Author: Frank Domino, MD in collaboration with Aylin Madore, MD
I stay up-to-date on the latest COVID-19 news and am regularly compiling a list of articles published that are relevant to your primary care practice. Read the insights below from recently published articles in less than two minutes.
Social Distancing for COVID-19 and Diagnoses of Other Infectious Diseases in Children
Based upon an observational cohort study from a large pediatric primary care network in Massachusetts, social distancing resulted in decreased rates of childhood infectious disease (acute otitis media, bronchiolitis, common cold, croup, gastroenteritis, influenza, nonstreptococcal pharyngitis, pneumonia, sinusitis, skin and soft tissue infections, streptococcal pharyngitis, and urinary tract infection). The rates of, influenza, croup, and bronchiolitis were <1 case per 100,000.
Prevalence of Depression Symptoms in US Adults Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Depression prevalence in the U.S. has tripled during the pandemic compared to 2017–18 data. Approximately 1400 adults surveyed about depressive symptoms in spring of 2020 were compared ~ 5000 adults from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in 2017–2018. In the pre-pandemic cohort, 9% had depressive symptoms vs. 28% during the pandemic; this included a 7-fold increase in risk of severe depression. Populations currently at greatest risk are those with the lowest incomes, where almost 50% reported depressive symptoms during the pandemic.
Infection Fatality Ratios for COVID-19 Among Noninstitutionalized Persons 12 and Older: Results of Random-Sample Prevalence Study
Observational data from Indiana found an infection fatality ratio of 0.26% among those aged 12 and older who are not institutionalized. Higher infection fatality ratios were seen in those aged 60 and older (1.71%) (not including those in nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, etc.) and among non-whites (0.59%). In comparison, the infection fatality ratio of those aged 65 and older for seasonal influenza is ~0.8%.
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