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Obesity was a risk factor for severe COVID-19 in children during early outbreaks of ancestral SARS-CoV-2 and the Delta variant. However, the relationship between obesity and COVID-19 severity during the Omicron wave remains unclear.
Monitoring the number of COVID-19 patients in hospital beds was a critical component of Australia's real-time surveillance strategy for the disease. From 2021 to 2023, we produced short-term forecasts of bed occupancy to support public health decision-making.
Following widespread exposure to Omicron variants, SARS-CoV-2 has transitioned to endemic circulation. Populations now have diverse infection and vaccination histories, resulting in heterogeneous immune landscapes. Careful consideration of the value of ongoing vaccination is required through the post-Omicron phase of COVID-19 management to minimise disease burden.
We investigated the effects of cause of death (COVID-19 with an underlying medical condition vs. without) and prolonged grief disorder status (PGD present or absent) on participants' reported public stigma towards the bereaved.
Anthony Kicic BSc (Hons) PhD Rothwell Family Fellow; Head, Airway Epithelial Research Anthony.Kicic@thekids.org.au Rothwell Family Fellow; Head,
We aimed to assess and identify any gaps in antimicrobial stewardship resources and activities for all hospitalised children in Australia pre- and post- the COVID-19 pandemic
We have previously reported the safety and immunogenicity four weeks after two doses of the Clover COVID-19 vaccine candidate, SCB-2019, a stabilized pre-fusion form of the SARS-CoV-2 S-protein (S-trimer). We now report persistence of antibodies up to 6 months after vaccination, and cross-neutralization titers against three Variants of Concern.
Excess mortality is an important measure of the scale of the coronavirus-2019 pandemic. It includes both deaths caused directly by the pandemic, and deaths caused by the unintended consequences of containment such as delays to accessing care or postponements of healthcare provision in the population.
The COVID-19 pandemic illustrates the need for serology diagnostics with improved accuracy. While conventional serology based on recognition of entire proteins or subunits thereof has made significant contribution to the antibody assessment space, it often suffers from sub-optimal specificity. Epitope-based, high-precision, serology assays hold potential to capture the high specificity and diversity of the immune system, hence circumventing the cross-reactivity with closely related microbial antigens.
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to far-reaching disruptions to health systems, including preventative and curative services for malaria. The aim of this study was to estimate the magnitude of disruptions in malaria case management in sub-Saharan Africa and their impact on malaria burden during the COVID-19 pandemic. We used survey data collected by the World Health Organization, in which individual country stakeholders reported on the extent of disruptions to malaria diagnosis and treatment.