Articles: coronavirus.
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Almost the entire world, not only China, is currently experiencing the outbreak of a novel coronavirus that causes respiratory disease, severe pneumonia, and even death. The outbreak began in Wuhan, China, in December of 2019 and is currently still ongoing. This novel coronavirus is highly contagious and has resulted in a continuously increasing number of infections and deaths that have already surpassed the SARS-CoV outbreak that occurred in China between 2002 and 2003. ⋯ Imaging exams have been a main clinical diagnostic criteria for the 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in China. Imaging features of multiple patchy areas of ground glass opacity and consolidation predominately in the periphery of the lungs are characteristic manifestations on chest CT and extremely helpful in the early detection and diagnosis of this disease, which aids prompt diagnosis and the eventual control of this emerging global health emergency. Key Points • In December 2019, China, an outbreak of pneumonia caused by a novel, highly contagious coronavirus raised grave concerns and posed a huge threat to global public health. • Among the infected patients, characteristic findings on CT imaging include multiple, patchy, ground-glass opacity, crazy-paving pattern, and consolidation shadows, mainly distributed in the peripheral and subpleural areas of both lungs, which are very helpful for the frontline clinicians. • Imaging examination has become the indispensable means not only in the early detection and diagnosis but also in monitoring the clinical course, evaluating the disease severity, and may be presented as an important warning signal preceding the negative RT-PCR test results.
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Asthma is increasingly recognized as an underlying risk factor for severe respiratory disease in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), particularly in the United States. Here, we report the postmortem lung findings from a 37-year-old man with asthma, who met the clinical criteria for severe acute respiratory distress syndrome and died of COVID-19 less than 2 weeks after presentation to the hospital. ⋯ The presence of diffuse alveolar damage is similar to descriptions of autopsy lung findings from patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus, and the absence of a neutrophil-rich acute bronchopneumonia differs from the histologic changes typical of influenza. The relative contribution of mucus plugging to his hypoxemia is unknown.
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Expert Opin Biol Ther · Sep 2020
ReviewAntibody-based immunotherapeutics and use of convalescent plasma to counter COVID-19: advances and prospects.
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread to several countries globally. Currently, there is no specific drug or vaccine available for managing COVID-19. Antibody-based immunotherapeutic strategies using convalescent plasma, monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), neutralizing antibodies (NAbs), and intravenous immunoglobulins have therapeutic potential. ⋯ In a pandemic situation such as COVID-19, the development of new drugs should focus on and expedite the strategies where safety and efficacy are proven. Antibody-based immunotherapeutic approaches such as convalescent plasma, intravenous immunoglobulins, and mAbs have a proven record of safety and efficacy and are in use for decades. Some of them are already being used to manage COVID-19 patients and found to be useful. However, the mAbs with virus neutralization potential is the need of the hour during this COVID-19 pandemic to be more specific and virus targeted. The research and investment need to be accelerated to bring them into clinical use for prophylactic and therapeutic purposes against COVID-19.
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Dentistry involves close face-to-face interaction with patients, hence during the COVID-19 pandemic, it has mostly been suspended. Teledentistry can offer an innovative solution to resume dental practice during this pandemic. In this review, we provide a brief overview of applications of teledentistry. ⋯ Teledentistry can offer a novel solution to resume dental practice during the current pandemic, hence, the need of the hour is to incorporate teledentistry into routine dental practice. If not fully replace, at least teledentistry can complement the existing compromised dental system during the current pandemic.
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Diabetes Metab Syndr · Sep 2020
ReviewPitfalls in telemedicine consultations in the era of COVID 19 and how to avoid them.
With restrictions on face to face clinical consultations in the COVID-19 pandemic, Telemedicine has become an essential tool in providing continuity of care to patients. We explore the common pitfalls in remote consultations and strategies that can be adopted to avoid them. ⋯ Telemedicine it is going to play a key role in future of health medicine, however, telemedicine technology should be applied in appropriate settings and situations. Suitable training, enhanced documentations, communication and observing information governance guidelines will go a long way in avoiding pitfalls associated with remote consultations.