Interferon beta 1-alpha could hasten COVID recovery

Numbers in the US continue to break daily records, while a cluster has put SA on alert.

Welcome to The Medical Republic’s COVID Catch-Up.

It’s the day’s COVID-19 news in one convenient post. Email bianca@biancanogrady.com with any tips, comments or feedback.

16 November

• Trial of inhaled interferon beta 1-alpha suggests greater likelihood of recovery in hospitalised patients.
• US healthcare workers take to Twitter to voice their fears and exhaustion as pandemic rages.
• Latest confirmed COVID-19 infection numbers from around Australia.

• A randomised placebo-controlled trial of inhaled nebulised interferon beta 1-alpha in patients hospitalised with COVID-19 has found the treatment is associated with a significantly greater likelihood of recovery within two weeks of starting daily therapy.
  The study, published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine, involved 98 patients – 48 of whom were randomised to the inhaled therapy and 50 to placebo – with similar baseline characteristics except the treatment group were more likely to be on oxygen at baseline, suggesting more severe disease.
  Patients given interferon beta 1-alpha had a two-fold greater odds of recovery by the end of the 14-day treatment period, and a three-fold greater odds of recovery within 28 days of starting treatment.
  However the treatment did not achieve a statistically significant reduction in the risk of death or in the odds of hospital discharge.
  There were no serious treatment-related adverse events, but a greater number of patients in the treatment group reported headache.
• Pandemic exhaustion and fear among US healthcare workers is breaking out all over social media, as the number of new cases continues to break daily records. More than 139,000 new cases were diagnosed yesterday, representing a greater than 10% increase in cases in the previous seven days:

I don’t even know what to say anymore other than may God have mercy on all healthcare systems and staff working in these vital institutions across this nation. https://t.co/kJZAkLzixD

— Dr. Syra Madad (@syramadad) November 16, 2020

An American is testing positive every 1.2 seconds. Daily deaths are also climbing – one of us is dying every 107 seconds, according to Johns Hopkins data. @KHNews #COVID19 #SecondLockdown #AmericanHorrorStories #idtwitter #MedTwitter @KrutikaKuppalli

— Deeksha Jandhyala, MD (@transplantID) November 15, 2020

?I wrote about what health-care workers are going through, how exhausted & scared they are, and what this 3rd pandemic surge is doing to them.

It’s not like the first 2. It’s worse. How much slack is left in the system? Iowa nurse: “There is none” 1/ https://t.co/is2NGHdwRP

— Ed Yong (@edyong209) November 13, 2020

Keep in mind this is the daily total for a Saturday and numbers tend to be lower on the weekend.

We really need to take some drastic measures in this country to stop this. Please consider staying home and canceling holiday plans

Thank you

From an exhausted healthcare worker https://t.co/irqHDiWmCd

— Dr.Krutika Kuppalli (@KrutikaKuppalli) November 15, 2020

• South Australia is on alert after a cluster of COVID-19 cases suspected of being linked to a person working in one of the medi-hotels quarantining returned travellers. That individual is also linked to two other cases, one of whom attended the emergency department at Lyell McEwin Hospital on Friday 13 and Saturday 14 November.
  Health department officials are asking anyone who was at the hospital around that time to self-isolate and contact the SA COVID-19 Information Line on 1800 253 787. A public health alert has also been issued for Parafield Plaza Supermarket on Thursday 12 November, and several public transport routes.
  The nine cases reported in NSW and four cases reported in WA yesterday are all returned travellers in hotel quarantine, while Victoria celebrates its 16th day of zero new cases.
  Here are the latest confirmed COVID-19 infection numbers from around Australia to 9pm Sunday:
  National – 27,725, with 907 deaths
  ACT – 114 (0)
  NSW – 4495 (9)
  NT – 46 (0)
  QLD – 1185 (0)
  SA – 523 (1)
  TAS – 230 (0)
  VIC – 20,345 (0)
  WA – 787 (4)