FOCUS: THIS WEEK'S TOP STORIES
Fauci wants a global rollout of America's 'right on schedule’ vaccines
October 28th, 2020 Top global infectious diseases scientist and US presidential adviser Dr Anthony Fauci told doctors in South Africa during a PPS-sponsored webinar that it should be known “within weeks” if there is a safe and effective vaccine, writes Karen...
CDC redefines COVID exposure time and isolation guidance is supported
October 28th, 2020 The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has expanded how it defines a “close contact” with COVID-19 following new evidence, writes MedicalBrief. Meanwhile, a separate evidence review confirms CDC guidance about length of...
CORONAVIRUS
FDA approves remdesivir as COVID-19 treatment despite negative WHO study
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first drug to treat COVID-19:... October 28th, 2020Coronavirus antibody prevalence falling in England — REACT study
Tests on more than 365,000 people in England have shown that the antibody response to the virus... October 28th, 2020Aspirin use significantly reduces ICU admission and risk of death from COVID-19 — Hospital study
Hospitalised COVID-19 patients who were taking a daily low-dose aspirin to protect against... October 28th, 2020COVID Symptom Study app: Attributes and predictors of Long-COVID
An analysis by researchers at Kings College London, using data from the COVID Symptom Study app,... October 28th, 2020Hydroxychloroquine fails to prevent COVID-19 in health care workers — US/Canada trial
University of Minnesota Medical School physician researchers studied hydroxychloroquine as a... October 28th, 2020Over 80% of COVID-19 patients have vitamin D deficiency — Spain hospital study
Over 80% of 200 COVID-19 patients in a hospital in Spain have vitamin D deficiency, according to a... October 28th, 2020WEEKLY ROUNDUP
Winde clashes with Mkhize over Western Cape's supposed 'resurgence'
What Health minister Zweli Mkhize as tagged as an alarming resurgence of COVID-19 infections in the... October 28th, 2020Ramaphosa dismisses rumours of a second hard lockdown
Government has dismissed “rumours” about the introduction of a second hard lockdown for the... October 28th, 2020AnstraZeneca reports positive vaccine response in young and old adults
One of the world’s leading COVID-19 experimental vaccines produces an immune response in both... October 28th, 2020Russia applies for a WHO Emergency Use Listing for COVID-19 vaccine
The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) has submitted applications to the World Health... October 28th, 2020SA medical schemes: Claims plummet and a dangerous lack of cancer screening
This has been an exceptional year for medical schemes in that the COVID-19 pandemic led to many... October 28th, 2020Western Cape to offer home self-screening for TB
After a huge decline in the number of people testing for tuberculosis during the lockdown, Western... October 28th, 2020Eastern Cape hospital takes 10 weeks to tell family of mother's death
The children of Nomsa Petshe are still reeling from the shock after hearing for the first time on... October 28th, 2020WHO report: Strengthening Uganda health system’s response to violence against women
Researchers have described in a case study, the actions, successes, challenges and lessons learned... October 28th, 2020NEWS RELEASES
DA: Eastern Cape excess deaths data indicate failure in official statistics
The number of excess deaths in the Eastern Cape continues to rise, with the latest available data... October 28th, 2020Merchant Capital: A lifeline to struggling healthcare practices
Alternative lender Merchant Capital has launched a working capital solution to help South African... October 28th, 2020Free State University: Campaign around the first 1,000 days of life
The first 1,000 days of a baby’s life, from conception to the age of two, are of critical... October 28th, 2020PREMIUM JOB LISTING
Ethiqal: Clinical Risk Management Specialist
Organisation: EthiQal division of Constantia Insurance Company Position: Clinical Risk Management Specialist Location: Flexible (Cape Town/Pretoria/Johannesburg preferred) Background Launched in November 2016, EthiQal offers South Africa’s... October 21st, 2020CARDIOVASCULAR
High-flavanol diet associated with lower blood pressure
In one of the largest studies to use nutritional biomarkers to estimate intake of bioactive food compounds, a UK study published in Nature found a a meaningful association between flavanol consumption and lower blood pressure.
People who consume...
October 28th, 2020
CLINICAL PRACTICE
Corticosteroids and bone risk; guidelines change needed — large UK analysis
A large UK analysis of health records found that exposure to inhaled and oral corticosteroids is an independent risk factors for bone health in patients with asthma and recommends that existing guidelines should be modified to encourage additional... October 28th, 2020DENTISTRY
Patient aggression towards dentists widespread - NYU study
Roughly half of New York dentists surveyed experienced verbal or reputational aggression by patients in the past year, and nearly one in four endured physical aggression. according to a study led by researchers at New York University College of...
October 28th, 2020
ENDOCRINOLOGY
Additive effects of green tea and coffee on mortality risk in type 2 diabetes patients
Green tea and coffee consumption is linked to a lower risk of dying from any cause among people with type 2 diabetes, suggests a Japanese observational study in The BMJ.
Drinking 4 or more daily cups of green tea plus 2 or more of coffee was...
October 28th, 2020
HIV/AIDS
Meta-analysis shows lower incidence of prostate cancer in men living with HIV
Rates of prostate cancer are approximately 25% lower among men living with HIV compared to men in the general population, Aidsmap reports a research team led by Dr Dianqin Sun of the National Cancer Centre, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and... October 28th, 2020INFECTIOUS DISEASES
New TB regimen reduces treatment time by a third — clinical trial
Lung health researchers have announced important developments in tuberculosis (TB) research at the Union World Conference. This includes promising data from a clinical trial demonstrating that treatment time for people living with TB can be reduced...
October 28th, 2020