Le infezioni in medicina : rivista periodica di eziologia, epidemiologia, diagnostica, clinica e terapia delle patologie infettive
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Meta Analysis
Elevated cardiac troponin I as a predictor of outcomes in COVID-19 hospitalizations: a meta-analysis.
Globally, coronavirus is causing more social, economic and healthcare disruption than expected. The emerging literature has reported the complications of coronavirus, and the mortality and risk factors involved, including cardiac injury and multisystem organ failure. In this meta-analysis, we aim to evaluate the association of elevated troponin I levels with outcomes in COVID-19 hospitalized patients. ⋯ In meta-analysis, patients with elevated troponin I levels had higher odds of poor outcomes compared to better outcomes with pooled OR of 7.92 (95% CI: 3.70-16.97; p<0.00001) with 70% heterogeneity (p=0.0005). Our meta-analysis suggests that COVID-19 patients with elevated troponin I levels had a higher risk of poor outcomes. Hence, evaluating the troponin I levels might be helpful in preventing risk of cardiac complications and other organ dysfunction.
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While the world is focused on attending, controlling, and mitigating the current pandemic of COVID-19, caused by the SARS-CoV-2, other viral threats are possibly emerging and reemerging especially in Asia, posing a risk for the spread in that region and beyond. A predictable threat is the avian influenza virus, especially H5N6, which has recently led to significant outbreaks in China and the Philippines, deserving more attention and control. In the current review, we assess the history of this highly pathogenic reemerging virus, as well as the contemporary implications of poultry outbreaks occurring in some Asian countries. We also look at outbreaks due to other strains not only in Asia but also across Europe and Africa, according to recent reports from the World Organization of Animal Health (OIE).
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Since the most frequent symptoms of novel coronavirus 2019 disease (COVID-19) are common in influenza A/B (FLU), predictive models to distinguish between COVID-19 and FLU using standardized non-specific laboratory indicators are needed. The aim of our study was to evaluate whether a recently dynamic nomogram, established in the Chinese population and based on age, lymphocyte percentage and monocyte absolute count, might apply to a different context. We collected data from 299 patients (243 with COVID-19 and 56 with FLU) at Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome. ⋯ Using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, we found that a monocyte count >0.35x1000/mL showed an AUC of 0.680 (sensitivity 0.992, specificity 0.368). A dynamic nomogram including age, lymphocyte percentage and monocyte absolute count cannot be applied to our context, probably due to differences in demographic characteristics between Italian and Chinese populations. However, our data showed that monocyte absolute count is highly predictive of COVID-19, suggesting its potential role above all in settings where prompt PCR nasopharyngeal testing is lacking.
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In late December 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic started to spread from Hubei province in China. Currently there are many affected countries worldwide, including Saudi Arabia. This study aimed to assess the use of social media as a source for COVID-19 awareness in Saudi Arabia. ⋯ All participants from all regions of Saudi Arabia showed a high level of awareness except for those from the northern region. The most common source of information was the official government social media, and 44.1% reported the use of Twitter. Our findings show that social media have a positive impact on the circulation of information about the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia.
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