Articles: sars-cov-2.
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Int. J. Infect. Dis. · Jul 2020
Case ReportsA case of transient existence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in the respiratory tract with the absence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody response.
We report the case of a patient who had travelled to Japan and who presented mild respiratory symptoms during the COVID-19 outbreak period. There was transient existence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA in his oropharynx. ⋯ An anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody response was absent in the acute and convalescent sera. The reported case indicates that transient colonization of SARS-CoV-2 in the upper respiratory tract is possible without inciting any antibody response against the virus.
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The Italian outbreak of COVID-19 cases is a public health emergency and there is a worldwide tremendous interest in the evaluation of the Italian epidemic evolution. Indeed, from February 2020, Italy is facing an explosion of COVID-19 cases. In particular, the Italian observed case fatality rate (CFR) is much higher than the other countries. ⋯ However, through an analysis performed for all the Italian regions, here it is shown that the deaths are localized in specific regions and that the CFRs of different Italian regions are overlapping with the rates of European countries. Moreover, through correlation analyses between CFRs and different social habits, it is shown that no positive correlation is observed between social behaviors and CFRs. In conclusion, this analysis clearly rejects the possibility that social habits and intergenerational contacts can contribute to explaining such a profound effect on the number of deaths observed in Italy during the COVID-19 outbreak and more effort should be addressed to evaluate the real amount of positive cases.
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A 65-year-old man was hospitalized owing to fever (38.6 °C) and dry cough since 4 days. He visited Wuhan 8 days ago. At admission, nasopharyngeal swab samples were taken, and polymerase chain reaction analysis confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA positivity. ⋯ Microthrombi were seen in the dilated pulmonary capillaries. Immunohistochemistry staining for SARS-CoV-2 N protein was negative. Taken together, the patient died of multiorgan failure although the SARS-CoV-2 infection was cleared already, implicating that for disease worsening, no active SARS-CoV-2 infection is required.
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The main purpose of this work is to describe the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of intensive care unit (ICU) patients in a second-level hospital in Madrid, Spain, focusing in those who underwent surgical tracheostomy during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The surgical technique and associated complications are also detailed. ⋯ In our experience, bedside surgical tracheostomy is a safe procedure in COVID-19 patients when safety protocols are followed.