News highlights on health security threats and countermeasures curated by Global Biodefense
This week’s selections include Special Pathogens Research Network pandemic lessons learned; the importance of T cells in the vaccine efficacy equation; building a sustainable mRNA biopreparedness industrial base; and another Ebola virus disease outbreak in the DRC.
POLICY + GOVERNMENT
3 Steps ARPA-H Needs to Take to Accomplish its Mission
Beyond taking a market-shaping approach to innovation, ARPA-H should also retain DARPA’s structure of program managers, having autonomous program managers who work closely with companies/organizations to monitor progress toward programs’ outcomes and ensure success. The NIH’s score-based system are not suitable for ARPA-H’s mission. ARPA-H should also follow DARPA’s “extended pipeline” model of innovation, meaning funding technologies and projects all the way from research to development and commercialization. The NIH, by nature, mostly funds early research and only rarely the development of medicines. STAT
Millions Allocated for Federal Veterinary Programs
Congress designated millions of dollars for several federal veterinary programs in the $1.5 trillion spending bill passed this March and signed by President Biden, including funding to address veterinary workforce shortages and promote food safety. The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) was allocated $2.8 million to remedy the high number of vacancies for public health veterinarian at the agency. $4 million was allocated to continue the transition of veterinary diagnostic capabilities from Plum Island Animal Disease Center in NY to NBAF and to carry out programs at the new facility, slated to open in Manhattan, Kansas, in 2022. AVMA
Biodefense Leadership and National Security: Lessons from the Goldwater-Nichols Reforms
Now, U.S. deaths from COVID-19 have reached nearly one million—more than all fatalities suffered by American armed forces in all the wars of the twentieth century. The pandemic has cost the U.S. economy over $4 trillion in just two years—more than twice the cost of twenty years of U.S. military operations in Afghanistan. But historically, such statistical comparisons have not swayed minds in Washington, D.C. The U.S. defense and national security community has tolerated the framing of some health issues as national security threats, but only reluctantly and temporarily. “We understand that pandemic preparedness and biodefense is important,” goes a common U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) refrain, “but they aren’t really our mission.” Think Global Health
Contributions of the Regional Emerging Special Pathogen Treatment Centers to the US COVID-19 Pandemic Response
The National Emerging Special Pathogens Training and Education Center (NETEC) was established in 2015 to improve the capabilities of healthcare facilities to provide safe and effective care to patients with Ebola and other special pathogens in the United States. Through NETEC, a collaborative network of 10 Regional Emerging Special Pathogen Treatment Centers (RESPTCs) undertook readiness activities that included potential respiratory pathogens. As initial COVID-19 cases were detected in the U.S., RESPTCs provided essential isolation capacity, supplies, and subject matter expertise that allowed for additional time for healthcare systems to prepare. Through the Special Pathogen Research Network, RESPTCs rapidly enrolled patients into early clinical trials. Sustained funding of these networks and other preparedness initiatives and programs is essential to continue ongoing COVID-19 mitigation efforts and to prepare for the next outbreak or global pandemic. Health Security
Operationalizing Article VII of the Biological Weapons Convention
Article VII of the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) has evolved incrementally since the entry into force of the BWC with change prompted by exogenous trends and events, such as the 1990-91 Gulf War, the negotiation of the Chemical Weapons Convention, the revision of the IHR and the growing salience of terrorism with Biological Weapons (BW), but particularly in response to international public health events, such as SARS, SARS-CoV-2, and Ebola. The result is a considerable amount of substantive material and ideas on the scope and challenges of providing assistance under Article VII. UN Office for Disarmament Affairs
The FDA’s Food Failure
Politico’s investigation found that the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, the little-known food arm of FDA, has repeatedly failed to take timely action on a wide range of safety and health issues the agency has been aware of for several years, including dangerous pathogens found in water used to grow produce and heavy metal contamination in baby foods. The disfunction of the agency that oversees nearly 80 percent of the American food supply has a real impact on people’s lives. Politico
The Mask Mandate Decision Defies Common Sense
The Biden Administration opted not to ask for an emergency stay of the order—which would have immediately, but temporarily reinstated the mask mandate. But they did do something that is potentially important to the future of public health and CDC power. They appealed the decision by the U.S. District Court in Tampa. If the Tampa decision stands the results could be disastrous. By basing a ruling on an especially narrow definition of the word “sanitation” the court restricted future public health interventions during pandemics or other public health crises. Brookings
The Urgent Need for an Overhaul of Global Biorisk Management
The biological risk landscape is rapidly evolving and presents significant new challenges to preventing the accidental, reckless, or malicious misuse of biology. At the same time, oversight systems to ensure that life sciences research is conducted safely, securely, and responsibly are falling behind. An urgent overhaul to realign biorisk management with contemporary risks is needed. This must include not only an international framework to establish values and principles for biorisk management and guidelines to develop and implement governance tools and mechanisms, but also an authoritative international institution with a mandate to systematically register and track maximum containment facilities and to oversee extremely high-risk research. Combating Terrorism Center
China Introduces Strict New Bioethics Guidelines for Genetics Materials
It’s been almost four years since Chinese researcher He Jiankui utilized CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing to change the DNA of the embryos of seven couples, resulting in at least one set of live births. That led to a global moratorium on gene-editing embryos, international investigations, and the researcher receiving a 3-year prison sentence and a $430,000 fine. China recently outlined new proposals for bioethics related to human genetic resources. Reportedly, these will “clarify jurisdictions of regulatory bodies and enhance supervision related to biopharmaceutical research.” BioSpace
MEDICAL COUNTERMEASURES
Lessons Learned by the Special Pathogens Research Network, Based on Collaborations with the NIAID-Led Adaptive COVID-19 Treatment Trial
Performing a high-quality clinical trial is a substantial challenge by itself and running one amid an infectious disease epidemic involves the same robust attention to detail as any other clinical trial, with the added component of time sensitivity and an increased need for emphasis on participant and researcher safety. Several ethical considerations must be addressed, including assurance that response efforts are not hindered, extensive collaboration both locally and internationally, rapid and accurate dissemination of results, equitable recruitment of participants, and use of a placebo arm. These are not new considerations for clinical trials, but they have the potential to be overlooked in an emergency situation. In addition, due to the unknown nature of an emerging infection, the ability to share samples and data can be a vital resource. Trial participants must be made explicitly aware of the possibility for their samples and data to be shared across the research community, presumably with personal identifying information removed, and given a choice to opt out of sample or data banking. Health Security
Development of Broad-Spectrum Antiviral Medical Countermeasures to Treat Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers Caused by Natural or Weaponized Virus Infections
Development of MCMs to treat and prevent viral infections with highly lethal filoviruses, such as Ebola virus and Marburg is very difficult. Recently, FDA-approved vaccines and therapeutics for disease caused by EBOV and SARS-CoV-2 infections were obtained using the standard regulatory framework to address the new products’ safety and efficacy profile with randomized clinical trials. Clinical trials were feasible as sufficient numbers of patients were available due to the large scale outbreaks for both pathogens. However, the opportunity to conduct human studies against emerging viral pathogens is relatively rare, and effectively impossible for high-consequence pathogens likely to be used in biowarfare and bioterrorism, such as the filoviruses. PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases
FDA Approves First COVID-19 Treatment for Young Children
The FDA expanded the approval of the COVID-19 treatment Veklury (remdesivir) to include pediatric patients 28 days of age and older weighing at least 3 kilograms (about 7 pounds) with positive results of direct SARS-CoV-2 viral testing, who are hospitalized or have high risk for progression to severe COVID-19. FDA
Scientists to FDA: Don’t Forget About T Cells
A group of nearly 70 academic scientists, doctors, and biotech leaders sent a letter with an unusual request to the US FDA on Thursday: Pay more attention to T cells when it comes to COVID vaccines. For much of the pandemic, COVID-19 vaccine developers and researchers have largely focused on studying antibodies induced by the shots. “Short-term neutralizing antibody responses are certainly important but not the entire picture, and they may not always be the most relevant immune parameter in protection against COVID-19,” said Dr. Dan Barouch, one of the scientists who signed the letter to the FDA, and director of the Center for Virology and Vaccine Research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. The durability of immune responses is particularly important since many experts say it is unreasonable to expect people to continue getting booster shots to raise antibody levels every three to six months.
“I’d like for the FDA and scientists to better appreciate the valuable role T cell immunity plays in saving lives and the importance of collecting T cell data in vaccine clinical trials and including these data in vaccine reviews,” said Dr. Rick Bright, chief executive of the Pandemic Prevention Institute, who also signed the letter. “By developing and standardizing assays to measure and monitor T cell responses, we will be much better informed about existing and future vaccine development and optimization options.” Boston Globe
Moderna Says Its New ‘Bivalent’ Vaccine Shows Promise Against COVID Variants
Preliminary results from a study testing a vaccine that targets both the original strain of the virus and the beta variant — a so-called “bivalent” vaccine — appears to produce high levels of antibodies for months that can neutralize the virus. Per Moderna’s CEO, another bivalent vaccine that combines the original strain with the omicron strain is the company’s lead candidate for a fall vaccination campaign aimed at protecting people against a winter surge. Results from the testing of that bivalent version are expect later this spring. NPR, New York Times, Moderna
Paxlovid’s Failure as a Preventative Measure Raises Questions, But Doctors Still Back it as a Therapeutic
Pfizer released news late Friday that Paxlovid, the antiviral currently subject to a big push from the U.S. government, failed to prevent people living with Covid patients from catching the infection. The news is one of several bad headlines for the new Covid pill, but one experts say doesn’t affect the medicine’s primary use: treating people who are already sick. And some experts said the results, while disappointing, are not a surprise. “Traditionally it’s been difficult to use small molecule antivirals for true prophylaxis because the biology of treating infection is different from the biology of preventing infection,” said Daniel Barouch, director of the Center for Virology and Vaccine Research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. STAT
New Crop of COVID-19 mRNA Vaccines Could Be Easier to Store, Cheaper to Use
More than a dozen new mRNA vaccines from 10 countries are now advancing in clinical studies. Furthest along is a vaccine made by Walvax Biotechnology in Kunming, China, together with Suzhou Abogen Biosciences and the Chinese Academy of Military Science. Instead of using mRNA that encodes the entire spike protein, the Walvax team only included the sequence of a key portion known as the receptor binding domain. In July 2021, the company launched a placebo-controlled phase 3 trial in 28,000 people in Mexico, Indonesia, Nepal, and China. A key advantage is that Walvax’s product can be kept in a standard refrigerator.
In Thailand, a team lead by Kiat Ruxrungtham at Chulalongkorn University has developed an mRNA vaccine, produced by the French-Thai company BioNet-Asia, that has completed phase 1/2 studies. The team followed a key step in the playbook used by the Pfizer-BioNTech collaboration and Moderna: replacing uridine—one of the four basic building blocks of RNA—with methylpseudouridine, a substitution that reduces the toxicity of mRNA and increases the amount of spike protein cells produce. Science
Next Generation Live-Attenuated Influenza Vaccine Platforms
This review focuses on different live-attenuated platforms for influenza virus vaccine development and proposes essential considerations for a rational universal influenza virus vaccine design. Despite the recent efforts for universal influenza virus vaccines, there is a lack of broadly reactive antibodies induction that can confer broad and long-lasting protection. Various strategies using LAIVs are investigated to induce broadly reactive, durable, and cross-protective immune responses. Expert Review of Vaccines
BIOSECURITY + BIOPREPAREDNESS
The Role of Public Health Emergency Management in Biodefense: A COVID-19 Case Study
The U.S. has a complicated history with biosecurity as policymaking, biodefense activities and government transparency have historically been in contention. This study explores the biodefense and public health preparedness landscape for trends in federal support and capacity building. Results included identification of common themes of failure during the COVID-19 response, to include statutory authorities and accountable leadership; Strategic National Stockpile and supply chain surge capacity and resilience; testing and surveillance; and coherent data systems for situational awareness. To counter the increasing biothreats, the United States must invest in revamping the biodefense infrastructure to mimic and support public health emergency preparedness initiatives which will increase our resilience to various biothreats. Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness
War Amid a Pandemic: The Public Health Consequences of Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine
Ukrainians are likely to face persistent and intensifying public health challenges as a direct result of the conflict, compounding the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. The security and safety of healthcare facilities, workers, and supply lines remain paramount concerns. Disruptions to surveillance and treatment programs risk an eruption of infectious disease outbreaks. Interruptions to chronic care and routine health services threaten to increase mortality and decrease life expectancy. The long-term mental health consequences of war-related trauma will be considerable. Over 5 million people have fled the country, while an estimated 7 million or more are internally displaced out of a pre-war population of 44 million. Fleeing populations have been met with a surge of support, but receiving health systems, both within and outside Ukraine, are under stress. CSIS
Building a Sustainable mRNA Biopreparedness Industrial Base
While mRNA is a highly dynamic industry, the USG lacks the situational awareness tools, measures, and metrics needed to understand the state of industry, economic trends impacting industry decisions, and the readiness of industry to meet public health and global health emergency needs. OWS developed several dashboards that allowed tracking of the industry during the COVID-19 response; however, these tools focused on immediate vaccine deployment issues and were not suited for more strategic monitoring of the industrial base. In addition, the mRNA industry relies on a complex, global, and heavily outsourced supply chain ecosystem. The USG requires a data analytics and monitoring capability to manage industrial base risks and capacity. MITRE
Al Mauroni: On Biological War
Despite the lack of any biological attacks or even threat of attacks over the past twenty years, the potential impact of a large-scale use of a contagious disease concerns enough people to call for new national strategies and improved response capabilities for biological threats. Current strategies aim to mitigate natural disease, to regulate biological research associated with the more hazardous biological diseases, and to improve the U.S. public health system to better respond to biological threats. Yet despite the development of four national strategies for national biodefense over the past twenty years, the U.S. government has not significantly advanced its capabilities for protecting against and responding to biological threats, defined as including natural diseases, deliberate biological releases, and laboratory accidents. Despite the high-level attention to this threat, assessments of the Nation’s capability to prepare for deliberate biological threats have not, however, been positive. Military Review
A New Age of Bioterror: Anticipating Exploitation of Tunable Viral Agents
In this article, the authors consider the theoretical potential for bioterrorists to select a viral platform and genetically modify viral transmissibility, incubation and infectious time windows, and lethality along with the manner of death, creating what are in essence tunable bioweapons. Such bioweapons could achieve targeted effects tailored to timescale, physical and psychological effect, with intended tactical, operational, and strategic levels of impact, with the most impactful viral agents producing all three effects. Combating Terrorism Center
Prioritizing Global Public Health Investments for COVID-19 Response in Real Time: Results from a Delphi Exercise
In the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a lack of guidance on how to channel the unprecedented amount of health financing toward the pandemic response. Even under international lockdowns where interaction was limited to virtual meetings, the Delphi process provided a systematic and rapid methodology for generating evidence to guide substantial investments in health security. Health Security
Florida Lost 70,000 People to Covid. It’s Still Not Prepared for the Next Wave
About 70 percent of Florida 250 hospitals are facing a critical staffing shortage, and the state will be short 60,000 nurses by 2035. Investments in expanded medical training programs won’t provide relief any time soon. “Before Covid, every emergency manager in the country had a playbook on how to deal with a pandemic, and after Covid, everyone had to throw that playbook away. Now there’s a very good playbook for Covid, but do I think the country is prepared for the next pandemic? The answer is no.” Politico
SELECT AGENTS + PRIORITY PATHOGENS
A Self-Driven Microfluidic Chip for Ricin and Abrin Detection
In this study, a novel microfluidic sensor chip with a capillary self-driven function and large surface area was designed. Through binding with the double antibodies sandwich immunoassay, the proposed sensor chip is confirmed to be a candidate for sensing the ricin and abrin toxins. Compared with conventional immunochromatographic test strips, the proposed sensor demonstrates significantly enhanced sensitivity (≤10 pg/mL for both toxins) and high specificity against the interference derived from juice or milk. Sensors
Ebola Vaccination Campaign Begins in DR Congo to Counter New Outbreak
Following confirmed Ebola virus disease cases in Mbandaka, a new VSV-ZEBOV vaccination campaign began in late April with support from WHO and other partners and donors. In addition to the vaccination campaign, a 20-bed Ebola treatment centre has been set up in Mbandaka. The National Institute for Biomedical Research, which has completed an analysis of a sample from the first confirmed case, said the new outbreak indicates a new strain of Ebola, the result of a “spill-over event from the host or animal reservoir”, WHO said. UN News
Welder’s Anthrax: A Review of an Occupational Disease
Since 1997, nine cases of severe pneumonia, caused by species within the B. cereus group and with a presentation similar to that of inhalation anthrax, were reported in seemingly immunocompetent metalworkers, with most being welders. In seven of the cases, isolates were found to harbor a plasmid similar to the B. anthracis pXO1 that encodes anthrax toxins. In this paper, we review the literature on the B. cereus group spp. pneumonia among welders and other metalworkers, which we term welder’s anthrax. Pathogens
Smallpox Vaccination Induces a Substantial Increase in Commensal Skin Bacteria That Promote Pathology and Influence the Host Response
Here researchers report that intradermal vaccination with VACV induces a large increase in the number of commensal bacteria in infected tissue, which enhance recruitment of inflammatory cells, promote tissue damage and influence the host response. Skin microbiota may provide an adjuvant-like stimulus during vaccination with VACV and influence the host response to vaccination. PLOS Pathogens
The Tick That Makes People Allergic to Red Meat is in D.C.
The lone star tick originated in the southern states but has spread north and west to cover much of the eastern half of the country. With a warming climate, more ticks survive the winter months, and their range is expanding. When lone star ticks feed on mammals, such as mice, rabbits or deer, they ingest alpha-gal sugars. Later, if the ticks bite and feed on humans, they inject the alpha-gal sugars with their saliva into their human host. Because people don’t have alpha-gal in their bodies, the human immune system recognizes alpha-gal from a tick bite as a foreign substance and mounts a response, including the development of antibodies. Red meat, which contains alpha-gal sugars, can further trigger reactions, often severe. Washington Post
COVID is Spreading in Deer. What Does That Mean for The Pandemic?
So far, infected deer aren’t turning up very unwell, but they could spread the infection to livestock or other wildlife that might be more vulnerable. And that’s a major worry. In March 2021, the USDA received a US$300-million grant to survey animals susceptible to SARS-CoV-2, and has sampled deer through the 2022 hunting season in at least 27 states. Nature
Plea Deal Offered to Quebec Woman Accused of Mailing Ricin to Trump
The deal would include the three charges Pascale Ferrier faces related to a letter containing ricin that was mailed to the White House in 2020, as well as 16 federal charges she faces in Texas, where she is alleged to have mailed poison to several law enforcement officials. Eight of the Texas charges carry a possible life sentence. Details of what the federal prosecutor offered have not been disclosed. Ferrier was found fit to stand trial in March and has until the end of June to accept the plea deal. National Post
CHEMICAL + RADIOLOGICAL THREATS
IAEA Assistance Mission to Ukraine’s Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant Restoring Remote Monitoring and Safeguards
An expert mission to Ukraine’s Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) left for Chornobyl on 26 April to step up efforts to help prevent the danger of a nuclear accident during the current conflict in the country. The team of IAEA nuclear safety, security and safeguards staff will deliver vital equipment and conduct radiological and other assessments at the site, which was held by Russian forces for five weeks before they withdrew on 31 March.
IAEA said that the remote transfer of safeguards data from the Chornobyl NPP to the Agency’s Vienna headquarters is gradually being restored after its technicians last week were able to upgrade the unattended monitoring systems installed at the site and deployed new transmission channels based on satellite technologies. The transmission from Chornobyl had been interrupted for two months. For the four operational NPPs in Ukraine, remote data is being transferred to the IAEA. International Atomic Energy Agency
Chemical Agent Use in Terrorist Events: A Gathering Storm Requiring Enhanced Civilian Preparedness
The use of chemical weapons in terrorist attacks, though rare, remains a significant challenge and concern due to their ability to inflict mass casualties. In recent years, there have been more instances where potentially deadly chemicals have been used in civilian settings. Dual use industrial chemicals, in particular, pose a significant concern. Prehospital and Disaster Medicine
First Responders from Around the World Enhance Skills in Handling Incidents Involving Toxic Chemicals
First responders from 49 Member States of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) enhanced their knowledge of detection, identification, monitoring and sampling of chemical warfare agents and toxic industrial chemicals. The event was attended by 160 emergency professionals and conducted by the OPCW in partnership with the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DESTO), Pakistan. OPCW
SURVEILLANCE + DETECTION
Counterfeit At-Home OTC COVID-19 Diagnostic Tests
The FDA on Friday issued a warning on counterfeit versions of the following at-home over-the-counter (OTC) COVID-19 diagnostic tests being distributed or used in the United States:
- Counterfeit Flowflex COVID-19 Test Kits
- Counterfeit iHealth COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Test Kits
The FDA’s web page shares information on how to check whether you have a counterfeit test and what to do if you use a counterfeit test. The FDA will update this page to list counterfeit at-home OTC COVID-19 diagnostic tests when significant new information becomes available. U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Increase in Hepatitis (Liver Inflammation) Cases in Children Under Investigation
Like other countries, UK public health agencies are continuing to investigate a rise in cases of sudden onset hepatitis in children aged 10 and under since January 2022, where the usual viruses that cause infectious liver inflammation (hepatitis A to E) have not been detected. Active case finding investigations have identified a total number of 108 cases in children presented to health services between January 2022 and 12 April 2022. There is no link to the COVID-19 vaccine. None of the confirmed cases in the UK is known to have been vaccinated.
The investigation, including information from patient samples and surveillance systems, continues to point towards a link to adenovirus infection. Seventy-seven per cent of cases tested were positive for adenovirus. However, as it is not usual to see this pattern of disease from adenovirus, UKHSA is actively investigating other possible contributing factors, such as another infection (including COVID-19), an environmental cause, or a change in the genome of adenovirus. UK Health Security Agency
IntegronFinder 2.0: Identification and Analysis of Integrons Across Bacteria
IntegronFinder is a widely used software to identify novel integrons in bacterial genomes but has aged and lacks some useful functionalities to handle very large datasets of draft genomes or metagenomes. Here version 2.0 improvements are detailed and utilized to analyze the distribution of integrons across more than 20,000 fully sequenced genomes. Microorganisms
New CDC Team: A ‘Weather Service’ to Forecast What’s Next in Pandemic
The Center for Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics, which starts with $200 million in funding, was created last summer to improve understanding by the CDC and the government more broadly of the coronavirus — and future outbreaks — in real time. White House officials formally launched the effort last week at a summit hosted by the Office on Science and Technology Policy on strengthening U.S. early-warning systems for health threats. The center will be based in D.C. and will eventually have about 100 staff members, including some at CDC’s Atlanta headquarters. Washington Post
WHO: Worldwide Measles Cases Up 79% in 2022
The WHO today is warning of a perfect storm for measles resurgence, due to a 79% increase in the first 2 months of 2022 and pandemic-related disruptions in routine childhood vaccination. In addition to pandemic-related disruptions, the WHO said millions of displaced people due to conflicts and crises in Ukraine, Ethiopia, Somalia and Afghanistan, could also result in a significant increase in measles cases. CIDRAP
Halo—A Universal Fluorescence Reader Based Threat Agent Detection Platform—A Proof of Concept Study Using SARS-CoV-2 Assays
A small low-cost diagnostic reader paired with fluorescently labeled lateral flow assays. The focus of this study is to compare the analytical performance of Halo against comparable tests that use either colloidal gold nanoparticles or fluorescence-based reporters in simulated nasal matrix and not in clinical samples. Frontiers in Public Health
PUBLIC HEALTH
Promoting Primary Health Care During a Health Security Crisis
Even amid a public health emergency, countries can continue to deepen their commitment to Primary Health Care (PHC) and, by extension, health security by investing more public funds into health programs. For example, the WHO encourages countries to devote at least 1 percent of GDP to healthcare. Some regions have determined that they need to spend even more, with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the WHO’s regional office for the Americas, urging member countries to commit at least 6 percent of GDP to public expenditures on health. But the percentage of those funds that are channeled toward primary health care varies considerably, with estimates that only around 50 percent of low- and middle-income countries’ public spending on health is funneled toward PHC programs. And across the board, governments finance only one-third of total PHC expenditures, with many low-income countries dependent on foreign assistance to cover additional program costs. CSIS
Study Sheds Light on Death Spike in Hong Kong COVID-19 Surge
The recent Omicron variant surge in Hong Kong came with a mortality rate among the world’s highest yet in the pandemic, a troubling development in a region known for its strong pandemic measures, and today researchers from the United States, Hong Kong, and China who dug into the data suggest that vaccination lapses in older people played a major role. Among the deaths, 96% occurred in people ages 60 and older, and of those 70% were unvaccinated. CIDRAP
America Is Staring Down Its First So What? Wave
Testing and case reporting are now so “abysmal” that we’re losing sight of essential transmission trends, says Jessica Malaty Rivera, a research fellow at Boston Children’s Hospital. “It’s so bad that I could never look at the data and make any informed choice.” Testing is how individuals, communities, and experts stay on top of where the virus is and whom it’s affecting; it’s also one of the main bases of the CDC’s new guidance on when to mask up again. Without it, the nation’s ability to forecast whatever wave might come around next is bound to be clouded. We can’t react to a wave we don’t see coming. The Atlantic
The Increase of PTSD In Front-Line Health Care Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic: One-Year Follow-Up Study
Although a large number of cross-sectional studies have investigated the prevalence of PTSD in Health Care Workers (HCW) during the initial outbreak of COVID-19, long-term health consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on HCW are largely unclear. These study results demonstrated the persistence and even worsening of PTSD symptoms for a substantial proportion of HCWs at the one-year follow-up. With the increasing numbers of recovered COVID-19 patients, the mental states of the general public gradually improved. However, HCWs having to endure multiple surges may be more traumatized; therefore, it might be harder and take longer for them to recover from PTSD symptoms. Translational Psychiatry
HISTORICAL REFLECTIONS
Naval Forces’ Defense Capabilities Against Chemical and Biological Warfare Threats (2004)
U.S. naval forces must be prepared to respond to a broad array of threats. Of increasing importance are those from chemical and biological warfare (CW and BW). To help review its current state of preparedness, the Chief of Naval Operations asked the National Research Council (NRC) to assess the U.S. Navy’s defense capabilities against CW and BW threats. In particular to what extent are they being developed to enable naval forces to sense and analyze quickly the presence of chemical and biological agents, withstand or avoid exposure to such agents, deal with contamination under a broad spectrum of operational conditions, and over what period will these capabilities be realized. National Academies
SPECIAL INTEREST
Looking For Trouble: Trapping Bats with Supaporn Wacharapluesadee, Who Hunts for Viruses to Understand and Prevent Pandemic Threats
Supaporn is one of the world’s most accomplished virus hunters. She is known for her work tracking Nipah virus. The 52-year-old scientist’s career blossomed over the past decade after she joined PREDICT, a multicountry epidemiological program sponsored by USAID that was ended in 2019. The WHO in fall 2021 named her a member of its new Scientific Advisory Group for the Origins of Novel Pathogens. Science
Kizzmekia Corbett on the Pandemic, Public Service, and Her Path to Becoming a Scientist
Corbett, who worked on the design for the Moderna vaccine in her former job at the National Institutes of Health’s Vaccine Research Center, talks with Helen Branswell path into science and plans to work on vaccine design to help the world better handle future pandemics. STAT