H5N1

WHO: Weekly epidemiological update on COVID-19 - 27 July 2023

WHO has published Weekly epidemiological update on COVID-19 - 27 July 2023. The overview:

Globally, over 868 000 new COVID-19 cases and over 3700 deaths were reported in the last 28 days (26 June to 23 July 2023). While five WHO regions have reported decreases in the number of both cases and deaths, the Western Pacific Region has reported an increase in the number of both cases and deaths.  

As of 23 July 2023, over 768 million confirmed cases and over 6.9 million deaths have been reported globally. Currently, reported cases do not accurately represent infection rates due to the reduction in testing and reporting globally. During this 28-day period, 52% (122 of 234) of countries and territories reported at least one case – a proportion that has been declining since mid-2022.    

In this edition, we include:  

• The COVID-19 epidemiological update at the global and the regional levels  

• An update on hospitalizations and ICU admissions  

• An update on the SARS-CoV-2 variants of interest (VOI) and variants under monitoring (VUM)

How Canada’s decentralised covid-19 response affected public health data and decision making

This is a major report that deserves close attention. Via The BMJ: How Canada’s decentralised covid-19 response affected public health data and decision making. Excerpts:

Highs and lows of covid-19 response in Canada  

Highs 

• Public health leadership included women at each level of decision making. 

• Canada became one of the most vaccinated countries with >83% of the population receiving at least one vaccine dose in February 2023. After Health Canada approved Pfizer-BioNTech and the Moderna covid-19 vaccine in December 2020, rollout was prioritised for indigenous populations and those living and working in long term care homes  

• Research collaborations from basic science through to clinical and health services research emerged rapidly to address urgent questions of seroprevalence (eg, covid-19 Immunity Task Force), correlates of infection and immunity, and outbreak mitigation factors and engagement of patients in research conduct such as knowledge synthesis  

Lows  

• Failure to learn from previous reports led to failure to protect older adults and staff in long term care homes and among the highest proportions of deaths in this sector globally  

• Challenges to access and delivery of effective covid-19 medications such as tocilizumab, remdesivir, and ritonavir-nirmatrelvir resulted in provinces and hospitals rationing use  

• An exodus of exhausted and distressed healthcare workers, coupled with inadequate training paths for replacements, produced a critical workforce shortage that is ongoing  

• Canada lacked a coordinated system for evidence generation and use across government jurisdictions  

• Lack of research infrastructure embedded within the healthcare system limited Canada’s ability to participate in or lead clinical trials or other international studies 

• Lack of a clear and standardised approach to case definitions and testing contributed to inability to share use of data and make decisions           

• Absence of data sharing agreements across federal and provincial or territorial jurisdictions slowed or limited data sharing

Key messages

• Canada’s public health system was insufficiently prepared for the covid-19 pandemic

• Public health decisions and outcomes varied across jurisdictions and were hampered by outdated health information systems and lack of integration 

• Decentralisation of public health decision making has benefits such as tailoring interventions to local constituencies, but during a crisis, governance structures need to pivot to enable coordination and systematisation of data collection and analyses 

• Gaps in data and decision structures created a vacuum, filled by science advisory committees with disparate roles, responsibilities, and accountabilities within different jurisdictions 

• A shift to a culture of data access and shared analysis is needed to enhance health system learning and population health benefit, and for future crisis and pandemic preparedness

WHO: Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus –United Arab Emirates

WHO has published a DON: Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus –United Arab Emirates. Excerpt:

Situation at glance:  

On 10 July 2023, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), notified WHO of a case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in a 28-year-old male from Al Ain city in Abu Dhabi. The case had no history of direct or indirect contact with dromedaries, goats, or sheep. The patient was admitted to the hospital on 8 June. A nasopharyngeal swab was collected on 21 June and tested positive for MERS-CoV by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on 23 June 2023. All 108 identified contacts were monitored for 14 days from the last date of exposure to the MERS-CoV patient. No secondary cases have been detected to date.  

Since July 2013, when the UAE reported the first case of MERS-CoV, 94 confirmed cases (including this new case) and 12 deaths have been reported. Globally, the total number of confirmed MERS-CoV cases reported to WHO since 2012 is 2605, including 936 associated deaths.  

WHO continues to monitor the epidemiological situation and conducts risk assessments based on the latest available information. WHO expects that additional cases of MERS-CoV infection will be reported from the Middle East and/or other countries where MERS-CoV is circulating in dromedaries.  

WHO re-emphasizes the importance of strong surveillance by all Member States for acute respiratory infections, including MERS-CoV, and to carefully review any unusual patterns.  

Description of the case:  

On 10 July 2023, the International Health Regulations National Focal Point (IHR NFP) of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) notified WHO of a confirmed case of MERS-CoV in Abu Dhabi. The patient is a 28-year-old male, non- Emirati national living in Al Ain city, a non-healthcare worker.  The case visited a private medical center multiple times between 3 and 7 June 2023, complaining of vomiting, right flank pain, and dysuria (pain when passing urine). On 8 June, the case presented to a government hospital with vomiting, and gastrointestinal symptoms including diarrhea, and was given an initial diagnosis of acute pancreatitis, acute kidney injury, and sepsis.  

On 13 June, he was in critical condition and referred to an intensive care unit (ICU) at a specialized government tertiary hospital where he was put on mechanical ventilation. He deteriorated and a nasopharyngeal swab was collected on 21 June and tested positive for MERS-CoV by PCR on 23 June 2023.  

The case has no known co-morbidities, no history of contact with MERS-CoV human cases, and no recent travel outside the UAE. The patient has no known history of direct contact with animals including dromedary camels, nor consumption of their raw products.  

All 108 contacts that were identified have been monitored for 14 days from the last date of exposure to the MERS-CoV patient, no secondary case was identified. The case has no family members or household contacts identified in the UAE.  

Prior to this notification, the last MERS-CoV infection reported from the UAE was in November 2021. The first laboratory-confirmed case of MERS-CoV in UAE was in July 2013. Since then, the UAE has reported 94 cases of MERS-CoV (including this current case) and 12 associated deaths (Case Fatality Ratio (CFR): 13%).