December 10, 2020 | John H. Stone, Matthew J. Frigault, Naomi J. Serling-Boyd et al.
**Medicine and Health:**
- **Tocilizumab Efficacy:** A randomized controlled trial found that tocilizumab, an IL-6 receptor blocker, had no significant effect on disease progression, independence from supplemental oxygen, or death in patients with COVID-19.
- **Low Dose Radiotherapy:** A qualitative study explored clinicians' perspectives on using low dose radiotherapy (LDRT) to treat COVID-19 lung disease, identifying barriers to its implementation.
- **ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 Vaccine:** An interim analysis of four randomized controlled trials showed that the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine is safe and efficacious against symptomatic COVID-19.
- **Oxygen Saturation in Older Adults:** A study found that wearing a 3-layer nonmedical face mask did not cause a decline in oxygen saturation in older adults.
- **Fluvoxamine for COVID-19:** A randomized trial compared the effects of fluvoxamine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, with placebo on dyspnoea or pneumonia and oxygen desaturation in outpatients with mild COVID-19.
- **Pulmonary Embolism in COVID-19 Patients:** A nested case-control study in France found a prevalence of pulmonary embolism (PE) of nearly 5% in COVID-19 patients, associated with more extensive lung damage and invasive ventilation.
**Science and Engineering:**
- **X-ray Image Classification:** A method using an enhanced cuckoo search optimization algorithm with fractional-order calculus and heavy-tailed distributions was proposed for classifying COVID-19 X-ray images.
- **Epidemic Model:** An individual-based epidemic model with latent-infectious-recovery periods was developed and applied to compare COVID-19 in New York City and Wuhan, showing a 30% higher transmission rate in NYC.
- **Lockdown Impact:** A study analyzed phase-wise variations in aerosol, radiation, and trace gases during the COVID-19 lockdown in a tropical rural environment, finding that air quality remained stable despite reduced pollutants.
- **Air Contamination in Hospitals:** A review of current evidence on air contamination with SARS-CoV-2 in hospital settings identified high viral loads in toilets, staff areas, and public hallways.
**Social Sciences, Humanities, and Public Policies:**
- **Economic Sentiment:** A study using internet search data showed a significant shift in economic sentiment during the COVID pandemic, with increased concerns about unemployment and labor market slowdowns.
- **Economic Stimulus:** A cross-country analysis proposed a multidimensional index to standardize governments' economic responses to the pandemic, identifying Chile, Switzerland, Croatia, Sweden, and the Netherlands as strong responders.
- **Healthcare Chaplaincy:** A study suggested that evolutionary psychology and social neuroscience can inform the development of effective healthcare chaplaincy practices in the context of**Medicine and Health:**
- **Tocilizumab Efficacy:** A randomized controlled trial found that tocilizumab, an IL-6 receptor blocker, had no significant effect on disease progression, independence from supplemental oxygen, or death in patients with COVID-19.
- **Low Dose Radiotherapy:** A qualitative study explored clinicians' perspectives on using low dose radiotherapy (LDRT) to treat COVID-19 lung disease, identifying barriers to its implementation.
- **ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 Vaccine:** An interim analysis of four randomized controlled trials showed that the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine is safe and efficacious against symptomatic COVID-19.
- **Oxygen Saturation in Older Adults:** A study found that wearing a 3-layer nonmedical face mask did not cause a decline in oxygen saturation in older adults.
- **Fluvoxamine for COVID-19:** A randomized trial compared the effects of fluvoxamine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, with placebo on dyspnoea or pneumonia and oxygen desaturation in outpatients with mild COVID-19.
- **Pulmonary Embolism in COVID-19 Patients:** A nested case-control study in France found a prevalence of pulmonary embolism (PE) of nearly 5% in COVID-19 patients, associated with more extensive lung damage and invasive ventilation.
**Science and Engineering:**
- **X-ray Image Classification:** A method using an enhanced cuckoo search optimization algorithm with fractional-order calculus and heavy-tailed distributions was proposed for classifying COVID-19 X-ray images.
- **Epidemic Model:** An individual-based epidemic model with latent-infectious-recovery periods was developed and applied to compare COVID-19 in New York City and Wuhan, showing a 30% higher transmission rate in NYC.
- **Lockdown Impact:** A study analyzed phase-wise variations in aerosol, radiation, and trace gases during the COVID-19 lockdown in a tropical rural environment, finding that air quality remained stable despite reduced pollutants.
- **Air Contamination in Hospitals:** A review of current evidence on air contamination with SARS-CoV-2 in hospital settings identified high viral loads in toilets, staff areas, and public hallways.
**Social Sciences, Humanities, and Public Policies:**
- **Economic Sentiment:** A study using internet search data showed a significant shift in economic sentiment during the COVID pandemic, with increased concerns about unemployment and labor market slowdowns.
- **Economic Stimulus:** A cross-country analysis proposed a multidimensional index to standardize governments' economic responses to the pandemic, identifying Chile, Switzerland, Croatia, Sweden, and the Netherlands as strong responders.
- **Healthcare Chaplaincy:** A study suggested that evolutionary psychology and social neuroscience can inform the development of effective healthcare chaplaincy practices in the context of