Causes Coronavirus Disease 2019 Research Articles

PATIENT-REPORTED EXPERIENCES WITH SARS-COV-2: A SURVEY STUDY EXAMINING ACUTE- AND LONG-TERM SYMPTOMS AND HOW THEY RELATE TO AREA OF HOSPITALIZATION AND LONG-TERM DISEASE

PATIENT-REPORTED EXPERIENCES WITH SARS-COV-2: A SURVEY STUDY EXAMINING ACUTE- AND LONG-TERM SYMPTOMS AND HOW THEY RELATE TO AREA OF HOSPITALIZATION AND LONG-TERM DISEASE

COVID-19 THERAPY: COMPARISON EFFECTIVITY BETWEEN REMDESIVIR AND FAVIPIRAVIR

ntroduction: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS CoV-2) is the virus that causes Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), a disease of global concern(1). Remdesivir and favipiravir are antiviral drugs that are considered COVID19 therapy, as described in Indonesia's 3rd COVID-19 Management Guidelines. They have a similar mechanism, specifically by inhibiting RNA dependent RNA polymerase of the virus (3). Several studies have reported that patients who were treated with these antivirals had a shorter hospital stays (4–6). However, the comparison of efficacy between remdesivir and favipiravir is still unknown. Methods: An observational analytic study was done using a retrospective cohort design. Eighty-eight medical records of COVID-19 patients between January 2021 to August 2021 are collected by consecutive sampling techniques, and this research was carried out at Gotong Royong Hospital Surabaya. Results: Based on the statistical analysis test, there was no clinical improvement difference found, neither patients received remdesivir nor favipiravir based on their clinical manifestations, such as ventilation support and chest X-ray, measured by WHO ordinal scale (p=0,486 ; p>0,05 on the first week and p=0,942 ; p>0,05 on the second week). Conclusions: Improved clinical manifestations were seen in the second week of therapy, either in patients who received remdesivir or favipiravir, but there was no significant effectivity difference between those drugs.

Gustatory Dysfunction in COVID-19: Solitary or Secondary?

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causing Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) commonly presented with neurological and respiratory disorders. Among the neurological symptoms, headache, myalgia, dizziness, impaired consciousness, cerebrovascular accident (CVA), olfactory dysfunction (OD), and gustatory dysfunction (GD) are typical. GD and OD have been included as new symptoms of COVID-19 infection by the World Health Organization (WHO). Taste disorders variedfrom dysgeusia to ageusia. Similarly, OD or smell disorder severity went from microsomia or hyposmia to anosmia. The merit of theseneurological disorders is an early screening criterion for a COVID-19 patient, especially where the diagnostic resources are limited. Most of the published articles demonstrate these two dysfunctions together. Our concise review aimed to determine whether GD in COVID-19 is a solitary (independent) symptom or a secondary (associated) symptom of OD. Besides, we were looking at the possible transmission pathways of SARS-CoV-2, if it can be an early diagnostic symptom, a predictor of severity, and a prognostic factor for impaired outcome. We have limited our study to publishing articles in English only. Therefore, further evaluation might be recommended to include studies published in other languages.

Matrix Metalloproteinase-3 and Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-2 as Diagnostic Markers for COVID-19 Infection

Coronavirus 2 is the cause of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which leads to severe acute respiratory illness. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) have been linked to leukocyte infiltration and chemokine activation during inflammatory responses. Tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase (TIMP) family are thought to dampen the proinflammatory effects of these MMPs. The molecular pathways of lung fibrosis are mediated by MMPs and TIMPs. In this study, we sought to investigate the probable link between MMPs, specifically MMP-3, TIMP-2, and COVID-19. The study included 58 COVID-19 patients and 30 apparently healthy individuals matched in terms of age and sex. Multiplex real- time PCR was used to detect the ORF1ab, E, and N genes of SARS-Cov-2, ELISA was used to evaluate the quantities of soluble MMP-3, TIMP-2, and C reactive protein in serum. The results showed that the serum levels of MMP-3 and TIMP-2 were noticeably higher in COVID-19 patients than healthy controls; which and was statistically significant (p <0.001). Estimation of serum MMP-3 and the inhibitor TIMP-2 may have a useful indication for COVID-19 diagnosis.

Coronavirus 2019 disease: Are corticosteroids the key treatment? A retrospective case-control study in Brazil.

BackgroundSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is the putative cause of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a serious disease that has severely impacted the world. Although vaccines have been developed, it will take time to inoculate the global population. Current guidelines have focused on the treatment of severe cases in hospital settings; however, a void has been created regarding appropriate measures for those in the initial stage of COVID-19 and those experiencing moderate disease severity progressing to desaturation. We assessed clinical outcomes in patients with COVID-19 with pneumonia at initial presentation treated with corticosteroids.MethodsData of 177 consecutive high-risk patients with COVID-19, monitored by telemedicine, were collected and analyzed. Of those, 68 patients were in the initial inflammatory phase of the disease without desaturation and received corticosteroids. The outcomes were evaluated after a follow up of 14 days. Four patients were immediately referred to the hospital because they had explicit desaturation at presentation.ResultsAfter 14 days, all patients in the inflammatory phase at presentation who were treated with corticosteroids before desaturation were alive and without complications. However, of the four patients with desaturation, one died at the hospital.ConclusionIn this study, the use of corticosteroids during the initial pulmonary phase of COVID-19 before desaturation, in addition to daily monitoring of patients, prevented disease progression, decreased the risk of complications and incidence of hospitalization and death. However, additional studies with larger number of patients are needed to confirm these findings.

Spike S1 domain interactome in non-pulmonary systems: A role beyond the receptor recognition.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), which, since 2019 in China, has rapidly become a worldwide pandemic. The aggressiveness and global spread were enhanced by the many SARS-CoV-2 variants that have been isolated up to now. These mutations affect mostly the viral glycoprotein Spike (S), the capsid protein mainly involved in the early stages of viral entry processes, through the recognition of specific receptors on the host cell surface. In particular, the subunit S1 of the Spike glycoprotein contains the Receptor Binding Domain (RBD) and it is responsible for the interaction with the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). Although ACE2 is the primary Spike host receptor currently studied, it has been demonstrated that SARS-CoV-2 is also able to infect cells expressing low levels of ACE2, indicating that the virus may have alternative receptors on the host cells. The identification of the alternative receptors can better elucidate the pathogenicity and the tropism of SARS-CoV-2. Therefore, we investigated the Spike S1 interactomes, starting from host membrane proteins of non-pulmonary cell lines, such as human kidney (HK-2), normal colon (NCM460D), and colorectal adenocarcinoma (Caco-2). We employed an affinity purification-mass spectrometry (AP-MS) to pull down, from the membrane protein extracts of all cell lines, the protein partners of the recombinant form of the Spike S1 domain. The purified interactors were identified by a shotgun proteomics approach. The lists of S1 potential interacting proteins were then clusterized according to cellular localization, biological processes, and pathways, highlighting new possible S1 intracellular functions, crucial not only for the entrance mechanisms but also for viral replication and propagation processes.

Hand eczema associated with frequent hand washing and use of hand sanitizer during COVID-19 pandemic: A case series

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The disease, because of its associated morbidity, mortality, and fast spread, has created panic among all sections of society. Hand washing and hand sanitizers are useful preventive measures against acquisition of SARS-CoV-2. However, overzealous use may be harmful and can cause hand eczema. People with certain occupations have higher risk of hand eczema. In this article, we report six adult patients who developed hand eczema after frequent hand washing and use of hand sanitizers during COVID-19 pandemic. Treatment and outcome of hand eczema in these patients are also discussed.

Virtual Screening and Quantum Chemistry Analysis for SARS-CoV-2 RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase Using the ChEMBL Database: Reproduction of the Remdesivir-RTP and Favipiravir-RTP Binding Modes Obtained from Cryo-EM Experiments with High Binding Affinity.

The novel coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), was identified as the pathogenic cause of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) of SARS-CoV-2 is a potential target for the treatment of COVID-19. An RdRp complex:dsRNA structure suitable for docking simulations was prepared using a cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structure (PDB ID: 7AAP; resolution, 2.60 Å) that was reported recently. Structural refinement was performed using energy calculations. Structure-based virtual screening was performed using the ChEMBL database. Through 1,838,257 screenings, 249 drugs (37 approved, 93 clinical, and 119 preclinical drugs) were predicted to exhibit a high binding affinity for the RdRp complex:dsRNA. Nine nucleoside triphosphate analogs with anti-viral activity were included among these hit drugs, and among them, remdesivir-ribonucleoside triphosphate and favipiravir-ribonucleoside triphosphate adopted a similar docking mode as that observed in the cryo-EM structure. Additional docking simulations for the predicted compounds with high binding affinity for the RdRp complex:dsRNA suggested that 184 bioactive compounds could be anti-SARS-CoV-2 drug candidates. The hit bioactive compounds mainly consisted of a typical noncovalent major groove binder for dsRNA. Three-layer ONIOM (MP2/6-31G:AM1:AMBER) geometry optimization calculations and frequency analyses (MP2/6-31G:AMBER) were performed to estimate the binding free energy of a representative bioactive compound obtained from the docking simulation, and the fragment molecular orbital calculation at the MP2/6-31G level of theory was subsequently performed for analyzing the detailed interactions. The procedure used in this study represents a possible strategy for discovering anti-SARS-CoV-2 drugs from drug libraries that could significantly shorten the clinical development period for drug repositioning.

The Impact of COVID-19 Infection on Prognostic Effect of Liver Laboratory Markers and Disease Outcome

Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus 2 (SARS- CoV-2) is a viral pathogen that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), as a receptor, is crucial for SARS-CoV-2 to get access into the host cells. According to reports, ACE2 is expressed in the liver, placenta, heart, lungs and kidneys. This study sought to gain unique insights into the features of liver indicators in individuals suffering from COVID-19 disease in order to enhance their therapeutic care. The study groups included 50 people diagnosed with COVID-19 infection in the patient’s group and 25 healthy people without any systemic diseases in the control group. Human serum samples were used to measure liver function enzymes, CRP, D dimer, and ferritin all samples by using automated quantitative tests. The results revealed a statically significant difference between AST, ALP, TSB, and study groups, where it is found that the mean levels of AST (88.04±33.00) and ALP (99.61±41.93) were high in patients than in controls, while the mean levels of TSB were low in patients (0.51±0.21) than the controls. A significant difference was also obtained for each ferritin, CRP, and D dimer between the study groups, where it found the mean concentrations of D dimer, ferritin and CRP, i.e., 1208.09±667.32, 60.53±23.91 and 204.52±90.62, respectively, were high in the patient’s group than in controls.

Estimation of D-Dimer Level among Sudanese Patients with COVID-19 Infection-Khartoum State 2022

Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causing coronavirusdisease 2019 (COVID-19) has rapidly evolved from an epidemic outbreak in Wuhan, China into a pandemic infecting more than one million individuals all over the world, where as billions of citizens are affected by measures of social distancing and the socioeconomic impact of the pandemic
 Material and methods: This was case control study, conduct at COVID-19 quarantine hospitals in Khartoum state during the period from May to July 2022, for the measurement of D-dimer level among Sudanese covid 19 patients. One hundred participants were selected as cases and apparently fifty participants were selected as control group. 2.8 ml of venous blood samples were collected in Tri Sodium Citrate anticoagulant The D-dimer was performed using B50protein analyzer .
 Results: When compared the D-dimer results between case and control there was highly significant difference with p.value 0.000. In addition the D-dimer in cases compared with the other study variables which revealed; significant differences with the chronic disease and the severity of the disease, in significant differences with the age, gender and smoking status.
 Conclusion: This study concluded that D-dimer was significantly increase in COVID-19 patients, and it had significant differences with the chronic disease and the severity of the disease, insignificant differences with the age, gender and smoking status.
 Keywords: COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, D-dimer, chronic disease and B50protein analyzer

The Role of Childhood Obesity in Acute Presentations and Outcomes of Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients.

Background and objectiveThe severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has affected all regions, demographics, and age groups worldwide. However, few studies have investigated the prevalence of childhood obesity and severe COVID-19 presentation in a predominately Hispanic population. In light of this, we investigated the role of underlying obesity in COVID-19 presentations and outcomes at a tertiary care children’s hospital by using subcategories based on patients' body mass index (BMI).MethodsWe conducted a single-center retrospective study involving 77 pediatric patients aged 18 years and younger, who were hospitalized with suspected or verified COVID-19 between February 2020 and January 2021. We collected data on height, weight, and BMI and categorized patients based on the World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) definition(s) of obesity. We also collected data on demographics, mode of presentation, need for pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admission, the severity of illness at the time of PICU admission, and data related to outcomes. We analyzed the data using logistical regression with Firth’s biased reduction method wherever applicable.ResultsIn our cohort, over 85% of the patients identified as belonging to Hispanic ethnicity (n=66); the median age of the cohort was 8.69 years, and 50.65% were classified as obese (n=39). We found a statistically significant relationship between underlying obesity and one or more comorbidities (p<0.001). BMI classification was significantly dependent on the incidence of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) (p=0.0353). Furthermore, the bivariate analysis confirmed that acute kidney injury (AKI) (p=0.048) and MIS-C predictors (p<0.001) were significantly associated with PICU admission status. The combined model confirmed a significant relationship between MIS-C and both PICU admission status (p<0.001) and obese BMI classification (p=0.002). PICU admission status led to increased hospital length of stay (LOS) (p<0.001). Patient age (p=0.003), underweight BMI (p=0.034), and obese BMI (P=0.008) were significant predictors of PICU LOS. Of note, the survival rate among admitted COVID-19 patients was 93.5%.ConclusionBased on our findings on the prevalence of underlying obesity in admitted COVID-19 patients at the Children’s Hospital of San Antonio, over 50% of pediatric patients were obese and predominately Hispanic. Obesity was significantly associated with patient age, comorbidities, MIS-C status, and PICU LOS. Hospital mortality in pediatric COVID-19 patients was low (6.49%) and consistent with other studies in the literature showing lower rates of mortality in children versus mortality in adult patients with COVID-19.

Pathobiology of Cutaneous Manifestations Associated with COVID-19 and Their Management.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been a rising concern since its declaration as a pandemic by the World Health Organization on 11 March 2020. Recently, its association with multiple underlying organs has been identified that includes cardiac, renal, gastrointestinal, nervous systems, and cutaneous manifestations. Cutaneous COVID-19 findings have been supposedly classified into the following categories: vesicular (varicella-like), papulo-vesiculsar, chilblains-like (“COVID toes”) maculopapular, and urticarial morphologies. In this review, we aim to focus on the proposed pathophysiology behind the various dermatological manifestations associated with COVID-19 and their associated management. We also included prevalence and clinical features of the different COVID-19-related skin lesions in our review. A comprehensive narrative review of the literature was performed in PubMed databases. Data from case reports, observational studies, case series, and reviews till June 2022 were all screened and included in the review.

Benchmark datasets for SARS-CoV-2 surveillance bioinformatics.

BackgroundSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the cause of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has spread globally and is being surveilled with an international genome sequencing effort. Surveillance consists of sample acquisition, library preparation, and whole genome sequencing. This has necessitated a classification scheme detailing Variants of Concern (VOC) and Variants of Interest (VOI), and the rapid expansion of bioinformatics tools for sequence analysis. These bioinformatic tools are means for major actionable results: maintaining quality assurance and checks, defining population structure, performing genomic epidemiology, and inferring lineage to allow reliable and actionable identification and classification. Additionally, the pandemic has required public health laboratories to reach high throughput proficiency in sequencing library preparation and downstream data analysis rapidly. However, both processes can be limited by a lack of a standardized sequence dataset.MethodsWe identified six SARS-CoV-2 sequence datasets from recent publications, public databases and internal resources. In addition, we created a method to mine public databases to identify representative genomes for these datasets. Using this novel method, we identified several genomes as either VOI/VOC representatives or non-VOI/VOC representatives. To describe each dataset, we utilized a previously published datasets format, which describes accession information and whole dataset information. Additionally, a script from the same publication has been enhanced to download and verify all data from this study.ResultsThe benchmark datasets focus on the two most widely used sequencing platforms: long read sequencing data from the Oxford Nanopore Technologies platform and short read sequencing data from the Illumina platform. There are six datasets: three were derived from recent publications; two were derived from data mining public databases to answer common questions not covered by published datasets; one unique dataset representing common sequence failures was obtained by rigorously scrutinizing data that did not pass quality checks. The dataset summary table, data mining script and quality control (QC) values for all sequence data are publicly available on GitHub: https://github.com/CDCgov/datasets-sars-cov-2.DiscussionThe datasets presented here were generated to help public health laboratories build sequencing and bioinformatics capacity, benchmark different workflows and pipelines, and calibrate QC thresholds to ensure sequencing quality. Together, improvements in these areas support accurate and timely outbreak investigation and surveillance, providing actionable data for pandemic management. Furthermore, these publicly available and standardized benchmark data will facilitate the development and adjudication of new pipelines.

Response to Moderate and Vigorous Aerobic/Resistance Exercise in a Woman With Long-COVID

Response to Moderate and Vigorous Aerobic/Resistance Exercise in a Woman With Long-COVID

Application of digital PCR for public health-related water quality monitoring.

Digital polymerase chain reaction (dPCR) is emerging as a reliable platform for quantifying microorganisms in the field of water microbiology. This paper reviews the fundamental principles of dPCR and its application for health-related water microbiology. The relevant literature indicates increasing adoption of dPCR for measuring fecal indicator bacteria, microbial source tracking marker genes, and pathogens in various aquatic environments. The adoption of dPCR has accelerated recently due to increasing use for wastewater surveillance of Severe Acute Respiratory Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) - the virus that causes Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). The collective experience in the scientific literature indicates that well-optimized dPCR assays can quantify genetic material from microorganisms without the need for a calibration curve and often with superior analytical performance (i.e., greater sensitivity, precision, and reproducibility) than quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Nonetheless, dPCR should not be viewed as a panacea for the fundamental uncertainties and limitations associated with measuring microorganisms in water microbiology. With dPCR platforms, the sample analysis cost and processing time are typically greater than qPCR. However, if improved analytical performance (i.e., sensitivity and accuracy) is critical, dPCR can be an alternative option for quantifying microorganisms, including pathogens, in aquatic environments.

Current Therapeutics Effective against SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Sub-Variants

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is changing at a rapid pace due to accumulated mutations in the viral genetic code over time. As new variants of the virus continue to emerge and replace previous versions of the variants, therapeutics and vaccines are being constantly monitored and reviewed for their efficacy against the new strains. With the surge in new omicron sub-variants across the nation, U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued emergency use authorization to a new monoclonal antibody therapy called bebtelovimab replacing the previous sotrovimab that was effective against Omicron BA.1. The main objective of the paper is to review the current treatment options available to treat non-hospitalized mild-to-moderate COVID-19 caused by the new omicron sub-variants BA.2, BA.4, and BA.5. Scientists, pharmaceutical companies, and researchers have been proactive in conducting randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trials to test the safety and efficacy of therapeutics in managing COVID-19 in addition to testing the vaccine efficacy against new strains. The paper focuses on reviewing the results of these randomized controlled trials. The oral antiviral options paxlovid and molnupiravir, and intravenous (IV) bebtelovimab continue to show their efficacy against the new sub-variants BA.4 and BA.5. It is important for everyone to stay well-informed of the new treatment options and only opt for those medications that are currently authorized for use in treating mild-to-moderate COVID-19.

COVID-19-Related Intussusception: A Case Series and Review of the Literature.

Background: Ileocolic intussusception is a common gastrointestinal emergency that occurs in infancy. Many cases are caused by anatomic lead points, such as hypertrophied Peyer's patches. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, which causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), commonly presents with respiratory symptoms, however, its relation to intussusception remains unknown. Methods: Two cases are reported as well as a review of pertinent English-language literature on the topic. Results: We present two cases of intussusception in COVID-19-positive patients, including the first known case of a lead point with tissue polymerase chain reaction (PCR) confirming COVID-19 positivity, and compare these findings to a review of the recent literature. Intussusception in COVID-19-positive patients is becoming more prevalent and more often requires operative treatment. Discussion: We offer evidence that intussusception can be the presenting symptom in the absence of COVID-19-related respiratory symptoms. There also seems to be a trend toward the need for operative intervention compared with COVID-19-negative intussusception. The presence of SARS-CoV-2 can be confirmed via PCR in specific lead points (lymph nodes), directly causing the intussusception. Conclusions: Providers should have a low threshold to suspect and diagnose intussusception as operative treatment is more readily used in COVID-19-positive pediatric patients with gastrointestinal symptoms.

Diagnostic Performance of Three ELISAs for Detection of Antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in Human Samples.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a disease with a high rate of transmission. Serological tests are important to perform surveys and to determine the immunological status of the population. Based on this, we evaluated three enzyme-linked immunoassays (ELISAs) using different antigens from SARS-CoV-2 in a cohort of 161 patients. The performance of the ELISA developed for immunoglobulin G (IgG) measurement against SARS-CoV-2 was evaluated based on sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy. We found specificities of 0.98, 0.98, and 0.99 and sensitivities of 0.99, 0.91, and 0.87 for the nucleocapsid (N) protein, spike protein, and receptor binding domain (RBD) fraction, respectively. The accuracy assessment indicated the N protein (accuracy = 0.98) as the antigen most likely to give a correct diagnosis. Overall, the antibody responses were present for all three proteins in subjects with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infections, showing a similar pattern of antibody production for different antigens. In summary, these highly sensitive and specific ELISAs, with a more competitive price, appear to be a valid approach for the serodiagnosis of COVID-19.

The role of hematological biomarkers, coagulation profile and CRP (c-reactive protein) in COVID-19 patients in private health care sector

SARS-CoV-2 causing corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is the most common infection in recent days worldwide. Rapidly evolving from the epidemic outbreak in Wuhan, China on 29 December 2019, SARS-CoV-2 is the third known corona virus that causes fatal respiratory diseases in humans. The roles of biomarkers from a blood sample in the diagnosis of COVID-19 patients who have visited the hospital with history of fever has been evaluated.A retrospective study was carried out in a private sector hospital at Panipat where the patients having history of fever were admitted during 1st May 2020 to 15th August 2020. A total of 100 patients were included who were suspected cases of corona. All the blood parameters, systemic inflammatory index (SII), neutrophil lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet lymphocyte ratio (PLR) Coagulation factor (prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), international normalized ratio (INR) and C-Reactive protein (CRP) are compared between negative and positive COVID-19 cases according to RT-PCR. Result: Out of 100 patients, 65% were RTPCR covid positive. In patient with RTPCR negative test results, it was found that total leukocyte count, neutrophils, platelet, NLR and SII values were higher. However, haemoglobin, lymphocytes and PLR was found to be elevated in patients with positive test results.COVID-19 positive patients presented with leukopenia, neutropenia, thrombocytopenia and lymphocytosis. SII and NLR were reduced. PLR and CRP were increased. PT and APTT were within normal limits. Lymphocyte count and PLR showed strong significance in this study.The definitive diagnosis of COVID-19 was made by RT-PCR analysis, but this is a time-consuming and less accessible test. Low values of NLR and SII and high value of PLR and CRP are indicative of COVID-19 and can be used in its diagnosis.

Evaluation of Alternative Transport Media for RT-qPCR-Based SARS-CoV-2 Testing

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), is still rapidly spreading as of March 2022. An accurate and rapid molecular diagnosis is essential to determine the exact number of confirmed cases. Currently, the viral transport medium (VTM) required for testing is in short supply due to a sharp increase in the laboratory tests performed, and alternative VTMs are needed to alleviate the shortage. Guanidine thiocyanate-based media reportedly inactivate SARS-CoV-2 and are compatible with quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) assays, but the compatibility and the viral detection capacity have not been fully validated. To evaluate the guanidine thiocyanate-based Gene Transport Medium (GeneTM) as an alternative VTM, we prepared 39 SARS-CoV-2-positive and 7 SARS-CoV-2-negative samples in GeneTM, eNAT™, and phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). The cycle threshold (Ct) values of three SARS-CoV-2 targets (the S, RdRP, and N genes) were analyzed using RT-qPCR testing. The comparison of Ct values from the positive samples showed a high correlation (R2= 0.95–0.96) between GeneTM and eNAT™, indicating a comparable viral detection capacity. The delta Ct values of the SARS-CoV-2 genes in each transport medium were maintained for 14 days at cold (4°C) or room (25°C) temperatures, suggesting viral samples were stably preserved in the transport media for 14 days. Together, GeneTM is a potential alternative VTM with comparable RT-qPCR performance and stability to those of standard media.