CORONAVIRUS INFO PROVIDED BY DR. JIM HARRIS – 4/4/2022

NYT;

1. Test positivity reaches record levels in England and Wales.

”…The estimates are far higher than official counts, and underscore the difficulty of tracking the trajectory of the virus when cases are often asymptomatic or revealed by home tests whose results are not officially reported. Britain’s reported case counts are down 7 percent over the past two weeks, but deaths have risen by 44 percent over that period….The agency said that most of the cases were likely to involve the Omicron subvariant known as BA.2, the most transmissible version of the virus yet identified. It has spread faster than the BA.1 variant that was almost entirely responsible for case spikes around the world over the winter…A significant proportion of the British population is unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated: 26 percent, according to data compiled from government sources by the Our World in Data project at Oxford University. The figure includes those too young to receive doses.

(J. Harris: Great Britain has been running about one month ahead of the US with COVID spread and trends. We have more unvaccinated folks than 26% which is worrisome.)

JAMA

1. Durability of the Single-Dose Ad26.COV2.S Vaccine in the Prevention of COVID-19 Infections and Hospitalizations in the US Before and During the Delta Variant Surge

Conclusions

This population-based cohort study from clinical practice in the US found that Ad26.COV2.S was associated with stable and durable VE for at least 6 months across high-risk patient subgroups and in geographic areas with high Delta variant incidence. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues and variants evolve, the observed VE may change as new variants emerge. Recent data have shown that a second dose will further improve protection…. Our data and data to be generated repeatedly over the coming months using this system of claims data43 contribute important and otherwise unattainable evidence specific to policy makers, physicians, and residents of the US.

(This “Jansen” or J&J Vaccine worked will and was enhanced with a booster. Since it does not require refridgeration or near time booters, it will continue to find world wide use. It likely will be come popular with the “Mix and Match” Population.)

2. Comparison of Seroconversion in Children and Adults With Mild COVID-19

Question What proportion of children with mild SARS-CoV-2 infection undergo seroconversion compared with adults?Findings In this cohort study of 57 children and 51 adults, the proportion of children with seroconversion to SARS-CoV-2 was half that found in adults despite similar viral load.

Meaning These findings suggest that serology may provide a less reliable marker of prior SARS-CoV-2 infection in children and support strategies to protect children against COVID-19, including vaccination.

FROM REUTERS: