Article Summary
February 22, 2021
Higher SARS-CoV-2 Infection Rate in Pregnant Patients
The SARS-CoV-2 infection rate among pregnant individuals in Washington State (13.9/1,000 deliveries) was 70% higher than the rate among similarly-aged adults, which was not completely explained by universal screening at delivery. 240 pregnant patients with PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection were identified from March 1-June 3, 2020, and the proportion of cases in pregnancy among most ethnic…
Use of Convalescent Plasma in Patients with Coronavirus Disease (Covid-19) Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
[Pre-print, not peer-reviewed] A systematic review and meta-analysis of convalescent plasma (CP) treatment indicated that CP had no effect on mortality (RR = 1.02), and that evidence was insufficient to recommend the use of CP in the treatment of moderate or severe COVID-19. The analysis identified 10 randomized controlled trials involving 11,854 patients in which…
The Rise of SARS-CoV-2 Variant B.1.1.7 in Israel Intensifies the Role of Surveillance and Vaccination in Elderly
[Pre-print, not peer-reviewed] An analysis of over 300,000 RT-PCR samples collected in Israel between December 6th, 2020 and February 10th, 2021 in the general community and nursing homes found that the B.1.1.7 variant outcompeted the wildtype SARS-CoV-2 strain, representing 90% of positive tests. The variant was 45% more transmissible than wildtype. In addition, the transmission…
Assessment of the Inclusion of Racial/Ethnic Minority, Female, and Older Individuals in Vaccine Clinical Trials
A cross-sectional study of 230 US-based clinical COVID-19 vaccine trials (n = 219,555 participants) found that, compared with the US population, Black or African American (11%), American Indian or Alaska Native (0.4%), Hispanic or Latino (121.6%), and older (age 65+, 12%) individuals were underrepresented, while women (56%) were overrepresented, in trials. Black or African American…
Decreased Neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 Global Variants by Therapeutic Anti-Spike Protein Monoclonal Antibodies
[Pre-print, not peer-reviewed] A study testing the ability of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies REGN10933 and REGN10987 to neutralize SARS-CoV-2 variants B.1.1.7, B.1.351, mink cluster 5, and COH.20G/677H found that REGN10987 maintained most neutralization activity against viruses with B.1.1.7, B.1.351 and mink cluster 5 spike proteins. REGN10933 was not effective against B.1.351, which may be due to…
SARS-CoV-2 Shedding Dynamics Across the Respiratory Tract Sex and Disease Severity for Adult and Pediatric COVID-19
[Pre-print, not peer-reviewed] A systematic review and pooled analysis of SARS-CoV-2 shedding dynamics in the upper (URT) and lower (LRT) respiratory tracts found that severe COVID-19 in adults was characterized by high, persistent shedding of SARS-CoV-2 virus in the LRT. In the URT, adults with severe COVID-19 had higher respiratory viral loads 1 day post-symptom…
Reported COVID-19 Incidence in Wisconsin High School Athletes During Fall 2020
[Pre-print, not peer-reviewed] A study of COVID-19 in high school athletes in Wisconsin in September 2020 showed that 207 schools that reinitiated sports reported 270 COVID-19 cases among 30,074 players, for case and incidence rates of 809 cases per 100,000 players and 32.6 cases per 100,000 player-days, respectively. 115 (55%) cases were attributed to household…
Disparate Patterns of Movements and Visits to Points of Interest Located in Urban Hotspots across US Metropolitan Cities during COVID-19
A study examining the effect of social distancing on changes in visits to urban hotspot points of interest (POIs) in US cities from January to May 2020 found that one group of cities, including San Francisco, Seattle, and Chicago, there was a substantial decrease in hotspot POI visitors, while in another group, including Austin, Houston…
Clusters of SARS-CoV-2 Infection Among Elementary School Educators and Students in One School District — Georgia, December 2020–January 2021
An investigation of SARS-CoV-2 transmission in a school district in Georgia between December 1, 2020–January 22, 2021 identified nine clusters of COVID-19 cases involving 13 educators and 32 students at six of eight elementary schools. Two clusters involved probable educator-to-educator transmission that was followed by educator-to-student transmission in classrooms, resulting in approximately one half (15…
A Comparison of Performance Metrics for Cloth Face Masks as Source Control Devices for Simulated Cough and Exhalation Aerosols
[Pre-print, not peer-reviewed] A study evaluating 15 reusable cloth masks (including face masks, neck gaiters, and bandanas), medical masks, and N95 filtering facepiece respirators as source control devices for aerosols produced during simulated coughing and exhalation found that the source control collection efficiencies for cloth masks ranged from 17 to 71% for coughing and 35…
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