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July 24, 2020
Immunogenicity and Safety of a Recombinant Adenovirus Type-5-Vectored COVID-19 Vaccine in Healthy Adults Aged 18 Years or Older: A Randomised, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Phase 2 Trial
Zhu et al. report findings from a phase 2 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled single-center (Wuhan) trial of an Ad5-vecctored COVID-19 vaccine. A total of 508 participants were randomly assigned to treatment (n=253 low dose, n=129 medium dose) or placebo (n=126; vaccine excipients with no viral particles). Both treatment groups had high seroconversion rates by 28 days (96% in the…
Safety and Immunogenicity of the ChAdOx1 NCoV-19 Vaccine against SARS-CoV-2: A Preliminary Report of a Phase 1/2, Single-Blind, Randomised Controlled Trial
Folegatti present preliminary results of a phase 1/2 single-blind, randomized multi-center (5 UK sites) trial of a chimpanzee adenovirus-vectored vaccine expressing the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein (n=543 treatment and n=534). Controls received a meningococcal conjugate vaccine. Adverse effects were more common in the treatment arm and included included pain, fever, chills, muscle ache, and malaise. No serious adverse events were reported. Cell-mediated immunity peaked on…
Spatial and Temporal Dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 in COVID-19 Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
A systematic literature review (37 studies, 22 used in meta-analysis) showed consistent recovery of SARS-CoV-2 genetic material from the upper respiratory tract (URT), the lower respiratory tract (LRT), and the feces, regardless of clinical severity. SARS-CoV-2 was found to persist for longer in moderate-to-severe patients versus mild patients for both the URT and feces, and to persist…
Initial Experience in Predicting the Risk of Hospitalization of 496 Outpatients with COVID-19 Using a Telemedicine Risk Assessment Tool
[pre-print, not peer-reviewed] O’Keefe et al. describe the use of a risk assessment tool for telemedicine assessment of outpatients diagnosed with COVID-19. Out of 496 patients with COVID-19 confirmed by self-testing, increasing risk tier was positively associated with risk of hospitalization (Tier 2 vs Tier 1: HR=3.74; Tier 3 vs Tier 1: HR=10.87) (adjusted for age,…
Convalescent Plasma Treatment for SARS-CoV-2 Infection: Analysis of the First 436 Donors in England, 22 April to 12 May 2020
Among 436 convalescent plasma donations collected from individuals with confirmed (59%) or suspected (41%) SARS-CoV-2 infection by the UK National Health Service at least 30 days after diagnosis, 87% were positive for IgG antibodies and 76% were positive for neutralizing antibodies. Among those with confirmed SARS-CoV-2, 99% had IgG antibodies and 88% had neutralizing antibodies. Neutralizing antibody titers were high enough to be used for treatment of other SARS-CoV-2 patients in 34%…
Neonatal Management and Outcomes during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Observation Cohort Study
In a cohort study of 1,481 deliveries at New York Presbyterian Hospitals in New York City between March 22 and May 17, 116 (8%) of mothers tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, corresponding to 120 neonates. All neonates were negative for SARS-CoV-2 at 24 hours of life; of the 96% that received a repeat test at 5-7…
A Large COVID-19 Outbreak in a High School 10 Days after Schools’ Reopening, Israel, May 2020
An extensive outbreak investigation in a school (grades 7-12) in Jerusalem (Israel) found evidence of SARS-CoV-2 transmission within the school. After re-opening on May 17 after a two month closure, the first school outbreak occurred 10 days later. There was an indication that transmission was largely confined to certain grades, and to specific classrooms within those grades. As part…
Association of Social Distancing, Population Density, and Temperature With the Instantaneous Reproduction Number of SARS-CoV-2 in Counties Across the United States
Ruben et al analyzed the effect of social distancing, population density, and temperature on effective reproduction number (Rt) in 211 counties in 46 US states and the District of Colombia (total population 178,892,208). Mean peak reduction in visits to non-essential businesses in early- to mid-April was 69% and a 50% decrease in such visits was associated with a 45% decrease in Rt. A 70%…
July 23, 2020
Consensus on Recommendations for Safe Sexual Activity during the COVID-19 Coronavirus Pandemic
A group of experts from the Spanish Association of Sexuality and Mental Health released consensus recommendations to maintain lower-risk sexual activity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specific recommendations include returning to engaging in safe sex for those with a stable partner after quarantine is over (28 to 33 days depending age) and if all parties are asymptomatic. Abstinence is recommended for those under quarantine, those with some clinical symptoms, health professionals in contact with…
Kinetics and Isotype Assessment of Antibodies Targeting the Spike Protein Receptor Binding Domain of SARS-CoV-2 In COVID-19 Patients as a Function of Age and Biological Sex
[Preprint, not peer reviewed] The receptor-binding domain of the CoV spike (RBD-S) protein is important in host cell recognition and infection, and antibodies targeting this domain are often neutralizing. Graham et al. tested anti-RBD-S responses among 32 COVID-19 patients. They found that IgG, IgM, and IgA responses were all induced within 10 days following symptom onset, and IgG response was sustained over…
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