Articles: sars-cov-2.
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As of early 2022, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic still represents a worldwide medical emergency situation. The ongoing vaccination programs can slow down the spread of the virus; however, from time to time, the newly emerging variants of concern and antivaccination movements carry the possibility for the disease to remain in our daily lives. After the appearance of SARS-CoV-2, there was scholarly debate whether the virus was of natural origin, or it emerged from a laboratory, some even thinking the agent's potential biological weapon properties suggest the latter scenario. Later, the bioweapon theory was dismissed by the majority of experts, but the question remains that despite its natural origin, how potent a biological weapon the SARS-CoV-2 virus can become over time. ⋯ Our results show that the virus can become a potent bioweapon candidate in the future, achieving a total score of 24 out of 36 on the original 12 criteria. The SARS-CoV-2 has already proven its pandemic generating potential and, despite worldwide efforts, still remains an imminent threat. In order to be prepared for the future possibility of the virus arising as a bioweapon, we must remain cautious and take the necessary countermeasures.
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J. Korean Med. Sci. · Mar 2023
Vaccine Effectiveness Against Severe Disease and Death for Patients With COVID-19 During the Delta-Dominant and Omicron-Emerging Periods: A K-COVE Study.
National cohort data collected during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) delta and omicron periods in Korea revealed a lower risk of severe infection in recipients of three doses of the COVID-19 vaccine (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.05-0.08). The risk of death was reduced during the omicron period compared to the delta period (aOR, 0.75; 95% confidence interval, 0.67-0.84).
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Understanding the overall effectiveness of non-pharmaceutical interventions to control the COVID-19 pandemic and reduce the burden of disease is crucial for future pandemic planning. However, quantifying the effectiveness of specific control measures and the extent of missed infections, in the absence of early large-scale serological surveys or random community testing, has remained challenging. ⋯ Combining models with case linkage data enables evaluation of the effectiveness of different components of outbreak control measures, and provides more reliable situational awareness when some cases are missed. Using such approaches for early identification of the weakest link in containment efforts could help policy makers to better redirect limited resources to strengthen outbreak control.
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Review Case Reports
Relapsing Anti-MOG Antibody-associated Disease Following COVID-19 Vaccination: A Rare Case Report and Review of the Literature.
Anti-myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease (MOGAD) is an autoimmune demyelinating disorder that mainly occurs post-infection or post-vaccination. MOGAD after inoculation with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines is rare, and we herein report a rare case of a patient with MOGAD after vaccination using the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine (BNT162b2, Pfizer Japan, Tokyo). Our report highlights the fact that MOGAD following inoculation with COVID-19 vaccine may show clinical relapse during reduction of the oral steroid dose, and continuous treatments with immunological agents is needed to prevent disease recurrence.