PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Beta (South Africa) variant may increase risk for COVID-19 hospitalization and death, large-scale South African study suggests

2021-07-10
(Press-News.org) For interviews with the report authors, please contact Dr Waasila Jassat, National Institute for Communicable Diseases of the National Health Laboratory Service, South Africa E) waasilaj@nicd.ac.za T) +27(0)82 927 4138

Alternative contact in the ECCMID Press Room: Tony Kirby T) + 44(0)7834 385827 E) tony@tonykirby.com or Rachael Davies T) +44(0)797 456 0784 E) rachaelvdavies@hotmail.co.uk

Notes to editors: [1] Wave 1: (14721 deaths/59617625 SA population)*100,000 = 24.7 deaths per 100,000 people Wave 2: (28682 deaths/59617625 SA population)*100,000 = 48.1 deaths per 100,000 people

[2] Coronavirus deaths by country in Africa 2021 | Statista / South Africa | UNAIDS https://www.statista.com/statistics/1170530/coronavirus-deaths-in-africa/

[3] See table 1; weeks with very high admissions; 27,949 deaths among 104,058 patients with outcomes (case fatality risk 26.9%). Weeks with low admissions; 8,985 deaths among 50,840 patients with outcomes (case fatality risk 17.7%).

The surveillance was funded by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases and the South African Government. The study did not receive any additional funding.

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

The Lancet Global Health: Difference in mortality among individuals admitted to hospital with COVID-19 during the first and second waves in South Africa: a cohort study Article available under embargo at (journalist only link): http://www.thelancet-press.com/embargo/tlgh.pdf

Appendix available under embargo at (journalist only link): http://www.thelancet-press.com/embargo/tlghAPPX.pdf

NOTE: THE ABOVE LINK IS FOR JOURNALISTS ONLY AND WILL BE DEACTIVATED AFTER THE EMBARGO LIFTS. IF YOU WISH TO PROVIDE A LINK TO THIS PAPER FOR YOUR READERS, PLEASE USE THE FOLLOWING, WHICH WILL GO LIVE WHEN THE EMBARGO LIFTS:

http://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(21)00289-8/fulltext


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Study of antibodies produced in saliva after Pfizer COVID vaccine shows both importance of second vaccine dose and updating vaccines to combat new variants of concern

2021-07-10
New research presented at this year's European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) shows the importance of receiving the second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and also the need to constantly review and update vaccines to deal with new variants of concern. The study is by Dr Nicole Schneiderhan-Marra, Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University of Tübingen, Reutlingen, Germany, and colleagues. While vaccines have begun to bring the pandemic under control in certain countries, it remains unclear how effective these vaccines will continue to be as the virus mutates and evolves. The protection generated against the virus by vaccination is normally measured by antibodies, with a certain group ...

Highly mutated SARS-CoV-2 emerged from someone living with advanced HIV who could not clear SARS-CoV-2 until their HIV infection was suppressed with effective antiretroviral therapy

2021-07-10
A presentation at this year's European Congress on Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (ECCMID), held online this year, will discuss the growing evidence that the beta SARS-CoV-2 variant first identified in South Africa is leading to more severe disease in people living with HIV, and that failure to clear SARS-CoV-2 infection in a patient with advanced HIV creates conditions that can lead to evolution of dangerous mutations in SARS-CoV-2. Control of HIV with antiretroviral therapy could be the key to preventing such evolution of SARS-CoV-2 in patients with advanced HIV, since clearance of the virus is compromised if HIV is allowed to replicate for ...

Surgical predictors of clinical outcome six years following revision ACL reconstruction

2021-07-09
Nashville, Tenn. (4:14 p.m. EDT--July 9, 2021)--Orthopedic surgeons know that knee surgeries that require revisions have inferior outcomes compared with primary surgeries but until now, the reason for this was unknown. Today a team of orthopedic physicians reports that opting for a transtibial surgical approach and choosing an inference screw for femoral and tibial fixation will improve the patient's odds of having a significantly better six-year clinical outcome. The research was presented today at the American Orthopedic Society of Sports Medicine- Arthroscopy Association of North America Combined 2021 Annual Meeting by Rick Wright MD, ...

How otters' muscles enable their cold, aquatic life

How otters muscles enable their cold, aquatic life
2021-07-09
Sea otters are the smallest marine mammal. As cold-water dwellers, staying warm is a top priority, but their dense fur only goes so far. We have long known that high metabolism generates the heat they need to survive, but we didn't know how they were producing the heat -- until now. Researchers recently discovered that sea otters' muscles use enough energy through leak respiration, energy not used to perform tasks, that it accounts for their high metabolic rate. The finding explains how sea otters survive in cold water. Physiologist Tray Wright, research assistant professor in Texas A&M University's College of Education & Human Development, conducted the study along with colleagues ...

Normal brain growth curves for children developed childhood brain disorders, infections and injuries

Normal brain growth curves for children developed childhood brain disorders, infections and injuries
2021-07-09
In the United States, nearly every pediatric doctor's visit begins with three measurements: weight, height and head circumference. Compared to average growth charts of children across the country, established in the 1970s, a child's numbers can confirm typical development or provide a diagnostic baseline to assess deviations from the curve. Yet, the brain, of vital importance to the child's development, is merely hinted at in these measurements. Head circumference may indicate a head growth issue, which could be further investigated to determine if there is an issue with brain size or extra fluid. But now, in the age of ...

For pediatric patients with Crohn's disease, factors associated with statural growth differ by sex

2021-07-09
Growth impairment, a common complication of Crohn's disease in children, occurs more often in males than females, but the reasons are unclear. Now, a physician-scientist from Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian and colleagues at eight other centers have found that factors associated with statural growth differ by sex. Their recent publication, identified as the "Editor's Choice / Leading Off" article and receiving a mention on the cover of the June issue of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, underscores the need for investigating and developing sex-specific treatment strategies for children with Crohn's disease, an approach that is not currently part ...

Quadriceps tendon autograft has lower MRI signal

2021-07-09
Nashville, Tenn., (3:40 EDT--July 9, 2021)--An analysis of MRI images of the tissue grafts used for patients who underwent surgery to repair the anterior cruciate knee ligament suggests grafts used from the quadriceps may be superior to tissue grafts from the hamstring. The research was presented today at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine - Arthroscopy Association of North America Combined 2021 Annual Meeting. Younger patients who required ACL reconstruction surgery have historically been treated with a hamstring graft to replace the injured ACL, but preliminary evidence suggests a graft from the quadriceps may be superior. Researchers from the Hospital for Special Surgery in New ...

The 'hijab effect': Feminist backlash to Muslim immigrants in Germany

2021-07-09
Why do some Europeans discriminate against Muslim immigrants, and how can these instances of prejudice be reduced? Political scientist Nicholas Sambanis has spent the last few years looking into this question by conducting innovative studies at train stations across Germany involving willing participants, unknowing bystanders and, most recently, bags of lemons. His newest study, co-authored with Donghyun Danny Choi at the University of Pittsburgh and Mathias Poertner at Texas A&M University, was published July 8 in the American Journal of Political Science and finds evidence of significant discrimination against Muslim women during everyday interactions with native Germans. That evidence comes from experimental interventions set up on train platforms ...

Remote control for plants

2021-07-09
Plants have microscopically small pores on the surface of their leaves, the stomata. With their help, they regulate the influx of carbon dioxide for photosynthesis. They also use the stomata to prevent the loss of too much water and withering away during drought. The stomatal pores are surrounded by two guard cells. If the internal pressure of these cells drops, they slacken and close the pore. If the pressure rises, the cells move apart and the pore widens. The stomatal movements are thus regulated by the guard cells. Signalling pathways in these cells are so complex that it is difficult for humans to intervene with them directly. However, researchers of the Julius-Maximilians-Universität (JMU) Würzburg in ...

Scientists solve 40-year mystery over Jupiter's X-ray aurora

2021-07-09
A research team co-led by UCL (University College London) has solved a decades-old mystery as to how Jupiter produces a spectacular burst of X-rays every few minutes. The X-rays are part of Jupiter's aurora - bursts of visible and invisible light that occur when charged particles interact with the planet's atmosphere. A similar phenomenon occurs on Earth, creating the northern lights, but Jupiter's is much more powerful, releasing hundreds of gigawatts of energy, enough to briefly power all of human civilisation*. In a new study, published in Science Advances, researchers combined close-up observations of Jupiter's environment by NASA's satellite Juno, which is currently orbiting the planet, with simultaneous X-ray ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Existing drug has potential for immune paralysis

Soft brainstem implant delivers high-resolution hearing

Uncovering the structural and regulatory mechanisms underlying translation arrest

Scientists develop strategy to improve flexible tandem solar cell performance

Pushing boundaries: Detecting the anomalous Hall effect without magnetization in a new class of materials

Generative AI’s diagnostic capabilities comparable to non-specialist doctors

Some patients may experience durable disease control even after discontinuing immune checkpoint inhibitors for side effects

Native American names extend the earthquake history of northeastern North America

Lake deposits reveal directional shaking during devastating 1976 Guatemala earthquake

How wide are faults?

Key enzyme in lipid metabolism linked to immune system aging

Improved smoking cessation support needed for surgery patients across Europe

Study finds women much more likely to be aware of and have good understanding of obesity drugs

Study details role of protein that may play a key role in the development of schizophrenia

Americans don’t think bird flu is a threat, study suggests

New CDC report shows increase in autism in 2022 with notable shifts in race, ethnicity, and sex

Modulating the brain’s immune system may curb damage in Alzheimer’s

Laurie Manjikian named vice president of rehabilitation services and outpatient operations at Hebrew SeniorLife

Nonalcoholic beer yeasts evaluated for fermentation activity, flavor profiles

Millions could lose no-cost preventive services if SCOTUS upholds ruling

Research spotlight: Deer hunting season linked to rise in non-hunting firearm incidents

Rice scientists uncover quantum surprise: Matter mediates ultrastrong coupling between light particles

Integrative approach reveals promising candidates for Alzheimer’s disease risk factors or targets for therapeutic intervention

A wearable smart insole can track how you walk, run and stand

Research expands options for more sustainable soybean production

Global innovation takes center stage at Rice as undergraduate teams tackle health inequities

NIST's curved neutron beams could deliver benefits straight to industry

Finding friendship at first whiff: Scent plays role in platonic potential

Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers releases 2025 expert panel document on best practices in MS management

A cool fix for hot chips: Advanced thermal management technology for electronic devices

[Press-News.org] Beta (South Africa) variant may increase risk for COVID-19 hospitalization and death, large-scale South African study suggests