Revista clínica española
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Revista clínica española · Apr 2023
Review[What do we know about the origin of COVID-19 three years later?].
More than three years have passed since the first case of a new coronavirus infection (SARS-CoV-2) in the city of Wuhan (Hubei, China). The Wuhan Institute of Virology was founded in that city in 1956 and the country's first biosafety level 4 laboratory opened within that center in 2015. The coincidence that the first cases of infection emerged in the city where the virology institute's headquarters is located, the failure to 100% identify the virus' RNA in any of the coronaviruses isolated in bats, and the lack of evidence on a possible intermediate animal host in the contagion's transmission make it so that at present, there are doubts about the real origin of SARS-CoV-2. This article will review two theories: SARS-CoV-2 as a virus of zoonotic origin or as a leak from the high-level biosafety laboratory in Wuhan.
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Revista clínica española · Jan 2023
Review[Utility of probability scores for the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection: a systematic review].
Clinical prediction models determine the pre-test probability of pulmonary embolism (PE) and assess the need for tests for these patients. Coronavirus infection is associated with a greater risk of PE, increasing its severity and conferring a worse prognosis. The pathogenesis of PE appears to be different in patients with and without SARS-CoV-2 infection. This systematic review aims to discover the utility of probability models developed for PE in patients with COVID-19 by reviewing the available literature. ⋯ Our systematic review suggests that the clinical prediction models available for PE that were developed in the general population are not applicable to patients with COVID-19. Therefore, their use is in clinical practice as the only diagnostic screening tool is not recommended. New clinical probability models for PE that are validated in these patients are needed.
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Revista clínica española · Jan 2023
Review[Monkeypox and pregnancy: A neglected disease and its impact on perinatal health].
Viral infections during pregnancy have been one of the leading causes associated with significant perinatal problems, such as congenital defects, fetal neurological syndromes, stillbirths, and adverse pregnancy outcomes. The mpox virus infection, caused by an Orthopoxvirus related to the human smallpox virus, was declared a global health emergency by the World Health Organization in July 2022 due to the large number of cases emerging outside the usual endemic area in Africa. There is little information on the impact of mpox virus infection during pregnancy, although the limited evidence available shows a high rate of fetal harm. This review addresses the problem of mpox virus infection in pregnant women and provides indications for its prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.
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As the coronavirus-2019 disease (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by the infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV-2) coronavirus type 2, has progressed, persistent COVID-19 syndrome is an increasingly recognized problem on which a significant volume of medical literature is developing. Symptoms may be persistent or appear, after an asymptomatic period, weeks or months after the initial infection. The clinical picture is as markedly heterogeneous and multisystemic as in the acute phase, so multidisciplinary management is required. ⋯ Although it can affect people of any age, it is more common in middle-aged women. The sequelae can generate a high impact on the quality of life, and in the work and social environment. The objective of this paper is to review persistent COVID-19 syndrome, to know its clinical manifestations and the strategies for the management and follow-up of these patients.
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Revista clínica española · Mar 2022
Review[Beyond acute SARS-CoV-2 infection: A new challenge for Internal Medicine].
Infection with the new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus has reached pandemic proportions, with a very high death toll worldwide. Despite the scientific community's strenuous efforts to address this disease in its acute phase, as well as in prevention through the development of vaccines in record time, there remains another important workhorse: understanding and treating the persistence of symptoms beyond the acute phase, the so-called protracted COVID-19 syndrome or persistent COVID. These persistent manifestations affect several organs and systems and may depend on both the pathogenic mechanisms of the virus and the pathophysiological response of the patient. One year after the onset of this pandemic, there is an urgent need to address this situation from a comprehensive approach.