Publications by authors named "Nancy Littlehale"
Article Synopsis
- Households are key locations for the spread of SARS-CoV-2, yet there's limited understanding of how the virus transmits, especially with different variants and prior immunity.
- A study in the Boston area from March to July 2022 tracked 33 households, revealing that 58% of them reported a secondary case of COVID-19, with a secondary attack rate (SAR) of 39%.
- Results showed that household contacts are at significant risk of infection within two weeks of exposure, influenced not only by the original infected person but also by higher community transmission rates.
Background: Households are a major setting for SARS-CoV-2 infections, but there remains a lack of knowledge regarding the dynamics of viral transmission, particularly in the setting of widespread pre-existing SARS-CoV-2 immunity and evolving variants.
Methods: We conducted a prospective, case-ascertained household transmission study in the greater Boston area in March-July 2022. Anterior nasal swabs, along with clinical and demographic data, were collected for 14 days.
We measured viral kinetics of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron infection in 36 mRNA-vaccinated individuals, 11 of whom were treated with nirmatrelvir-ritonavir (NMV-r). We found that NMV-r was associated with greater incidence of viral rebound compared to no treatment. For those that did not rebound, NMV-r significantly reduced time to PCR conversion.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe continued need for molecular testing for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and the potential for self-collected saliva as an alternative to nasopharyngeal (NP) swabs for sample acquisition led us to compare saliva to NP swabs in an outpatient setting without restrictions to avoid food, drink, smoking, or tooth-brushing. A total of 385 pairs of NP and saliva specimens were obtained, the majority from individuals presenting for initial evaluation, and were tested on two high-sensitivity reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR) platforms, the Abbott m2000 and Abbott Alinity m (both with limits of detection [LoD] of 100 copies of viral RNA/ml). Concordance between saliva and NP swabs was excellent overall (Cohen's κ = 0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: It is well known that radiologic-pathologic correlation is critical in managing patients with breast disease. Although regular multidisciplinary conferences addressing radiologic-pathologic correlation are common at most major academic institutions, this approach is not universal in community-based settings or even some of the smaller academic practices. This study was performed to assess the impact of a weekly multidisciplinary conference on patient care to determine whether all breast practices should adopt this approach as a means to streamline and improve the quality of patient care.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Limited information exists regarding breast health in the transgender population. In this article, we review transgender terminology, barriers faced by transgender patients, current breast care screening recommendations, and normal and abnormal imaging findings in this population.
Conclusion: Health disparities in the transgender population continue.