Articles: sars-cov-2.
-
Scand J Trauma Resus · Oct 2021
Observational StudyHigh class filtering facepiece (FFP) are fundamental and effective in protection of emergency health care workers: an observational cohort study in a German community.
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a highly contagious airborne virus inducing pandemic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This is most relevant for medical staff working under harmful conditions in emergencies often dealing with patients and an undefined SARS-CoV-2 status. We aimed to measure the effect of high-class filtering facepieces (FFP) in emergency medical service (EMS) staff by analyzing seroprevalence and history of positive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for SARS-CoV-2. ⋯ The period in which contact to SARS-CoV-2 positive patients has been possible was 10 months (March to December 2020)-with 54,681 patient contacts documented for EMS-either emergencies (n = 33,241) or transportation services (n = 21,440). Seven hundred-thirty (n = 730) participants were included into the study (n = EMS: 325, HS: 322 and NPC: 83). The analysis of the survey showed that the exposure to patients with an unknown and consecutive positive SARS-CoV-2 result was significantly higher for EMS when compared to HS (EMS 55% vs. HS 30%, p = 0.01). The incidence of a SARS-CoV-2 infection in our cohort was 1.2% (EMS), 2.2% (HS) and 2.4% (NPC) within the three groups (ns) and lowest in EMS. Furthermore, the belief of previous COVID-19 was significant higher in EMS (19% vs. 10%), CONCLUSION: The consistent use of FFP2/N95 in EMS is able to prevent work-related SARS-CoV-2 infections in emergency situations. The significance of physical airway protection in exposed medical staff is still relevant especially under the aspect of new viral variants and unclear effectiveness of new vaccines.
-
Clinical rheumatology · Oct 2021
Long COVID: rheumatologic/musculoskeletal symptoms in hospitalized COVID-19 survivors at 3 and 6 months.
To document the detailed characteristics including severity, type, and locations of rheumatic and musculoskeletal symptoms along with other COVID-19 persistent symptoms in hospitalized COVID-19 survivors at 3 and 6 months. ⋯ Approximately 3 in 5 patients had at least one symptom with ≈2 in 5 patients had at least one rheumatic and musculoskeletal symptom. Fatigue, joint pain, and myalgia were the most frequent rheumatic and musculoskeletal symptoms. Joint pain and myalgia were mostly widespread. This information guide rheumatologists to understand the nature and features of persistent rheumatic and musculoskeletal symptoms in hospitalized COVID-19 survivors and may contribute to better management of these individuals. Key Points • Approximately 3 in 5 patients had at least one symptom with ≈2 in 5 patients had at least one rheumatic and musculoskeletal symptom at 6 months • Fatigue, joint pain, and myalgia were the most frequent rheumatic and musculoskeletal symptoms followed by back pain, low back pain, and neck pain • Dyspnea, hair loss, and sweat were the most frequent other-COVID-19-symptoms.
-
The first quarter of the 21st century has remarkably been characterized by a multitude of challenges confronting human society as a whole in terms of several outbreaks of infectious viral diseases, such as the 2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), China; the 2009 influenza H1N1, Mexico; the 2012 Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), Saudi Arabia; and the ongoing coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19), China. COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2, reportedly broke out in December 2019, Wuhan, the capital of China's Hubei province, and continues unabated, leading to considerable devastation and death worldwide. The most common target organ of SARS-CoV-2 is the lungs, especially the bronchial and alveolar epithelial cells, culminating in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in severe patients. ⋯ In addition, 100-150 vaccines are under various phases of pre-clinical and clinical trials. The mainstay of global vaccination is to introduce herd immunity, which would protect the majority of the population, including immunocompromised individuals, from infection and disease. Here, we primarily discuss category-wise vaccine development, their respective advantages and disadvantages, associated efficiency and potential safety aspects, antigenicity of SARS-CoV-2 structural proteins and immune responses to them along with the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 VOC, and the urgent need of achieving herd immunity to contain the pandemic.