Clinical medicine (London, England)
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Multicenter Study
Prevalence and socio-demographic factors of SARS-CoV-2 antibody in multi-ethnic healthcare workers.
Healthcare workers are particularly susceptible to developing COVID-19 owing to close and frequent contact with COVID-19 patients. This cross-sectional study aimed to describe prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among healthcare workers within a hospital trust and examine factors associated with increased prevalence of this antibody. ⋯ This large study has described prevalence of recent exposure to SARS-CoV-2 infection among healthcare workers and determined associations including ethnicity, professional groups and geographical areas within healthcare settings. This information will be useful in future COVID-19 studies examining the role of antibody testing both in general populations and in healthcare settings.
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Before the current pandemic, there had been two global epidemics from major coronavirus outbreaks since the turn of the century: severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). Both epidemics left survivors with fatigue, persistent shortness of breath, reduced quality of life and a significant burden of mental health problems. It is likely that some of the chronic problems encountered by survivors of SARS and MERS may be relevant for medical planning of the services required for survivors of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Given the similarities between the diseases, the recovery and rehabilitation of the survivors of COVID-19 is likely to be focused around cardiopulmonary sequelae, fatigue and the psychological burden of COVID-19, but in a much larger population.
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The inconsistent effects of lopinavir-ritonavir (LPV/r) on COVID-19 seem to be caused by the therapeutic window. In the present study, we aim to present the effects of early LPV/r treatment on patients with severe COVID-19. ⋯ In this cohort of patients with severe COVID-19 who were treated with LPV/r within 12 days of the onset of symptoms, clinical improvement was observed in 18/19 patients (94.74%). Randomised controlled trials are urgently needed to further evaluate this strategy.
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A cohort of the first 50 COVID-19 patients in East Tyrol, a region in the southwest of Austria, were monitored in home quarantine. Specific viral ribonucleic acid was detected in throat swabs and stool samples. Analysis indicated a median virus shedding duration of 13 days; however, statistical outliers highlight the importance of consequent testing. ⋯ Investigation revealed seven relapses and viral shedding fluctuation in four cases. A follow-up examination shed light on seroconversion which could be observed in 35 of 40 participants. This further clarifies the necessity of establishing discharge standards and follow-up management for COVID-19 patients.