Articles: sars-cov-2.
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Unintended beneficial effects of COVID-19 on influenza-associated emergency department use in Korea.
Non-pharmaceutical interventions, including hand hygiene, wearing masks, and cough etiquette, and public health measures such as social distancing, used to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), could reduce the incidence rate of respiratory viral infections such as influenza. We evaluated the effect of COVID-19 on the incidence of influenza in Korea. ⋯ The implementation of non-pharmaceutical interventions and public health measures for the COVID-19 epidemic effectively reduced the transmission of influenza and associated ED use in Korea. Implementing appropriate public health measures could reduce outbreaks and lessen the burden of influenza during future influenza epidemics.
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Sep 2022
Longitudinal changes in inflammatory biomarkers among patients with COVID-19: a nationwide study in Iceland.
All SARS-CoV-2-positive persons in Iceland were prospectively monitored and those who required outpatient evaluation or were admitted to hospital underwent protocolized evaluation that included a standardized panel of biomarkers. The aim was to describe longitudinal changes in inflammatory biomarkers throughout the infection period of patients with COVID-19 requiring different levels of care. ⋯ Lymphocyte count and plasma CRP and ferritin levels might be suitable parameters to assess disease severity early during COVID-19 and may serve as predictors of worse outcome.
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The structural environment of urban slums, including physical, demographic, and socioeconomic attributes, renders inhabitants more vulnerable to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Yet, little is known about the specific determinants that contribute to high transmission within these communities. We therefore aimed to investigate SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in an urban slum in Brazil. ⋯ Prior to the peak of the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, cumulative incidence as assessed by serology approached 50% in a Brazilian urban slum population. In contrast to observations from industrialized countries, SARS-CoV-2 incidence was highest among children, as well as women living in extreme poverty. These findings emphasize the need for targeted interventions that provide safe environments for children and mitigate the structural risks posed by crowding and poverty for the most vulnerable residents of urban slum communities.
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Intravenous vitamin C (IV-VitC) has been suggested as a treatment for severe sepsis and acute respiratory distress syndrome; however, there are limited studies evaluating its use in severe COVID-19. Efficacy and safety of high-dose IV-VitC (HDIVC) in patients with severe COVID-19 were evaluated. This observational cohort was conducted at a single-center, 530 bed, community teaching hospital and took place from March 2020 through July 2020. ⋯ Patients who received HDIVC also had significantly lower rates of mechanical ventilation (52.93% vs. 73.14%; ORIPTW = 0.27; P = 0.0499) and cardiac arrest (2.46% vs. 9.06%; ORIPTW = 0.23; P = 0.0439). HDIVC may be an effective treatment in decreasing the rates of mechanical ventilation and cardiac arrest in hospitalized patients with severe COVID-19. A longer hospital stay and prolonged time to death may suggest that HDIVC may protect against clinical deterioration in severe COVID-19.
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Despite vaccination programs, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection remains a public health problem. Identifying key prognostic determinants of severity of the disease may help better focus health resources. The negative prognostic role for metabolic and hepatic alterations is established; however, the interplay among different metabolic comorbidities and their interconnections with the liver have never been explored. ⋯ Hepatic steatosis had no impact on disease course. The presence of metabolic alterations is associated with severe SARS-CoV-2 infection, and the higher the number of coexisting comorbidities, the higher the risk of severe disease. Normal FIB-4 values are inversely associated with advanced SARS-CoV-2 regardless of metabolic comorbidities, speculating on use of these values to stratify the risk of severe infection.