Article Summary
September 15, 2020
Pooled Testing for Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in Asymptomatic Individuals
A 10-specimen manual pooling algorithm was the optimal pool size for surveillance of asymptomatic healthcare workers. Das et al. found that pool sizes up to 10 were able to detect positive samples with a threshold of cycle time (Ct) <36. An evaluation of this approach included 700 pools (7,000 total samples) and found eight positive…
Characteristics of COVID-19 in Homeless Shelters
Contact tracing events (“surge testing”) identified a much larger proportion of the positive SARS-CoV-2 cases among residents and staff in homeless shelters across King County (Washington State) compared to routine surveillance. Among 29 SARS-CoV-2 positive cases identified from 1,434 encounters of shelter residents and staff in homeless shelters, 72% of cases were detected during “surge…
SARS-CoV-2 Seroprevalence and Asymptomatic Viral Carriage in Healthcare Workers: A Cross-Sectional Study
A cross-sectional study in April 2020 of asymptomatic healthcare workers (n=545) in the UK found a 2.4% point prevalence of SARS-CoV-2, and 24.4% seroprevalence. Those who reported prior symptomatic illness had higher seroprevalence and greater antibody responses. Healthcare workers who were Black, Asian or minority ethnicity were more likely to be seropositive (OR=1.9), while those…
Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in Children Aged 0 to 19 Years in Childcare Facilities and Schools after Their Reopening in May 2020, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
A German study analyzed new SARS-CoV-2 infections among children ages 0-19 years old from the time of school reopening through summer holiday (May to August 2020). A total of 137 index cases were identified who attended school or childcare settings for at least 1 day in their infectious period and among these, 6 (4%) index…
Cryptic Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in Washington State
An analysis of 453 SARS-CoV-2 genomes collected during February and March 2020 in Washington State found that SARS-CoV-2 infections during that time period were derived from a single introduction in late January or early February 2020 that spread undetected before community surveillance was implemented. Bedford et al. (Sept 10, 2020). Cryptic Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in…
September 14, 2020
Mortality and Risk Factors among US Black Hispanic and White Patients with COVID-19
[Preprint, not peer-reviewed] Among patients hospitalized with COVID-19 (n=2,406) in New York, Black patients (34%) and Hispanic patients (37%) were younger than white patients (29%) (median age 67 and 63 vs 73, p<0.001 for both). Black patients were more likely to have hypertension (41% vs 32%), diabetes (27% vs 17%), and chronic kidney disease (16%…
High COVID-19 Transmission Potential Associated with Re-Opening Universities Can Be Mitigated with Layered Interventions
[Preprint, not peer-reviewed] A modeling study of university reopening in the UK compared transmission dynamics under different assumptions about the infectiousness of asymptomatic patients. Assuming an infectious period of 5 days, the authors report that if asymptomatic cases are 50% as infectious as symptomatic cases, then 20% undergraduates would be infected. If asymptomatic cases are…
The Impact of Digital Contact Tracing on the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic – a Comprehensive Modelling Study
[Preprint, not peer-reviewed] A modeling study estimated that implementing a digital contact tracing system (DCT) combined with other interventions (social distancing and/or random testing) could effectively reduce the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 by pushing R0 from above 3 to below 1 in a scenario where 40% of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 were asymptomatic. At least 60%…
Change in Donor Characteristics and Antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in Donated Blood in the US, June-August 2020
Routine testing of blood donated at American Red Cross centers since June 15, 2020 (n=953,926 donations) found that 1.8% of donations tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, with an increase in seropositivity over the study period. Blood from first-time donors was more likely to test positive than blood from repeat donors (3% vs. 1.6%, p<0.001). The…
Genome Sequencing of Sewage Detects Regionally Prevalent SARS-CoV-2 Variants
[Preprint, not peer-reviewed] Genome sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 in sewage samples from the San Francisco Bay Area found that the dominant genotypes matched genotypes found in clinical samples from the region. Genotypic variants found in wastewater samples were more similar to local California patient-derived genotypes than they were to those from other regions within the US…
Previous page Next page