And Moderna releases data suggesting their covid vaccine is safe and effective in children aged 6 months to 6 years.
Welcome to The Medical Republic’s Covid Catch-Up.
It’s the latest covid-19 news in one convenient post. Email bianca@biancanogrady.com with tips, comments or suggestions.
24 March
- Study finds 40% increase in the risk of new-onset diabetes in the year after covid infection.
- Moderna releases clinical trial data of covid vaccine for 6 month-6 year-olds suggesting it’s safe and effective.
- Covid infections creeping up around the world, but especially in Australia.
- More than 120 deaths from covid in Australia in the past week.
Covid infection is associated with an increased risk of new-onset diabetes and use of antihyperglycaemic medication in the year following the infection, research suggests.
A paper published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology presents data from a cohort study of more than 181,280 people who reported a positive covid test, and more than eight million without covid, all of whom had no diabetes diagnosed at baseline.
After weighting for risk factors for diabetes, researchers found that those who had had covid showed a 40% increase in the risk of new-onset diabetes and an 85% increase in the risk of needing anti-hyperglycaemic medication in the year after covid.
The increased risk was seen regardless of age, ethnicity, sex, and BMI, although it was higher in those who were older than 65 years, Black, or with pre-existing risk factors for heart disease, diabetes or hypertension. The risk also increased with the severity of covid infection.
“Post-acute care strategies of people with COVID-19 should also integrate screening and management of diabetes,” the authors wrote.
Moderna’s mRNA covid vaccine appears to be safe in children aged six months to six years, and generates similar levels of neutralising antibodies in children as in adults, according to data released by the company.
In a press release, Moderna provided some data from its phase 2/3 randomised, placebo-controlled trial involving around 4200 children aged 2-6 years and around 2500 aged 6 months- 2 years.
There were no deaths or cases of myocarditis or pericarditis seen in the study, and most of the adverse events were mild or moderate, including fever.
Researchers saw similar levels of neutralising antibodies in children as are seen in adults, and also similar efficacy in preventing infection with Omicron as is currently seen in adults after a two-dose vaccination. Among the children who did get infected with Omicron, most cases were mild and no severe disease, hospitalisation or death was reported either in the vaccine or placebo groups.
Moderna is now intending to apply for authorisation of the vaccine for this age group in the US.
Covid infections around the world are on the rise again, with the World Health Organisation reporting a 7% increase in new infections last week compared to the previous week.
The total number of covid infections is now creeping towards half a billion, and the number of deaths now exceeds six million, with nearly one million of those in the United States.
Australia gets special mention from the WHO this week as recording a 161% increase in new infections compared to the previous week, while Korea reports a 34% increase, Germany a 14% increase and France a 39% increase in new infections.
Covid claimed the lives of 150 Australians over the past week.
