Immigrants to Denmark hospitalised with COVID-19 appear less likely to die than Danish-born residents
Nationwide study of all adults hospitalised with COVID-19 in Denmark between February 2020 and March 2021 finds that foreign-born adults were at markedly lower risk of dying from COVID-19 compared to Danish-born adults
Long COVID associated with different clinical trajectories and characteristics depending on severity of initial SARS-CoV-2 infection
Preliminary results from a study of over 205,000 Swedish adults with COVID-19 finds over a third of ICU patients were diagnosed with long COVID, compared to 6% of those hospitalised, and 1% of those not requiring hospitalisation.
Women were more than twice as likely to be diagnosed with long COVID compared to men among individuals with milder forms of initial infection—a weaker link was found among hospitalized but not ICU-treated individuals.
A history of mental illness or asthma was associated with twice the risk of being diagnosed with long COVID in people with initially mild COVID-19, but was less pronounced among hospitalised patients.
Long Covid fatigue eased by four-week occupational therapy programme, Irish study finds
Techniques, which patients can continue to practise at home, also improve quality of life, pilot programme finds
Fatigue, breathlessness and other symptoms improve after six weeks of virtual exercise sessions, Ireland’s first exercised-based recovery programme for COVID-19 patients finds
Fatigue, breathlessness and other symptoms that persist after COVID-19 can be improved by a six-week virtual exercise programme, an Irish study being presented at this year’s European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) in Lisbon, Portugal (23-26 April) suggests.
Six in ten people with COVID-19 still have a least one symptom a year later, long Covid study reveals
Six in ten people with COVID-19 still have at least one symptom a year later, a new study being presented at this year’s European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) in Lisbon, Portugal (23-26 April) has found.
Study of all fully vaccinated people in Belgium assesses risk of breakthrough COVID-19 infections
A study of all fully vaccinated people in Belgium has assessed the risk factors associated with developing COVID-19 after vaccination. The research, which is being presented at this year’s European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) in Lisbon, Portugal, (23-26 April) and published in the journal Viruses, found that breakthrough infections were more common in those who had received viral vector vaccines than mRNA vaccines. Those who had previously had Covid had a lower risk of breakthrough infections.
US study suggests COVID-19 pandemic may be accelerating antimicrobial resistance
Analysis of antimicrobial resistance in 271 US hospitals finds higher rates of antibiotic-resistant infections in both COVID-19 patients and SARS-COV-2 negative patients admitted during the pandemic compared to pre-pandemic
US study in over 850,000 patients hospitalised with COVID-19 underscores need for improvement in therapeutic approaches for critically ill
Report provides real-world treatment and outcome data for 850,000 US adults hospitalised with COVID-19 over 20 months of the pandemic (from May 2020 to December 2021 - a month after the Omicron variant was detected).
Findings suggest that the use of combination treatments increased over time, while average (median) hospital stay shortened (7 to 6 days) and ICU stays remained the same (5 days), while ICU use declined from 34% to 27%.
All-cause mortality rates remained unchanged at 16%, and survival improved for all levels of disease severity except for patients on invasive mechanical ventilation/ECMO whose mortality rate increased from 48% to 59%.
Even partially vaccinated individuals hospitalised with COVID-19 may be at lower risk of ICU admission and death than unvaccinated patients
Study in over 20,000 Canadian adults hospitalised with COVID-19 finds vaccination with at least one dose is linked with a significantly lower risk of ICU admission and death
Pregnant women with COVID-19 face greater risk of hospitalisation and ICU admission, strengthening case for vaccination
Canadian study compares the severity of COVID-19 in more than 2,200 pregnant women and over 11,200 non-pregnant women of child-bearing age, infected with SARS-CoV-2 at the same time.
Findings suggest women with COVID-19 during pregnancy are five times more likely to be hospitalised, and six times as likely to require treatment in intensive care.
Importantly, vaccination markedly reduced the risk of COVID-19 hospitalisation and ICU admission in all women, both pregnant and non-pregnant.
Most women who catch COVID-19 when pregnant pass antibodies to their unborn babies
New research presented at this year’s European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) in Lisbon, Portugal, (23-26 April) found that most women who catch COVID-19 when pregnant pass antibodies to their unborn babies.
UK study of more than 2,000 patients after hospitalisation with COVID-19 shows only around 1 in 4 feel fully recovered after one year
Being female (32% less likely), having obesity (half as likely) and having had mechanical ventilation in hospital (58% less likely) all associated with lower probability of feeling fully recovered at one year
Study highlights the lack of treatments for long COVID and likely enormous burden of this ever-growing cohort of patients
Population-wide study of COVID-19 vaccination shows that mix-and-match approach to booster vaccination offers the best protection
A new study on Chile’s national COVID-19 vaccination program, to be presented at this year’s European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (ECCMID 2022, Lisbon 23-26), and published in The Lancet Global Health, shows that giving a different type of vaccine (heterologous) for the third or ‘booster’ dose than was received for the first two doses, leads to better vaccine performance than using the same (homologous) inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine for all three doses.
Danish study finds superbug C. difficile can jump between pigs and humans, providing evidence of zoonotic spread
Study links drug-resistant infections circulating in hospital patients to bacteria from Danish pigs
Lack of glove changes at COVID-19 testing centres in Belgium led to major cross-contamination of samples and a high rate of false positive result
Lack of glove changes at COVID-19 testing centres in Belgium led to major cross-contamination of samples and a high rate of false positive results, research being presented at this year’s European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) in Lisbon, Portugal, (23-26 April) has found.
Nationwide study of COVID in Denmark shows people with omicron variant 36% less likely to be hospitalised than those with delta variant
Reduced risk of hospitalisation with omicron both among unvaccinated and vaccinated suggest an inherently reduced severity of infections with omicron compared with delta
Third day in hospital identified as a ‘tipping point’ in severity of COVID-19 pneumonia
New research being presented at this year’s European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) in Lisbon, Portugal, (23-26 April), has identified the third day of hospitalisation as a tipping point in the progression of disease among symptomatic patients admitted for COVID-19 pneumonia.
Cytokine signature that allows COVID-19 patients with worst prognosis to be spotted early is identified by Italian researchers
New research being presented at this year’s European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) in Lisbon, Portugal (23-26 April) has identified a panel of cytokines that can help predict which COVID-19 patients are at risk of serious illness and death.
Preliminary study finds organic vegetables contaminated with wide range of disease-causing microbes
Disease-causing amoebas that live on organic spinach and lettuce also shelter human pathogens like Pseudomonas, Salmonella and Helicobacter.
Leafy greens are particularly susceptible to contamination due to their proximity to the ground and the likelihood of people eating them without cooking.
High levels of respiratory pathogens present in the air of nurseries, schools, nursing homes and other indoor settings during winter, Belgian study finds
It is important to know in which settings infections are most likely to circulate if outbreaks are to be controlled and prevented.
A third of healthcare workers took sick leave after Covid vaccination, German study finds
To find out more, Julia Reusch, of the University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany and her colleagues Isabell Wagenhäuser, Dr Alexander Gabel, Dr Manuel Krone and Dr Nils Petri evaluated healthcare workers given at least one dose of the four following COVID-19 vaccines: BioNTech/Pfizer (Comirnaty), Moderna (Spikevax), Oxford/AstraZeneca (VaxZevria) and Janssen.
Longest known COVID-19 infection – 505 days – described by UK researchers
New evidence that new Covid variants may arise in immunocompromised patients also presented
One of the first occult Covid infections is also described
Longer interval between COVID-19 vaccines generates up to nine times as many antibodies
New research to be presented at this year’s European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) in Lisbon, Portugal, (23-26 April), has shown that a longer interval between primary COVID-19 vaccine doses can boost antibody production up to nine-fold.
Emerging superbug MRSA in humans found in urban hedgehogs in Finland
Emerging MRSA strain with high potential for spread in the community has been isolated from hedgehogs in Helsinki.
The studied hedgehogs were also found to carry twice the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant ESBL-producing bacteria as human and companion animals in Finland – suggesting that they may be at increased risk of both acquiring and spreading these resistant bugs.
Patients hospitalised with COVID-19 were three times as likely to die than those with seasonal influenza
Spanish study conducted during first pandemic wave finds adults hospitalised with COVID-19 were three times as likely to die within 30 days and 90 days than those hospitalised for seasonal influenza
Study links telomere length to risk of death from COVID-19
In women, especially those aged 65 years or older, shorter telomeres (a hallmark of ageing) are associated with a higher risk of dying from COVID-19
Outpatient antibiotic prescribing in Australia fell by up to 38% during COVID-19 pandemic
Similar reductions seen in states with and without lockdowns
Provides hope of more prudent prescription post-pandemic
Click here to read the article.
Omicron infection just 20 days after Delta – the shortest known gap between infections
Fully vaccinated and boosted 31-year-old woman tested positive for Omicron strain of SARS-CoV-2 just 20 days after having Delta infection
Surveillance of reinfections important to detect variants able to partially evade the immune response
Click here to read the article.
Existing medicines with potential to be repurposed to treat gonorrhoea identified in Portuguese study
Blood pressure drug, chemotherapy drug and anti-malarial all show promise
Work could contribute to a paradigm shift in search for new treatments for STI
Click here to read the article.
Alarmingly high rates of inappropriate antibiotic prescribing to older and Black patients, finds US study
And more than half of antibiotics are also prescribed inappropriately in Hispanic/LatinX patients
Click here to read the article.
Global study finds increase in deaths from COVID-19 at the weekend
Worldwide analysis of nearly 6 million deaths from COVID-19 over 2 years finds an increase in COVID-19 mortality at weekends compared to weekdays.
Findings are unlikely to reflect just bureaucratic and reporting delays but also shortfalls in hospital capacity, clinical staffing and expertise, researchers say.
Among ten countries with the highest COVID-19 counts, the USA, Brazil, and the UK had significantly higher deaths on Saturday and Sunday compared to weekdays throughout the pandemic.
This “weekend effect” was not seen in Germany, where more COVID-related deaths were reported on weekdays.
Brazilian study finds COVID-19 cases and deaths higher in areas with electoral support for President Bolsonaro
Study of 853 counties in Minas Gerais state finds counties that voted for Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro in the 2018 election are more likely to have higher incidence and death rates from COVID-19.
Findings suggest Bolsonaro’s denialist attitude to COVID-19 left much of the country vulnerable to COVID-19, leading to unnecessary deaths.
Click here to read the article.
Here you can download the graphics separately:
People at risk of future heart disease and stroke may be at greater risk for severe COVID-19
Study in almost a million adults in England finds that people at risk of heart attack or stroke over the next 10 years (but without existing cardiovascular disease) are at substantially greater risk of becoming seriously unwell with COVID-19
Study shows that in vaccinated patients, mean duration of COVID19 symptoms is 2 days shorter for omicron variant (7 days) versus delta (9 days)
new study to be presented at this year’s European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (ECCMID 2022, Lisbon 23-26), and published in The Lancet, details the different symptom patterns and duration presented by patients infected with omicron or delta variants of SARS-CoV-2. The study is by Dr Cristina Menni and Professor Tim Spector of King’s College London, UK.
Current measles vaccination targets may not be enough to achieve elimination
Review of 35 observational studies looking at measles vaccine effectiveness in 13 countries, suggests that the current immunisation coverage target of 95% should only be viewed as the minimum requirement for elimination.
Both antibiotic resistant bacteria and genes transmitted between healthy dogs and cats and their owners, finds study in UK and Portugal
Findings highlight importance of contact between healthy companion animals and humans to the spread of resistant bugs that may lead to potentially untreatable infections in the community.
New studies on COVID-19 antiviral drug molnupiravir to be presented at European Congress on Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases
Click here to find all of below press releases in one PDF file.
Here you can download the press releases separately:
Early study suggests long-term antiretroviral therapy with protease inhibitors might prevent COVID-19 infection
French study in over 500 people living with HIV suggests that treatment with protease inhibitors was associated with 70% lower risk of COVID-19 infection.
Different SARS-CoV-2 variants may give rise to different long-COVID symptoms, study suggests
Italian study of long-COVID patients suggests those infected with the Alpha variant experienced different neurological and emotional symptoms compared to those who contracted the original form of SARS-CoV-2.
Click here to read the article.
Here you can download the graphics separately:
- Figure 1: Prevalence of symptom persistence in the study population
- Figure 2: Comparison of long COVID symptom prevalence between patients infected in the period March-December 2020 (prevalent circulation of wild-type SARS-CoV-2) and those infected in the period January-April 2021 (prevalent circulation of B.1.1.7 Alpha variant)
- Figure 3: Demographic and clinical details of the study population
Special COVID-19 meeting of the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (ECCMID 2022)
Click here to find all of below press releases in one PDF file.
Please download the Pre-ECCMID 2022 programm here.
Here you can download the press releases separately:
Other presentations of interest for the meeting:
- What will the world look like for infection control in hospitals in post-COVID times?
- Origin of SARS-CoV-2: biosecurity implications
Clinical Study at the centre of the REVERSE project officially kicked off | REVERSE
REVERSE have published a short news article on the kick-off meeting involving all 24 participating hospitals in 4 EU countries. They have released the official kick-off of the REVERSE Clinical Study on their website.
Research from six countries including UK, USA and China shows that social media platforms are an important source of information about COVID-19 for some migrant and ethnic minority populations
ESCMID has released a statement on the importance of social media platforms as a source of information about COVID-19 for migrant and ethnic minority populations.
Pilot study suggests long COVID could be linked to the effects of SARS-CoV-2 on the vagus nerve
Please find here an ESCMID statement on a pilot study that suggests a possible link between long COVID and the effects of SARS-CoV-2 on the vagus nerve.
Study finds previous COVID-19 infection, but not vaccination, improves performance of antibodies and potentially provides longer-term protection
ESCMID has released a statement addressing a study on long-term protection from COVID-19.
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