Article Summary
January 25, 2021
Abrupt Increase in the UK Coronavirus Death-Case Ratio in December 2020
[Pre-print, not peer-reviewed] A study evaluating the statistical relationship between COVID-19 infections and reported deaths in the UK identified an increase in the case fatality ratio in December 2020. While deaths were well described as 1/55th of cases detected 12 days prior during the months of October and November, by early December the case fatality…
The Proportion of SARS-CoV-2 Infections That Are Asymptomatic
At least one third of SARS-CoV-2 infections were characterized as asymptomatic in a systematic review of cross-sectional and longitudinal observational studies and reports of mass screening for SARS-CoV-2. Most studies (43/61) used PCR testing of nasopharyngeal swabs to detect current infection, and 18 studies used antibody testing to detect current or prior infection. In 14…
SARS-CoV-2 Reinfection in a Cohort of 43,000 Antibody-Positive Individuals Followed for up to 35 Weeks
[Pre-print, not peer-reviewed] A study of SARS-CoV-2 reinfection in Qatar found that reinfection was rare, and that natural infection elicited strong antibody response with at least 90% efficacy lasting at least 7 months. Among study participants (n = 314) with at least one PCR positive swab ≥14 days after the first-positive antibody test, 129 (41.1%)…
MRNA-1273 Vaccine Induces Neutralizing Antibodies against Spike Mutants from Global SARS-CoV-2 Variants
[Pre-print, not peer-reviewed] Sera from human subjects or non-human primates (NHPs) that received the mRNA-1273 (Moderna) vaccine showed no significant reduction in neutralization activity against the SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 variant emerging from the UK, but reduced activity against the B.1.351 variant emerging from South Africa. The study used two pseudovirus neutralization assays expressing spike proteins of…
The Potential Public Health and Economic Value of a Hypothetical COVID-19 Vaccine in the United States: Use of Cost-Effectiveness Modeling to Inform Vaccination Prioritization
A Markov cohort model estimating COVID-19 related direct medical costs and deaths in the US found that with a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine with 60% efficacy, the incremental cost per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) gained for the US adult population would be $8,200 (compared to no vaccination). For those at high risk of hospitalization and death, vaccination was…
Assessment of U.S. Health Care Personnel (HCP) Attitudes towards COVID-19 Vaccination in a Large University Health Care System
Self-reported willingness to receive the COVID-19 vaccine differed by hospital role among US healthcare workers (n=5287), with physicians and research scientists reporting the highest acceptance (80.4%). 33.6% of registered nurses, 31.6% of allied health professionals, and 32% of master’s level clinicians were unsure if they would get the vaccine. Fewer direct care (54.0%) than non-care…
Antigen-Based Testing but Not Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction Correlates With Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Viral Culture
Antigen testing using the BD Veritor System for SARS-CoV-2 demonstrated a higher positive predictive value (90%) than rt-PCR (70%) with the Quidel Lyra SARS-CoV-2 Assay when compared to virus culture as the gold standard. The positive percentage agreement for detection of infectious virus for the antigen test was similar to rt-PCR when compared to culture…
NERVTAG Note on B.1.1.7 Severity
[Report, not peer-reviewed] The UK New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Advisory Group (NERVTAG) states the B.1.1.7 SARS-CoV-2 variant has quickly become dominant in the UK, and that there is a possibility that infection with this variant is associated with increased risk of death compared to previous strains. NERVTAG cites evidence of increased case fatality from…
Epidemiological Investigation of a COVID-19 Family Cluster Outbreak Transmitted by a 3-Month-Old Infant
Investigation of a SARS-CoV-2 family cluster outbreak in Wuhan, China transmitted by a 3-month-old infant showed an attack rate of 80% (4/5 family members), and fecal tests for SARS-CoV-2 RNA remained positive for 27 days after the infant was discharged from the hospital. The infant was suspected to have been infected while at a swimming…
Seroprevalence and Seroconversions for SARS-CoV-2 Infections in Workers at Bogota Airport, Colombia 2020
A study of workers (n=212) at the Bogata, Colombia airport conducted between June 1 and September 30, 2020 found that the cumulative incidence and seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 among workers was 23.6% and 16.0%, respectively. Most cases were asymptomatic (84%), and 61% of participants seroconverted during the study period, with no significant differences in seroconversion between…
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