Articles: coronavirus.
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J. Korean Med. Sci. · Aug 2020
Epidemiological Characteristics of COVID-19 Outbreak at Fitness Centers in Cheonan, Korea.
In February 2020, a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak was reported in fitness centers in Cheonan, Korea. ⋯ The results suggest that the COVID-19 outbreak was effectively contained with rigorous contact tracing, isolating, and testing in combination with social distancing without a lock-down.
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Case Reports
Hilar lymphadenopathy, a novel finding in the setting of coronavirus disease (COVID-19): a case report.
As the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has progressed, computed tomography has emerged as an integral part of the diagnosis alongside reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction assays. Frequently encountered imaging findings include peripheral airspace consolidations; bilateral ground-glass opacities; and, less commonly, cavitation. Hilar lymphadenopathy is a rarely reported finding in the setting of COVID-19. ⋯ Chest computed tomography has been used extensively to diagnose and characterize the distinguishing radiological findings associated with viral pneumonia. It has emerged as an integral part of the diagnosis of COVID-19 alongside reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction assays. Clinicians must be aware of uncommon clinical and radiological findings in order to diagnose this entity. Hilar lymphadenopathy is commonly seen with fungal infections, mycobacterial infections, and sarcoidosis. An extensive literature review found that bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy has not been reported in the setting of COVID-19. More data are needed to establish the clinical impact of this novel finding.
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Annals of intensive care · Aug 2020
Symptoms of burnout in intensive care unit specialists facing the COVID-19 outbreak.
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in an unprecedented healthcare crisis with a high prevalence of psychological distress in healthcare providers. We sought to document the prevalence of burnout syndrome amongst intensivists facing the COVID-19 outbreak. ⋯ The COVID-19 pandemic has had an overwhelming psychological impact on intensivists. Follow-up, and management are warranted to assess long-term psychological outcomes and alleviate the psychological burden of the pandemic on frontline personnel.
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SARS-CoV-2 RNA Extraction Using Magnetic Beads for Rapid Large-Scale Testing by RT-qPCR and RT-LAMP.
Rapid large-scale testing is essential for controlling the ongoing pandemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The standard diagnostic pipeline for testing SARS-CoV-2 presence in patients with an ongoing infection is predominantly based on pharyngeal swabs, from which the viral RNA is extracted using commercial kits, followed by reverse transcription and quantitative PCR detection. As a result of the large demand for testing, commercial RNA extraction kits may be limited and, alternatively, non-commercial protocols are needed. ⋯ Magnetic bead RNA extraction was benchmarked against the commercial QIAcube extraction platform. Comparable viral RNA detection sensitivity and specificity were obtained by fluorescent and colorimetric reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) using a primer set targeting the N gene, as well as RT-qPCR using a primer set targeting the E gene, showing that the RNA extraction protocol presented here can be combined with a variety of detection methods at high throughput. Importantly, the presented diagnostic workflow can be quickly set up in a laboratory without access to an automated pipetting robot.
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Seven years after the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) outbreak, a new severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) made its first appearance in a food market in Wuhan, China, drawing an entirely new course to our lives. As the virus belongs to the same genus of MERS and SARS, researchers have been trying to draw lessons from previous outbreaks to find a potential cure. Although there were five Phase I human vaccine trials against SARS and MERS, the lack of data in humans provided us with limited benchmarks that could help us design a new vaccine for Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). ⋯ The different vaccine platforms being tested are Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccines, DNA and RNA-based vaccines, inactivated vaccines, protein subunits, and viral vectors. By thoroughly analyzing different trials and platforms, we also discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using each type of vaccine and how they can contribute to the design of an adequate vaccine for COVID-19. Studying past efforts invested in conducting vaccine trials for MERS and SARS will provide vital insights regarding the best approach to designing an effective vaccine against COVID-19.