International journal of infectious diseases : IJID : official publication of the International Society for Infectious Diseases
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Since the first case of 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) identified on Jan 20, 2020, in South Korea, the number of cases rapidly increased, resulting in 6284 cases including 42 deaths as of Mar 6, 2020. To examine the growth rate of the outbreak, we present the first study to report the reproduction number of COVID-19 in South Korea. ⋯ Our results indicate an early sustained transmission of COVID-19 in South Korea and support the implementation of social distancing measures to rapidly control the outbreak.
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Int. J. Infect. Dis. · Apr 2020
Estimation of the reproductive number of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and the probable outbreak size on the Diamond Princess cruise ship: A data-driven analysis.
Up to February 16, 2020, 355 cases have been confirmed as having COVID-19 infection on the Diamond Princess cruise ship. It is of crucial importance to estimate the reproductive number (R0) of the novel virus in the early stage of outbreak and make a prediction of daily new cases on the ship. ⋯ The median with 95% CI of R0 of COVID-19 was about 2.28 (2.06-2.52) during the early stage experienced on the Diamond Princess cruise ship. The future daily incidence and probable outbreak size is largely dependent on the change of R0. Unless strict infection management and control are taken, our findings indicate the potential of COVID-19 to cause greater outbreak on the ship.
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Int. J. Infect. Dis. · Apr 2020
Observational StudyEvaluating the impact of a mass gathering (2018 Commonwealth Games) on emergency department presentations with communicable diseases: A retrospective cohort study.
To identify the impact of a mass gathering event (MGE) on emergency department (ED) patient presentations with communicable diseases and underpinning syndromic indicators (SIs). ⋯ The 2018 Commonwealth Games had an impact on ED presentations with communicable diseases, in terms of LOS. A longer LOS and higher percentage of patients with a LOS of more than 4 hrs in the ED were noted following the MGE period. This outcome indicates a potential need to continue with up-scaled services. Future research is required to understand the broader impact on other EDs in the area, and longitudinal patient follow-up is needed to determine the potential spread of communicable diseases.
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Int. J. Infect. Dis. · Apr 2020
Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) - Surveillance and testing in North England from 2012 to 2019.
Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) emerged in Saudi Arabia in 2012 and caused an epidemic in the Middle East. Public Health England (PHE) Manchester is one of the two PHE centres in the UK that perform testing for MERS-CoV. The results of the PHE Manchester MERS surveillance from 2012 to 2019 are presented in this report. ⋯ Although no cases of MERS were identified, the majority of patients had Influenza infection for which oseltamivir treatment was indicated and isolation warranted. Sputum samples were the most useful in diagnosing respiratory viruses with a 100% diagnostic yield from patients with multiple samples.
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Int. J. Infect. Dis. · Mar 2020
Observational StudyPopulation pharmacokinetics of piperacillin in plasma and subcutaneous tissue in patients on continuous renal replacement therapy.
Piperacillin is a β-lactam antimicrobial frequently used in critically ill patients with acute kidney injury treated with continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT). However, data regarding piperacillin tissue concentrations in this patient population are limited. A prospective observational study was conducted of free piperacillin concentrations during a single 8-h dosing interval in plasma (8 samples) and subcutaneous tissue (SCT) (13 samples), in 10 patients treated with CRRT following piperacillin 4 g given every 8 h as intermittent administration over 3 min. ⋯ Piperacillin 4 g every 8 h is likely to provide sufficient exposure in both plasma and SCT to treat P.aeruginosa infections in critically ill patients on CRRT, given that targets of 50% fT > 1 × MIC or 100% fT > 1 × MIC are adequate. However, if a more aggressive target of 100% fT > 4 × MIC is adopted, continuous infusion is needed.