Coronavirus (COVID-19) Collection
Azithromycin use and outcomes in patients with COVID-19: an observational real-world study
COVID-19, caused by the new SARS-CoV-2, continues to be widespread, with nearly 600 million cases and >6 million deaths worldwide as of August 29, 2022 (World Health Organization, 2022). Most patients with COVID-19 have flu-like syndrome with a variety of mild symptoms including rhinitis, pharyngitis, cough, and fever. However, some patients experience a more life-threatening disease characterized by respiratory failure, a proinflammatory state, and arterial thromboembolism, which may require hospitalization and intensive care unit (ICU) admission (Bonaventura et al.Real-world effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccination among children in Italy
In this study, we analyzed the clinical efficacy of mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines among Italian children aged 5 to 11 years, using data published by the National Institute of Health. Vaccination status was associated with a reduced risk of COVID-19–related hospitalizations and intensive care unit (ICU) admissions, which were 41% (odds ratio, 0.59; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.46-0.77) and 68% (odds ratio, 0.32; 95% CI, 0.04-2.63), respectively, lower in children who completed the vaccination cycle <120 days than in the unvaccinated matched population.COVID-19 and kidney transplantation: the impact of remdesivir on renal function and outcome - a retrospective cohort study
Lifelong immunosuppression and the burden of comorbidities put organ transplant recipients at risk for unfavorable outcome after SARS-CoV-2 infection (Qin et al., 2021, Jager et al., 2020). The initial lack of knowledge concerning this new and puzzling disease as well as the absence of targeted and effective antiviral interventions during the early phases of the pandemic resulted in a mortality of kidney transplant (KTx) recipients exceeding 25% (Oltean et al., 2020). However, rapidly accumulating information, evolving guidelines, and several experimental treatments seem to have improved the outcomes following COVID-19 both in transplanted patients and the general population (Heldman et al., 2021, Elec et al., 2021, Villanego et al., 2021).COVID-19 vaccination and SARS-CoV-2 Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant: a light at the end of the tunnel?
We read with interest the recent article of Abdullah et al., who concluded that a significantly lower severity of illness associated with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron B.1.1.529 variant-driven epidemic wave had been observed in Tshwane, South Africa (Abdullah et al., 2021). This agrees with evidence recently published in other studies from South Africa, the United States, and the United Kingdom (Mahase, 2021), which also reported a similar suggestion of decreased pathogenicity associated with this new and highly mutated Omicron lineages (Lippi, Mattiuzzi and Henry, 2021).Characteristics and Outcomes of COVID-19 in Reproductive-Aged Pregnant and Nonpregnant Women in Osaka, Japan
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), was first reported in Wuhan, China (Li et al., 2020, Zhou et al., 2020), and rapidly spread worldwide, imposing a major burden on healthcare systems globally. Pregnant women are considered to be at a higher risk of severe morbidity and mortality from other respiratory infections, such as influenza or SARS (Allotey et al., 2020, Blitz et al., 2020, Vintzileos et al., 2020, Xu et al., 2020), than nonpregnant women.Analysis of the factors predicting clinical response to tocilizumab therapy in patients with severe COVID-19
The deleterious impact of the hyperactive immune response triggered by SARS-CoV-2 has been reported since the start of the pandemic (Giamarellos-Bourboulis et al., 2020, Vabret et al., 2020). Therapeutic immunomodulation emerged as a potentially life-saving option for patients with severe COVID-19 (Luis et al., 2021). Available drugs inhibiting the pleiotropic proinflammatory cytokine interleukin 6 (IL-6) rapidly became of particular interest because elevated IL-6 levels seemed to mediate systemic inflammatory responses associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection and the development of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and multiorgan failure (McGonagle et al., 2020).Influence of chronic use of corticosteroids and calcineurin inhibitors on COVID-19 clinical outcomes: analysis of a nationwide registry
Since the beginning of 2020, the world has faced the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. As of November 11, 2021, more than 250 million people had contracted COVID-19 worldwide, and more than 5 million had died (Dong et al., 2020).Bacteraemic pneumococcal pneumonia and SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia: differences and similarities
Streptococcus pneumoniae remains the most common cause of community-acquired pneumonia (Van der Poll and Opal, 2009; Johansson et al., 2010). Among pneumonia pathogens, it is the leading cause of hospitalization and death in adults (Roson et al., 2001; Shariatzadeh et al., 2005). Approximately 15–25% of cases of pneumococcal pneumonia are bacteraemic (Said et al., 2013), and bacteraemic pneumococcal community-acquired pneumonia (B-PCAP) has traditionally been considered an invasive form of infection related to higher inflammatory status, worse in-hospital course and shorter long-term survival (Capelastegui et al., 2014; Ishiguro et al., 2016; Ruiz et al., 2019).SARS-CoV-2 rapid antigen testing in the healthcare sector: A clinical prediction model for identifying false negative results
Since its onset (Zhu et al., 2020), the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), emerged to a major burden for the population in general but especially brought great challenges for the healthcare sector (Miller et al., 2020). Recent statistics presented by the German federal government agency Robert-Koch-Institute (RKI) show that cough, fever, nasal congestion, sore throat and loss of smell or taste are the most common symptoms caused by COVID-19 (RKI, 2021a).Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in adults: A rare sequela of SARS-CoV-2 infection
Most of our understanding of MIS-A is based on various case reports and case series shared by the CDC and published in the medical literature (Bastug et al., 2021; Morris et al., 2020). Here we describe a case of MIS-A in a patient admitted to the Creighton University Medical Center —Bergan Mercy campus in Omaha, Nebraska with clinical presentation and diagnostics suggestive of MIS-A.Longitudinal assessment of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody dynamics and clinical features following convalescence from a COVID-19 infection
The novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was first identified in December 2019 in Wuhan, China, as a pathogen causing severe respiratory infections termed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) (Zhou et al., 2020). Within a few months, SARS-CoV-2 had spread throughout China and finally resulted in a global pandemic (Ahn et al., 2020). As of March 2021, over 118 million confirmed cases and more than 2.5 million fatalities had been reported worldwide according to WHO statistics (WHO, 2021).Admission levels of Soluble Urokinase Plasminogen Activator Receptor (suPAR) are Associated with the Development of Severe Complications in Hospitalised COVID-19 Patients: A Prospective Cohort Study
The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has exerted enormous relentless pressures on the global healthcare systems. As of February 4, 2021, over 102 million people were infected with SARS-CoV-2, and more than 2.2 million have died since the start of the pandemic (WHO, 2020). The true number of cases may even exceed the number of diagnosed cases by more than 10-fold (Havers et al., 2020; Stringhini et al., 2020).The use of non-invasive ventilation in COVID-19: A systematic review
The outbreak of COVID-19 began in Wuhan, China, in late December 2019, and has since spread globally, leading to an ongoing pandemic. Among COVID-19 patients, the percentage of patients with severe and critical COVID-19 was reported to be 13.8% and 4.7%, respectively (China CDC, 2020). The most likely cause of death was severe respiratory failure (Berlin et al., 2020). Thus, if means of respiratory support, such as non-invasive ventilation (NIV), can be chosen correctly and implemented in time, the fatality in severe patients could be reduced (Sundaram et al., 2020).
