Positive COVID-19 Test Research Articles

Comparing Visual and Software-Based Quantitative Assessment Scores of Lungs' Parenchymal Involvement Quantification in COVID-19 Patients.

(1) Background: Computed tomography (CT) plays a paramount role in the characterization and follow-up of COVID-19. Several score systems have been implemented to properly assess the lung parenchyma involved in patients suffering from SARS-CoV-2 infection, such as the visual quantitative assessment score (VQAS) and software-based quantitative assessment score (SBQAS) to help in managing patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection. This study aims to investigate and compare the diagnostic accuracy of the VQAS and SBQAS with two different types of software based on artificial intelligence (AI) in patients affected by SARS-CoV-2. (2) Methods: This is a retrospective study; a total of 90 patients were enrolled with the following criteria: patients' age more than 18 years old, positive test for COVID-19 and unenhanced chest CT scan obtained between March and June 2021. The VQAS was independently assessed, and the SBQAS was performed with two different artificial intelligence-driven software programs (Icolung and CT-COPD). The Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) statistical index and Bland-Altman Plot were employed. (3) Results: The agreement scores between radiologists (R1 and R2) for the VQAS of the lung parenchyma involved in the CT images were good (ICC = 0.871). The agreement score between the two software types for the SBQAS was moderate (ICC = 0.584). The accordance between Icolung and the median of the visual evaluations (Median R1-R2) was good (ICC = 0.885). The correspondence between CT-COPD and the median of the VQAS (Median R1-R2) was moderate (ICC = 0.622). (4) Conclusions: This study showed moderate and good agreement upon the VQAS and the SBQAS; enhancing this approach as a valuable tool to manage COVID-19 patients and the combination of AI tools with physician expertise can lead to the most accurate diagnosis and treatment plans for patients.

A joint penalized spline smoothing model for the number of positive and negative COVID-19 tests.

One of the key tools to understand and reduce the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus is testing. The total number of tests, the number of positive tests, the number of negative tests, and the positivity rate are interconnected indicators and vary with time. To better understand the relationship between these indicators, against the background of an evolving pandemic, the association between the number of positive tests and the number of negative tests is studied using a joint modeling approach. All countries in the European Union, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and Norway are included in the analysis. We propose a joint penalized spline model in which the penalized spline is reparameterized as a linear mixed model. The model allows for flexible trajectories by smoothing the country-specific deviations from the overall penalized spline and accounts for heteroscedasticity by allowing the autocorrelation parameters and residual variances to vary among countries. The association between the number of positive tests and the number of negative tests is derived from the joint distribution for the random intercepts and slopes. The correlation between the random intercepts and the correlation between the random slopes were both positive. This suggests that, when countries increase their testing capacity, both the number of positive tests and negative tests will increase. A significant correlation was found between the random intercepts, but the correlation between the random slopes was not significant due to a wide credible interval.

Defining the Subtypes of Long COVID and Risk Factors for Prolonged Disease: Population-Based Case-Crossover Study.

There have been over 772 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 worldwide. A significant portion of these infections will lead to long COVID (post-COVID-19 condition) and its attendant morbidities and costs. Numerous life-altering complications have already been associated with the development of long COVID, including chronic fatigue, brain fog, and dangerous heart rhythms. We aim to derive an actionable long COVID case definition consisting of significantly increased signs, symptoms, and diagnoses to support pandemic-related clinical, public health, research, and policy initiatives. This research employs a case-crossover population-based study using International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) data generated at Veterans Affairs medical centers nationwide between January 1, 2020, and August 18, 2022. In total, 367,148 individuals with ICD-10-CM data both before and after a positive COVID-19 test were selected for analysis. We compared ICD-10-CM codes assigned 1 to 7 months following each patient's positive test with those assigned up to 6 months prior. Further, 350,315 patients had novel codes assigned during this window of time. We defined signs, symptoms, and diagnoses as being associated with long COVID if they had a novel case frequency of ≥1:1000, and they significantly increased in our entire cohort after a positive test. We present odds ratios with CIs for long COVID signs, symptoms, and diagnoses, organized by ICD-10-CM functional groups and medical specialty. We used our definition to assess long COVID risk based on a patient's demographics, Elixhauser score, vaccination status, and COVID-19 disease severity. We developed a long COVID definition consisting of 323 ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes grouped into 143 ICD-10-CM functional groups that were significantly increased in our 367,148 patient post-COVID-19 population. We defined 17 medical-specialty long COVID subtypes such as cardiology long COVID. Patients who were COVID-19-positive developed signs, symptoms, or diagnoses included in our long COVID definition at a proportion of at least 59.7% (268,320/449,450, based on a denominator of all patients who were COVID-19-positive). The long COVID cohort was 8 years older with more comorbidities (2-year Elixhauser score 7.97 in the patients with long COVID vs 4.21 in the patients with non-long COVID). Patients who had a more severe bout of COVID-19, as judged by their minimum oxygen saturation level, were also more likely to develop long COVID. An actionable, data-driven definition of long COVID can help clinicians screen for and diagnose long COVID, allowing identified patients to be admitted into appropriate monitoring and treatment programs. This long COVID definition can also support public health, research, and policy initiatives. Patients with COVID-19 who are older or have low oxygen saturation levels during their bout of COVID-19, or those who have multiple comorbidities should be preferentially watched for the development of long COVID.

Living in symbiosis with COVID: two delayed presentations of soft tissue infections in elderly patients with COVID-19 infection

Retroperitoneal and extensive breast abscesses in elderly patients are associated with a significant burden of comorbidities, insidious symptoms, and signs resulting in delayed diagnosis. We present two elderly COVID-19-positive patients with retroperitoneal and breast abscesses. Both patients underwent multiple procedures and , despite a protracted course, survived each two potentially lethal infections. A 72-year-old man presented to the emergency department (ED) with back pain. Labs showed a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-positive COVID-19 test and leukocytosis. A computed tomography scan of the abdomen and pelvis (CTAP) showed a perirectal abscess spreading into the pelvis and retroperitoneum. The patient underwent an incision and drainage (I and D). Additional imaging found multiple collections with extension into the retroperitoneum. These were drained, and the patient was discharged after repeat imaging showed resolution. A 78-year-old female was admitted with swelling of the right breast. Labs showed a positive PCR COVID-19 test, and chest computed tomography (CT) showed a rim-enhancing collection extending from the right breast into the right pectoralis muscle. The patient was started on antibiotics and underwent an I and D of the right breast. She was discharged on post-operative day (POD) four on antibiotics. She was readmitted 32 days later with a left sided abscess overlying the left pectoralis and was successfully treated conservatively with a course of antibiotics. There are few studies on the formation of abscesses in the breast and retroperitoneum in the setting of COVID-19 infection. Thus, information on the topic can aid physicians in maintaining clinical suspicion of severe abscesses illness in elderly patients presenting with vague clinical symptoms or symptoms concerning soft-tissue infections in the setting of COVID-19 infections

The Impact of the Global Pandemic on Veterans with Serious Mental Illness (SMI): Healthcare Utilization and Mortality.

Individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) experience barriers to accessing and engaging with healthcare, which may have been exacerbated during the emergence of the global pandemic and the rapid shift to telemedicine platforms, substantially decreasing healthcare utilization for non-COVID-19 disorders. Important repercussions on morbidity and mortality may be seen in the months and years to come, which may disproportionately affect high-risk populations, such as patients with SMI, with reduced access to technology platforms. In this study, we explored the impact of the pandemic on healthcare utilization and all-cause mortality rate in SMI compared to non-SMI individuals for the months of March-September 2020 and the same two quarters in 2019. Data were obtained from the VA Corporate Data Warehouse (CDW), a data repository from clinical and administrative VA systems. The sample included veterans with ≥1 outpatient clinical encounter nationally between 1 January 2019 and 31 December 2020. The cohort for this study included 1,018,047 veterans receiving care through the Veterans Health Administration between 2019 and 2020. Of those, 339,349 had a diagnosis of SMI. Patients with SMI had a significantly larger pre-post-pandemic decrease in outpatient (49.7%, p < 0.001), inpatient (14.4%, p < 0.001), and ED (14.5%, p < 0.001) visits compared to non-SMI patients. Overall, 3752 (1.59%) veterans without SMI and 4562 (1.93%) veterans with SMI died during our observation period. Veterans without SMI who died during the observation period were more likely to have had a positive COVID-19 test compared to veterans with SMI. Unadjusted analyses showed that veterans with SMI were approximately 2.5 times more likely to die than veterans without SMI during the first 6 months of the pandemic, compared to the same two quarters of the previous year. However, after adjustment by pertinent covariates, the predictors associated with an increased risk of death from SMI were older age, being male, a higher CAN score, more inpatient stays in the pre period compared to post, and a positive COVID-19 test. Consistent with our initial hypothesis, all the indices of healthcare utilization, namely the number of outpatient, inpatient, and ED visits, significantly decreased between pre- and post-pandemic and did more so for veterans with SMI, despite having more chronic medical illnesses and being prescribed more medications than veterans without SMI. On the other hand, while mortality was greater post-pandemic, factors such as age, morbidity, and having a positive COVID-19 test predicted mortality above and beyond having an SMI diagnosis.

COVID-19 with high-sensitivity CRP associated with worse dynamic clinical parameters and outcomes.

This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) in hospitalized COVID-19 patients and their clinical outcomes, including trajectory of hsCRP changes during hospitalization. Patients with positive COVID-19 tests between 2021 and 2023 were admitted to two hospitals. Among 184 adult patients, approximately half (47.3%) had elevated hsCRP levels upon admission, which defined as exceeding the laboratory-specific upper limit of test (> 5.0 mg/L). Clinical outcomes included critical illness, acute kidney injury, thrombotic events, intensive care unit (ICU) requirement, and death during hospitalization. Elevated hsCRP levels had a higher risk of ICU requirement than those with normal, 39.1% versus 16.5%; adjusted odds ratio (aOR), 2.3 [95% CI, 1.05-5.01]; p = 0.036. Patients with extremely high (≥2 times) hsCRP levels had aOR, 2.65 [95% CI, 1.09-6.45]; p < 0.001. On the fifth day hospitalization, patients with high hsCRP levels associated with acute kidney injury (aOR, 4.13 [95% CI, 1.30-13.08]; p = 0.016), ICU requirement (aOR, 2.67 [95%CI, 1.02-6.99]; p = 0.044), or death (aOR, 4.24 [95% CI, 1.38-12.99]; p = 0.011). The likelihood of worse clinical outcomes increased as hsCRP levels rose; patients with elevated hsCRP had lower overall survival rate than those with normal (p = 0.02). The subset of high hsCRP patients with high viral load also had a shorter half-life compared to those with normal hsCRP level (p = 0.003). Elevated hsCRP levels were found to be a significant predictor of ICU requirement, acute kidney injury, or death within 5 days after hospitalization in COVID-19 patients. This emphasized the importance of providing more intensive care management to patients with elevated hsCRP.

Community antibiotic prescribing in patients with COVID-19 across three pandemic waves: a population-based study in Scotland, UK

ObjectivesThis study aims to examine community antibiotic prescribing across a complete geographical area for people with a positive COVID-19 test across three pandemic waves, and to examine health and demographic...

Accelerated tumor progression after COVID-19 infection in patients with glioblastoma: A retrospective case-control study.

We observed rapid tumor progression following COVID-19 infection among patients with glioblastoma and sought to systematically characterize their disease course in a retrospective case-control study. Using an institutional database, we retrospectively identified a series of COVID-19-positive glioblastoma cases and matched them by age and sex 1:2 to glioblastoma controls who had a negative COVID-19 test during their disease course. Demographic and clinical data were analyzed. Hyperprogression was defined using modified response evaluation criteria in solid tumors criteria. Time to progression and overall survival were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Thirty-two glioblastoma cases with positive COVID-19 testing were matched to 64 glioblastoma controls with negative testing; age, sex, and molecular profiles did not differ between groups. Progression events occurred in 27 cases (84%) and 46 controls (72%). Of these, 14 cases (52%) presented with multifocal disease or leptomeningeal disease at progression compared with 10 controls (22%; P = .0082). Hyperprogression was identified in 13 cases (48%) but only 4 controls (9%; P = .0001). Cases had disease progression at a median of 35 days following COVID-19 testing, compared with 164 days for controls (P = .0001). Median survival from COVID-19 testing until death was 8.3 months for cases but 17 months for controls (P = .0016). Median overall survival from glioblastoma diagnosis was 20.7 months for cases and 24.6 months for controls (P = .672). Patients with glioblastoma may have accelerated disease progression in the first 2 months after COVID-19 infection. Infected patients should be monitored vigilantly. Future investigations should explore tumor-immune microenvironment changes linking tumor progression and COVID-19.

COVID-19 and Its Impact on Back Pain in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia.

Background Low back pain (LBP) is a common musculoskeletal condition that affects individuals worldwide, causing difficulties in daily tasks and social interactions. It can be categorized based on chronicity, with acute, subacute, and chronic forms. The causes of backache vary among patients and can include inflammatory conditions, radiculopathy, pregnancy, trauma, osteoporosis, nerve root compression, cancer, plexopathy, infection, and other spinal diseases. Aim The aim is to investigate the association between COVID-19 infection and LBP between all Saudi adults and foreign adults who had positive COVID-19 tests in the eastern region of Saudi Arabia. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia over the period from March 2023 to August 2023.Participants were selected by using a convenience sampling method, asample (n=500) of individuals. The structured questionnaire was used to gather information on sociodemographic variablesand COVID-related features. All the statistical calculations were performed using the SPSS software (by IBM) version 29.0.0. Results 482 participants completed the questionnaire. Out of 482 participants, the majority were females with a number of 372 (77.2%) aged between 20 and 29 years (38.4%). Out of the remaining participants, 110 (22.8%) were males. Most of the participants with a number of 301 (62.4%) were from the Hasa province. This was followed by Qatif (79, 16.4%), Dammam (56, 11.6%), Jubail (25, 5.2%), and others (21, 4.4%). The study revealed that 10.1% of participants reported experiencing back pain. The duration of backaches varied among respondents, with 122 (25.3%) experiencing them from a day to a week, 28 (5.8%) enduring them for six weeks, and 65 (13.5%) reporting a duration of six to 12 weeks. The majority, comprising 267 (55.4%) respondents, were uncertain about the period of their backaches. The prevalence of COVID-19 infection among the participants was 357 (74.1%), and 477 (99.0%) had been vaccinated against COVID-19. Approximately 44.4% of the participants experienced back pain, and out of those, 28.2% reported having pain during quarantine. Among the individuals with back pain, 24.7% attributed it to COVID-19. Conclusion This study highlights the significant correlation between back pain and COVID-19, even after the resolution of other symptoms. It underscores the importance of further research into the long-term effects and mechanisms of this association. The findings emphasize the need for healthcare professionals to consider back pain as a potential aspect of the post-COVID-19 symptom profile, ensuring comprehensive care for affected individuals.

COVID-19 Infection and Medicines in Pregnancy in Canada

IntroductionAlthough over 100 million pregnant women worldwide are at risk of infection with SARS-CoV-2, little data exists on the impact of COVID-19 and related treatments on maternal/neonatal health.Objectives1) To quantify the prevalence of medication use in pregnancy to treat COVID-19; 2) To quantify and compare the risk of adverse pregnancy/neonatal outcomes in those with and without COVID-19.MethodsIn the Canadian Mother-Child population-based cohort (CAMCCO), two key sub-cohorts were identified using prospective data collection of medical services, prescription drugs, hospitalization archives data, and COVID-19 surveillance testing program (02/28/2020-2021). The first cohort included all pregnant women with at least one completed trimester of pregnancy during the study period regardless of pregnancy status (delivery, induced/planned or spontaneous abortion); this cohort was further stratified on COVID-19 status. The second cohort included all non-pregnant women (aged 15-45) with a positive COVID-19 test. COVID-19 infection in pregnant or non-pregnant women was assessed using COVID-19 test results or ICD-10CM codeU07.1 from hospital data. COVID-19 severity was categorized based on hospital admission. Women were considered exposed to COVID-19 medications if they filled at least one prescription for a medicine included in the WHO list in the 30 days pre- or 30 days post-COVID-19 positive test/diagnosis. Considering potential confounders, association between COVID-19 during pregnancy, treated vs not, and perinatal outcomes were quantified using log-binomial regression models.Results150,345 pregnant women (3,464 (2.3%) had COVID-19), and 112,073 non-pregnant women with COVID-19 diagnoses were included. Pregnant women with COVID-19 were more likely to have severe infections compared to non-pregnant women with COVID-19 (11.4% vs 1.6%, p&lt; 0.001). The most frequent medications used in pregnancy to treat COVID-19 were antibacterials (13.96%), psychoanaleptics (7.35%), and medicines for obstructive airway disease (3.20%). In pregnancy COVID-19 was associated with spontaneous abortions (adjRR 1.76, 95%CI 1.3, 2.25), gestational diabetes (adjRR 1.52, 95%CI 1.18, 1.97), prematurity (adjRR 1.30, 95%CI 1.01, 1.67), NICU admissions (adjRR 1.32, 95%CI 1.10, 1.59); COVID-19 severity was increasing these risks but COVID-19 treatment with study medications reduced all risks.ConclusionsSeverity of COVID-19 was greater in pregnancy. Antibacterials, psychoanaleptics, and medicines for obstructive airway disease were the most used overall. Severe COVID-19 in pregnancy was associated with higher risks of adverse maternal, and neonatal outcomes.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Relation between pre-existing quality management measures and prevention and containment of COVID-19 outbreaks in 159 nursing homes in Tuscany: a mixed methods study

BackgroundNursing homes were often the focus of COVID-19 outbreaks. Many factors are known to influence the ability of a nursing home to prevent and contain a COVID-19 outbreak. The role...

COVID-19 Diagnosis from Blood Gas Using Multivariate Linear Regression

With the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak, almost all scientists and nations began to show great interest in the subject for a long time. Studies in the field of outbreak, diagnosis and prevention are still ongoing. Issues such as methods developed to understand the spread mechanisms of the disease, prevention measures, vaccine and drug research are among the top priorities of the world agenda. The accuracy of the tests applied in the outbreak management has become extremely critical. In this study, it is aimed to obtain a function that finds the positive or negative COVID-19 test from the blood gas values of individuals by using Machine Learning methods to contribute to the outbreak management. Using the Multivariate Linear Regression (MLR) model, a linear function is obtained to represent the COVID-19 dataset taken from the Van province of Turkey. The data set obtained from Van Yüzüncü Yıl University Dursun Odabaş Medical Center consists of blood gas analysis samples (109 positive, 1146 negative) taken from individuals. It is thought that the linear function to be obtained by using these data will be an important method in determining the test results of individuals. Gradient Descent optimization methods are used to find the optimum values of the coefficients in the function to be obtained. In the study, the RMSProp optimization algorithm has a success rate of 58-91.23% in all measurement methods, and it is seen that it is much more successful than other optimization algorithms.

Individualized Prediction of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Mexico City Municipality during the First Six Waves of the Pandemic.

After COVID-19 emerged, alternative methods to laboratory tests for the individualized prediction of SARS-CoV-2 were developed in several world regions. The objective of this investigation was to develop models for the individualized prediction of SARS-CoV-2 infection in a large municipality of Mexico. The study included data from 36,949 patients with suspected SARS-CoV-2 infection who received a diagnostic tested at health centers of the Alvaro Obregon Jurisdiction in Mexico City registered in the Epidemiological Surveillance System for Viral Respiratory Diseases (SISVER-SINAVE). The variables that were different between a positive test and a negative test were used to generate multivariate binary logistic regression models. There was a large variation in the prediction variables for the models of different pandemic waves. The models obtained an overall accuracy of 73% (63-82%), sensitivity of 52% (18-71%), and specificity of 84% (71-92%). In conclusion, the individualized prediction models of a positive COVID-19 test based on SISVER-SINAVE data had good performance. The large variation in the prediction variables for the models of different pandemic waves highlights the continuous change in the factors that influence the spread of COVID-19. These prediction models could be applied in early case identification strategies, especially in vulnerable populations.

Awareness and Willingness to Vaccinate against COVID-19 among Pregnant Women and Reasons Influencing their Decision in Poland – a Survey-Based Study

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has lasted for over 2 years and has resulted in more than 486 million cases and over 6 million deaths worldwide. Pregnant women are a special group of society exposed to severe or unpredictable course of infection.&#x0D; Purpose of work: Assessment of awareness and willingness to vaccinate pregnant women against COVID-19 and reasons influencing this decision.&#x0D; Materials and methods: The proprietary online survey addressed to women in Poland during pregnancy and women who were pregnant in the period from December 27, 2020 (introduction of the vaccine in Poland) to 20.03.2022. The study included a total of 518 respondents of reproductive age, among which 398 have a university degree and 108 have secondary education. 376 respondents got vaccinated against COVID-19 — 120 before getting pregnant, 199 during pregnancy and 57 after giving birth.&#x0D; Summary: Most of the surveyed women (321) hadn’t had a positive PCR test for COVID-19 until the day of the survey, but 38% had a positive PCR test. Asked about reasons for getting vaccinated during pregnancy, most of the respondents stated that people should get vaccinated against COVID-19 in general, they got vaccinated because of the baby’s health, and that they acted according to the recommendations of The Polish Society of Gynecologists and Obstetricians and the World’s Health Organization. On the other hand, most of the women didn’t get vaccinated because they were afraid of the side effects, there is not enough research on the topic, and they believe that the vaccination is ineffective. Additionally, 154 respondents were encouraged by the doctors to get vaccinated in opposite to 21 who were discouraged by the doctor. The majority of the respondents are aware of the great risk of COVID-19 infection during pregnancy. Therefore, they got vaccinated against COVID-19 to minimize the risks of the infection.

Indicators of intracardiac haemodynamics in patients with chronic coronary syndrome with concomitant coronavirus disease (COVID-19)

the nature of cardiovascular damage caused by SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus infection due to acute severe respiratory distress syndrome is associated with high mortality. However, the pathophysiological impact of COVID-19 (C19) on intracardiac haemodynamics remains unknown. The aim of our study was to evaluate intracardiac haemodynamics in patients with chronic coronary syndrome (CCS) in combination with coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The prospective study included: 30 patients with CAD with a negative PCR test for COVID-19 (1Agroup), 38 patients with CAD with a positive PCR test for COVID-19 (1Bgroup), of whom 12 were diagnosed with an increase in the level of troponin I (1B/T+), 26 patients had a normal level of troponin I (1B/T-). As a comparison, 30 patients with COVID-19 with PCR(+), without signs of CAD - group 2, as well as 30 healthy volunteers without signs of CAD and with negative PCR were studied. Clinical and laboratory data, treatment, and intracardiac haemodynamics were assessed by echocardiography in all groups. The left ventricular myocardial mass index, left ventricular end-diastolic volume, right ventricular size, and pulmonary artery systolic pressure were highest in the group of CAD with COVID-19 with a positive troponin test (1B/T+), compared with the (1B/T-) group, also in the (1B/T+) group, the ejection fraction and total longitudinal strain by speckle tracking were lower than in the (1B/T-) group. When compared with group 1A, LVEF was lower in the (1B/T+) group, and STla was higher in the (1B/T+) group. When comparing the indicators of group 1A and (1B/T-), a similar pattern of changes in intracardiac haemodynamics was noted: LV myocardial mass index, right ventricular diameter, systolic pressure in the pulmonary artery were higher, while longitudinal strain was slightly lower in (1B/T-) than in group 1A. When comparing the echocardiography parameters of patients in the (1B/T+) subgroup with group 2, larger left ventricular end-diastolic volume, left atrium, left ventricular myocardial mass index were found in (1B/T+), but the ejection fraction was lower in (1B/T+), while the right ventricular size and pulmonary artery systolic pressure were slightly higher than in group 2. In the subgroup (1B/T-), the nature of the changes was similar, but the size of the RV and PASP did not differ from those in group 2. The echocardiographic parameters of group 1A differed from those of group 2 by higher values of LVEF, LVEDV, LVMMS and lower EF, but the size of the RV and PASP were larger in patients with COVID-19. Cardiac damage associated with SARS-CoV-2 in patients with concomitant CAD has an effect on the myocardium, which is manifested in an increase in left ventricular EF due to increased preload, at the expense of a decrease in global strain and systolic function of the LV myocardium, due to the direct cytotoxic effect of SARS-CoV-2 on the one hand, and destabilisation of existing atherosclerotic plaques, as well as hypoxia and worsening of endothelial dysfunction on the other. An increase in the size of the right ventricle is associated with an increase in peripheral vascular resistance in the small circle as a consequence of increased systolic pressure in the pulmonary artery in covidassociated pneumonia. The impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on the heart is associated with cardiovascular risk factors and the severity of the inflammatory process.

Association between thoracic density and area with COVID-19 outcomes

BackgroundThe relationship between sarcopenia and the consequences of COVID-19 is not yet fully understood. It is noteworthy that information about muscle status can be easily retrieved by segmenting specific regions of skeletal muscles on CT scans. Our aim in this study was to investigate the relationship between sarcopenia and the consequences of COVID-19.MethodsIn this analytical cross-sectional study, 338 patients with COVID-19 who had a positive PCR test for COVID-19 and underwent chest CT scan in Loghman-e-Hakim Hospital from July to September 2021 were evaluated. Age, sex, background diseases, mechanical ventilation, duration of hospitalization, as well as lab tests, ICU admission and mortality were extracted from patient records. The severity of COVID-19 disease and the area and density of paraspinal muscles at the level of T5 and T12 vertebrae were evaluated through chest CT scans.ResultsLength of stay had significant relationship with T5 density (1.15 (< 0.001)) and T12 density (1.24 (< 0.001). The mean of T12 area (3.35 (P = 0.005) and T12 density 4.59 (P = 0.012) were significantly lower in ICU admitted. There was a significant relationship between mortality and age, cardiovascular disorders, COPD, underlying disease, length of stay, WBC and lymphocyte levels, as well as the severity of the disease.ConclusionsBased on the results of this study, we can infer that the use of CT scan in patients with COVID-19 and the determination of muscle area and density can predict the consequences of COVID-19, such as a longer duration of hospitalization, the need for admission to the ICU, and mortality.

Medical education during the COVID-19 pandemic: a reflection on the JHUSOM experience

BackgroundWe sought to understand the relative risk of COVID-19 infection and identify risk factors for infection to identify targets for mitigation among medical students.MethodsAn observational cohort study of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine students was conducted from June 2020 to July 2021. Blood samples were collected and tested at three visits to assess for antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. Additionally, a questionnaire was administered at each visit to collect demographic information and assess potential social and behavioral risk factors.Results264 students enrolled in the study, and 38 participants completed all study requirements by study end. Roughly 6% of the first- and second-year classes had a reported positive COVID-19 test compared to 5% of third- and fourth-year students. By visit 3, 92% of medical students had detectable antibodies against COVID-19 compared to 4% during the study enrollment period. From study enrollment to visit 3, there was a 10-fold increase in the percentage of students reporting attending large social gatherings and dining in restaurants.ConclusionsOverall, few COVID-19 cases were found among medical students, even those on clinical rotations. As the study progressed, students reported engaging in higher-risk social behaviors in conjunction with increasing vaccination rates among students.

Factors Associated With Long COVID: Insights From Two Nationwide Surveys

BackgroundLong COVID is a multisystemic condition that affects the lives of millions of people globally, yet factors associated with it are poorly defined. Our purpose in this study was to identify factors associated with long COVID. MethodsThis cross-sectional study used data from the 2022 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) and the 2022 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). We restricted the sample to individuals aged 18 and older who reported a positive COVID-19 test or doctor's diagnosis. Individuals who reported symptoms of at least 3 months were assumed to have long COVID. We identified demographic and clinical characteristics associated with long COVID, in unadjusted and adjusted analyses. ResultsThe study included 124,313 individuals in the BRFSS cohort and 10,131 in the NHIS cohort who reported a COVID-19 infection, with 26,783 (21.5%) and 1797 (17.7%) reporting long COVID, respectively. We found middle age, female sex, lack of a college degree, and severity of acute COVID-19 infection to be associated with long COVID. In contrast, non-Hispanic Asian and Black Americans were less likely to report long COVID compared with non-Hispanic White individuals. These findings were consistent across datasets. ConclusionsSeveral demographic features were associated with long COVID, which may be the result of social, clinical, or biological influences.

Description of the COVID-19 epidemiology in Malaysia.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, it has spread rapidly across the world and has resulted in recurrent outbreaks. This study aims to describe the COVID-19 epidemiology in terms of COVID-19 cases, deaths, ICU admissions, ventilator requirements, testing, incidence rate, death rate, case fatality rate (CFR) and test positivity rate for each outbreak from the beginning of the pandemic in 2020 till endemicity of COVID-19 in 2022 in Malaysia. Data was sourced from the GitHub repository and the Ministry of Health's official COVID-19 website. The study period was from the beginning of the outbreak in Malaysia, which began during Epidemiological Week (Ep Wk) 4 in 2020, to the last Ep Wk 18 in 2022. Data were aggregated by Ep Wk and analyzed in terms of COVID-19 cases, deaths, ICU admissions, ventilator requirements, testing, incidence rate, death rate, case fatality rate (CFR) and test positivity rate by years (2020 and 2022) and for each outbreak of COVID-19. A total of 4,456,736 cases, 35,579 deaths and 58,906,954 COVID-19 tests were reported for the period from 2020 to 2022. The COVID-19 incidence rate, death rate, CFR and test positivity rate were reported at 1.085 and 0.009 per 1,000 populations, 0.80 and 7.57%, respectively, for the period from 2020 to 2022. Higher cases, deaths, testing, incidence/death rate, CFR and test positivity rates were reported in 2021 and during the Delta outbreak. This is evident by the highest number of COVID-19 cases, ICU admissions, ventilatory requirements and deaths observed during the Delta outbreak. The Delta outbreak was the most severe compared to other outbreaks in Malaysia's study period. In addition, this study provides evidence that outbreaks of COVID-19, which are caused by highly virulent and transmissible variants, tend to be more severe and devastating if these outbreaks are not controlled early on. Therefore, close monitoring of key epidemiological indicators, as reported in this study, is essential in the control and management of future COVID-19 outbreaks in Malaysia.

Evidence of brain metabolism redistribution from neocortex to primitive brain structures in early acute COVID-19 respiratory syndrome

BackgroundNeuropsychiatric sequelae of COVID-19 have been widely documented in patients with severe neurological symptoms during the chronic or subacute phase of the disease. However, it remains unclear whether subclinical changes in brain metabolism can occur early in the acute phase of the disease. The aim of this study was to identify and quantify changes in brain metabolism in patients hospitalized for acute respiratory syndrome due to COVID-19 with no or mild neurological symptoms.ResultsTwenty-three non-intubated patients (13 women; mean age 55.5 ± 12.1 years) hospitalized with positive nasopharyngeal swab test (RT-PCR) for COVID-19, requiring supplemental oxygen and no or mild neurological symptoms were studied. Serum C-reactive protein measured at admission ranged from 6.43 to 189.0 mg/L (mean: 96.9 ± 54.2 mg/L). The mean supplemental oxygen demand was 2.9 ± 1.4 L/min. [18F]FDG PET/CT images were acquired with a median of 12 (4–20) days of symptoms. After visual interpretation of the images, semiquantitative analysis of [18F]FDG uptake in multiple brain regions was evaluated using dedicated software and the standard deviation (SD) of brain uptake in each region was automatically calculated in comparison with reference values of a normal database. Evolutionarily ancient structures showed positive SD mean values of [18F]FDG uptake. Lenticular nuclei were bilaterally hypermetabolic (> 2 SD) in 21/23 (91.3%) patients, and thalamus in 16/23 (69.6%), bilaterally in 11/23 (47.8%). About half of patients showed hypermetabolism in brainstems, 40% in hippocampi, and 30% in cerebellums. In contrast, neocortical regions (frontal, parietal, temporal and occipital lobes) presented negative SD mean values of [18F]FDG uptake and hypometabolism (< 2 SD) was observed in up to a third of patients. Associations were found between hypoxia, inflammation, coagulation markers, and [18F]FDG uptake in various brain structures.ConclusionsBrain metabolism is clearly affected during the acute phase of COVID-19 respiratory syndrome in neurologically asymptomatic or oligosymptomatic patients. The most frequent finding is marked hypermetabolism in evolutionary ancient structures such as lenticular nucleus and thalami. Neocortical metabolism was reduced in up to one third of patients, suggesting a redistribution of brain metabolism from the neocortex to evolutionary ancient brain structures in these patients.