News & Updates

A nationally representative study led by researchers from the University of Hong Kong and Xi’an Jiaotong University Health Science Centre, China, has shown that a five-test (ie, serum HBsAg/HBsAb/HBeAg/HBeAb/HBcAb) universal screening strategy in people aged 18–70 years is the most cost-effective hepatitis B virus (HBV) screening option in China.

Older adults have weaker antibody responses to two doses of COVID-19 vaccines [ie, mRNA-based BNT162b2 vaccine and inactivated CZ02 vaccine] vs younger individuals, but a booster dose mounts SARS-CoV-2 neutralization activities to a high level, according to data presented at AIM 2022.

Immune signatures developed in response to severe COVID-19 appear to vary not only according to the principal disease but also with underlying comorbidities, such as hypertension, diabetes, and heart diseases, a new study has found.

Vitamin D deficiency is common in modern society, particularly among older people who are homebound. Vitamin D supplements in older people may have a role in preventing serious complications of COVID-19, according to data presented at AIM 2022.

In chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients treated with pegylated interferon alpha (peg-IFN-α)-based interventions, lower levels of the HB core-related antigen (HBcrAg) and higher levels of the HB surface antibody (HbsAb) are associated with durable functional cure, a recent study has found,

A real-world study during Hong Kong’s Omicron BA.2 wave showed that both molnupiravir and nirmatrelvir/ritonavir effectively lowered the risks of disease progression and all-cause mortality in hospitalized COVID-19 patients not requiring oxygen supplementation on admission. However, mortality risk reduction was larger with nirmatrelvir/ritonavir vs molnupiravir.

Cancer patients who experience treatment delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions may be vulnerable to psychological distress, reports a recent China study. Effective communication from doctors and other cancer care professionals may help mitigate this effect.

The levels of serum levels of LL-37, an antimicrobial peptide whose expression is stimulated by vitamin D, may help assess the risk of disease progression in COVID-19 patients, reports a recent study.