Article Summary
April 24, 2020
Evidence-based, cost-effective interventions to suppress the COVID-19 pandemic: a rapid systematic review
Juneau et al provide a comprehensive summary of the evidence on SARS-CoV-19 epidemic control, with a focus on cost-effectiveness. They report on higher-quality evidence from studies that support the cost effectiveness of hand washing and face masks. For COVID-19: (1) social distancing is effective but costly, especially when adopted late and (2) adopting as early…
Geographical distance to the epicenter of Covid-19 predicts the burnout of the working population: Ripple effect or typhoon eye effect?
This study investigated how the geographical distance of working adults to the epicenter of Wuhan predicts their burnout – emotional, physical and mental exhaustion due to excessive and prolonged stress. The results showed that working adults’ distance to the epicenter of Wuhan had an inverted U-shaped relationship with their burnout. This study may be useful…
Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in previously undiagnosed health care workers at the onset of the U.S. COVID-19 epidemic
Barrett et al report on the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in previously undiagnosed U.S. healthcare workers in the early phase of the U.S. COVID-19 epidemic. They report a prevalence of 7.3 and 0.4% SARS-CoV-2 infection in healthcare and non-healthcare workers, respectively. They attribute the 7.0% greater absolute risk to high levels of close patient contact…
Rapid identification of SARS-CoV-2-infected patients at the emergency department using routine testing
This easy-to-use point-based algorithm, called the corona-score, uses laboratory parameters, demographic data and the chest X-ray/CT of patients to rapidly evaluate an individual’s risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection at the emergency department (ED). The algorithm has a sensitivity of 95% and specificity of 96%, and could have important utility in EDs experiencing a shortage of RT-PCR…
The production and clinical implications of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies
Hu et al report on the production of specific IgM and IgG antibodies among 221 confirmed COVID-19 patients, among which were 181 mild and moderate cases and 40 severe cases. The study records the concentration peak of SARS-CoV-2 IgM and IgG antibodies every 3 days post symptom onset and finds that, that although antibody testing…
National Consumption of Antimalarial Drugs and COVID-19 Deaths Dynamics: An Ecological Study
This ecologic modeling study compares the dynamics of COVID-19 daily deaths in countries using anti-malaria drugs as a treatment from the start of the epidemic versus countries that do not. The authors report major differences in death rates, with countries using or producing chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine on a massive scale faring better than those which…
April 23, 2020
Surveying Tenants of Permanent Supportive Housing in Skid Row about COVID-19
Survey results collected from about 550 permanent supportive housing (PSH) tenants in Los Angeles, CA show that nearly all were aware of COVID-19, and that 65% considered it to be a very serious threat. The authors suggest that in order to continue supportive services while maintaining social distance, PSH providers should consider telehealth and find…
The association between age, COVID-19 symptoms, and social distancing behavior in the United States
Findings from an online survey of 4,676 US adults show that: about 52% adults went out of their home the previous day, and on average had close contact with 1.9 non-household members; older people have significantly fewer close contacts than younger people; people experiencing shortness of breath are practicing more intense social distancing; and those…
Sustaining Social Distancing Policies to Prevent a Dangerous Second Peak of COVID-19 Outbreak
Projections made from SEIR epidemic model suggest that, even when infection rates appear to be slowing down or decreasing, prematurely relaxing social distancing policies produces a severe second peak far worse than the first. The study suggests that a longer-term initial period of restrictive social distancing coupled with a gradual reduction in the severity of…
DECLINE IN GLOBAL TRANSMISSION RATES OF COVID-19
Using a deterministic-stochastic hybrid model, Romero-Severson et al found a declining transmission rate in 42 of the 51 examined countries, suggesting that global scale social distancing efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19 are effective and need to be strengthened or maintained. This study indicates that outbreaks can grow rapidly if social distancing measures are…
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