Not hockey but thought you guys would appreciate my most recent medical release received - Doubt this is privileged in any way so will post it here.
March 11, 2020
COVID-19 Incubation period, diagnostic utility of CT scans for COVID-19, and updated guidance from the CDC
By Denise Baez
NEW YORK -- March 11, 2020 -- The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak is an emerging, rapidly evolving situation, with new information pouring in daily. What are some of the most recent discoveries and updates?
First, researchers have found that the incubation period for COVID-19 is approximately 5 days. Stephen A. Lauer, MS, PhD, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, and colleagues pooled data of confirmed COVID-19 cases reported between January 4, 2020, and February 24, 2020 from 50 provinces, regions, and countries outside Wuhan, China. They analysed demographic characteristics and dates and times of possible exposure, symptom onset, fever onset, and hospitalisation.
Results, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, showed that the median incubation period was estimated to be 5.1 days and 97.5% of those who develop symptoms will do so within 11.5 days of infection. These estimates imply that, under conservative assumptions, 101 out of every 10,000 cases will develop symptoms after 14 days of active monitoring or quarantine.
Moving on to the diagnostic utility of CT scans in COVID-19, radiologists have found a low rate of misdiagnosis of COVID-19 (3.9%) with CT scans. Yan Li, MD, and Liming Xia, MD, Tongji Hospital, Wuhan, China, compared examined image reports of the first 51 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 infection confirmed by nucleic acid testing and 2 patients with adenovirus. When comparing the initial CT study with laboratory test results to identify patterns suggestive of viral infection, COVID-19 was misdiagnosed as a common infection at the initial CT study in 2 patients with underlying disease and COVID-19. Meanwhile, viral pneumonia was correctly diagnosed at the initial CT study in the remaining 49 patients with COVID-19 and in the 2 patients with adenovirus. The findings, published in the American Journal of Roentgenology, could help standardise imaging features and rules of transformation for rapid diagnosis.
Lastly, we look at interim guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for healthcare facilities caring for patients with known or suspected COVID-19. The CDC stated that all healthcare facilities should prioritize the use of N-95 respirators and other respiratory protection devices during high-risk procedures while still protecting healthcare personnel with facemasks and eye protection during other routine patient care activities in the setting of temporary respirator shortages. Based on local and regional situational analysis of personal protective equipment supplies, facemasks are an acceptable alternative when the supply chain of respirators cannot meet the demand.
Eye protection, gown, and gloves continue to be recommended. If there are shortages of gowns, they should be prioritized for aerosol-generating procedures, care activities where splashes and sprays are anticipated, and high-contact patient care activities that provide opportunities for transfer of pathogens to the hands and clothing of healthcare personnel.
In addition, patients with known or suspected COVID-19 should be cared for in a single-person room with the door closed. Airborne Infection Isolation Rooms (AIIRs) should be reserved for patients undergoing aerosol-generating procedures.
PS-I get these updates multiple times per day from tehe CDC and this one has some really recent information