Articles: sars-cov-2.
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The severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has impacted all patient populations including pregnant mothers. There is an incomplete understanding of SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis and transmission potential at this time and the resultant anxiety has led to variable breastfeeding recommendations for suspected or confirmed mothers with novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Due to the potential concern for transmission of infection from maternal respiratory secretions to the newborn, temporary separation of the maternal-baby dyad, allowing for expressed breast milk to be fed to the infant, was initially recommended but later revised to include breastfeeding by the American Academy of Pediatrics in contrast to international societies, which recommend direct breastfeeding. ⋯ The setting of maternal care, severity of maternal infection and availability of resources can impact the decision of breastfeeding, the role of shared decision making on breastfeeding between mother and physician needs to be emphasized. We strongly recommend direct breastfeeding with appropriate hygiene precautions unless the maternal or neonatal health condition warrants separation of this dyad. KEY POINTS: · Breastmilk does not appear to play a significant role in transmission of SARS-CoV-2.. · Mother-baby separation has negative health and emotional consequences.. · Mothers with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 can directly breastfeed with appropriate precautions..
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The coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic was associated with a large reduction in the number of attendances at emergency departments (EDs) in March 2020 in the United Kingdom (UK). We sought to identify which patient groups attended EDs least. ⋯ The reduction in ED attendances seen in the early phases of the UK pandemic occurred in all patient groups, but was greatest in the lower acuity patients. Reasons for this are complex and likely to be multifactorial.
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Cell reports. Medicine · Jul 2020
Human iPSC-Derived Cardiomyocytes Are Susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 Infection.
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). COVID-19 is defined by respiratory symptoms, but cardiac complications including viral myocarditis are also prevalent. Although ischemic and inflammatory responses caused by COVID-19 can detrimentally affect cardiac function, the direct impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on human cardiomyocytes is not well understood. ⋯ Viral replication and cytopathic effect induce hiPSC-CM apoptosis and cessation of beating after 72 h of infection. SARS-CoV-2 infection activates innate immune response and antiviral clearance gene pathways, while inhibiting metabolic pathways and suppressing ACE2 expression. These studies show that SARS-CoV-2 can infect hiPSC-CMs in vitro, establishing a model for elucidating infection mechanisms and potentially a cardiac-specific antiviral drug screening platform.
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JAMA internal medicine · Jul 2020
Seroprevalence of Antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in 10 Sites in the United States, March 23-May 12, 2020.
Reported cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection likely underestimate the prevalence of infection in affected communities. Large-scale seroprevalence studies provide better estimates of the proportion of the population previously infected. ⋯ During March to early May 2020, most persons in 10 diverse geographic sites in the US had not been infected with SARS-CoV-2 virus. The estimated number of infections, however, was much greater than the number of reported cases in all sites. The findings may reflect the number of persons who had mild or no illness or who did not seek medical care or undergo testing but who still may have contributed to ongoing virus transmission in the population.
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Review
Potential Causes and Consequences of Gastrointestinal Disorders during a SARS-CoV-2 Infection.
Coronaviruses cause several human diseases, including severe acute respiratory syndrome. The global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has become a huge threat to humans. ⋯ Here, we review gastrointestinal disorders in patients with COVID-19, suggest hypothetical mechanisms leading to gut symptoms, and discuss the potential consequences of gastrointestinal disorders on the outcome of the disease. Lastly, we discuss the role of the gut microbiota during respiratory viral infections and suggest that targeting gut dysbiosis may help to control the pathogenesis of COVID-19.