https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2022/10/covid-19-scan-oct-14-2022
COVID-19 Scan for Oct 14, 2022
COVID booster and breakthrough cases;
COVID-19 and birth rates
Filed Under:
COVID-19
COVID booster halved severe illness, but some groups still at higher risk
A study of 30 million people in the United Kingdom finds that 0.4% of people who completed their primary COVID-19 vaccine series had severe breakthrough infections, compared with 0.2% of booster recipients, during Omicron variant predominance.
The study, published today in The Lancet, also shows that older adults, men, people with underlying medical conditions, and those with suppressed immunity were remained at elevated risk for hospitalization and death after receiving the booster.
University of St. Andrews researchers in Scotland led the study of 16,208,600 people who completed their primary COVID-19 vaccination series with the Pfizer/BioNTech or AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccines from Dec 8, 2020, to Feb 28, 2022, and 13,836,390 who received a Pfizer or Moderna booster from Dec 20, 2021, to Feb 28, 2022. Participants lived in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.
A total of 0.4% of primary vaccine recipients and 0.2% of those who received a booster had severe COVID-19 outcomes from Dec 20, 2021, through February 2022, with booster-associated risk falling from 8.8 to 7.6 events per 1,000 person-years compared with people who didn't receive boosters.
The risk of severe outcomes remained elevated in older adults (absolute risk reduction [aRR] for 80 years or older vs18 to 49 years, 3.60), those with chronic conditions (aRR for 5 or more vs no comorbidities, 9.51), men (aRR, 1.23), those taking immunosuppressant drugs (aRR, 5.80), and those with chronic kidney disease (aRR for stage 5, 3.71). Previously COVID-infected people were at lower risk (aRR for infected at least 9 months before booster, 0.41).
The at-risk groups should "be prioritised for additional boosters, including novel optimised versions, and the increasing array of COVID-19 therapeutics," the researchers wrote.
In a related commentary, Stephanie Irving, MHS, of Kaiser Permanente in Oregon, and Maria Sundaram, PhD, MSPH, of the Marshfield Clinic in Wisconsin, called the absolute numbers of severe COVID-19 outcomes "disheartening, translating to life-altering events for more than 26,000 families over the 2-month study period. Protection of the individuals at highest risk must be a priority as we continue to develop and refine response strategies for the COVID-19 pandemic."
Oct 14 Lancet study and commentary
Europe reported 14% decrease in live births 9 months into pandemic
Europe saw a 14% decrease in live births in January 2021, just 9 to 10 months after the first peak of COVID-19, compared to the same timeframes in 2018 and 2019, according to a study published yesterday in Human Reproduction.
The authors say this is likely because of lockdowns and not due to the virus itself or problems as a result of infection, such as deaths, miscarriages, or stillbirths.
"We think that couples’ fears of a health and social crisis at the time of the first wave of COVID-19 contributed to the decrease in live births nine months later," said author Leo Pomar, PhD, a midwife sonographer at Lausanne University Hospital in a press release. "The decline in births nine months after the start of the pandemic appears to be more common in countries where health systems were struggling and capacity in hospitals was exceeded. This led to lockdowns and social distancing measures to try to contain the pandemic."
The authors looked at data from 24 European countries. They adjusted the live birth rates to take into account seasonal variations and found that January 2021 was the only month in which there was a significant drop in live births.
According to the authors, the incidence of COVID-19 during the first wave varied from 0.5% to 5.1% in the countries included in the analysis.
Decreases in birth rates in January 2021 were seen in Belgium (12% decrease), Estonia (-13%), France (-14%), Italy (-17%), Latvia (-15.5%), Lithuania (-28%), Portugal (-18%), Romania (-23%), Russia (-19%), Spain (-23.5%), Ukraine (-24%), England and Wales (-13%), and Scotland (-14%).
"Social distancing measures, fears related to the pathogen and the social/economic crisis may be indirect factors that played a role in the decision of couples to postpone pregnancies and could be investigated in future research," the authors concluded.
Oct 13 Hum Reprod study
Oct 13 Hum Reprod press release
COVID-19 Scan for Oct 14, 2022
COVID booster and breakthrough cases;
COVID-19 and birth rates
Filed Under:
COVID-19
COVID booster halved severe illness, but some groups still at higher risk
A study of 30 million people in the United Kingdom finds that 0.4% of people who completed their primary COVID-19 vaccine series had severe breakthrough infections, compared with 0.2% of booster recipients, during Omicron variant predominance.
The study, published today in The Lancet, also shows that older adults, men, people with underlying medical conditions, and those with suppressed immunity were remained at elevated risk for hospitalization and death after receiving the booster.
University of St. Andrews researchers in Scotland led the study of 16,208,600 people who completed their primary COVID-19 vaccination series with the Pfizer/BioNTech or AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccines from Dec 8, 2020, to Feb 28, 2022, and 13,836,390 who received a Pfizer or Moderna booster from Dec 20, 2021, to Feb 28, 2022. Participants lived in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.
A total of 0.4% of primary vaccine recipients and 0.2% of those who received a booster had severe COVID-19 outcomes from Dec 20, 2021, through February 2022, with booster-associated risk falling from 8.8 to 7.6 events per 1,000 person-years compared with people who didn't receive boosters.
The risk of severe outcomes remained elevated in older adults (absolute risk reduction [aRR] for 80 years or older vs18 to 49 years, 3.60), those with chronic conditions (aRR for 5 or more vs no comorbidities, 9.51), men (aRR, 1.23), those taking immunosuppressant drugs (aRR, 5.80), and those with chronic kidney disease (aRR for stage 5, 3.71). Previously COVID-infected people were at lower risk (aRR for infected at least 9 months before booster, 0.41).
The at-risk groups should "be prioritised for additional boosters, including novel optimised versions, and the increasing array of COVID-19 therapeutics," the researchers wrote.
In a related commentary, Stephanie Irving, MHS, of Kaiser Permanente in Oregon, and Maria Sundaram, PhD, MSPH, of the Marshfield Clinic in Wisconsin, called the absolute numbers of severe COVID-19 outcomes "disheartening, translating to life-altering events for more than 26,000 families over the 2-month study period. Protection of the individuals at highest risk must be a priority as we continue to develop and refine response strategies for the COVID-19 pandemic."
Oct 14 Lancet study and commentary
Europe reported 14% decrease in live births 9 months into pandemic
Europe saw a 14% decrease in live births in January 2021, just 9 to 10 months after the first peak of COVID-19, compared to the same timeframes in 2018 and 2019, according to a study published yesterday in Human Reproduction.
The authors say this is likely because of lockdowns and not due to the virus itself or problems as a result of infection, such as deaths, miscarriages, or stillbirths.
"We think that couples’ fears of a health and social crisis at the time of the first wave of COVID-19 contributed to the decrease in live births nine months later," said author Leo Pomar, PhD, a midwife sonographer at Lausanne University Hospital in a press release. "The decline in births nine months after the start of the pandemic appears to be more common in countries where health systems were struggling and capacity in hospitals was exceeded. This led to lockdowns and social distancing measures to try to contain the pandemic."
The authors looked at data from 24 European countries. They adjusted the live birth rates to take into account seasonal variations and found that January 2021 was the only month in which there was a significant drop in live births.
According to the authors, the incidence of COVID-19 during the first wave varied from 0.5% to 5.1% in the countries included in the analysis.
Decreases in birth rates in January 2021 were seen in Belgium (12% decrease), Estonia (-13%), France (-14%), Italy (-17%), Latvia (-15.5%), Lithuania (-28%), Portugal (-18%), Romania (-23%), Russia (-19%), Spain (-23.5%), Ukraine (-24%), England and Wales (-13%), and Scotland (-14%).
"Social distancing measures, fears related to the pathogen and the social/economic crisis may be indirect factors that played a role in the decision of couples to postpone pregnancies and could be investigated in future research," the authors concluded.
Oct 13 Hum Reprod study
Oct 13 Hum Reprod press release