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November 4, 2020
SARS-CoV-2 Detection by Nasal Strips a Superior Tool for Surveillance of Pediatric Populations
In pediatric patients, the use of small strips inserted into each nostril was shown to have a sensitivity of 94% and specificity of 100% for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 when compared to pooled nasopharyngeal swab and throat swab samples. Viral loads of SARS-CoV-2 RNA were similar between paired nasal strip samples and nasal swab samples….
Avoiding versus Contracting COVID-19 On the Effectiveness of Social Distancing at the Level of the Individual
[Preprint, not peer-reviewed] A participant’s behavior during behavioral simulation of social distancing behaviors was associated with the risk of subsequently contracting COVID-19, whereas self-report of these behaviors was not. Results from a survey among 2,120 US residents determined that an individual’s performance in a simulator intended to assess physical positioning was associated with lower risk…
November 3, 2020
Disentangling Community-Level Changes in Crime Trends during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Chicago
Analysis of the impact of COVID-19 containment policies on crime across 77 communities in the Chicago area report mixed findings. Burglaries, assaults, narcotics-related offenses, and robberies had a statistical reduction only in 13%, 23%, 45%, and 13% of communities, respectively. The prevalence of COVID-19 infections was not found to have any association with crime levels,…
Cost–Benefit of Limited Isolation and Testing in COVID-19 Mitigation
A study using an agent-based disease transmission model examined the costs and benefits of replacing lockdowns with a one-step tracing and quarantine strategy. This strategy of closing workplaces when a case is identified, isolating social contacts of the case, and keeping symptomatic individuals in quarantine until symptoms resolve (estimated at 5 days) reduces transmission by…
Psychological Distress and Adaptation to the COVID-19 Crisis in the United States
Longitudinal, nationally representative data from eight waves of the Understanding America Survey (n=7,319; observations=46,145) show that psychological distress increased significantly from March to April as the pandemic emerged and lockdown restrictions were put in place, then declined back to baseline levels by June 2020. A similar increase in distress followed by recovery to baseline levels…
The Impact of Substance Use Disorder on COVID-19 Outcomes
Persons with substance use disorders may be more vulnerable to adverse effects of COVID-19, according to a cohort study of COVID-19 patients (n=11,124) matched for demographic characteristics and presence of diabetes and obesity. Analysis showed that substance use disorder was associated with a 1.84-fold increased risk of hospitalization, 1.45-fold increased risk of ventilator use, and…
Symptoms at Presentation for Patients Admitted to Hospital with Covid-19 Results from the ISARIC Prospective Multinational Observational Study
[Pre-print, not peer-reviewed] Results from a large prospective cohort (n=60,161 symptomatic patients with confirmed COVID-19 from 43 countries) found that the most sensitive case definition, which was met by 92% of the cohort, was one or more of cough, shortness of breath, fever, muscle pains or sort throat. These symptoms were more frequent among patients…
Systematic Review and Meta‐analysis of Factors Associated with Re‐positive Viral RNA after Recovery from COVID‐19
A systematic review of 9 studies found that compared to recovered COVID-19 patients who did not experience a recurrent positive PCR test, recovered COVID-19 patients who experienced a recurrent positive test had shorter hospital stay (14.5 vs 15.5 days) and were more likely to have fatigue symptoms, and to test positive for IgM and IgG….
Robust SARS-CoV-2-Specific T-Cell Immunity Is Maintained at 6 Months Following Primary Infection
[Pre-print, not peer-reviewed] Blood samples from 100 convalescent donors 6 months after their initial SARS-CoV-2 infection found that T-cell responses against SARS-CoV-2 were present in all donors. The median response was 50% higher among donors with an initial symptomatic infection. T-cell responses to both spike and nucleoprotein/membrane proteins strongly correlated with peak antibody levels against…
Outcomes of Contact Tracing in San Francisco, California—Test and Trace During Shelter-in-Place
From April 13 to June 8, San Francisco’s contact tracing program was able to reach 85% (1,394 out of 1,633) of reported cases and subsequent contacts and secondary cases for interviews. People who identified as Latino represented a majority of these cases, despite comprising 15% of San Francisco residents. The secondary household attack proportion (percentage…
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