Result for
Topic: Testing and Treatment
April 2, 2021
The Neutralization Potency of Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Therapeutic Human Monoclonal Antibodies Is Retained against Novel Viral Variants
[Pre-print, not peer-reviewed] Neutralizing activity of four experimental monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) (MD65, MD62, MD29 and BL6) targeting the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2 were largely retained against a panel of the top 10 RBD mutations including mutations found in several variants of concern. Rosenfeld et al. (Apr 1, 2021). The Neutralization Potency of Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Therapeutic Human…
A Method for Detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in Healthy Human Stool: A Validation Study
A modified RT-PCR test to detect SARS-CoV-2 RNA in human stool had 100% analytical sensitivity in 20 stool samples freshly spiked with inactivated SARS-CoV-2 material and a lower limit of detection (LLD) of 3,000 viral RNA copies per gram. Analytical sensitivity decreased two-fold after a single freeze-thaw cycle at -80 °C. The assay had 100%…
March 31, 2021
A Haemagglutination Test for Rapid Detection of Antibodies to SARS-CoV-2
A study of red cell agglutination tests (haemagglutination tests, or HAT) demonstrated the ability to detect antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain with a sensitivity of 90% and a specificity of 99% in blood samples taken from individuals with a PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection ≥28 days prior. The authors note that the HAT test for…
Diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 Infection with LamPORE, a High-Throughput Platform Combining Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification and Nanopore Sequencing
A novel diagnostic platform called Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification with Nanopore Sequence (LamPORE) performed similarly to RT-PCR for detection of SARS-CoV-2 in nasopharyngeal samples collected at two hospitals in the United Kingdom. The diagnostic method can process up to 92 samples simultaneously and allow for analysis of thousands of pooled samples per day. In the study,…
March 30, 2021
Performance and Operational Feasibility of Antigen and Antibody Rapid Diagnostic Tests for COVID-19 in Symptomatic and Asymptomatic Patients in Cameroon: A Clinical, Prospective, Diagnostic Accuracy Study
A novel testing algorithm combining RT-PCR and antigen rapid diagnostic testing developed in Cameroon had 94% sensitivity and 91% specificity for detection of symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection within 7 days of symptom onset and outperformed PCR testing alone (75% sensitivity and 99% specificity). The algorithm was designed based on retrospectively performing 1000 simulation runs on empirical…
March 25, 2021
B.1.526 SARS-CoV-2 Variants Identified in New York City Are Neutralized by Vaccine-Elicited and Therapeutic Monoclonal Antibodies
[Pre-print, not peer-reviewed] Neutralizing activity elicited by prior SARS-CoV-2 infection, mRNA vaccines (Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna), or the Regeneron monoclonal antibody cocktail (REGN10933 and REGN10987) were similar against the B.1.526 variant with the S477N mutation compared to the widely circulating strain with the D614G mutation. In contrast, similar to other E484K harboring variants, the B.1.526 variant…
Detection of Mutations Associated with Variants of Concern Via High Throughput Sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 Isolated from NYC Wastewater
[Pre-print, not peer-reviewed] Genomic analysis of wastewater samples from New York City obtained from January to March 2021 found that the SARS-CoV-2 mutations occurring at the highest frequencies where associated with known variants of concern. Mutations occurring at high frequencies include L452R, present in the CAL.20C variant first described in California, E484K, present in the…
March 23, 2021
The Prevalence and Clinical Significance of Presymptomatic COVID-19 Patients: How We Can Be One Step Ahead in Mitigating a Deadly Pandemic
Presymptomatic patients were more likely to have atypical symptoms of COVID-19 when compared to symptomatic patients, according to a retrospective study (n=199) of patients identified via contact tracing in Malaysia. In the cohort, 21% of patients were presymptomatic, 27% were mildly symptomatic, and 52% were asymptomatic. Females were more likely to present as presymptomatic than…
Surveillance-Based Informative Testing for Detection and Containment of SARS-CoV-2 Outbreaks on a Public University Campus: An Observational and Modelling Study
A novel strategy of random testing combined with follow-up targeted testing in outbreak areas (“surveillance-based informative testing”, SBIT) was associated with a 36% reduction in peak weekly COVID-19 cases at Clemson University in South Carolina over a 2-week period. The strategy helped identify outbreaks in 45 residence halls across 8 buildings. Transmission models based on…
March 19, 2021
Safety and efficacy of Favipiravir in moderate to severe SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia
A multicenter randomized open-labeled clinical trial found that adding Favipiravir to the treatment protocol for in patients with moderate to severe SARS-CoV-2 infection did not reduce the number of ICU admissions or intubations or In-hospital mortality compared to Lopinavir/Ritonavir regimen. It also did not shorten time to clinical recovery or length of hospital stay. Solaymani-Dodaran…
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