A new study published in The Lancet Public Health found that tuberculosis diagnoses plummeted as much as 100 percent in Central and North America in 2021, and nearly 87 percent in Western Europe in 2022 (compared to expected levels). This pattern was distinct from tuberculosis diagnoses among the general population, which experienced a decline in 2020, but generally began increasing again in subsequent years. Incarceration levels remained largely consistent from 2020-2022, suggesting that the reduction in reported TB cases was likely due to other factors, such as reduced capacity for prisons to test and diagnose TB during the unprecedented global crisis.

Kennedy Krieger Institute launched an innovative virtual training program aimed at expanding access to specialized care. The Pediatric Long COVID Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) program has successfully trained nearly 100 healthcare professionals across the United States, equipping them with the knowledge to diagnose and manage long COVID in children.

New research findings provide solid evidence that annual COVID-19 vaccine booster doses continue to be advisable for certain immunocompromised people, researchers at McGill University say.

The researchers looked at how often people with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) got COVID-19 despite having received at least three doses of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. IMIDs – including rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, inflammatory bowel disease and multiple sclerosis – affect more than seven million Canadians. The medications they take often weaken their vaccine responses, increasing their vulnerability to infection.

A new study in JAMA Pediatrics found that the spike in gun death rates during the first two years of the pandemic disproportionately affected adolescents ages 10-16, as well as adults over 30 years old. These increases lowered the peak risk of being a victim of a fatal shooting from 21 years old to 19 years old. The study also found that as adult gun death rates returned to pre-COVID levels in 2022 and 2023, gun homicide rates continued increasing for the 10-16 adolescent age group, doubling pre-pandemic rates.

Key findings

• Sarcoidosis patients are prone to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, increased severity, morbidity and greater mortality of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

What is known and what is new?

• Subjects with sarcoidosis are more vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2 infection.

• Severity of COVID-19 was also more serious in subjects stricken with sarcoidosis.

What is the implication, and what should change now?

• Vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 for sarcoidosis may be a compulsory measure.

Scientists used advanced data analysis and machine learning to identify the viral proteins that may trigger autoimmune disorders such as type 1 diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis.

Two recent studies by researchers from Regenstrief Institute and the Indiana University School of Medicine explore the effect of the pandemic on colorectal cancer screening tests and diagnostic colonoscopies in Central Indiana. The findings of temporary disruption to the former and minimal impact on the latter are similar to findings across the U.S., contributing to the compendium of knowledge on preventive health uptake and subsequent treatment in various populations during the pandemic.

A new type of ‘vaccine scepticism’ has been uncovered by researchers at Lancaster University, who examined a nine-million-word corpus of tweets looking at vaccine comparisons and evaluations.

Researchers at the University of Cologne have discovered that mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines have a persistent effect on the innate immune system. These mechanisms may help the human body to better protect itself against potential future infections / publication in ‘Molecular Systems Biology’

The COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown measures in France affected health care access and prescribing patterns, leading to significant changes in outpatient (ambulatory) antibiotic use. This study examined how systemic antibiotic use in France changed from 2020 to 2022 compared to expected trends.

Mucosal antigen-specific T cells are pivotal for pathogen clearance and immune modulation in respiratory infections. Dysregulated T cell responses exacerbate coronavirus disease 2019 severity, marked by cytokine storms and respiratory failure. Despite extensive description in peripheral blood, the characteristics of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-specific T cells in the lungs remain elusive. Here we conducted integrated single-cell profiling of SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells in 122 bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and 280 blood samples from 159 patients, including 27 paired BALF and blood samples from 24 patients. SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells were robustly elicited in BALF irrespective of prior vaccination, correlating with diminished viral loads, lessened systemic inflammation and improved respiratory function. SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells in BALF exhibited profound activation, along with proliferative and multi-cytokine-producing capabilities and a glycolysis-driven metabolic signature, which were distinct from those observed in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. After viral clearance, these specific T cells maintained a polyfunctional tissue-resident memory phenotype, highlighting their critical roles in infection control and long-term protection.