Articles: coronavirus.
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Respiratory failure is the major cause of death in patients with coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Data on factors affecting the need for oxygen therapy in early-stage COVID-19 are limited. This study aimed to evaluate the factors associated with the need for oxygen therapy in patients with COVID-19. ⋯ In a multivariate logistic regression analysis, being a current smoker (odds ratio [OR] 7.641, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.686-34.630, P = .008), heart rate (OR 1.053, 95% CI 1.010-1.097, P = .014), aspartate aminotransferase values (OR 1.049, 95% CI 1.008-1.092, P = .020), blood urea nitrogen levels (OR 1.171, 95% CI 1.073-1.278, P < .001), and chest radiographic findings (OR 3.173, 95% CI 1.870-5.382, P < .001) were associated with oxygen therapy. In patients with less severe COVID-19, the need for oxygen therapy is affected by smoking and elevated values of aspartate aminotransferase and blood urea nitrogen. Further research is warranted on the risk factors for deterioration in COVID-19 to efficiently allocate medical resources.
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Among 249 healthcare personnel who worked in hospital units with COVID-19 patients for 1 month, 19 (7.6%) tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. Only 11 (57.9%) of the 19 personnel with positive serology reported symptoms of a prior illness, suggesting asymptomatic healthcare personnel could be an important source of SARS-CoV-2 transmission.
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Annals of family medicine · May 2021
A Thoughtful Rebirth of Health Care: Lessons From the Pandemic.
In 16 years of practice, I had never seen a patient light a cigarette or pour a glass of wine in front of me. Yet, that occurred at the very onset of the COVID-19 era, a time that has shattered any preconceived notions of what I might experience during a clinical visit. ⋯ The rapid changes we have had to make in the last year have demonstrated the resiliency of our profession. This is a critical time to refocus and make sure that health care is person-centered, encompasses all modifiable health determinants, and helps individuals achieve health rather than primarily manage disease.
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Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol. · May 2021
Multicenter StudyPregnant women with severe or critical coronavirus disease 2019 have increased composite morbidity compared with nonpregnant matched controls.
In March 2020, as community spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 became increasingly prevalent, pregnant women seemed to be equally susceptible to developing coronavirus disease 2019. Although the disease course usually appears mild, severe and critical cases of coronavirus disease 2019 seem to lead to substantial morbidity, including intensive care unit admission with prolonged hospital stay, intubation, mechanical ventilation, and even death. Although there are recent reports regarding the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 on pregnancy, there is a lack of information regarding the severity of coronavirus disease 2019 in pregnant vs nonpregnant women. ⋯ Pregnant women with severe and critical coronavirus disease 2019 are at an increased risk for certain morbidities when compared with nonpregnant controls. Despite the higher comorbidities of diabetes and hypertension in the nonpregnant controls, the pregnant cases were at an increased risk for composite morbidity, intubation, mechanical ventilation, and intensive care unit admission. These findings suggest that pregnancy may be associated with a worse outcome in women with severe and critical cases of coronavirus disease 2019. Our study suggests that similar to other viral infections such as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus, pregnant women may be at risk for greater morbidity and disease severity.
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During the current COVID pandemic, there is growing interest to identify subsets of the population that may be at a higher than average risk of infection. One such group includes people living with HIV.