Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Research Roundup: Myocarditis; Mpox; Antibiotic Allergies; Covid; And More
CIDRAP: UK Reports Fatal Enterovirus-Linked Myocarditis Cluster In Newborns
The United Kingdom has reported an unusual increase in myocarditis infections and two deaths in babies who had enterovirus infections, the World Health Organization (WHO) said yesterday. In early April, the UK notified the WHO about an increase in severe myocarditis in infants in Wales. Fifteen cases consistent with neonatal sepsis in babies 28 days old and younger were reported from Wales and Southwest England from June 2022 and March 2023. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing in nine patients confirmed either coxsackie B3 or coxsackie B4. As of April, three patients were hospitalized, four were receiving outpatient care, and two died. (Schnirring, 5/17)
CIDRAP: Wastewater Detections Show Mpox Likely Underestimated
A new study based on wastewater samples collected in Poznan, Poland, last year shows considerably more mpox DNA than expected based on area cases and hospitalizations, suggesting the virus has been underestimated in central Europe. The study appears in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases. (Soucheray, 5/16)
CIDRAP: Algorithm Could Help Detect Patients Who Are Likely To Have Antibiotic Allergic-Type Reactions
In a study published today in JAMA Network Open, US researchers report that a newly developed algorithm demonstrated high sensitivity in detecting antibiotic allergic-type reactions in patients receiving antibiotic prophylaxis (prevention) for cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED) procedures. (Dall, 5/17)
CIDRAP: Study: Death Rates In COVID ICU Patients 69% Higher Than For Flu
A new nationwide French study comparing outcomes for patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) for either influenza or COVID-19 due to acute respiratory failure shows that COVID-19 patients had a longer hospital stay and a 69% higher mortality rate than ICU patients with influenza. The study was published yesterday in the Journal of Infection. (Soucheray, 5/17)
CIDRAP: Regular Exercise Tied To Lower Death Risk From Flu, Pneumonia
Regular aerobic exercise is linked to a significantly lower risk of death from flu or pneumonia, according to US national data published yesterday in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. The study was based on 577,909 adults who had taken part in the US nationally representative National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) between 1998 and 2018. (Soucheray, 5/17)
