Factors associated with the transmission of the delta SARS-CoV-2 variant in households: the Israeli COVID-19 Family Study (ICoFS).

Understanding how interpersonal interactions and immunological factors shape SARS-CoV-2 transmission in households is crucial for designing control measures. We developed a Bayesian data augmentation transmission model to evaluate the effects of isolation, parental care, and vaccine-induced immunity on Delta variant transmission from the follow-up of 1,093 Israeli households (July-August 2021). Among the 2883 household contacts, 1096 (38%) were infected.

Persistence of Long COVID Symptoms Two Years After SARS-CoV-2 Infection: A Prospective Longitudinal Cohort Study.

Background/objectives: Millions of individuals worldwide continue to experience symptoms following SARS-CoV-2 infection. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and phenotype of multi-system symptoms attributed to Long COVID-including fatigue, pain, cognitive-emotional disturbances, headache, cardiopulmonary issues, and alterations in taste and smell-that have persisted for at least two years after acute infection, which we define as "persistent Long COVID". Additionally, the study aimed to identify clinical features and blood biomarkers associated with persistent Long COVID symptoms.

Development and validation of an antimicrobial stewardship clinical decision-support tool to improve the management of urinary tract infections versus asymptomatic bacteriuria in hospitalized patients.

Objective: To assess the effectiveness of a 3-question decision-support tool to guide the diagnosis and treatment of urinary tract infections (UTIs) in acute care hospitalized patients as an antibiotic and diagnostic stewardship initiative.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Setting: Four acute care hospitals within the same health system in Miami, FL.

Motivations of Israeli physicians to return, or not, to Israel after their fellowship abroad.

Background: Emigration of healthcare professionals, particularly physicians, is an unresolved "pandemic", influenced by various factors. In high-income countries, the training phase (fellowship) abroad is critical for career development, yet it poses challenges for the retention of these professionals upon their completion of training. This study aimed to identify the determinants influencing Israeli physicians' decisions to return to their home country after completing fellowship training abroad.

Nutrient concentration, loads and retention in a semiarid micro-estuary: The relative contribution of baseflow and flood events.

Estuaries are a significant source of nutrients to the marine environment. The magnitude of this source is a function of nutrients load reaching the estuary and removal (attenuation) within estuaries. Most estuarine research is conducted in large estuaries, which do not reflect the processes in small estuaries in urban and semi-arid regions where flood water is a substantial portion of the annual discharge and the estuarine baseflow is often low and dominated by wastewater.

Obstetric and Early Neonatal Outcomes Following Second and Third COVID-19 Vaccination in Pregnancy.

Background: Pregnant women are at higher risk for severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Since the release of the BNT162b2 messenger RNA vaccine (Pfizer/BioNTech), there has been accumulated data about the three vaccine doses. However, information regarding obstetric and neonatal outcomes of pregnant women vaccinated with the third (booster) vaccine is limited and primarily retrospective.

Advantages and pitfalls in utilizing artificial intelligence for crafting medical examinations: a medical education pilot study with GPT-4.

Background: The task of writing multiple choice question examinations for medical students is complex, timely and requires significant efforts from clinical staff and faculty. Applying artificial intelligence algorithms in this field of medical education may be advisable.

Methods: During March to April 2023, we utilized GPT-4, an OpenAI application, to write a 210 multi choice questions-MCQs examination based on an existing exam template and thoroughly investigated the output by specialist physicians who were blinded to the source of the questions.

Screening for Asymptomatic Clostridioides difficile Carriage Among Hospitalized Patients: A Narrative Review.

Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) has become the most common healthcare-associated infection in the United States, with considerable morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs. Assessing new preventive strategies is vital. We present a literature review of studies evaluating a strategy of screening and isolation of asymptomatic carriers in hospital settings.

Pesticides and pharmaceuticals data collected during two consecutive years in a Mediterranean micro-estuary.

The Alexander micro-estuary, located at the eastern edge of the Mediterranean Sea, is a typical example of small water bodies that suffer from a combination of urban and agricultural pollution, and overuse of its natural water sources. It is∼6.5 km long, with maximum depth of 3 m and maximum width of 45 m.

Factors Associated With Protection From SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant Infection and Disease Among Vaccinated Health Care Workers in Israel.

Importance: A correlation between antibody levels and risk of infection has been demonstrated for the wild-type, Alpha, and Delta SARS-COV-2 variants. High rates of breakthrough infections by the Omicron variant emphasized the need to investigate whether the humoral response elicited by mRNA vaccines is also associated with reduced risk of Omicron infection and disease.

Objective: To investigate whether the high antibody levels in individuals who have received at least 3 doses of an mRNA vaccine are associated with reduced risk of Omicron infection and disease.

Correlates of protection against COVID-19 infection and intensity of symptomatic disease in vaccinated individuals exposed to SARS-CoV-2 in households in Israel (ICoFS): a prospective cohort study.

Background: Identifying COVID-19 correlates of protection and immunity thresholds is important for policy makers and vaccine development. We aimed to identify correlates of protection of BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech) vaccination against COVID-19.

Methods: In this prospective cohort study, households within a radius of 40 km of the Sheba Medical Center in Israel in which a new SARS-CoV-2 infection (defined as the index case) was detected within the previous 24 h were approached between July 25 and Nov 15, 2021.

The Use of Rapid COVID-19 Antigen Test in the Emergency Department as a Decision-Support Tool.

The emergency department (ED) is the initial point of contact between hospital staff and patients potentially infected with SARS-CoV-2, thus, prevention of inadvertent exposure to other patients is a top priority. We aimed to assess whether the introduction of antigen-detecting rapid diagnostic tests (Ag-RDTs) to the ED affected the likelihood of unwanted SARS-CoV-2 exposures. In this retrospective single-center study, we compared the rate of unwarranted exposure of uninfected adult ED patients to SARS-CoV-2 during two separate research periods; one before Ag-RDTs were introduced, and one with Ag-RDT used as a decision-support tool.

Invading bivalves replaced native Mediterranean bivalves, with little effect on the local benthic community.

Unlabelled: The construction of the Suez Canal connected the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, which allowed rapid marine bio-invasion. Over the last century, several bivalve species have invaded the Levantine basin, yet their distribution and impact on the benthic community have not been thoroughly studied. Large-scale benthic surveys along the rocky substrate of the Israeli Mediterranean coastline indicate that invading bivalves, such as , and , now dominate the rocky environment, with densities of tens to hundreds of individuals per m.

Immunogenicity and efficacy of fourth BNT162b2 and mRNA1273 COVID-19 vaccine doses; three months follow-up.

Booster doses for the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic are under consideration in many countries. We report a three-month follow-up of 700 participants in a fourth vaccine dose study, comparing BNT162b2 and mRNA1273, administered four months after a third BNT162b2 dose. The primary outcomes are the levels of IgG, neutralizing antibodies, and microneutralization and the secondary outcomes are the levels of IgA and T cell activation, and clinical outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 infection and substantial symptomatic disease.

Real-World Immunogenicity and Reactogenicity of Two Doses of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccination in Children Aged 5-11 Years.

There are limited data concerning the immunogenicity and reactogenicity of COVID-19 vaccines in children. A total of 110 children, 5-11 years old were vaccinated with two doses (with a 3-week interval between doses) of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine and were followed for 21, 90, and 180 days after vaccination for immunogenicity, adverse events, and breakthrough infections. Ninety days after the first vaccine dose, the GeoMean (CI 95%) of IgG ascended to 1291.

The Association Between Prebooster Vaccination Antibody Levels and the Risk of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection.

The correlation between anti-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 antibody levels and infection was reported. Here, we estimated the role of pre-fourth dose levels using data from 1098 healthcare workers. The risk of infection was reduced by 46% (95% confidence interval, 29%-59%) for each 10-fold increase in prebooster levels.

Comparing immunogenicity and efficacy of two different mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines as a fourth dose; six-month follow-up, Israel, 27 December 2021 to 24 July 2022.

We assess the immunogenicity and efficacy of Spikevax and Comirnaty as fourth dose COVID-19 vaccines. Six months post-fourth-dose, IgG levels were higher than pre-fourth dose at 1.58-fold (95% CI: 1.

Durability of Immune Response After COVID-19 Booster Vaccination and Association With COVID-19 Omicron Infection.

Importance: The BNT162b2 two-dose vaccine (BioNTech/Pfizer) has high effectiveness that wanes within several months. The third dose is effective in mounting a significant immune response, but its durability is unknown.

Objective: To compare antibody waning after second and third doses and estimate the association of antibody kinetics with susceptibility to infection with the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2.

Rapid Antigen Tests For Safe School Opening in the COVID-19 Pandemic Era.

Background: Since the beginning of the Sever Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, school closure as a mitigating measure was at the center of a public and professional debate. While the negative effects of school closure cannot be ignored, accumulating data suggested that it is necessary for reducing community transmission. Our study presents an optional strategy for safe school opening during a pandemic, implemented in selected Israeli high schools by a special task force constructed by the Sheba Medical Center (SMC).

Superior immunogenicity and effectiveness of the third compared to the second BNT162b2 vaccine dose.

As the effectiveness of a two-dose messenger RNA (mRNA) severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccine regimen decreases with time, a third dose has been recommended. Here, we assessed immunogenicity, vaccine effectiveness and safety of the third BNT162b2 vaccine dose in a prospective cohort study of 12,413 healthcare workers (HCWs). Anti-RBD immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels were increased 1.