Coronavirus COVID-19 Weekly Update 4th January 2021

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Weekly update published on MedShr: 4th January 2021
Last updated: 4th January 2021

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information contained in this article is accurate and current at time of publication, but if you notice an error please contact covid@medshr.net and we will aim to address this. Please find MedShr’s full terms of service here.


Coronavirus COVID-19 Weekly Update 4th January 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

WHO official data, reported on 3rd Jan 2021

Sources: World Health Organization, Johns Hopkins University & Medicine

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


COVID-19 Cumulative Global Cases

WHO official data, reported on 3rd Jan 2021

Total UK COVID-19 Cases

As of 4th Jan 09:00 (GMT) - Data for 24 hour period, reported on 03-01-21

UK total daily cases over past month

COVID-19 in the African Region

As of 4th Jan 11:00 (GMT) - Data for 24 hour period, reported on 03-01-21

Data from WHO Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Dashboard, as of 11:00 am GMT on 4th January 2021

COVID-19 in the Eastern Mediterranean Region

As of 4th Jan 09:00 (GMT) - Data for 24 hour period, reported on 03-01-21

Latest COVID-19 Publications and Guidelines:

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


Editorials, Research Articles and Commentary:

NEJM: Efficacy and Safety of the mRNA-1273 SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine

Baden LR, El Sahly HM, Essink B, et al. Efficacy and Safety of the mRNA-1273 SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine. N Engl J Med. 2020 Dec 30. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2035389. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33378609.

NEJM: Antibody Status and Incidence of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Health Care Workers

Lumley SF, O'Donnell D, Stoesser NE, et al. Antibody Status and Incidence of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Health Care Workers. N Engl J Med. 2020 Dec 23. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2034545. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33369366.

The Lancet Infectious Diseases: Association of tiered restrictions and a second lockdown with COVID-19 deaths and hospital admissions in England: a modelling study

Davies NG, Barnard RC, Jarvis CI, et al. Association of tiered restrictions and a second lockdown with COVID-19 deaths and hospital admissions in England: a modelling study. Lancet Infect Dis. 2020 Dec 23:S1473-3099(20)30984-1. doi: 10.1016/S1473-3099(20)30984-1. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33357518; PMCID: PMC7758181.

JAMA Network Open: Patient Characteristics Associated With Telemedicine Access for Primary and Specialty Ambulatory Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Eberly LA, Kallan MJ, Julien HM, et al. Patient Characteristics Associated With Telemedicine Access for Primary and Specialty Ambulatory Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic. JAMA Netw Open. 2020 Dec 1;3(12):e2031640. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.31640. PMID: 33372974.

The Journal of Infectious Diseases: Outdoor Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and Other Respiratory Viruses, a Systematic Review

Bulfone TC, Malekinejad M, Rutherford GW, Razani N. Outdoor Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and Other Respiratory Viruses, a Systematic Review. J Infect Dis. 2020 Nov 29:jiaa742. doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiaa742. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33249484.

Am J Trop Med Hyg: COVID-19 Misinformation and Infodemic in Rural Africa

Okereke M, Ukor NA, Ngaruiya LM, et al. COVID-19 Misinformation and Infodemic in Rural Africa. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2020 Dec 30. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.20-1488. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33382028.


Latest Developments in the News:

WHO Weekly Situational Reports: Epidemiological and Operational


Africa

WHO: WHO urges greater surveillance as new COVID-19 variants emerge

WHO: WHO works with the health and education sectors to ensure COVID-19 prevention measures are in place as schools reopen in Ethiopia

Science: COVID-19 and cancer in Africa

BBC: Coronavirus in Africa tracker

WHO in the African Region: COVID-19


Eastern Mediterranean

WHO: Meeting exceptional challenges together
“An end-of-year message from Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean”

WHO: In Middle East COVID-19 hotspot Iran, WHO walks the talk

WHO: Fallen soldiers: the heroic health workers losing the battle against COVID-19

WHO: Regional COVID-19 response: success stories

WHO in the Eastern Mediterranean Region: COVID-19


United Kingdom

BMJ: Covid-19: UK approves Oxford vaccine as cases of new variant surge 

BMJ: The challenges facing the NHS in England in 2021 (Editorial) 

BMJ: Covid-19: Frontline doctors speak out about struggle to maintain care standards

BBC: Lockdown rules: What Covid tier is your area in and what are the restrictions?

UK Government Advice

Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the UK


Global Health

WHO: A year without precedent: WHO’s COVID-19 response

The Lancet Infectious Diseases: Tuberculosis and malaria in the age of COVID-19 

BMJ: Covid-19: Antibodies protect against reinfection for at least six months, study finds 

WHO: Donors back WHO’s diverse fight against the shifting COVID-19 pandemic all over the world

UNICEF: UNICEF launches the COVID-19 vaccine market dashboard

The Lancet Infectious Diseases: Equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines 

BMJ: NICE guideline on long covid

BMJ: Asymptomatic transmission of covid-19 (Editorial)

JAMA: COVID-19 Conspiracies and Beyond: How Physicians Can Deal With Patients’ Misinformation


Useful Sources for Latest Developments and News

WHO: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic (including links to regional offices)

WHO: COVID-19 vaccines

United Nations: COVID-19 Response

Johns Hopkins University & Medicine: Coronavirus Resource Center

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control

Médecins Sans Frontières: Response and News Articles

BBC: Covid-19 pandemic: Tracking the global coronavirus outbreak

Harvard Medical School: Coronavirus Resource Center

Our World in Data: Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19) - Statistics and Research


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

  1. How do vaccines work?

  2. How are vaccines developed?

  3. Manufacturing, safety and quality control of vaccines

  4. Tips for professional reporting on COVID-19 vaccines

Johns Hopkins University: Understanding the COVID-19 Pandemic


MedShr Open: COVID-19 Weekly Article - Review of 2020

Last week's COVID-19 Open Article reflects on the activity on MedShr throughout 2020 which has aimed to provide education around COVID-19 and allow healthcare professionals around the world to share their experiences to promote peer-to-peer learning during an emerging, rapidly evolving situation.


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

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