Top in ID: COVID-19 home testing, second wave of MIS-C cases

Home testing for COVID-19 is a crucial part of keeping safe this holiday season, according to William Schaffner, MD, and Amesh A. Adalja, MD. A review of proper COVID-19 precautions was the top story in infectious disease last week.

Another top story covered data published in The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal that suggest multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) cases were more severe during the second wave.

Read these and more top stories in infectious disease below:

Americans visiting family for the holidays should consider home testing, experts say

As Schaffner prepares for the upcoming holidays, he and his family are taking all the proper COVID-19 precautions, including testing and retesting before and after travel. Read more.

MIS-C cases more severe in second wave, study finds

Patients with MIS-C experienced more severe illness during a second wave of cases compared with the first, according to a study published in The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal. Read more.

Does having a Twitter account help fill ID fellowship programs?

During the 2021 match cycle, a presence on Twitter and having specialized training tracks were associated with a higher likelihood of filling infectious disease fellowships programs, researchers found. Read more.

Ivermectin halts spread of river blindness, could interrupt West Nile virus transmission

Although not recommended to treat COVID-19, ivermectin has shown the potential to stop the spread of some infectious diseases, according to several studies presented at the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene Annual Meeting. Read more.

Possible explanation for yellow fever's return in Brazil: Drought

Drought may have led to an unusual outbreak of yellow fever in Brazil that started in 2017, according to a speaker at the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene Annual Meeting. Read more.