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Effective contact tracing is critical to controlling the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) (1). South Korea adopted a rigorous contact-tracing program comprising traditional shoe-leather epidemiology and new methods to track [...]

Problem On 21 January 2020, the city of Taizhou, China, reported its first imported coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) case and subsequently the number of cases rapidly increased. Approach To organize the emergency responses, the government of Taizhou established on 23 January 2020 novel headquarters for prevention and control of the COVID-19 outbreak, by coordinating different governmental agencies. People at high risk of acquiring COVID-19, as well as probable and confirmed cases, were identified and quarantined. The government closed public venues and limited gatherings. The Taizhou Health Commission shared information about identified COVID-19 patients and probable cases with affected agencies. To timely track and manage close contacts of confirmed cases, Taizhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention did epidemiological investigations. Medical institutions or local centers for disease control and prevention reported confirmed cases to the national Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Local setting Taizhou, a city in Zhejiang province with about 6 million residents, reported 18 confirmed COVID-2019 cases by 23 January 2020, which ranked it third globally in number of cases after Wuhan and Xiaogan cities in the Hubei province. Relevant changes In total, 146 confirmed cases (85 cases imported and 61 cases through community transmission) and no deaths due to COVID-19 had been reported in Taizhou by 1 June 2020. Between 16 February and 1 June 2020, no confirmed case had been reported. Lesson learnt Identifying and managing imported cases and people at risk for infection, timely information sharing, limiting gatherings and ensuring collaborations between different agencies were important in controlling COVID-19. [phrase omitted] [phrase omitted] Probleme Le 21 janvier 2020, la ville de Taizhou, en Chine, a signale son premier cas importe de maladie a coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19). Le nombre de cas a ensuite rapidement augmente. Approche Afin d'organiser les interventions d'urgence, les autorites de Taizhou ontetabli le 23 janvier 2020 un nouveau guartier general charge de la prevention et du controle de l'epidemie de COVID-19, fruit de la coordination entre differents organismes gouvernementaux. Les personnes presentant un risgue eleve de contracter la COVID-19, ainsi gue les cas probables et confirmes, ont ete identifies et mis en guarantaine. Les autorites ont ferme les lieux publics et limite les rassemblements. La Commission de la sante de Taizhou a partage des informations relatives aux patients COVID-19 identifies et aux cas probables avec les agences concernees. Pour retracer et gerer sans delai les contacts rapproches des cas confirmes, le Centre de prevention et de controle des maladies de Taizhou a mene des investigations epidemiologigues. De leurcote, les etablissements medicauxou centres locaux de prevention et de controle des maladies ont notifie les cas confirmes au Centre national de prevention et de controle des maladies. Environnement localTaizhou est une ville de la province du Zhejiang et compte environ 6 millions d'habitants. Elle avait denombre 18 cas de COVID-2019 confirmes au 23 janvier 2020, ce gui la classait au troisieme rang mondial en nombre de cas apres Wuhan et Xiaogan, dans la province du Hubei. Changements significatifs Taizhou a enregistre un total de 146 cas confirmes (85 cas importes et 61 cas de transmission communautaire) etaucun decesdu a la COVID-19au 1erjuin 2020. Entre le 16 fevrier et le 1erjuin 2020, aucun cas confirme n'a ete signale. Lemons tirees Identifier et gerer les cas importes ainsi gue les personnes a haut risgue d'infection, partager les informations au moment opportun, limiter les rassemblements et assurer une bonnecollaboration entre les differents organismes sont autant de mesures gui jouent un role essentiel dans le controle de la COVID-19. [phrase omitted] Situacion El 21 de enero de 2020, la ciudad de Taizhou (China) comunico su primer caso importado de la enfermedad del coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) y posteriormente el numero de casos se incremento rapidamente. Enfoque El 23 de enero de 2020, el gobierno de Taizhou establecio una nueva sede para la prevencion y el control del brote de la COVID-19, a traves de la coordinacion de distintos organismos gubernamentales para organizar las respuestas de emergencia. Se identificaron y entraron en cuarentena las personas con alto riesgo de padecer la COVID-19, asi como los casos probables y confirmados. El gobierno cerro los lugares publicos y restringio las reuniones. La Comision de Salud de Taizhou compartio informacion sobre los pacientes identificados con la COVID-19 y los casos probables con los organismos afectados. El Centro para el Control y la Prevencion de Enfermedades de Taizhou realizo investigaciones epidemiologicas para hacer un seguimiento oportuno y manejar los contactos cercanos de los casos confirmados. Las instituciones medicas o los centros locales para el control y la prevencion de enfermedades reportaron los casos confirmados al Centro Nacional para el Control y la Prevencion de Enfermedades. Marco regional Taizhou, una ciudad de la provincia de Zhejiang que tiene unos 6 millones de habitantes, comunico 18 casos confirmados de la COVID-2019 al 23 de enero de 2020, lo que la situo en el tercer lugar mundial en numero de casos despues de las ciudades de Wuhan y Xiaogan en la provincia de Hubei. Cambios importantes En total, para el 1. de junio de 2020 se confirmaron 146 casos (85 casos importados y 61 casos por transmision comunitaria) y no se notificaron muertes por causa de la COVID-19 en Taizhou. Tampoco se notificaron casos confirmados entre el 16 de febrero y el 1. de junio de 2020. Lecciones aprendidas La identificacion y la gestion de los casos importados y de las personas en riesgo de infeccion, el intercambio oportuno de informacion, la restriccion de las reuniones y la garantia de la colaboracion entre los distintos organismos fueron importantes para controlar la COVID-19., Introduction In December 2019, reports on cases of pneumonia of unknown etiology emerged from Wuhan, China. Subsequently, researchers identified the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) as the [...]

The ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), was identified in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, and has spread rapidly around the [...]

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic reached the African continent in less than three months from when the first cases were reported from mainland China. As COVID-19 preparedness and response plans were rapidly instituted across sub-Saharan Africa, many governments and donor organizations braced themselves for the unknown impact the COVID-19 pandemic would have in under-resourced settings with high burdens of PLHIV. The potential negative impact of COVID-19 in these countries is uncertain, but is estimated to contribute both directly and indirectly to the morbidity and mortality of PLHIV, requiring countries to leverage existing HIV care systems to propel COVID-19 responses, while safeguarding PLHIV and HIV programme gains. In anticipation of COVID-19-related disruptions, PEPFAR promptly established guidance to rapidly adapt HIV programmes to maintain essential HIV services while protecting recipients of care and staff from COVID-19. This commentary reviews PEPFAR's COVID-19 technical guidance and provides country-specific examples of programme adaptions in sub-Saharan Africa. Discussion: The COVID-19 pandemic may pose significant risks to the continuity of HIV services, especially in countries with high HIV prevalence and weak and over-burdened health systems. Although there is currently limited understanding of how COVID-19 affects PLHIV, it is imperative that public health systems and academic centres monitor the impact of COVID-19 on PLHIV. The general principles of the HIV programme adaptation guidance from PEPFAR prioritize protecting the gains in the HIV response while minimizing in-person home and facility visits and other direct contact when COVID-19 control measures are in effect. PEPFAR-supported clinical, laboratory, supply chain, community and data reporting systems can play an important role in mitigating the impact of COVID-19 in sub-Saharan Africa. Conclusions: As community transmission of COVID-19 continues and the number of country cases rise, fragile health systems may be strained. Utilizing the adaptive, data-driven programme approaches in facilities and communities established and supported by PEPFAR provides the opportunity to strengthen the COVID-19 response while protecting the immense gains spanning HIV prevention, testing and treatment reached thus far. Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; HIV care continuum; PEPFAR; readiness; response, 1 | INTRODUCTION Less than three months from the first reported cases of COVID-19 in China, the pandemic reached Nigeria, the first sub-Saharan African country to report a confirmed case [...]

From January 26 through February 10, 2020, an outbreak of 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVD-19) affected 10 persons from 3 families (families A-C) who had eaten at the same air-conditioned [...]

Drawing from experience with the severe acute respiratory syndrome epidemic in 2003, the Taiwan government has established a central command system for a quick response to epidemics arising from China [...]

'Never let a good crisis go to waste.' - Sir Winston Churchill The value of Canada's Kidney Paired Donation program to the population cannot be overstated. Its greatest challenge as a national program, however, is the geographic separation of recipient and matched donor. Representatives from every transplant program in the country have been working toward increased use of kidney shipping in order to diminish the disincentive of donor travel. With transplantation program and travel restrictions in place to minimize the risk of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the time to make a full transition from donor travel to the shipment of donor kidneys has clearly arrived., Since its inception in 2009, The Canadian Kidney Paired Donation (KPD) program, administered by Canadian Blood Services and involving the efforts of all kidney transplant programs in the country, has [...]

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARSCoV-2) is rapidly spreading across the globe. Some case reports and modeling studies suggest asymptomatic carriage of SARS-CoV-2 plays [...]

Dysregulated host immune responses drive mortality in pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) caused by a wide range of infections. In coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), severe acute respiratory syndrome [...]

In January 2020, we investigated a 2-family cluster of persons infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in the city of Zhoushan in Zhejiang Province, China. We attributed [...]

Be prepared for delays to start dates, unexpected fees -- and even visa refusals -- when moving abroad for career opportunities. Be prepared for delays to start dates, unexpected fees -- and even visa refusals -- when moving abroad., Author(s): Virginia Gewin Author Affiliations: What scientists should know about visa hurdles Visa and immigration policies in the United States have delayed or even prevented the entry of scientists from [...]

Author(s): Lei Zhang 1,2,3,4,*, Yusha Tao 1,2, Mingwang Shen 1, Christopher K. Fairley 1,2,3, Yuming Guo 5,* As of 25 May, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV-2) pandemic [...]

Background The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has spread to nearly every country in the world since it first emerged in China in December 2019. Many countries have implemented social distancing as a measure to 'flatten the curve' of the ongoing epidemics. Evaluation of the impact of government-imposed social distancing and of other measures to control further spread of COVID-19 is urgent, especially because of the large societal and economic impact of the former. The aim of this study was to compare the individual and combined effectiveness of self-imposed prevention measures and of short-term government-imposed social distancing in mitigating, delaying, or preventing a COVID-19 epidemic. Methods and findings We developed a deterministic compartmental transmission model of SARS-CoV-2 in a population stratified by disease status (susceptible, exposed, infectious with mild or severe disease, diagnosed, and recovered) and disease awareness status (aware and unaware) due to the spread of COVID-19. Self-imposed measures were assumed to be taken by disease-aware individuals and included handwashing, mask-wearing, and social distancing. Government-imposed social distancing reduced the contact rate of individuals irrespective of their disease or awareness status. The model was parameterized using current best estimates of key epidemiological parameters from COVID-19 clinical studies. The model outcomes included the peak number of diagnoses, attack rate, and time until the peak number of diagnoses. For fast awareness spread in the population, self-imposed measures can significantly reduce the attack rate and diminish and postpone the peak number of diagnoses. We estimate that a large epidemic can be prevented if the efficacy of these measures exceeds 50%. For slow awareness spread, self-imposed measures reduce the peak number of diagnoses and attack rate but do not affect the timing of the peak. Early implementation of short-term government-imposed social distancing alone is estimated to delay (by at most 7 months for a 3-month intervention) but not to reduce the peak. The delay can be even longer and the height of the peak can be additionally reduced if this intervention is combined with self-imposed measures that are continued after government-imposed social distancing has been lifted. Our analyses are limited in that they do not account for stochasticity, demographics, heterogeneities in contact patterns or mixing, spatial effects, imperfect isolation of individuals with severe disease, and reinfection with COVID-19. Conclusions Our results suggest that information dissemination about COVID-19, which causes individual adoption of handwashing, mask-wearing, and social distancing, can be an effective strategy to mitigate and delay the epidemic. Early initiated short-term government-imposed social distancing can buy time for healthcare systems to prepare for an increasing COVID-19 burden. We stress the importance of disease awareness in controlling the ongoing epidemic and recommend that, in addition to policies on social distancing, governments and public health institutions mobilize people to adopt self-imposed measures with proven efficacy in order to successfully tackle COVID-19., Author(s): Alexandra Teslya 1,*, Thi Mui Pham 1, Noortje G. Godijk 1, Mirjam E. Kretzschmar 1, Martin C. J. Bootsma 1,2, Ganna Rozhnova 1,3 Introduction As of May 5, 2020, [...]

Byline: Naveen. Malhotra, Muralidhar. Joshi, Rashmi. Datta, Sukhminder. Bajwa, Lalit. Mehdiratta Preamble Indian Society of Anaesthesiologists issues the following advisory and position statement to ensure safety of patients and the [...]