scholarly journals Screening High-Risk Groups and the General Population for SARS-CoV-2 Nucleic Acids in a Mobile Biosafety Laboratory

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhimin Guo ◽  
Lin Li ◽  
Yuanyuan Song ◽  
Jiancheng Xu ◽  
Jing Huang

The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has challenged public health systems worldwide. Therefore, large-scale testing capacity is extremely important diagnosis and exclusion diagnosis. However, fixed laboratories are limited or far away from remote areas. Fortunately, MBS-Lab is characterized by high mobility and rapid on-site detection of SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid. MBS-Lab was first used in northern Australia during a melioidosis outbreak in 1997. The MBS-Lab and a well-trained diagnostic team were dispatched to Dongchang District, Tonghua City, Jilin Province, China to assist the SARS-CoV-2 virus screening and diagnosis on January 17, 2021. Altogether, 93,952 oropharyngeal swabs samples were collected and tested among the high-risk groups and the general population in Dongchang District. Two single samples were identified as positive in the second turn screening. In the second turn screening, 3 mixed samples (10 in 1) were identified as positive; 10 mixed samples were identified as positive in the third turn screening. By resampling again, one and four cases were identified as positive, respectively. The positive cases were properly isolated and treated in hospital and avoided to visit family members, friends, colleagues and any other persons. Through this way of large-scale screening, human-human spread of SARS-CoV-2 can be effectively avoided. In addition, all staff members strictly executed multiple safety precautions and reduce exposure risks. In the end, none of the staffs was infected with SARS-CoV-2 virus or other pathogens. As an emergency facility for infectious disease control, the MBS-Lab satisfies the requirements of ports and other remote areas far from fixed laboratories and supplements the capabilities of fixed laboratories.

1994 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-38 ◽  
Author(s):  
J M Elwood

A review of the published evidence presented here argues that screening for melanoma is recommended and practised at present, but with wide diversity of opinions about its value; there is evidence that screening has considerable potential for benefit, but the evidence of actual benefit is limited; and there are substantial costs and potential hazards from screening. On this basis the evaluation of screening procedures for melanoma is important, and options for this are discussed. The ideal study design to assess the efficacy of melanoma screening in reducing mortality is a large scale randomised trial. This may need a well coordinated proposal involving several centres in one or more countries, and the cost would be substantial. Without such a trial, however, it is most likely that increasing resources will be put into poorly designed screening programmes of unknown value. The simplest and strongest designs use individual randomisation, but group randomisation designs may have practical advantages, though they require a greater sample size. Designs based on general population screening, and on screening only high risk groups, are both considered. They answer different questions. In countries with high incidence the value of general population screening is probably the more critical. Not enough is known to specify the type and frequency of screening precisely; both screening by doctors and self screening require evaluation, and annual screening should probably be tested. The age range at risk will depend on the local incidence, but is likely to be quite wide — for example, 45–69, and both sexes need inclusion. Thus a suggested design for a moderate to high incidence area would be a trial, randomised by individual or group, assessing at least two annual rounds of both screening by doctor and self screening (ideally by a factorial design), for adults aged 45–69, with mortality over several years' follow up as the critical outcome. In an area with good data systems such a study could compare screening offered to some 260.000 subjects with 10 times that number of controls passively followed up, with 90% power to detect a one third reduction in mortality. A general assessment of costs over five years gave estimates of $8.3 million for the screening programme and $2.4 million for the evaluation. The much weaker designs, area based cohort studies using individual data or a simpler ecological comparison, and case-control studies, are also considered. If well designed with attention to their methodological limitations they may be valuable but are unlikely to be as definitive as a randomised trial.


2015 ◽  
Vol 105 (8) ◽  
pp. 664 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olive Shisana ◽  
Numpumelelo Zungu ◽  
Meredith Evans ◽  
Kathryn Risher ◽  
Thomas Rehle ◽  
...  

Blood ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 122 (21) ◽  
pp. 2992-2992
Author(s):  
Smita Bhatia ◽  
Cor van den Bos ◽  
Can-Lan Sun ◽  
Jillian Birch ◽  
Lisa Diller ◽  
...  

Abstract Background We describe the pattern and incidence of SMNs with 10 additional years of follow-up of an international cohort (Bhatia, N Engl J Med, 1996; Bhatia, J Clin Oncol, 2003) of children with HL diagnosed between 1955 and 1986 at age 16 y or younger. Methods Medical record review was used to identify SMNs, define vital status and describe therapeutic exposures. Pathology reports served to validate SMNs. Cumulative incidence (CI) utilized competing risk methods. Standardized incidence ratio (SIR) and absolute excess risk (AER/10,000 p-y) utilized age-, gender- and year-matched rates in the general population. Cox regression techniques (using calendar time as time scale) identified predictors of SMN risk. Results The cohort included 1023 patients diagnosed with HL at a median age of 11 y, and followed for a median of 26.8 y (IQR, 16.4-33.7). Eighty-nine percent had received radiation, either alone (22%), or in combination with chemotherapy (67%). Alkylating agent (AA) score was defined as follows: 1 AA for 6 m = AA score of 1; 2 AA for 6 m or 1 AA for 12 m = AA score of 2, etc. The AA score was 1-2 for 54% and 3+ for 16%; 30% did not receive AA. A total of 188 solid SMNs developed in 139 patients (breast [54], thyroid [24], lung [11], colorectal [11], bone [8], other malignancies [80]. Table summarizes SIR (95%CI), CI, and AER by attained age. The cohort was at an 11.1-fold increased risk of developing solid SMNs (excluding non-melanoma skin cancers) compared with the general population (95% CI, 9.4-13.0). CI of solid SMNs was 25.2% at 40 y from HL diagnosis (Fig 1). Among patients aged ≥40 y, 79% of total AER was attributable to breast, thyroid, colorectal and lung SMNs (Table). Thirty-seven patients developed >1 solid SMN; the cumulative incidence of the 2nd SMN was 19.6% at 10 years from diagnosis of the 1st SMN. Breast Cancer: Females (n=41) had a 20.9-fold increased risk, and males (n=3) a 45.8-fold increased risk c/w general population. Age at HL of 10-16 y vs. <10 y (RR=9.7, 95%CI, 2.3-40.6, p=0.002), and exposure to chest radiation (RR=5.9, 95%CI, 1.4-25.9) were associated with increased risk. Among females aged 10-16 y at chest radiation, cumulative incidence was 24.3% by age 45 y, as opposed to 2.6% for those <10 y, p=0.001 (Fig 2). Exposure to AA was associated with a lower risk (RR=0.4, p=0.002). Diagnosis of HL after 1975 was associated with decreased risk (RR=0.25, 95%CI 0.12-0.53), explained, in part by the increasing use of AA after 1975 (78%) vs. before 1975 (61%). By age 40 y, the risk of breast cancer among females exposed to chest radiation at age 10-16 y (18.2%) was comparable to the risk for BRCA1 mutation carriers (15%-20% by age 40 y; Chen, J Clin Oncol, 2007). Lung cancer: Ten of 11 lung cancer cases were diagnosed in males (males: SIR=24.7; females: SIR=3.2, p=0.05); all had received neck/chest radiation. The CI of lung cancer among males was 3.8% by age 50 y, comparable to the risk among male smokers (2% by age 50 y, Bilello, Clinics Chest Med, 2002). Colorectal cancer: There was a 11.5-fold increased risk c/w general population. The CI among those with abdominal/pelvic radiation was 4.1% by age 50 y ; this risk is higher than that observed in individuals with ≥2 first degree relatives affected with colorectal cancer (1.2% by age 50 y, Butterworth, Eur J Cancer, 2006). Thyroid cancer: Survivors had a 22.2-fold increased risk; all developed within radiation field. Females (RR=4.3, 95%CI 1.8-10.4) were at increased risk. Conclusion In this cohort of HL survivors with 20,344 p-y of follow-up, the greatest excess risk of SMNs among those > 40 y was attributable to breast, thyroid, colorectal and lung SMNs. Observed risks for the most common SMNs were comparable to or greater than known high-risk groups within the general population. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


2012 ◽  
Vol 30 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. 6037-6037
Author(s):  
William Allen Stokes ◽  
Laura H Hendrix ◽  
Trevor Joseph Royce ◽  
Ian M. Allen ◽  
Andrew Wang ◽  
...  

6037 Background: African-Americans (AA) are diagnosed with more advanced CaP than Caucasians (CA) and are more likely to die from CaP. Treatment delay is a potentially modifiable obstacle to care and clinically may be more important in AA patients because of more aggressive cancer at diagnosis. We examined time from diagnosis to curative treatment (surgery or radiation) in AA and CA patients in the Surveillance, Epidemiologic and End Results (SEER)-Medicare linked database. Methods: 21,454 CA and 2,506 AA patients who were diagnosed with non-metastatic CaP from 2004-08 and received treatment within 12 months of diagnosis were included. Linear regression was used to examine factors associated with number of days from diagnosis to treatment initiation, and logistic regression to assess odds of treatment within 6 months of diagnosis. Results: AA patients were more likely to have high-risk CaP than CA patients (39 vs. 35%), and less likely to have low-risk CaP (27 vs. 31%) (p<.001). Time to treatment was significantly prolonged for AA patients in all risk groups of CaP, and the difference was most prominent for high-risk patients (median 105 days for AA vs. 96 days for CA, p=.002). Racial differences in time to treatment persisted in multivariable analysis (Table). Sensitivity analyses examining the proportion of AA and CA patients initiating treatment within 6 months of diagnosis revealed similar results. Conclusions: AA patients, especially those with high-risk CaP, experience longer treatment delays than CA patients. This is the first large-scale study to examine treatment delays in AA and CA patients with CaP. The differences found may contribute to our understanding of racial disparities in CaP treatment outcomes. [Table: see text]


BMJ Open ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. e015069 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samar Abd ElHafeez ◽  
Davide Bolignano ◽  
Graziella D’Arrigo ◽  
Evangelia Dounousi ◽  
Giovanni Tripepi ◽  
...  

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 106-120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonas F Ludvigsson ◽  
Timothy R Card ◽  
Katri Kaukinen ◽  
Julio Bai ◽  
Fabiana Zingone ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 38
Author(s):  
Andrew R. Barbera ◽  
Kayla Wilson ◽  
James D. Melton III ◽  
Fred Blind ◽  
Donna M. Bhisitkul ◽  
...  

Background: There have been many perceived barriers to the implementation of the mass use of monoclonal antibody therapy following the Food and Drug Administration’s Emergency Use Authorization in November 2020. These barriers include identifying eligible patients, physical resources including trained staff members, space, and materials for the administration away from others to reduce transmission, and cost of the resources. However, Lakeland Regional Health was able to create a safe and efficient protocol to administer Bamlanivimab in the treatment of high risk COVID positive patients and initiate this proposed pathway within 24 hours of receipt of the first shipment of medication.Methods: Critical to the development and success of this protocol was a multi-disciplinary approach focused on identifying and utilizing preexisting resources to ensure safe and efficient administration of this treatment to as many eligible patients as possible. Another crucial aspect was the utilization of the emergency department providers for identifying high risk eligible patients and as a safe and effective treatment setting.Results: This article is intended to demonstrate a best practice pathway to identify and administer Bamlanivimab, or similar treatments, and will not discuss outcomes or efficacy of the medication. To date Lakeland Regional Health has successfully treated over 1,000 high risk COVID-19 positive patients within our community.Conclusions: By identifying and utilizing similar resources and pathways available at individual medical centers, it is possible to safely and efficiently treat high risk COVID positive patients with monoclonal antibody therapy on a large scale.


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