Clinical microbiology and infection : the official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
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Clin. Microbiol. Infect. · Oct 2020
Characteristics of 1573 healthcare workers who underwent nasopharyngeal swab testing for SARS-CoV-2 in Milan, Lombardy, Italy.
The management of healthcare workers (HCWs) exposed to confirmed cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is still a matter of debate. We aimed to assess in this group the attack rate of asymptomatic carriers and the symptoms most frequently associated with infection. ⋯ HCWs can be infected with SARS-CoV-2 without displaying any symptoms. Among symptomatic HCWs, the key symptoms to guide diagnosis are taste and smell alterations and fever. A median of almost 4 weeks is necessary before nasopharyngeal swab test results are negative.
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Clin. Microbiol. Infect. · Oct 2020
Validation of a commercially available SARS-CoV-2 serological immunoassay.
To validate the diagnostic accuracy of a Euroimmun SARS-CoV-2 IgG and IgA immunoassay for COVID-19. ⋯ The Euroimmun assay displays a nearly optimal diagnostic accuracy using IgG against SARS-CoV-2 in patient samples, with no obvious gains from IgA serology. The optimized cut-offs are fit for rule-in and rule-out purposes, allowing determination of whether individuals in our study population have been exposed to SARS-CoV-2 or not. IgG serology should however not be considered as a surrogate of protection at this stage.
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Clin. Microbiol. Infect. · Oct 2020
Comparative StudyIncidence and outcomes of infective endocarditis after transcatheter aortic valve implantation versus surgical aortic valve replacement.
Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is an alternative to surgical aortic valve replacement (AVR) in aortic stenosis (AS). Infective endocarditis (IE) in patients with prosthetic heart valves is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Data on the incidence, risk factors, and outcomes of IE after TAVI are conflicting. We evaluated these issues in patients with percutaneous TAVI vs. isolated surgical AVR (SAVR) at a nationwide level. ⋯ In a nationwide cohort of patients with AS, treatment with TAVI was associated with a risk of IE similar to that following SAVR. Mortality was higher for patients with IE following TAVI than for those with IE following SAVR.
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Clin. Microbiol. Infect. · Oct 2020
CT lung lesions as predictors of early death or ICU admission in COVID-19 patients.
The main objective of this study was to investigate the prognostic value of early systematic chest computed tomography (CT) with quantification of lung lesions in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. ⋯ Chest CT findings at admission are associated with outcome in COVID-19 patients.
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Clin. Microbiol. Infect. · Oct 2020
ReviewTreatment of COVID-19 with convalescent plasma: lessons from past coronavirus outbreaks.
There is currently no treatment known to alter the course of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Convalescent plasma has been used to treat a number of infections during pandemics, including severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), Middle Eastern respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) and now severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). ⋯ There is currently no effective treatment for COVID-19, and preliminary trials for convalescent plasma suggest that there may be some benefits. However, research to date is at high risk of bias, and randomized control trials are desperately needed to determine the efficacy and safety of this therapeutic option.