COVID-19 rarely spreads through surfaces. So why are we still deep cleaning? [Nature, 29 January 2021]

Title:

COVID-19 rarely spreads through surfaces. So why are we still deep cleaning? 

 

Author:

Dyani Lewis

 

Published:

Nature, 29 January 2021

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-00251-4

 

From the article:

The coronavirus behind the pandemic can linger on doorknobs and other surfaces, but these aren’t a major source of infection.

 

Also see:

Title: Low risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission by fomites in real-life conditions

 

Authors: Mario U Mondelli, Marta Colaneri, Elena M Seminari, Fausto Baldanti & Raffaele Bruno

 

Published: The Lancet, 29 September 2020

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(20)30678-2/fulltext

Scholarly Article (Nature Medicine, 18 June 2020) - Clinical and immunological assessment of asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infections

Title:
Clinical and immunological assessment of asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infections

Authors:
Quan-Xin Long, Xiao-Jun Tang, Qiu-Lin Shi, Qin Li, Hai-Jun Deng, Jun Yuan, Jie-Li Hu, Wei Xu, Yong Zhang, Fa-Jin Lv, Kun Su, Fan Zhang, Jiang Gong, Bo Wu, Xia-Mao Liu, Jin-Jing Li, Jing-Fu Qiu, Juan Chen & Ai-Long Huang

Published:
Nature Medicine, 18 June 2020
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-020-0965-6

Abstract:
The clinical features and immune responses of asymptomatic individuals infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have not been well described. We studied 37 asymptomatic individuals in the Wanzhou District who were diagnosed with RT–PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infections but without any relevant clinical symptoms in the preceding 14 d and during hospitalization. Asymptomatic individuals were admitted to the government-designated Wanzhou People’s Hospital for centralized isolation in accordance with policy1. The median duration of viral shedding in the asymptomatic group was 19 d (interquartile range (IQR), 15–26 d). The asymptomatic group had a significantly longer duration of viral shedding than the symptomatic group (log-rank P = 0.028). The virus-specific IgG levels in the asymptomatic group (median S/CO, 3.4; IQR, 1.6–10.7) were significantly lower (P = 0.005) relative to the symptomatic group (median S/CO, 20.5; IQR, 5.8–38.2) in the acute phase. Of asymptomatic individuals, 93.3% (28/30) and 81.1% (30/37) had reduction in IgG and neutralizing antibody levels, respectively, during the early convalescent phase, as compared to 96.8% (30/31) and 62.2% (23/37) of symptomatic patients. Forty percent of asymptomatic individuals became seronegative and 12.9% of the symptomatic group became negative for IgG in the early convalescent phase. In addition, asymptomatic individuals exhibited lower levels of 18 pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines. These data suggest that asymptomatic individuals had a weaker immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection. The reduction in IgG and neutralizing antibody levels in the early convalescent phase might have implications for immunity strategy and serological surveys.

Also watch
DrLuke onCall's video (10:22) titled Will you be immune after Covid-19?
He discusses (in easy understandable language) the immune response in Covid-19, answering two main questions:
* Will you be immune after Covid-19?
* How long will your antibodies last?
His discussion is based on the above-mentioned scholarly article.

Scholarly Article (May 2020) - COVID-19 immunity passports and vaccination certificates: scientific, equitable, and legal challenges

Title:
COVID-19 immunity passports and vaccination certificates: scientific, equitable, and legal challenges

Author:
Alexandra L. Phelan

Published:
Lancet, Volume 395, Issue 10237, pp. 1595-1598 (May 2020)
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)31034-5/fulltext

From the abstract:
"Many governments are looking for paths out of restrictive physical distancing measures imposed to control the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). With a potential vaccine against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) many months away,1 one proposal that some governments have suggested, including Chile, Germany, Italy, the UK, and the USA,2 is the use of immunity passports—ie, digital or physical documents that certify an individual has been infected and is purportedly immune to SARS-CoV-2. Individuals in possession of an immunity passport could be exempt from physical restrictions and could return to work, school, and daily life. However, immunity passports pose considerable scientific, practical, equitable, and legal challenges."

Scholarly Article (13 May 2020) - An outbreak of severe Kawasaki-like disease at the Italian epicentre of the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic: an observational cohort study

Title:
An outbreak of severe Kawasaki-like disease at the Italian epicentre of the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic: an observational cohort study

Authors:
Lucio Verdoni, MD; Angelo Mazza, MD; Annalisa Gervasoni, MD; Laura Martelli, MD; Maurizio Ruggeri, MD; Matteo Ciuffreda, MD; Ezio Bonanomi, MD & Lorenzo D'Antiga, MD 

Published:
Lancet, 13 May 2020
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)31103-X/fulltext

Background:
"The Bergamo province, which is extensively affected by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) epidemic, is a natural observatory of virus manifestations in the general population. In the past month we recorded an outbreak of Kawasaki disease; we aimed to evaluate incidence and features of patients with Kawasaki-like disease diagnosed during the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic."