Journal of medical virology
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Rapid diagnosis and isolation are key to containing the quick spread of a pandemic agent like severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which has spread globally since its initial outbreak in Wuhan province in China. SARS-CoV-2 is novel and the effect on typically prevalent seasonal viruses is just becoming apparent. We present our initial data on the prevalence of respiratory viruses in the month of March 2020. This is a retrospective cohort study post launching of SARS-CoV-2 testing at Baylor Scott and White Hospital (BSWH), Temple, Texas. ⋯ Data extracted for BSWH from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Respiratory and Enteric Virus Surveillance System site revealed that Influenza incidence was 8.7% in March 2020, compared with 25% in March 2019. This study was intended to provide an initial experience of dealing with a pandemic and the role of laboratories in crisis management. This study provided SARS-CoV-2 testing data from ambulatory and inpatient population. Epidemiological interventions depend on timely availability of accurate diagnostic tests and throughput capacity of such systems during large outbreaks like SARS-CoV-2.
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After more than 4 months of the COVID-19 pandemics with genomic information of SARS-CoV-2 around the globe, there are more than 1000 complete genomes of this virus. We used 691 genomes from the GISAID database. Several studies have been reporting mutations and hotspots according to viral evolution. ⋯ Only Chilean isolates demonstrated a relationship with Asian isolates. Some changes in South American genomes are near to specific domains related to viral replication or the S protein. Our work contributes to the global understanding of which sort of strains are spreading throughout South America, and the differences among them according to the first isolates introduced to this region.
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Observational Study
Clinical features of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 from a designated hospital in Beijing, China.
Clinical and laboratory data on patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Beijing, China, remain extremely limited. In this study, we summarized the clinical characteristics of patients with COVID-19 from a designated hospital in Beijing. In total, 55 patients with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection in Beijing 302 Hospital were enrolled in this study. ⋯ Older age, more comorbidities, and more abnormal prominent laboratory markers were associated with a severe condition. On the basis of antiviral drugs, it is observed that antibiotics treatment, appropriate dosage of corticosteroid, and gamma globulin therapy significantly improve patients' outcomes. Early identification and timely medical treatment are important to reduce the severity of patients with COVID-19.
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Italy is the first western country suffering heavy severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission and disease impact after coronavirus disease-2019 pandemia started in China. Even though the presence of mutations on spike glycoprotein and nucleocapsid in Italian isolates has been reported, the potential impact of these mutations on viral transmission has not been evaluated. ⋯ Amino acid analysis and changes in three-dimensional protein structure suggests the mutations reduce protein stability and, particularly for S1 mutation, the enhanced torsional ability of the molecule could favor virus binding to cell receptor(s). This theoretical interpretation awaits experimental and clinical confirmation.