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More unvaccinated U.S. adolescents hospitalized; myocarditis may be rare vaccine side effect in teens

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The next is a roundup of a number of the newest scientific research on the novel coronavirus and efforts to search out remedies and vaccines for COVID-19, the sickness attributable to the virus.

COVID-19 hospitalizations up amongst U.S. adolescents

COVID-19 hospitalizations rose amongst U.S. adolescents in March and April, and practically a 3rd of these hospitalized wanted intensive care, in keeping with information from greater than 250 hospitals in 14 states launched by the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC) on Friday. “Charges of COVID-19-associated hospitalization amongst adolescents additionally exceeded historic charges of seasonal influenza-associated hospitalization throughout comparable intervals,” researchers reported within the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. The hospitals reported a complete of 204 adolescents hospitalized for COVID-19 in March and April. “Till they’re absolutely vaccinated, adolescents ought to proceed to put on masks and take precautions when round others who usually are not vaccinated to guard themselves, and their household, mates, and group,” CDC Director Rochelle Walensky mentioned in an announcement on Friday. “I ask mother and father, relations and shut mates to hitch me and discuss with teenagers concerning the significance of those prevention methods and to encourage them to get vaccinated.” (https://bit.ly/3ieKdxb)

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Coronary heart irritation could also be uncommon vaccine facet impact in teenagers

Momentary coronary heart irritation could also be a uncommon facet impact of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in youngsters, in keeping with pediatricians who reported on seven instances from throughout the USA. The beforehand wholesome adolescents – all boys – developed chest ache inside 4 days after their second dose. MRI exams confirmed myocarditis, or coronary heart muscle irritation. “Happily, none of our sufferers was critically in poor health,” the authors reported on Friday in Pediatrics. The boys’ signs resolved “quickly” with remedy. Measures of cardiac standing had returned to regular at check-ups carried out after one-to-three weeks. Myocarditis is a recognized uncommon adversarial occasion following different vaccinations, the authors famous. There isn’t any proof, nonetheless, that the vaccine brought about these instances. “Up to now, over 2.2 million youngsters (aged) 16-17 have already obtained 2 doses of Pfizer vaccine, and over 3 million children 12-15 years outdated have obtained dose #1,” mentioned coauthor Dr. Judy Guzman-Cottrill of Oregon Well being & Science College. “These are big, very reassuring denominators.” COVID-19 itself may cause myocarditis, she famous. “After wanting on the dangers and advantages, the information assist getting children vaccinated.” (https://bit.ly/3fOYm2d; https://bit.ly/3uLeQNi)

Measuring longer-lasting COVID-19 immunity possible

Together with testing for antibody ranges after COVID-19 or vaccination to gauge an individual’s immunity to the virus, measuring the response of the immune system’s T cells might present vital data, in keeping with researchers primarily based at Cardiff College. Whereas antibody ranges wane over time, T cell responsiveness can final for months or years. However T cells have been more durable to measure in cost-effective methods. Adapting a technique extensively employed to measure immune responses to different varieties of infections, the researchers took blood samples from adults and kids and stimulated T cells with small proteins particular to the SARS-CoV-2 virus. T cells that acknowledge these proteins, as a result of the individual has been beforehand contaminated or vaccinated, “are triggered to supply chemical substances like interferon which may be simply measured,” mentioned research coauthor Andrew Godkin. The outcomes had been about 96% correct, researchers reported on Tuesday on medRxiv forward of peer evaluation. “The check may be very delicate and appears to be correct at figuring out folks beforehand uncovered to the virus,” Godkin mentioned. “The check is extensively out there, simple to make use of, and will play a really helpful position in monitoring this pandemic.” (https://bit.ly/3vTWfjw)

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Virus unlikely to insert genetic fragments into sufferers’ genetic code

A brand new research refutes the controversial declare made by researchers final month in PNAS that small fragments of genetic directions from the coronavirus grew to become built-in into the genome of contaminated cells, in check tube experiments. In precept, coronavirus RNA generated by such built-in snippets, whereas in all probability not dangerous, would possibly trigger optimistic COVID-19 PCR assessments lengthy after a affected person has recovered, the authors of that research mentioned. However when researchers in Australia sought to search out indicators of SARS-CoV-2 genetic code built-in into the DNA of contaminated cells, they may not discover any. “This was regardless of utilizing the identical sequencing expertise and cell kind (as within the PNAS research) and performing considerably extra DNA sequencing,” mentioned Geoffrey Faulkner of the College of Queensland. The brand new discovering had been posted on Sunday on bioRxiv forward of peer evaluation. The researchers did discover copies of hepatitis B virus built-in into liver tissue, and copies of different DNA components built-in into the cells they experimented with, “suggesting our strategy would have discovered SARS-CoV-2 copies” in the event that they had been current, he mentioned. His group agrees with others who recommend the PNAS findings might have mirrored unintended results of experimental strategies. “We predict SARS-CoV-2 integration into DNA is feasible in human cells even whether it is more likely to be extremely uncommon in sufferers,” Faulkner mentioned. (https://bit.ly/3cisKzW)

Open https://tmsnrt.rs/3c7R3Bl in an exterior browser for a Reuters graphic on vaccines in growth.

(Reporting by Nancy Lapid and Christine Soares; Modifying by Invoice Berkrot)

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