Reflecting on SA experience with Omricon thus far in Gauteng - the epicentre in SA. 1. Rate of increase per capita much quicker than any of previous three waves. Strongly suggestive of more transmissible than even delta. 2. Positivity rate 30-40% in some settings.
3. Three weeks into resurgence, many adults and children testing SARS-CoV-2 pos in hospital , but COVID hospitalisation remains low relative to community case rate. High % (30%) women in labour coincidentally testing positive. Also,most children testing pos are coincidental Ix.
4. Death rate very low compared to period of same case rate in previous waves. Trend over next week will be informative, but optimistic unlikely to surge. 5. Study in SA and elsewhere confirm omicron 5 fold more antibody evasive than beta., hence many breakthrough and re-Ix.
6. Attenuation of clinical course of illness. Likely explanation is the 73% of population in Gauteng with previous infection and/or vaccine induced underpinning T cell immunity, since omicron largely antibody evasive. Hospitalisation for severe Covid mainly in unvacccinated
7. Unfortunate still delay rollout of 3rd Pfizer dose to older than 60yrs and immuncompromised. Little value doing so after the wave has already peaked probably in next 2 weeks. Likewise no 2nd dose for ALL single dose JJ recipients inexcusable with 15 million vaccines in depot.
8. Health facilities under pressure due to infections in staff, needing to go into isolation for 10’days- despite the isolation (and quarantine) recommendations being outdated and probably obsolete in context of underpinning immunity and widespread infection.
9. IF downturn in infection rate and no massive surge in hospitalisation and death in the next 2-3 weeks, may well mark turning point in pandemic, particularly since SA not boosting to prevent infection and mild illness like HIC are doing (at cost exacerbating vaccine inequity)
10. Gvt response correctly remains measured by not increasing restrictions and not panicking with increase in cases, but seem to rather focussing on COVID ( excluding coincidental Ix) hospitalisation and health facility capacity. 11. Lastly, vaccine coverage still lagging.
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@WitsVIDA proudly involved in first study to show 82% efficacy (reduced risk) against severe Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) by vaccinating their mothers during pregnancy with a RSV protein vaccine. Published in NEJM today.
How does it work- vaccination of pregnant women can confer benefit to the mother (eg for influenza), lower risk of preterm birth and stillbirth ( eg flu and Covid vaccine) and protect the babies in 1st few months of life ( shown for whooping cough, tetanus , flu) and now RSV 👍🏼
Vaccination of the mother induces protective antibodies , which are transferred over to their fetuses in utero. This provides the young infants protection from developing especially severe illness in first 3-6 months, when they most susceptible to severe disease
@WitsVIDA led study on effect of reduced dosing - single priming dose and a booster pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) on risk of colonisation in children in Lancet Adolesc and Child Health sciencedirect.com/science/articl… Why did we do the study and what did we find …
Pneumococcus, a bacterium, caused>800,000 deaths (50% in Africa) before PCV was introduced into chid immunisation programs since 2000. It took almost 10 yrs before the vaccine was widely used in African countries, mainly due to cost and limited access.
Immunization schedules include either 3 doses and no boost , 3 dose and boost (2+1) eg in SA, or 3+1. The vaccine prices ranges from $3.5 for Gavi counties, $20 in SA and up to $110 in USA. It is one of the most expensive vaccines for children.
With the Northern. Hemisphere countries facing one of its worse Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) epidemic, some good news at hand to reduce magnitude of future annual epidemics. Notably, RSV causes 66,000-199,000 childhood deaths annually- >98% in Low Middle Income Countries
@WitsVIDA proud to be involved in a multi-centre study which demonstrates Nirsevimab (a monoclonal antibody which attaches to the part of the protein RSV uses to enter into cells and then spread) reduces risk of RSV hospitalisation, including in high risk children.
Summary findings Nirsevimab showed efficacy: 79..5% relative risk reduction (RRR) of medically attended RSV Lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI), 77·3% RRR of RSV hospitalisation and 86.0% RRR of very severe RSV-LRTI.
Pre-print of SA (Gauteng) experience with BA.4/BA.5 wave which has now subsided. medrxiv.org/cgi/content/sh…
Main findings : at onset of BA.4/BA.5 resurgence only 27% had received at least single dose of Covid vaccine. But, 90% of population were seropos, including 89% of unvaccinated and 84% in unvaccInated children <12 yrs. Overall increase from 73% pre BA.1 wave.
Paired samples from pre- and post- BA. 1 wave, indicated 64% of population infected during Omicron BA.1 wave, including 74% of unvaccinated. Infection during BA.1 wave in unvaccinated ranged from 66% in >50yr to 91% in 12-17 yr agegroup.
NDoH extends regulations on masking, gathering and travel- none of which is fit for purpose and regulations full of internal contradictions. Simply stated, regulations that are still focussed on the pretence of preventing infections - which in the SA context have failed dismally
Mask- type of masks used by minority that still abide even when indoors (ie cloth mask) does little to prevent infections or reduce transmission. If it worked- wouldn’t have >85% in SA infected. PS! Suspect such mask generally not been washed for >1 yr ?🤔
international travellers: ludicrous to require PCR test before arrival but not so if travelling regularly from neighbouring countries 😂. Having few international travellers who are infected will have no impact on the trajectory, when we only detect <10% infections in country .
With end of “world immunisation week 2022” worth reflecting what is happening and what to guard against. This report from WHO rings the early warning bells of what to anticipate unless we GVt acts now who.int/news/item/27-0…
South Africa, has among the most comprehensive vaccine schedules and led the way in Africa in introducing life saving vaccines into public immunisation programs , nevertheless lags behind with vaccine coverage- <80% children are fully immunised. Image reader.elsevier.com/reader/sd/pii/…
With measles vaccine coverage less than 75% for two does, and no recent catch up campaign - unfortunately conditions are rife for a measles outbreak in SA, unless there is supplementary immunisation program soon, especially for children <5yr and directed at low coverage area.