00237-3

2 Feb 2022

People carrying excess weight have an increased risk of severe covid-19.https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o141

Pandemic preparedness and COVID-19: an exploratory analysis of infection and fatality rates, and contextual factors associated with preparedness in 177 countries, from Jan 1, 2020, to Sept 30, 2021.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00172-6/fulltext

Taiwan tries hand at COVID diplomacy again with Somaliland vaccine gift.https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/taiwan-tries-hand-covid-diplomacy-again-with-somaliland-vaccine-gift-2022-01-31/

Daily briefing: T cells — an unsung defence against COVID-19. Why our ‘killer’ immune cells are so often overlooked, and what part they might play in protecting us from SARS-CoV-2. Plus, debunked posts about scientists endure on social media and exploring the need for an Omicron vaccine. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00298-x

Had breakthrough COVID after a booster? Odds are it’s Omicron. New findings reinforce Omicron’s genius at punching through immune defenses — but also show that boosters improve protection. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00283-4

COVID’s lesson for governments? Don’t cherry-pick advice, synthesize it. Too many national leaders get good guidance yet make poor decisions.https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00212-5

Omicron’s origins, where’s Webb — the week in infographics. Nature highlights three key graphics from the week in science and research.https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00303-3

Sudden rise of more transmissible form of Omicron catches scientists by surprise. “Sister” of original may extend Omicron surges, but no evidence yet it causes more severe disease. https://www.science.org/content/article/sudden-rise-more-transmissible-form-omicron-catches-scientists-surprise

Infection or a third dose of mRNA vaccine elicits neutralizing antibody responses against SARS-CoV-2 in kidney transplant recipients.https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scitranslmed.abl6141

Germinal center responses to SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines in healthy and immunocompromised individuals. https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(22)00138-6

Non-cell autonomous disruption of nuclear architecture as a potential cause of COVID-19 induced anosmia. https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(22)00135-0

Prevalence of Common Infectious Diseases After COVID-19 Vaccination and Easing of Pandemic Restrictions in Israel.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2788557

How can you help me integrate my long covid care?https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.n3102

Imaging and Clinical Features of COVID-19 Breakthrough Infections: A Multicenter Study. https://pubs.rsna.org/doi/10.1148/radiol.213072

OTHER NEWS

Operating room efficiency in a low resource setting: a pilot study from a large tertiary referral center in Ethiopia.https://pssjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13037-021-00314-5

The staggering death toll of drug-resistant bacteria. Global survey shows that in 2019, antimicrobial resistance killed more people than HIV/AIDS or malaria.https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00228-x

The superhero skills needed to juggle science and motherhood. It might demand 12-hour days, but the chance to help shape African science makes it all worth it.https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00302-4

Evaluation of Adiposity and Cognitive Function in Adults. The results of this study suggest that generalized and visceral adipose tissue are associated with reduced cognitive scores, after adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors and vascular brain injury.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2788555

Economic burden of female genital mutilation in 27 high-prevalence countries.https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/2/e004512

Temporal shifts in HIV-related risk factors among cohorts of adolescent girls and young women enrolled in DREAMS programming: evidence from Kenya, Malawi and Zambia. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/2/e047843

Impact of surgical management of primary tumors in stage IV breast cancer patients: a retrospective observational study based on SEER database. Surgery was associated with prolonged survival in stage IV breast cancers, but not in patients with TNBC and visceral metastases.

https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/2/e054135

Improving maternal and newborn health services in Northeast Nigeria through a government-led partnership of stakeholders: a quasi-experimental study.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/2/e048877

Weight change after antiretroviral therapy initiation among adults living with HIV in Northwest Ethiopia: a longitudinal data analysis.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/2/e055266

Challenges and solutions to providing surgery in Sierra Leone hospitals: a qualitative analysis of surgical provider perspectives.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/2/e052972

Industry influence over global alcohol policies via the World Trade Organization: a qualitative analysis of discussions on alcohol health warning labelling, 2010–19.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(21)00570-2/fulltext

Withholding liberty, not the right to health.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(22)00008-0/fulltext?dgcid=raven_jbs_etoc_email

International Survey of Medical Students Exposure to Relevant Global Surgery (ISOMERS): A Cross-Sectional Study.https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00268-022-06440-0

The role of conferences in tackling inequalities.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanhae/article/PIIS2352-3026(22)00008-4/fulltext

3 Feb 2022

South Africa scraps isolation for COVID positive people with no symptoms.https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/south-africa-scraps-isolation-covid-19-positive-people-with-no-symptoms-2022-01-31/

Association of AZD1222 and BNT162b2 COVID-19 Vaccination With Thromboembolic and Thrombocytopenic Events in Frontline Personnel. A Retrospective Cohort Study.https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M21-2452

Historically High Excess Mortality During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Switzerland, Sweden, and Spain. https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M21-3824

Risk for Reinfection After SARS-CoV-2: A Living, Rapid Review for American College of Physicians Practice Points on the Role of the Antibody Response in Conferring Immunity Following SARS-CoV-2 Infection.https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M21-4245

Scientists deliberately gave people COVID — here’s what they learnt. Only half of participants who were exposed to the coronavirus developed infections, with mostly mild symptoms. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00319-9

How well can Omicron evade immunity from COVID vaccines? New findings pinpoint the likelihood that people who get a breakthrough infection have Omicron rather than Delta. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00283-4

What the Omicron wave is revealing about human immunity. Immunologists have raced to work out how to protect against multiple variants of SARS-CoV-2. Their research has yielded a wealth of insights and a few surprises.https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00214-3

T-cell reactivity to the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant is preserved in most but not all individuals. https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(22)00140-4

Generation of an anticoagulant aptamer that targets factor V/Va and disrupts the FVa-membrane interaction in normal and COVID-19 patient samples.https://www.cell.com/cell-chemical-biology/fulltext/S2451-9456(22)00051-4

Inferring global-scale temporal latent topics from news reports to predict public health interventions for COVID-19. https://www.cell.com/patterns/fulltext/S2666-3899(22)00002-2

HBD-2 binds SARS-CoV-2 RBD and blocks viral entry: Strategy to combat COVID-19.https://www.cell.com/iscience/fulltext/S2589-0042(22)00126-2

Audio Interview: Studying Long Covid.https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMe2201619?query=featured_home

Challenges in Inferring Intrinsic Severity of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant.https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp2119682?query=featured_home

Third BNT162b2 Vaccination Neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Infection.https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2119358?query=featured_home

Effectiveness of BNT162b2 Vaccine against Omicron Variant in South Africa.https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2119270?query=featured_home

Extending Rivaroxaban After COVID-19 Hospitalization.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2788849

Covid-19 patients discharged from hospital have “substantially higher risk” of adverse outcomes and need monitoring. https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o265

Analytical observational study evaluating global pandemic preparedness and the effectiveness of early COVID-19 responses in Ethiopia, Nigeria, Singapore, South Korea, Sweden, Taiwan, UK and USA. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/2/e053374

Considerations for simultaneous testing of COVID-19 and tuberculosis in high-burden countries. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(22)00002-X/fulltext

Mid and long-term neurological and neuropsychiatric manifestations of post-COVID-19 syndrome: A meta-analysis. Fatigue, cognitive dysfunction (brain fog, memory issues, attention disorder) and sleep disturbances appear to be key features of post-COVID-19 syndrome. https://www.jns-journal.com/article/S0022-510X(22)00021-1/fulltext

Cardiotoxicity of azithromycin in COVID-19: an overall proportion meta-analysis.Azithromycin, with or without hydroxychloroquine, leads to a significant risk for critical QTc prolongation in patients with Covid19. Due to its cardiotoxicity effects and its unproven efficacy in Covid19, azithromycin use should be limited to cases of bacterial co-infection. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35102542/

OTHER NEWS

Determining the Most Appropriate Use of Available Regimens for HIV Preexposure Prophylaxis. https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/full/10.7326/M22-0057

Experimental HIV vaccine, based on Moderna’s mRNA technology, now in clinical trial.https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/02/01/moderna-vaccine-mrna-hiv-trial/?utm_campaign=wp_to_your_health&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&wpisrc=nl_tyh&wpmk=1&pwapi_token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJjb29raWVuYW1lIjoid3BfY3J0aWQiLCJpc3MiOiJDYXJ0YSIsImNvb2tpZXZhbHVlIjoiNWNkMmVmZmY5YmJjMGYwYmY4OGIwODEwIiwidGFnIjoiNjFmYWYzNjk5ZDJmZGExNGQ3MTk3ZDMyIiwidXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL2hlYWx0aC8yMDIyLzAyLzAxL21vZGVybmEtdmFjY2luZS1tcm5hLWhpdi10cmlhbC8_dXRtX2NhbXBhaWduPXdwX3RvX3lvdXJfaGVhbHRoJnV0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX3NvdXJjZT1uZXdzbGV0dGVyJndwaXNyYz1ubF90eWgmd3Btaz0xIn0.9gfocBE0VD4wnS-oIJU4J16kfad5wUzDkAqLkPo5dvU

Malaria-preventing bed nets save children’s lives—with impacts that can last for decades. Babies and infants who slept under bed nets still have a survival advantage 20 years later. https://www.science.org/content/article/malaria-preventing-bed-nets-save-children-s-lives-impacts-last-decades

Mosquito Net Use in Early Childhood and Survival to Adulthood in Tanzania. In this long-term study of early-life malaria control in a high-transmission setting, the survival benefit from early-life use of treated nets persisted to adulthood.

https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2112524?query=featured_home

Digital communities of practice: one step towards decolonising global health partnerships. https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/2/e008174

Shifting the dynamics: implementation of locally driven, mixed-methods modelling to inform schistosomiasis control and elimination activities.https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/2/e007113

Factors associated with modern contraceptive demands satisfied among currently married/in-union women of reproductive age in Ethiopia: a multilevel analysis of the 2016 Demographic and Health Survey. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/2/e049341

Cross-sectional study of mental health and sexual behaviours for Ebola Survivors in Beni, Butembo and Katwa health zones of the Democratic Republic of Congo.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/2/e052306

Sexual health-seeking behaviour and associated factors in men with diabetes mellitus attending the northwest Amhara region hospitals, Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/2/e049584

The impact of pictorial health warnings on purchases of sugary drinks for children: A randomized controlled trial. Pictorial warnings reduced parents’ purchases of sugary drinks for their children in this naturalistic trial. Warnings on sugary drinks are a promising policy approach to reduce sugary drink purchasing in the US. https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1003885#sec019

4 Feb 2022

Texas Team Applauded for Giving What Big Pharma Refuses: A Patent-Free Vaccine to the World. “We’re not trying to make money. We just want to see people get vaccinated.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/12/30/texas-team-applauded-giving-what-big-pharma-refuses-patent-free-vaccine-world?fbclid=IwAR1GNxj3acp20y0gBlQg615nrUg5XdD7v4kXAW7bMK24RVApjHZ3hd1UK_E

Huge volumes of COVID hospital waste threaten health – WHO.https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/huge-volumes-covid-hospital-waste-threaten-health-who-2022-02-01/

South African scientists will study link between COVID variants and untreated HIV.https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/south-african-scientists-will-study-link-between-covid-variants-untreated-hiv-2022-02-01/

Omicron’s molecular structure could help explain its global takeover. Multiple studies are revealing why the SARS-CoV-2 variant is so transmissible, but also seems to cause milder disease. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00292-3

Does Omicron hit kids harder? Scientists are trying to find out. Children are making up a larger proportion of patients hospitalized with COVID than in previous infection waves. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00309-x

How sneezing hamsters sparked a COVID outbreak in Hong Kong. Hamsters are only second species after mink known to have spread SARS-CoV-2 to humans.https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00322-0

Breakthrough COVID powers up immune response to variants — including Omicron. Experiments suggest that SARS-CoV-2 infections after vaccination trigger antibody levels similar to those in people whose infections preceded their vaccination.https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00328-8

SARS-CoV-2 Omicron-neutralizing memory B-cells are elicited by two doses of BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine. https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciimmunol.abn8590

Divergent SARS CoV-2 Omicron-reactive T- and B cell responses in COVID-19 vaccine recipients. https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciimmunol.abo2202

Agonizing Cough of Croup Rising in Kids with COVID. The omicron variant appears to be creating more cases in small children.https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/agonizing-cough-of-croup-rising-in-kids-with-covid/

Long-Haul COVID Cases Could Spike after Latest Wave. The huge number of Omicron infections could add a lot more people with disabling long-term symptoms. Vaccinations could blunt the impact. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/long-haul-covid-cases-could-spike-after-latest-wave/

COVID Vaccines Can Be Safe for People with Prior Allergic Reactions. My colleagues and I use a protocol to inoculate safely, and the CDC needs to revise its recommendations. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/covid-vaccines-can-be-safe-for-people-with-prior-allergic-reactions/

SARS-CoV-2 Infections in Close Contacts of Positive Cases in the Olympic and Paralympic Village at the 2021 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2788895

Prevalence and Durability of SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies Among Unvaccinated US Adults by History of COVID-19. In this cross-sectional study of unvaccinated US adults, antibodies were detected in 99% of individuals who reported a positive COVID-19 test result, in 55% who believed they had COVID-19 but were never tested, and in 11% who believed they had never had COVID-19 infection. Anti-RBD levels were observed after a positive COVID-19 test result up to 20 months, extending previous 6-month durability data.

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2788894

What do we know about covid vaccines and preventing transmission?https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o298

“Excess deaths” is the best metric for tracking the pandemic.https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o285

Tom Nolan’s research reviews—3 February 2022.https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o262

COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy linked to childhood trauma.https://blogs.bmj.com/bmjopen/2022/02/02/covid-19-vaccine-hesitancy-linked-to-childhood-trauma/

Data must underpin our response to the covid-19 pandemic’s disastrous impact on cancer. https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o282

OTHER NEWS

Transforming Global Health Communications During the COVID-19 Pandemic: International Partner Perspectives.https://annalsofglobalhealth.org/articles/10.5334/aogh.3531/

Highly virulent HIV variant found circulating in Europe. The mutated strain is more severe and more transmissible — but drugs are still effective against it.https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00317-x

Inactivated and live-attenuated seasonal influenza vaccines boost broadly neutralizing antibodies in children. https://www.cell.com/cell-reports-medicine/fulltext/S2666-3791(22)00002-7

Fresh questions over Gates Foundation governance.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00226-4/fulltext?dgcid=raven_jbs_etoc_email

Estimating the effect of vaccination on antimicrobial-resistant typhoid fever in 73 countries supported by Gavi: a mathematical modelling study.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1473309921006277

Modelling vaccination to mitigate typhoid fever burden.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1473309921006782

Estimates of the prevalence of undiagnosed HIV among children living with HIV in Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe from 2015 to 2017: an analysis of data from the cross-sectional Population-based HIV Impact Assessment surveys. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanhiv/article/PIIS2352-3018(21)00291-5/fulltext

World Cancer Day: closing the care gap. Care for cancer, however, like so many other diseases, reflects the inequalities and inequities of our world. The clearest distinction is between high- and low-income countries, with comprehensive treatment reportedly available in more than 90% of high-income countries but less than 15% of low-income countries.

Similarly, the survival of children diagnosed with cancer is more than 80% in high-income countries, and less than 30% in low- and middle-income countries. And breast cancer survival five years after diagnosis now exceeds 80% in most high-income countries, compared with 66% in India and just 40% in South Africa.

Furthermore, a recent WHO survey found that cancer services are covered by a country’s largest, government health financing scheme in an estimated 37% of low- and middle-income countries, compared to at least 78% of high-income countries. This means that a cancer diagnosis has the potential to push families into poverty, particularly in lower-income countries, an effect that has been exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic. https://www.who.int/news/item/03-02-2022-world-cancer-day-closing-the-care-gap

7 Feb 2022

In world first, South Africa’s Afrigen makes mRNA COVID vaccine using Moderna data.https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/world-first-safricas-afrigen-makes-mrna-covid-vaccine-using-moderna-data-2022-02-03/

SARS-CoV-2 Human Challenge Study Provides Infection Insights.https://www.technologynetworks.com/immunology/news/sars-cov-2-human-challenge-study-provides-infection-insights-358136

The Guardian view on vaccine justice: the developing world won’t wait. Editorial.https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/feb/04/the-guardian-view-on-vaccine-justice-the-developing-world-wont-wait

UAE lifts travel ban to 12 African countries for vaccinated citizens – state news agency.https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/uae-lifts-travel-ban-12-african-countries-vaccinated-citizens-state-news-agency-2022-02-04/

Approval of COVID vaccine made in South Africa could take 3 years, WHO says.https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/approval-covid-vaccine-made-south-africa-could-take-3-years-who-says-2022-02-04/

What you need to know about the coronavirus right now.https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/what-you-need-know-about-coronavirus-right-now-2022-01-03/

South Africa seeing more cases of Omicron sub-variant, monitoring it.https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/south-africa-seeing-more-cases-omicron-sub-variant-monitoring-it-2022-02-04/

Does cultural background influence the dissemination and severity of the COVID-19 pandemic? https://www.cell.com/heliyon/fulltext/S2405-8440(22)00195-5

Cryo-EM structure of the SARS-CoV-2 omicron spike. https://www.cell.com/cell-reports/fulltext/S2211-1247(22)00152-8

Mortality due to COVID-19 during the pandemic: A comparison of first, secondo and third SMAtteo COvid19 REgistry (SMACORE).https://www.cell.com/heliyon/fulltext/S2405-8440(22)00183-9

Cell Press Coronavirus Resource Hub.7 Feb 2022 https://www.cell.com/COVID-19

Prevalence of Select New Symptoms and Conditions Among Persons Aged Younger Than 20 Years and 20 Years or Older at 31 to 150 Days After Testing Positive or Negative for SARS-CoV-2.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2788641

Finding the facts in an infodemic: framing effective COVID-19 messages to connect people to authoritative content. https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/2/e007582

Covid-19: UK approves Novavax’s protein based vaccine.https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o309

The Botswana Medicines Regulatory Authority (BoMRA) alerts on hepatitis reaction from COVID-19 vaccines. https://www.mmegi.bw/news/bomra-alerts-on-hepatitis-reaction-from-covid-19-vaccines/news

The Effects of COVID-19 lockdown on neuropsychiatric symptoms in patients with dementia or mild cognitive impairment: A systematic review and meta-analysis.https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/psyg.12810

Xenophobia, prejudice, and blame in pandemic times. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00197-0/fulltext?utm_campaign=perspectives22&utm_content=196947326&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&hss_channel=tw-27013292

OTHER NEWS

A survey on knowledge, attitude, and practice about antibiotic prescribing and resistance among medical practitioners in Kenya [version 1; peer review: awaiting peer review]. https://aasopenresearch.org/articles/5-3

REVISED Factors associated with research productivity in higher education institutions in Africa: a systematic review [version 2; peer review: 2 approved, 1 approved with reservations]. https://aasopenresearch.org/browse/articles

Recognising the elephant in the room: the commercial determinants of health.https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/2/e007156

Integrating an early child development intervention into an existing primary healthcare platform in rural Lesotho: a prospective case–control study.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/2/e051781

Timeliness of diagnosis of breast and cervical cancers and associated factors in low-income and middle-income countries: a scoping review.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/2/e057685

How HIV advocacy can be used to ensure quality transgender health care: lessons from South Africa. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00177-5/fulltext#%20

Double Agents In Global Health.https://www.forbes.com/sites/madhukarpai/2022/02/06/double-agents-in-global-health/?sh=568946a01a2e

African leaders elevate AfricaCDC to autonomous health agency of AU.https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/tea/science-health/africacdc-health-agency-of-african-union-3707640

8 Feb 2022

COVID Smell Loss and Long COVID Linked to Inflammation.https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/covid-smell-loss-and-long-covid-linked-to-inflammation1/

Association of SARS-CoV-2 Infection With Serious Maternal Morbidity and Mortality From Obstetric Complications.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2788985

Durability of Anti-Spike Antibodies in Infants After Maternal COVID-19 Vaccination or Natural Infection. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2788986

Development of a T cell-based immunodiagnostic system to effectively distinguish SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 vaccination status. https://www.cell.com/cell-host-microbe/fulltext/S1931-3128(22)00089-0

SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Spike recognition by plasma from individuals receiving BNT162b2 mRNA vaccination with a 16-weeks interval between doses.https://www.cell.com/cell-reports/fulltext/S2211-1247(22)00153-X

Long covid: “Holistic” approach is best, given range of symptoms, say researchers.https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o336

When I use a word . . . . Vaccination—rights and duties.https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o317

Assessing the impact of the pandemic in children and adolescents: SARS-CoV-2 infection and beyond. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanchi/article/PIIS2352-4642(22)00035-9/fulltext

Long COVID symptoms in SARS-CoV-2-positive adolescents and matched controls (LongCOVIDKidsDK): a national, cross-sectional study.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanchi/article/PIIS2352-4642(22)00004-9/fulltext

Omicron’s surge helped clarify the Pfizer vaccine’s efficacy in young children, a company board member says. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/06/health/pfizer-kids-vaccine-omicron.html

OTHER NEWS

Determinants of HIV infection among children born from mothers on prevention of mother to child transmission programme of HIV in southern Ethiopia: a case–control study. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/2/e048491

9 Feb 2022

Tracking COVID-19 infections: time for change.https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00336-8

Long COVID and kids: more research is urgently needed. Like adults, children can experience long COVID, but few studies of the condition include young people. That has to change. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00334-w

Structures of the Omicron Spike trimer with ACE2 and an anti-Omicron antibody.https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abn8863

A human antibody reveals a conserved site on beta-coronavirus spike proteins and confers protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection.https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scitranslmed.abi9215

Respiratory mucosal delivery of next-generation COVID-19 vaccine provides robust protection against both ancestral and variant strains of SARS-CoV-2.https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(22)00145-3

Characteristics, Outcomes, and Severity Risk Factors Associated With SARS-CoV-2 Infection Among Children in the US National COVID Cohort Collaborative.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2788844

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on TB prevention and care in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: a retrospective database study. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/2/e053290

OTHER NEWS

Exploring digital health interventions for pregnant women at high risk for pre-eclampsia and eclampsia in low-income and-middle-income countries: a scoping review. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/2/e056130

Clinical pneumonia in the hospitalised child in Malawi in the post-pneumococcal conjugate vaccine era: a prospective hospital-based observational study.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/2/e050188

Effect of a multifaceted intervention on the utilisation of primary health for maternal and child health care in rural Nigeria: a quasi-experimental study.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/2/e049499

Global inequalities in the double burden of malnutrition and associations with globalisation: a multilevel analysis of Demographic and Healthy Surveys from 55 low-income and middle-income countries, 1992–2018.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(21)00594-5/fulltext

Associations between country-level macroeconomic factors and the double burden of malnutrition. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(22)00010-9/fulltext

10 Feb 2022

Covid-19: WHO efforts to bring vaccine manufacturing to Africa are undermined by the drug industry, documents show. https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o304

South African regulator approves Sinopharm COVID vaccine.https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/safricas-health-regulator-registers-sinopharm-covid-vaccine-2022-02-07/

Africa is bringing vaccine manufacturing home. A major milestone was reached last week when scientists in South Africa reproduced Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine. COVID-19 patents must now be shared. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00335-9

COVID-19 takes serious toll on heart health—a full year after recovery. Giant study shows striking rise in long-term heart and vessel disease.https://www.science.org/content/article/covid-19-takes-serious-toll-heart-health-full-year-after-recovery

Hijacking of host mitochondria by Toxoplasma gondii and SARS-CoV-2.https://www.cell.com/trends/parasitology/fulltext/S1471-4922(22)00032-0

Audio Interview: Covid-19 as an Endemic Disease.https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMe2201982?query=featured_home

Final Analysis of Efficacy and Safety of Single-Dose Ad26.COV2.S. A single dose of Ad26.COV2.S provided 52.9% protection against moderate to severe–critical Covid-19. https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2117608?query=featured_home

Protection against the Omicron Variant from Previous SARS-CoV-2 Infection.https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2200133?query=featured_home

Molnupiravir for Oral Treatment of Covid-19 in Nonhospitalized Patients. https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2116044?query=featured_home

Efficacy and Safety of NVX-CoV2373 in Adults in the United States and Mexico. https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2116185?query=featured_home

Efficacy of Niclosamide vs Placebo in SARS-CoV-2 Respiratory Viral Clearance, Viral Shedding, and Duration of Symptoms Among Patients With Mild to Moderate COVID-19. A Phase 2 Randomized Clinical Trial. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2788857

Fourth COVID-19 Vaccine Dose Increases Low Antibodies. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2788802

Risk of persistent and new clinical sequelae among adults aged 65 years and older during the post-acute phase of SARS-CoV-2 infection: retrospective cohort study.https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj-2021-068414

Citation impact and social media visibility of Great Barrington and John Snow signatories for COVID-19 strategy. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/2/e052891

Changes in QTc interval after hydroxychloroquine therapy in patients with COVID-19 infection: a large, retrospective, multicentre cohort study.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/2/e051579

OTHER NEWS

The wise counsel that can drive public-health research in Kenya

Finding the right working culture pays dividends when trying to juggle academia and parenthood in Africa. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00392-0

Racial Biology and Medical Misconceptions.https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp2116224?query=featured_home

Evaluating the feasibility of a web-based discharge education programme to improve general surgical patients’ postdischarge recovery: a pilot randomised controlled trial.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/2/e054038

Interventions to improve early retention of patients in antiretroviral therapy programmes in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review.https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0263663

11 Feb 2022

Heart-disease risk soars after COVID — even with a mild case. Massive study shows a long-term, substantial rise in risk of cardiovascular disease, including heart attack and stroke, after a SARS-CoV-2 infection. Even a mild case of COVID-19 can increase a person’s risk of cardiovascular problems for at least a year after diagnosis, a new study1 shows. Researchers found that rates of many conditions, such as heart failure and stroke, were substantially higher in people who had recovered from COVID-19 than in similar people who hadn’t had the disease. What’s more, the risk was elevated even for those who were under 65 years of age and lacked risk factors, such as obesity or diabetes. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00403-0

South Africa’s mRNA hub progress is foundation for self-reliance.https://www.who.int/news/item/11-02-2022-south-africa-s-mrna-hub-progress-is-foundation-for-self-reliance

SASC: A Simple Approach to Synthetic Cohorts for generating longitudinal observational patient cohorts from COVID-19 clinical data.https://www.cell.com/patterns/fulltext/S2666-3899(22)00026-5

Cell Press Coronavirus Resource Hub. https://www.cell.com/COVID-19

Children and adolescents in African countries should also be vaccinated for COVID-19. https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/2/e008315

‘We are not going to shut down, because we cannot postpone pregnancy’: a mixed-methods study of the provision of maternal healthcare in six referral maternity wards in four sub-Saharan African countries during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Guinea, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda). https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/2/e008063

Effectiveness of mRNA vaccines and waning of protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe covid-19 during predominant circulation of the delta variant in Italy: retrospective cohort study. https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj-2021-069052

Covid-19: What do we know about omicron sublineages?https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o358

S1473309922000706

Convalescent plasma in outpatients with COVID-19. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2600(22)00050-9/fulltext

High-titre methylene blue-treated convalescent plasma as an early treatment for outpatients with COVID-19: a randomised, placebo-controlled trial. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2600(21)00545-2/fulltext

Another piece in the COVID-19 treatment puzzle. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00154-4/fulltext?dgcid=raven_jbs_etoc_email

RESOURCES

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS. RCSI/COSECSA COLLABORATION PROGRAMME. Global Surgery Research Support 2021/2022. The Fellows Global Surgery Research Support will provide a grant of $3,000 to implement the proposed research selected.

https://www.cosecsa.org/call-for-applications-global-surgery-research-support-2021-2022/

Application details:

Please send your application to RCSI/COSECSA Research and Patient Outcomes Coordinator at: rpo.coordinator@cosecsa.org before 1st March 2022, late applications will not be considered.

Infodemic management 101 OpenWHO. FREE COURSE. https://openwho.org/courses/infodemic-management-101

Humanitarian Surgery Initiative. https://www.rcseng.ac.uk/about-the-rcs/international-affairs/humanitarian-surgery-initiative/

Our Innovation Fellows play an integral role in this collaboration, working with stakeholders, supporting and contributing to the substantive development and implementation of the programme as well as carrying out their own research and sharing their findings as part of the collaboration’s outputs, policy and communications efforts. We are recruiting two more fellows and applications are invited from suitably qualified and experienced surgeons based in the following regions:

Eastern Mediterranean Region

African Region

Further information on the job description and the person specification is available here. The deadline for application is on Monday 21 February 2022.

OTHER NEWS

Just 14 cases: Guinea worm disease nears eradication

A scourge that once infected millions of the world’s poorest people is close to being wiped out in humans — but infections in animals complicates the picture.https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00385-z

A framework for the promotion of ethical benefit sharing in health research.https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/2/e008096

Determinants of neonatal mortality among preterm births in Black Lion Specialized Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: a case–cohort study.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/2/e043509

Global status of essential medicine selection: a systematic comparison of national essential medicine lists with recommendations by WHO.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/2/e053349

Alcohol consumption and associated risk factors in Burkina Faso: results of a population-based cross-sectional survey.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/2/e058005

WHO’s new International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) comes into effect. https://www.who.int/news/item/11-02-2022-who-s-new-international-classification-of-diseases-(icd-11)-comes-into-effect

Future pandemics: failing to prepare means preparing to fail.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2600(22)00056-X/fulltext

14 Feb 2022

COVID-19 vaccines for children and adolescents in Africa: aligning our priorities to situational realities. https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/2/e007839

Africa COVID cases could be seven times higher than reported – WHO. https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/africa-covid-cases-could-be-seven-times-higher-than-reported-who-2022-02-10/

Africa transitioning out of pandemic phase of COVID, says WHO.https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/africa-transitioning-out-pandemic-phase-covid-says-who-2022-02-10/

Africa vaccine manufacturing drive is for long term, says CDC.https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/africa-vaccine-manufacturing-drive-is-long-term-says-cdc-2022-02-10/

The Personality Trait ‘Intolerance of Uncertainty’ Causes Anguish during COVID. High levels of it have put people at risk of emotional problems.https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-personality-trait-intolerance-of-uncertainty-causes-anguish-during-covid/

Omicron’s Surprising Anatomy Explains Why It Is Wildly Contagious. Specific mutations hide the COVID variant from the immune system and give it a new route into more cells. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/omicrons-surprising-anatomy-explains-why-it-is-wildly-contagious/

Imatinib and methazolamide ameliorate COVID-19-induced metabolic complications via elevating ACE2 enzymatic activity and inhibiting viral entry.https://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/fulltext/S1550-4131(22)00023-7

Analysis of COVID-19 Risk Following a Ring Vaccination Intervention to Address SARS-CoV-2 Alpha Variant Transmission in Montreal, Canada.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2788978

Association of Homologous and Heterologous Vaccine Boosters With COVID-19 Incidence and Severity in Singapore.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2789151

Covid-19: What do we know about omicron sublineages?https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o358

Covid-19: Pandemic has harmed cancer outcomes and widened inequalities, report finds. https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o375

‘I can’t cope with multiple inputs’: a qualitative study of the lived experience of ‘brain fog’ after COVID-19. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/2/e056366

Transitioning to endemicity with COVID-19 research.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1473309922000706

OTHER NEWS

Barriers and drivers of voluntary blood donation in northern and Western Tanzania [version 1; peer review: awaiting peer review]. https://aasopenresearch.org/articles/5-6/v1?utm_medium=email&utm_source=etoc_alert_WEEKLY

Women in science—Cell Press. https://www.cell.com/cp/collections-women-in-science

Association Between Handover of Anesthesiology Care and 1-Year Mortality Among Adults Undergoing Cardiac Surgery. In this cohort study of 102 156 patients from Ontario, Canada, who were 18 years or older and had cardiac surgical procedures between 2008 and 2019, anesthesia handover was associated with a higher risk of death at 30 days and 1-year and with an increase in health care resource use. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2788973

Paediatric chronic pain prevalence in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis. https://www.thelancet.com/action/showPdf?pii=S2589-5370(22)00026-8&fbclid=IwAR25lqNf_pgWaUaWwzFCzIzQ8DCSvMKGGG-vzjjdzbMjTDOkRsqGP40AZGI

Conflicts of interest are harming maternal and child health: time for scientific journals to end relationships with manufacturers of breast-milk substitutes. Authors from South Africa. The examples provided in this commentary show how a manufacturer is using a leading scientific journal to market breast-milk substitutes through paid advertisements and advertisement features. https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/2/e008002

Multicentre point-prevalence survey of antibiotic use and healthcare-associated infections in Ethiopian hospitals. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/2/e054541

Determinants of antenatal care use in nine sub-Saharan African countries: a statistical analysis of cross-sectional data from Demographic and Health Surveys. Rwanda, Ghana, Namibia, Kenya, Malawi, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. The number of ANC visits was considered to be inadequate with substantial variation among the studied countries. Comprehensive interventions on scaling uptake of ANC are needed among the low-performing countries. Particular attention should be given to women of low economic status and from rural areas. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/2/e051675

15 Feb 2022

Healthcare provider-to-patient perspectives on the uptake of teleconsultation services in the Nigerian healthcare system during the COVID-19 pandemic era.https://journals.plos.org/globalpublichealth/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgph.0000189

The Incidence of SARS-CoV-2 Reinfection in Persons With Naturally Acquired Immunity With and Without Subsequent Receipt of a Single Dose of BNT162b2 Vaccine. https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M21-4130

Outpatient Evaluation and Management of COVID-19.https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M22-0403

WHO chief scientist: pandemic has not ended as more variants expected.https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/who-chief-scientist-pandemic-has-not-ended-more-variants-expected-2022-02-11/

Omicron-targeted vaccines do no better than original jabs in early tests. Experiments in animals show that boosters customized for the fast-spreading COVID variant offer little advantage over standard jabs. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00003-y

Association of COVID-19 Vaccination With Symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 Infection by Time Since Vaccination and Delta Variant Predominance.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2789294

Molecular and Serologic Investigation of the 2021 COVID-19 Case Surge Among Vaccine Recipients in Mongolia.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2789006

Comparison of Racial, Ethnic, and Geographic Location Diversity of Participants Enrolled in Clinic-Based vs 2 Remote COVID-19 Clinical Trials. This cohort study was a secondary analysis of 1410 participants enrolled in 3 COVID-19 studies conducted in 2020 during the early COVID-19 pandemic and found that remote clinical trials with online recruitment had increased racial, ethnic, and geographic location diversity among study participants.

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2789002

Investigating the effect of macro-scale estimators on worldwide COVID-19 occurrence and mortality through regression analysis using online country-based data sources.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/2/e055562

Generation time of the alpha and delta SARS-CoV-2 variants: an epidemiological analysis. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1473309922000019

Understanding how fast SARS-CoV-2 variants transmit from household studies.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1473309922000536

The long-term effectiveness of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines: A systematic literature review and meta-analysis,https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/antimicrobial-stewardship-and-healthcare-epidemiology/article/longterm-effectiveness-of-coronavirus-disease-2019-covid19-vaccines-a-systematic-literature-review-and-metaanalysis/A697CC464EB05654A3B5E1A626B3CF50#.YguqzpNxTGs.twitter

Prenatal and neonatal complications of COVID-19: A systematic review.https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/hsr2.510#.Ygun70-in90.linkedin

Covid-19: Show us evidence for lifting restrictions, doctors tell Johnson.https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o383

OTHER NEWS

Integrated healthcare services for HIV, diabetes mellitus and hypertension in selected health facilities in Kampala and Wakiso districts, Uganda: A qualitative methods study.https://journals.plos.org/globalpublichealth/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgph.0000084

Understanding factors influencing utilization of HIV prevention and treatment services among patients and providers in a heterogeneous setting: A qualitative study from South Africa. https://journals.plos.org/globalpublichealth/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgph.0000132

Data quality of reported child immunization coverage in 194 countries between 2000 and 2019. https://journals.plos.org/globalpublichealth/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgph.0000140

Decomposing socio-economic inequality in catastrophic out-of-pocket health expenditures in Malawi. https://journals.plos.org/globalpublichealth/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgph.0000182

Rooting African science and technology education in cultures and languages. The continent’s role in the global economy depends on development from within.https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00449-0

Advance Kenyan science by seizing opportunities to collaborate. How networks can help to win research grants and equip labs in Africa.https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00451-6

Assessing gender disparity among Cell authors. Indeed, looking at the manuscripts we accepted in 2021, only 17.4% were submitted by women.

https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(22)00141-6?utm_medium=homepage

Long-Acting Cabotegravir for HIV Prevention. Issues of Access, Cost, and Equity.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2789293

Strengthening research capacity: a systematic review of manuscript writing and publishing interventions for researchers in low-income and middle-income countries.https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/2/e008059

Interventions to prevent spontaneous preterm birth in women with singleton pregnancy who are at high risk: systematic review and network meta-analysis.Conclusion Vaginal progesterone should be considered the preventative treatment of choice for women with singleton pregnancy identified to be at risk of spontaneous preterm birth because of a history of spontaneous preterm birth or short cervical length. Future randomised controlled trials should use vaginal progesterone as a comparator to identify better treatments or combination treatments.

https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj-2021-064547

Definitions and measurement of health literacy in health and medicine research: a systematic review. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/2/e056294

Effect of a brief motivational interview and text message intervention targeting tobacco smoking, alcohol use and medication adherence to improve tuberculosis treatment outcomes in adult patients with tuberculosis: a multicentre, randomised controlled trial of the ProLife programme in South Africa.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/2/e056496

Queering global health: an urgent call for LGBT+ affirmative practices. Authors from Cameroon and South Africa. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(22)00001-8/fulltext#%20

16 Feb 2022

COVID reinfections surge during Omicron onslaught. Immunity acquired through previous infection is less effective against Omicron than against other variants, but the risk of severe COVID-19 remains low. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00438-3

Pandemics disable people — the history lesson that policymakers ignore. Influenza, polio and more have shown that infections can change lives even decades later. Why the complacency over possible long-term effects of COVID-19?https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00414-x

Is it time to live with COVID-19? Some scientists warn of ‘endemic delusion’. As pandemic restrictions lift, researchers stress the need to prepare for the next variant.https://www.science.org/content/article/it-time-live-covid-19-some-scientists-warn-endemic-delusion

Neutralizing antibody responses elicited by SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination wane over time and are boosted by breakthrough infection.https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scitranslmed.abn8057

How COVID Changed the World. Lessons from two years of emergency science, upheaval and loss. https://www.scientificamerican.com/report/how-covid-changed-the-world/

How a Virus Exposed the Myth of Rugged Individualism. Humans evolved to be interdependent, not self-sufficient. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-a-virus-exposed-the-myth-of-rugged-individualism/

Tracking Outbreaks Through Sewers, and Kids’ Vaccines on Hold Again | COVID Quickly, Episode 24. https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/tracking-outbreaks-through-sewers-and-kids-vaccines-on-hold-again-covid-quickly-episode-24/

A Comparative Analysis of In-Hospital Mortality per Disease Groups in Germany Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic From 2016 to 2020.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2789056

Covid-19: For the clinically extremely vulnerable, life hasn’t returned to normal.https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o397

Response to additional COVID-19 vaccine doses in people who are immunocompromised: a rapid review.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(21)00593-3/fulltext

Clinical outcomes after IL-6 blockade in patients with COVID-19 and HIV: a case series.https://aidsrestherapy.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12981-022-00430-x

Springer Nature Coronavirus (COVID-19) Research Highlights

Find free access to the latest COVID-19 research papers and articles.https://www.springernature.com/gp/researchers/campaigns/coronavirus?utm_source=bmc&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=null&utm_campaign=BSLB_1_CA01_GL_BSLB_AWA_CA01_GL_LSGR_PubH_Coronovirus_Teaser

OTHER NEWS

African scientists engage with the public to tackle local challenges

Science-engagement initiatives in Africa disseminate knowledge and bridge the gap between research and the continent’s people. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00415-w

Positioning Africa’s public health doctoral students to lead societal transformation and development. https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/2/e007996

Earlier decisions on breast and ovarian surgery reduce cancer in women at high risk.https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o258

Status of hospital-based blood transfusion services in low-income and middle-income countries: a cross-sectional international survey.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/2/e055017.share

Scoping review of maternal and newborn health interventions and programmes in Nigeria. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/2/e054784

Time for united action on depression: a Lancet–World Psychiatric Association Commission. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(21)02141-3/fulltext

Magnitude and determinants of male partner involvement in PMTCT service utilization of pregnant women attending public health facilities of Ethiopia, 2021: a systematic review and meta-analysis.https://aidsrestherapy.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12981-022-00436-5

Utility of HIV support groups in advancing implementation research in resource-limited settings: experiences from an urban-setting HIV support group in Zimbabwe.https://aidsrestherapy.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12981-022-00431-w

17 Feb 2022

Covid-19: Vaccinated people are less likely to get long covid, review finds.https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o407

COVID Long Haulers Are Calling Attention to Chronic Illnesses. But society is not prepared for the growing crisis of long COVID.https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/covid-long-haulers-are-calling-attention-to-chronic-illnesses/

COVID Dominated Their Science Lives: Here’s What Four Experts Learned over Two Years. https://www.scientificamerican.com/video/covid-dominated-their-science-lives-heres-what-four-experts-learned-over-two-years/

COVID-19 patients face higher risk of brain fog and depression, even 1 year after infection. Giant study of U.S. veterans shows lingering mental health effects from SARS-CoV-2 infection. https://www.science.org/content/article/covid-19-patients-face-higher-risk-brain-fog-and-depression-even-1-year-after-infection

Cell Press Coronavirus Resource Hub. https://www.cell.com/COVID-19

Audio Interview: A New Antiviral against Covid-19.https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMe2202349?query=featured_home

Oral Nirmatrelvir for High-Risk, Nonhospitalized Adults with Covid-19.https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2118542?query=featured_home

Protection against SARS-CoV-2 after Covid-19 Vaccination and Previous Infection.https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2118691?query=featured_home

Effectiveness of the BNT162b2 Vaccine after Recovery from Covid-19.https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2119497?query=featured_home

SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant Neutralization in Serum from Vaccinated and Convalescent Persons. https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2119236?query=featured_home

COVID-19 Vaccines Safe, Effective in Rheumatic Diseases.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2789015

New COVID-19 Vaccine Aims to Increase Global Vaccine Access.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2789016

COVID-19 and Blood Donation.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2789049

When Physicians Spread Unscientific Information About COVID-19.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2789369

Poorly Designed PPE a Global Problem for Women Health Workers. The report’s authors note that most PPE was designed to fit average European or US men despite women making up around 90% of the frontline health care workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic.

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2789017

Characteristics and Outcomes of Hospitalized Patients in South Africa During the COVID-19 Omicron Wave Compared With Previous Waves.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2787776

A mixed-methods study of maternal health care utilisation in six referral hospitals in four sub-Saharan African countries before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/2/e008064

Children, intersectionality, and COVID-19.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00174-X/fulltext

OTHER NEWS

Open-access publishing fees deter researchers in the global south. Authors in low-income countries rarely published free-to-read papers, even when they qualified for publication-fee waivers. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00342-w

NIH issues a seismic mandate: share data publicly. The data-sharing policy could set a global standard for biomedical research, scientists say, but they have questions about logistics and equity. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00402-1

Discovery of New HIV Variant Sends Warning for COVID Pandemic. Infectious disease expert William A. Haseltine cautions that a coronavirus variant could emerge with the transmissibility of Omicron and the deadliness of the original SARShttps://www.scientificamerican.com/article/discovery-of-new-hiv-variant-sends-warning-for-covid-pandemic/

Vaccine Development Is Charting a New Path in Malaria Control.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2788387

Global, regional, and national prevalence estimates of physical or sexual, or both, intimate partner violence against women in 2018.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(21)02664-7/fulltext

18 Feb 2022

Cases down, but Mayo Clinic expert says COVID-19 pandemic isn’t over.https://www.mdlinx.com/news/cases-down-but-mayo-clinic-expert-says-covid-19-pandemic-isnt-over/2sFlAykvqp20Fl51LRyfwt?show_order=2&article_type=selected&tag=Morning&utm_campaign=malert_021722_presend_2_split_c&utm_source=iPost&ipost_environment=m3usainc&utm_medium=email&iqs=9z2zesqln836k420r7jq2f5vqf30s2sovpn4vnjb46g

Recommended Adult Immunization Schedule, United States, 2022. https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M22-0036

EU, Gates Foundation to invest over 100 million euros to set up African drugs regulator. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/eu-gates-foundation-invest-over-100-mln-euros-set-up-african-drugs-regulator-2022-02-15/

Assessment of performance and implementation characteristics of rapid point of care SARS-CoV-2 antigen testing [version 1; peer review: awaiting peer review].https://aasopenresearch.org/articles/5-8

Three-dose vaccination elicits neutralising antibodies against omicron.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00092-7/fulltext?dgcid=raven_jbs_etoc_email

Daily briefing: Why COVID-19 reinfections are surging. Immunity acquired through previous infection seems to be less effective against Omicron. Plus, a seismic shift in practice at the NIH and how to find the perfect fit for your first scientific role in industry. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00500-0

Discovery of New HIV Variant Sends Warning for COVID Pandemic. Infectious disease expert William A. Haseltine cautions that a coronavirus variant could emerge with the transmissibility of Omicron and the deadliness of the original SARS.https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/discovery-of-new-hiv-variant-sends-warning-for-covid-pandemic/

COVID’s Uneven Toll Captured in Data. Visualizing ongoing stories of loss, adaptation and inequality. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/covids-uneven-toll-captured-in-data/

Nasal Spray COVID Preventives Are Finally in Development.https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/nasal-spray-covid-preventives-are-finally-in-development1/

Neutralization and durability of 2 or 3 doses of the BNT162b2 vaccine against Omicron SARS-CoV-2. https://www.cell.com/cell-host-microbe/fulltext/S1931-3128(22)00101-9

Feasibility of Specimen Self-collection in Young Children Undergoing SARS-CoV-2 Surveillance for In-Person Learning.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2789128

Predicting covid-19 outcomes. https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o354

Early identification of patients admitted to hospital for covid-19 at risk of clinical deterioration: model development and multisite external validation study.https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj-2021-068576

6 African countries to receive mRNA vaccine technology.https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/6-african-countries-to-receive-mrna-vaccine-technology-1.5786558

Why the new normal might be the old normal—but worse.https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o398

OTHER NEWS

Country ownership in global health.https://journals.plos.org/globalpublichealth/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgph.0000113

Single motherhood, social independence and non-communicable disease (NCD) outcomes among young females (15-24 years old) in South Africa [version 3; peer review: 2 approved with reservations]. https://aasopenresearch.org/articles/4-31

Barriers and drivers of voluntary blood donation in northern and Western Tanzania [version 1; peer review: awaiting peer review]. https://aasopenresearch.org/articles/5-6

Offline: A lie at the heart of public health.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00312-9/fulltext?dgcid=raven_jbs_etoc_email

Samuel K Roberts: illuminating history, racial bias, and public health.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00272-0/fulltext?dgcid=raven_jbs_etoc_email

Achieving Diagnostic Excellence for Older Patients.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2789407

Use of a deep learning and random forest approach to track changes in the predictive nature of socioeconomic drivers of under-5 mortality rates in sub-Saharan Africa.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/2/e049786

Assessing infant cognition in field settings using eye-tracking: a pilot cohort trial in Sierra Leone. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/2/e049783

Criminalisation of suicide and suicide rates: an ecological study of 171 countries in the world. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/2/e049425

Prevention of mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B: birth-dose vaccination is not enough. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(22)00046-8/fulltext

Residual risk of mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B virus infection despite timely birth-dose vaccination in Cameroon (ANRS 12303): a single-centre, longitudinal observational study. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(22)00026-2/fulltext

Country ownership in global health.https://journals.plos.org/globalpublichealth/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgph.0000113

Innovative Social Media Summit. Providing a Path for Physicians on Social Media.https://journals.lww.com/academicmedicine/Abstract/9000/Innovative_Social_Media_Summit__Providing_a_Path.96383.aspx

21 Feb 2022

Paediatric hospitalisations due to COVID-19 during the first SARS-CoV-2 omicron (B.1.1.529) variant wave in South Africa: a multicentre observational study.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanchi/article/PIIS2352-4642(22)00027-X/fulltext

Charities say Moderna patents could hit Africa COVID vaccine hub. Moderna Inc has applied for patents in South Africa relating to its COVID-19 vaccine, prompting fears among charities that the company could eventually seek to prevent a new African vaccine manufacturing hub from making its own version of the mRNA shot, although a Moderna spokeswoman said it did not plan to do so. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/charities-say-moderna-patents-could-hit-africa-covid-vaccine-hub-2022-02-17/

African leader asks Europe of COVID response: ‘Are we equal?’ https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/african-leader-asks-europe-covid-response-are-we-equal-2022-02-17/

S.Africa allows use of Merck COVID pill but government not buying.https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/south-africas-health-regulator-approves-merck-covid-treatment-pill-2022-02-17/

BioNTech says it won’t challenge vaccine copying in Africa.https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/biontech-pledges-african-access-its-future-cancer-drugs-2022-02-16/

BioNTech to ship mRNA vaccine factory kits to Africa.https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/biontech-ship-mrna-vaccine-factory-kits-africa-2022-02-16/

Bat coronaviruses related to SARS-CoV-2 and infectious for human cells.https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-04532-4

COVID’s Uneven Toll Captured in Data. Visualizing ongoing stories of loss, adaptation and inequality. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/covids-uneven-toll-captured-in-data/

How COVID Changed the World. Lessons from two years of emergency science, upheaval and loss. https://www.scientificamerican.com/report/how-covid-changed-the-world/

SARS-CoV-2 Nsp13 encodes for an HLA-E-stabilizing peptide that abrogates inhibition of NKG2A-expressing NK cells. https://www.cell.com/cell-reports/fulltext/S2211-1247(22)00239-X

Efficacy of Ivermectin Treatment on Disease Progression Among Adults With Mild to Moderate COVID-19 and Comorbidities. The I-TECH Randomized Clinical Trial. The study findings do not support the use of ivermectin for patients with COVID-19.

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2789362

Evaluation of Antimicrobial Drug Use and Concurrent Infections During Hospitalization of Patients With COVID-19 in Japan.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2789175

Human rights in pandemics: criminal and punitive approaches to COVID-19.https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/2/e008232

Covid-19: Antibodies after AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines decrease with age and are higher in women, data show. https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o428

Decoupling of omicron variant infections and severe COVID-19.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00109-X/fulltext

COVID-19 booster doses in pregnancy and global vaccine equity.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00166-0/fulltext

SARS-CoV-2 spread and hospitalisations in paediatric patients during the omicron surge. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanchi/article/PIIS2352-4642(22)00060-8/fulltext

Long-term clinical outcomes of COVID-19 patients treated with imatinib.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2600(22)00052-2/fulltext

Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) indicated frailty is associated with increased in-hospital and 30-day mortality in COVID-19 patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35184215/

Prenatal and neonatal complications of COVID-19: A systematic review.https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/hsr2.510

OTHER NEWS

Self-reliance or social accountability? The raison d’être of community health committees in Nigeria. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/hpm.3438

Post-decolonisation: Global Health and Global Surgery’s Coming of Age.https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12262-022-03330-6

Culturally Inclusive Mentorship. https://www.aasurg.org/blog/culturally-inclusive-mentorship/

Five reasons graduate programs reject stellar applicants.https://www.science.org/content/article/five-reasons-graduate-programs-reject-stellar-applicants

Five strategies for clinicians to advance diagnostic excellence.https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj-2021-068044

Social justice: what’s in it for gender equality and health?https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o431

The Lancet Breast Cancer Commission: tackling a global health, gender, and equity challenge. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00184-2/fulltext

Animal-source foods as a suitable complementary food for improved physical growth in 6 to 24-month-old children in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/british-journal-of-nutrition/article/animalsource-foods-as-a-suitable-complementary-food-for-improved-physical-growth-in-6-to-24monthold-children-in-low-and-middleincome-countries-a-systematic-review-and-metaanalysis-of-randomised-controlled-trials/6427FFE371BAAC054742E8EBE8147B1D

22 Feb 2022

Contribution of Individual- and Neighborhood-Level Social, Demographic, and Health Factors to COVID-19 Hospitalization Outcomes. https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M21-2615

Factbox: Latest on the worldwide spread of the coronavirus.https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/latest-worldwide-spread-coronavirus-2022-01-03/

Mortality Among Adults With Cancer Undergoing Chemotherapy or Immunotherapy and Infected With COVID-19.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2789152

S.Africa’s Ramaphosa: COVAX must buy vaccines from local manufacturing hubs. https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/safricas-ramaphosa-covax-must-buy-vaccines-local-manufacturing-hubs-2022-02-18/

COVID-19: talk of ‘vaccine hesitancy’ lets governments off the hook. Go beyond the attitudes of individuals and focus more on what governments must do to build people’s trust and ensure easy access to vaccines for all. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00495-8

Clinical research on COVID-19: perceptions and barriers to participation in The Gambia. https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/2/e007533

Thanking patients for their role in research is part of creating wider cultural change.https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o451

Waning of COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness: individual and public health risk.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00282-3/fulltext

Duration of effectiveness of vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 disease: results of a systematic review and meta-regression. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00152-0/fulltext

Gender and geographical disparity in editorial boards of journals in psychology and neuroscience. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41593-022-01012-w

OTHER NEWS

Malawi detects polio, first wild case in Africa in over 5 years.https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/malawi-declares-polio-outbreak-who-says-2022-02-18/

Associations between antenatal maternal diet and other health aspects with infant temperament in a large multiethnic cohort study: a path analysis approach.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/2/e046790

Evaluations of training and education interventions for improved infectious disease management in low-income and middle-income countries: a systematic literature review. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/2/e053832

The first WHO global survey on infection prevention and control in health-care facilities. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1473309921008094

Paul Farmer, Pioneer of Global Health, Dies at 62. As a medical student, Dr. Farmer decided to build a clinic in Haiti. It grew into a vast network serving some of the world’s poorest communities. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/21/obituaries/paul-farmer-dead.html?smtyp=cur&smid=tw-nytimes

23 Feb 2022

Commit to transparent COVID data until the WHO declares the pandemic is over. Governments and organizations responsible for crucial COVID data must do more not less. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00424-9

Hidden black hole, COVID reinfections — the week in infographics. Nature highlights three key graphics from the week in science and research.https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00520-w

A homologous or variant booster vaccine after Ad26.COV2.S immunization enhances SARS-CoV-2-specific immune responses in rhesus macaques.https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scitranslmed.abm4996

Widespread Misinformation About Infertility Continues to Create COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2789477

Non-pharmaceutical interventions and COVID-19 vaccination strategies in Senegal: a modelling study. https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/2/e007236

Covid-19: Mexico City gave ivermectin kits to people with covid in “unethical” experiment. Explaining the decision to withdraw the article—the first to be taken down by SocArXiv—the site’s steering committee wrote that it had responded “to a community groundswell beseeching us to act” in order “to prevent the paper from causing additional harm.” https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o453

Implementation of hand hygiene in health-care facilities: results from the WHO Hand Hygiene Self-Assessment Framework global survey 2019. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1473309921006186

OTHER NEWS

The giant plan to track diversity in research journals. Efforts to chart and reduce bias in scholarly publishing will ask authors, reviewers and editors to disclose their race or ethnicity. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00426-7

Female scientists in Africa are changing the face of their continent. Why international researchers should be lining up to collaborate with women working in science across Africa. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00492-x

Use of Labor Neuraxial Analgesia for Vaginal Delivery and Severe Maternal Morbidity. Findings from this study suggest that use of neuraxial analgesia for vaginal delivery is associated with a 14% decrease in the risk of SMM. Increasing access to and utilization of labor neuraxial analgesia may contribute to improving maternal health outcomes. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2789267

Evaluation of the iCARE Nigeria Pilot Intervention Using Social Media and Peer Navigation to Promote HIV Testing and Linkage to Care Among High-Risk Young Men. A Nonrandomized Controlled Trial. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2789265

Social Network–Based Strategies to Improve Uptake of HIV Testing and Linkage to Care Among Men Who Have Sex With Men in Sub-Saharan Africa.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2789270

Twelve-step Approach for Academic Development Planning in Academic Surgery. Climbing the Academic Uphill With Strong and Steady Steps.https://journals.lww.com/aosopen/Fulltext/2022/03000/Twelve_step_Approach_for_Academic_Development.5.aspx?context=LatestArticles

Ensuring patient confidentiality in the virtual world. When doctors have a medical student shadowing them during remote consultations, obtaining patient consent should still be standard practice. https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o471

David Oliver: Has covid killed the medical conference? I suspect that some readers will share my sense of loss, but others won’t be mourning. They might even be celebrating the demise of conferences or warmly embracing their new virtual form.https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o412

Hypertension in the South African public healthcare system: a cost-of-illness and burden of disease study. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/2/e055621

Measurement characteristics and correlates of HIV-related stigma among adults living with HIV: a cross-sectional study from coastal Kenya.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/2/e050709

Individual and contextual factors associated with maternal healthcare utilisation in Mali: a cross-sectional study using Demographic and Health Survey data.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/2/e057681

Knowledge and use of lactational amenorrhoea as a family planning method among adolescent mothers in Uganda: a secondary analysis of Demographic and Health Surveys between 2006 and 2016. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/2/e054609

Interventions in sexual and reproductive health services addressing violence against women in low-income and middle-income countries: a mixed-methods systematic review. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/2/e051924

Rebalancing the research equation in Africa: principles and process. In this article, we explore a possible mechanism by which local research networks, appropriately governed, could begin to support national African research programmes by allying research delivery to clinical service.

https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/2/e049781

Examining the impact of BMS marketing on infant feeding decisions and practices. Multi-country study commissioned by UNICEF and WHO, 2022.https://www.unicef.org/documents/impact-bms-marketing

A Narrative Review of Kenya’s Surgical Capacity Using the Lancet Commission on Global Surgery’s Indicator Framework.https://www.ghspjournal.org/content/early/2022/02/17/GHSP-D-21-00500?utm_content=198572378&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&hss_channel=tw-714936456

24 Feb 2022

Population Immunity and Covid-19 Severity with Omicron Variant in South Africa.https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2119658?query=featured_home

S.Africa changes COVID vaccination rules to try to boost uptake.https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/safrica-changes-covid-vaccination-rules-try-boost-uptake-2022-02-21/

Masks Cut Secondary SARS-CoV-2 Infections by Half.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2789302

Covid-19: Severe infection in pregnancy significantly increases risks, study shows.https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o480

Will a rising Omicron variant scramble antibody treatments? The BA.2 COVID variant now spreading worldwide disarms a crucial monoclonal-antibody therapy in laboratory tests. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00419-6

Fourth dose of COVID vaccine offers only slight boost against Omicron infection.Israeli trial shows a fourth vaccination raises antibody levels but provides little extra protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection.https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00486-9

Chewing Gum with GMO Could Reduce the Spread of COVID. Gum carrying a protein produced by genetically modified lettuce traps SARS-CoV-2.https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/chewing-gum-with-gmo-could-reduce-the-spread-of-covid/

WHO says Omicron subvariant is not more virulent. Real-world data on severity of COVID-19 cases from countries where BA.2 has surged are reassuring.https://www.science.org/content/article/who-says-omicron-subvariant-not-more-virulent

Audio Interview: Understanding the Omicron Variant of SARS-CoV-2.https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMe2202699?query=featured_home

Effectiveness of BNT162b2 Vaccine against Critical Covid-19 in Adolescents.https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2117995?query=featured_home

Addressing Vaccine Inequity — Covid-19 Vaccines as a Global Public Good.https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMe2202547?query=featured_home

Effect of Covid-19 Vaccination on Transmission of Alpha and Delta Variants.https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2116597?query=featured_home

Sparing of Severe Covid-19 in Vaccinated Adolescents.https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMe2118471?query=featured_secondary

Successfully Implementing Digital Health to Ensure Future Global Health Security During Pandemics. A Consensus Statement.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2789277

Digital Health Emergency Management—Pandemics and Beyond.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2789276

COVID-19 Linked With Increased Incidence of Youth Diabetes.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2789303

Ethnic differences in covid-19 death rates. https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o427

Use of healthcare services during the COVID-19 pandemic in urban Ethiopia: evidence from retrospective health facility survey data.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/2/e056745

Vaccine apartheid: global cooperation and equity.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00328-2/fulltext

Defining post-COVID condition.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(22)00060-3/fulltext

Compromised periodontal status could increase mortality for patients with COVID-19.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(22)00065-2/fulltext

OTHER NEWS

Cluttered memory representations shape cognition in old age. Cluttered representations can impair memory by interfering with the retrieval of target information, but can also provide an advantage on tasks that benefit from extensive knowledge. https://www.cell.com/trends/cognitive-sciences/fulltext/S1364-6613(21)00310-7?utm_medium=homepage

Highlights From the International Stroke Conference 2022—Thrombectomy and Alteplase, Access to Stroke Centers, and Warfarin vs Direct Oral Anticoagulants.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2789530

‘Writing budgets for meetings and teas?’: a multitheoretical analysis of intragovernmental coordination for multisectoral action for health in Uganda.https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/2/e007990

The response is like a big ship’: community feedback as a case study of evidence uptake and use in the 2018–2020 Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/2/e005971

How to embed quality improvement into medical training. https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj-2020-055084

25 Feb 2022

Omicron’s lasting mysteries: four questions scientists are racing to answer. The fast-moving variant poses new puzzles in viral transmission, severity and evolution.https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00428-5

News at a glance: African vaccine factories, centipede-inspired robots, and Antarctic pollution. The latest in science and policy.https://www.science.org/content/article/news-glance-african-vaccine-factories-centipede-inspired-robots-and-antarctic-pollution

Development and validation of SCOPE score: a clinical score to predict progression of COVID-19 pneumonia to severe respiratory failure. https://www.cell.com/cell-reports-medicine/fulltext/S2666-3791(22)00067-2

Gender-based violence during COVID-19 among adolescent girls and young women in Nairobi, Kenya: a mixed-methods prospective study over 18 months.https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/2/e007807

Global disparities in public health guidance for the use of COVID-19 vaccines in pregnancy. https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/2/e007730

SARS-CoV-2 antigen lateral flow tests for detecting infectious people: linked data analysis. https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj-2021-066871

COVID-19 vaccine results might inform malaria vaccine strategies.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1473309922001396

Understanding of COVID-19 from infection–fatality ratio.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00281-1/fulltext

Variation in the COVID-19 infection–fatality ratio by age, time, and geography during the pre-vaccine era: a systematic analysis.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(21)02867-1/fulltext

Global, regional, and national minimum estimates of children affected by COVID-19-associated orphanhood and caregiver death, by age and family circumstance up to Oct 31, 2021: an updated modelling study.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanchi/article/PIIS2352-4642(22)00005-0/fulltext

Integrative approaches required to support children affected by COVID-19.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanchi/article/PIIS2352-4642(22)00031-1/fulltext

OTHER NEWS

Paul Farmer, U.S. doctor dedicated to the world’s poor, dies at 62.https://www.reuters.com/world/us/paul-farmer-us-doctor-dedicated-worlds-poor-dies-62-2022-02-21/

Global prevalence and trends in hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus among slum residents: a systematic review and meta-analysis.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/2/e052393

Utilisation of immediate postpartum family planning among postpartum women at public hospitals of North Shoa Zone, Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/2/e051152

Implementing a surgical site infection prevention bundle for emergency appendectomy: Worth the effort or waste of time?https://www.surgjournal.com/article/S0039-6060(22)00054-X/fulltext?dgcid=raven_jbs_aip_email#%20

Ageing with HIV. https://www.thelancet.com/series/ageing-with-hiv

28 Feb 2022

Rates of COVID-19 Cases and Deaths by Vaccination Status. People who were unvaccinated had a greater risk of testing positive for COVID-19 and a greater risk of dying from COVID-19 than people who were fully vaccinated. https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#rates-by-vaccine-status

COVID vaccine supply for global programme outstrips demand for first time.https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/covax-vaccine-supply-outstrips-demand-first-time-2022-02-23/

Had Omicron? You’re unlikely to catch its rising variant. Infection with the first widely circulating version of Omicron protects against the emerging BA.2 subvariant — as does vaccination. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00558-w

What Is a Vaccinated Person’s Risk of Dying from COVID? Vaccination definitely lowers the odds, but the exact answer is hard to find.https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-is-a-vaccinated-persons-risk-of-dying-from-covid/

Cell Press Coronavirus Resource Hub. https://www.cell.com/COVID-19?utm_medium=homepage

Remote Patient Monitoring During COVID-19. An Unexpected Patient Safety Benefit.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2789635

Association of COVID-19 Quarantine Duration and Postquarantine Transmission Risk in 4 University Cohorts.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2789427

Determining the Optimal Length of Quarantine—Transmission, Social, and Economic Considerations.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2789434

Geographical Representation of Low- and Middle-Income Countries in Randomized Clinical Trials for COVID-19. The majority of participants were recruited from HICs (223 666 of 284 509 [79%]). Of the 58 798 (21%) recruited in LMICs, none were from low-income countries, 1074 (2%) were from lower-middle income countries, and 57 724 (98%) were from upper-middle income countries (UMIC). https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2789429

Myocarditis Following COVID-19 BNT162b2 Vaccination Among Adolescents in Hong Kong. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/2789584

Contribution of the elevated thrombosis risk of males to the excess male mortality observed in COVID-19: an observational study.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/2/e051624

Understanding of COVID-19 from infection–fatality ratio.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00281-1/fulltext

Waning effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00277-X/fulltext

Severe COVID-19 as a virus-independent immunothrombotic process.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanrhe/article/PIIS2665-9913(22)00033-9/fulltext

Comparative effectiveness of N95, surgical or medical, and non-medical facemasks in protection against respiratory virus infection: A systematic review and network meta-analysis. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35218279/

OTHER NEWS

Fund tackling AIDS, TB, malaria seeks $18 bln to reverse COVID disruptions.https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/fund-tackling-aids-tb-malaria-seeks-18-bln-reverse-covid-disruptions-2022-02-22/

Sci-Hub downloads show countries where pirate paper site is most used. Researchers worldwide are accessing papers using the site — but China tops the chart, with more than 25 million downloads over the past month.https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00556-y

Representation of Investigators by Gender Among Authors of Phase 3 Oncology Trials Worldwide. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2789431

Women and Leadership of Cardiology and Oncology Clinical Trials—Swimming Against the Tide.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2789435

When is the best time to teach medical ethics? The best time to teach medical ethics is shortly before qualification and, better still, post-qualification, when doctors are in practice and can immediately apply what they learn to their clinical work. Only then does medical ethics, free from the shackles of impending exams, come to life as a relevant, practical discipline.

https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o504

Prospective analyses of sex/gender-related publication decisions in general medical journals: editorial rejection of population-based women’s reproductive physiology.Women were underrepresented as original research authors; men were 84% of senior and 69% of first authors. There were no, non-disease focused publications relating to women’s health, although most topics were relevant to both genders. The majority (80%) of rejection letters appeared to be written by junior-ranked women editors. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/2/e057854

36-fold higher estimate of deaths attributable to red meat intake in GBD 2019: is this reliable? https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00311-7/fulltext

Effects of sleep deprivation on endothelial function in adult humans: a systematic review. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC8050211/

1 MARCH 2022

Major Update 2: Remdesivir for Adults With COVID-19: A Living Systematic Review and Meta-analysis for the American College of Physicians Practice Points.https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M21-4784

Should Remdesivir Be Used for the Treatment of Patients With COVID-19? Rapid, Living Practice Points From the American College of Physicians (Version 2, Update Alert 3). https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M21-4810

In COVID-19 with hypoxemia, 12 vs. 6 mg/d of dexamethasone did not increase days alive without life support. https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/full/10.7326/J22-0001

Wuhan market was epicentre of pandemic’s start, studies suggest.

Report authors say that the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 jumped to people from animals sold at the market on two occasions in late 2019 — but some scientists want more definitive evidence. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00584-8

Mortality Rates Among Hospitalized Patients With COVID-19 Infection Treated With Tocilizumab and Corticosteroids.A Bayesian Reanalysis of a Previous Meta-analysis.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2789444

Covid-19: CDC relaxes rules on mask wearing. Covid-19 cases in the US have been decreasing. Over the past two weeks, cases have dropped by 63%, hospital admissions by 44%, and deaths by 23%, according to the New York Times coronavirus tracker.1 But only about 65% of Americans are fully vaccinated.

https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o524

Covid-19: Sanofi and GSK to seek regulatory authorisation for protein based vaccine.https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o526

Durability of omicron-neutralising serum activity after mRNA booster immunisation in older adults. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1473309922001359

OTHER NEWS

JAMA Guide to Statistics and Methods. Causal Directed Acyclic Graphs.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2789646

Association of the Timing of Postpartum Intrauterine Device Insertion and Breastfeeding With Risks of Intrauterine Device Expulsion.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2789453

Prevalence and Sources of Mistreatment Experienced by Internal Medicine Residents.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/article-abstract/2789283

Mental health and mental well-being of Black students at UK universities: a review and thematic synthesis. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/2/e050720

Non-pharmacological interventions to achieve blood pressure control in African patients: a systematic review. The identified studies offer diverse low-cost interventions including educative and task-shifting strategies, individualised treatment and lifestyle modifications to improve BP control. Especially trialled physical activity interventions show clinically relevant BP changes. All strategies were trialled in African countries and may be used for recommendations in evidence-based guidelines on hypertension in African settings.

https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/2/e048079

Knowledge and attitude of health extension workers regarding mental health problems in Jimma Zone, Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/2/e048381

Accelerating research and development of new vaccines against tuberculosis: a global roadmap. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1473309921008100

Societal Preferences for Gender of Surgeons: A Cross-Sectional Study in the General Population of Pakistan. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00268-021-06418-4?utm_source=toc&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=toc_268_46_4&utm_content=etoc_springer_20220301

Understanding Societal Preferences Can Inform the Discussion Seeking to Promote Gender Equity in Surgery. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00268-021-06407-7?utm_source=toc&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=toc_268_46_4&utm_content=etoc_springer_20220301

2 MARCH 2022

Factbox: Vaccines delivered under COVAX sharing scheme for poorer countries.https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/vaccines-delivered-under-covax-sharing-scheme-poorer-countries-2022-01-03/

Hundreds of COVID trials could provide a deluge of new drugs

Two years into the pandemic, the COVID-19 drugs pipeline is primed to pump out novel treatments — and fresh uses for familiar therapies.https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00562-0

When Should COVID School Restrictions Lift? Intense Debates Persist. Opinion among physicians and scientists still ranges widely on how quickly to proceed. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/when-should-covid-school-restrictions-lift-intense-debates-persist/

COVID Has Made Global Inequality Much Worse. The poor, no matter where they live, will suffer the greatest lasting toll. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/covid-has-made-global-inequality-much-worse/

Vaccination with SARS-CoV-2 spike protein lacking glycan shields elicits enhanced protective responses in animal models.https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scitranslmed.abm0899

OTHER NEWS

Daily briefing: Executable manuscripts cut the tyranny of copy-and-paste. Coding tools that insert data as the document is rendered ensure your papers are always up to date. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00625-2

Nature is trialling transparent peer review — the early results are encouraging. Last year, nearly half of Nature authors agreed to publish anonymous referee reports. We hope that more will consider doing so this year. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00493-w

Association of Tranexamic Acid Administration With Mortality and Thromboembolic Events in Patients With Traumatic Injury. A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2789511

Tale of 22 cities: utilisation patterns and content of maternal care in large African cities. https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/3/e007803

Impact of the DREAMS Partnership on social support and general self-efficacy among adolescent girls and young women: causal analysis of population-based cohorts in Kenya and South Africa. https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/3/e006965

Predictors of adverse perinatal outcome among women who gave birth at Medical Center of Southwest Ethiopia: a retrospective cohort study.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/3/e053881

Disparities in breast cancer survival between women with and without HIV across sub-Saharan Africa (ABC-DO): a prospective, cohort study.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanhiv/article/PIIS2352-3018(21)00326-X/fulltext

3 MARCH 2022

Audio Interview: Using Our Covid-19 Experience to Develop Vaccines More Quickly.https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMe2203035?query=featured_home

Covid-19 Vaccine Effectiveness against the Omicron (B.1.1.529) Variant.https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2119451?query=featured_home

Delivering Pandemic Vaccines in 100 Days — What Will It Take?https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp2202669?query=featured_home

Final Analysis of Efficacy and Safety of Single-Dose Ad26.COV2.S.https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2117608?query=featured_home

The COVID Heart—One Year After SARS-CoV-2 Infection, Patients Have an Array of Increased Cardiovascular Risks. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2789793

Wastewater Monitoring Offers Powerful Tool for Tracking COVID and Other Diseases. A CDC database of sewage data from communities around the nation could provide earlier warning of outbreaks and new viral variants.https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/wastewater-monitoring-offers-powerful-tool-for-tracking-covid-and-other-diseases/

Antibodies elicited by SARS-CoV-2 infection or mRNA vaccines have reduced neutralizing activity against Beta and Omicron pseudoviruses.https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scitranslmed.abn7842

Association of COVID-19 Infection With Survival After In-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Among US Adults. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2789573

Effectiveness of Ad26.COV2.S Vaccine vs BNT162b2 Vaccine for COVID-19 Hospitalizations. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2789572

Global impact of COVID-19 on newborn screening programmes.https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/3/e007780

Molnupiravir’s authorisation was premature. https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o443

Efficacy of covid-19 vaccines in immunocompromised patients: systematic review and meta-analysis. https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj-2021-068632

Adverse effects of remdesivir, hydroxychloroquine and lopinavir/ritonavir when used for COVID-19: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised trials.Hydroxychloroquine probably increases the risk of diarrhoea and nausea and/or vomiting and may increase the risk of cardiac toxicity and cognitive dysfunction/delirium. Lopinavir/ritonavir may increase the risk of diarrhoea and nausea and/or vomiting. Remdesivir may have no important effect on risk of acute kidney injury or cognitive dysfunction/delirium. These findings provide important information to support the development of evidence-based management strategies for patients with COVID-19.

https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/3/e048502

Movement dynamics: reduced dengue cases during the COVID-19 pandemic.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1473309922000627

Measuring the effects of COVID-19-related disruption on dengue transmission in southeast Asia and Latin America: a statistical modelling study.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1473309922000251

Vaccine approval before phase 3 trial results: a consequence of vaccine access inequity. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00164-7/fulltext

Travel measures in the SARS-CoV-2 variant era need clear objectives.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00366-X/fulltext

Gender equality and COVID-19: act now before it is too late.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00278-1/fulltext

Quantifying the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on gender equality on health, social, and economic indicators: a comprehensive review of data from March, 2020, to September, 2021. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00008-3/fulltext

Coping with and challenging the impacts of COVID-19.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanchi/article/PIIS2352-4642(22)00062-1/fulltext

An ounce of pandemic prevention is worth a pound of cure.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanmic/article/PIIS2666-5247(22)00040-4/fulltext

OTHER NEWS

Safety, pharmacokinetics, and antimalarial activity of the novel triaminopyrimidine ZY-19489: a first-in-human, randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind, single ascending dose study, pilot food-effect study, and volunteer infection study.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1473309921006794

Volunteer infection studies accelerate the clinical development of novel drugs against malaria. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1473309921007222Daily steps and all-cause mortality: a meta-analysis of 15 international cohorts.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpub/article/PIIS2468-2667(21)00302-9/fulltext?dgcid=raven_jbs_etoc_email#.YiC13l3fGrc.twitter

4 MARCH 2022

Introducing 21 Ways COVID Changed the World. The pandemic didn’t bring us together, but it did show us what we need to change the most.https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/introducing-21-ways-covid-changed-the-world/

Africa battles out-of-control polio outbreaks.https://www.science.org/content/article/africa-battles-out-of-control-polio-outbreaks

Focusing on the Needs of People With Hearing Loss During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2789772

Comparison of Outcomes and Process of Care for Patients Treated at Hospitals Dedicated for COVID-19 Care vs Other Hospitals.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2789581

Assessment of Clinical Effectiveness of BNT162b2 COVID-19 Vaccine in US Adolescents. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2789579

Covid-19: Anti-inflammatory treatment baricitinib reduces deaths in patients admitted to hospital, finds trial. https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o573

Early impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on in-person outpatient care utilisation: a rapid review. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/3/e056086

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in children with COVID-19 and PIMS-TS during the second and third wave. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanchi/article/PIIS2352-4642(22)00065-7/fulltext

OTHER NEWS

Obesity rates likely to double by 2030 with highest rises in lower-income countries. More than half of women in South Africa projected to have condition, with no country expected to meet WHO target of halting rise, according to World Obesity Atlas figures.https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2022/mar/04/obesity-rates-likely-to-double-by-2030-with-highest-rises-in-lower-income-countries

A pituitary hormone has a key role in Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease is a disabling condition that disproportionately occurs after menopause. A study in mice shows that increased levels of follicle-stimulating hormone lead to characteristics of the disease — and that blocking action of this hormone prevents those features from developing. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00530-8

Understanding and Communicating Uncertainty in Achieving Diagnostic Excellence.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2789773

Evaluation of Computerized Cognitive Training and Cognitive and Daily Function in Patients Living With HIV. A Meta-analysis.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2789577

Towards the elimination of cervical cancer in low-income and lower-middle-income countries: modelled evaluation of the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of point-of-care HPV self-collected screening and treatment in Papua New Guinea.https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/3/e007380

Discussing prognosis and what matters most for people with serious illness.https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj-2021-067572

25 years of surveillance of drug-resistant tuberculosis: achievements, challenges, and way forward. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1473309921008082

World Tuberculosis Day 2022: aligning COVID-19 and tuberculosis innovations to save lives and to end tuberculosis.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1473309922001426

Body-mass index and risk of obesity-related complex multimorbidity: an observational multicohort study. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/landia/article/PIIS2213-8587(22)00033-X/fulltext

Obesity in children and adolescents: epidemiology, causes, assessment, and management. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/landia/article/PIIS2213-8587(22)00047-X/fulltext

Obesity action: Time to move from fragmentation and failure to solidarity and success.https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o576

World Obesity Day 2022 – Accelerating action to stop obesity.https://www.who.int/news/item/04-03-2022-world-obesity-day-2022-accelerating-action-to-stop-obesity/

7 MARCH 2022

Balanced Multielectrolyte Solution versus Saline in Critically Ill Adults.https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2114464?query=WB&cid=NEJM+Weekend+Briefing%2C+March+5%2C+2022+DM790696_NEJM_Non_Subscriber&bid=861585315

Tons of COVID Medical Garbage Threaten Health. Burning piles of used gloves, test kits and syringes release toxic pollutants. But there are ways to improve medical recycling. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/tons-of-covid-medical-garbage-threaten-health/

Making COVID Tests Better at Detecting Infectious People. Scientists are debating whether to use a little-known measure to determine who is truly contagious. The NFL is already using it. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/making-covid-tests-better-at-detecting-infectious-people/

The Push to Move Past the Pandemic: COVID Quickly, Episode 25.https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/the-push-to-move-past-the-pandemic-covid-quickly-episode-25/

When is a pandemic ‘over’? https://www.science.org/content/article/when-pandemic-over

Cell Press Coronavirus Resource Hub, https://www.cell.com/COVID-19?utm_medium=homepage

Rationally designed immunogens enable immune focusing following SARS-CoV-2 spike imprinting. https://www.cell.com/cell-reports/fulltext/S2211-1247(22)00305-9

SARS-CoV-2 Laboratory-Developed Tests; Integrity Restored.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2789917

Assessment of Structural Barriers and Racial Group Disparities of COVID-19 Mortality With Spatial Analysis.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2789619

OTHER NEWS

Barriers in surgical research: A perspective from the developing world. These barriers could broadly be classified under social and cultural, infrastructure, financial, ethical, and personal categories. These barriers are often not fully realised, but can potentially be addressed with concerted efforts to continue the advancement of medicine for everyone. https://jpma.org.pk/supplement-article-details/737

Muscle-strengthening activities are associated with lower risk and mortality in major non-communicable diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies. Brit J Sports Med. https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/early/2022/01/19/bjsports-2021-105061

Caring roles block career advancement for three in five women. Research shows as many as 50% of ethnic minority carers say responsibilities hold them back from finding new positions. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/06/caring-roles-block-career-advancement-for-three-in-five-women?utm_term=Autofeed&CMP=twt_b-gdnnews&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1646549412

Is outdoor-resting behaviour in malaria vectors consistent? Short report from northern Ghana [version 2; peer review: 1 approved, 1 approved with reservations].https://aasopenresearch.org/articles/4-53/v2?utm_medium=email&utm_source=etoc_alert_WEEKLY

Daily briefing: ResearchGate dealt a blow in copyright lawsuit. Court rules that ResearchGate is responsible for 50 copyright-infringing papers uploaded by authors. Plus, what’s at risk at Europe’s largest nuclear plant in Ukraine, and a Supreme Court case could derail climate action in the United States.https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00678-3

As a nonnative speaker, I struggled to write scientific papers in English. Here’s how I learned. https://www.science.org/content/article/nonnative-speaker-i-struggled-write-scientific-papers-english-here-s-how-i-learned

Design of a Novel Online, Modular, Flipped-classroom Surgical Curriculum for East, Central, and Southern Africa.https://journals.lww.com/aosopen/Fulltext/2022/03000/Design_of_a_Novel_Online,_Modular,.31.aspx?context=LatestArticles

An Online, Modular Curriculum Enhances Surgical Education and Improves Learning Outcomes in East, Central, and Southern Africa: A Mixed-Methods Study.https://journals.lww.com/aosopen/Fulltext/2022/03000/An_Online,_Modular_Curriculum_Enhances_Surgical.32.aspx?context=LatestArticles

Learning NOTSS While Tying Knots: Integrating the Nontechnical Skills for Surgeons Course With Technical Surgical Skills Training, A Mixed Methods Study.https://journals.lww.com/aosopen/Fulltext/2022/03000/Learning_NOTSS_While_Tying_Knots__Integrating_the.28.aspx?context=LatestArticles

Four reasons why too many informed consents to clinical research are invalid: a critical analysis of current practices. Main arguments (1) IC documents are too long to be read completely, thus, make it very difficult for potential participants to identify the material facts about the trial. (2) The low readability of the IC documents disadvantages persons with limited literacy. (3) The therapeutic misconception frequently prevents participants to realise that the primary purpose of clinical research is to benefit future patients. (4) Excessive risk disclosures, insufficient information about expected benefits and framing effects compromise a rational risk/benefit assessment.

https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/3/e050543

Racism in two UK global health institutions. Many people have been shocked by the racism evidenced in the February, 2022 independent review

of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM), Liverpool, UK, the oldest institute of global health in the world. The LSTM findings are strikingly similar to those of a 2021 independent review of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), London, UK, a marginally younger, but substantially larger institute of global health. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00417-2/fulltext

8 MARCH 2022

COVID restrictions are lifting — what scientists think. Many countries have started relaxing rules and scaling back testing. Researchers are divided over whether this return to normality is too fast, too soon. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00620-7

SARS-CoV-2 is associated with changes in brain structure in UK Biobank.https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-04569-5

Whole genome sequencing reveals host factors underlying critical Covid-19.https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-04576-6

Secondary Attack Rates for Omicron and Delta Variants of SARS-CoV-2 in Norwegian Households. This nationwide registry data study from Norway assesses the secondary attack rate of SARS-CoV-2 variants Delta and Omicron in an effort to estimate the transmissibility of the Omicron variant.

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2789920

COVID-19 mRNA vaccine safety during the first 6 months of roll-out in the USA.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1473309922001232

Safety of mRNA vaccines administered during the initial 6 months of the US COVID-19 vaccination programme: an observational study of reports to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System and v-safe.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1473309922000548

Fatigue in the COVID-19 pandemic.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanhl/article/PIIS2666-7568(22)00029-0/fulltext

The ChAdOx1 vectored vaccine, AZD2816, induces strong immunogenicity against SARS-CoV-2 beta (B.1.351) and other variants of concern in preclinical studies.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/ebiom/article/PIIS2352-3964(22)00086-X/fulltext

Waning immune responses against SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern among vaccinees in Hong Kong. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/ebiom/article/PIIS2352-3964(22)00088-3/fulltext

A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial of nitazoxanide for treatment of mild or moderate COVID-19.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(22)00040-2/fulltext

Infection prevention and control in the context of coronavirus disease (COVID-19): A living guideline. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/infection-prevention-and-control-in-the-context-of-coronavirus-disease-(covid-19)-a-living-guideline

OTHER NEWS

Partner to the Poor; A Paul Farmer Reader. Free download. 630 pages. https://content.ucpress.edu/title/9780520257139/9780520945630_web.pdf

Transforming Trauma Care for Optimal Outcomes. https://cot100.facs.org/#timeline

Nearly 3 mln Malawian children to get polio shot after rare outbreak.https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/nearly-3-mln-malawian-children-get-polio-shot-after-rare-outbreak-2022-03-03/

WHO sees little impact on COVID-19 vaccine supplies to Africa from Ukraine war.https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/who-sees-little-impact-covid-19-vaccine-supplies-africa-over-war-ukraine-2022-03-03/

Advancing the inclusion of underrepresented women in clinical research.https://www.cell.com/cell-reports-medicine/fulltext/S2666-3791(22)00059-3?utm_medium=homepage

Risk of Mental Health Problems in Children and Youths Following Concussion. In this study, concussion was associated with an increased risk of mental health issues, psychiatric hospitalization, and self-harm among children and youths aged 5 to 18 years. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2789683

Contextual Considerations for the Increased Risk of Mental Health Problems Following Concussion in Youth.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2789690

Intended versus actual delivery location and factors associated with change in delivery location among pregnant women in Southern Province, Zambia: a prespecified secondary observational analysis of the ZamCAT.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/3/e055288

Use of and barriers to maternal health services in southeast Chad: results of a population-based survey 2019, https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/3/e048829

Research: How Bias Against Women Persists in Female-Dominated Workplaces.https://hbr.org/2022/03/research-how-bias-against-women-persists-in-female-dominated-workplaces

Run Through a Troop, Leap Over a Wall: The 4-Delay Model of Access to Global Surgery Education. https://www.aasurg.org/blog/run-through-a-troop-leap-over-a-wall-the-4-delay-model-of-access-to-global-surgery-education/

Anopheles salivary antigens as serological biomarkers of vector exposure and malaria transmission: A systematic review with multilevel modelling.https://elifesciences.org/articles/73080

UNDEF-funded project teaches tricks of the fact-checking trade. The project takes a holistic approach to combating misinformation. This includes media literacy, increasing access to accurate information, and providing fact-checking training to journalists – and journalism and communication students – to strengthen the information ecosystem. https://africacheck.org/fact-checks/medialiteracy/undef-funded-project-teaches-tricks-fact-checking-trade

9 MARCH 2022

Daily briefing: What scientists think about ending COVID.https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00697-0

Omicron’s advantage, particle accelerators — the week in infographics.https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00684-5

When Is It Safe to Have Sex after COVID?

How to limit your risk of transmitting or getting infected with SARS-CoV-2.https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/when-is-it-safe-to-have-sex-after-covid/

Early clues regarding the pathogenesis of long-COVID.https://www.cell.com/trends/immunology/fulltext/S1471-4906(22)00047-3

Cell Press Coronavirus Resource Hub. https://www.cell.com/COVID-19

Once Viewed as a Promising COVID-19 Treatment, Convalescent Plasma Falls Out of Favor. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2790074

Comparison of Seroconversion in Children and Adults With Mild COVID-19.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2789845

The COVID-19 Pandemic Strikes Again and Again and Again.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2789848

Racial and Ethnic, Gender Disparities Seen in LGBT COVID-19 Vaccination Rates.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2789648

Association Between Dexamethasone Treatment After Hospital Discharge for Patients With COVID-19 Infection and Rates of Hospital Readmission and Mortality.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2789710

Overcoming disruptions in essential health services during the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico. https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/3/e008099

YouTube as a source of misinformation on COVID-19 vaccination: a systematic analysis. https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/3/e008334

Covid-19: Coalition pledges $42m to develop broad protection vaccine against betacoronaviruses. https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o628

Partner to the Poor; A Paul Farmer Reader. Free download. 630 pages. https://content.ucpress.edu/title/9780520257139/9780520945630_web.pdf

OTHER NEWS

Assessment of Barriers and Enablers to Implementation of a Pediatric Early Warning System in Resource-Limited Settings.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2789842

All women must be able to access to safe abortion services, says WHO.https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o591

Partner’s characteristics and adolescent motherhood among married adolescent girls in 48 low-income and middle-income countries: a population-based study.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/3/e055021

Prevalence and predictors of drug-related hospitalisation among patients visiting emergency departments of Addis Ababa city hospitals in Ethiopia: a multicentre prospective observational study. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/3/e054778

Enablers and barriers to newborn screening for sickle cell disease in Africa: results from a qualitative study involving programmes in six countries.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/3/e057623

Willingness, perceived barriers and motivators in adopting mobile applications for health-related interventions among older adults: a scoping review.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/3/e054561

Triple artemisinin-based combination therapies for malaria: a timely solution to counter antimalarial drug resistance.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1473309921007489

Triple therapy with artemether–lumefantrine plus amodiaquine versus artemether–lumefantrine alone for artemisinin-resistant, uncomplicated falciparum malaria: an open-label, randomised, multicentre trial.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1473309921006927

10 MARCH 2022

Kids show mysteriously low levels of COVID antibodies

Children also seem to be able to clear SARS-CoV-2 from their bodies much quicker than adults can. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00681-8

People Are Getting COVID Shots Despite Hesitation. Recent findings blow up assumptions about who chooses to get vaccinated against the disease.https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/people-are-getting-covid-shots-despite-hesitation/

Audio Interview: Making Covid-19 Vaccines Available around the World.https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMe2203379?query=featured_home

Resistance Mutations in SARS-CoV-2 Delta Variant after Sotrovimab Use.https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2120219?query=featured_home

When Desperate Patients Go to Court for Unproven Treatments — The Battle for Hospital Independence. https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp2200209?query=featured_home

Efficacy of Antiviral Agents against the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Subvariant BA.2.https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2201933?query=featured_home

Effectiveness of Covid-19 Vaccines over a 9-Month Period in North Carolina.https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2117128?query=featured_home

Efficacy of Antibodies and Antiviral Drugs against Covid-19 Omicron Variant.https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2119407?query=featured_home

Immunogenicity and Reactogenicity of Vaccine Boosters after Ad26.COV2.S Priming.https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2116747?query=featured_home

Clinical severity of, and effectiveness of mRNA vaccines against, covid-19 from omicron, delta, and alpha SARS-CoV-2 variants in the United States: prospective observational study. https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj-2021-069761

Emerging evidence on heterologous COVID-19 vaccine schedules—To mix or not to mix? https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1473309922001785

Real-world evaluation of rapid and laboratory-free COVID-19 triage for emergency care: external validation and pilot deployment of artificial intelligence driven screening. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/landig/article/PIIS2589-7500(21)00272-7/fulltext

Safety and immunogenicity of a synthetic multiantigen modified vaccinia virus Ankara-based COVID-19 vaccine (COH04S1): an open-label and randomised, phase 1 trial. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanmic/article/PIIS2666-5247(22)00027-1/fulltext

Triage in the time of COVID-19. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/landig/article/PIIS2589-7500(22)00001-2/fulltext

Maintaining face mask use before and after achieving different COVID-19 vaccination coverage levels: a modelling study.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpub/article/PIIS2468-2667(22)00040-8/fulltext

Safety of mRNA vaccines administered during the initial 6 months of the US COVID-19 vaccination programme: an observational study of reports to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System and v-safe.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(22)00054-8/fulltext

Vaccines and Omicron mean Covid now less deadly than flu in England. Recent rise in hospital admissions shows decision to end restrictions still carries risks.https://www.ft.com/content/e26c93a0-90e7-4dec-a796-3e25e94bc59b

OTHER NEWS

It’s time to stop infant formula marketing practices that endanger our children.https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o627

Reflexivity, Cultural Safety, and improving the health of racially minoritised communities. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00459-7/fulltext

Medicine’s gender pay gap is still a glaring manifestation of pervasive inequality.https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o615

Apartheid logic in global health.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00387-7/fulltext

Quality of Antenatal Care Service and Factors Associated with Client Satisfaction at Public Health Facilities of Bele Gasgar District.https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/23743735221083163

11 MARCH 2022

Estimating excess mortality due to the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic analysis of COVID-19-related mortality, 2020–21.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(21)02796-3/fulltext

Wide-ranging genetic study of severe COVID finds common risk factors. Genetic variants that are linked to immune signalling, mucus production and other functions increase the risk of critical COVID-19. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00677-4

COVID’s true death toll: far higher than official records. Modelling suggests that by the end of 2021, some 18 million people had died because of the pandemic.https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00708-0

A pandemic education. https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abo5791

Mild SARS-CoV-2 infection in rhesus macaques is associated with viral control prior to antigen-specific T cell responses in tissues.https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciimmunol.abo0535

Comparative transmissibility of SARS-CoV-2 variants Delta and Alpha in New England, USA. https://www.cell.com/cell-reports-medicine/fulltext/S2666-3791(22)00090-8

Covid-19: Pandemic has shown that science can widen inequalities, says WHO head.https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o644

Covid-19: Global death toll may be three times higher than official records, study suggests. https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o636

We cannot afford to repeat these four pandemic mistakes.https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o631

Covid-19: Studies show lasting cognitive effects after infection.https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o640

We can live with covid, but that doesn’t have to mean living with avoidable deaths and disability. https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o638

COVID-19 vaccination challenge: what have we learned from the Brazilian process?https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(22)00049-3/fulltext

OTHER NEWS

Global, regional, and national burden of diseases and injuries for adults 70 years and older: systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease 2019 Study. https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj-2021-068208

Individual-level and community-level factors associated with eight or more antenatal care contacts in sub-Saharan Africa: evidence from 36 sub-Saharan African countries.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/3/e049379

HIV viral load non-suppression and associated factors among pregnant and postpartum women in rural northeastern South Africa: a cross-sectional survey.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/3/e058347

Quantifying the indirect impact of COVID-19 pandemic on utilisation of outpatient and immunisation services in Kenya: a longitudinal study using interrupted time series analysis. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/3/e055815

Short-term effectiveness of nutrition therapy to treat type 2 diabetes in low-income and middle-income countries: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/3/e056108

Safety and efficacy of sofosbuvir–velpatasvir–voxilaprevir for re-treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus infection in patients with previous direct-acting antiviral treatment failure in Rwanda (SHARED-3): a single-arm trial.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langas/article/PIIS2468-1253(21)00399-X/fulltext

Exercise can help older adults retain their memories. Pooling data from dozens of experiments let researchers show whose brains benefit the most from exercise.https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/02/220217090610.htm

Global, regional, and national prevalence of, and risk factors for, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in 2019: a systematic review and modelling analysis.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2600(21)00511-7/fulltext

14 MARCH 2022

Spreading of SARS-CoV-2 from hamsters to humans.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00423-8/fulltext?dgcid=raven_jbs_etoc_email

Moderna plots vaccines against 15 pathogens with future pandemic potential.https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/moderna-plots-vaccines-against-15-pathogens-with-future-pandemic-potential-2022-03-08/

An open-access history: the world according to Smits. The Plan S architect, scourge of paywalls, reveals how the policy sausage got made.https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00717-z

People, Not Science, Decide When a Pandemic Is Over. Historians of the 1918 influenza pandemic discuss lessons for what the future of COVID might look like.https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/people-not-science-decide-when-a-pandemic-is-over/

A pandemic education. https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abo5791

Mild SARS-CoV-2 infection in rhesus macaques is associated with viral control prior to antigen-specific T cell responses in tissues.https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciimmunol.abo0535

Engineering monoclonal antibodies for COVID-19 prophylaxis.https://www.cell.com/med/fulltext/S2666-6340(22)00087-3

Cell Press Coronavirus Resource Hub. https://www.cell.com/COVID-19?utm_medium=homepage

Expanding Efforts and Support to Respond to the HIV and COVID-19 Intersecting Pandemics. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2790239

COVID-19 pandemic in Africa’s island nations during the first 9 months: a descriptive study of variation in patterns of infection, severe disease, and response measures.https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/3/e006821

CD24Fc: an emerging COVID-19 therapy.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1473309922001256

Efficacy and safety of CD24Fc in hospitalised patients with COVID-19: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 study.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1473309922000585

OTHER NEWS

Competency-based Training Needs Assessment for Research Managers and Administrators in Africa and the United Kingdom to Strengthen Equitable Partnerships [version 1; peer review: awaiting peer review]. https://aasopenresearch.org/articles/5-11/v1?utm_medium=email&utm_source=etoc_alert_WEEKLY

The global level of harm among surgical professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic: A multinational cross-sectional cohort study.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S003960602200071X?dgcid=coauthor

Comparison of Child Undernutrition Anthropometric Indicators Across 56 Low- and Middle-Income Countries.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2789925

Programmatic Implications of a Revised Classification System for Undernutrition.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2789928

Association of a Perioperative Multicomponent Fall Prevention Intervention With Falls and Quality of Life After Elective Inpatient Surgical Procedures.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2789923

Dexamethasone, Prednisolone, and Methylprednisolone Use and 2-Year Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in Extremely Preterm Infants.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2789922

Economic evaluations of health system strengthening activities in low-income and middle-income country settings: a methodological systematic review.https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/3/e007392

Histopathological profile of cervical biopsies in northern Malawi: a retrospective cross-sectional study. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/3/e048283

Prevalence and factors associated with preoperative anxiety among patients undergoing surgery in low-income and middle-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/3/e058187

Progress in health among regions of Ethiopia, 1990–2019: a subnational country analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(21)02868-3/fulltext

Successes and challenges to ensure health and wellbeing in Ethiopia.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00279-3/fulltext

15 MARCH 2022

Bomaid spends P100m in COVID-19 coverage.https://www.mmegi.bw/business/bomaid-spends-p100m-in-covid-19-coverage/news

Comparison of SARS-CoV-2 Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction and BinaxNOW Rapid Antigen Tests at a Community Site During an Omicron Surge.https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M22-0202

Comparison of Patients Infected With Delta Versus Omicron COVID-19 Variants Presenting to Paris Emergency Departments.https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M22-0308

Africa CDC has MOU with Pfizer for supplies of COVID-19 pill.https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/africa-cdc-has-mou-with-pfizer-supplies-covid-19-pill-2022-03-10/

Daily briefing: Genetic variants are linked to severe COVID-19

Genes suggest two potential pathways for developing severe COVID-19. Plus, “hope is the word” for scientists under Chile’s new president and why geopolitics hinges on energy — renewable or not. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00743-x

Effect of Sotrovimab on Hospitalization or Death Among High-risk Patients With Mild to Moderate COVID-19. A Randomized Clinical Trial. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2790246

SARS-CoV-2 transmission: time to rethink public health strategy.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1473309922001372

SARS-CoV-2 incidence, transmission, and reinfection in a rural and an urban setting: results of the PHIRST-C cohort study, South Africa, 2020–21.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S147330992200069X

Acute COVID-19 severity and mental health morbidity trajectories in patient populations of six nations: an observational study.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpub/article/PIIS2468-2667(22)00042-1/fulltext

OTHER NEWS

Economic evaluation of a conditional cash transfer to retain women in the continuum of care during pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period in Kenya. https://journals.plos.org/globalpublichealth/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgph.0000128

The geography and inter-community configuration of new sexual partnership formation in a rural South African population over fourteen years (2003–2016).https://journals.plos.org/globalpublichealth/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgph.0000055

Open science, done wrong, will compound inequities. Research-reform advocates must beware unintended consequences. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00724-0

Contagions Worse Than COVID Will Prevail If Neglect of Global Public Health Continues. Health security is as important to a nation as a standing army.https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/contagions-worse-than-covid-will-prevail-if-neglect-of-global-public-health-continues/

Association of Low- and No-Calorie Sweetened Beverages as a Replacement for Sugar-Sweetened Beverages With Body Weight and Cardiometabolic Risk. A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2790045

Point-of-Care Ultrasonography: Clearly More Than a Pretty Picture.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/article-abstract/2790060

Point-of-Care Ultrasonography. Visually Satisfying Medicine or Evidence-Based Medicine? https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/article-abstract/2785142

Finding the learning in clinical admin. Yet in reflecting on my first job as a junior doctor, I see these seemingly small “admin” tasks differently: as an opportunity to learn about myself and my approach to a clinical workload in a relatively controlled and supported environment. https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o675

Impact of the implementation of the WHO Safe Childbirth Checklist on essential birth practices and adverse events in two Brazilian hospitals: a before and after study.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/3/e056908

Is there lower utilisation of hospice care services during end-of-life care for people living with HIV? A population-based cohort study.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/3/e058231

Impact of maternal morbidities on the longitudinal health-related quality of life trajectories among women who gave childbirth in four hospitals of Northwest Ethiopia: a group-based trajectory modelling study.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/3/e057012

Qualitative study exploring barriers and facilitators to progression for female medical clinical academics: interviews with female associate professors and professors.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/3/e056364

Pressure injury prevention practice and associated factors among nurses at Wolaita Sodo University Teaching and Referral Hospital, South Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/3/e047687

Prevalence and significance of anaemia in childhood bacterial meningitis: a secondary analysis of prospectively collected data from clinical trials in Finland, Latin America and Angola. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/3/e057285

Field performance of three Ebola rapid diagnostic tests used during the 2018–20 outbreak in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo: a retrospective, multicentre observational study.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1473309921006757

Inequities in access to diagnostics threatens global public health security.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1473309921008069

16 MARCH 2022

Surge of HIV, tuberculosis and COVID feared amid war in Ukraine. Infectious diseases are likely to spread as Russia’s invasion displaces people and disrupts health services. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00748-6

Even Mild COVID Can Increase the Risk of Heart Problems

Scientists are just starting to unravel the disease’s long-term cardiac effects.https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/even-mild-covid-can-increase-the-risk-of-heart-problems/

Increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 reinfection associated with emergence of Omicron in South Africa. https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abn4947

Omicron variant Spike-specific antibody binding and Fc activity is preserved in recipients of mRNA or inactivated COVID-19 vaccines.https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scitranslmed.abn9243

Association of high SARS-CoV-2 RNAemia with diabetes and mortality in COVID-19 critically ill patient. https://www.cell.com/iscience/fulltext/S2589-0042(22)00345-5

Dynamic Allostery Highlights the Evolutionary Differences between the CoV-1 and CoV-2 Main Proteases. https://www.cell.com/biophysj/fulltext/S0006-3495(22)00222-3

What can general practice learn from primary care nurses’ and healthcare assistants’ experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic? A qualitative study.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/3/e055955

Monitoring and managing SARS-CoV-2 evolution in immunocompromised populations. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanmic/article/PIIS2666-5247(22)00061-1/fulltext

Evaluating COVID-19 vaccines in the real world.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00194-5/fulltext

COVID-19 vaccine dose sparing: strategies to improve vaccine equity and pandemic preparedness. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(22)00075-4/fulltext

OTHER NEWS

Gender equality will enhance research around the world. If researchers want to have maximum impact, women must be at the table.https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00722-2

A Lesson From Behavioral Economics for Reducing Obstetric Interventions—Placing More Weight on Perceived Gains vs Perceived Losses.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2790109

Application of Prospect Theory in Obstetrics by Evaluating Mode of Delivery and Outcomes in Neonates Born Small or Appropriate for Gestational Age.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2790103

Assessment of a Crisis Standards of Care Scoring System for Resource Prioritization and Estimated Excess Mortality by Race, Ethnicity, and Socially Vulnerable Area During a Regional Surge in COVID-19.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2790104

Association of Body Mass Index in Midlife With Morbidity Burden in Older Adulthood and Longevity. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2790100

Food handling practice and associated factors among food handlers in public food establishments of Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/3/e051310

Effects of maternal education on early initiation and exclusive breastfeeding practices in sub-Saharan Africa: a secondary analysis of Demographic and Health Surveys from 2015 to 2019. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/3/e054302

Systematic review of diagnostic and prognostic models of chronic kidney disease in low-income and middle-income countries.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/3/e058921

Determinants of immunisation dropout among children under the age of 2 in Zambézia province, Mozambique: a community-based participatory research study using Photovoice. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/3/e057245

Prevalence, incidence, and reported global distribution of noma: a systematic literature review.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1473309921006988

Population health outcomes in Nigeria compared with other west African countries, 1998–2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(21)02722-7/fulltext

The Lancet Nigeria Commission: investing in health and the future of the nation.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(21)02488-0/fulltext

Missing Child Mortality Targets Could Cost 11 Million Lives by 2030.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2789958?guestAccessKey=b2c8dd3a-9d06-4f0c-adc5-eafe5e967a3f&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social_jama&utm_term=6555984615&utm_campaign=article_alert&linkId=156426323

Tackling marketing of formula milk: process matters.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(22)00094-8/fulltext?dgcid=raven_jbs_etoc_email

Addressing the complex needs of people with severe mental health disorders in low-resource settings. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(22)00092-4/fulltext?dgcid=raven_jbs_etoc_email

Challenges in estimating the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in Africa.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(22)00044-4/fulltext?dgcid=raven_jbs_etoc_email

Improving the quality of intensive care in middle-income countries.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(22)00039-0/fulltext?dgcid=raven_jbs_etoc_email

Social and health factors associated with adverse treatment outcomes among people with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in Sierra Leone: a national, retrospective cohort study. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(22)00004-3/fulltext?dgcid=raven_jbs_etoc_email

Strengthening global health security by improving disease surveillance in remote rural areas of low-income and middle-income countries.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(22)00031-6/fulltext?dgcid=raven_jbs_etoc_email

17 MARCH 2022

Kenya lifts remaining COVID restrictions. NAIROBI, March 11 (Reuters) – Kenya lifted its remaining COVID-19 restrictions on Friday, including a ban on large indoor gatherings such as religious services and a requirement to present a negative COVID-19 test for arriving air passengers https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/kenya-lifts-remaining-covid-restrictions-2022-03-11/

Are ‘COVID toes’ actually caused by the coronavirus? Study adds to evidence suggesting that SARS-CoV-2 infection doesn’t cause an inflamed-toe condition called chilblains, but it doesn’t close the door. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00707-1

Daily briefing: Scientists’ dismay as UK axes “gold standard” COVID studies. The United Kingdom’s lauded REACT study is among the infection-surveillance projects that are to lose funding within weeks. Plus, China’s first Moon rocks ignite a research bonanza and a ‘pangenome’ aspires to map all of human diversity.https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00770-8

Two years of pandemic: A wealth of data and many remaining questions.https://www.cell.com/cell-reports-medicine/fulltext/S2666-3791(22)00088-X

Multi-omics in COVID-19: Seeing the unseen but overlooked in the clinic.https://www.cell.com/cell-reports-medicine/fulltext/S2666-3791(22)00087-8

COVID-19 in children: From afterthought to unknown. https://www.cell.com/cell-reports-medicine/fulltext/S2666-3791(22)00065-9

Cell Press Coronavirus Resource Hub. https://www.cell.com/COVID-19

Audio Interview: Can We Make More Effective Covid-19 Vaccines?https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMe2203667?query=featured_home

Efficacy of a Fourth Dose of Covid-19 mRNA Vaccine against Omicron.https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2202542?query=featured_home

Neutralization of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 Variants.https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2201849?query=featured_home

Homologous and Heterologous Covid-19 Booster Vaccinations.https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2116414?query=featured_home

SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant Neutralization after mRNA-1273 Booster Vaccination.https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2119912?query=featured_home

Efficacy of Losartan in Hospitalized Patients With COVID-19–Induced Lung Injury. A Randomized Clinical Trial.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2790162

WHO Releases Report on Maintaining Health Services During COVID-19.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2789956

Fifteen days in December: capture and analysis of Omicron-related travel restrictions.https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/3/e008642

Waiting for the truth: is reluctance in accepting an early origin hypothesis for SARS-CoV-2 delaying our understanding of viral emergence?https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/3/e008386

SARS-CoV-2 positivity in offspring and timing of mother-to-child transmission: living systematic review and meta-analysis.

Less than 2% of babies born to mothers with SARS-CoV-2 also test positive around the time of birth, finds an analysis of the latest evidence. https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj-2021-067696

Association between covid-19 vaccination, SARS-CoV-2 infection, and risk of immune mediated neurological events: population based cohort and self-controlled case series analysis. https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj-2021-068373

Antibody durability at 1 year after Sputnik V vaccination.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1473309922001761

Omicron: fewer adverse outcomes come with new dangers.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00514-1/fulltext

A roadmap of recovery for the COVID generation.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanchi/article/PIIS2352-4642(22)00070-0/fulltext

Awake prone positioning for non-intubated patients with COVID-19-related acute hypoxaemic respiratory failure: a systematic review and meta-analysis.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2600(22)00043-1/fulltext

The pandemic and the great awakening in the management of acute hypoxaemic respiratory failure. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2600(22)00051-0/fulltext

Effects of SARS-CoV-2 on prenatal lung growth assessed by fetal MRI.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2600(22)00060-1/fulltext

OTHER NEWS

A Malaria Vaccine for Africa — An Important Step in a Century-Long Quest. https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp2116591?query=featured_home

Ethical guidance or epistemological injustice? The quality and usefulness of ethical guidance for humanitarian workers and agencies. They suggest the possibility: (1) that few problems confronting front-line workers are conceived, described, or resolved as ethical problems; and (2) of significant dissonance between available, allegedly practically oriented guidance (often produced by academics in North America and Europe), and the immediate issues confronting front-line workers. https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/3/e007707

Introducing field digital data collection systems into seasonal malaria chemoprevention campaigns: opportunities for robust evidence development and national e-health strategies. https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/3/e007899

Mother and newborn skin-to-skin contact in sub-Saharan Africa: prevalence and predictors. https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/3/e007731

Formula milk companies push allergy products despite flawed evidence.https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o630

Antenatal Doppler screening for fetuses at risk of adverse outcomes: a multicountry cohort study of the prevalence of abnormal resistance index in low-risk pregnant women. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/3/e053622

Infection-related and lifestyle-related cancer burden in Kampala, Uganda: projection of the future cancer incidence up to 2030. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/3/e056722

Efficacy and safety of a universal influenza A vaccine (MVA-NP+M1) in adults when given after seasonal quadrivalent influenza vaccine immunisation (FLU009): a phase 2b, randomised, double-blind trial.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1473309921007027Disrupting Global Health: From Allyship To Collective Liberation. https://www.forbes.com/sites/madhukarpai/2022/03/15/disrupting-global-health-from-allyship-to-collective-liberation/?sh=8f0c0704e623

18 MARCH 2022

Effectiveness of the Ad26.COV2.S vaccine in health-care workers in South Africa (the Sisonke study): results from a single-arm, open-label, phase 3B, implementation study. The single-dose Ad26.COV2.S vaccine shows effectiveness against severe COVID-19 disease and COVID-19-related death after vaccination, and against both beta and delta variants, providing real-world evidence for its use globally.

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00007-1/fulltext

Humoral response following SARS-CoV-2 vaccination: not all immunosuppressants are created equal. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanrhe/article/PIIS2665-9913(22)00066-2/fulltext

Scientists struggle to probe COVID’s origins amid sparse data from China. Origin investigations typically take years, but some researchers say China is delaying the process for political reasons as international tensions rise.https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00732-0

News at a glance: Asia’s COVID-19 surge, melting winter sea ice, and ‘inflammatory’ arXiv papers.

https://www.science.org/content/article/news-glance-asia-s-covid-19-surge-melting-winter-sea-ice-and-inflammatory-arxiv-papers

Neutralizing immunity in vaccine breakthrough infections from the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron and Delta variants. https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(22)00329-4

Myocarditis Following a Third BNT162b2 Vaccination Dose in Military Recruits in Israel. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2790421

Incidence of Cerebral Venous Thrombosis Following SARS-CoV-2 Infection vs mRNA SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination in Singapore.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2790206

Trends in Hospitalizations for Ambulatory Care–Sensitive Conditions During the COVID-19 Pandemic.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2790207

Durability of the Single-Dose Ad26.COV2.S Vaccine in the Prevention of COVID-19 Infections and Hospitalizations in the US Before and During the Delta Variant Surge.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2790204

Adversity and Opportunity—The Pandemic’s Paradoxical Effect on Child Health and Well-being. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/2789950

Covid-19: Campaigners accuse Pfizer of blocking access to antiviral for trials in poorer countries. https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o721

Covid-19: Pfizer asks US regulator to authorise fourth vaccine dose for over 65s.https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o711

Neutralisation sensitivity of the SARS-CoV-2 omicron (B.1.1.529) variant: a cross-sectional study. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1473309922001293

Humoral responses after second and third SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in patients with immune-mediated inflammatory disorders on immunosuppressants: a cohort study.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanrhe/article/PIIS2665-9913(22)00034-0/fulltext

OTHER NEWS

Funder bars university from grant programme over white-male award line-up. Researchers overwhelmingly support Snow Medical’s decision to suspend the University of Melbourne from the foundation’s million-dollar fellowships.https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00751-x

Decolonising global health by decolonising academic publishing.https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/3/e007811

Alternative to prophylactic antibiotics for the treatment of recurrent urinary tract infections in women: multicentre, open label, randomised, non-inferiority trial.https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj-2021-0068229

Global estimates of violence against children with disabilities: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanchi/article/PIIS2352-4642(22)00033-5/fulltext

21 MARCH 2022

Vaccines protect against infection from Omicron subvariant — but not for long.Two doses of COVID vaccine cut the risk of infection and mild illness from the rising BA.2 subvariant, although protection wanes quickly. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00775-3

Cell Press Coronavirus Resource Hub. https://www.cell.com/COVID-19?utm_medium=homepage?utm_medium=homepage

Alcohol-Related Deaths During the COVID-19 Pandemic.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2790491

Attention for sex in COVID-19 trials: a review of regulatory dossiers.https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/3/e008173

Cumulative incidence of SARS-CoV-2 and associated risk factors among healthcare workers: a cross-sectional study in the Eastern Cape, South Africa.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/3/e058761

Pericarditis complicating COVID-19 infection: a report of two cases.https://www.panafrican-med-journal.com/content/article/41/229/full/

Determinants of Knowledge, Attitude and Practice towards preventive measures of COVID-19 among adult residencies in Silte Zone, Southern Ethiopia.https://www.panafrican-med-journal.com/content/article/41/211/full/

Gender dimensions of COVID-19 preventive policies: a global perspective.https://www.panafrican-med-journal.com/content/article/41/199/full/

Compliance to infection prevention and control interventions for slowing down COVID-19 in early phase of disease transmission in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.https://www.panafrican-med-journal.com/content/article/41/174/full/

OTHER NEWS

High-risk behaviors and factors for HIV and sexually transmitted infections among transgender people in Gaborone, Botswana: results from a national survey.https://www.panafrican-med-journal.com/content/article/41/128/full/

Do private providers give patients what they demand, even if it is inappropriate? A randomised study using unannounced standardised patients in Kenya.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/3/e058746

Building community and public engagement in research – the experience of early career researchers in East Africa [version 1; peer review: awaiting peer review]. https://aasopenresearch.org/articles/5-13/v1?utm_medium=email&utm_source=etoc_alert_WEEKLY

Stigma-directed services (Stig2Health) to improve ‘linkage to care’ for people living with HIV in rural Tanzania: study protocol for a nested pre-post implementation study within the Kilombero and Ulanga Antiretroviral Cohort [version 1; peer review: awaiting peer review]. https://aasopenresearch.org/articles/5-14

Assessment of performance and implementation characteristics of rapid point of care SARS-CoV-2 antigen testing. [version 1; peer review: awaiting peer review]. https://aasopenresearch.org/articles/5-8

Comparing Ugandan motorcycle taxi driver estimations of injury incidence to District-level injury surveillance data as a proxy to determine factors influencing risk perception. https://www.panafrican-med-journal.com/content/article/41/177/full/

An evaluation of the notifiable disease surveillance system in Chegutu district, Zimbabwe, 2020: a cross-sectional study. https://www.panafrican-med-journal.com/content/article/41/215/full/

Prevalence and correlates of male partner involvement in antenatal care services in eastern Kenya: a cross-sectional study. https://www.panafrican-med-journal.com/content/article/41/167/full/

Applying the biopsychosocial model to unpack a psychosocial support intervention designed to improve antiretroviral treatment outcomes for adolescents in South Africa. https://www.panafrican-med-journal.com/content/article/41/166/full/

Cross country lessons sharing on practices, challenges and innovation in PHC revitalization and UHC implementation among 18 countries in the WHO African Region. https://www.panafrican-med-journal.com/content/article/41/159/full/

Decolonising multimorbidity? research gaps in low and middle-income countries.https://www.panafrican-med-journal.com/content/article/41/140/full/

Gender norms, HIV risk, and attitudes towards pre-exposure prophylaxis and other HIV preventive interventions among South African adolescents. https://www.panafrican-med-journal.com/content/article/41/136/full/

22 MARCH 2022

Vaccines Remain Effective against BA.2, but Protection from Infection Wanes over Time. Such protection declines within months of the mRNA COVID vaccines’ third dose. Yet the vaccines continue to ward off severe disease.https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/vaccines-remain-effective-against-ba-2-but-protection-from-infection-wanes-over-time/

Effect of Antiplatelet Therapy on Survival and Organ Support–Free Days in Critically Ill Patients With COVID-19. A Randomized Clinical Trial.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2790488

Thromboinflammation and Antithrombotics in COVID-19. Accumulating Evidence and Current Status. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2790489

Comparison of Trials Using Ivermectin for COVID-19 Between Regions With High and Low Prevalence of Strongyloidiasis. A Meta-analysis.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2790173

SARS-CoV-2 Placentitis and Intraparenchymal Thrombohematomas Among COVID-19 Infections in Pregnancy.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2790175

Perinatal Complications in Individuals in California With or Without SARS-CoV-2 Infection During Pregnancy.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2790318

Inhaled Ciclesonide for Patients With Asthma or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and COVID-19.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2790324

Inhaled Ciclesonide for Patients With Asthma or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and COVID-19—Reply.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2790321

Serology Test Results and Other Important Characteristics of Patients With Persistent COVID-19 Symptoms. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/newonline

Serology Test Results and Other Important Characteristics of Patients With Persistent COVID-19 Symptoms—Reply.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/article-abstract/2790320

Uganda should reconsider its proposed public health legislation that places tough sanctions on people who are unvaccinated. https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o756

Effectiveness of BNT162b2 against COVID-19 in adolescents.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1473309922001773

Risks and burdens of incident diabetes in long COVID: a cohort study.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/landia/article/PIIS2213-8587(22)00044-4/fulltext

Rising diabetes diagnosis in long COVID.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/landia/article/PIIS2213-8587(22)00078-X/fulltext

Effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines in older adults in Colombia: a retrospective, population-based study of the ESPERANZA cohort.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanhl/article/PIIS2666-7568(22)00035-6/fulltext

Fatigue in the COVID-19 pandemic.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanhl/article/PIIS2666-7568(22)00029-0/fulltext

Changes in cognitive functioning after COVID-19: A systematic review and meta-analysis. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35297561/

OTHER NEWS

Millions of children to be vaccinated for polio in Africa after Malawi detects case. First case of wild polio detected in Malawi for 30 years prompts emergency rollout of vaccinations in five African countries. https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2022/mar/21/millions-of-children-to-be-vaccinated-for-polio-in-africa-after-malawi-detects-case

Overestimating women’s representation in medicine: a survey of medical professionals’ estimates and their(un)willingness to support gender equality initiatives. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/3/e054769

Retrospective analysis to describe trends in first-ever prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing for primary healthcare facilities in the Gauteng Province, South Africa, between 2006 and 2016. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/3/e050646

Systematic review and meta-analysis of medicine use studies in Ethiopia using the WHO patient care indicators with an emphasis on the availability of prescribed medicines. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/3/e054521

36-fold higher estimate of deaths attributable to red meat intake in GBD 2019: is this reliable? – Author’s reply. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00518-9/fulltext

25 MARCH 2022

IN THE LINE OF FIRE. Scientists have been harassed for years. But a Science survey shows the pandemic has made things far worse for some.https://www.science.org/content/article/overwhelmed-hate-covid-19-scientists-face-avalanche-abuse-survey-shows

Structural basis for potent antibody neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 variants including B.1.1.529. https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abn8897

Understanding T-cell responses to COVID-19 is essential for informing public health strategies. https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciimmunol.abo1303

mRNA-1273 or mRNA-Omicron boost in vaccinated macaques elicits similar B cell expansion, neutralizing antibodies and protection against Omicron.https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(22)00388-9

Association of COVID-19 Vaccination in Pregnancy With Adverse Peripartum Outcomes. COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy was not significantly associated with an increased risk of adverse peripartum outcomes.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2790607

Editorial– COVID-19 mRNA Vaccines During Pregnancy

New Evidence to Help Address Vaccine Hesitancy.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2790610

COVID-19 Cases and Disease Severity in Pregnancy and Neonatal Positivity Associated With Delta (B.1.617.2) and Omicron (B.1.1.529) Variant Predominance. The majority of early neonatal SARS-CoV-2 infections occurred among unvaccinated mothers with nonsevere COVID-19. Long-term risks of early neonatal SARS-CoV-2 infection are unknown, but maternal vaccination may be protective.

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2790609

Association of Early Aspirin Use With In-Hospital Mortality in Patients With Moderate COVID-19. This study suggests that early aspirin use may be associated with lower odds of in-hospital mortality among hospitalized patients with moderate COVID-19; these findings warrant further study in a randomized clinical trial that includes diverse patients with cardiovascular comorbidities.

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2790439

Covid-19: What do we know about the delta omicron recombinant variant?https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o792

It is not too late to achieve global covid-19 vaccine equity.https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj-2022-070650

Ending the covid-19 pandemic means helping countries to catch-up with vaccination, not giving up. https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o786

Strengthening public mental health during and after the acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00523-2/fulltext

OTHER NEWS

Voices beyond the Operating Room: centring global surgery advocacy at the grassroots. https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/3/e008969

NICE recommends four tests to help diagnose pre-eclampsia.https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o795

Race, racism, and health: global learning for national action.https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o477

Poaching doctors from abroad is unethical. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00233-1/fulltext

Pushing back on the arguments of the Lancet Commission on the Value of Death.https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o782

28 MARCH 2022

Can drugs reduce the risk of long COVID? What scientists know so far. Researchers are trying to establish whether existing COVID-19 vaccines and treatments can prevent lasting symptoms. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00823-y

New COVID Spit Tests May Be More Accurate and Easier Than Nasal Swabs. Saliva PCR tests developed by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and others may detect infections earlier in the course of an infection.https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/new-covid-spit-tests-may-be-more-accurate-and-easier-than-nasal-swabs/

Cell Press Coronavirus Resource Hub. https://www.cell.com/COVID-19?utm_medium=homepage

Strategies to Promote Equity in COVID-19 Antiviral Treatment.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama-health-forum/fullarticle/2790540

Covid-19: Moderna will ask for authorisation for vaccine for infants and children.https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o798

Host-targeting oral antiviral drugs to prevent pandemics.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00454-8/fulltext

SARS-CoV-2 co-infection with influenza viruses, respiratory syncytial virus, or adenoviruses. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00383-X/fulltext

Cellular responses to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination after B-cell depletion: conflicting results from studies. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanrhe/article/PIIS2665-9913(22)00032-7/fulltext

Booster vaccines for COVID-19 vaccine breakthrough cases?https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00044-7/fulltext

OTHER NEWS

Improving surgical and medical outcomes, beyond maternal mortality.http://www.sajog.org.za/index.php/SAJOG/article/view/1645

Social-media reform is flying blind. Redesigning social media to improve society requires a new platform for research. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00805-0

Association of Multidimensional Poverty With Dementia in Adults Aged 50 Years or Older in South Africa.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2790516

The Association of Poverty With Well-being and Dementia Outcomes—It’s Not All About the Money. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2790522

Mentorship during undergraduate surgical training: comparing perceptions of medical students and faculty at two institutions in South Africa and Sweden.http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0038-23612021000400012&lng=en&nrm=iso&tlng=en

Race, racism, and health: global learning for national action.https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o477

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in Africa: a scoping review.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/3/e055008

Societal Preferences for Gender of Surgeons: A Cross-Sectional Study in the General Population of Pakistan. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00268-021-06418-4

Surgical Catastrophic Health Expenditure and Risk Factors for Out-of-Pocket Expenditure at a South African Public Sector Hospital.https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00268-022-06472-6

Prevalence of Paediatric Surgical Conditions in Eastern Uganda: A Cross-Sectional Study. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00268-021-06378-9

29 MARCH 2022

Global vaccination must be swifter. Speeding up development of new vaccines won’t help much in the next pandemic, unless world leaders work faster to roll out vaccination globally. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00809-w

Will Omicron finally overpower China’s COVID defences?

The country needs to control the virus until it has boosted vaccination rates in elderly people and reinforced the health-care system. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00884-z

35B5 antibody potently neutralizes SARS-CoV-2 Omicron by disrupting the N-glycan switch via a conserved Spike epitope. https://www.cell.com/cell-host-microbe/fulltext/S1931-3128(22)00165-2

Pre-existing SARS-CoV-2 immunity influences potency, breadth, and durability of the humoral response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. https://www.cell.com/cell-reports-medicine/fulltext/S2666-3791(22)00120-3

Outcomes After SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination Among Children With a History of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2790426

Evaluation of Trends in Preexposure Prophylaxis Prescriptions During the First 6 Months of the COVID-19 Pandemic in New York State.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2790427

Covid-19: Researchers call for routine flu testing of hospital inpatients with SARS-CoV-2 infection. https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o809

Importance of understanding the reinfection risk of COVID-19 in children.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanchi/article/PIIS2352-4642(22)00093-1/fulltext

Risk of SARS-CoV-2 reinfections in children: a prospective national surveillance study between January, 2020, and July, 2021, in England.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanchi/article/PIIS2352-4642(22)00059-1/fulltext

Serum neutralisation of the SARS-CoV-2 omicron sublineage BA.2.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanmic/article/PIIS2666-5247(22)00060-X/fulltext

The rollercoaster of vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanhae/article/PIIS2352-3026(22)00078-3/fulltext https://elsevier.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_QuQiXRlsTsCjlUY1j8f1jg

OTHER NEWS

Assessing Uncontrolled Confounding in Associations of Being Overweight With All-Cause Mortality. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2790428

Cost-effectiveness analysis of human-centred design for global health interventions: a quantitative framework. https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/3/e007912

Rural–urban correlates of skilled birth attendance utilisation in Sierra Leone: evidence from the 2019 Sierra Leone Demographic Health Survey.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/3/e056825

Examining family planning and adverse pregnancy outcomes for women with active tuberculosis disease: a systematic review. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/3/e054833

An open letter to the Executive Board of WHO from the surgical and anaesthesia community. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00521-9/fulltext

Blood test figures in cancer risk for people with HIV.https://news.vumc.org/2022/03/17/blood-test-figures-in-cancer-risk-for-people-with-hiv/

31 MARCH 2022

Effect of Early Treatment with Ivermectin among Patients with Covid-19. Treatment with ivermectin did not result in a lower incidence of medical admission to a hospital due to progression of Covid-19 or of prolonged emergency department observation among outpatients with an early diagnosis of Covid-19. https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2115869

Germany speaks out against COVID-19 vaccine patent waiver.https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/germany-speaks-out-against-covid-19-vaccine-patent-waiver-2022-03-28/

Genome data gaps could stymie search for next COVID variant. Sequencing SARS-CoV-2 genomes has helped researchers to track how the virus is evolving, but many countries aren’t sharing all their data. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00894-x

COVID antibody drugs work best when given as early as possible. Data from dozens of trials also suggests that antibody treatments could be given in much smaller amounts than current practice. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00893-y

Diabetes risk rises after COVID, massive study finds. Even mild SARS-CoV-2 infections can amplify a person’s chance of developing diabetes, especially for those already susceptible to the disease. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00912-y

Defining the risk of SARS-CoV-2 variants on immune protection.https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-04690-5

mRNA-1273 and BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccines elicit antibodies with differences in Fc-mediated effector functions. https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scitranslmed.abm2311

Audio Interview: Effectiveness of Covid-19 Vaccination in Children.https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMe2204268?query=featured_home

BNT162b2 Protection against the Omicron Variant in Children and Adolescents.https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2202826?query=featured_home

Early Outpatient Treatment for Covid-19 with Convalescent Plasma.https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2119657?query=featured_home

Protection against SARS-CoV-2 after Covid-19 Vaccination and Previous Infection.https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2118691?query=featured_home

Effectiveness of the BNT162b2 Vaccine after Recovery from Covid-19.https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2119497?query=featured_home

Protection against the Omicron Variant from Previous SARS-CoV-2 Infection.https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2200133?query=featured_home

Prediction of the need for intensive oxygen supplementation during hospitalisation among subjects with COVID-19 admitted to an academic health system in Texas: a retrospective cohort study and multivariable regression model.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/3/e058238

‘We are not going anywhere’: a qualitative study of Kenyan healthcare worker perspectives on adolescent HIV care engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/3/e055948

Should covid-19 vaccines and drugs be “not for profit”?https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o755

Availability of oral antivirals against SARS-CoV-2 infection and the requirement for an ethical prescribing approach.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1473309922001190

Risk of hospitalisation and death in children with SARS-CoV-2 delta (B.1.612.2) infection. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanchi/article/PIIS2352-4642(22)00096-7/fulltext

OTHER NEWS

Who Gets to Govern in Global Health?: The prevailing status quo threatens ‘Health for All’. https://speakingofmedicine.plos.org/2022/03/30/who-gets-to-govern-in-global-health-the-prevailing-status-quo-threatens-health-for-all/?utm_source=Social+media&utm_medium=Twitter&utm_campaign=Who+Gets+to+Govern+in+Global+Health%3F:+The+prevailing+status+quo+threatens+‘Health+for+All’

Supporting Health Care Workers to Address Misinformation on Social Media.https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp2117180?query=featured_home

Higher-Dose Primaquine to Prevent Relapse of Plasmodium vivax Malaria.https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2104226?query=featured_home

The impact of war on the health system of the Tigray region in Ethiopia: a response to complaints. https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/3/e008839

The need for rigour and balance in reporting the health impacts of conflict in Tigray, Ethiopia. https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/3/e008263

Immunogenicity and safety of booster CYD-TDV dengue vaccine after alternative primary vaccination schedules in healthy individuals aged 9–50 years: a randomised, controlled, phase 2, non-inferiority study.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1473309921007064#!

Utility of the Right to Health for Addressing Skilled Health Worker Shortages in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.https://www.ijhpm.com/article_4195.html#:~:text=We%20found%20that%20the%20RTH,concerns%20for%20the%20cost%20implication.

Equity in global health research: A proposal to adopt author reflexivity statements.https://journals.plos.org/globalpublichealth/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgph.0000160

The burden of neurological impairments and disability in older children measured in disability-adjusted life-years in rural Kenya.https://journals.plos.org/globalpublichealth/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgph.0000151

1 APRIL 2022

Ghana to start producing own Covid-19 vaccines in January 2024.https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/ghana-start-producing-own-covid-19-vaccines-january-2024-2022-03-30/

A modified vaccinia Ankara vaccine expressing spike and nucleocapsid protects rhesus macaques against SARS-CoV-2 delta infection.https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciimmunol.abo0226

Circular RNA Vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 and Emerging Variants.https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(22)00394-4

Reducing “COVID-19 Misinformation” While Preserving Free Speech.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2790859

Disincentives for vaccine refusal. https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o865

Effectiveness of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in the post-natural infection world. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1473309922002079

Risk of SARS-CoV-2 reinfection and COVID-19 hospitalisation in individuals with natural and hybrid immunity: a retrospective, total population cohort study in Sweden.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1473309922001438

Effectiveness of CoronaVac, ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, BNT162b2, and Ad26.COV2.S among individuals with previous SARS-CoV-2 infection in Brazil: a test-negative, case-control study. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1473309922001402

Interplay of infection and vaccination in long-term protection from COVID-19.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1473309922002109

DNA vaccines join the fight against COVID-19.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00524-4/fulltext

Efficacy, safety, and immunogenicity of the DNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccine (ZyCoV-D): the interim efficacy results of a phase 3, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in India. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00151-9/fulltext

Mixed response to COVID-19 intellectual property waiver.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00610-9/fulltext

Helen Salisbury: Are antivirals a covid-19 game changer?https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o810

OTHER NEWS

Health workforce governance for compassionate and respectful care: a framework for research, policy and practice. https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/3/e008007

Mothers’ perceptions of the practice of kangaroo mother care for preterm neonates in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review of qualitative evidence.https://journals.lww.com/jbisrir/Fulltext/2022/02000/Mothers__perceptions_of_the_practice_of_kangaroo.1.aspx

4 APRIL 2022

African clinical trial denied access to key COVID drug Paxlovid. Supply shortages and limits on research leave low- and middle-income countries struggling to access Pfizer’s COVID-19 antiviral. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00919-5

Not yet uhuru for school sport. https://www.mmegi.bw/sports/not-yet-uhuru-for-school-sport/news

Active smokers are at higher risk of COVID-19 death: A systematic review and meta-analysis. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35363877/

Humanized mice reveal a macrophage-enriched gene signature defining human lung tissue protection during SARS-CoV-2 infection. https://www.cell.com/cell-reports/fulltext/S2211-1247(22)00475-2

Rwanda’s success in rolling out its covid-19 vaccination campaign is a lesson to us all. https://www.bmj.com/content/377/bmj.o881

Effectiveness of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in the post-natural infection world.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1473309922002079

Screening and vaccination against COVID-19 to minimise school closure: a modelling study. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1473309922001384

Interplay of infection and vaccination in long-term protection from COVID-19.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1473309922002109

OTHER NEWS

The Impact of Distance to Treatment Center on Long-term Outcomes of Burn Patients https://watermark.silverchair.com/irac012.111.pdf?token=AQECAHi208BE49Ooan9kkhW_Ercy7Dm3ZL_9Cf3qfKAc485ysgAAAt4wggLaBgkqhkiG9w0BBwagggLLMIICxwIBADCCAsAGCSqGSIb3DQEHATAeBglghkgBZQMEAS4wEQQM3WlAc_gm6CIxHTJ6AgEQgIICkdu7xpEb_8VdNTF3HlaQAtpnGQw6DsF5mpmiB2Z_428wOW4R_wx_4Fs0ME0fIrpslu7MQoJvdHxVecg1ZVm05EdNj_azgQ1oy98JH4NnnmykcZAi_aa48rvVDimouaf2O7LrkDPMOv7kIg4r6H-GNrndfO-foLkfDeO94S2K0sXzeLoAA7o8EiIPklquFJjOsSbCoVHsqESZhDklVtEfYIUhBUzfzQoVn95wrYn5VZokfDs-hu4GVNRm6LbVs9J7RkEKJ_hTj7Vir-qxWVKdg3Zu31oscBO4GdtA4RaN4MKEBbsbugPHA76RpycyNjYac1TgQqGiXoPlgpsflPEIJVrRBseOIIS_Qrm-3BpYgEjpzLRR2OadHuj-tPesGetn3N-Mp9Ozl3XWQ9TdWpKoj8bfRwNOfwaGchMrG83tVfRvKcq5geFIVrFX2reogOEg57vxw7apSAGrhHH0yilvEO8PD27BWyBShVCVh7UqENS8D9yjXyKa6cJYyQfLhJT4Zv56XWUd2T_fm0YQg6pkweiePv212Mn5dyA2m3A8drmHRt35DyHm78vEUm8XD-Sllfb39JvPqWhljoDdYHoZOTDaloQ1EtEzpbG7higRokTmeVss7SKbFiZFSPHSZUcoqDuxxqpBgniOsidiUGfVwZW9DP4QkRfijpch9TQ0LIyvSmKxkl6kqG8b9B0HGztusdyHAOptU4DyyOl25YX7gqWEfaht1vFWJVH0mDmqqrz7JP8gHgM48cNioDiayrmFycZasON8V9ez3uLp0A-JI24JCUP8IIVJiupIKUbdCQimnMkORWxpqlnIcMKWABM-AU8LvNoXw12aHuK6GZgeq0c87Bh-dIOGp0cRAsI0_mwITA

Effects of a multimedia campaign on HIV self-testing and PrEP outcomes among young people in South Africa: a mixed-methods impact evaluation of ‘MTV Shuga Down South’. https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/4/e007641

Approaches and outcomes of community health worker’s interventions for hypertension management and control in low-income and middle-income countries: systematic review. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/4/e053455

Qualitative evaluation of enabling factors and barriers to the success and sustainability of national public health institutes in Cambodia, Colombia, Liberia, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda and Zambia.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/4/e056767

Cabotegravir for the prevention of HIV-1 in women: results from HPTN 084, a phase 3, randomised clinical trial. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00538-4/fulltext

Long-acting injections for HIV prevention among women in sub-Saharan Africa.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00613-4/fulltext

New global WHO postnatal guidance is welcome but misses the long-term perspective. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00616-X/fulltext

5 APRIL 2022

In severe COVID-19, high-flow vs. conventional oxygen therapy reduced intubation and time to clinical recovery at 28 d. https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/J22-0011

In inpatients with COVID-19 who need supplemental oxygen, lenzilumab increased ventilation-free survival. https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/J22-0019

Factbox: Latest on the worldwide spread of the coronavirus.https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/latest-worldwide-spread-coronavirus-2022-01-03/

Higher-profile COVID experts more likely to get online abuse. Surveys find scientists who appeared frequently in news media were most likely to report personal attacks or trolling. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00936-4

What We Know About Omicron’s BA.2 Variant So Far. Does the new strain sweeping the globe mean COVID will become ever more contagious?https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-we-know-about-omicrons-ba-2-variant-so-far1/

Learning lessons from lipids to make COVID-19 vaccines.https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(22)00336-1?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS0092867422003361%3Fshowall%3Dtrue

Circular RNA Vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 and Emerging Variants.https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(22)00394-4#%20

Implementation of Clinical Practice Guidelines for Hospitalized Patients With COVID-19 in Academic Medical Centers.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2790619

Covid-19: UK adds sore throat, headache, fatigue, and six other symptoms to official list. https://www.bmj.com/content/377/bmj.o892

Definition, diagnosis, and management of COVID-19-associated pulmonary mucormycosis: Delphi consensus statement from the Fungal Infection Study Forum and Academy of Pulmonary Sciences, India.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1473309922001244

OTHER NEWS

The Best Gift You Could Give a Resident. A Qualitative Study of Well-Being Resources and Use Following Unwanted Outcomes. Residents described 3 main types of institutional resources available to them to promote well-being, including counseling services,support from program leadership, and wellness committees. Residents also described important barriers to use for each of these resources, which limited their access and value of these resources. Finally, residents shared their recommendations for future initiatives, including additional protected time off during weekdays and regular usage of structured debrief sessions following adverse patient outcomes.Conclusions: While institutional resources are commonly available to surgery residents, there remain important limitations and barriers to use, which may limit their effectiveness in supporting resident well-being in times of need. These barriers should be addressed at the program level to improve services and accessibility for residents. https://journals.lww.com/aosopen/Fulltext/2022/06000/The_Best_Gift_You_Could_Give_a_Resident__A.3.aspx?context=LatestArticles

The economic burden of dementia in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs): a systematic review. https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/4/e007409

Assessing publication rates from medical students’ mandatory research projects in the Netherlands: a follow-up study of 10 cohorts of medical students. Our findings suggest that a significant subset of hands-on mandatory research projects with flexible learning pathways result in tangible research output with proper impact and that such successful experiences can be considered as diving board towards a research-oriented career.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/4/e056053

Using clinical cascades to measure health facilities’ obstetric emergency readiness: testing the cascade model using cross-sectional facility data in East Africa.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/4/e057954

Modifiable cardiovascular disease risk factors among adults in southern Ethiopia: a community-based cross-sectional study. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/4/e057930

Estimating the gap between demand and supply of medical appointments by physicians for hypertension care: a pooled analysis in 191 countries.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/4/e059933

Development of bioelectrical impedance-based equations for the prediction of body composition of Malawian adolescents aged 10–18 years: a cross-sectional study.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/4/e058551

Assessing barriers, opportunities and future directions in health information sharing in humanitarian contexts: a mixed-method study.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/4/e053042

ABCD criteria to improve visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) triage in HPV-positive women: a prospective study of diagnostic accuracy.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/4/e052504

The Lancet Global Health Commission on financing primary health care: putting people at the centre. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(22)00005-5/fulltext

Aggressive intraoperative warming versus routine thermal management during non-cardiac surgery (PROTECT): a multicentre, parallel group, superiority trial.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00560-8/fulltext#%20

Emotional Regulation in Surgery: Fostering Well-Being, Performance, and Leadership.https://www.journalofsurgicalresearch.com/article/S0022-4804(22)00101-9/fulltext

The 2020 Pandemics: Lessons Learned in Academic Surgery and Beyond.https://www.journalofsurgicalresearch.com/article/S0022-4804(22)00073-7/fulltext

6 APRIL 2022

New crop of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines could be easier to store, cheaper to use. If approved, they could bring the pandemic’s star vaccine technology to more of the world. … BioNTech and Moderna each recently announced plans to build their own plants in African countries. In a separate effort, the World Health Organization has created a training hub for mRNA vaccines that will teach scientists from low- and middle-income countries how to build and run their own plants. But it may take years before these efforts bear fruit.

https://www.science.org/content/article/new-crop-covid-19-mrna-vaccines-could-be-easier-store-cheaper-use

Could computer models be the key to better COVID vaccines?

For vaccine dosing decisions, past experience and best guesses won the day in the mad rush to beat back the pandemic. Modelling tools might have made a difference.https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00924-8

What triggers severe COVID? Infected immune cells hold clues. Studies have revealed that infected immune cells prompt a massive inflammatory response.https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00965-z

SARS-CoV-2 BA.1 variant is neutralized by vaccine booster-elicited serum, but evades most convalescent serum and therapeutic antibodies.https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scitranslmed.abn8543

Estimated Health Outcomes and Costs Associated With Use of Monoclonal Antibodies for Prevention or Mitigation of SARS-CoV-2 Infections.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2790706

It is vital that we retain some reliable covid-19 surveillance tools.https://www.bmj.com/content/377/bmj.o900

Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in educational settings in 2020: a review. Transmission in educational settings in 2020 was minimal—when NPI measures were implemented in parallel. However, with an upsurge of cases related to variants of concern, continuous surveillance and assessment of the evidence is warranted to ensure the maximum protection of the health of students and the educational workforce, while also minimising the numerous negative impacts that school closures may have on children. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/4/e058308

Perspectives on factors influencing transmission of COVID-19 in Zambia: a qualitative study of health workers and community members.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/4/e057589

OTHER NEWS

Time to rethink the scientific CV. Fresh formats showcase researchers’ work more effectively. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00928-4

What medical students think about measurement of their well-being: cross-sectional survey and qualitative interviews. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/4/e056749

Use of technology to prevent, detect, manage and control hypertension in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review. There are a range of successful applications of key enabling technologies in SSA, including BP reduction, increased health knowledge and treatment adherence following targeted mobile technology interventions. There is evidence to support use of mobile technology for hypertension management in SSA. However, current application of technologies is highly heterogeneous and key barriers exist, limiting efficacy and uptake in SSA. More research is needed, addressing objective measures such as BP reduction in robust randomised studies. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/4/e058840

How the ‘HIV/TB co-epidemic–HIV stigma–TB stigma’ syndemic impacts on the use of occupational health services for TB in South African hospitals: a structural equation modelling analysis of the baseline data from the HaTSaH Study (cluster RCT).https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/4/e045477

Mobile telephone follow-up assessment of postdischarge death and disability due to trauma in Cameroon: a prospective cohort study.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/4/e056433

Utilisation of health management information and its determinant factors among health professionals working at public health facilities in North Wollo Zone, Northeast Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/4/e052479

Making anticoagulation safer. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00563-3/fulltext?dgcid=raven_jbs_aip_email#%20

Ethical guidance or epistemological injustice? The quality and usefulness of ethical guidance for humanitarian workers and agencies.https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/3/e007707.full

7 April 2022

S.Africa’s COVID state of disaster to end at midnight – Ramaphosa.https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/safricas-covid-state-disaster-end-midnight-president-ramaphosa-2022-04-04/

COVID vaccine plus infection can lead to months of immunity. Findings from Brazil, Sweden and the United Kingdom show that before the advent of Omicron, vaccination benefited even those who had had a bout of COVID-19.https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00961-3

Daily briefing: Infected immune cells might cause severe COVID-19. Immune cells infected with SARS-CoV-2 can trigger a massive inflammatory response that could cause severe COVID-19. Plus, the risks of Russia using chemical weapons in Ukraine and an ancient migration that was the fastest long-distance movement in human history. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-01012-7

Why the WHO took two years to say COVID is airborne. Early in the pandemic, the World Health Organization stated that SARS-CoV-2 was not transmitted through the air. That mistake and the prolonged process of correcting it sowed confusion and raises questions about what will happen in the next pandemic.https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00925-7

Looking Back on Forward-Looking COVID Models.https://www.cell.com/patterns/fulltext/S2666-3899(22)00077-0?utm_medium=homepage

Analysis Of Memory B Cells Identifies Conserved Neutralizing Epitopes On The N-Terminal Domain Of Variant SARS-Cov-2 Spike Proteins. https://www.cell.com/immunity/fulltext/S1074-7613(22)00174-1

Audio Interview: Do We Need a Fourth Dose of Covid Vaccine?https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMe2204616?query=featured_home

Pulse Oximetry for Monitoring Patients with Covid-19 at Home — A Pragmatic, Randomized Trial. https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2201541?query=featured_home

Protection with a Third Dose of mRNA Vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 Variants in Frontline Workers. https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2201821?query=featured_home

Population Immunity and Covid-19 Severity with Omicron Variant in South Africa. https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2119658?query=featured_home

Omicron — Decoupling Infection from Severe Disease.https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMe2201812?query=featured_secondary

Fluvoxamine for Outpatient Management of COVID-19 to Prevent Hospitalization. A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2790742

Maternal COVID-19 Vaccine Safe for Infants.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2790650

Association of COVID-19 Vaccination During Early Pregnancy With Risk of Congenital Fetal Anomalies. After controlling for potential confounders (age at delivery, nulliparity, chronic hypertension, and hemoglobin A1c level during the first trimester), vaccination within the teratogenic window was not associated with presence of a congenital anomaly identified on ultrasonography (adjusted odds ratio, 1.05; 95% CI, 0.72-1.54). https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/2790805

Risks of deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, and bleeding after covid-19: nationwide self-controlled cases series and matched cohort study.https://www.bmj.com/content/377/bmj-2021-069590

Covid-19: WHO suspends supplies of India’s Covaxin through UN agencies.https://www.bmj.com/content/377/bmj.o902

Efficacy of convalescent plasma therapy in the patient with COVID-19: a randomised control trial (COPLA-II trial). https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/4/e055189

Dynamics of humoral and T-cell immunity after three BNT162b2 vaccinations in adults older than 80 years.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1473309922002195

OTHER NEWS

Time to recognize authorship of open data. The open data revolution won’t happen unless the research system values the sharing of data as much as authorship on papers. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00921-x

You must be joking: funny paper titles might lead to more citations. After controlling for importance, analysis finds that papers with funnier titles get more citations. But some researchers question these results. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00946-2

Deliberate Practice at the Virtual Bedside to Improve Clinical Reasoning. In response to these challenges, we have developed a solution to provide learners with deliberate practice of their clinical reasoning skills. NEJM Healer (https://healer.nejm.org. opens in new tab) provides screen-based, interactive patient encounters that expose learners to various clinical problems and disease presentations. https://healer.nejm.org.

Ethical considerations in international clinical trial site selection.https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/4/e008012

‘The false reporter will get a praise and the one who reported truth will be discouraged’: a qualitative study on intentional data falsification by frontline maternal and newborn healthcare workers in two regions in Ethiopia.https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/4/e008260

Global and regional estimates of maternal near miss: a systematic review, meta-analysis and experiences with application. https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/4/e007077

Societal economic burden of hypertension at selected hospitals in southern Ethiopia: a patient-level analysis. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/4/e056627

Stillbirth, neonatal and maternal mortality among caesarean births in Kenya and Uganda: a register-based prospective cohort study.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/4/e055904

Estimating the cost of achieving basic water, sanitation, hygiene, and waste management services in public health-care facilities in the 46 UN designated least-developed countries: a modelling study.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(22)00099-7/fulltext

8 April 2022

Efficient recall of Omicron-reactive B cell memory after a third dose of SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine. https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(22)00456-1

Multilevel determinants of community health workers for an effective maternal and child health programme in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review.https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/4/e008162

Association between antenatal corticosteroids use and perinatal mortality among preterm singletons and twins in Mwanza, Tanzania: an observational study.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/4/e059030

11 April 2022

Efficient recall of Omicron-reactive B cell memory after a third dose of SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine. https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(22)00456-1

Symptom prevalence, duration, and risk of hospital admission in individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2 during periods of omicron and delta variant dominance: a prospective observational study from the ZOE COVID Study.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00327-0/fulltext

SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid testing is China’s key pillar of COVID-19 containment.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00577-3/fulltext

Differential impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on physical activity involvements and exercise habits in people with and without chronic diseases: A systematic review and meta-analysis. https://www.archives-pmr.org/article/S0003-9993(22)00322-7/fulltext

FcγR-mediated SARS-CoV-2 infection of monocytes activates inflammation.https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-04702-4

Dynamic Ca2+ sensitivity stimulates the evolved SARS-CoV-2 spike strain-mediated membrane fusion for enhanced entry. https://www.cell.com/cell-reports/fulltext/S2211-1247(22)00452-1

Systemic Corticosteroid Use for COVID-19 in US Outpatient Settings From April 2020 to August 2021. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2791078

Tracking Turnover Among Health Care Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic. A Cross-sectional Study. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama-health-forum/fullarticle/2790961

Risk perception and preventive behaviours of COVID-19 among university students, Gondar, Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/4/e057404

Safety and immunogenicity of an inactivated virus particle vaccine for SARS-CoV-2, BIV1-CovIran: findings from double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled, phase I and II clinical trials among healthy adults. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/4/e056872

COVID-19 vaccine waning and effectiveness and side-effects of boosters: a prospective community study from the ZOE COVID Study.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1473309922001463

How to interpret the total number of SARS-CoV-2 infections.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00629-8/fulltext

Estimating global, regional, and national daily and cumulative infections with SARS-CoV-2 through Nov 14, 2021: a statistical analysis.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00484-6/fulltext

Cancer research collection 2022—CELL. https://www.cell.com/cp/collections-cancer?utm_medium=homepage

Malaria risk and receptivity: Continuing development of insecticide resistance in the major malaria vector Anopheles arabiensis in northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.https://sajs.co.za/article/view/11755

Estimating the contribution of transmission in primary healthcare clinics to community-wide TB disease incidence, and the impact of infection prevention and control interventions, in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/4/e007136

Acceptability of family planning in a changing context in Uganda: a realist evaluation at two time points. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/4/e054277

Hypertension, its correlates and differences in access to healthcare services by gender among rural Zambian residents: a cross-sectional study.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/4/e055668Equity in global health research: A proposal to adopt author reflexivity statements.https://journals.plos.org/globalpublichealth/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgph.0000160

12 April 2022

Over two thirds of Africans infected by COVID virus since pandemic began – WHO.https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/over-two-thirds-africans-infected-by-covid-virus-since-pandemic-began-who-2022-04-07/

COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake and Intentions Following US Food and Drug Administration Approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2791074

Risk of adverse events after covid-19 in Danish children and adolescents and effectiveness of BNT162b2 in adolescents: cohort study. https://www.bmj.com/content/377/bmj-2021-068898

Effectiveness of different types and levels of social distancing measures: a scoping review of global evidence from earlier stage of COVID-19 pandemic.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/4/e053938

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on patients with paediatric cancer in low-income, middle-income and high-income countries: a multicentre, international, observational cohort study. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/4/e054690

Belt and Suspenders: Vaccines and Tixagevimab/Cilgavimab for Prevention of COVID-19 in Immunocompromised Patients. https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M22-1026

What comes next in the COVID-19 pandemic?https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00580-3/fulltext

Myopericarditis following COVID-19 vaccination and non-COVID-19 vaccination: a systematic review and meta-analysis.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2600(22)00059-5/fulltext#.YlVHFAzpRm8.twitter

Equitable access to quality trauma systems in low-income and middle-income countries: assessing gaps and developing priorities in Ghana, Rwanda and South Africa. https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/4/e008256

Data flow within global clinical trials: a scoping review. https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/4/e008128

A cross-sectional examination of conflict-of-interest disclosures of physician-authors publishing in high-impact US medical journals.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/4/e057598

Prevalence of sleep-disordered breathing in an African general population: The Benin Society and Sleep (BeSAS) study. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2600(22)00046-7/fulltext

Early Th2 inflammation in the upper respiratory mucosa as a predictor of severe COVID-19 and modulation by early treatment with inhaled corticosteroids: a mechanistic analysis. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2600(22)00002-9/fulltext

13 April 2022

SARS-CoV-2 spike protein–induced cell fusion activates the cGAS-STING pathway and the interferon response. https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scisignal.abg8744

Pandemic propels global effort to study rare vaccine side effects. Project can draw on more than 250 million people for COVID-19 vaccine research.https://www.science.org/content/article/pandemic-propels-global-effort-study-rare-vaccine-side-effects

Multivalent designed proteins neutralize SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern and confer protection against infection in mice.https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scitranslmed.abn1252

Population-level implications of the Israeli booster campaign to curtail COVID-19 resurgence. https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scitranslmed.abn9836

Association of Subcutaneous or Intravenous Administration of Casirivimab and Imdevimab Monoclonal Antibodies With Clinical Outcomes in Adults With COVID-19.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2790990

Covid-19: What is the evidence for the antiviral molnupiravir?https://www.bmj.com/content/377/bmj.o926

Should we be clinically assessing antibody responses to covid vaccines in immunocompromised people? https://www.bmj.com/content/377/bmj.o966

We need more support and less normalcy to stop airborne viruses.https://www.bmj.com/content/377/bmj.o976

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on intimate partner violence during pregnancy: evidence from a multimethods study of recently pregnant women in Ethiopia.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/4/e055790

What is the association of renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system inhibitors with COVID-19 outcomes: retrospective study of racially diverse patients?https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/4/e053961

Comparable neutralisation evasion of SARS-CoV-2 omicron subvariants BA.1, BA.2, and BA.3. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1473309922002249

Post COVID-19 pulmonary fibrosis; a meta-analysis study.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2049080122003508

Vaccine Booster Dose Appears to Reduce Omicron Hospitalization.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2790956?guestAccessKey=5c9c7480-d7d4-4e88-81ac-9f4339e944d5&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social_jama&utm_term=6758668133&utm_campaign=article_alert&linkId=160596885

Neonatal sepsis and mortality in low-income and middle-income countries from a facility-based birth cohort: an international multisite prospective observational study.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(22)00043-2/fulltext?dgcid=raven_jbs_etoc_feature_lancet

Treatment coverage and reducing the tuberculosis burden in low-income and middle-income counties. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(22)00167-X/fulltext?dgcid=raven_jbs_etoc_email

Time to tackle early-onset sepsis in low-income and middle-income countries.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(22)00086-9/fulltext?dgcid=raven_jbs_etoc_email

Ethical failures in global health research: violations of Sustainable Development Goal 8, decent work for all. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(22)00077-8/fulltext?dgcid=raven_jbs_etoc_email

Using height-adjusted stunting prevalence will fail disadvantaged children worldwide.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(22)00076-6/fulltext?dgcid=raven_jbs_etoc_email#%20

National tuberculosis spending efficiency and its associated factors in 121 low-income and middle-income countries, 2010–19: a data envelopment and stochastic frontier analysis. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(22)00085-7/fulltext?dgcid=raven_jbs_etoc_email

Neonatal sepsis and mortality in low-income and middle-income countries from a facility-based birth cohort: an international multisite prospective observational study.BARNARDS was a large multisite international prospective observational study, recruiting mothers and neonates aged 0–60 days from 12 clinical sites at large public hospitals located in Rwanda, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Pakistan, India, and South Africa (appendix p 2) between Nov 12, 2015 and Feb 1, 2018.

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(22)00043-2/fulltext?dgcid=raven_jbs_etoc_email

Effect of a Home-Based, Walking Exercise Behavior Change Intervention vs Usual Care on Walking in Adults With Peripheral Artery Disease. The MOSAIC Randomized Clinical Trial. Among adults with PAD, a home-based, walking exercise behavior change intervention, compared with usual care, increased 6-minute walking distance at 3 months.

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2790937

Analysis of Aspirin Use and Cardiovascular Events and Mortality Among Adults With Hypertension and Controlled Systolic Blood Pressure.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2790994

‘Implementability’ matters: using implementation research steps to guide and support non-communicable disease national planning in low-income and middle-income countries. https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/4/e008275

They push their products through me: health professionals’ perspectives on and exposure to marketing of commercial milk formula in Cape Town and Johannesburg, South Africa – a qualitative study. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/4/e055872

Ethical guidance or epistemological injustice? The quality and usefulness of ethical guidance for humanitarian workers and agencies.https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/3/e007707.full

14 April 2022

An in-depth statistical analysis of the COVID-19 pandemic’s initial spread in the WHO African region. https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/4/e007295

Factors influencing hesitancy towards adult and child COVID-19 vaccines in rural and urban West Africa: a cross-sectional study.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/4/e059138

Fourth Dose of BNT162b2 mRNA Covid-19 Vaccine in a Nationwide Setting.https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2201688?query=featured_home

Audio Interview: Do the Tobacco Wars Offer Any Lessons for the Vaccine Wars?https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMe2204967?query=featured_home

Oral Nirmatrelvir for High-Risk, Nonhospitalized Adults with Covid-19.https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2118542?query=featured_home

Efficacy of Antiviral Agents against the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Subvariant BA.2.https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2201933?query=featured_home

Necrotic Plaques on the Ears of a Patient With COVID-19.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamadermatology/article-abstract/2790789

Myocarditis Adverse Event Less Common After COVID-19 Vaccine Booster.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2790928

Vaccine Booster Dose Appears to Reduce Omicron Hospitalizations.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2790956

Large US Study Examines First 6 Months of COVID-19 Vaccine Safety Data.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2790957

Postmortem Assessment of Olfactory Tissue Degeneration and Microvasculopathy in Patients With COVID-19.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaneurology/fullarticle/2790735

Safety, Immunogenicity, and Efficacy of COVID-19 Vaccines in Adolescents, Children, and Infants: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.829176/full?utm_source=S-TWT&utm_medium=SNET&utm_campaign=ECO_FPUBH_XXXXXXXX_auto-dlvrit

Optimising the management of childhood acute diarrhoeal disease using a rapid test-and- treat strategy and/or Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938: a multicentre, randomised, controlled, factorial trial in Botswana, https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/4/e007826

Influence of shift work on cardiovascular disease risk in Southern African long-distance truck drivers: a cross-sectional study. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/4/e050645

Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on antenatal care utilisation in Kenya: a cross-sectional study. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/4/e060185

Association of maternal depression and anxiety with toddler social-emotional and cognitive development in South Africa: a prospective cohort study.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/4/e058135

18 April 2022

Safety and efficacy of colchicine in COVID-19 patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized control trials. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0266245

Global Prevalence of Post COVID-19 Condition or Long COVID: A Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35429399/

Are new Omicron subvariants a threat? Here’s how scientists are keeping watch. In South Africa, a network of researchers are studying whether new lineages BA.4 and BA.5 escape immunity from COVID-19 vaccines and prior infections.https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-01069-4

The Benefits of Hybrid Immunity, and Venturing Back to the Office: COVID Quickly, Episode 28. https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/the-benefits-of-hybrid-immunity-and-venturing-back-to-the-office-covid-quickly-episode-28/

Here’s what we know about COVID-19’s impact on the brain. Three years into the pandemic, researchers are conceiving of ways to treat lingering neurological symptoms. https://www.science.org/content/article/here-s-what-we-know-about-covid-19-s-impact-brain

Acute Upper Airway Disease in Children With the Omicron (B.1.1.529) Variant of SARS-CoV-2—A Report From the US National COVID Cohort Collaborative.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/2791278

Urticaria 12 Days After COVID-19 mRNA Booster Vaccination.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2791317

Attitudes and Beliefs Associated With COVID-19 Vaccination During Pregnancy.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2791037

Surveillance of Safety of 3 Doses of COVID-19 mRNA Vaccination Using Electronic Health Records. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2791034

Changes in the Incidence of Retinal Vascular Occlusions After COVID-19 Diagnosis.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaophthalmology/fullarticle/2790988

COVID-19 Diagnosis and Incidence of Retinal Thromboembolism.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaophthalmology/fullarticle/2790986

Meeting men’s mental health needs during COVID-19 and beyond: a global health imperative. https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/4/e008297

An in-depth statistical analysis of the COVID-19 pandemic’s initial spread in the WHO African region. https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/4/e007295

Unethical studies of ivermectin for covid-19. https://www.bmj.com/content/377/bmj.o917

Covid-19: UK approves Valneva vaccine for adults under 50.https://www.bmj.com/content/377/bmj.o985

Effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccination in immune-mediated inflammatory diseases.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanrhe/article/PIIS2665-9913(22)00109-6/fulltext

Cracks in the foundation: how COVID-19 showed our failures.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00660-2/fulltext

Derivation and validation of a novel risk assessment tool to identify children aged 2–59 months at risk of hospitalised pneumonia-related mortality in 20 countries.https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/4/e008143

The effects of text reminders on the use of family planning services: evidence from a randomised controlled trial in urban Mozambique.https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/4/e007862

Why the world has no universal biosafety standards.https://www.bmj.com/content/377/bmj.o954

Prevalence of childhood exposure to intimate partner violence in low-income and lower-middle-income countries: a systematic review.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/4/e051140

Antiretroviral therapy uptake and predictors of virological failure in patients with HIV receiving first-line and second-line regimens in Johannesburg, South Africa: a retrospective cohort data analysis. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/4/e054019

Prevalence and associated factors of external hernia among adult patients visiting the surgical outpatient department at the University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialised Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/4/e056488

Improving diversity in global health governing boards.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00691-2/fulltext

Estimating the cost of achieving basic water, sanitation, hygiene, and waste management services in public health-care facilities in the 46 UN designated least-developed countries: a modelling study.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(22)00099-7/fulltext

19 April 2022

Efficient recall of Omicron-reactive B cell memory after a third dose of SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine. https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(22)00456-1

Africa COVID cases on longest run of declines since pandemic’s start -WHO. https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/africa-experiencing-longest-decline-covid-19-infections-since-start-pandemic-2022-04-14/

How to Make Smart Decisions About COVID Risk-Benefit. Scientific American asks experts in medicine, risk assessment and other fields how to balance the risks of COVID with the benefits of visiting public indoor spaces. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-to-make-smart-decisions-about-covid-risk-benefit/

New Cases of Childhood Diabetes Rose during the Pandemic. It isn’t clear why, but researchers are investigating a possible COVID link. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/new-cases-of-childhood-diabetes-rose-during-the-pandemic/

Cell Press Coronavirus Resource Hub. https://www.cell.com/COVID-19

Short-term Adverse Events After the Third Dose of the BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine in Adults 60 Years or Older.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2791203

Assessment of Awake Prone Positioning in Hospitalized Adults With COVID-19. A Nonrandomized Controlled Trial.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2791385

Prone Positioning for Nonintubated Patients With COVID-19—Potential Dangers of Extrapolation and Intermediate Outcome Variables.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2791388

Impact of previous exposure to SARS-CoV-2 and of S-Trimer (SCB-2019) COVID-19 vaccination on the risk of reinfection: a randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, phase 2 and 3 trial.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S147330992200144X

The S-Trimer (SCB-2019) COVID-19 vaccine and reinfection with SARS-CoV-2.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1473309922001621

Shunning the scoop: Sidestepping the race to publish. https://www.cell.com/iscience/fulltext/S2589-0042(22)00350-9?utm_medium=homepage

Learning the Art and Science of Diagnosis. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2791519

Healthy lifestyle and life expectancy with and without Alzheimer’s dementia: population based cohort study. https://www.bmj.com/content/377/bmj-2021-068390

Emergency department antimicrobial use in a low-resource setting: results from a retrospective observational study at a referral hospital in Liberia.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/4/e056709

20 April 2022

Identification of Drug Interaction Adverse Events in Patients With COVID-19. A Systematic Review. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2791291

Prevalence of and Short-term Changes in Conjunctival Manifestations Among Patients With SARS-CoV-2 Infection.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2791299

Global Prevalence of Post COVID-19 Condition or Long COVID: A Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review. https://academic.oup.com/jid/advance-article/doi/10.1093/infdis/jiac136/6569364?login=false

Use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and adverse outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review and meta-analysis.https://plus.mcmaster.ca/COVID-19/Article/Details/35434582?s=Twitter

Global COVID-19 Death Toll May Be Triple the Reported Deaths.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2791213?guestAccessKey=930e9279-5449-416f-bee8-b8cb73fe7a89&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social_jama&utm_term=6805702083&utm_campaign=article_alert&linkId=161492290

Fractionating COVID-19 Vaccine Doses May Save Lives.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2791211

An antibody class with a common CDRH3 motif broadly neutralizes sarbecoviruses.https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scitranslmed.abn6859

How to Make Smart COVID Risk-Benefit Decisions. Scientific American asks experts in medicine, risk assessment and other fields how to balance the risks of COVID with the benefits of visiting public indoor spaces. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-to-make-smart-decisions-about-covid-risk-benefit1/

Inter-domain communication in SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins controls protease-triggered cell entry. https://www.cell.com/cell-reports/fulltext/S2211-1247(22)00553-8

Consumer-grade wearables identify changes in multiple physiological systems during COVID-19 disease progression. https://www.cell.com/cell-reports-medicine/fulltext/S2666-3791(22)00118-5

Effect of Androgen Suppression on Clinical Outcomes in Hospitalized Men With COVID-19. The HITCH Randomized Clinical Trial.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2791293

Predictors of adverse events and early mortality after esophageal stent placement in a low resource setting: a series of 3823 patients in Kenya. Endosc Int Open 2022; 10(04): E479-E487. DOI: 10.1055/a-1783-9829. https://www.thieme-connect.com/products/ejournals/html/10.1055/a-1783-9829#

Healthcare by air: Rwanda’s life-saving medical drones

The Muhanga drone centre has 14 drones serving 21 hospitals in western Rwanda, and has so far delivered more than 20,000 blood units. The east African state was the first in the world to use drones to deliver blood and essential medicines to rural hospitals. The breakthrough came following an agreement between the government and US manufacturer Zipline, and two centres now operate in the east and west of the country. https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/gallery/2022/apr/20/healthcare-by-air-rwandas-life-saving-medical-drones

To advance equality for women, use the evidence. These are three mistakes universities make when they attempt to improve gender equity.https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-01045-y

Moving diversity, equity, and inclusion from opinion to evidence.https://www.cell.com/cell-reports-medicine/fulltext/S2666-3791(22)00136-7?utm_medium=homepage

Comment on The Unbearable Lightness of Difference Between Statistical and Clinical Significance.https://journals.lww.com/aosopen/Fulltext/2022/03000/Comment_on_The_Unbearable_Lightness_of_Difference.3.aspx

Recently developed drugs for the treatment of drug-resistant tuberculosis: a research and development case study. https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/4/e007490

Engaging pharmacies in tuberculosis control: operational lessons from 19 case detection interventions in high-burden countries. https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/4/e008661

Meningitis vaccine could protect against gonorrhoea, studies find.https://www.bmj.com/content/377/bmj.o997

How much does it cost to combine supply-side and demand-side RBF approaches in a single intervention? Full cost analysis of the Results Based Financing for Maternal and Newborn Health Initiative in Malawi. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/4/e050885

Global Compassionate Use—A New Lens on a Long-standing Inequity. The authors offer several possible explanations for why lower-income countries have so few compassionate use requests despite the fact, as they note, that these countries “display the highest burden of diseases.” The countries may “lack the necessary medical organizational infrastructure and facilities” for investigational use of medications and may struggle to afford the related costs of treatment, even though the company provides the investigational medications for free. The authors also state that the ability to request compassionate use “may be influenced by the overall country’s health care system’s capabilities.” https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama-health-forum/fullarticle/2791198

21 April 2022

How to Judge COVID Risks and When to Wear a Mask. Scientific American asks experts in medicine, risk assessment and other fields how to balance the risks of COVID with the benefits of visiting public indoor spaces.https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-to-make-smart-decisions-about-covid-risk-benefit1/

Nasally-delivered interferon-λ protects mice against infection by SARS-CoV-2 variants including Omicron. https://www.cell.com/cell-reports/fulltext/S2211-1247(22)00566-6

Longitudinal COVID-19 vaccination-induced antibody responses and Omicron neutralization in patients with lung cancer. https://www.cell.com/cancer-cell/fulltext/S1535-6108(22)00174-X

Cell Press Coronavirus Resource Hub. https://www.cell.com/COVID-19

Audio Interview: The Effects of Covid-19 on Children.https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMe2205254?query=featured_home

Intramuscular AZD7442 (Tixagevimab–Cilgavimab) for Prevention of Covid-19.https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2116620?query=featured_home

Covid-19’s Devastating Effect on Tuberculosis Care — A Path to Recovery.https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp2118145?query=featured_home

Covid-19 Vaccine Effectiveness against the Omicron (B.1.1.529) Variant.https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2119451?query=featured_home

Neutralization of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 Variants.https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2201849?query=featured_home

Effectiveness of mRNA-1273, BNT162b2, and JNJ-78436735 COVID-19 Vaccines Among US Military Personnel Before and During the Predominance of the Delta Variant. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2791306

Rates of COVID-19 Among Unvaccinated Adults With Prior COVID-19.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2791312

SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination and Myocarditis in a Nordic Cohort Study of 23 Million Residents. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamacardiology/fullarticle/2791253

COVID-19-related healthcare impacts: an uncontrolled, segmented time-series analysis of tuberculosis diagnosis services in Mozambique, 2017–2020.https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/4/e007878

Covid-19: Has the spread of omicron BA.2 made antibody treatments redundant?https://www.bmj.com/content/377/bmj.o1009

Questioning the seasonality of SARS-COV-2: a Fourier spectral analysis.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/4/e061602

Self-care Behaviours and Technology utilised during COVID-19: Systematic Review.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35442904/

Highlights From the American College of Cardiology’s Scientific Sessions—New Heart Failure Management Guidelines, Alirocumab After a Myocardial Infarction, and Treating Mild Chronic Hypertension in Pregnancy.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2791572

Effects of multifaceted interventions to prevent and manage primary postpartum haemorrhage in referral hospitals: a quasi-experimental study in Nigeria.https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/4/e007779

Examining vulnerability and resilience in maternal, newborn and child health through a gender lens in low-income and middle-income countries: a scoping review.https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/4/e007426

Mass polio immunisation drive in southern Africa.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1473309922002699

The health–environment nexus: global negotiations at a crossroads.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00561-X/fulltext

Power and Powerlessness in a Group Based Digital Story Telling Project-An Exploration of Community Perceptions of Health Concerns in Urban Malawi.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.826428/full

Engaging pharmacies in tuberculosis control: operational lessons from 19 case detection interventions in high-burden countries.https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/4/e008661.full

The State of Critical Care Provision in Low-Resource Environments.https://journals.lww.com/anesthesia-analgesia/Fulltext/2022/05000/The_State_of_Critical_Care_Provision_in.8.aspx/?cid=eTOC%20Issues.2021-anesthesia-analgesia-00000539-202205000-00000&rid=E_0000000002220948&TargetID=&EjpToken=vSgLuQWBaP1TW28lfmN6H4PNEK01bQ0kp-5bDOJ-mI4PmKExP7rPoWszqK59AekkprGnoopK&mkt_tok=NjgxLUZIRS00MjkAAAGDzdhSsKfa9MmKAKtUh65rFDwf5Um5z2MIYks7BKBXiZTVYDAiUI3gk8fn-czYIQmovuziAh1RMRPnkkxlrAH0KWJgG-Mo-FX4qtJn6HrEiOMdyuirbCY

Rethinking external assistance for health. https://academic.oup.com/heapol/advance-article/doi/10.1093/heapol/czac030/6561982?searchresult=1&login=true

22 April 2022

An mRNA vaccine with a twist—it copies itself—protects against COVID-19. Company’s limited data release backs promise of new, lower dose vaccine designed to be easier to distribute and cheaper. https://www.science.org/content/article/mrna-vaccine-twist-it-copies-itself-protects-against-covid-19

SARS-CoV-2 epitope-specific CD4+ memory T cell responses across COVID-19 disease severity and antibody durability.https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciimmunol.abl9464

Distinct Immune Cell Dynamics Correlate with the Immunogenicity and Reactogenicity of SARS-CoV-2 mRNA Vaccine. https://www.cell.com/cell-reports-medicine/fulltext/S2666-3791(22)00156-2

External validation of the 4C Mortality Score for hospitalised patients with COVID-19 in the RECOVER network. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/4/e054700

Meta-analysis of the robustness of COVID-19 diagnostic kit performance during the early pandemic. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/4/e053912

Four lessons from the pandemic to reboot the NIH

From innovation to workforce diversity, scientists are eager for change at the world’s largest funder of biomedical research. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-01101-7

How to use heat-stable carbetocin and tranexamic acid for the prevention and treatment of postpartum haemorrhage in low-resource settings.https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/4/e008913

Malaria in 2022: a year of opportunity.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00729-2/fulltext?dgcid=raven_jbs_etoc_email

The message on malaria is clear: progress has stalled.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00732-2/fulltext

Should peer reviewers be paid to review academic papers?https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(21)02804-X/fulltext?dgcid=raven_jbs_etoc_email

Expanding diagnostics for LMICs.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00336-1/fulltext?dgcid=raven_jbs_etoc_email

Expanding diagnostics for LMICs – Authors’ reply.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00230-6/fulltext?dgcid=raven_jbs_etoc_email

Time to detection of anaemia and its predictors among women of reproductive-age living with HIV/AIDS initiating ART at public hospitals, Southwest Ethiopia: a multicentre retrospective follow-up study. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/4/e059934

The seasonality of cholera in sub-Saharan Africa: a statistical modelling study.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(22)00007-9/fulltext

Tracing the emergence of drowning prevention on the global health and development agenda: a policy analysis. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(22)00074-2/fulltext

Surgical training during the COVID-19 pandemic – a single institution’s trainee survey. http://sajs.redbricklibrary.com/index.php/sajs/article/view/3604

26 April 2022

Variant-specific vaccination induces systems immune responses and potent in vivo protection against SARS-CoV-2. https://www.cell.com/cell-reports-medicine/fulltext/S2666-3791(22)00159-8

Safety and immunogenicity of the Pfizer/BioNTech SARS-CoV-2 mRNA third booster vaccine dose against the SARS-CoV-2 BA.1 and BA.2 Omicron variants.https://www.cell.com/med/fulltext/S2666-6340(22)00179-9

Receipt of COVID-19 Booster Dose Among Fully Vaccinated Pregnant Individuals Aged 18 to 49 Years by Key Demographics.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2791659

Assessment of T-cell Reactivity to the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant by Immunized Individuals. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2791449

Fresh Embryo Transfer Cycle Characteristics and Outcomes Following In Vitro Fertilization via Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection Among Patients With and Without COVID-19 Vaccination.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2791457

Stress-Related Disorders of Family Members of Patients Admitted to the Intensive Care Unit With COVID-19.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2791664

Covid-19: Only a quarter of patients admitted to hospital feel fully recovered after a year, study finds. https://www.bmj.com/content/377/bmj.o1043

One in two people admitted to hospital with covid-19 develop complications and may need support. https://www.bmj.com/content/377/bmj.o880

Covid-19: Mix and match booster vaccination approach offers best protection, study reports. https://www.bmj.com/content/377/bmj.o1052

Implications of COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness waning for public health.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S147330992200233X

Sustainability of surveillance systems for SARS-CoV-2.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1473309922001748

Collegiality’ influences researchers’ promotion prospects. A study of university review and promotion documents suggests that collaboration and teamwork are widely considered, but not consistently assessed. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-01157-5

Association of HIV Intervention Uptake With HIV Prevalence in Adolescent Girls and Young Women in South Africa.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2791450

Global health educational trips: ethical, equitable, environmental?https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/4/e008497.share

White male authors still dominate top academic medical publishing, two studies report. https://www.bmj.com/content/377/bmj.o1044

Making decisions about radiological imaging in pregnancy.https://www.bmj.com/content/377/bmj-2022-070486

Effectiveness of interventions for improving timely diagnosis of breast and cervical cancers in low-income and middle-income countries: a systematic review.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/4/e054501

Physical morbidity and psychological and social comorbidities at five stages during pregnancy and after childbirth: a multicountry cross-sectional survey.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/4/e050287

Direct patient costs of maternal care and birth-related complications at faith-based hospitals in Madagascar: a secondary analysis of programme data using patient invoices. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/4/e053823

Vaccine Voyages: where science meets slavery.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1473309922002705

27 April 2022

Medical regulators: look beyond animal tests. Flexible approaches used to accelerate COVID-19 vaccines deserve wider uptake. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-01110-6

An ACE2-blocking antibody confers broad neutralization and protection against Omicron and other SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern.https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciimmunol.abp9312

An engineered ACE2 decoy neutralizes the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant and confers protection against infection in vivo.https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scitranslmed.abn7737

Protective prototype-Beta and Delta-Omicron chimeric RBD-dimer vaccines against SARS-CoV-2. https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(22)00527-X

Incidence of Guillain-Barré Syndrome After COVID-19 Vaccination in the Vaccine Safety Datalink. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2791533

COVID-19 vaccine wastage in the midst of vaccine inequity: causes, types and practical steps. https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/4/e009010

Diagnosis and management of covid-19 in pregnancy.https://www.bmj.com/content/377/bmj-2021-069739

The BMJ Interview: WHO chief scientist optimistic for a pan-coronavirus vaccine in two years. https://www.bmj.com/content/377/bmj.o1003

Carotid Atherosclerosis, Microalbuminuria, and Estimated 10-Year Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Sub-Saharan Africa.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2791534

Resurgence of avian influenza virus.https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abo1232

Aspirin Use to Prevent Cardiovascular Disease. US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement. The decision to initiate low-dose aspirin use for the primary prevention of CVD in adults aged 40 to 59 years who have a 10% or greater 10-year CVD risk should be an individual one. Evidence indicates that the net benefit of aspirin use in this group is small. Persons who are not at increased risk for bleeding and are willing to take low-dose aspirin daily are more likely to benefit. (C recommendation) The USPSTF recommends against initiating low-dose aspirin use for the primary prevention of CVD in adults 60 years or older. (D recommendation).https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2791399

Aspirin for Primary Prevention—Time to Rethink Our Approach.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2791538

Whom to Treat for Primary Prevention of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease. The Aspirin Dilemma. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2791759

Patient, Caregiver, and Clinician Participation in Prioritization of Research Questions in Pediatric Hospital Medicine.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2791529

Association of impaired kidney function with mortality in rural Uganda: results of a general population cohort study. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/4/e051267

How to identify epistemic injustice in global health research funding practices: a decolonial guide. https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/4/e008950

28 April 2022

India’s speedy approvals of COVID-19 vaccines come under fire

Critics say regulatory agency lacks key capabilities and is under political pressure to greenlight vaccines produced in India. https://www.science.org/content/article/india-s-speedy-approvals-covid-19-vaccines-come-under-fire

Here’s Who Should Get a Second COVID Booster. An individual’s health risks, treatment access and local case levels come into play for those who are eligible.https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/heres-who-should-get-a-second-covid-booster/

Audio Interview: Communicating Covid-19 Science.https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMe2205606?query=featured_home

Fourth Dose of BNT162b2 mRNA Covid-19 Vaccine in a Nationwide Setting.https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2201688?query=featured_home

Covid-19 Boosters — Where from Here?https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMe2203329?query=featured_secondary

The COVID-19 Pandemic Rages on for People Who Are Immunocompromised.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2791868

Assessment of Antibody and T-Cell Responses to the SARS-CoV-2 Virus and Omicron Variant in Unvaccinated Individuals Recovered From COVID-19 Infection in Wuhan, China. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2791571

COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness in Youth Varies by Age, Variant.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2791394

Development and validation of the symptom burden questionnaire for long covid (SBQ-LC): Rasch analysis. https://www.bmj.com/content/377/bmj-2022-070230

Diagnosis and management of covid-19 in pregnancy.https://www.bmj.com/content/377/bmj-2021-069739

Parosmia—a common consequence of covid-19. https://www.bmj.com/content/377/bmj-2021-069860

Covid-19: Stockpiling antivirals risks repeating Tamiflu mistakes, experts warn.https://www.bmj.com/content/377/bmj.o1053

Critical weaknesses in shielding strategies for COVID-19.https://journals.plos.org/globalpublichealth/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgph.0000298

Acceptability of government measures against COVID-19 pandemic in Senegal: A mixed methods study. https://journals.plos.org/globalpublichealth/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgph.0000041

Africa’s lifesaving medical drones fly into action. https://www.bmj.com/content/377/bmj.o1035

Employers can make remote working a success by listening to research. Virtual working is here to stay. Research can guide employers to enhance creativity online.https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-01044-z

Prefusion F Protein–Based Respiratory Syncytial Virus Immunization in Pregnancy.https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2106062?query=featured_home

Health postservice readiness and use of preventive and curative services for suspected childhood pneumonia in Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/4/e058055

Opportunities in crisis for optimising child health and development.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00608-0/fulltext#%20

Effects of early-life poverty on health and human capital in children and adolescents: analyses of national surveys and birth cohort studies in LMICs.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(21)02716-1/fulltext

Health and development from preconception to 20 years of age and human capital.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(21)02533-2/fulltext

Improving health and social systems for all children in LMICs: structural innovations to deliver high-quality services. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(21)02532-0/fulltext

Bullying, Discrimination, Harassment, Sexual Harassment, and the Fear of Retaliation During Surgical Residency Training: A Systematic Review.https://link.springer.com/epdf/10.1007/s00268-022-06552-7?sharing_token=t_QjpgyZmwjEq5xjp5_u8ve4RwlQNchNByi7wbcMAY4MSUVtHKbxoWvYkNvzldq-3e7Z3SvHuaSUwOVSNhdTNwYNsZsBGeZbQTIZNnYG9BBRJj_3HkJqNreoxCUxkrLHWQRcXtzXG_TnUhG00UKQZsqeZFnwqb3vOQhx7rvvoi0%3D

Is authorship by women in Brazilian academic surgery increasing? A five-year retrospective analysis. Our results highlight the importance of senior women mentorship in academic surgery and demonstrate that promoting female surgeon senior authorship through academic and financial support will positively impact the number of female first authors. https://journals.plos.org/globalpublichealth/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgph.0000294

Assessing the characteristics of un- and under-vaccinated children in low- and middle-income countries: A multi-level cross-sectional study.https://journals.plos.org/globalpublichealth/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgph.0000244

Hypoxemia, hypoglycemia and IMCI danger signs in pediatric outpatients in Malawi.https://journals.plos.org/globalpublichealth/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgph.0000284

Impact of mass distribution of insecticide-treated nets in Mozambique, 2012 to 2025: Estimates of child lives saved using the Lives Saved Tool.https://journals.plos.org/globalpublichealth/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgph.0000248

Annual burden of disease in Nakaale, Karamoja, Uganda: A descriptive, cross-sectional study. https://journals.plos.org/globalpublichealth/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgph.0000222

Measurement tools and indicators for assessing nurturing care for early childhood development: A scoping review. https://journals.plos.org/globalpublichealth/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgph.0000373

Beyond eves and cracks: An interdisciplinary study of socio-spatial variation in urban malaria transmission in Ethiopia. https://journals.plos.org/globalpublichealth/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgph.0000173

The Co-Occurrence of Intimate Partner Violence and Violence Against Children: A Systematic Review on Associated Factors in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/15248380221082943

Covid Info Digest–January-May 2022–Part 5

Transitioning to endemicity with COVID-19 research.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1473309922000706

Culturally Inclusive Mentorship. https://www.aasurg.org/blog/culturally-inclusive-mentorship/

Global, regional, and national burden of diseases and injuries for adults 70 years and older: systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease 2019 Study. https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj-2021-068208

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