Tulane Outbreak

Note from the Editor: If you run into a paywall when you click an article, post a comment and let me know! I will post the entire article on the website.

Outbreak chart from today’s email is here

Featured Headlines

Los Angeles, California study backs Stanford researchers’ conclusion about high prevalence of COVID-19 – Palo Alto Online
USC researchers, who collaborated with Stanford, concluded that about 4% of Los Angeles County residents were infected with virus [Related Stanford Pre-Pub Study] [Related NYT Article]

Antibody surveys suggesting vast undercount of coronavirus infections may be unreliable – Science
Surveying large swaths of the public for antibodies to the new coronavirus promises to show how widespread undiagnosed infections are, how deadly the virus really is, and whether enough of the population has become immune for social distancing measures to be eased. But the first batch of results has generated more controversy than clarity. [Related pre-pub study]

Autopsies find first U.S. coronavirus death occurred in early February, weeks earlier than previously thought – Washington Post
Tissue samples taken during autopsies of two people who died at home in Santa Clara County, Calif., tested positive for the virus, local health officials said in a statement. The victims died on Feb. 6 and Feb. 17, respectively. [if you hit a paywall, try here]

U.K.’s COVID-19 death toll could be 40 percent higher than daily figure, data suggests – NBC News
Britain’s true death toll could be above 23,000 based on the latest data — making it the second worst hit in Europe after Italy.

Inequities in COVID-19: why does COVID-19 hit some areas harder than others? – FLARE
As the COVID-19 outbreak progresses in the U.S., it is becoming clear that communities are not equally affected. Racial and socioeconomic disparities in incidence are apparent in highly impacted communities, such as New York and Boston, as well as outside the Northeast, in places like Charlotte, Chicago, and the Navajo Nation.
In addition to disparate incidence of disease, disadvantaged communities face higher rates of co–morbidities such as diabetes and hypertension that are known to contribute to poor outcomes in COVID-19. Some of these communities with elevated rates of high-risk health conditions have greater proportions of uninsured residents, which may lead to under-financed and under-resourced healthcare systems, ill-prepared for a COVID-19 patient surge.

NIH Posts Updated COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines
These Treatment Guidelines have been developed to inform clinicians how to care for patients with COVID-19. Because clinical information about the optimal management of COVID-19 is evolving quickly, these Guidelines will be updated frequently as published data and other authoritative information becomes available.

Dialysis Industry Ramping Up to Support Hospitals Slammed by COVID-19 – Med Page Today
Industry is responding to an exploding need for dialysis equipment and supplies at hospitals in COVID-19 surge areas, stepping up production and creating a reserve pool of dialysis machines to be shifted around the country based on need.

After The ICU, Many COVID-19 Survivors Face A Long Recovery – NPR
On April 8, David Williams got a standing ovation as he was wheeled out of the John L. McClellan Memorial Veteran’s Hospital in Little Rock, Ark. Williams, 54, a Marine Corps veteran, had survived eight perilous days on a ventilator with COVID-19, and the hospital staff had lined up to give him a joyous, fist-bumping send-off.

COVID-19 Coronavirus: How Long Are You Contagious And Do Symptoms Last? – Forbes
If you’ve been infected with the COVID-19 coronavirus and managed to survive, you may be wondering how long your symptoms will last and how long you will remain contagious. After all, isolating yourself can be as enjoyable as bouncing toilet paper rolls off your head, which, by the way, you shouldn’t do.

Solving the Mysteries of Coronavirus with Genetic Fingerprints – New York Times