Title:
In world-first breakthrough, 20-minute coronavirus blood test invented by Australian researchers
Published:
International Business Times, 17 July 2020
https://www.ibtimes.co.in/world-first-breakthrough-20-minute-coronavirus-blood-test-invented-by-australian-researchers-824683
From the article:
* Researchers in Australia have devised a test that can determine novel coronavirus infection in about 20 minutes using blood samples in what they say is a world-first breakthrough.
* The researchers at Monash University said their test can determine if someone is currently infected and if they have been infected in the past.
Showing posts with label Covid-19 testing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Covid-19 testing. Show all posts
Saturday, July 18, 2020
Wednesday, July 15, 2020
medRxiv, 15 July 2020 (preprint) - Smart Pooling: AI-powered COVID-19 testing
Title:
Smart Pooling: AI-powered COVID-19 testing
Authors:
María Escobar, Guillaume Jeanneret, Laura Bravo-Sánchez, Angela Castillo, Catalina Gómez, Diego Valderrama, Maria F. Roa, Julián Martínez, Jorge Madrid-Wolff, Martha Cepeda, Marcela Guevara-Suarez, Olga L. Sarmiento, Andrés L. Medaglia, Manu Forero-Shelton, Mauricio Velasco, Juan Manuel Pedraza-Leal, Silvia Restrepo & Pablo Arbelaez
Published:
medRxiv, 15 July 2020
[Keep in mind that this article is a preprint and not yet peer reviewed.]
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.13.20152983v1
Abstract:
Massive molecular testing for COVID-19 has been pointed as fundamental to moderate the spread of the disease. Pooling methods can enhance testing efficiency, but they are viable only at very low prevalences of the disease. We propose Smart Pooling, a machine learning method that uses sociodemographic data from patients to increase the efficiency of pooled molecular testing for COVID-19 by arranging samples into all-negative pools. We show efficiency gains of 42% with respect to individual testing at disease prevalence of up to 25%, a regime in which two-step pooling offers marginal efficiency gains. Additionally, we calculate the possible efficiency gains of one- and two-dimensional two-step pooling strategies and present the optimal strategies for disease prevalences up to 25%. We discuss practical limitations to conduct pooling in the laboratory.
Smart Pooling: AI-powered COVID-19 testing
Authors:
María Escobar, Guillaume Jeanneret, Laura Bravo-Sánchez, Angela Castillo, Catalina Gómez, Diego Valderrama, Maria F. Roa, Julián Martínez, Jorge Madrid-Wolff, Martha Cepeda, Marcela Guevara-Suarez, Olga L. Sarmiento, Andrés L. Medaglia, Manu Forero-Shelton, Mauricio Velasco, Juan Manuel Pedraza-Leal, Silvia Restrepo & Pablo Arbelaez
Published:
medRxiv, 15 July 2020
[Keep in mind that this article is a preprint and not yet peer reviewed.]
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.13.20152983v1
Abstract:
Massive molecular testing for COVID-19 has been pointed as fundamental to moderate the spread of the disease. Pooling methods can enhance testing efficiency, but they are viable only at very low prevalences of the disease. We propose Smart Pooling, a machine learning method that uses sociodemographic data from patients to increase the efficiency of pooled molecular testing for COVID-19 by arranging samples into all-negative pools. We show efficiency gains of 42% with respect to individual testing at disease prevalence of up to 25%, a regime in which two-step pooling offers marginal efficiency gains. Additionally, we calculate the possible efficiency gains of one- and two-dimensional two-step pooling strategies and present the optimal strategies for disease prevalences up to 25%. We discuss practical limitations to conduct pooling in the laboratory.
Saturday, June 13, 2020
Saudi student invents effective and inexpensive COVID-19 testing device [Arab News, 13 June 2020]
Title:
Saudi student invents effective and inexpensive COVID-19 testing device
Published:
Arab News, 13 June 2020
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1688956/saudi-arabia
From the article:
A Saudi graduate from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) has created an effective and inexpensive device to test for COVID-19.
Ali Al-Shehri, who is currently on a doctoral scholarship from KFUPM at the University of California, invented a breathalyzer-like tool that can test individuals in 10 minutes.
Saudi student invents effective and inexpensive COVID-19 testing device
Published:
Arab News, 13 June 2020
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1688956/saudi-arabia
From the article:
A Saudi graduate from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) has created an effective and inexpensive device to test for COVID-19.
Ali Al-Shehri, who is currently on a doctoral scholarship from KFUPM at the University of California, invented a breathalyzer-like tool that can test individuals in 10 minutes.
Wednesday, May 27, 2020
npr, 17 May 2020 - Senegal Pledges A Bed For Every Coronavirus Patient — And Their Contacts, Too & other related information resources on Senegal [Note: Worth reading]
Title:
Senegal Pledges A Bed For Every Coronavirus Patient — And Their Contacts, Too
Author:
Ricci Shryock
Published:
npr, 17 May 2020
https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/05/17/856016429/senegal-pledges-a-bed-for-every-coronavirus-patient-and-their-contacts-too
From the article:
"In this country of 16 million known for its peaceful democracy and sense of community, Senegal's response to the coronavirus is notable not only for its humanity but for its thoroughness. For example, each newly diagnosed individual – no matter how mild or severe the case – is provided a hospital or health center bed where he or she stays isolated and observed– a key element to Senegal's strategy to contain the virus."
See also:
Senegal trials begin for $1 COVID-19 test kit
Aljazeera, 28 April 2020 (video 2:53)
* Trials have begun in Senegal on a coronavirus testing kit. It costs a dollar and gives results in 10 minutes. Al Jazeera's Nicolas Haque reports from the capital, Dakar.
See also:
Senegalese engineering students fight coronavirus with inventions
Aljazeera, 13 May 2020
* Students at top Dakar school turn skills towards easing pressure on hospitals with innovations such as medical robots.
See also:
Senegal eases COVID-19 restrictions as food crisis looms
Aljazeera, 24 May 2020 (video 2:15)
* The World Food Programme says the pandemic could push an additional 130 million people to the brink of starvation by the end of the year.
* While the number of infections is multiplying in Senegal, the government is easing restriction on movement, fearing a looming food crisis.
Current Covid-19 statistics for Senegal (27 May 2020):
Total number of cases: 3,161
Total deaths: 36
Total recovered: 1,565
Active cases: 1,560
Serious/critical: 18
Source: Worldometer (coronavirus)
Senegal Pledges A Bed For Every Coronavirus Patient — And Their Contacts, Too
Author:
Ricci Shryock
Published:
npr, 17 May 2020
https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/05/17/856016429/senegal-pledges-a-bed-for-every-coronavirus-patient-and-their-contacts-too
From the article:
"In this country of 16 million known for its peaceful democracy and sense of community, Senegal's response to the coronavirus is notable not only for its humanity but for its thoroughness. For example, each newly diagnosed individual – no matter how mild or severe the case – is provided a hospital or health center bed where he or she stays isolated and observed– a key element to Senegal's strategy to contain the virus."
See also:
Senegal trials begin for $1 COVID-19 test kit
Aljazeera, 28 April 2020 (video 2:53)
* Trials have begun in Senegal on a coronavirus testing kit. It costs a dollar and gives results in 10 minutes. Al Jazeera's Nicolas Haque reports from the capital, Dakar.
See also:
Senegalese engineering students fight coronavirus with inventions
Aljazeera, 13 May 2020
* Students at top Dakar school turn skills towards easing pressure on hospitals with innovations such as medical robots.
See also:
Senegal eases COVID-19 restrictions as food crisis looms
Aljazeera, 24 May 2020 (video 2:15)
* The World Food Programme says the pandemic could push an additional 130 million people to the brink of starvation by the end of the year.
* While the number of infections is multiplying in Senegal, the government is easing restriction on movement, fearing a looming food crisis.
Current Covid-19 statistics for Senegal (27 May 2020):
Total number of cases: 3,161
Total deaths: 36
Total recovered: 1,565
Active cases: 1,560
Serious/critical: 18
Source: Worldometer (coronavirus)
Sunday, May 10, 2020
Stanford-led study (April 2020) - Stanford study finds COVID-19 cases were undercounted 50- to 85-fold. Not so fast, statisticians say
Title:
Stanford study finds COVID-19 cases were undercounted 50- to 85-fold. Not so fast, statisticians say
Author:
Kate Selig
Published:
Stanford Daily, 25 April 2020
From the article:
"Swift blowback followed the release of preliminary findings from a Stanford-led study that estimated that the number of COVID-19 cases in Santa Clara County was 50 to 85 times higher than the number of confirmed cases."
To read this article:
https://www.stanforddaily.com/2020/04/25/stanford-study-concludes-covid-19-cases-were-undercounted-50-to-85-fold-not-so-fast-statisticians-say/
The original scholarly article (not yet peer-reviewed):
Title:
COVID-19 Antibody Seroprevalence in Santa Clara County, California
Authors:
Eran Bendavid, Bianca Mulaney, Neeraj Sood, Soleil Shah, Emilia Ling, Rebecca Bromley-Dulfano, Cara Lai, Zoe Weissberg, Rodrigo Saavedra-Walker, James Tedrow, Dona Tversky, Andrew Bogan, Thomas Kupiec, Daniel Eichner, Ribhav Gupta, John Ioannidis, Jay Bhattacharya
Published:
medRxiv, 30 April 2020
Available:
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.14.20062463v2
Stanford study finds COVID-19 cases were undercounted 50- to 85-fold. Not so fast, statisticians say
Author:
Kate Selig
Published:
Stanford Daily, 25 April 2020
From the article:
"Swift blowback followed the release of preliminary findings from a Stanford-led study that estimated that the number of COVID-19 cases in Santa Clara County was 50 to 85 times higher than the number of confirmed cases."
To read this article:
https://www.stanforddaily.com/2020/04/25/stanford-study-concludes-covid-19-cases-were-undercounted-50-to-85-fold-not-so-fast-statisticians-say/
The original scholarly article (not yet peer-reviewed):
Title:
COVID-19 Antibody Seroprevalence in Santa Clara County, California
Authors:
Eran Bendavid, Bianca Mulaney, Neeraj Sood, Soleil Shah, Emilia Ling, Rebecca Bromley-Dulfano, Cara Lai, Zoe Weissberg, Rodrigo Saavedra-Walker, James Tedrow, Dona Tversky, Andrew Bogan, Thomas Kupiec, Daniel Eichner, Ribhav Gupta, John Ioannidis, Jay Bhattacharya
Published:
medRxiv, 30 April 2020
Available:
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.14.20062463v2
Friday, May 1, 2020
The Korea Herald, 29 April 2020 - Tests in recovered patients found false positives, not reinfections, experts say
Title:
Tests in recovered patients found false positives, not reinfections, experts say
Author:
Kim Bo-gyung
Published:
The Korea Herald, 29 April 2020
From the article:
"South Korea’s infectious disease experts said Thursday that dead virus fragments were the likely cause of over 260 people here testing positive again for the novel coronavirus days and even weeks after marking full recoveries.
Oh Myoung-don, who leads the central clinical committee for emerging disease control, said the committee members found little reason to believe that those cases could be COVID-19 reinfections or reactivations, which would have made global efforts to contain the virus much more daunting."
To read this article:
http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20200429000724
Tests in recovered patients found false positives, not reinfections, experts say
Author:
Kim Bo-gyung
Published:
The Korea Herald, 29 April 2020
From the article:
"South Korea’s infectious disease experts said Thursday that dead virus fragments were the likely cause of over 260 people here testing positive again for the novel coronavirus days and even weeks after marking full recoveries.
Oh Myoung-don, who leads the central clinical committee for emerging disease control, said the committee members found little reason to believe that those cases could be COVID-19 reinfections or reactivations, which would have made global efforts to contain the virus much more daunting."
To read this article:
http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20200429000724
Research Letter (JAMA, 29 April 2020) - Variation in COVID-19 Hospitalizations and Deaths Across New York City Boroughs
Title:
Variation in COVID-19 Hospitalizations and Deaths Across New York City Boroughs
Authors:
Rishi K. Wadhera, Priya Wadhera, Prakriti Gaba, Jose F. Figueroa, Karen E. Joynt Maddox, Robert W. Yeh & Changyu Shen
Published:
JAMA, published online 29 April 2020
Available: file:///C:/Users/User/Downloads/jama_wadhera_2020_ld_200038.pdf
Focus of research letter:
"In the US, New York City has emerged as the epicenter of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak.1 As of April 25, 2020, more than 150 000 cases had been reported, which is approximately 17% of total cases in the US.2,3 New York City is composed of 5 boroughs (the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island), each with unique demographic, socioeconomic, and community characteristics.
Prior analyses have shown health inequities across these boroughs, but whether similar patterns have also emerged amid the COVID-19 pandemic is unknown.4 Understanding the patterns could inform public health and policy strategies to mitigate the ongoing spread of COVID-19, and future approaches to address a possible resurgence of the disease. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to examine population characteristics and hospital bed capacities across the 5 boroughs and evaluate whether differences in the rates of COVID-19 testing, hospitalizations, and deaths have emerged in these communities."
Variation in COVID-19 Hospitalizations and Deaths Across New York City Boroughs
Authors:
Rishi K. Wadhera, Priya Wadhera, Prakriti Gaba, Jose F. Figueroa, Karen E. Joynt Maddox, Robert W. Yeh & Changyu Shen
Published:
JAMA, published online 29 April 2020
Available: file:///C:/Users/User/Downloads/jama_wadhera_2020_ld_200038.pdf
Focus of research letter:
"In the US, New York City has emerged as the epicenter of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak.1 As of April 25, 2020, more than 150 000 cases had been reported, which is approximately 17% of total cases in the US.2,3 New York City is composed of 5 boroughs (the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island), each with unique demographic, socioeconomic, and community characteristics.
Prior analyses have shown health inequities across these boroughs, but whether similar patterns have also emerged amid the COVID-19 pandemic is unknown.4 Understanding the patterns could inform public health and policy strategies to mitigate the ongoing spread of COVID-19, and future approaches to address a possible resurgence of the disease. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to examine population characteristics and hospital bed capacities across the 5 boroughs and evaluate whether differences in the rates of COVID-19 testing, hospitalizations, and deaths have emerged in these communities."
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