Result for
Topic: Testing and Treatment
September 14, 2020
Change in Donor Characteristics and Antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in Donated Blood in the US, June-August 2020
Routine testing of blood donated at American Red Cross centers since June 15, 2020 (n=953,926 donations) found that 1.8% of donations tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, with an increase in seropositivity over the study period. Blood from first-time donors was more likely to test positive than blood from repeat donors (3% vs. 1.6%, p<0.001). The…
Genome Sequencing of Sewage Detects Regionally Prevalent SARS-CoV-2 Variants
[Preprint, not peer-reviewed] Genome sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 in sewage samples from the San Francisco Bay Area found that the dominant genotypes matched genotypes found in clinical samples from the region. Genotypic variants found in wastewater samples were more similar to local California patient-derived genotypes than they were to those from other regions within the US…
SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Prevalence and Association with Routine Laboratory Values in a Life Insurance Applicant Population
[Preprint, not peer-reviewed] Testing for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies indicates that the total number of SARS-CoV-2 infections in the US is 3.8-times higher than the total number of cases reported to the CDC. This estimate is based on a seropositivity rate of 3% among 50,130 consecutive life insurance applicants, which would correspond to 6.98 million SARS-CoV-2 infections…
September 11, 2020
Effect of Recombinant Human Granulocyte Colony–Stimulating Factor for Patients With Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and Lymphopenia
• In preliminary findings from a randomized trial at 3 participating centers in China (n=200), recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (rhG-CSF) treatment for patients with COVID-19 with lymphopenia but no comorbidities did not accelerate clinical improvement, but the number of patients who developed critical illness (proportion difference=-13%, 95%CI -21.4 to -5.4) or died (HR=0.19, 95%CI…
September 10, 2020
High Seroprevalence of Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies in Chelsea, Massachusetts
• Among asymptomatic residents of Chelsea, Massachusetts without a prior positive PCR test for SARS-CoV-2 (n=200), the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies was 32% (18% IgM+IgG+, 9% IgM+IgG-, and 5% IgM-IgG+), representing a substantial burden of undocumented infection. Additionally, 51% of participants reported no symptoms in the preceding 4 weeks, of whom 25% (25/101) were seropositive, and…
September 9, 2020
Ultra-Sensitive Serial Profiling of SARS-CoV-2 Antigens and Antibodies in Plasma to Understand Disease Progression in COVID-19 Patients with Severe Disease
• An ultra-sensitive assay can detect SARS-CoV-2 S1 subunit and nucleocapsid antigens in plasma and saliva of COVID-19 patients, with higher concentrations associated with ICU admission and intubation within one day. The authors state that while these antigens have been detected previously in nasopharyngeal swab specimens, this is the first report of their detection in…
Adverse Outcomes and Mortality in Users of Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs Who Tested Positive for SARS-CoV-2: A Danish Nationwide Cohort Study
Use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection was not associated with 30-day mortality, hospitalization, ICU admission, mechanical ventilation, or renal replacement therapy in a study of 9,236 SARS-CoV-2-positive Danish residents, of whom 3% filled an NSAID prescription. [EDITORIAL NOTE: A summary of a pre-print version of this manuscript appeared in the…
September 8, 2020
Convalescent Plasma in the Management of Moderate COVID-19 in India An Open-Label Parallel-Arm Phase II Multicentre Randomized Controlled Trial (PLACID Trial)
[Pre-print, not peer-reviewed] COVID-19 convalescent plasma infusion was not associated with a reduction in mortality or progression to severe COVID-19 at 28 days post-enrollment (aOR=1.1, 95% CI: 0.7, 1.8) in a randomized trial among persons with moderate COVID-19 in India (n=464). Death or progression to severe disease occurred in 18.7% of participants in the intervention…
September 4, 2020
A Direct Comparison of Enhanced Saliva to Nasopharyngeal Swab for the Detection of SARS-CoV-2 in Symptomatic Patients
There was very high agreement in SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR testing results between enhanced saliva specimens (i.e. strong sniff, elicited cough, and a collection of saliva/secretions) and nasopharyngeal swabs collected from 224 patients suspected of having COVID-19. The positive agreement was 100% and the negative agreement was 99.4%. Saliva samples had a lower mean viral load compared…
Chloroquine and Hydroxychloroquine for the Treatment of COVID-19: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
A meta-analysis of 12 observational and 3 randomized trials found that the efficacy of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine was inconsistent across the studies. There was no significant reduction in mortality with hydroxychloroquine use (RR=0.98, 95% CI: 0.66-1.46), and there was a higher risk of ECG abnormalities /arrhythmia associated with hydroxychloroquine/chloroquine use (RR=1.46, 95% CI: 1.04-2.06). Elavarasi…
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