HostSeq: a Canadian whole genome sequencing and clinical data resource.

HostSeq was launched in April 2020 as a national initiative to integrate whole genome sequencing data from 10,000 Canadians infected with SARS-CoV-2 with clinical information related to their disease experience. The mandate of HostSeq is to support the Canadian and international research communities in their efforts to understand the risk factors for disease and associated health outcomes and support the development of interventions such as vaccines and therapeutics. HostSeq is a collaboration among 13 independent epidemiological studies of SARS-CoV-2 across five provinces in Canada. Aggregated data collected by HostSeq are made available to the public through two data portals: a phenotype portal showing summaries of major variables and their distributions, and a variant search portal enabling queries in a genomic region. Individual-level data is available to the global research community for health research through a Data Access Agreement and Data Access Compliance Office approval. Here we provide an overview of the collective project design along with summary level information for HostSeq. We highlight several statistical considerations for researchers using the HostSeq platform regarding data aggregation, sampling mechanism, covariate adjustment, and X chromosome analysis. In addition to serving as a rich data source, the diversity of study designs, sample sizes, and research objectives among the participating studies provides unique opportunities for the research community.

Xylofuns: Xylocaine to Freeze during Unpleasant Nasopharyngeal Swabs in Children - a Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND: Nasopharyngeal (NP) swabs have been recommended to detect SARS-CoV-2 since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, but are reported to be at least moderately painful. OBJECTIVE(S): To evaluate the efficacy of intranasal vaporized lidocaine compared to a sham treatment in reducing pain in children undergoing a NP swab in the Emergency Department (ED). DESIGN/METHODS: A randomized double-blinded clinical trial was conducted in a pediatric ED. Both participants and the researcher evaluating the primary outcome were blinded. Children 6 to 17 years old requiring a NP swab were eligible. Participants were randomly allocated to receive intranasal lidocaine or a sham treatment prior to their NP swab. The primary outcome measure was pain during the swab as assessed by the visual analog scale. Secondary outcome measures were pain using the verbal numeric rating scale, fear using the children fear scale, and side effects of the intervention. RESULT(S): Eighty-eight participants were enrolled: 45 to the lidocaine group and 43 to the control group. The mean visual analog scale scores for pain were 46 mm in the lidocaine group and 53 mm in the control group (mean difference 7 mm;95%CI -5 to 19 mm). The numeric rating scale and children fear scale were not statistically different between groups. No serious adverse events were observed. Fear prior to the test and younger age were associated with higher pain scores. CONCLUSION(S): Intranasal lidocaine administered prior to NP swabs in the ED did not lower pain scores for school-aged children and youth.