Infectious Disease News’ 2021 cover stories focused heavily on COVID-19
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The front page of Infectious Disease News was dominated this year by stories about COVID-19 and its impact on health care.
Other topics snuck in — the 5-year anniversary of the Zika epidemic, congenital syphilis, the “Fauci effect,” and universal influenza vaccine research all stole space on the cover — but most of our top stories dealt in some way with the pandemic.
Below is a list of cover stories we published in 2021.
Zika 5 years later: Still much to learn as ‘likely’ future outbreak looms
On Feb. 1, 2016, almost 70 years after Zika was first discovered, WHO declared a global public health emergency over an increase in microcephaly and neurological complications linked to the virus. Five years later, despite advances in understanding the transmission, pathogenesis and clinical progression of the mosquito-borne disease, a lot is still unknown about Zika’s emergence. Read more.
In midst of COVID-19, US sees ‘unusually low’ flu activity
According to the CDC, influenza activity during the 2020-2021 influenza season was “unusually low,” with rates of hospitalization as of late January that were similar to 2011-2012 — the least severe season in the past decade. Experts said COVID-19 mitigation efforts were the likely reason why. Read more.
SARS-CoV-2 triggers similar inflammatory syndromes in children and adults
In April 2020, clinicians in London reported a cluster of children who developed hyperinflammatory shock with multiorgan involvement, described as being similar to Kawasaki disease shock syndrome. Several of the children later tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, and the authors suggested that the illness represented “a new phenomenon affecting previously asymptomatic children with SARS-CoV-2 infection.” Soon, it had a name: MIS-C. Read more.
Past research and ‘unlimited resources’ spur fast development of COVID-19 vaccines
When scientists began working on solutions for the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, it seemed unlikely that a safe and effective vaccine would be available in a year and yet, by mid-December, the FDA had authorized two mRNA vaccines that were more than 90% efficacious in late-stage trials. Experts say past research on new vaccine technologies and “unlimited resources” created the perfect conditions for this quick development. Read more.
‘Shocking imbalance’ of COVID-19 vaccine distribution underscores inequity
In one 24-hour period in April 2021, the United States pledged to send raw materials for making COVID-19 vaccines to India and to release 60 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to other countries in need. The pledges came as COVID-19 cases were declining in the U.S. and rising in other parts of the world, including India, whose escalating outbreak had wider implications. Read more.
US sees ‘shameful’ rise in congenital syphilis cases
For 6 consecutive years, the CDC’s annual surveillance report for STDs has come with a dire warning: After years of decline, cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis have steadily increased. This story is about a corresponding rise in congenital syphilis. Read more.
Long COVID: A ‘mysterious’ syndrome with ‘no clear pattern’ of symptoms
Among the many health consequences of COVID-19, there remain a few mysteries, including what causes the long-term, postacute sequelae known as long COVID. Experts noted that some of the more common symptoms of long COVID include cough, joint and muscle pain, chest pain and headaches — although the full list of symptoms is longer than that and can impact nearly every organ system in the body. Read more.
COVID-19 impacts global targets to eliminate viral hepatitis
In May 2021, WHO released a 112-page progress report that detailed gaps in the efforts to eliminate HIV, hepatitis and STIs by 2030, including major decreases in HCV virus testing and treatment. Read more.
‘Fauci effect’: ID experts could inspire new generation of doctors
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, data indicate that there has been a surge in interest among U.S. college students in pursuing medicine as a career. The phenomenon has popularly been called the “Fauci effect” — named for Anthony S. Fauci, MD, director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases and presidential medical advisor, whose frequent appearances on news networks and in White House briefings have made him one of the most recognizable faces of the pandemic. However, Fauci himself says the Fauci effect goes well beyond its namesake. Read more.
Pace of pediatric vaccine trials leaves children ‘stuck in neutral’
Research to develop successful vaccines to help slow the spread of SARS-CoV-2 has taken place very publicly and at a historically fast pace.
The world watched the science happening live, and then it watched the vaccine rollout, first in high-risk populations all the way through to healthy adults and adolescents. This process has left experts wondering if the pace of pediatric vaccine trials could have been faster. Read more.
‘We just have to keep pushing’: Universal flu vaccine remains out of reach, for now
Year after year, experts say the best defense against seasonal influenza is getting vaccinated. However, overall seasonal influenza vaccine effectiveness has reached only 60% once in the past 10 years, leaving experts hoping for the “Holy Grail” a universal influenza vaccine. Read more.
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