Today's Headlines: April 5, 2021
COVID-19
Clinical Practice
The COVID-GRAM Tool for Patients Hospitalized With COVID-19 in Europe (JAMA Internal Medicine) Liang and colleagues recently validated a clinical risk tool (the COVID-GRAM) to predict the development of critical COVID-19 illness—defined as admission to the intensive care unit (ICU), requiring invasive mechanical ventilation, or death—after hospitalization admission in a nationwide cohort in China. Risk scores, applied to 10 variables that were independent predictors of critical illness, were used to classify patients as having a low (0.7% probability), medium (7.3%), or high risk (59.3%) of developing a critical illness. High COVID-GRAM scores at presentation could warrant increased vigilance and treatment, while low scores could require only observation.
Public & Global Health
India Announces 100,000 New Cases a Day, as New Wave of Infections Risks Spinning Out of Control (Washington Post) India on Sunday reported more than 100,000 new cases of the coronavirus, a grim measure achieved by only the United States and briefly Brazil, and a sign that the infections in the nation of 1.3 billion could be spinning out of control. India, which has one of the world’s largest vaccine-manufacturing capacities, is immunizing citizens at a rate of 2 million a day but has not made significant headway, with just 5 percent of the population having received a first dose. India is also slowing down its vaccine exports in the face of domestic demand, with potentially dire consequences for other countries.
Covid Tests to be Offered Twice-weekly to All in England(BBC) Everyone in England is to be given access to two rapid coronavirus tests a week from Friday, under an extension of the government's testing programme. The lateral flow kits, which can provide results in around 30 minutes, will be available for free at testing sites, pharmacies and through the post. The health secretary said it would help squash any outbreaks as lockdown eases. But critics of the programme say it risks becoming a "scandalous" waste of money.
Ivory Coast is Falling Behind its Vaccination Schedule. Health Workers Fear Thousands of Shots Could Expire(Washington Post) Ivory Coast was the second African nation to receive shipments this year from Covax, the global effort to equitably distribute vaccine doses, and is expecting another batch in May. Ivory Coast is lagging behind neighbors that launched rollouts within the same few days. Ghana and Senegal have already distributed most of their first batches, at least 522,000 and 294,000 doses, respectively. Preregistration campaigns backed by aggressive outreach fueled that success, experts say.
Kenya Suspends Private Importation of Vaccines Over Counterfeiting Fears (The Hill) Kenya’s National Emergency Response Committee on coronavirus announced on Friday that the country will no longer allow the private sector to import, distribute and administer coronavirus vaccines in an effort to “protect the integrity of the country.” The committee added that the participation of the private sector in vaccination efforts "threatens the gains made in the fight against Covid-19 and puts the country at international risk should counterfeit commodities find their way into the Kenyan market."
Risk for International Importations of Variant SARS-CoV-2 Originating in the United Kingdom (CDC EID) A fast-spreading severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 variant identified in the United Kingdom in December 2020 has raised international alarm. We analyzed data from 15 countries and estimated that the chance that this variant was imported into these countries by travelers from the United Kingdom by December 7 is >50%.
Science & Technology
Can Technology Increase COVID-19 Vaccination Rates?(Lancet Digital Health) The WHO Digital Health Flagship initiative has stated that digital technology could play a critical role during the COVID-19 pandemic by improving communications between people and health services, empowering individuals and patients, and strengthening critical public health functions including disease surveillance. Can technology also help build trust and promote vaccination within communities that are most at risk?
X-ray Screening Identifies Active Site and Allosteric Inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease (Science) In a search for a drug against COVID-19, we have performed a high-throughput X-ray crystallographic screen of two repurposing drug libraries against the SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro), which is essential for viral replication. In contrast to commonly applied X-ray fragment screening experiments with molecules of low complexity, our screen tested already approved drugs and drugs in clinical trials. From the three-dimensional protein structures, we identified 37 compounds that bind to Mpro. In subsequent cell-based viral reduction assays, one peptidomimetic and six non-peptidic compounds showed antiviral activity at non-toxic concentrations. We identified two allosteric binding sites representing attractive targets for drug development against SARS-CoV-2.
Public & Global Health
Epidemics and Pandemics: Lessons from the Past, Coordinating for the Future (Physicians for Human Rights) The COVID-19 pandemic is certainly not the first global health crisis we’ve encountered, nor will it be the last. As technology advances and the global community learns from epidemics and pandemics past, how can we build robust surveillance systems to track the emergence of diseases, especially among populations with less technological access, and ensure an equitable and cooperative global prevention and vaccination response? Join Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) on Thursday, April 8 at 12 p.m. EDT for a discussion that includes using technology and data in tracking and monitoring global health crises and ensuring equity in vaccine distribution.