Top in ID: CDC director’s COVID-19 rebound; monoclonal antibody for malaria
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Last week, the CDC announced that Director Rochelle P. Walensky, MD, again tested positive for COVID-19 following a course of Paxlovid and a previous negative test.
Amesh A. Adalja, MD, senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, previously told Healio that it is “unclear how common this effect is,” but “real-world experience with the drug seems to suggest that this is something that happens with some level of frequency.” It was the top story in infectious disease last week.
The second top story was about a monoclonal antibody that was shown to prevent malaria infection in adults. Anthony S. Fauci, MD, said in a press release that the treatment could protect vulnerable groups and help eliminate malaria in certain areas.
Read these and more top stories in infectious disease below:
CDC’s Walensky experiences COVID-19 rebound after Paxlovid treatment
Walensky has experienced a rebound of COVID-19 symptoms after being treated with Paxlovid, the agency announced. Read more.
Monoclonal antibody safely prevents malaria infection in adults
One dose of a monoclonal antibody safely protected healthy adults from malaria infection during the 6-month malaria season in Mali, according to data published in The New England Journal of Medicine and presented at a medical conference. Read more.
Disparities in COVID-19 vaccine equity persist, though the situation has improved
Although COVID-19 vaccine equity has improved globally as the pandemic has progressed, some disparities in access have remained, according to experts. Read more.
Bivalent COVID-19 booster outperforms original vaccine, Pfizer says
Pfizer and BioNTech said that their bivalent COVID-19 booster, which targets the original strain of SARS-CoV-2 and the omicron BA.4 and BA.5 sublineages, elicits stronger immune responses than their original vaccine. Read more.
Provider confidence in PrEP initiation associated with PrEP knowledge and attitudes
Provider confidence in PrEP initiation, which was generally lower than other aspects of PrEP care, was associated with provider knowledge about PrEP and favorable attitudes toward PrEP, according to the results of a survey. Read more.