Articles: coronavirus.
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The COVID-19 pandemic caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is still spreading globally. The scientific community is attempting to procure an effective treatment and prevention strategy for COVID-19. A rising number of vaccines for COVID-19 are being developed at an unprecedented speed. ⋯ There are 23 vaccines in the clinical evaluation stage and at least 140 candidate vaccines in preclinical evaluation. In this review, we describe research regarding basic knowledge on the virus, updates on the animal models, current landscape of vaccines in clinical evaluation and updated research results on vaccine development. Safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines require further investigation.
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Scarce and inconclusive evidence exists on the mental health consequences of the COVID-19 lockdown. This study examined the psychological impact of the lockdown in Greece, resilience levels, use of coping strategies, and identified high-risk groups. A sample of 1661 participants (mean age = 39.5, SD = 12.2; 75.5% females) completed a web-based survey, which was distributed through social networking sites, webpages, and personal contacts. ⋯ Females achieved more posttraumatic growth and were using coping strategies more frequently than men. Men, older, healthcare workers, and those with a partner were more resilient. Interventions need to be developed to target personal resources, protect vulnerable populations, facilitate posttraumatic growth, and ameliorate wellbeing and quality of life.
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Risk factors for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) asymptomatic carriage (AC) in healthcare workers (HCWs) have been scarcely characterized. ⋯ HCW category was the predominant factor associated with AC of SARS-CoV-2 in this study.
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Several observational studies have reported the rate of venous and arterial thrombotic events in patients infected with COVID-19, with conflicting results. The aim of this study was to estimate the rate of thrombotic and bleeding events in hospitalized patients diagnosed with Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). ⋯ In this study, we found that the VTE rates in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 might not be higher than expected. In contrast to the risk of VTE, we found a high rate of arterial and bleeding complications in patients admitted to the ICU. An elevated D-dimer level at baseline could predict thrombotic complications in COVID-19 patients and may assist in the identification of these patients. Given the high rate of bleeding, the current study suggests that the intensification of anticoagulation therapy in COVID-19 patients beyond the standard of care be pursued with caution and would best be evaluated in a randomized controlled study.
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Comparative Study Observational Study
Association of Intravenous Immunoglobulins Plus Methylprednisolone vs Immunoglobulins Alone With Course of Fever in Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children.
Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is the most severe pediatric disease associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection, potentially life-threatening, but the optimal therapeutic strategy remains unknown. ⋯ Among children with MIS-C, treatment with IVIG and methylprednisolone vs IVIG alone was associated with a more favorable fever course. Study interpretation is limited by the observational design.