After More Than 330 Daily Summaries, the COVID-19 Literature Situation Report Comes to an End

For nearly seventeen months, the COVID-19 Literature Situation Report provided up-to-date information to the public health community about scientific evidence relevant to the COVID-19 pandemic. After more than 330 daily summaries, the project – a partnership between the Washington Department of Health (WA DOH) and University of Washington Department of Global Health (DGH) – ended on June 15, 2021.

Summary of Evidence Related to COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness and Breakthrough Infections

There are currently three COVID-19 vaccines authorized under an Emergency Use Authorization in the US and across the US, everyone 16 years or older is currently eligible for vaccination with at least one of the vaccines, with expansion of eligibility down to age 12 likely soon. The vaccine coverage among eligible individuals remains uneven, but high coverage among adults has been achieved in some settings.

COVID-19 In-Depth Report: Summary of Evidence Related to the Risk of Other Infections in the Context of COVID-19

Severe COVID-19 is associated with critical illness and immune dysregulation, both of which have been previously associated with increased risk of nosocomial infection. The care of COVID-19 patients has required dramatic changes to usual hospital practices and heightened concern for infection control practices. This is a brief summary of published evidence related to the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on non-COVID infections.

New COVID-19 In-Depth Report: Summary of SARS-CoV-2 Novel Variants

At just over one year into the COVID-19 pandemic, evolution of SARS-CoV-2 has generated viral variants that differ in their genetic sequence from the strain first detected in December 2019. Evidence is emerging about how these variants differ in their transmission characteristics, associated clinical symptoms, and vaccine efficacy. This document is a brief summary of published evidence about characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 variants that may impact the public health response, including transmission and response to vaccination.

Summary of Evidence Related to Indoor Ventilation to Reduce SARS-CoV-2 Transmission

This updated in-depth summary (previously released on December 21, 2020) is issued in response to new information that we received about updated definitions of aerosol particles that show that larger respiratory particles (<100 μm) can remain airborne for extended periods, and that in enclosed areas with poor ventilation, these aerosols containing infectious SARS-CoV-2 can spread beyond 6 feet and build up in a room. We apologize for not including this information in the earlier version of this summary.

Evidence Related to Schools During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Most countries world-wide implemented localized or national school closures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, with estimates of >65% of enrolled children globally affected by school closures.1 Since the early pandemic, schools in many settings around the world have fully or partially re-opened for in-person instruction, while in other settings schools have re-opened exclusively using online learning.

How COVID-19 Affects Some People Long After They Become Infected with the Coronavirus (includes Jennifer Ross)

By Ryan Blethen Seattle Times staff reporter

Nearly eight months after the pandemic was declared, researchers are gaining a more complete understanding of how the new coronavirus affects people.

One thing they’re noticing as time goes on: some people diagnosed with COVID-19 feel sick long after contracting the virus.

Summary of COVID-19 Long-term Health Effects: Emerging Evidence and Ongoing Investigation

Understanding the course of patients’ recovery from COVID-19 is critical for health system planning and for guiding public health prevention efforts. At less than one year into the COVID-19 pandemic, many long-term effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection remain unknown. However, new evidence is emerging rapidly about symptom profiles and rehabilitation needs of COVID-19 survivors in the initial months of their recovery. This document is a brief summary of published evidence about the sequelae of COVID-19 and ongoing studies of its long-term health effects.

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