With inputs from Dr Monica Vasudev

India Covid-19 update: New cases drop below 10k

Yesterday, India recorded 865 new cases of Covid-19, according to data from the Union Health Ministry. The active cases are now 9092. The daily positivity rate is 0.64% and the weekly positivity rate is 0.81%. Total recoveries are over 4,44 crore. The recovery rate is 98.79%. A total of 1050 doses were administered in the last 24 hours. So far, 220.66 crore total vaccine doses have been administered in the country including 95.21 crore second dose and 22.87 crore precaution dose … (Source: Press Information Bureau, May 19, 2023).

Booster doses should now include only XBB variants

A WHO Technical Advisory Group on COVID-19 Vaccine Composition (TAG-CO-VAC) has said that the new Covid-19 booster doses should include only the XBB.1 variants that are the predominant strains currently in circulation, either the XBB.1.5 or XBB.1.16 variants. The Advisory Group also recommended against including the original SARS-CoV-2 strain in the new vaccines since it is no longer in circulation… (Source: WHO, May 18, 2023).

Identify red flag neurological symptoms in long Covid patients

New guidelines from the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (AAPM&R) published in the journal Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation emphasize on identifying long Covid patients with red flag neurological symptoms such as sudden/progressive weakness or sensory changes, which could be indicative of an acute neurologic complication like stroke, Guillain-Barre syndrome or myopathy. The guidelines also suggest collaboration with physical, occupational, and speech therapists so that the patient is better able to function independently… (Source: Medscape, May 18, 2023).

Post-heart transplant mortality

Adults who are recipients of a heart transplant from donors with active COVID-19 infection were more likely to die at 6 months (13.8%) compared to transplants from non-Covid donors or those who had a recently resolved Covid infection (4.9%). Similar trends for mortality were observed at one-year post-transplant; 23.2% for recipients with heart transplants from donors with active Covid vs 9.2% for recipients with heart transplants from non-Covid donors… (Source: Medpage Today, May 17, 2023).

High risk for long Covid in patients with obstructive sleep apnea

Covid-19 survivors who have obstructive sleep apnea are at 75% greater risk for developing long Covid than those who do not have sleep apnea, according to a study published in journal Sleep. Such patients need to be watched over carefully… (Source: NIH, May 11, 2023). 

Mortality with high-dose methylprednisolone vs dexamethasone for Covid pneumonia

In patients with Covid pneumonia necessitating oxygen or noninvasive respiratory support, the mortality rates at 28 days were comparable following treatment with higher dose methylprednisolone (80 mg as a continuous daily infusion x 8 days) or low-dose dexamethasone (6 mg once daily for up to 10 days); 10.4% vs 12.2%, respectively. Patients on methylprednisolone had a median duration of hospitalization of one day more… (Source: European Respiratory Journal, April 2023).