HLA-B*15:01-positive severe COVID-19 patients lack CD8 T cell pools with highly expanded public clonotypes.

Understanding host factors driving asymptomatic versus severe disease outcomes is of key importance if we are to control emerging and re-emerging viral infections. HLA-B*15:01 has been associated with asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection in nonhospitalized individuals of European ancestry, with protective immunity attributed to preexisting cross-reactive CD8 T-cells directed against HLA-B*15:01-restricted Spike-derived S peptide (B15/SCD8 T-cells). However, fundamental questions remained on the abundance and clonotypic nature of CD8 T-cell responses in HLA-B*15:01-positive patients who succumbed to life-threatening COVID-19.

Respiratory syncytial virus infection in adult and paediatric patients admitted to intensive care in Australia: A nation-wide comparison with COVID-19.

Objective: To assess the characteristics, treatments and outcomes of paediatric and adult intensive care unit (ICU) patients with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection, and compare these with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) during the same period.

Design Setting And Participants: We conducted a multicenter, prospective, observational study using data from the short period incidence study of severe acute respiratory infection (SPRINT SARI) Australia, in 38 Australian ICUs from 1 June 2022 to 1 September 2024. Demographic, treatment, and outcome data were analysed for patients with confirmed RSV or COVID-19.

Nurses' experiences of providing oral care to hospitalised patients: A qualitative study.

Background: Oral care has a critical role in hospital-acquired infection prevention, is part of fundamental nursing care, yet is poorly undertaken in hospital. The study's aim was to understand Australian nurses' perceptions of their role in oral care and their experience providing oral care in hospital, with the focus on enablers and barriers.

Methods: A qualitative exploratory descriptive design.

Tocilizumab, sarilumab and anakinra in critically ill patients with COVID-19: a randomised, controlled, open-label, adaptive platform trial.

Introduction: Tocilizumab improves outcomes in critically ill patients with COVID-19. Whether other immune-modulator strategies are equally effective or better is unknown.

Methods: We investigated treatment with tocilizumab, sarilumab, anakinra and no immune modulator in these patients.

Co-design and user testing of a Japanese encephalitis vaccine decision aid (JEVaDA).

Background: Japanese encephalitis (JE) is a rare but potentially serious infection in travellers. While effective vaccines are available, uptake remains low. Vaccine decision aids are evidence-based tools designed to help users make informed vaccination decisions.

Economic Evaluation of Enhanced Cleaning and Disinfection of Shared Medical Equipment.

Importance: The economic value of cleaning and disinfection of shared medical equipment is currently unknown.

Objective: To evaluate whether or not better environmental cleaning and disinfection of shared medical equipment would be cost-effective compared with usual care.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This economic evaluation study was a within-trial cost-effectiveness analysis of a stepped-wedge cluster randomized clinical trial: the Cleaning and Enhanced Disinfection (CLEEN) study.

In-hospital mortality in patients admitted to Australian intensive care units with COVID-19 between 2020 and 2024.

Objective: To describe and compare the demographics, management, and outcomes for patients with COVID-19 admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) in Australia across the various waves of the COVID pandemic.

Design Setting And Participants: People aged ≥16 years who were admitted to a participating ICU with confirmed COVID-19 in the Short Period Incidence Study of Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SPRINT-SARI) Australia study between February 2020 and May 2024.

Main Outcome Measures: Primary outcome: In-hospital mortality.

Effectiveness of nirsevimab in preventing RSV-hospitalisation among young children in Western Australia 2024.

Background: Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) causes a significant burden of illness for children under 2 years of age. Nirsevimab, a long-acting monoclonal antibody, was registered for RSV prevention in Australia in 2023. In April 2024, Western Australia (WA) launched the country's first state-wide nirsevimab program for all infants and high-risk children entering their second RSV season.

Do policies that allow access to unregistered antimicrobials address the unmet need? Australia as a case study of a high-income country with universal healthcare.

Background: Ensuring timely and equitable access to effective and optimal antimicrobials is crucial for optimal patient care, to minimize the use of less appropriate treatment options and reduce the risk of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

Objectives: To determine the average time for new antibacterials to gain registration for use in Australia after obtaining marketing approval internationally, and to quantify the use of 'new' and older unregistered antimicrobials in Australian clinical practice between 2018 and 2023.

Methods: Two data sources were utilized to estimate the usage of antimicrobials not registered for use in Australia.

Effectiveness of 2023 southern hemisphere influenza vaccines against severe influenza-associated illness: pooled estimates from eight countries using the test-negative design.

Background: Annual estimates of seasonal influenza vaccine effectiveness can guide global risk communication and vaccination strategies to mitigate influenza-associated illness. We aimed to evaluate vaccine effectiveness in countries using the 2023 southern hemisphere influenza vaccine formulation.

Methods: We evaluated end-of-season influenza vaccine effectiveness across eight countries (Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, New Zealand, Paraguay, Thailand, and Uruguay) that used the 2023 southern hemisphere vaccine formulation, with use of a test-negative design.

Antibody responses against influenza A decline with successive years of annual influenza vaccination.

Influenza vaccine effectiveness and immunogenicity can be compromised with repeated vaccination. We assessed immunological markers in a cohort of healthcare workers (HCW) from six public hospitals around Australia during 2020-2021. Sera were collected pre-vaccination and ~14 and ~180 days post-vaccination and assessed in haemagglutination inhibition assay against egg-grown vaccine and equivalent cell-grown viruses.

The epidemiology of notifiable diseases in Australia and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, 2012-2022.

Background: Infectious disease surveillance tracks disease epidemiology and informs prevention and control. Public health measures implemented in Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020 to 2022) affected infectious disease epidemiology. We examined notifiable disease epidemiology in Australia from 2012 to 2022, evaluating disease trends and pandemic impacts.

High-Performance Supercapacitive Pressure Sensors via Height-Grading Micro-Domes of Ionic Conductive Elastomer.

Soft capacitive sensors present numerous appealing characteristics, including simple structure, low power consumption, and fast response. However, they often suffer from low sensitivity and a limited linear sensing range. Herein, a concept is presented to enhance the sensitivity and linearity of supercapacitive pressure sensors by functionally grading the heights of macrodomes constructed from a highly elastic and ionic conductive elastomer made of poly(vinyl alcohol) and phosphoric acid (PVA/HPO).

Antibody responses against influenza A decline with successive years of annual influenza vaccination: results from an Australian Healthcare Worker cohort.

Influenza vaccine effectiveness and immunogenicity can be compromised with repeated vaccination. We assessed immunological markers in a cohort of healthcare workers (HCW) from six public hospitals around Australia during 2020-2021. Sera were collected pre-vaccination and ~14 and ~ 180 days post-vaccination and assessed in haemagglutination inhibition assay against egg-grown vaccine and equivalent cell-grown viruses.

SARS-CoV-2-specific CD8 T cells from people with long COVID establish and maintain effector phenotype and key TCR signatures over 2 years.

Long COVID occurs in a small but important minority of patients following COVID-19, reducing quality of life and contributing to healthcare burden. Although research into underlying mechanisms is evolving, immunity is understudied. SARS-CoV-2-specific T cell responses are of key importance for viral clearance and COVID-19 recovery.

Investigating the effect of enhanced cleaning and disinfection of shared medical equipment on health-care-associated infections in Australia (CLEEN): a stepped-wedge, cluster randomised, controlled trial.

Background: There is a paucity of high-quality evidence based on clinical endpoints for routine cleaning of shared medical equipment. We assessed the effect of enhanced cleaning and disinfection of shared medical equipment on health-care-associated infections (HAIs) in hospitalised patients.

Methods: We conducted a stepped-wedge, cluster randomised, controlled trial in ten wards of a single hospital located on the central coast of New South Wales, Australia.

Opportunities to strengthen respiratory virus surveillance systems in Australia: lessons learned from the COVID-19 response.

Disease surveillance data was critical in supporting public health decisions throughout the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. At the same time, the unprecedented circumstances of the pandemic revealed many shortcomings of surveillance systems for viral respiratory pathogens. Strengthening of surveillance systems was identified as a priority for the recently established Australian Centre for Disease Control, which represents a critical opportunity to review pre-pandemic and pandemic surveillance practices, and to decide on future priorities, during both pandemic and inter-pandemic periods.

Bringing optimised COVID-19 vaccine schedules to immunocompromised populations (BOOST-IC): study protocol for an adaptive randomised controlled clinical trial.

Background: Immunocompromised hosts (ICH) experience more breakthrough infections and worse clinical outcomes following infection with COVID-19 than immunocompetent people. Prophylactic monoclonal antibody therapies can be challenging to access, and escape variants emerge rapidly. Immunity conferred through vaccination remains a central prevention strategy for COVID-19.

Anterior STEMI in a 25-year-old with Cogan syndrome.

Unlabelled: Cogan syndrome (CS) is a chronic inflammatory disorder primarily affecting young adults. It is characterized by interstitial keratitis, vestibuloauditory dysfunction, and, rarely, systemic vasculitis and aortitis. In this case report, we present a rare instance of a young male with anterior ST-elevation myocardial infarction in the context of aneurysmal coronary vessels and proximal occlusion of the left anterior descending artery.

Artificial intelligence-based epigenomic, transcriptomic and histologic signatures of tobacco use in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) biomarker studies rarely employ multi-omic biomarker strategies and pertinent clinicopathologic characteristics to predict mortality. In this study we determine for the first time a combined epigenetic, gene expression, and histology signature that differentiates between patients with different tobacco use history (heavy tobacco use with ≥10 pack years vs. no tobacco use).