#Moderna says its vaccine shows durable 93% efficacy through 6 months.
Final analysis (median follow-up 5.3 mo):
-Against COVID19: 93.2%
-Against severe COVID19: 98.2%
-Against death: 100%
(Note: All data prior delta) 1/
Further break down of #Moderna efficacy by 2-month segments post 2nd dose; at month 4+, efficacy is 92.4%
#Pfizer vax (by months 4-6) efficacy is 84% - though against severe disease maintains 97%. 2/
Yet it expects antibody levels will start to wane, and with #delta there will be an increase in #breakthrough infections in fully vaccinated; it sees need for #boosters 3/
#Moderna says lab studies show a booster with half the dose of its #covid19 vaccine increases antibody levels against #delta by 42-fold. 4
#Moderna reports top-line findings from phase 2 study of #booster shot, noting neutralizing antibody titers had waned significantly by 6 months; Safety profile of dose 3 was similar to that of dose 2. 5/
The @WHO yesterday called for a moratorium on #boosters until September to enable countries that haven't had vaccine access to be able to administer first shots. 6/
COVID-19 carries neurological and psychological risks. Alternative polyadenylation (APA) is ubiquitous in human genes, resulting in mRNA variation, and has been shown to play a key role in the starting and progression of many diseases, including viral infections. 1/
Here, researchers analyzed the APA usage across different cell types in frontal cortex cells from non-viral control group and COVID-19 patients, and identified functionally related APA events in COVID-19. 2/
According to this study, the poly(A) site (PAS) usage is different among cell types and following SARS-COV-2 infection. 3/
A NEW study reports that 68 individuals with LongCOVID had unusually active CD8+ T cells and elevated IL-3 levels, which may drive inflammation and symptom severity up to 18 months after acute COVID infection. 1/
A pronounced T cell hypo-reactivity and reduced expression of IL-3 was found in patients with severe acute SARS-CoV-2 infection. Interestingly, the opposite was the case as researchers detected a marked hyper-reactivity of T cells in LongCOVID. 2/
Hyper-activation was evident by a higher percentage of CD8+ T cells expressing the activation marker CD25, a stronger upregulation of CD25 after polyclonal stimulation, a stronger release of cytokines especially IL-3 and a higher fraction of memory T cells. 3/
A new study, the first to compare inflammation & brain stress in #LongCOVID patients w/ those who have fully recovered shows that those w/continued brain fog & other cognitive issues have a lower ability to adapt to stress & higher levels of inflammation in their brains. 1/
While previous longCOVID studies have shown changes in these markers in mice, this study evaluated the infection's impact on the brain in documented COVID-positive patients. 2/
The pilot study included 17 confirmed COVID patients (10 with longCOVID and seven who were fully recovered with no lingering symptoms). 3/
A new study suggested that COVID-19 may cause lasting damage to the esophageal epithelial barrier, increasing its permeability & provoking an exacerbated inflammatory response. These changes may explain the prevalence of post-infection gastroesophageal symptoms 1/
This prospective study found that 55 hospitalized patients recovering from COVID reported significantly increased symptoms of heartburn and acid reflux 3 to 6 months after hospital discharge. 2/
Biopsies revealed higher esophageal permeability under acidic conditions, increased IL-8 levels, and elevated expression of Claudin-2, a tight junction protein that weakens epithelial barrier function. 3/
A new study suggests that
#LongCOVID patients had significantly more dilated capillaries, microhemorrhages, abnormal capillary shapes (neoangiogenesis) and lower capillary density than both recovered COVID patients without LongCOVID and healthy controls. 1/
In this multicenter Italian study, researchers used nailfold videocapillaroscopy (NVC) to identify microvascular damage in Long COVID patients up to 18 months after infection. 2/
Comparing NVC images in patients who had NVC before COVID infection and after COVID infection confirmed new vascular damage following infection. 3/
A new study shows that coronavirus spike proteins can trigger mast cell degranulation by binding to cellular receptors and activating the Src/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, leading to increased calcium levels and mast cell granule release. 1/
The activation and degranulation of mast cells (MCs), triggered by a variety of viruses, are intricately linked to viral pathogenesis. However, the precise mechanism underlying virus-induced MC degranulation remains largely unknown. 2/
In this study, researchers demonstrate the ubiquity of coronavirus-induced MC degranulation and investigate the intracellular signaling pathways that mediate this process. 3/