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June 12, 2020
Association of Asthma and Its Genetic Predisposition with the Risk of Severe COVID-19
Individuals with asthma (n=65,677) in the UK Biobank had a significantly higher risk of severe COVID-19 (aOR=1.39; 95%CI 1.13-1.71), compared to those without asthma or COPD (n=427,091), after adjusting for confounders. The risk was even greater in those who also had COPD (aOR=1.82; 95%CI 1.16-2.86). On subgroup analysis, this effect was only seen in those with non-allergic asthma. Zhu et al. (June 6, 2020). Association of Asthma…
Risk Factors for Disease Progression in Mild to Moderate COVID-19 Patients- a Multi-Center Observational Study
Cen et al. reported clinical outcomes and risk factors from 1,007 patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 in 3 hospitals in Wuhan, China. Over 4 weeks of follow-up, 22% progressed to severe disease, 2% progressed to critical disease, and 4% died. Increasing age, male sex, hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and coronary artery disease were all associated with higher likelihood of progression, while history of smoking was associated with…
Perceived versus Proven SARS-CoV-2-Specific Immune Responses in Health-Care Professionals
A study of 217 frontline healthcare workers at a German university hospital found 21% suspected they had previously been infected with SARS-CoV-2, but weekly testing for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies identified IgG prevalence 20 days later was 1-2% (assay sensitivity 93.8% and specificity 99%). Behrens et al. (June 10, 2020). Perceived versus Proven SARS-CoV-2-Specific Immune Responses in Health-Care Professionals. Infection. https://doi.org/10.1007/s15010-020-01461-0
Early Administration of Lopinavir/ritonavir plus Hydroxychloroquine Does Not Alter the Clinical Course of SARS-CoV-2 Infection a Retrospective Cohort Study
[pre-print, not peer reviewed] Giacomelli et al. studied early (<5 days from onset of symptoms, n=43) vs. delayed (n=129) initiation of lopinavir/ritonavir and hydroxychloroquine (LPV/r + HCQ) on clinical outcomes by analyzing a cohort of patients with COVID-19. All patients meeting the eligibility criteria were offered LPV/r + HCQ. After adjusting for clinical factors, the odds ratio (OR) for 30–day mortality was 1.45 (95%CI 0.50, 4.19). Increase in hepatic…
Genetic Cluster Analysis of SARS-CoV-2 and the Identification of Those Responsible for the Major Outbreaks in Various Countries
Phylodynamic analysis of 247 genomic sequences available by early March identified four genetic clusters, defined as super-spreader clusters (SSs), which were found to be responsible for the major outbreaks that followed. Ninety percent of an additional 1,539 genome sequences reported from early March onwards were found to belong to these SSs, with SS4 (responsible for the outbreak…
Temperature, Humidity, and Latitude Analysis to Estimate Potential Spread and Seasonality of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
Sajadi et al. found that 8 cities with substantial community spread of COVID-19 were located along a restricted latitude across different continents, and had consistently similar weather patterns characterized by mean temperature between 5-11°C and low humidity, compared with 42 cities without such spread. This is consistent with the behavior of a seasonal respiratory virus, and points to weather modeling as a possible predictor of high…
Identifying Airborne Transmission as the Dominant Route for the Spread of COVID-19
Zhang et al. analyzed COVID-19 linear trends in the number of COVID-19 cases and fatalities in Wuhan (China), Italy, and the US in relation to the implementation of non-pharmaceutical interventions. The authors interpret their findings as evidence that transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is predominantly airborne (aerosol) and that social distancing will not prevent airborne transmission without face coverings. [EDITORIAL NOTE: These results should be interpreted with caution. Ecological comparisons and temporal analyses, particularly…
June 11, 2020
The Coronavirus (COVID-19) Fatality Risk Perception of US Adult Residents in March and April 2020
Niepel et al. compared the SARS-CoV-2 fatality risk perception of US adult residents in mid-March 2020 (N=1,182) and mid-April 2020 (N=953). About 67% reported lower perceived risk than the 1% benchmark, and about 51% reported that their own odds of dying if infected were approximately one in ten thousand or lower, suggesting an underestimation of fatality risk compared to…
Addressing COVID-19 Among People Experiencing Homelessness: Description, Adaptation, and Early Findings of a Multiagency Response in Boston
In March 2020, Boston implemented a citywide COVID-19 care model for people experiencing homelessness. During the first 6 weeks of operation, 429 of 1,297 (33%) people tested were positive for SARS-CoV-2. Of these, 395 people were experiencing homelessness at the time of testing, representing about 10% of the homeless adult population in Boston. Personnel adapted the care model during the third week…
Association between SARS-CoV-2 Infection Exposure Risk and Mental Health among a Cohort of Essential Retail Workers in the United States
[pre-print, not peer reviewed] A cross-sectional study of 104 workers in a single grocery retail store in Massachusetts showed that employees with direct customer exposure were more likely to test positive for SARS-CoV-2 (OR=4.7, 95%CI 1.2 to 32.0), while smokers were less likely to test positive (OR=0.1, 95%CI 0.01 to 0.8). The ability to social distance consistently at work was a significant protective factor…
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