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Ghawji H, AlYousfi MN, Satyanarayana S, Wilson N, Tomeh L, Alkhellov H, Hasan S, Sarin S, Kao K. Feasibility, Uptake, and Results of COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Diagnostic Tests among Refugees and Migrants in a Pilot Project in North-West Syria. Trop Med Infect Dis 2023; 8:tropicalmed8050281. [PMID: 37235329 DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed8050281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
North-west Syria (NWS) is a conflict-affected and unstable area. Due to its limited health infrastructure, accessing advanced COVID-19 testing services is challenging. COVID-19 antigen rapid diagnostic tests (Ag-RDTs) have the potential to overcome this barrier. A pilot project was implemented to introduce Ag-RDTs in NWS, aiming to determine the feasibility, uptake, and results of Ag-RDTs and identify facilitators and barriers to testing with Ag-RDTs. A cross-sectional study design involving secondary analysis of data collected during the project was employed. A local non-governmental organization implemented 25,000 Ag-RDTs that were conducted cross-border by trained community health workers. In total, 27,888 eligible individuals were enrolled, 24,956 (89.5%) consented to test, and 121 (0.5%) were COVID-19-positive. The highest positivity was observed among those with severe COVID-19 symptoms (12.7%), with respiratory illnesses (2.5%), enrolled at hospitals in Afrin (2.5%), and healthcare workers (1.9%). A non-random sample of 236 individuals underwent confirmatory RT-PCR testing. Observed sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values were 80.0%, 96.1%, 91.4%, and 90.3%, respectively. Challenges included obtaining informed consent and conducting confirmatory testing. Ag-RDTs represent a feasible screening/diagnostic tool for COVID-19 infections in NWS, with nearly 90% uptake. Embedding Ag-RDTs into COVID-19 testing and screening strategies would be highly beneficial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hassan Ghawji
- International Organization of Migration, Suheil Majdoubeh 12, Tila'a Al-Ali, Amman P.O. Box 4880, Jordan
| | - Mohamad Nihad AlYousfi
- International Organization of Migration, Suheil Majdoubeh 12, Tila'a Al-Ali, Amman P.O. Box 4880, Jordan
| | - Srinath Satyanarayana
- International Organization of Migration, Suheil Majdoubeh 12, Tila'a Al-Ali, Amman P.O. Box 4880, Jordan
| | - Nevin Wilson
- International Organization of Migration, Suheil Majdoubeh 12, Tila'a Al-Ali, Amman P.O. Box 4880, Jordan
| | - Laila Tomeh
- International Organization of Migration, Sokak No:15 Tugay Şehitkamil, Güvenevler Mahallesi, Gaziantep 29069, Turkey
| | - Hussam Alkhellov
- Hand in Hand for Aid and Development, Sokak No:10 27070 Şahinbey/Gaziantep, Binevler, Gaziantep 81041, Turkey
| | - Sali Hasan
- Hand in Hand for Aid and Development, Sokak No:10 27070 Şahinbey/Gaziantep, Binevler, Gaziantep 81041, Turkey
| | - Sanjay Sarin
- Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics FIND, Av De Budé 16, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Kekeletso Kao
- Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics FIND, Av De Budé 16, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland
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Fragkou PC, De Angelis G, Menchinelli G, Can F, Garcia F, Morfin-Sherpa F, Dimopoulou D, Dimopoulou K, Zelli S, de Salazar A, Reiter R, Janocha H, Grossi A, Omony J, Skevaki C. Update of ESCMID COVID-19 guidelines: diagnostic testing for SARS-CoV-2. Clin Microbiol Infect 2023:S1198-743X(23)00192-1. [PMID: 37088423 PMCID: PMC10122552 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmi.2023.04.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/16/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2023]
Abstract
SCOPE Since the onset of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), several assays have been deployed for the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2. The European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) published the first set of guidelines on SARS-CoV-2 in-vitro diagnosis in February 2022. Since the COVID-19 landscape is rapidly evolving, the relevant ESCMID guidelines panel releases an update of the previously published recommendations on diagnostic testing for SARS-CoV-2. This update aims to delineate the best diagnostic approach for SARS-CoV-2 in different populations based on current evidence. METHODS An ESCMID COVID-19 guidelines task force was established by the ESCMID Executive Committee. A small group was established, half appointed by the chair, and the remaining selected with an open call. The panel met virtually once a week. For all decisions, a simple majority vote was used. A list of clinical questions using the PICO (population, intervention, comparison, and outcome) format was developed at the beginning of the process. For each PICO, two panel members performed a literature search focusing on systematic reviews with a third panellist involved in case of inconsistent results. The panel reassessed the PICOs previously defined as priority in the first set of guidelines and decided to address 49 PICO questions, as 6 of them were discarded as outdated/non-clinically relevant. The "Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation(GRADE)-adoption, adaptation, and de novo development of recommendations (ADOLOPMENT)" evidence-to-decision framework was utilized to produce the guidelines. QUESTIONS ADDRESSED BY THE GUIDELINE AND RECOMMENDATIONS After literature search, we updated 16 PICO questions; these PICOs address the use of antigen-based assays among symptomatic and asymptomatic patients with different ages, COVID-19 severity status or risk for severe COVID-19, time since onset of symptoms/contact with an infectious case, and finally, types of biomaterials used.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paraskevi C Fragkou
- First Department of Critical Care Medicine & Pulmonary Services, Evangelismos General Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece; European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) Study Group for Respiratory Viruses (ESGREV)
| | - Giulia De Angelis
- European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) Study Group for Respiratory Viruses (ESGREV); Dipartimento di Scienze di Laboratorio e Infettivologiche, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS - 00168, Rome, Italy
| | - Giulia Menchinelli
- European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) Study Group for Respiratory Viruses (ESGREV); Dipartimento di Scienze di Laboratorio e Infettivologiche, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS - 00168, Rome, Italy; Dipartimento di Scienze Biotecnologiche di Base, Cliniche Intensivologiche e Perioperatorie, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Fusun Can
- European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) Study Group for Respiratory Viruses (ESGREV); Department of Medical Microbiology, Koc University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey; Koc University IsBank Research Centre for Infectious Diseases (KUISCID), Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Federico Garcia
- European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) Study Group for Respiratory Viruses (ESGREV); Servicio de Microbiología Clínica. Hospital Universitario Clínico San Cecilio. Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria, Ibs.GRANADA, Granada, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédicaen Red Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), ISCIII, Madrid, Spain
| | - Florence Morfin-Sherpa
- European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) Study Group for Respiratory Viruses (ESGREV); Laboratory of Virology, Institut des Agents Infectieux, National Reference Centre for respiratory viruses, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon1, Lyon, France
| | - Dimitra Dimopoulou
- European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) Study Group for Respiratory Viruses (ESGREV); Second Department of Paediatrics, "P. and A. Kyriakou" Children's Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | | | - Silvia Zelli
- Dipartimento di Scienze di Laboratorio e Infettivologiche, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS - 00168, Rome, Italy
| | - Adolfo de Salazar
- Servicio de Microbiología Clínica. Hospital Universitario Clínico San Cecilio. Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria, Ibs.GRANADA, Granada, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédicaen Red Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), ISCIII, Madrid, Spain
| | - Rieke Reiter
- Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Universities of Giessen and Marburg Lung Centre (UGMLC), Philipps University Marburg, German Centre for Lung Research (DZL), Marburg, Germany
| | - Hannah Janocha
- Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Universities of Giessen and Marburg Lung Centre (UGMLC), Philipps University Marburg, German Centre for Lung Research (DZL), Marburg, Germany
| | | | - Jimmy Omony
- Institute for Asthma and Allergy Prevention (IAP), Helmholtz Zentrum Munich, German Research Centre for Environmental Health (GmbH), Munich, Germany
| | - Chrysanthi Skevaki
- European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) Study Group for Respiratory Viruses (ESGREV); Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Universities of Giessen and Marburg Lung Centre (UGMLC), Philipps University Marburg, German Centre for Lung Research (DZL), Marburg, Germany.
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Droste JN, Marshall RP, Borte S, Seyler S, Riepenhof H. COVID-19 in European Soccer: A Public 2-Year Comparison of COVID-19 Case Management and Case Characteristics between the 1st Bundesliga, La Liga, Serie A and the Premier League. Life (Basel) 2022; 12:life12081220. [PMID: 36013399 PMCID: PMC9409953 DOI: 10.3390/life12081220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Revised: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
To evaluate the extent and characteristics of COVID-19 cases in relation to environmental COVID-19 incidences in the four best European soccer leagues (Bundesliga, Premier League, Serie A and La Liga) from the first of January 2020 until the end of January 2022. Methods: A retrospective evaluation of all publicly available COVID-19 cases in the studied cohorts was performed. The 14-day case incidences from epidemiological national data were used as reference values. The leagues studied are the Bundesliga (Germany), Premier League (Great Britain), Serie A (Italy) and La Liga (Spain). For all cases, the duration of time loss and date of case notification were recorded. Results: League-specific mean time loss due to disease or quarantine per COVID-19 case differs significantly between La Liga (11.45; ±5.21 days) and the other leagues studied (Bundesliga 20.41; ±33.87; p 0.0242; Premier League 17.12; ±10.39; p 0.0001; Serie A 17.61; ±12.71; p < 0.0001). A positive correlation between 14-day national incidence with COVID-19 disease occurrence in soccer leagues was found for all leagues studied. The correlations were strong in the Bundesliga (r 0.5911; CI 0.4249−0.7187; p < 0.0001), Serie A (r 0.5979; CI 0.4336−0.7238; p < 0.0001) and La Liga (r 0.5251; CI 0.3432−0.6690; p < 0.0001). A moderate correlation was found for the Premier League (r 0.3308; CI 0.1147−0.5169; p 0.0026). Odds ratios for altered environmental case risk in the cohorts studied could be calculated for four different national COVID-19 incidence levels (<50/100.000 to >500/100.000). A trend towards shorter COVID-19 case duration in the second half of 2021 was shown for all leagues studied. Conclusions: There was a significantly lower mean time-loss caused by a COVID-19 infection for cases occurred in La Liga compared with the other three leagues studied. For all four leagues studied, a positive, significant correlation of national environmental COVID-19 incidence level and the incidence of COVID-19 cases in the cohort of a football league was found.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan-Niklas Droste
- Medical Department, RasenBallsport Leipzig GmbH, 04177 Leipzig, Germany
- Center for Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine, BG Klinikum Hamburg, 21033 Hamburg, Germany
- Correspondence: (J.-N.D.); (R.P.M.)
| | - Robert Percy Marshall
- Medical Department, RasenBallsport Leipzig GmbH, 04177 Leipzig, Germany
- Correspondence: (J.-N.D.); (R.P.M.)
| | - Stephan Borte
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Hospital St. Georg Leipzig, 04129 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Sebastian Seyler
- Center for Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine, BG Klinikum Hamburg, 21033 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Helge Riepenhof
- Center for Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine, BG Klinikum Hamburg, 21033 Hamburg, Germany
- Red Bull Athlete Performance Center Thalgau, 5303 Salzburg, Austria
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Morath O, Barsch F, Lazaro A, Huzly D, Deibert P. Case Report: Assessing COVID-19 Transmission in Professional Volleyball in Germany, September to December 2020: An Epidemiological Study. Front Sports Act Living 2022; 4:827005. [PMID: 35774381 PMCID: PMC9237641 DOI: 10.3389/fspor.2022.827005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic poses extraordinary challenges in all fields of daily life. The WHO recommended social distancing guidelines and person-to-person contact was strongly discouraged to contain transmission. Team-based sports were questioned and widely debated. However, there is a lack of available evidence on the risk of in-game SARS-CoV-2 transmission. We aim to derive new insights regarding the risk of SARS-CoV2 infection during team sports and provide current opinion on how to behave during training and competition. Methods We report on six competitive male volleyball players (national level) of the same team who were infected with COVID-19. The mode of transmission and potential virus spreading within the team was investigated. The entire course of infection was documented by detailed medical history of the players and RT-PCR tests confirmed suspected infections. Serological testing was performed to establish the antibody status of the team. Results The investigation did not show strong evidence of viral transmission within the team during sporting activities. Only two players with PCR-proven infection hat detectable antibodies in two antibody assays. Conclusion Private and social gatherings can spread infection into team sports. Clearly defined test strategies and strict adherence to standard COVID-19 hygiene guidelines during sports seasons cannot be overemphasized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver Morath
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Exercise and Occupational Medicine, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- *Correspondence: Oliver Morath
| | - Friedrich Barsch
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Exercise and Occupational Medicine, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Adhara Lazaro
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Exercise and Occupational Medicine, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Daniela Huzly
- Institute of Virology, Freiburg University Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Peter Deibert
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Exercise and Occupational Medicine, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
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