Articles: sars-cov-2.
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Polio, measles, rubella, influenza and rotavirus surveillance programmes are of great public health importance globally. Virus isolation using cell culture is an integral part of such programmes. Possibility of unintended isolation of SARS-CoV-2 from clinical specimens processed in biosafety level-2 (BSL-2) laboratories during the above-mentioned surveillance programmes, cannot be ruled out. The present study was conducted to assess the susceptibility of different cell lines to SARS-CoV-2 used in these programmes. ⋯ Replication of SARS-CoV-2 in Vero/hSLAM and MA-104 underscores the possibility of its unintended isolation during surveillance procedures aiming to isolate measles, rubella and rotavirus. This could result in accidental exposure to high titres of SARS-CoV-2, which can result in laboratory acquired infections and community risk, highlighting the need for revisiting biosafety measures in public health laboratories.
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SARS-CoV-2 infection has, in most cases, a mild course, although acute respiratory distress syndrome is associated with higher mortality. ⋯ Mortality was higher in the public sector, and this could be due to the overcrowding of services, which determined a scarcity of resources.
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The SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus pandemic continues causing significant global morbidity and mortality. COVID-19 is an acute respiratory infection that can affect other organs. Tuberculosis (TB) is also an endemic infection that typically occurs with pulmonary involvement and very infrequently, with extra-pulmonary involvement. ⋯ The most frequently associated infection was due to human immunodeficiency virus, (n = 3), underweight (n = 2), COPD (n = 1) and drug addiction (n = 1). Three presented exclusive extrapulmonary involvement of the central nervous system, two pulmonary and pericardial. Four patients (80%) had a favorable evolution.