9/18—Clustering and superspreading potential of SARS-CoV-2 infections in Hong Kong
Using contact tracing data from 1,038 SARS-CoV-2 cases confirmed between 23 January and 28 April 2020 in Hong Kong, we identified and characterized all local clusters of infection. We identified 4–7 superspreading events across 51 clusters (n = 309 cases) and estimated that 19% (95% confidence interval, 15–24%) of cases seeded 80% of all local transmission (Adam et al. 2020).
Excess mortality: the gold standard in measuring the impact of COVID-19 worldwide?
We selected the 10 countries with the highest total COVID-19 deaths of those with data on all-cause deaths. The highest excess mortality per million population is seen in Spain, followed by England and Wales. The majority of these excess deaths are caused by COVID-19, but a significant proportion of 39% in Spain are not directly related to COVID-19. Data from Belgium, France and Switzerland suggest that non-COVID-19 deaths could be lower than expected.
Assessing a novel, lab-free, point-of-care test for SARS-CoV-2 (CovidNudge): a diagnostic accuracy study
We obtained 386 paired samples […]; 67 tested positive on the CovidNudge point-of-care platform and 71 with standard laboratory RT-PCR. The overall sensitivity of the point-of-care test compared with laboratory-based testing was 94% (95% CI 86–98) with an overall specificity of 100% (99–100). The device, which has been implemented in UK hospitals since May, 2020, could enable rapid decisions [without laboratory handling or sample pre-processing] for clinical care and testing programmes.
Preventing COVID-19 Outbreaks in Long-Term Care Facilities Through Preemptive Testing of Residents and Staff Members
Long-term care facilities in which testing was conducted after a confirmed case of COVID-19 were found to have significantly higher proportions of infected residents and staff members at initial testing and after 4 weeks of follow-up compared with those testing as a preventive measure.
Viable SARS-CoV-2 in the air of a hospital room with COVID-19 patients
Air samples collected in the hospital room of two COVID-19 patients. Viable SARS-CoV-2 was isolated from air samples collected 2 to 4.8 m away. Estimates of viable viral concentrations ranged from 6 to 74 TCID50 units/L of air. Patients with respiratory manifestations of COVID-19 produce aerosols in the absence of aerosol-generating procedures that contain viable SARS-CoV-2, and these aerosols may serve as a source of transmission of the virus.
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