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Hot Topics of the Day|PHGKB
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03/27/2021

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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Discordant results between conventional newborn screening and genomic sequencing in the BabySeq Project
MH Wojcik et al, Genetics in Medicine, March 26, 2021

Newborn screening (NBS) is performed to identify neonates at risk for actionable, severe, early-onset disorders, many of which are genetic. The BabySeq Project randomized neonates to receive conventional NBS or NBS plus exome sequencing (ES) capable of detecting sequence variants that may also diagnose monogenic disease or indicate genetic disease risk. We therefore evaluated how ES and conventional NBS results differ in this population.

Universal newborn genetic screening for pediatric cancer predisposition syndromes: model-based insights.
Yeh Jennifer M et al. Genetics in medicine : official journal of the American College of Medical Genetics 2021 3

Among 3.7 million newborns, under usual care, 1,803 developed a CPS malignancy before age 20. With universal screening, 13.3% were identified at birth as at-risk due to P/LP variant detection and underwent surveillance, resulting in a 53.5% decrease in cancer deaths in P/LP heterozygotes and a 7.8% decrease among the entire cohort before age 20. Given a test cost of $55, universal screening cost $244,860 per life-year gained.

SARS-CoV-2 infection of the oral cavity and saliva.
Huang Ni et al. Nature medicine 2021 3

Matched nasopharyngeal and saliva samples displayed distinct viral shedding dynamics, and salivary viral burden correlated with COVID-19 symptoms, including taste loss. Upon recovery, this asymptomatic cohort exhibited sustained salivary IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. Collectively, these data show that the oral cavity is an important site for SARS-CoV-2 infection and implicate saliva as a potential route of SARS-CoV-2 transmission.

New machine learning model predicts who may benefit most from COVID-19 vaccination
L Wedland et al, NPJ Digital Medicine, March 26, 2021

Volatility of vaccine confidence.
Larson Heidi J et al. Science (New York, N.Y.) 2021 3 (6536) 1289

COVID-19 Variants Now Detected in Animals, May Find Hosts in Mice
B Goodman, Medscape, March 24, 2021

Counties with lower insurance coverage are associated with both slower vaccine rollout and higher COVID-19 incidence across the United States
E Lindemer et al, MEDRXIV, March 26, 2021

Geographically-targeted COVID-19 vaccination is more equitable than age-based thresholds alone
EW Field et al, MEDRXIV, March 27,2021

In analyses of California and Minnesota--demographically divergent states--we show that COVID vaccination schedules based solely on age benefit the older white populations at the expense of younger BIPOC populations with higher risk of death from COVID-19. We find that strategies that prioritize high-risk geographic areas for vaccination at all ages better target mortality risk than age-based strategies alone.

The digital scribe in clinical practice: a scoping review and research agenda
MM van Buchem et al, NPJ Digital Medicine, March 26, 2021

The number of clinician burnouts is increasing and has been linked to a high administrative burden. Automatic speech recognition (ASR) and natural language processing (NLP) techniques may address this issue by creating the possibility of automating clinical documentation with a “digital scribe”. We reviewed the current status of the digital scribe in development towards clinical practice and present a scope for future research.


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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