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August 12, 2020
Filtration Efficiency of Hospital Face Mask Alternatives Available for Use During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Sickbert-Bennett et al. assessed the fitted filtration efficiencies (FFEs) for face mask alternatives used by clinicians interacting with patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. They found that expired N95 respirators with intact elastic straps and respirators subject to sterilization had no decrease in FFE compared with new N95s. Incorrectly sized N95 respirators had slightly decreased performance (90-95%). Among…
Vaccine Hesitancy” among University Students in Italy during the COVID-19 Pandemic
A cross-sectional study conducted on a convenience sample of Italian university students (n=934) found that 86% would accept a COVID-19 vaccine, while the remainder expressed that they would not or were unsure (i.e. vaccine hesitancy). Barello et al. (Aug 2020). “Vaccine Hesitancy” among University Students in Italy during the COVID-19 Pandemic. European Journal of Epidemiology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10654-020-00670-z
First Detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in Wastewater in North America: A Study in Louisiana, USA
Scherchan et al. report on SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection in wastewater samples in southern Louisiana. While viral RNA was detected in 2 out of 15 wastewater samples, viral RNA was only detected in untreated samples and was not detected in any secondary treated or final effluent samples. Sherchan et al. (June 2020). First Detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in Wastewater in North America: A Study in…
Role of Children in Household Transmission of COVID-19
Among 248 household contacts of 107 pediatric COVID-19 index cases, 17% of the contacts (n=41) were subsequently SARS-CoV-2 positive (average follow-up of 11 days). However, all but one contact was determined to have had the same exposure as the pediatric index case. Index cases were isolated in hospitals or community treatment centers after diagnosis. If the case needed direct care by…
Viable SARS-CoV-2 in the Air of a Hospital Room with COVID-19 Patients
[pre-print, not peer-reviewed] Lednicky et al. collected air samples containing viable SARS-CoV-2 from the hospital room of two patients with COVID-19 with respiratory symptoms. One patient had been admitted the evening prior to sampling, while the second was in the process of being discharged during sampling and had previously tested negative after an earlier positive test. Viable virus was isolated from air samples collected 2 to 4.8m away from the…
August 11, 2020
Association of Nursing Home Ratings on Health Inspections, Quality of Care, and Nurse Staffing With COVID-19 Cases
Figueroa et al. found that nursing homes (NHs) with good ratings for nurse staffing were less likely to be in the highest category for COVID-19 cases in an analysis of nursing homes in 8 states rated by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services across 3 domains (nurse staffing, health inspections, quality measures, and). In contrast, there was no significant difference in the burden of COVID-19 cases between high- vs low-performing NHs for health inspection or…
Projected Effects of Nonpharmaceutical Public Health Interventions to Prevent Resurgence of SARS-CoV-2 Transmission in Canada
An age structured agent-based model of SARS-CoV-2 in a generalized Canadian setting found that the only intervention scenario that consistently kept hospitals and intensive care unit bed use under capacity, prevented nearly all deaths, and eliminated the epidemic was continuation of case detection and contact tracing, continuation of physical distancing, and reimplementation of restrictive measures. Extending school closures had minimal effects in the general population but did reduce transmission in…
Vaccine Efficacy Needed for a COVID-19 Coronavirus Vaccine to Prevent or Stop an Epidemic as the Sole Intervention
Results of simulation experiments from a computational model developed by Bartsch et al. indicate that a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine would need to have an efficacy of at least 70% to prevent an epidemic and at least 80% to extinguish an epidemic without any other measures (e.g., social distancing) in the US. A vaccine with an efficacy between 60% and 80% could reduce or eliminate the need for other measures under certain circumstances, such…
Immunogenicity and Safety of a SARS-CoV-2 Inactivated Vaccine in Healthy Adults Aged 18-59 Years Report of the Randomized Double-Blind and Placebo-Controlled Phase 2 Clinical Trial
[pre-print, not peer-reviewed] Zhang et al. conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to evaluate the optimal dose, immunogenicity, and safety of a SARS-CoV-2 inactivated whole virion vaccine (CoronaVac), finding that the vaccine demonstrated favorable safety and immunogenicity on both schedules and both dosages. The lower 3 g dose elicited 92.4% seroconversion under a Day 0, 14 schedule and 97.4% under a Day 0, 28 schedule. Most adverse events were mild and the three serious adverse events…
Convalescent Plasma a Clutch at Straws in COVID-19 Management! A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
A systematic review (7 studies, 5,444 patients) found that the use of convalescent plasma therapy in patients with COVID-19 reduces mortality (OR=0.44, 95% CI 0.25-0.77), increases viral clearance (OR=11.29, 95% CI 4.9–25.9), and improves clinical condition (OR=2.06, 95% CI 0.8–4.9). Sarkar et al. (Aug 10, 2020). Convalescent Plasma a Clutch at Straws in COVID-19 Management! A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Journal of Medical Virology. https://doi.org/10.1002/jmv.26408
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