Clinical medicine (London, England)
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Persistent symptoms lasting longer than 3 weeks are thought to affect 10-20% of patients following SARS-CoV-2 infection. No formal guidelines exist in the UK for treating patients with long COVID and services are sporadic and variable, although additional funding is promised for their development. ⋯ These individuals see the healthcare system from both professional and patient perspectives, thus represent an important wealth of expertise to inform service design. We present a set of co-designed quality standards, highlighting equity and ease of access, minimal patient care burden, clinical responsibility, a multidisciplinary and evidence-based approach, and patient involvement; and we apply these to propose a potential care pathway model that could be adapted and translated to improve care of patients long COVID.
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In this review, we explore the challenges of chronic pain and fatigue in clinical practice. Both pain and fatigue are common, troubling and frequently overlapping symptoms, and we describe both the clinical burden and the 'clinical problem'. We explore commonly associated symptoms and possible pathological associations, including variant connective tissue (joint hypermobility), small fibre neuropathy, mast cell activation, dysregulated inflammatory and interoceptive processes, which may inform treatment targets. We suggest a multidisciplinary management approach.
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False negative results in COVID-19 testing are well recognised and frequently discussed. False positive results, while less common and less frequently discussed, still have several adverse implications, including potential exposure of a non-infected person to the virus in a cohorted area. ⋯ The consequences of these results are discussed and implications for these results in both high and low prevalence settings are considered. We also provide recommendations to minimise the risk and impact of false-positive results.
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Observational Study
Requests from primary care for chest X-ray and CA125 measurements during the COVID-19 emergency: An observational study.
During the first 3 months of 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic developed, it was noticed that requests from primary care for investigations were decreasing, including those that form part of the diagnostic process for cancers. We therefore obtained data on the requests from primary care for chest X-rays (CXRs) and CA125 measurement our hospital received in the first half of 2020 and compared them with 2019. The number of CXRs declined by 93% in April 2020 compared with 2019, with the decline being greater for patient living in outlying areas. ⋯ Requests for CA125 measurement similarly fell by 77% from all areas. The requests increased in June, CA125 more than CXR. If this phenomenon is widespread it may have an impact on diagnosis of major conditions, particularly cancers and tuberculosis.