tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Mayo Clin Proc
. 2020 Dec 28;S0025-6196(20)31479-8.
doi: 10.1016/j.mayocp.2020.12.016. Online ahead of print.
Adherence to Public Health Measures Mitigates the Risk of COVID-19 Infection in Older Adults: A Community-Based Study
Young J Juhn[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Chung-Il Wi[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Euijung Ryu[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Priya Sampathkumar[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Paul Y Takahashi[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Joseph D Yao[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Matthew J Binnicker[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Traci L Natoli[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Tamara K Evans[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Katherine S King[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Stephanie Volpe[SUP] 8 [/SUP], Jean-Yves Pir?on[SUP] 8 [/SUP], Silvia Damaso[SUP] 8 [/SUP], Robert J Pignolo[SUP] 9 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Objective: To assess the prevalence and characteristics of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases during the reopening period in older adults, given that little is known about the prevalence of COVID-19 after the stay-at-home order was lifted in the United States, nor the actual effects of adherence to recommended public health measures (RPHM) on the risk of COVID-19.
Patients and methods: This was a cross-sectional study nested in a parent prospective cohort study, which followed a population-based sample of 2325 adults 50 years and older residing in southeast Minnesota to assess the incidence of viral infections. Participants were instructed to self-collect both nasal and oropharyngeal swabs, which were tested by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction-based severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) assay between May 8, 2020, and June, 30, 2020. We assessed the prevalence of COVID-19 cases and characteristics of study subjects.
Results: A total of 1505 eligible subjects participated in the study whose mean age was 68 years, with 885 (59%) women, 32 (2%) racial/ethnic minorities, and 906 (60%) with high-risk conditions for influenza. The prevalence of other Coronaviridae (human coronavirus [HCoV]-229E, HCoV-NL63, and HCoV-OC43) during the 2019 to 2020 flu season was 109 (7%), and none tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. Almost all participants reported adhering to the RPHM (1,488 [99%] for social distancing, 1,438 [96%] for wearing mask in a public space, 1,476 [98%] for hand hygiene, and 1,441 (96%) for staying home mostly). Eighty-six percent of participants resided in a single-family home.
Conclusion: We did not identify SARS-COV-2 infection in our study cohort. The combination of participants' behavior in following the RPHM and their living environment may considerably mitigate the risk of COVID-19.
. 2020 Dec 28;S0025-6196(20)31479-8.
doi: 10.1016/j.mayocp.2020.12.016. Online ahead of print.
Adherence to Public Health Measures Mitigates the Risk of COVID-19 Infection in Older Adults: A Community-Based Study
Young J Juhn[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Chung-Il Wi[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Euijung Ryu[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Priya Sampathkumar[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Paul Y Takahashi[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Joseph D Yao[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Matthew J Binnicker[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Traci L Natoli[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Tamara K Evans[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Katherine S King[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Stephanie Volpe[SUP] 8 [/SUP], Jean-Yves Pir?on[SUP] 8 [/SUP], Silvia Damaso[SUP] 8 [/SUP], Robert J Pignolo[SUP] 9 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 33714601
- DOI: 10.1016/j.mayocp.2020.12.016
Abstract
Objective: To assess the prevalence and characteristics of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases during the reopening period in older adults, given that little is known about the prevalence of COVID-19 after the stay-at-home order was lifted in the United States, nor the actual effects of adherence to recommended public health measures (RPHM) on the risk of COVID-19.
Patients and methods: This was a cross-sectional study nested in a parent prospective cohort study, which followed a population-based sample of 2325 adults 50 years and older residing in southeast Minnesota to assess the incidence of viral infections. Participants were instructed to self-collect both nasal and oropharyngeal swabs, which were tested by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction-based severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) assay between May 8, 2020, and June, 30, 2020. We assessed the prevalence of COVID-19 cases and characteristics of study subjects.
Results: A total of 1505 eligible subjects participated in the study whose mean age was 68 years, with 885 (59%) women, 32 (2%) racial/ethnic minorities, and 906 (60%) with high-risk conditions for influenza. The prevalence of other Coronaviridae (human coronavirus [HCoV]-229E, HCoV-NL63, and HCoV-OC43) during the 2019 to 2020 flu season was 109 (7%), and none tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. Almost all participants reported adhering to the RPHM (1,488 [99%] for social distancing, 1,438 [96%] for wearing mask in a public space, 1,476 [98%] for hand hygiene, and 1,441 (96%) for staying home mostly). Eighty-six percent of participants resided in a single-family home.
Conclusion: We did not identify SARS-COV-2 infection in our study cohort. The combination of participants' behavior in following the RPHM and their living environment may considerably mitigate the risk of COVID-19.