International journal of infectious diseases : IJID : official publication of the International Society for Infectious Diseases
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Int. J. Infect. Dis. · Nov 2020
The effect of ultraviolet C radiation against different N95 respirators inoculated with SARS-CoV-2.
There are currently no studies that have examined whether one dosage can be uniformly applied to different respirator types to effectively decontaminate SARS-CoV-2 on N95 filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs). Health care workers have been using this disinfection method during the pandemic. Our objective was to determine the effect of UVC on SARS-CoV-2 inoculated N95 respirators and whether this was respirator material/model type dependent. ⋯ This dose is an appropriate decontamination method to facilitate the reuse of respirators for healthcare personnel when applied to specific models/materials. Also, some straps may require additional disinfection to maximize the safety of frontline workers. Implementation of widespread UVC decontamination methods requires careful consideration of model, material type, design, and fit-testing following irradiation.
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The outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which began in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, has rapidly spread to produce a global pandemic. It is now clear that person-to-person transmission of SARS-CoV-2 has been occurring and that the virus has been dramatically growing in recent months. ⋯ However, the sensitivity and specificity of these methods are quite different, with the sample source and detection limit varying greatly. This study reviewed all types and characteristics of the currently available laboratory diagnostic assays for detecting SARS-CoV-2 infection and summarized the selection strategies of testing and sampling sites at different disease stages to improve the diagnostic accuracy of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).
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Int. J. Infect. Dis. · Oct 2020
Meta AnalysisDoes gender influence clinical expression and disease outcomes in COVID-19? A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV2) was characterized at the end of 2019, and soon spread around the world, generating a pandemic. It has been suggested that men are more severely affected by the viral disease (COVID-19) than women. ⋯ Males are slightly more susceptible to SARS-CoV2 infection, present with a more severe disease, and have a worse prognosis. Further studies are warranted to unravel the biological mechanisms underlying these observations.
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Int. J. Infect. Dis. · Oct 2020
Case ReportsSevere immune thrombocytopenia in a critically ill COVID-19 patient.
The novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 can cause a severe and even fatal respiratory illness named COVID-19. Apart from respiratory failure, COVID-19 may be associated with various autoimmune complications. We present a case of a critically ill patient with COVID-19 who developed severe immune thrombocytopenia that was successfully treated with a concomitant use of corticosteroids and intravenous immunoglobulins.
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Int. J. Infect. Dis. · Oct 2020
Evaluation of a novel antigen-based rapid detection test for the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 in respiratory samples.
In the context of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the development and validation of rapid and easy-to-perform diagnostic methods are of high priority. This study was performed to evaluate a novel rapid antigen detection test (RDT) for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in respiratory samples. ⋯ The RDT evaluated in this study showed a high sensitivity and specificity in samples mainly obtained during the first week of symptoms and with high viral loads, despite the use of a non-validated sample material. The assay has the potential to become an important tool for early diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2, particularly in situations with limited access to molecular methods.