News & Updates

COVID-19 remains a global health concern, and children and adolescents are equally affected. In fact, COVID-19 hospitalization rates in children increased during the Omicron era. [MMWR 2022;71:271-278] In children aged 5–11 years who were hospitalized during the predominance of Omicron, nearly 90 percent were unvaccinated. [MMWR 2022;71:574-581]

COVID-19 vaccine boosters provide protection against Omicron infection and related hospitalization among people with substance use disorder, researchers from the University of Hong Kong have reported.

Modulation of gut microbiome using the SIM01 synbiotic formula significantly improves neuropsychiatric and gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms of long COVID, according to results of the randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled RECOVERY study conducted by researchers from the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK).

A 3-year course of weekly oral vitamin D supplementation, while safe and effective at increasing serum 25(OH)D concentrations, does little to reduce the risk of contracting tuberculosis (TB) infection in children, as shown in the results of a phase III study.

Vaccination with either BNT162b2 or mRNA-1273 results in a comparable risk of breakthrough COVID-19 infection among patients with systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (SARDs) using immunomodulatory medication, a study has shown.

For children and adolescents who have been previously exposed to SARS-CoV-2 infection, vaccination with BNT162b2 appears to provide additional protection against omicron BA.4 or BA.5 and XBB variant infections, according to a study from Singapore.