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By Nancy Lapid
July 2 (Reuters) – The following is a summary of some of the latest scientific studies on the novel coronavirus and efforts to find treatments and vaccines for COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus.
The absence of side effects from the vaccine is not of concern
While a variety of side effects after receiving a COVID-19 mRNA vaccine could be a sign that the immune system is shifting into high gear, the absence of such reactions does not mean it has not responded. , have discovered researchers. They tested 206 hospital workers for antibodies to the coronavirus before and after receiving the vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech and asked them about reactions to the vaccine. As in clinical trials, arm pain was the most common symptom, reported by 91% after the first injection and 82% after the second. Systemic symptoms, such as feeling weak or tired, or body aches or pains, were reported by 42% and 28%, respectively, after the first injection and by 62% and 52% after the second injection . But there was no correlation between the severity of the vaccine’s symptoms and antibody levels one month after vaccination, researchers reported Friday in an article published on medRxiv ahead of the peer review. The researchers said the results should reassure people that the lack of side effects after receiving the mRNA injections doesn’t mean the vaccine isn’t working as expected. The Moderna shot also uses mRNA technology. (https://bit.ly/3yfw4nX)
MRNA vaccines limit the severity of rare infections
In the rare cases of COVID-19 that occur after vaccination, patients are likely to be sick for less time and have milder symptoms than if they were unvaccinated, according to a US study looking closely at 4,000 healthcare workers, first responders and other front-line workers. . In participants who have been tested weekly since mid-December, COVID-19 was diagnosed in five who were fully vaccinated with an mRNA vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech or Moderna, 11 who were partially protected, who received either one injection, less than 14 days after their second, and 156 who were not vaccinated. Most unvaccinated patients have been sick for at least two weeks, compared with just one week for vaccinated patients, the researchers reported in the New England Journal of Medicine on Wednesday. Fully or partially vaccinated patients had a 58% lower risk of fever and spent an average of 2.3 days less in bed than unvaccinated patients. Their viral loads were also 40% lower on average. “If you get vaccinated about 90% of the time you won’t get COVID-19,” co-author Dr. Jeff Burgess of the University of Arizona said in a statement. “Even if you catch it, there will be less virus inside you and your illness will probably be much milder.” (https://bit.ly/3yeEFHC)
J&J vaccine shows promise against Delta variant in lab test
Johnson & Johnson’s single-injection COVID-19 vaccine showed promise against the highly contagious variant of the Delta coronavirus in a lab study published Thursday on bioRxiv ahead of peer review. Blood tests of eight vaccine recipients showed that its neutralizing antibody activity against the Delta variant, first identified in India, was reduced by 1.6 times compared to an earlier version of the virus but is still higher. higher than against the beta variant, first identified in South Africa. In trials last year as the beta variant circulated in South Africa, the J&J vaccine was shown to be 66% effective against moderate and severe disease. “We believe our vaccine provides long-lasting protection against COVID-19 and triggers neutralizing activity against the Delta variant,” said J&J Scientific Director Paul Stoffels. So far, preliminary data has shown that vaccines made by Pfizer and BioNTech, AstraZeneca and Moderna largely protect against Delta, with the concentration of antibodies neutralizing the virus being somewhat reduced. Delta has become the variant of most concern around the world because it is spread more easily, can cause more serious illness even in young people, and is becoming the dominant viral version in many countries. (https://bit.ly/2SLQG8s; https://reut.rs/3xeCmUZ)
High level of COVID-19 observed in patients’ pets
In 20% of households where humans had or recovered from COVID-19, cats and dogs also had antibodies to the virus, Dutch researchers found. They visited 196 households where humans had tested positive in the previous 200 days, to test pet cats and dogs for the coronavirus and for antibodies that would indicate past infection. Thirteen animals – six cats and seven dogs – or 4.2%, had COVID-19, and 54 – 31 cats and 23 dogs (17.4%) – had anti-coronavirus antibodies. There was no evidence that pets passed the infection to each other. The owners did not report any symptoms or mild symptoms in the infected animals. “If you have COVID-19, you should avoid contact with your cat or dog,” said Dr Els Broens of the University of Utrecht, whose team presented data to the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology on Wednesday. and infectious diseases, in a statement. “The main concern, however, is not the health of the animals … but the potential risk that pets could act as a reservoir for the virus and reintroduce it into the human population.” To date, however, no animal-to-human transmission has been reported, he added. “It seems unlikely that pets will play a role in the pandemic. “(Https://bit.ly/3jzUPXV)
Open https://tmsnrt.rs/3c7R3Bl in an external browser for a Reuters graphic on vaccines in development.
(Reporting by Nancy Lapid, Aakriti Bhalla and Manas Mishra; Editing by Bill Berkrot)
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