COVID-19 LITERATURE SITUATION REPORT DEC. 21, 2020

[Pre-print, not peer-reviewed] A longitudinal UK-wide survey found that individuals who wore face coverings “most of the time” or “always” had better mental health and wellbeing than those who did not, even after controlling for behavioral, social, and psychological factors. The odds of feeling anxious were 58% lower among individuals who “always” adhered to guidance on wearing face coverings, and the odds of having depressive symptoms were 25% lower among individuals who “always” adhered to the guidance. 

Altschul et al. (Dec 20, 2020). Face Covering Adherence Is Positively Associated with Better Mental Health and Wellbeing a Longitudinal Analysis of the CovidLife Surveys. Pre-print downloaded Dec 21 from https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.12.18.20248477v1 

[Pre-print, not peer-reviewed] There was no evidence from a prospective study that school reopenings across Italy drove the second wave of SARS-CoV-2 infections. Analysis of data from 20 regions indicated that from September 12 to November 7, new SARS-CoV-2 cases among elementary and middle school students was an average of 39% lower than in the general population in all regions except Lazio. Conversely, infection appears to be more widespread among teachers and staff members of schools (including staff with little interaction with students) than in the general population. The increase in the reproduction number was not temporally associated with school opening dates. In schools, despite the high frequency of tests per week, secondary infections were <1%, and clusters were infrequent in a representative November week.

Gandini et al. (Dec 18, 2020). No Evidence of Association between Schools and SARS-CoV-2 Second Wave in Italy. Pre-print downloaded Dec 21 from  https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.12.16.20248134v1  

[Pre-print, not peer-reviewed] Using serial interval data from infector-infectee pairs before and after the rollout of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) in China (January and February 2020), the relative frequency of pre-symptomatic transmission increased from 34% pre-rollout to 71% post-rollout. After the rollout of NPIs, transmission post-symptom onset was reduced by 82% whereas pre-symptomatic transmission decreased by only 16%. The authors suggest that interventions that limit opportunities for transmission in the later stages of infection, such as contact tracing and isolation, may have been particularly effective at reducing transmission of SARS-CoV-2.

Bushman et al. (Dec 18, 2020). Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 before and after Symptom Onset Impact of Nonpharmaceutical Interventions in China. Pre-print downloaded Dec 21 from https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.12.16.20214106v1

[Pre-print, not peer-reviewed] A predictive modeling study of vaccine hesitancy in the UK that used a large-scale survey data and Bayesian statistical methods to estimate public opinion predicted that clusters of non-vaccinators will likely emerge in many regions across the UK, including London and the North West. Respondents (n= 17,684) were surveyed between September 24 and October 14, 2020. Across the UK, less than half of respondents said they would “definitely” accept a COVID-19 vaccine (47.5%), while 8.7% stated that they would “definitely not” accept a vaccine. Men were more likely to state intent to accept the vaccine than women (OR 1.59), and people who identified as Black were less likely to report willingness to accept the vaccine than those who identified as white (0.47). 

Figueiredo et al. (Dec 18, 2020). Sub-National Forecasts of COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance across the UK a Large-Scale Cross-Sectional Spatial Modelling Study. Pre-print downloaded Dec 21 from  https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.12.17.20248382v1 

Results from a cross-national survey conducted in Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, New Zealand, South Africa, Singapore, the UK, and the US in May 2020 (n = 5920) showed that most respondents preferred for scientists to conduct accelerated trials (human challenge trials, 75%; Phase II/III safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy integrated trials, 63%) over traditional vaccine trials for COVID-19. Respondents were presented with hypothetical studies, and generally understood the key differences and ethical trade-offs between the designs. This support was consistent across geographic and demographic subgroups.

Broockman et al. (Dec 14, 2020). Broad Cross-National Public Support for Accelerated COVID-19 Vaccine Trial Designs. Vaccine. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2020.11.072

61.4% of US adults who completed a Gallup Panel web survey between September 14 and 27, 2020 indicated they would likely get a COVID-19 vaccine. Nearly one-half (48.6%) of respondents thought requiring a COVID-19 vaccination for children attending school was acceptable. Individuals likely to get a COVID-19 vaccine accepted mandates at higher rates than those who were unlikely to do so (mandates for children, 73.6% vs 23.7%; for adults, 65.0% vs 17.3%; for employees, 72.5% vs 22.9%). Democrats were more likely than Republicans or Independents to accept state vaccine mandates for children and adults and accept employer-enforced employee mandates. Fewer respondents who identified as Black accepted state mandates for adults than non-Black respondents (42.7% vs 27.0%). No gender differences were observed. 

Largent et al. (Dec 18, 2020). US Public Attitudes Toward COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates. JAMA Network Open. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.33324

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices issued an interim recommendation for use of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine in persons aged ≥18 years for the prevention of COVID-19 on December 19, 2020. Vaccination with the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine consists of 2 doses administered intramuscularly 4 weeks apart. Vaccine efficacy after 2 doses was 94.1% in preventing symptomatic, laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 among persons without evidence of previous SARS-CoV-2 infection. Evidence for the vaccine was primarily informed by one large, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase III clinical trial that enrolled approximately 30,000 participants. 

Oliver et al. (Dec 20, 2020). The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ Interim Recommendation for Use of Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine — United States, December 2020. MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm695152e1

[Pre-print, not peer-reviewed] Risk factors for seropositivity among hospital workers (n = 1,557, seropositivity 10.8%) at an academic medical center in California were male gender, exposure to COVID-19 outside of work, working in food or environmental services, and working in COVID-19 units. Seropositive HCWs who were missed by occupational screening were more likely to be younger, work in roles without direct patient care, or have COVID-19 exposure outside of work.

Schubl et al. (Dec 19, 2020). Risk Factors for SARS-CoV-2 Seropositivity in a Health Care Worker Population. Pre-print downloaded Dec 21 from https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.12.17.20248430v1 

Among patients hospitalized with COVID-19, pre-admission frailty was strongly associated with the need for an increased level of care at discharge in a multicenter observational cohort study in Europe. Among 831 discharged patients (median age = 71 years, 44.4% women), the median length of hospital stay was 12 days, 23.2% had increased care needs at discharge. 

Vilches-Moraga et al. (Dec 18, 2020). Increased Care at Discharge from COVID-19: The Association between Pre-Admission Frailty and Increased Care Needs after Hospital Discharge; a Multicentre European Observational Cohort Study. BMC Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-020-01856-8

A survey of professionals providing support to survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) and sexual assault indicated that since the start of the pandemic, support staff are experiencing more personal and professional stressors, perceive a decrease in client safety, and lack resources needed to help survivors and themselves. Common problems included a lack of food or supplies at home and work, and housing and financial support, for survivors. In addition, a 51% increase in the use of video conference for work was reported, which contributed to workforce strain. 

Wood et al. (Dec 17, 2020). On the Front Lines of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Occupational Experiences of the Intimate Partner Violence and Sexual Assault Workforce. Journal of Interpersonal Violence. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260520983304

[Pre-print, not peer-reviewed] A modeling study of potential vaccination scenarios in China, Brazil, Indonesia, Russia, UK, and the US showed that there was a critical (minimum) vaccination coverage needed for each country to balance the discontinuation of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) while avoiding a subsequent wave of infections, depending on effectiveness of NPIs. The authors concluded that discontinuation of NPIs should be tailored to countries based on quarantine rates and testing ability, and vaccine accessibility, affordability, and efficiency.  

Tang et al. (Dec 20, 2020). The Challenges of the Coming Mass Vaccination and Exit Strategy in Prevention and Control of COVID-19 a Modelling Study. Pre-print downloaded Dec 21 from  https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.12.18.20248478v1    

During the COVID-19 pandemic in California, older adults, residents who identified as Black and Latino, and those without college degrees have experienced the highest per capita excess mortality. From March 1 through August 22, 2020, an estimated 19,806 deaths in excess of those predicted by historical trends occurred in California. Excess deaths among Latino residents tripled (from 16 to 51 per million) and increased by a factor of 3.4 (from 21 to 72 per million) among people without a high school degree or GED. Across age groups, younger adults had the greatest increases in excess death, with rates more than doubling during the study period. 

Chen et al. (Dec 21, 2020). Excess Mortality in California During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic, March to August 2020. JAMA Internal Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2020.7578

[Pre-print, not peer-reviewed] A six-wave, repeated cross-sectional survey (N = 1942) conducted in six major cities in China from February to April found that reliance on expert sources for information on COVID-19 was not a major factor motivating protective actions (staying at home, wearing a facemask, and washing hands) until wave 3, and the negative effect of inexpert sources on these actions was limited to wave 2. In addition, perceived severity of COVID-19 infection exhibited a stronger effect on these behaviors than perceived susceptibility. The authors suggest that engagement in protective behaviors may have been driven by executive orders. 

Rui et al. (Dec 18, 2020). How Information Sources, Risk Perception, and Efficacy Appraisal Predicted Engagement in Protective Behaviors Against COVID-19: A Repeated Cross-Sectional Survey in China (Preprint). JMIR Human Factors. https://doi.org/10.2196/23232