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September 21, 2020
Business Closures, Stay-at-Home Restrictions, and COVID-19 Testing Outcomes in New York City
The closure of nonessential businesses and out-of-home activity restrictions implemented on March 22, 2020 in New York city decreased the positivity rate of tests for SARS-CoV-2 by 25% (54% in early April to 14% in early May). Using data on SARS-CoV-2 testing at the zip code level and smart phone location data, Borjas reported that…
COVID-19 Literature Situation Report Sept. 21, 2020
Two studies identified SARS-CoV-2 transmission on international flights using contract tracing and/or genetic sequencing. Closer seating proximity was associated with greater infection risk.
September 18, 2020
Social Network Analysis Methods for Exploring SARS-CoV-2 Contact Tracing Data
Social network analysis was applied to contact tracing data (1,959 patients in India), demonstrating how the approach can identify key individual patients and components of the network that could inform the public health response. The analysis showed that 11% of patients acted as a source of infection to 40% of the other patients, while 12…
Assessing the Potential Impact of COVID-19 on Life Expectancy
A 10% prevalence of COVID-19 over a year could decrease life expectancy at birth by more than 1 year in North America, while a 50% prevalence could drop it by 3 to 9 years, according to a modeling study. If prevalence remains below 1 or 2%, life expectancy is unlikely to be substantially affected. Marois…
Association between Mental Illness and COVID-19 Susceptibility and Clinical Outcomes in South Korea: A Nationwide Cohort Study
Having a diagnosed mental illness was not associated with testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 (OR=1.00) in a propensity score-matched cohort in Korea (n=1391). However, among those who tested positive, having a mental illness diagnosis was associated with a moderate increase in the likelihood of severe clinical outcomes (OR=1.27). Lee et al. (Sept 17, 2020). Association between…
Social Distancing Compliance under COVID-19 Pandemic and Mental Health Impacts: A Population-Based Study
Adoption of social distancing, as well as perceptions of its effectiveness were associated with lower stress levels, less anxiety, and fewer depressive symptoms (p <0.01) in a survey of 1,501 adults in Hong Kong. However, an increased number of stay-at-home days was associated with more depressive symptoms (OR=1.09). Zhao et al. (Sept 14, 2020). Social…
Early Psychological Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Brazil: A National Survey
A national survey in Brazil (n=12,196) found high prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress due to isolation experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Younger individuals, those with previous mental health diagnoses, participants with excessive exposure to news, or with lower economic and education status were more likely to develop symptoms. Campos et al. (Sept 15, 2020)….
Analysis of Drug Test Results Before and After the US Declaration of a National Emergency Concerning the COVID-19 Outbreak
There were increases in urine drug test positivity among people with or at risk of substance use disorders (n=150,000) from the 4 months before the COVID-19 emergency declaration to the 4 months after the declaration. Test positivity increased from 3% to 5% for cocaine, from 4% to 7% for fentanyl, from 1% to 2% for…
Recovered COVID-19 Patients with Recurrent Viral RNA Exhibit Lower Levels of Anti-RBD Antibodies
Patients who recovered from COVID-19 (n=47) and had a recurrent positive SARS-CoV-2 RNA test had significantly lower levels of anti-receptor binding domain (RBD) IgG antibodies than persistently RNA-negative patients (p=0.013). The authors conclude that this suggests that anti-RBD IgG levels could predict recovered patients who are at risk of viral rebound. Liu et al. (Sept…
Association Between CMS Quality Ratings and COVID-19 Outbreaks in Nursing Homes — West Virginia, March 17–June 11, 2020
Compared to West Virginia nursing homes receiving a 1-star (lowest quality) rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, 2- to 3- star-rated nursing homes had an 87% lower odds of a COVID-19 outbreak and 4- to 5- star-rated nursing homes had a 94% lower odds. Bui et al. (Sept 18, 2020). Association Between…
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