COVID-19 GPH|COVID-19 Genomics and Precision Public Health Weekly Update|PHGKB

COVID-19 GPH|COVID-19 Genomics and Precision Public Health Weekly Update|PHGKB

Publication Date: Aug 27, 2020

COVID-19 Genomics and Precision Public Health Weekly Update Content

News, Reviews and Commentaries

• AI Methods Make COVID-19 Forecasting More Local
  S Fernandez, Nexgov, August 10, 2020
  Artificial intelligence techniques have inspired a new COVID-19 forecasting model provide timely information at a more localized level. The researchers say that officials and anyone in the public can use in their decision-making processes. “We are all overwhelmed by the data, most of which is provided at national and state levels.”
• Host Polymorphisms May Impact SARS-CoV-2 Infectivity.
  Brest Patrick et al. Trends in genetics : TIG 2020 Aug
• First Covid-19 reinfection documented in Hong Kong, researchers say
  A Joseph, Stat News, August 24, 2020
  Researchers at the University of Hong Kong sequenced the virus from the patient’s two infections and found that they did not match, indicating the second infection was not tied to the first. There was a difference of 24 nucleotides — the “letters” that make up the virus’ RNA — between the two infections.
• Real-time public health communication of local SARS-CoV-2 genomic epidemiology.
  Kalinich Chaney C et al. PLoS biology 2020 Aug (8) e3000869
  Genomic epidemiology can provide a unique, real-time understanding of SARS-CoV-2 transmission patterns. Yet the potential for genomic analyses to guide local policy and community-based behavioral decisions is limited because they are often oriented towards specially trained scientists and conducted on a national or global scale.
• Applications of machine learning and artificial intelligence for Covid-19 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic: A review.
  Lalmuanawma Samuel et al. Chaos, solitons, and fractals 2020 Oct 110059
  This paper addresses on recent studies that apply ML and AI technology towards augmenting the researchers on multiple angles. It also addresses a few errors and challenges while using such algorithms in real-world problems. The paper also discusses suggestions conveying researchers on model design, medical experts, and policymakers in the current situation while tackling the Covid-19 pandemic and ahead.
• Vaccines targeting SARS-CoV-2 tested in humans
  KM Edwards, Nature Medicine, August 24, 2020
  Vaccines directed against SARS-CoV-2 have been administered to healthy volunteers and have been shown to stimulate a brisk humoral and cellular immune response. All vaccines were generally well tolerated with mostly mild to moderate local and systemic reactions.
• Two metres or one: what is the evidence for physical distancing in covid-19?
  NR Jones et al, BMJ, August 25, 2020
  Instead of single, fixed physical distance rules, we propose graded recommendations that better reflect the multiple factors that combine to determine risk. This would provide greater protection in the highest risk settings but also greater freedom in lower risk settings, potentially enabling a return towards normality in some aspects of social and economic life.
• Genetic data show how a single superspreading event sent coronavirus across Massachusetts — and the nation The emerging field of genomic sequencing provides critical information into how the virus spreads.
  Washington Post, August 25, 2020