Experience of South and Southeast Asian minority women in Hong Kong during COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Hong Kong has a relatively low incidence rate of COVID-19 across the globe. Nevertheless, ethnic minorities in Hong Kong, especially South Asians (SAs) and Southeast Asians (SEAs), face numerous physical, mental, social, economic, cultural and religious challenges during the pandemic. This study explores the experiences of SA and SEA women in a predominantly Chinese metropolitan city. METHODS: Ten SA and SEA women were recruited and face-to-face interviews were conducted. Questions about participants' daily life experience, physical and mental health conditions, economic situation and social interaction amid COVID-19 pandemic were asked to assess the impact of COVID-19. RESULTS: SAs and SEAs have a distinctive family culture, and women experienced significant physical and mental impact of COVID-19 due to their unique gender role in the family. In addition to taking care of their family in Hong Kong, SA and SEA women also had to mentally and financially support family members residing in their home countries. Access to COVID-related information was restricted due to language barrier. Public health measures including social distancing imposed extra burden on ethnic minorities with limited social and religious support. CONCLUSIONS: Even when COVID-19 incidence rate is relatively low in Hong Kong, the pandemic made life even more challenging for SAs and SEAs, which is a community already struggling with language barriers, financial woes, and discrimination. This in turn could have led to greater health inequalities. Government and civil organizations should take the social determinants of health inequalities into account when implementing COVID-19-related public health policies and strategies.

A Method for Variant Agnostic Detection of SARS-CoV-2, Rapid Monitoring of Circulating Variants, and Early Detection of Emergent Variants Such as Omicron.

The rapid emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants raised public health questions concerning the capability of diagnostic tests to detect new strains, the efficacy of vaccines, and how to map the geographical distribution of variants to understand transmission patterns and loads on healthcare resources. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) is the primary method for detecting and tracing new variants, but it is expensive, and it can take weeks before sequence data are available in public repositories. This article describes a customizable reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR)-based genotyping approach which is significantly less expensive, accelerates reporting, and can be implemented in any lab that performs RT-PCR. Specific single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and indels were identified which had high positive-percent agreement (PPA) and negative-percent agreement (NPA) compared to NGS for the major genotypes that circulated through September 11, 2021. Using a 48-marker panel, testing on 1,031 retrospective SARS-CoV-2 positive samples yielded a PPA and NPA ranging from 96.3 to 100% and 99.2 to 100%, respectively, for the top 10 most prevalent World Health Organization (WHO) lineages during that time. The effect of reducing the quantity of panel markers was explored, and a 16-marker panel was determined to be nearly as effective as the 48-marker panel at lineage assignment. Responding to the emergence of Omicron, a genotyping panel was developed which distinguishes Delta and Omicron using four highly specific SNPs. The results demonstrate the utility of the condensed panel to rapidly track the growing prevalence of Omicron across the US in December 2021 and January 2022.

Assessment of the Abbott BinaxNOW SARS-CoV-2 rapid antigen test against viral variants of concern.

As the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants brings the global pandemic to new levels, the performance of current rapid antigen tests against variants of concern and interest (VOC/I) is of significant public health concern. Here, we report assessment of the Abbot BinaxNOW COVID-19 Antigen Self-Test. Using genetically sequenced remnant clinical samples collected from individuals positive for SARS-CoV-2, we assessed the performance of BinaxNOW against the variants that currently pose public health threats. We measured the limit of detection of BinaxNOW against various VOC/I in a blinded manner. BinaxNOW successfully detected the Omicron (B.1.1.529), Mu (B.1.621), Delta (B.1.617.2), Lambda (C.37), Gamma (P.1), Alpha (B.1.1.7), Beta (B.1.351), Eta (B.1.525), and P.2 variants and at low viral concentrations. BinaxNOW also detected the Omicron variant in individual remnant clinical samples. Overall, these data indicate that this inexpensive and simple-to-use, FDA-authorized and broadly distributed rapid test can reliably detect Omicron, Delta, and other VOC/I.

RADx Variant Task Force Program for Assessing the Impact of Variants on SARS-CoV-2 Molecular and Antigen Tests.

Goal: Monitoring the genetic diversity and emerging mutations of SARS-CoV-2 is crucial for understanding the evolution of the virus and assuring the performance of diagnostic tests, vaccines, and therapies against COVID-19. SARS-CoV-2 is still adapting to humans and, as illustrated by B.1.1.7 (Alpha) and B.1.617.2 (Delta), lineage dynamics are fluid, and strain prevalence may change radically in a matter of months. The National Institutes of Health's Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADxSM) initiative created a Variant Task Force to assess the impact of emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants on in vitro diagnostic testing. Working in tandem with clinical laboratories, the FDA, and the CDC, the Variant Task Force uses both in silico modeling and in vitro testing to determine the effect of SARS-CoV-2 mutations on diagnostic molecular and antigen tests. Here, we offer an overview of the approach and activities of the RADx Variant Task Force to ensure test performance against emerging SARS-CoV-2 lineages.

COVID-19 related health inequality exists even in a city where disease incidence is relatively low: a telephone survey in Hong Kong.

BACKGROUND: We examined whether COVID-19 could exert inequalities in socioeconomic conditions and health in Hong Kong, where there has been a relatively low COVID-19 incidence. METHODS: 752 adult respondents from a previous random sample participated in a telephone survey from 20 April to 11 May 2020. We examined demographic and socioeconomic factors, worry of COVID-19, general health, economic activity, and personal protective equipment (PPE) and related hygiene practice by deprivation status. The associations between deprivation and negative COVID-19 related issues were analysed using binary logistic regressions, while the associations of these issues with health were analysed using linear regressions. Path analysis was conducted to determine the direct effect of deprivation, and the indirect effects via COVID-19 related issues, on health. Interactions between deprivation and the mediators were also tested. RESULTS: Deprived individuals were more likely to have job loss/instability, less reserves, less utilisation and more concerns of PPE. After adjustments for potential confounders, being deprived was associated with having greater risk of low reserve of face masks, being worried about the disease and job loss/instability. Being deprived had worse physical (ß=-0.154, p<0.001) and mental health (ß=-0.211, p<0.001) and had an indirect effect on mental health via worry and job loss/instability (total indirect effect: ß=-0.027, p=0.017; proportion being mediated=11.46%). In addition, significant interaction between deprivation and change of economic activity status was observed on mental health-related quality of life. CONCLUSION: Even if the COVID-19 incidence was relatively low, part of the observed health inequality can be explained by people's concerns over livelihood and economic activity, which were affected by the containment measures. We should look beyond the incidence to address COVID-19 related health inequalities.