Scientific reports
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Healthcare workers (HCWs) are highly exposed to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. The actual coronavirus disease (COVID-19) situation, especially in regions that are less affected, has not yet been determined. This study aimed to assess the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in HCWs working in a frontline hospital in Tokyo, Japan. ⋯ Of those seropositive for SARS-CoV-2, 64% (9/14) were not aware of any symptoms and had not previously been diagnosed with COVID-19. In conclusion, this study provides insights into the extent of infection and immune status in HCWs in Japan, which has a relatively low prevalence of COVID-19. Our findings aid in formulating public health policies to control virus spread in regions with low-intensity COVID-19.
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Observational Study
Ambulatory cataract surgery centre without perioperative anaesthesia care: a prospective cohort study.
This study aims to evaluate the safety and patient satisfaction of a fast-track procedure for cataract surgery under topical anaesthesia without perioperative anaesthesia care. This is a prospective single-centre study including all cataract procedures in the Centre Ambulatoire de la Chirurgie de la Cataracte at the Hospital of Bourges between May and August 2018. Procedures were performed under topical anaesthesia without the presence of a nurse anaesthesiologist or anaesthesiologist, the patient had not fasted, and no peripheral venous line was placed. ⋯ The mean ISAS score was 5.7/6, indicating high patient satisfaction. Cataract surgery in an ambulatory cataract surgery centre without perioperative anaesthesia care is a safe procedure with high patient satisfaction for screened patients. Anaesthesia ressources are scarce and may be more beneficial to more complex ophthalmic or non-ophthalmic surgeries.
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To explore the clinical application value of chest CT quantitative pulmonary inflammation index (PII) in the evaluation of the course and treatment outcome of COVID-19 pneumonia. One hundred and eighteen patients with COVID-19 pneumonia diagnosed by RT-PCR were analyzed retrospectively. The correlation between chest CT PII, clinical symptoms and laboratory examinations during the entire hospitalization period was compared. ⋯ PII was significantly negatively correlated with the LYM count and significantly positively correlated with body temperature, LDH, CRP, and ESR. There was no significant correlation between the PII and the white blood cell count, but the grade of PII correlated well with the clinical classification. PII can be used to monitor the severity and the treatment outcome of COVID-19 pneumonia, provide help for clinical classification, assist in treatment plan adjustments and aid assessments for discharge.
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A coronavirus antigen microarray (COVAM) was constructed containing 11 SARS-CoV-2, 5 SARS-1, 5 MERS, and 12 seasonal coronavirus recombinant proteins. The array is designed to measure immunoglobulin isotype and subtype levels in serum or plasma samples against each of the individual antigens printed on the array. We probed the COVAM with COVID-19 convalescent plasma (CCP) collected from 99 donors who recovered from a PCR+ confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. ⋯ These patterns were not recapitulated by adjusting the VITROS CoV2T or RVPNT assay thresholds. Plasma classified by COVAM reactivity patterns offers potential to improve CCP therapeutic efficacy CoV2T alone. The use of a SARS-CoV-2 antigen array can qualify CCP for administration as a treatment for acute COVID-19, and interrogate vaccine immunogenicity and performance in preclinical, clinical studies, and routine vaccination to identify antibody responses predictive of protection from infection and disease.