Articles: coronavirus.
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The Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) is one of the most devastating in this century. It originated in China in December 2019 caused by the SARS-Cov-2 virus, and in less than a month it had been classified as an "International Public Health Emergency". To date there are nearly 3 million people infected and more than 250,000 deaths caused by the disease worldwide. ⋯ Of the confirmed cases, 15% are healthcare workers. There is no specific treatment or vaccine yet, so it is important to have hygiene, social isolation and personal protection measures. Health, social and economic consequences could have great impact in the near future.
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This study aimed to determine the concordance between CT and nucleic acid testing in diagnosing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outside its district of origin (Wuhan, China). ⋯ Patients with positive results on nucleic acid testing may or may not have the abnormal CT manifestations that are frequently found in symptomatic patients with a history of exposure to the district of COVID-19 origin.
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Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has emerged as a new threat to healthcare systems. In this setting, heart failure units have faced an enormous challenge: taking care of their patients while at the same time avoiding patients' visits to the hospital. ⋯ Our study suggests that implementing an active-surveillance protocol in acutely decompensated heart failure units during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic can reduce hospital admissions, ER visits and, potentially, viral transmission, in a cohort of especially vulnerable patients.
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The world is in the midst of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Interleukin 6 (IL-6) inhibitor (tocilizumab) had been suggested for the treatment of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) patients based on the concept of "cytokine storm" in COVID-19. ⋯ Furthermore, IL-6 inhibitor has potential hazards of inducing infectious diseases. The efficacy of IL-6 monoclonal antibody-directed therapy remains to be fully evaluated.
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Background: The National Ambulance Service (NAS) is at the forefront of Ireland's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As directed in Ireland's National Action Plan, NAS significantly expanded prehospital services, including provision of a novel COVID-19 testing service. Additionally, other health services rely on NAS's capacity to assess, transport and/or treat COVID-19 patients. ⋯ The Research Team includes expertise from academia, ambulance services and the National Public Health Emergency Team. Conclusions: This project will facilitate the prompt introduction of information sharing processes to an emergency medical service and assess the impact of those processes. By developing a process for evaluating pandemic-imposed change in NAS, this project will add to the toolbox for future pandemic planning in emergency medical services internationally.