Return to ART practices – The post-coronavirus disease era

Objectives: The objectives of the study were to analyze the prevalence of coronavirus disease (COVID) real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) positivity among asymptomatic patients undergoing infertility treatment. Materials and Methods: This was an observational study done in five centers in five different cities in India, analyzing the prevalence of COVID RT-PCR-positive rates among asymptomatic patients willing to undergo infertility treatment. All patients underwent triage and COVID RT-PCR testing as per the national guidelines. Patients tested positive for COVID RT-PCR were advised to discontinue treatment. Results: The overall prevalence of COVID RT-PCR positivity in low-risk patients undergoing infertility treatment was found to be low. The incidence of COVID RT-PCR positivity in staff and doctors providing infertility care and not dealing directly with COVID-positive patients was observed to be 10.7%. Conclusion: The overall prevalence of the virus in asymptomatic people is low and elective procedure like assisted reproduction technology can be carried out with all precautions and sanitization protocols in place.

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Real-Time Polymerase chain reaction trends in COVID-19 patients

Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences ◽

10.12669/pjms.37.1.3000 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 37 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Dr Sana Abbas ◽

Aisha Rafique ◽

Dr Beenish Abbas ◽

Dr Rashid Iqbal

Keyword(s):

Polymerase Chain Reaction ◽

Real Time ◽

Tertiary Care ◽

False Negative ◽

Polymerase Chain Reaction Test ◽

Upper Respiratory Tract ◽

Rt Pcr ◽

Chain Reaction ◽

Asymptomatic Patients ◽

Polymerase Chain

Objective: To assess trends of real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction test in Coronavirus infected Patients. Methods: This cross-sectional analytical study was conducted at Tertiary Care Institute, Rawalpindi from March 2020 to June 2020. All patients confirmed COVID positive by real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) with recent travel history, close contact with known diagnosed patients and had symptoms of fever or upper respiratory tract with body aches. Nasopharyngeal swabs were taken and results generated within 48 hours. Positive PCR was admission criteria follow up was carried out at 7th and 8th day, with negative PCR were discharged. However, those who had persistent positive PCR on the 8th day were tested again on 11th and 12th day. Those with persistent positive results beyond 12th day were shifted to specialized quarantine centres. Results: A total of three hundred and ninety-two patients with mild to moderate illness, PCR positive for COVID 19 were included study with age range 9 - 45 and mean 33.22±7.98 years. A total of 8 (2%) patients were females and 384(98%) males. The duration of the negative test result was Mean ± Std. Deviation 9.05±2.00 with 7 – 8 days 152(38.8%)in and 11 – 12 days in 160(40.8%). PCR results on Day 7 and 8 were negative in 144(36.7%) patients whereas positive in 248(63.3%). PCR results on Day 11 and 12 were negative in 312(79.6%) patients whereas positive in 80 (20.4%). Conclusion: To conclude Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (rT-PCR) inclines to give false negative results additionally can stay positive in asymptomatic patients for moderately longer-term. Hence decision to discharge ought to be intricately adjusted between RT-PCR, clinical judgement, radiological examinations, and biochemical assays. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.1.3000 How to cite this:Abbas S, Rafique A, Abbas B, Iqbal R. Real-Time Polymerase chain reaction trends in COVID-19 patients. Pak J Med Sci. 2021;37(1):180-184. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.1.3000 This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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Assessment of Coronavirus in the Conjunctival Tears in Pediatric Patients with Asymptomatic COVID-19 Infection in Sohag Government, Egypt

The Open Ophthalmology Journal ◽

10.2174/1874364102115010083 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 15 (1) ◽

pp. 83-88

Author(s):

Hany Mahmoud ◽

Ahmed Radwan ◽

Amr El Rashidy ◽

Hesham M. Hefny ◽

Amal H. Ali ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Polymerase Chain Reaction ◽

Pediatric Patients ◽

Nasopharyngeal Swab ◽

Rt Pcr ◽

Interventional Study ◽

Chain Reaction ◽

Intimate Contact ◽

Asymptomatic Patients ◽

Systemic Manifestations ◽

Polymerase Chain

Objective: The present study aims to evaluate coronavirus shedding in the tears of asymptomatic pediatric COVID-19 positive patients. Methods: A prospective interventional study that included a total of 145 pediatric asymptomatic COVID-19 patients hospitalized from 17th May 2020 to 16th July 2020 in Sohag Tropical Hospital. On admission, all of them were COVID-19 positive detected through nasopharyngeal swab. They were in intimate contact with positive symptomatic COVID-19 patients before testing and admission. Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was done for tears samples at an interval of 5 days after admission and twice before discharge. Results: Of the 145 asymptomatic pediatric COVID-19 positive patients, no one showed ocular or systemic manifestations. They were silent carriers. Ten were positive for tears sample on admission. They became negative for nasopharyngeal and tear samples before discharge. Conclusion: Pediatric positive COVID-19 patients can shed coronavirus through their tears. Even among asymptomatic patients, transmission through tears is possible.

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The development of GAMA Swab sampling chamber for walk-through sampling in patients with COVID-19 at Gadjah Mada Hospital

Journal of Community Empowerment for Health ◽

10.22146/jcoemph.57547 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 3 (2) ◽

pp. 94

Author(s):

Hera Nirwati ◽

Dwi Aris Agung Nugrahaningsih ◽

Siswanto Siswanto ◽

Mahatma Sotya Bawono ◽

Titien Budhiaty ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Healthcare Worker ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Positive Pressure ◽

Protective Equipment ◽

Cross Contamination ◽

Rt Pcr ◽

Chain Reaction ◽

Aerosol Exposure ◽

Asymptomatic Patients ◽

Polymerase Chain

Collecting swab samples from the nasopharynx and oropharynx of patients with COVID-19 is essential in detecting SARS-CoV-2. This procedure potentially produces sufficient droplets. Since SARS-CoV-2 is transmitted through droplets, swab sampling has to be done carefully to prevent the risk of transmission to healthcare workers or the cross-contamination to the environment. The GAMA Swab Sampling Chamber (GSSC) is a positive-pressure chamber designed for collecting swab samples involving the healthcare worker positioned inside, while the patient is outside the chamber. The chamber is designed to minimize the risk of aerosol exposure to the healthcare worker due to leakage or when opening or closing the door. Accordingly, the healthcare worker does not need to use complete personal protective equipment (PPE) as they do when collecting swab samples without the chamber. After several tests to check the safety and the chamber’s function, the GSSC was used at Gadjah Mada Hospital. This chamber had been used to swab 51 asymptomatic patients, 72 suspected patients, and 284 voluntary persons for ten weeks. The results of reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) examination of all samples from asymptomatic patients were negative, while 2 of 72 suspected patients (2.8%) and 4 of 284 voluntary persons (1.4%) had positive RT-PCR results. The use of GSSC can simplify the swab sampling, also reduces the need for PPE usage and a negative pressure isolation room which are limited in the current pandemic situation.

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Impact of Pool Testing in Detection of Asymptomatic Patients with COVID-19

Laboratory Medicine ◽

10.1093/labmed/lmaa094 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 52 (1) ◽

pp. e15-e16 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

David L Smalley ◽

Patricia M Cisarik ◽

James Grantham ◽

William Cloud ◽

R Brock Neil ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Single Patient ◽

Rt Pcr ◽

Detection Capability ◽

Chain Reaction ◽

Asymptomatic Patients ◽

Alternative Approaches ◽

Polymerase Chain ◽

Asymptomatic Individuals ◽

Low Prevalence ◽

The Impact

Abstract Objective During the current pandemic, COVID-19 has been detected in patients using real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) that confirms the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA. The demand for increased testing, particularly for asymptomatic individuals required alternative approaches to single-patient RT-PCR testing, such as pooling. Methods This study explored the impact of dilution on the detectability of SARS-CoV-2 in asymptomatic patients using RT-PCR and demonstrated that pooling can be effective in low prevalence populations. Results The RT-PCR results for the 3:1, 5:1, and 7:1 aliquot samples showed little differences in CT values, confirming detection capability at these dilutions. Conclusion Based on the results of the present study, a pooled approach with up to 5:1 sample aliquots and using the current RT-PCR methodology likely will detect SARS CoV2 RNA among asymptomatic patients.

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Sensitivity of ID NOW and RT–PCR for detection of SARS-CoV-2 in an ambulatory population

eLife ◽

10.7554/elife.65726 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 ◽

Author(s):

Yuan-Po Tu ◽

Jameel Iqbal ◽

Timothy O'Leary

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Review Of Literature ◽

Rt Pcr ◽

Chain Reaction ◽

Pcr Assay ◽

Viral Loads ◽

Percent Agreement ◽

Asymptomatic Patients ◽

Polymerase Chain ◽

Low Sensitivity

Diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) requires confirmation by reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT–PCR). Abbott ID NOW provides fast results but has been criticized for low sensitivity. Here we determine the sensitivity of ID NOW in an ambulatory population presented for testing. The study enrolled 785 symptomatic patients, of whom 21 were positive by both ID NOW and RT–PCR, and 2 only by RT–PCR. All 189 asymptomatic patients tested negative. The positive percent agreement between the ID NOW assay and the RT–PCR assay was 91.3%, and negative percent agreement was 100%. The results from the current study were included into a larger systematic review of literature where at least 20 subjects were simultaneously tested using ID NOW and RT–PCR. The overall sensitivity for ID NOW assay was calculated at 84% (95% confidence interval 55–96%) and had the highest correlation to RT–PCR at viral loads most likely to be associated with transmissible infections.

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Clinical importance of reporting SARS-CoV-2 viral loads across the different stages of the COVID-19 pandemic

10.1101/2020.07.10.20149773 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Milo Moraz ◽

Damien Jacot ◽

Matthaios Papadimitriou-Olivgeris ◽

Laurence Senn ◽

Gilbert Greub ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Viral Load ◽

Universal Screening ◽

Clinical Importance ◽

Screening Strategy ◽

Rt Pcr ◽

Chain Reaction ◽

Viral Loads ◽

Asymptomatic Patients ◽

Admission Screening ◽

Polymerase Chain

On April 25th, corresponding to the first deconfinement phase after the end of the lockdown in Switzerland, a universal admission screening strategy for COVID-19 was introduced in our hospital. All patients, including asymptomatic patients were tested for SARS-CoV-2 by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). In addition to a qualitative answer, providing viral load values to the RT-PCR results not only helped the clinician to evaluate the stage of the infection but addressed patient contagiousness and guided infection control decisions. Here, we discuss the importance of reporting viral load values when a shift from a symptomatic to a universal screening strategy was performed.

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No secret hiding place? Absence of SARS-CoV-2 on the ocular surface of 1145 hospitalized patients in a pandemic area

Graefe s Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology ◽

10.1007/s00417-021-05086-3 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Alexander C. Rokohl ◽

Rafael S. Grajewski ◽

Philomena A. Wawer Matos ◽

Hannah-Leah Koch ◽

Felix Dewald ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Polymerase Chain Reaction ◽

Ocular Surface ◽

Medical Staff ◽

Care Center ◽

Pcr Analysis ◽

Rt Pcr ◽

Eye Care ◽

Chain Reaction ◽

Asymptomatic Patients ◽

Polymerase Chain

Abstract Objectives The aims of this study were to evaluate the isolated prevalence of real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)–confirmed SARS-CoV-2 on the ocular surface without systemic infection in hospitalized asymptomatic patients and to determine the risk for ophthalmologists and medical staff to be infected by prescreened asymptomatic patients in a tertiary eye care center. Methods In this prospective, observational study, bilateral swaps of the conjunctiva in the lower fornices as well as nasopharyngeal swaps were collected in 1145 hospitalized asymptomatic patients of a tertiary eye care center. Real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis was performed for each swap to evaluate the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2. Demographic data and potential risk factors for an isolated infection of the ocular surface were noted. Results Two thousand two hundred eighty-eight (99.9%) of all 2290 tested eyes had negative results in the RT-PCR analysis of the conjunctival swabs. One patient had bilateral false-positive results in the conjunctival swabs. None of the 1145 patients had any positive RT-PCR-confirmed result in the nasopharyngeal swabs. Conclusions The risk for an isolated conjunctival viral activity in patients with a negative nasopharyngeal swab-based RT-PCR seems to be absent or extremely low, suggesting no need to perform additional conjunctival swabs in patients with negative nasopharyngeal swabs. Furthermore, the risk of a work-related SARS-CoV-2 infection due to direct contact with preselected asymptomatic patients in an eye care center is very low, especially when additional hygiene standards and safe distances are respected carefully. This might reassure medical staff and reduce the fear of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

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1504: Molecular Diagnosis and Staging of Prostate Cancer Using Clusterin in Real Time Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR)

The Journal of Urology ◽

10.1016/s0022-5347(18)33708-x ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 175 (4S) ◽

pp. 485-486

Author(s):

Sabarinath B. Nair ◽

Christodoulos Pipinikas ◽

Roger Kirby ◽

Nick Carter ◽

Christiane Fenske

Keyword(s):

Prostate Cancer ◽

Polymerase Chain Reaction ◽

Real Time ◽

Molecular Diagnosis ◽

Reverse Transcription ◽

Rt Pcr ◽

Chain Reaction ◽

Polymerase Chain

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Expression of Platelet Membrane Glycoprotein V in Human Megakaryocytes and Megakaryocytic Cell Lines: A Study Using a Novel Monoclonal Antibody against GPV

Thrombosis and Haemostasis ◽

10.1055/s-0038-1648955 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 72 (05) ◽

pp. 762-769 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Toshiro Takafuta ◽

Kingo Fujirmura ◽

Hironori Kawano ◽

Masaaki Noda ◽

Tetsuro Fujimoto ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Monoclonal Antibody ◽

Cell Lines ◽

Immunohistochemical Analysis ◽

Specific Protein ◽

Platelet Membrane ◽

Rt Pcr ◽

Chain Reaction ◽

Flow Cytometric ◽

Polymerase Chain ◽

Megakaryocytic Cell

SummaryGlycoprotein V (GPV) is a platelet membrane protein with a molecular weight of 82 kD, and one of the leucine rich glycoproteins (LRG). By reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), GPV cDNA was amplified from mRNA of platelets and megakaryocytic cell lines. However, since there are few reports indicating whether GPV protein is expressed in megakaryocytes as a lineage and maturation specific protein, we studied the GPV expression at the protein level by using a novel monoclonal antibody (1D9) recognizing GPV. Flow cytometric and immunohistochemical analysis indicated that GPV was detected on the surface and in the cytoplasm of only the megakaryocytes in bone marrow aspirates. In a megakaryocytic cell line UT-7, GPV antigen increased after treatment with phorbol-12-myri-state-13-acetate (PMA). These data indicate that only megakaryocytes specifically express the GPV protein among hematopoietic cells and that the expression of GPV increases with differentiation of the megakaryocyte as GPIb-IX complex.

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