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 oral protease inhibitor nirmatrelvir has shown substantial efficacy in high-risk, unvaccinated patients infected with the B.1.617.2 (delta) variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Data regarding the effectiveness of nirmatrelvir in preventing severe coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) outcomes from the B.1.1.529 (omicron) variant are limited. ⋯ Among patients 65 years of age or older, the rates of hospitalization and death due to Covid-19 were significantly lower among those who received nirmatrelvir than among those who did not. No evidence of benefit was found in younger adults.
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Preventive medicine · Sep 2022
Electronic cigarette use and risk of COVID-19 among young adults without a history of cigarette smoking.
It is unknown whether use of e-cigarettes increases susceptibility to COVID-19. In a large clinical sample of young adults, we evaluated whether current or ever e-cigarette use was associated with polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-confirmed COVID-19. To address the confounding of combustible smoking, the sample was restricted to never smokers. ⋯ We did not find evidence that current (vs never) e-cigarette use was associated with risk of COVID-19 (aHR = 1.12 95%CI:0.77-1.62). However, we did find suggestive evidence that former (versus never) e-cigarette use may be associated with greater risk of COVID-19 (aHR = 1.39 95%CI:0.98-1.96). While e-cigarette use is associated with health risks for young adults, results from this study suggest that current use of e-cigarettes may not increase susceptibility for COVID-19 among young adults who have never smoked cigarettes.
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The primary target of SARS-CoV-2 is the respiratory tract; nevertheless, the virus can invade extrapulmonary organs, such as the nervous system. Peripheral facial nerve palsy has been reported in COVID-19 cases as isolated, unilateral, or bilateral in the context of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS). In the present study, online databases, including PubMed and Google Scholar, were searched. ⋯ Finally, 36 patients with facial nerve palsy were included in our study using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) or antibody SARS-CoV-2 positive test. Interestingly, 23 (63.8%) of these patients had no typical history of COVID-19, and facial nerve palsy was their first clinical manifestation. The present study concludes that there is enough evidence to suggest that SARS-CoV-2 infection may present with facial nerve palsy as the initial clinical manifestation.