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August 19, 2020
Effects of a Major Deletion in the SARS-CoV-2 Genome on the Severity of Infection and the Inflammatory Response: An Observational Cohort Study
Findings from a prospective observational cohort study conducted at seven public hospitals in Singapore show that the 382-nucleotide deletion (∆382) variant of SARS-CoV-2 is associated with a milder infection. Individuals infected with the ∆382 variant were compared with those infected with wild-type SARS-CoV-2. Between January 22 and March 21, among 131 individuals enrolled, 70% were infected with the wild-type virus, 8% had a mix of wild-type and ∆382-variant viruses, and 22% had only…
Allergic Disorders and Susceptibility to and Severity of COVID-19: A Nationwide Cohort Study
In a propensity-score-matched nationwide cohort study (n=219,959) of individuals tested for SARS-CoV-2 in South Korea, patients with allergic rhinitis and asthma were more likely to have a positive SARS-CoV-2 test and to have severe COVID-19 outcomes if infected, compared to individuals without these conditions. The greatest increased risk was among those with non-allergic asthma (for positivity, aOR=1.3, 95%CI 1.1–1.7; for severe disease, aOR=4.1, 95%CI 1.7–10.5). …
SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) Infection in Pregnant Women Characterization of Symptoms and Syndromes Predictive of Disease and Severity through Real-Time Remote Participatory Epidemiology
[Pre-print, not peer reviewed] An observational study used a smartphone application and web-based survey to collect self-reported pregnancy status and COVID-19-related symptom information from >400,000 women in the UK and Sweden and >1.3 million reports from women in the US. Investigators found that the profile of SARS-CoV-2 symptom characteristics and severity among pregnant women were comparable to those observed among non-pregnant women, except for gastrointestinal symptoms. Pregnant women were more likely to have received SARS-CoV-2 testing than…
SARS-CoV-2 Infection Among Community Health Workers in India Before and After Use of Face Shields
After the addition of face shields as personal protective equipment, there were no reported infections among the 50 community health workers (CHWs) in India assigned to counsel asymptomatic family contacts of patients who had tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 at their homes. Before implementing face shields, 62 CHWs visited 5,880 homes with 31,164 persons, among whom 222 persons tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 (May 4 to May 13). During this period, 12 CHWs were infected, 8 developed symptoms, and 4 were…
Neutralizing Antibodies Correlate with Protection from SARS-CoV-2 in Humans during a Fishery Vessel Outbreak with High Attack Rate
[Pre-print, not peer reviewed] Three individuals with pre-existing neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 were not re-infected while they were aboard a fishing vessel that experienced a SARS-CoV-2 outbreak with a high attack rate, providing some of the first direct evidence for potential immunity following infection. Out of a crew of 122, a total of 104 individuals had a positive SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR test or seroconverted during the…
Sofosbuvir and Daclatasvir Compared with Standard of Care in the Treatment of Patients Admitted to Hospital with Moderate or Severe Coronavirus Infection (COVID-19): A Randomized Controlled Trial
In an open-label, multicenter, randomized clinical trial in adults with moderate or severe COVID-19 admitted to four university hospitals in Iran, the addition of drugs used to treat hepatitis C virus, sofosbuvir and daclatasvir, to standard care (n=33) significantly reduced the duration of hospital stay compared with standard care alone (n=33). Cumulative incidence of hospital discharge was significantly higher in the treatment versus the control arm. Although fewer…
Assessment of SARS-CoV-2 Transmission on an International Flight and Among a Tourist Group
Monitoring of commercial airline passengers (n=102) on an international flight, 24 of whom were part of a tourist group who came in contact with a hotel manager with COVID-19, identified 2 likely SARS-CoV-2 transmissions on the flight, with 7 index cases, indicating possible airborne transmission. Both passengers with likely onboard acquisition were seated within 2 rows of an index case. The airflow in the cabin from the ceiling to the floor and from the front…
August 18, 2020
Assessment of COVID-19 Hospitalizations by Race/Ethnicity in 12 States
Across 12 states, the share of the COVID-19 hospitalizations (April 30 and June 24) of white patients was substantially smaller than the corresponding proportion of the state population. Asian patients were underrepresented among hospitalized patients in 6 of 10 states reporting hospitalization of Asian individuals. Black patients were overrepresented among the hospitalized patients in all 12 states, and Hispanic patients were overrepresented in 10 out of the 11 states reporting hospitalizations of…
Data-Driven Development of a Small-Area COVID-19 Vulnerability Index for the United States
[Pre-print, not peer reviewed] Using sociodemographic data and 668,428 COVID diagnoses in 4,803 ZIP codes in the US, Amram et al. developed a small area vulnerability index and found that zip codes with higher population density, higher percentage of uninsured, and a higher proportion of nonwhite race and Hispanic ethnicity had higher COVID-19 diagnosis rates. Amram et al. (Aug 18,…
Longitudinal SARS-CoV-2 Serosurveillance of over Ten Thousand Health Care Workers in the Providence Oregon Cohort
[Pre-print, not peer reviewed] A large serosurveillance study (n=10,019) of asymptomatic healthcare workers across Oregon found 2.5% (n=253) had antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. The highest seroprevalence was found among those with a job type of housekeeper (8%). Comparing self-reported swab PCR testing with serology results showed only modest agreement (K=0.47). Leidner et al. (Aug 18, 2020). Longitudinal SARS-CoV-2 Serosurveillance of over Ten Thousand Health Care Workers in…
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