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Human Metapneumovirus: What is it? What You Should Know About the Virus that Slipped through Everyone’s Notice

Posted on June 1, 2023August 16, 2023 by Admin

Discover the elusive Human Metapneumovirus: Learn about this unnoticed respiratory virus and stay informed about its risks and symptoms.

Everyone was focused on diseases like flu and RSV during the winter months However, Americans may have missed a vital pathogen called Human metapneumovirus, also known as hMPV.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week announced an increase in the number of cases of hMPV across the country during the season of winter and spring experts believe this could be due to an increase in people’s capacity to detect different viruses.

Dr. Rick Malley, an infectious disease expert at Boston Children’s Hospital, stated that “there is a much greater focus on identifying the cause of (infections) than we’ve ever had.”

He attributes that focus to the COVID-19 epidemic.

I think that you’re hearing more about this particular virus because the importance of other viruses and the diseases they cause have diminished, the speaker continued.

This article will provide all the information you need regarding the virus-causing respiratory illness that was through the air this year with regard to symptoms and transmission and treatment.

What is Human Metapneumovirus, also known as hMPV?

Human metapneumovirus, also known as hMPV, is an infection that is affecting those with the respiratory and respiratory tract in the words of the CDC. While it can affect anyone of all ages, the agency declares that young children, elderly adults, and those with weak immune systems are more at risk.

According to the CDC, HMPV is a member of the Pneumoviridae family, which also includes breathing syncytial viruses, and was first discovered in 2001.

Human Metapneumovirus is just the Result of a Cold? What are the Symptoms of hMPV?

The American Lung Association states that mild symptoms resembling a cold are the norm for people with hMPV. For healthy people, symptoms typically last two to five days and disappear on their own.

The CDC suggests that the most common symptoms are:

Cough
Fever
Nasal congestion
Breathlessness

Young children, elderly adults, and those who have weak immune systems are at a higher risk of getting more severe illnesses and can suffer from asthmatic wheezing, breathing difficulties, and the occurrence of asthma-related flare-ups.

The American Lung Association reported that secondary illnesses, such as bronchiolitis, bronchitis, and pneumonia, can also be present and may require medical attention.

Read, FDA Approves Paxlovid for High-Risk Adult Covid Treatment

What is the Human Metapneumovirus Spread?

As with other respiratory viruses, hMPV is typically spread from person to person via:

Contact with an infected person
Coughing
Sneezing
In the event of touching objects, you’ll get the virus

The CDC states that this virus is most likely to spread in the winter and spring, just like RSV, the flu RSV and cold-related viruses.

Do you require Antibiotics to Treat Human Metapneumovirus?

There is no treatment for antiviral for hMPV or a vaccine to stop the infection according to the CDC.

Because symptoms of hMPV typically resolve without treatment, however, they are not a cause for concern. American Lung Association says treatment generally consists of medications available over-the-counter to manage fever, pain, and congestion.

Medical attention is recommended for patients who experience more severe symptoms, such as wheezing. A doctor can prescribe an inhaler for a short period and steroids as per the American Lung Association.

Malley explained that antibiotics are used to treat infections caused by bacteria, but not viral ones. However, HMPV is associated with an increased risk of developing pneumonia caused by bacterial bacteria, which doctors typically treat with antibiotics.

“This virus may be a very important co-conspirator in causing pneumonia, particularly pneumococcal pneumonia,” the physician stated. “Just because a person has a virus doesn’t necessarily mean that there isn’t a bacterium nearby.”

Read, AstraZeneca’s COVID Antibody Protects Immune-Compromised

FDA Approves Paxlovid for High-Risk Adult Covid Treatment

Posted on May 26, 2023June 11, 2023 by Admin

The FDA first released Paxlovid available under an emergency authorization for use. The new ruling means that numerous studies prove that the drug is safe and effective.

Paxlovid, an antiviral drug made by Pfizer’s Covid, received full approval from the Food and Drug Administration on Thursday for use in people who are at high risk of developing a severe case of the virus.

Medical guidelines recommend Paxlovid for the treatment of moderate to mild Covid in adults over 50 years old and those with specific medical conditions that increase their risk of hospitalization or death from Covid.

This includes those with heart disease, diabetes, or cancer, as well as a flawed immune system.

Up to 75% of adults in the United States are at very high risk of developing severe COVID.

The FDA first released Paxlovid available in December 2021, under emergency use approval for people at high risk aged 12 and over. Following the results of an early clinical trial, the FDA swiftly approved the treatment with this designation.

The FDA’s recent decision means there’s now ample research evidence that suggests Paxlovid is safe and effective.

The treatment comprises two medicines: Nirmatrelvir, which blocks an important enzyme required by the Covid virus for reproduction, and ritonavir, which enhances the first medication’s capacity to fight off the disease.

Both Pfizer as well as the FDA consider the treatment an important tool in addition in conjunction with vaccination. It can help those at-risk Americans to manage their Covid illnesses and eventually save lives.

According to January estimates from FDA researchers, Paxlovid may “lead to 1,500 lives saved and 13,000 hospitalizations averted each week” in the United States using Covid rates.

It’s not clear what the future developments will be like later this year.

The U.S. has 1.1 million doses of the treatment everyone for free. When the government exhausts that, it will move Paxlovid’s distribution into the market for commercial use.

This implies that Pfizer will offer Paxlovid straight to healthcare professionals at a cost the company hasn’t yet disclosed. The current price for a course of Paxlovid is around $530.

Pfizer has seen Paxlovid sales increase to almost $19 billion by 2022. However, it expects sales of the medicine to decline by 58% by 2023

In March an advisory panel composed of independent experts of the FDA suggested the treatment in light of three of Pfizer’s clinical studies.

One study investigated the risk of high-risk individuals who had not received vaccination and had no prior Covid infection.

The study found that Paxlovid decreased the chance of hospitalization or death by:

86% among patients who were treated in the first five days following initial symptoms.
89% of patients were treated within 3 days, as per an FDA examination of data from the company.

There were no significant safety issues discovered in the study, as per the review. However, the agency did flag 137 medicines that could result in serious adverse reactions if combined with Paxlovid.

The FDA stated that the most commonly used medications that caused safety concerns included:

Immunosuppressants, which are frequently employed to treat HIV.
Immunosuppressants used in patients undergoing organ transplants.

The Office for Surveillance and Epidemiology of the FDA reported 271 cases of serious adverse events that interactions between drugs and Paxlovid could cause. This included six deaths and 147 hospitalizations at the end of January.

Altering the dosage of specific drugs and increasing the monitoring of patients. Making sure that labeling on products provides patients and their prescribers with information about possible interactions between drugs.

Some doctors have another aspect of concern: “rebound cases” of Paxlovid. That’s when patients who receive the medication notice that their Covid symptoms recur or they test positive shortly after their initial recovery.

The reports of these cases came in the days following Paxlovid first came on the market.

President Joe Biden and Dr. Anthony Fauci, his former chief medical advisor, both appeared to be able to recover from Covid after consuming the antiviral drink, but they later tested positive again.

The FDA review of Pfizer’s clinical trials found that the overall rate of comeback varied between 10 and 16 percent. Those who took Paxlovid compared to those who received a placebo observed no evidence of a higher rate of symptom rebound or moderate symptom rebound.

As per an FDA review, the results were valid regardless of the risks of getting sick. It was also valid regardless of whether the Omicron variant or a prior variant of the virus was dominant.

AstraZeneca’s COVID Antibody Protects Immune-Compromised

Posted on April 20, 2023 by Admin

“AstraZeneca, a British-Swedish multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnological company based at Cambridge Biomedical Campus in England, is confident that its new version of COVID-19 antibody treatment is capable of protecting immunocompromised patients against all marked virus variants.”

During the first wave of COVID, many companies proposed their own version of COVID vaccines and AstraZeneca is one of them. It is a British-Swedish multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnological company based at Cambridge Biomedical Campus in England.

Also Read, Insomnia and Sleep Apnea like Sleep Disorders Increase in Women with MS

The pharma company has developed a new version of COVID-19 antibody treatment. The company is confident that this new treatment is capable of protecting immunocompromised patients against all marked virus variants.

According to reports, the company plans to make its antibody available by the end of 2023. This is because of pending regulatory approval and the need for more positive data.

Iskra Reic, Executive Vice President, said, “Laboratory studies show the antibody, called AZD3152, neutralizes all known variants of COVID-19 and AstraZeneca has support from regulators to make the treatment available by the end of this year”

Antibody therapies have become a must for people whose immune systems are compromised. This can be due to undergoing immunosuppressive treatments or having underlying health conditions. These people account for approx 2 percent of the global population.

January 2023, the U.S. health regulator revoked the emergency use authorization of the pharma company’s original COVID-19 antibody cocktail, Evusheld. The reason cited for the revocation was the emergence of new dominant variants of the virus.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration‘s (FDA) decision matched the concerns which were raised by the health regulator of Europe.

The multinational pharma company developed a new COVID-19 antibody called AZD3152. Last year, the British biotech startup RQ Bio acquired AZD3152 in a deal worth $157 million.

Iskra Reic also said, “Iskra Reic also said, “The British drugmaker will likely make future investments like its current partnerships with RQ Bio. However, the company did not have any deals to announce at present.”

FDA Approves Over-the-Counter Narcan for Opioid Overdose Prevention

Posted on March 29, 2023April 20, 2023 by Admin

“The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the sale of naloxone without providing a prescription, setting the overdose-reversing medicine on course to become the first treatment drug for opioids to be sold through the counter.”

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the sale of naloxone without providing a prescription, setting the overdose-reversing medicine on course to become the first treatment drug for opioids to be sold through the counter.

Also Read, Insomnia and Sleep Apnea like Sleep Disorders Increase in Women with MS

This measure has been taken to enhance access to life-saving medication, though the exact impact will not be clear immediately.

WHAT IS NARCAN?

NARCAN is the best-known form of naloxone and an approved branded nasal spray manufactured by Emergent BioSolutions based in Maryland.

Naloxone has the capability to reverse overdoses of opioids including street medicine like fentanyl, heroin, and prescription versions of oxycodone.

Making naloxone widely accessible is being considered a key strategy to control the nationwide overdose crisis, which has caused over 100,000 deaths a year in the U.S. Most deaths have been because of opioids, primarily potent synthetic versions like fentanyl that can take multiple doses of naloxone to reverse.

Experts believe it’s significant to get Naloxone to people who may take overdoses of opioids, including those who use drugs and their similar versions.

WHAT DOES THE FDA APPROVAL MEAN?

Emergent BioSolutions said naloxone i.e. Narcan will be available at the counter by late summer.

Other versions of naloxone and injectable forms will still take time to be available over the counter.

Harm Reduction Therapeutics Inc., a nonprofit organization backed by Purdue Pharma, the OxyContin maker, has applied before the FDA to distribute its version of spray naloxone without a prescription.

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