J Formos Med Assoc
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The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has sparked widespread concern globally, particularly with the Omicron variant and its sub-lineages emerging as the predominant cause of infection for nearly two years. Taiwan's successful containment of COVID-19, underscored by broad vaccine coverage, the utilization of anti-viral therapeutics, and timely response strategies, has resulted in reduced excess mortality. ⋯ We also critically evaluated the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines against various SARS-CoV-2 variants. Additionally, we addressed the advantages of heterologous immunization strategies, fluctuations in neutralizing antibody titers, and complexities in establishing protective correlates among swiftly mutating viral variants.
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To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of intravenous tirofiban before endovascular thrombectomy in subgroups of acute ischemic stroke patients with different degrees of leukoaraiosis (LA). ⋯ There was no significant difference in disability severity at 90 days when treating AIS patients using intravenous tirofiban before endovascular therapy, in either absent-to-moderate or severe LA strata. It should be noted that intravenous tirofiban before endovascular therapy increases the incidence of radiologic intracranial hemorrhage in patients with severe LA.