Articles: sars-cov-2.
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Acta neurochirurgica · Jul 2020
ReviewEthical triage during the COVID-19 pandemic: a toolkit for neurosurgical resource allocation.
The COVID-19 pandemic confronts healthcare workers, including neurosurgeons, with difficult choices regarding which patients to treat. ⋯ This overview is presented on behalf of the European Association of Neurosurgical Societies and can be used as a toolkit for neurosurgeons faced with ethical dilemmas when triaging patients in times of scarcity.
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Case Reports
Treatment with convalescent plasma for critically ill patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection.
As of March 24, 2020, novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been responsible for 379,661 infection cases with 16,428 deaths globally, and the number is still increasing rapidly. Herein, we present four critically ill patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection who received supportive care and convalescent plasma. Although all four patients (including a pregnant woman) recovered from SARS-CoV-2 infection eventually, randomized trials are needed to eliminate the effect of other treatments and investigate the safety and efficacy of convalescent plasma therapy.
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Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg · Jul 2020
Meta AnalysisThe Prevalence of Olfactory and Gustatory Dysfunction in COVID-19 Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.
To determine the pooled global prevalence of olfactory and gustatory dysfunction in patients with the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19). ⋯ Olfactory and gustatory dysfunction are common symptoms in patients with COVID-19 and may represent early symptoms in the clinical course of infection. Increased awareness of this fact may encourage earlier diagnosis and treatment, as well as heighten vigilance for viral transmission. To our knowledge, this is the first meta-analysis to report on the prevalence of these symptoms in COVID-19 patients.
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Emerging Infect. Dis. · Jul 2020
Evidence Supporting Transmission of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 While Presymptomatic or Asymptomatic.
Recent epidemiologic, virologic, and modeling reports support the possibility of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission from persons who are presymptomatic (SARS-CoV-2 detected before symptom onset) or asymptomatic (SARS-CoV-2 detected but symptoms never develop). SARS-CoV-2 transmission in the absence of symptoms reinforces the value of measures that prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2 by infected persons who may not exhibit illness despite being infectious. Critical knowledge gaps include the relative incidence of asymptomatic and symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection, the public health interventions that prevent asymptomatic transmission, and the question of whether asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection confers protective immunity.
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As shown by the current COVID-19 pandemic, emergency departments (ED) are the front line for hospital-and-community-based care during viral respiratory disease outbreaks. As such, EDs must be able to reorganize and reformat operations to meet the changing needs and staggering patient volume. This paper addresses ways to adapt departmental operations to better manage in times of elevated disease burden, specifically identifying areas of intervention to help limit crowding and spread. ⋯ Triage should identify and geographically cohort symptomatic patients within a designated unit to limit exposure early in an outbreak. Screening and PPE guidelines for both patient and staff should be followed closely, as determined by hospital administration and the CDC. Equipment needs are also greatly affected in an outbreak; we emphasis portable radiographic equipment to limit transport, and an upstocking of certain medications, respiratory supplies, and PPE.