Article Summary
March 8, 2021
Diagnosis of SARS-Cov-2 Infection by RT-PCR Using Specimens Other Than Naso- and Oropharyngeal Swabs: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
A systematic review and meta-analysis of SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR testing using samples other than naso- or oropharyngeal swabs found that saliva samples had the highest accuracy (92%), with a sensitivity of 84% and specificity of 96%. Deep throat saliva/posterior oropharyngeal saliva samples had an overall accuracy of 80%, with a sensitivity of 90% and specificity of…
The Emergence and Ongoing Convergent Evolution of the N501Y Lineages Coincides with a Major Global Shift in the SARS-CoV-2 Selective Landscap
[Pre-print, not peer-reviewed] A study examining patterns of SARS-CoV-2 mutations via phylogenetics-based analyses found evidence for changes in the selective pressures of specific SARS-CoV-2 genes (such as N and S) that likely coincided with the emergence of the three main 501Y lineages (B.1.1.7, B.1.351, P.1). The analysis included all SARS-CoV-2 sequences in GISAID assigned to…
SARS-CoV-2 Transmission in Intercollegiate Athletics Not Fully Mitigated with Daily Antigen Testing
[Pre-print, not peer-reviewed] Two SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks occurred among US university athletic programs during the fall 2020 despite mandatory directly observed daily antigen testing, suggesting that antigen testing alone may not be sufficient to prevent outbreaks in congregate settings. In the first outbreak, 32 confirmed cases occurred within an athletics program after the index patient attended…
On Secondary Atomization and Blockage of Surrogate Cough Droplets in Single- and Multilayer Face Masks
Using high-speed imaging and physics-based analyses, large (> 250 μm) simulated cough droplets were shown to penetrate single- or double-layer mask materials to a significant extent. The authors suggest that expelled droplets may atomize into smaller (< 100 μm) droplets that could remain airborne for longer periods, potentially impacting mask efficacy. For a droplet of…
March 5, 2021
Multi-Level Drivers of Tobacco Use and Purchasing Behaviors during COVID-19 “Lockdown”: A Qualitative Study in the United States
A qualitative study of tobacco use and purchasing behaviors in the US between April and May 2020 during the COVID-19 lockdown found that most participants (n=44) increased use, which was predominantly driven by individual-level factors such as pandemic-related anxiety, boredom, and irregular routines. Individuals who reported decreased use cited social drivers, such as fewer interpersonal…
Articles Risk of Adverse Outcomes in Patients with Underlying Respiratory Conditions Admitted to Hospital with COVID-19: A National, Multicentre Prospective Cohort Study Using the ISARIC WHO Clinical Characterisation Protocol UK
Asthma was associated with a higher likelihood over developing more severe COVID-19. Among more than 75,000 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in the UK from January to August 2020, patients with asthma were 1.2-times as likely to receive critical care compared to patients without underlying respiratory conditions, regardless of comorbidities and disease severity at admission. Patients…
Association between Influenza Vaccination and Hospitalisation or All-Cause Mortality in People with COVID-19: A Retrospective Cohort Study
A retrospective cohort study using routinely collected health records from patients with COVID-19 (n= 6,921) in South West England between January and July 2020 found that receiving the influenza vaccination sometime between January 1, 2019 and COVID-19 diagnosis was associated with a 15% reduced odds of all-cause mortality or hospitalization (aOR=0.85), and a 24% reduced…
SARS-CoV-2 Variant with Higher Affinity to ACE2 Shows Reduced Sera Neutralization Susceptibility
[Pre-print, not peer-reviewed] An in vitro study of newly-emerging SARS-CoV-2 mutations in the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the viral spike protein found in the P.1 variant (first described in Brazil) demonstrated increased angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) affinity for the mutant RBD and reduced neutralization ability of immune sera induced from prior strains. RBD mutations…
Age-Dependent Immune Response to the BioNtech-Pfizer BNT162b2 COVID-19 Vaccination
[Pre-print, not peer-reviewed] Among 176 participants receiving two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in a cohort study in Germany, participants aged >80 years had lower SARS-CoV-2 specific IgG antibody titers and neutralizing titers compared to participants aged <60 years after each dose. While the IgG titer increase between the first and second dose was larger…
Time Series Analysis and Mechanistic Modelling of Heterogeneity and Sero-Reversion in Antibody Responses to Mild SARS-CoV-2 Infection
A prospective serology cohort study among UK healthcare workers found that by 21 weeks, 22% (31 of 143) of those previously positive for anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike (S1) antibodies reverted to being S1 negative, while only 4% (6 of 150) of those previously positive for anti-SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid (NP) antibodies reverted to being NP negative, which the authors…
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