Validation of a Modified CDC Assay and Performance Comparison with the NeuMoDx™ and DiaSorin® automated assays for Rapid Detection of SARS-CoV-2 in Respiratory Specimens

alkiviadis.1961 shared this article with you from Inoreader Validation of a Modified CDC Assay and Performance Comparison with the NeuMoDx™ and DiaSorin® automated assays for Rapid Detection of SARS-CoV-2 in Respiratory Specimens Via ScienceDirect Publication: Journal of Clinical Virology Publication date: Available online 11 November 2020 Source: Journal of Clinical Virology Author(s): Amorce Lima, Vicki Healer, Elaine Vendrone, Suzane Silbert View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Vaccines, Vol. 8, Pages 675: Association between Exposure to Influenza Vaccination and COVID-19 Diagnosis and Outcomes

alkiviadis.1961 shared this article with you from Inoreader Vaccines, Vol. 8, Pages 675: Association between Exposure to Influenza Vaccination and COVID-19 Diagnosis and Outcomes Via Vaccines Vaccines, Vol. 8, Pages 675: Association between Exposure to Influenza Vaccination and COVID-19 Diagnosis and Outcomes Vaccines doi: 10.3390/vaccines8040675 Authors: Pietro Ragni Massimiliano Marino Debora Formisano Eufemia Bisaccia Stefania Scaltriti Emanuela Bedeschi Roberto Grilli We explored whether influenza vaccination (IV) affects susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection and clinical outcomes in COVID-19 patients in 17,608 residents of the Italian province of Reggio Emilia undergoing a SARS-CoV-2 test. Exposure to IV was ascertained and the strength of the association with SARS-CoV-2 positivity expressed with odds ratios (OR). Rates of hospitalisations and death in those found positive were assessed and hazard ratios (HR) were estimated. The prevalence of IV was 34.3% in the 4885 SARS-CoV-2 positive and 29.5% in the 12,723 negative subjects, but the adjusted OR indicated that vaccinated individuals had a lower probability of testing positive (OR = 0.89; 95% CI 0.80–0.99). Among the 4885 positive individuals, 1676 had received IV. After adjusting for confounding factors, there was no association between IV and hospitalisation (1.00; 95% CI 0.84–1.29) or death (HR = 1.14; 95% CI 0.95–1.37). However, for patients age ≥65 vaccinated close to the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak, HRs were 0.66 (95% CI: 0.44–0.98) and 0.70 (95% CI 0.50–1.00), for hospitalisation and death, respectively. In this study, IV was associated with a lower probability of COVID-19 diagnosis. In COVID-19 patients, overall, IV did not affect outcomes, although a protective effect was observed for the elderly receiving IV almost in parallel with the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak. These findings provide reassurance in planning IV campaigns and underscore the need for exploring further their impact on COVID-19. View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Vaccines, Vol. 8, Pages 676: Multiple Vaccinations and the Enigma of Vaccine Injury

alkiviadis.1961 shared this article with you from Inoreader Vaccines, Vol. 8, Pages 676: Multiple Vaccinations and the Enigma of Vaccine Injury Via Vaccines Vaccines, Vol. 8, Pages 676: Multiple Vaccinations and the Enigma of Vaccine Injury Vaccines doi: 10.3390/vaccines8040676 Authors: Anthony R. Mawson Ashley M. Croft A growing number of vaccines are administered at the same time or in close succession, increasing the complexity of assessing vaccine safety. Individual vaccines are assumed to have no other effect than protection against the targeted pathogen, but vaccines also have nonspecific and interactive effects, the outcomes of which can be beneficial or harmful. To date, no controlled trials and very few observational studies have determined the impact of vaccination schedules on overall health. The balance of the risks and benefits from mass vaccination therefore remains uncertain. Recent studies worryingly suggest links between multiple vaccinations and increased risks of diverse multisystem health problems, including allergies, infections, and neuropsychiatric or neurodevelopmental disorders. Here, we propose that, in susceptible persons, multiple vaccinations activate the retinoid cascade and trigger apoptotic hepatitis, leading to cholestatic liver dysfunction, in which stored vitam in A compounds (retinyl esters and retinoic acid) enter the circulation in toxic concentrations; this induces endogenous forms of hypervitaminosis A, with the severity of adverse outcomes being directly proportional to the concentration of circulating retinoids. In very low concentrations, vitamin A and its major metabolite retinoic acid contribute to immune function and to the process of immunization, whereas excess vitamin A increases the risk of adverse events, including common “side-effects” as well as chronic adverse outcomes. The increasing rates of allergy, ear infections, and neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) in countries with high rates of vaccination could be related to mass vaccination and to its impact on liver function and vitamin A metabolism, collectively representing endogenous manifestations of hypervitaminosis A. Further studies of health outcomes in vaccinated and unvaccinated groups are urgently needed, to increase understanding of the patho physiology and treatment of vaccine injury, to identify the risk factors and screen for vaccine injury, to inform public health policy on potential hazards related to vaccination schedules, and to optimize the safety and benefits of vaccines. View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Inner retinal dehiscence and macular microhole secondary to vitreomacular traction

alkiviadis.1961 shared this article with you from Inoreader Inner retinal dehiscence and macular microhole secondary to vitreomacular traction Via BMJ Case Reports Last 6 Issues View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis that spontaneously resolved: a case of EBV

alkiviadis.1961 shared this article with you from Inoreader Haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis that spontaneously resolved: a case of EBV Via BMJ Case Reports Last 6 Issues A 23-year-old Caucasian woman, presented with recurrent fevers, elevated liver function tests and pancytopenia. Her labs at presentation were white blood cells 1.5 x109/L, haemoglobin 8 g/L, platelets 59 k/mcl, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) over 2000 U/L, aspartate aminotransferase 593 U/L, alanine aminotransferase 1321 U/L, alkaline phosphatase 223 U/L and ferritin 7665 µg/L. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) IgM and IgG antibodies were positive in serum. A soluble inter leukin 2 receptor was elevated at 2458. A bone marrow biopsy revealed scattered macrophages containing erythrocytes and other cellular elements. Immunohistochemistry for CD68 highlighted macrophages with erythrophagocytosis and in situ hybridisation was positive for EBV. She met the diagnostic criteria for haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH). She was initially treated with broad spectrum antibiotics which were eventually discontinued once the diagnosis was established. Over a period of 2–3 weeks her fever, transaminitis, ferritin and LDH improved spontaneously. She continued to improve clinically and was subsequently discharged. HLH is an aggressive, life-threatening hyper-inflammatory syndrome which, if not promptly recognised and treated, can be fatal. Treatment involves etoposide-based chemotherapy and possible stem-cell transplantation. This patient showed signs of improvement spontaneously and a decision was made to not treat her. This was a rare case of EBV-associated HLH which resolved spontaneously without any intervention. This young patient was not subjected to unnecessary chemotherapy. So far only few cases of spontaneous resolution of EBV-associated HLH have been reported. View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

An Exploratory Study of the Relative Effects of Various Protective Factors on Depressive Symptoms Among Older People

alkiviadis.1961 shared this article with you from Inoreader An Exploratory Study of the Relative Effects of Various Protective Factors on Depressive Symptoms Among Older People Via Frontiers in Public Health | New and Recent Articles Objective: The present study investigated the relative importance of various factors found to be negatively associated with depressive symptoms in older adults and assessed the potential moderating effect of sociodemographic characteristics for each factor. Method: Depressive symptoms were measured with the Center of Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. Psychological, social, and physical health measures relating to the following factors were also administered: personal growth, purpose in life, se lf-esteem, self-efficacy, social support, self-rated health, life satisfaction, and physical activity. Multivariate linear regression analysis was used to investigate the most important factors associated with depressive symptoms, and moderation analyses were employed to identify any moderating effects of sociodemographic factors. Results: Life satisfaction, self-esteem, and purpose in life were found to be negatively associated with depressive symptoms. Only one moderating effect was observed—the negative relationship between life satisfaction and depressive symptoms was significantly stronger among the younger respondents. Conclusion: These findings suggest that strategies for the prevention or amelioration of depressive symptoms across subgroups of the senior population could be optimized by focusing on enhancing life satisfaction, self-esteem, and purpose in life. View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

The Need for Ocular Protection for Health Care Workers During SARS-CoV-2 Outbreak and a Hypothesis for a Potential Personal Protective Equipment

alkiviadis.1961 shared this article with you from Inoreader The Need for Ocular Protection for Health Care Workers During SARS-CoV-2 Outbreak and a Hypothesis for a Potential Personal Protective Equipment Via Frontiers in Public Health | New and Recent Articles SARS-CoV-2 is a coronavirus with high infectivity and has caused dramatic pressure on health systems all over the world. Appropriate personal protection for medical staffs is critical. For ocular protection, there is ongoing hot debate and concern for potential ocular transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Ocular manifestations and positive detection of viral RNA in ocular samples were only reported in very small number of patients infected with SARS-CoV-2. However, health care workers need to face patients more closely and have higher risk of aerosol contamination. Thus, appropriate ocular protection for medical workers is still recommended by organizations such as WHO and American Academy of Ophthalmology. Although eye goggles provide excellent protection and are mandatory fo r medical practitioners with high risk of exposure, they are not ideal for common clinical practice, because they can disturb vision due to extensive formation of water droplets and frequently cause moderate to severe discomfort after longtime wearing, which have been reported to interfere with working status. For the majority of medical workers who don't deal with high risk patients, they are not advised to wear goggles in daily practice. However, they also face the risk of infection due to the presence of asymptomatic carriers. Especially in situations with high risk of ocular exposure, such as close physical examination, eye surgery, dental clinics and surgery, ocular protection may be needed. Griffithsin has been shown to directly bind to spike proteins and has anti-viral activity against a broad spectrum of viruses, including coronavirus. Griffithsin is found to inhibit the entry of SARS-CoV at relatively low concentration and is stable and non-toxic. SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV sh are the same entry receptors and their spike proteins are similar in conformation. We hypothesize that contact lenses containing nanoparticles loaded with griffithsin may provide sufficient ocular protection for medical staffs without high risk of exposure during the outbreak period of SARS-CoV-2. If proven effective, griffithsin-loaded contact lens can be considered as a supplementary ocular protective equipment for medical workers who can tolerate well. The daily disposable contact lens should be applied as needed and refrain from extended wearing in order to reduce potential side effects. View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.