The coronavirus disease COVID-19 is currently reaching pandemic levels in various countries.
French President Emmanuel Macron declared on Twitter a public health state of emergency and nightly curfews for various cities, including Marseille and Paris, will become effective on October 17, 2020. And, group meetings will be limited to a maximum (6) people.
President Macron's new actions in response to over 22,000 coronavirus cases being confirmed during 1-day.
During the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, France has confirmed 33,037 fatalities related to this new disease.
The Russian Federation's President Vladimir Putin announced on October 14, 2020, the registration of the second vaccine against the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus produced in Russia. The EpiVacCorona vector vaccine contains synthetic peptide antigens that are fragments extracted from the virus. The vaccine based on those antigens provokes an immune reaction against coronavirus and helps to develop immunity.
California-based Vaxart Inc. announced on October 14, 2020, the topline results from its Hamster Challenge Study showed 'hamsters that received (2) oral doses of the COVID-19 VXA-CoV2-1 vaccine candidate showed no systemic weight loss, a key indicator of protection against COVID-19 in this animal model.'
A new Case-Report published by the BMJ on October 13, 2020, focused on the first case of Sudden Onset Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SSNHL) in the UK. Hearing loss and tinnitus are symptoms that have been seen in patients with both COVID-19 and influenza, virus but have not been highlighted. The exact pathophysiology of the disease is still unknown, with the most likely causative factor being following a viral infection.
These authors suggest that 'patients are asked about SSNHL when applicable, and any patient reporting acute hearing loss should be referred to otolaryngology on an emergency basis.'
The Professional Golf Association (PGA) announced on October 13, 2020, that Florida-based Dustin Johnson has withdrawn from a PGA tournament after testing positive for COVID-19.
A pre-clinical study published in PNAS on October 9, 2020, concluded 'the results with favipiravir demonstrate that an antiviral drug at nontoxic doses exhibits a marked protective effect against SARS-CoV-2 in a small animal model. And, the antiviral efficacy of high favipiravir doses is in line with a recent study, in which thrice-daily dosing of favipiravir resulted in significant reductions in virus infection in hamsters.'
A new study published in the JAMA on October 12, 2020, found no evidence of transmission of COVID-19 from infected mothers to their rooming-in babies and direct breastfeeding when basic infection-control protocols were followed.
These findings suggest that during the COVID-19 pandemic, the separation of affected mothers and newborns may not be warranted. Furthermore, this study concluded 'direct breastfeeding appears to be safe.'
An accompanying editorial in JAMA stated: 'The balance between these risks has greater clarity now and will be considered when revisions are made to neonatal management guidance. This is exactly how the scientific method is supposed to work. We can draw solace from the knowledge that scientific processes that have worked in the past are working now and will continue to serve us as we move together into an uncertain future.'
Massachusetts based Moderna, Inc., announced the initiation of a rolling submission to Health Canada for mRNA-1273, the Company’s vaccine candidate against COVID-19. The rolling submission has been accepted under the Canadian Minister of Health's Interim Order, which permits companies to submit safety and efficacy data and information as they become available.
This rolling review process allows Health Canada to begin its assessment using the information submitted by the applicant and accept new evidence as it becomes available until the application is deemed complete. Following the authorization of any vaccine submission, Health Canada stated it 'will publish the evidence used in making its decision for transparency.'
Previously, the Canadian Government increased its confirmed order commitment to 20 million doses of the mRNA-1273 vaccine candidate during September 2020.
In a national study focused on US military veterans published in JAMA on September 23, 2020, most SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus related fatalities in the Department of Veterans Affairs national health care system were associated with older age, male gender, and various comorbidity burden. Most deaths in this cohort of 10,131 veterans occurred in patients with the age of 50 years or older (63.4%) and Charlson Comorbidity Index score of at least 1 (11.1%).
Many factors previously reported to be associated with mortality in smaller studies were not confirmed, such as obesity, Black race, Hispanic ethnicity, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hypertension, and smoking.
This data compares with current US active-duty military personnel, which reported over 48,000 coronavirus cases and just 8 related fatalities as of October 9, 2020.
Indiana-based Eli Lilly announced on October 13, 2020, that the late-stage clinical trial of its COVID-19 antibody treatment LY-CoV555 has been paused because of a safety concern. “Out of an abundance of caution, the ACTIV-3 independent data safety monitoring board (DSMB) has recommended a pause in enrollment,” Lilly spokeswoman Molly McCully said in an emailed statement to Reuters.
LY-CoV555 is a potent, neutralizing IgG1 monoclonal antibody directed against the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2. It is designed to block viral attachment and entry into human cells, thus neutralizing the virus, potentially preventing and treating COVID-19.
A University College London observational study's findings published on October 1, 2020, suggests that the 'recent loss of smell is a highly specific COVID-19 symptom and can present without cough or fever. And, the loss of smell should be considered more generally in guiding case isolation, testing, and treatment of COVID-19.'
A new study led by researchers at the University College of London and the Imperial College London published on October 9, 2020, found about 24,000 more people died in Lombardy, Italy than expected between January and April 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This study, published in PLOS ONE found that Lombardy had the most excess fatalities of any region in Italy.
However, only 14,000 of these fatalities were confirmed as being related to COVID-19, according to these researchers. And, these researchers estimated that there were still 10,197 more fatalities than predicted based on past trends or 43% of all excess fatalities.
A new research letter published by the JAMA on October 12, 2020, states 'Although total US death counts are remarkably consistent from year to year, US deaths increased by 20% during March-July 2020.'
However, 'COVID-19 was a documented cause of only 67% of these excess deaths.'
'Excess deaths attributed to causes other than COVID-19 could reflect deaths from unrecognized or undocumented infection with SARS-CoV-2 or deaths among uninfected patients resulting from disruptions produced by the pandemic.'
The US National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced updates to its guidelines on treating COVID-19 patients on October 9, 2020, which includes:
Treatment recommendations are outlined according to the severity of the disease. For example, for COVID-19 patients who are not hospitalized or who are hospitalized but not on supplemental oxygen, no particular antiviral or immunomodulatory treatment is recommended, and the panel recommends against using dexamethasone. For hospitalized patients on oxygen, but without needing a high-flow device or mechanical ventilation, Veklury (remdesivir) alone or with dexamethasone is advised.
And increasing evidence points to persistent symptoms after COVID-19 recovery, including headache, vision and hearing changes, loss of taste or smell, memory loss, and cognitive impairment for up to 3-months, but effective management strategies have not been identified.
Furthermore, the NIH added sections to managing COVID-19 in HIV-infected patients. The Panel emphasizes that recommendations for the triage, management, and treatment of COVID-19 in people with HIV are the same as those for the general population. The Panel also recommends continuing antiretroviral therapy and prophylaxis for opportunistic infections whenever possible in people with HIV who develop COVID-19, including those who require hospitalization.
ChinaDaily reported on October 13, 2020, that there were 12 locally transmitted cases of COVID-19 confirmed in the city of Qingdao in China's Shandong province. And, the local authorities have responded by initiating a mass testing program for the city's entire population of 9 million people.
