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Lippi G, Cadamuro J, Danese E, Favaloro EJ, Favresse J, Henry BM, Jovičić S, Ozben T, Plebani M, Thachil J. Results of the first survey of the EFLM Task Force Preparation of Labs for Emergencies (TF-PLE). Clin Chem Lab Med 2023; 61:e235-e238. [PMID: 37377092 DOI: 10.1515/cclm-2023-0622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Lippi
- Section of Clinical Biochemistry and School of Medicine, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Janne Cadamuro
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University Hospital Salzburg, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Elisa Danese
- Section of Clinical Biochemistry and School of Medicine, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Emmanuel J Favaloro
- Haematology, NSW Health Pathology, Sydney Centres for Thrombosis and Haemostasis, ICPMR, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, Australia
| | - Julien Favresse
- Services of Clinical Biology, Clinic Saint-Luc, Bouge, Belgium
| | - Brandon M Henry
- Cardiac Intensive Care Unit, The Heart Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, USA
| | - Snežana Jovičić
- Department for Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Tomris Ozben
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Akdeniz University, Antalya, Türkiye
| | | | - Jecko Thachil
- Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP) Clinic, Haematology Department, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust - Manchester Royal Infirmary, Manchester, UK
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Lippi G, Cadamuro J, Danese E, Favaloro EJ, Favresse J, Henry BM, Jovicic S, Ozben T, Plebani M, Thachil J. Disruption of laboratory activities during the COVID-19 pandemic: results of an EFLM Task Force Preparation of Labs for Emergencies (TF-PLE) survey. EJIFCC 2023; 34:213-219. [PMID: 37868082 PMCID: PMC10588075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
Background The EFLM Task Force Preparation of Labs for Emergencies (TF-PLE) created a survey that has been distributed to its members for gathering information on the key hazards experienced by European medical laboratories during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods The survey was distributed to over 12,000 potential contacts (laboratory workers) via an EFLM newsletter, with responses collected between May 8 and June 8, 2023. Results Two hundred replies were collected and examined from European laboratories. 69.7% and 78.1% of all responders said they were short on non-COVID and COVID reagents, respectively. Exactly half of respondents (50.0%) said that they could not complete all laboratory tests required for a specific period, but this figure climbed to 61.2% for COVID tests. Finally, 72.3% of respondents expressed exhaustion during the pandemic, and 61.2% reported increasing patient hostility. Conclusions The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on laboratory medicine in Europe. Cultural change, proactive planning, and even re-engineering in some parts of the laboratory industry may thus be necessary to prepare for future challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Lippi
- Section of Clinical Biochemistry and School of Medicine, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Janne Cadamuro
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University Hospital Salzburg, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Elisa Danese
- Section of Clinical Biochemistry and School of Medicine, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Emmanuel J. Favaloro
- Haematology, NSW Health Pathology, Sydney Centres for Thrombosis and Haemostasis, ICPMR, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, Australia
| | - Julien Favresse
- Services of Clinical Biology, Clinic Saint-Luc, Bouge, Belgium
| | - Brandon M. Henry
- Cardiac Intensive Care Unit, The Heart Institute, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, USA
| | - Snezana Jovicic
- Department for Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Tomris Ozben
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Akdeniz University, Antalya, Turkey
| | | | - Jecko Thachil
- Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP) Clinic, Haematology Department, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust - Manchester Royal Infirmary, Manchester, UK
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Amado LA, Coelho WLDCNP, Alves ADR, Carneiro VCDS, Moreira ODC, de Paula VS, Lemos AS, Duarte LA, Gutman EG, Fontes-Dantas FL, Gonçalves JPDC, Ramos CHF, Ramos Filho CHF, Cavalcanti MG, Amaro MP, Kader RL, Medronho RDA, Sarmento DJDS, Alves-Leon SV. Clinical Profile and Risk Factors for Severe COVID-19 in Hospitalized Patients from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: Comparison between the First and Second Pandemic Waves. J Clin Med 2023; 12:jcm12072568. [PMID: 37048652 PMCID: PMC10094970 DOI: 10.3390/jcm12072568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Revised: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Since COVID-19 was declared a pandemic, Brazil has become one of the countries most affected by this disease. A year into the pandemic, a second wave of COVID-19 emerged, with a rapid spread of a new SARS-CoV-2 lineage of concern. Several vaccines have been granted emergency-use authorization, leading to a decrease in mortality and severe cases in many countries. However, the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants raises the alert for potential new waves of transmission and an increase in pathogenicity. We compared the demographic and clinical data of critically ill patients infected with COVID-19 hospitalized in Rio de Janeiro during the first and second waves between July 2020 and October 2021. In total, 106 participants were included in this study; among them, 88% had at least one comorbidity, and 37% developed severe disease. Disease severity was associated with older age, pre-existing neurological comorbidities, higher viral load, and dyspnea. Laboratory biomarkers related to white blood cells, coagulation, cellular injury, inflammation, renal, and liver injuries were significantly associated with severe COVID-19. During the second wave of the pandemic, the necessity of invasive respiratory support was higher, and more individuals with COVID-19 developed acute hepatitis, suggesting that the progression of the second wave resulted in an increase in severe cases. These results can contribute to understanding the behavior of the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil and may be helpful in predicting disease severity, which is a pivotal for guiding clinical care, improving patient outcomes, and defining public policies.
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Yam FC, Korkmaz O, Griffiths MD. The association between fear of Covid-19 and smartphone addiction among individuals: the mediating and moderating role of cyberchondria severity. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2023; 42:2377-2390. [PMID: 34690474 PMCID: PMC8527295 DOI: 10.1007/s12144-021-02324-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) has quickly spread all over the world and has contributed to psychological consequences including fear of the virus. Depending upon the severity of their problems, individuals often search the internet via their mobile devices to understand whether the symptoms they perceive are symptoms of the disease. This condition has been termed 'cyberchondria'. In this context, the aim of this study is examine the mediating and moderating role of cyberchondria severity in the association between smartphone addiction and the fear of COVID-19. The sample comprised 520 participants (335 females [64.4%], 185 males [35.6%] aged 17 to 65 years [Mean = 28.61 years, SD = 10.60]). A survey included the Cyberchondria Severity Scale Short-Form, The Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version, and The Fear of COVID-19 Scale. Structural equation modeling and SPSS Process Macro moderator variable analysis were used to test the research model. The study found a positive association between smartphone addiction, fear of COVID-19, and cyberchondria severity. Cyberchondria severity had both moderating and mediating role in the association between smartphone addiction and the fear of COVID-19. In conclusion, it has been determined that during the COVID-19 pandemic, cyberchondria severity has negative effects on individuals' fear of COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faruk Caner Yam
- Justice Vocational School, Gazisomanpaşa University, Tokat, Turkey
| | - Ozan Korkmaz
- Faculty of Education, Karamanoglu Mehmetbey University, Karaman, Turkey
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Muacevic A, Adler JR, Elamin N, Ali EA, Mohammed W, Sayed S, Rozi W, Akasha A, F. Elawad M, Abdalla ELM. Isolated Great Saphenous Vein Thrombosis in a Patient With COVID-19 Infection: Case Report and Review of the Literature. Cureus 2022; 14:e32196. [PMID: 36620805 PMCID: PMC9811336 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.32196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/07/2022] Open
Abstract
On 30 January 2020, the Director-General declared that the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), and on 11 March 2020, it was characterized as a pandemic. Since then, patients with COVID-19 infection are commonly reported to have an increased risk of thrombosis in various blood vessels due to hypercoagulability, blood stasis, and endothelial damage. In this study, we will present a case of a pregnant lady who was evaluated for right leg pain that started one week after having upper respiratory tract symptoms and COVID-19 infection confirmed by the COVID antigen (Ag) test. Further investigation with Doppler ultrasound (US) revealed complete right great saphenous vein thrombosis. This suggests that COVID-19 may lead to other adverse effects through damage to blood vessels.
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Ma P, Pan X, Liu R, Qu Y, Xie L, Xie J, Cao L, Chen Y. Ocular adverse events associated with anti-VEGF therapy: A pharmacovigilance study of the FDA adverse event reporting system (FAERS). Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:1017889. [PMID: 36467087 PMCID: PMC9716077 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.1017889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: The purpose of this study is to identify and characterize ocular adverse events (AEs) that are significantly associated with anti-VEGF drugs for treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration and compare the differences between each drug, and provide clinical reference. Methods: Ocular AEs submitted to the US Food and Drug Administration were analyzed to map the safety profile of anti-VEGF drugs. The Pharmacovigilance tools used for the quantitative detection of signals were reporting odds ratio and bayesian confidence propagation neural network. Results: A total of 10,608,503 AE reports were retrieved from FAERS, with 20,836 for ranibizumab, 19,107 for aflibercept, and 2,442 for brolucizumab between the reporting period of Q1, 2004 and Q3, 2021. We found and analyzed the different AEs with the strongest signal in each drug-ranibizumab-macular ischaemia (ROR = 205.27, IC-2SD = 3.70), retinal pigment epithelial tear (ROR = 836.54, IC-2SD = 7.19); aflibercept-intraocular pressure increased (ROR = 31.09, IC-2SD = 4.61), endophthalmitis (ROR = 178.27, IC-2SD = 6.70); brolucizumab-retinal vasculitis (ROR = 2930.41, IC-2SD = 7.47) and/or retinal artery occlusion (ROR = 391.11, IC-2SD = 6.10), dry eye (ROR = 12.48, IC-2SD = 2.88). Conclusion: The presence of AEs should bring clinical attention. The use of anti-VEGF drugs should be based on the patient's underlying or present medical condition to reduce any adverse event associated with the treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pan Ma
- Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xinmei Pan
- Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Ruixiang Liu
- Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Ya Qu
- Southwest Hospital/Southwest Eye Hospital, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, China
| | - Linli Xie
- Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jiangchuan Xie
- Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Liya Cao
- Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yongchuan Chen
- Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
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Elkhalifa AME. D-dimer as a predictive and prognostic marker among COVID-19 patients. Saudi Med J 2022; 43:723-729. [PMID: 35830989 PMCID: PMC9749687 DOI: 10.15537/smj.2022.43.7.20220213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To examine D-dimer, coagulation profile, and platelet count among patients hospitalized with coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) and compare them to findings from non-COVID-19 subjects. METHODS The participants in this retrospective hospital-based observational study design included 112 confirmed diagnosed with COVID-19 who were admitted to King Khaled Hospital, Najran, Saudi Arabia, and another 112 non-COVID-19 subjects as a comparative group. Laboratory investigations, demographic and clinical records were obtained from participants' electronic indexed medical records. Coronavirus disease-19 diagnosis was confirmed according to positive real time polymerase chain reaction assay carried out at the hospital's central laboratory, where samples were extracted from a nasopharyngeal swab. Pneumonia related to COVID-19 is classified as critical, severe, moderate, mild, and asymptomatic whereas thrombocytopenia was marked when the platelet count was <150.00×109/L. Suitable statistical analysis was applied to determine possible differences between the findings from the 2 groups. RESULTS The D-dimer and activated partial thromboplastin clotting time mean values were significantly elevated (p<0.001). The international normalized ratio and platelet count mean values confirmed a significant decrease (p<0.001). Thrombocytopenia was found 9 times in COVID-19 higher than in the non-COVID-19. D-dimer and prothrombin time mean values increased significantly among the COVID-19 patients with all patterns of symptoms on admission (p<0.001). CONCLUSION D-dimer mean values increased significantly in deceased COVID-19 and in hospitalized intensive care unit (ICU) wards patients (p<0.001), indicating a potential predictive and prognostic severity marker, particularly among COVID-19 patients in the ICU.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed M. E. Elkhalifa
- From the Department of Public Health, Health Sciences College, Saudi Electronic University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and from the Department of Haematology, Medical Laboratory Sciences College, University of El Imam El Mahdi, Kosti, Sudan
- Address correspondence and reprint request to: Dr. Ahmed M. E. Elkhalifa, Public Health Department, Health Sciences College, Saudi Electronic University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. E-mail: ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2660-5054
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El-Khaiat MM, El-lehlah AM, Kesheita MA, Abdel-Samiee M, Teima AAA. Association between thrombocytopenia and the severity of Covid-19 infection among hospitalized Egyptian patients. Ann Med Surg (Lond) 2022; 79:103973. [PMID: 35721787 PMCID: PMC9188120 DOI: 10.1016/j.amsu.2022.103973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2022] [Revised: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background COVID-19, which is caused by the corona virus 2 that causes severe acute respiratory syndrome, causes a respiratory and systemic illness that in 10–15% of patients escalates to a severe form of pneumonia. Thrombocytopenia is frequent in patients with COVID-19. We aimed to evaluate the association between thrombocytopenia and the severity of COVID-19 infection in hospitalized patients. Methods A cross-sectional study was done on 800 Egyptian patients with confirmed covid-19 infection. They were divided into Group I (Mild): 200 symptomatic patients meeting the case definition for COVID-19 without radiological evidence of pneumonia or hypoxia. Group II (Moderate): 200 patients with clinical signs of non-severe pneumonia and radiological evidence of pneumonia. Group III (Severe): 200 patients with clinical signs of pneumonia plus: respiratory or lung dysfunction. Group IV: 200 critically ill patient in ICU: Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Results: there was a highly statistically significant difference between the studied groups regarding thrombocytopenia (p < 0.001). Thrombocytopenia was statistically higher in severe and critically ill patients. In addition, a statistically significant difference found in outcome among the studied groups (p < 0.05) {critically ill (40%), severe (17.5%)}. The most common cause of death was respiratory failure, which occurred in 28 severe patients (80%) and 65 critically ill patients (81.25%), followed by hemorrhage due to thrombocytopenia, which occurred in 7 severe patients (20%) and 15 critically ill patients, respectively (18.75%). Conclusion The Platelet count is a straightforward, inexpensive, as well as easily available laboratory parameter that is frequently linked to severe covid-19 infection and a significant death risk. The latest novel corona virus disease pandemic shows a significant health concern. Thrombocytopenia is frequent in COVID-19, statistically higher in severe and critically ill patients. The common cause of death was respiratory failure, occurred in severe patients (80%) & critically ill patients (81.25%). The 2nd one is hemorrhage due to thrombocytopenia, occurred in severe patients (20%) & critically ill patients (18.75%). Plateletcount is a simple, inexpensive, and readily available laboratory parameter that is frequently linked to severe covid-19 infection and a significant death risk.
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Diagnosis and Prognosis of COVID-19 Disease Using Routine Blood Values and LogNNet Neural Network. SENSORS 2022; 22:s22134820. [PMID: 35808317 PMCID: PMC9269123 DOI: 10.3390/s22134820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Revised: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Since February 2020, the world has been engaged in an intense struggle with the COVID-19 disease, and health systems have come under tragic pressure as the disease turned into a pandemic. The aim of this study is to obtain the most effective routine blood values (RBV) in the diagnosis and prognosis of COVID-19 using a backward feature elimination algorithm for the LogNNet reservoir neural network. The first dataset in the study consists of a total of 5296 patients with the same number of negative and positive COVID-19 tests. The LogNNet-model achieved the accuracy rate of 99.5% in the diagnosis of the disease with 46 features and the accuracy of 99.17% with only mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, and activated partial prothrombin time. The second dataset consists of a total of 3899 patients with a diagnosis of COVID-19 who were treated in hospital, of which 203 were severe patients and 3696 were mild patients. The model reached the accuracy rate of 94.4% in determining the prognosis of the disease with 48 features and the accuracy of 82.7% with only erythrocyte sedimentation rate, neutrophil count, and C reactive protein features. Our method will reduce the negative pressures on the health sector and help doctors to understand the pathogenesis of COVID-19 using the key features. The method is promising to create mobile health monitoring systems in the Internet of Things.
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Yang BS, Choi SM, Bae HJ, Kim YS, Lim Y, Kang HJ, Bae DH, Choi BH, Lee JS, Park JA. The Role and Focus Areas of Medical Technologists in the Field of Diagnostic Tests in the COVID-19 Era. KOREAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL LABORATORY SCIENCE 2022. [DOI: 10.15324/kjcls.2022.54.1.49] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Byoung Seon Yang
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Jinju Health College, Jinju, Korea
| | - Se Mook Choi
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Jinju Health College, Jinju, Korea
| | - Hyung Joon Bae
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Science, Daejeon Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Korea
| | - Yoon Sik Kim
- Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science, Donggang University, Gwangju, Korea
| | - Yong Lim
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Science, Dong-eui University, Busan, Korea
| | - Hee Jung Kang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Chungnam National University Hospital, Daejeon, Korea
| | - Do Hee Bae
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Gyeongsang National University Hospital, Jinju, Korea
| | - Byoung Ho Choi
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Ajou University Hospital, Suwon, Korea
| | - Jae Suk Lee
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Daegu Veterans Hospital, Daegu, Korea
| | - Ji Ae Park
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Jinju Health College, Jinju, Korea
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Kasielska-Trojan A, Manning JT, Jabłkowski M, Białkowska-Warzecha J, Hirschberg AL, Antoszewski B. Digit ratios and their asymmetries as risk factors of developmental instability and hospitalization for COVID-19. Sci Rep 2022; 12:4573. [PMID: 35301404 PMCID: PMC8931101 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-08646-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
COVID-19 presents with mild symptoms in the majority of patients but in a minority it progresses to acute illness and hospitalization. Here we consider whether markers for prenatal sex hormones and postnatal stressors on developmental instability, i.e. digit ratios and their directional and unsigned asymmetries, are predictive of hospitalization. We focus on six ratios: 2D:3D; 2D:4D; 2D:5D; 3D:4D; 3D:5D; 4D:5D and compare hospitalized patient and control means for right, and left ratios, directional asymmetries (right–left) and unsigned asymmetries [|(right–left)|]. There were 54 patients and 100 controls. We found (i) patients differed in their digit ratios from controls (patients > controls) in all three ratios that included 5D (2D:5D, 3D:5D and 4D:5D) with small to medium effect sizes (d = 0.3 to 0.64), (ii) they did not differ in their directional asymmetries, and (iii) patients had greater |(right–left)| asymmetry than controls for 2D:4D (d = .74) , and all ratios that included 5D; 2D:5D (d = 0.66), 3D:5D (d = .79), 4D:5D (d = 0.47). The Composite Asymmetry of the two largest effects (2D:4D + 3D:5D) gave a patient and control difference with effect size d = 1.04. All patient versus control differences were independent of sex. We conclude that digit ratio patterns differ between patients and controls and this was most evident in ratios that included 5D. Large |(right–left)| asymmetries in the patients are likely to be a marker for postnatal stressors resulting in developmental perturbations and for potential severity of COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Kasielska-Trojan
- Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery Clinic, Institute of Surgery, Medical University of Lodz, Kopcinskiego 22, 90-153, Lodz, Poland.
| | - J T Manning
- Applied Sports, Technology, Exercise, and Medicine (A-STEM), Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - M Jabłkowski
- Department of Infectious and Liver Diseases, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland
| | - J Białkowska-Warzecha
- Department of Infectious and Liver Diseases, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland
| | - A L Hirschberg
- Department of Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - B Antoszewski
- Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery Clinic, Institute of Surgery, Medical University of Lodz, Kopcinskiego 22, 90-153, Lodz, Poland
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Évacuations sanitaires aériennes collectives du service de santé des Armées français – MoRPHEE et MEROPE – au profit de patients en syndrome de détresse respiratoire aigu lié à la COVID-19. MÉDECINE DE CATASTROPHE - URGENCES COLLECTIVES 2022. [PMCID: PMC8536524 DOI: 10.1016/j.pxur.2021.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Après son apparition en Chine à la fin de 2019, l’épidémie de SARS Cov2 (ou COVID-19) a rapidement provoqué le risque d’une saturation des ressources en soins intensifs dans les régions touchées. La répartition de la maladie entre les différents territoires étant hétérogène, le recours à la réalisation des transferts de patients depuis des régions saturées vers des régions non saturées s’est imposé. Des missions d’évacuations aéromédicales collectives de patients atteints de COVID-19 ont été réalisées par les équipes du service de santé des Armées et de l’Armée de l’air français. Deux dispositifs ont été déployés : les modules MoRPHEE sur le vecteur Airbus A330 PHENIX et les modules MEROPE sur le vecteur Airbus A400 M ATLAS. C’est un total de 59 patients en SDRA lié à la COVID-19 qui ont pu bénéficier de ces transferts entre mars et novembre 2020.
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Rasmi Y, Mosa OF, Alipour S, Heidari N, Javanmard F, Golchin A, Gholizadeh-Ghaleh Aziz S. Significance of Cardiac Troponins as an Identification Tool in COVID-19 Patients Using Biosensors: An Update. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:821155. [PMID: 35281265 PMCID: PMC8912935 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.821155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has rapidly developed as a global health emergency. Respiratory diseases are significant causes of morbidity and mortality in these patients with a spectrum of different diseases, from asymptomatic subclinical infection to the progression of severe pneumonia and subsequent acute respiratory distress syndrome. Individuals with cardiovascular disease are more likely to become infected with SARS-CoV-2 and develop severe symptoms. Hence, patients with underlying cardiovascular disease mortality rate are over three times. Furthermore, note that patients with a history of cardiovascular disease are more likely to have higher cardiac biomarkers, especially cardiac troponins, than infected patients, especially those with severe disease, making these patients more susceptible to cardiac damage caused by SARS-2-CoV. Biomarkers are important in decision-making to facilitate the efficient allocation of resources. Viral replication in the heart muscle can lead to a cascade of inflammatory processes that lead to fibrosis and, ultimately, cardiac necrosis. Elevated troponin may indicate damage to the heart muscle and may predict death. After the first Chinese analysis, increased cardiac troponin value was observed in a significant proportion of patients, suggesting that myocardial damage is a possible pathogenic mechanism leading to severe disease and death. However, the prognostic performance of troponin and whether its value is affected by different comorbidities present in COVID-19 patients are not known. This review aimed to assess the diagnostic value of troponin to offer insight into pathophysiological mechanisms and reported new assessment methods, including new biosensors for troponin in patients with COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yousef Rasmi
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
| | - Osama F. Mosa
- Public Health Department, Health Sciences College at Lieth, Umm Al Qura University, Mecca, Saudi Arabia
- Biochemistry Department, Bukhara State Medical Institute Named After Abu Ali ibn Sino, Bukhara, Uzbekistan
| | - Shahriar Alipour
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
| | - Nadia Heidari
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Metabolic Disorders Research Center, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran
| | - Farzaneh Javanmard
- Department of Pathology, Urmia University of Medical Science, Urmia, Iran
| | - Ali Golchin
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
| | - Shiva Gholizadeh-Ghaleh Aziz
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
- Nephrology and Kidney Transplant Research Center, Clinical Research Institute, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
- *Correspondence: Shiva Gholizadeh-Ghaleh Aziz,
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Systems Biology and Bioinformatics approach to Identify blood based signatures molecules and drug targets of patient with COVID-19. INFORMATICS IN MEDICINE UNLOCKED 2022; 28:100840. [PMID: 34981034 PMCID: PMC8716147 DOI: 10.1016/j.imu.2021.100840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection results in the development of a highly contagious respiratory ailment known as new coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Despite the fact that the prevalence of COVID-19 continues to rise, it is still unclear how people become infected with SARS-CoV-2 and how patients with COVID-19 become so unwell. Detecting biomarkers for COVID-19 using peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) may aid in drug development and treatment. This research aimed to find blood cell transcripts that represent levels of gene expression associated with COVID-19 progression. Through the development of a bioinformatics pipeline, two RNA-Seq transcriptomic datasets and one microarray dataset were studied and discovered 102 significant differentially expressed genes (DEGs) that were shared by three datasets derived from PBMCs. To identify the roles of these DEGs, we discovered disease-gene association networks and signaling pathways, as well as we performed gene ontology (GO) studies and identified hub protein. Identified significant gene ontology and molecular pathways improved our understanding of the pathophysiology of COVID-19, and our identified blood-based hub proteins TPX2, DLGAP5, NCAPG, CCNB1, KIF11, HJURP, AURKB, BUB1B, TTK, and TOP2A could be used for the development of therapeutic intervention. In COVID-19 subjects, we discovered effective putative connections between pathological processes in the transcripts blood cells, suggesting that blood cells could be used to diagnose and monitor the disease’s initiation and progression as well as developing drug therapeutics.
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15
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Geraghty S, Hari R, Oliver K. Using social media in contemporary nursing: risks and benefits. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2021; 30:1078-1082. [PMID: 34645353 DOI: 10.12968/bjon.2021.30.18.1078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Social media has become incorporated into the practice of contemporary nursing. It must be acknowledged by the nurse and the nursing profession that social media has the power to enable the nurse to network with colleagues and share research findings through both private and open forums. However, it also has the potential to negatively influence patient care. This article discusses the use of social media and the dilemmas both ethical and legal. It highlights the need for the nurse and the nursing profession to remain vigilant regarding its use within both their personal and professional lives, to ensure that no boundaries are inadvertently crossed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sadie Geraghty
- Associate Professor, University of Notre Dame, Australia
| | - Renjith Hari
- Lecturer, University of New South Wales, Australia
| | - Kim Oliver
- Senior Lecturer, University of Notre Dame, Australia
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16
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Yang N, Liu F, Li C, Xiao W, Xie S, Yuan S, Zuo W, Ma X, Jiang G. Diagnostic classification of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and other pneumonias using radiomics features in CT chest images. Sci Rep 2021; 11:17885. [PMID: 34504246 PMCID: PMC8429652 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-97497-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2020] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
We propose a classification method using the radiomics features of CT chest images to identify patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and other pneumonias. The chest CT images of two groups of participants (90 COVID-19 patients who were confirmed as positive by nucleic acid test of RT-PCR and 90 other pneumonias patients) were collected, and the two groups of data were manually drawn to outline the region of interest (ROI) of pneumonias. The radiomics method was used to extract textural features and histogram features of the ROI and obtain a radiomics features vector from each sample. Then, we divided the data into two independent radiomic cohorts for training (70 COVID-19 patients and 70 other pneumonias patients), and validation (20 COVID-19 patients and 20 other pneumonias patients) by using support vector machine (SVM). This model used 20 rounds of tenfold cross-validation for training. Finally, single-shot testing of the final model was performed on the independent validation cohort. In the COVID-19 patients, correlation analysis (multiple comparison correction-Bonferroni correction, P < 0.05/7) was also conducted to determine whether the textural and histogram features were correlated with the laboratory test index of blood, i.e., blood oxygen, white blood cell, lymphocytes, neutrophils, C-reactive protein, hypersensitive C-reactive protein, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate. The final model showed good discrimination on the independent validation cohort, with an accuracy of 89.83%, sensitivity of 94.22%, specificity of 85.44%, and AUC of 0.940. This proved that the radiomics features were highly distinguishable, and this SVM model can effectively identify and diagnose patients with COVID-19 and other pneumonias. The correlation analysis results showed that some textural features were positively correlated with WBC, and NE, and also negatively related to SPO2H and NE. Our results showed that radiomic features can classify COVID-19 patients and other pneumonias patients. The SVM model can achieve an excellent diagnosis of COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ning Yang
- Department of Medical Imaging, Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, Guangzhou, 510317, People's Republic of China
| | - Faming Liu
- Radiology Department, Xiao Chang First People's Hospital, Hubei, People's Republic of China
| | - Chunlong Li
- Majoring in Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, Graduate School, Guangdong Medical University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenqing Xiao
- Department of Medical Imaging, Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, Guangzhou, 510317, People's Republic of China
| | - Shuangcong Xie
- Department of Medical Imaging, Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, Guangzhou, 510317, People's Republic of China
| | - Shuyi Yuan
- Equipment Department, Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei Zuo
- Department of Medical Imaging, Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, Guangzhou, 510317, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaofen Ma
- Department of Medical Imaging, Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, Guangzhou, 510317, People's Republic of China.
| | - Guihua Jiang
- Department of Medical Imaging, Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, Guangzhou, 510317, People's Republic of China.
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17
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Attitude and Related Factors towards COVID-19 Prevention based on the Health Belief Model among the Rafsanjan Citizens. JOURNAL OF EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY HEALTH 2021. [DOI: 10.52547/jech.8.3.223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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18
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Huyut MT, İlkbahar F. The effectiveness of blood routine parameters and some biomarkers as a potential diagnostic tool in the diagnosis and prognosis of Covid-19 disease. Int Immunopharmacol 2021; 98:107838. [PMID: 34303274 PMCID: PMC8169318 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2021.107838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Revised: 05/29/2021] [Accepted: 05/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Since February-2020, the world has been battling a tragic public-health crisis with the emergence and spread of 2019-nCoV. Due to the lack of information about the pathogenesis-specific treatment of Covid-19, early diagnosis and timely treatment are important. However, there is still a lack of information about routine-blood-parameteres (RBP) findings and effects in the disease process. Although the literature includes various interventions, existing studies need to be generalized and their reliability improved. In this study, the efficacy of routine blood values used in the diagnosis and prognosis of Covid-19 and independent biomarkers obtained from them were evaluated retrospectively in a large patient group. Low lymphocyte (LYM) and white-blood-cell (WBC), high CRP and Ferritin were effective in the diagnosis of the disease. The (d-CWL) = CRPWBC∗LYM and (d-CFL) = CRP∗FerritinLYM biomarkers derived from them were the most important risk factors in diagnosing the disease and were more successful than direct RBP values. High d-CWL and d-CFL values largely confirmed the Covid-19 diagnosis. The most effective RBP in the prognosis of the disease was CRP. (d-CIT) = CRP*INR*Troponin; (d-CT) = CRP*Troponin; (d-PPT) = PT*Troponin*Procalcitonin biomarkers were found to be more successful than direct RBP values and biomarkers used in previous studies in the prognosis of the disease. In this study, biomarkers derived from RBP were found to be more successful in both diagnosis and prognosis of Covid-19 than previously used direct RBP and biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehmet Tahir Huyut
- Erzincan Binali Yıldırım Unversıty, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, Erzincan, Turkey.
| | - Fatih İlkbahar
- Duzce University, Department of Management Information Systems, Düzce, Turkey
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19
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Raychaudhuri S, Pujani M, Menia R, Verma N, Singh M, Chauhan V, Jain M, Chandoke RK, Kaur H, Agrawal S, Singh A. COVID-19 Associated Coagulopathy in an Indian Scenario: A Correlation with Disease Severity and Survival Status. Indian J Hematol Blood Transfus 2021; 38:341-351. [PMID: 34426721 PMCID: PMC8374035 DOI: 10.1007/s12288-021-01465-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Covid-19 pandemic reveals that the virus causes Covid-19 associated coagulopathy and it is well known that thrombotic risk is associated with ethnicity. To describe the Covid-19 associated coagulopathy in Indian population and to correlate it with the disease severity and survivor status. A cross sectional descriptive study of 391 confirmed Covid-19 cases was carried out over a period of 1.5 months. Patients were categorised as mild to moderate, severe and very severe and also labelled as survivors and non survivors. Prothrombin time (PT), International normalised ratio (INR), activated partial thromboplastin time, D dimer, Fibrin degradation products (FDP), fibrinogen and thrombin time and platelet counts were investigated among the subgroups. Mean age was higher in patients with severe disease (57.62 ± 13.08) and among the non survivors (56.54 ± 12.78). Statistically significant differences in D dimer, FDP, PT, INR and age were seen among the 3 subgroups and survivors. Strong significant positive correlation was noted between D dimer and FDP (r = 0.838, p < .001), PT and INR (r = 0.986, p < 0.001). D dimer was the best single coagulation parameter as per the area under curve (AUC: 0.762, p < 0.001) and D dimer + FDP was the best combination parameter (AUC: 0.764, p = 0) to differentiate mild moderate from severe disease. Raised levels of D dimer, FDP, PT, PT INR and higher age correlated positively with disease severity and mortality in Indian Population.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mukta Pujani
- Department of Pathology, ESIC Medical College, Faridabad, Haryana India
| | - Reetika Menia
- Department of Pathology, ESIC Medical College, Faridabad, Haryana India
| | - Nikhil Verma
- Department of Medicine, ESIC Medical College, Faridabad, Haryana India
| | - Mitasha Singh
- Department of Community Medicine, ESIC Medical College, Faridabad, Haryana India
| | - Varsha Chauhan
- Department of Pathology, ESIC Medical College, Faridabad, Haryana India
| | - Manjula Jain
- Department of Pathology, ESIC Medical College, Faridabad, Haryana India
| | - R K Chandoke
- Department of Pathology, ESIC Medical College, Faridabad, Haryana India
| | - Harnam Kaur
- Department of Biochemistry, ESIC Medical College, Faridabad, Haryana India
| | - Snehil Agrawal
- Department of Pathology, ESIC Medical College, Faridabad, Haryana India
| | - Aparna Singh
- Department of Pathology, ESIC Medical College, Faridabad, Haryana India
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20
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Sumbul HE, Koc AS, Pınar A, Aslan MZ, Gulumsek E, Koca H, Bulut Y, Karakoc E, Turunc T, Bayrak E, Ozturk HA, Avci A, Unal I, Icen YK, Koc M, Sahin AR, Okyay RA. Modified Lung Ultrasound Score in Evaluating the Severity of Covid-19 Pneumonia. ULTRASOUND IN MEDICINE & BIOLOGY 2021; 47:2080-2089. [PMID: 34088529 PMCID: PMC8086809 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2021.04.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2020] [Revised: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 causes coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), which has been declared as a pandemic by the World Health Organization. The aim of the study described here was to determine the severity of pneumonia and the clinical parameters related to a modified lung ultrasound score (mLUS) in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia. The study included 44 patients with proven COVID-19 pneumonia. Patients were divided into three groups on the basis of pneumonia severity: mild/moderate pneumonia (group I), severe pneumonia (group II) and critically ill patients (group III). It was determined that mLUS values in groups I-III were 6.51 ± 4.12, 23.5 ± 5.9 and 24.7 ± 3.9, respectively. mLUS values were significantly higher in group II and III patients than in group I patients. There was a positive relationship between mLUS and age and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide level and a negative relationship with PaO2/FiO2 (p = 0.032, β = 0.275 vs. p = 0.012, β = 0.315 vs. p = 0.001, β = -0.520, respectively). In patients with COVID-19 pneumonia, mLUS increases significantly with the severity of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hilmi Erdem Sumbul
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Health Sciences-Adana Health Practice and Research Center, Adana, Turkey
| | - Ayse Selcan Koc
- Department of Radiology, University of Health Sciences-Adana Health Practice and Research Center, Adana, Turkey
| | - Arzu Pınar
- Department of Pulmonary Disease, University of Health Sciences-Adana Health Practice and Research Center, Adana, Turkey
| | - Muhammed Zubeyir Aslan
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Health Sciences-Adana Health Practice and Research Center, Adana, Turkey
| | - Erdinc Gulumsek
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Health Sciences-Adana Health Practice and Research Center, Adana, Turkey
| | - Hasan Koca
- Department of Cardiology, University of Health Sciences-Adana Health Practice and Research Center, Adana, Turkey
| | - Yurdaer Bulut
- Department of Internal Medicine, Intensive Care Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Cukurova University, Adana, Turkey
| | - Emre Karakoc
- Department of Internal Medicine, Intensive Care Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Cukurova University, Adana, Turkey
| | - Tuba Turunc
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, University of Health Sciences-Adana Health Practice and Research Center, Adana, Turkey
| | - Edip Bayrak
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, University of Health Sciences-Adana Health Practice and Research Center, Adana, Turkey
| | - Huseyin Ali Ozturk
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Health Sciences-Adana Health Practice and Research Center, Adana, Turkey
| | - Akkan Avci
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Health Sciences-Adana Health Practice and Research Center, Adana, Turkey
| | - Ilker Unal
- Department of Biostatistics, Faculty of Medicine, Cukurova University, Adana, Turkey
| | - Yahya Kemal Icen
- Department of Cardiology, University of Health Sciences-Adana Health Practice and Research Center, Adana, Turkey
| | - Mevlut Koc
- Department of Cardiology, University of Health Sciences-Adana Health Practice and Research Center, Adana, Turkey
| | - Ahmet Riza Sahin
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kahramanmaras Sutcu Imam University, Kahramanmaras, Turkey
| | - Ramazan Azim Okyay
- Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, KahramanmarasSutcu Imam University, Kahramanmaras, Turkey.
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21
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A Clinical Monitoring Program of COVID-19 Outpatients: A Prospective Cohort Study. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2021; 2021:6644570. [PMID: 34336065 PMCID: PMC8292082 DOI: 10.1155/2021/6644570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Purpose Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been associated with a high rate of mortality and morbidity. While a high portion of COVID-19 patients have mild symptoms, a limited number of clinical trials have evaluated the clinical course of this large group of patients. This study was designed to investigate the demographics and clinical characteristics and comorbidity of nonhospitalized COVID-19 patients. Methods This prospective, observational cohort study was performed on nonhospitalized adult patients (≥18 years) with COVID-19. Pharmacotherapy service was responsible for patients' assessment for up to 1 month. Demographic characteristics, the onset of symptoms, severity, duration, laboratory data, and hospitalization rate were evaluated by a pharmacist-based monitoring program. Results From 323 patients who had been referred to the emergency department, 105 individuals were recruited between April 26 and August 2, 2020. Most of the patients were female (66.7%) with a mean age of 39.39 years (SD: ± 15.82). The mean time of the symptom onset was 5.6 days (SD: ±1.79). The majority of patients suffered from fatigue (78.1%), sore throat (67.6%), cough (60%), and myalgia (55.2%). C-reactive protein, white blood cell, lymphocyte, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio, and hemoglobin levels were recovered significantly during the first two weeks (P < 0.001). Hydroxychloroquine, naproxen, diphenhydramine, azithromycin, and vitamin D3 were the most common medications administered (98%, 96%, 94%, 68%, and 57%, respectively). Forty patients were not symptom-free after the one-month follow-up, and 8 patients (7.6%) were required to revisit without the need for hospitalization. Anosmia (18.1%) and fatigue (17.1%) were the most common persisted symptoms. There were no significant differences between symptom-free and symptomatic patients. Conclusion Mild COVID-19 patients had a wide variety of symptoms and could be symptomatic even one month after the onset of symptoms. The pharmacist-based monitoring system can contribute beneficially to patients through the evaluation of symptoms, reduction of unnecessary visits, and provision of updated information to patients concerning the status of their illness.
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22
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AVCİ BŞ, KAYA A, SÜMBÜL HE, İÇME F, YEŞİLAĞAÇ H, ÜNAL N, YEŞİLOĞLU Ö, ÇINAR H, TURUNÇ T. Relationship between Covid-19-associated pneumonia severity with coagulopathy and mortality. CUKUROVA MEDICAL JOURNAL 2021. [DOI: 10.17826/cumj.864023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
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23
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Early Spread of COVID-19 in the Air-Polluted Regions of Eight Severely Affected Countries. ATMOSPHERE 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/atmos12060795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
COVID-19 escalated into a pandemic posing several humanitarian as well as scientific challenges. We here investigated the geographical character of the early spread of the infection and correlated it with several annual satellite and ground indexes of air quality in China, the United States, Italy, Iran, France, Spain, Germany, and the United Kingdom. The time of the analysis corresponded with the end of the first wave infection in China, namely June 2020. We found more viral infections in those areas afflicted by high PM 2.5 and nitrogen dioxide values. Higher mortality was also correlated with relatively poor air quality. In Italy, the correspondence between the Po Valley pollution and SARS-CoV-2 infections and induced mortality was the starkest, originating right in the most polluted European area. Spain and Germany did not present a noticeable gradient of pollution levels causing non-significant correlations. Densely populated areas were often hotspots of lower air quality levels but were not always correlated with a higher viral incidence. Air pollution has long been recognised as a high risk factor for several respiratory-related diseases and conditions, and it now appears to be a risk factor for COVID-19 as well. As such, air pollution should always be included as a factor for the study of airborne epidemics and further included in public health policies.
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24
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Sang L, Guo X, Shi J, Hou S, Fan H, Lv Q. Characteristics and Developments in Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy for COVID-19: An Update. Stem Cells Int 2021; 2021:5593584. [PMID: 34211556 PMCID: PMC8205583 DOI: 10.1155/2021/5593584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Revised: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has so far resulted in over a hundred million people being infected. COVID-19 poses a threat to human health around the world. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been confirmed as the pathogenic virus of COVID-19. SARS-CoV-2 belongs to the β-coronavirus family of viruses and is mainly transmitted through the respiratory tract. It has been proven that SARS-CoV-2 mainly targets angiotensin-converting enzyme II (ACE2) receptors on the surface of various cells in humans. The main clinical symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough, and severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Current evidence suggests that the damage caused by the virus may be closely related to the induction of cytokine storms in COVID-19. No specific drugs or measures have yet to be shown to cure COVID-19 completely. Cell-based approaches, primarily mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), have been identified to have anti-inflammatory and immune functions in COVID-19. Clinical studies about using MSCs and its derivatives-exosomes for COVID-19 treatment-are under investigation. Here, we review the current progress of the biological characteristics, clinical manifestations, and cell-based treatment development for COVID-19. Providing up-to-date information on COVID-19 and potential MSC therapies will help highlight routes to prevent and treat the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Sang
- Institute of Disaster Medicine, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Disaster Medicine Technology, Tianjin, China
| | - Xiaoqin Guo
- Institute of Disaster Medicine, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Disaster Medicine Technology, Tianjin, China
| | - Jie Shi
- Institute of Disaster Medicine, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Disaster Medicine Technology, Tianjin, China
| | - Shike Hou
- Institute of Disaster Medicine, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Disaster Medicine Technology, Tianjin, China
| | - Haojun Fan
- Institute of Disaster Medicine, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Disaster Medicine Technology, Tianjin, China
| | - Qi Lv
- Institute of Disaster Medicine, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Disaster Medicine Technology, Tianjin, China
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25
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Shawki MA, Elsayed NS, Mantawy EM, Said RS. Promising drug repurposing approach targeted for cytokine storm implicated in SARS-CoV-2 complications. Immunopharmacol Immunotoxicol 2021; 43:395-409. [PMID: 34057871 PMCID: PMC8171013 DOI: 10.1080/08923973.2021.1931302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
A global threat has emerged in 2019 due to the rapid spread of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19). As of January 2021, the number of cases worldwide reached 103 million cases and 2.22 million deaths which were confirmed as the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This global pandemic galvanized the scientific community to study the causative virus (SARS-CoV2) pathogenesis, transmission, and clinical symptoms. Remarkably, the most common complication associated with this disease is the cytokine storm which is responsible for COVID-19 mortality. Thus, targeting the cytokine storm with new medications is needed to hamper COVID-19 complications where the most prominent strategy for the treatment is drug repurposing. Through this strategy, several steps are skipped especially those required for testing drug safety and thus may help in reducing the dissemination of this pandemic. Accordingly, the aim of this review is to outline the pathogenesis, clinical features, and immune complications of SARS-CoV2 in addition to suggesting several repurposed drugs with their plausible mechanism of action for possible management of severe COVID-19 cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- May Ahmed Shawki
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Noha Salah Elsayed
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Eman M Mantawy
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Riham S Said
- Department of Drug Radiation Research, National Center for Radiation Research and Technology, Atomic Energy Authority, Cairo, Egypt
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26
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Donoso-Navarro E, Arribas Gómez I, Bernabeu-Andreu FA. IL-6 and Other Biomarkers associated with Poor Prognosis in a Cohort of Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19 in Madrid. Biomark Insights 2021; 16:11772719211013363. [PMID: 34103886 PMCID: PMC8150444 DOI: 10.1177/11772719211013363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Accepted: 04/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives: There are several published works on the prognostic value of biomarkers in relation to the severity or fatal outcome of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In Spain, the second European country in incidence of the disease at the time of data collection, there are few studies that include both laboratory parameters and clinical parameters. Our aim is to study the relationship of a wide series of biomarkers with admission to intensive care and death in a hospital in the Autonomous Community of Madrid (Spain), with special attention to IL-6 due to its role in the systemic inflammatory response associated with a worse prognosis of the disease. Methods: Data were collected from 546 hospitalized patients with COVID-19. All of them had IL-6 results, in addition to other biochemical and haematological parameters. The difference of the medians for the selected parameters between the groups (ICU vs non-ICU, dead vs survivors) was studied using a Mann-Whitney analysis. The independent variables that predicted death were studied using a Cox proportional hazard regression model. Results: Higher age and blood concentrations of ALT, creatinine, CK, cTnI, LDH, NT-proBNP, CRP, IL-6, leucocyte count and D-dimer together with lower blood concentrations of albumin and lymphocyte count were associated with mortality in univariate analysis. Age, LDH, IL-6 and lymphocyte count remained associated with death in multivariate analysis. Conclusions: Age, LDH, IL-6 and lymphocyte count, as independent predictors of death, could be used to establish more aggressive therapies in COVID-19 patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Encarnación Donoso-Navarro
- Servicio de Bioquímica y Análisis Clínicos, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro Majadahonda. Majadahonda, Madrid, España
| | - Ignacio Arribas Gómez
- Servicio de Bioquímica Clínica, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, España
| | - Francisco A Bernabeu-Andreu
- Servicio de Bioquímica y Análisis Clínicos, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro Majadahonda. Majadahonda, Madrid, España
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Standard blood laboratory values as a clinical support tool to distinguish between SARS-CoV-2 positive and negative patients. Sci Rep 2021; 11:9365. [PMID: 33931692 PMCID: PMC8087776 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-88844-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Standard blood laboratory parameters may have diagnostic potential, if polymerase-chain-reaction (PCR) tests are not available on time. We evaluated standard blood laboratory parameters of 655 COVID-19 patients suspected to be infected with SARS-CoV-2, who underwent PCR testing in one of five hospitals in Vienna, Austria. We compared laboratory parameters, clinical characteristics, and outcomes between positive and negative PCR-tested patients and evaluated the ability of those parameters to distinguish between groups. Of the 590 patients (20-100 years, 276 females and 314 males), 208 were PCR-positive. Positive compared to negative PCR-tested patients had significantly lower levels of leukocytes, neutrophils, basophils, eosinophils, lymphocytes, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, monocytes, and thrombocytes; while significantly higher levels were detected with erythrocytes, hemoglobin, hematocrit, C-reactive-protein, ferritin, activated-partial-thromboplastin-time, alanine-aminotransferase, aspartate-aminotransferase, lipase, creatine-kinase, and lactate-dehydrogenase. From all blood parameters, eosinophils, ferritin, leukocytes, and erythrocytes showed the highest ability to distinguish between COVID-19 positive and negative patients (area-under-curve, AUC: 72.3-79.4%). The AUC of our model was 0.915 (95% confidence intervals, 0.876-0.955). Leukopenia, eosinopenia, elevated erythrocytes, and hemoglobin were among the strongest markers regarding accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value, positive and negative likelihood ratio, and post-test probabilities. Our findings suggest that especially leukopenia, eosinopenia, and elevated hemoglobin are helpful to distinguish between COVID-19 positive and negative tested patients.
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The proportion and effect of corticosteroid therapy in patients with COVID-19 infection: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0249481. [PMID: 33882090 PMCID: PMC8059814 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0249481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2020] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Objectives Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) remains a global challenge. Corticosteroids constitute a group of anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive drugs that are widely used in the treatment of COVID-19. Comprehensive reviews investigating the comparative proportion and efficacy of corticosteroid use are scarce. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials to evaluate the proportion and efficacy of corticosteroid use for the treatment of COVID-19. Methods We conducted a comprehensive literature review and meta-analysis of research articles, including observational studies and clinical trials, by searching the PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Controlled Trials Registry, and China Academic Journal Network Publishing databases. Patients treated between December 1, 2019, and January 1, 2021, were included. The outcome measures were the proportion of patients treated with corticosteroids, viral clearance and mortality. The effect size with the associated 95% confidence interval is reported as the weighted mean difference for continuous outcomes and the odds ratio for dichotomous outcomes. Results Fifty-two trials involving 15710 patients were included. The meta-analysis demonstrated that the proportion of COVID-19 patients who received corticosteroids was significantly lower than that of patients who did not receive corticosteroids (35.19% vs. 64.49%). In addition, our meta-analysis demonstrated no significant difference in the proportions of severe and nonsevere cases treated with corticosteroids (27.91% vs. 20.91%). We also performed subgroup analyses stratified by whether patients stayed in the intensive care unit (ICU) and found that the proportion of patients who received corticosteroids was significantly higher among those who stayed in the ICU than among those who did not. The results of our meta-analysis indicate that corticosteroid treatment significantly delayed the viral clearance time. Finally, our meta-analysis demonstrated no significant difference in the use of corticosteroids for COVID-19 between patients who died and those who survived. This result indicates that mortality is not correlated with corticosteroid therapy. Conclusion The proportion of COVID-19 patients who received corticosteroids was significantly lower than that of patients who did not receive corticosteroids. Corticosteroid use in subjects with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infections delayed viral clearance and did not convincingly improve survival; therefore, corticosteroids should be used with extreme caution in the treatment of COVID-19.
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Shaath H, Alajez NM. Identification of PBMC-based molecular signature associational with COVID-19 disease severity. Heliyon 2021; 7:e06866. [PMID: 33898797 PMCID: PMC8057768 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e06866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Revised: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The longevity of COVID-19 as a global pandemic, and the devastating effects it has had on certain subsets of individuals thus far has highlighted the importance of identifying blood-based biomarkers associated with disease severity. We employed computational and transcriptome analyses of publicly available datasets from PBMCs from 126 patients with COVID-19 admitted to ICU (n = 50), COVID-19 not admitted to ICU (n = 50), non-COVID-19 admitted to ICU (n = 16) and non-COVID-19 not admitted to ICU (n = 10), and utilized the Gencode V33 assembly to analyze protein coding mRNA and long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) transcriptomes in the context of disease severity. Our data identified several aberrantly expressed mRNA and lncRNA based biomarkers associated with SARS-CoV-2 severity, which in turn significantly affected canonical, upstream, and disease functions in each group of patients. Immune, interferon, and antiviral responses were severely suppressed in COVID-19 patients admitted to ICU versus those who were not admitted to ICU. Our data suggests a possible therapeutic approach for severe COVID-19 through administration of interferon therapy. Delving further into these biomarkers, roles and their implications on the onset and disease severity of COVID-19 could play a crucial role in patient stratification and identifying varied therapeutic options with diverse clinical implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hibah Shaath
- College of Health & Life Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar Foundation (QF), Doha, Qatar.,Translational Cancer and Immunity Center (TCIC), Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar Foundation (QF), PO Box 34110, Doha, Qatar
| | - Nehad M Alajez
- College of Health & Life Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar Foundation (QF), Doha, Qatar.,Translational Cancer and Immunity Center (TCIC), Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar Foundation (QF), PO Box 34110, Doha, Qatar
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Banfi
- IRCCS Orthopedic Institute Galeazzi, Milan, Italy.,University Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Lippi
- Section of Clinical Biochemistry, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
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Ultramicronized Palmitoylethanolamide (um-PEA): A New Possible Adjuvant Treatment in COVID-19 patients. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2021; 14:ph14040336. [PMID: 33917573 PMCID: PMC8067485 DOI: 10.3390/ph14040336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Revised: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused more than 100,000,000 cases of coronavirus infection in the world in just a year, of which there were 2 million deaths. Its clinical picture is characterized by pulmonary involvement that culminates, in the most severe cases, in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). However, COVID-19 affects other organs and systems, including cardiovascular, urinary, gastrointestinal, and nervous systems. Currently, unique-drug therapy is not supported by international guidelines. In this context, it is important to resort to adjuvant therapies in combination with traditional pharmacological treatments. Among natural bioactive compounds, palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) seems to have potentially beneficial effects. In fact, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized an ongoing clinical trial with ultramicronized (um)-PEA as an add-on therapy in the treatment of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. In support of this hypothesis, in vitro and in vivo studies have highlighted the immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective and pain-relieving effects of PEA, especially in its um form. The purpose of this review is to highlight the potential use of um-PEA as an adjuvant treatment in SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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Wang Y, Fan Z, Wang S, Zhuang C. The diagnostic value of platelet distribution width in patients with mild COVID-19. J Clin Lab Anal 2021; 35:e23703. [PMID: 33772893 PMCID: PMC8059752 DOI: 10.1002/jcla.23703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2020] [Revised: 12/28/2020] [Accepted: 01/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
COVID-19 has a worldwide distribution; however, there is no effective diagnosis marker, especially for the mild-type COVID-19. The purpose of the current study was to identify parameters for mild-type COVID-19. We retrospectively analyzed a single-center data of patients with mild COVID-19. Forty patients diagnosed with COVID-19 were enrolled. Peripheral blood indices between the admission and discharge times were collected and analyzed. The platelet distribution width (PDW) was shown to be an indicator of significant change. The receiver operating characteristic curve for PDW was 0.7; the sensitivity and specificity for PDW were 82.5% and 55.0%, respectively. Therefore, a potential diagnostic value of PDW for mild-type COVID-19 was demonstrated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Wang
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Zhe Fan
- Department of General Surgery, The Third People's Hospital of Dalian, Dalian, China
| | - Shuang Wang
- Department of Endocrinology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Chengjun Zhuang
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
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SARS-CoV-2 reinfection: "New baseline" imaging concept in the era of COVID-19. Clin Imaging 2021; 78:142-145. [PMID: 33813316 PMCID: PMC7997162 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinimag.2021.03.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2020] [Revised: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Recent reports have suggested COVID-19 relapse or reinfection may lead to readmission, which may cause a diagnostic challenge between recently infected patients and reinfections. Compounding this problem is the post-viral lung sequela that may be expected after COVID-19 pneumonia, similar to both SARS and MERS. Although chest imaging may play a role in the diagnosis of primary SARS-CoV-2 infection, reinfection or relapse of COVID-19 will have similar imaging findings. A “new-baseline” imaging can be obtained from COVID-19 patients at the time of hospital discharge or clinical recovery. This new reference can not only determine if readmissions are from relapse or reinfection of COVID-19, resolving COVID-19 or potentially a different viral infection (influenza), but also for long term sequela of COVID-19 lung infection. Strategic use of imaging before discharge may be helpful in the subset of the population at the highest risk of a secondary viral infection such as influenza. Determining the residual abnormalities in post-discharge imaging can guide us in the long-term management of patients for many years to come.
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Chatzitofis A, Cancian P, Gkitsas V, Carlucci A, Stalidis P, Albanis G, Karakottas A, Semertzidis T, Daras P, Giannitto C, Casiraghi E, Sposta FM, Vatteroni G, Ammirabile A, Lofino L, Ragucci P, Laino ME, Voza A, Desai A, Cecconi M, Balzarini L, Chiti A, Zarpalas D, Savevski V. Volume-of-Interest Aware Deep Neural Networks for Rapid Chest CT-Based COVID-19 Patient Risk Assessment. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:2842. [PMID: 33799509 PMCID: PMC7998401 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18062842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2021] [Revised: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Since December 2019, the world has been devastated by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Emergency Departments have been experiencing situations of urgency where clinical experts, without long experience and mature means in the fight against COVID-19, have to rapidly decide the most proper patient treatment. In this context, we introduce an artificially intelligent tool for effective and efficient Computed Tomography (CT)-based risk assessment to improve treatment and patient care. In this paper, we introduce a data-driven approach built on top of volume-of-interest aware deep neural networks for automatic COVID-19 patient risk assessment (discharged, hospitalized, intensive care unit) based on lung infection quantization through segmentation and, subsequently, CT classification. We tackle the high and varying dimensionality of the CT input by detecting and analyzing only a sub-volume of the CT, the Volume-of-Interest (VoI). Differently from recent strategies that consider infected CT slices without requiring any spatial coherency between them, or use the whole lung volume by applying abrupt and lossy volume down-sampling, we assess only the "most infected volume" composed of slices at its original spatial resolution. To achieve the above, we create, present and publish a new labeled and annotated CT dataset with 626 CT samples from COVID-19 patients. The comparison against such strategies proves the effectiveness of our VoI-based approach. We achieve remarkable performance on patient risk assessment evaluated on balanced data by reaching 88.88%, 89.77%, 94.73% and 88.88% accuracy, sensitivity, specificity and F1-score, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anargyros Chatzitofis
- Centre for Research and Technology Hellas, Information Technologies Institute, 6th km Charilaou—Thermi, P.O. Box 60361, 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece; (A.C.); (V.G.); (P.S.); (G.A.); (A.K.); (T.S.); (P.D.)
| | - Pierandrea Cancian
- Humanitas AI Center, Humanitas Research Hospital, Via Alessandro Manzoni 56, 20089 Rozzano, Italy; (P.C.); (A.C.); (M.E.L.); (V.S.)
| | - Vasileios Gkitsas
- Centre for Research and Technology Hellas, Information Technologies Institute, 6th km Charilaou—Thermi, P.O. Box 60361, 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece; (A.C.); (V.G.); (P.S.); (G.A.); (A.K.); (T.S.); (P.D.)
| | - Alessandro Carlucci
- Humanitas AI Center, Humanitas Research Hospital, Via Alessandro Manzoni 56, 20089 Rozzano, Italy; (P.C.); (A.C.); (M.E.L.); (V.S.)
| | - Panagiotis Stalidis
- Centre for Research and Technology Hellas, Information Technologies Institute, 6th km Charilaou—Thermi, P.O. Box 60361, 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece; (A.C.); (V.G.); (P.S.); (G.A.); (A.K.); (T.S.); (P.D.)
| | - Georgios Albanis
- Centre for Research and Technology Hellas, Information Technologies Institute, 6th km Charilaou—Thermi, P.O. Box 60361, 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece; (A.C.); (V.G.); (P.S.); (G.A.); (A.K.); (T.S.); (P.D.)
| | - Antonis Karakottas
- Centre for Research and Technology Hellas, Information Technologies Institute, 6th km Charilaou—Thermi, P.O. Box 60361, 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece; (A.C.); (V.G.); (P.S.); (G.A.); (A.K.); (T.S.); (P.D.)
| | - Theodoros Semertzidis
- Centre for Research and Technology Hellas, Information Technologies Institute, 6th km Charilaou—Thermi, P.O. Box 60361, 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece; (A.C.); (V.G.); (P.S.); (G.A.); (A.K.); (T.S.); (P.D.)
| | - Petros Daras
- Centre for Research and Technology Hellas, Information Technologies Institute, 6th km Charilaou—Thermi, P.O. Box 60361, 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece; (A.C.); (V.G.); (P.S.); (G.A.); (A.K.); (T.S.); (P.D.)
| | - Caterina Giannitto
- Radiology Department, Humanitas Research Hospital, Via Alessandro Manzoni 56, 20089 Rozzano, Italy; (C.G.); (F.M.S.); (G.V.); (A.A.); (L.L.); (P.R.); (L.B.)
| | - Elena Casiraghi
- Dipartimento di Informatica/Computer Science Department “Giovanni degli Antoni”, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 18, 20133 Milan, Italy;
| | - Federica Mrakic Sposta
- Radiology Department, Humanitas Research Hospital, Via Alessandro Manzoni 56, 20089 Rozzano, Italy; (C.G.); (F.M.S.); (G.V.); (A.A.); (L.L.); (P.R.); (L.B.)
| | - Giulia Vatteroni
- Radiology Department, Humanitas Research Hospital, Via Alessandro Manzoni 56, 20089 Rozzano, Italy; (C.G.); (F.M.S.); (G.V.); (A.A.); (L.L.); (P.R.); (L.B.)
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Via Rita Levi Montalcini 4, 20090 Pieve Emanuele, Italy; (A.D.); (M.C.); (A.C.)
| | - Angela Ammirabile
- Radiology Department, Humanitas Research Hospital, Via Alessandro Manzoni 56, 20089 Rozzano, Italy; (C.G.); (F.M.S.); (G.V.); (A.A.); (L.L.); (P.R.); (L.B.)
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Via Rita Levi Montalcini 4, 20090 Pieve Emanuele, Italy; (A.D.); (M.C.); (A.C.)
| | - Ludovica Lofino
- Radiology Department, Humanitas Research Hospital, Via Alessandro Manzoni 56, 20089 Rozzano, Italy; (C.G.); (F.M.S.); (G.V.); (A.A.); (L.L.); (P.R.); (L.B.)
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Via Rita Levi Montalcini 4, 20090 Pieve Emanuele, Italy; (A.D.); (M.C.); (A.C.)
| | - Pasquala Ragucci
- Radiology Department, Humanitas Research Hospital, Via Alessandro Manzoni 56, 20089 Rozzano, Italy; (C.G.); (F.M.S.); (G.V.); (A.A.); (L.L.); (P.R.); (L.B.)
| | - Maria Elena Laino
- Humanitas AI Center, Humanitas Research Hospital, Via Alessandro Manzoni 56, 20089 Rozzano, Italy; (P.C.); (A.C.); (M.E.L.); (V.S.)
- Radiology Department, Humanitas Research Hospital, Via Alessandro Manzoni 56, 20089 Rozzano, Italy; (C.G.); (F.M.S.); (G.V.); (A.A.); (L.L.); (P.R.); (L.B.)
| | - Antonio Voza
- Emergency Department, Humanitas Research Hospital, Via Alessandro Manzoni 56, 20089 Rozzano, Italy;
| | - Antonio Desai
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Via Rita Levi Montalcini 4, 20090 Pieve Emanuele, Italy; (A.D.); (M.C.); (A.C.)
- Emergency Department, Humanitas Research Hospital, Via Alessandro Manzoni 56, 20089 Rozzano, Italy;
| | - Maurizio Cecconi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Via Rita Levi Montalcini 4, 20090 Pieve Emanuele, Italy; (A.D.); (M.C.); (A.C.)
- Intensive Care Unit, Humanitas Research Hospital, Via Alessandro Manzoni 56, 20089 Rozzano, Italy
| | - Luca Balzarini
- Radiology Department, Humanitas Research Hospital, Via Alessandro Manzoni 56, 20089 Rozzano, Italy; (C.G.); (F.M.S.); (G.V.); (A.A.); (L.L.); (P.R.); (L.B.)
| | - Arturo Chiti
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Via Rita Levi Montalcini 4, 20090 Pieve Emanuele, Italy; (A.D.); (M.C.); (A.C.)
- Humanitas Clinical and Research Center—IRCCS, Via Manzoni 56, 20089 Rozzano, Italy
| | - Dimitrios Zarpalas
- Centre for Research and Technology Hellas, Information Technologies Institute, 6th km Charilaou—Thermi, P.O. Box 60361, 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece; (A.C.); (V.G.); (P.S.); (G.A.); (A.K.); (T.S.); (P.D.)
| | - Victor Savevski
- Humanitas AI Center, Humanitas Research Hospital, Via Alessandro Manzoni 56, 20089 Rozzano, Italy; (P.C.); (A.C.); (M.E.L.); (V.S.)
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Ghareeb DA, Saleh SR, Nofal MS, Kaddah MMY, Hassan SF, Seif IK, El-Zahaby SA, Khedr SM, Kenawy MY, Masoud AA, Soudi SA, Sobhy AA, Sery JG, El-Wahab MGA, Elmoneam AAA, Al-mahallawi AM, El-Demellawy MA. Potential therapeutic and pharmacological strategies for SARS-CoV2. JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL INVESTIGATION 2021. [DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40005-021-00520-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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36
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Ghareeb DA, Saleh SR, Nofal MS, Kaddah MMY, Hassan SF, Seif IK, El-Zahaby SA, Khedr SM, Kenawy MY, Masoud AA, Soudi SA, Sobhy AA, Sery JG, El-Wahab MGA, Elmoneam AAA, Al-mahallawi AM, El-Demellawy MA. Potential therapeutic and pharmacological strategies for SARS-CoV2. JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL INVESTIGATION 2021; 51:281-296. [PMID: 33688448 PMCID: PMC7933375 DOI: 10.1007/s40005-021-00520-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2020] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND At the end of 2019, the new Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) strain causing severe acute respiratory syndrome swept the world. From November 2019 till February 2021, this virus infected nearly 104 million, with more than two million deaths and about 25 million active cases. This has prompted scientists to discover effective drugs to combat this pandemic. AREA COVERED Drug repurposing is the magic bullet for treating severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2). Therefore, several drugs have been investigated in silico, in vitro, as well as through human trials such as anti-SARS-CoV2 agents, or to prevent the complications resulting from the virus. In this review, the mechanisms of action of different therapeutic strategies are summarized. According to the WHO, different classes of drugs can be used, including anti-malarial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and anti-coagulant drugs, as well as angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, antibiotics, vitamins, zinc, neutralizing antibodies, and convalescent plasma therapy. Recently, there are some vaccines which are approved against SARS-CoV2. EXPERT OPINION A complete understanding of the structure and function of all viral proteins that play a fundamental role in viral infection, which contribute to the therapeutic intervention and the development of vaccine in order to reduce the mortality rate. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40005-021-00520-4.
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Affiliation(s)
- Doaa A. Ghareeb
- Biological Screening and Preclinical Trial Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
- Pharmaceutical and Fermentation Industries Development Centre (PFIDC), City of Scientific Research and Technological Applications (SRTA-City), Borg Al-Arab, Alexandria Egypt
| | - Samar R. Saleh
- Biological Screening and Preclinical Trial Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
- Pharmaceutical and Fermentation Industries Development Centre (PFIDC), City of Scientific Research and Technological Applications (SRTA-City), Borg Al-Arab, Alexandria Egypt
| | - Mohammed S. Nofal
- Pharmaceutical and Fermentation Industries Development Centre (PFIDC), City of Scientific Research and Technological Applications (SRTA-City), Borg Al-Arab, Alexandria Egypt
| | - Mohamed M. Y. Kaddah
- Pharmaceutical and Fermentation Industries Development Centre (PFIDC), City of Scientific Research and Technological Applications (SRTA-City), Borg Al-Arab, Alexandria Egypt
| | - Salma. F. Hassan
- Pharmaceutical and Fermentation Industries Development Centre (PFIDC), City of Scientific Research and Technological Applications (SRTA-City), Borg Al-Arab, Alexandria Egypt
| | - Inas K. Seif
- Biological Screening and Preclinical Trial Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
| | - Sally A. El-Zahaby
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Pharos University in Alexandria, Alexandria, Egypt
| | - Shaimaa M. Khedr
- Pharmaceutical and Fermentation Industries Development Centre (PFIDC), City of Scientific Research and Technological Applications (SRTA-City), Borg Al-Arab, Alexandria Egypt
| | - Marwa Y. Kenawy
- Fabrication Technology Department, Advanced Technology and New Materials Research Institute (ATNMRI), City of Scientific Research and Technological Applications (SRTA-City), New Borg El-Arab City, 21934 Alexandria Egypt
| | - Aliaa A. Masoud
- Biological Screening and Preclinical Trial Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
| | - Salma A. Soudi
- Pharmaceutical and Fermentation Industries Development Centre (PFIDC), City of Scientific Research and Technological Applications (SRTA-City), Borg Al-Arab, Alexandria Egypt
| | - Ahmed A. Sobhy
- Biological Screening and Preclinical Trial Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
- Pharmaceutical and Fermentation Industries Development Centre (PFIDC), City of Scientific Research and Technological Applications (SRTA-City), Borg Al-Arab, Alexandria Egypt
- Clinical Pharmacy Program, Faculty of Pharmacy, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
| | - Jaillan G. Sery
- Pharmaceutical and Fermentation Industries Development Centre (PFIDC), City of Scientific Research and Technological Applications (SRTA-City), Borg Al-Arab, Alexandria Egypt
| | - Miral G. Abd El-Wahab
- Pharmaceutical and Fermentation Industries Development Centre (PFIDC), City of Scientific Research and Technological Applications (SRTA-City), Borg Al-Arab, Alexandria Egypt
| | - Alshimaa A. Abd Elmoneam
- Biological Screening and Preclinical Trial Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
| | - Abdulaziz Mohsen Al-mahallawi
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Industrial Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, October University for Modern Sciences and Arts (MSA), Giza, Egypt
| | - Maha A. El-Demellawy
- Pharmaceutical and Fermentation Industries Development Centre (PFIDC), City of Scientific Research and Technological Applications (SRTA-City), Borg Al-Arab, Alexandria Egypt
- Medical Biotechnology Department, GEBRI, SRTA-City, New Borg El-Arab City, Alexandria Egypt
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Mallet J, Dubertret C, Le Strat Y. Addictions in the COVID-19 era: Current evidence, future perspectives a comprehensive review. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2021; 106:110070. [PMID: 32800868 PMCID: PMC7420609 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2020.110070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2020] [Revised: 08/07/2020] [Accepted: 08/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In the context of the COVID-19 worldwide pandemic, an up-to-date review of current challenges in addictions is necessary. While large scale disasters may have an impact on substance use and addictions, the use of some substances is also likely to modify the risk of COVID-19 infection or course. Many countries have imposed lockdowns. Whether this quarantine or the end of lockdown measures will have an impact on substance use is discussed. The aim of this review is to gather knowledge for clinicians and to guide public health policies during/after lockdown. METHODS PubMed was reviewed in August 6th (2020), to determine the current evidences and observations concerning the addictions and SARS-CoV2. We used all the names of the severe acute respiratory syndrome of coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2 previously 2019 nCoV), the name of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and common substances of abuse. For the physiopathological parts, searches were conducted using key words such as "infection" or "pneumonia". For the lockdown effects, key words such as "quarantine", "disaster" or "outbreak" were used. RESULTS Overall, pathophysiological data showed an increased risk of infections for individuals with Substance Use Disorders (SUD) and a possible protective role of nicotine. During lockdown, there is a substantial risk of increasing SUDs. Individuals with opioid use disorder are particularly at risk of relapse or of involuntary withdrawal. After lockdown, increase of use may be observed as far as years after. Individuals with addictions are at higher risk of multimorbidity and mortality during COVID outbreak. CONCLUSION This review describes useful strategies in clinical practice, including a systematic assessment of addiction comorbidity during this almost worldwide lockdown/pandemic. This review also highlights important areas for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasmina Mallet
- AP-HP, Department of Psychiatry, Louis Mourier Hospital, Université de Paris, Faculté de Médecine, Colombes, France; Institute of Psychiatry and Neurosciences of Paris (IPNP, Inserm U1266), 102 rue de la Santé, 75014 Paris, France.
| | - Caroline Dubertret
- AP-HP, Department of Psychiatry, Louis Mourier Hospital, Université de Paris, Faculté de Médecine, Colombes, France; Institute of Psychiatry and Neurosciences of Paris (IPNP, Inserm U1266), 102 rue de la Santé, 75014 Paris, France
| | - Yann Le Strat
- AP-HP, Department of Psychiatry, Louis Mourier Hospital, Université de Paris, Faculté de Médecine, Colombes, France; Institute of Psychiatry and Neurosciences of Paris (IPNP, Inserm U1266), 102 rue de la Santé, 75014 Paris, France
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Would you notice if fake news changed your behavior? An experiment on the unconscious effects of disinformation. COMPUTERS IN HUMAN BEHAVIOR 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2020.106633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Hematological and biochemical abnormalities associated with severe forms of COVID-19: A retrospective single-center study from Morocco. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0246295. [PMID: 33539383 PMCID: PMC7861397 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0246295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Since December 2019, the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has catapulted the world into a marked health crisis, with over 29 million cases and >930,000 deaths. To better detect affected individuals at an early stage and stop disease progression to an advanced stage, several studies have been conducted to identify the clinical, biological, and radiological characteristics of COVID-19. This study aimed to enrich the literature by critically analyzing the clinical and biological characteristics of 134 patients from the North African Mediterranean region, including numerous genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors that may influence disease evolution. This single-center retrospective study included all patients older than 18 years confirmed to have COVID-19 and hospitalized at the Cheikh Khalifa University Hospital affiliated with Mohammed VI University of Health Sciences, Casablanca, Morocco. Clinical, demographic, and biological data were analyzed in a cohort of severe and non-severe patients. Univariate analysis was performed to identify factors predictive of severity. There were 134 patients: the median age was 53 years, and 54.5% were male. Of these, 89 had mild to moderate disease; 45 had severe to critical disease, of which 14 died and 31 survived. Advanced age, presence of comorbidities, male sex, and infection in ethnic or family groups were risk factors for progression to severe disease. The presence of abnormalities in the following parameters were strongly associated with progression to severe disease: white blood cells (WBC), neutrophils, lymphocytes, C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin, D-dimers, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), ferritin, creatinine, aspartate aminotransferase (ASAT), and alanine aminotransferase (ALAT) during both admission and hospitalization. Based on these results and an extensive literature review, we recommend that clinicians closely monitor the biological parameters identified herein and perform immunological and genetic studies.
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Perrone MA, Spolaore F, Ammirabile M, Romeo F, Caciagli P, Ceriotti F, Bernardini S. The assessment of high sensitivity cardiac troponin in patients with COVID-19: A multicenter study. IJC HEART & VASCULATURE 2021; 32:100715. [PMID: 33457490 PMCID: PMC7796671 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijcha.2021.100715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2020] [Revised: 01/01/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent studies have shown that patients diagnosed with coronarivus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and also with previous cardiovascular diseases have a higher mortality due to worsening heart disease. At the same time, patients without previous cardiovascular disease may also have cardiac complications. The aim of this multicenter study was to assess high sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) in patients with COVID-19 and to evaluate the incidence of myocardial injury. METHODS In this multicenter study we enrolled 543 patients, 57.8% males, median age 63 years (range 18-99) from three selected hospitals: University Hospital Tor Vergata in Rome, Fondazione IRCCS Ca 'Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, in Milan, S Chiara Hospital in Trento. We measured hs-cTnT in all patients to assess myocardial injury and correlations with patient's age, symptoms and disease course. RESULTS The data showed that, among the 543 patients studied, 257 patients (47.3%) had hs-cTnT values higher than the upper reference limit (URL) of 14 ng/L. Patients with high hs-cTnT had more frequently fever (p < 0.01) and respiratory symptoms (p < 0.01), compared to the group with hs-cTnT values below URL. The results showed also that patients with hs-cTnT above URL had a higher frequency of previous cardiovascular disease (p < 0.01) as well as of hypertension (p < 0.01). Instead, among 231 patients with no previous cardiovascular disease, 81 (31.5%) had hs-cTnT values above the URL. Finally. the majority of the patients with high hs-cTnT were admitted to the intensive care unit (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION Our data suggest the assessment of high sensitivity cardiac troponin in patients with COVID-19 for early diagnosis of cardiac involvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Alfonso Perrone
- Division of Cardiology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
- Division of Clinical Biochemistry and Clinical Molecular Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Federica Spolaore
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Santa Chiara Hospital, Trento, Italy
| | - Massimiliano Ammirabile
- Division of Clinical Chemistry, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Grande Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesco Romeo
- Division of Cardiology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Patrizio Caciagli
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Santa Chiara Hospital, Trento, Italy
| | - Ferruccio Ceriotti
- Division of Clinical Chemistry, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Grande Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Sergio Bernardini
- Division of Clinical Biochemistry and Clinical Molecular Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
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Parra-Bracamonte GM, Lopez-Villalobos N, Parra-Bracamonte FE. Clinical characteristics and risk factors for mortality of patients with COVID-19 in a large data set from Mexico. Ann Epidemiol 2020; 52:93-98.e2. [PMID: 32798701 PMCID: PMC7426229 DOI: 10.1016/j.annepidem.2020.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2020] [Revised: 07/19/2020] [Accepted: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to assess clinical characteristics and risk factors for mortality of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) from Mexico, given that it currently is in active community transmission. METHODS Multivariate logistic regression model and Kaplan-Meier survival curves were fitted to study odds of death of characteristics and comorbidities in patients with COVID-19 in Mexico. RESULTS Age, sex, and the most frequent comorbidities diabetes, obesity, and hypertension were significantly associated to the risk of death by COVID-19 (P < .0001). Smoking habit was not identified as a risk factor for death. Less-frequent comorbidities such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic kidney disease, and patients with immunosuppressed conditions also showed a significant risk for death (P < .0001). Hospitalized patients and those with pneumonia had serious risks for mortality (P < .0001), and more attention to specific conditions might be considered during clinical admission. CONCLUSIONS A more vulnerable positive patient is depicted by a male patient, older than 41 years, which increases their risk with more prevalent comorbidities such as diabetes, hypertension, and obesity. Some implications on outcomes are discussed.
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Lippi G, Plebani M. Asymptomatic COVID-19 transmission: the importance of avoiding official miscommunication. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020; 7:347-348. [PMID: 32651980 DOI: 10.1515/dx-2020-0085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Lippi
- Section of Clinical Biochemistry, Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Mario Plebani
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University Hospital of Padova, Padova, Italy
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Lal A, Sanaullah A, M Saleem MK, Ahmed N, Maqsood A, Ahmed N. Psychological Distress among Adults in Home Confinement in the Midst of COVID-19 Outbreak. Eur J Dent 2020; 14:S27-S33. [PMID: 33242914 PMCID: PMC7840433 DOI: 10.1055/s-0040-1718644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives
The aim of this study was to evaluate psychological distress caused by the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic among the adult population residing in Pakistan.
Materials and Methods
This cross-sectional survey-based study comprised 1,000 adults residing in Pakistan. A questionnaire was formulated and circulated among adult population of Pakistan, the depression and anxiety symptoms using Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) scales were assessed.
Statistical Analysis
Independent
t
-test, cross tabulation, and regression analysis were used to identify variables having impact on PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scores. A
p
-value of ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results
Among 1,000 participants, 573 were males and 427 were females who completed the survey. Majority were restricted to home for more than 40 days. Considerable number of participants reported depressive (540, 54%) and anxiety (480, 48%) symptoms. Gender, age, earnings, and occupation have significant relation with psychological distress, although similar was not found with education levels.
Conclusion
Psychological distress, a concerning yet addressable issue was found among adults arising amid COVID-19 outbreak. Currently, physical health effects of COVID-19 are being looked, while mental health effects being under-addressed. This issue should be addressed to avoid any psychological impact in future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhishek Lal
- Department of Dental Surgery, Altamash Institute of Dental Medicine, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Anas Sanaullah
- Department of Dental Surgery, Altamash Institute of Dental Medicine, Karachi, Pakistan
| | | | - Naseer Ahmed
- Department of Prosthodontics, Altamash Institute of Dental Medicine, Karachi, Pakistan.,Prosthodontics Unit, School of Dental Sciences, University Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia
| | - Afsheen Maqsood
- Department of Oral Pathology, Altamash Institute of Dental Medicine, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Naseer Ahmed
- Department of Community Dentistry, Altamash Institute of Dental Medicine, Karachi, Pakistan
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Salvatici M, Barbieri B, Cioffi SMG, Morenghi E, Leone FP, Maura F, Moriello G, Sandri MT. Association between cardiac troponin I and mortality in patients with COVID-19. Biomarkers 2020; 25:634-640. [PMID: 33003961 PMCID: PMC7711728 DOI: 10.1080/1354750x.2020.1831609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Severe pneumonia is pathological manifestation of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), however complications have been reported in COVID-19 patients with a worst prognosis. Aim of this study was to evaluate the role of high sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-TnI) in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection. METHODS we retrospectively analysed hs-TnI values measured in 523 patients (median age 64 years, 68% men) admitted to a university hospital in Milan, Italy, and diagnosed COVID-19. RESULTS A significant difference in hs-TnI concentrations was found between deceased patients (98 patients) vs discharged (425 patients) [36.05 ng/L IQR 16.5-94.9 vs 6.3 ng/L IQR 2.6-13.9, p < 0.001 respectively]. Hs-TnI measurements were independent predictors of mortality at multivariate analysis adjusted for confounding parameters such as age (HR 1.004 for each 10 point of troponin, 95% CI 1.002-1.006, p < 0.001). The survival rate, after one week, in patients with hs-TnI values under 6 ng/L was 97.94%, between 6 ng/L and the normal value was 90.87%, between the normal value and 40 ng/L was 86.98, and 59.27% over 40 ng/L. CONCLUSION Increase of hs-TnI associated with elevated mortality in patients with COVID-19. Troponin shows to be a useful biomarker of disease progression and worse prognosis in COVID-19 patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michela Salvatici
- Laboratory Medicine, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center - IRCCS, Rozzano, Italy
| | - Barbara Barbieri
- Laboratory Medicine, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center - IRCCS, Rozzano, Italy
| | | | - Emanuela Morenghi
- Biostatistic Unit, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center - IRCCS, Rozzano, Italy
| | | | - Federica Maura
- Laboratory Medicine, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center - IRCCS, Rozzano, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Moriello
- Laboratory Medicine, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center - IRCCS, Rozzano, Italy
| | - Maria Teresa Sandri
- Laboratory Medicine, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center - IRCCS, Rozzano, Italy
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Keihanian F, Bigdelu L. Cardiovascular Considerations in COVID19: A Comprehensive Review. Ther Clin Risk Manag 2020; 16:1089-1097. [PMID: 33204097 PMCID: PMC7667183 DOI: 10.2147/tcrm.s264377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID19) is spreading rapidly and there is now much concern regarding different aspects of public health. Underlying disorders like cardiovascular diseases can increase the mortality rate. Understanding cardiovascular complications, manifestations and management in COVID19 is a necessary need. In this comprehensive review, we evaluated different aspects of cardiovascular disorders or complications related to COVID19 infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faeze Keihanian
- Cardiovascular Department, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
- Pharmaceutical Research Center, Booali Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Leila Bigdelu
- Cardiovascular Department, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
- Vascular and Endovascular Surgery Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
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Jazieh AR. COVID-19 Pandemic as a Catalyst for Healthcare Transformation: Finding the Silver Lining in a Global Catastrophe. GLOBAL JOURNAL ON QUALITY AND SAFETY IN HEALTHCARE 2020; 3:117-118. [PMID: 37260576 PMCID: PMC10229017 DOI: 10.36401/jqsh-20-x5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2020] [Accepted: 08/14/2020] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Abdul Rahman Jazieh
- Department of Oncology, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences and King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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Mousavi SA, Rad S, Rostami T, Rostami M, Mousavi SA, Mirhoseini SA, Kiumarsi A. Hematologic predictors of mortality in hospitalized patients with COVID-19: a comparative study. Hematology 2020; 25:383-388. [DOI: 10.1080/16078454.2020.1833435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Seied Asadollah Mousavi
- Hematology-Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Soroush Rad
- Hematology-Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Tahereh Rostami
- Hematology-Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammadreza Rostami
- Hematology-Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Seyed Ali Mousavi
- Hematology-Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Seied Amirhosein Mirhoseini
- Hematology-Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Azadeh Kiumarsi
- Hematology-Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Bhandari R, Khanna G, Kuhad A. Pharmacological insight into potential therapeutic agents for the deadly Covid-19 pandemic. Eur J Pharmacol 2020; 890:173643. [PMID: 33065092 PMCID: PMC7550915 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2020.173643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Revised: 10/03/2020] [Accepted: 10/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Coronaviruses are pleomorphic, enveloped, or spherical viruses, which have a size ranging from 80 to 120 nm. These viruses act on receptors that cause the triggering of fusion. Coronaviruses were first described after cultivation from patients with common colds by Tyrell and Bynoe in 1966. There are various subtypes of coronavirus, 7 out of these can cause infection in human beings. The Alpha subtype is responsible for mild infection showing symptoms or infection without any prevailing symptoms. On the other hand, the beta subtype is responsible for very serious diseases leading to fatality. The lineage of this novel SARS-CoV-2 falls under the beta lineage of the beta coronavirus which has been observed to have a relation to the MERS and SARS coronavirus. In the Huanan market selling seafood, the transition of this novel virus in humans from animals has occurred. It has the potential to be the cause of widespread fatality amongst the people of the globe. On August 16, 2020, the World Health Organisation had reported 2,1294,845 cases which are confirmed to date out of which 413,372 deaths have occurred. Currently, no targeted antiviral vaccines or drugs to fight against COVID-19 infection have been approved for use in humans. This pandemic is fast emerging and drug repurposing is the only ray of hope which can ensure quick availability. Vaccine development is progressing each day with various platforms such as DNA, Live Attenuated Virus, Non-Replicating Viral Vector, Protein Subunit, and RNA, being utilized for the development. COVID-19 attacks the immune system of the host & this can result in a cytokine storm. As a result, various herbal agents both acting as antivirals and immunomodulatory can also be used. Convalescent Plasma Therapy and Mesenchymal Stem Cell therapy are also being explored as a plausible therapeutic. There remains a considerable unmet need for therapeutics to be addressed. The development and availability of accessible and efficient therapy are essential for the treatment of patients. This review discusses the epidemiology, pathogenesis, the tale of origin, and transmission of COVID-19 or Sars-Cov2 virus and gives evidence of potential therapeutic agents that can be explored to cast away this pandemic. World Health Organisation (WHO) declared COVID-19 or SARS-Cov2 as a global public health emergency on 30th January 2020. COVID-19 is the third known zoonotic coronavirus disease after SARS and the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). At present drug repurposing is the only ray of hope which can ensure quick availability. Vaccine development along with Convalescent Plasma Therapy and Mesenchymal Stem Cell therapy are also being focussed upon. Various herbal agents can also be used as a prophylaxis or as an adjunct therapy for cytokine storm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ranjana Bhandari
- Pharmacology Research Laboratory, University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, UGC-Centre of Advanced Study, Panjab University, Chandigarh, 160 014, India
| | - Garima Khanna
- Pharmacology Research Laboratory, University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, UGC-Centre of Advanced Study, Panjab University, Chandigarh, 160 014, India
| | - Anurag Kuhad
- Pharmacology Research Laboratory, University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, UGC-Centre of Advanced Study, Panjab University, Chandigarh, 160 014, India.
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Beaussac M, Distinguin B, Turc J, Boutonnet M. Retour d’expérience des six évacuations sanitaires aériennes collectives MoRPHEE durant la pandémie de Covid-19. ANNALES FRANCAISES DE MEDECINE D URGENCE 2020. [DOI: 10.3166/afmu-2020-0258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Après son apparition en Chine à la fin de 2019, l’épidémie de coronavirus 2019 (Covid-19) a rapidement provoqué le risque d’une saturation des ressources en soins intensifs dans chaque pays touché. La répartition de la maladie entre les différents territoires est hétérogène. Le transport interhospitalier sur longue distance de patients atteints de Covid-19 dans le but de limiter la pression sur les unités de soins intensifs au niveau national ou international n’a pas encore été décrit. L’objectif de cet article était de fournir des données descriptives des six missions d’évacuation aéromédicale collective (Evasan) de patients atteints de Covid-19 réalisées en Europe et sur le territoire national français les 18, 21, 24, 27, 31 mars et 3 avril 2020 grâce au dispositif MoRPHEE. Trente-six patients souffrant de syndrome de détresse respiratoire aiguë (SDRA) ont été évacués durant six missions d’évacuations sanitaires collectives. Le SDRA était modéré (rapport PaO2/FiO2> 100 et ≤ 200) chez 24 patients et léger (rapport PaO2/FiO2> 200 et ≤ 300) chez 12 patients. La durée médiane de la ventilation mécanique en soins intensifs avant le transport était de quatre jours (interquartile [IQ] : 3‒5). Le rapport médian PaO2/FiO2était de 180 mmHg (IQ : 156‒202). Le débit médian de perfusion de noradrénaline était de 0,08 μg/kg par min. Aucune complication mettant en jeu le pronostic vital n’a été signalée. En conclusion, l’évacuation sanitaire aérienne collective de patients gravement malades de Covid-19 est une solution contribuant à contrôler le niveau de saturation du système de soins au niveau national ou international.
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Kuchi Bhotla H, Kaul T, Balasubramanian B, Easwaran M, Arumugam VA, Pappusamy M, Muthupandian S, Meyyazhagan A. Platelets to surrogate lung inflammation in COVID-19 patients. Med Hypotheses 2020; 143:110098. [PMID: 32688185 PMCID: PMC7354257 DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2020.110098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2020] [Revised: 07/01/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The neoteric severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been jeopardizing the world with the symptoms of seasonal flu. The virus contagion predicted to have been originated from Wuhan, China has by far trapped 4,198,418 cases from 212 countries in the world with two international conveyances with 284,102 deaths as of 11 May 2020 (10:18 GMT). Researchers around the globe have indulged in deciphering viral mode in the body for devising a cure. Affirmations from autopsies and preliminary findings on SARS-CoV-2 hypothesized on viral pathogenesis within the host, for instance, source of inflammation in lungs and pneumonia. This hypothesis assigns the platelets as agents of infection after viral entry. Presently, curbing infection to stall the spread of SARS-CoV-2 is the prima facie intervention employed, worldwide. However, public health authorities must monitor the state of affairs scrupulously, as the deeper our understanding of this novel virus and its associated outbreak, the better we can deal with it. Knowing this idea might be far-fetched, yet this postulate would serve as the groundwork for the present situation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tanushri Kaul
- Nutritional Improvement of Crops, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, New Delhi 110067, India.
| | | | - Murugesh Easwaran
- Nutritional Improvement of Crops, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, New Delhi 110067, India
| | - Vijaya Anand Arumugam
- Medical Genetics and Epigenetics Laboratory, Department of Human Genetics and Molecular Biology, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Manikantan Pappusamy
- Department of Life Sciences, CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Bengaluru 560029 (Karnataka), India
| | - Saravanan Muthupandian
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Mekelle University, Mekelle 1871, Ethiopia
| | - Arun Meyyazhagan
- Department of Life Sciences, CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Bengaluru 560029 (Karnataka), India; Euroespes Biomedical Research Centre, International Centre of Neuroscience and Genomic Medicine, 15165 Corunna, Spain.
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