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Hot Topics of the Day|PHGKB
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03/16/2021

Hot Topics of the Day are picked by experts to capture the latest information and publications on public health genomics and precision health for various diseases and health topics. Sources include published scientific literature, reviews, blogs and popular press articles.

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Archived Hot Topics of the Day By Date

Association of Clinician Diagnostic Performance With Machine Learning-Based Decision Support Systems: A Systematic Review.
Vasey Baptiste et al. JAMA network open 2021 4(3) e211276

Most studies had a low number of participants, were at high or unclear risk of bias, and showed little or no consideration for human factors. Caution should be exercised when estimating the current potential of ML to improve human diagnostic performance, and more comprehensive evaluation should be conducted before deploying ML-based CDSSs in clinical settings.

Cell-free DNA analysis of maternal blood in prenatal screening for chromosomal microdeletions and microduplications: a systematic review.
Familiari Alessandra et al. Prenatal diagnosis 2021

The pooled PPV of cfDNA testing in screening for microdeletion and microduplication syndromes was about 40%, ranging from 29% to 91%, for an overall FPR <0.1%. No confirmatory analysis was available in cases that did not undergo invasive testing, which were most cases with a negative test, and therefore, the negative predictive value cannot be determined.

Newborn screening for severe combined immunodeficiency: clinical and cost-effectiveness approaches.
Boyarchuk Oksana et al. Polski merkuriusz lekarski : organ Polskiego Towarzystwa Lekarskiego 2021 49(289) 80-83

Newborn screening for SCID with T-cell receptor excision circle (TREC) and kappa-deleting recombination excision circle (KREC) assay for the identification of T- and B-lymphopenia has been implemented in a number of highly developed countries of the world. A number of studies proved the clinical and cost-effectiveness of screening for SCID by using TREC assay. However, both clinical benefits and economic costs for screening may vary depending on country and continent.

Signals of hope: gauging the impact of a rapid national vaccination campaign
S Shiloh et al, Nature Rev Immunology, March 2021

A rapid coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination rollout has led Israel to become the country with the highest rate of vaccinated individuals per capita worldwide. Here, we summarize the first signs for the real-world effectiveness and impact of the vaccination campaign.

The first 12 months of COVID-19: a timeline of immunological insights
T Carvalho et al, Nature Rev Immunology, March 2021

We take readers through the timeline of key discoveries during the first year of the pandemic, which showcases the extraordinary leaps in our understanding of the immune response to SARS-CoV-2 and highlights gaps in our knowledge as well as areas for future investigations.

Effectiveness of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine Among Residents of Two Skilled Nursing Facilities Experiencing COVID-19 Outbreaks — Connecticut, December 2020–February 2021
A Britton et al, MMWR, March 15, 2021

Skilled nursing facility (SNF) residents were not included in COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials. Little is known about COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness in SNF residents. A retrospective cohort analysis in two Connecticut SNFs found partial vaccination with Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine (from >14 days after dose 1 through 7 days after dose 2) to be 63% (95% confidence interval = 33%–79%) effective against SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Recombinant SARS-CoV-2 genomes are currently circulating at low levels
D VanInsberghe et al, BIORXIV, March 15, 2021

Digital proximity tracing on empirical contact networks for pandemic control
G Cencetti et al, Nature Comms, March 2021

We investigate how well contact tracing apps, coupled with the quarantine of identified contacts, can mitigate the spread in real environments. We find that restrictive policies are more effective in containing the epidemic but come at the cost of unnecessary large-scale quarantines. Policy evaluation through their efficiency and cost results in optimized solutions which only consider contacts longer than 15–20 minutes and closer than 2–3 meters to be at risk. Our results show that isolation and tracing can help control re-emerging outbreaks when some conditions are met

Virus Variants Likely Evolved Inside People With Weak Immune Systems
A Mandavilli, NY Times, March 15, 2021

Preparing for the next pandemic
Nature Medicine editorial, March 16, 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has opened a window of opportunity for rethinking the way countries prepare for public-health crises. This window must not be wasted.

A concerning variant is about to become dominant in the US, experts say, and how Americans act could help fuel or curb a surge
C Maxouris, CNN, March 16, 2021

14 Lessons for the Next Pandemic
NY Times, March 16, 2021

Prospective Validation of an Electronic Health Record–Based, Real-Time Suicide Risk Model
CG Walsh et al, JAMA Network Open, March 2021

This cohort study of 30-day suicide attempt risk among 77 973 patients showed good performance in nonpsychiatric clinical settings at scale and in real time. Numbers needed to screen were reasonable for an algorithmic screening test that required no additional data collection or face-to-face screening to calculate.


Disclaimer: Articles listed in Hot Topics of the Day are selected by Public Health Genomics Branch to provide current awareness of the scientific literature and news. Inclusion in the update does not necessarily represent the views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention nor does it imply endorsement of the article's methods or findings. CDC and DHHS assume no responsibility for the factual accuracy of the items presented. The selection, omission, or content of items does not imply any endorsement or other position taken by CDC or DHHS. Opinion, findings and conclusions expressed by the original authors of items included in the Clips, or persons quoted therein, are strictly their own and are in no way meant to represent the opinion or views of CDC or DHHS. References to publications, news sources, and non-CDC Websites are provided solely for informational purposes and do not imply endorsement by CDC or DHHS.
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