Article Summary
April 22, 2021
An International, Interlaboratory Ring Trial Confirms the Feasibility of an Open-Source, Extraction-Less “Direct” RT-QPCR Method for Reliable Detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in Clinical Samples
[Pre-print, not peer-reviewed] An international interlaboratory trial observed 100% concordance in using “direct” RT-PCR across the 10 included laboratories (3 in US, including the University of Washington Virology Lab [UWVL]). “Direct” or “extraction-less” RT-PCR is an inexpensive alternative to conventional RT-qPCR that does not require a resource intensive RNA extraction step. The assay was found…
Comparative Analysis of Emerging B.1.1.7+E484K SARS-CoV-2 Isolates from Pennsylvania
[Pre-print, not peer-reviewed] A SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 sequence from Pennsylvania detected in March 2021 was found to have the E484K spike substitution, a mutation shown to confer resistance to neutralizing antibodies. Only 60 isolates with the B.1.1.7+E484K sequence profile have been detected in the US, and only 253 reported globally. Comparative genomic analysis of 235 high…
SARS-CoV-2 Transmission Risk Among National Basketball Association Players, Staff, and Vendors Exposed to Individuals With Positive Test Results After COVID-19 Recovery During the 2020 Regular and Postseason
Within a cohort of National Basketball Association (NBA) players, staff, and vendors (n=3,648) who maintained a closed environment in Florida from June to October 2020, 36 individuals (1%) had persistently positive PCR results after recovering from SARS-CoV-2 infection. There were no transmission events associated with these persistently positive individuals, who were monitored for an average…
COVID-19 Outbreaks in Correctional Facilities with Work-Release Programs — Idaho, July–November 2020
COVID-19 outbreaks occurred in 5 correctional facilities in Idaho with work-release programs between July and November 2020, leading to 382 outbreak-related cases. 64% of cases were identified through mass testing, with only 14% identified as symptomatic cases. Mitigation strategies at the correctional facilities included mandatory mask wearing and mass testing. Two outbreaks were linked to…
COVID-19 Mitigation With Appropriate Safety Measures in an Essential Workplace: Lessons for Opening Work Settings in the United States During COVID-19
99% of SARS-CoV-2 infections identified by testing campaigns were asymptomatic among employees of a US manufacturing company that remained open during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 105 positive PCR results were identified among 586 employees across three sites from March to August 2020. Employee positivity rates were consistent with community prevalence. In addition to…
April 21, 2021
The Nature and Extent of COVID-19 Vaccination Hesitancy in Healthcare Workers
The prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine hesitancy worldwide varied from 4.3% to 72% (mean 22.5%), according to an analysis of 35 studies with 76,471 healthcare workers. The main reasons survey participants gave for hesitancy were concerns about safety, efficacy, and potential side effects. Participants who were male, older, and held doctoral degrees were more likely to…
COVID-19 Associated Mortality and Cardiovascular Disease Outcomes among US Women Veterans
Mortality risk among women veterans who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 was 4 times that of women veterans who tested negative (HR = 3.8) but women who tested positive had lower risk of cardiovascular events (OR = 0.8) and developing new heart disease conditions within 60 days (OR = 0.7), according to a retrospective analysis of national…
Clinical and Demographic Risk Factors for COVID-19 during Delivery Hospitalizations in New York City
Only 27.9% (22 of 79) pregnant individuals with COVID admitted to two New York City hospitals had symptoms consistent with COVID between March 22 and April 18, 2020. Patients with COVID-19 were slightly less likely to have a vaginal delivery (55.2 vs. 51.9%) and had a longer postpartum length of stay with cesarean delivery (2.00…
Post-Acute COVID-19 Outcomes in Children with Mild and Asymptomatic Disease
A multicenter cohort study across Europe conducted among children ≤18 years diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection at a tertiary care hospital found that significant risk factors for ICU admission were age <1 month (OR = 5.1), male sex (OR = 2.1), pre-existing medical conditions (OR = 3.3), and presence of lower respiratory tract infection signs or…
Post-COVID-19 Syndrome in Outpatients a Cohort Study
[Pre-print, not peer-reviewed] In a prospective cohort of symptomatic outpatients undergoing SARS-CoV-2 PCR testing in Switzerland (n= 507), 53% of patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection reported persistent symptoms between 3 and 10 months after diagnosis compared to 37% of patients who tested negative. About 20% of patients who tested positive consulted a physician for persistent symptoms,…
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