Article Summary
September 17, 2020
Self-Collected Saline Gargle Samples as an Alternative to Healthcare Worker Collected Nasopharyngeal Swabs for COVID-19 Diagnosis in Outpatients
[Pre-print, not peer reviewed] Self-collected saline mouth rinse/gargle samples and saliva samples had a sensitivity of 98% (39/40) and 79% (26/33), respectively, compared to healthcare worker (HCW)-collected nasopharyngeal swab samples among 40 people with SARS-CoV-2. Both types of self-collected samples showed stable viral RNA detection after 2 days of storage at room temperature and demonstrated…
Prolonged SARS-CoV-2 Detection and Reversed RT-PCR Results in Mild or Asymptomatic Patients
Many people with mild or asymptomatic COVID-19 (n=300) had prolonged SARS-CoV-2 RNA positivity with intermittent negative tests in a study in Korea. 23% had SARS-CoV-2 detected more than 3 weeks after the initial positive RT-PCR test, and 14% had positive results for more than 4 weeks. Overall, 37% (152/405) of negative results were positive or…
September 15, 2020
Social Disadvantage, Politics, and SARS-CoV-2 Trends: A County-Level Analysis of United States Data
Increasing case counts of SARS-CoV-2 during June 2020 were associated at the US county level with being a metropolitan area (250,000-1 million population), having a higher percentage of Black residents, and a 10-point or greater Republican victory in 2016. Mourad et al. (Sept 11, 2020). Social Disadvantage, Politics, and SARS-CoV-2 Trends: A County-Level Analysis of…
SARS-CoV-2–Associated Deaths Among Persons Aged <21 Years — United States, February 12–July 31, 2020
A total of 121 SARS-CoV-2-associated deaths among people younger than 21 years of age had been reported to the CDC by July 31, 2020, accounting for 0.08% of all deaths due to COVID-19. Of these 121 deaths, 70% of were among those 10-20 years old and 10% were among infants. 78% of deaths were among…
Estimation of COVID-19 Basic Reproduction Ratio in a Large Urban Jail in the United States
In an SEIR model of a COVID-10 outbreak in a large US jail system, Puglisi et al. found that within 30 days, 6% of prisoners and 8% of staff will have symptomatic infections, predicting 5,695 cases, among whom there would be 3,388 symptomatic infections, 474 hospitalizations, and 34 deaths. Puglisi et al. (Sept 9, 2020)….
Simulating Phase Transitions and Control Measures for Network Epidemics Caused by Infections with Presymptomatic, Asymptomatic, and Symptomatic Stages
In a model considering asymptomatic, presymptomatic, and symptomatic transmission, the level of viral shedding was found to have the greatest impact on the total number of infections, followed by the probability of social distancing and individually initiated social isolation given a threshold number of infected contacts. Braun et al. (Sept 10, 2020). Simulating Phase Transitions…
Modeling Suicide Risk among Parents during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Psychological Inflexibility Exacerbates the Impact of COVID-19 Stressors on Interpersonal Risk Factors for Suicide
A study among parents in the US (n=1,003) identified greater suicide risk among people reporting stress from COVID-19, with a perceived burden to others as a mediating factor. Responses such as attempting to suppress unpleasant experiences, getting caught up in negative thoughts, or being on “autopilot” (collectively termed psychological inflexibility) intensified the pathway to greater…
Fasting Blood Glucose Level Is a Predictor of Mortality in Patients with COVID-19 Independent of Diabetes History
Elevated fasting blood glucose (≥ 7.0 mmol/L), an indicator of pre-diabetes, was associated with COVID-19 mortality (HR=2.2), independent of diabetes history, in a Chinese cohort of 941 hospitalized patients. The authors conclude fasting blood glucose could be used to screen high-risk patients. Cai et al. (Sept 10, 2020). Fasting Blood Glucose Level Is a Predictor…
Comorbidities Associated with Mortality in 31,461 Adults with COVID-19 in the United States: A Federated Electronic Medical Record Analysis
Older age, male sex, and being Black or African American were significantly associated with mortality from COVID-19 across different age groups in a retrospective cohort study of patients age 18-90 years in the US (n=31,461). Comorbidities associated with higher odds of death varied across age groups and included heart attack history, congestive heart failure, dementia,…
SARS-CoV-2 Recurrent RNA Positivity after Recovering from Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): A Meta-Analysis
A systematic review found that the estimated cumulative proportion of recurrent RNA positivity in recovered COVID-19 patients was 12% (95% CI: 12-13%), ranging from 7-23% across studies and with follow-up testing between 1 and 60 days. Mattiuzzi et al. (Sept 7, 2020). SARS-CoV-2 Recurrent RNA Positivity after Recovering from Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): A Meta-Analysis….
Previous page Next page