Shiloh
Editor, Senior Moderator
Source: https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2020/12/covid-19-scan-dec-11-2020
COVID-19 Scan for Dec 11, 2020
COVID-19 superspreading event; Child abuse during pandemic
Filed Under:
COVID-19
Biogen conference linked to hundreds of thousands of COVID cases
A study published yesterday in Science by researchers in Massachusetts suggests that a coronavirus outbreak linked to an international biotech conference in Boston in February is linked to more than 300,000 national and international infections with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
The findings stem from an analysis of 772 genomes from SARS-CoV-2 nasopharyngeal samples led by scientists with Harvard, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). The samples were collected by the Massachusetts Department of Health and MGH from Mar 4 through May 9 and included samples from two putative superspreading events—one at a skilled nursing facility and the other at the Biogen conference, held in Boston on Feb 26 and 27.
Initial public health investigation and contact tracing identified approximately 100 cases associated with the conference. Viral sequencing of 28 conference-associated genomes revealed the presence of a single mutation (C2416T) not previously found in Massachusetts and likely introduced by a European conference attendee. C2416T and another conference-associated variant, C2416T/G26233T, accounted for more than half of the 772 SARS-CoV-2 genomes from Massachusetts.
Using the C2416T variant as a marker for tracking the spread of SARS-CoV-2 from the conference and comparing the conference-associated genomes with a dataset of 4,011 SARS-CoV-2 genomes from the United States and other countries, the researchers found that the conference-associated lineage began to appear in multiple states in early March and increased rapidly in frequency. By Nov 1, viruses containing C2416T could be found in 29 states.
The researchers estimate that a total of 245,000 cases (205,000 to 300,000) marked by C2416T occurred through Nov 1, with Florida accounting for the greatest proportion of those cases (29.2%). In addition, they estimate that 88,000 cases (56,000 to 139,000) were caused by C2416T/G26233T, which spread to 18 states and other countries.
"Because SARS-CoV-2 viruses circulating at the conference happened to be marked by distinct genomic signatures, we were able to track its downstream effects far beyond the superspreading event itself, tracing the descendants of the virus as they made a large contribution to the local outbreak in the Boston area and as they spread throughout the US and the world, likely causing hundreds of thousands of cases," the authors of the study wrote.
Dec 10 Science study
CDC: Emergency visits for child abuse down during pandemic
Data published today in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) show fewer emergency department (ED) visits for child abuse and neglect during the first 6 months of the pandemic, but the proportion of these visits increased.
Pandemics are linked to an increased risk of child abuse and neglect because of stress and less contact with mandated reporters. Preliminary reports from some facilities during COVID-19 have shown increased severity of abuse and neglect, but official reports to child protection agencies have declined by 20% to 70%, the authors note.
CDC researchers analyzed national data representing approximately 73% of all US ED visits from Jan 6 to Sep 6 and stratified them by age-group (0 to 4, 5 to 11, and 12 to 17 years old).
Beginning Mar 15—and coinciding with the president's declaration of a national emergency—the total number of ED visits meeting the definition for child abuse and neglect decreased below 2019 levels for all age-groups. At the same time, the proportion of ED visits related to child abuse and neglect (per 100,000 ED visits) began increasing above 2019 levels—likely related to a decrease in the overall number of ED visits and a pandemic-related shift in healthcare use, the authors suggest.
The researchers found 53% fewer overall ED visits for child abuse and neglect from Mar 29 to Apr 4 compared with the same period in 2019, with the largest proportional declines in children aged 5 to 11 years (61%). But the number of ED visits for child abuse and neglect resulting in hospitalization did not decline in 2020, suggesting that injury severity did not decrease.
Although weekly visits resulting in hospitalization for children of all ages remained stable for 2020, the overall percentage of such visits increased from 2.1% in 2019 to 3.2% in 2020 (P < 0.001), with the largest increase in children aged 0 to 4 years (5.3% in 2020 vs 3.5% in 2019; P < 0.001).
The authors conclude, "Implementation of strategies to prevent child abuse and neglect is important, particularly during public health emergencies."
Dec 11 MMWR study
COVID-19 Scan for Dec 11, 2020
COVID-19 superspreading event; Child abuse during pandemic
Filed Under:
COVID-19
Biogen conference linked to hundreds of thousands of COVID cases
A study published yesterday in Science by researchers in Massachusetts suggests that a coronavirus outbreak linked to an international biotech conference in Boston in February is linked to more than 300,000 national and international infections with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
The findings stem from an analysis of 772 genomes from SARS-CoV-2 nasopharyngeal samples led by scientists with Harvard, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). The samples were collected by the Massachusetts Department of Health and MGH from Mar 4 through May 9 and included samples from two putative superspreading events—one at a skilled nursing facility and the other at the Biogen conference, held in Boston on Feb 26 and 27.
Initial public health investigation and contact tracing identified approximately 100 cases associated with the conference. Viral sequencing of 28 conference-associated genomes revealed the presence of a single mutation (C2416T) not previously found in Massachusetts and likely introduced by a European conference attendee. C2416T and another conference-associated variant, C2416T/G26233T, accounted for more than half of the 772 SARS-CoV-2 genomes from Massachusetts.
Using the C2416T variant as a marker for tracking the spread of SARS-CoV-2 from the conference and comparing the conference-associated genomes with a dataset of 4,011 SARS-CoV-2 genomes from the United States and other countries, the researchers found that the conference-associated lineage began to appear in multiple states in early March and increased rapidly in frequency. By Nov 1, viruses containing C2416T could be found in 29 states.
The researchers estimate that a total of 245,000 cases (205,000 to 300,000) marked by C2416T occurred through Nov 1, with Florida accounting for the greatest proportion of those cases (29.2%). In addition, they estimate that 88,000 cases (56,000 to 139,000) were caused by C2416T/G26233T, which spread to 18 states and other countries.
"Because SARS-CoV-2 viruses circulating at the conference happened to be marked by distinct genomic signatures, we were able to track its downstream effects far beyond the superspreading event itself, tracing the descendants of the virus as they made a large contribution to the local outbreak in the Boston area and as they spread throughout the US and the world, likely causing hundreds of thousands of cases," the authors of the study wrote.
Dec 10 Science study
CDC: Emergency visits for child abuse down during pandemic
Data published today in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) show fewer emergency department (ED) visits for child abuse and neglect during the first 6 months of the pandemic, but the proportion of these visits increased.
Pandemics are linked to an increased risk of child abuse and neglect because of stress and less contact with mandated reporters. Preliminary reports from some facilities during COVID-19 have shown increased severity of abuse and neglect, but official reports to child protection agencies have declined by 20% to 70%, the authors note.
CDC researchers analyzed national data representing approximately 73% of all US ED visits from Jan 6 to Sep 6 and stratified them by age-group (0 to 4, 5 to 11, and 12 to 17 years old).
Beginning Mar 15—and coinciding with the president's declaration of a national emergency—the total number of ED visits meeting the definition for child abuse and neglect decreased below 2019 levels for all age-groups. At the same time, the proportion of ED visits related to child abuse and neglect (per 100,000 ED visits) began increasing above 2019 levels—likely related to a decrease in the overall number of ED visits and a pandemic-related shift in healthcare use, the authors suggest.
The researchers found 53% fewer overall ED visits for child abuse and neglect from Mar 29 to Apr 4 compared with the same period in 2019, with the largest proportional declines in children aged 5 to 11 years (61%). But the number of ED visits for child abuse and neglect resulting in hospitalization did not decline in 2020, suggesting that injury severity did not decrease.
Although weekly visits resulting in hospitalization for children of all ages remained stable for 2020, the overall percentage of such visits increased from 2.1% in 2019 to 3.2% in 2020 (P < 0.001), with the largest increase in children aged 0 to 4 years (5.3% in 2020 vs 3.5% in 2019; P < 0.001).
The authors conclude, "Implementation of strategies to prevent child abuse and neglect is important, particularly during public health emergencies."
Dec 11 MMWR study