Result for
Topic: Testing and Treatment
February 24, 2021
Occupational Exposures and Mitigation Strategies among Homeless Shelter Workers at Risk of COVID-19
[Pre-print, not peer-reviewed] An online survey of 106 workers at homeless shelters in 17 shelter networks in Washington, Massachusetts, Utah, Maryland and Georgia found that 15% of workers reported testing positive for SARS-CoV-2, with 80% believing they were infected at work. The survey was conducted to assess occupational exposures to SARS-CoV-2, characterize job practices, and…
Self-Testing for the Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Infection with Rapid Antigen Tests
[Pre-print, not peer-reviewed] Self-testing for SARS-CoV-2 using rapid antigen detection kits (RDT) was found to have a high specificity (99.4%) and relatively high sensitivity (78%) to identify individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2 RNA below a low cycle-time (CT) value threshold. Low CT values are associated with high viral load and the authors suggest that is a…
Effect of a Genetically Engineered Interferon-Alpha versus Traditional Interferon-Alpha in the Treatment of Moderate-to-Severe COVID-19: A Randomised Clinical Trial
A randomized clinical trial comparing the effectiveness of a modified “super-compound interferon” (rSIFN-co) to standard of care in China (which includes treatment with traditional interferon-alpha) indicated that rSIFN-co was associated with a shorter time to clinical improvement. Patients were blinded to treatment arm and received the standard of care, which also included lopinavir-ritonavir or umifenovir…
February 23, 2021
Correlation of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in Wastewater with COVID-19 Disease Burden in Sewersheds
COVID-19 outbreaks across two Utah communities positively correlated with an increase in wastewater SARS-CoV-2 RNA. Wastewater surveillance only cost $0.005-$0.10 per capita, according to a wastewater epidemiology study conducted in 10 wastewater facilities covering approximately 1.26 million Utah residents. Overall, RNA was detected in 61% of 126 wastewater samples. Weidhaas et al. (Feb 12, 2021). Correlation…
Longitudinal Analysis of SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies in 8000 U.S. First-time Convalescent Plasma Donations
The average SARS-CoV-2 IgG levels among first-time US COVID-19 convalescent plasma donations have dropped significantly, according to a longitudinal analysis of 8,749 plasma units collected from April to September 2020. The decrease in mean IgG values were significantly correlated with decreases in mean plasma donor age and the percentage of units obtained from donors who…
Saliva for Molecular Detection of SARS-CoV-2 in School-Aged Children
Saliva RT-PCR had a sensitivity of 88% and specificity of 99% compared to nasopharyngeal swabs (NPS) in a study of 485 NPS and saliva sample pairs collected from 476 children presenting for COVID-19 screening in Dubai. Viral detection in at least one specimen type was reported in 18%, with 17% in NPS alone and 16%…
February 19, 2021
SARS-CoV-2 Positivity on or After 9 Days Among Quarantined Student Contacts of Confirmed Cases
Among student contacts of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Florida between August and November 2020, a protocol requiring a negative RT-PCR test as early as day 9 of quarantine reduced the loss of instruction days compared to a conventional 14-day quarantine without testing. The number of missed days decreased by 3,649 days with the 9-day testing…
Multicenter Evaluation of the PanbioTM COVID-19 Rapid Antigen-Detection Test for the Diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 Infection
A prospective multi-center study conducted in Spain found that the PanbioTM COVID-19 Ag Rapid Test Device, which tests for SARS-CoV-2 using nasopharyngeal swabs, has an overall sensitivity of 91% and specificity of 99%. Among the 128 asymptomatic participants who had close contact with a COVID-19 patient, there was full concordance in the 31 (24%) who…
Self-Collected Oral Fluid Saliva Is Insensitive Compared With Nasal-Oropharyngeal Swabs in the Detection of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 in Outpatients
A study of people with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection suggests that self-collected oral fluid is significantly less sensitive for diagnosis than self-collected nasal-oropharyngeal specimens, especially after five days have passed since the onset of symptoms. Of the samples, which were matched by patient, 60 were concordantly negative, 45 concordantly positive, and 66 were discordant (63 nasal-OP…
February 18, 2021
The Efficacy and Safety of Favipiravir in Treatment of COVID-19 A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Clinical Trials
[Pre-print, not peer reviewed] A systematic review and meta-analysis of nine clinical trials found the antiviral medication favipiravir was associated with a significant clinical improvement (vs control) 7 days after hospital admission (RR=1.24). Risk of viral clearance by 14 days of hospital admission was higher while requirements for supplemental oxygen therapy and mortality were lower…
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