(I had to look this up due to faulty memory) H1N1 has shown almost total resistance to NA (neuraminidase) based anti-virals such as Tamiflu. All influenza A strains have shown resistance to most current anti-virals available for treating the flu. Source: CDC Influenza Antiviral Drug Resistance | CDC
Covid Live Updates: Moderna Argues for Half-Dose of Vaccine as Booster Moderna recommding only a half dose booster at six months. Data shows with Moderna there has been Little or no degradation of long term effectiveness vs severe illness. Several independent studies have tried to estimate how long Moderna’s two-dose vaccine remains effective against mild, moderate and severe Covid. One looked at Covid cases last summer among more than 15,000 volunteers in Moderna’s clinical trial, some of whom had been vaccinated a full year earlier. Researchers compared Covid cases in July and August among trial participants who had been fully vaccinated between July and October 2020 with cases among those who were fully vaccinated between December 2020 and March 2021. Those who got vaccinated later had a 36 percent lower rate of disease. But Dr. Hana M. El Sahly, a professor of molecular virology at Baylor College of Medicine and one of the lead researchers, said the study did not find a statistically significant difference between the two groups in cases of severe Covid — of which there were only 19.
]] That is the enhanced immunity from vaccines in individuals who have had COVID. Replicates other findings and supports vaccinations for recovered COVID patients.
The anti-viral drug from Atea/Roche, targeted at those with mild or moderate COVID failed to meet its endpoint goal. It failed to show a reduction in viral load in this population. However, it did show reduction in viral load in the severe disease group comparable to the results reported by Merck and Molnupiravir. As a result, the group is re-organizing their trials and expects to have trials wrapped up by the end of 2022 for safety and efficacy against COVID in patients with severe disease. https://www.cnbc.com/2021/10/19/ate...t-fails-to-meet-study-goal-shares-plunge.html
J&J vaccine given recommendation for 2nd shot by FDA advisory board. "I think this frankly always was a two-dose vaccine," said panelist Paul Offit, M.D., of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Johnson & Johnson wins FDA panel backing for a second dose of its COVID shot but don’t call it a ‘booster’
Pfizer releases info on first randomized trial of booster effectiveness (during Delta peak). The booster was 95.6% efficacy against disease in a trial group of 10,000 who were split between a booster group and placebo group (all participants previously had 2 doses of the Pfizer vaccine). I am not sure that this data adds much though if in 2-3 months it fades again. The better data will be to see if protective immunity lasts longer and/is more effective in the longer term. Pfizer and BioNTech Announce Phase 3 Trial Data Showing High Efficacy of a Booster Dose of Their COVID-19 Vaccine
That's still good news. Even if it increases infection efficacy for a few months it may help get towards herd immunity.
During the study period, there were 5 cases of COVID-19 in the booster group, and 109 cases in the non-boosted group. The observed relative vaccine efficacy of 95.6% (95% CI: 89.3, 98.6) reflects the reduction in disease occurrence in the boosted group versus the non-boosted group in those without evidence of prior SARS-CoV-2 infection. To be clear, the effectiveness of 95% is vs the non boosted previously vaccinated group. Presumably the effectiveness vs non vaccinated would be even higher.
Yes, things move faster when the bean counters aren't slowing everything down to make sure profits are maximized.
Has this been posted/discussed? https://theconversation.com/covid-n...nths-protection-against-severe-disease-169783 COVID: new antibody treatment could offer up to 18 months' protection against severe disease Rebecca Aicheler, Cardiff Metropolitan University October 20, 2021 2.09pm BST A new treatment could soon help protect people from developing severe COVID. AstraZeneca has just released results from a phase 3 clinical trial – the final stage of testing before a drug is authorised – that suggest its new COVID treatment, AZD7442, is effective at reducing severe disease or death in non-hospitalised COVID patients. The treatment contains antibodies, which are usually produced naturally in response to a COVID infection or vaccination. They work by recognising specific parts of SARS-CoV-2 – the virus that causes COVID – and either attack these directly or bind to them to stop the virus from working and flag it for destruction by other parts of the immune system.
Excellent data from the CDC today highlighting just how effective the vaccines have been for different age groups: (posted the image below in case the Tweet does not show up).
I am in the same boat based on my recommendation from my doctor. I am not worreid about which mRNA is "better". However, I would like to know if the immune response could be broadened and more closely replicate infection if we had chosen the Ad.26 vaccine (J&J) or the protein nano-particle (Novavaxx - not authorized) that provokes response to other antigens besides the S-protein or even the attenuated virus vaccine (not authorized in US) from China. In any case, I am satisfied with the Pfizer data and the CDC data on probability of developing severe disease (incredibly low) regardless of which vaccine we were given.
CDC MMWR data on Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine efficacy in adolescents aged 12-17 years old. Effectiveness of Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA Vaccination Against ... Study highlights showed that in a study of approximately 179 kids split between vaccinated and unvaccinated with PCR confirmed covid: Overall vaccine efficacy against disease was 93%....of those who developed symptomatic disease: 0 - admitted to ICU from the vaccine group; 77 - from the unvaccinated group were admitted to ICU 0 - on life support in the vaccine group; 29 - needed life support from the unvaccinated group 0 - required artificial vantiliation in the vaccine group; 21 - required artifical ventilation from unvaccinated group 0 - deaths in the vaccine group; 2 deaths in the unvaccinated group
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2021/10/pfizer-moderna-dose-which-vaccine-best/620501/ Interesting article about difference in strengths and dosages of vaccines. Moderna may be better because it has 3 times the dose, plus is spread out over 4 weeks vs 3 weeks. J&J likely comparatively worse due to just one dose.
there was some discussion recently that JJ should have been a 2 dose. No link, I can’t remember where I read it. OldTimers you know
Antidepressant Fluvoxamine Significantly Reduces Covid-19 Hospitalization Speculation that this could apply with other SSRI anti depressants also.