Articles: covid-19.
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Front Public Health · Jan 2020
ReviewClinical Implications of Chloroquine and Hydroxychloroquine Ototoxicity for COVID-19 Treatment: A Mini-Review.
At this time of the COVID-19 pandemic, potentially effective treatments are currently under urgent investigation. Benefits of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine for the treatment of COVID-19 infection have been proposed and clinical trials are underway. Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine, typically used for the treatment of malaria and autoimmune diseases, have been considered for off-label use in several countries. ⋯ Patient reports of hearing loss, tinnitus, or imbalance should be noted. Those with troublesome hearing loss, tinnitus and/or imbalance are encouraged to be referred for hearing evaluation and interventions once they are stable. Clinical trials of chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine should also consider including audiological monitoring in the protocol.
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Frontiers in medicine · Jan 2020
ReviewThe Lung, the Heart, the Novel Coronavirus, and the Renin-Angiotensin System; The Need for Clinical Trials.
Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is the receptor for COVID-19 (SARs-CoV-2). ACE2 protects the lung and heart from acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and acute myocarditis and arrhythmias, because it breaks down Angiotensin II, which has inflammatory effects in the lung and heart as well as in the kidney. When SARS-CoV-2 binds to ACE2, it suppresses it, so this protective action of ACE2 is lost. ⋯ Drugs that prevent the inflammatory actions of Angiotensin II (i.e., Angiotensin receptor blockers, ARBs) prevent acute lung injury caused by SARS-CoV. Clinical trials are underway to test the risks and benefits of ARBs and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) in COVID-19 patients requiring hospitalization. Other potential treatments are also discussed.
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Frontiers in neurology · Jan 2020
ReviewImpact of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in the Nervous System: Implications of COVID-19 in Neurodegeneration.
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), began in December 2019, in Wuhan, China and was promptly declared as a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO). As an acute respiratory disease, COVID-19 uses the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor, which is the same receptor used by its predecessor, SARS-CoV, to enter and spread through the respiratory tract. ⋯ Although there is evidence showing that coronaviruses can invade the central nervous system (CNS), studies are needed to address the invasion of SARS-CoV-2 in the CNS and to decipher the underlying neurotropic mechanisms used by SARS-CoV-2. This review summarizes current reports on the neurological manifestations of COVID-19 and addresses potential routes used by SARS-CoV-2 to invade the CNS.
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In December 2019, a novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, causing the disease COVID-19, spread from Wuhan throughout China and has infected people over 200 countries. Thus far, more than 3,400,000 cases and 240,000 deaths have occurred worldwide, and the coronavirus pandemic continues to grip the globe. While numbers of cases in China have been steadying, the number of infections outside China is increasing at a worrying pace. ⋯ Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is grounded in empirical observations and the Chinese people use TCM to overcome these sorts of plagues many times in thousands of years of history. Currently, the Chinese National Health Commission recommended a TCM prescription of Qing-Fei-Pai-Du-Tang (QFPDT) in the latest version of the "Diagnosis and Treatment guidelines of COVID-19" which has been reported to provide reliable effects for COVID-19. While doubts about TCM still exist today, this review paper will describe the rationalities that QFPDT is likely to bring a safe and effective treatment of COVID-19.
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Meta Analysis
The Impact of Dementia on the Clinical Outcome of COVID-19: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
The emergence of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has brought large challenges to dementia patients. We reviewed the existing literature on COVID-19 to assess the incidence and mortality of dementia comorbidities in COVID-19 patients. ⋯ Emerging literature shows that dementia comorbidities are a high risk factor for the prevalence and mortality of COVID-19. Our results should have an impact on preventive interventions and encourage more targeted approaches to prioritize older people with specific risk factors, such as dementia.