Le infezioni in medicina : rivista periodica di eziologia, epidemiologia, diagnostica, clinica e terapia delle patologie infettive
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To date, research on viral shedding (VS), live virus isolation and infection status remains ongoing as scientists and clinicians attempt to better understand the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Viral RNA detection at different stages of the disease, quantitative changes and patterns of viral persistence and clearance all provide context for the pathogenesis and transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). ⋯ In this paper we review the available evidence on the viral dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 in the URT to determine a timeline for infection based on molecular and viral culture findings and to assess the significance of persistently positive results. Keywords: viral shedding, viral load, viral culture, SARS-CoV-2, upper respiratory tract.
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SARS-CoV-2 has created a global disaster by infecting millions of people and causing thousands of deaths across hundreds of countries. Currently, the infection is in its exponential phase in several countries and there is no sign of immediate relief from this deadly virus. At the same time, some "conspiracy theories" have arisen on the origin of this virus due to the lack of a "definite origin". ⋯ We also provide an overview on the current knowledge on SARS-CoV-2 Spike as well as the Coronavirus research domain. Furthermore, a few important points related to the "conspiracy theories" such as "laboratory engineering" or "bioweapon" aspects of SARS-CoV-2 are also reviewed. In this article, we have only considered the peer-reviewed publications that are indexed in PubMed and other official publications, and we have directly quoted the authors' statements from their respective articles to avoid any controversy.
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Meta Analysis
Chest computed tomography findings in hospitalized COVID-19 patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Most studies evaluating chest computed tomography (CT) features in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been small-sized and have presented varied findings. We aim to systematically review these studies and to conduct a meta-analysis of their results to provide a well-powered assessment of chest CT findings in patients with COVID-19. PubMed and EMBASE databases were systematically searched to identify published studies that evaluated chest CT findings in COVID-19 patients. ⋯ Prevalence of different CT findings varied across studies; however, the most common findings were bilateral pulmonary involvement (PP: 74.1% [68.4%, 79.5%]; I2 = 85.76%), ground glass opacification (PP: 64.6% [57.6%, 71.4%]; I2 = 91.52%), involvement of the left lower lobe (PP: 71.2% [58.9%, 82.1%]; I2 = 90.91%), and subpleural distribution of lesions (PP: 57.2% [39.0%, 74.3%]; I2 = 93.08%). Multivariate meta-regression revealed a positive association between prevalence of air bronchograms and average age of the population (p=0.013). Bilateral ground glass opacification, a subpleural distribution of lesions, and involvement of the left lower lobe were the most notable chest CT findings in COVID-19 patients.
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Comparative Study Observational Study
Use of lung ultrasound in COVID-19: comparison with ultra-high-resolution computed tomography among 29 patients at "D. Cotugno" hospital, Naples, Italy.
Ultra-High-Resolution Computed Tomography (U-HR-CT) is the reference imaging technique for pneumonia in the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Pulmonary Ultrasound (LUS) could be a valid diagnostic alternative for the imaging of COVID-19. ⋯ Among 29 patients with confirmed COVID-19, all U-HR-CT hallmarks showed an excellent concordance with LUS findings according to Cohen coefficient. In our experience, LUS is a viable alternative to U-HR-CT, with the advantages of being radiation-free, flexible, cost-effective, and reasonably reducing nosocomial transmission risks because performed at bed-side.
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