Suspected Coronavirus Disease 2019 Patients Research Articles

The utility of remdesivir in SARS-CoV-2: A single tertiary care center experience from a developing country

BackgroundRemdesivir is a monophosphoramidate prodrug of an adenosine analog, and it has a broad-spectrum antiviral activity against paramyxoviruses, flaviviruses, and coronaviruses. Remdesivir is associated with decreased hospital stay and improved outcomes in coronavirus- disease 2019 (COVID-19). MethodologyOf 846 suspected COVID-19 patients admitted to the hospital, 612 SARS-CoV-2 nasopharyngeal RT-PCR positive patients were evaluated for enrollment in this prospective cohort study. 159 RT-PCR positive patients were given remdesivir. Their clinical, biochemical parameters, hospital stay, and outcomes related to morbidity and mortality were followed. ResultsOut of the 159 patients, 141 recovered after remdesivir use. The Chi-square test for independence examined the relation between the day of the first dose, dose of remdesivir, and clinical outcome. The standardized case fatality ratio (CFR) in the 453 hospitalized patients who did not receive remdesivir was 32.89% (N = 149) as compared to 11.32% (N = 18) in the patients who received remdesivir. These findings are in keeping with the therapeutic value of remdesivir in symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection of varying severity. ConclusionThe use of remdesivir is associated with a decrease in the severity of the SARS-CoV-2 infection. Its use is also associated with a decreased length of hospital stay and lower mortality than the patients who did not receive remdesivir.

Role of Modified RALES and Brixia Scores Section in Predicting the COVID-19 Positivity among the Suspected Patients: A Cross-sectional Observational Study

Introduction: Computed Tomography (CT) chest plays an important role in triaging and managing patients of suspected COVID-19, especially in those where Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) report is pending but CT chest has constraints of availability and cost. Chest X-ray (CXR) is a readily available investigation and is cheaper than a CT chest. Hence, any scoring on CXR which proves to be helpful in triaging and managing suspected COVID19 patients will alleviate the dependency on CT chest. Modified Radiographic Assessment of Lung Edema Score (mRALES) and Brixia scores have been used to assess severity of disease and prognosis in COVID-19 confirmed cases. However, these two scores have never been used as a method to predict the confirmed COVID-19 pateints among the the suspected COVID-19 cases. Aim: To evaluate the role of mRALES and Brixia score along with clinical and laboratory parameters in predicting confirmed positive cases among suspected COVID-19 patients. Materials and Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional, observational study was conducted in Department of Medicine at Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Medical Sciences (ABVIMS) and Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, New Delhi, India, from 1st to 15th December 2020. Case records of patients admitted with severe acute respiratory illness (suspected COVID-19) were accessed and used to fill up a proforma where clinical and laboratory parameters were recorded. Chest radiographs (posteroanterior and anteroposterior) of the patients were evaluated to calculate mRALES and Brixia scores. Sensitivity, specificity, positive preditive value and negative predictive value were calculated. The p-value <0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: Out of the 113 patients, 62 were males and 51 females. The COVID-19 positivity rate was 15.04% (n=17). Mean age of patients was 52.64±15.63 years. Overall, the mean mRALES and Brixia scores were not statistically different between suspected (mRALES=3.94±2.51, Brixia=7.29±4.642), and confirmed COVID19 (mRALES=4.25±2.56, Brixia=7.73±4.84) patients. However, in the subgroup of patients with history of obstructive airway disease, Brixia score was significantly higher among COVID-19 positive patients (7.09±4.70) as compared to COVID-19 suspected patients (0.53±4.31). Presence of low TLC {<9550/mm3 with sensitivity of 70.62%, specificity of 67.3%, Positive Predictive Value (PPV) of 26.7% and Negative Predictive Value (NPV) of 92.4%} and low ANC {< 7580/mm3 with sensitivity of 64.7%, specificity of 63.2%, PPV of 22.9% and NPV of 90.5%} significantly predicted the COVID-19 positivity among the suspected COVID-19 patients. Conclusion: mRALES and Brixia scores on CXR are not significantly different between suspected and confirmed COVID-19 patients and hence, cannot be used to judge who among suspected COVID-19 patients will turn out to be COVID-19 positive later. However, a TLC of less than 9550/ mm3 and an ANC of less than 7580/mm3 can predict COVID-19 positivity among suspected patients.

May Mutation of SNP rs1800947 Affects Length of Stay Outcome of COVID-19 suspects?

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a new type of respiratory infection that first emerged in December 2019 in Wuhan, Hubei, China. COVID-19 is caused by a new type of virus called severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This study aims to determine the association of SNP CRP rs1800947 gene in suspected COVID-19 patients to length of stay at Al Ihsan Hospital, and Banten Hospital in June-November 2020. This study used data from 60 patients, all patients were suspect COVID-19. The subject was 29 COVID-19 people were confirmed, whereas 31 people were not. A statistics analysis due to pearson correlation and linear multi regretion. This study found a significant assosiation between the subject. The results of this study were the relationship between SNP rs1800947 and outcome, a fairly strong association level relationship was found in the SNP rs1800947 (p-value= 0.045, association= 0.537). The association between length of stay and CRP levels has a low level of association (p-value=0.015, association=0.378). The SNP genotype rs1800947 G had a longer treatment duration of 0.14778 days compared to the SNPrs1800947 C genotype. CRP levels showed that higher CRP levels increased the length of treatment compared to normal CRP levels. Where high CRP levels are at risk of 0.6330 days longer than normal CRP while very high CRP is at risk of 2.9561 days longer than Normal CRP levels. In general, the gene SNP rs1800947 and CRP levels, together affect the outcome of patients with suspected COVID-19.

Self‐reported olfactory and gustatory dysfunction and psychophysical testing in screening for COVID‐19: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

BackgroundA substantial proportion of coronavirus disease‐2019 (COVID‐19) patients demonstrate olfactory and gustatory dysfunction (OGD). Self‐reporting for OGD is widely used as a predictor of COVID‐19. Although psychophysical assessment is currently under investigation in this role, the sensitivity of these screening tests for COVID‐19 remains unclear. In this systematic review we assess the sensitivity of self‐reporting and psychophysical tests for OGD.MethodsA systematic search was performed on PubMed, EMBASE, and ClinicalTrials.gov from inception until February 16, 2021. Studies of suspected COVID‐19 patients with reported smell or taste alterations were included. Data were pooled for meta‐analysis. Sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) were reported in the outcomes.ResultsIn the 50 included studies (42,902 patients), self‐reported olfactory dysfunction showed a sensitivity of 43.9% (95% confidence interval [CI], 37.8%‐50.2%), a specificity of 91.8% (95% CI, 89.0%‐93.9%), and a DOR of 8.74 (95% CI, 6.67‐11.46) for predicting COVID‐19 infection. Self‐reported gustatory dysfunction yielded a sensitivity of 44.9% (95% CI, 36.4%‐53.8%), a specificity of 91.5% (95% CI, 87.7%‐94.3%), and a DOR of 8.83 (95% CI, 6.48‐12.01). Olfactory psychophysical tests analysis revealed a sensitivity of 52.8% (95% CI, 25.5%‐78.6%), a specificity of 88.0% (95% CI, 53.7%‐97.9%), and a DOR of 8.18 (95% CI, 3.65‐18.36). One study used an identification test for gustatory sensations assessment.ConclusionAlthough demonstrating high specificity and DOR values, neither self‐reported OGD nor unvalidated and limited psychophysical tests were sufficiently sensitive in screening for COVID‐19. They were not suitable adjuncts in ruling out the disease.

Lung Ultrasound using a Handheld Device to Diagnose COVID-19 in the Emergency Department

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has critically struck healthcare systems and burdened emergency services. To date, there is no accurate and rapid point-of-care diagnostic test. This study aimed to investigate Lung Ultrasound (LUS) against Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) test in suspected COVID-19 patients presenting to the emergency department. In 20 eligible patients (mean age ± standard deviation, 49 ± 15 years), 12 had a positive RT-PCR test and undergone an LUS examination over 12 lung zones using a handheld ultrasound device. Each zone was semiquantitatively scored according to the Lung Ultrasound Scoring System (LUSS) from 0 to 3 based on the severity of findings (pleural line irregularity, B-lines, consolidations) and documented the presence of light beam artifacts. A second blinded reader scored the images to investigate interreader reproducibility. The LUSS score had a modest diagnostic performance at 66.6% [95% Confidence Interval (CI), 34.9–90.0%] sensitivity and 75.0% (95% CI, 34.9–96.8%) specificity. The light beam artifact was more prevalent and sensitive to COVID-19 patients with 81.8% (95% CI, 48.2–97.7%) sensitivity and 75.0% (95% CI, 34.9–96.8%) specificity. LUS had an almost perfect interreader reproducibility for LUSS (Kendall’s W = 0.961; 95% CI, 0.894–0.985) and light beam artifact (Cohen’s κ = 0.890; 95% CI, 0.683–1.00). Overall, LUS using handheld devices can offer a safe, reproducible, rapid, and feasible first-line tool for detecting COVID-19 patients in emergency departments. The light beam artifact was more sensitive and specific to COVID-19 patients and can be useful for effectively triaging suspected cases.

ROLE OF EOSINOPHIL COUNT, CRPAND SERUM FERRITIN LEVELS AS MARKERS OF SEVERITY IN COVID-19 ILLNESS.

INTRODUCTION: Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) is a systemic infection which has a signicant impact on the hematopoietic system and hemostasis. Denitive diagnosis requires a laboratory conrmation test with presence of specic clinical characteristics. Patients critically ill with COVID-19 presents with hyper inammation, and the associated biomarkers may be benecial for risk stratication. During the disease course, Eosinophil count and CRP may help to effectively differentiate the suspected COVID-19 patients from others attending the fever clinic with u like symptoms. Ferritin is a key mediator of immune dysregulation and act as a crucial factor inuencing the severity of COVID-19. RESULT: 19 patients in the COVID-19 group (73%) and 4 patients in the COVID-19 negative group (16.6%) had eosinopenia. Eosinopenia and elevated C-reactive protein present with a positive predictive value at 70.7%. 14 patients with severe COVID-19 revealed elevated levels of ferritin as compared with patients having non-severe disease CONCLUSION:The combination of eosinopenia and elevated CRPcan effectively distinguish suspected COVID-19 patients from other patients attending the u clinic with COVID-19 like initial symptoms. An elevated serum CRP and ferritin were associated with poor outcome and critical phase of disease. Our study is helpful in classifying patients at the time of presentation with disease that requires hospitalization and initial therapy. The utmost importance of our study reects about early isolation of cases. AIM and Objective: Ÿ To study the role of Eosinophil count in risk stratication of patients presenting in u clinic. Ÿ To correlate the severity of disease with levels of eosinopenia, elevated CRPand Serum Ferritin.

Assessing knowledge, practices and apprehensions among dental practitioners regarding the covid-19 pandemic in Kashmir region: A cross-sectional study

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected the health-care system drastically, including dental care practice. Owing to specific characteristics of dental care such as aerosol generation as well as close proximity to patients, dentistry is thought to be associated with the bidirectional nosocomial spread of infection. The aim of the study was to assess the knowledge, practices and apprehensions among dental practitioners regarding the COVID-2019 pandemic. Methods: An online cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey was conducted among the dentist using a combination of convenience and snowball sampling. The data was subjected to the Chi – Square test, multivariate linear regression, and Pearson’s correlation test. Results: Almost all the dentists had heard about the coronavirus and around. 96.9% of dentist reported respiratory hygiene, social distancing, and hand hygiene as the main preventive measures for stopping the cross – transmission of infection. Oral prophylaxis (7%) and bone cutting (7%) were reported as the dental procedures that generate aerosol/micro-droplets. Only 37% of the dentists were practicing since the outbreak of COVID -19. As many as 40.2% of the dentists admitted to including the travel history while recording the case history of the patient, whereas only 20.5% screened the patients for possibility of COVID – 19 at their clinic. 18.9% were apprehensive in treating COVID -19 patients. The multiple linear regression model revealed that qualification and work experience were significant predictors of knowledge, practice and apprehension among dentists. Conclusions: Dentists were found to have an overall good knowledge and practice, which is important to combat COVID-19. Furthermore, a certain level of apprehension toward suspected COVID-19 patients existed. Pandemic-awareness campaigns are essential among healthcare providers.

X-Rays through the Looking Glass: Mobile Imaging Dosimetry and Image Quality of Suspected COVID-19 Patients

Background: This paper aims to evaluate the clinical utility and radiation dosimetry, for the mobile X-ray imaging of patients with known or suspected infectious diseases, through the window of an isolation room. The suitability of this technique for imaging coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients is of particular focus here, although it is expected to have equal relevance to many infectious respiratory disease outbreaks.Materials and Methods: Two exposure levels were examined, a “typical” mobile exposure of 100 kVp/1.6 mAs and a “high” exposure of 120 kVp/5 mAs. Exposures of an anthropomorphic phantom were made, with and without a glass window present in the beam. The resultant phantom images were provided to experienced radiographers for image quality evaluation, using a Likert scale to rate the anatomical structure visibility.Results and Discussion: The incident air kerma doubled using the high exposure technique, from 29.47 μGy to 67.82 μGy and scattered radiation inside and outside the room increased. Despite an increase in beam energy, high exposure technique images received higher image quality scores than images acquired using lower exposure settings.Conclusion: Increased scattered radiation was very low and can be further mitigated by ensuring surrounding staff are appropriately distanced from both the patient and X-ray tube. Although an increase in incident air kerma was observed, practical advantages in infection control and personal protective equipment conservation were identified. Sites are encouraged to consider the use of this technique where appropriate, following the completion of standard justification practices.

Pulmonary Embolism Detection in COVID-19 Patients

Background: A clinically important impact of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is the increased likelihood of thromboembolism, mainly pulmonary embolism (PE). To screen for these complications a biochemical marker, D-dimer, is usually done. There is a plethora of research validating the use of D-dimer cutoff levels in non-COVID-19 patients, however less so in the COVID-19 population. Aim: To determine the number of suspected COVID patients with D-dimer ≥ 0.5 and PE reported on CTPA. Methods: Non-interventional single-centre retrospective clinical correlational study. Patient cohort was patients admitted with suspected COVID-19 over a 5-week period. N=690. Results: 76.5% of suspected COVID-19 patients were PCR positive. 40% of these patients had a CTPA completed with 19% reported to have a PE. 52% of patients had a D-dimer value ≥ 0.5 10.6% patients had a PE with a D-dimer ≥ 0.5. Conclusion: Nationally, hospitals are adopting existing D-dimer cut off levels to rule out PEs, however this leads to a large proportion of admitted COVID-19 patients having possibly unnecessary computed tomography pulmonary angiogram. This study highlights that majority of patients with D-dimers above the cut off level have negative PEs and contributes to the notion that standard D-dimer cutoffs are insufficiently accurate to be used as a standalone test in diagnosis in the context of an underlying SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Assessment of Systemic Immune Inflammation Index to Predict SARS-CoV-2 Infection

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and has become a major health problem worldwide. Inflammation plays a vital role in the pathophysiology of COVID-19. Systemic Immune Inflammation Index (SII) is an index obtained from calculating the platelets counts, neutrophils, and lymphocytes, which can indicate the inflammation status and immunity. This study aimed to determine the potential of SII as a predictor of SARS-CoV-2 infection in suspected COVID-19 subjects. A retrospective study was carried out by obtaining medical record data in June 2020 at Sleman General Hospital. An unpaired T-test or the Mann-Whitney test was used to determine the statistical difference. A Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve was generated and used to get the cut-off values. Bivariate analysis was performed using Chi-Square. There were 84 subjects consisting of 46 (54.8%) males and 38 (45.2%) females with a mean age of 42.4±16.356 years. There was a significant difference in the neutrophils count (p=0.045), monocytes (p=0.001), and eosinophils (p=0.037) between subjects with positive and negative SARS-CoV-2 PCR. The median SII in the positive and negative SARS-CoV-2 PCR group was 780.12 (301.21-2178.90)x103/µL and 584.14 (117.79-1933.87)x103/µL (p=0.045), respectively. Bivariate analysis showed significant results at SII > 705 x103/µL in suspected COVID-19 patients to obtain a positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR result with Odds Ratio (OR) of 4.00 (95% CI 1.580-10.127), p=0.003. Patients with suspected SARS-CoV-2 infection with high SII levels had a greater risk of a positive SARS-CoV-2 in PCR test

Using Statistical Measures and Density Maps Generated From Chest Computed Tomography Scans to Identify and Monitor COVID-19 Cases in Radiation Oncology Rapidly.

ObjectivesThis study aimed to evaluate quantitative and qualitative screening measures for anomalous computed tomography (CT) scans in cancer patients with potential coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as an automated detection tool in a radiation oncology treatment setting.MethodsWe identified a non-COVID-19 cohort and patients with suspected COVID-19 with chest CT scans from February 1, 2020 to June 30, 2020. Lungs were segmented, and a mean normal Hounsfield Unit (HU) histogram was generated for the non-COVID-19 CT scans; these were used to define thresholds for designating the COVID-19-suspected histograms as normal or abnormal. Statistical measures were computed and compared to the threshold levels, and density maps were generated to examine the difference between lungs with and without COVID-19 qualitatively.ResultsThe non-COVID-19 cohort consisted of 70 patients with 70 CT scans, and the cohort of suspected COVID-19 patients consisted of 59 patients with 80 CT scans. Sixty-two patients were positive for COVID-19. The mean HUs and skewness of the intensity histogram discriminated between COVID-19 positive and negative cases, with an area under the curve of 0.948 for positive and 0.944 for negative cases. Skewness correctly identified 57 of 62 positive cases, whereas mean HUs correctly identified 17 of 18 negative cases. Density maps allowed for visualization of the temporal evolution of COVID-19 disease.ConclusionsThe statistical measures and density maps evaluated here could be employed in an automated screening algorithm for COVID-19 infection. The accuracy is high enough for a simple and rapid screening tool for early identification of suspected infection in patients treated with chemotherapy and radiation therapy already receiving CT scans as part of clinical care. This screening tool could also identify other infections that present critical risks for patients undergoing chemotherapy and radiation therapy, such as pneumonitis.

Development and clinical evaluation of a rapid antibody lateral flow assay for the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection

BackgroundThe novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which has quickly spread worldwide since its outbreak in December 2019. One of the primary measures for controlling the spread of SARS-CoV-2 infection is an accurate assay for its diagnosis. SARS-CoV-2 real-time PCR kits suffer from some limitations, including false-negative results in the clinic. Therefore, there is an urgent need for the development of a rapid antibody test kit for COVID-19 diagnosis.MethodsThe nuclear capsid protein (N) and spike protein 1 (S1) fragments of SARS-CoV-2 were expressed in Escherichia coli, and rapid antibody-based tests for the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection were developed. To evaluate their clinical applications, the serum from COVID-19 patients, suspected COVID-19 patients, recovering COVID-19 patients, patients with general fever or pulmonary infection, doctors and nurses who worked at the fever clinic, and health professionals was analyzed by the rapid antibody test kits. The serum from patients infected with Mycoplasma pneumoniae and patients with respiratory tract infection was further analyzed to test its cross-reactivity with other respiratory pathogens.ResultsA 47 kDa N protein and 67 kDa S1 fragment of SARS-CoV-2 were successfully expressed, purified, and renatured. The rapid antibody test with recombinant N protein showed higher positive rate than the rapid IgM antibody test with recombinant S1 protein. Clinical evaluation showed that the rapid antibody test kit with recombinant N protein had 88.56 % analytical sensitivity and 97.42 % specificity for COVID-19 patients, 53.48 % positive rate for suspected COVID-19 patients, 57.14 % positive rate for recovering COVID-19 patients, and 0.5−0.8 % cross-reactivity with other respiratory pathogens. The analytical sensitivity of the kit did not significantly differ in COVID-19 patients with different disease courses (p < 0.01).ConclusionsThe rapid antibody test kit with recombinant N protein has high specificity and analytical sensitivity, and can be used for the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection combined with RT-PCR.

Helicopter Emergency Medical Services Transport of COVID-19 Patients in the “First Wave”: A National Survey

Study objectivesHelicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) providers have had to adjust to transporting patients with a novel, highly infectious pathogen. This study describes how HEMS organizations in the USA approached the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in its first wave.MethodsA survey was distributed via REDCap™ to HEMS organizations in May of 2020 using a national database. Data were collected regarding agency demographics and COVID-19 practices, including education, risk assessment, protective measures, equipment use, and decontamination practices. These were analyzed for qualitative observations and program attributes for COVID transport.ResultsA total of 68/287 (24%) organizations responded and completed the survey. Eighty-five percent (85%) of responding programs reported that they chose to transport known or suspected COVID-19 patients by air medical transport. Of responding programs, 93% provided education to their providers regarding COVID-19 and 100% conducted a COVID-19 risk analysis for patient transports. Of agencies transporting known or suspected COVID-19 patients, 77% required the use of N95 filtering facepiece respirators (N95) or powered air-purifying respirators (PAPR) for crewmembers during known or suspected COVID-19 patient transfers and 95% provided N95 respirators for pilots during transport. Five percent of responding programs utilized portable negative pressure isolation units. For COVID-19 transporting and non-transporting agencies, when transporting non-COVID-19 known or suspected patients, personal protective equipment (PPE) practice varied but tended to be more relaxed. Some services separated pilots from providers even during downtime (29%). Among services transporting known or suspected COVID-19 patients, the most common decontamination practice was manual wipe-down of all surfaces for a downtime of less than two hours.ConclusionThe majority of survey respondents report that their programs chose to transport patients with known or suspected COVID-19 by air medical transport. However, there was high variability in practices regarding the transport of known or suspected COVID-19 as well as that of non-COVID-19 known or suspected patients by air during the initial outbreak of the pandemic. The HEMS industry may benefit from further research and standardization of airborne highly infectious disease transport practices in preparation for the next respiratory virus pandemic.

Anosmia as a Screening Tool for COVID-19 Infection: A Prospective Cohort Study

Objectives: Several studies promoted anosmia as a possible isolated symptom for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). No studies used feasible methods of smell testing that the public would use to address the accuracy of these claims. Methods: This is a single-center study conducted between April 2020 and June 2020. The sense of smell was tested in vitally stable suspected COVID-19 patients with no/mild upper respiratory tract infection symptoms prior to nasopharyngeal swabbing for reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. Patients were instructed to close their eyes. Each nostril was tested separately while the other was blocked with the patient’s index finger. Patients inhaled from 2 concealed vials (coffee and strawberry essence) consecutively, kept within 30 cm of the nostril for 60 s. Patients who could not identify both odors with both nostrils were recorded as “anosmia.” Results: Out of 346 eligible subjects, 43 had anosmia of which 26 (60%) tested COVID-19 positive. χ² test showed a p value <0.001. The test showed a sensitivity of 30% (95% confidence interval [CI] 21%, 41%) and specificity 94% (95% CI 90%, 96%). Logistic regression revealed an odds ratio of 5.9 (95% CI 3.0, 12) p value <0.001. Conclusion: Given the low sensitivity (30%) of this method in detecting COVID-19 infection, we conclude that this method is not a useful screening tool for COVID-19 infection. The moderate negative predictive value (80%) is nongeneralizable.

Efficacy of "Essential Iodine Drops" against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

BackgroundAerosolization of respiratory droplets is considered the main route of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Therefore, reducing the viral load of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) shed via respiratory droplets is potentially an ideal strategy to prevent the spread of the pandemic. The in vitro virucidal activity of intranasal Povidone-Iodine (PVP-I) has been demonstrated recently to reduce SARS-CoV-2 viral titres. This study evaluated the virucidal activity of the aqueous solution of Iodine-V (a clathrate complex formed by elemental iodine and fulvic acid) as in Essential Iodine Drops (EID) with 200 μg elemental iodine/ml content against SARS-CoV-2 to ascertain whether it is a better alternative to PVP-I.MethodsSARS-CoV-2 (USAWA1/2020 strain) virus stock was prepared by infecting Vero 76 cells (ATCC CRL-1587) until cytopathic effect (CPE). The virucidal activity of EID against SARS-CoV-2 was tested in three dilutions (1:1; 2:1 and 3:1) in triplicates by incubating at room temperature (22 ± 2°C) for either 60 or 90 seconds. The surviving viruses from each sample were quantified by a standard end-point dilution assay.ResultsEID (200 μg iodine/ml) after exposure for 60 and 90 seconds was compared to controls. In both cases, the viral titre was reduced by 99% (LRV 2.0). The 1:1 dilution of EID with virus reduced SARS-CoV-2 virus from 31,623 cell culture infectious dose 50% (CCID50) to 316 CCID50 within 90 seconds.ConclusionSubstantial reductions in LRV by Iodine-V in EID confirmed the activity of EID against SARS-CoV-2 in vitro, demonstrating that Iodine-V in EID is effective at inactivating the virus in vitro and therefore suggesting its potential application intranasally to reduce SARS-CoV-2 transmission from known or suspected COVID-19 patients.

Mental Health Outcomes Among Health Care Workers Exposed to Covid-19 Pandemic, Qalyoubia Governorate: Cross-Sectional Survey

Background: The pandemic caused by novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is considered the worst health crisis facing the entire world today. At the topmost of this crisis are the healthcare workers (HCWs) who are working to maintain well-being of all people. COVID-19 pandemic added more and more stress to healthcare workers in particular, depending on their work position. Objective: To assess mental health outcomes among HCWs dealing with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients. Methods: This is cross-sectional, hospital-based survey study conducted between Feb 6 and April 28, 2021. A total of 548 HCWs participated in the study. Mental health impact was assessed by using the 9- item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) and the 7-item Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) questionnaires. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was done to determine the risk factors of mental health outcomes. Results: Among the 548 HCWs surveyed;64.8% were nurses and 50.0% aged from 26-30 years old. About 52.0% worked in Benha University Hospital, 21.2% worked in Toukh Fever Hospital, and 26.8% worked in Qaha Central Hospital. A considerable proportion of HCWs had symptoms of anxiety, depression and insomnia. Nurses, workers aged from 26-30, those working in Qaha Central Hospital and those who had shift hours from 7–10 experienced more severe symptom levels of depression, anxiety, and insomnia. Nurses were associated with severe symptoms of anxiety, depression and insomnia. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic represents a new working challenge for HCWs and intervention strategies to prevent depression and anxiety to reduce the risk of adverse mental health outcomes are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Egyptian Journal of Hospital Medicine is the property of Egyptian Journal of Hospital Medicine and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

#30: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Incidence in Pediatric Oncology Patient: Does Routine Screening Affect the Risk for the Transmission in the Hospital

BackgroundCancer patients are at higher risk of COVID-19 infection and more likely they have higher morbidity and mortality than the general population. On the other hand, the oncology patient sometimes can show asymptomatic COVID-19 disease with a risk of longer viral shedding and spreading the infection to others immunosuppressed individuals. Oncology patients also regularly travel between hospital and sometimes lodge in boarding house for routine chemotherapy. As we known, prevention strategy for COVID-19 among pediatric oncology patients can be implemented by minimizing these risks factors for transmission by identifying all patients infected with COVID-19. Here, we report our experience before and after implementing COVID-19 testing policy of patients with hematology and oncology diseases in our center.MethodWe collected data of pediatric oncology patients admitted to Hasan Sadikin General hospital between July 1st, 2020 to January 8th, 2021. The data consisted of the total number of patients and COVID-19 status by using SARS-CoV-2 Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAAT) performed in the patient during two periods. In the first period, we performed NAAT if the patient was suspected of COVID-19. In the second period, after the policy was changed, NAAT was performed routinely as screening for all oncologic patients admitted to the hospital.ResultsBetween July 1st to December 2nd, 2020, the first period, there was 3 positive results from 36 suspected COVID-19 patients among 181 total pediatric oncology patients. In the second period, we found 8 positive results from 121 hospitalized patients, none of them had signs and symptoms of COVID-19; and 4 of them came from boarding house.ConclusionRoutine screening for COVID-19 should be considered as a policy for hospitalization of a pediatric oncology patient because of the high risk that asymptomatic COVID-19 patients can transmit the infection to other patient and to health care workers in the hospital.

A retrospective analysis of 12,400 SARS-CoV-2 RNA tests in patients with COVID-19 in Wuhan.

The outbreak and widely spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a global public health concern. COVID-19 has caused an unprecedented and profound impact on the whole world, and the prevention and control of COVID-19 is a global public health challenge remains to be solved. The retrospective analysis of the large scale tests of SARS-CoV-2 RNA may indicate some important information of this pandemic. We selected 12400 SARS-CoV-2 tests detected in Wuhan in the first semester of 2020 and made a systematic analysis of them, in order to find some beneficial clue for the consistent prevention and control of COVID-19.SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in suspected COVID-19 patients with real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). The patients’ features including gender, age, type of specimen, source of patients, and the dynamic changes of the clinical symptoms were recorded and statistically analyzed. Quantitative and qualitive statistical analysis were carried out after laboratory detection.The positive rate of SARS-CoV-2 was 33.02% in 12,400 suspected patients’ specimens in Wuhan at the first months of COVID-19 epidemics. SARS-CoV-2 RT-qPCR test of nasopharyngeal swabs might produce 4.79% (594/12400) presumptive results. The positive rate of SARS-CoV-2 RNA was significantly different between gender, age, type of specimen, source of patients, respectively (P < .05). The median window period from the occurrence of clinical symptom or close contact with COVID-19 patient to the first detection of positive PCR was 2 days (interquartile range, 1–4 days). The median interval time from the first SARS-CoV-2 positive to the turning negative was 14 days (interquartile range, 8–19.25 days).This study reveals the comprehensive characteristics of the SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection from multiple perspectives, and it provides important clues and may also supply useful suggestions for future work of the prevention and treatment of COVID-19.

Retronasal olfactory testing in early diagnosed and suspected COVID-19 patients: a 7-week follow-up study

ObjectivesOlfactory dysfunction (OD) constitutes a major symptom in Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Yet, most data on smell loss rely on the evaluation of orthonasal olfactory performance. Therefore, we aimed to assess retronasal olfactory function (ROF) over a period of several weeks in proven and suspected COVID-19 patients.MethodsOne hundred and one subjects with suspected or laboratory-proven COVID-19 participated in this study. In patients with OD no longer than 4 weeks after initial symptom onset, ROF was measured with the 7-item Candy Smell Test ten times over 7 weeks.ResultsOlfactory function was decreased in the investigated patients and remained decreased over the course of 7 weeks. One-way repeated-measures ANOVA revealed no significant difference of ROF between different measurement time points. However, self-assessment of smell and flavour improved significantly (p = 0.013 and p = 0.043), but did not show complete recovery.ConclusionThe current investigation revealed significant improvements in subjective smell and flavour perception over the course of 7 weeks in proven and suspected COVID-19 patients suffering from acute OD. However, objectively measured ROF based on a screening test revealed no improvements within the same time period.

Case Report: A 73-year-old suspected COVID-19 patient with severe dyspnea fully recovers after reciting nine true words from Falun Gong

Background: The most common severe symptoms of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are breathing difficulty and respiratory failure. Unfortunately, mortality of COVID-19 patients with severe breathing difficulties is high. Clinical finding and diagnosis: This report describes the case of a woman in her seventies, who could not taste anything except a metallic taste, had pains all over, low-grade fever, and who soon developed severe breathing difficulties in 15 days. At the time, her doctors described her as having suspected COVID-19 and advised her to self-quarantine at home. Interventions and outcomes: When the patient had her initial symptoms, her treating physician prescribed Tylenol which she took for 13 days. The patient initially felt better, but then developed severe fatigue, achiness within a week, and then severe breathing difficulties. The patient was sometimes unable to breathe and could not walk from her bed to the bathroom. She started feeling fearful of death after 15 days had lapsed. She then started to recite the nine Chinese characters "Fa-Lun Da-Fa Hao, Zhen-Shan-Ren Hao” daily. After she started reciting these nine true words (NTW) frequently and sincerely, the patient felt her lungs opened and she was able to breathe longer and deeper. Within three days of constantly reciting the NTW, her breathing returned to normal and all symptoms ceased. Conclusions: This suspected COVID-19 patient gained significant clinical benefits after sincerely reciting the nine-character true words from Falun Gong.