October 20, 2020
Caregiver Willingness to Vaccinate Their Children against COVID-19: Cross Sectional Survey
An international cross-sectional survey of 1,541 caregivers responsible for care of a child recruited from pediatric clinics conducted from March to May 2020 found that 65% had intentions to vaccinate their child against COVID-19. An intention to vaccinate was more common among caregivers with older children, children with no chronic illness, when fathers complete the…
Pooling of Samples to Optimize SARS-CoV-2 Diagnosis by RT-QPCR: Comparative Analysis of Two Protocols
Pooling naso- or oropharyngeal swab samples prior to RNA extraction was associated with 100% diagnostic accuracy, while pooling after individual-sample RNA extraction was associated with 91% diagnostic accuracy. Volpato et al. conclude that testing protocols should call for pooling swab samples before RNA extraction. Volpato et al. (Oct 16, 2020). Pooling of Samples to Optimize…
Tocilizumab for Treating COVID-19: A Systemic Review and Meta-Analysis of Retrospective Studies
A systematic review of case-control (n=2,285 patients) and single-arm studies (n=208 patients) found that treatment with the immunomodulator tocilizumab (TCZ) in COVID-19 patients was associated with a lower risk of admission to ICU, invasive ventilation, and mortality compared with standard treatment. Patients who received TCZ had changes of several clinical indicators that marked higher rates…
Effect of Tocilizumab vs Standard Care on Clinical Worsening in Patients Hospitalized With COVID-19 Pneumonia: A Randomized Clinical Trial
A randomized open-label trial of treatment with the immune modulator tocilizumab (TCZ) in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia found that the rate of clinical worsening (entry to ICU unit with intubation, death from all causes, or clinical aggravation) was not significantly different among patients receiving tocilizumab (TCZ) (n=60) and those receiving standard of care (n=66) (RR=1.05;…
Effect of Tocilizumab vs Usual Care in Adults Hospitalized With COVID-19 and Moderate or Severe Pneumonia
A randomized, open-label trial of patients with COVID-19 and pneumonia who required oxygen support but were not admitted to ICU found no statistically significant difference in mortality over 28 days between those receiving the immunomodulator tocilizumab (TCZ) (n=63) and those receiving standard of care (n=67). At day 14, the proportion of patients with noninvasive ventilation,…
Synthesis and Systematic Review of Reported Neonatal SARS-CoV-2 Infections
A systematic review and meta-analysis of neonatal case studies of SARS-CoV-2 infection (n=176) defined by at least one positive nasopharyngeal swab or presence of virus-specific IgM found that vertical transmission (mother-to-child) accounted for 30% SARS-CoV-2 infections and environmental exposure accounted for 70% of infections. 64% had abnormal lung imaging, 55% of neonates developed COVID-19, with…
COVID-19 LITERATURE SITUATION REPORT OCT. 20, 2020
Despite early enthusiasm for monoclonal antibodies directed against IL-6 (tocilizumab), two randomized, open-label trials did not demonstrate substantial clinical benefit, both reporting no effect on 28-day mortality. These findings, combined with two previously reported industry sponsored trials by the manufacturer of tocilizumab, indicate that tocilizumab may not be as efficacious as suggested by early observational data.
October 12, 2020
Geographic Variation of Racial Disparities in Health and COVID-19 Mortality
The cumulative incidence of COVID-19 was reported to be three-fold higher among Black individuals in the US compared to white individuals, and the crude mortality was two-fold higher. However, the infection-fatality-ratio was similar between Black and white individuals. There was a higher prevalence of comorbidities (63% vs 55%) and adverse socioeconomic factors (47% vs 31%)…
COVID-19 and Excess All-Cause Mortality in the US and 18 Comparison Countries
The cumulative COVID-19 mortality in the US through September 19, 2020 of 60.3 per 100,000 people is comparable to other high-mortality countries like Spain (65 per 100,000), the UK (62.6 per 100,000) and Italy (59.1 per 100,000). However, the COVID-19 mortality in the US has remained high in the past four months, while the other…
Excess Deaths From COVID-19 and Other Causes, March-July 2020
Deaths from all causes in the US increased by 20% above the number expected between March 1 and August 1, 2020. An estimated 150,541 of these excess deaths (67%) were attributed to COVID-19. The 10 states with the highest per capita level of excess deaths were New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Louisiana, Arizona, Mississippi, Maryland,…
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