Free Republic

BACKGROUND Despite the high efficacy of the BNT162b2 messenger RNA vaccine against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), rare breakthrough infections have been reported, including infections among health care workers. Data are needed to characterize these infections and define correlates of breakthrough and infectivity. METHODS At the largest medical center in Israel, we identified breakthrough infections by performing extensive evaluations of health care workers who were symptomatic (including mild symptoms) or had known infection exposure. These evaluations included epidemiologic investigations, repeat reverse-transcriptase–polymerase-chain-reaction (RT-PCR) assays, antigen-detecting rapid diagnostic testing (Ag-RDT), serologic assays, and genomic sequencing. Correlates of breakthrough infection were...

Background Ivermectin, an antiparasitic agent used to treat parasitic infestations, inhibits the replication of viruses in vitro. The molecular hypothesis of ivermectin's antiviral mode of action suggests an inhibitory effect on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) replication in the early stages of infection. Currently, evidence on efficacy and safety of ivermectin for prevention of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection and COVID‐19 treatment is conflicting. Objectives To assess the efficacy and safety of ivermectin compared to no treatment, standard of care, placebo, or any other proven intervention for people with COVID‐19 receiving treatment as inpatients or outpatients, and for prevention of an...

New data from phase 3 trials of monoclonal antibodies for patients with recent COVID-19 diagnoses, or at high risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection, could move the needle on clinician acceptance of the treatments, experts say. Two monoclonal antibody formulations, Eli Lilly's bamlanivimab and Regeneron's cocktail of two antibodies, casirivimab and imdevimab, received emergency use authorizations from the US Food and Drug Administration in November to treat mild to moderate COVID-19 in outpatients. But current recommendations from the Infectious Diseases Society of America's COVID-19 treatment and guideline panel, based on data from a phase 2 trial of bamlanivimab, suggest against the routine...

I was asked by several Freepers to post a thread once I have received my Pfizer Corona Virus Vaccine. As many of you know, I am a critical care physician in a large city environment. We have been having a surge for the last several weeks. I received the Vaccine this morning at 7:56 AM. I was the third physician outside of the large academic center in town to receive the vaccine. Our hospital system had the vaccine released it first as we are the largest non-academic system in the city. Prequel: I have been on experimental prophylaxis combination for...

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Friday formally granted emergency approval for Pfizer and BioNTech’s coronavirus vaccine candidate, officially paving the way for widespread distribution of the long-awaited vaccine that is recommended to go to health care workers and residents and staff of long-term care facilities first.

During the gulf war, reporters were broadcasting from undisclosed locations from somewhere in the Mediterranean. Tonight this will be a brief update, and I am also on the front line tonight I will apply the preamble from the previous three threads, you are welcome to read it to understand my methodology and where I am generating my sources. Today has been an interesting day from the data. Yesterday, there were multiple bad reports from Europe, however that has reversed today. One has to wonder if there was a weekend backlog because of the rise in numbers. However what is very...

Good Evening all: Here is the 72 hour update (Day +5 from original post) on the data presented below. The data has been fast changing and as for all data sets there is some good news, some bad news, and some interesting news. I am adding the UK to the analysis. I will post the incremental 48 hour data points under each country. In terms of the data, the Worldodometer uses 2400 GMT to measure the 24 hour period, so I am convinced this is standardized appropriately. From the High level view, Italy is going showing reduced new cases today...

Good Evening all: Here is the 48 hour update on the data presented below. The data has been fast changing and as for all data sets there is some good news, some bad news, and some interesting news. I am adding the UK to the analysis. I will post the incremental 48 hour data points under each country. In terms of the data, the Worldodometer uses 2400 GMT to measure the 24 hour period, so I am convinced this is standardized appropriately. From the High level view, Italy is going off the rails, Germany and France appear to be on...

I have spent the last several days like most Americans somewhat baffled, perplexed and even a little nervous at the rapidly unfolding events as to CoVID-19. The community seems to have been divided into two groups, those who are advocating that there is nothing more than the common flu here and that there is vast overreaction, and those that advocate that this is a serious illness that for the safety of all requires drastic measures in order to prevent mass death and tragedy. If one looks closely, it is possible to find everything from death rates calculated at 0.1% -...

Carville is conceding that Kerry cannot win OHIO on CNN. Says that Democrats must re-evaluate their strategy for the future. I at least give it to him to be honest when it comes down to brass tacks.

New Fox News Alert -- looks like things are really going to get interesting!

Breaking news -- the house ways and means committee just passes the medicare drug benefit...nothing further on fox.

<p>Patients in need of emergency medical care were able to get treatment in Jacksonville-area hospitals yesterday, despite the decision by some doctors to stop or reduce work because of rising malpractice insurance rates.</p> <p>A special referral network established by hospitals and the Duval County Health Department facilitated the transfer of about a dozen patients from one hospital to another so the patients could get treatment.</p>

<p>HONG KONG, China (CNN) -- A common sexually transmitted disease appears to have teamed up with a virus to cause the deadly form of pneumonia known as SARS, at least in the cases in China, a World Health Organization spokesman said Friday.</p>

<p>The House took a major step toward passage of medical liability reform legislation this week, as the Judiciary Committee voted Wednesday to approve H.R. 5, a bill which would cap "non-economic" medical malpractice awards at $250,000. The House Energy and Commerce Committee approved the bill yesterday. The bill, introduced by Rep. James Greenwood, Pennsylvania Republican, and strongly supported by the Bush administration, is expected to reach the House floor by the middle of next week.</p>