Article Summary
July 23, 2020
Tracking Changes in SARS-CoV-2 Spike: Evidence That D614G Increases Infectivity of the COVID-19 Virus
Korber et al. present evidence that SARS-CoV-2 viruses with the G614 mutation in the Spike protein are more prevalent than the original D614 form identified in the first human cases in Wuhan, China. In a follow-up study of 999 COVID-19 patients at the Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, patients infected with G614 shed more viral nucleic acid compared with those with D614 (p=0.037), and G614-viruses show significantly higher infectious titers in vitro than their D614…
No Clear Association Emerges between Intergenerational Relationships and COVID-19 Fatality Rates from Macro-Level Analyses
Intergenerational relationships (e.g., cohabitation and contact between family members of different generations) have been hypothesized to play a role in COVID-19 spread and case fatality. Using data from 19 European counties, Arpino et al. found that at the country level, higher levels of intergenerational relationships are associated with higher COVID-19 case fatality, although the magnitude of the association is small. At the subnational level, an opposite association is often observed. The authors advocate…
Older Adults’ Intention to Socially Isolate Once COVID-19 Stay-at-Home Orders Are Replaced With “Safer-at-Home” Public Health Advisories: A Survey of Respondents in Maryland
Callow et al. gauged opinion and behaviors regarding COVID-19 and the Maryland Governor’s lifting of lockdown restrictions among a convenience sample of 242 older adults. They found that attitudes toward social isolation were affected by perceived benefits and barriers to social distancing measures, perceived severity of COVID-19, and political affiliation. Callow et al. (July 22, 2020). Older Adults’ Intention to Socially Isolate Once COVID-19 Stay-at-Home Orders Are Replaced With “Safer-at-Home” Public Health…
July 22, 2020
Regional Infoveillance of COVID-19 Case Rates: Analysis of Search-Engine Query Patterns (Preprint)
Cousins et al. found high correlation between regional confirmed case data from the New York Times and Google Trends results 10 days prior in most states (January 21 to April 2, 2020), suggesting that search-engine query patterns may be able to predict case activity while being robust to differences in regional location, population, and date of…
Assessing the Relative Contributions of Healthcare Protocols for Epidemic Control an Example with Network Transmission Model for COVID-19
[Pre-print, not peer reviewed] Using an individual-based age-structured network model calibrated to a large city in Brazil (population: 300,000), Baumgartner et al. found that the model was more sensitive to interactions across different neighborhoods, suggesting that physical distancing at the city-level is more effective in controlling outbreaks and activities within the same neighborhood could only have…
Impact of Social Distancing Measures on Coronavirus Disease Healthcare Demand, Central Texas, USA
Wang et al. built a COVID-19 transmission model for Austin, TX incorporating age-stratified risks, contact patterns, and healthcare system factors and found that a 2 week delay in implementing extensive social distancing measures could accelerate the timing of peak healthcare needs by 4 weeks, causing shortages in beds and ICU units. School closures did not affect the epidemic curve. Wang…
Mental Health before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Longitudinal Probability Sample Survey of the UK Population
Pierce et al. conducted a web survey of 17,452 people already participating in a UK national longitudinal study and found that population prevalence of clinically significant levels of mental distress rose from 19% in 2018-19 to 27% in April 2020, one month into the UK lockdown. Increases in individual scores on the GHQ-12, a questionnaire used to…
Financial Strain and Suicide Attempts in a Nationally Representative Sample of US Adults
Using nationally a representative US sample (n=34,653) from 2001-2002 and 2004-2005, Elbogen et al. found that cumulative financial strain was predictive of suicide attempts (OR = 1.53, 95%CI: 1.32, 1.77) and highlight the relevance of their findings given the financial strain triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. Elbogen et al. (July 22, 2020). Financial Strain and Suicide Attempts in…
Proportion of Asymptomatic Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID‐19): A Systematic Review and Meta‐analysis
A systematic review (41 studies, 50,155 cases) found a pooled estimate that 16% of SARS-CoV-2 cases are asymptomatic across all age groups, with a higher percentage of asymptomatic children (28%). In a subset of initially asymptomatic patients (n=180) who were followed over time, 49% subsequently developed symptoms. The authors noted significant heterogeneity between study estimates of these measures. He et al. (July 21, 2020). Proportion of Asymptomatic Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID‐19): A Systematic Review…
Clinical Efficacy of Convalescent Plasma for Treatment of COVID-19 Infections: Results of a Multicenter Clinical Study
A prospective cohort study (n=189) of COVID-19 patient in Iran showed that compared to the control group, participants receiving convalescent plasma therapy (n=115) had a significantly higher proportion of hospital discharge (98% vs 79%), shorter mean length of hospitalization (9.5 days vs 12.9 days), and lower proportion requiring intubation (7% vs 20%). Abolghasemi et al. (July 6, 2020)….
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