A Prediction Model to Prioritize Individuals for a SARS-CoV-2 Test Built from National Symptom Surveys

Background: The gold standard for COVID-19 diagnosis is detection of viral RNA through PCR. Due to global limitations in testing capacity, effective prioritization of individuals for testing is essential. Methods: We devised a model estimating the probability of an individual to test positive for COVID-19 based on answers to 9 simple questions that have been associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Our model was devised from a subsample of a national symptom survey that was answered over 2 million times in Israel in its first 2 months and a targeted survey distributed to all residents of several cities in Israel. Overall, 43,752 adults were included, from which 498 self-reported as being COVID-19 positive. Findings: Our model was validated on a held-out set of individuals from Israel where it achieved an auROC of 0.737 (CI: 0.712–0.759) and auPR of 0.144 (CI: 0.119–0.177) and demonstrated its applicability outside of Israel in an independently collected symptom survey dataset from the US, UK, and Sweden. Our analyses revealed interactions between several symptoms and age, suggesting variation in the clinical manifestation of the disease in different age groups. Conclusions: Our tool can be used online and without exposure to suspected patients, thus suggesting worldwide utility in combating COVID-19 by better directing the limited testing resources through prioritization of individuals for testing, thereby increasing the rate at which positive individuals can be identified. Moreover, individuals at high risk for a positive test result can be isolated prior to testing. Funding: E.S. is supported by the Crown Human Genome Center, Larson Charitable Foundation New Scientist Fund, Else Kroener Fresenius Foundation, White Rose International Foundation, Ben B. and Joyce E. Eisenberg Foundation, Nissenbaum Family, Marcos Pinheiro de Andrade and Vanessa Buchheim, Lady Michelle Michels, and Aliza Moussaieff and grants funded by the Minerva foundation with funding from the Federal German Ministry for Education and Research and by the European Research Council and the Israel Science Foundation. H.R. is supported by the Israeli Council for Higher Education (CHE) via the Weizmann Data Science Research Center and by a research grant from Madame Olga Klein – Astrachan

X-ray induced and thermostimulated luminescence of new fluorine containing compounds (potential luminophores, scintillators and dosimeters)

X-ray induced luminescence spectra in optical range of wave-lengths (200–700 nm) and thermoluminescence curves for fluoride, fluorosulphate, fluorophosphate and fluorooxalate compounds of the titanium subgroup elements with alkali metals and ammonium have been obtained. Influence of annealing and repeated X-raying on luminescence (XRL) spectra of a number of compounds has been examined. Alloy additives influence on fluorine compounds XRL spectra has been examined. Most of compounds being under study may be used as X-ray luminophores, scintillators and dosimeters. The highest intensity of luminescence was achieved for such compounds as K2ZrF6, Cs2ZrF6, Rb2ZrF6 (especially for doped K2ZrF6), K2HfF6 and CsZr2(PO4)3. Radiation drifting to long-wave range for a number of fluorophosphatezirconates in comparison with fluorides may be a positive moment in making luminophores on their base