Articles: sars-cov-2.
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GMS Hyg Infect Control · Jan 2020
COVID-19 in long-term care facilities in Frankfurt am Main, Germany: incidence, case reports, and lessons learned.
As of August 30, 2020, the World Health Organisation (WHO) reported 24,822,800 COVID-19 infections world wide. Severe disease and deaths occur especially in older people with chronic illnesses. Residents of nursing homes are considered to be the most vulnerable group. ⋯ Due to the measures taken (monitoring of residents and staff, nursing care in protective clothing, prohibition or restriction of visits, physical distancing, isolation of infected people and quarantining of contact persons), only individual cases of COVID-19 illnesses occurred in nursing home residents in most homes and the outbreaks in the three homes could be stopped. We do not recommend regular nontargeted testing in nursing homes, but rather vigilance and the implementation of good hygiene as well as immediate targeted testing if COVID-19 is suspected in residents or staff. In order to mitigate the considerable negative effects of these measures on the residents, a good balance should be sought between infection prevention and the goal of ensuring self-determination and the residents' quality of life.
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The pandemic caused by the SARS-COV-2 or COVID-19 virus has been a global challenge given its high rate of transmission and lack of effective therapy or vaccine. This scenario has led to the use of various drugs that have demonstrated a potential effect against the virus in vitro. ⋯ The use of chloroquine/hydroxychloroquine, azithromycin and antiviral treatment and has been proposed by various groups, supported by in-vitro studies and limited patient series, without the adequate scientific rigor that precedes drug prescription. Although it may represent the only hope for many patients, it is important to know the main adverse effects associated with the use of these drugs and to better select patients who may benefit from them.
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Frontiers in pediatrics · Jan 2020
Case ReportsCase Report: Use of Anakinra in Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome During COVID-19 Pandemic.
During COVID-19 outbreak, a large number of children with severe inflammatory disease has been reported. This condition, named Pediatric Multi-inflammatory Syndrome temporally associated with COVID-19 (PIMS-TS) or Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome associated with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (MIS-C), shares some clinical features with Kawasaki disease and is frequently complicated by myocarditis or shock. It has been suggested that MIS-C belongs to the group of cytokine storm syndromes triggered by SARS-CoV-2 infection. ⋯ Both the patients presented a poor response to IVIG and systemic glucocorticoids and received anakinra. Treatment with IL-1 receptor antagonist showed a rapid improvement of clinical conditions and biochemical analysis in both patients and demonstrated a good safety profile. Thus, we look forward for future controlled clinical trials with the aim to demonstrate the effectiveness of anakinra in patients with MIS-C and established precise criteria for its use.
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J Neonatal Perinatal Med · Jan 2020
Management of the mother-infant dyad with suspected or confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection in a highly epidemic context.
In the context of SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, the hospital management of mother-infant pairs poses to obstetricians and neonatologists previously unmet challenges. In Lombardy, Northern Italy, 59 maternity wards networked to organise the medical assistance of mothers and neonates with suspected or confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. ⋯ Here, we present the key features of this reorganization effort, and our current management of the mother-infant dyad before and after birth, including our approach to rooming-in practice, breastfeeding and neonatal follow-up, based on the currently available scientific evidence. Considered the rapid diffusion of COVID-19 all over the world, we believe that preparedness is fundamental to assist mother-infant dyads, minimising the risk of propagation of the infection through maternity and neonatal wards.
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Frontiers in immunology · Jan 2020
Case ReportsCase Report: Systemic Inflammatory Response and Fast Recovery in a Pediatric Patient With COVID-19.
We report a case of an 8-year-old girl who underwent a SARS-CoV-2 infection manifesting with atypical symptoms spearheaded by abdominal discomfort and systemic inflammation and partially mimicking hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) or macrophage activation syndrome (MAS), which however did not fulfill the HLH/MAS diagnostic criteria. In this case of what has since been described as Pediatric Inflammatory Multisystem Syndrome Temporally associated with SARS-COV-2 (PIMS-TS) we documented excellent clinical response to immunosuppression with systemic corticosteroids and intravenous immunoglobulins. We show a detailed longitudinal development of neutrophil immunophenotype which suggests activation and engagement of neutrophils during PIMS-TS with compensatory contraction of the response and contra-regulation of neutrophil phenotype during recovery.