Epidemiology Of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Research Articles

Epidemiology of Neonatal COVID-19 in the United States.

Data on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections in neonates are limited. We aimed to identify and describe the incidence, presentation, and clinical outcomes of neonatal COVID-19. Over 1 million neonatal encounters at 109 United States health systems, from March 2020 to February 2021, were extracted from the Cerner Real World Database. COVID-19 diagnosis was assessed using severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) laboratory tests and diagnosis codes. Incidence of COVID-19 per 100 000 encounters was estimated. COVID-19 was diagnosed in 918 (0.1%) neonates (91.1 per 100 000 encounters [95% confidence interval 85.3-97.2]). Of these, 71 (7.7%) had severe infection (7 per 100 000 [95% confidence interval 5.5-8.9]). Median time to diagnosis was 14.5 days from birth (interquartile range 3.1-24.2). Common signs of infection were tachypnea and fever. Those with severe infection were more likely to receive respiratory support (50.7% vs 5.2%, P < .001). Severely ill neonates received analgesia (38%), antibiotics (33.8%), anticoagulants (32.4%), corticosteroids (26.8%), remdesivir (2.8%), and COVID-19 convalescent plasma (1.4%). A total of 93.6% neonates were discharged home after care, 1.1% were transferred to another hospital, and discharge disposition was unknown for 5.2%. One neonate (0.1%) with presentation suggestive of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children died after 11 days of hospitalization. Most neonates infected with SARS-CoV-2 were asymptomatic or developed mild illness without need for respiratory support. Some had severe illness requiring treatment of COVID-19 with remdesivir and COVID-19 convalescent plasma. SARS-CoV-2 infection in neonates, though rare, may result in severe disease.

An overview of gastrointestinal diseases in patients with COVID-19: A narrative review.

Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), has emerged as a global health concern. This study aimed to review the epidemiology and pathophysiology of COVID-19 and provide evidence for the implementation of control measures. We utilized several online databases, including MEDLINE (National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, Maryland, USA), PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, to collect relevant published papers using a combination of the following keywords: "COVID-19," "SARS-CoV-2," "novel coronavirus," "epidemiology," and "pathophysiology." The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were used in this study. Globally, approximately 3-46% of patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection experience gastrointestinal symptoms. The clinical spectrum of COVID-19 is wide, ranging from mild to severe, and even fatal. COVID-19 was initially reported as a respiratory tract disease; however, gastrointestinal symptoms have only recently been reported. COVID-19 Patients with gastrointestinal symptoms may have more severe clinical manifestations and poor prognosis. This study highlights the need to better understand the mechanisms involved in the development of gastrointestinal symptoms in patients with COVID-19 to prevent the further spread of this pathogen.

A High-throughput Multiplexed Screening for Type 1 Diabetes, Celiac Diseases, and COVID-19.

An ongoing clinical trial, Autoimmunity Screening for Kids (ASK), is the first screening study in the general population for type 1 diabetes (T1D) and celiac disease in the United States. With the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the epidemiology of COVID-19 in the general population and knowledge about the association between COVID-19 infection and T1D development are urgently needed. The currently standard screening method of the radio-binding assay (RBA) has met two great challenges: low efficiency with a single assay format and low disease specificity with a large proportion of low-affinity antibodies generated in screening. With the platform of the multiplex electrochemiluminescence (ECL) assay we established previously, a novel 6-Plex ECL assay was developed that combines, in a single well, all four islet autoantibodies (IAbs) to insulin, glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD65), insulinoma antigen 2 (IA-2), and Zinc transporter 8 (ZnT8) for T1D, transglutaminase autoantibodies (TGA) for celiac disease, and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) receptor-binding domain (RBD) antibodies for COVID-19. The assay was validated in blind using 880 samples from the ASK study, including 325 positive samples and 555 all antibody-negative samples, and compared with the standard RBAs and a single ECL assay. With the advantages of high efficiency, low cost, and low serum volume, this assay has been accepted as the primary screening tool for the ASK study.

A High-Throughput Multiplexed Screening for Type 1 Diabetes, Celiac Diseases, and COVID-19

An ongoing clinical trial, Autoimmunity Screening for Kids (ASK), is the first screening study in the general population for type 1 diabetes (T1D) and celiac disease in the United States. With the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the epidemiology of COVID-19 in the general population and knowledge about the association between COVID-19 infection and T1D development are urgently needed. The currently standard screening method of the radio-binding assay (RBA) has met two great challenges: low efficiency with a single assay format and low disease specificity with a large proportion of low-affinity antibodies generated in screening. With the platform of the multiplex electrochemiluminescence (ECL) assay we established previously, a novel 6-Plex ECL assay was developed that combines, in a single well, all four islet autoantibodies (IAbs) to insulin, glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD65), insulinoma antigen 2 (IA-2), and Zinc transporter 8 (ZnT8) for T1D, transglutaminase autoantibodies (TGA) for celiac disease, and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) receptor-binding domain (RBD) antibodies for COVID-19. The assay was validated in blind using 880 samples from the ASK study, including 325 positive samples and 555 all antibody-negative samples, and compared with the standard RBAs and a single ECL assay. With the advantages of high efficiency, low cost, and low serum volume, this assay has been accepted as the primary screening tool for the ASK study.

Psychological burden of coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic among Egyptian pregnant women

Background and aim Pregnant women are more prone to psychological distress, which can have a deleterious effect on the mother and the fetus. coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is a new and dangerous event with limited data available that may adversely affect the mental health of pregnant women. So, the aim of this study was to assess the psychosocial effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on pregnant women, pregnant women’s perceptions toward COVID-19 epidemiology, and antenatal care service utilization during the pandemic. Patients and methods This cross-sectional study was carried out in the interval from February 2021 to September 2021 and included 340 Egyptian pregnant women with singleton pregnancy during the COVID-19 pandemic. A structured self-administered online questionnaire was completed by the participants. The validated 21-item Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 was used. Results The study revealed a high prevalence of stress (61.5%), anxiety (73%), and depression (68.5%) among pregnant women. Chronic diseases, irregular antenatal care, and previous COVID-19 infection of family members were all significant predictors of anxiety and depression. In contrast, prior infection of the pregnant women with COVID-19 in the current pregnancy was a significant predictor for stress, anxiety, and depression. Conclusion There was a high prevalence of anxiety, depression, and stress among Egyptian pregnant women during the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. Psychosocial support is required, in addition to raising pregnant women’s awareness regarding COVID-19 infection.

COVID-19 and thyroid disease: An infodemiological pilot study.

BACKGROUNDGoogle Trends searches for symptoms and/or diseases may reflect actual disease epidemiology. Recently, Google Trends searches for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-associated terms have been linked to the epidemiology of COVID-19. Some studies have linked COVID-19 with thyroid disease.AIMTo assess COVID-19 cases per se vs COVID-19-associated Google Trends searches and thyroid-associated Google Trends searches.METHODSWe collected data on worldwide weekly Google Trends searches regarding “COVID-19”, “severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)”, “coronavirus”, “smell”, “taste”, “cough”, “thyroid”, “thyroiditis”, and “subacute thyroiditis” for 92 wk and worldwide weekly COVID-19 cases' statistics in the same time period. The study period was split in half (approximately corresponding to the preponderance of different SARS-COV-2 virus variants) and in each time period we performed cross-correlation analysis and mediation analysis.RESULTSSignificant positive cross-correlation function values were noted in both time periods. More in detail, COVID-19 cases per se were found to be associated with no lag with Google Trends searches for COVID-19 symptoms in the first time period and in the second time period to lead searches for symptoms, COVID-19 terms, and thyroid terms. COVID-19 cases per se were associated with thyroid-related searches in both time periods. In the second time period, the effect of “COVID-19” searches on “thyroid’ searches was significantly mediated by COVID-19 cases (P = 0.048).CONCLUSIONSearches for a non-specific symptom or COVID-19 search terms mostly lead Google Trends thyroid-related searches, in the second time period. This time frame/sequence particularly in the second time period (noted by the preponderance of the SARS-COV-2 delta variant) lends some credence to associations of COVID-19 cases per se with (apparent) thyroid disease (via searches for them).

Epidemiology of COVID-19 in Tehran, Iran: A Cohort Study of Clinical Profile, Risk Factors, and Outcomes.

Background The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) dates back to December 2019 in China. Iran has been among the most prone countries to the virus. The aim of this study was to report demographics, clinical data, and their association with death and CFR. Methods This observational cohort study was performed from 20th March 2020 to 18th March 2021 in three tertiary educational hospitals in Tehran, Iran. All patients were admitted based on the WHO, CDC, and Iran's National Guidelines. Their information was recorded in their medical files. Multivariable analysis was performed to assess demographics, clinical profile, outcomes of disease, and finding the predictors of death due to COVID-19. Results Of all 5318 participants, the median age was 60.0 years, and 57.2% of patients were male. The most significant comorbidities were hypertension and diabetes mellitus. Cough, dyspnea, and fever were the most dominant symptoms. Results showed that ICU admission, elderly age, decreased consciousness, low BMI, HTN, IHD, CVA, dialysis, intubation, Alzheimer disease, blood injection, injection of platelets or FFP, and high number of comorbidities were associated with a higher risk of death related to COVID-19. The trend of CFR was increasing (WPC: 1.86) during weeks 25 to 51. Conclusions Accurate detection of predictors of poor outcomes helps healthcare providers in stratifying patients, based on their risk factors and healthcare requirements to improve their survival chance.

COVID-19 epidemiology and changes in health service utilization in Azraq and Zaatari refugee camps in Jordan: A retrospective cohort study.

The effects of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in humanitarian contexts are not well understood. Specific vulnerabilities in such settings raised concerns about the ability to respond and maintain essential health services. This study describes the epidemiology of COVID-19 in Azraq and Zaatari refugee camps in Jordan (population: 37,932 and 79,034, respectively) and evaluates changes in routine health services during the COVID-19 pandemic. We calculate the descriptive statistics of COVID-19 cases in the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)'s linelist and adjusted odds ratios (aORs) for selected outcomes. We evaluate the changes in health services using monthly routine data from UNHCR's health information system (HIS; January 2018 to March 2021) and apply interrupted time series analysis with a generalized additive model and negative binomial (NB) distribution, accounting for long-term trends and seasonality, reporting results as incidence rate ratios (IRRs). COVID-19 cases were first reported on September 8 and September 13, 2020 in Azraq and Zaatari camps, respectively, 6 months after the first case in Jordan. Incidence rates (IRs) were lower in camps than neighboring governorates (by 37.6% in Azraq (IRR: 0.624, 95% confidence interval [CI]: [0.584 to 0.666], p-value: <0.001) and 40.2% in Zaatari (IRR: 0.598, 95% CI: [0.570, 0.629], p-value: <0.001)) and lower than Jordan (by 59.7% in Azraq (IRR: 0.403, 95% CI: [0.378 to 0.430], p-value: <0.001) and by 63.3% in Zaatari (IRR: 0.367, 95% CI: [0.350 to 0.385], p-value: <0.001)). Characteristics of cases and risk factors for negative disease outcomes were consistent with increasing COVID-19 evidence. The following health services reported an immediate decline during the first year of COVID-19: healthcare utilization (by 32% in Azraq (IRR: 0.680, 95% CI [0.549 to 0.843], p-value < 0.001) and by 24.2% in Zaatari (IRR: 0.758, 95% CI [0.577 to 0.995], p-value = 0.046)); consultations for respiratory tract infections (RTIs; by 25.1% in Azraq (IRR: 0.749, 95% CI: [0.596 to 0.940], p-value = 0.013 and by 37.5% in Zaatari (IRR: 0.625, 95% CI: [0.461 to 0.849], p-value = 0.003)); and family planning (new and repeat family planning consultations decreased by 47.4% in Azraq (IRR: 0.526, 95% CI: [0.376 to 0.736], p-value = <0.001) and 47.6% in Zaatari (IRR: 0.524, 95% CI: [0.312 to 0.878], p-value = 0.014)). Maternal and child health services as well as noncommunicable diseases did not show major changes compared to pre-COVID-19 period. Conducting interrupted time series analyses in volatile settings such refugee camps can be challenging as it may be difficult to meet some analytical assumptions and to mitigate threats to validity. The main limitation of this study relates therefore to possible unmeasured confounding. COVID-19 transmission was lower in camps than outside of camps. Refugees may have been affected from external transmission, rather than driving it. Various types of health services were affected differently, but disruptions appear to have been limited in the 2 camps compared to other noncamp settings. These insights into Jordan's refugee camps during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic set the stage for follow-up research to investigate how infection susceptibility evolved over time, as well as which mitigation strategies were more successful and accepted.

The Impact of Active Screening and Management on COVID-19 in Plateau Region of Sichuan, China.

BackgroundIn December 2019, the cases of pneumonia of unknown etiology emerged in Wuhan, China, and rapidly spread throughout the country. The disease was later designated by the World Health Organization (WHO) as Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS CoV-2). Few studies have assessed the clinical characteristics of COVID-19 and control strategies used to mitigate disease spread in high-altitude plateau regions of China.Study ObjectiveTo assess the impact of real-world strategies to control COVID-19 spread in remote plateau regions.MethodsA retrospective study was performed to assess the epidemiology of COVID-19 and strategies used to control disease spread in the high-altitude plateau of Sichuan, China from 24 January 2020 to 19 March 2020.ResultsCOVID-19 spread and outbreaks in Sichuan were attributed to mass gatherings. A total of 70 patients and 20 asymptomatic individuals were found in the hypoxic plateau region of Sichuan. Twelve patients were admitted after the onset of symptoms, while 58 patients and 20 asymptomatic individuals were found by active screening. The symptomatic patients included those with uncomplicated illness (16/70, 22.9%), mild pneumonia (44/70, 62.9%), and severe pneumonia (10/70, 14.3%). Most patients in the study area showed relatively mild and atypical symptoms such as low or no fever and dyspnea. The incidence of severe pneumonia, fever, dyspnea, and interstitial abnormalities identified by chest CT were all significantly lower in screened patients than those admitted after symptom onset (P < 0.05). Severe pneumonia was noted in patients with chronic conditions like hypertension, diabetes etc. as compared to less severe pneumonia in healthy subjects (P <0.05). No patients died and all were eventually discharged.ConclusionMass gatherings increased risk of spread of SARS-CoV-2 responsible for COVID-19. Active screening and early management have collectively contributed to reduced incidence of severe pneumonia and satisfactory prognoses of infections with COVID-19 in this hypoxic plateau region.

COVID-19 contact tracing in Belgium: main indicators and performance, January \u2013 September 2021

BackgroundContact tracing is one of the main public health tools in the control of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). A centralized contact tracing system was developed in Belgium in 2020. We aim to evaluate the performance and describe the results, between January 01, 2021, and September 30, 2021. The characteristics of COVID-19 cases and the impact of COVID-19 vaccination on testing and tracing are also described.MethodsWe combined laboratory diagnostic test data (molecular and antigen test), vaccination data, and contact tracing data. A descriptive analysis was done to evaluate the performance of contact tracing and describe insights into the epidemiology of COVID-19 by contact tracing.ResultsBetween January and September 2021, 555.181 COVID-19 cases were reported to the central contact center and 91% were contacted. The average delay between symptom onset and contact tracing initiation was around 5 days, of which 4 days corresponded to pre-testing delay. High-Risk Contacts (HRC) were reported by 49% of the contacted index cases. The mean number of reported HRC was 2.7. In total, 666.869 HRC were reported of which 91% were successfully contacted and 89% of these were tested at least once following the interview. The estimated average secondary attack rate (SAR) among the contacts of the COVID-19 cases who reported at least one contact, was 27% and was significantly higher among household HRC. The proportion of COVID-19 cases who were previously identified as HRC within the central system was 24%.ConclusionsThe contact-tracing system contacted more than 90% of the reported COVID-19 cases and their HRC. This proportion remained stable between January 1 2021 and September 30 2021 despite an increase in cases in March–April 2021. We report high SAR, indicating that through contact tracing a large number of infections were prospectively detected.The system can be further improved by (1) reducing the delay between onset of illness and medical consultation (2) having more exhaustive reporting of HRC by the COVID-19 case.

Built by epidemiologists for epidemiologists: an internal COVID-19 dashboard for real-time situational awareness in New York City.

ObjectiveNew York City (NYC) experienced a large first wave of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the spring of 2020, but the Health Department lacked tools to easily visualize and analyze incoming surveillance data to inform response activities. To streamline ongoing surveillance, a group of infectious disease epidemiologists built an interactive dashboard using open-source software to monitor demographic, spatial, and temporal trends in COVID-19 epidemiology in NYC in near real-time for internal use by other surveillance and epidemiology experts.Materials and methodsExisting surveillance databases and systems were leveraged to create daily analytic datasets of COVID-19 case and testing information, aggregated by week and key demographics. The dashboard was developed iteratively using R, and includes interactive graphs, tables, and maps summarizing recent COVID-19 epidemiologic trends. Additional data and interactive features were incorporated to provide further information on the spread of COVID-19 in NYC.ResultsThe dashboard allows key staff to quickly review situational data, identify concerning trends, and easily maintain granular situational awareness of COVID-19 epidemiology in NYC.DiscussionThe dashboard is used to inform weekly surveillance summaries and alleviated the burden of manual report production on infectious disease epidemiologists. The system was built by and for epidemiologists, which is critical to its utility and functionality. Interactivity allows users to understand broad and granular data, and flexibility in dashboard development means new metrics and visualizations can be developed as needed.ConclusionsAdditional investment and development of public health informatics tools, along with standardized frameworks for local health jurisdictions to analyze and visualize data in emergencies, are warranted.

Epidemiological Dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 Variants During Social Protests in Cali, Colombia.

BackgroundThe third wave of the global health crisis attributed to the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus reached Colombia in March 2021. Over the following 6 months, it was interpolated by manifestations of popular disapproval to the actual political regime—with multiple protests sprouting throughout the country. Large social gatherings seeded novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) variants in big cities and propagated their facile spread, leading to increased rates of hospitalizations and deaths.MethodsIn this article, we evaluate the effective reproduction number (Rt) dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 in Cali, Colombia, between 4 April 2021 and 31 July 2021 based on the analysis of 228 genomes.ResultsOur results showed clear contrast in Rt values between the period of frequent protests (Rt > 1), and the preceding and following months (Rt < 1). Genomic analyses revealed 16 circulating SARS-CoV-2 lineages during the initial period—including variants of concern (VOCs) (Alpha, Gamma, and Delta) and variants of interest (VOIs) (Lambda and Mu). Furthermore, we noticed the Mu variant dominating the COVID-19 distribution schema as the months progressed. We identified four principal clusters through phylogenomic analyses—each one of potentially independent introduction to the city. Two of these were associated with the Mu variant, one associated with the Gamma variant, and one with the Lambda variant.ConclusionOur results chronicle the impact of large group assemblies on the epidemiology of COVID-19 during this intersection of political turmoil and sanitary crisis in Cali, Colombia. We emphasize upon the effects of limited biosecurity strategies (which had characterized this time period), on the spread of highly virulent strains throughout Cali and greater Colombia.

A review on corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19): current progress, clinical features and bioanalytical diagnostic methods.

A new epidemic of acute respiratory viral pneumonia was discovered in central China at the end of 2019. The disease was given the name coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and the virus that caused this disease was known as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). So far, diagnostic methods have been focused on (a) human antibody detection, (b) viral antigen detection and (c) viral gene detection, the latter using RT-PCR being the most accurate approach. In this paper, we present a summary of the COVID-19 pandemic, clinical features and epidemiology and pathogenesis. Also, we focus on the recent advances in bioanalytical diagnostic methods based on various techniques for SARS-CoV-2 sensing that have recently been published (2020–2021). Furthermore, we present the mechanisms, advantages and disadvantages of the most common biosensors for COVID-19 detection, which include optical, electrochemical and piezoelectric biosensors as well as wearable and smart nanobiosensors, immunosensors, aptasensors and genosensors.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00604-022-05167-y.

Epidemiology, clinical characteristics and risk factors of COVID-19 among children in Saudi Arabia: a multicenter chart review study

BackgroundThe Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has affected over 100 million cases worldwide. Children accounted for 1–5% of all cases with less reported symptoms and better prognosis compared to adults. This study aimed to describe the epidemiological characteristics and outcomes of pediatric COVID-19 cases in Saudi Arabia in addition to identifying risk factors associated with disease severity.MethodsThis was a multicenter, cross-sectional retrospective study that included confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection among pediatric patients (< 14 years) from the time of initial identification in March 2020 to the end of July 2020 in 6 centers across the country. Patients were classified based on clinical severity. Study outcomes included time to recovery, need for invasive ventilation, and mortality. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to explore factors associated with increased disease severity.ResultsThe study enrolled 567 children with (51.5%) were males, and (44.6%) aged from 6 to 14 years old. Asymptomatic patients accounted for 38.98% of the cases: while 319 patients (56%) had mild disease, and 27 patients (4.76%) had moderate-to-severe disease. Only 10 patients (1.76%) required Pediatric Intensive Care Unit admission. The calculated case-fatality was 0.7%. After performing multivariate regression analysis, chronic lung conditions [adjusted OR = 12.73, 95% CI (2.05–79.12)] and decreased red blood cells (RBCs) count [adjusted OR = 2.43, 95% CI (1.09–5.41] were found to be significant predictors for moderate-to-severe disease (p = 0.006 and 0.030, respectively).ConclusionMost COVID-19 cases in the current study had a benign course of illness and carried an excellent prognosis. Children with chronic lung conditions or low RBCs count are at higher risk to develop moderate-to-severe COVID-19 disease.

Modeling the second outbreak of COVID-19 with isolation and contact tracing

&lt;p style='text-indent:20px;'&gt;The first case of Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) was reported in Wuhan, China in December 2019. Since then, COVID-19 has quickly spread out to all provinces in China and over 150 countries or territories in the world. With the first level response to public health emergencies (FLRPHE) launched over the country, the outbreak of COVID-19 in China is achieving under control in China. We develop a mathematical model based on the epidemiology of COVID-19, incorporating the isolation of healthy people, confirmed cases and contact tracing measures. We calculate the basic reproduction numbers 2.5 in China (excluding Hubei province) and 2.9 in Hubei province with the initial time on January 30 which shows the severe infectivity of COVID-19, and verify that the current isolation method effectively contains the transmission of COVID-19. Under the isolation of healthy people, confirmed cases and contact tracing measures, we find a noteworthy phenomenon that is the second epidemic of COVID-19 and estimate the peak time and value and the cumulative number of cases. Simulations show that the contact tracing measures can efficiently contain the transmission of the second epidemic of COVID-19. With the isolation of all susceptible people or all infectious people or both, there is no second epidemic of COVID-19. Furthermore, resumption of work and study can increase the transmission risk of the second epidemic of COVID-19.&lt;/p&gt;

COVID-19 and Malaria: A Comparative Study of Epidemiology, Burden, and Challenges

Introduction: Assessing global health status includes tracking illness, disability, and mortality. Environmental and social factors as well as health initiatives impact people’s health. Assessing health outcomes in terms of mortality and morbidity, which are included in the global disease burden, is critical for monitoring progress in development and health, as well as for selecting how to allocate available resources effectively, to achieve positive health outcomes. Studies on the epidemiology, burden, and challenges of COVID-19 and malaria remain scarce. There isn’t much information on how malaria susceptibility and immune response are affected by co-infection with COVID-19, and vice versa. This article highlights the commonalities between malaria and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), reviews the epidemiology, burden, and challenges of each, and outlines how global health authorities have responded to the burden and challenges. Methods: We used The World Health Organization Disease Situation Dashboard as the primary resource for obtaining information on malaria and COVID-19. The World Malaria Reports for 2020 and 2021 were used as the primary sources for the statistics on malaria. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data collected. Results: The number of malaria deaths and cases has decreased significantly worldwide since 2000, but the African region continues to bear the greatest burden of malaria. The highest number of deaths due to COVID-19 occurred in the Americas, followed by Europe. The burden is lighter in Southeast Asia, the Eastern Mediterranean, the western Pacific, and Africa. There has been a decline in the number of deaths caused by COVID-19 in areas where malaria is endemic. Further, the COVID-19 pandemic has increased the burden of malaria in Africa. Conclusion: Public health authorities should consider taking necessary preventive measures to fight malaria and COVID-19 in a timely manner and ensure continuous healthcare for those who are affected by these diseases.

History, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

: The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), also known as a novel coronavirus (2019-n- CoV), reportedly originated from Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China. Coronavirus Disease 2019 rapidly spread all over the world within a short period. On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared it a global epidemic. COVID-19 is a Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) evolves to respiratory, hepatic, gastrointestinal, and neurological complications, and eventually death. SARS-CoV and the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) genome sequences similar identity with 2019-nCoV or Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). However, few amino acid sequences of 2019-nCoV differ from SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV. COVID-19 shares about 90% amino acid sequence similarity with SARS-CoV. Effective prevention methods should be taken in order to control this pandemic situation. To date, there are no effective treatments available to treat COVID-19. This review provides information regarding COVID-19 history, epidemiology, pathogenesis and molecular diagnosis. Also, we focus on the development of vaccines in the management of this COVID-19 pandemic and limiting the spread of the virus.

Household clusters reveal household- and variant-specific properties of SARS-CoV-2.

Abstract It is unclear if – after symptom onset of a primary case of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) in a household – ensuing chains of transmissions among household members occur and if household epidemiology of COVID-19 is modified by the different circulating variants. We analysed data of 52 774 household clusters to investigate the day of symptom onset of ensuing cases in households relative to the symptom onset of the primary case within the household. Irrespective of cluster size or age of the primary case, 95% of all secondary household cases had symptom onset within 14 days after the symptom onset of the primary case. Stratification by variant showed that the mean interval from symptom onset of the primary case to the symptom onset of secondary cases decreased significantly from 4.8 days (wildtype) to 4.5 days (alpha) and 4.0 days (delta). Similarly, the cumulative proportion of 95% of secondary cases occurred within 14 days (wild type), 12 days (alpha) and 10 days (delta). Our findings suggest that during dominant delta circulation – apart from rare individual constellations – a 10-day household quarantine after symptom onset of the primary case is sufficient for household contacts who remain COVID-free.

COVID-19 imported cases and severity: expected information from genomic characterization of SARS-CoV-2 strains in Mozambique.

The novel coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), etiological agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was first reported in China in December 2019 and spread worldwide. As of March 6th, 2021, there have been 116,670,105 million confirmed cases globally including 2,592,085 deaths. COVID-19 cases have been reported in 219 countries and territories, creating global panic. Mozambique has witnessed the evolution of COVID-19 epidemic associated with the weakness of health system, mostly in terms of laboratory diagnosis capacity, concerns on compliance to effective public health measures including physical distancing, use of masks in crowded indoor areas, hand hygiene, isolation and quarantine of people. The data included in this study were collected from published articles regarding COVID-19 imported cases and severity in Africa, especially in Mozambique. Additionally, official documents of COVID-19 epidemiology from Minister of Health and National Institute of Health of Mozambique from 22nd of March 2020 to 1st of August 2020 were included. The SARS-CoV-2 strains imported mainly from South Africa and European countries might have been playing an important role on COVID-19 epidemic evolution in Mozambique. These circulating strains in the country, might be similar enough to the strains found in other countries, yet the genomic characterization is needed particularly during the phase of borders reopening through understanding the source of infections and guiding the implementation of containment and mitigation measures in the country.

Role of geographic risk factors and social determinants of health in COVID-19 epidemiology: Longitudinal geospatial analysis in a midwest rural region.

Studies examining the role of geographic factors in coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) epidemiology among rural populations are lacking. Our study is a population-based longitudinal study based on rural residents in four southeast Minnesota counties from March through October 2020. We used a kernel density estimation approach to identify hotspots for COVID-19 cases. Temporal trends of cases and testing were examined by generating a series of hotspot maps during the study period. Household/individual-level socioeconomic status (SES) was measured using the HOUSES index and examined for association between identified hotspots and SES. During the study period, 24,243 of 90,975 residents (26.6%) were tested for COVID-19 at least once; 1498 (6.2%) of these tested positive. Compared to other rural residents, hotspot residents were overall younger (median age: 40.5 vs 43.2), more likely to be minorities (10.7% vs 9.7%), and of higher SES (lowest HOUSES [SES] quadrant: 14.6% vs 18.7%). Hotspots accounted for 30.1% of cases (14.5% of population) for rural cities and 60.8% of cases (27.1% of population) for townships. Lower SES and minority households were primarily affected early in the pandemic and higher SES and non-minority households affected later. In rural areas of these four counties in Minnesota, geographic factors (hotspots) play a significant role in the overall burden of COVID-19 with associated racial/ethnic and SES disparities, of which pattern differed by the timing of the pandemic (earlier in pandemic vs later). The study results could more precisely guide community outreach efforts (e.g., public health education, testing/tracing, and vaccine roll out) to those residing in hotspots.