Publications by authors named "C Launes"
Background: Despite growing evidence of reduced invasive and non-invasive pneumococcal disease attributed to public health measures against the COVID-19 pandemic, the effect of these measures on pneumococcal carriage remains unclear. This study aimed to assess pneumococcal nasopharyngeal carriage among children and adults self-confined at home during the COVID-19 national lockdown in Spain while identifying predictors of pneumococcal carriage in children.
Methods: Household study conducted across the metropolitan area of Barcelona (Spain) between April-June 2020.
Enhanced echovirus 11 genomic surveillance in neonatal infections in Spain following a European alert reveals new recombinant forms linked to severe cases, 2019 to 2023.
Euro Surveill
October 2024
Article Synopsis
- In 2023, Europe raised concerns about rising severe neonatal infections due to a new lineage of echovirus 11 (E11), prompting an analysis of E11 cases in Spain from 2019 to 2023.
- Out of 1,288 samples, 103 were found to be E11-positive, but the detection rates and severity of infections among neonates did not significantly change after the new lineage appeared in June 2022.
- The findings suggest that the new lineage 1 is not responsible for increased neonatal infections, but the discovery of novel E11 recombinants linked to severe cases highlights the need for better monitoring and surveillance.
Background: Identifying potential factors correlated with the sustained presence of antibodies in plasma may facilitate improved retrospective diagnoses and aid in the appraisal of pertinent vaccination strategies for various demographic groups. The main objective was to describe the persistence of anti-spike IgG one year after diagnosis in children and analyse its levels in relation to epidemiological and clinical variables.
Methods: A prospective, longitudinal, observational study was conducted in a university reference hospital in the Metropolitan Region of Barcelona (Spain) (March 2020-May 2021).
Article Synopsis
- RSV bronchiolitis leads to a significant number of hospitalizations in children under 1, with 2-6% requiring stays in pediatric intensive care units (PICUs).
- A study conducted after the introduction of the monoclonal antibody nirsevimab in Catalonia revealed a notable decrease in PICU admissions and length of stay for bronchiolitis, indicating the vaccine's effectiveness.
- Data collected from 1,531 patients showed a significantly lower RSV rate and higher average age at admission during the post-nirsevimab period, highlighting the positive impact of the immunization program.
Article Synopsis
- Several clinical trials indicate that nirsevimab, an antibody for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), significantly reduces the need for hospitalization due to RSV bronchiolitis in infants.
- A study conducted during the 2023-2024 epidemic season in Catalonia and Andorra assessed nirsevimab's effectiveness in preventing RSV-related hospital admissions by comparing immunized and non-immunized infants.
- Results showed a notable effectiveness rate of 81% in preventing RSV bronchiolitis hospitalization and 85% in preventing severe cases needing advanced respiratory support, without increasing the risk of viral coinfections among immunized patients.