Editor's Note:  Rapid border closures, full lockdowns, and wide-spread testing were not associated with statistically significant reductions in number of critical cases or overall COVID-19 mortality; however, they were significantly associated with increased patient recovery rates, this study of 50 countries finds. Increasing COVID-19 caseloads were associated with countries with…

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Editor's Note This study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finds that the estimated number of COVID-19 infections was more than 10 times higher than the number reported from March 23 to May 12. Serum samples from 16,025 individuals at 10 US sites were tested for antibodies. Six…

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Editor's Note The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on July 20 launched a new Data Hub for COVID-19 hospitalization data that officials say provides a more comprehensive view of the pandemic than the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) National Healthcare Safety Network, where the information…

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Editor's Note The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on July 15 announced that in a move to improve information gathering and resource allocation, hospitals will begin sending their COVID-19 related data directly through HHS Protect or TeleTracking rather than submitting it the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention…

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Editor's Note The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) on July 10 reported that health-related workplace absenteeism rates were significantly higher than expected in March and April for some occupational groups in essential critical infrastructure categories. The following significantly exceeded their epidemic thresholds: personal care and services, including childcare…

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Editor's Note This July 10 report from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) provides detailed demographic and clinical information on a subset of 10,647 people who died with COVID-19 (ie, decedents) in 16 US public health jurisdictions between February 12 and May 18. The researchers found that: 60.6%…

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Editor's Note The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director Anthony Fauci says COVID-19 vaccine candidates will start moving into late-stage clinical trials by the end of July, continuing through the summer and into fall, the July 2 Reuters reports. The director of the National Institutes of Health, Dr…

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Editor's Note The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on June 26 posted key updates for week 25, of the COVID-19 epidemic, ending June 20. The percentage of US deaths attributed to flu, pneumonia, or COVID-19 decreased for the ninth consecutive week to 6.9%, from 9.5% a week earlier.…

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Editor's Note Transmission of COVID-19 during and after a college spring break trip to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, (March 14-19) by University of Texas at Austin students led to 64 cases, including 60 of 183 travelers, 1 of 13 household contacts, and 3 of 35 community contacts, according to the…

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Editor's Note Patients with underling conditions, such as heart disease, chronic lung disease, and diabetes were hospitalized six times as often and died 12 times as often from COVID-19 as those without underlying conditions, the Centers for Disease Control and Infection (CDC) reports. Severe outcomes increased with age—the percentages of…

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