Articles: sars-cov-2.
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Inactivated vaccine BBIBP-CorV (Sinopharm; 95% (95%CI: 94%,97%)) and the mRNA vaccine BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech; 98% (95%CI: 86%,99%)) demonstrated protection against COVID-19 related hospitalizations from the Delta (B.1.617.2) variant. Ongoing efforts are necessary to target vaccine hesitancy and promote booster shots for protection against severe COVID-19 disease and arising variants of concern.
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Ethnoracial groups in high-income countries have a 2-fold higher risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection, associated hospitalizations, and mortality than Whites. Migrants are an ethnoracial subset that may have worse COVID-19 outcomes due to additional barriers accessing care, but there are limited data on in-hospital outcomes. We aimed to disaggregate and compare COVID-19 associated hospital outcomes by ethnicity, immigrant status and region of birth. ⋯ Data disaggregated by region of birth identified subgroups of immigrants at increased risk of COVID-19 ICU admission, providing more actionable data for health policymakers to address health inequities.
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Multiple instances of flight-associated severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission during long-haul flights have been reported during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, comprehensive investigations of passenger risk behaviours, before, during and after the flight, are scarce. ⋯ This investigation identified substantial in-flight transmission among passengers seated both within and beyond two rows of the primary cases. Infection of passengers in separate cabin classes also suggests transmission occurred outside the cabin environment, likely at the arrival airport. Recognizing that transmission may occur pre- and post-boarding may inform contact tracing advice and improve efforts to prevent future travel-associated outbreaks.
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Italy was the first country after China to be severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, in early 2020. The country responded swiftly to the outbreak with a nationwide two-step lockdown, the first one light and the second one tight. By analyzing 2020 national mobile phone movements, we assessed how lockdown compliance influenced its efficacy. ⋯ Adherence to the COVID-19 tight lockdown during the first wave in Italy was high and effective in curtailing the outbreak. Any work-related mobility reduction was effective, but only high reductions in work-unrelated mobility restrictions were effective. For train travel, there was a threshold above which no further benefit occurred. These findings could be particular to the spread of SARS-CoV-2, but might also apply to other communicable infections with comparable transmission dynamics.