News & Updates

Households, and not schools, are the major route of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) transmission for those ≤18 years of age, according to a cross-sectional study of nearly 400 Hong Kong children and youths who contracted COVID-19 in 2020.

Researchers from the University of Hong Kong (HKU) have developed a dry powder formulation of tamibaroterone, which displays broad-spectrum antiviral activity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), and pandemic 2009 influenza A virus (H1N1), when delivered intranasally or through inhalation in mouse and hamster models.

A Hong Kong study demonstrates vertical transfer of antibodies against acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) to babies whose mothers have recovered from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

An infusion of convalescent plasma, obtained via blood donation from individuals who have recovered from COVID-19, did not prevent disease progression in high-risk outpatients who presented within 7 days of COVID-19 symptom onset, results of the phase III US-based SIREN-C3PO* study showed.

Late intubation compounds the risk of death among coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients on mechanical intubation due to respiratory insufficiency, a recent study has found.

Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin-receptor blockers (ARBs) appear to be beneficial to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients, with a recent study suggesting that the use of such drugs may slow down progression of emphysema and lung function decline.

Acid suppression (AS) medications, such as proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and histamine type-2 receptor antagonists (H2RAs), weaken the efficacy of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) in nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC), resulting in worse survival outcomes, according to a recent Singapore meta-analysis.

Prompt empiric antiviral treatment in children hospitalized for influenza and with high-risk medical conditions or in children admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) leads to early discharge, as shown in a study.