Respiratory Infections News

The ACP announced it was asserting its previous Rapid Living Practice Points that 5- and 10-day courses of remdesivir provide “a net benefit” vs. placebo or standard care in hospitalized, nonpregnant adults with COVID-19.

The FDA authorized the emergency use of the monoclonal antibodies bamlanivimab and etesevimab together to treat patients with mild to moderate COVID-19.

Respiratory viral infections are becoming a more prevalent concern among clinicians who care for patients who undergo hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, according to findings presented at TCT Meetings Digital Experience.

CDC researchers tested two modifications that they said “substantially” improved the effectiveness of surgical masks as protection against SARS-CoV-2, including double masking — wearing a cloth mask over a surgical mask.

Influenza vaccine-provided immunity declines by around 10% each month following vaccination, according to study results published in Clinical Infectious Diseases. Researchers said September or October are the best months to get the shot.

The proportion of U.S. adults who indicated a willingness to receive a COVID-19 vaccine increased by almost 10 percentage points between September and December, according to survey results published in MMWR.

South Africa halted its rollout of the AstraZeneca-Oxford COVID-19 vaccine after preliminary data showed that it provided minimal protection against mild to moderate disease caused by the dominant variant circulating in the country.

Most adults in the United States intend to continue to adhere to preventive measures — such as hand washing, masking and physical distancing — even after the COVID-19 pandemic ends, according to results of a national survey.

A study assessing inpatient use of medications repurposed to treat patients with COVID-19 including hydroxychloroquine, corticosteroids and tocilizumab demonstrated quick prescribing changes in response to emerging reports.

COVID-19-associated hospitalizations declined by up to 5.5 percentage points at 10 hospitals located in states with mask mandates, according to data published in MMWR.