Clinical Considerations
CDC Launches Neuro-COVID Unit to Determine Causality and Frequency of Neuro-COVID – Neurology Today
Neurologist James J. Sejvar, MD, discusses what’s known to date about COVID-19 and the launch of the CDC’s new neuro-COVID-19 unit. AAN member James J. Sejvar, MD, a neurologist and epidemiologist at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has been working on COVID-19 since early January when the first reports of illness were announced in China. Actively monitoring and tracking reports of neurologic illness related to COVID-19, the CDC has recently launched a neuro-COVID unit and placed him in charge. Neurology Today spoke to him in early July to learn about the activities currently underway at his unit and to get an update on what the CDC has learned since the pandemic began.
Many COVID-19 patients lost their sense of smell. Will they get it back? – National Geographic
While scientists work to unravel the basic biology of the nose, some patients are finding positive effects from smell training.
Young Children Found to Have Greater Potential to Spread COVID-19 – Clinical Advisor
As the start of the school year approaches, researchers sough to analyze the transmission potential of SARS-CoV-2 among children to better understand risks associated with re-opening schools. Results of this analysis found that children aged <5 years were found to have significantly greater levels of viral nucleic acid (RNA) in their nasopharyngeal swab results compared with older children and adults, suggesting that young children have an increased potential to spread COVID-19 in daycare and school settings, according to a research letter published in JAMA Pediatrics. [Related JAMA Study]
COVID-19 Patients May Develop Skin Rashes And Discoloration, Studies Find – CBS Baltimore
As COVID-19 started to spread across the United States earlier this year, dermatology offices began to see suspicious signs on some patients’ skin: Red or purple toes, itchy hives, mottled bumps on fingers, a lacy red rash that spread across legs and arms. [Related JAMA Study]
Welcome Back to Germany. Now Take Your Free Virus Test. – New York Times
The country’s capacity to make testing efficient, affordable and available has distinguished it. Now, to head off a potential second wave, it’s testing anyone returning from a “hot zone” on entry.
Official Reporting for August 6, 2020
World Health Organization
Confirmed Cases: 18,354,342
Deaths: 696,147
ECDC
Confirmed Cases: 18,793,522
Deaths: 707,715
Johns Hopkins
Confirmed Cases: 18,897,857
Deaths: 710,136
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Total deaths: 157,631
Surveillance Headlines
UNITED STATES
Illinois: COVID-19 situation in Southern Illinois ‘worse than in Chicago’ – Southern IL News
Chicago, Illinois: Chicago Lakefront Restaurants Can Reopen – NBC News
Ohio: 26 new COVID-19 coronavirus cases reported in Cleveland, all involving patients in their 20s or younger – Cleveland.com
Colorado: Places Of Worship Have Become A Worrying Source Of Coronavirus Outbreaks – Colorado Public Radio
New York: NYC Imposes Traveler Checkpoints to Enforce Covid Quarantine – Bloomberg
Oregon: Coronavirus in Oregon: State reports 299 new cases and five deaths – OregonLive
Alaska: Reports 59 new COVID-19 cases; Alaska now has nearly 3,000 active cases – Anchorage News
Mississippi: Over 100 students quarantined in Mississippi school district after several individuals tested positive for Covid-19 – CNN
Georgia: Georgia passes 200,000 coronavirus cases – Atlanta Journal Constitution
EUROPE
France: Records two-month high in cases – BBC
ASIA
Philippines: Passes Indonesia as Worst Southeast Asia Outbreak – Bloomberg
AUSTRALIA
Science and Tech
Your Old Radiator Is a Pandemic-Fighting Weapon – Bloomberg
Turn-of-the-century faith in ventilation to combat disease pushed engineers to design steam heating systems that still overheat apartments today.
A recent research endeavor from the UK indicates that spike 614G variant of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) increases in frequency relative to 614D variant in a selective advantage manner – but without higher coronavirus disease (COVID-19) mortality rates. [Related Preprint]
Vaccine
Covid-19 Vaccine Makers Signal Prices – Wall Street Journal
Deals between governments and drugmakers J&J and Moderna peg charges at $10 to $37 a dose
Published Research
Cutaneous Manifestations of SARS-CoV-2 Infection – Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology
Broad neutralization of SARS-related viruses by human monoclonal antibodies – Science
Central nervous system complications associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection: integrative concepts of pathophysiology and case reports – Journal of Neuroinflammation
Pre-Pub (not yet peer reviewed, should not be regarded as conclusive)
Coping in Quarantine
How the 1918 Pandemic Got Meme-ified in Jokes, Songs and Poems – Smithsonian
In newspapers across the country, the public dealt with the heartache of the moment by turning to humor. An example of pandemic poetry below…
“The street crowd surged—but where to go?
The bar? The concert? Movies? No!
Old Influenza’s locked the door to Pleasure Land.
Oh what a bore!”