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Recent studies have demonstrated the significant breadth of emerging autoreactivity in severe SARS-CoV-2 infection. Importantly, we have identified a relaxation of peripheral tolerance within early antibody secreting cells that emerge in patients with COVID-19 as important drivers of those responses. While often viral-specific, these extrafollicular-derived cells also display cross reactivity to autoantigens present in the inflammatory lung environment, and despite resolution of most autoreactivity within 6 months, they persisted in some patients. These results raise questions regarding autoreactive antibodies that arise during acute SARS-CoV-2 infection and their persistence in patients with symptoms in Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC). Through clinical autoreactive antibody screening of 95 patients with PASC and no history of autoimmune disease, we identify significant autoreactive profiles in patients with ongoing symptoms post-recovery, with 80% of patients returning positive tests for at least one autoantigen, and 40% showing breaks in tolerance to 2 or more. Anti-nuclear antigen positivity was most common, displaying positivity in 63% of patients, however, positive tests were broad and included reactivities against carbamylated protein responses, RNA polymerase III, and phospholipids. We also identify patients with reactivity against dsDNA in the PASC cohort -- a reactivity not observed in acute infection even in the critically ill. These results demonstrate evidence of serum autoantibodies in patients who present to PASC clinics with persistent symptoms up 14 months following SARS-CoV-2 infection, and further confirm the growing linkage between COVID-19 and observed clinical autoreactivity -- even into the recovery phase of disease.
Evidence of Persisting Autoreactivity in Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 Infection
OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to determine the effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on children's lifestyles and anxiety levels. METHODS: This study was designed as a descriptive, cross-sectional online questionnaire survey. RESULTS: Of the children, 91.9% reported that the pandemic had an important effect on their lifestyle. Children stated that they experienced changes in terms of nutrition, sleep, television-internet use, social activity, coursework time, and school success due to the pandemic. IMPLICATION FOR PRACTICE: It was determined that the COVID-19 pandemic caused changes in children's routines, and the children experienced moderate or high levels of anxiety. Primary healthcare providers should increase their attention to these issues to protect and improve children's mental health during the pandemic period.
The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on children's lifestyles and anxiety levels
Background: To date, there are no large-scale data on the association between D-dimer levels at admission and the occurrence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in Japanese patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Methods and Results: The CLOT-COVID study was a retrospective, multicenter cohort study enrolling consecutive hospitalized patients with COVID-19 across 16 centers in Japan from April 2021 to September 2021. Among 2,894 enrolled patients, 2,771 (96%) had D-dimer levels measured at admission. Patients were divided into 3 groups based on tertiles of D-dimer levels at admission (1st tertile, D-dimer 0.5 g/mL, n=949; 2nd tertile, D-dimer 0.51C1.09 g/mL, n=894; 3rd tertile, D-dimer 1.1 g/mL, n=928). The higher the tertile group, the more severe the COVID-19 status at admission. The incidence of VTE during hospitalization was highest in the 3rd tertile group (1st tertile, 0.3%; 2nd tertile, 0.3%; 3rd tertile, 3.6%; P<0.001). Even after adjusting for confounders in the multivariable logistic regression model, the higher D-dimer levels in the 3rd tertile (1.1 g/mL) were independently associated with a higher risk of VTE during hospitalization (adjusted odds ratio 4.83 [95% confidence interval 1.93C12.11; P<0.001]; reference=1st tertile). Conclusions: Higher D-dimer levels at admission were associated with a higher risk of VTE events during hospitalization in Japanese patients with COVID-19. This could be helpful in determining patient-specific anticoagulation management strategies for COVID-19 in Japan.
D-Dimer Values and Venous Thromboembolism in Patients With COVID-19 in Japan D From the CLOT-COVID Study D
Introduction: Surgical spinal anesthesia is usually maintained for approximately 3 h with bupivacaine, but it is difficult to accurately predict the duration of surgery for each case When an operation continues for an extended duration, regression of spinal anesthesia often leads to general anesthesia Here we present a case of extended spinal anesthesia assisted by monitored anesthesia care Case presentation: A 32-year-old male who suffered from persistent pain of the right knee was diagnosed with rupture of the right anterior cruciate ligament Arthroscopic surgery of the right knee was conducted with spinal anesthesia A local anesthetic mixture of 0 5% hyperbaric bupivacaine 12 mg with 50 g of epinephrine was used The surgery took longer than expected with a total anesthesia time of 402 minutes In the final 30 minutes of surgery, spinal anesthesia regressed and the procedure was completed under monitored anesthesia care (MAC) Clinical discussion: When spinal anesthesia is on regression during the final stage of surgery, the application of MAC safely secures additional operation time By adopting MAC, the patient avoided general anesthesia and had minimal physiological distress and a rapid recovery Another benefit of MAC is the reduced consumption of resources Further, by avoiding endotracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation, the risk of transmission of infectious agents is minimized Conclusion: In situations where spinal anesthesia is regressing close to the end of a surgical procedure, the application of MAC has potential benefits over general anesthesia These benefits are particularly relevant during the current COVID-19 pandemic ? 2021 The Authors
A case report of arthroscopic surgery under extended spinal anesthesia for 402 minutes, assisted by monitored anesthesia care
A safe and effective vaccine is critical to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Here, we developed a trimeric SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain (RBD) subunit vaccine candidate that simulates the natural structure of the spike (S) trimer glycoprotein. Immunization with the RBD-trimer induced robust humoral and cellular immune responses, and a high level of neutralizing antibodies was maintained for at least 4.5 months. Moreover, the antibodies that were produced in response to the vaccine effectively cross-neutralized the SARS-CoV-2 501Y.V2 variant (B.1.351). Of note, when the vaccine-induced antibodies dropped to a sufficiently low level, only one boost quickly activated the anamnestic immune response, conferring full protection against a SARS-CoV-2 challenge in rhesus macaques without typical histopathological changes in the lung tissues. These results demonstrated that the SARS-CoV-2 RBD-trimer vaccine candidate is highly immunogenic and safe, providing long-lasting, broad, and significant immunity protection in nonhuman primates, thereby offering an optimal vaccination strategy against COVID-19.
A recombinant receptor-binding domain in trimeric form generates protective immunity against SARS-CoV-2 infection in nonhuman primates
In addition to uncontrolled diabetes and the excess use of corticosteroids, it is believed that other factors may be responsible for the recent spurt of COVID-19 associated mucormycosis (CAM). In the present paper it is argued that COVID-19 increases the susceptibility of the patients to mucormycosis by augmenting the virulence factors of the mucor species, where deficient synthesis of melatonin plays a key role. Melatonin is synthesized from tryptophan via the serotonin pathway and melatonin deficiency in COVID-19 arises from the faulty absorption of tryptophan from the food because SARS-CoV-2 downregulates angiotensin-converting enzyme-2, the chaperone of the transporter of tryptophan. The enhanced fungal virulence in COVID-19 can be mitigated by correcting the melatonin deficiency as melatonin can prevent iron acquisition of the mucor species and inhibit their morphological transition from the yeast to the virulent hyphal form, given the fact that melatonin is an iron chelator, calmodulin blocker and inhibitor of myeloperoxidase as well as inhibitor of ferroptosis and pyroptosis. Also, by lowering the expression of glucose-regulated protein 78 and by inhibiting the suppression of T-cell immunity, melatonin can further increase the resistance of the patients to mucormycosis. Accordingly, clinical trials should be carried out on tryptophan supplementation, administration of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (to increase serotonin, the precursor of melatonin), and exogenous melatonin to find out how they perform in eliminating or reducing the propensity of the coronavirus patients to CAM.
Deficient synthesis of melatonin in COVID-19 can impair the resistance of coronavirus patients to mucormycosis
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has been particularly risky for people with disabilities and severe medical conditions, not only because the virus may be a direct threat to their physical health but also because of social exclusion and negating their needs and rights. Objective: This study aimed to assess the attitudes of people from different age groups towards people with intellectual disability (ID). Methods: The study included 223 people (19C85 years old) and was conducted in May 2020CJanuary 2021. Data was collected using the Multidimensional Attitudes Scale Towards Persons With Disabilities and a self-designed Questionnaire regarding the attitudes towards people with ID during the pandemic. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 24 (ANOVA). Results: The results of the study showed that the general attitudes were only slightly supportive and differed among people of different age groups: the youngest and the oldest generation expressed the most positive attitudes while the adults (35C60 y.o.) expressed the most negative ones. Conclusions: As the pandemic is spreading rapidly with no definitive solution, awareness to create more positive attitudes towards people with ID and recognizing their needs is essential.
Attitudes of Different Age Groups Toward People With Intellectual Disability During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Permanent supportive housing (PSH) enrolls highly vulnerable homeless adults who experience early onset of geriatric conditions and require in-home support. Thus, there is potentially a high risk for COVID-19 within PSH, which may require tenants to take protective measures. This study reports on survey results collected from 532 PSH tenants in Los Angeles, California during the 4th week of March in 2020. Results show that nearly all tenants were aware of COVID-19, and 65% considered it to be a very serious health threat. The latter characteristic was a strong predictor of taking protective measures (i.e., handwashing and social distancing). Tenants in units with shared bathroom facilities had lower odds of social distancing than those in studio apartments. Tenants with mental health diagnoses had lower odds of consistent handwashing. Lack of access to food, hygiene items, and medication delivery were commonly reported barriers to sheltering in place.
Surveying Tenants of Permanent Supportive Housing in Skid Row about COVID-19.
We describe a case of reproducible asystole during endovascular treatment of a posterior fossa dural arteriovenous fistula. Catheterisation of the posterior meningeal artery, a branch of the vertebral artery in this patient, followed by dimethyl sulfoxide injection prior to Onyx administration resulted in two episodes of asystole.To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of asystole occurring during endovascular intervention in the posterior meningeal artery. This may represent a previously undescribed variant of the trigemino-cardiac reflex (TGCR) caused by chemical stimulation of small areas of trigeminally innervated posterior fossa dura. Alternatively, this may represent a newly identified phenomenon with chemical stimulation of regions of posterior fossa dura innervated by branches of the vagus nerve leading to increased parasympathetic activity and resultant asystole.In either case, it is important to recognise the potential for such episodes in this vascular territory to allow case planning and management.
Posterior meningeal artery DMSO injection resulting in reproducible asystole prior to Onyx therapy of a dural arteriovenous fistula: a previously undescribed variant of the trigeminocardiac reflex or a new phenomenon?
The ongoing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic is a global public health emergency. Adherence to biosafety practices is mandatory to protect the user as well as the environment, while handling infectious agents. A biological safety cabinet (BSC) is the most important equipment used in diagnostic and research laboratories in order to safeguard the product, the person, and the environment. The World Health Organization has emphasized the use of validated BSCs in order to ensure quality of the results. There are different classes of BSCs that are used in various work environments based on the need. It is imperative to use appropriate levels of biosafety and types of BSCs in laboratories based on the risk assessment of the pathogen used. During the development of COVID-19 laboratories and training of laboratory staff, we came across several queries about the functions and selection of BSCs and realized that the knowledge about the detailed information on selections and applications of BSCs is scanty. There are several guidelines regarding the biosafety aspects for diagnostic and research laboratories handling infectious pathogens from national and international agencies. However, there is no detailed information on the use of appropriate types of BSCs and their functions in the context of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). In view of this, the present paper describes in detail the selection and applications of BSCs, which could be useful for laboratories handling or planning to handle SARS-CoV-2 and suspected samples.
Selection and application of biological safety cabinets in diagnostic and research laboratories with special emphasis on COVID-19
This article compares the new Rules of the Australian Centre for International Commercial Arbitration (ACICA) with ACICAs 2016 Rules and those of other arbitration institutions, especially in the Asia-Pacific region. It shows how the revisions help to minimize formalization and promote efficiencies, arguably essential for arbitrations legitimacy given that many of arbitrations design features are traded off for an attenuated model of the rule of the law, according to a recent analysis by Singapores Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon. The article explains new ACICA Rules aimed at reducing costs and delays, including measures to deepen digitalization of arbitration following the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID- 19) pandemic and to reduce the consent-based limitations inherent in arbitration, especially for multi-party and multi-contract disputes. Other new provisions include time limits for awards, and reference to mediation, although not ultimately hybrid Arb-Med. The article also examines how the Rules balance confidentiality with transparency, including new provisions for disclosure of third-party funding. It concludes by reiterating how the 2021 ACICA Rules help meet the expectations of international arbitration users and practitioners, according to recent surveys, and link to possible further reforms to underpin Australias increasingly pro-arbitration culture. ? 2021 Kluwer Law International BV, The Netherlands
The ACICA Arbitration Rules 2021: Advancing Australias Pro-Arbitration Culture
The outbreak of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infections and diseases represents a potential threat for worldwide spread and requires development of effective therapeutic strategies. In this study, we revealed a novel positive function of an exchange protein directly activated by cyclic AMP 1 (cAMP-1; Epac-1) on MERS-CoV replication. Specifically, we have shown that Epac-specific inhibitor treatment or silencing Epac-1 gene expression rendered cells resistant to viral infection. We believe Epac-1 inhibitors deserve further study as potential therapeutic agents for MERS-CoV infection.
Blocking of exchange proteins directly activated by cAMP leads to reduced replication of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus.
Background: The first case of COVID-19 in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) was reported by Nigeria on February 27, 2020. While case counts in the entire region remain considerably less than those being reported by individual countries in Europe, Asia, and the Americas, SSA countries remain vulnerable to significant COVID morbidity and mortality due to systemic healthcare weaknesses, less financial resources and infrastructure to address the new crisis, and untreated comorbidities. Variation in preparedness and response capacity as well as in data availability has raised concerns about undetected transmission events. Methods: Confirmed cases reported by SSA countries were line-listed to capture epidemiological details related to early transmission events into and within countries. Data were retrieved from publicly available sources, including institutional websites, situation reports, press releases, and social media accounts, with supplementary details obtained from news articles. A data availability score was calculated for each imported case in terms of how many indicators (sex, age, travel history, date of arrival in country, reporting date of confirmation, and how detected) could be identified. We assessed the relationship between time to first importation and overall Global Health Security Index (GHSI) using Cox regression. K-means clustering grouped countries according to healthcare capacity and health and demographic risk factors. Results: A total of 2417 confirmed cases of COVID-19 were reported by 40 countries in sub-Saharan Africa during the 30 days after the first known introduction to the region. Out of the 876 cases for which information was publicly available, 677 (77.3%) were considered importation events. At the regional level, imported cases tended to be male (67.3%), were a median 43.0 years old (Range: 6 weeks - 88 years), and most frequently had recent travel history from Europe (43.3%). The median time to reporting an introduction was 19 days; a country's time to report its first importation was not related to GHSI. Mean data availability scores were lowest for countries that had, on average, the highest case fatality rates, lowest healthcare capacity, and highest probability of premature death due to non-communicable diseases. Conclusion: Countries with systemic, demographic, and pre-existing health vulnerabilities to severe COVID-related morbidity and mortality are less likely to report any cases or are reporting with limited public availability of information. Reporting of information on COVID detection and response efforts, as well as on trends in non-COVID illness and care-seeking behavior, is critical to assessing direct and indirect consequences and capacity needs in resource-constrained settings. Such assessments aid in the ability to make data-driven decisions about interventions, country priorities, and risk assessment.
Seeding COVID-19 across sub-Saharan Africa: an analysis of reported importation events across 40 countries
Transition to the digital economy involves the restructuring of industries, transport and agriculture and gives new opportunities for work with Big Data and optimization the processes in the economy via smart environments, cryptocurrencies and hybrid forms of interaction between human beings and artificial intelligence. Such global transformations could not but cause a massive change in both consciousness at the socio-anthropological level and traditional forms of management at the civilizational level. Speaking about the civil society in the era of digitalization, it should be understood that this is, first of all, a network society, and without understanding this type of society it is pointless to talk about new forms of civil society. The network society was considered a well-studied object of research by the early 2000s, however today the radical acceleration of ICT and other processes are connected with digital information-network revolution involving artificial intelligence, the possibility of which was not even thought about 20 years ago. Therefore, the main purpose of our paper is an attempt to conceptualize potential risks for civil society connected with the development, testing and implementation of digital services and technologies in the global economy. To achieve this, we used system and synergistic philosophical and methodological approaches developed by the modern post-non-classical science and applied for self-developing systems. To reveal the global trends in the economy and related social problems, we undertook comparative and interdisciplinary analyses based on sources available. Sociological,philosophicalandmethodologicalreflectionsaboutradicalchangesintheanthropotechnosphere during the COVID-19 pandemic have revealed a number of serious problems that threaten the well-being of civil society, such as the aggravation of economic inequality, the collapse of many small businesses due to the quarantine and the introduction of remote forms of work, mass layoffs of qualified specialists, job cuts including the area of intellectual work, transport and service, as well as a significant decrease in the income of the population, decline in the quality of education, a sharp reduction in tourist flows, the ban on mass demonstrations and gatherings, which is an integral basis of the life of civil society. Thus, during the period of pandemic lockdowns, there is a significant change in the economic and socio-cultural environment of modern civilization. At the same time, the crisis situation provides means not only for the development of civil society, but also for the maintenance of enforcing and regulating functions of the state, which can upset the harmonious balance of interaction between society and any state (capitalist, socialist) or the global state of TNCs. An analysis of the world economic development in the 21st century has revealed some signs of a systemic crisis of civilization, along with the processes of digitalization as a catalyst for the shift of the paradigm of civilizational development and a catalyst for civil movements. The most striking Umwelts (?perceptual environment?) of civil society emerging in the digital realm are described in the paper. ? 2021 Institute of Society Transformation. All rights reserved.
Digitalization: Potential risks for civil society
OBJECTIVE: To assess the introduction of telemedicine as an alternative to the traditional face-to-face encounters with vascular surgery patients in the era of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. METHODS: A retrospective review of prospectively collected data on face-to-face and telemedicine interactions was conducted at a multisite health care system from January to August 2020 in vascular surgery patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. The end point is direct patient satisfaction comparison between face-to-face and telemedicine encounters/interactions prior and during the pandemic. RESULTS: There were 6262 patient encounters from January 1, 2020, to August 6, 2020. Of the total encounters, 790 (12.6%) were via telemedicine, which were initiated on March 11, 2020, after the World Health Organization's declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic. These telemedicine encounters were readily adopted and embraced by both the providers and patients and remain popular as an option to patients for all types of visits. Of these patients, 78.7% rated their overall health care experience during face-to-face encounters as very good and 80.6% of patients rated their health care experience during telemedicine encounters as very good (P = .78). CONCLUSIONS: Although the COVID-19 pandemic has produced unprecedented consequences to the practice of medicine and specifically of vascular surgery, our multisite health care system has been able to swiftly adapt and adopt telemedicine technologies for the care of our complex patients. Most important, the high quality of patient-reported satisfaction and health care experience has remained unchanged.
Telemedicine in vascular surgery during the coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic: A multisite healthcare system experience
This paper studies whether containing COVID-19 pandemic by stringent strategies deteriorates or saves economic growth. Since there are country-specific factors that could affect both economic growth and deaths due to COVID-19, we first start with a cross-country analysis on identifying risk and protective factors on the COVID-19 deaths using large across-country variation. Using data on 100 countries from 3 January to 27 November 2020 and taking into account the possibility of underreporting, we find that for deaths per million population, GDP per capita, population density, and income inequality are the three most important risk factors; government effectiveness, temperature and hospital beds are the three most important protective factors. Second, inspired by the stochastic frontier literature, we construct a measure of pandemic containment effectiveness (PCE) after controlling for country-specific factors and rank countries by their PCE scores for deaths. Finally, by linking the PCE score with GDP growth data in Quarters 2 and 3 of 2020, we find that PCE is positively associated with economic growth in major economies. Countries with average PCE scores, such as Malaysia, would gain more GDP growth by 3.47 percentage points if they could improve their PCE scores for deaths to South Koreas level in Q2 of 2020. Therefore, there is not a trade-off between lives and livelihood facing by governments. Instead, to save economy, it is important to contain the pandemic first. Our conclusion is also mainly valid for infections due to COVID-19.
Save Lives or Save Livelihoods? A Cross-country Analysis of COVID-19 Pandemic and Economic Growth()
OBJECTIVES To identify research priorities in the management, pathophysiology, and host response of coronavirus disease 2019 in critically ill patients. DESIGN The Surviving Sepsis Research Committee, a multiprofessional group of 17 international experts representing the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine and Society of Critical Care Medicine, was virtually convened during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. The committee iteratively developed the recommendations and subsequent document. METHODS Each committee member submitted a list of what they believed were the most important priorities for coronavirus disease 2019 research. The entire committee voted on 58 submitted questions to determine top priorities for coronavirus disease 2019 research. RESULTS The Surviving Sepsis Research Committee provides 13 priorities for coronavirus disease 2019. Of these, the top six priorities were identified and include the following questions: 1) Should the approach to ventilator management differ from the standard approach in patients with acute hypoxic respiratory failure?, 2) Can the host response be modulated for therapeutic benefit?, 3) What specific cells are directly targeted by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, and how do these cells respond?, 4) Can early data be used to predict outcomes of coronavirus disease 2019 and, by extension, to guide therapies?, 5) What is the role of prone positioning and noninvasive ventilation in nonventilated patients with coronavirus disease?, and 6) Which interventions are best to use for viral load modulation and when should they be given? CONCLUSIONS Although knowledge of both biology and treatment has increased exponentially in the first year of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, significant knowledge gaps remain. The research priorities identified represent a roadmap for investigation in coronavirus disease 2019.
Surviving Sepsis Campaign: Research Priorities for Coronavirus Disease 2019 in Critical Illness.
Background: CT lung extent has emerged as a potential risk factor of COVID-19 pneumonia severity with mainly semiquantitative assessment, and outcome was not assessed in the specific oncology setting. The main goal was to evaluate the prognostic role of quantitative assessment of the extent of lung damage for early mortality of patients with COVID-19 pneumonia in cancer patients. Methods: We prospectively included consecutive cancer patients with recent onset of COVID-19 pneumonia assessed by chest CT between March 15, 2020, and April 20, 2020, and followed until May 1, 2020. Demographic, clinical, laboratory test data and imaging findings were recorded. Quantitative chest CT assessment of COVID-19 pneumonia was based on the density distribution of lung lesions using a freely available software recently released (Myrian XP-Lung). The association between extent of lung damage and overall survival was studied by univariate and multivariate Cox analysis. The Uno C-index was used to assess the discriminatory value of the quantitative CT extent of lung damage. Results: Seventy cancer patients with chest CT evidence of COVID-19 were included. After a median follow-up of 25 days, 17 patients (24%) had died. The median quantitative chest CT extent of COVID-19 was 20% (IQR = 14C35, range = 3C59) for non-survivors vs. 10% (IQR = 6C15, range = 2C55) for survivors (p = 0.002). The extent of COVID-19 pneumonia was correlated with inpatient management (p = 0.003) and oxygen therapy requirements (p < 0.001). Independent factors associated with death were performance status (PS) 2 (HR = 3.9, 95% CI = [1.1C13.8] p = 0.04) and extent of COVID-19 pneumonia 30% (HR = 12.0, 95% CI = [2.2C64.4] p = 0.004). No differences were found regarding the histology of cancer, cancer stage, metastases sites, or type of oncologic treatment between the survivor and non-survivor groups. The cross-validated Uno C-index of the model including PS and extent of COVID-19 pneumonia was 0.83, 95% CI = [0.73C0.93]. Conclusions: The quantitative chest CT extent of COVID-19 pneumonia was a strong independent prognostic factor of early inpatient mortality in a population of cancer patients.
Quantitative CT Extent of Lung Damage in COVID-19 Pneumonia Is an Independent Risk Factor for Inpatient Mortality in a Population of Cancer Patients: A Prospective Study
OBJECTIVE This study assessed the perception of people toward drive-through healthcare services, their willingness to use them, and the scope of services they would like to receive in a post-pandemic world. BACKGROUND The abrupt spread of COVID-19 urged healthcare facilities to adopt new infection-control measures. Drive-through testing facilities were implemented as one of the measures to minimize physical contact between healthcare workers and test-takers. Many studies describe drive-through models' merits, but people's opinions about them as a permanent attachment to healthcare facilities are unclear. METHODS An online survey was distributed through snowball sampling. The survey solicited feedback from adults who lived in the United States. The survey consisted of Likert-type and multiple-choice questions and was completed by176 eligible participants. RESULTS The use of drive-through pharmacies increased after the spread of COVID-19. Most people agreed drive-through healthcare services could be more convenient and safer to use. People prefer to have their vitals checked, and vaccinations received in a drive-through because of the improved infection-control matters and increased comfort; however, they are neutral about the level of privacy they have and the hygiene of drive-through healthcare settings. CONCLUSIONS This study shows permanent drive-throughs offering medical services benefit people in times of crisis for the perceived infection control purposes and the improved convenience. A drive-through model can redefine the waiting experience and serve as a new safe triage system in urgent care centers. Drive-through urgent care centers can be adopted as a hybrid of telemedicine and in-person visits.
Drive-Through Urgent Care Centers: Could They Be the Future of Healthcare Facilities?
BACKGROUND: Acute upper respiratory tract infections are a common cause of emergency department (ED) visits and often result in unnecessary antibiotic treatment. METHODS: We conducted a randomized clinical trial to evaluate the impact of a rapid, multipathogen respiratory panel (RP) test vs usual care (control). Patients were eligible if they were 12 months old, had symptoms of upper respiratory infection or influenza-like illness, and were not on antibiotics. The primary outcome was antibiotic prescription; secondary outcomes included antiviral prescription, disposition, and length of stay (ClinicalTrials.gov# NCT02957136). RESULTS: Of 191 patients enrolled, 93 (49%) received RP testing; 98 (51%) received usual care. Fifty-three (57%) RP and 7 (7%) control patients had a virus detected and reported during the ED visit (P = .0001). Twenty (22%) RP patients and 33 (34%) usual care patients received antibiotics during the ED visit (C12%; 95% confidence interval, C25% to 0.4%; P = .06/0.08); 9 RP patients received antibiotics despite having a virus detected. The magnitude of antibiotic reduction was greater in children (C19%) vs adults (C9%, post hoc analysis). There was no difference in antiviral use, length of stay, or disposition. CONCLUSIONS: Rapid RP testing was associated with a trend toward decreased antibiotic use, suggesting a potential benefit from more rapid viral tests in the ED. Future studies should determine if specific groups are more likely to benefit from testing and evaluate the relative cost and effectiveness of broad testing, focused testing, and a combined diagnostic and antimicrobial stewardship approach.
Rapid Multiplex Testing for Upper Respiratory Pathogens in the Emergency Department: A Randomized Controlled Trial