This version of BIP! Finder aims to ease the exploration of COVID-19-related literature by enabling ranking articles based on various impact metrics.
Last Update: 18 - 01 - 2023 (628506 entries)
Popularity: Citation-based measure reflecting the current impact.
Influence: Citation-based measure reflecting the total impact.
Reader Attention: The current number of Mendeley readers.
Social Media Attention: The number of recent tweets related to this article.
*More details on these impact measures can be found here.
Exceptional score (in top 0.01%).
Substantial score (in top 1%).
Average score (in bottom 99%).
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CORD-19 dataset(1) (list of papers)
LitCovid hub(2) (list of papers)
PMC & PubMed (citations)
Mendeley (number of readers)
COVID-19-TweetIDs(3) (tweets)
| Title | Venue | Year | Impact | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2051 | The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer deaths due to delays in diagnosis in England, UK: a national, population-based, modelling study BACKGROUND: Since a national lockdown was introduced across the UK in March, 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, cancer screening has been suspended, routine diagnostic work deferred, and only urgent symptomatic cases prioritised for diagnostic intervention. In this study, we estimated the impact of delays in diagnosis on cancer survival outcomes in four major tumour types. METHODS: In this national population-based modelling study, we used linked English National Health Service (NHS) cancer registration and hospital administrative datasets for patients aged 15–84 years, diagnosed with breast, colorectal, and oesophageal cancer between Jan 1, 2010, and Dec 31, 2010, with follow-up data until Dec 31, 2014, and diagnosed with lung cancer between Jan 1, 2012, and Dec 31, 2012, with follow-up data until Dec 31, 2015. We use a routes-to-diagnosis framework to estimate the impact of diagnostic delays over a 12-month period from the commencement of physical distancing measures, on March 16, 2020, up to 1, 3, and 5 years after diagnosis. To model the subsequent impact of diagnostic delays on survival, we reallocated patients who were on screening and routine referral pathways to urgent and emergency pathways that are associated with more advanced stage of disease at diagnosis. We considered three reallocation scenarios representing the best to worst case scenarios and reflect actual changes in the diagnostic pathway being seen in the NHS, as of March 16, 2020, and estimated the impact on net survival at 1, 3, and 5 years after diagnosis to calculate the additional deaths that can be attributed to cancer, and the total years of life lost (YLLs) compared with pre-pandemic data. FINDINGS: We collected data for 32 583 patients with breast cancer, 24 975 with colorectal cancer, 6744 with oesophageal cancer, and 29 305 with lung cancer. Across the three different scenarios, compared with pre-pandemic figures, we estimate a 7·9–9·6% increase in the number of deaths due to breast cancer up to year 5 after diagnosis, corresponding to between 281 (95% CI 266–295) and 344 (329–358) additional deaths. For colorectal cancer, we estimate 1445 (1392–1591) to 1563 (1534–1592) additional deaths, a 15·3–16·6% increase; for lung cancer, 1235 (1220–1254) to 1372 (1343–1401) additional deaths, a 4·8–5·3% increase; and for oesophageal cancer, 330 (324–335) to 342 (336–348) additional deaths, 5·8–6·0% increase up to 5 years after diagnosis. For these four tumour types, these data correspond with 3291–3621 additional deaths across the scenarios within 5 years. The total additional YLLs across these cancers is estimated to be 59 204–63 229 years. INTERPRETATION: Substantial increases in the number of avoidable cancer deaths in England are to be expected as a result of diagnostic delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK. Urgent policy interventions are necessary, particularly the need to manage the backlog within routine diagnostic services to mitigate the expected impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on patients with cancer. FUNDING: UK Research and Innovation Economic and Social Research Council. | Lancet Oncol | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 2052 | Prevalence of depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder in Healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review and meta-analysis OBJECTIVE: The COVID-19 pandemic has placed health care workers under psychological stress. Previous reviews show a high prevalence of mental disorders among health care workers, but these need updating and inclusion of studies written in Chinese. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to provide updated prevalence estimates for depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, benefitting from the inclusion of studies published in Chinese. METHODS: Systematic search of EMBASE, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Global Health, Web of Science, CINAHL, Google Scholar and the Chinese databases SinoMed, WanfangMed, CNKI and CQVIP, for studies conducted between December 2019 and August 2020 on the prevalence of depression, anxiety and PTSD in health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Studies published in both English and Chinese were included. RESULTS: Data on the prevalence of moderate depression, anxiety and PTSD was pooled across 65 studies involving 97,333 health care workers across 21 countries. The pooled prevalence of depression was 21.7% (95% CI, 18.3%-25.2%), of anxiety 22.1% (95% CI, 18.2%-26.3%), and of PTSD 21.5% (95% CI, 10.5%-34.9%). Prevalence estimates are also provided for a mild classification of each disorder. Pooled prevalence estimates of depression and anxiety were highest in studies conducted in the Middle-East (34.6%; 28.9%). Subgroup and meta-regression analyses were conducted across covariates, including sampling method and outcome measure. CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review and meta-analysis has identified a high prevalence of moderate depression, anxiety and PTSD among health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Appropriate support is urgently needed. The response would benefit from additional research on which interventions are effective at mitigating these risks. | PLoS One | 2021 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 2053 | SARS-CoV-2 Neutralizing Antibody LY-CoV555 in Outpatients with Covid-19 BACKGROUND: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), which is most frequently mild yet can be severe and life-threatening. Virus-neutralizing monoclonal antibodies are predicted to reduce viral load, ameliorate symptoms, and prevent hospitalization. METHODS: In this ongoing phase 2 trial involving outpatients with recently diagnosed mild or moderate Covid-19, we randomly assigned 452 patients to receive a single intravenous infusion of neutralizing antibody LY-CoV555 in one of three doses (700 mg, 2800 mg, or 7000 mg) or placebo and evaluated the quantitative virologic end points and clinical outcomes. The primary outcome was the change from baseline in the viral load at day 11. The results of a preplanned interim analysis as of September 5, 2020, are reported here. RESULTS: At the time of the interim analysis, the observed mean decrease from baseline in the log viral load for the entire population was −3.81, for an elimination of more than 99.97% of viral RNA. For patients who received the 2800-mg dose of LY-CoV555, the difference from placebo in the decrease from baseline was −0.53 (95% confidence interval [CI], −0.98 to −0.08; P=0.02), for a viral load that was lower by a factor of 3.4. Smaller differences from placebo in the change from baseline were observed among the patients who received the 700-mg dose (−0.20; 95% CI, −0.66 to 0.25; P=0.38) or the 7000-mg dose (0.09; 95% CI, −0.37 to 0.55; P=0.70). On days 2 to 6, the patients who received LY-CoV555 had a slightly lower severity of symptoms than those who received placebo. The percentage of patients who had a Covid-19–related hospitalization or visit to an emergency department was 1.6% in the LY-CoV555 group and 6.3% in the placebo group. CONCLUSIONS: In this interim analysis of a phase 2 trial, one of three doses of neutralizing antibody LY-CoV555 appeared to accelerate the natural decline in viral load over time, whereas the other doses had not by day 11. (Funded by Eli Lilly; BLAZE-1 ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT04427501.) | N Engl J Med | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 2054 | High Prevalence of Obesity in SARS-CoV-2 Requiring Invasive Mechanical Ventilation OBJECTIVE: The Covid‐19 pandemic is rapidly spreading worldwide, notably in Europe and North America, where obesity is highly prevalent. The relation between obesity and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus‐2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) has not been fully documented. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study we analyzed the relationship between clinical characteristics, including body mass index (BMI), and the requirement for invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) in 124 consecutive patients admitted in intensive care for SARS‐CoV‐2, in a single French center. RESULTS: Obesity (BMI >30 kg/m2) and severe obesity (BMI >35 kg/m2) were present in 47.6% and 28.2% of cases, respectively. Overall, 85 patients (68.6%) required IMV. The proportion of patients who required IMV increased with BMI categories (p<0.01, Chi square test for trend), and it was greatest in patients with BMI >35 kg/m2 (85.7%). In multivariate logistic regression, the need for IMV was significantly associated with male sex (p<0.05) and BMI (p<0.05), independent of age, diabetes, and hypertension. The odds ratio for IMV in patients with BMI >35 kg/m2 vs patients with BMI <25 kg/m2 was 7.36 (1.63‐33.14; p=0.02) CONCLUSION: The present study showed a high frequency of obesity among patients admitted in intensive care for SARS‐CoV‐2. Disease severity increased with BMI. Obesity is a risk factor for SARS‐CoV‐2 severity requiring increased attention to preventive measures in susceptible individuals. | Obesity (Silver Spring) | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 2055 | The Impact of Mutations in SARS-CoV-2 Spike on Viral Infectivity and Antigenicity Summary The spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 has been undergoing mutations and is highly glycosylated. It is critically important to investigate the biological significance of these mutations. Here we investigated 80 variants and 26 glycosylation site modifications for the infectivity and reactivity to a panel of neutralizing antibodies and sera from convalescent patients. D614G, along with several variants containing both D614G and another amino acid change, were significantly more infectious. Most variants with amino acid change at receptor binding domain were less infectious but variants including A475V, L452R, V483A and F490L became resistant to some neutralizing antibodies. Moreover, the majority of glycosylation deletions were less infectious whilst deletion of both N331 and N343 glycosylation drastically reduced infectivity, revealing the importance of glycosylation for viral infectivity. Interestingly, N234Q was markedly resistant to neutralizing antibodies, whereas N165Q became more sensitive. These findings could be of value in the development of vaccine and therapeutic antibodies. | Cell | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 2056 | Colchicine for the treatment of COVID-19 N/A | Cochrane Database Syst Rev | 2021 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 2057 | Detection and analysis of nucleic acid in various biological samples of COVID-19 patients Abstract COVID-19 (corona virus disease 2019) is a kind of acute severe pneumonia caused by 2019-nCoV (2019-nCoV) infection. Since December 2019, it has been found in Wuhan, Hubei Province, and then spread to the whole country. Some parts of the world also showed an outbreak trend [1–3]. Real-time fluorescence quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction,RT-PCR) and viral gene sequencing are the gold standard for the diagnosis of COVID-19. At present, upper respiratory tract nasopharyngeal swabs are mostly used as nucleic acid detection samples in China, but the positive rate is low. However, there are few reports on clinical application of 2019-nCoV nucleic acid detection in other biological samples. Methods | The East Section of Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University is a designated COVID-19 hospital in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China. This observation study included 132 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 in the infectious disease areas of the East Section of Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University from 2020.1.31 to 2020.2.29. COVID-19 diagnostic criteria: according to China's 《pneumonia diagnosis and treatment Program of novel coronavirus infection (trial version 7) 》, in accordance with the relevant epidemiological and clinical manifestations, nasopharyngeal swabs real-time fluorescence RT-PCR detection of 2019-nCoV nucleic acid positive, COVID-19 cases were divided into mild, ordinary, severe and severe [4]. The nasopharyngeal swabs of 132 cases of COVID-19 were positive for 2019-nCoV nucleic acid on admission, including 72 males and 60 females, with an average age of 66.7 ± 9.1 years, including 80 cases of common type, 44 cases of severe type and 8 cases of critical type. During the period of admission, under the condition of tertiary protection, nasopharyngeal swabs, sputum, blood, feces and anal swabs of COVID-19 cases were collected many times in the isolation ward for 2019-nCoV nucleic acid detection. All biological samples are sealed and transferred to the laboratory in strict accordance with the standard process. The RT-PCR test kits (BioGerm) were recommended by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The same technician and brand of test kit was used for all RT-PCR testing reported; both internal controls and negative controls were routinely performed with each batch of tests. Results | 132 the results of 2019-nCoV nucleic acid test of various biological samples during the treatment of confirmed COVID-19 cases are as follows: the positive rate of 2019-nCoV nucleic acid test of nasopharyngeal swab is 38.13% (180/472 times), the positive rate of 2019-nCoV nucleic acid test of sputum is 48.68% (148/304 times), the positive rate of blood 2019-nCoV nucleic acid test is 3.03% (4/132 times), and the positive rate of 2019-nCoV nucleic acid test of feces is 9.83% (24/244 times). The positive rate of 2019-nCoV nucleic acid detection in anal swabs is 10.00% (12/120 times). Discussion| In this study, it was found that the positive rate of 2019-nCoV nucleic acid in sputum of 132 patients with COVID-19 was higher than that of nasopharyngeal swabs, and viral nucleic acids were also detected in blood and digestive tract (fecal/anal swabs). Simple detection of nasopharyngeal swab 2019-nCoV nucleic acid detection positive rate is not high, multi-sample 2019-nCoV nucleic acid detection can improve the accuracy, reduce the false negative rate, better guide clinical treatment and evaluate the therapeutic effect. | Travel Med Infect Dis | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 2058 | Health, Lifestyle and Psycho-Social Determinants of Poor Sleep Quality During the Early Phase of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Focus on UK Older Adults Deemed Clinically Extremely Vulnerable Background: Several studies have assessed the impact of COVID-19-related lockdowns on sleep quality across global populations. However, no study to date has specifically assessed at-risk populations, particularly those at highest risk of complications from coronavirus infection deemed “clinically-extremely-vulnerable-(COVID-19CEV)” (as defined by Public Health England). Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we surveyed 5,558 adults aged ≥50 years (of whom 523 met criteria for COVID-19CEV) during the first pandemic wave that resulted in a nationwide-lockdown (April–June 2020) with assessments of sleep quality (an adapted sleep scale that captured multiple sleep indices before and during the lockdown), health/medical, lifestyle, psychosocial and socio-demographic factors. We examined associations between these variables and sleep quality; and explored interactions of COVID-19CEV status with significant predictors of poor sleep, to identify potential moderating factors. Results: Thirty-seven percent of participants reported poor sleep quality which was associated with younger age, female sex and multimorbidity. Significant associations with poor sleep included health/medical factors: COVID-19CEV status, higher BMI, arthritis, pulmonary disease, and mental health disorders; and the following lifestyle and psychosocial factors: living alone, higher alcohol consumption, an unhealthy diet and higher depressive and anxiety symptoms. Moderators of the negative relationship between COVID-19CEV status and good sleep quality were marital status, loneliness, anxiety and diet. Within this subgroup, less anxious and less lonely males, as well as females with healthier diets, reported better sleep. Conclusions: Sleep quality in older adults was compromised during the sudden unprecedented nation-wide lockdown due to distinct modifiable factors. An important contribution of our study is the assessment of a “clinically-extremely-vulnerable” population and the sex differences identified within this group. Male and female older adults deemed COVID-19CEV may benefit from targeted mental health and dietary interventions, respectively. This work extends the available evidence on the notable impact of lack of social interactions during the COVID-19 pandemic on sleep, and provides recommendations toward areas for future work, including research into vulnerability factors impacting sleep disruption and COVID-19-related complications. Study results may inform tailored interventions targeted at modifiable risk factors to promote optimal sleep; additionally, providing empirical data to support health policy development in this area. | Front Public Health | 2021 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 2059 | Digital Inequality During a Pandemic: Quantitative Study of Differences in COVID-19-Related Internet Uses and Outcomes Among the General Population BACKGROUND: The World Health Organization considers coronavirus disease (COVID-19) to be a public emergency threatening global health. During the crisis, the public’s need for web-based information and communication is a subject of focus. Digital inequality research has shown that internet access is not evenly distributed among the general population. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to provide a timely understanding of how different people use the internet to meet their information and communication needs and the outcomes they gain from their internet use in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. We also sought to reveal the extent to which gender, age, personality, health, literacy, education, economic and social resources, internet attitude, material access, internet access, and internet skills remain important factors in obtaining internet outcomes after people engage in the corresponding uses. METHODS: We used a web-based survey to draw upon a sample collected in the Netherlands. We obtained a dataset with 1733 respondents older than 18 years. RESULTS: Men are more likely to engage in COVID-19–related communication uses. Age is positively related to COVID-19–related information uses and negatively related to information and communication outcomes. Agreeableness is negatively related to both outcomes and to information uses. Neuroticism is positively related to both uses and to communication outcomes. Conscientiousness is not related to any of the uses or outcomes. Introversion is negatively related to communication outcomes. Finally, openness relates positively to all information uses and to both outcomes. Physical health has negative relationships with both outcomes. Health perception contributes positively to information uses and both outcomes. Traditional literacy has a positive relationship with information uses and both outcomes. Education has a positive relationship with information and communication uses. Economic and social resources played no roles. Internet attitude is positively related to information uses and outcomes but negatively related to communication uses and outcomes. Material access and internet access contributed to all uses and outcomes. Finally, several of the indicators and outcomes became insignificant after accounting for engagement in internet uses. CONCLUSIONS: Digital inequality is a major concern among national and international scholars and policy makers. This contribution aimed to provide a broader understanding in the case of a major health pandemic by using the ongoing COVID-19 crisis as a context for empirical work. Several groups of people were identified as vulnerable, such as older people, less educated people, and people with physical health problems, low literacy levels, or low levels of internet skills. Generally, people who are already relatively advantaged are more likely to use the information and communication opportunities provided by the internet to their benefit in a health pandemic, while less advantaged individuals are less likely to benefit. Therefore, the COVID-19 crisis is also enforcing existing inequalities. | J Med Internet Res | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 2060 | Static all-atom energetic mappings of the SARS-Cov-2 spike protein and dynamic stability analysis of "Up" vs "Down" protomer states The SARS-CoV-2 virion responsible for the current world-wide pandemic COVID-19 has a characteristic Spike protein (S) on its surface that embellishes both a prefusion state and fusion state. The prefusion Spike protein (S) is a large trimeric protein where each protomer may be in a so-called Up state or Down state, depending on the configuration of its receptor binding domain (RBD) within its distal, prefusion S1 domain. The Up state is believed to allow binding of the virion to ACE-2 receptors on human epithelial cells, whereas the Down state is believed to be relatively inactive or reduced in its binding behavior. We have performed detailed all-atom, dominant energy landscape mappings for noncovalent interactions (charge, partial charge, and van der Waals) of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein in its static prefusion state based on two recent and independent experimental structure publications. We included both interchain interactions and intrachain (domain) interactions in our mappings in order to determine any telling differences (different so-called “glue” points) between residues in the Up and Down state protomers. The S2 proximal, fusion domain demonstrated no appreciable energetic differences between Up and Down protomers, including interchain as well as each protomer’s intrachain, S1-S2 interactions. However, the S1 domain interactions across neighboring protomers, which include the RBD-NTD cross chain interactions, showed significant energetic differences between Up-Down and Down-Down neighboring protomers. This included, for example, a key RBD residue ARG357 in the Up-Down interaction and a three residue sequence ALA520-PRO521-ALA522, associated with a turn structure in the RBD of the Up state protomer, acting as a stabilizing interaction with the NTD of its neighbor protomer. Additionally, our intra chain dominant energy mappings within each protomer, identified a significant “glue” point or possible “latch” for the Down state protomer between the S1 subdomain, SD1, and the RBD domain of the same protomer that was completely missing in the Up state protomer analysis. Ironically, this dominant energetic interaction in the Down state protomer involved the backbone atoms of the same three residue sequence ALA520-PRO521-ALA522 of the RBD with the amino acid R-group of GLN564 in the SD1 domain. Thus, this same three residue sequence acts as a stabilizer of the RBD in the Up conformation through its interactions with its neighboring NTD chain and a kind of latch in the Down state conformation through its interactions with its own SD1 domain. The dominant interaction energy residues identified here are also conserved across reported variations of SARS-CoV-2, as well as the closely related virions SARS-Cov and the bat corona virus RatG13. We conducted preliminary molecular dynamics simulations across 0.1 μ seconds to see if this latch provided structural stability and indeed found that a single point mutation (Q564G) resulted in the latch releasing transforming the protomer from the Down to the Up state conformation. Full trimeric Spike protein studies of the same mutation across all protomers, however, did not exhibit latch release demonstrating the critical importance of interchain interactions across the S1 domain, including RBD-NTD neighboring chain interactions. Therapies aimed at disrupting these noncovalent interactions could be a viable route for the physico-chemical mitigation of this deadly virion. | PLoS One | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 2061 | Three Doses of an mRNA Covid-19 Vaccine in Solid-Organ Transplant Recipients | N Engl J Med | 2021 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 2062 | A systematic review and meta-analysis protocol examining the clinical characteristics and epidemiological features of olfactory dysfunction (OD) in COVID-19 BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused recurring and major outbreaks in multiple human populations around the world. The plethora of clinical presentations of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been described extensively, of which olfactory dysfunction (OD) was established as an important and common extrapulmonary manifestation of COVID-19 infection. The aim of this protocol is to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis on peer-reviewed articles which described clinical data of OD in COVID-19 patients. METHODS: This research protocol has been prospectively registered with the Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO; CRD42020196202). CINAHL, ClinicalTrials.gov, Cochrane Central, EMBASE, MEDLINE and PubMed, as well as Chinese medical databases China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), VIP and WANFANG, will be searched using keywords including ‘COVID-19’, ‘coronavirus disease’, ‘2019-nCoV’, ‘SARS-CoV-2’, ‘novel coronavirus’, ‘anosmia’, ‘hyposmia’, ‘loss of smell’, and ‘olfactory dysfunction’. Systematic review and meta-analysis will be conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) and the Meta-analyses Of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (MOOSE) guidelines. Articles will be screened according to pre-specified inclusion and exclusion criteria to extract studies that include new clinical data investigating the effect of COVID-19 on olfactory dysfunction. Included articles will be reviewed in full; data including patient demographics, clinical characteristics of COVID-19-related OD, methods of olfactory assessment and relevant clinical outcomes will be extracted. Statistical analyses will be performed using the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis version 3. DISCUSSION: This systematic review and meta-analysis protocol will aim to collate and synthesise all available clinical evidence regarding COVID-19-related OD as an important neurosensory dysfunction of COVID-19 infection. A comprehensive search strategy and screening process will be conducted to incorporate broad clinical data for robust statistical analyses and representation. The outcome of the systematic review and meta-analysis will aim to improve our understanding of the symptomatology and clinical characteristics of COVID-19-related OD and identify knowledge gaps in its disease process, which will guide future research in this specific neurosensory defect. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO registration number: CRD42020196202. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13643-021-01624-6. | Syst Rev | 2021 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 2063 | Quantifying SARS-CoV-2 transmission suggests epidemic control with digital contact tracing The newly emergent human virus SARS-CoV-2 is resulting in high fatality rates and incapacitated health systems. Preventing further transmission is a priority. We analyzed key parameters of epidemic spread to estimate the contribution of different transmission routes and determine requirements for case isolation and contact-tracing needed to stop the epidemic. We conclude that viral spread is too fast to be contained by manual contact tracing, but could be controlled if this process was faster, more efficient and happened at scale. A contact-tracing App which builds a memory of proximity contacts and immediately notifies contacts of positive cases can achieve epidemic control if used by enough people. By targeting recommendations to only those at risk, epidemics could be contained without need for mass quarantines (‘lock-downs’) that are harmful to society. We discuss the ethical requirements for an intervention of this kind. | Science | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 2064 | The impact of lockdown stress and loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health among university students in Germany The COVID-19 pandemic led to a shutdown of universities in Germany. In a longitudinal design, we compared mental health (depression, anxiety, somatic complaints) of university students in Germany before (June to August 2019) and in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic (June 2020) and determined the impact of pandemic-related stress and loneliness on students’ mental health in self-report online surveys. We investigated 443 participants (mean age 22.8 years), among them 77% female, and 10.4% medical students. A small increase of depression mean scores was observed (F(1,420) = 5.21; p = .023), anxiety and somatic complaints have not significantly changed. There was a medium increase in loneliness from pre-pandemic scores to the pandemic situation (F(1,423) = 30.56; p < .001). Analyzed with regression analyses, current loneliness and pre-pandemic distress represented the strongest associations with mental health during the pandemic. Additionally, health-related concerns during the pandemic were associated with symptoms of depression [b = 0.21; 95%CI(0.08; 0.34); t = 3.12; p = .002], anxiety [b = 0.07; 95%CI(0.01; 0.12); t = 2.50; p = .013], somatic complaints [b = 0.33; 95%CI(0.18; 0.47); t = 4.49; p < .001], and loneliness [b = 0.10; 95%CI(0.03; 0.17); t = 2.74; p = .006]. Social stress due to the pandemic situation was associated with loneliness [b = 0.38; 95%CI(0.32; 0.45); t = 11.75; p < .001]. The results imply that university students represent a risk group for psychosocial long-term ramifications of the pandemic. | Sci Rep | 2021 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 2065 | Attitude, anxiety and perceived mental Healthcare needs among parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in Saudi Arabia during COVID-19 pandemic N/A | Res Dev Disabil | 2021 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 2066 | Curricular response to COVID-19: real-time interactive telehealth experience (RITE) program Introduction. The COVID-19 pandemic placed an unprecedented strain on academic healthcare systems necessitating a pause in medical student teaching in clinical care settings, including at Weill Cornell Medicine (WCM). WCM had a preexisting telemedicine curriculum, but limited opportunities for students to apply knowledge and skills related to direct virtual patient care. The authors describe the rapid implementation of real-time interactive telehealth experience (RITE) courses for clerkship students to allow for meaningful engagement in remote patient care and continuation of academic progress during the pause. Methods of Course Development. Medical school administration disseminated a request for proposals for RITE courses conforming to the WCM electives format with rapid turnaround time of 1 week or less. Requirements included remote care activities, goals and objectives, general logistics, supervision methods and standards of achievement. RITE courses were developed in outpatient medicine, inpatient medicine, psychiatry and women’s health. A lottery process was developed to register students for the approved courses. Course Implementation and Evaluation. Using the technical platform and standard course registration process, students were assigned to 74 of 76 available RITE course slots. Students participated in supervised remote direct patient care and also provided critical support for frontline healthcare workers by performing remote clinical tasks. Online teaching and reflection sessions were incorporated into each RITE curricular offering. Student feedback was overall positive ranging from 3.33–4.57 out of 5. Discussion. The COVID-19 pandemic created a need to rapidly incorporate telehealth models in order to continue to deliver patient care and an opportunity to develop innovative remote educational experiences. We developed a framework for structured real-time interactive telehealth experiences to address COVID-19 related curricular needs that will be continued post-COVID-19. This expanded telehealth curriculum for our students will provide standardized training in telehealth logistics, communication techniques, and care delivery now essential for graduating medical students. | Med Educ Online | 2021 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 2067 | Mental Health States Experienced by Perinatal Healthcare Workers during COVID-19 Pandemic in Italy Background: The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on mental health status in a variety of populations. Methods: An online non-probability sample survey was used to assess psychological distress symptoms and burnout among perinatal healthcare professionals (PHPs) during the pandemic in Italy. The questionnaire included the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) and the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI). Demographic and occupational factors associated with stress, anxiety, and depression symptoms were analyzed. Results: The sample size was 195. The estimated self-reported rates of moderate to severe anxiety symptoms, depression symptoms, and perceived stress levels were 18.7, 18.7, and 21.5%, respectively. Furthermore, 6.2% of respondents reported burnout. One factor associated with all three self-reported psychological distress issues was suffering from trauma unrelated to the pandemic (aOR: 7.34, 95% CI: 2.73–20.28 for depression; aOR: 6.13, 95% CI: 2.28–16.73 for anxiety; aOR: 3.20, 95% CI: 1.14–8.88 for stress). Compared to physicians, psychologists had lower odds of developing clinically significant depressive symptoms (aOR: 0.21, 95% CI: 0.04–0.94) and high stress levels (aOR: 0.19, 95% CI: 0.04–0.80). Conclusions: High rates of self-reported symptoms of depression and anxiety, as well as perceived stress, among PHPs were reported during the COVID-19 pandemic. Health authorities should implement and integrate timely and regular evidence-based assessment of psychological distress targeting PHPs in their work plans. | Int J Environ Res Public Healt | 2021 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 2068 | Online Health Information Seeking Using "#COVID-19 Patient Seeking Help" on Weibo in Wuhan, China: Descriptive Study BACKGROUND: First detected in Wuhan, China in December 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic stretched the medical system in Wuhan and posed a challenge to the state’s risk communication efforts. Timely access to quality health care information during outbreaks of infectious diseases can be effective to curtail the spread of disease and feelings of anxiety. Although existing studies have extended our knowledge about online health information–seeking behavior, processes, and motivations, rarely have the findings been applied to an outbreak. Moreover, there is relatively little recent research on how people in China are using the internet for seeking health information during a pandemic. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to explore how people in China are using the internet for seeking health information during a pandemic. Drawing on previous research of online health information seeking, this study asks the following research questions: how was the “#COVID-19 Patient Seeking Help” hashtag being used by patients in Wuhan seeking health information on Weibo at the peak of the outbreak? and what kinds of health information were patients in Wuhan seeking on Weibo at the peak of the outbreak? METHODS: Using entity identification and textual analysis on 10,908 posts on Weibo, we identified 1496 patients with COVID-19 using “#COVID-19 Patient Seeking Help” and explored their online health information–seeking behavior. RESULTS: The curve of the hashtag posting provided a dynamic picture of public attention to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many patients faced difficulties accessing offline health care services. In general, our findings confirmed that the internet is used by the Chinese public as an important source of health information. The lockdown policy was found to cut off the patients’ social support network, preventing them from seeking help from family members. The ability to seek information and help online, especially for those with young children or older adult members during the pandemic. A high proportion of female users were seeking health information and help for their parents or for older adults at home. The most searched information included accessing medical treatment, managing self-quarantine, and offline to online support. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the findings contribute to our understanding of health information–seeking behaviors during an outbreak and highlight the importance of paying attention to the information needs of vulnerable groups and the role social media may play. | J Med Internet Res | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 2069 | Scaffold morphing of arbidol (umifenovir) in search of multi-targeting therapy halting the interaction of SARS-CoV-2 with ACE2 and other proteases involved in COVID-19 The rapid emergence of a novel coronavirus, SARS-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), originated from Wuhan, China, imposed a global health emergency. Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor serves as an entry point for this deadly virus while the proteases like furin, transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2) and 3 chymotrypsin-like protease (3CLpro) are involved in the further processing and replication of SARS-CoV-2. The interaction of SP with ACE2 and these proteases results in the SARS-CoV-2 invasion and fast epidemic spread. The small molecular inhibitors are reported to limit the interaction of SP with ACE2 and other proteases. Arbidol, a membrane fusion inhibitor approved for influenza virus is currently undergoing clinical trials against COVID-19. In this context, we report some analogues of arbidol designed by scaffold morphing and structure-based designing approaches with a superior therapeutic profile. The representative compounds A_BR4, A_BR9, A_BR18, A_BR22 and A_BR28 restricted the interaction of SARS-CoV-2 SP with ACE2 and host proteases furin and TMPRSS2. For 3CLPro, Compounds A_BR5, A_BR6, A_BR9 and A_BR18 exhibited high binding affinity, docking score and key residue interactions. Overall, A_BR18 and A_BR28 demonstrated multi-targeting potential against all the targets. Among these top-scoring molecules A_BR9, A_BR18, A_BR22 and A_BR28 were predicted to confer favorable ADME properties. | Virus Res | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 2070 | Early Treatment for Covid-19 with SARS-CoV-2 Neutralizing Antibody Sotrovimab N/A | N Engl J Med | 2021 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 2071 | Multiplex reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification combined with nanoparticle-based lateral flow biosensor for the diagnosis of COVID-19 The ongoing global pandemic (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has become a huge public health issue. Hence, we devised a multiplex reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (mRT-LAMP) coupled with a nanoparticle-based lateral flow biosensor (LFB) assay (mRT-LAMP-LFB) for diagnosing COVID-19. Using two LAMP primer sets, the ORF1ab (opening reading frame 1a/b) and N (nucleoprotein) genes of SARS-CoV-2 were simultaneously amplified in a single-tube reaction, and detected with the diagnosis results easily interpreted by LFB. In presence of FITC (fluorescein)-/digoxin- and biotin-labeled primers, mRT-LAMP produced numerous FITC-/digoxin- and biotin-attached duplex amplicons, which were determined by LFB through immunoreactions (FITC/digoxin on the duplex and anti-FITC/digoxin on the test line of LFB) and biotin/treptavidin interaction (biotin on the duplex and strptavidin on the polymerase nanoparticle). The accumulation of nanoparticles leaded a characteristic crimson band, enabling multiplex analysis of ORF1ab and N gene without instrumentation. The limit of detection (LoD) of COVID-19 mRT-LAMP-LFB was 12 copies (for each detection target) per reaction, and no cross-reactivity was generated from non-SARS-CoV-2 templates. The analytical sensitivity of SARS-CoV-2 was 100% (33/33 oropharynx swab samples collected from COVID-19 patients), and the assay's specificity was also 100% (96/96 oropharynx swab samples collected from non-COVID-19 patients). The total diagnostic test can be completed within 1 h from sample collection to result interpretation. In sum, the COVID-19 mRT-LAMP-LFB assay is a promising tool for diagnosing SARS-CoV-2 infections in frontline public health field and clinical laboratories, especially from resource-poor regions. | Biosens Bioelectron | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 2072 | From Recession to Depression? Prevalence and Correlates of Depression, Anxiety, Traumatic Stress and Burnout in Healthcare Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Greece: A Multicenter, Cross-Sectional Study The COVID-19 pandemic has the potential to adversely affect the mental health of healthcare workers (HCWs). The public healthcare system in Greece was already facing serious challenges at the outset of the outbreak following years of austerity and an escalating refugee crisis. This multi-center, cross-sectional study aims to assess the levels and associated risk factors of anxiety, depression, traumatic stress and burnout of frontline staff in Greece. A total of 464 self-selected HCWs in six reference hospitals completed a questionnaire comprising sociodemographic and work-related information and validated psychometric scales. The proportion of HCWs with symptoms of moderate/severe depression, anxiety and traumatic stress were 30%, 25% and 33%, respectively. Burnout levels were particularly high with 65% of respondents scoring moderate/severe in emotional exhaustion, 92% severe in depersonalization and 51% low/moderate in personal accomplishment. Predictive factors of adverse psychological outcomes included fear, perceived stress, risk of infection, lack of protective equipment and low social support. The psychological burden associated with COVID-19 in healthcare professionals in Greece is considerable, with more than half experiencing at least mild mental health difficulties. Findings signal the need for immediate organizational and individually tailored interventions to enhance resilience and support wellbeing under pandemic conditions. | Int J Environ Res Public Healt | 2021 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 2073 | How are key resources and key demands associated with nurses' work engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic? A cross-sectional study INTRODUCTION: Nurses are assigned a key role in pandemic response, with work engagement considered to be pivotal. The job demands-resources theory assumes that work engagement depends on job resources and job demands. Key job resources and demands have already been proposed for nurses. However, there is no evidence on their importance under pandemic conditions. Hence, the aim of this study was to investigate their relevance to nurses’ work engagement during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: The study was carried out in a cross-sectional design and addressed nurses in direct health care settings in Germany. Data was collected administering a quantitative online survey using valid and reliable measures during the second wave of the pandemic. A convenience sample was obtained, including the use of social media, randomly selected health care facilities, and all universities with nursing-related programs in Germany. The dataset for analyses comprised a total of 1,027 cases. The sample included nurses of various educational levels and from different sectors. Multiple linear regression analysis after multiple imputation was used to examine the relevance of key resources and demands for work engagement. RESULTS: Key resources and demands explained 36% of the variance in nurses’ work engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic. Positive associations were found between the key resources of autonomy ([Formula: see text] , 95% CI [0.011; 0.133]), professional resources ([Formula: see text] , 95% CI [0.124; 0.285]), and interpersonal relationships ([Formula: see text] , 95% CI [0.117; 0.240]) and nurses’ work engagement. On the demands side, lack of formal rewards negatively ([Formula: see text] , 95% CI [–0.380; –0.245]) affected work engagement, whereas work overload ([Formula: see text] , 95% CI [0.001; 0.126]) was positively associated with work engagement. DISCUSSION: The job demands-resources theory is suitable for explaining nurses’ work engagement even in times of crisis. Taken together, key resources and demands have a significant influence on nurses’ work engagement under pandemic conditions. However, not all so-called key resources and demands actually have a key status in a pandemic. CONCLUSION: Any lack of formal rewards should be countered, professional resources should be sustainably secured, and the autonomy of nurses and their interpersonal relationships should be strengthened. Nursing management decisions should be made not only with the current pandemic but also the post-pandemic period in mind. | Z Evid Fortbild Qual Gesundhwe | 2021 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 2074 | Telehealth Home Support During COVID-19 Confinement for Community-Dwelling Older Adults With Mild Cognitive Impairment or Mild Dementia: Survey Study BACKGROUND: The public health emergency of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is rapidly evolving worldwide; some countries, including Spain, have implemented restrictive measures. Populations that are vulnerable to this outbreak and its physical and mental health effects include community-dwelling older adults with mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia. Telehealth is a potential tool to deliver health care and decrease exposure risk. OBJECTIVE: The aims of this study were to explore the impact of confinement on the health and well-being of community-dwelling older adults with mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia, to provide television-based and telephone-based health and social support, and to study the effects of a television-based assistive integrated technology, TV-AssistDem (TeleVision-based ASSistive Integrated Service to supporT European adults living with mild DEMentia or mild cognitive impairment). METHODS: A telephone-based survey was administered in Spain to 93 participants in the TV-AssistDem clinical trial from March 25 to April 6, 2020. RESULTS: Of the respondents, 60/93 (65%) were women. The mean age was 73.34 (SD 6.07), and 69/93 (74%) lived accompanied. Lockdown measures forced 17/93 respondents (18%) to change their living arrangements. Health status was found to be optimal in 89/93 respondents (96%), with no COVID-19 symptoms. Grocery and pharmacy outings were performed by family members of 68/93 participants (73%); 57 (61%) reported overall well-being, and 65 (70%) maintained their sleep quality. However, participants living alone reported greater negative feelings and more sleeping problems. Regarding leisure activities, 53/93 respondents (57%) took walks, 32 (35%) played memory games, 55 (60%) watched television, and 91 (98%) telephoned relatives. 58/93 (64%) respondents reported accessing moderate or too much COVID-19 information, 89 (97%) received it from television, and 56 (62%) stated that their understanding of the information was extreme. 39/93 (39%) respondents had contacted health and social services, while 29 (31%) requested information regarding these services during the telephone call. There were no significant differences in health and well-being between the intervention and control groups. Respondents with TV-AssistDem performed more memory exercises (24/93, 52% vs 8/93, 17.4%; P<.001) than control respondents. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that during COVID-19 confinement, the physical and mental health and well-being was optimal for the majority of our vulnerable population. However, those living alone reported greater negative psychological effects and sleeping problems. Measures adopted to address the negative experiences of confinement included keeping informed about the situation, accessing health and social services, having a support network that prevents risk of exposure to COVID-19 and guarantees food and medical supplies, a daily routine with maintained sleeping habits and leisure activities, staying physically and mentally active with cognitive stimulation exercises, and ensuring social connectedness using technology. Television sets were preferred technological devices to access COVID-19 information, watch television as a recreational activity, and perform memory exercises as an intellectual activity. Television-based telehealth support using TV-AssistDem demonstrated potential for cognitive stimulation. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03653234; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03653234 | J Med Internet Res | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 2075 | Postvaccination SARS-CoV-2 Infections Among Skilled Nursing Facility Residents and Staff Members-Chicago, Illinois, December 2020-March 2021 Early studies suggest that COVID-19 vaccines protect against severe illness (1); however, postvaccination SARS-CoV-2 infections (i.e., breakthrough infections) can occur because COVID-19 vaccines do not offer 100% protection (2,3). Data evaluating the occurrence of breakthrough infections and impact of vaccination in decreasing transmission in congregate settings are limited. Skilled nursing facility (SNF) residents and staff members have been disproportionately affected by SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 (4,5), and were prioritized for COVID-19 vaccination (6,7). Starting December 28, 2020, all 78 Chicago-based SNFs began COVID-19 vaccination clinics over several weeks through the federal Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term Care Program (PPP).† In February 2021, through routine screening, the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) identified a SARS-CoV-2 infection in a SNF resident >14 days after receipt of the second dose of a two-dose COVID-19 vaccination series. SARS-CoV-2 cases, vaccination status, and possible vaccine breakthrough infections were identified by matching facility reports with state case and vaccination registries. Among 627 persons with SARS-CoV-2 infection across 75 SNFs since vaccination clinics began, 22 SARS-CoV-2 infections were identified among 12 residents and 10 staff members across 15 facilities ≥14 days after receiving their second vaccine dose (i.e., breakthrough infections in fully vaccinated persons). Nearly two thirds (14 of 22; 64%) of persons with breakthrough infections were asymptomatic; two residents were hospitalized because of COVID-19, and one died. No facility-associated secondary transmission occurred. Although few SARS-CoV-2 infections in fully vaccinated persons were observed, these cases demonstrate the need for SNFs to follow recommended routine infection prevention and control practices and promote high vaccination coverage among SNF residents and staff members. | MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep | 2021 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 2076 | Risk, resilience, psychological distress and anxiety at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany BACKGROUND: The current COVID‐19 pandemic comes with multiple psychological stressors due to health‐related, social, economic, and individual consequences and may cause psychological distress. The aim of this study was to screen the population in Germany for negative impact on mental health in the current COVID‐19 pandemic and to analyze possible risk and protective factors. METHODS: A total of 6,509 people took part in an online survey in Germany from 27 March to 6 April. The questionnaire included demographic information and ascertained psychological distress, anxiety and depressive symptoms, and risk and protective factors. RESULTS: In our sample, over 50% expressed suffering from anxiety and psychological distress regarding the COVID‐19 pandemic. Participants spent several hours per day thinking about COVID‐19 (M = 4.45). Psychological and social determinants showed stronger associations with anxiety regarding COVID‐19 than experiences with the disease. CONCLUSIONS: The current COVID‐19 pandemic does cause psychological distress, anxiety, and depression for large proportions of the general population. Strategies such as maintaining a healthy lifestyle and social contacts, acceptance of anxiety and negative emotions, fostering self‐efficacy, and information on where to get medical treatment if needed, seem of help, while substance abuse and suppression of anxiety and negative emotions seem to be associated with more psychological burden. | Brain Behav | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 2077 | Occupational Disruptions during the COVID-19 Pandemic and Their Association with Healthcare Workers' Mental Health Background: The COVID-19 crisis has caused prolonged and extreme demands on healthcare services. This study investigates the types and prevalence of occupational disruptions, and associated symptoms of mental illness, among Australian frontline healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A national cross-sectional online survey was conducted between 27 August and 23 October 2020. Frontline healthcare workers were invited to participate via dissemination from major health organisations, professional associations or colleges, universities, government contacts, and national media. Data were collected on demographics, home and work situations, and validated scales of anxiety, depression, PTSD, and burnout. Results: Complete responses were received from 7846 healthcare workers (82.4%). Most respondents were female (80.9%) and resided in the Australian state of Victoria (85.2%). Changes to working conditions were common, with 48.5% reporting altered paid or unpaid hours, and many redeployed (16.8%) or changing work roles (27.3%). Nearly a third (30.8%) had experienced a reduction in household income during the pandemic. Symptoms of mental illness were common, being present in 62.1% of participants. Many respondents felt well supported by their workplaces (68.3%) and believed that workplace communication was timely and useful (74.4%). Participants who felt well supported by their organisation had approximately half the risk of experiencing moderate to severe anxiety, depression, burnout, and PTSD. Half (50.4%) of respondents indicated a need for additional training in using personal protective equipment and/or caring for patients with COVID-19. Conclusions: Occupational disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic occurred commonly in health organisations and were associated with worse mental health outcomes in the Australian health workforce. Feeling well supported was associated with significantly fewer adverse mental health outcomes. Crisis preparedness focusing on the provision of timely and useful communication and support is essential in current and future crises. | Int J Environ Res Public Healt | 2021 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 2078 | Can Individuals with Suboptimal Antibody Responses to Conventional Antiviral Vaccines Acquire Adequate Antibodies from SARS-CoV-2 mRNA Vaccination? In Japan, healthcare workers (HCWs) are vaccinated against measles, rubella, chickenpox, mumps, and hepatitis B to prevent nosocomial infection; however, some do not produce sufficient antibodies (“suboptimal responders”). This study compared immune responses to a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2 mRNA) vaccine among HCWs with normal and suboptimal responses to conventional vaccines. In this prospective cohort study, 50 HCWs received two doses of BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine 3 weeks apart. SARS-CoV-2 anti-spike antibodies were measured 11 times, starting before the first vaccination and ending 5 months after the second vaccination. Antibody titers of four suboptimal and 46 normal responders were compared. SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody activity was measured twice in suboptimal responders, 1 week/1 month and 5 months after the second vaccination. The SARS-CoV-2 anti-spike antibody was detectable in the samples from suboptimal and normal responders at each timepoint after vaccination. Suboptimal responders exhibited SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody activity 1 week/1 month as well as 5 months after the second vaccination; however, activity was slightly reduced at 5 months. Our findings show that suboptimal responders do acquire adequate SARS-CoV-2 anti-spike and SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies from vaccination to prevent SARS-CoV-2. SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines should thus be recommended for both normal and suboptimal responders to conventional vaccines. | Viruses | 2022 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 2079 | SARS-CoV-2 Detection in Fecal Sample from a Patient with Typical Findings of COVID-19 Pneumonia on CT but Negative to Multiple SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR Tests on Oropharyngeal and Nasopharyngeal Swab Samples Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) negative results in the upper respiratory tract represent a major concern for the clinical management of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. Herein, we report the case of a 43-years-old man with a strong clinical suspicion of COVID-19, who resulted in being negative to multiple severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RT-PCR tests performed on different oropharyngeal and nasopharyngeal swabs, despite serology having confirmed the presence of SARS-CoV-2 IgM. The patient underwent a chest computed tomography (CT) that showed typical imaging findings of COVID-19 pneumonia. The presence of viral SARS-CoV-2 was confirmed only by performing a SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR test on stool. Performing of SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR test on fecal samples can be a rapid and useful approach to confirm COVID-19 diagnosis in cases where there is an apparent discrepancy between COVID-19 clinical symptoms coupled with chest CT and SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR tests’ results on samples from the upper respiratory tract. | Medicina (Kaunas) | 2021 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 2080 | Estimated Protection of Prior SARS-CoV-2 Infection Against Reinfection With the Omicron Variant Among Messenger RNA-Vaccinated and Nonvaccinated Individuals in Quebec, Canada N/A | JAMA Netw Open | 2022 | LitCov | |
| 2081 | Mental health status of health-care professionals working in quarantine and non-quarantine Egyptian hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic N/A | East Mediterr Health J | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 2082 | Psychological Distress and Its Correlates Among COVID-19 Survivors During Early Convalescence Across Age Groups OBJECTIVE: To examine the psychological distress and the associated predictor factors of the 2019 corona-virus disease (COVID-19) on survivors in the early recovery stage across their ages in Shenzhen. METHOD: A survey questionnaire consisting of post-traumatic stress disorder self-rating scale (PTSD-SS), self-rating depression scale (SDS) and self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) was presented to COVID-19 survivors still in quarantine. Demographic variables, sociopsychological variables, medical history, and overall parameters of COVID-19 were collected by telephone interviews and by checking medical records. Scores of each scale and subscale were dependent variables in the statistical analysis using the Mann-Whitney test and stepwise regression analysis. RESULTS: A total of 126 subjects were included in the study, the mean scores of PTSD-SS, SDS and SAS were 45.5±18.9, 47.3±13.1 and 43.2±10.2 respectively, meanwhile, 9(31.0%), 28 (22.2%), and 48(38.1%) of the survivors met the cut-score for clinical significant symptoms of stress response, anxiety and depression, respectively. Infected family members, and post-infection physical discomforts were significantly associated with scores on all three scales. Social support, retirement, and being female had significant associations with the PTSD-SS score. The survivors aged 60 or above experienced less severe stress response symptoms, fewer emotional symptoms of depression, and fewer anxiety symptoms than younger survivors. CONCLUSION: The occurrence rate of psychological distress among the COVID-19 survivors in early convalescence was high, which may improve after the quarantine or may persist and even deteriorate with time as reported in SARS survivors, highlighting the need for all COVID-19 survivors to be screened for psychological distress regularly for timely intervention. The predictors indicated by the current study may help to identify those at high-risk. The current study also contributes to geriatric psychiatry by indicating that the older survivors suffered less emotional reactivity and fewer stress response symptoms from infectious diseases than the younger ones. | Am J Geriatr Psychiatry | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 2083 | Hesitancy toward COVID-19 vaccines among medical students in Southwest China: a cross-sectional study N/A | Hum Vaccin Immunother | 2021 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 2084 | Current Understanding of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome (MIS-C) Following COVID-19 and Its Distinction from Kawasaki Disease PURPOSE OF REVIEW: In this article, I have reviewed current reports that explore differences and similarities between multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) and other known multisystem inflammatory diseases seen in children, particularly Kawasaki disease. RECENT FINDINGS: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a human coronavirus causing the COVID-19 disease which emerged in China in December 2019 and spread rapidly to the entire country and quickly to other countries. Currently, there is a pandemic of SARS-CoV-2 infection that results in 20% of patients admitted to hospital with illness, with 3% developing intractable acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) with high mortality. However, pediatric COVID-19 is still reported to be a mild disease, affecting only 8% of children. Pathogenesis in children is comparable to adults. There are suggested impaired activation of IFN-alpha and IFN regulator 3, decreased cell response causing impaired viral defense, yet the clinical course is mild, and almost all children recover from the infection without major complications. Interestingly, there is a subset of patients that develop a late but marked immunogenic response to COVID-19 and develop MIS-C. SUMMARY: Clinical features of MIS-C resemble certain pediatric rheumatologic diseases, such as Kawasaki disease (mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome) which affects small-medium vessels. Other features of MIS-C resemble those of macrophage activation syndrome (MAS). However, recent research suggests distinct clinical and laboratory differences between MIS-C, Kawasaki disease, and MAS. Since the start of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, MIS-C has become the candidate for the most common cause of acquired heart disease in children. | Curr Rheumatol Rep | 2021 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 2085 | Psychosocial health of school-aged children during the initial COVID-19 safer-at-home school mandates in Florida: a cross-sectional study BACKGROUND: Given the emerging literature regarding the impacts of lockdown measures on mental health, this study aims to describe the psychosocial health of school-aged children and adolescents during the COVID-19 Safer-at-Home School mandates. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in April 2020 (n = 280) among K-12 students at a research school in North Central Florida. Bivariate analysis and logistic and multinomial logistic regression models were used to examine socio-demographic and knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) predictors of indicators of anxiety-related, depressive, and obsessive-compulsive disorder(OCD)-related symptoms. Outcomes (anxiety, OCD, and depressive related symptoms) were measured by indices generated based on reported symptoms associated with each psychosocial outcome. RESULTS: Loss of household income was associated with increased risk for all three index-based outcomes: depressive symptoms [aOR = 3.130, 95% CI = (1.41–6.97)], anxiety-related symptoms [aOR = 2.531, 95%CI = (1.154–5.551)], and OCD-related symptoms [aOR = 2.90, 95%CI = (1.32–6.36)]. Being female was associated with being at higher risk for depressive symptoms [aOR = 1.72, 95% CI = (1.02–2.93)], anxiety-related symptoms [aOR = 1.75, 95% CI = (1.04–2.97)], and OCD-related symptoms [aOR = 1.764, 95%CI = (1.027–3.028)]. Parental practices protective against COVID-19 were associated with children being at higher risk of depressive symptoms [aOR = 1.55, 95% CI = (1.04–2.31)]. Lower school level was associated with children being at higher risk of anxiety-related and OCD-related symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, schools should prioritize mental health interventions that target younger, female students, and children of families with income loss. Limiting the spread of COVID-19 through school closure may exacerbate negative psychosocial health outcomes in children, thus school administrators should move quickly to target those at greatest risk. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-021-10540-2. | BMC Public Health | 2021 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 2086 | Individual quarantine vs active monitoring of contacts for the mitigation of COVID-19: a modelling study BACKGROUND: Voluntary individual quarantine and voluntary active monitoring of contacts are core disease control strategies for emerging infectious diseases such as COVID-19. Given the impact of quarantine on resources and individual liberty, it is vital to assess under what conditions individual quarantine can more effectively control COVID-19 than active monitoring. As an epidemic grows, it is also important to consider when these interventions are no longer feasible and broader mitigation measures must be implemented. METHODS: To estimate the comparative efficacy of individual quarantine and active monitoring of contacts to control severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), we fit a stochastic branching model to reported parameters for the dynamics of the disease. Specifically, we fit a model to the incubation period distribution (mean 5·2 days) and to two estimates of the serial interval distribution: a shorter one with a mean serial interval of 4·8 days and a longer one with a mean of 7·5 days. To assess variable resource settings, we considered two feasibility settings: a high-feasibility setting with 90% of contacts traced, a half-day average delay in tracing and symptom recognition, and 90% effective isolation; and a low-feasibility setting with 50% of contacts traced, a 2-day average delay, and 50% effective isolation. FINDINGS: Model fitting by sequential Monte Carlo resulted in a mean time of infectiousness onset before symptom onset of 0·77 days (95% CI −1·98 to 0·29) for the shorter serial interval, and for the longer serial interval it resulted in a mean time of infectiousness onset after symptom onset of 0·51 days (95% CI −0·77 to 1·50). Individual quarantine in high-feasibility settings, where at least 75% of infected contacts are individually quarantined, contains an outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 with a short serial interval (4·8 days) 84% of the time. However, in settings where the outbreak continues to grow (eg, low-feasibility settings), so too will the burden of the number of contacts traced for active monitoring or quarantine, particularly uninfected contacts (who never develop symptoms). When resources are prioritised for scalable interventions such as physical distancing, we show active monitoring or individual quarantine of high-risk contacts can contribute synergistically to mitigation efforts. Even under the shorter serial interval, if physical distancing reduces the reproductive number to 1·25, active monitoring of 50% of contacts can result in overall outbreak control (ie, effective reproductive number <1). INTERPRETATION: Our model highlights the urgent need for more data on the serial interval and the extent of presymptomatic transmission to make data-driven policy decisions regarding the cost–benefit comparisons of individual quarantine versus active monitoring of contacts. To the extent that these interventions can be implemented, they can help mitigate the spread of SARS-CoV-2. FUNDING: National Institute of General Medical Sciences, National Institutes of Health. | Lancet Infect Dis | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 2087 | Primary Healthcare Facility Preparedness for Outpatient Service Provision During the COVID-19 Pandemic in India: Cross-Sectional Study BACKGROUND: Primary health centers (PHCs) represent the first tier of the Indian health care system, providing a range of essential outpatient services to people living in the rural, suburban, and hard-to-reach areas. Diversion of health care resources for containing the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has significantly undermined the accessibility and availability of essential health services. Under these circumstances, the preparedness of PHCs in providing safe patient-centered care and meeting the current health needs of the population while preventing further transmission of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection is crucial. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the primary health care facility preparedness toward the provision of safe outpatient services during the COVID-19 pandemic in India. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study among supervisors and managers of primary health care facilities attached to medical colleges and institutions in India. A list of 60 faculties involved in the management and supervision of PHCs affiliated with the community medicine departments of medical colleges and institutes across India was compiled from an accessible private organization member database. We collected the data through a rapid survey from April 24 to 30, 2020, using a Google Forms online digital questionnaire that evaluated preparedness parameters based on self-assessment by the participants. The preparedness domains assessed were infrastructure availability, health worker safety, and patient care. RESULTS: A total of 51 faculties responded to the survey. Each medical college and institution had on average a total of 2.94 (SD 1.7) PHCs under its jurisdiction. Infrastructural and infection control deficits at the PHC were reported in terms of limited physical space and queuing capacity, lack of separate entry and exit gates (n=25, 49%), inadequate ventilation (n=29, 57%), and negligible airborne infection control measures (n=38, 75.5%). N95 masks were available at 26 (50.9%) sites. Infection prevention and control measures were also suboptimal with inadequate facilities for handwashing and hand hygiene reported in 23.5% (n=12) and 27.4% (n=14) of sites, respectively. The operation of outpatient services, particularly related to maternal and child health, was significantly disrupted (P<.001) during the COVID-19 pandemic. CONCLUSIONS: Existing PHC facilities in India providing outpatient services are constrained in their functioning during the COVID-19 pandemic due to weak infrastructure contributing to suboptimal patient safety and infection control measures. Furthermore, there is a need for effective planning, communication, and coordination between the centralized health policy makers and health managers working at primary health care facilities to ensure overall preparedness during public health emergencies. | JMIR Public Health Surveill | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 2088 | Molecular and serological characterization of SARS-CoV-2 infection among COVID-19 patients BACKGROUND: SARS-CoV-2 is a novel coronavirus and the cause of COVID-19. More than 80% of COVID-19 patients exhibit mild or moderate symptoms. In this study, we investigated the dynamics of viral load and antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in a longitudinal cohort of COVID-19 patients with severe and mild/moderate diseases. METHODS: Demographic and clinical information were obtained. Serial samples of blood, nasal and pharyngeal and anal swabs were collected at different time points post-onset. SARS-CoV-2 RNA and anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were measured by qRT-PCR and immunoassays, respectively. RESULTS: Respiratory SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detectable in 58.0% (58/100) COVID-19 patients upon admission and lasted for a median of 13 days post-onset. In addition, 5.9% (1/17) and 20.2% (19/94) of the blood and anal swab specimens were positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA, respectively. Anal viral RNA was more frequently detected in the patients who were positive for viral RNA in the respiratory samples upon admission. Specific anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody developed within two weeks after onset, reached peak approximately 17 days post-onset and then maintained at relatively high level up to 50 days we analyzed in most patients. However, the levels of antibodies were variable among the patients. High titers of antibodies appeared to be associated with the severity of the disease. Furthermore, viral proteins from different sources showed significant difference of serological sensitivity especially during the first week post-onset. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate rapid clearance or self-elimination of viral RNA in about half of the COVID-19 patients upon admission. Viral RNA shedding of SARS-CoV-2 occurred in multiple tissues including the respiratory system, blood, and intestine. Variable levels of specific anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody may be associated with disease severity. These findings have shed light on viral kinetics and antibody response in COVID-19 patients and provide scientific evidence for infection control and patient management. | Virology | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 2089 | The omicron (B.1.1.529) SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern does not readily infect Syrian hamsters The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VoCs) has exacerbated the COVID-19 pandemic. End of November 2021, a new SARS-CoV-2 variant namely the omicron (B.1.1.529) emerged. Since this omicron variant is heavily mutated in the spike protein, WHO classified this variant as the 5th variant of concern (VoC). We previously demonstrated that the ancestral strain and the other SARS-CoV-2 VoCs replicate efficiently in and cause a COVID19-like pathology in Syrian hamsters. We here wanted to explore the infectivity of the omicron variant in comparison to the ancestral D614G strain in the hamster model. Strikingly, in hamsters that had been infected with the omicron variant, a 3 log(10) lower viral RNA load was detected in the lungs as compared to animals infected with D614G and no infectious virus was detectable in this organ. Moreover, histopathological examination of the lungs from omicron-infected hamsters revealed no signs of peri-bronchial inflammation or bronchopneumonia. | Antiviral Res | 2022 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 2090 | SARS-CoV-2 Related rapid reorganization of an epilepsy outpatient clinic from personal appointments to telemedicine services: A German single-center experience INTRODUCTION: When the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic reached Europe in 2020, a German governmental order forced clinics to immediately suspend elective care, causing a problem for patients with chronic illnesses such as epilepsy. Here, we report the experience of one clinic that converted its outpatient care from personal appointments to telemedicine services. METHODS: Documentations of telephone contacts and telemedicine consultations at the Epilepsy Center Frankfurt Rhine-Main were recorded in detail between March and May 2020 and analyzed for acceptance, feasibility, and satisfaction of the conversion from personal to telemedicine appointments from both patients' and medical professionals' perspectives. RESULTS: Telephone contacts for 272 patients (mean age: 38.7 years, range: 17–79 years, 55.5% female) were analyzed. Patient-rated medical needs were either very urgent (6.6%, n = 18), urgent (23.5%, n = 64), less urgent (29.8%, n = 81), or nonurgent (39.3%, n = 107). Outpatient service cancelations resulted in a lack of understanding (9.6%, n = 26) or anger and aggression (2.9%, n = 8) in a minority of patients, while 88.6% (n = 241) reacted with understanding, or relief (3.3%, n = 9). Telemedicine consultations rather than a postponed face-to-face visit were requested by 109 patients (40.1%), and these requests were significantly associated with subjective threat by SARS-CoV-2 (p = 0.004), urgent or very urgent medical needs (p = 0.004), and female gender (p = 0.024). Telemedicine satisfaction by patients and physicians was high. Overall, 9.2% (n = 10) of patients reported general supply problems due to SARS-CoV-2, and 28.4% (n = 31) reported epilepsy-specific problems, most frequently related to prescriptions, or supply problems for antiseizure drugs (ASDs; 22.9%, n = 25). CONCLUSION: Understanding and acceptance of elective ambulatory visit cancelations and the conversion to telemedicine consultations was high during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdown. Patients who engaged in telemedicine consultations were highly satisfied, supporting the feasibility and potential of telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. | Epilepsy Behav | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 2091 | Identification of COVID-19 samples from chest X-Ray images using deep learning: A comparison of transfer learning approaches BACKGROUND: The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) constitutes a public health emergency globally. The number of infected people and deaths are proliferating every day, which is putting tremendous pressure on our social and healthcare system. Rapid detection of COVID-19 cases is a significant step to fight against this virus as well as release pressure off the healthcare system. OBJECTIVE: One of the critical factors behind the rapid spread of COVID-19 pandemic is a lengthy clinical testing time. The imaging tool, such as Chest X-ray (CXR), can speed up the identification process. Therefore, our objective is to develop an automated CAD system for the detection of COVID-19 samples from healthy and pneumonia cases using CXR images. METHODS: Due to the scarcity of the COVID-19 benchmark dataset, we have employed deep transfer learning techniques, where we examined 15 different pre-trained CNN models to find the most suitable one for this task. RESULTS: A total of 860 images (260 COVID-19 cases, 300 healthy and 300 pneumonia cases) have been employed to investigate the performance of the proposed algorithm, where 70% images of each class are accepted for training, 15% is used for validation, and rest is for testing. It is observed that the VGG19 obtains the highest classification accuracy of 89.3% with an average precision, recall, and F1 score of 0.90, 0.89, 0.90, respectively. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates the effectiveness of deep transfer learning techniques for the identification of COVID-19 cases using CXR images. | J Xray Sci Technol | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 2092 | Association of Web-Based Physical Education With Mental Health of College Students in Wuhan During the COVID-19 Outbreak: Cross-Sectional Survey Study BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 outbreak has affected people’s health worldwide. For college students, web-based physical education is a challenge, as these course are normally offered outdoors. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to use data from a web-based survey to evaluate the relationship between the mental health status of college students and their sports-related lifestyles. Problems related to web-based physical education were also examined. METHODS: A web-based survey was conducted by snowball sampling from May 8 to 11, 2020. Demographic data, mental health status, and sports-related lifestyles of college students in Wuhan as well as issues related to web-based physical education were collected. Mental health status was assessed by the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21). RESULTS: The study included 1607 respondents from 267 cities. The average scores of the DASS-21 subscales (2.46 for depression, 1.48 for anxiety, and 2.59 for stress) were significantly lower in our study than in a previous study (P<.05). Lower DASS-21 scores were significantly correlated with regular exercise, maintaining exercise habits during the outbreak of COVID-19, exercising more than 1 to 2 times a week, exercise duration >1 hour, and >2000 pedometer steps (all P<.05). None of the three forms of web-based physical education was preferred by more than 50% of respondents. Frequent technical problems were confronted by 1087/1607 students (67.6%). Shape-up exercises (846/1607, 52.6%), a designed combination of exercises (710/1607, 44.2%), and Chinese kung fu (559/1607, 34.8%) were suggested sports for web-based physical education. CONCLUSIONS: Mental status was significantly correlated with regular exercise and sufficient exercise duration. Professional physical guidance is needed for college students in selected sports. Exercises not meeting students’ preferences, frequent technical problems, and the distant interaction involved in web-based physical education were the main problems that should be solved in future. | J Med Internet Res | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 2093 | Use of Telehealth by Surgical Specialties During the COVID-19 Pandemic N/A | JAMA Surg | 2021 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 2094 | We've got through hard times before: acute mental distress and coping among disadvantaged groups during COVID-19 lockdown in North India-a qualitative study BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 crisis in India negatively impacted mental health due to both the disease and the harsh lockdown, yet there are almost no qualitative studies describing mental health impacts or the strategies of resilience used, and in particular, no reports from the most vulnerable groups. This study aimed to examine the acute mental health impacts of the COVID-19 crisis as well as coping strategies employed by disadvantaged community members in North India. METHODS: We used an intersectional lens for this qualitative study set in rural Tehri Garwhal and urban Dehradun districts of Uttarakhand, India. In-depth interviews were conducted in May 2020 during lockdown, by phone and in person using purposive selection, with people with disabilities, people living in slums with psychosocial disabilities and widows (total n = 24). We used the framework method for analysis following steps of transcription and translation, familiarisation, coding, developing and then applying a framework, charting and then interpreting data. FINDINGS: The participants with compounded disadvantage had almost no access to mobile phones, health messaging or health care and experienced extreme mental distress and despair, alongside hunger and loss of income. Under the realms of intrapersonal, interpersonal and social, six themes related to mental distress emerged: feeling overwhelmed and bewildered, feeling distressed and despairing, feeling socially isolated, increased events of othering and discrimination, and experiencing intersectional disadvantage. The six themes summarising coping strategies in the COVID-19 crisis were: finding sense and meaning, connecting with others, looking for positive ways forward, innovating with new practices, supporting others individually and collectively, and engaging with the natural world. CONCLUSIONS: People intersectionally disadvantaged by their social identity experienced high levels of mental distress during the COVID-19 crisis, yet did not collapse, and instead described diverse and innovative strategies which enabled them to cope through the COVID-19 lockdown. This study illustrates that research using an intersectional lens is valuable to design equitable policy such as the need for access to digital resources, and that disaggregated data is needed to address social inequities at the intersection of poverty, disability, caste, religious discrimination and gender inherent in the COVID-19 pandemic in India. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12939-020-01345-7. | Int J Equity Health | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 2095 | The Association Between Patient Satisfaction and Mode of Visit (Telemedicine Versus In-Person) in a Large Orthopaedic Practice During the COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown: A Retrospective Study BACKGROUND: During the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, telemedicine was rapidly adopted to provide continued, efficient, and safe medical care. Little is known about patient satisfaction with telemedicine in orthopedics or the factors associated with selection of telemedicine versus face-to-face care. Thus, we examined (1) the association between patient satisfaction and mode of visit (telemedicine versus in-person) and (2) predictors of patient satisfaction in a large orthopedic practice during the onset of the pandemic. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of in-person and telemedicine visits within a large, university-affiliated orthopaedic practice between March 2020 and April 2020 during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Patients who completed a patient satisfaction survey were included. Demographic and other office visit (eg, type of provider and type of visit) data were collected. A Patient Satisfaction Aggregate (PSA, range 0 to 1) score was calculated by taking the average of five patient satisfaction questions. Linear regression was used to examine (1) the association between PSA score and mode of visit and (2) predictors of PSA score. RESULTS: A total of 2,049 of 6,515 patient satisfaction surveys were completed and included for analysis, of which 748 had telemedicine visits and 1,301 had in-person visits. No association was found between PSA score and mode of visit with and without adjustment for duration of patient-physician relationship, appointment type (new versus follow-up), provider type (physician versus nonphysician), and provider subspecialty (β(unadjusted) = 0.004 [SE = 0.01], P = 0.44; β(adjusted) = 0.001 [SE = 0.01], P = 0.92). Predictors of increased PSA score were White race (P = 0.001), >1 year relationship with provider (P(1-3 years) = 0.01, P(3-5 years) = 0.04, and P(5+ years) = 0.002), physician provider (P = 0.004), and foot/ankle provider (P = 0.04), whereas predictors of decreased PSA score were oncology provider (P = 0.02) and spine provider (P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: We found no association between PSA score and mode of visit. Predictors of PSA score included race, duration of patient-physician relationship, provider type, and provider subspecialty. | J Am Acad Orthop Surg Glob Res | 2021 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 2096 | Overview of Immune Response During SARS-CoV-2 Infection: Lessons From the Past After the 1918 flu pandemic, the world is again facing a similar situation. However, the advancement in medical science has made it possible to identify that the novel infectious agent is from the coronavirus family. Rapid genome sequencing by various groups helped in identifying the structure and function of the virus, its immunogenicity in diverse populations, and potential preventive measures. Coronavirus attacks the respiratory system, causing pneumonia and lymphopenia in infected individuals. Viral components like spike and nucleocapsid proteins trigger an immune response in the host to eliminate the virus. These viral antigens can be either recognized by the B cells or presented by MHC complexes to the T cells, resulting in antibody production, increased cytokine secretion, and cytolytic activity in the acute phase of infection. Genetic polymorphism in MHC enables it to present some of the T cell epitopes very well over the other MHC alleles. The association of MHC alleles and its downregulated expression has been correlated with disease severity against influenza and coronaviruses. Studies have reported that infected individuals can, after recovery, induce strong protective responses by generating a memory T-cell pool against SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV. These memory T cells were not persistent in the long term and, upon reactivation, caused local damage due to cross-reactivity. So far, the reports suggest that SARS-CoV-2, which is highly contagious, shows related symptoms in three different stages and develops an exhaustive T-cell pool at higher loads of viral infection. As there are no specific treatments available for this novel coronavirus, numerous small molecular drugs that are being used for the treatment of diseases like SARS, MERS, HIV, ebola, malaria, and tuberculosis are being given to COVID-19 patients, and clinical trials for many such drugs have already begun. A classical immunotherapy of convalescent plasma transfusion from recovered patients has also been initiated for the neutralization of viremia in terminally ill COVID-19 patients. Due to the limitations of plasma transfusion, researchers are now focusing on developing neutralizing antibodies against virus particles along with immuno-modulation of cytokines like IL-6, Type I interferons (IFNs), and TNF-α that could help in combating the infection. This review highlights the similarities of the coronaviruses that caused SARS and MERS to the novel SARS-CoV-2 in relation to their pathogenicity and immunogenicity and also focuses on various treatment strategies that could be employed for curing COVID-19. | Front Immunol | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 2097 | Severe obesity, increasing age and male sex are independently associated with worse in-hospital outcomes and higher in-hospital mortality, in a cohort of patients with COVID-19 in the Bronx, New York BACKGROUND & AIMS: New York is the current epicenter of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The underrepresented minorities, where the prevalence of obesity is higher, appear to be affected disproportionately. Our objectives were to assess the characteristics and early outcomes of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in the Bronx and investigate whether obesity is associated with worse outcomes independently from age, gender and other comorbidities. METHODS: This retrospective study included the first 200 patients admitted to a tertiary medical center with COVID-19. The electronic medical records were reviewed at least three weeks after admission. The primary endpoint was in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: 200 patients were included (female sex: 102, African American: 102). The median BMI was 30 kg/m(2). The median age was 64 years. Hypertension (76%), hyperlipidemia (46.2%), and diabetes (39.5%) were the three most common comorbidities. Fever (86%), cough (76.5%), and dyspnea (68%) were the three most common symptoms. 24% died during hospitalization (BMI < 25 kg/m(2): 31.6%, BMI 25–34 kg/m(2): 17.2%, BMI ≥ 35 kg/m(2): 34.8%, p = 0.03). Increasing age (analyzed in quartiles), male sex, BMI ≥ 35 kg/m(2) (reference: BMI 25–34 kg/m(2)), heart failure, CAD, and CKD or ESRD were found to have a significant univariate association with mortality. The multivariate analysis demonstrated that BMI ≥ 35 kg/m(2) (reference: BMI 25–34 kg/m(2), OR: 3.78; 95% CI: 1.45–9.83; p = 0.006), male sex (OR: 2.74; 95% CI: 1.25–5.98; p = 0.011) and increasing age (analyzed in quartiles, OR: 1.73; 95% CI: 1.13–2.63; p = 0.011) were independently associated with higher in-hospital mortality. Similarly, age, male sex, BMI ≥ 35 kg/m(2) and current or prior smoking were significant predictors for increasing oxygenation requirements in the multivariate analysis, while male sex, age and BMI ≥ 35 kg/m(2) were significant predictors in the multivariate analysis for the outcome of intubation. CONCLUSIONS: In this cohort of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 in a minority-predominant population, severe obesity, increasing age, and male sex were independently associated with higher in-hospital mortality and in general worse in-hospital outcomes. | Metabolism | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 2098 | Risk Factors Associated With SARS-CoV-2 Seropositivity Among US Healthcare Personnel IMPORTANCE: Risks for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection among health care personnel (HCP) are unclear. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the risk factors associated with SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity among HCP with the a priori hypothesis that community exposure but not health care exposure was associated with seropositivity. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This cross-sectional study was conducted among volunteer HCP at 4 large health care systems in 3 US states. Sites shared deidentified data sets, including previously collected serology results, questionnaire results on community and workplace exposures at the time of serology, and 3-digit residential zip code prefix of HCP. Site-specific responses were mapped to a common metadata set. Residential weekly coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cumulative incidence was calculated from state-based COVID-19 case and census data. EXPOSURES: Model variables included demographic (age, race, sex, ethnicity), community (known COVID-19 contact, COVID-19 cumulative incidence by 3-digit zip code prefix), and health care (workplace, job role, COVID-19 patient contact) factors. MAIN OUTCOME AND MEASURES: The main outcome was SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity. Risk factors for seropositivity were estimated using a mixed-effects logistic regression model with a random intercept to account for clustering by site. RESULTS: Among 24 749 HCP, most were younger than 50 years (17 233 [69.6%]), were women (19 361 [78.2%]), were White individuals (15 157 [61.2%]), and reported workplace contact with patients with COVID-19 (12 413 [50.2%]). Many HCP worked in the inpatient setting (8893 [35.9%]) and were nurses (7830 [31.6%]). Cumulative incidence of COVID-19 per 10 000 in the community up to 1 week prior to serology testing ranged from 8.2 to 275.6; 20 072 HCP (81.1%) reported no COVID-19 contact in the community. Seropositivity was 4.4% (95% CI, 4.1%-4.6%; 1080 HCP) overall. In multivariable analysis, community COVID-19 contact and community COVID-19 cumulative incidence were associated with seropositivity (community contact: adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 3.5; 95% CI, 2.9-4.1; community cumulative incidence: aOR, 1.8; 95% CI, 1.3-2.6). No assessed workplace factors were associated with seropositivity, including nurse job role (aOR, 1.1; 95% CI, 0.9-1.3), working in the emergency department (aOR, 1.0; 95% CI, 0.8-1.3), or workplace contact with patients with COVID-19 (aOR, 1.1; 95% CI, 0.9-1.3). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In this cross-sectional study of US HCP in 3 states, community exposures were associated with seropositivity to SARS-CoV-2, but workplace factors, including workplace role, environment, or contact with patients with known COVID-19, were not. These findings provide reassurance that current infection prevention practices in diverse health care settings are effective in preventing transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from patients to HCP. | JAMA Netw Open | 2021 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 2099 | Pathogenic human coronavirus infections: causes and consequences of cytokine storm and immunopathology Human coronaviruses (hCoVs) can be divided into low pathogenic and highly pathogenic coronaviruses. The low pathogenic CoVs infect the upper respiratory tract and cause mild, cold-like respiratory illness. In contrast, highly pathogenic hCoVs such as severe acute respiratory syndrome CoV (SARS-CoV) and Middle East respiratory syndrome CoV (MERS-CoV) predominantly infect lower airways and cause fatal pneumonia. Severe pneumonia caused by pathogenic hCoVs is often associated with rapid virus replication, massive inflammatory cell infiltration and elevated pro-inflammatory cytokine/chemokine responses resulting in acute lung injury (ALI), and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Recent studies in experimentally infected animal strongly suggest a crucial role for virus-induced immunopathological events in causing fatal pneumonia after hCoV infections. Here we review the current understanding of how a dysregulated immune response may cause lung immunopathology leading to deleterious clinical manifestations after pathogenic hCoV infections. | Semin Immunopathol | 2017 | CORD-19 | |
| 2100 | Physical Activity Among Predominantly White Middle-Aged and Older US Adults During the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic: Results From a National Longitudinal Survey Background: The first COVID-19 case in the US was diagnosed late January 2020. In the subsequent months, cases grew exponentially. By March 2020, SARS-CoV-2 (the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19) was a global pandemic and the US declared a national emergency. To mitigate transmission, federal guidelines were established for social and physical distancing. These events disrupted daily routines of individuals around the world, including Americans. The impact of the pandemic on PA patterns of Americans is largely unknown, especially among those at greater risk for severe COVID-19 outcomes. The aim of this study was to assess levels of PA over time during the pandemic among US adults aged >50 years. Methods: Data were collected as part of a web-based, longitudinal, 3-wave study examining health and well-being among adults aged > 50. PA data were collected at Waves 2 and 3 using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF). At Wave 2 (conducted mid-May to early June, 2020), participants completed the IPAQ-SF twice, once in reference to a typical 7-day period before the pandemic, and again in reference to the past 7 days. At Wave 3 (conducted mid-June to early July 2020), participants completed the IPAQ-SF once, with reference to the past 7 days. Potential predictors of PA change were collected using items from previously established surveys and included demographic characteristics, pre-pandemic PA levels, perceived COVID-19 threat, self-rated general health, and number of chronic disease conditions. Results: Respondents (N = 589) had a mean age of 63 ± 7.39 years and were mostly female (88%) and non-Hispanic White (96%). Mean MET-min/week across the three time-referents were 2,904 (pre-pandemic), 1,682 (Wave 2 past 7-days), and 2,001 (Wave 3 past 7-days), with PA declining between the first and second time referents (d = −0.45, p < 0.001) and remaining below pre-pandemic levels at the third (d = −0.34, p < 0.001). Changes over time were predicted by pre-pandemic PA and self-rated general health (p's < .05). Conclusions: Effective strategies are needed to promote safe and socially-distanced PA among adults aged >50 years until the risk of contracting COVID-19 subsides. In the post-pandemic era, PA programming will be imperative to address pandemic-associated declines in PA. | Front Public Health | 2021 | LitCov and CORD-19 |
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