By Nancy Lapid
(Reuters) – The following is a summary of some of the latest scientific studies on the new coronavirus and efforts to find treatments and vaccines for COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus.
Antiviral remdesivir seems safe for children
The antiviral drug remdesivir appears to be as safe and effective for use in children with COVID-19 as in adults, according to the largest study to date in children with severe COVID-19 who received the drug. Remdesivir, sold by Gilead Sciences Inc. under the brand name Veklury, shortens the recovery time in adults with COVID-19. Not yet approved for children under 12. In March 2020, Gilead began accepting physicians’ requests for compassionate use of remdesivir in children with COVID-19. In the new study of 77 children in the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy and Spain, “remdesivir was well tolerated, with a low incidence of serious drug-related adverse events,” the researchers reported Wednesday in Pediatrics. Within four weeks of starting treatment, 88% of children needed low oxygen support, 83% recovered and 73% were discharged. Of those who require mechanical ventilation, 90% could be removed from the fans. A randomized controlled trial is underway to confirm that the high level of recovery was due to the effects of remdesivir, the researchers said. An editorial published with the study said: “Although morbidity and mortality rates differ, children hospitalized with acute COVID-19 often have a disease course similar to that of adults. Children are also likely to have a similar response to remdesivir as adults. ” (https://bit.ly/3eeoGRy, https://bit.ly/3enAnoW)
Patients may not have the highest risk of COVID-19 for hospital staff
US health workers on the front line of the pandemic who contract COVID-19 are more likely to have acquired the infection in the community than through patient care, new research suggests. At a major medical center in Wisconsin, researchers investigated probable sources of infection by analyzing virus genetic sequences obtained from swab samples from 95 health care workers and their patients. Only 11% of participants’ infections could be traced to a colleague and only 4% to a patient, the researchers reported in Clinical Infectious Diseases. They said their observations were in line with recent studies evaluating healthcare associated infections in the Netherlands and the UK and another recent study that found that the most important risk factor for COVID-19 was the rate of disease in surrounding communities, not the factors at work. . “It seems that medical staff is most frequently infected with SARS-CoV-2 by community exposure,” the researchers conclude. This underscores the continued importance of wearing masks, physical distance, robust testing programs and the rapid distribution of vaccines. (https://bit.ly/3xausMz)
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(Reporting by Nancy Lapid; Editing by Bill Berkrot)