COVID-19 Update #8

Monterey County (9/9/20 - 10/21/20):

2,623 new cases (11,284 total / 87 total deaths)

Worldwide (9/9/20 - 10/21/20):

13.43 million new cases (40.67 million total / 1.12 million total deaths)

U.S.A. (9/9/20 - 10/21/20):

1.9 million new cases (8.19 million total / 219,499 total deaths)

California (9/9/20 - 10/21/20):

139,873 new cases (877,784 total / 17,027 total deaths)

9/9/20

SARS-CoV-2 vaccine Phase 3 trials from AstraZeneca/ Oxford University placed on hold due to a possible serious side effect in one of the participants called transverse myelitis (spinal cord inflammation).
The American Academy of Pediatrics reports that 9.8% of all US COVID-19 cases are from children (approximately 513,000) and rising due to school openings.

9/14/20

9/16/20

Approximately 60% of all US public schools grades K-12 have opened the school year with only remote learning.
Initial results from a US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) randomized, double blinded placebo controlled study, incorporating > 1,000 hospitalized COVID-19 patients, showed that Baricitinib (a janus kinase inhibitor, an FDA approved medication for treating rheumatoid arthritis), when taken in conjunction with remdesivir, reduced hospitalization time to discharge by one day compared to patients treated with remdesivir alone.

9/18/20

Worldwide cases of COVID-19 surpass 30 million.
The USA accounts for 4.25% of the general global population, but has 22% of global COVID-19 cases and 21% of global COVID-19 deaths.
Europe is facing a “second peak,” as incidence of COVID-19 surpasses its original peak in March 2020.

9/21/20

Studies are proposing that Vitamin D may have a beneficial effect on severe COVID-19 patients by controlling cytokine overproduction, protecting the pulmonary epithelium, and decreasing coagulopathy (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960076020302764).

9/23/20

The CDC released updated information on airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2, stating that infection can be passed on to others at distances > 6 feet, as viable viral particles can stay suspended in the air for minutes to hours, even after the infected person has left the area. Increased risk for this modality of infection happens in closed spaces with inadequate ventilation.
Johnson & Johnson/ Jansen announce that its SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidate (unique in the sense that only one dose is required) has entered Phase 3 clinical trials, involving 60,000 people from various countries.

9/25/20

9/28/20

USA passes 7 million total COVID-19 cases.
Johnson & Johnson releases initial promising data from its Phase 1/2 clinical trials for its SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, that included 800 participants. Only one serious event attributable to the vaccine was reported, a fever, which subsided after 12 hours.
Interferons are groups of proteins produced by normal cells as defense in response to a viral infection. Studies suggest that genetically related deficiencies, resulting in the decreased production or lack of production of Type I INF (Interferon) made the patients more susceptible to severe COVID-19.(https://science.sciencemag.org/content/early/2020/09/29/science.abd4570)
Study shows that 2.6% of females and 12.5% of males with severe COVID-19 pneumonia produce neutralizing auto-antibodies against various forms of Type I INF, a natural inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2 infection, therefore allowing the infection to become more severe. (https://science.sciencemag.org/content/early/2020/09/23/science.abd4585)

9/30/20

US FDA issues EUA for an antibody test (to detect prior infection) by Assure Tech, which provides results in 15 minutes from a finger stick sample.
FDA, after obtaining further data on the use of convalescent plasma for the treatment of COVID-19, deemed it as “may be effective” with further need for clinical trials.

10/1/20

President Donald Trump and Mrs. Melania Trump test positive for SARS-CoV-2, and soon afterwards the president was transferred to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where he received supplemental oxygen, monoclonal antibodies, remdesivir, convalescent plasma, dexamethasone, Vitamin D, and other modalities of care according to official statements by the White House and the President’s physicians.

10/2/20

10/9/20

Europe is experiencing a second wave of COVID-19, now more than two times as large as the first peak in April 2020.

10/12/20

USA CDC expanded its list of medical comorbidities that increases one’s risk of severe COVID-19 and death, to include obesity with a BMI of 25 or greater.
The NIAID funded double-blinded, randomized, placebo controlled trial, including 1,062 patients, concluded and showed that a 10 day course of remdesivir, when administered to hospitalized patients with severe COVID-19 (lower respiratory tract infection), had a shorter time to recovery, 10 days compared to 15 days (placebo arm), a shorter time to hospital discharge, shorter overall hospital stay, 12 days vs. 17 days (placebo arm), and lower mortality, 11.4% vs. 15.2% (placebo arm) (https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2007764).

10/14/20

The Phase 3 clinical trial for the Johnson & Johnson SARS-CoV-2 vaccine is placed on hold due to an undisclosed adverse effect on one patient.

10/18/20

10/19/20

Recent study suggests a correlation between certain blood groups / types and susceptibility of COVID-19 infection. Those who have blood group “A” had a higher risk of contracting SARS-CoV-s infection than those who were not A. Blood group “O” had a lower risk than those with non “O” blood groups to get severe COVID-19 disease (https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2020283).

10/21/20

USA COVID-19 cases continue to rise, now over 50% of all states are recording over 100,000 people infected, and more than 21 states reporting new record highs in hospitalizations.
USA COVID-19 Cases Timeline:
- 1 million —> 2 million = 44 days
- 2 million —> 3 million = 27 days
- 3 million —> 4 million = 15 days
- 4 million —> 5 million = 17 days
- 5 million —> 6 million = 22 days
- 6 million —> 7 million = 25 days
- 7 million —> 8 million = 21 days
Worldwide COVID-19 Cases Timeline:
- 1 million —> 1 million = 90 days
- 1 million —> 5 million = 48 days
- 5 million —> 10 million = 38 days
- 10 million —> 20 million = 44 days
- 20 million —> 30 million = 37 days
- 30 million —> 40 million = 31 days

Reference Sources

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