International journal of infectious diseases : IJID : official publication of the International Society for Infectious Diseases
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Int. J. Infect. Dis. · Apr 2021
Comparative StudyEffectiveness of anakinra for tocilizumab-refractory severe COVID-19: A single-centre retrospective comparative study.
A subgroup of patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection was thought to have developed cytokine release syndrome and were treated with tocilizumab; however, a significant percentage of patients evolved. This study aimed to determine the usefulness of anakinra as a rescue treatment for patients with tocilizumab-refractory COVID-19 disease. ⋯ Treatment with anakinra was not useful in improving the prognosis of patients with tocilizumab-refractory severe COVID-19.
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Int. J. Infect. Dis. · Apr 2021
The effect of tocilizumab, anakinra and prednisolone on antibody response to SARS-CoV-2 in patients with COVID-19: A prospective cohort study with multivariate analysis of factors affecting the antibody response.
Disease severity, previous medications and immunosuppressive agents could affect the antibody response against SARS-CoV-2. This study aimed to analyze variables affecting the humoral response to SARS-CoV-2. ⋯ The use of tocilizumab, anakinra and prednisolone for COVID-19 did not affect the antibody response against SARS-CoV-2. The main driver of antibody response among patients with COVID-19 was the extent of pulmonary involvement on CT.
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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.