Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America
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The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic spread globally in the beginning of 2020. At present, predictors of severe disease and the efficacy of different treatments are not well understood. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of all published studies up to 15 March 2020, which reported COVID-19 clinical features and/or treatment outcomes. ⋯ ARDS was predicted by elevated LDH (P < .0001), while mortality was predicted by increased leukocyte count (P = .0005) and elevated LDH (P < .0001). Treatment with lopinavir-ritonavir showed no significant benefit in mortality and ARDS rates. Corticosteroids were associated with a higher rate of ARDS (P = .0003).
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The unprecedented outbreak of corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection in Wuhan City has caused global concern; the outflow of the population from Wuhan was believed to be a main reason for the rapid and large-scale spread of the disease, so the government implemented a city-closure measure to prevent its transmission considering the large amount of travel before the Chinese New Year. ⋯ Our findings suggest that population movement might be one important trigger for the transmission of COVID-19 infection in China, and the policy of city closure is effective in controlling the epidemic.
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SARS-CoV-2 can be transmitted by airborne droplets in a hamster model. Surgical masks reduce both infection & severity, particularly when worn by those infected.
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