International journal of infectious diseases : IJID : official publication of the International Society for Infectious Diseases
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Int. J. Infect. Dis. · Apr 2021
Meta AnalysisTricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) measured by echocardiography and mortality in COVID-19: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we assessed the association between tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) measured by echocardiography and mortality in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). ⋯ CRD42021232194.
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Int. J. Infect. Dis. · Apr 2021
ReviewSARS-CoV-2 and immune-microbiome interactions: Lessons from respiratory viral infections.
By the beginning of 2020, infection caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) had rapidly evolved into an emergent worldwide pandemic, an outbreak whose unprecedented consequences highlighted many existing flaws within public healthcare systems across the world. While coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is bestowed with a broad spectrum of clinical manifestations, involving the vital organs, the respiratory system transpires as the main route of entry for SARS-CoV-2, with the lungs being its primary target. ⋯ Interestingly, a recent body of evidence indicated the pulmonary and gut microbiomes as potential modulators for altering the course of COVID-19, potentially via the microbiome-immune system axis. While the relative concordance between microbes and immunity has yet to be fully elucidated with regards to COVID-19, we present an overview of our current understanding of COVID-19-microbiome-immune cross talk and discuss the potential contributions of microbiome-related immunity to SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis and COVID-19 disease progression.
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Int. J. Infect. Dis. · Mar 2021
ReviewA Review of the Epidemiology of Invasive Meningococcal Disease and Vaccination Strategies in North Africa.
This narrative review considers the epidemiology of invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) in North Africa and the adequacy of current preventive measures to provide guidance for future vaccination strategies. ⋯ Improving IMD diagnosis and surveillance would provide a reliable estimate of IMD burden, leading to better vaccination strategies.
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Int. J. Infect. Dis. · Jan 2021
ReviewAddressing Africa's pandemic puzzle: Perspectives on COVID-19 transmission and mortality in sub-Saharan Africa.
To date, SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) has spread to almost every region of the world, infecting millions and resulting in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people. Although it was predicted that Africa would suffer a massive loss of life due to this pandemic, the number of COVID-19 cases has been relatively low across the continent. ⋯ However, it is still important for African countries to adopt aggressive and bold approaches against COVID-19, in case the nature of the pandemic changes. This short review will summarize the status of the outbreak in Africa and propose possible reasons for current trends, as well as discuss interventions aimed at preventing a rapid increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in the future.
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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.