Articles: coronavirus.
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COVID-19 is a new infectious disease causing severe respiratory failure and death for which optimal treatment is currently unclear. Many therapies have been proven to be ineffective; however, promising findings related to corticosteroid therapy have been published. Analysis of published data including in this issue suggests that therapy with corticosteroids in the range of 6 mg of dexamethasone (or equivalent) per day likely has a positive effect in patients requiring mechanical ventilation but there remains considerable doubt in patients over the age of 70, in patients with diabetes and patients with milder disease. Clinicians must consider the individual potential risks and benefits of corticosteroid in patients with COVID-19 rather than routinely using them until more data is available.
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Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) can be a life-saving treatment against recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI). It is therefore necessary to maintain this procedure available for these patients during the COVID-19 pandemic while keeping high efficacy and safety standards. ⋯ This is the first report to show that it is possible to maintain standard volumes, efficacy and safety of FMT for recurrent CDI during the COVID-19 pandemic, by adopting specific changes in the operational workflow.
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Comparative Study
Clinical characteristics and risk factors associated with severe COVID-19: prospective analysis of 1,045 hospitalised cases in North-Eastern France, March 2020.
BackgroundIn March 2020, the COVID-19 outbreak was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. AimOur objective was to identify risk factors predictive of severe disease and death in France. MethodsIn this prospective cohort study, we included patients ≥ 18 years old with confirmed COVID-19, hospitalised in Strasbourg and Mulhouse hospitals (France), in March 2020. ⋯ Risk factors associated with death were advanced age (OR: 2.7 per 10-year increase; 95% CrI: 2.1-3.4), male sex (OR: 1.7; 95% CrI: 1.1-2.7), immunosuppression (OR: 3.8; 95% CrI: 1.6-7.7), diabetes (OR: 1.7; 95% CrI: 1.0-2.7), chronic kidney disease (OR: 2.3; 95% CrI: 1.3-3.9), dyspnoea (OR: 2.1; 95% CrI: 1.2-3.4) and inflammatory parameters. ConclusionsOverweightedness, obesity, advanced age, male sex, comorbidities, dyspnoea and inflammation are risk factors for severe COVID-19 or death in hospitalised patients. Identifying these features among patients in routine clinical practice might improve COVID-19 management.
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Int. J. Biol. Macromol. · Dec 2020
ReviewApplication prospect of polysaccharides in the development of anti-novel coronavirus drugs and vaccines.
Since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease COVID-19, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, it has spread rapidly worldwide and poses a great threat to public health. This is the third serious coronavirus outbreak in <20 years, following SARS in 2002-2003 and MERS in 2012. So far, there are almost no specific clinically effective drugs and vaccines available for COVID-19. ⋯ In particular, the application prospects of polysaccharide-based vaccine adjuvants, nanomaterials and drug delivery systems in the fight against novel coronavirus were also analyzed and summarized. Additionally, we speculate the possible mechanisms of polysaccharides anti-SARS-CoV-2, and propose the strategy of loading S or N protein from coronavirus onto polysaccharide capped gold nanoparticles vaccine for COVID-19 treatment. This review may provide a new approach for the development of COVID-19 therapeutic agents and vaccines.
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Clin. Microbiol. Infect. · Dec 2020
Detection and infectivity potential of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) environmental contamination in isolation units and quarantine facilities.
Environmental surfaces have been suggested as likely contributors in the transmission of COVID-19. This study assessed the infectivity of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) contaminating surfaces and objects in two hospital isolation units and a quarantine hotel. ⋯ Despite prolonged viability of SARS-CoV-2 under laboratory-controlled conditions, uncultivable viral contamination of inanimate surfaces might suggest low feasibility for indirect fomite transmission.