Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Research Roundup: Mask-Wearing; Convalescent Plasma; Flu Vaccines; Acute Hypoxemic Respiratory Failure
The Lancet: Mask-Wearing And Control Of SARS-CoV-2 Transmission In The USA: A Cross-Sectional Study
Face masks have become commonplace across the USA because of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) epidemic. Although evidence suggests that masks help to curb the spread of the disease, there is little empirical research at the population level. We investigate the association between self-reported mask-wearing, physical distancing, and SARS-CoV-2 transmission in the USA, along with the effect of statewide mandates on mask uptake. (Rader, 1/19)
New England Journal of Medicine: Convalescent Plasma Antibody Levels And The Risk Of Death From Covid-19
Convalescent plasma has been widely used to treat coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) under the presumption that such plasma contains potentially therapeutic antibodies to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that can be passively transferred to the plasma recipient. Whether convalescent plasma with high antibody levels rather than low antibody levels is associated with a lower risk of death is unknown. (Joyner et al, 1/13)
CIDRAP: Study Shows High-Dose, Standard Flu Vaccines Equally Safe In Older Adults
A study yesterday in JAMA Network Open compared the safety and short-term effects on quality of life in older adults who received either the trivalent adjuvanted inactivated influenza vaccine (aIIV3) or trivalent high-dose inactivated influenza vaccine (HD-IIV3), and found both are acceptable vaccine options for this patient population. The randomized clinical trial included 757 adults 65 and older, with 378 receiving aIIV3 and 379 receiving HD-IIV3. The study included 420 women (55%) and 589 white participants (78%), with a median age of 72 for all patients. (1/15)
CIDRAP: Flu Vaccine Effectiveness May Fall 8% To 9% Monthly After Immunization
Flu vaccine effectiveness (VE) in adults waned 8% to 9% each month after vaccination, a study of the 2015-2016 to 2018-2019 US flu seasons finds. The study, led by researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and published today in Clinical Infectious Diseases, analyzed electronic medical records and interviews from participants in the US Hospitalized Adult Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness Network. (1/19)
New England Journal of Medicine: Lower Or Higher Oxygenation Targets For Acute Hypoxemic Respiratory Failure
Patients with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure in the intensive care unit (ICU) are treated with supplemental oxygen, but the benefits and harms of different oxygenation targets are unclear. We hypothesized that using a lower target for partial pressure of arterial oxygen (Pao2) would result in lower mortality than using a higher target. (Schjorring et al, 1/13)
