Article Summary
July 30, 2020
Excess Cases of Influenza and the Coronavirus Epidemic in Catalonia: A Time-Series Analysis of Primary-Care Electronic Medical Records Covering over 6 Million People
In a time-series study of influenza and COVID-19 cases in Spain, Coma Redon et al. found that COVID-19 cases may have already been present in the Catalan population when the first imported case was reported on February 25, 2020. The authors suggest that COVID-19 carriers may have been misclassified as influenza diagnoses in primary care, boosting community transmission before public health measures were taken. …
Notes from the Field: Public Health Efforts to Mitigate COVID-19 Transmission During the April 7, 2020, Election ― City of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, March 13–May 5, 2020
Wisconsin, the first state to hold an election with in-person voting after stay-at-home orders were issued, observed no clear increase in cases, hospitalizations, or deaths after the election. Various mitigation strategies, in line with the CDC guidance and additional measures, were implemented in Milwaukee to prevent the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 at in-person polling venues. These…
How Parents and Their Children Used Social Media and Technology at the Beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic and Associations with Anxiety
An online survey of US parents (n=260) found that parents and children (especially teenagers aged 13-18) had increased technology and social media use since the beginning of social distancing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Controlling for demographic factors, parents and children with higher levels of anxiety (as reported by parents) were more likely to increase their technology and social media use and use of phones to connect. Among…
Outcomes of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Patients Recently Recovered From Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
In a cohort study of German patients recently recovered from COVID-19 infection (n=100), cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging revealed cardiac involvement in 78 patients and ongoing myocardial inflammation in 60 patients, independent of preexisting conditions, severity and overall course of the acute illness, and time from the original diagnosis. Compared with healthy controls and risk factor-matched controls, patients recently recovered from COVID-19…
Aerosol and Surface Contamination of SARS-CoV-2 Observed in Quarantine and Isolation Care
During the initial isolation of 13 individuals with COVID-19 at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Santarpia et al. detected SARS-CoV-2 RNA by RT-PCR in 121/163 (72%) air and surface samples collected. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in all types of samples: high and low-volume air samples, as well as surface samples including personal items, room surfaces, and toilets. Santarpia et al….
Back to School Use of Dried Blood Spot for the Detection of SARS-CoV-2-Specific Immunoglobulin G (IgG) among Schoolchildren in Milan Italy
[pre-print, not peer-reviewed] A comparison of serum and dried blood spot samples for detection of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies by ELISA in healthcare workers (n=52) showed strong concordance between the two sample types (Pearson’s correlation coefficient=0.98; overall agreement=96.2%). Amendola et al. (July 30, 2020). Back to School Use of Dried Blood Spot for the Detection of SARS-CoV-2-Specific Immunoglobulin G (IgG) among Schoolchildren in…
Efficacy of Corticosteroids in Patients with SARS, MERS and COVID-19: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
A systematic review and meta-analysis of eight studies (8 studies with 4,051 patients) evaluated the benefits of steroids in patients with coronavirus infections. Among the studies, 3,416 patients were diagnosed with SARS, 360 patients with MERS, and 275 with COVID-19; 60% patients were administered steroids. The meta-analyses including all studies showed no differences overall in terms of mortality (OR=1.15; 95% CI 0.63-2.10). However, in some studies the…
Secondary Attack Rate of COVID-19 in Household Contacts: Systematic Review
A systematic review (13 articles) showed that the household secondary attack rate of COVID-19 varies widely across countries with a range of 5%–50%, unaffected by confounders such as population of the country, lockdown status and geographic location. The symptomatic status of the index case was strongly associated with the secondary attach rate, with very low transmission probability during the asymptomatic phase. The review suggested greater vulnerability of spouses and the elderly population to secondary transmission compared…
Age-Related Differences in Nasopharyngeal Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Levels in Patients With Mild To Moderate Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
Heald-Sargent et al. followed a cohort of children and adults (n=145) with mild to moderate COVID-19 who were tested for SARS-CoV-2 within one week of symptom onset and found that the youngest children (<5 years) had high amounts of SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA in their nasopharynx (median cycle threshold 6.5 [4.8-12.0]) compared with older children (11.1 [6.3-15.7]) and adults adults (11.0 [6.9-17.5]). These differences correspond to a 10-fold to 100-fold greater amount of SARS-CoV-2 in the respiratory tract of the youngest children. Heald-Sargent et al. (July…
The Risk of COVID-19 Transmission in Train Passengers: An Epidemiological and Modelling Study
The risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission among train passengers varied considerably depending on shared travel time and seat location, with a peak attack rate of 4% among passengers who were sitting adjacent to an index case. Transmission risk increased with longer duration of co-travel, increasing by 1.3% per hour for adjacent passengers. These findings are based on an analysis of the spatial and temporal distribution…
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