News Feature |
Featured
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Research Highlight |
The global burden of antimicrobial resistance
The most comprehensive analysis of AMR so far highlights the enormous magnitude of this public health problem, and provides a foundation for targeted interventions.
- Karen O’Leary
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Correspondence |
The medicalization of freedom: how anti-science movements use the language of personal liberty and how we can address it
- Jerel M. Ezell
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Article
| Open AccessLong-term cardiovascular outcomes of COVID-19
Individuals with COVID-19 are at increased long-term risk for a wide range of cardiovascular disorders, even for individuals who were not hospitalized during the acute phase of the infection.
- Yan Xie
- , Evan Xu
- & Ziyad Al-Aly
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Research Highlight |
Air pollution disparities in the USA
A US-based study highlights widening disparities in air quality, with racial/ethnic minorities and low-income groups exposed to higher levels of pollution.
- Karen O’Leary
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News & Views |
AI as a new paradigm for risk-based screening for breast cancer
AI may represent a new tool in the risk assessment and screening pathway of breast cancer. To realise its potential, the effect of AI-supported decisions on relevant clinical outcomes must be prospectively evaluated.
- Nehmat Houssami
- & Karla Kerlikowske
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Article
| Open AccessSARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 vaccination rates in pregnant women in Scotland
Findings from the COVID-19 in Pregnancy in Scotland (COPS) study reveals low levels of vaccination uptake by pregnant women compared to women in the general population and that not being vaccinated is associated with increased risk of severe complications of COVID-19 in pregnancy, including perinatal mortality.
- Sarah J. Stock
- , Jade Carruthers
- & Rachael Wood
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Comment |
The French health pass holds lessons for mandatory COVID-19 vaccination
The passe sanitaire increased levels of vaccination, but to a lower extent among the most vulnerable, and did not reduce vaccine hesitancy itself, showing the importance of outreach to underserved communities and the potential limits of mandatory vaccination policies.
- Jeremy K. Ward
- , Fatima Gauna
- & Patrick Peretti-Watel
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News |
As COVID-19 vaccines arrive in Africa, Omicron is reducing supply and increasing demand
As data emerge that boosters may help to protect against Omicron, the supply of vaccines to Africa is further squeezed. But fears of the COVID-19 variant may increase uptake, which is worryingly low in some countries.
- Paul Adepoju
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Research Highlight |
An equation for equity
New equations to estimate kidney function enable accurate clinical assessment without the use of race as a modifier.
- Karen O’Leary
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Comment |
Electronic health records as an equity tool for LGBTQIA+ people
Collection of data on sexual orientation, gender identity and intersex status will help to reduce health disparities that affect people from sexual and gender minority communities.
- Alex S. Keuroghlian
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Research Highlight |
Breastfeeding supports healthy gut bacteria in infants
Bifidobacterium species enriched in breastfed infants produce metabolites that strengthen infants’ gut barrier and immune systems.
- Karen O’Leary
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Brief Communication |
Viral loads of Delta-variant SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough infections after vaccination and booster with BNT162b2
Vaccination with BNT162b2 is associated with lower viral load in breakthrough infections of SARS-CoV-2, but this effect wanes at 2 months and vanishes at 6 months after vaccination. A third vaccine dose—or booster—restores the reduction in viral load.
- Matan Levine-Tiefenbrun
- , Idan Yelin
- & Roy Kishony
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Research Highlight |
The burden of police violence in the USA
Under-reporting of fatal police violence is rife within the US government–run database — intervention strategies are urgently needed to quantify and address this public-health issue.
- Karen O’Leary
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Article
| Open AccessEffect of Delta variant on viral burden and vaccine effectiveness against new SARS-CoV-2 infections in the UK
A large, community-based study in the United Kingdom indicates that the effectiveness of BNT162b2 and ChAdOx1 vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 infections with symptoms or high viral burden is reduced with the Delta variant compared to the Alpha variant.
- Koen B. Pouwels
- , Emma Pritchard
- & A. Sarah Walker
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Research Highlight |
A pinch of salt for heart disease
Replacing salt with a modified substitute has a beneficial impact on cardiovascular outcomes, according to a large, prospective trial.
- Karen O’Leary
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Brief Communication |
Effectiveness of the BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine in pregnancy
In an observational cohort of pregnant women in Israel, the BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccine was found to have effectiveness similar to that seen in the general population.
- Noa Dagan
- , Noam Barda
- & Ran D. Balicer
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Research Highlight |
An antibody for malaria prevention
A phase 1 trial involving controlled infection showed that CIS43LS was safe to use and effectively prevented infection with the malaria parasite.
- Karen O’Leary
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Article
| Open AccessPredictors of COVID-19 epidemics in countries of the World Health Organization African Region
A new study from the WHO African Region identifies features of countries that predict timing of the first case and the per capita mortality rate for the first and second waves of the COVID-19 epidemics.
- Feifei Zhang
- , Humphrey Karamagi
- & Mark E. J. Woolhouse
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Correspondence |
COVID-19 boosters in rich nations will delay vaccines for all
- Zain Chagla
- & Madhukar Pai
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Comment |
Remove obstacles to sharing health data with researchers outside of the European Union
COVID-19 has shown that international collaborations and global data sharing are essential for health research, but legal obstacles are preventing data sharing for non–pandemic-related research among public researchers across the world, with potentially damaging effects for citizens and patients.
- Heidi Beate Bentzen
- , Rosa Castro
- & Giske Ursin
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Research Highlight |
Alcohol consumption and cancer
Drinking patterns contribute substantially to cancer incidence, according to a global population-based study.
- Karen O’Leary
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Correspondence |
Fractionation of COVID-19 vaccine doses could extend limited supplies and reduce mortality
- Benjamin J. Cowling
- , Wey Wen Lim
- & Sarah Cobey
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Article |
Reduction in life expectancy in Brazil after COVID-19
New estimates of life expectancy at birth and at age 65 years in Brazil reveal substantial declines as a result of COVID-19, bringing mortality back to levels observed 20 or more years ago.
- Marcia C. Castro
- , Susie Gurzenda
- & Noreen Goldman
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Correspondence |
Causation or confounding: why controls are critical for characterizing long COVID
- Zahin Amin-Chowdhury
- & Shamez N. Ladhani
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Article
| Open AccessFirst-dose ChAdOx1 and BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccines and thrombocytopenic, thromboembolic and hemorrhagic events in Scotland
New data from the EAVE II cohort in Scotland suggests that a first dose of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine might be associated with a small increase in the risk of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura between 0 and 27 d after vaccination.
- C. R. Simpson
- , T. Shi
- & A. Sheikh
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Article
| Open AccessImpact of vaccination on new SARS-CoV-2 infections in the United Kingdom
Results from the Office of National Statistics COVID-19 Infection Survey in the United Kingdom demonstrate that the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 and BNT162b2 vaccines reduce the incidence of new SARS-CoV-2 infections by up to 65% with a single dose and up to 80% after two doses, with no significant differences in efficacy observed between the two vaccines.
- Emma Pritchard
- , Philippa C. Matthews
- & Koen B. Pouwels
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Research Highlight |
High COVID-19 death toll in Africa
Critically ill patients with COVID-19 in Africa are at higher risk of death than those elsewhere.
- Karen O’Leary
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Research Highlight |
Mouthwash for sexually transmitted diseases
Two studies report that antiseptic mouthwash does not reduce the incidence of oral sexually transmitted infections.
- Karen O’Leary
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Review Article |
Health systems resilience in managing the COVID-19 pandemic: lessons from 28 countries
A review of COVID-19 responses in 28 selected countries identifies elements of highly effective public health responses and offers recommendations toward strengthening health systems resilience.
- Victoria Haldane
- , Chuan De Foo
- & Helena Legido-Quigley
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Research Highlight |
Ongoing impact of Chernobyl radiation exposure
Two studies characterize the impact of ionizing radiation on the genetics of exposed individuals and their adult children.
- Karen O’Leary
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Comment |
Leave no one behind: ensuring access to COVID-19 vaccines for refugee and displaced populations
Ensuring access to vaccines against COVID-19 for refugee and displaced populations and addressing health inequities are vital for an effective pandemic response.
- Monette Zard
- , Ling San Lau
- & S. Patrick Kachur
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Letter
| Open AccessModeling vaccination rollouts, SARS-CoV-2 variants and the requirement for non-pharmaceutical interventions in Italy
Integration of variables to account for different speeds of vaccination rollouts and transmission dynamics of new SARS-CoV-2 strains into the SIDARTHE-V model suggests that maintaining non-pharmaceutical interventions during the COVID-19 vaccination campaign in Italy is essential for minimizing mortality in Italy into 2022.
- Giulia Giordano
- , Marta Colaneri
- & Raffaele Bruno
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Article |
Integration of genomic sequencing into the response to the Ebola virus outbreak in Nord Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Phylogeographic analysis of 792 Ebola virus genomes from the 2018 oubreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo integrated into an end-to-end surveillance program demonstrates the feasibility of using genomic sequencing data to inform the public health epidemic response in near-real time.
- Eddy Kinganda-Lusamaki
- , Allison Black
- & Jean-Jacques Muyembe Tamfum
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Comment |
The need for a new strategy for Ebola vaccination
News of two new outbreaks of Ebola virus disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Republic of Guinea, on the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, signals the need for a change of direction in vaccination strategies in the area.
- Daniel G. Bausch
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Correspondence |
Public opinion on global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines
- Philip M. Clarke
- , Laurence S. J. Roope
- & Raymond Duch
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Research Highlight |
Reducing the price tag on malaria vector control
Targeted vector-control strategies offer cost savings for anti-malaria programs.
- Alison Farrell
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Review Article |
Post-acute COVID-19 syndrome
A comprehensive review of the current literature on post-acute COVID-19, also referred to as long COVID, its pathophysiology and its organ-specific sequelae highlights the need for multidisciplinary follow-up and care of COVID-19 survivors.
- Ani Nalbandian
- , Kartik Sehgal
- & Elaine Y. Wan
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Research Highlight |
Vaccines reduce childhood mortality
New vaccines and an expansion of vaccination programs over the past two decades have substantively reduced childhood mortality in low- and middle-income countries.
- Jennifer Sargent
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News & Views |
Understanding life and death in Latin America
An analysis of life expectancy and cause of death in 363 Latin American cities unveils wide differences between cities in the same country, and sheds light on the socioeconomic factors that determine how long people live and how they die.
- Fernando Lanas
- & Pamela Seron
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Correspondence |
Time to evaluate COVID-19 contact-tracing apps
- Vittoria Colizza
- , Eva Grill
- & Christophe Fraser
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Article
| Open AccessLife expectancy and mortality in 363 cities of Latin America
City-level analysis of data from the SALURBAL project shows vast heterogeneity in life expectancy across cities within the same country, in addition to substantive differences in causes of death among nine Latin American countries, revealing modifiable factors that could be leveraged by municipal-level policies aimed toward improving health in urban environments.
- Usama Bilal
- , Philipp Hessel
- & Andrea Bolinaga
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Letter |
Wearable sensor data and self-reported symptoms for COVID-19 detection
A smartphone app that combines smartwatch and activity tracker data together with self-reported symptoms allows continuous monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
- Giorgio Quer
- , Jennifer M. Radin
- & Steven R. Steinhubl
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Comment |
Race, science and (im)precision medicine
The limitations of using race in biomedicine are important to recognize because race is often afforded more biological value than can be scientifically justified — and less social value than it commands.
- George Adigbli
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Brief Communication |
A global survey of potential acceptance of a COVID-19 vaccine
Survey data from across 19 countries reveal heterogeneity in attitudes toward acceptance of a COVID-19 vaccine and suggest that trust in government is associated with vaccine confidence.
- Jeffrey V. Lazarus
- , Scott C. Ratzan
- & Ayman El-Mohandes
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Article |
Magnitude, demographics and dynamics of the effect of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic on all-cause mortality in 21 industrialized countries
Application of Bayesian models to vital statistics data from 21 industrialized countries shows that approximately 206,000 additional people died than if the COVID-19 pandemic had not occured. The heterogeneous distribution of excess deaths across the countries reflects differences in how the pandemic has been managed as well as the resilience of healthcare systems in these nations.
- Vasilis Kontis
- , James E. Bennett
- & Majid Ezzati
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Letter |
Global maps of travel time to healthcare facilities
A global analysis generating high-resolution maps of travel time shows that 91.1% of the world’s population can reach a hospital or clinic within an hour if they have access to motorized transportation, but only 56.7% can do so by walking, highlighting additional inequities for underserved populations accessing healthcare.
- D. J. Weiss
- , A. Nelson
- & P. W. Gething
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Letter |
Clustering and superspreading potential of SARS-CoV-2 infections in Hong Kong
Cases linked to superspreading events are estimated to account for 80% of all local transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in Hong Kong in a study with implications for public health policies.
- Dillon C. Adam
- , Peng Wu
- & Benjamin J. Cowling
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News & Views |
Linking volume and intensity of physical activity to mortality
In a study of 96,476 participants from the UK Biobank cohort who had their physical activity objectively measured by accelerometer, both the volume of physical activity and its intensity were associated with risk of mortality.
- Jason M. R. Gill
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Matters Arising |
Is presymptomatic spread a major contributor to COVID-19 transmission?
- Mark K. Slifka
- & Lina Gao