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May 27, 2021
Emergence of a New SARS-CoV-2 Variant from GR Clade with a Novel S Glycoprotein Mutation V1230L in West Bengal India
[Pre-print, not peer-reviewed] Genomic surveillance detected a potential new variant emerging in West Bengal, India from an analysis of over 2,000 sequenced samples collected from January to March 2021. The new variant, identified in 70 of 412 sequences submitted from West Bengal, is characterized by 11 mutations including V1230L and P681H, also found in the…
Impacts of Social Distancing Policies on Mobility and COVID-19 Case Growth in the US
State-level emergency declarations early in the COVID-19 pandemic (early March 2020) were associated with a 10% reduction in time spent away from places of residence, according to an analysis of anonymized mobility data from opted-in Google users aggregated at the county level. Subsequent implementation of physical distancing policies and shelter-in-place mandates resulted in additional 25%…
Serial Intervals and Case Isolation Delays for COVID-19: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
The serial interval for COVID-19 (the interval between successive cases in a chain of transmission) ranged from 1 to 10 days in a systematic review and meta-analysis of 56 studies including 129 estimates. A separate systematic review and meta-analysis of 18 studies found that the case isolation delay interval (delay between a case diagnosis and…
May 26, 2021
Decline in Influenza Cases in Mexico after the Implementation of Public Health Measures for COVID-19
A review of sentinel surveillance data on influenza-like illness in Mexico found a marked decrease in influenza diagnoses in outpatient clinics and public hospitals, influenza positivity rates, and confirmed severe influenza cases in the 10 weeks following implementation of lockdown measures in 2020 compared to the same period in 2019. The authors conclude that measures…
Monoclonal Antibody Treatment Prophylaxis and Vaccines Combined to Reduce SARS CoV-2 Spread
[Pre-print, not peer-reviewed] A modeling study of SARS-CoV-2 transmission in the US population found that allocating monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) as post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) and treatment of persons with COVID-19 in combination with a vaccination program could substantially reduce infections and mortality. Allocation of mAbs as PEP to persons >65 years of age averted up to…
Mental Health and Suicidal Ideation in US Military Veterans with Histories of COVID-19 Infection
Veterans with a history of COVID-19 were more likely to screen positive for internalizing psychiatric disorders (depression, anxiety, and/or PTSD), substance use disorders, and current suicidal ideation compared to veterans without a history of COVID-19, according to a nationally representative, prospective cohort of 3,078 US veterans. In multivariable analysis, pre-pandemic psychiatric symptom severity and COVID-related…
COVID-19 in Trauma: A Propensity-Matched Analysis of COVID and Non-COVID Trauma Patients
Patients admitted after trauma who were found to have COVID had higher rates of mortality (9% vs. 2%) and pneumonia (8% vs. 0), and a longer mean length of stay (7.5 days vs. 3 days) compared to patients without COVID-19, according to a retrospective, propensity-matched cohort study (n = 159) of patients presenting to 11…
Association of Circulating Sex Hormones With Inflammation and Disease Severity in Patients With COVID-19
Lower testosterone concentrations during hospitalization were associated with increased disease severity, inflammation, and mortality in a cohort of 152 male COVID-19 patients. This association remained after controlling for other known risk factors for severe COVID-19, including age, BMI, comorbidities, smoking, and race. Testosterone concentrations were similar among those who presented with severe illness and those…
Single-Dose SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine in a Prospective Cohort of COVID-19 Patients
[Pre-print, not peer-reviewed] A study comparing antibody responses in 155 previously SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals found a single dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine provided neutralizing antibody titers exceeding those produced following two vaccine doses in 49 previously uninfected healthcare workers. Additionally, pre-vaccination neutralization titers in persons with previous infection were associated with higher neutralization titers after…
Influence of Past Infection with SARS-CoV-2 on the Response to the BioTech Pfizer BNT162b2 MRNA Vaccine in Health Care Workers Kinetics and Durability of the Humoral Response
[Pre-print, not peer-reviewed] A cohort study of 63 hospital healthcare workers in Spain who received 2 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine found that those with a previous SARS-CoV-2 infection developed a 126-fold increase in antibody levels after 1 dose and maintained higher antibody levels than SARS-CoV-2 naïve workers after the 2nd dose. Healthcare workers with…
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