scholarly journals Nail Manifestations in COVID-19: Insight into a Systemic Viral Disease

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Ana Preda-Naumescu ◽  
Kayla Penney ◽  
Ross L. Pearlman ◽  
Robert T. Brodell ◽  
Carlton Ralph Daniel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ◽  
Symptom Onset ◽  
Case Reports ◽  
Acute Infection ◽  
Viral Disease ◽  
Electronic Search ◽  
Nail Changes ◽  
Insight Into

Nail manifestations are 1 of the several extrapulmonary findings associated with COVID-19 caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Nail changes, however, have been largely ignored and not yet summarized. This article is intended to increase awareness of nail manifestations of SARS-CoV-2, which occur weeks to months after acute infection and the periungual pernio-like changes may occur concomitantly with infection. An electronic search was carried out in PubMed (Medline), Science Direct, and Scopus databases. The following keywords and all of their possible combinations were used to identify studies: “SARS-CoV-2,” “COVID-19,” “Coronavirus,” “2019-ncov,” “nail,” and “nails.” Six case reports were included in this study. Manifestations identified included red half-moon sign, transverse orange nail lesions, Mees’ lines, and Beau’s lines. Though largely nonspecific, these findings can be recognized with the onset of symptom onset or as late as 16 weeks following the disease. Some of these findings are shared with other conditions associated with a proinflammatory state. Nail changes offer unique insight into the pathophysiologic basis for SARS-CoV-2 and they may serve as diagnostic clues.

Updates on coronavirus (COVID-19) and kidney

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. e34-e34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seyed Zanyar Athari ◽  
Daryoush Mohajeri ◽  
Mir Alireza Nourazar ◽  
Yousef Doustar
Keyword(s):  
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ◽  
Angiotensin Converting Enzyme ◽  
Enzyme Inhibitor ◽  
Case Reports ◽  
Angiotensin Receptor Blockers ◽  
Kidney Injury ◽  
Current Treatment ◽  
High Risk Group ◽  
Converting Enzyme ◽  
Renal Disorder

The severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is an infectious disease developed in Wuhan, China, at first. It involves the respiratory system and other organs like kidney, gastrointestinal tract and nervous system as well. The recent reports indicated that renal disorder is prevalent in coronavirus patients. The aim of this study was to provide a review of nephropathy caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) and its mechanisms. The Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed databases were systematically searched. Articles reporting nephropathy, coronavirus disease (COVID-19), coronavirus and the renal injury were included for assessment. Study designs, contrast agents, case reports and results were assessed. Of the assessed studies, suggested mechanisms include sepsis which caused cytokine storm syndrome or perhaps direct cellular injury due to the virus. In patients who were studied, albuminuria, proteinuria, and hematuria as well as an elevation in blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine were observed. Additionally CT scan of the kidneys showed a decrease in tissue density suggestive of inflammation and interstitial edema. On the other hand, dialysis patients are a high-risk group than the general population. The current treatment for COVID-19 in acute kidney injury includes supportive management or kidney replacement therapy. All patients need to be quarantined. An N95 fit-tested mask and protective clothing and proper equipment are necessary. Some drugs can be effective to inhibit the outcome of this infection such as lopinavir/ritonavir, remdesvir, Chloroquine phosphate, convalescent plasma, tocilizumab, ACEi/ ARBs (angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor/angiotensin receptor blockers), and hrsACE2 (human recombinant soluble angiotensin-converting-enzyme 2).

Plasma therapy a possible hope to fight against COVID-19

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ravikant Piyush ◽  
Aroni Chatterjee ◽  
Shashikant Ray
Keyword(s):  
Middle East ◽  
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ◽  
Viral Disease ◽  
Plasma Therapy ◽  
Therapeutic Drugs ◽  
Wild Fire ◽  
The World ◽  
Short Span ◽  
Game Changer

The world is currently going through a disastrous event and a catastrophic upheaval caused by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The pandemic has resulted in loss of more than 150000 deaths across the globe. Originating from China and spreading across all continents within a short span of time, it has become a matter of international emergency. Different agencies are adopting diverse approaches to stop and spread of this viral disease but still now nothing confirmatory has come up. Due to lack of vaccines and proper therapeutic drugs, the disease is still spreading like wild fire without control. An Old but very promising method- the convalescent plasma therapy could be the key therapy to stop this pandemic. This method has already proven its mettle on several occasions previously and has been found to be effective in curing the pandemics induced by Ebola, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) belongs to the same group of β-Coronavirus that has resulted in the above diseases. Therefore, the role of plasma therapy is being explored for treatment of this disease. In this review, we have mainly focused on the role of convalescent plasma therapy and why its use should be promoted in fight against COVID-19, as it could turn out to be a game changer.

scholarly journals Neurological symptoms, manifestations, and complications associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Biyan Nathanael Harapan ◽  
Hyeon Joo Yoo
Keyword(s):  
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ◽  
Case Reports ◽  
Case Series ◽  
Altered Mental Status ◽  
Neurological Complications ◽  
Neurological Symptoms ◽  
Neurological Manifestations ◽  
Fisher Syndrome ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
The Impact

AbstractSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), a novel coronavirus, is responsible for the outbreak of coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) and was first identified in Wuhan, China in December 2019. It is evident that the COVID-19 pandemic has become a challenging world issue. Although most COVID-19 patients primarily develop respiratory symptoms, an increasing number of neurological symptoms and manifestations associated with COVID-19 have been observed. In this narrative review, we elaborate on proposed neurotropic mechanisms and various neurological symptoms, manifestations, and complications of COVID-19 reported in the present literature. For this purpose, a review of all current published literature (studies, case reports, case series, reviews, editorials, and other articles) was conducted and neurological sequelae of COVID-19 were summarized. Essential and common neurological symptoms including gustatory and olfactory dysfunctions, myalgia, headache, altered mental status, confusion, delirium, and dizziness are presented separately in sections. Moreover, neurological manifestations and complications that are of great concern such as stroke, cerebral (sinus) venous thrombosis, seizures, meningoencephalitis, Guillain–Barré syndrome, Miller Fisher syndrome, acute myelitis, and posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) are also addressed systematically. Future studies that examine the impact of neurological symptoms and manifestations on the course of the disease are needed to further clarify and assess the link between neurological complications and the clinical outcome of patients with COVID-19. To limit long-term consequences, it is crucial that healthcare professionals can early detect possible neurological symptoms and are well versed in the increasingly common neurological manifestations and complications of COVID-19.

scholarly journals Investigation of Four Clusters of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in Rwanda, 2020

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (13) ◽  
pp. 7018
Author(s):  
Olivier Nsekuye ◽  
Edson Rwagasore ◽  
Marie Aime Muhimpundu ◽  
Ziad El-Khatib ◽  
Daniel Ntabanganyimana ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Risk ◽  
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ◽  
Symptom Onset ◽  
Attack Rate ◽  
Positive Sample ◽  
Contact Tracing ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Laboratory Confirmation ◽  
Closed Environment ◽  
Index Cases

We reported the findings of the first Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) four clusters identified in Rwanda. Case-investigations included contact elicitation, testing, and isolation/quarantine of confirmed cases. Socio-demographic and clinical data on cases and contacts were collected. A confirmed case was a person with laboratory confirmation of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PCR) while a contact was any person who had contact with a SARS-CoV-2 confirmed case within 72 h prior, to 14 days after symptom onset; or 14 days before collection of the laboratory-positive sample for asymptomatic cases. High risk contacts were those who had come into unprotected face-to-face contact or had been in a closed environment with a SARS-CoV-2 case for >15 min. Forty cases were reported from four clusters by 22 April 2020, accounting for 61% of locally transmitted cases within six weeks. Clusters A, B, C and D were associated with two nightclubs, one house party, and different families or households living in the same compound (multi-family dwelling). Thirty-six of the 1035 contacts tested were positive (secondary attack rate: 3.5%). Positivity rates were highest among the high-risk contacts compared to low-risk contacts (10% vs. 2.2%). Index cases in three of the clusters were imported through international travelling. Fifteen of the 40 cases (38%) were asymptomatic while 13/25 (52%) and 8/25 (32%) of symptomatic cases had a cough and fever respectively. Gatherings in closed spaces were the main early drivers of transmission. Systematic case-investigations contact tracing and testing likely contributed to the early containment of SARS-CoV-2 in Rwanda.

scholarly journals A Missing Link: Engagements of Dendritic Cells in the Pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 Infections

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 1118
Author(s):  
Abdulaziz Alamri ◽  
Derek Fisk ◽  
Deepak Upreti ◽  
Sam K. P. Kung
Keyword(s):  
Dendritic Cells ◽  
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ◽  
Immune Responses ◽  
Immune Cell ◽  
Inflammatory Responses ◽  
Viral Disease ◽  
Cell Recruitment ◽  
Cross Presentation ◽  
Cell Immunity ◽  
Immune Cell Recruitment

Dendritic cells (DC) connect the innate and adaptive arms of the immune system and carry out numerous roles that are significant in the context of viral disease. Their functions include the control of inflammatory responses, the promotion of tolerance, cross-presentation, immune cell recruitment and the production of antiviral cytokines. Based primarily on the available literature that characterizes the behaviour of many DC subsets during Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), we speculated possible mechanisms through which DC could contribute to COVID-19 immune responses, such as dissemination of Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) to lymph nodes, mounting dysfunctional inteferon responses and T cell immunity in patients. We highlighted gaps of knowledge in our understanding of DC in COVID-19 pathogenesis and discussed current pre-clinical development of therapies for COVID-19.

scholarly journals Are sniffer dogs a reliable approach for diagnosing SARS-CoV-2 infection?

Diagnosis ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Giuseppe Lippi ◽  
Camilla Mattiuzzi ◽  
Brandon M. Henry
Keyword(s):  
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ◽  
Operating Characteristic ◽  
Characteristic Curve ◽  
Pooled Analysis ◽  
Diagnostic Efficiency ◽  
Diagnostic Specificity ◽  
Summary Receiver Operating Characteristic ◽  
Electronic Search ◽  
Individual Variations ◽  
Infected Material

Abstract Objectives Despite inter-individual variations in their diagnostic efficiency, dogs have been trained to investigate many human pathologies, especially cancer, diabetes, migraine, seizures and even infectious diseases. To this end, we performed a critical review and pooled analysis of current scientific literature on the performance of dogs trained for identifying severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-positive human specimens. Methods We carried out an electronic search in PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science with the keywords “dog(s)” AND “sniffer” OR “scent” OR “smell” AND “SARS-CoV-2” OR “severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2” OR “coronavirus disease 2019” OR “COVID-19” within all fields, without date or language restrictions, to identify studies describing dogs’ performance for identifying SARS-CoV-2 infected material. Results Three studies could be finally included in pooled analysis, totaling 17 dogs (47% females), aged between 0.5 and 12 years. The pooled diagnostic sensitivity was 0.88 (95% CI, 0.84–0.91; I 2, 85.3%), the diagnostic specificity 0.99 (95% CI, 0.99–0.99; I 2, 97.4%), whilst the area under the summary receiver operating characteristic curve (SROC) was 0.979 (standard error, 0.003). Conclusions The notable performance observed in this pooled analysis would persuade us to suggest that adequately trained dogs could represent an intriguing and sustainable resource for purposes of rapid SARS-CoV-2 mass screening.

Surveillance for Transmission of Hepatitis B in Child Day Care

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 94 (6) ◽  
pp. 1002-1004
Author(s):  
Hjordis M. Foy ◽  
Paul D. Swenson ◽  
M. Jayne Freitag-Koontz ◽  
Janice Boase ◽  
Tianji-Yu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatitis B ◽  
Day Care ◽  
Case Reports ◽  
Hepatitis B Surface Antigen ◽  
Horizontal Transmission ◽  
Acute Infection ◽  
Venous Blood ◽  
Core Antigen ◽  
Day Care Centers ◽  
Blood Specimens

Relatively little is known about the risk of transmission of hepatitis B virus (HBV) in day-care centers; the virus is primarily spread by blood and other body secretions. Gradual horizontal transmission of hepatitis B has been observed in homes for the mentally retarded.1-3 Horizontal spread in children appears to be of equal importance with vertical transmission in countries where hepatitis B is endemic.4 These infections, which usually are asymptomatic, may result in chronic carriage and may go undetected unless children are tested for hepatitis B markers. Studies in day-care centers in Okinawa, where HBV carriage is relatively common, suggest that transmission may occur in day-care centers.5 Case reports of HBV transmission in school or day-care settings in the US6 and Italy7 have been published. Our study was undertaken to determine whether there is evidence of horizontal transmission of HBV infections in US day-care facilities. To evaluate this, we screened for the antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc), a marker which is seen both in those who have recovered from hepatitis B and those who are carriers.8 Capillary blood specimens, obtained by finger prick, were used. Children who tested positive had venous blood specimens drawn and their families were approached for consent to draw venous specimens also from the household members to evaluate if the infection may have originated in the family. The venous specimens were tested also for additional markers, especially for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), which is found during acute infection and in carriers, and antibody to HBsAg (anti-HBs) which develops after infection and immunization.

scholarly journals SARS-CoV-2 infection and persistence throughout the human body and brain

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Chertow ◽  
Sydney Stein ◽  
Sabrina Ramelli ◽  
Alison Grazioli ◽  
Joon-Yong Chung ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Respiratory Tract ◽  
Human Body ◽  
Symptom Onset ◽  
Acute Infection ◽  
Systemic Infection ◽  
The Body ◽  
Viral Clearance ◽  
Cell Type ◽  
Cell Type Specificity ◽  
The Brain

Abstract COVID-19 is known to cause multi-organ dysfunction1-3 in acute infection, with prolonged symptoms experienced by some patients, termed Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC)4-5. However, the burden of infection outside the respiratory tract and time to viral clearance is not well characterized, particularly in the brain3,6-14. We performed complete autopsies on 44 patients with COVID-19 to map and quantify SARS-CoV-2 distribution, replication, and cell-type specificity across the human body, including brain, from acute infection through over seven months following symptom onset. We show that SARS-CoV-2 is widely distributed, even among patients who died with asymptomatic to mild COVID-19, and that virus replication is present in multiple extrapulmonary tissues early in infection. Further, we detected SARS-CoV-2 RNA in multiple anatomic sites, including regions throughout the brain, for up to 230 days following symptom onset. Despite extensive distribution of SARS-CoV-2 in the body, we observed a paucity of inflammation or direct viral cytopathology outside of the lungs. Our data prove that SARS-CoV-2 causes systemic infection and can persist in the body for months.

scholarly journals Insight into surgical outcomes of post infarct-ventricular septal defect repair through a 23-years retrospective study-invited commentary

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Doniparthi Pradeep
Keyword(s):  
Surgical Outcomes ◽  
Septal Defect ◽  
Case Reports ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Rare Condition ◽  
Changing Trends ◽  
Defect Repair ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Adult Cardiac Surgery

The authors present an excellent retrograde analysis of a rare condition of a phenomenal number of cases and their surgical outcomes. A majority of the studies in published literature are anecdotal case reports which are a rare and dreadful entity. A comprehensive countrywide view of the UK National Adult Cardiac Surgery Audit database is presented in this study. This study represents the changing trends in the risk factors, management strategies, and outcomes of ventricular septal rupture for over 23 years in a nutshell.

scholarly journals Long-term persistence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike protein-specific and neutralizing antibodies in recovered COVID-19 patients

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jira Chansaenroj ◽  
Ritthideach Yorsaeng ◽  
Nasamon Wanlapakorn ◽  
Chintana Chirathaworn ◽  
Natthinee Sudhinaraset ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ◽  
Symptom Onset ◽  
Neutralizing Antibodies ◽  
Serum Antibody ◽  
Neutralizing Antibody ◽  
Antibody Responses ◽  
Spike Protein ◽  
Immunological Study ◽  
Igg Antibody ◽  
Vaccine Schedule

Abstract Understanding antibody responses after natural severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection can guide the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine schedule. This study aimed to assess the dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, including anti-spike protein 1 (S1) immunoglobulin (Ig)G, anti-receptor-binding domain (RBD) total Ig, anti-S1 IgA, and neutralizing antibody against wild-type SARS-CoV-2 in a cohort of patients who were previously infected with SARS-CoV-2. Between March and May 2020, 531 individuals with virologically confirmed cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection were enrolled in our immunological study. The neutralizing titers against SARS-CoV-2 were detected in 95.2%, 86.7%, 85.0%, and 85.4% of recovered COVID-19 patients at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months after symptom onset, respectively. The seropositivity rate of anti-S1 IgG, anti-RBD total Ig, anti-S1 IgA, and neutralizing titers remained at 68.6%, 89.6%, 77.1%, and 85.4%, respectively, at 12 months after symptom onset. The half-life of neutralizing titers was estimated at 100.7 days (95% confidence interval = 44.5 – 327.4 days, R2 = 0.106). These results support that the decline in serum antibody levels over time depends on the symptom severity, and the individuals with high IgG antibody titers experienced a significantly longer persistence of SARS-CoV-2-specific antibody responses than those with lower titers.

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