Respiratory Infections News

Smoking modestly increased the risk for severe disease in hospitalized patients with COVID-19, particularly among younger patients without diabetes, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis.

A study published in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology reported “widespread” use of empirical antibiotics for patients with COVID-19 at a New York hospital, and that coinfections among COVID-19 patients were uncommon.

Following the first FDA approval of a COVID-19 test for pooled sampling, experts discussed the pros and cons of the strategy during a briefing hosted by the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

A small study published in JAMA Pediatrics showed that children aged younger than 5 years carry higher amounts of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in their nasopharynx compared with youths aged 5 to 17 years and adults aged 18 to 65 years.

To date, reported cases of COVID-19 have been less common among children than adults, and children appear to experience milder illness from the disease, although some have developed a new and serious inflammatory syndrome.

Research and data on potential treatment modalities continue to emerge at a rapid pace. This episode explores the IDSA and NIH guidelines for the treatment and management of COVID-19, as well as available evidence on antivirals, glucocorticoids and antibodies.

Data suggest that spring school closures may have been associated with approximately 1.37 million fewer cases of COVID-19 in the United States over a period of 26 days and 40,600 fewer deaths from the disease over 16 days, researchers said.

Respiratory syncytial virus was associated with high rates of pneumonia, ventilatory support and both short- and long-term mortality among hospitalized older adult patients, according to a study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases.

The NIH recently announced the launch of a collaborative effort to test vaccine candidates for COVID-19 in the United States.

Drive-through COVID-19 screening is an efficient way to safely screen large numbers of people — including health care workers — and can reduce health care exposures and save personal protective equipment, according to a study.