Top in ID: Ebola outbreak in DRC, racial disparities in COVID-19

WHO has confirmed another Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, or the DRC. It was the top story in infectious disease last week.

Another top story was about a retrospective cohort study in Louisiana that showed black patients with COVID-19 accounted for nearly 77% of COVID-19-related hospitalizations and more than 70% of COVID-19 deaths.

Read these and more top stories in infectious disease below:

WHO confirms another Ebola outbreak in DRC

Another Ebola outbreak has been confirmed in the DRC on the other side of the country from an Ebola outbreak that has been ongoing since 2018. Read more.

Black patients with COVID-19 account for majority of hospitalizations, deaths in Louisiana cohort

Despite comprising only 31% of the study population, blacks accounted for nearly 77% of COVID-19 hospitalizations and more than 70% of COVID-19 deaths in a large cohort of patients from Louisiana, according to a retrospective cohort study. Read more.

Rapid ART initiative reduces time from diagnosis to viral suppression by half

The rollout of an antiretroviral therapy optimization initiative in San Francisco decreased the median time from diagnosis to virologic suppression by nearly half, according to findings in Clinical Infectious Diseases. Read more.

Lancet retracts controversial COVID-19 study on hydroxychloroquine

Following criticism from experts regarding the validity of its data, The Lancet retracted a study that raised questions about the usefulness and safety of hydroxychloroquine for the treatment of COVID-19. Read more.

Initiative improves daily, discharge cleaning in long-term care facilities

A 3-month quality improvement initiative significantly increased the percentage of high-touch surfaces thoroughly cleaned throughout the day and at discharge in long-term care facilities in Brooklyn and Queens, New York, according to findings in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology. Read more.