Articles: coronavirus.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Cadaver versus Simulator Based Arthroscopic Training in Shoulder Surgery.
There are few studies that compare the cadaver dissections with the medical simulators in means of talent improvement. Therefore, the aim of this study is to find out if using cadaver dissections is still the golden standard for surgical training or using the medical simulators in surgery could replace cadaver dissections. ⋯ To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first one to compare virtual reality (VR) simulators with cadavers for surgical education in an objective manner, while using qualitative and quantitative data. According to this study, it is possible to state that VR simulators are just as effective as cadavers in means of training subjects. As medical education will face a total change all around the world after the COVID-19 pandemic, this study has the potential to be an important guide during and after this period.
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SARS-CoV-2 infects the respiratory tract and leads to the disease entity, COVID-19. Accordingly, the lungs bear the greatest pathologic burden with the major cause of death being respiratory failure. However, organs remote from the initial site of infection (e.g., kidney, heart) are not spared, particularly in severe and fatal cases. ⋯ A common finding in autopsy specimens is the presence of thrombi in the lungs as well as remote organs, indicative of immunothrombosis. Herein, the role of SARS-CoV-2 in lung inflammation and associated sequelae are reviewed with an emphasis on immunothrombosis. In as much as vitamin D is touted as a supplement to conventional therapies of COVID-19, the impact of this vitamin at various junctures of COVID-19 pathogenesis is also addressed.
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The aim of this descriptive article is to share the experience in Ege University, Turkey with favipiravir in the treatment of severe SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia. ⋯ This study provides relevant information for the treatment of COVID-19, suggesting that favipiravir was associated with significant clinical and laboratory improvements in the majority of the patients, is a safe drug with no serious side effects and would merit further investigation.
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Viruses are the most common pathogens that can cause infection-related non-recurrent death after transplantation, occurring mostly from the early stages of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) to within 1 year after transplantation. Human coronavirus (HCoV)-NL63 is a coronavirus that could cause mortality among patients with underlying disease complications. Serological tests are of limited diagnostic value in immunocompromised hosts and cases of latent infection reactivation. In contrast, macro-genomic high-throughput (DNA and RNA) sequencing allows for rapid and accurate diagnosis of infecting pathogens for targeted treatment. ⋯ The latest NGS is an effective method for early infection diagnosis. The HCoV-NL63 virus can cause inflammatory factor storm and alter the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR). This case suggests that the patient's NLR and cytokine levels could be monitored during the clinical treatment to assess the disease and its treatment outcome in a timely manner.
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Observational Study
Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among 925 staff members in an urban hospital accepting COVID-19 patients in Osaka prefecture, Japan: A cross-sectional study.
The subclinical severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection rate in hospitals during the pandemic remains unclear. To evaluate the effectiveness of our hospital's current nosocomial infection control measures, we conducted a serological survey of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies (immunoglobulin [Ig] G) among the staff of our hospital, which is treating coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. The study design was cross-sectional. ⋯ The overall prevalence of seropositivity for anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG was 0.43% (4/925), which was similar to the control seroprevalence of 0.54% (16/2970) in the general population in Osaka during the same period according to a government survey conducted with the same assay. Seropositive rates did not significantly differ according to job title, exposure to suspected or confirmed COVID-19 patients, or any other investigated factors. The subclinical SARS-CoV-2 infection rate in our hospital was not higher than that in the general population under our nosocomial infection control measures.