Infectious Diseases (all articles)
The COVID science wars: Shutting down scientific debate is hurting the public health
1 Dec, 2020 | 08:11h | UTCThe COVID Science Wars – Scientific American
Report: SARS-CoV-2 setting-specific transmission rates. Households showed the highest transmission rates (21.1%). Asymptomatic infections do occur but much less efficiently than symptomatic infection.
30 Nov, 2020 | 01:01h | UTCFull report: SARS-CoV-2 setting-specific transmission rates: a systematic review and meta-analysis – Imperial College London
AstraZeneca vaccine most attractive option for Africa, says WHO – Astra Zeneca CEO says company will run new trial to test more efficient dose
1 Dec, 2020 | 08:05h | UTC
No evidence for increased transmissibility from mutations in SARS-CoV-2
30 Nov, 2020 | 01:06h | UTCCommentaries: Mutations not making coronavirus able to spread more rapidly -study – Reuters AND Covid-19 has NOT become more infectious: Study identifies almost 13,000 coronavirus mutations but none – including the dominant D614G strain – made it better at spreading – Daily Mail
Study: Fewer than 10% of people in the US had detectable SARS-CoV-2 antibodies as of September 2020
30 Nov, 2020 | 01:00h | UTCEstimated SARS-CoV-2 Seroprevalence in the US as of September 2020 – JAMA Internal Medicine
Commentaries: Less than 10% of Americans had COVID by September, study finds – CIDRAP AND Antibodies, Immunity, and COVID-19 – JAMA Internal Medicine AND Covid-19: Nationwide SARS-CoV-2 Seroprevalence Remains Low – Physician’s Weekly
Commentary on Twitter
.@CDCgov tested more than 177,000 serum samples across 52 sites (50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico) between July 27 and September 24 for #SARSCoV2 antibodies. The study found that, in 45 US sites, less than 10% of samples had evidence of previous infection https://t.co/U4hp68fFAx
— JAMA Internal Medicine (@JAMAInternalMed) November 24, 2020
Infection fatality rate of SARS-CoV2 in a super-spreading event in Germany estimated at 0.36%
30 Nov, 2020 | 01:02h | UTCInfection fatality rate of SARS-CoV2 in a super-spreading event in Germany – Nature Communications
Seroprevalence meta-analysis predicts 643 million already infected by SARS-CoV-2 globally
30 Nov, 2020 | 00:59h | UTCOriginal study: Global seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies: a systematic review and meta-analysis – medRxiv
Opinion – Covid-19: controversial trial may actually show that masks protect the wearer
30 Nov, 2020 | 00:58h | UTCCovid-19: controversial trial may actually show that masks protect the wearer – The BMJ Opinion
Original study and commentaries: Randomized trial suggesting mask use does not protect the wearer from Covid-19 sparks controversy
Related commentary on Twitter (thread – click for more)
1/
My appraisal of the Danish mask study (DANMASK-19): This was a negative trial – masks were not shown to prevent #COVID19.Could chance or bias make this outcome more likely?
Does this mean we don’t need to wear masks?Let’s take a deeper look.#HowIReadThisPaper
(Thread) pic.twitter.com/bAUuajgtaI
— Rahul Ganatra (@rbganatra) November 28, 2020
Editor’s Choice: The curious case of the Danish mask study
30 Nov, 2020 | 00:56h | UTCEditor’s Choice: The curious case of the Danish mask study – The BMJ
Original study and commentaries: Randomized trial suggesting mask use does not protect the wearer from Covid-19 sparks controversy
Study ranks the most effective non-pharmaceutical interventions for reducing COVID-19 spread
27 Nov, 2020 | 08:36h | UTCRanking the effectiveness of worldwide COVID-19 government interventions – Nature Human Behaviour
Commentary: Epidemiology: Assessing non-pharmaceutical interventions in reducing COVID-19 spread – Nature Asia
Long Covid: Comprehensive health assessment three months after recovery from acute COVID-19 revealed problems in several health domains in a substantial number of patients
27 Nov, 2020 | 08:33h | UTC
Covid-19: 15% of people responsible for 80% of secondary infections
27 Nov, 2020 | 08:27h | UTCTransmission heterogeneities, kinetics, and controllability of SARS-CoV-2 – Science
Commentary: What we can learn from contact tracing an entire province – Ars Technica
Commentary on Twitter
Study of 1,178 #COVID19 cases & their 15,648 contacts in Hunan, China. Just 15% of people were responsible for 80% of secondary infections.
Children were less likely to be infected than young to middle-aged adults, but infectiousness didn’t differ by age.https://t.co/PYaj9pbSJo pic.twitter.com/mREh5wWkKd
— Dr Zoë Hyde (@DrZoeHyde) November 26, 2020
An artificial intelligence algorithm can detect COVID-19 on chest radiographs with accuracy and speed
27 Nov, 2020 | 08:31h | UTCCommentaries: AI system bests radiologists in spotting COVID-19 in lungs – CIDRAP AND AI detects COVID-19 on chest x-rays with accuracy and speed – Northwestern University
Perspective: “With global push for COVID-19 vaccines, China aims to win friends and cut deals”
27 Nov, 2020 | 08:26h | UTCWith global push for COVID-19 vaccines, China aims to win friends and cut deals – Science
CDC may shorten how long you quarantine if you are exposed to Covid-19 coronavirus
26 Nov, 2020 | 09:06h | UTCCDC May Shorten How Long You Quarantine If You Are Exposed To Covid-19 Coronavirus – Forbes
India coronavirus: How do you vaccinate a billion people?
27 Nov, 2020 | 08:24h | UTCIndia coronavirus: How do you vaccinate a billion people? – BBC
CDC Study showing decline in SARS-CoV-2 antibodies after infection suggests antibody surveys underestimate infections
26 Nov, 2020 | 09:08h | UTCCommentary: COVID-19 antibody surveys underestimate infections: study – MedicalXpress
Commentary on Twitter (Thread – Click for more)
1/📌Precipitous decline in #SARSCoV2 antibodies: study participants who'd been infected and had detectable antibodies were retested 60 days later. 94% showed antibody decline & 28% had no detectable antibodies. They had "seroreverted". How that impacts reinfection risk is unknown pic.twitter.com/QsvQTE9jVH
— Dr. Ali Nouri (@AliNouriPhD) November 25, 2020
Should COVID-19 vaccines be mandatory? Two experts discuss
26 Nov, 2020 | 09:05h | UTCShould COVID-19 vaccines be mandatory? Two experts discuss – The Conversation
Testing sewage can give school districts, campuses and businesses a heads-up on the spread of COVID-19
26 Nov, 2020 | 09:03h | UTC
Opinion: “The AstraZeneca Covid Vaccine Data Isn’t Up to Snuff”
26 Nov, 2020 | 09:02h | UTCThe AstraZeneca Covid Vaccine Data Isn’t Up to Snuff – Wired
Commentaries: A timeline of the oxford-Astrazeneca Covid-19 vaccine trials – by Hilda Bastian AND After Admitting Mistake, AstraZeneca Faces Difficult Questions About Its Vaccine – The New York Times AND AstraZeneca manufacturing error clouds vaccine study results – Associated Press
Randomized trial: Convalescent Plasma does not improve clinical status or overall mortality in severe Covid-19 pneumonia
25 Nov, 2020 | 09:17h | UTCCommentary: New trial of convalescent plasma for covid-19 falls flat, another setback for hyped treatment – Brief19
Commentary on Twitter
A Randomized Trial of Convalescent Plasma in Covid-19 Severe Pneumonia @NEJM A well conducted RCT shows no significant differences in clinical status or overall mortality between patients treated with CP and those who received placebo. https://t.co/C6NylbO2At
— Carlos del Rio (@CarlosdelRio7) November 24, 2020
Cluster-randomized trial: Postexposure hydroxychloroquine does not prevent Covid-19 in healthy persons exposed to a PCR-positive case patient
25 Nov, 2020 | 09:15h | UTC
Commentary on Twitter
Another RCT in @NEJM of outpatient treatment with Hydroxychloroquine in high risk folks to prevent COVID transmission
No benefit
But about 10X rate of adverse events in HCQ group
Happy to keep studying HCQ
But it really doesn't look like it workshttps://t.co/9nAfir0CMX
— Ashish K. Jha, MD, MPH (@ashishkjha) November 24, 2020
[Preprint] Study shows cloth face coverings help protect both wearers and those nearby. Study design represents conditions closer to real-world use, with the control of laboratory testing
25 Nov, 2020 | 09:11h | UTCStudy shows cloth face coverings help protect both wearers and those nearby – Virginia Tech
Original study: Inward and outward effectiveness of cloth masks, a surgical mask, and a face shield – medRxiv
With more data on its COVID-19 vaccine, Russian institute offers new evidence of success
25 Nov, 2020 | 09:13h | UTCWith more data on its COVID-19 vaccine, Russian institute offers new evidence of success – Science
Commentaries: Expert reaction to press release reporting the second interim analysis of the efficacy of the Sputnik V vaccine – Science Media Centre AND Russia says Sputnik V virus vaccine 95% effective – MedicalXpress
Opinion: “Children may transmit coronavirus at the same rate as adults: what we now know about schools and COVID-19”
25 Nov, 2020 | 09:09h | UTC
Commentary from the author on Twitter
I've written a new article describing what we know about children, schools, & #COVID19.
➡️ Children & adults are equally susceptible, & likely transmit the virus at the same rate.
➡️ Schools are a driver of the second wave in Europe, Canada, & elsewhere.https://t.co/25T9HwHBlt
— Dr Zoë Hyde (@DrZoeHyde) November 24, 2020