Articles: sars-cov-2.
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COVID-19 is a respiratory disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). It was first documented in late 2019, but within months, a worldwide pandemic was declared due to the easily transmissible nature of the virus. Research to date on the immune response to SARS-CoV-2 has focused largely on conventional B and T lymphocytes. ⋯ We discuss the potential use of these cells as therapeutic agents in the COVID-19 setting. Due to the rapidly evolving situation presented by COVID-19, there is an urgent need to understand the pathogenesis of this disease and the mechanisms underlying its immune response. Through this, we may be able to better help those with severe cases and lower the mortality rate by devising more effective vaccines and novel treatment strategies.
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The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic created shortages of operating room (OR) supplies, forcing healthcare systems to make concessions regarding "standard" OR attire. At our institution, we were required to reduce shoe covers, reuse face masks, and allow washable head coverings. We determined if these changes affected surgical site infection (SSI) rates. ⋯ This analysis has practical applications as we emerge from the pandemic and make decisions regarding OR attire. These data suggest that disposable head covers and shoe covers and frequent changes of face masks are unnecessary, and discontinuation of these practices will have significant cost and environmental implications. These data also reinforce the importance of good hand hygiene for infection prevention.
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Nucleic acid testing is a reliable method for diagnosing viral infection in clinical samples. However, when the number of cases is huge and there are individual differences in the virus itself, the probability of false-negative results increases. With the advancement in research on the new coronavirus, new detection technologies that use serum-specific antibodies as detection targets have been developed. These detection technologies have high efficiency and shorter turnaround time, which ultimately shortens the time required for diagnosis. This article summarizes the methods that have been reported to date for the detection of the new coronavirus and discusses their principles and technical characteristics. ⋯ With the advancement of technology and the improvement of methods, the detection methods of SARSCoV-2 have become more mature. These advances provided great help to the detection of SARS-CoV-2.
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Emergency department (ED) workers have an increased seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. However, breakthrough infections in ED workers have led to a reduced workforce within a strained healthcare system. By measuring levels of IgG antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid and spike antigens in ED workers, we determined the incidence of infection and described the course of antibody levels. We also measured the antibody response to vaccination and examined factors associated with immunogenicity. ⋯ ED workers experienced a low incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection and developed antibodies in response to vaccines and prior infection. Antibody levels decreased markedly with time since infection or vaccination.
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While SARS-CoV-2 is a novel virus, contagious respiratory illnesses are not a new problem. Limited research has examined the extent to which place- and race-based disparities in severe illness are similar across waves of the COVID-19 pandemic and historic influenza seasons. In this study, we focused on these disparities within a low-income population, those enrolled in Medicaid in New York City. ⋯ Black/white disparities in hospitalization dissipated in the second COVID wave and reversed in the third wave. The commonality of disparities across influenza seasons and the first wave of COVID-19 suggests there are community factors that increase hospitalization risk across novel respiratory illness incidents that emerge in the period before aggressive public health intervention. By contrast, convergence in hospitalization patterns in later pandemic waves may reflect, in part, the distinctive public health response to COVID-19.