International journal of infectious diseases : IJID : official publication of the International Society for Infectious Diseases
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Int. J. Infect. Dis. · Mar 2021
ReviewA Review of the Epidemiology of Invasive Meningococcal Disease and Vaccination Strategies in North Africa.
This narrative review considers the epidemiology of invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) in North Africa and the adequacy of current preventive measures to provide guidance for future vaccination strategies. ⋯ Improving IMD diagnosis and surveillance would provide a reliable estimate of IMD burden, leading to better vaccination strategies.
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Int. J. Infect. Dis. · Mar 2021
The characteristics of 527 discharged COVID-19 patients undergoing long-term follow-up in China.
Almost a year after the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), many hospitalized COVID-19 patients have recovered. However, little is known about the long-term follow-up (> 2 months) of discharged patients. ⋯ A total of 6.1% of 527 discharged patients showed RP status, which may be easier to be identified from stool samples than from other samples. Given the dropping rate of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, reinfection may happen, especially in juvenile patients (aged<18 years). These findings have implications for the long-term management of recovered COVID-19 patients.
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Int. J. Infect. Dis. · Mar 2021
Reprocessing of N95 masks: Experience from a resource-limited setting in India.
Due to the surge in demand for N95 masks during the Covid-19 pandemic, and considering the situation in countries grappling with acute shortages of N95 masks, this study investigated the possibilities of decontamination and reuse of masks. ⋯ Plasma sterilization is recommended for decontamination of N95 masks in low-resource settings. ETO is not recommended due to hazards associated with handling of ethylene oxide, although the filtering efficiency was retained. Since the UV irradiation method showed variations in results, evaluation of UV decontamination for N95 masks needs to be performed on a case-by-case basis.
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Int. J. Infect. Dis. · Mar 2021
Case ReportsA unique tale of COVID-19 induced concomitant overt disseminated intravascular coagulation and acute bilateral pulmonary embolism.
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV-2), a novel coronavirus, originated as an epidemic respiratory illness in Wuhan, China. COVID-19 eventually spread to almost all countries and has now been declared a global pandemic disease by the World Health Organisation. A plethora of research has explored the dynamics of different clinical entities related to SARS-COV-2, in particular, COVID-19 associated coagulopathy. ⋯ Following diagnosis, the challenge was to identify the appropriate treatment modality for this unique situation. The patient was treated with anticoagulants and steroids along with blood products. The patient's condition markedly improved and was clinically stable on discharge.
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The COVID-19 global pandemic has prompted accelerated vaccine development efforts. This perspective discusses the importance of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidates' recruitment of cellular T-cell immunity and encourages industry to increasingly investigate and publish parameters related to cellular immunity in their research reports.