News & Updates

Managing COVID-19 in vulnerable adults

Despite the success of COVID-19 vaccines, immunocompromised individuals, older adults and those with comorbidities remain at disproportionately high risk of severe outcomes from COVID-19. This underscores the need for additional preventive measures for these vulnerable populations. At the Advances in Medicine (AIM) 2024 conference, Professor Barnaby Young from the National Centre for Infectious Diseases, Singapore, shared insights on current COVID-19 management practices, including the important role of antivirals, such as remdesivir (Veklury^®, Gilead), in treatment of vulnerable patients.

[Infographics] Remdesivir reduces mortality in elderly hospitalized for COVID-19 in the real world, regardless of age group or supplemental oxygen needs

Remdesivir is associated with reduced mortality among elderly patients hospitalized for COVID-19, regardless of supplemental oxygen requirements upon admission and age groups, a real-world study presented in ESCMID Global 2024 has shown.

Transforming the treatment journey for patients with early-stage EGFR-mutated NSCLC

At a symposium hosted by AstraZeneca on 20 April 2023, a panel of distinguished experts discussed the latest developments in the management of early-stage epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)–mutated (EGFRm) non–small–cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Speakers included Dr Vincent Ng, who highlighted the advances in surgical interventions, and Professor Masahiro Tsuboi, who addressed unmet clinical needs in early-stage EGFRm NSCLC and potential solutions such as osimertinib as an adjuvant treatment. The symposium featured a lively debate on the utility of disease-free survival (DFS) as a surrogate endpoint and concluded with an informative panel discussion.

The role of oral antivirals in COVID-19 treatment: Who, when, and how?

Though most countries have eased pandemic restrictions, there is no room for complacency in managing COVID-19, which continues to cause significant morbidity and mortality.

At a recent symposium, esteemed experts Dr Roger Paredes, Head of Department of Infectious Diseases at the Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Catalonia, Spain, and Dr Nicola Petrosillo, Head of the Infection Prevention and Control and Infectious Disease Service at University Hospital Campus Bio-Medico, Rome, Italy, gave global perspectives on the continuing unmet needs in the COVID-19 outpatient landscape and discussed the role of antiviral treatment options in patients at risk of progressing to severe COVID-19. Dr Petrick Periyasamy, Head of Infectious Diseases Unit, Medical Department, UKM Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, chaired the session.

Multipathogen testing an essential part of Test-Target-Treat strategy for respiratory illnesses

At a recent webinar, experts discussed the paradigm shift in respiratory illnesses and treatment practices as the COVID-19 pandemic transitions to an endemic phase. The late Dr Mohan Ravuru, Physician Researcher and former Asia Pacific Medical Director, Abbott, Dr Johnny Sinon, Senior Emergency Physician from Makati Medical Center, Philippines, and Associate Professor Nuntra Suwantarat, Infectious Disease Specialist, from Chulabhorn International College of Medicine, Thammasat University, Thailand, delivered informative presentations and engaged the audience through a stimulating panel discussion.

Among the topics covered were the ‘immunity debt’ phenomenon leading to potential epidemics, challenges in the differential diagnosis of COVID-19 and influenza, and the importance of point-of-care, multipathogen testing as a part of the Test-Target-Treat strategy in respiratory diseases.

Timely treatment of patients at risk for severe COVID-19 prevents severe outcomes

Despite widespread uptake of vaccinations, COVID-19 remains a serious health issue for high-risk patients, owing to the emergence of new variants of concern (VOCs), waning immunity, and breakthrough infections.

At a recent symposium in Singapore, esteemed experts Dr Asok Kurup, Consultant Infectious Diseases Physician at Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre, Singapore, and Dr Alex Soriano, Head of Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital Clínic of Barcelona and Assistant Professor, University of Barcelona, Spain, gave insights on the evolution of global trends since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and discussed key challenges in managing high-risk patients with COVID-19 in the ICU. They also highlighted early treatment strategies to minimize the burden of COVID-19 on healthcare systems.

Rapid antigen test: Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good

While rapid antigen test is less sensitive than conventional nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) such as RT-PCR* in detecting SARS-CoV-2 virus, “a test does not have to be perfect to be clinically useful,” said Professor Angela Caliendo during a session in IDWeek 2021 — echoing the maxim that perfect should not be the enemy of good in the pandemic era.