Weekly update published on MedShr: 1st March 2021
Last updated: 1st March 2021

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Coronavirus COVID-19 Weekly Update 1st March 2021

This update will be published weekly at 12pm GMT on Mondays and aims to provide clinicians and the public with an overview of the latest data, guidelines, key publications and policy around COVID-19, with links to essential resources and information.

If you are a healthcare professional, please join the discussion on these latest COVID-19 cases on MedShr:

Please post any anonymous educational COVID-19 cases, images or learning points from your clinical practice on MedShr - share key knowledge and experience with a global network of doctors to help improve patient care. Include #COVID19 in your case title.

Please email COVID@medshr.net if you have any data, publications or information you would like to share.

Global Impact of COVID-19 to Date

Data from WHO Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Dashboard, reported on 28th Feb 2021

Sources: World Health Organization, Johns Hopkins University & Medicine

Data related to 'patients recovered' and 'countries affected' based on data from Johns Hopkins University & Medicine, other data obtained from WHO Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Dashboard.

COVID-19 Cumulative Global Cases

Data from WHO Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Dashboard, reported on 28th Feb 2021

Source: World Health Organization

Global Vaccinations Against COVID-19

Official data collated by Our World in Data - data up to 1st March 2021 at 11:10 (GMT)

Source: Our World in Data

For full vaccination data, Our World in Data state: "Total number of people who received all doses prescribed by the vaccination protocol. This data is only available for countries which report the breakdown of doses administered by first and second doses."

Total UK COVID-19 Cases

As of 1st March 09:00 (GMT) - Data for 24 hour period, reported on 28-02-21

Source: Public Health England

COVID-19 in the African Region

As of 1st March 09:00 (GMT) - Data for 24 hour period, reported on 28-02-21

Source: World Health Organization

COVID-19 in the Eastern Mediterranean Region

As of 1st March 09:00 (GMT) - Data for 24 hour period, reported on 28-02-21

Source: World Health Organization

Latest COVID-19 Publications and Guidelines:

A selection of recent publications and useful clinical guidance from scientific journals

NEJM: BNT162b2 mRNA Covid-19 Vaccine in a Nationwide Mass Vaccination Setting

Dagan N, Barda N, Kepten E, et al. BNT162b2 mRNA Covid-19 Vaccine in a Nationwide Mass Vaccination Setting. N Engl J Med. 2021 Feb 24. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2101765. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33626250.

BMJ Open: Risk factors for COVID-19 infection, disease severity and related deaths in Africa: a systematic review

Gesesew HA, Koye DN, Fetene DM, et al. Risk factors for COVID-19 infection, disease severity and related deaths in Africa: a systematic review. BMJ Open. 2021 Feb 18;11(2):e044618. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-044618. PMID: 33602714.

NEJM: Interleukin-6 Receptor Antagonists in Critically Ill Patients with Covid-19

REMAP-CAP Investigators, Gordon AC, Mouncey PR, et al. Interleukin-6 Receptor Antagonists in Critically Ill Patients with Covid-19. N Engl J Med. 2021 Feb 25. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2100433. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33631065.

Nature Communications: Association between antecedent statin use and decreased mortality in hospitalized patients with COVID-19

Gupta A, Madhavan MV, Poterucha TJ, et al. Association between antecedent statin use and decreased mortality in hospitalized patients with COVID-19. Nat Commun. 2021 Feb 26;12(1):1325. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-21553-1. PMID: 33637713.

BMJ: Excess mortality in Wuhan city and other parts of China during the three months of the covid-19 outbreak: findings from nationwide mortality registries

Liu J, Zhang L, Yan Y, et al. Excess mortality in Wuhan city and other parts of China during the three months of the covid-19 outbreak: findings from nationwide mortality registries. BMJ. 2021 Feb 24;372:n415. doi: 10.1136/bmj.n415. PMID: 33627311; PMCID: PMC7900645.

JAMA Network Open: Assessment of the Inclusion of Racial/Ethnic Minority, Female, and Older Individuals in Vaccine Clinical Trials 

Flores LE, Frontera WR, Andrasik MP, et al. Assessment of the Inclusion of Racial/Ethnic Minority, Female, and Older Individuals in Vaccine Clinical Trials. JAMA Netw Open. 2021 Feb 1;4(2):e2037640. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.37640. PMID: 33606033.

Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy: Limited Utility of Procalcitonin in Identifying Community-Associated Bacterial Infections in Patients Presenting with Coronavirus Disease 2019 

May M, Chang M, Dietz D, et al. Limited Utility of Procalcitonin in Identifying Community-Associated Bacterial Infections in Patients Presenting with Coronavirus Disease 2019. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2021 Jan 25:AAC.02167-20. doi: 10.1128/AAC.02167-20. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33495224.

Educational Resources:

WHO: COVID-19 Course Series

"Real-time training during global emergencies is critical for effective preparedness and response. The COVID-19 channel provides learning resources for health professionals, decision-makers and the public for the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19)." (WHO 2020)

WHO: Vaccine Series

Science: How do the leading COVID-19 vaccines work? Science explains

Johns Hopkins University: Understanding the COVID-19 Pandemic

BMJ Best Practice: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) - clinical decision support tool

Elsevier: COVID-19 Health Education resource center, including the Health Education Faculty Hub

NEJM: Covid-19 Vaccine Resource Center

NEJM: Delayed Second Dose versus Standard Regimen for Covid-19 Vaccination

Nature: Coronapod: Google-backed database could help answer big COVID questions (26th February 2021)

MedShr Open: COVID-19 Articles

The COVID-19 Hub on MedShr Open includes a selection of articles covering a range of topics related to COVID-19, ranging from emerging therapies, long-term effects of COVID-19, and considering the effects of the pandemic on other essential healthcare services.

Global Health Data for COVID-19

Global.health - a Data Science Initiative - open public health COVID-19 dataset to advance the response to infectious diseases

The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME)

Research related to COVID-19

Below is a list of links to organisations who are making great efforts to categorise, evaluate and summarise the vast catalogue of COVID-19 research. If you discover any other great resources please feel free to share these in the comments section below.

Global research on coronavirus disease (COVID-19) - WHO Global research database and links to further research catalogues

LitCovid - a curated literature hub for tracking up-to-date scientific information about COVID-19

Public Health Emergency COVID-19 Initiative - PubMed Central

COVID-19 Science Updates - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Treatment Guidelines - National Institutes for Health

ClinicalTrials.gov - COVID-19 clinical trials

Finding the evidence: Coronavirus – Knowledge & Library Services - Public Health England

Coronavirus (COVID-19) - Cochrane resources and news - Cochrane

Weekly Update by Dr Ryan Broll, MedShr Open Editorial Team, Medical Education Fellow