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Many Americans Not Taking Nirmatrelvir/Ritonavir, Despite Proven Effectiveness For COVID-19

The New York Times (1/4, Jewett) reports, “As Covid rises again, killing about 1,500 Americans each week, medical researchers are trying to understand why so few people are taking Paxlovid [nirmatrelvir/ritonavir], a medicine that is stunningly effective in preventing severe illness and death from the disease.” According to an NIH study, “only about 15 percent who were eligible for the drug took it.” Researchers noted that “reluctance seems to come from doctors worried about interactions with other drugs and people wary of a possible rebound case or the metallic aftertaste.” The findings were published as a preprint on medRxiv.

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JN.1 COVID-19 Variant Becomes Dominant In US

The Hill (1/4, Weixel) reports, “The U.S. is riding another wave of rising COVID-19 infections, as holiday gatherings and a new variant are driving increased transmission.” According to the CDC, “the wastewater viral activity level for COVID-19 is the highest it’s been since the omicron surge in 2022,” while “a new variant called JN.1 has become the most dominant strain and was responsible for about 44 percent of infections nationwide by mid-December, a sharp rise from about 7 percent in late November.” Notably, “the Midwest is experiencing the highest levels of viral activity.”

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Second Tuberculosis Outbreak Linked To Contaminated Bone Allografts Resulted In Five Cases And Two Deaths So Far, CDC Data Find

MedPage Today (1/4, Kahn) reports, “Contaminated bone allograft material from a single manufacturer led to five diagnosed cases of tuberculosis and two deaths so far, according to CDC data.” Last July, “clinicians in two different states rapidly diagnosed and reported two cases of TB in patients who previously underwent spinal surgical procedures that used bone allografts.” Healio (1/4, Stulpin) reports, “Further results of the investigation showed that five of 36 surgical bone allograft recipients received laboratory-confirmed TB disease diagnoses.” The findings were published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

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Risk For Breakthrough COVID-19 Infection In Those Who Haven’t Received Booster Dose Is Higher Among Those With HIV Infection, Study Indicates

Infectious Disease Advisor (1/4, Kuhns) reports, “Although positive HIV status is not associated with lower COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness, the risk for breakthrough infection in individuals who have not received a booster dose is higher among those with vs without HIV infection, according to results of a study.” The findings were published in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases.

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Mask Mandates Reinstated At Hospitals In At Least Four States Amid Rise In COVID-19, Flu

Reuters (1/4, Brooks) reports, “Hospitals in at least four U.S. states have reinstated mask mandates amid a rise in cases of COVID, seasonal flu and other respiratory illness.” The mandatory masking for both patients and providers has returned at “healthcare facilities in New York, California, Illinois and Massachusetts.”

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Researchers Linked More Than 1 Million Deaths In Africa In 2019 To Antimicrobial Resistance, Study Finds

Healio (1/4, Feller) reports, “Researchers linked more than 1 million deaths in Africa in 2019 to antimicrobial resistance, more than half of which were linked to just four pathogens.” Notably, “of the estimated 3.83 million infection-related deaths in Africa that year, 1.86 million were linked to 33 priority bacterial pathogens in the region and 1.05 million deaths were associated with bacterial antimicrobial resistance.” The findings were published in The Lancet Global Health.

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New Antibiotic Effective Against Drug-Resistant Bacteria, Study Indicates

CNN (1/3, Musa) reports, “Scientists say they have developed a new type of antibiotic to treat bacteria that is resistant to most current antibiotics and kills a large percentage of people with an invasive infection.” According to the CDC, Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii, also known as CRAB, “caused an estimated 8,500 infections in hospitalized patients and 700 deaths” in 2017. However, researchers “say the new antibiotic, zosurabalpin, can effectively kill Acinetobacter baumannii,” and “was effective against more than 100 CRAB clinical samples that were tested, according to the research.” The findings were published in the journal Nature.

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Novel Variant-Specific COVID-19 Vaccine NVX-CoV2515 Associated With Superior Neutralizing Antibody Response Against Omicron BA.1, Research Indicates

Infectious Disease Advisor (1/3, Nye) reports, “The novel variant-specific COVID-19 vaccine NVX-CoV2515 is associated with a superior neutralizing antibody response against Omicron BA.1 when compared with the prototype vaccine NVX-CoV2373.” The findings were published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases.

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COVID Resurgence Less Deadly Compared To Previous Years

The New York Times (1/3, Mandavilli) reports, “The holidays have come and gone, and once again Americans are riding a tide of respiratory ailments, including Covid.” However, “so far, this winter’s Covid uptick seems less deadly than last year’s, and much less so than in 2022, when the Omicron surge ground the nation to a halt.” Nonetheless, “trends in wastewater data, positive tests, emergency department visits, hospitalization rates and deaths point to a rise in infections in all regions of the nation,” according to the CDC.

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Flu Cases Continue To Surge As Young Children Return To School

NBC News (1/3, Edwards) reports, “As kids go back to school and families return to a post-holiday routine, flu season is on track to be a rough one in some states, especially in the Southeast and parts of the West, doctors say.” Notably, “thirty-three states are reporting high to very high case counts of influenza-like illnesses, and there have been about 4,500 flu-related deaths, including those of 20 children, since the 2023-24 season began in October.”

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Mass Vaccination Against Dengue Begins In Brazilian City Of Dourados

Reuters (1/3, Brito) reports, “The city of Dourados in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul on Wednesday began the country’s first mass vaccination against dengue, the city’s government said.” The initiative “aims to vaccinate around 150,000 residents of the city between the ages of 4 and 59 using the recently approved Japanese drugmaker Takeda’s vaccine QDENGA,” with the first batch of 90,000 doses already delivered. Notably, “the vaccination schedule requires a second dose in three months.”

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Fewer Than Half Of Hospitalized Patients With Gram-Negative Bloodstream Infections Transitioned From Intravenous To Oral Antibiotics By Day 7, Study Indicates

MedPage Today (1/2, Kahn) reports, “Fewer than half of hospitalized patients with gram-negative bloodstream infections transitioned from intravenous to oral antibiotics by day 7, a retrospective cohort study showed.” The findings were published in JAMA Network Open.

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Study Identifies Risk Factors For Invasive Fungal Infections Among Patients Receiving Ibrutinib Therapy

Infectious Disease Advisor (1/2, Barowski) reports, “Among patients receiving ibrutinib, allogeneic or autologous stem cell transplantation, chronic respiratory disease, and use of anti-CD20 agents or corticosteroids may increase risk for invasive fungal infections, according to study results.” The findings were published in Mycoses.

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Risk Factors Of Invasive Fungal Infections For Lung Transplant Recipients Receiving Universal Antifungal Prophylaxis Vary, Study Finds

Healio (1/2, Stulpin) reports, “Researchers found that risk factors of invasive fungal infections for lung transplant recipients receiving universal antifungal prophylaxis varied in terms of early and late infection and invasive mold- and candidiasis-type infections.” The findings were published in Open Forum Infectious Diseases.

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ESBL Production In Escherichia Coli Bloodstream Infections Associated With Longer Hospitalization And Increased Risk For Recurrence, Study Suggests

Infectious Disease Advisor (1/2, Chan) reports, “Although extended-spectrum β-lactamase production in Escherichia coli bloodstream infections is not associated with increased fatality risk, it is associated with longer hospitalization and increased risk for recurrence when compared with non-ESBL-Ec BSI.” The findings were published in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases.

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Respiratory Virus Activity Rising Across US, CDC Data Find

CNN (1/1, McPhillips, Musa, Hassan) reports, “As seasonal virus activity surges across the United States, experts stress the importance of preventive measures ... and the value of treatment for those who do get sick.” According to CDC data, “during the week ending December 23, there were more than 29,000 patients admitted with Covid-19, about 15,000 admitted with the flu and thousands more with respiratory syncytial virus.” Meanwhile, “weekly emergency department visits rose 12%, and hospitalizations jumped about 17% in the most recent week.”

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Researchers Identify Class Of Antibodies That Appear Capable Of Neutralizing Multiple Strains Of Influenza Virus

HealthDay (12/29, Miller) reported that researchers “have identified a previously unrecognized class of antibodies that seem to be capable of neutralizing multiple strains of the flu virus.” According to researchers, “this work expands the list of antibodies that could possibly contribute to development of a vaccine with broader protection,” and “also adds to growing evidence supporting changes in how flu vaccines are manufactured.” The findings were published in PLOS Biology.

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Fecal Metabolite Profiling May Help Predict Postoperative Infections In Patients Who Received Liver Transplants, Study Finds

HCP Live (12/29, Brooks) reported, “Fecal metabolite profiling may be a viable tool for predicting postoperative infections in patients who received liver transplants, according to findings from a” study. In the study, “fecal metabolites were quantified for more than 100 patients undergoing liver transplantation and correlated with fecal microbiome compositions, pathobiont expansion, and postoperative infections, demonstrating reduced fecal concentrations of short- and branched-chain fatty acids, secondary bile acids, and tryptophan metabolites were associated with compositional microbiome dysbiosis and the relative risk of postoperative infection.” The findings were published in Cell Host & Microbe.

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Next-Generation Sequencing May Help Identify More Patients With Cancer Who Would Benefit From Immunotherapy, Research Suggests

HealthDay (12/29, Miller) reported that research suggests that more patients with cancer “could benefit from immunotherapy.” Investigators “looked at 1,655 patients with either colon or endometrial cancer who received current lab testing (immunohistochemistry) for” mismatch repair deficiency “as well as next-generation sequencing.” While “current lab tests missed nearly 6% of patients with endometrial cancer and 1% of those with colon cancer who had the deficiency,” the researchers found that “next-generation sequencing detected the deficiency in these cases.” The finding were published in Cell.

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Economic Burden Of RSV Among High-Risk Adults Is Substantial, Study Indicates

Infectious Disease Advisor (12/27, Kuhns) reports, “There was a substantial annual economic burden attributed to respiratory syncytial virus diagnoses among high-risk adults, highlighting the need for preventive interventions such as vaccination.” Notably, the economic burden of RSV “among high-risk adults is substantial, suggesting the need to identify preventive interventions to reduce the effects of severe RSV disease.” The findings were published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases.

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Many Americans Not Taking Nirmatrelvir/Ritonavir, Despite Proven Effectiveness For COVID-19

JN.1 COVID-19 Variant Becomes Dominant In US

Second Tuberculosis Outbreak Linked To Contaminated Bone Allografts Resulted In Five Cases And Two Deaths So Far, CDC Data Find

Risk For Breakthrough COVID-19 Infection In Those Who Haven’t Received Booster Dose Is Higher Among Those With HIV Infection, Study Indicates

Mask Mandates Reinstated At Hospitals In At Least Four States Amid Rise In COVID-19, Flu

Researchers Linked More Than 1 Million Deaths In Africa In 2019 To Antimicrobial Resistance, Study Finds

New Antibiotic Effective Against Drug-Resistant Bacteria, Study Indicates

Novel Variant-Specific COVID-19 Vaccine NVX-CoV2515 Associated With Superior Neutralizing Antibody Response Against Omicron BA.1, Research Indicates

COVID Resurgence Less Deadly Compared To Previous Years

Flu Cases Continue To Surge As Young Children Return To School

Mass Vaccination Against Dengue Begins In Brazilian City Of Dourados

Fewer Than Half Of Hospitalized Patients With Gram-Negative Bloodstream Infections Transitioned From Intravenous To Oral Antibiotics By Day 7, Study Indicates

Study Identifies Risk Factors For Invasive Fungal Infections Among Patients Receiving Ibrutinib Therapy

Risk Factors Of Invasive Fungal Infections For Lung Transplant Recipients Receiving Universal Antifungal Prophylaxis Vary, Study Finds

ESBL Production In Escherichia Coli Bloodstream Infections Associated With Longer Hospitalization And Increased Risk For Recurrence, Study Suggests

Respiratory Virus Activity Rising Across US, CDC Data Find

Researchers Identify Class Of Antibodies That Appear Capable Of Neutralizing Multiple Strains Of Influenza Virus

Fecal Metabolite Profiling May Help Predict Postoperative Infections In Patients Who Received Liver Transplants, Study Finds

Next-Generation Sequencing May Help Identify More Patients With Cancer Who Would Benefit From Immunotherapy, Research Suggests

Economic Burden Of RSV Among High-Risk Adults Is Substantial, Study Indicates