Coronavirus COVID-19 Update for July 17, 2020

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Antiviral Therapeutics and Vaccines

An mRNA Vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 — Preliminary Report
This article reports the findings of a phase 1, dose-escalation, open-label trial including 45 healthy adults, 18 to 55 years of age, who received two vaccinations, 28 days apart, with mRNA-1273 in a dose of 25 μg, 100 μg, or 250 μg. There were 15 participants in each dose group. After the first vaccination, antibody responses were higher with higher dose (day 29 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay anti–S-2P antibody geometric mean titer [GMT], 40,227 in the 25-μg group, 109,209 in the 100-μg group, and 213,526 in the 250-μg group). After the second vaccination, the titers increased (day 57 GMT, 299,751, 782,719, and 1,192,154, respectively). After the second vaccination, serum-neutralizing activity was detected by two methods in all participants evaluated, with values generally similar to those in the upper half of the distribution of a panel of control convalescent serum specimens. Solicited adverse events that occurred in more than half the participants included fatigue, chills, headache, myalgia, and pain at the injection site. Systemic adverse events were more common after the second vaccination, particularly with the highest dose, and three participants (21%) in the 250-μg dose group reported one or more severe adverse events. In conclusion the vaccine induced anti–SARS-CoV-2 immune responses in all participants, and no trial-limiting safety concerns were identified. These findings support further development of this vaccine.

Epidemiology

Socio-demographic and epidemiological consideration of Africa's COVID-19 response: what is the possible pandemic course?
Africa is said to be the next possible hotspot for COVID-19. Authors of this comment suggest that local expertise gathered from previous outbreaks and centralized public-health infrastructure with a clear action plan, in addition to a favorable demographic structure and climate, have put many countries on the continent in good standing to face this epidemic head on.
COVID-19 in Africa: the spread and response
Given the current trends in incidence and underlying healthcare systems vulnerabilities, Africa could become the next epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this comment, authors ask how can the lessons learned thus far be consolidated to effectively curb the spread of COVID-19 while minimizing social disruption and negative humanitarian and economic consequences?