Questioning COVID-19 Surface Stability and Fomite Spreading in Three Aeromedical Cases: A Case Series

ABSTRACT It is well established that coronavirus disease 2019 is primarily transmitted through respiratory droplets, and there is mounting research speculation that it may also be transmitted via fomites. Several studies have shown that the virus can persist on both porous and nonporous surfaces for hours to days, depending upon the material. This article examines three cases of polymerase chain reaction–proven severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection with several additional individuals meeting CDC close contact criteria. In 1 case, 195 downstream contacts were all tested to prevent a mass outbreak in a deployment posture. Analysis of these contacts yielded only a single positive test, which could be reasonably ascribed to respiratory droplet transmission. While these cases and their contacts ultimately represent a small sample size, we suggest fomite spread may not be a significant means of transmission for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 in real-world operational scenarios.

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Case series: COVID-19 infection causing new-onset diabetes mellitus?

Endocrinology&Metabolism International Journal ◽

10.15406/emij.2021.09.00302 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Rujuta Katkar ◽

Narasa Raju Madam

Keyword(s):

Diabetes Mellitus ◽

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ◽

Cell Damage ◽

Small Sample Size ◽

Case Series ◽

Small Sample ◽

Onset Diabetes ◽

History Of ◽

New Onset Diabetes Mellitus ◽

New Onset

Objectives: This paper seeks to explore the hypothesis of the potential diabetogenic effect of SARS-COV-2 (Severe Acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus). Case series presentation: We present a case series of observation among 8 patients of age group ranging from 34 to 74 years with a BMI range of 26.61 to 53.21 Kilogram/square meters that developed new-onset diabetes after COVID-19 infection. Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-COV-2), commonly known as Coronavirus or COVID-19(Coronavirus infectious disease), gains entry into the cells by binding to the Angiotensin-converting enzyme-2(ACE-2) receptors located in essential metabolic tissues including the pancreas, adipose tissue, small intestine, and kidneys. The evidence reviewed from the scientific literature describes how ACE 2 receptors play a role in the pathogenesis of diabetes and the plausible interaction of SARS-COV-2 with ACE 2 receptors in metabolic organs and tissues. Conclusion: The 8 patients without a past medical history of diabetes admitted with COVID-19 infection developed new-onset diabetes mellitus due to plausible interaction of SARS-COV-2 with ACE 2 receptors. The resulting downregulation of ACE-2 and ACE-2 receptors expression caused islet-cell damage resulting into diabetes. The resulting observation has the potential to adversely impact significant number of the globally affected population. Screening patients with COVID-19 for diabetes routinely can help in early detection, significantly reducing morbidity and mortality associated with diabetes. Due to limitations of observational study with a small sample size will require further investigation in the form of Clinical trial.

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Disinfection of SARS-CoV-2 Contaminated Surfaces of Personal Items with UVC-LED Disinfection Boxes

Viruses ◽

10.3390/v13040598 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (4) ◽

pp. 598

Author(s):

Maren Bormann ◽

Mira Alt ◽

Leonie Schipper ◽

Lukas van de Sand ◽

Mona Otte ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ◽

Close Contact ◽

Credit Cards ◽

Organic Matrix ◽

Viral Loads ◽

Small Aerosol ◽

Time Periods ◽

Respiratory Droplets ◽

Glass Metal

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is transmitted from person to person by close contact, small aerosol respiratory droplets, and potentially via contact with contaminated surfaces. Herein, we investigated the effectiveness of commercial UVC-LED disinfection boxes in inactivating SARS-CoV-2-contaminated surfaces of personal items. We contaminated glass, metal, and plastic samples representing the surfaces of personal items such as smartphones, coins, or credit cards with SARS-CoV-2 formulated in an organic matrix mimicking human respiratory secretions. For disinfection, the samples were placed at different distances from UVC emitting LEDs inside commercial UVC-LED disinfection boxes and irradiated for different time periods (up to 10 min). High viral loads of SARS-CoV-2 were effectively inactivated on all surfaces after 3 min of irradiation. Even 10 s of UVC-exposure strongly reduced viral loads. Thus, UVC-LED boxes proved to be an effective method for disinfecting SARS-CoV-2-contaminated surfaces that are typically found on personal items.

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Hodgkin lymphoma arising in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia: outcomes from a large multi-center collaboration

Haematologica ◽

10.3324/haematol.2020.256388 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 0-0

Author(s):

Deborah M. Stephens ◽

Ken Boucher ◽

Elizabeth Kander ◽

Sameer A. Parikh ◽

Erin M. Parry ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia ◽

Hodgkin Lymphoma ◽

Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation ◽

Small Sample Size ◽

Case Series ◽

Standard Of Care ◽

Median Number ◽

Small Sample ◽

Lymphocytic Leukemia ◽

Treatment Type

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients who develop Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) have limited survival. No current therapeutic standard of care exists. We conducted a multi-center retrospective study of patients with Hodgkin Transformation (HT) of CLL. Clinicobiologic characteristics, treatment type, and survival outcomes were analyzed and compared with historic case series. Ninety-four patients were identified. Median age at HT was 67 years (range, 38-85). Median time from CLL diagnosis to HT was 5.5 years (range, 0-20.2). Prior to HT, patients received a median of 2 therapies for CLL (range, 0-12). As initial therapy for HT, 61% (n=62) received ABVD-based regimens (adriamycin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine). Seven (7%) patients received hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) while in first complete remission (CR1). The median number of treatments for HT per patient was 1 (range, 0-5) with 59 (61%) patients only receiving one line of therapy. After HT, patients had a median follow-up of 1.6 years (range, 0-15.1). Two-year overall survival (OS) after HT diagnosis was 72% (95%CI 62-83%). The patients who received standard ABVD-based therapy had a median OS of 13.2 years. Although limited by small sample size, the patients who underwent HCT for HT in CR1 had a similar 2-year OS (n=7; 67%) compared to patients who did not undergo HCT for HT in CR1 (n=87; 72%; p=0.46). In this multi-center study, HT patients treated with ABVD-based regimens had prolonged survival supporting the use of these regimens as standard of care for these patients.

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Aortic Valve Intervention During Aortic Root Surgery in Children: A Systematic Review

World Journal for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Surgery ◽

10.1177/2150135120926979 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (5) ◽

pp. 611-618

Author(s):

Maria Rodriguez ◽

Anahita Malvea ◽

Dayre McNally ◽

Vid Bijelic ◽

Ming Guo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Aortic Valve ◽

Aortic Root ◽

Small Sample Size ◽

Case Series ◽

Small Sample ◽

Aortic Root Surgery ◽

Valve Sparing ◽

One Year

Background: Pediatric aortic root dilatation is a life-threatening condition that lacks guidelines for surgical management. We aimed to analyze the data on aortic valve interventions during root surgery to guide decision-making. Methods: A search was performed of MEDLINE, Embase, CENTRAL, ClinicalTrials.gov , and WHO ICTRP. Citations were screened in duplicate and independently to identify randomized controlled trials, cohorts, and case series involving populations aged 0 to 18 years, who received valve-sparing and valve-replacing aortic root surgeries between 1999 and 2019. Outcomes considered included mortality (perioperative, one year, five year), reintervention rates. Results: After duplicate removal, 689 citations were screened through abstract and full text review, identifying five eligible studies. All five were observational studies evaluating valve-sparing procedures. There were 81 patients with a mean study age range of 9.9 to 13.9 years. Both reimplantation (74%) and remodeling (26%) subtypes were done. Range of mean duration of follow-up was 1.2 to 4.4 years. There was no mortality reported until the one-year follow-up period. The long-term mortality rate was calculated as 0.02 per patient-year (95% CI: 0.01-0.05). The long-term reintervention rate was 0.08 per patient-year (95% CI: 0.05-0.13). Conclusions: There is limited experience on aortic valve intervention during aortic root surgery in children. Single-arm studies on valve-sparing surgeries show excellent survival up to one year. Mortality and reintervention rates increase in the longer term. The small sample size and lack of controlled studies do not allow for direct comparisons between procedure types.

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Histologic and Tomographic Findings of Bone Block Allografts in a 4 Years Follow-up: A Case Series

Brazilian Dental Journal ◽

10.1590/0103-6440201601100 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 27 (6) ◽

pp. 775-780 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Daniel Deluiz ◽

Luciano Santos Oliveira ◽

Paul Fletcher ◽

Fábio Ramôa Pires ◽

Justine Monnerat Tinoco ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Small Sample Size ◽

Case Series ◽

Small Sample ◽

Histological Evaluation ◽

Bone Block ◽

Mucogingival Surgery ◽

Native Bone ◽

Implant Placement

Abstract The aim of this paper is to report histologic and tomographic findings of fresh frozen bone block allografts bearing dental implants in functional occlusion in a long-term follow-up. Four patients with implants functionally loaded for 4 years on augmented ridges requiring additional mucogingival surgery or implant placement were included in this case series. Cone-beam tomography scans were compared volumetrically between the baseline (first implant placement) and current images. Biopsies of the grafts were retrieved and sent to histological analysis. Volumetric reduction of the grafts varied from 2.1 to 7.7%. Histological evaluation demonstrated well-incorporated grafts with different degrees of remodeling. While data presented in this report are from a small sample size and do not allow definitive conclusions, the biopsies of the grafted sites were very similar to the host's native bone. Remodeling of the cortical portion of the allografts seems to take longer than the cancellous portion. The presence of unincorporated graft remains did not impair the implant success or the health of the surrounding tissues. This is the first time histologic and tomographic long term data of bone allograft have been made available in dentistry.

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Commonly Used Severity Scores Are Not Good Predictors of Mortality in Sepsis from Severe Leptospirosis: A Series of Ten Patients

Critical Care Research and Practice ◽

10.1155/2012/532376 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 2012 ◽

pp. 1-6

Author(s):

Dimitrios Velissaris ◽

Menelaos Karanikolas ◽

Nikolaos Flaris ◽

Fotini Fligou ◽

Markos Marangos ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Small Sample Size ◽

Multiorgan Failure ◽

Good Condition ◽

Case Series ◽

Scoring Systems ◽

Small Sample ◽

University Hospital ◽

Severity Scores ◽

Retrospective Data Collection ◽

Severe Leptospirosis

Introduction. Severe leptospirosis, also known as Weil's disease, can cause multiorgan failure with high mortality. Scoring systems for disease severity have not been validated for leptospirosis, and there is no documented method to predict mortality.Methods. This is a case series on 10 patients admitted to ICU for multiorgan failure from severe leptospirosis. Data were collected retrospectively, with approval from the Institution Ethics Committee.Results. Ten patients with severe leptospirosis were admitted in the Patras University Hospital ICU in a four-year period. Although, based on SOFA scores, predicted mortality was over 80%, seven of 10 patients survived and were discharged from the hospital in good condition. There was no association between SAPS II or SOFA scores and mortality, but survivors had significantly lower APACHE II scores compared to nonsurvivors.Conclusion. Commonly used severity scores do not seem to be useful in predicting mortality in severe leptospirosis. Early ICU admission and resuscitation based on a goal-directed therapy protocol are recommended and may reduce mortality. However, this study is limited by retrospective data collection and small sample size. Data from large prospective studies are needed to validate our findings.

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Conflict resolution in socially housed Sumatran orangutans (Pongo abelii)

PeerJ ◽

10.7717/peerj.5303 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 6 ◽

pp. e5303 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Kathrin S. Kopp ◽

Katja Liebal

Keyword(s):

Conflict Resolution ◽

Conflict Management ◽

Sexual Coercion ◽

Close Contact ◽

Small Sample Size ◽

Small Sample ◽

Third Party ◽

Aggressive Interactions ◽

Post Conflict ◽

Group Life

BackgroundPeaceful conflict resolution strategies have been identified as effective mechanisms for minimising the potential costs of group life in many gregarious species, especially in primates. The knowledge of conflict-management in orangutans, though, is still extremely limited. Given their semi-solitary lives in the wild, there seems to be barely a need for orangutans to apply conflict management strategies other than avoidance. However, because of the rapid loss of orangutan habitat due to deforestation, opportunities to prevent conflicts by dispersion are shrinking. Additionally, more and more orangutans are brought into rehabilitation centres where they are bound to live in close contact with conspecifics. This raises the questions of whether and how orangutans are able to cope with conflicts, which are inevitably connected with group life.MethodsObservational zoo-studies provide a valuable method to investigate such potential: in zoos, orangutans usually live in permanent groups and face the challenges of group life every day. Therefore, we observed a group of six socially-housed Sumatran orangutans at the Dortmund Zoo, Germany, both in their spacious outdoor enclosure in the summer and in the less spacious indoor enclosure in the winter. During 157.5 h of observation, we collected data on aggressive interactions, third-party interventions and post-conflict affiliations. We applied the post-conflict/matched-control observation (PC/MC) and the time rule method to investigate the occurrence of reconciliation and post-conflict third-party affiliations.ResultsWe recorded a total of 114 aggressive interactions (including conflicts in the context of weaning and of male sexual coercion). As expected, we found an increase of both open conflicts and peaceful conflict resolution under less spacious conditions. In accordance with previous reports, we observed interventions by initially uninvolved individuals. Whereas we found no clear evidence for post-conflict third-party affiliations, we were able to demonstrate the occurrence of reconciliation among orangutans.DiscussionNotwithstanding the small sample size and the explorative character of our study, we found evidence that orangutans possess a potential for prosocial conflict resolution. When living in groups and under conditions in which dispersion is no longer an option, orangutans are capable to flexibly apply strategies of conflict resolution to cease open conflicts and to repair the potential social damage of aggressive interactions. These strategies are similar to those of other great apes.

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Susceptibility of ferrets, cats, dogs, and different domestic animals to SARS-coronavirus-2

10.1101/2020.03.30.015347 ◽

2020 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

Jianzhong Shi ◽

Zhiyuan Wen ◽

Gongxun Zhong ◽

Huanliang Yang ◽

Chong Wang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Infectious Disease ◽

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ◽

Close Contact ◽

Domestic Animals ◽

Sars Coronavirus ◽

Animal Management ◽

Global Pandemic ◽

Respiratory Droplets ◽

Animal Reservoirs

AbstractSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes the infectious disease COVID-19, which was first reported in Wuhan, China in December, 2019. Despite the tremendous efforts to control the disease, COVID-19 has now spread to over 100 countries and caused a global pandemic. SARS-CoV-2 is thought to have originated in bats; however, the intermediate animal sources of the virus are completely unknown. Here, we investigated the susceptibility of ferrets and animals in close contact with humans to SARS-CoV-2. We found that SARS-CoV-2 replicates poorly in dogs, pigs, chickens, and ducks, but efficiently in ferrets and cats. We found that the virus transmits in cats via respiratory droplets. Our study provides important insights into the animal reservoirs of SARS-CoV-2 and animal management for COVID-19 control.

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Polyneuropathy in Gaucher disease type 1 and 3 – a descriptive case series

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-019-51976-2 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Mattias Andréasson ◽

Göran Solders ◽

Cecilia K. Björkvall ◽

Maciej Machaczka ◽

Per Svenningsson

Keyword(s):

Gaucher Disease ◽

Small Sample Size ◽

Case Series ◽

Small Sample ◽

Disease Type ◽

Disease Manifestation ◽

Significant Group ◽

Gaucher Disease Type 1 ◽

Large Fiber

Abstract Polyneuropathy (PNP) has been reported to be a possible phenotypic feature in Gaucher disease type 1 (GD1), while less is known about PNP in type 3 (GD3). We performed a cross-sectional study, exploring PNP in a Swedish GD cohort. Clinical assessment and blood biochemistry were carried out in 8 patients with GD1 and 11 patients with GD3. In patients with symptoms or clinical findings indicative of PNP, nerve conduction studies and quantitative sensory testing were performed. Assessments were compared to historic controls. A subclinical small fiber neuropathy (SFN) was demonstrated in 2 of 8 patients in the significantly (p = 0,021) older GD1 cohort. A large fiber PNP was evident in an additional 3 GD1 patients but could not be ascribed as disease manifestation. No GD3 patients exhibited neurophysiological evidence of small or large fiber PNP attributed to GD3. Compared to historic controls, no significant group differences were evident with regard to neuropathy rating scores. In summary, our study does not support large fiber PNP as a prevalent manifestation of GD. SFN is a possible feature in GD1, although small sample size limits definite conclusions. Our study provides novel data, arguing against clinically significant small or large fiber PNP in GD3.

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Utility of bortezomib retreatment among patients with refractory multiple myeloma

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.2006.24.18_suppl.17549 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 24 (18_suppl) ◽

pp. 17549-17549

Author(s):

J. L. Wolf ◽

A. L. Leblanc MT ◽

D. S. Battleman ◽

B. Davis ◽

J. R. Lyandres ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Multiple Myeloma ◽

Initial Treatment ◽

Plasma Cells ◽

Small Sample Size ◽

Case Series ◽

Small Sample ◽

Statistical Testing ◽

M Protein ◽

Retrospective Case ◽

Refractory Multiple Myeloma

17549 Background: Bortezomib (VELCADE; Vc) has emerged as the standard of care for patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (MM). However, following initial Vc therapy, its utility in recurrent disease is unclear. This retrospective case series provides preliminary evidence of the safety and efficacy of Vc in the retreatment of patients with recurrent MM. Methods: An observational case series was developed based on a medical records review of all patients (N = 10) who completed Vc retreatment following completion of initial Vc therapy. Best response was measured as the greatest mean % reduction in the treatment response measure: serum/urine M-protein or plasma cells. Differences between initial treatment and retreatment efficacy and Vc-related hospitalizations were assessed using descriptive statistics. Results: During initial treatment 44% of patients responded to Vc (≥50% M-protein (3/9) or plasme cell reduction (1/9, 1 pt NA). At retreatment 50% of patients responded (5/10). Following initial Vc therapy, the median treatment-free interval was just over 13 months (56.6 weeks). One patient experienced a dose reduction due to peripheral neuropathy (grade 2) during retreatment, compared to two patients with neuropathy (grade 3) during initial treatment. Termination of therapy due to any unmanageable toxicity was much lower during retreatment (14.3% vs 62.5%). Finally, none of the patients were hospitalized for Vc-related events during retreatment, compared with two patients during initial treatment. Conclusions: Vc retreatment appears to be as effective as initial treatment in terms of response, and may actually yield less toxicity and hospitalizations. Even though this small sample size precluded statistical testing, the observed patterns are instructive and additional prospective trials are currently ongoing. However, based on these preliminary data, prolonged disease control may be achieved with repeated use. [Table: see text]

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