4/5—Increase in SARS-CoV-2 after vaccination in health care workers in California
SARS-CoV-2 Infection after Vaccination in Health Care Workers in California
From December 16, 2020, through February 9, 2021, a total of 36,659 health care workers received the first dose of vaccine, and 28,184 of these persons (77%) received the second dose. The absolute risk of testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 after vaccination was 1.19% among health care workers at University of California, San Diego and 0.97% among those at University of California, Los Angeles; these rates are higher than the risks reported in the trials of mRNA-1273 vaccine and BNT162b2 vaccine. Possible explanations for this elevated risk include the availability of regular testing for asymptomatic and symptomatic persons at our institutions, a regional surge in infections in Southern California during our vaccination campaigns, and differences in demographic characteristics between the trial participants and the health care workers in our cohort.
Newborn antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 detected in cord blood after maternal vaccination – a case report
A vigorous, healthy, full-term female was born to a COVID-19 naïve mother who had received a single dose of messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine for SARS-CoV-2 3 weeks prior to delivery. IgG cord blood antibodies were detected to SARS-CoV-2 at the time of birth. Here, we report the first known case of an infant with SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies detectable in cord blood after maternal vaccination.
Clinical trial of Moderna's coronavirus variant vaccine begins in US
[Media report. See also clinicaltrials.gov record.] A new Phase 1 clinical trial has started in the US to evaluate Moderna's investigational vaccine which is designed to protect against the B.1.351 coronavirus variant. The trial will enrol approximately 210 healthy adult volunteers at four clinical research sites in the US, according to the NIH.
"The B.1.351 SARS-CoV-2 variant, first identified in South Africa, has been detected in at least nine states in the US," NIAID Director Anthony Fauci was quoted as saying.
Case fatality risk of the SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern B.1.1.7 in England, 16 November to 5 February
The SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 VOC has been the subject of intense research since its emergence. Increased transmissibility means it is now the most common variant in the UK, a trend confirmed here. We found that this VOC was associated with two-thirds higher case fatality than the previously circulating virus in this unvaccinated population. For every three deaths in a population with the previously circulating virus we would expect five deaths in a similar population with VOC. Other studies have assessed the relative mortality of the VOC with similar conclusions, however, our results are the first to include detailed information on the presence of comorbidities. Interestingly, the effects of age and comorbidities appear to be collinear as adjustment for comorbidities did not alter the findings after adjustment for age. As prevalence of many comorbidities is associated with age, this finding appears plausible.