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July 27, 2020
Point-of-Care Serological Assays for Delayed SARS-CoV-2 Case Identification among Health-Care Workers in the UK: A Prospective Multicentre Cohort Study
A multicenter cohort study based in the UK found that lateral flow point-of-care and ELISA tests for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies had good positive and negative predictive values when conducted among a carefully selected population with suspected SARS-CoV-2 infection. The authors conclude that these test have potential for late case identification among healthcare workers with mild to moderate SARS-CoV-2 infection, but also discuss important limitations, including late development of bands on lateral…
Comparison of Viral Levels in Individuals with or without Symptoms at Time of COVID-19 Testing among 32480 Residents and Staff of Nursing Homes and Assisted Living Facilities in Massachusetts
[Pre-print, not peer reviewed] Based on PCR testing for SARS-CoV-2 among nursing home residents (n=16,966) and staff (n=15,514) with or without symptoms in Massachusetts (April 9 to June 9), 13% of residents and 4% of staff tested positive. Of those without symptoms, 13% of residents and 4% of staff tested positive, compared to 53% of residents and 18% of staff with symptoms. There was a statistical, though not meaningful, difference in viral…
Hydroxychloroquine with or without Azithromycin in Mild-to-Moderate Covid-19
A randomized trial of hydroxychloroquine, alone or with azithromycin, for treatment of mild- to moderate COVID-19 found no effect on improving clinical status at 15 days after hospital admission. Cavalcanti et al. conducted a multicenter, randomized, open-label, three-arm controlled trial (n=504) in Brazil and found that the odds of having a higher score (worse clinical status) on a 7-point ordinal scale at 15 days was not affected by hydroxychloroquine alone…
Decreasing Median Age of COVID-19 Cases in the United States Changing Epidemiology or Changing Surveillance
[Pre-print, not peer reviewed] Using PCR test results from a national reference laboratory (n=277,601), Greene et al. compared the age distribution of positive SARS-CoV-2 test results between March-April and June-July and found that the median age of people testing positive has declined over time from 41 years (IQR 29.0-54.1) to 36 years (IQR 24.0-50.2). A sub-analysis showed that this trend was only observed for outpatient populations, while…
Systematic SARS-CoV-2 Screening at Hospital Admission in Children: A French Prospective Multicenter Study
A prospective multicenter study of pediatric patients in France (n=438) showed that a symptom-based SARS-CoV-2 testing strategy failed to identify 45% (95% CI 24%-68%) of hospitalized SARS-CoV-2 infected children at the time of hospital admission. Poline et al. (July 25, 2020). Systematic SARS-CoV-2 Screening at Hospital Admission in Children: A French Prospective Multicenter Study. Clinical Infectious Diseases. https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciaa1044
July 24, 2020
COVID-19 Mortality Rate in Nine High-Income Metropolitan Regions
Signorelli et al. analyze COVID-19 mortality rates and case fatality in 9 high-income metropolitan regions in Europe and the US with similar socio-demographic characteristics, daytime commuting populations, and business activities. While the crude mortality rate was highest for the Lombardy Region in Italy, after age-standardization New York State had the highest mortality rate. Signorelli et al. (July 2020). COVID-19 Mortality Rate in Nine High-Income Metropolitan Regions….
State-Level Impact of Social Distancing and Testing on COVID-19 in the United States
[pre-print, not peer-reviewed] Using a transmission dynamic model calibrated to US state-level COVID-19 cases and deaths from March to June, Chiu et al. found that most states were able to achieve R1<1 through stay-at-home orders. However by June 20, only 19 states and the District of Columbia were on track to control COVID-19 at current levels of re-opening,…
Students under Lockdown: Comparisons of Students’ Social Networks and Mental Health before and during the COVID-19 Crisis in Switzerland
An analysis of longitudinally collected social network parameters and mental health outcomes among two cohorts (n=212 and n=57) of Swiss undergraduate students before and during the COVID-19 pandemic found that social networks were sparser during the pandemic and students were more likely to study in isolation; however friendship and social support networks did not differ significantly between the two periods. Stronger social ties were more likely to be maintained but there…
Symptom Duration and Risk Factors for Delayed Return to Usual Health Among Outpatients with COVID-19 in a Multistate Health Care Systems Network — United States, March–June 2020
A telephone survey of non-hospitalized symptomatic COVID-19 patients found that illness can be prolonged, even among young adults without underlying chronic medical conditions. Among 274 symptomatic COVID-19 patients interviewed 14-21 days after diagnosis, 65% percent had returned to their usual state of health a median of 7 days (IQR 5-12 days) after testing, while the 35% had not yet returned to their usual…
Presence of Genetic Variants Among Young Men With Severe COVID-19.
A rare genetic mutation was identified in two sets of brothers who had severe COVID-19 disease. A case series reported by van der Made et al. included two sets of brothers under age 35 (mean age 26) without pre-existing medical conditions who were hospitalized with severe COVID-19 in the Netherlands. All four men required mechanical ventilation in…
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