Articles: pandemics.
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Wien. Klin. Wochenschr. · Aug 2024
Comparative StudyExternal quality assessments for SARS-CoV-2 genome detection in Austria : A comparison of the first postpandemic round with results from the pandemic era.
External quality assessment (EQA) schemes provide objective feedback to participating laboratories about the performance of their analytical systems and information about overall regional analytical performance. The EQAs are particularly important during pandemics as they also assess the reliability of individual test results and show opportunities to improve test strategies. With the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, the testing frequency significantly decreased in Austria. Here, we analyzed whether this decrease had an effect on participation and/or performance in SARS-CoV‑2 virus detection EQAs, as compared to the pandemic era. ⋯ Overall ratios of true positive results were below the mean of all results during the pandemic but were similar to the first round of the pandemic. A lower post-pandemic true positive ratio was associated with specific laboratory types and assay formats, particularly for samples with low concentration. The EQAs will continue to monitor the laboratory performance to ensure the same quality of epidemiological data after the pandemic, even if vigilance has decreased.
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The COVID-19 pandemic has severely affected healthcare systems globally, resulting in significant delays and challenges in various medical treatments, particularly in cancer care. This study aims to investigate the repercussions of the pandemic on surgical interventions for colorectal cancer (CRC) in the US, using data from the National Cancer Database. ⋯ The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on CRC surgery transcends a mere decline in case numbers, resulting in a higher prevalence of patients with advanced disease. This study underscores the exacerbated disparities in cancer care, particularly affecting vulnerable populations. The COVID-19 pandemic has left a significant and enduring imprint on CRC surgery, intensifying the challenges faced by patients and healthcare systems. Comprehensive studies are imperative to comprehend the long-term consequences of delayed screenings, diagnoses, and treatments as healthcare planning for the future must consider the unintended repercussions of pandemic-related disruptions.
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Aug 2024
Analyzing the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Initial Oncologic Presentation and Treatment of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer in the United States.
A significantly lower rate of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) screening, greater health care avoidance, and changes to oncologic recommendations were some consequences of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic affecting the medical environment. We sought to determine how the health care environment during the COVID-19 pandemic affected the oncologic treatment of patients diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). ⋯ The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with increased clinical stage at presentation for patients with NSCLC, which impacted subsequent treatment strategies. However, treatment differed minimally when controlling for cancer stage. Future studies will examine the impact of these differences on overall survival and cancer-free survival.
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Objective The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has spread worldwide, and hospitals in Japan have been forced to respond to the situation. This study evaluated the broad-spectrum antimicrobial use before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in an acute tertiary-care hospital. Methods This single-center, retrospective study was conducted between January 2019 and June 2021. ⋯ No post-intervention changes in the incidence of MRPA or CPE were observed; however, the trend in the incidence of CDI per 1,000 patient-days significantly differed between the two periods (coefficient: -0.04; 95% CI: -0.07, 0.00; p=0.01), and a downward trend was observed in the monthly CDI incidence during the COVID-19 period. Conclusion The consumption of broad intravenous antimicrobial agents has not changed significantly during the pandemic. We need to maintain the quality of medical care, including antimicrobial stewardship, even in specialized resource-limited facilities during a pandemic.
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The coronavirus-19 (COVID-19) pandemic caused delays in the diagnosis and management of breast cancer which may have affected disease presentation. The aim of this study was to compare rates of metastatic disease, tumour characteristics and management in breast cancer patients diagnosed before and after the onset of COVID-19. ⋯ Symptomatic breast cancers diagnosed since the onset of COVID-19 demonstrated an increase in new metastatic presentations and more aggressive histopathological characteristics when compared to a pre-pandemic control group. Rates of adjuvant radiotherapy and axillary surgery increased during the pandemic.