Infectious Disease Alert – November 1, 2022

Oseltamivir for Pediatric Inpatients with Influenza

A large study of children hospitalized with influenza clearly shows that oseltamivir given at or near the time of admission is effective in reducing the duration of hospitalization, reducing the requirement for intensive care, and reducing subsequent readmissions within the week after discharge.

Evidence of Clinical Efficacy of Bebtelovimab in COVID-19

A retrospective study found that bebtelovimab has efficacy similar to that of nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (Paxlovid) in the treatment of high-risk outpatients with recent onset of COVID-19 who have mild to moderate symptoms.

COVID-19: Beware Remdesivir Resistance

Hogan and colleagues reported two immunosuppressed renal transplant recipients with persistent SARS-CoV-2 infection in association with the new emergence of mutations in ribonucleic acid (RNA)-dependent RNA polymerase after remdesivir treatment.

Antibiotic Prophylaxis Is Not Beneficial for Patients Undergoing Transperineal Prostate Biopsy

A randomized clinical trial found a similar rate of infection between patients given antibiotics for transperineal prostate biopsy compared to those not given antibiotics. It may be possible to omit antibiotics in certain patients undergoing transperineal prostate biopsy.

Outbreak of a Potentially More Lethal Ebola Virus

A new outbreak of a more lethal Ebola virus is occurring in Uganda with concern about its exportation.

Can Maternal COVID-19 Vaccination Protect Newborns?

In this case control study, 537 case infants younger than 6 months of age who were admitted to the hospital with COVID-19 were compared to 512 control infants who were hospitalized for other reasons; 16% of the case infants and 29% of the control infants had been born to mothers who had been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 during the pregnancy. The effectiveness of maternal vaccination against infant hospitalization for COVID-19 was 52% overall, 80% during the Delta variant period, and 38% during the Omicron variant period. Effectiveness increased when the vaccine was received after 20 weeks of pregnancy.

Infectious Disease Alert Updates

Screening for Chagas in HIV; It’s Not All About the Cough; Linezolid and Cycloserine in CSF Adequate