A retrospective time series study conducted by researchers affiliated with Research Triangle Institute International, North Carolina A & T State University, and the National Institute of Mental Health compared the 29-week period before (9/1/19–3/9/20) and after (3/10–9/30/20) the COVID-19 state of emergency declaration in North Carolina to data from each similar 29-week period dating back to 2014 and found increases in weekly mean number of opioid-related EMS runs (25.6) (Figure 2), naloxone administrations (22.3) (Figure 3), and multiple naloxone administrations (5.0) (Figure 4), resulting in proportional comparative increases of 37.4%, 57.8%, and 84.8%, respectively. As the first study to report increases in both occurrence and severity of opioid overdoses during this time, the findings suggest an exacerbation of the opioid crisis during the pandemic.

A prospective multi-center cohort study by a group of nephrologists and physicians in the Netherlands aims to assess the immunogenicity and safety of COVID-19 vaccination in patients with chronic kidney disease, on dialysis, and kidney transplant recipients. Participants received two doses of the mRNA1273 COVID-19 vaccine and their IgG antibody concentrations to the spike protein, antibody longevity up to one year post vaccination, and SARS-CoV-2 specific T and B cell responses will be measured. The authors hope that the results of this study will reveal whether the this patient population can be adequately protected against the virus with just the vaccine.

An international team of researchers conducted a phase 3 randomized clinical trial on the efficacy and safety of the WIVO4 and HBO2 inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in 40,382 symptomatic COVID-19 adults. Primary efficacy end point was determined to be 72.8% ([95% CI 58.1%-84.2%]; P less than 0.001) for WIVO4 and 78.1% ([95% CI 64.8%-86.3%]; P less than 0.001) for HBO2 (Table 2, Figure 2). 100% efficacy was seen against severe COVID-19. 44.2% of participants in the WIVO4 group reported adverse reactions, 41.7% in the HBO2 group, and 46.5% in the alum-only group (Figure 3). These findings suggest the significant efficacy and safety of these two vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 infection while also demonstrating their ability to prevent further transmission.

In a cohort study of 88,159 newborn infants in Sweden between March 11, 2020 and January 31, 2021, researchers found that 2,323 (1.6%) were delivered by mothers who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 during pregnancy. The relations between confounding and mediator variables were identified (Figure 1), and the data showed small increases in select neonatal morbidities with maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnancy (Figure 2 and 3).

Radiology and chest disease specialists associated with University of Health Sciences, Turkey conducted a cohort study on the long-term effects of severe COVID-19 in 65 patients after 6 months of recovery. They analyzed several indicators of lung function including pulmonary functions tests, imaging, and subjective evaluation of physical and social health. These findings suggest that there are still residual pulmonary and quality-of-life effects in people recovering from COVID-19 and it is unknown whether spirometry and CT findings will return to normal.