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March 12, 2021
Serial interval and incubation period of COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis
A systematic review and meta-analysis found that the average time between the onset of COVID-19 symptoms in an index case and the onset of symptoms in a secondary case (serial interval) was 5.2 days and the average time from infection until symptom onset (incubation period) was 6.5 days. Alene et al. (Mar 11, 2021). Serial interval…
Estimated Half-Life of SARS-CoV-2 Anti-Spike Antibodies More than Double the Half-Life of Anti-Nucleocapsid Antibodies in Healthcare Workers
Among healthcare-workers (HCWs) (n=118) who had a previous SARS-CoV-2 infection, 92% were still positive for anti-spike (S) antibodies compared to only 18% for IgG anti-nucleocapsid (N) antibodies after 7-10 months. At 1-3 months, 98% of HCWs were positive for anti-S antibodies compared to 85.6% anti-N antibodies. The mean half-life for anti-S antibodies was 19 days…
ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (AZD1222) protects against SARS-CoV-2 B.1.351 and B.1.1.7
[Pre-print, not peer-reviewed] An investigation of the Oxford-AstraZeneca (ChAdOx1 nCoV-1; AZD1222) vaccine efficacy against SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern B.1.1.7 and B.1.351 in Syrian hamsters showed a 9.5-fold reduction of virus neutralizing antibody titer in vaccinated hamster sera against B.1.351 compared to B.1.1.7. Vaccinated hamsters challenged with B.1.1.7 or B.1.351 did not lose weight compared to…
Novavax Confirms High Levels of Efficacy Against Original and Variant COVID-19 Strains in United Kingdom and South Africa Trials
[Press release, not peer-reviewed] A Phase 3 trial of the Novavax vaccine (NVX‑CoV2373) in the UK indicated an efficacy of 96.4% against mild, moderate and severe disease caused by the original COVID-19 strain. The company also announced final results of its Phase 2b trial conducted in South Africa, with an efficacy of 55.4% among HIV-negative…
Impact of the COVID-19 Vaccine on Asymptomatic Infection Among Patients Undergoing Pre-Procedural COVID-19 Molecular Screening
The risk of asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection was significantly lower among patients who had received at least 1 dose of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine compared to unvaccinated patients, based on a retrospective cohort study of asymptomatic adult patients (n=39,156) across multiple US states undergoing a pre-procedural SARS-CoV-2 molecular screening test. SARS-CoV-2 was detected in 3% of…
Effectiveness of Three versus Six Feet of Physical Distancing for Controlling Spread of COVID-19 among Primary and Secondary Students and Staff: A Retrospective, State-Wide Cohort Study
Increasing physical distancing requirements in schools from ≥3 feet to ≥6 feet was not associated with a reduction in SARS-CoV-2 cases among students or staff if other mitigation measures were implemented, based on a retrospective cohort study of students (n=537,336) and staff (n=99,390) among 251 school districts with any in-person learning in Massachusetts during the…
Assessment of Use and Fit of Face Masks Among Individuals in Public During the COVID-19 Pandemic in China
Sealing facemasks with adhesive tape strips improved the proportion of masks that had an airtight fit among mask users (n=6,003), based on a study conducted in Beijing, Yunnan, Shanxi and Jiangsu provinces (China). Participants were convenience sampled at public locations and administered a qualitative fit test to ensure proper fit and airtightness. The first qualitative…
March 11, 2021
International Heterogeneity in Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pediatric Mortality Rates
An analysis of 23 countries found that pediatric (aged <15 years) COVID-19 mortality varied from 0 to 12.1 deaths per million with the highest rate in Peru. The pediatric to general population COVID-19 mortality was highest in India (10.4%). Pediatric COVID-19 mortality strongly correlated with neonatal mortality from 2018, but only had moderate-to-no correlation with…
Prevalence of COVID-19 in Adolescents and Youth Compared with Older Adults in States Experiencing Surges
COVID-19 prevalence was higher in adolescents (10-19 years) and youth (15-24 years) compared to older adults (>65 years old) in six US states that experienced a surge in cases during Summer 2020, according to data from Departments of Health. Observed COVID-19 prevalence among adolescents and youth in 4 of the 6 states were disproportionately higher…
Implementation of a Recuperation Unit and Hospitalization Rates Among People Experiencing Homelessness With COVID-19
Implementation of a novel COVID-19 Recuperation Unit (CRU) designed for people experiencing homelessness (PEH) was associated with a 28% reduction in hospitalization among COVID-19 positive PEH during a COVID-19 surge. The CRU was designed as a place where PEH diagnosed with COVID-19 who did not require hospitalization could safely quarantine. During the study period of…
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