Article Summary
August 24, 2020
BCG Vaccination in Infancy Does Not Protect against COVID-19. Evidence from a Natural Experiment in Sweden
By analyzing data from birth cohorts born just before and just after a 1975 policy change that discontinued BCG vaccine in Sweden, de Chaisemartin et al. conclude that the vaccine does not have a protective effect against COVID-19. The authors assessed COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations among 1,026,304 people with the BCG vaccine and 1,018,544 people…
Convalescent Plasma for Patients with Severe COVID-19 a Matched Cohort Study
[pre-print, not peer-reviewed] Rogers et al. found no significant difference in the risk of in-hospital mortality among patients with severe COVID-19 who received convalescent plasma (n=64) and patients with severe COVID-19 (n=177) who did not receive it in an observational study. Although there was no significant difference in the overall rate of hospital discharge, a…
SARS-CoV-2 Community Transmission Disproportionately Affects Latinx Population during Shelter-in-Place in San Francisco
Chamie et al. tested 3,953 people who live or work within a census block in San Francisco and found a point prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection (by PCR) of 2% and an estimated cumulative incidence (by antibody testing) of 6%. Among those with positive PCR tests, 95% were Latinx and 53% were asymptomatic when tested. Among…
Asymptomatic Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 on Evacuation Flight. Emerging Infectious Diseases
Bae et al. report a single incidence of possible transmission of COVID-19 during an evacuation flight from Italy to South Korea. After airport screening, 299 asymptomatic passengers took an 11-hour flight to South Korea, during which most of them wore N95 respirators at all times. They were tested for SARS-CoV-2 by RT-PCR on days 1…
Epidemiology of COVID-19 Among Incarcerated Individuals and Staff in Massachusetts Jails and Prisons
As of July 8, 1,032 confirmed cases of COVID-19 were reported among incarcerated individuals (n=664) and staff (n=368) in state and county jails and prisons in Massachusetts. The incidence of 44.3 cases per 1000 people is 2.9-fold higher than among the Massachusetts general population and 4.8-fold higher than the US general population. Many county facilities…
August 21, 2020
Age Could Be Driving Variable SARS-CoV-2 Epidemic Trajectories Worldwide
• A model incorporating 159 countries suggests that differences in the population age distributions across regions may substantially affect COVID-19 pandemic trajectories, with countries with larger adult populations potentially experiencing more severe and rapid transmission of COVID-19 than countries with younger populations. In the African Region (median age: 18.9 years), the authors estimated a median…
The COVID-19 Telepsychology Revolution: A National Study of Pandemic-Based Changes in U.S. Mental Health Care Delivery
• Pierce et al. surveyed 2,619 psychologists working in the United States and found that the percentage of clinical work carried out online increased from 7% to 86% during the pandemic. The increase was smaller among psychologists working in Veterans Affairs medical centers or in rural areas and among those treating patients with antisocial personality…
A Rapid Qualitative Assessment of the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on a Racially/Ethnically Diverse Sample of Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex with Men Living with HIV in the US South
• [pre-print, not peer-reviewed] A racially diverse cohort of HIV+ gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men in the American South was interviewed about the early impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Rhodes et al. identified themes related to knowledge about the pandemic, information sources, personal impact on health and behaviors, and general…
Health Inequalities in the Use of Telehealth in the United States in the Lens of COVID-19
• Disparities in accessing telehealth appointments since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic were identified in a retrospective cohort study using a database linking insurance claims with patient-reported data. There was a rise in telehealth use from 0.2% to 2% in March 2020 compared to a similar time period in 2019. Adults over 45 were…
Is Blood Type Associated with COVID-19 Severity
• [pre-print, not peer-reviewed] After adjusting for socioeconomic status and comorbidities, Mendy et al. found no association between ABO or Rh blood groups and hospitalization or disease severity among 428 people diagnosed with COVID-19 at the University of Cincinnati’s health system. Mendy et al. (Aug 2020). Is Blood Type Associated with COVID-19 Severity? Pre-print downloaded…
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