Article Summary
May 5, 2020
Evaluation of a COVID-19 IgM and IgG Rapid Test; an Efficient Tool for Assessment of Past Exposure to SARS-CoV-2
Hoffman et al. evaluated a commercially available test developed for rapid (<15 minutes) detection of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies – the COVID-19 IgG/IgM Rapid Test Cassette. Among 19 RT-PCR confirmed COVID-19 cases and 124 negative controls, the authors estimated the assay to have 69% and 93.1% sensitivity for IgM and IgG, respectively. The assay specificities were 100% and…
Effects of Temperature and Humidity on the Daily New Cases and New Deaths of COVID-19 in 166 Countries
Wu et al. apply a statistical model to investigate temperature and relative humidity as predictors of new COVID-19 cases and deaths in 166 countries (excluding China) through March 27, 2020. They control for wind speed, median age of the national population, Global Health Security Index, Human Development Index, and population density as potential confounders. Temperature and relative humidity were both inversely associated with new cases and deaths. These findings provide preliminary evidence that…
Coronavirus in Water Environments: Occurrence, Persistence and Concentration Methods – A Scoping Review
Rosa et al. conduct a literature review and identify 12 studies of Coronaviruses (CoV) in water environments and evaluated implications for human health. Included studies suggest that: 1) CoV seems to have a low stability in water and is very sensitive to oxidants like chlorine; 2) CoV appears to be inactivated significantly faster in water than non-enveloped human enteric viruses with known waterborne transmission; 3) temperature…
A Simple Model to Show the Relative Risk of Viral Aerosol Infection and the Benefit of Wearing Masks in Different Settings with Implications for Covid-19
Using parameters derived from literature, Barr describes a model to estimate the relative risk of aerosol from normal breathing in a variety of settings. The model indicates a multiplicative benefit of using cloth masks by both infected and uninfected individuals in three settings (car, small non-ventilated room, larger ventilated space). The model found that social distancing at 2 meters is effective but its benefit is time limited in confined areas. Use of…
Effectiveness of Ultraviolet-C Light and a High-Level Disinfection Cabinet for Decontamination of N95 Respirators
Cadnum et al. compared three decontamination methods for use on N95 respirator masks (n=3). A high-level disinfection cabinet that generates aerosolized peracetic acid and hydrogen peroxide achieved disinfection with a 31-minute cycle. Ultraviolet-C light reduced contamination but did not meet pre-defined criteria for decontamination of the viruses (6 log10 reductions). Dry heat at 70° C for 30 minutes was not…
Effect of Ethanol Cleaning on the Permeability of FFP2 Mask
The effect of ethanol on the filtering properties of FFP2 masks was tested. The filtering properties of a mask are related to the size and tortuosity of the pores of the filter and are quantified by its permeability; damage to the filter will change its permeability. After six cleaning cycles, the permeability remains very close to the permeability before…
May 4, 2020
Nonpharmaceutical Interventions for Pandemic COVID-19 A Cross-Sectional Investigation of US General Public Beliefs Attitudes and Actions
Kantor and Kantor performed a national cross sectional survey (N=1005) of the general US population on beliefs, attitudes, and actions regarding non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs). While 37% felt that NPIs were inconvenient, only 0.9% believed that NPIs would not reduce their personal risk of illness. NPI adherence was associated with belief that NPI would reduce personal risk of illness (OR 3.06) and…
The Impact of Social Distancing on COVID19 Spread State of Georgia Case Study
Keskinocak et al. develop an agent-based simulation model populated using COVID-19 specific parameters and data from Georgia on agent’s interactions and demographics. The simulation covered a 6-month period and tested different social distancing scenarios and a combination of shelter-in-place and voluntary quarantine with varying timelines and compliance levels. The combined interventions of shelter-in-place followed by voluntary quarantine both delayed…
CovidCounties – an Interactive Real-Time Tracker of the COVID-19 Pandemic at the Level of US Counties
Arneson et al. report on the development of CovidCounties.org, an interactive web-based application that depicts daily disease trends at the US county level. Accompanying the application is a manually curated data set of all major public policy actions at the state level. Data for the website was primarily derived from The New York Times, the US…
Mitigating the Psychological Impact of COVID-19 on Healthcare Workers: A Digital Learning Package
Blake et al. present a free digital learning package to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 on the mental health of healthcare workers. The e-package was designed through an agile methodology consisting of public involvement activities and content and technical development with iterative peer review. It outlines actions for team leaders, guidance on communication and reducing…
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