International journal of infectious diseases : IJID : official publication of the International Society for Infectious Diseases
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Int. J. Infect. Dis. · Jan 2021
Case ReportsSerological cross-reaction and coinfection of dengue and COVID-19 in Asia: Experience from Indonesia.
Similar symptoms and laboratory findings between dengue and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pose a diagnostic challenge in some dengue-endemic countries in Asia. In this study, we reported three cases of suspected COVID-19-dengue coinfection in hospitals of Bali, Indonesia. Serological data demonstrated that patients with positive results for dengue virus (DENV) NS1 antigen and anti-dengue IgM were also reactive to COVID-19 rapid antibody tests, suggesting dengue-COVID-19 coinfection. ⋯ Coinfection of dengue and COVID-19 was evident in one patient, following confirmation of SARS-COV-2 by qRT-PCR and DENV infection using the NS1 antigen serology test. This case was the first case of dengue and COVID-19 coinfection in Indonesia and revealed possible cross-reactivity between SARS-COV-2 and DENV antibodies based on rapid serological tests. Our study indicates a public health concern regarding COVID-19 and dengue detection in Indonesia as well as in other dengue-endemic countries, and it is important for these nations to manage both pathogens concurrently.
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Int. J. Infect. Dis. · Jan 2021
Performance of the quick COVID-19 severity index and the Brescia-COVID respiratory severity scale in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 in a community hospital setting.
To evaluate the performance of the Quick COVID-19 Severity Index (qCSI) and the Brescia-COVID Respiratory Severity Scale (BCRSS) in predicting intensive care unit (ICU) admissions and in-hospital mortality in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia. ⋯ The CURB-65 and qCSI scoring systems showed a good performance for predicting in-hospital mortality. The qCSI score and the BCRSS prediction rule showed a good performance for predicting ICU admission.
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Int. J. Infect. Dis. · Dec 2020
Meta AnalysisA systematic review and meta-analysis of published research data on COVID-19 infection fatality rates.
An important unknown during the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been the infection fatality rate (IFR). This differs from the case fatality rate (CFR) as an estimate of the number of deaths and as a proportion of the total number of cases, including those who are mild and asymptomatic. While the CFR is extremely valuable for experts, IFR is increasingly being called for by policy makers and the lay public as an estimate of the overall mortality from COVID-19.
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Int. J. Infect. Dis. · Dec 2020
The impact of mask-wearing and shelter-in-place on COVID-19 outbreaks in the United States.
A hasty reopening has led to a resurgence of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the United States (US). We aimed to quantify the impact of several public health measures including non-medical mask-wearing, shelter-in-place, and detection of silent infections to help inform COVID-19 mitigation strategies. ⋯ Mask-wearing, even with the use of non-medical masks, has a substantial impact on outbreak control. A judicious implementation of shelter-in-place strategies remains an important public health intervention amid ongoing outbreaks.
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Int. J. Infect. Dis. · Dec 2020
ReviewUse of hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine in COVID-19: How good is the quality of randomized controlled trials?
We critically evaluated the quality of evidence and quality of harm reporting in clinical trials that evaluated the effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) or chloroquine (CQ) for the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). ⋯ In general, the quality of currently available evidence for the effectiveness of CQ/HCQ in patients with COVID-19 is suboptimal. The importance of a properly designed and reported clinical trial cannot be overemphasized amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and its dismissal could lead to poorer clinical and policy decisions, resulting in wastage of already stretched invaluable health care resources.