Articles: coronavirus.
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Chinese medical journal · Jul 2022
Application in medicine: Has artificial intelligence stood the test of time.
Artificial intelligence (AI) has proven time and time again to be a game-changer innovation in every walk of life, including medicine. Introduced by Dr. Gunn in 1976 to accurately diagnose acute abdominal pain and list potential differentials, AI has since come a long way. ⋯ It has guided governments and key policymakers in formulating and implementing laws, such as lockdowns and travel restrictions, to curb the spread of this viral disease. This has been made possible by the use of social media to map severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 hotspots, laying the basis of the "smart lockdown" strategy that has been adopted globally. However, these benefits might be accompanied with concerns regarding privacy and unconsented surveillance, necessitating authorities to develop sincere and ethical government-public relations.
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Background and Objectives: Remdesivir (RDV) is the first antiviral agent approved in Japan for the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The aim of our study was to assess the efficacy and safety of RDV treatment in mildly to moderately ill patients with COVID-19. Materials and Methods: A single-center, retrospective study was performed in Fukuoka University Chikushi Hospital. ⋯ Out of these 34 patients, 30 (88.2%) showed a 2-point clinical improvement on day 14 after RDV was initiated. Serum alanine aminotransferase levels were elevated in three patients (6.4%) (CTCAE Grade 3) and neutropenia was detected in one patient (2.1%) out of the 47 patients. Conclusions: RDV may be highly effective, with good safety profiles, in patients with COVID-19 requiring oxygen therapy.
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Multicenter Study Observational Study
Association between smoking and COVID-19 severity: A multicentre retrospective observational study.
The relationship between smoking and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) severity remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effect of smoking status (current smoking and a smoking history) on the clinical severity of COVID-19. Data of all enrolled 588 patients, who were referred to 25 hospitals in Jiangsu province between January 10, 2020 and March 14, 2020, were retrospectively reviewed. ⋯ In the random forest model, smoking history was ranked sixth in mean decrease accuracy. Active smoking may be significantly associated with an enhanced risk of COVID-19 progression towards severe disease. However, additional prospective studies are needed to clarify the complex relationship between smoking and COVID-19 severity.
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Case Reports
Case report of transient corneal edema after immunization with adenovirus-vectored COVID-19 vaccine.
To report a case of bilateral transient corneal edema presumably associated with adenovirus-vectored coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination that resolved with eye drops treatment. ⋯ This case suggests that transient corneal edema can develop following adenovirus-vectored COVID-19 vaccination. Prompt ophthalmologic evaluation and treatment may improve the corneal edema.
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Limited evidence is available on the real-world effectiveness of the BNT162b2 vaccine against coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) and specifically against infection with the omicron variant among children 5 to 11 years of age. ⋯ Our findings suggest that as omicron was becoming the dominant variant, two doses of the BNT162b2 messenger RNA vaccine provided moderate protection against documented SARS-CoV-2 infection and symptomatic Covid-19 in children 5 to 11 years of age. (Funded by the European Union through the VERDI project and others.).