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Trial finds no significant COVID effect of pre-exposure hydroxychloroquine

A randomized, controlled clinical trial involving high-risk healthcare workers found that pre-exposure prophylaxis with hydroxychloroquine once or twice weekly did not significantly reduce COVID-19 compared with placebo, researchers reported late last week in Clinical Infectious Diseases.

Minorities in food, agriculture jobs especially hard hit by COVID-19

Racial and ethnic minority workers have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19 in food manufacturing and agriculture workplaces, according to a study yesterday in Emerging Infectious Diseases.

Demographics were not available for all 742 sites surveyed across 30 states, but for those that were, 83.2% of confirmed cases involved minorities even though they made up only 47.4% of all workers.

COVID-19 infectious period ranges from 10 to 20 days, study finds

A study yesterday in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology found that individuals with mild or no COVID-19 symptoms may be infectious for no more than about 10 days, while those with severe illness may be able to spread the virus for as long as 20 days. The infectious periods align with US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations for isolation time.

CDC prison study helps redefine SARS-CoV-2 close contact

A paper published yesterday in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report highlights a case study the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has used to update how it defines close contacts of people infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

Lower COVID-19 viral loads found in asymptomatic children

In the first large study looking at SARS-CoV-2 viral loads (VL) in asymptomatic children, researchers found that VL were 3 to 4 logs lower compared with symptomatic children, which was consistent with the difference in median cycle threshold (Ct) values—10.3 cycles—between the two groups.

CDC report highlights COVID-19 prevalence in US healthcare workers

New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that US healthcare workers accounted for 6% of COVID-19 hospitalizations from March through May.

Experts offer return-to-play guidance for COVID-19 in athletes

Sports cardiologists in JAMA Cardiology yesterday updated guidance for athletes returning to play (RTP) after COVID-19 infection. The authors recommended a risk stratification approach, with screening for cardiac injury only for athletes with severe disease or preexisting cardiovascular (CV) conditions.

Panel issues C difficile guidance for low- and middle-income countries

A panel of experts convened by the International Society for Infectious Diseases (ISID) has released a set of recommendations for preventing Clostridioides difficile infections in hospitals in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Nursing homes, exposure to younger people tied to COVID-19 death rate

A Swedish study in The Lancet Healthy Longevity yesterday revealed a higher risk of COVID-19 mortality among older people—ages 70 and above—living in nursing homes as well as with or in close contact with younger people, underlining the importance of community spread and individual points of transmission to older adults.

COVID-19 antibodies last at least 5 months in mild-to-moderate cases

A study yesterday in Science reports that the vast majority of patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 have stable levels of antibodies for at least 5 months.

CDC study finds household COVID-19 transmission common

New data released today in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) show that household transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is common, occurs early after illness onset, and can originate from both children and adults.

UK study shows kidney injury in 26% of COVID-19 patients, mortality risk

A PLOS Medicine study late last week found double the incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) in hospitalized COVID-19 patients and a threefold higher mortality than in COVID-19–negative patients. Men, nonwhite patients, and those with comorbidities were at increased risk of developing AKI with COVID-19.

Study finds 10% rate of COVID-19 in traced contacts in San Francisco

In a case study of COVID-19 contact tracing during San Francisco's shelter-in-place period, of the 1,124 contacts traced, 1,017 (83.8%) were successfully notified, 457 (37.6%) were tested, and 120 (9.9%) were newly diagnosed.

Infected siblings, Hispanic ethnicity raise COVID-19 risk in kids, data show

A Duke University study yesterday in Clinical Infectious Diseases found a 77% infection rate in children who were close contacts of a COVID-19 case, providing evidence for efficient viral transmission in children. Hispanic ethnicity and having a SARS-CoV-2–infected sibling were risk factors, but asthma was associated with reduced risk.

Ebola sickens 1 more in the DRC, 74 total, with 32 deaths

Testing confirmed 1 more Ebola case in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Equateur province outbreak, raising the total to 74, the World Health Organization (WHO) African regional office said on Twitter today.

One more death was reported, raising the fatality count to 32, though it's unclear if it involved the latest confirmed patient.

Case series: Mild illness, good outcomes in infants hospitalized with COVID-19

A small single-center case series published today in Pediatrics describes only mild illness in seven hospitalized infants in New York City with COVID-19 and fever, with none requiring supplemental oxygen, mechanical ventilation, or intensive care.

Survey finds widespread broad-spectrum antibiotic use in COVID patients

A web-based survey of physicians in 23 countries indicates widespread broad-spectrum antibiotic use in COVID-19 patients, an international team of researchers reported today in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy.

Asymptomatic and symptomatic COVID-19 patients show similar shedding patterns

Patients with confirmed asymptomatic COVID-19 infections shed virus at similar levels to those who are experiencing symptoms, underscoring the importance of public health actions to control the spread of the virus, researchers from South Korea reported yesterday in JAMA Internal Medicine.

NIAID enrolling participants in two COVID-19 monoclonal antibody trials

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) yesterday announced that it is enrolling participants for two phase 3 trials of two different monoclonal antibody treatments for COVID-19.

COVID-19 vaccine candidate shows early promise

New data from a phase 1/2 clinical trial of a vaccine candidate being developed by Pfizer and German biopharmaceutical company BioNTech show the vaccine produced a robust immune response and was tolerable in healthy adults. The results appeared today in Nature.

MDR-TB cases at Ohio food processing facility investigated

A case report today in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report describes three cases of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) among workers at an Ohio food-processing facility.

ICD-10 codes for common COVID-19 symptoms inaccurate, study finds

Standard, symptom-specific international disease codes lack sensitivity and have poor negative predictive value (NPV) for characteristic COVID-19 symptoms, which could skew conclusions derived from them, a cohort study published today in JAMA Network Open shows.

COVID-19 patients with heart disease at risk for complications, death

A meta-analysis by Italian researchers published late last week in PLOS One shows that COVID-19 patients who have or are at risk for cardiovascular disease are more likely than others to develop cardiovascular complications and die from their infections.

Reading levels of US, global COVID-19 websites too high for many

A review of 18 US and international public health and governmental websites with COVID-19 information for the public—including those of the World Health Organization and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)—has found that all exceeded the recommended reading level and used sentence structures and technical terminology that would hinder understanding.

Report lays out ethical guidance for COVID vaccine allocation

The Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security today released an ethical framework for how to allocate and distribute a COVID-19 vaccine once it's been approved but is in limited supply.