Prioritize genomic sequencing of immunocompromised positive Covid cases to detect omicron

In addition to vaccination, prioritizing genomic sequencing of positive cases, particularly the immunocompromised persons should be undertaken immediately, suggested experts at a media briefing by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) as it is these patients that the virus continues to mutate. “We also need to be more concerned about our immunosuppressed patients because immunosuppressed patients may be where the virus continues to mutate," said Carlos del Rio, president-elect of the IDSA board of directors and professor of global health and epidemiology at the Rollins School of Public Health of Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. (Source: Medscape, Dec. 2, 2021)

Sotrovimab may be effective against the Omicron variant

Preliminary results from lab studies, which tested sotrovimab against individual mutations in omicron, show that sotrovimab may be effective against the variant. Two mutations in omicron overlap with the drugs target site. And researchers believe that the mutations will not have hamper the ability of the drug to bind to the spike protein. These findings are yet to be peer-reviewed and further studies are needed to test sotrovimab against the whole spike protein on the virus to verify these results… (Source: Medscape, Dec. 2, 2021)

Follow all precautions as safeguard against Omicron 

According to Dr Anthony S. Fauci, MD, it is too soon to say how the omicron variant compares against the delta variant, even though it appears to be highly contagious and show more ability to evade vaccines than other variants. He said at a White House COVID-19 briefing that this variant has a “very unusual constellation of changes. This mutational profile is very different from other variants of interest and concern, and although some mutations are also found in Delta, this is not Delta.” Although initial observations show that omicron causes mild disease, it is too soon to know how the picture evolves over the weeks. Everyone needs to take their vaccinations and booster, wear masks, hand wash and avoided crowded indoor spaces, he recommended…(Source: Medscape, Dec. 2, 2021)

Molnupiravir narrowly wins emergency use authorization for COVID-19

A US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory panel has recommended emergency use authorization for Merck’s antiviral oral drug molnupiravir to treat COVID-19, though this was a narrow vote 13 to 10. Earlier results had shown that molnupiravir reduced the risk of hospitalization or death in patients at high risk for severe disease by about 50%. However, later results showed that this protective effect had declined to around 30%...(Source: Medscape) 

Children with poorly-controlled asthma at risk of severe COVID-19

Children with poorly-controlled asthma are at least six times more likely to be hospitalized for Covid-19 than children who did not have asthma, suggests a retrospective study of 750,000 children aged 5 to 17 years from Scotland reported in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine. Children who received two or more courses of oral steroids in the past couple of years were at a significantly higher risk for hospitalization. These children should receive the vaccination on priority… (The Lancet Respiratory Medicine, Nov. 30, 2021) 

With inputs from Dr Monica Vasudev