libera/##covid-19/ Thursday, 2023-01-05

BrainstormUpdates for Israel: +634 cases, +7 deaths since 10 hours ago00:08
BrainstormNew from COVID on Twitter: Eric Topol (@EricTopol): From studying transmission of the Delta and Omicron variants in nearly 2000schools and 300 preschools in Australia: “community restrictions, rather than school closures, best mitigated COVID-19 impacts.” papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cf… → https://twitter.com/EricTopol/status/161077501860632576000:13
BrainstormNew from COVID on Twitter: Marc Veldhoen (@Marc_Veld): In vivo activity of Sotrovimab against BQ.1.1 Omicron sublineageThis is still good.biorxiv.org/content/10.110… → https://twitter.com/Marc_Veld/status/161077950792071987200:32
BrainstormNew from COVID on Twitter: Tom Wenseleers (@TWenseleers): @Tuliodna @EricTopol Growth advantage is clear though, both in the US (consistent across states) and in Europe - this implies predictable effect on Rt. Infection wave therefore likely, with consequences in terms of hosps probably similar to BQ.1. [... want %more?] → https://twitter.com/TWenseleers/status/161078167115807949100:42
BrainstormNew from COVID on Twitter: Tom Wenseleers (@TWenseleers): @Tuliodna @EricTopol Therefore, I wouldn't call the variant being overplayed. BA.2.75 at the time was overplayed. But I don't think this one is - and it's a recombinant of BA.2.75 & BJ.1 - so in that sense also the emergence of BA.2.75 was notable & important. → https://twitter.com/TWenseleers/status/161078356939110809900:51
BrainstormNew from COVID on Twitter: Tom Wenseleers (@TWenseleers): @Tuliodna @EricTopol Given that XBB.1.5 is spreading all across the US, already having reached a share of 20%-70% in various US states & that it is also spreading in all other countries for which we have good data I would say answer to the question "Will [... want %more?] → https://twitter.com/TWenseleers/status/161078679323800371401:01
BrainstormNew from COVID on Twitter: Tom Wenseleers (@TWenseleers): @Tuliodna @EricTopol That's the big difference with XAY in S Africa: that one never had a sign growth advantage, not even when it first emerged, cf. plot below by @MoritzGerstung. In terms of infection wave XBB.1.5's invasion fitness would predict a similar [... want %more?] → https://twitter.com/TWenseleers/status/161079251589597593701:20
BrainstormNew from COVID on Twitter: Tom Wenseleers (@TWenseleers): @Tuliodna @EricTopol @MoritzGerstung See also the thread of @C_Althaus that shows that the relative cumulative excess mortality appears to be reaching an asymptote, which could imply the long-term toll over Covid remaining relatively stable for some time to [... want %more?] → https://twitter.com/TWenseleers/status/161079367238307430401:30
de-facto%title https://www.reuters.com/world/china/whos-tedros-concerned-by-china-covid-surge-calls-again-data-2023-01-04/02:50
Brainstormde-facto: From www.reuters.com: WHO says China data underrepresents COVID surge and deaths | Reuters02:50
de-facto%title https://www.who.int/news/item/04-01-2023-tag-ve-statement-on-the-3rd-january-meeting-on-the-covid-19-situation-in-china02:52
Brainstormde-facto: From www.who.int: TAG-VE statement on the meeting of 3 January on the COVID-19 situation in China02:52
de-facto"The China CDC analysis showed a predominance of Omicron lineages BA.5.2 and BF.7 among locally-acquired infections. BA.5.2 and BF.7 together accounted for 97.5% of all local infections as per genomic sequencing. A few other known Omicron sublineages were also detected albeit in low percentages."02:54
BrainstormNew from r/Science: science: Circulating Spike Protein Detected in Post–COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine Myocarditis → https://old.reddit.com/r/science/comments/103m1sn/circulating_spike_protein_detected_in_postcovid19/03:45
BrainstormUpdates for North Macedonia: +254 cases since 7 days ago — Zambia: +191 cases since a day ago — United Kingdom: +1 deaths since 6 days ago04:05
BrainstormUpdates for Tennessee, United States: +11119 cases, +32 deaths since 7 days ago — Germany: +28653 cases, +235 deaths since 23 hours ago — Pakistan: +33 cases since a day ago06:03
BrainstormNew from COVID on Twitter: David Drake, MS, PhD (@Longstreet625): @Tuliodna @EricTopol I agree with EricTopol.  I don’t think XBB 1.5 is being overplayed.  A wall of immunity?  Yes, people won’t be dying in the streets.  But hospitalizations of elderly who have only has a 2-shot mRNA series is of grave concern. → https://twitter.com/Longstreet625/status/161083638263681024006:10
BrainstormNew from Reddit (test): nCoV: China Continues to Withhold COVID-19 Genetic Sequencing Data → https://old.reddit.com/r/nCoV/comments/103r5j5/china_continues_to_withhold_covid19_genetic/06:57
BrainstormUpdates for Netherlands: +809919 deaths since 5 hours ago — North Carolina, United States: +42982 cases, +70 deaths since 14 days ago — Texas, United States: +33300 cases, +118 deaths since 23 hours ago — Alabama, United States: +18290 cases, +39 deaths since 14 days ago07:06
BrainstormNew from r/COVID19: COVID19: Assessment of Immunogenicity and Efficacy of CV0501 mRNA-based Omicron COVID-19 Vaccination in Small Animal Models → https://old.reddit.com/r/COVID19/comments/103rck5/assessment_of_immunogenicity_and_efficacy_of/07:06
BrainstormNew from Reddit (test): CoronavirusUK: What is known about new Covid variant XBB.1.5? → https://old.reddit.com/r/CoronavirusUK/comments/103skzj/what_is_known_about_new_covid_variant_xbb15/08:32
BrainstormNew from r/Coronavirus: Daily Discussion Thread | January 05, 2023: Please refer to our Wiki for more information on COVID-19 and our sub. You can find answers to frequently asked questions in our FAQ , where there is valuable information such as our: → https://old.reddit.com/r/Coronavirus/comments/103td05/daily_discussion_thread_january_05_2023/09:02
BrainstormUpdates for Japan: +204762 cases, +326 deaths since 23 hours ago10:06
BrainstormNew from COVID on Twitter: Marc Veldhoen (@Marc_Veld): Males have more memory cells after COVID19. These cells have attributes of a side effect of the infection, and may be late to be cleared, and are referred to as virtual memory T cells. They are sensitive to IL-15, and respond more vigorously in males after [... want %more?] → https://twitter.com/Marc_Veld/status/161092467956849459310:09
BrainstormNew from r/COVID19: COVID19: Efficacy of Bromhexine versus Standard of Care in Reducing Viral Load in Patients with Mild-to-Moderate COVID-19 Disease Attended in Primary Care: A Randomized Open-Label Trial → https://old.reddit.com/r/COVID19/comments/103utpt/efficacy_of_bromhexine_versus_standard_of_care_in/10:39
BrainstormNew from COVID on Twitter: Tom Wenseleers (@TWenseleers): By the looks of it the pandemic will end by countries just stopping with the counting of Covid deaths. The Chinese approach! twitter.com/Jean__Fisch/st… → https://twitter.com/TWenseleers/status/161093413507736371310:49
BrainstormNew from COVID on Twitter: BBC News Africa (@BBCAfrica): “African scientists, in the past hundreds of years, have never got the recognition they deserve.”@Tuliodna, Director of the Centre for Epidemic Response & Innovation @StellenboschUni reflects on South Africa’s discovery of the Omicron variant.bbc.in/3WOcRqq → https://twitter.com/BBCAfrica/status/161093919288369152211:08
BrainstormNew from r/COVID19: COVID19: Aero-Medical Evacuation during SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic: Extraordinary Measure or Emerging Treatment Option? → https://old.reddit.com/r/COVID19/comments/103w0q3/aeromedical_evacuation_during_sarscov2_pandemic/11:56
BrainstormNew from COVID on Twitter: Florian Krammer (@florian_krammer): Say you have no clue about vaccines without saying you have no clue about vaccines: twitter.com/ABridgen/statu… → https://twitter.com/florian_krammer/status/161095455972302028912:06
BrainstormNew from COVID on Twitter: Marc Veldhoen (@Marc_Veld): Vaccination with Span, an antigen guided by SARS-CoV-2 S protein evolution, protects against challenge with viral variants in miceA potential advance in pan-Corona vaccines.science.org/doi/10.1126/sc… → https://twitter.com/Marc_Veld/status/161095997207398400212:25
BrainstormNew from COVID on Twitter: Marc Veldhoen (@Marc_Veld): Countries that had early and successful #COVID19  containment policies are still going to more and higher SARS-CoV-2 infection waves. These are concerning for vulnerable and they do cause casualties. However, the success of the policy is quite clear. pic.twitter.com/3wGyNjY7LT → https://twitter.com/Marc_Veld/status/161096234975798886412:35
BrainstormNew from r/COVID19: COVID19: Vaccination with Span, an antigen guided by SARS-CoV-2 S protein evolution, protects against challenge with viral variants in mice → https://old.reddit.com/r/COVID19/comments/103x7qo/vaccination_with_span_an_antigen_guided_by/13:04
BrainstormNew from r/COVID19: COVID19: Protection from previous natural infection compared with mRNA vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe COVID-19 in Qatar: a retrospective cohort study → https://old.reddit.com/r/COVID19/comments/103y1d5/protection_from_previous_natural_infection/13:53
BrainstormUpdates for UAE: +81 cases, +22839 tests since 23 hours ago14:03
BrainstormNew from BBC Health: China Covid: Celebrity deaths spark fears over death toll: News of public figures' deaths has sparked speculation about greater losses than officials have reported. → https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-6417382414:03
BrainstormNew from Reddit (test): CoronaVirus_2019_nCoV: Frontline health workers facing 'burnout' due to COVID-19, need to address their mental health issues: Expert → https://old.reddit.com/r/CoronaVirus_2019_nCoV/comments/103z0pa/frontline_health_workers_facing_burnout_due_to/14:33
BrainstormNew from Reddit (test): CoronaVirus_2019_nCoV: XBB.1.5 (Nextclade) - World - covSPECTRUM → https://old.reddit.com/r/CoronaVirus_2019_nCoV/comments/103zccf/xbb15_nextclade_world_covspectrum/14:53
BrainstormNew from Reddit (test): CoronaVirus_2019_nCoV: What to know about XBB.1.5, the aggressive Omicron variant called the 'kraken' that's skyrocketing in the US: infectious-disease expert's advice remains "the same as always," ...Stay up to date on vaccinations (both [... want %more?] → https://old.reddit.com/r/CoronaVirus_2019_nCoV/comments/103zj7j/what_to_know_about_xbb15_the_aggressive_omicron/15:03
BrainstormNew from BBC Health: What is known about new Covid variant XBB.1.5?: The latest Omicron variant is making scientists take notice in the US - so what do you need to know? → https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-6416430615:22
-Bridgestorm- 🌕 زلزله! Earthquake! 5.6 M tremor, registered by GFZ, with 96 reports, 56 early, occurred 14 minutes ago (14:25:53 UTC), during a full moon night, Barg-e Matāl, Afghanistan (35.82, 71.38) ± 116 km likely felt 650 km away (in چترال, دیر…) by 100 people with 4 nearby reactors (www.seismicportal.eu)15:40
BrainstormNew from COVID on Twitter: Tom Wenseleers (@TWenseleers): @Marc_Veld She did not have a travel history to China or Italy and so couldn't get tested for Covid. She would have been dead if she had arrived one day later in IC. An earlier sample of her was never analysed because of a lack of capacity. That's what [... want %more?] → https://twitter.com/TWenseleers/status/161101041924148428915:52
BrainstormUpdates for France: +136 cases since 18 hours ago — United Kingdom: +3 deaths since 12 hours ago16:07
BrainstormNew from Reddit (test): CoronaVirus_2019_nCoV: The XBB.1.5 variant is taking over on the East Coast. Will it happen in California too? "this is still holding back the economy. It is still having a big impact on healthcare institutions, which means the cost is being [... want %more?] → https://old.reddit.com/r/CoronaVirus_2019_nCoV/comments/104143e/the_xbb15_variant_is_taking_over_on_the_east/16:31
de-facto%title https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciimmunol.ade279816:34
Brainstormde-facto, the URL could not be loaded16:34
de-facto"Class switch towards non-inflammatory, spike-specific IgG4 antibodies after repeated SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination"16:35
JuerdIs that good or bad?16:42
BrainstormNew from The Atlantic: How Worried Should We Be About XBB.1.5?: After months and months of SARS-CoV-2 subvariant soup, one ingredient has emerged in the United States with a flavor pungent enough to overwhelm the rest: XBB.1.5, an Omicron offshoot that now accounts for an [... want %more?] → https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2023/01/latest-covid-omicron-subvariant-xbb15/672646/16:50
de-factoi am not quite sure, but its important as in probably an effect in majorities17:02
BrainstormUpdates for Chile: +4895 cases, +11 deaths since 23 hours ago — Spain: +10643 cases, +323 deaths since 5 days ago — Kosovo: +15 cases since a day ago17:10
BrainstormNew from ClinicalTrials.gov: (news): Evaluation of Post-SARS-CoV-2 Vaccinal Response in Immunocompromised Patients → https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT0567265417:10
de-factowhat do you think LjL ?17:17
LjLNo idea17:35
LjLDidn't know there were numbered IgG classes until moments ago so it would be hard for me to have an opinion17:35
BrainstormNew from ClinicalTrials.gov: (news): A Vaccine Booster (GEO-CM04S1) for the Prevention of COVID-19 in Patients With Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia → https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT0567235517:40
LjLde-facto: maybe one thing of note is the small sample and the fact that nobody developed actual COVID in it, they say17:41
LjLSo hard to tell what happens if vaccinations are combined with disease17:41
LjLOh, that was right before saying "except not"17:42
de-factoits investigating the most common vaccination scheme, i am not sure what this means in terms of immunology17:42
LjL"Specifically in individuals having experienced an additional infection, IgG4 antibodies accounted for 40–80% of all anti-S antibodies (Fig. S1C)."17:42
LjLSo if this increase in IgG4 is a problem, then it's a much bigger problem because infection causes it even more dramatically17:43
de-factothe IgG4 type of antibodies have something to do with inflammatory reaction, so they bind but dont "flag" for inflaming or such?17:43
de-factoi am really not sure if this is good or bad, we know that inflammation is the issue with COVID17:44
LjL"The IgG4 subclass does not prevail after repeated vaccination with tetanus toxoid or respiratory syncytial virus infection"17:45
LjLThey say IgG4 are rarely observed in most disease17:46
de-factowell but thats a completely different pathogen17:46
LjLSo I hope this doesn't have to do with the ability of COVID to infect repeatedly and (according to the US veterans study) be worse each time17:47
de-factoi am really not sure yet, but its a very important paper imho, because it investigates effects to be expected in majorities17:47
LjLDuh of course it's different, that's their point in pointing out this is not frequent as far as we know except with COVID :P17:47
LjL"These findings support the notion that class-switching to IgG4 is not a general consequence of repeated antigen exposure in form of vaccinations or infections."17:48
LjL"Interestingly, in the cohort that had two mRNA vaccinations before breakthrough infections, only three individuals developed IgG4 antibodies that were above the lower limit of quantification."17:50
LjLSo if vaccines don't kickstart this effect, disease alone doesn't cause it?17:50
de-factoi am not sure if such a small group can distinguish general prevalence of certain classes of cases, but it surely looks like they can establish a mechanism in general that probably is not uncommon17:53
LjLFurthermore, we observed significantly higher IgG4 levels after two doses of Comirnaty mRNA vaccine compared to a heterologous immunization regimen with a primary Vaxzevria vaccination followed by one dose of Comirnaty, although the total anti-spike IgG response was comparable. This argues against the hypothesis that repeated exposure to the spike protein itself triggers the unusual IgG4 response. It is currently not clear whether or to what extent the Comirnaty mRNA17:55
LjLvaccination or the short interval of immunizations are responsible for the observed long-lasting GC reactions (12–14), but a prolonged presence of vaccine mRNA or antigen in the lymph node might be a potential explanation (12).17:55
LjLAnti-mRNA people specifically will love this17:55
de-factothey do of course, yet imho its not clear if this is good or bad, we do know that mRNA vaccination did help us a lot to make COVID less severe for majorities17:56
LjL"High levels of antigen-specific IgG4 have been reported to correlate with successful allergen-specific immunotherapy by blocking IgE-mediated effects (46)."17:57
de-factoso maybe the immune system learned to not react with inflammation to COVID?17:57
de-factonot sure17:57
LjLMy intuitive impression is that with at least some diseases/antigens, if the body encounters them frequently (but maybe it realizes they don't cause big issues?), it switches to antibodies that should still keep them at bay somewhat, but without harmful effects on the body caused by inflammatkon17:58
LjLSo like a more bat-like immune response ;)17:58
de-factohaha not sure, their immune system is completely different18:00
LjL"Additionally, Della-Torre et al. reported on a significant association of high IgG4/IgG1 ratios with poor disease outcome (57)."18:01
LjLI don't like this part ;(18:01
de-factocompletely speculative: could it be that the mRNA vaccines are creating such a strong immune reaction to the s-protein that the immune system already recognizes and solves the inflammatory issues created by COVID during the vaccination?18:02
LjLUh18:03
LjLI don't know, do we know that inflammatory issues are only caused by the S protein? My guess would be not18:03
de-factothe other vaccines dont create such a strong immunity, e.g. the vector vaccines or the inactivated antigen ones18:04
LjLNo but they are effective when mixed with mRNA later18:06
LjLSo maybe that turns out to be actually be best way...18:06
LjLBut this study only looked at that in passing18:06
de-factoan interesting question could be if this really is an effect correlating to mRNA vaccines only or if its something that most immune responses will default towards if only stimulated intensely and often enough with the S-protein of SARS-CoV.218:07
de-factoi think you should add it to zotero LjL :)18:08
LjLWell apparently infections that are not SARS-CoV-2 don't do it almost at all, although maybe we've only looked at fee of them18:08
LjLYes de-facto I got the subtle hint18:09
LjLBut I'm using the phone now18:09
LjLI will add it when at the computer18:09
de-factooh ok, i see the bold copy and paste, yeah that client does that :)18:09
LjLHeh18:09
de-factoyes but those other pathogens they mentioned there, are any of them known specifically to cause such an problematic inflammatory cascade that COVID is known for?18:10
bunburyLjL, do you work in science medical field?18:19
LjLNo18:19
LjLde-facto: dunno18:20
de-factonope18:23
LjLde-facto: I think you'll be interested in this one: https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.122.061025 though note that they didn't know the *cause* of circulating spike, but also that p was really tiny18:23
de-factonot medical sciences18:23
de-factohmm their cohorts have a gender preference, how can they call this a control group then?18:30
LjLde-facto: seen in the supplemental material?18:33
LjLDoes it look statistically relevant? And also myocarditis post vaccine occurred mostly in males18:33
de-factoTable 118:34
LjLSo maybe there's a good reason18:34
de-factoyes thats why i mention it, its known to prefer young males18:34
BrainstormNew from ClinicalTrials.gov: (news): Serum Level of Ferritin and D-dimer and the Severity of (COVID 19) Infection → https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT0567281018:38
BrainstormNew from COVID on Twitter: Eric Topol (@EricTopol): "All around the world, Covid surveillance is faltering.That, rather than the surge of cases in China, is the main reason for worry"The number of sequences submitted @GISAID has dropped 90% economist.com/science-and-te… → https://twitter.com/EricTopol/status/161105481978310246418:48
de-facto%title https://arstechnica.com/science/2023/01/long-covid-stemmed-from-mild-cases-of-covid-19-in-most-people/18:50
Brainstormde-facto: From arstechnica.com: Long COVID stemmed from mild cases of COVID-19 in most people | Ars Technica18:50
de-factough :(18:50
de-facto"We found that a staggering 90 percent of people living with long COVID initially experienced only mild illness with COVID-19. After developing long COVID, however, the typical person experienced symptoms including fatigue, shortness of breath, and cognitive problems such as brain fog—or a combination of these—that affected daily functioning."18:52
de-facto"We found that patients who were hospitalized for COVID-19 had a greater risk of developing long COVID—and of having longer-lasting symptoms—compared with people who had not been hospitalized. However, because the vast majority of COVID-19 cases do not require hospitalization, many more cases of long COVID have arisen from these milder cases despite their lower risk"18:53
de-facto"Among all people with long COVID, our study found that nearly one out of every seven were still experiencing these symptoms a year later, and researchers don’t yet know how many of these cases may become chronic."18:53
BrainstormNew from COVID on Twitter: Marc Veldhoen (@Marc_Veld): Should this need any comment, except, pity of the funding?Hydroxychloroquine for treatment of non-hospitalized adults with COVID-19: A meta-analysis of individual participant data of randomized trialsascpt.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ct… → https://twitter.com/Marc_Veld/status/161105851080815823218:58
BrainstormNew from StatNews: Listen: #JPM23, the future of Alzheimer’s, & rising Covid variants: What does 2023 have in store for biotech? How can the FDA win back trust? And who came up with "XBB.1.5"? Find out on this week's episode of "The Readout… → https://www.statnews.com/2023/01/05/podcast-alzheimers-jpm-covid-variants/19:57
BrainstormUpdates for Malaysia: +571 cases, +7 deaths since a day ago — South Africa: +357 cases since a day ago — Morocco: +68 cases, +3994 tests since a day ago — Sri Lanka: +13 cases, +1 deaths since a day ago20:04
BrainstormNew from Reddit (test): nCoV: There’s Already Another New Dominant Covid Strain. Here’s What to Know. | 05JAN22 → https://old.reddit.com/r/nCoV/comments/1047cst/theres_already_another_new_dominant_covid_strain/20:17
BrainstormNew from COVID on Twitter: Gunhild Alvik Nyborg (@GANyborg): Not the news we needed from the intranasal vaccine front.  twitter.com/TRyanGregory/s… → https://twitter.com/GANyborg/status/161108585107255299320:46
BrainstormNew from r/COVID19: COVID19: Risk factors for long COVID among healthcare workers, Brazil, 2020&2022 → https://old.reddit.com/r/COVID19/comments/1048coj/risk_factors_for_long_covid_among_healthcare/20:56
BrainstormNew from COVID on Twitter: (translated) Gunhild Alvik Nyborg (@GANyborg): New virus from Wuhan: "FHI is little concerned"The virus is spreading to Europe: "FHI is little concerned"Participate in India: "FHI is little concerned"Infection explosion in schools: "FHI is little concerned"Omikron: "FHI is little [... want %more?] → https://twitter.com/GANyborg/status/161109005087552716821:05
BrainstormUpdates for Montenegro: +60 cases since a day ago — United Kingdom: +720 deaths since 17 hours ago21:06
BrainstormNew from Contagion Live: Vaxcyte’s Pneumococcal Vaccine Receives FDA Breakthrough Therapy Designation: The 24-valent investigational pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, VAX-24, met its primary endpoints in a phase 1/2 trial. → https://www.contagionlive.com/view/vaxcyte-s-pneumococcal-vaccine-receives-fda-breakthrough-therapy-designation21:35
BrainstormUpdates for France: +11536 cases, +143 deaths since 6 hours ago — Kenya: +47 cases since 20 hours ago22:08
BrainstormUpdates for Canada: +9693 cases, +104 deaths since a day ago — Netherlands: +2870 cases since 21 hours ago — Bahrain: +102 cases, +2161 tests since 23 hours ago23:11

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