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Eurosurveillance
Since 1995, Eurosurveillance has provided the European public health community with an open-access platform to exchange relevant findings on communicable disease surveillance, prevention and control. A weekly, electronic, peer-reviewed publication, Eurosurveillance aims to provide timely facts and guidance for public health professionals and decision-makers in the field of infectious disease to facilitate the implementation of effective prevention and control measures. Impact factor: 6.4. More...
Latest Issue: Volume 26, Issue 3, 21 January 2021 Latest Issue RSS feed
- Rapid communication
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Attitudes of healthcare workers towards COVID-19 vaccination: a survey in France and French-speaking parts of Belgium and Canada, 2020
In October and November 2020, we conducted a survey of 2,678 healthcare workers (HCWs) involved in general population immunisation in France, French-speaking Belgium and Quebec, Canada to assess acceptance of future COVID-19 vaccines (i.e. willingness to receive or recommend these) and its determinants. Of the HCWs, 48.6% (n = 1,302) showed high acceptance, 23.0% (n = 616) moderate acceptance and 28.4% (n = 760) hesitancy/reluctance. Hesitancy was mostly driven by vaccine safety concerns. These must be addressed before/during upcoming vaccination campaigns.
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Two-step strategy for the identification of SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern 202012/01 and other variants with spike deletion H69–V70, France, August to December 2020
Antonin Bal , Gregory Destras , Alexandre Gaymard , Karl Stefic , Julien Marlet , Sébastien Eymieux , Hadrien Regue , Quentin Semanas , Constance d’Aubarede , Geneviève Billaud , Frédéric Laurent , Claudia Gonzalez , Yahia Mekki , Martine Valette , Maude Bouscambert , Catherine Gaudy-Graffin , Bruno Lina , Florence Morfin , Laurence Josset and the COVID-Diagnosis HCL Study GroupWe report the strategy leading to the first detection of variant of concern 202012/01 (VOC) in France (21 December 2020). First, the spike (S) deletion H69–V70 (ΔH69/ΔV70), identified in certain SARS-CoV-2 variants including VOC, is screened for. This deletion is associated with a S-gene target failure (SGTF) in the three-target RT-PCR assay (TaqPath kit). Subsequently, SGTF samples are whole genome sequenced. This approach revealed mutations co-occurring with ΔH69/ΔV70 including S:N501Y in the VOC.
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- Perspective
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The European tiered approach for virucidal efficacy testing – rationale for rapidly selecting disinfectants against emerging and re-emerging viral diseases
When facing an emerging virus outbreak such as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), a quick reaction time is key to control the spread. It takes time to develop antivirals and vaccines, and implement vaccination campaigns. Therefore, preventive measures such as rapid isolation of cases and identification and early quarantine of cases’ close contacts—as well as masks, physical distancing, hand hygiene, surface disinfection and air control—are crucial to reduce the risk of transmission. In this context, disinfectants and antiseptics with proven efficacy against the outbreak virus should be used. However, biocidal formulations are quite complex and may include auxiliary substances such as surfactants or emollients in addition to active substances. In order to evaluate disinfectants’ efficacy objectively, meaningful efficacy data are needed. Therefore, the European Committee for Standardisation technical committee 216 ‘Chemical disinfectants and antiseptics’ Working Group 1 (medical area) has developed standards for efficacy testing. The European tiered approach grades the virucidal efficacy in three levels, with corresponding marker test viruses. In the case of SARS-CoV-2, disinfectants with proven activity against vaccinia virus, the marker virus for the European claim ‘active against enveloped viruses’, should be used to ensure effective hygiene procedures to control the pandemic.
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- Addendum
- Miscellaneous
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Recent articles
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Real-time monitoring shows substantial excess all-cause mortality during second wave of COVID-19 in Europe, October to December 2020
Sarah K. Nørgaard , Lasse S. Vestergaard , Jens Nielsen , Lukas Richter , Daniela Schmid , Natalia Bustos , Toon Braye , Maria Athanasiadou , Theodore Lytras , Gleb Denissov , Tatjana Veideman , Oskari Luomala , Teemu Möttönen , Anne Fouillet , Céline Caserio-Schönemann , Matthias an der Heiden , Helmut Uphoff , Kassiani Gkolfinopoulou , Janos Bobvos , Anna Paldy , Naama Rotem , Irene Kornilenko , Lisa Domegan , Joan O’Donnell , Francesca De Donato , Matteo Scortichini , Patrick Hoffmann , Telma Velez , Kathleen England , Neville Calleja , Liselotte van Asten , Lenny Stoeldraijer , Richard A White , Trine H Paulsen , Susana P da Silva , Ana P Rodrigues , Petra Klepac , Metka Zaletel , Mario Fafangel , Amparo Larrauri , Inmaculada León , Ahmed Farah , Ilias Galanis , Christoph Junker , Damir Perisa , Mary Sinnathamby , Nick Andrews , Mark G O'Doherty , David Irwin , Sharon Kennedy , Jim McMenamin , Cornelia Adlhoch , Nick Bundle , Pasi Penttinen , Jukka Pukkila , Richard Pebody , Tyra G Krause and Kåre Mølbak
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