Top in ID: Omicron variant and disease severity, vaccine protection

In the top story in infectious disease last week, Anthony S. Fauci, MD, said there is a possibility that the omicron variant may cause less severe disease than the delta variant.

Another top story reported that a third dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine improved protection against the omicron variant. Still, Amesh A. Adalja, MD, a senior scholar at Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, noted that two doses are “sufficient” for protection against severe disease.

Read the top stories in infectious disease below:

Omicron ‘might’ cause less severe disease, Fauci says

Last week, Fauci said that the omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 might cause less severe COVID-19 illness. Read more.

Protection against omicron variant ‘improved’ after three doses of Pfizer vaccine

Pfizer and BioNTech said that two doses of their COVID-19 vaccine “may not” offer sufficient protection against the omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2, but a third dose appears to improve protection. Read more.

Most COVID-19 vaccines effective as boosters, regardless of primary series

Six COVID-19 vaccines increased protection when given as booster shots 10 to 12 weeks after a two-dose primary series of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, according to results from a randomized controlled trial published in The Lancet. Read more.

CDC says all sexually active patients should be told about HIV PrEP

The CDC recommended that all sexually active adult and adolescent patients be informed about HIV PrEP. Read more.

Study finds no pattern of MIS-A after COVID-19 vaccination

Researchers found no pattern of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in adults following COVID-19 vaccination without previous SARS-CoV-2 infection, according to a study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases. Read more.