Article Summary
April 3, 2020
Flattening the Curve for Incarcerated Populations — Covid-19 in Jails and Prisons
To flatten the curve of COVID-19 among incarcerated populations, the article lists the following interventions: (1) releasing offenders who are least likely to commit additional crimes and suspend arresting for low-level crimes, (2) isolating and separating infected incarcerated people, (3) hospitalizing those who are seriously ill, and (4) identifying infected correctional staff and healthcare providers…
April 2, 2020
Policy Decisions and Use of Information Technology to Fight 2019 Novel Coronavirus Disease, Taiwan
Lin et al analyze use of the National Health Insurance database and policy decisions made by Taiwan’s government during the first 50 days of the COVID-19 outbreak, highlighting effective delay and containment of community transmission through prevalent public awareness, cross-departmental collaborations, and advanced information technology capacity. Lin et al. (April 2, 2020). Policy Decisions and…
The consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health and implications for clinical practice.
The authors discuss the expected increase in need for psychiatric help due to widespread stress and mental trauma caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and related containment measures, especially among those infected, health care workers, and other high-risk groups. In order to reduce risk of developing mental health problems, the authors suggest: (1) limiting sources of…
Coronavirus Disease 19 Infection Does Not Result in Acute Kidney Injury: An Analysis of 116 Hospitalized Patients from Wuhan, China.
A study of 116 COVID-19 patients in Wuhan, including 5 with chronic kidney disease (CKD), determined that acute kidney injury was uncommon among patients and CKD was not aggravated by SARS-CoV-2 infection. Wang et al. (March 31, 2020). Coronavirus Disease 19 Infection Does Not Result in Acute Kidney Injury: An Analysis of 116 Hospitalized Patients…
Computed Tomographic Imaging of 3 Patients With Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pneumonia With Negative Virus Real-time Reverse-Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction Test
Xu et al. report chest CT findings from 3 patients who initially tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 but were later confirmed as positive using rt-PCR. Findings emphasize the possibility that swab testing is not sensitive at early stages of clinical presentation, and may miss patients if case definitions focus on viral detection. Xu et al. (March…
Using observational data to quantify bias of traveller-derived COVID-19 prevalence estimates in Wuhan, China
Neihus et al use a Bayesian modelling approach to estimate various countries’ capacity to detect imported COVID-19 cases from Wuhan, using Singapore’s capacity as a gold standard. Findings suggest that the global weighted ability to detect cases was only 38% of Singapore’s capacity, ranging from 11% in locations with low surveillance capacity to 40% in…
The first three months of the COVID-19 epidemic: Epidemiological evidence for two separate strains of SARS-CoV-2 viruses spreading and implications for prevention strategies
Wittkowski summarizes the time-course of COVID-19 by country and region using raw case data, and suggests that different patterns in spread and lethality indicate the presence of at least 2 strains of SARS-CoV-2. His analysis predicts that US projections of peak prevalence and lethality may depend on which strain arrived first, and that containment of…
Environment and Personal Protective Equipment Tests for SARS–CoV-2 in the Isolation Room of an Infant With Infection
Samples were taken from an isolation environment and PPE used while treating a confirmed COVID-19 infant case with mild clinical symptoms. All 3 PPE samples tested negative for SARS-CoV-2, however multiple environmental samples were found to be positive. This investigation confirmed that a generally healthy infant with COVID-19 can contaminate the environment with PCR-detectable virus,…
Epidemiological Features of 135 Patients with Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) in Tianjin, China
Cao et al describe the epidemiological features of the COVID-19 outbreak in Tianjin China, including 135 total cases and 3 deaths. Most early cases were identified from urban areas and/or had travelled to Hubei province, and familial clustering was the most important characteristic identified (58% of all cases). Cao et al. (April 1, 2020). Epidemiological…
Presymptomatic Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 — Singapore, January 23–March 16, 2020
Investigations of 243 COVID-19 cases in Singapore identified seven clusters of cases in which presymptomatic transmission likely occurred, accounting for at least 10 total new cases. Wei et al. (April 1, 2020). Presymptomatic Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 — Singapore, January 23–March 16, 2020. MMWR. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/pdfs/mm6914e1-H.pdf
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