Identification of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in the conjunctival swab of an Italian pediatric patient affected with COVID-19: A case report

2020 ◽  
pp. 112067212097782
Author(s):  
Luciano Quaranta ◽  
Francesca Rovida ◽  
Ivano Riva ◽  
Carlo Bruttini ◽  
Ilaria Brambilla ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Case Report ◽  
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ◽  
Pediatric Patient ◽  
Ocular Involvement ◽  
Case Description ◽  
Rt Pcr ◽  
Reverse Transcription Pcr ◽  
Ocular Symptoms ◽  
Pediatric Clinic ◽  
Conjunctival Swab

Introduction: To report a case of identification of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA in ocular specimen in a pediatric patient affected with Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) with no signs of ocular involvement. Case description: A 11-year old male patient with confirmed COVID-19 infection was hospitalized at the Pediatric Clinic Clinic of the IRCCS Foundation and Hospital San Matteo, Pavia, Italy. Three days after hospital admission, because of the patient complaining very mild ocular symptoms, an ophthalmological evaluation was performed. No signs related to conjunctivitis or keratitis were found but a conjunctival swab was collected as well, based on patient’s medical history. The specific SARS-CoV-2 reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) was performed, unearthing the presence of viral RNA from the swab. On day 25 from hospitalization, the conjunctival swab was repeated, giving negative result. Conclusions: This is the first report of the identification of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in ocular specimen in a pediatric patient without signs of ocular involvement. However, despite the transmission through tears is theoretically possible, it is still unclear whether this could be considered as an important route for the spread of SARS-CoV-2.

scholarly journals Myopericarditis Associated with COVID-19 in a Pediatric Patient with Kidney Failure Receiving Hemodialysis

Pathogens ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 486
Author(s):  
Marcela Daniela Ionescu ◽  
Mihaela Balgradean ◽  
Catalin Gabriel Cirstoveanu ◽  
Ioana Balgradean ◽  
Loredana Ionela Popa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ◽  
Replacement Therapy ◽  
Female Patient ◽  
Pediatric Patient ◽  
Kidney Failure ◽  
Cardiac Tissue ◽  
Pulmonary Involvement ◽  
Rt Pcr ◽  
Acute Pericarditis ◽  
Life Threatening

The outbreak of COVID-19 can be associated with cardiac and pulmonary involvement and is emerging as one of the most significant and life-threatening complications in patients with kidney failure receiving hemodialysis. Here, we report a critically ill case of a 13-year-old female patient with acute pericarditis and bilateral pleurisy, screened positive for SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR, presented with high fever, frequent dry cough, and dyspnea with tachypnea. COVID-19-induced myopericarditis has been noted to be a complication in patients with concomitant kidney failure with replacement therapy (KFRT). This article brings information in the light of our case experience, suggesting that the direct effect of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection on cardiac tissue was a significant contributor to myopericarditis in our patient. Further studies in this direction are required, as such associations have thus far been reported.

Acquired acoria and iris pearls in leprosy: Case report

2021 ◽  
pp. 112067212110240
Author(s):  
Luciana Negrão Almeida Morais ◽  
Joacy Pedro Franco David ◽  
João Victor Peres Lima ◽  
Samia Demachki ◽  
Daniel Guerreiro Diniz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Case Report ◽  
Cataract Extraction ◽  
Ocular Involvement ◽  
Histopathological Diagnosis ◽  
Extracapsular Cataract Extraction ◽  
Ophthalmological Examination ◽  
Case Description ◽  
Leprosy Case ◽  
Proper Diagnosis

Purpose: To describe a case of a patient presenting with acquired acoria and iris pearls, a rare eye manifestation and pathognomonic finding for leprosy; to reinforce clinical, histopathological, and therapeutic aspects of ocular involvement in leprosy. Methods: Case report. Case description: A 62-year-old male presenting with acquired acoria and iris pearls in both eyes due to leprosy also had anterior uveitis and cataract. Histopathological diagnosis of iris pearls was confirmed by the presence of Hansen’s bacilli. Ophthalmological examination revealed improvement of the visual acuity after iridectomy and extracapsular cataract extraction. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of acquired acoria in a leprosy patient. It led to impaired vision and reversible blindness. Proper diagnosis and ophthalmological treatment of patients with these conditions are essential for the maintenance of a good quality of life.

scholarly journals Triplex Real Time RT-PCR for N1, N2 and RP probes from CDC EUA SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis kit

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Byron Freire-Paspuel ◽  
Patricio Vega-Mariño ◽  
Alberto Velez ◽  
Marilyn Cruz ◽  
Miguel Angel Garcia-Bereguiain
Keyword(s):  
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Reverse Transcription ◽  
Clinical Performance ◽  
Rt Pcr ◽  
Reverse Transcription Pcr ◽  
Speed Up

AbstractCDC protocol for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) include 3 targets for detection (N1, N2 and RP) labelled with FAM so 3 PCR reactions are required per sample. We developed a triplex, real-time reverse transcription PCR for SARS-CoV-2 that maintained clinical performance compared with CDC singleplex assay. This protocol could speed up detection and save reagents during current SARS-CoV-2 testing supplies shortage.

scholarly journals Ophthalmologic evidence against the interpersonal transmission of 2019 novel coronavirus through conjunctiva

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yunyun Zhou ◽  
Yuyang Zeng ◽  
Yongqing Tong ◽  
Changzheng Chen
Keyword(s):  
Retrospective Cohort ◽  
Clinical Analysis ◽  
Pcr Analysis ◽  
Rt Pcr ◽  
State Of Emergency ◽  
Ocular Symptoms ◽  
The World ◽  
Conjunctival Swab ◽  
Clinical Protection ◽  
Novel Coronavirus

AbstractBackgroundThe emerging 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) has pushed several countries into state of emergency all over the world. The possible transmission of 2019-nCoV by conjunctiva is controversial and has substantial public health implications.MethodsA retrospective cohort study was initiated to investigate the possible transmission of 2019-nCoV through aerosol contact with conjunctiva. We enrolled 67 cases of confirmed or suspected cases of novel coronavirus pneumonia (NCP) during 17–28 Jan 2020. Nasopharyngeal and conjunctival swabs were collected for real time RT-PCR analysis to detect 2019-nCoV.Results63 patients were identified as laboratory-confirmed NCP and the remaining four were suspected NCP. Conjunctival swab samples from one NCP patient yielded positive PCR results and two NCP patients yielded probable positive PCR results. None of the three patients had ocular symptoms. The only one NCP patient with conjunctivitis as the first symptom had negative conjunctival sac 2019-nCoV test. Conjunctival swab samples from the four suspected cases of NCIP were negative.Conclusion2019-nCoV can be detected in the conjunctival sac of patients with NCP. Through clinical analysis, viral transmission via the conjunctival route was not supported by the data. Good clinical protection can effectively cut off the transmission path.

scholarly journals Detection of SARS Coronavirus in Patients with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome by Conventional and Real-Time Quantitative Reverse Transcription-PCR Assays

2004 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leo L M Poon ◽  
Kwok Hung Chan ◽  
On Kei Wong ◽  
Timothy K W Cheung ◽  
Iris Ng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ◽  
Real Time ◽  
N Gene ◽  
Clinical Samples ◽  
Rt Pcr ◽  
Pcr Assay ◽  
Reverse Transcription Pcr ◽  
Copy Numbers ◽  
Stool Samples ◽  
Pcr Assays

Abstract Background: A novel coronavirus (CoV) was recently identified as the agent for severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). We compared the abilities of conventional and real-time reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) assays to detect SARS CoV in clinical specimens. Methods: RNA samples isolated from nasopharyngeal aspirate (NPA; n = 170) and stool (n = 44) were reverse-transcribed and tested by our in-house conventional RT-PCR assay. We selected 98 NPA and 37 stool samples collected at different times after the onset of disease and tested them in a real-time quantitative RT-PCR specific for the open reading frame (ORF) 1b region of SARS CoV. Detection rates for the conventional and real-time quantitative RT-PCR assays were compared. To investigate the nature of viral RNA molecules in these clinical samples, we determined copy numbers of ORF 1b and nucleocapsid (N) gene sequences of SARS CoV. Results: The quantitative real-time RT-PCR assay was more sensitive than the conventional RT-PCR assay for detecting SARS CoV in samples collected early in the course of the disease. Real-time assays targeted at the ORF 1b region and the N gene revealed that copy numbers of ORF 1b and N gene sequences in clinical samples were similar. Conclusions: NPA and stool samples can be used for early diagnosis of SARS. The real-time quantitative RT-PCR assay for SARS CoV is potentially useful for early detection of SARS CoV. Our results suggest that genomic RNA is the predominant viral RNA species in clinical samples.

scholarly journals Ocular manifestations of a hospitalised patient with confirmed 2019 novel coronavirus disease

2020 ◽  
Vol 104 (6) ◽  
pp. 748-751 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lu Chen ◽  
Meizhou Liu ◽  
Zheng Zhang ◽  
Kun Qiao ◽  
Ting Huang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Threshold Value ◽  
Viral Rna ◽  
Rt Pcr ◽  
Illness Onset ◽  
Reverse Transcription Pcr ◽  
Ocular Manifestations ◽  
Conjunctival Swab ◽  
Precautionary Measures ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
Hospitalised Patient

PurposeTo report the ocular characteristics and the presence of viral RNA of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in conjunctival swab specimens in a patient with confirmed 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).Participant and methodsA 30-year-old man with confirmed COVID-19 and bilateral acute conjunctivitis which occurred 13 days after illness onset. Based on detailed ophthalmic examination, reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) was performed to detect SARS-CoV-2 virus in conjunctival swabs. The ocular characteristics, presence of viral RNA and viral dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 in the conjunctival specimens were evaluated.ResultsSlit lamp examination showed bilateral acute follicular conjunctivitis. RT-PCR assay demonstrated the presence of viral RNA in conjunctival specimen 13 days after onset (cycle threshold value: 31). The conjunctival swab specimens remained positive for SARS-CoV-2 on 14 and 17 days after onset. On day 19, RT-PCR result was negative for SARS-CoV-2.ConclusionSARS-CoV-2 is capable of causing ocular complications such as viral conjunctivitis in the middle phase of illness. Precautionary measures are recommended when examining infected patients throughout the clinical course of the infection. However, conjunctival sampling might not be useful for early diagnosis because the virus may not appear initially in the conjunctiva.

scholarly journals Comparison of Two High-Throughput Reverse Transcription-PCR Systems for the Detection of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2

2020 ◽  
Vol 58 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Arryn R. Craney ◽  
Priya D. Velu ◽  
Michael J. Satlin ◽  
Kathy A. Fauntleroy ◽  
Katrina Callan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ◽  
High Throughput ◽  
Reverse Transcription ◽  
Clinical Performance ◽  
Threshold Values ◽  
Limited Data ◽  
Rt Pcr ◽  
Reverse Transcription Pcr ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Pcr Assays

ABSTRACT Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has emerged as the cause of a worldwide pandemic. Many commercial SARS-CoV-2 reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) assays have received Emergency Use Authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. However, there are limited data describing their performance, in particular the performance of high-throughput SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR systems. We analyzed the diagnostic performance of two high-throughput systems: cobas 6800 and Panther Fusion, and their associated RT-PCR assays, with a collection of 389 nasopharyngeal specimens. The overall agreement between the platforms was 96.4% (375/389). Cohen’s kappa analysis rated the strength of agreement between the two platforms as “almost perfect” (κ = 0.922; standard error, 0.051). Furthermore, there was no significant difference between corresponding cycle threshold values generated on the two systems (P value = 0.88; Student’s t test). Taken together, these data imply that the two platforms can be considered comparable in terms of their clinical performance. We believe that this information will be useful for those who have already adopted these platforms or are seeking to implement high-throughput RT-PCR testing to stem the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

scholarly journals Case Report: Massive Spontaneous Pneumothorax—A Rare Form of Presentation for Severe COVID-19 Pneumonia

Medicina ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 57 (2) ◽  
pp. 82
Author(s):  
Adina Maria Marza ◽  
Alina Petrica ◽  
Florina Nicoleta Buleu ◽  
Ovidiu Alexandru Mederle
Keyword(s):  
Case Report ◽  
Spontaneous Pneumothorax ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Viral Disease ◽  
Diagnosis And Treatment ◽  
Drain Tube ◽  
Rt Pcr ◽  
Reverse Transcription Pcr ◽  
Bilateral Lung ◽  
Pcr Test

Background and Objectives: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is a viral disease that is spreading worldwide and became a pandemic. Although most of the time, the symptoms of the infection are flu like, a percentage of patients develop severe forms, along with severe complications. Many of them are known among front-line health workers, but the number of uncommon presentations and complications has increased. This case report aims to alert healthcare workers on less common forms of presentation, and to introduce this differential diagnosis in the evaluation of patients with COVID-19, given the increasing occurrence of pneumothorax in patients who are not mechanical ventilated. Case presentation: A 57-year-old female patient came to the Emergency Department (ED) by ambulance, with acute respiratory failure. She had SpO2 (peripheral O2 saturation ) = 43% on room air at home, and 86% on admission in ED after oxygen delivery (on a reservoir mask). SARS-CoV-2 infection was suspected based on symptoms that started three days ago (fever, dry cough, dyspnea, and fatigability). Blood was taken for lab tests, pharyngeal and nasal swabs for the reverse transcription–PCR (RT-PCR) test, and native computed tomography (CT) was scheduled. The thoracic CT scan showed massive right pneumothorax, partially collapsed lung, multiple bilateral lung infiltrates with a ground glass aspect and the RT-PCR test came back positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Despite the prompt diagnosis and treatment of pneumothorax (thoracostomy was performed and the drain tube was placed), the patient died after a long hospitalization in the intensive care unit. Conclusion: Secondary spontaneous pneumothorax (SSP), as a complication in severe forms of COVID-19 pneumonia, especially in female patients without risk factors is rare, and early diagnosis and treatment are essential for increasing the survival chances of these patients.

scholarly journals Dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Concern in Brazil, Early 2021

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
José Eduardo Levi ◽  
Cristina Mendes Oliveira ◽  
Bianca Della Croce ◽  
Paulo Telles ◽  
Annelise Correa Wengerkievicz Lopes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Immune Response ◽  
Viral Load ◽  
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ◽  
Vaccine Coverage ◽  
Large Data ◽  
Rt Pcr ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Local Factors ◽  
Reverse Transcription Pcr ◽  
Mean Cycle

Brazil is the country with the second-largest number of deaths due to the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). Two variants of concern (VOCs), Alpha (B.1.1.7) and Gamma (P.1), were first detected in December 2020. While Alpha expanded within an expected rate in January and February 2021, its prevalence among new severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) cases started to decrease in March, which coincided with the explosion of Gamma variant incidence all over the country, being responsible for more than 95% of the new cases over the following months. A significantly higher viral load [i.e., mean cycle threshold (Ct) values] for Gamma in comparison to non-VOC samples was verified by the analysis of a large data set of routine reverse transcription–PCR (RT–PCR) exams. Moreover, the rate of reinfections greatly increased from March 2021 onward, reinforcing the enhanced ability of Gamma to escape the immune response. It is difficult to predict the outcomes of competition between variants since local factors like frequency of introduction and vaccine coverage play a key role. Genomic surveillance is of uttermost importance for the mitigation of the pandemic.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document