Complete Report, including graphics.
Latest Pandemic Crisis: Disruption in Vacccine Programs for Childhood Contagious Diseases because of COVID-19:
Since March 2020, routine childhood immunization services have been disrupted on a global scale that may be unprecedented since the inception of expanded programs on immunization (EPI) in the 1970s.. . . . .
“Immunization is one of the most powerful and fundamental disease prevention tools in the history of public health,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “Disruption to immunization programmes from the COVID-19 pandemic threatens to unwind decades of progress against vaccine-preventable diseases like measles.”
Latest in Progress in Treatment and Prevention of COVID-19
- ⇒ COVID-19 Diagnosis & Treatment Overview – updated May 23 from the Johns Hopkins Antibiotic (ABX) Guide powered by Unbound Medicine
- ⇒ Science study showed that infection in rhesus macaques with SARS-CoV-2 induced protective immunity against re-exposure.[5]
- NEJM publishes review of treatment of severe COVID-19.[6]
- Lancet reports on 30-fold increase in Kawasaki-like disease in children during the COVID-19 outbreak in Italy.[7]
- CDC updates Frequently Asked Questions and Answers and Clinical Care Guidelines and for HCPs.
- COVID-19 for Clinicians video series – featuring experts from Johns Hopkins Medicine
Drugs
- ⇒ Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ):
- ⇒ Lancet reported a multinational registry analysis of the use of hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine with or without a macrolide for treatment of COVID-19. No benefit was found and these drugs were associated with decreased in-hospital survival and increased frequency of ventricular arrythmias.
- Observational study published in JAMA showed amongst 1,438 hospitalized COVID-19 patients those receiving HCQ, azithromycin, or both had no significant differences in mortality from those not receiving these drugs.[8]
- Observational study published in NEJM showed HCQ not associated with either a greatly lowered or an increased risk of the composite end point of intubation or death.
- Remdesivir:
- ⇒ According to preliminary results of an NIH-sponsored clinical trial (ACTT; NCT04280705) published in NEJM remdesivir accelerated recovery from advanced COVID-19:[9]
- Preliminary Results from ACTT trial†RemdesivirPlaceboSignificanceMedian Time to Recovery (Days)1115p< 0.001Mortality8.0%11.6%p=0.059†Preliminary Results from Adaptive COVID-19 Treatment Trial (ACTT).[9]
- Lancet reported on a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04257656) at ten hospitals in Hubei, China that showed treatment with remdesivir was not associated with statistically significant clinical benefits. There was a non-significant trend towards reduction in time to clinical improvement in those with symptom duration of 10 days or less.[10] Some authors have concluded that the study was underpowered to detect a statistical difference.[11]
- Interferon beta-1b, lopinavir–ritonavir, and ribavirin combination reported in an open label, randomized trial (NCT04276688) to be safe and superior to lopinavir–ritonavir alone in alleviating symptoms and shortening hosptial stay and viral shedding in patients with mild to moderate COVID-19.[12]
- See also COVID-19 for Clinicians: Treatment for details.
Vaccines
- Phase 1 COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials are underway, including in the US.[13]
- ⇒ JAMA article reviews planning challenges related to COVID-19 vaccination programs.[14]
- For a review of vaccine strategies, see [15].
Check out the PDF document for a no-nonsense compilation of the rest of the latest info including the latest numbers broken down by country; graphics reflecting those numbers; emerging issues, resources and current projects/plans. Source, WHO Website