Articles related to Infectious Diseases

People who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 have a shorter duration of viable viral shedding and a lower secondary attack rate than partially vaccinated or unvaccinated people. Data from this study provides important evidence that despite the possibility of breakthrough infections, COVID-19 vaccinations remain critically useful for controlling the spread of SARS-CoV-2.

A new study published in Virus Research found that gargling with mouth wash leads to a mild decrease in the rate of COVID-19 transmission. Several antiseptic mouth rinses have shown potential antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 infectivity in vitro; however, the antiseptic agent responsible for this effect was not clear until now.

Monkeypox has never before appeared more or less simultaneously across different countries and now continents. So this current outbreak is both puzzling and concerning public health workers. Unlike the previous cases discovered outside Africa, the current outbreaks have occurred in people with no travel history, suggesting that human-to-human transmission is driving the spread. And in the current outbreak, the illness appears to be presenting atypically, without its normal prodrome. Read more about the hypothesized connection with smallpox eradication, available vaccinations, and public health response from the outbreak.

The US is in the midst of another surge in COVID-19 infections heading into the summer. A GWU physician feels CDC are misserving the country by downplaying the surge and hiding the real data behind an “all green” map.

Monkeypox is again spreading around the world, from Europe to North America. This is the first outbreak in US the since 2003 and the disease is now spreading fairly rapidly on a daily basis. Transmission between people mostly occurs through large respiratory droplets, normally meaning prolonged contact face to face. But the virus can also spread through bodily fluids. The latest cases have mainly been among men who have sex with men. Currently, the UK has the largest number of diagnosed cases, followed by Portugal, Canada, and Spain. Latest case counts by country can be seen here.

The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) has issued guidance on managing drug interactions with nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (Paxlovid). Specifically, the IDSA recommends clinicians take six steps to minimize the risk of drug interactions for patients with COVID-19 who are eligible for nirmatrelvir/ritonavir.