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February 20, 2020
Breakthrough: Chloroquine phosphate has shown apparent efficacy in treatment of COVID-19 associated pneumonia in clinical studies
Gao et al. report that Chloroquine phosphate (an antimalarial drug) has apparent efficacy in treatment of COVID-19 associated pneumonia in multicenter clinical trial studies in China. The drug is now recommended to be included in the next version of the Guidelines for the Prevention, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Pneumonia Caused by COVID-19 issued by the…
Sensitivity of Chest CT for COVID-19: Comparison to RT-PCR
Fang et al. investigated sensitivity of chest CT for COVID-19 in early diagnosis of disease. RT-PCR was used as gold standard and were conducted using throat swabs (45 patients) or sputum samples (6 patients) of 51 patients. Sensitivity of chest CT was greater than that of RT-PCR (98% vs 71%, respectively, p<.001). Limitation of RT-PCR…
COVID-19, Australia: Epidemiology Report 2
This report for the week ending Feb 8, 2020 includes data on 15 Australian cases with reported travel history to mainland China. Walker (Feb 12, 2020). COVID-19, Australia: Epidemiology Report 2: Communicable Diseases Intelligence. https://doi.org/10.33321/cdi.2020.44.14
symptomatic cases in a family cluster with SARS-CoV-2 infection
Pan et al. describe asymptomatic cases in a family cluster with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Such asymptomatic patients may not isolate themselves or seek treatment and may unknowingly transmit infection. Pan et al. (Feb 19, 2020). Asymptomatic cases in a family cluster with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Lancet Infect Dis. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(20)30114-6
2019 Novel coronavirus: where we are and what we know
Cheng and Shan provide COVID-19 outbreak overview, including reports from outbreak sites and laboratories supporting the investigation. The paper aggregates and consolidates the virology, epidemiology, clinical management strategies from both English and Chinese literature. From their single-term exponential model, they report that the infection is spreading at an exponential rate, with a doubling period of…
An interactive web-based dashboard to track COVID-19 in real time
Dong et al. introduce a public, online interactive dashboard hosted by the Center for Systems science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University to visualize and track reported cases of COVID-19. Data from China CDC and WHO for confirmed cases inside and outside China are included. Dong et al. (Feb 19, 2020). An interactive web-based…
Enteric involvement of coronaviruses: is faecal–oral transmission of SARS-CoV-2 possible?
Yeo et al. provide evidence from previous outbreaks to support fecal-oral transmission of SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV and that they can remain viable in different environmental conditions that could facilitate fecal-oral transmission. It is possible that 2019-nCoV could also be transmitted via this route. They advocate for research on the possibility of fecal-oral transmission of 2019-nCoV…
February 19, 2020
Challenges to the system of reserve medical supplies for public health emergencies: reflections on the outbreak of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) epidemic in China
One of the major factors limiting epidemic prevention and control is shortage of essential personal protective equipment and other medical supplies in China, despite efforts to shore up capacity in the wake of the 2003 SARS outbreak. The authors call for further international cooperation and preparedness in developing stores of emergency reserve medical supplies. Wang…
Novel Coronavirus Infection in Hospitalized Infants Under 1 Year of Age in China
This brief letter provides clinical characteristics and outcomes for all 9 infants hospitalized in China with COVID-19. Wei et al. (Feb 14, 2020). Novel Coronavirus Infection in Hospitalized Infants Under 1 Year of Age in China. JAMA. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2761659
Therapeutic and triage strategies for 2019 novel coronavirus disease in fever clinics
Fever clinics for triaging patients were an effective strategy during the 2003 SARS epidemic. The authors offer clinical strategies for operating adult fever clinics during the current COVID-19 outbreak. Zhang et al. (Feb 13, 2020). Therapeutic and triage strategies for 2019 novel coronavirus disease in fever clinics. The Lancet. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2213-2600(20)30071-0
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