Journal of medical virology
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The present study was conducted from July 1, 2020 to September 25, 2020 in a dedicated coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) hospital in Delhi, India to provide evidence for the presence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus in atmospheric air and surfaces of the hospital wards. Swabs from hospital surfaces (patient's bed, ward floor, and nursing stations area) and suspended particulate matter in ambient air were collected by a portable air sampler from the medicine ward, intensive care unit, and emergency ward admitting COVID-19 patients. ⋯ The presence of the virus in the air beyond a 1-m distance from the patients and surfaces of the hospital indicates that the SARS-CoV-2 virus has the potential to be transmitted by airborne and surface routes from COVID-19 patients to health-care workers working in COVID-19 dedicated hospital. This warrants that precautions against airborne and surface transmission of COVID-19 in the community should be taken when markets, industries, educational institutions, and so on, reopen for normal activities.
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The nationwide lockdowns ended influenza seasons rapidly in Northern Hemisphere in Spring 2020. The strategy during the second wave was to minimize the restrictions set for children. Children spread influenza and therefore simultaneous influenza and COVID-19 surges were feared. ⋯ In the three preceding years, the numbers and corresponding incidences from August to March were 12 461 (282 per 100 000 person-years) in 2019-2020, 15 276 (346 per 100 000 person-years) in 2018-2019, and 33 659 (761 per 100 000 person-years) in 2017-2018. Nonpharmaceutical interventions combined with the lockdown measures interrupted the influenza season in Finland in March 2020. Despite looser restrictions, alongside traveling restrictions and facial masks, failing to prevent the spread of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 virus, these restrictions have proved to be effective against seasonal influenza.
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Multicenter Study
Efficacy of corticosteroid in patients with COVID-19: A multi-center retrospective study and meta-analysis.
To evaluate the efficacy of corticosteroids on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients with different levels of disease severity. In our multicenter study, 543 patients with confirmed COVID-19 were classified as non-severe group and severe group, and then were compared respectively for all-cause mortality and length of hospital stay between those who received corticosteroids and not. By searching in PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and CNKI, we identified 13 retrospective studies and 6 random control trials eligible for criteria of inclusion, and conducted comprehensive meta-analyses assessing the impacts of corticosteroids on mortality, length of stay, duration of RNA clearance and duration of fever. ⋯ Corticosteroids should be considered based on patient's condition. For patients with non-severe COVID-19, corticosteroid was not recommended as a routine therapeutic initiative as that presented prolonged duration of hospitalization and delayed viral clearing, as well as no positive impact on prognosis. While low-dose corticosteroids may benefit patients with severe COVID-19 for it can manifestly lower risk of death and improve the clinical status to some extent.
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Data are conflicting regarding the impact of tobacco smoking in people with pneumonia due to SARS-CoV-2 infection (COVID-19). We performed a retrospective multicentre cohort study of 9991 consecutive patients hospitalized in a major New York academic center between March 7th and June 5th, 2020 with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19. The clinical outcomes assessed included risk of hospitalization, in-hospital mortality, risk of intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and need for mechanical ventilation among smokers (current and former). ⋯ In the current COVID-19 pandemic, smokers may have increased risk and severe pneumonia. In the current COVID-19 pandemic, smokers are believed to have an increased risk of mortality as well as severe pneumonia. However, in our analysis of real-world clinical data, smoking was not associated with increased in-patient mortality in COVID-19 pneumonia, in accordance with prior reports.