Respiratory Infections News

Vaccinated people who were subsequently infected with SARS-CoV-2 experienced a shorter duration of symptoms if they were infected with the omicron variant vs. the delta variant, mobile-app based data showed.

Young children were more likely to be infected with the omicron variant than the delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 but less likely to experience severe health outcomes, researchers reported in JAMA Pediatrics.

People aged 50 years or older with COVID-19 had a 15% increased risk for developing herpes zoster, according to the results of a large retrospective cohort study.

Ivermectin did not lower the incidence of hospitalization among high-risk adults with COVID-19 enrolled in a large double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial in Brazil, researchers reported in The New England Journal of Medicine.

Convalescent plasma, when administered within 9 days of symptom onset in patients with COVID-19, may reduce the risk for hospitalization, according to data published in The New England Journal of Medicine.

Rates of serious influenza-related illness were 1.5 to 2 times higher among older adults with diabetes compared with those without diabetes during five recent influenza seasons, according to a study.

The FDA on Tuesday authorized a second booster dose of COVID-19 vaccine for people aged 50 years or older and certain immunocompromised patients, citing evidence that it improves protection against severe disease.

Pregnant women in Oregon are avoiding the hospital for their birthing plans and turning to birthing centers or giving birth at home, likely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a study in American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.

The quadrivalent live attenuated influenza vaccine — also known as the nasal spray vaccine — does not exacerbate asthma in children aged older than 4 years, according to data from a randomized controlled trial published in Pediatrics.

At-home testing for COVID-19 more than tripled during the omicron wave in the United States, but there were disparities in the tests’ use, according to a study published Friday in MMWR.