Article Summary
June 10, 2021
Genomic Surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 Variants Circulating in the United States, December 2020–May 2021
During April 11-24, 2021, the SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 (Alpha) variant accounted for an estimated 66% of US infections and the P.1 (Gamma) variant accounted for 5% of US infections, according to the CDC. Estimates are based on sequencing of 25,000 SARS-CoV-2-positive specimens, representing 3% of all reported positive tests and weighted to the general population. Estimated…
June 9, 2021
Associations of Race/Ethnicity and Food Insecurity With COVID-19 Infection Rates Across US Counties
Counties (n=3,133) with a higher percentage of Black residents had 3 more SARS-CoV-2 infections per 1000 residents in July 2020, and 0.9 more infections per 1000 residents in December 2020, but only among counties with a high prevalence of food insecurity. A similar association between food insecurity and infection rates was observed among residents of…
Inflammatory Biomarkers in COVID-19-Associated Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children, Kawasaki Disease, and Macrophage Activation Syndrome: A Cohort Study
Pediatric patients diagnosed with Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) (n=19) had higher median concentrations of interferon-induced monokines (CXCL9) compared to patients with Kawasaki Disease (n=9), another hyperinflammatory syndrome, in a cohort study in Ohio. Rodriguez-Smith et al. (June 9, 2021). Inflammatory Biomarkers in COVID-19-Associated Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children, Kawasaki Disease, and Macrophage Activation Syndrome:…
Risk Factors Associated With COVID-19 Outcomes Among People With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Receiving Residential Services
In adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) receiving residential services in New York City (n=543), age and pre-existing conditions, such chronic kidney disease, were associated with a COVID-19 diagnosis. These risk factors were similar to those reported in the general population. Diagnosis of Down syndrome was also associated with a COVID-19 diagnosis (OR=3), while…
Outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 Lineage after Vaccination in Long-Term Care Facility, Germany, February-March 2021
A SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in a long-term care facility in Germany resulted in a milder disease course, considerably shorter viral RNA shedding (7.5 vs 31 days), and lower peak viral load in vaccinated residents with breakthrough infection compared to unvaccinated residents. The outbreak involved a sequence-confirmed B.1.1.7 (Alpha) variant and resulted in 16 breakthrough infections in…
Delayed Antibody and T-Cell Response to BNT162b2 Vaccination in the Elderly, Germany
In a cohort of elderly residents of an assisted living facility in Germany (n=71, median age 81 years) vaccinated with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine only 46% (24 of 52) developed neutralizing antibodies 3 weeks after the first dose and 90% (63 of 70) 4 weeks after the second dose. In contrast, 91% (97 of 107) of…
Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies Among Rural Healthcare Workers
[Pre-print, not peer-reviewed] In rural healthcare centers in South Dakota, a seroprevalence study revealed that prevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in healthcare workers at each clinical site was higher than the reported cumulative incidence of COVID-19 in the general population of each respective county. The prevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among healthcare workers employed at clinics in…
Functional Characterization of SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine Elicited Antibodies in Immunologically Nave and Pre-Immune Humans
[Pre-print, not peer-reviewed] The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine elicited higher neutralizing and anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody binding responses in individuals with prior infection (n=32) compared to those without prior infection (n=20). The second vaccine dose did not significantly increase neutralizing or binding antibody levels in individuals with prior infection, whereas the second dose was required to induce antibody responses…
Accuracy of ICD-10 Diagnostic Codes to Identify COVID-19 Among Hospitalized Patients
The ICD-10 Diagnostic Code for COVID-19 (U07.1) had an overall sensitivity of 49% and specificity of 99% compared to the gold standard of a positive PCR test among 2,210 PCR-positive patients discharged between April and July 2020 across the Mass General Brigham health system in Boston, Massachusetts. Specificity was consistently high, but sensitivity varied and…
Ct Values Do Not Predict SARS-CoV-2 Transmissibility in College Students
PCR cycle threshold (Ct) values, a proxy measurement for viral load, were not significantly different between SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals with at least one confirmed infected contact (i.e., spreaders) (n=94) and infected individuals with no infected contacts (i.e., non-spreaders) (n=101) in a retrospective study of routine screening data from Tulane University obtained between September and October 2020…
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