Positive Real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction Research Articles

Clinical and Epidemiological Presentation of COVID-19 among Children in Conflict Setting.

This study aims to describe the observable symptoms of children with COVID-19 infection and analyze access to real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing among children seeking care in Yemen. In the period of March 2020-February 2022, data were obtained from 495 children suspected to have been infected with COVID-19 (from a larger register of 5634 patients) from the Diseases Surveillance and Infection Control Department at the Ministry of Public Health and Population in Aden, Yemen. Overall, 21.4% of the children with confirmed COVID-19 infection were asymptomatic. Fever (71.4%) and cough (67.1%) were the most frequently reported symptoms among children, and children were less likely to have fever (p < 0.001), sore throat (p < 0.001) and cough (p < 0.001) compared to adults. A lower frequency of COVID-19-associated symptoms was reported among children with positive RT-PCR tests compared to children with negative tests. A lower rate of testing was conducted among children (25%) compared to adults (61%). Fewer tests were carried out among children years (11%) compared to other age groups (p < 0.001), for children from other nationalities (4%) compared to Yemeni children (p < 0.001) and for girls (21%) compared to boys (30%) (p 0.031). Understanding and addressing the cause of these disparities and improving guidelines for COVID-19 screening among children will improve access to care and control of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Measurement of the serum level of Elabela for the early detection of acute kidney injury in hospitalized Iraqi COVID-19 patients

Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is caused coronavirus disease2019 (COVID-19) affecting people worldwide. The angiotensin converting enzyme2 (ACE2) represents areceptor of SARS-CoV-2 on the infected host cell. Apelin or its receptor agonists suppress the production ofangiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and angiotensin II (Ang-II) and is characterized by a protective effectagainst SARS-CoV-2.Objective: The study aims to assess the serum level of Elabela biomarker as an early detector for AcuteKidney Injury (AKI) in patients with COVID-19.Cases and Methods: This is a case-control study which included 45 hospitalized adult patients in multiplecenters (public hospitals) receiving COVID-19 cases in Baghdad. These cases had a positive real-time orreverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) of nasal/oropharyngeal swabs. Excluded from thestudy were those with a negative PCR and comorbidities and 43 apparently healthy adult subjects as controls.The age range of the cases and controls was (20 to 60) yearsResult: There are no a statistically significant differences between the two groups in terms of age and genderdistribution. Statistically significant differences were found in terms of eGFR, S. Creatinine, D. dimer,NEU×103/µL, LYM×103/µL and ELA biomarker. Significant negative correlations were found betweenElabela with D. dimer and NEU×103/µL, and between eGFR with S. creatinine, D. Dimer, and NUT×103/µL.Conclusion: The Elabela biomarker can be used for the early detection of acute kidney injury in COVID-19patients.

Molecular diagnostic of complicated pneumonia in the post-vaccine era.

The etiological diagnosis of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is still a challenge. We compared the conventional culture method and real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for the identification of Streptococcus pneumoniae in severe pediatric CAP. A retrospective hospital-based study was conducted. From 2012 to 2018, we have selected patients who had peripheral blood and/or pleural fluid collected for etiological investigation by RT-PCR. We included 113 children (median age: 3 years; interquartile range 1-6 years). RT-PCR increased the detection rate of S. pneumoniae by 6.5 times using blood samples and eight times using pleural fluid samples. Patients subjected to RT-PCR showed more prolonged hospitalization (p = 0.006), fewer comorbidities (p = 0.03), presence of pleural effusion (p = 0.001), presence of young forms of leukocytes (p = 0.001) and radiograph with characteristics of pneumonia (p = 0.002). The presence of pleural effusion [odds ratio (OR) = 14.7, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.6-133.9; p = 0.01] and young forms of leukocytes (OR = 8.9, 95% CI 0.9-84.4; p = 0.05) were risk factors for positive RT-PCR pneumococcal when multivariate analysis was performed. RT-PCR is a reliable method for diagnosing severe CAP using sterile materials and a potentially applicable method in patients with clinical, radiological and non-specific laboratory characteristics of lower respiratory tract infection, especially in complicated cases with pleural effusion.

FREQUENCY OF HEPATITIS C VIRUS INFECTION AMONG BETA-THALASSEMIA PATIENTS IN BAGHDAD CITY, IRAQ

Patients with thalassemia major are at high risk of Hepatitis C virus (HCV) due to the blood transfusion from donors infected by HCV. The purpose of this study was to study the correlation between some hematological parameters and liver function tests with viral hepatitis and to evaluate the ELISA and RT- PCR techniques for the diagnosis of HCV in thalassaemic patients. Blood samples from eighty patients with ß-thalassemia were subjected to the following tests: PCV, Hb concentration, liver function tests (GPT, GOT, Alkaline phosphatase). Serum samples from all patients were tested for antibodies to hepatitis C virus using ELISA test and for HCV RNA by the real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). It was shown that 67.5% of study patients were detected with a range of PCV 15-20%, whereas 100% of patients were detected with a range of Hb (5-9 g/dL). In addition, 98.8% of patients were detected with elevated liver enzymes. It was shown that 100% of patients revealed with positive ELISA anti-HCV antibodies in their serum specimens. Positive RT-PCR assay was detected in 86% of study patients. ELISA test was revealed with 14% false positive results. Thalassemia patients should be aware of the risks of viral infection during their blood transfusions, and those with chronic infections should beware of transmitting the infection to uninfected individuals.Thalassemia

The Impact of Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Renal Disease on Outcomes in Patients Hospitalized with COVID-19: An Observational Study from Two Public Hospitals in Brazil

Background Cardiovascular risk factors are prognostic factors in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and have been scarcely studied in Brazil. Objective The aim of this study was to assess the impact of cardiovascular risk factors on the outcomes of patients admitted for COVID-19. Methods From July 2020 to February 2021, 200 patients from two public hospitals were enrolled. Patients were included if they had typical symptoms or signs of COVID-19, a positive real-time polymerase chain reaction test (RT-PCR) for COVID-19, [...]

SARS-CoV-2 Seroprevalence Among First Responders in Northeastern Ohio, 2020.

First responders, including firefighters, emergency medical technicians (EMTs), paramedics, and law enforcement officers, are working on the front lines to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and facing an increased risk of infection. This study assessed the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection among first responders in northeastern Ohio. A survey and immunoglobulin G antibody test against SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein were offered to University Hospitals Health System-affiliated first-responder departments during May to September 2020. The survey contained questions about demographic characteristics and history of SARS-CoV-2 infection. A total of 3080 first responders with diverse job assignments from more than 400 fire and police departments participated in the study. Of 3080 participants, 73 (2.4%) were seropositive and 26 (0.8%) had previously positive real-time polymerase chain reaction results. Asymptomatic infection accounted for 46.6% (34 of 73) of seropositivity. By occupation, rates of seropositivity were highest among administration/support staff (3.8%), followed by paramedics (3.0%), EMTs (2.6%), firefighters (2.2%), and law enforcement officers (0.8%). Work-associated exposure rates to COVID-19 patients were: paramedics (48.2%), firefighters (37.1%), EMTs (32.3%), law enforcement officers (7.7%), and administration/support staff (4.4%). Self-reported community exposure was positively correlated with self-reported work-associated exposure rate (correlation coefficient = 0.99). Neither self-reported community nor work-associated exposure was correlated with SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence. We found no significant difference in seroprevalence among sex/gender or age groups; however, Black participants had a higher positivity rate than participants of other racial groups despite reporting lower exposure. Despite the high work-associated exposure rate to SARS-CoV-2 infection, first responders with various roles demonstrated seroprevalence no higher than their administrative/supportive colleagues, which suggests infection control measures are effective in preventing work-related infection.

Clinical characteristics and mortality associated with COVID-19 in islamic hospital of Jemursari, Surabaya, Indonesia: A hospital-based retrospective cohort study

Introduction: According to WHO, the COVID-19 epidemic a public health emergency came to international attention in March 2020, and the pandemic quickly spread around the world. This disease is caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, which may enter human target cells via angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). This study aimed to assess the risk factors associated with poor prognosis among COVID-19 patients in the Islamic Hospital of Jemursari, Surabaya, Indonesia. Methods: This study was a retrospective cohort study that used patients hospitalized with COVID-19 at the Islamic Hospital of Jemursari, Surabaya as a study subject. Patients of all ages who enter the hospital and were confirmed with a positive real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) result for SARS-CoV-2 were inclusion criteria of this study. Results: We included 554 COVID-19-positive patients with the highest age at 26-35 years old as much as 26.72%, followed by the second highest at 36-45 years old at 20.86%. In addition, from all the patients in this study, it was found that the most patients were 281 male and 273 female. Characteristics of comorbidities in COVID-19 patients, where type 2 diabetes mellitus is the most comorbid factor 88.89% in recovered COVID-19 patients and 11.11% in patients who have died. In addition, hypertension is also the second most comorbid 96.55% of Covid-19 patients. Conclusion: Based on this study, the independent risk factors related to critical outcomes among COVID-19 cases include old age, males, diabetes mellitus, cardiac-related disease history, and the presence of two or more comorbidities. In future research, we suggest designing a unique multi-item scale system to prognosticate COVID-19 patients.

Isolated Central Nervous System Vasculitides in COVID-19: A Systematic Review of Case Reports and Series

Cerebral vasculitides, both isolated or in systemic disorders, could be triggered by infections, and few cases have been associated to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This study searched for publications in Pubmed, EMBASE, and Cochrane library databases for case reports and series of isolated central nervous system (CNS) vasculitides triggered by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2. We included 12 studies (published from June 2020 to July 2022) and collected 39 adult patients (5/39 pathologically or radiologically proven, 34/39 suggestive for primary CNS vasculitis or PCNSV). All cases had a positive real-time polymerase chain reaction on a nasopharyngeal swab or a respiratory tract specimen. About the 85% of the included cases were males, and disease onset occurred later than 50 years old in all but three subjects. In total, 33/39 patients presented severe COVID-19 pneumonia, frequently requiring intensive care unit care. The most common neurological features were headache, obnubilation, and coma. PCNSV was suspected mainly on radiological findings, whereas the cerebrospinal fluid analysis was minimally altered. Magnetic resonance imaging showed vessel wall enhancement in 32/39 cases, generally with the concomitant presence of microbleeds, subarachnoid haemorrhages, and/or multiple ischemic lesions. Despite the severe respiratory and neurological disease course, most cases (93%) improved spontaneously or after a course of high-dose intravenous steroids with no need for immunosuppression. In conclusion, PCNSV could rarely relate to COVID-19 and independently from pulmonary disease severity. Adults with COVID-19-related PCNSV could have a favourable prognosis.

HASTALARIN PERİODONTAL KEMİK KAYBI VE TEDAVİ İHTİYACININ COVID-19'A GÖRE DEĞERLENDİRİLMESİ

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate patients' periodontal bone loss and treatment needs according to the COVID-19 and determine whether there is a relationship between COVID-19 and periodontal disease.
 Method: This cross-sectional study included patients admitted to the periodontology department for treatment between April 2021 and July 2021. According to the personal health system records of the patients, a positive real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test indicated a positive COVID-19 history [COVID(+)], whereas no positive PCR in the records was defined as a negative history [COVID(-)]. Periodontal treatment need was assessed by the Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Needs (CPITN). In addition, periodontal bone loss (PBL) was measured from the digital panoramic radiographs according to the Progressive Rate Index (PRI). 
 Results: The study was conducted with 138 patients [COVID(+) 73, COVID(-) 65]. There was no statistically significant difference between COVID(+) and COVID(-) in terms of age and sex. The number of smokers in COVID(-) was significantly higher than COVID(+) (p: 0.045). No significant difference was found between the groups regarding the PRI and the presence of PBL. While COVID(+) had a greater percentage of score 0, 1, 3, and 4 than COVID(-); COVID(-) had a higher percentage of score 2 (p

Measurement of the serum level of Leucine-rich alpha-2-glycoprotein-1 in hospitalized Iraqi COVID-19 Patients

Objective: The study aimed to assess Leucine-rich alpha-2-glycoprotein-1 biomarker serum level in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Methods: The case control study from multi-centers in Baghdad included 45 adult patients (19 females and 26 males) with COVID-19, diagnosed with a positive real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and excluded negative RT-PCR for COVID-19 and comorbidity conditions. Second group, was 43 control (20 females and 23 males). Results: This study found a decrease Leucine-rich alpha-2-glycoprotein-1 biomarker serum level in these patients and a significant difference in D. dimer, neutrophil count, lymphocyte count, and the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio between the patients and controls at a P value equal to 0.000, Conclusion: The concentration of leucine-rich alpha2 glycoprotien1 in the patients after taking Tocilizumab was greatly decreased in many studies. Most of the patients in the study were treated with Tocilizumab, which directly blocks the effect of IL-6 by blocking the IL-6 receptors and greatly decreased the expression of LRG1 to impair the production of the angiopathogenic constituent.

Comparison of the Influence of Different Nucleic Acid Extraction Assays on the Sensitivity of Trypanosoma cruzi-Specific Real-Time PCR.

For the molecular diagnosis of Chagas disease by real-time PCR (polymerase chain reaction), optimization of diagnostic accuracy is desirable. The detection limit of real-time PCR assays for the diagnosis of Trypanosoma cruzi in human serum is affected by various influences including the choice of the nucleic acid extraction assay. In this study, three nucleic acid extraction assays were compared regarding their influence on the sensitivity of a T. cruzi-specific real-time PCR with 62 reference sera containing T. cruzi target DNA (deoxyribonucleotide acid). More than 95% of the positive sera were correctly identified after all three nucleic acid extraction strategies with a detection rate ranging from 96.8% (60/62) for the worst assay to 100% (62/62) for the best one. A matched pairs analysis for the comparison of the cycle threshold (Ct) values obtained with the 59 reference samples with positive real-time PCR results after all three nucleic acid extraction schemes indicated differences in a range of about 3 Ct steps. Summarized, all three compared nucleic acid extraction schemes were basically suitable for T. cruzi-specific PCR from serum with some minor differences. However, in the case of low quantities of circulating parasite DNA in the serum of a patient with Chagas disease, even minor effects can make a difference in the individual diagnosis.

Loss of smell in COVID-19 patients: is it related to clinical-radiological disease severity?

Objective: Olfactory dysfunction (OD) is one of the most prominent predictive symptoms in the early detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) disease (COVID-19), it may be the first symptom or accompany other symptoms. The predictive value of OD is unknown in terms of the overall prognosis of COVID-19. We aimed to investigate the relationship between OD and the clinical-radiological severity of the disease. 
 Material and Method: Data of 208 COVID-19 patients (105 inpatients and 103 outpatients) who had positive Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests between December 1, 2020, and January 15, 2021, were collected retrospectively. Presence of OD, symptoms on admission other than OD, days of hospital stay, peripheral blood analysis values, COVID-19 disease severity [World Health Organization (WHO) 2020 “Clinical management of COVID-19”] and radiologic classifications [Radiological Society of North America Expert Consensus Statement on Reporting (RSNA) Chest CT Findings Related to COVID-19] were retrospectively collected.
 Results: Analysis of 208 patients revealed that there were 105 (50.48%) inpatients and 103 (49.52%) outpatients. Among 102 patients who had OD, 68 were outpatients and 34 were inpatients. It was determined that the patients with OD were mostly followed up on an outpatient basis, and they did not need hospitalization (p

Post-COVID-19 condition is not only a question of persistent symptoms: structured screening including health-related quality of life reveals two separate clusters of post-COVID

PurposeSome patients experience long-term sequelae after infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). However, despite a present post-COVID condition, defined as “any symptom lasting longer than 12 weeks,” only a subset of patients search for medical help and therapy.MethodWe invited all adults with a positive real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for SARS-CoV-2 between March 2020 and September 2021 (n = 4091) in the city of Jena to answer a standardized questionnaire including demographic information, the course of the acute infection and current health status. K-means-clustering of quality of life (QoL) was used to explore post-COVID subgroups.ResultsA total of 909 participants at a median interval of 367 (IQR 291/403) days after acute infection were included in the analysis. Of those, 643 (70.7%) complained of having experienced persistent symptoms at the time of the survey. Cluster analysis based on QoL revealed two subgroups of people with persistent post-COVID symptoms. Whereas 189/643 participants (29.4%) showed markedly diminished QoL, normal QoL was detected in 454/643 individuals (70.6%).ConclusionDespite persistent symptoms being reported by nearly three quarters of participants, only one-third of these described a significant reduction in QoL (cluster 1), whereas the other two-thirds reported a near-normal QoL (cluster 2), thus indicating a differentiation between “post-COVID disease” and “post-COVID condition”. The prevalence of clinically relevant post-COVID disease was at least 20.7%. Health policies should focus on this subset.

Alterations in the molecular composition of COVID-19 patient urine, detected using Raman spectroscopic/computational analysis.

We developed and tested a method to detect COVID-19 disease, using urine specimens. The technology is based on Raman spectroscopy and computational analysis. It does not detect SARS-CoV-2 virus or viral components, but rather a urine 'molecular fingerprint', representing systemic metabolic, inflammatory, and immunologic reactions to infection. We analyzed voided urine specimens from 46 symptomatic COVID-19 patients with positive real time-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests for infection or household contact with test-positive patients. We compared their urine Raman spectra with urine Raman spectra from healthy individuals (n = 185), peritoneal dialysis patients (n = 20), and patients with active bladder cancer (n = 17), collected between 2016-2018 (i.e., pre-COVID-19). We also compared all urine Raman spectra with urine specimens collected from healthy, fully vaccinated volunteers (n = 19) from July to September 2021. Disease severity (primarily respiratory) ranged among mild (n = 25), moderate (n = 14), and severe (n = 7). Seventy percent of patients sought evaluation within 14 days of onset. One severely affected patient was hospitalized, the remainder being managed with home/ambulatory care. Twenty patients had clinical pathology profiling. Seven of 20 patients had mildly elevated serum creatinine values (>0.9 mg/dl; range 0.9-1.34 mg/dl) and 6/7 of these patients also had estimated glomerular filtration rates (eGFR) <90 mL/min/1.73m2 (range 59-84 mL/min/1.73m2). We could not determine if any of these patients had antecedent clinical pathology abnormalities. Our technology (Raman Chemometric Urinalysis-Rametrix®) had an overall prediction accuracy of 97.6% for detecting complex, multimolecular fingerprints in urine associated with COVID-19 disease. The sensitivity of this model for detecting COVID-19 was 90.9%. The specificity was 98.8%, the positive predictive value was 93.0%, and the negative predictive value was 98.4%. In assessing severity, the method showed to be accurate in identifying symptoms as mild, moderate, or severe (random chance = 33%) based on the urine multimolecular fingerprint. Finally, a fingerprint of 'Long COVID-19' symptoms (defined as lasting longer than 30 days) was located in urine. Our methods were able to locate the presence of this fingerprint with 70.0% sensitivity and 98.7% specificity in leave-one-out cross-validation analysis. Further validation testing will include sampling more patients, examining correlations of disease severity and/or duration, and employing metabolomic analysis (Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry [GC-MS], High Performance Liquid Chromatography [HPLC]) to identify individual components contributing to COVID-19 molecular fingerprints.

P1066: OUTCOMES OF COVID-19 IN PATIENTS WITH MYELOPROLIFERATIVE NEOPLASMS - AN OBSERVATIONAL COHORT STUDY FROM A LARGE ACADEMIC CANCER CENTER IN THE UNITED STATES

Background: Infections are one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality in patients with Myeloproliferative Neoplasms (MPN). Several studies from all over the world has reported on outcomes of the SARS-CoV-2 infection (COVID-19) pandemic in MPN pts but there is no robust data on characterizing the clinical outcomes of patients with MPN and COVID-19 in the United States (US). Aims: Therefore, we aimed to investigate the effect of COVID-19 on MPN patients’ clinical outcomes including the effect of MPN-subtypes, and SARS-CoV-2 vaccination on COVID-19 infection. Methods: We conducted a single center, retrospective, observational cohort study. Between April 2020 – December 2021, data was obtained from 388 patients flagged in the electronic health records system with MPN and COVID-19, of which 53 MPN patients with positive SARS-CoV-2 test were identified. COVID-19 infection was ascertained by a positive real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction from nasal swab. Presenting clinical information was abstracted from review of unstructured notes as well as structured data from the foundry. Demographic and baseline parameters were summarized. The Kaplan-Meier method was utilized to compare the median time from date of diagnosis to date of last follow up or death. Results: Among 53 patients with MPN and COVID-19 infection, the median age was 58 yrs (range,21-83) with equal distribution between men and women of which 46% had a body mass index ≥30. Most common comorbidities included hypertension (60%), and diabetes (19%). 17 (33%) patients required hospitalization of which all (33%) of them required oxygen supplementation. 12 pts (23%) had radiological evidence of pneumonia of which 4 pts (8%) required high flow oxygen and 3 pts (6%) required mechanical ventilation. 2 pts had new thrombosis of portal vein and coronary artery each. 10 pts (19%) received remdesivir and 4 (8%) received tocilizumab, and 9 pts (17%) received steroids. At a median follow up of 11.8 months, 7 pts died at a median of 24 days after COVID-19 diagnosis and the case fatality rate was 13%. Except for 1 pt,all the other 6 pts who died had BMI≥30. In the US, COVID-19 predominantly occurred in pts with myelofibrosis (56%), polycythemia vera (29%), and essential thrombocythemia (15%). 54% received MPN directed therapy of which 17 (33%) pts received ruxolitinib, and 11 pts (21%) received hydroxyurea. At the time of infection, median WBC was 6.2 x 109/µL (range,0.3-16.3),Hb was 11.6 gm/dL (range,6.8-15.8),platelet count was 178 x 109/µL (range,2-766), and the median neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio was 4.1. In this cohort, 22 pts (42%) were infected prior to the availability of vaccination. 42% of the entire cohort has received vaccination of which 45% pts were infected after first dose of vaccination. Among the 7 deaths, 6 patients had underlying myelofibrosis, and one pt had polycythemia vera, and all deaths occurred in unvaccinated population except for one death that occurred post vaccination. Hospitalization rate was higher in the unvaccinated (33%) pts than those who were vaccinated (22%). Summary/Conclusion: To date this is the largest cohort of MPN patients with COVID-19 infection in the US accounting for 14% of the MPN patients with COVID-19 in our center. BMI≥30 appear to be an important risk factor for COVID-19 infection and mortality in MPN pts. SARSCOV2-vaccination appear to decrease the risk of mortality and hospitalization. Patterns of inflammatory markers, and long term follow up of recovered MPN pts with COVID-19 will be presented in the meeting.

The effect of hypertension and antihypertensive therapies on the course of COVID-19 infection: Turkish national health system data

ABSTRACT Aim The effect of hypertension (HT) and antihypertensive therapies such as renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) blockers on the disease course in COVID-19 patients is controversial. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of HT and antihypertensive therapies on the course of COVID-19 disease. Method The age, sex, comorbid diseases, and antihypertensive therapies of 132,790 patients with positive COVID-19 real-time transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests in the Turkish Health Ministry National COVID-19 database between 11 March and 31 May 2020, were examined and analyzed. Results Forty-one percent of the 132,790 patients in this study (median age: 40, 47.3% female) were hospitalized for treatment, and 4.5% were followed-up in the intensive care unit (ICU). The most frequent comorbid disease, at 19.5%, was HT (n = 25,863). Mortality was determined in 4.9% of HT patients and 1.9% of non-HT patients (p < .001). HT, age, and male gender emerged as independent predictors of hospitalization and admission to the ICU, while HT was not a predictor of mortality. In addition, no adverse effect of any antihypertensive treatment, including RAAS inhibitors, on mortality was detected. Conclusion Based on Turkish national data, HT is common in COVID-19 patients, but does not appear to be an independent predictor of mortality, and no adverse effect of RAAS inhibitors on COVID-19-related mortality was observed.

Predictors of severity and mortality in COVID-19 patients

BackgroundDue to limited capacity, health care systems worldwide have been put in challenging situations since the emergence of COVID-19. To prioritize patients who need hospital admission, a better understanding of the clinical predictors of disease severity is required. In the current study, we investigated the predictors of mortality and severity of illness in COVID-19 from a single center in Cairo, Egypt.MethodsThis retrospective cohort study included 175 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 pneumonia and had positive real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) results for SARS-CoV-2 from 1 May 2020 to 1 December 2020. Severe COVID-19 was defined as requiring high-flow oxygen (flow rate of more than 8 L/min or use of high flow oxygen cannula), noninvasive ventilation, or invasive mechanical ventilation at any time point during the hospitalization. We used univariate and multivariate regression analyses to examine the differences in patient demographics and clinical and laboratory data collected during the first 24 h of hospitalization related to severe disease or death in all 175 patients.ResultsSixty-seven (38.3%) of the study subjects had a severe or critical disease. Elevated d-dimer, leukocytosis, and elevated CRP were found to be independent predictors of severe disease. In-hospital mortality occurred in 34 (19.4%) of the cases. Elevated TLC, urea, the use of invasive mechanical ventilation, and the presence of respiratory bacterial co-infection were found to be independently associated with mortality.ConclusionClinical and laboratory data of COVID-19 patients at their hospital admission may aid clinicians in the early identification and triage of high-risk patients.

Predictors of Severity and Mortality in COVID-19: A Retrospective Study from Batman, Turkey.

It is increasingly important to identify risk factors for COVID-19-associated mortality to provide access to early treatment. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between COVID-19 severity and laboratory data and demographic characteristics of hospitalized patients and to identify factors predicting mortality in COVID-19. The study is a retrospective and single-center study. Data of 1298 COVID-19 patients confirmed by a positive real-time polymerase chain reaction test for COVID-19 and treated at the hospital were retrospectively analyzed. Study patients were divided into three groups based on the clinical severity of disease: the mild-moderate group (n:954) and the severe (n:310) and critical (n:34) groups. Demographic characteristics, underlying diseases, and laboratory findings were compared between groups. Multivariate logistic and ordinal logistic regression analysis revealed that male gender, old age, diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease, cerebrovascular event, malignancy, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic renal failure, chronic hepatitis B, and Alzheimer's disease/dementia/Parkinson's disease (among neurological diseases) were independently associated with and significantly increased the development of severe disease and mortality. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to be a significant health problem affecting all of humanity. Determining risk factors for COVID-19 severity and mortality are critical for classifying critical cases at the time of initial diagnosis, establishing appropriately specific treatment protocols, and ensuring access to early treatment.

Gambaran Hasil Pemeriksaan Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) pada Pasien yang Sudah Terkonfirmasi Positif Swab Antigen dan Reaktif Rapid Test Antibodi

Corona virus are a large family of viruses that can cause disease in humans. Examination of Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) is an examination using in vitro techniques for determining or measuring the extent and nature of the template DNA (DNA chain) in real time. Antigen Swab a rapid diagnostic test for Covid-19 to detect the presence of antigens from the corona virus. antibody rapid test examination is an initial screening method for detecting IgM and IgG antibodies. This research is descriptive to get an overview of the result Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) examination in patients who have been confirmed positive on the antigen swab and reactive on the antibody rapid test. The population in this study were patients who were confirmed positive for swab antigens totaling 183 samples and confirmed antibody reactive totaling 117 samples who underwent a follow up examination of Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR). There were positive RT-PCR results on the antigen swab examination as many as 162 samples (88.5%) and 21 (11.5%) negative results and positive RT-PCR results on the antibody rapid test examination as many as 34 samples (29.1 %) and obtained negative results as many as 83 (70.9%). The results of this study are expected to be a science for the public in knowing supporting laboratory tests in detecting the corona virus.

A Large Retrospective Study of Epidemiological Characteristics of COVID-19 Patients in the North of Iran: Association between SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR Ct Values with Demographic Data.

Objectives To avoid worsening from mild, moderate, and severe diseases and to reduce mortality, it is necessary to identify the subpopulation that is more vulnerable to the development of COVID-19 unfavorable consequences. This study aims to investigate the demographic information, prevalence rates of common comorbidities among negative and positive real-time reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) patients, and the association between SARS-CoV-2 cycle threshold (Ct) at hospital admission, demographic data, and outcomes of the patients in a large population in Northern Iran. Methods This large retrospective cross-sectional study was performed from 7 March to 20 December 2020. Demographic data, including gender, age, underlying diseases, clinical outcomes, and Ct values, were obtained from 8,318 cases suspected of COVID-19, who were admitted to four teaching hospitals affiliated to Babol University of Medical Sciences (MUBABOL), in the north of Iran. Results Since 7 March 2020, the data were collected from 8,318 cases suspected of COVID-19 (48.5% female and 51.5% male) with a mean age of 53 ± 25.3 years. Among 8,318 suspected COVID-19 patients, 3,250 (39.1%) had a positive rRT-PCR result; 1,632 (50.2%) patients were male and 335 (10.3%) patients died during their hospital stay. The distribution of positive rRT-PCR revealed that most patients (464 (75.7%)) had a Ct between 21 and 30 (Group B). Conclusion Elderly patients, lower Ct, patients having at least one comorbidity, and male cases were significantly associated with increased risk for COVID-19-related mortality. Moreover, mortality was significantly higher in patients with diabetes, kidney disease, and respiratory disease.