Coronavirus [NEW TOPIC PAGE]

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 Coronavirus

Assessment of Specimen Pooling to Conserve SARS CoV-2 Testing Resources
B Abdalhamid et al, MEDRXIV, April 21, 2020

When the incidence rate of SARS-CoV-2 infection is 10% or less, group testing will result in the saving of reagents and personnel time with an overall increase in testing capability of at least 69%.

Sequencing analysis of the spread of SARS-CoV2 in the Greater New York City region
MT Maurano et al, MEDRXIV, April 21, 2020

Here, we report analysis of 156 SARS-CoV2 sequences from individuals in the New York City metropolitan area during the initial stages of the 2020 COVID-19 outbreak. The majority of samples had no recent travel history or known exposure. Comparison to global viral sequences showed that the majority of sequences were most related to samples from Europe.

Development and validation of an early warning score (EWAS) for predicting clinical deterioration in patients with coronavirus disease 2019
Y Guo et al, MEDRXIV, April 21, 2020

An Early WArning Score (EWAS) (ranging from 0 to 4.5), comprising of age, underlying chronic disease, neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio, C-reactive protein, and D-dimer levels, was developed (AUROC: 0.857). EWAS can predict COVID-19-related clinical deterioration and may be a useful tool for reducing mortality in highly endemic areas.