News & Updates

A real-world study during Hong Kong’s Omicron BA.2.2 wave has shown that viral burden rebound is uncommon in hospitalized COVID-19 patients not requiring supplemental oxygen on admission, regardless of whether they were treated with nirmatrelvir/ritonavir or molnupiravir. However, immunocompromised patients, regardless of oral antiviral use, are more likely to have viral burden rebound.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection appears to be a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), suggests a recent study. However, women vaccinated against HPV are protected against such risk.

Use of doxycycline as postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) results in a significant decrease in the incidence of Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and syphilis and demonstrates a significant impact on the incidence of Neisseria gonorrhoeae (GC), reports a study presented at the 30th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI). Meningococcal B vaccine also helps lower the incidence of GC.

The incidence of sexually transmitted infection (STI) over the first 4 years of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) use remains high and stable, but the incidence of chlamydia and gonorrhea has slightly decreased among daily PrEP users, as shown in a study presented at the 30th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI).

Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) who undergo foecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) are less likely to develop recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI), a study has shown.

A recent meta-analysis has revealed a decreased risk of Helicobacter pylori infection among alcohol drinkers as compared with nondrinkers, with wine and mixed types of alcohol showing greater infection reduction than beer.

Early administration of oral VV116 was noninferior to nirmatrelvir-ritonavir in shortening the time to sustained clinical recovery in individuals with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 who were at high risk for progression to severe disease, a phase III trial has shown. VV116 also had fewer safety issues than nirmatrelvir-ritonavir.