International journal of infectious diseases : IJID : official publication of the International Society for Infectious Diseases
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Int. J. Infect. Dis. · Dec 2020
The impact of mask-wearing and shelter-in-place on COVID-19 outbreaks in the United States.
A hasty reopening has led to a resurgence of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the United States (US). We aimed to quantify the impact of several public health measures including non-medical mask-wearing, shelter-in-place, and detection of silent infections to help inform COVID-19 mitigation strategies. ⋯ Mask-wearing, even with the use of non-medical masks, has a substantial impact on outbreak control. A judicious implementation of shelter-in-place strategies remains an important public health intervention amid ongoing outbreaks.
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Int. J. Infect. Dis. · Dec 2020
ReviewUse of hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine in COVID-19: How good is the quality of randomized controlled trials?
We critically evaluated the quality of evidence and quality of harm reporting in clinical trials that evaluated the effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) or chloroquine (CQ) for the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). ⋯ In general, the quality of currently available evidence for the effectiveness of CQ/HCQ in patients with COVID-19 is suboptimal. The importance of a properly designed and reported clinical trial cannot be overemphasized amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and its dismissal could lead to poorer clinical and policy decisions, resulting in wastage of already stretched invaluable health care resources.
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Int. J. Infect. Dis. · Dec 2020
Contact tracing with digital assistance in Taiwan's COVID-19 outbreak response.
Comprehensive case investigation and contact tracing are crucial to prevent community spread of COVID-19. We demonstrated a utility of using traditional contact tracing measures supplemented with symptom tracking and contact management system to assist public health workers with high efficiency. ⋯ Comprehensive contact tracing and management with complementary technology would still be a pillar of strategies for containing outbreaks during de-escalation or early in the next wave of COVID-19 pandemic.
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Int. J. Infect. Dis. · Dec 2020
Pharmacokinetics of echinocandins in suspected candida peritonitis: A potential risk for resistance.
A possible increase in Candida resistance, especially in Candida glabrata, has been speculated according to poor diffusion of echinocandins to peritoneal fluid. ⋯ The results showed moderate penetration of echinocandins into the peritoneal fluid of these patients. These levels are below the threshold of resistance mutant selection published by other authors. This could justify a potential risk of resistance in patients with prolonged treatment with echinocandins and suboptimal control of abdominal infection.
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Int. J. Infect. Dis. · Dec 2020
Case ReportsFavipiravir-induced fever in coronavirus disease 2019: A report of two cases.
Favipiravir, an antiviral agent, is undergoing clinical trials for treating novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Here, we report two cases of COVID-19 with favipiravir-induced fever. ⋯ The fever subsided in both patients after the discontinuation of favipiravir. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of favipiravir-induced fever in COVID-19 patients.