MMWR News Synopsis

Articles

Dietary Supplement Use in Children and Adolescents Aged ≤19 Years — United States, 2017–2018

CDC Media Relations
404-639-3286

Approximately one third of U.S. children and adolescents are reported to take dietary supplements according to data from the 2017-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). NHANES continues to measure dietary supplement use among children and adolescents, which may inform clinical practice and dietary recommendations. During 2017–2018, 34.0% of children and adolescents used any dietary supplement in the past 30 days, with no significant change since 2009–2010. Use of two or more dietary supplements increased from 4.3% in 2009–2010 to 7.1% in 2017–2018. Multivitamin-mineral products were the most commonly used products, used by 23.8% of children and adolescents. Because dietary supplement use is common, surveillance of dietary supplements, combined with nutrient intake from diet, will remain an important component of monitoring nutritional consumption in children and adolescents.

Progress Toward Global Eradication of Dracunculiasis, January 2019-June 2020

CDC Media Relations
404-639-3286

Cases of human dracunculiasis, a parasitic infection also known as Guinea worm disease, have decreased from an estimated 3.5 million in 1986 to 54 in 2019. Dracunculiasis, or Guinea worm disease (GWD), is a parasitic infection targeted for eradication. Annual human cases declined from about 3.5 million in 20 countries in 1986 to 54 in four countries (Angola, Cameroon, Chad, and South Sudan) in 2019. During January–June 2020, the number of human dracunculiasis cases reported decreased to 19 in five countries (Angola, Chad, Ethiopia, Mali, and Cameroon); the one case in Cameroon was in a patient possibly infected in Chad. South Sudan reported no human cases. In 2019, Angola, Chad, Ethiopia, and Mali reported 2,000 animal infections, of which 1,935 (97%) were dog infections in Chad. Eradication remains in reach, but it is challenged by civil unrest and insecurity in Mali and South Sudan, and animal transmission, especially infected dogs in Chad. These are now the biggest challenges facing the eradication program, which are being addressed through innovative interventions and research.

COVID-19 in a Correctional Facility Employee Following Multiple Brief Exposures to Persons with COVID-19 — Vermont, July–August 2020 (Early release October 21, 2020)

CDC Media Relations
404-639-3286

Adoption of Strategies to Mitigate Transmission of COVID-19 During a Statewide Primary Election — Delaware, September 2020 (Early release October 23, 2020)

CDC Media Relations
404-639-3286

COVID-19–Associated Hospitalizations Among Health Care Personnel — COVID-NET, 13 States, March 1–May 31, 2020 (Early release October 26, 2020)

CDC Media Relations
404-639-3286

COVID-19 Mitigation Behaviors by Age Group — United States, April–June 2020 (Early release October 27, 2020)

CDC Media Relations
404-639-3286

COVID-19 Outbreak Among a University’s Men’s and Women’s Soccer Teams — Chicago, Illinois, July–August 2020 (Early release October 27, 2020)

CDC Media Relations
404-639-3286

Trends in the Use of Telehealth During the Emergence of the COVID-19 Pandemic — United States, January–March 2020

CDC Media Relations
404-639-3286

Healthcare delivery has shifted during the COVID-19 pandemic, with telehealth playing a prominent role in increasing access to services during the public health emergency. According to a CDC analysis, during the first three months of 2020, telehealth visits increased by 50% compared with the same time in 2019. Most telehealth appointments were by patients who had conditions other than COVID-19. Telehealth could have multiple benefits during the pandemic by expanding access to care, reducing disease exposure for staff and patients, preserving scarce supplies of personal protective equipment, and reducing patient demand on facilities. In February 2020, CDC recommended that people and healthcare providers in areas affected by COVID-19 adopt practices to avoid close contact, specifically recommending that healthcare facilities and providers offer services through virtual means such as telehealth. To examine changes in the use of telehealth services during the early pandemic period, CDC investigators compared trends in telehealth visits during January–March 2020 with encounters occurring during the same weeks in 2019. Approximately 1,629,000 telehealth encounters occurred in the first three months of 2020 (early pandemic period) compared with approximately 1,084,000 encounters during the same period in 2019. This represents a 50% increase in telehealth encounters overall, and a 154% increase in visits the last full week of March (surveillance week 13), compared with the same time in 2019. In contrast, the number of emergency department visits in the last three weeks of March 2020 decreased markedly, compared with the same period in 2019. The sharp rise in telehealth encounters in late March might be temporally associated with regulatory waivers issued in March 2020, along with public health guidance encouraging virtual visits, and CDC recommendations for use of telehealth services during the COVID-19 pandemic. During 2020, most telehealth patients during the early pandemic period (93%) sought care for conditions other than COVID-19. The proportion of COVID-19–related encounters significantly increased (from 5.5% to 16.2%) during the last three weeks of March 2020, when an increasing number of visits included mention of COVID-19 in the “reason for visit” field. Telehealth can serve an important role in pandemic planning and response. With expanded access and improved reimbursement policies in place, as well as ongoing acceptability by patients and health care providers, telehealth might continue to serve as an important way to provide care during and after the pandemic.

COVID-19 Outbreak at an Overnight Summer School Retreat ― Wisconsin, July–August 2020

Wisconsin Department of Health Services
dhsmedia@dhs.wisconsin.gov

Extensive and rapid spread of COVID-19 occurred at an overnight retreat where adolescents and young adults ages 14–24 had prolonged contact and shared sleeping quarters. Early testing and quarantine, symptom monitoring, mask use, hand hygiene, and disinfection practices can help reduce the spread of COVID-19 in camps and residential school settings. During July 2–August 11, 2020, a COVID-19 outbreak at an overnight high-school retreat in Wisconsin led to 76% of attendees developing COVID-19. At the retreat, students and counselors lived in shared yurts and dormitories, interacted freely, and were not required to wear masks or stay six feet apart. The outbreak likely began with a single student who tested negative for the virus that causes COVID-19 the week before the retreat, but developed symptoms one day after arrival, and later received a positive test. Over the next three weeks, 76% (116 of 152) of attendees were diagnosed with COVID-19 at the retreat either from a positive test or based on their symptoms. Attendees who were not infected included the two adult teachers, who slept in private housing and stayed at least six feet away from students during outdoor classes, and the 24 attendees who received positive antibody tests before arriving at the retreat. These findings provide preliminary evidence that having detectable antibodies might provide protection against new infections with the virus that causes COVID-19, though it isn’t known how long this possible protection might last. COVID-19 outbreaks at camps and residential schools can be prevented by having a plan that includes a 14-day quarantine and testing before arrival, keeping interactions within smaller groups, symptom monitoring, testing after arrival, isolation of positive cases, mask use, enhanced hygiene and disinfection practices, and outdoor programming. Avoidance of travel for attendees who were in isolation or quarantine likely prevented transmission to communities and family members during this outbreak and could be considered in COVID-19 mitigation plans for other congregate settings.

SARS-CoV-2 Exposure and Infection Among Health Care Personnel — Minnesota, March 6–July 11, 2020

Minnesota Department of Health
Doug Schultz
doug.schultz@state.mn.us

An analysis of COVID-19 exposures among healthcare workers in Minnesota from March-July 2020 found that although almost 2 out of 3 higher-risk exposures involved direct patient care, 1 out of 3 of these exposures occurred outside of patient care, such as during interactions with coworkers or other social and household contacts. Healthcare workers should be aware of the risk of being exposed to COVID-19 outside of patient care, such as during contact with coworkers, friends, or family. Workers in long-term care settings were less likely to wear appropriate personal protecting personal protective equipment (PPE), more likely to be asked to return to work and then work while experiencing symptoms following higher-risk exposures, and more likely to test positive for COVID-19 after any higher-risk exposures. Healthcare workers are at increased risk for getting COVID-19 due to their contacts with patients in addition to contacts in their communities. During March-July 2020, the Minnesota Department of Health and more than 1,100 partnering healthcare facilities assessed over 21,000 COVID-19 exposures in more than 17,000 healthcare workers. Of these COVID-19 exposures, 1 out of 4 were higher-risk, meaning they involved direct, prolonged close contact with someone with COVID-19 during patient care while not wearing appropriate PPE or close, prolonged contact with cases in the household or community. While nearly two-thirds of higher-risk exposures involved direct patient care, about one-third of these exposures occurred outside of patient care, such as during contact with coworkers or other social contacts. Exposures associated with household or other social contacts with COVID-19 had the highest positivity rate among all exposure types. Healthcare workers in congregate living and long-term care settings are at considerable risk for infection and pose a transmission risk to residents in these facilities. A single COVID-19 case in congregate living or long-term care settings resulted in the higher-risk exposure of a median of three healthcare workers, compared with a median of one exposed healthcare worker per case in acute or ambulatory care settings. These findings show that  healthcare workers should be aware of the risk of being exposed to COVID-19 outside of patient care, such as during contact with coworkers, friends, or family. Healthcare settings need improved strategies to prevent and control COVID-19, consistent availability of personal protective equipment (PPE) including masks and gloves, flexible sick leave, and testing access.

• Percentage of Adults Aged ≥18 Years Who Had an Unmet Mental Health Care Need Because of Cost in the Past 12 Months, by Age Group and Sex — National Health Interview Survey, United States 2019

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

CDC works 24/7 protecting America’s health, safety and security. Whether diseases start at home or abroad, are curable or preventable, chronic or acute, or from human activity or deliberate attack, CDC responds to America’s most pressing health threats. CDC is headquartered in Atlanta and has experts located throughout the United States and the world.