Swiss medical weekly
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Swiss medical weekly · May 2020
icumonitoring.ch: a platform for short-term forecasting of intensive care unit occupancy during the COVID-19 epidemic in Switzerland.
In Switzerland, the COVID-19 epidemic is progressively slowing down owing to “social distancing” measures introduced by the Federal Council on 16 March 2020. However, the gradual ease of these measures may initiate a second epidemic wave, the length and intensity of which are difficult to anticipate. In this context, hospitals must prepare for a potential increase in intensive care unit (ICU) admissions of patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome. ⋯ We combined current data on the number of beds and ventilators with canton-level projections of COVID-19 cases from two S-E-I-R models. We disaggregated epidemic projection in each hospital in Switzerland for the number of COVID-19 cases, hospitalisations, hospitalisations in ICU, and ventilators in use. The platform is updated every 3-4 days and can incorporate projections from other modelling teams to inform decision makers with a range of epidemic scenarios for future hospital occupancy.
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Swiss medical weekly · Oct 2020
Observational StudyFlattening the curve in 52 days: characterisation of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Principality of Liechtenstein - an observational study.
The principality of Liechtenstein had its first COVID-19 case at the beginning of March 2020. After exponential growth, the pandemic’s first wave was contained, with the last case being diagnosed 52 days after the initial occurrence. ⋯ The close collaboration of all relevant stakeholders allowed for the complete workup of all COVID-19 patients nationwide. A multitude of factors (e.g., young age of the patients, low-threshold access to testing, close monitoring of cases, high alertness and adherence to public health measures by the population) led to the early containment of the first wave of the pandemic, with a very low rate of serious outcomes. Antibody testing for SARS-CoV-2 revealed a substantial proportion of undiagnosed COVID-19 cases among close contacts of the patients.
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Swiss medical weekly · Jun 2020
Case ReportsThe many faces of interstitial pneumonia: a case of presumed SARS-CoV-2 infection.
We present the case of an oncology patient admitted to our hospital during the current COVID-19 pandemic with clinical and radiological features strongly suggestive of interstitial pneumonia. Multiple laboratory tests were negative for SARS-CoV-2 (polymerase chain reaction testing of nasopharyngeal swabs, and of induced sputum and stool samples, investigation of serum immunoglobulins G and M). In the setting of an immunocompromised status due to recent chemotherapy cycles for lung adenocarcinoma and prolonged corticosteroid therapy (due to frequent exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in recent months), we actively searched for the pathological agent and found it to be Pneumocystis jirovecii. ⋯ The importance of differential diagnostics in clinical practice should be a given, especially during times of pandemic. The novel coronavirus infection introduced new guidelines for and approaches to the investigation of immunocompromised patients, so it is especially important not to forget the basis of differential diagnosis, to and adopt a thorough approach when assessing these complex patients. We want to stress the importance of thorough investigation to avoid misdiagnosis of atypical pathogens in the current setting of SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.
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Swiss medical weekly · Jun 2020
Case ReportsClinical course of COVID-19 pneumonia in a patient undergoing pneumonectomy and pathology findings during the incubation period.
The cause of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Clinical information about patients undergoing lung resection while infected with this virus and pathological information about early COVID-19 pneumonia are still scarce. ⋯ We believe that the clinical course and pathology findings obtained after right pneumonectomy in a patient with pre-symptomatic COVID-19 pneumonia will guide the diagnosis and treatment of patients infected with SARS-CoV-2.