Coronavirus Disease Portal|Home|PHGKB

Coronavirus Disease Portal|Home|PHGKB

 Spotlight on COVID-19

Quantification of SARS-CoV-2 and cross-assembly phage (crAssphage) from wastewater to monitor coronavirus transmission within communities
H Green et al, MEDRXIV, May 23, 2020

Wastewater surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 has become an attractive tool for combating the spread of COVID-19 by assessing the presence or levels of the virus shed in a population. However, the methods to quantify viral RNA and to link those quantities to the level of infection within the community vary.

Genetic Counseling in the Time of COVID-19
K Bruder et al, CDC Blog, May 22, 2020

Telehealth has the potential to improve access to services, which is a major benefit in a field where there is a high and growing demand for genetics services. Many genetic counselors consider telehealth to be more convenient than traditional in-person service delivery due to reduced travel times and wait times for patients

Remdesivir for the Treatment of Covid-19 — Preliminary Report
JH Beigel et al, NEJM, May 22, 2020

Preliminary results from the 1059 patients (538 assigned to remdesivir and 521 to placebo) with data available after randomization indicated that those who received remdesivir had a median recovery time of 11 days, as compared with 15 days in those who received placebo (rate ratio for recovery, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.12 to 1.55; P<0.001).

Interim Analysis of Risk Factors for Severe Outcomes among a Cohort of Hospitalized Adults Identified through the U.S. Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)-Associated Hospitalization Surveillance Network (COVID-NET)
L Kim et al, MEDRXIV, May 22, 2020

Independent factors associated with in-hospital mortality included ages 50-64, 65-74, 75-84 and 85+ years versus 18-39 years (aRR 3.11, 5.77, 7.67 and 10.98); male sex (aRR 1.30); immunosuppression (aRR 1.39); renal disease (aRR 1.33); chronic lung disease (aRR 1.31); cardiovascular disease (aRR 1.28); neurologic disorders (aRR 1.25); & diabetes (aRR 1.19).