Article Summary
November 2, 2020
Hospital and ICU Patient Volume per Physician at Peak of COVID Pandemic: State-Level Estimates
A study that used results from the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation model to estimate the number of hospitalized and ICU patients per physician expected at the peak of the pandemic in each state found that while most states should have sufficient physician capacity to handle the surge, some states in the Midwest will…
The Views of Ethnic Minority and Vulnerable Communities towards Participation in COVID-19 Vaccine Trials
A qualitative study investigating the perceptions of vaccine trials among people from ethnic minority and vulnerable communities in the UK found that while there was overall agreement that clinical research was necessary, most interviewees expressed extreme discomfort with the idea of attending a hospital for a vaccine trial. Participants highlighted concerns about fear of contracting…
Epidemiological and Clinical Findings of Short-Term Recurrence of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Ribonucleic Acid Polymerase Chain Reaction Positivity in 1282 Discharged Coronavirus Disease 2019 Cases: A Multicenter, Retrospective, Observational Study
A retrospective study of patients who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA after being discharged from the hospital found that short-term recurrence of positive SARS-CoV-2 RNA was common (15%), and not associated with new symptoms. Risk of onward transmission among those with recurrence was low. Of 1282 discharged patients, almost 15% retested positive during 28-day follow-up, which…
Norwich COVID-19 Testing Initiative Pilot: Evaluating the Feasibility of Asymptomatic Testing on a University Campus
A cross-sectional study in a university setting in England indicated that universal, repeated self-testing for COVID-19 using PCR was both acceptable, and could be feasible. Staff and student participants (n = 1053) were given four PCR swabs to self-administer over 2 weeks. 76% participants provided at least one swab, among whom 86% provided all four….
Residual SARS-CoV-2 RNA in Nasal Swabs of Convalescent COVID-19: Is Prolonged Quarantine Always Justified?
Residual SARS-CoV-2 RNA load was not substantially associated with ongoing virus replication in a prospective, multicenter observational study of residual RNA load. Nasal swab samples were collected from patients (n = 387) who clinically recovered from COVID-19. The median quantification cycle (Cq) was 37.0, and overall, 2.3% of RT-PCR positive samples with low or very…
Longitudinal Monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 RNA on High-Touch Surfaces in a Community Setting
[Pre-print, not peer-reviewed] A longitudinal study that sampled high-touch non-porous surfaces in Massachusetts during an outbreak of COVID-19 from April to June found the estimated risk of infection from touching a contaminated surface was less than 5 in 10,000, suggesting fomites play a minimal role in community spread. Overall, 29 (8.3%) of 348 surface swab…
Modeling the Load of SARS-CoV-2 Virus in Human Expelled Particles during Coughing and Speaking
A study using differential equations to describe the evolution of respiratory droplets, using SARS-CoV-2 as an example, found that there is no apparent size boundary between expelled particles that fall to the ground quickly versus those that can remain airborne. The simulation showed that after ten seconds of a cough, 5.1% of virus-containing particles were…
Viral Genome Sequencing Places White House COVID-19 Outbreak into Phylogenetic Context
[Pre-print, not peer-reviewed] Genomic sequencing indicated very close similarity between SARS-CoV-2 viruses isolated from two individuals who had separate exposures to the White House but did not share any other known exposures, indicating the White House events and/or personnel were the most likely source of both infections. While the authors conclude the White House was…
How Effective Is the Filtration of ‘KN95’ Filtering Facepiece Respirators During the COVID-19 Pandemic?
An investigation of filtration performance of different filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs) found high disparities between FFRs purchased by healthcare establishments. NIOSH-approved certification offered good efficiency compared to non NIOSH-approved FFRs. Furthermore, inspecting FFRs visually was not helpful in determining if the product was counterfeit or had defects. Brochot et al. (Oct 30, 2020). How Effective…
October 30, 2020
The Risk of Indoor Sports and Culture Events for the Transmission of COVID-19 (Restart-19)
[Pre-print, not peer-reviewed] A study simulating a seated indoor mass gathering event (MGE) found that in scenarios where hygiene protocols and ventilation were good, 0 to 23% of subsequent cases of SARS-CoV-2 were attributable to the MGE. All participants in the simulation wore N95 masks, and three different hygiene protocols were evaluated, ranging from no…
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