Epidemiology
· A systematic review of pregnant women with COVID-19 and their neonates: Immunology specialists associated with Tehran University of Medical Sciences in Iran conducted a systematic review of 37 articles regarding COVID-19 in pregnant patients. Of the 364 women included in the studies, 25 were asymptomatic, 22 developed pneumonia, and 44 women tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 despite their clinical manifestations. Two mothers died from severe pneumonia and multiple organ dysfunction. The studies also involved a total of 302 neonates, 1 of whom was born dead and 5 had critical conditions. Of the 219 neonates who were tested for SARS-CoV-2 infection, 11 tested positive. These results indicate that the symptoms and prognosis of pregnant women with COVID-19 are similar to that of the general public, but monitoring is crucial for the health of both patients.
Transmission & Prevention
· A Systematic Review of Surface Contamination, Stability, and Disinfection Data on SARS-CoV-2 (Through July 10, 2020): Researchers associated with Tufts University conducted a systematic review on 78 articles regarding hygiene intervention effectiveness against SARS-CoV-2 transmission. Surface contamination for SARS-CoV-2 RNA was highest in laboratory settings (21%), followed by COVID-19 patient rooms (17%), non-COVID patient rooms (12%), and patient household surfaces (3%). Studies that analyzed surface stability of SARS-CoV-2 indicated a half-life of 2.3-17.9 hours on stainless steel, plastic, and nitrile, which was decreased with increased temperature and humidity. Surface disinfection studies showed a 99% decrease in SARS-CoV-2 detection after using sunlight, UV light, ethanol, hydrogen peroxide, and hypochlorite as disinfectants. These results shed light on the role of fomite transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and efficient disinfection methods to prevent transmission.
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