Top in ID: Decline in COVID-19 cases, humidity in face masks

Last week, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, MD, MPH, reported that cases of COVID-19 and new hospitalizations in the United States have continued to decline over the past few weeks. It was the top story in infectious disease.

Another top story last week was about a study conducted by researchers at the NIH that showed humidity produced inside of protective face coverings may offer additional protection against COVID-19.

Read these and more top stories in infectious diseases below:

Q&A: Why are COVID-19 cases declining in the US?

Healio spoke with several infectious disease experts about the reasons behind the decline in COVID-19 cases in the United States. They agreed that there is no one reason for the decline in cases. Read more.

Humidity in face masks may offer additional protection from COVID-19

In a recent experimental study, masked participants breathed into a sealed box to demonstrate how humidity can protect against SARS-CoV-2. Read more.

Survey finds key groups less accepting of COVID-19 vaccine

Black and Hispanic Medicare beneficiaries were less likely to say they would get a COVID-19 vaccine than white recipients despite being more likely to recognize COVID-19’s increased severity compared with influenza, a survey showed. Read more.

Another study reports prolonged symptoms among COVID-19 survivors

Approximately 30% of patients with COVID-19 enrolled in a study at the University of Washington reported persistent symptoms 3 to 9 months after illness onset, according to results published in JAMA Network Open. Read more.

Younger adults drove COVID-19 resurgence in US, study finds

People aged 20 to 49 years were “the only age groups” sustaining the COVID-19 resurgence last fall in the United States, according to a study published in Science. Read more.