Weekly update published on MedShr: 24th May 2021
Last updated: 24th May 2021

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Coronavirus COVID-19 Weekly Update 24th May 2021

This update will be published weekly at 12pm (London time) 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 healthcare professionals to help improve patient care.

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 23rd May 2021

Sources: World Health Organization, Johns Hopkins University & Medicine

COVID-19 Cumulative Global Cases

Data from WHO Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Dashboard, reported on 23rd May 2021

Source: World Health Organization

Global Vaccinations Against COVID-19

Official data collated by Our World in Data - data up to 24th May 2021 at 10:40am (London time)

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 24th May 09:00 (GMT) - Data for 24 hour period, reported on 23-05-21

Source: Public Health England

COVID-19 in the African Region

As of 24th May 09:00 (GMT) - Data for 24 hour period, reported on 23-05-21

Source: World Health Organization

COVID-19 in the Eastern Mediterranean Region

As of 24th May 09:00 (GMT) - Data for 24 hour period, reported on 23-05-21

Source: World Health Organization

Latest COVID-19 Publications and Guidelines:

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

Nature Human Behaviour: A global database of COVID-19 vaccinations 

Mathieu E, Ritchie H, Ortiz-Ospina E, et al. A global database of COVID-19 vaccinations. Nat Hum Behav. 2021 May 10. doi: 10.1038/s41562-021-01122-8. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33972767.

The Lancet: Tocilizumab in patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19 (RECOVERY): a randomised, controlled, open-label, platform trial 

RECOVERY Collaborative Group. Tocilizumab in patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19 (RECOVERY): a randomised, controlled, open-label, platform trial. Lancet. 2021 May 1;397(10285):1637-1645. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(21)00676-0. PMID: 33933206; PMCID: PMC8084355.

JAMA Pediatrics: Maternal and Neonatal Morbidity and Mortality Among Pregnant Women With and Without COVID-19 Infection: The INTERCOVID Multinational Cohort Study

Villar J, Ariff S, Gunier RB, et al. Maternal and Neonatal Morbidity and Mortality Among Pregnant Women With and Without COVID-19 Infection: The INTERCOVID Multinational Cohort Study. JAMA Pediatr. 2021 Apr 22:e211050. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2021.1050. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33885740; PMCID: PMC8063132.

Nature: The epidemiological impact of the NHS COVID-19 App 

Wymant C, Ferretti L, Tsallis D, et al. The epidemiological impact of the NHS COVID-19 App. Nature. 2021 May 12. doi: 10.1038/s41586-021-03606-z. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33979832.

The Lancet: Ethnic differences in SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19-related hospitalisation, intensive care unit admission, and death in 17 million adults in England: an observational cohort study using the OpenSAFELY platform

Mathur R, Rentsch CT, Morton CE, et al. Ethnic differences in SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19-related hospitalisation, intensive care unit admission, and death in 17 million adults in England: an observational cohort study using the OpenSAFELY platform. Lancet. 2021 May 8;397(10286):1711-1724. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(21)00634-6. Epub 2021 Apr 30. Erratum in: Lancet. 2021 May 6;: PMID: 33939953; PMCID: PMC8087292.

BMJ: Use of repurposed and adjuvant drugs in hospital patients with covid-19: multinational network cohort study 

Prats-Uribe A, Sena AG, Lai LYH, et al. Use of repurposed and adjuvant drugs in hospital patients with covid-19: multinational network cohort study. BMJ. 2021 May 11;373:n1038. doi: 10.1136/bmj.n1038. PMID: 33975825; PMCID: PMC8111167.

NEJM: Efficacy of NVX-CoV2373 Covid-19 Vaccine against the B.1.351 Variant

Shinde V, Bhikha S, Hoosain Z, et al. Efficacy of NVX-CoV2373 Covid-19 Vaccine against the B.1.351 Variant. N Engl J Med. 2021 May 5;384(20):1899–909. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2103055. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33951374; PMCID: PMC8091623.

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

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

BMJ: A living WHO guideline on drugs to prevent covid-19

BMJ: Severe covid-19 pneumonia: pathogenesis and clinical management

BMJ: Remote Consultations

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 of 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

India COVID-19 Crisis Support Group

A new group has been launched as part of MedShr's COVID-19 education programme in response to the current challenges in India. The group is intended to be a dedicated place for all healthcare professionals to share information and resources, and discuss how to manage increasingly unwell patients with limited resources, as well as giving access to international experts in COVID-19.

Weekly Update by MedShr Open Editorial Team