Article Summary
June 4, 2020
SARS-CoV-2 RNA Detection on Disposable Wooden Chopsticks, Hong Kong
SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected on disposable wooden chopsticks used by 5 consecutive asymptomatic and post-symptomatic patients. This demonstrates a potential that chopsticks or other dining utensils could be a vehicle for transmission. This has potential implications for communal meals, especially in communities with a custom of sharing dishes or utensils. Lui et al. (June 3, 2020). SARS-CoV-2 RNA Detection on Disposable Wooden Chopsticks, Hong Kong. Emerging…
June 3, 2020
Feeling Positive About Reopening? New Normal Scenarios from COVID-19 Reopen Sentiment Analytics
[pre-print, not peer reviewed] Samuel et al. used Twitter data to analyze public sentiment to identify dominant opinions associated with the push to ‘reopen’ the economy following COVID-19 stay-at-home orders. Between April 30 and May 8, 2020, Twitter users showed more positive than negative sentiment support for reopening the US economy. This research provides some indication that emotional volatility (presence of extreme fear, confusion, trust, and…
COVID-19 Pandemic and Mental Health Consequences: Systematic Review of the Current Evidence
In a systematic review of the mental health consequences of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, Vindegaard and Benros found only 2 studies that evaluated patients with confirmed COVID-19 infection. These studies reported a high level of post-traumatic stress symptoms (96%) and depressive symptoms among COVID-19 patients. The remaining 41 studies focused on the indirect effects of the pandemic on healthcare workers,…
Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies Among Healthcare Workers at a Tertiary Academic Hospital in New York City
[pre-print, not peer reviewed] Mansour et al. found that 33% of 285 healthcare workers at a tertiary academic hospital in New York City tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies. These findings highlight that inpatient and ambulatory frontline staff had high levels of exposure to SARS-CoV-2, most of whom were working in the weeks preceding immunological testing. Mansour et al. (June 2,…
ACE-Inhibitors and Angiotensin-2 Receptor Blockers Are Not Associated with Severe SARS-COVID19 Infection in a Multi-Site UK Acute Hospital Trust
It has been hypothesized that ACE-inhibitors and angiotensin-2 blockers, medications commonly prescribed to patients with hypertension or diabetes, could increase the risk of severe COVID-19 infection by increasing the number of ACE2 receptors that SARS-CoV-2 uses for cell entry. However, Bean et al. found no evidence for increased risk of ICU admission or death associated with these medications in a cohort of 1,200 hospitalized COVID-19…
Lymphopenia in Severe Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19): Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Huang and Pranata conducted a meta-analysis of lymphocyte count and severity of COVID-19 disease. Results from 24 studies suggest that patients with poor clinical outcomes have a lower lymphocyte count (mean difference – 361.06 μL) compared to those with good outcomes. This finding persisted in subgroup analysis, which revealed lower lymphocyte counts in patients who died,…
Rapid Point of Care Nucleic Acid Testing for SARS-CoV-2 in Hospitalised Patients a Clinical Trial and Implementation Study
[pre-print, not peer reviewed] Collier et al. evaluated a point of care (POC) nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) (called the SAMBA II) for SARS-CoV-2. The sensitivity and specificity of SAMBA II were 96.9% and 99.1%, respectively, and the median time to test result was 2.6 hours. The authors also compared hospital outcomes associated with implementation of…
Clearance and Persistence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in COVID-19 Patients
Carmo et al. found that most patients continue to test positive for SARS-CoV-2 for over two weeks. The minimum time from first positive to first negative SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR test result was 7 days, while some patients continued to test positive for 51 days following their first positive test result. Viral RNA persistence was not associated with severity of disease, but may be associated with…
Expression of Concern: Hydroxychloroquine or Chloroquine with or without a Macrolide for Treatment of COVID-19: A Multinational Registry Analysis
The Lancet and the New England Journal of Medicine have both issued Expressions of Concern about the validity of the data used for two articles regarding the use of hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine for the treatment of COVID-19 published by authors associated with a company called Surgisphere Corporation. These articles both utilized retrospective data from an international database that included electronic health records from 169 hospitals on three continents. Editors….
A Randomized Trial of Hydroxychloroquine as Postexposure Prophylaxis for Covid-19
A placebo-controlled randomized trial of hydroxychloroquine as post–exposure prophylaxis (PEP) for SARS-CoV-2 found no evidence of efficacy. Among 821 asymptomatic participants, 88% reported a high-risk exposure to a confirmed COVID-19 case. There was no difference in SARS-CoV-2 acquisition between participants receiving hydroxychloroquine (12%) and those receiving placebo (14%). No serious adverse reactions were reported, although side effects were more common with hydroxychloroquine than…
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