This version of BIP! Finder aims to ease the exploration of COVID-19-related literature by enabling ranking articles based on various impact metrics.
Last Update: 18 - 01 - 2023 (628506 entries)
Popularity: Citation-based measure reflecting the current impact.
Influence: Citation-based measure reflecting the total impact.
Reader Attention: The current number of Mendeley readers.
Social Media Attention: The number of recent tweets related to this article.
*More details on these impact measures can be found here.
Exceptional score (in top 0.01%).
Substantial score (in top 1%).
Average score (in bottom 99%).
Score not available.
CORD-19 dataset(1) (list of papers)
LitCovid hub(2) (list of papers)
PMC & PubMed (citations)
Mendeley (number of readers)
COVID-19-TweetIDs(3) (tweets)
| Title | Venue | Year | Impact | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1701 | Why Italian ENT physicians should be aware of SARS-CoV-2 Perchè gli specialisti ORL italiani devono stare in guardia contro SARS-CoV-2. | Acta Otorhinolaryngol Ital | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 1702 | Coronavirus Goes Viral: Quantifying the COVID-19 Misinformation Epidemic on Twitter Background Since the beginning of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic, misinformation has been spreading uninhibited over traditional and social media at a rapid pace. We sought to analyze the magnitude of misinformation that is being spread on Twitter (Twitter, Inc., San Francisco, CA) regarding the coronavirus epidemic. Materials and methods We conducted a search on Twitter using 14 different trending hashtags and keywords related to the COVID-19 epidemic. We then summarized and assessed individual tweets for misinformation in comparison to verified and peer-reviewed resources. Descriptive statistics were used to compare terms and hashtags, and to identify individual tweets and account characteristics. Results The study included 673 tweets. Most tweets were posted by informal individuals/groups (66%), and 129 (19.2%) belonged to verified Twitter accounts. The majority of included tweets contained serious content (91.2%); 548 tweets (81.4%) included genuine information pertaining to the COVID-19 epidemic. Around 70% of the tweets tackled medical/public health information, while the others were pertaining to sociopolitical and financial factors. In total, 153 tweets (24.8%) included misinformation, and 107 (17.4%) included unverifiable information regarding the COVID-19 epidemic. The rate of misinformation was higher among informal individual/group accounts (33.8%, p: <0.001). Tweets from unverified Twitter accounts contained more misinformation (31.0% vs 12.6% for verified accounts, p: <0.001). Tweets from healthcare/public health accounts had the lowest rate of unverifiable information (12.3%, p: 0.04). The number of likes and retweets per tweet was not associated with a difference in either false or unverifiable content. The keyword “COVID-19” had the lowest rate of misinformation and unverifiable information, while the keywords “#2019_ncov” and “Corona” were associated with the highest amount of misinformation and unverifiable content respectively. Conclusions Medical misinformation and unverifiable content pertaining to the global COVID-19 epidemic are being propagated at an alarming rate on social media. We provide an early quantification of the magnitude of misinformation spread and highlight the importance of early interventions in order to curb this phenomenon that endangers public safety at a time when awareness and appropriate preventive actions are paramount. | Cureus | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 1703 | SARS-CoV-2 Infections and Hospitalizations Among Persons Aged ≥16 Years, by Vaccination Status-Los Angeles County, California, May 1-July 25, 2021 COVID-19 vaccines fully approved or currently authorized for use through Emergency Use Authorization from the Food and Drug Administration are critical tools for controlling the COVID-19 pandemic; however, even with highly effective vaccines, a proportion of fully vaccinated persons will become infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 (1). To characterize postvaccination infections, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LACDPH) used COVID-19 surveillance and California Immunization Registry 2 (CAIR2) data to describe age-adjusted infection and hospitalization rates during May 1-July 25, 2021, by vaccination status. Whole genome sequencing (WGS)-based SARS-CoV-2 lineages and cycle threshold (Ct) values from qualitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for two SARS-CoV-2 gene targets, including the nucleocapsid (N) protein gene region and the open reading frame 1 ab (ORF1ab) polyprotein gene region,* were reported for a convenience sample of specimens. Among 43,127 reported SARS-CoV-2 infections in Los Angeles County residents aged ≥16 years, 10,895 (25.3%) were in fully vaccinated persons, 1,431 (3.3%) were in partially vaccinated persons, and 30,801 (71.4%) were in unvaccinated persons. Much lower percentages of fully vaccinated persons infected with SARS-CoV-2 were hospitalized (3.2%), were admitted to an intensive care unit (0.5%), and required mechanical ventilation (0.2%) compared with partially vaccinated persons (6.2%, 1.0%, and 0.3%, respectively) and unvaccinated persons (7.6%, 1.5%, and 0.5%, respectively) (p<0.001 for all comparisons). On July 25, the SARS-CoV-2 infection rate among unvaccinated persons was 4.9 times and the hospitalization rate was 29.2 times the rates among fully vaccinated persons. During May 1-July 25, the percentages of B.1.617.2 (Delta) variant infections estimated from 6,752 samples with lineage data increased among fully vaccinated persons (from 8.6% to 91.2%), partially vaccinated persons (from 0% to 88.1%), and unvaccinated persons (from 8.2% to 87.1%). In May, there were differences in median Ct values by vaccination status; however, by July, no differences were detected among specimens from fully vaccinated, partially vaccinated, and unvaccinated persons by gene targets. These infection and hospitalization rate data indicate that authorized vaccines were protective against SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe COVID-19 during a period when transmission of the Delta variant was increasing. Efforts to increase COVID-19 vaccination, in coordination with other prevention strategies, are critical to preventing COVID-19-related hospitalizations and deaths. | MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep | 2021 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 1704 | A randomized trial of intraarterial treatment for acute ischemic stroke N/A | N Engl J Med | 2015 | CORD-19 | |
| 1705 | Association of Treatment With Hydroxychloroquine or Azithromycin With In-Hospital Mortality in Patients With COVID-19 in New York State N/A | JAMA | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 1706 | Pulmonary Pathology of Early-Phase 2019 Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia in Two Patients With Lung Cancer Abstract There is currently a lack of pathologic data on the novel coronavirus (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) pneumonia, or coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), from autopsy or biopsy. Two patients who recently underwent lung lobectomies for adenocarcinoma were retrospectively found to have had COVID-19 at the time of the operation. These two cases thus provide important first opportunities to study the pathology of COVID-19. Pathologic examinations revealed that apart from the tumors, the lungs of both patients exhibited edema, proteinaceous exudate, focal reactive hyperplasia of pneumocytes with patchy inflammatory cellular infiltration, and multinucleated giant cells. Hyaline membranes were not prominent. Because both patients did not exhibit symptoms of pneumonia at the time of operation, these changes likely represent an early phase of the lung pathology of COVID-19 pneumonia. | J Thorac Oncol | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 1707 | Collision of the COVID-19 and Addiction Epidemics People with substance use disorder may be especially susceptible to COVID-19, and compromised lung function from COVID-19 could also put at risk those who have opioid use disorder and methamphetamine use disorder. This commentary describes the risks of the collision of the COVID-19 and addiction epidemics. | Ann Intern Med | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 1708 | Compounds with Therapeutic Potential against Novel Respiratory 2019 Coronavirus Currently, the expansion of the novel human respiratory coronavirus (known as SARS-CoV-2 [severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2], COVID-2019 [coronavirus disease 2019], or 2019-nCoV [2019 novel coronavirus]) has stressed the need for therapeutic alternatives to alleviate and stop this new epidemic. The previous epidemics of infections by high-morbidity human coronaviruses, such as SARS-CoV in 2003 and the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in 2012, prompted the characterization of compounds that could be potentially active against the currently emerging novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2. The most promising compound is remdesivir (GS-5734), a nucleotide analog prodrug currently in clinical trials for treating Ebola virus infections. Remdesivir inhibited the replication of SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV in tissue cultures, and it displayed efficacy in nonhuman animal models. In addition, a combination of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) protease inhibitors lopinavir/ritonavir and interferon beta (LPV/RTV–IFN-β) was shown to be effective in patients infected with SARS-CoV. LPV/RTV–IFN-β also improved clinical parameters in marmosets and mice infected with MERS-CoV. Remarkably, the therapeutic efficacy of remdesivir appeared to be superior to that of LPV/RTV–IFN-β against MERS-CoV in a transgenic humanized mouse model. The relatively high mortality rates associated with these three novel human coronavirus infections, SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, and SARS-CoV-2, have suggested that proinflammatory responses might play a role in the pathogenesis. It remains unknown whether the generated inflammatory state should be targeted. Therapeutics that target the coronavirus alone might not be able to reverse highly pathogenic infections. This minireview aims to provide a summary of therapeutic compounds that have shown potential in fighting SARS-CoV-2 infections. | Antimicrob Agents Chemother | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 1709 | Comparative analysis of the main hematological indexes and RNA detection for the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection BACKGROUND: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection has become a public health emergency of international concern. SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection is the diagnostic criterion for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Nevertheless, RNA detection has many limitations, such as being time-consuming and cost-prohibitive, and it must be performed in specialized laboratories. Virus antibody detection is a routine method for screening for multiple viruses, but data about SARS-CoV-2 antibody detection are limited. METHOD: Throat swabs and blood were collected from 67 suspected SARS-CoV-2 infection patients at the Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University and Zunyi Fourth People’s Hospital isolated observation departments. Throat swab samples were subjected to SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection by real-time PCR. Blood was used subjected to SARS-CoV-2 IgG/IgM detection by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and gold immunochromatography assay (GICA). Blood underwent C-reactive protein detection by immunoturbidimetry, and white blood cells, neutrophil percentages and lymphocyte percentages were counted and calculated, respectively. Clinical symptoms, age and lifestyle habits (smoking and drinking) in all patients were recorded. Data were analysed using SPSS version 19. The results were confirmed by T and χ(2) tests; correlations with detection results were analysed by kappa coefficients. Odds ratio (OR) and corrected OR values were analysed by logistic regression. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Of the 67 patients included in this study, 26 were SARS-CoV-2 RNA-positive. GICA IgM sensitivity was 50.9% (13/26), and specificity was 90.2% (37/41). ELISA IgM sensitivity was 76.9% (20/26), and specificity was 90.2% (37/41). ELISA IgG sensitivity was 76.9% (20/26), and specificity was 95.1% (39/41). The kappa coefficients between RNA detection and ELISA IgG, ELISA IgM, and GICA IgM results were 0.741 (P < 0.01), 0.681 (P < 0.01) and 0.430 (P < 0.01), respectively. CONCLUSION: Among the candidate blood indicators, serum IgG and IgM detected by ELISA had the best consistency and validity when compared with standard RNA detection; these indicators can be used as potential preliminary screening tools to identify those who should undergo nucleic acid detection in laboratories without RNA detection abilities or as a supplement to RNA detection. | BMC Infect Dis | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 1710 | Emergency general surgery in Italy during the COVID-19 outbreak: first survey from the real life BACKGROUND: COVID-19 pandemic has rapidly spread in Italy in late February 2020. Almost all surgical services have been reorganized, with the aim of maintaining an adequate therapeutic path, especially for surgical emergencies. The knowledge of how surgeons dealing with emergency surgery have reacted to the epidemic in the real life can be useful while drafting clinical recommendations. METHODS: Surgeons from multiple Italian regions were invited answering to an online survey in order to make a snapshot of their current behaviors towards COVID-19-positive patients bearing urgent surgical diseases. Questions about institutional rules and personal approach for patient treatment and to limit epidemic spread were included in a 37-item questionnaire. RESULTS: Seventy-one questionnaires from institutions dealing with emergency surgery were accepted. Participating surgeons were equally subdivided from a geographical point of view, with a large proportion of public (97.2%) and non-academical (91.5%) centers. In 80.3% of cases, the hospitals treated COVID-19 patients; in 69.1% of centers, a change in work plan was necessary, and 33.8% of teams had almost a surgeon infected or in preventive quarantine. The vast majority of surgeons operated only on urgent cases (73.9%), but the number of interventions significantly dropped. Up to 40% of non-traumatic abdominal emergency cases had an unusual delayed treatment. The laparoscopic approach was used in 69.6% of interventions on COVID-19 patients. Strategies to protect health care workers against COVID-19 infection and to identify asymptomatic infected surgeons were suboptimal with respect to the WHO recommendations in 70.4% and 90.2% of centers, respectively. Advanced personal protective equipment for operating room workers was adopted for all surgeries in only 12.7% of centers. DISCUSSION: This survey confirms that the COVID-19 outbreak is dramatically changing the practice of emergency surgery centers in Italy. Despite the reduction in number, urgent cases were on average more challenging owing to diagnostic delay. Recommendations from the International Scientific Societies are frequently not complied concerning the use of laparoscopic approach, the availability of personal protective equipment in the operating rooms, and the testing of both asymptomatic physicians and patients scheduled for surgery. A further evaluation of the short-term results of these attitudes is warranted to modulate international recommendations. | World J Emerg Surg | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 1711 | SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in oncology healthcare professionals and patients with cancer at a tertiary care center during the COVID-19 pandemic BACKGROUND: During the COVID-19 outbreak, healthcare professionals (HCP) are at the frontline of clinical management and at increased risk for infection. The SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence of oncological HCP and their patients has significant implications for oncological care. METHODS: HCP and patients with cancer at the Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna were included between 21 March and 4 June and tested for total antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 employing the Roche Elecsys Anti-SARS-CoV-2 immunoassay. Reactive samples were confirmed or disproved by the Abbott SARS-CoV-2 IgG test. Additionally, a structured questionnaire regarding basic demographic parameters, travel history and COVID-19-associated symptoms had to be completed by HCP. RESULTS: 146 subjects (62 HCP and 84 patients with cancer) were enrolled. In the oncological HCP cohort, 20 (32.3%) subjects were medical oncologists, 28 (45.2%) nurses at our ward and 14 (22.6%) fulfil other functions such as study coordinators. In the patient cohort, most individuals are on active anticancer treatment (96.4%). 26% of the HCP and 6% of the patients had symptoms potentially associated with COVID-19 since the end of February 2020. However, only in 2 (3.2%) HCP and in 3 (3.6%) patients, anti-SARS-Cov-2 total antibodies were detected. The second assay for anti-SARS-Cov-2 IgG antibodies confirmed the positive result in all HCP and in 2 (2.4%) patients, suggesting an initial assay’s unspecific reaction in one case. In individuals with a confirmed test result, an active COVID-19 infection was documented by a positive SARS-CoV-2 RNA PCR test. CONCLUSION: Specific anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were found solely in persons after a documented SARS-CoV-2 viral infection, thus supporting the test methods’ high sensitivity and specificity. The low prevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in our cohorts indicates a lack of immunity against SARS-CoV-2. It highlights the need for continued strict safety measures to prevent uncontrolled viral spread among oncological HCPs and patients with cancer. | ESMO Open | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 1712 | Effectiveness and safety of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in real-world studies: a systematic review and meta-analysis BACKGROUND: To date, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) becomes increasingly fierce due to the emergence of variants. Rapid herd immunity through vaccination is needed to block the mutation and prevent the emergence of variants that can completely escape the immune surveillance. We aimed to systematically evaluate the effectiveness and safety of COVID-19 vaccines in the real world and to establish a reliable evidence-based basis for the actual protective effect of the COVID-19 vaccines, especially in the ensuing waves of infections dominated by variants. METHODS: We searched PubMed, Embase and Web of Science from inception to July 22, 2021. Observational studies that examined the effectiveness and safety of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines among people vaccinated were included. Random-effects or fixed-effects models were used to estimate the pooled vaccine effectiveness (VE) and incidence rate of adverse events after vaccination, and their 95% confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS: A total of 58 studies (32 studies for vaccine effectiveness and 26 studies for vaccine safety) were included. A single dose of vaccines was 41% (95% CI: 28–54%) effective at preventing SARS-CoV-2 infections, 52% (31–73%) for symptomatic COVID-19, 66% (50–81%) for hospitalization, 45% (42–49%) for Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admissions, and 53% (15–91%) for COVID-19-related death; and two doses were 85% (81–89%) effective at preventing SARS-CoV-2 infections, 97% (97–98%) for symptomatic COVID-19, 93% (89–96%) for hospitalization, 96% (93–98%) for ICU admissions, and 95% (92–98%) effective for COVID-19-related death, respectively. The pooled VE was 85% (80–91%) for the prevention of Alpha variant of SARS-CoV-2 infections, 75% (71–79%) for the Beta variant, 54% (35–74%) for the Gamma variant, and 74% (62–85%) for the Delta variant. The overall pooled incidence rate was 1.5% (1.4–1.6%) for adverse events, 0.4 (0.2–0.5) per 10 000 for severe adverse events, and 0.1 (0.1–0.2) per 10 000 for death after vaccination. CONCLUSIONS: SARS-CoV-2 vaccines have reassuring safety and could effectively reduce the death, severe cases, symptomatic cases, and infections resulting from SARS-CoV-2 across the world. In the context of global pandemic and the continuous emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants, accelerating vaccination and improving vaccination coverage is still the most important and urgent matter, and it is also the final means to end the pandemic. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT: [Image: see text] SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40249-021-00915-3. | Infect Dis Poverty | 2021 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 1713 | A Cell-Based ELISA to Improve the Serological Analysis of Anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG Knowledge of the antibody-mediated immune response to SARS-CoV-2 is crucial to understand virus immunogenicity, establish seroprevalence, and determine whether subjects or recovered patients are at risk for infection/reinfection and would therefore benefit from vaccination. Here, we describe a novel and simple cell-ELISA specifically designed to measure viral spike S1-specific IgG produced in vitro by B cells in peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) cultures from a cohort of 45 asymptomatic (n = 24) and symptomatic (n = 21) individuals, with age ranging from 8 to 99 years. All subjects underwent ELISA serological screening twice, at the same time as the cell-ELISA (T2) as well as 35–60 days earlier (T1). Cryopreserved PBMCs of healthy donors obtained years before the COVID-19 pandemic were also included in the analysis. The preliminary results presented here show that out of 45 tested subjects, 16 individuals (35.5%) were positive to the cell-ELISA, 11 (24.5%) were concomitantly positive in the serological screening (T1 and/or T2), and only one person was exclusively positive in ELISA (T1) and negative in cell-ELISA, though values were close to the cutoff. Of note, five individuals (11.2%) tested negative in ELISA but positive in cell-ELISA and thus, they appear to have circulating B cells that produce antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, likely at levels that are undetectable in the serum, which challenges the negative results of the serological screening. The relative level of in vitro secreted IgG was measurable in positive subjects, ranging from 7 to 50 ng/well. Accordingly, all anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody-positive subjects previously reported moderate to severe symptoms attributable to COVID-19, even though the RT-PCR data were rarely available to confirm viral infection. Overall, the described cell-ELISA might be an effective method for detecting subjects who encountered the virus in the past, and thus helpful to improve serological ELISA tests in the case of undetectable/equivocal circulating IgG levels, and a suitable and improved tool to better evaluate SARS-CoV-2-specific humoral immunity in the COVID-19 pandemic. | Viruses | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 1714 | COVID-19 Case Surveillance-United States, January 22-May 30, 2020 The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic resulted in 5,817,385 reported cases and 362,705 deaths worldwide through May, 30, 2020,† including 1,761,503 aggregated reported cases and 103,700 deaths in the United States.§ Previous analyses during February-early April 2020 indicated that age ≥65 years and underlying health conditions were associated with a higher risk for severe outcomes, which were less common among children aged <18 years (1-3). This report describes demographic characteristics, underlying health conditions, symptoms, and outcomes among 1,320,488 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases individually reported to CDC during January 22-May 30, 2020. Cumulative incidence, 403.6 cases per 100,000 persons,¶ was similar among males (401.1) and females (406.0) and highest among persons aged ≥80 years (902.0). Among 599,636 (45%) cases with known information, 33% of persons were Hispanic or Latino of any race (Hispanic), 22% were non-Hispanic black (black), and 1.3% were non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native (AI/AN). Among 287,320 (22%) cases with sufficient data on underlying health conditions, the most common were cardiovascular disease (32%), diabetes (30%), and chronic lung disease (18%). Overall, 184,673 (14%) patients were hospitalized, 29,837 (2%) were admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU), and 71,116 (5%) died. Hospitalizations were six times higher among patients with a reported underlying condition (45.4%) than those without reported underlying conditions (7.6%). Deaths were 12 times higher among patients with reported underlying conditions (19.5%) compared with those without reported underlying conditions (1.6%). The COVID-19 pandemic continues to be severe, particularly in certain population groups. These preliminary findings underscore the need to build on current efforts to collect and analyze case data, especially among those with underlying health conditions. These data are used to monitor trends in COVID-19 illness, identify and respond to localized incidence increase, and inform policies and practices designed to reduce transmission in the United States. | MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 1715 | Post-acute COVID-19 syndrome N/A | Nat Med | 2021 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 1716 | S protein of severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus mediates entry into hepatoma cell lines and is targeted by neutralizing antibodies in infected patients N/A | J Virol | 2004 | CORD-19 | |
| 1717 | Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 infection among frontline Healthcare workers in Wuhan during COVID-19 outbreak INTRODUCTION: As an emerging infectious disease, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) has rapidly spread throughout worldwide. Health care workers (HCWs) on frontline directly participated in the diagnosis, treatment, and care of COVID‐19 patients are at high risk of getting infected with the highly infectious severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2), the novel coronavirus that causes COVID‐19. In Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, a total of 222 medical staff went to Wuhan city for support. In this study, we aimed to determine any nosocomial infection among our cohort of HCWs who worked in Wuhan. METHODS: Throat swab samples were obtained for RNA testing on day 1 and 14 of their quarantine upon their return to Nanjing. Radiological assessments were performed by chest computed tomography (CT) on day 14 of their quarantine. The blood was collected from 191 HCWs between May 12 and May 15. Anti‐SARS‐CoV‐2 immunoglobulin M (IgM) and IgG antibody responses were determined by a chemiluminescence immunoassay. RESULTS: All the throat swab specimens were found negative for SARS‐CoV‐2. The radiological analysis revealed that there was no typical chest CT scan of COVID‐19 among 222 HCWs. Consistently, anti‐SARS‐CoV‐2 IgM or IgG was also found to be negative among 191 HCWs. CONCLUSIONS: There was no nosocomial infection of SARS‐CoV‐2 among our cohort of the frontline HCWs, suggesting that zero occupational infection is an achievable goal with appropriate training, strict compliance, and psychological support for the frontline HCWs. | Immun Inflamm Dis | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 1718 | Clinical Characteristics of COVID-19 Patients With Digestive Symptoms in Hubei, China: A Descriptive, Cross-Sectional, Multicenter Study OBJECTIVE: Since the outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in December 2019, various digestive symptoms have been frequently reported in patients infected with the virus. In this study, we aimed to further investigate the prevalence and outcomes of COVID-19 patients with digestive symptoms. METHODS: In this descriptive, cross-sectional, multicenter study, we enrolled confirmed patients with COVID-19 who presented to 3 hospitals from January 18, 2020, to February 28, 2020. All patients were confirmed by real-time polymerase chain reaction and were analyzed for clinical characteristics, laboratory data, and treatment. Data were followed up until March 18, 2020. RESULTS: In the present study, 204 patients with COVID-19 and full laboratory, imaging, and historical data were analyzed. The average age was 52.9 years (SD ± 16), including 107 men and 97 women. Although most patients presented to the hospital with fever or respiratory symptoms, we found that 103 patients (50.5%) reported a digestive symptom, including lack of appetite (81 [78.6%] cases), diarrhea (35 [34%] cases), vomiting (4 [3.9%] cases), and abdominal pain (2 [1.9%] cases). If lack of appetite is excluded from the analysis (because it is less specific for the gastrointestinal tract), there were 38 total cases (18.6%) where patients presented with a gastrointestinal-specific symptom, including diarrhea, vomiting, or abdominal pain. Patients with digestive symptoms had a significantly longer time from onset to admission than patients without digestive symptoms (9.0 days vs 7.3 days). In 6 cases, there were digestive symptoms, but no respiratory symptoms. As the severity of the disease increased, digestive symptoms became more pronounced. Patients with digestive symptoms had higher mean liver enzyme levels, lower monocyte count, longer prothrombin time, and received more antimicrobial treatment than those without digestive symptoms. DISCUSSION: We found that digestive symptoms are common in patients with COVID-19. Moreover, these patients have a longer time from onset to admission, evidence of longer coagulation, and higher liver enzyme levels. Clinicians should recognize that digestive symptoms, such as diarrhea, are commonly among the presenting features of COVID-19 and that the index of suspicion may need to be raised earlier in at-risk patients presenting with digestive symptoms. However, further large sample studies are needed to confirm these findings. | Am J Gastroenterol | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 1719 | Frequent detection of human rhinoviruses, paramyxoviruses, coronaviruses and bocavirus during acute respiratory tract infections Viruses are the major cause of pediatric acute respiratory tract infection (ARTI) and yet many suspected cases of infection remain uncharacterized. We employed 17 PCR assays and retrospectively screened 315 specimens selected by season from a predominantly pediatric hospital‐based population. Before the Brisbane respiratory virus research study commenced, one or more predominantly viral pathogens had been detected in 15.2% (n = 48) of all specimens. The Brisbane study made an additional 206 viral detections, resulting in the identification of a microbe in 67.0% of specimens. After our study, the majority of microbes detected were RNA viruses (89.9%). Overall, human rhinoviruses (HRVs) were the most frequently identified target (n = 140) followed by human adenoviruses (HAdVs; n = 25), human metapneumovirus (HMPV; n = 18), human bocavirus (HBoV; n = 15), human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV; n = 12), human coronaviruses (HCoVs; n = 11), and human herpesvirus‐6 (n = 11). HRVs were the sole microbe detected in 37.8% (n = 31) of patients with suspected lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI). Genotyping of the HRV VP4/VP2 region resulted in a proposed subdivision of HRV type A into sublineages A1 and A2. Most of the genotyped HAdV strains were found to be type C. This study describes the high microbial burden imposed by HRVs, HMPV, HRSV, HCoVs, and the newly identified virus, HBoV on a predominantly paediatric hospital population with suspected acute respiratory tract infections and proposes a new formulation of viral targets for future diagnostic research studies. J. Med. Virol. 78:1232–1240, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc. | J Med Virol | 2006 | CORD-19 | |
| 1720 | Headaches Associated With Personal Protective Equipment-A Cross-Sectional Study Among Frontline Healthcare Workers During COVID-19 N/A | Headache | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 1721 | Enhanced growth of a murine coronavirus in transformed mouse cells N/A | Infect Immun | 1972 | CORD-19 | |
| 1722 | The experience of the Healthcare workers of a severely hit SARS-CoV-2 referral Hospital in Italy: incidence, clinical course and modifiable risk factors for COVID-19 infection BACKGROUND: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the health care workers (HCWs) at the frontline have been largely exposed to infected patients, running a high risk of being infected by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Since limiting transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in health care setting is crucial to avoid the community spread of SARS-CoV-2, we want to share our experience as an early hit hospital where standard infection control practices have been conscientiously applied and effective. We believe that our example, as first and hardest hit country, might be a warning and aid not only for those who have been hit later, but also for a second fearful wave of contagion. In addition, we want to offer an insight on modifiable risk factors for HWs-related infection. METHODS: Demographic, lifestyle, work-related and comorbidities data of 1447 HCWs, which underwent a nasopharyngeal swab for SARS-CoV-2, were retrospectively collected. For the 164 HCWs positive for SARS-CoV-2, data about safety in the workplace, symptoms and clinical course of COVID-19 were also collected. Cumulative incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection was estimated. Risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection were assessed using a multivariable Poisson regression. RESULTS: The cumulative incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection among the screened HCWs was 11.33% (9.72–13.21). Working in a COVID-19 ward, being a former smoker (versus being a person who never smoked) and BMI was positively associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection, whereas being a current smoker was negatively associated with this variable. CONCLUSIONS: Assuming an equal accessibility and proper use of personal protective equipment of all the HCWs of our Hospital, the great and more prolonged contact with COVID-19 patients remains the crucial risk factor for SARS-CoV-2. Therefore, increased and particular care needs to be focused specifically on the most exposed HCWs groups, which should be safeguarded. Furthermore, in order to limit the risk of asymptomatic spread of SARS-CoV-2 infection, the HCWs mild symptoms of COVID-19 should be considered when evaluating the potential benefits of universal staff testing. | J Public Health (Oxf) | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 1723 | A new era for nuclear medicine N/A | Hell J Nucl Med | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 1724 | The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the use of the performance-enhancing drugs The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has been impacting the whole society in every aspect of the daily life, comprising the sport field. Several restrictive strategies have been implemented by governments in an effort to stem the spread of the disease and salvage public health. Such efforts have severely constrained access to non-essential services, leading to the closure of non-essential points of gathering and business and the enforcement of rigorous social distancing and prolonged lockdowns, in addition to masking and stay-at-home mandates. However necessary, there is no denying that such extremely rigorous, and to most people unprecedented, measures have adversely affected the global economy and the daily lives of everyone of us, including professional and amateur athletes (1). The most important sport events were postponed or cancelled, including the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. But how was the phenomenon of performance-enhancing drug (PED) use impacted and how was the most concerning issue affecting the integrity of sport affected by the pandemic control restrictions? The World Anti-doping Agency (WADA) was established in 1999, whereas its code was implemented in 2004 in order to articulate and enforce doping control initiatives and provide educational strategies aimed at preventing PED use (2). Nonetheless, it is worth noting that the prevalence of PED use among athletes is mostly unchanged since the foundation of WADA. Unfortunately, the use of the performance-enhancing drugs is not limited to athletic performances, but it concerns other settings as well. Nowadays, several strategies for doping control are adopted such as education, deterrence, detection, enforcement and rule of law (3), but the most important anti-dissemination strategy is constituted by information campaigns, especially addressed to youngsters, meant to raise awareness as to the serious health risks involved in PED use. Currently, the primary drivers of anabolic androgenic steroids (ASA) use are 1) the determination to improve performances and prevail no matter what the cost may be; 2) the economic benefits, popularity and fame; 3) greater stamina and resistance. This public health issue has raised particular concerns due to the recent ASA market developments, which is somewhat similar to the illicit market of narcotic drugs. Moreover, it has to be considered that the higher stress and psychosocial condition related to pandemic social restrictions has fueled and exacerbated substance use disorders (4). The prevalence of doping in sport causes unfairness and damages the very fabric of our society, especially insofar as it involves children and young adults who look up to athletes as role models. In this concern, the impact of the COVD-19 pandemic may have led to substantial modifications in substance use patterns and an increased risk of substitution, adulteration, contamination, and dilution with a potentially harmful substance (5, 6). During the COVID-19 lockdown, WADA and stakeholders suspended or scaled down doping control programs, testing and other activities. As a consequence, athletes have seen the unexpected opportunity to misuse AAS without the possible risk of testing positive (7). This has been controversial, considering the measures taken by governments to flatten the pandemic curve in order to safeguard public health. Indeed, all the technologies implemented for teleworking, such as teaching students on-line, telehealth applications, prescriptions and referrals, and treating patients in hospitals/care homes via video links can also be applied to enhance and uphold sport integrity. Conversely, anti-doping testing for professional competitive athletes has increased, due to the lockdown raising suspicion about doping opportunities. The U.S. Anti-doping Agency has put in place novel measures to combat the lack of anti-doping testing during the pandemic: these include a in-home self-test that requires athletes to provide urine and small blood samples at home to be tested in the anti-doping laboratory, under supervision provided by video-conference (8). As such, reports from forensic science and toxicology laboratories are crucial for the early detection and response to such events. Furthermore, toxicology laboratories should assure their continue effort in providing new methods and technologies designed to tackle the consumption of illicit substances and to monitor the constantly changing illegal drug markets (9). The most recent WADA code revision has certainly brought about important progress in the ongoing fight against PED abuse. Indeed, it has introduced the possibility to store the samples for 10 years after the first analysis, maintaining the same legal value if re-tested and use for prosecution purposes (10). In that regard, the prospect of re-testing the same sample with newly developed analytical methods based on innovative technologies may represent a strong deterrent for doping users, since anti-doping research rapidly evolves (6), largely by implementing the same approaches used to fight new psychoactive substances (NPS) use (11,12). It is worth noting that the NPS phenomenon bears several similarities with doping, especially due to the constant emergence of new substances and methods aimed at circumventing current legal restrictions. In Italy, the National Antidoping Organization (NADO-Italia) is in charge of guaranteeing compliance with WADA rules and the transposition of the List of Prohibited Substances and Methods. However, the gap between elite athletes and amateur athletes is still broad and unaddressed, since non-professional sport competitions are not adequately overseen, and neither are the competing athletes . This difference may give rise to an important public health issue, on account of the adverse effects of uncontrolled doping agents consumption. In this concern, the Italian anti-doping law created the Section of the Technical Health Committee for Supervision and Control on Doping and for Health Protection in Sport Activities, that carries out, among its other tasks, the following activities on amateur sport: 1) updating each year the list of banned substances and practices, adapting it to the WADA list; 2) determining cases, criteria and methodologies for anti-doping controls; 3) promoting research projects and information/training campaigns meant to protect health in sports and tackle doping (13). In conclusion, regarding the highly complex dynamics triggered by the pandemic, new and unexpected challenges have come to the fore in the ongoing fight against substance abuse in its every aspect, such as NPS (14), ASA consumption by amateur athletes, or other substance abuse settings, e.g. driving under the influence of psychotropic substances (15). The current Italian antidoping approach for amateur athletes seems to be a promising strategy to bridge the gap between professional sports and amateur sports. Moreover, youngsters should be thoroughly educated as to the threats posed by such substances, so that they can realize how profoundly and severely drug abuse can affect not only their sport career, but their health and well-being overall. | Acta Biomed | 2022 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 1725 | Characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a highly transmissible and pathogenic coronavirus that emerged in late 2019 and has caused a pandemic of acute respiratory disease, named ‘coronavirus disease 2019’ (COVID-19), which threatens human health and public safety. In this Review, we describe the basic virology of SARS-CoV-2, including genomic characteristics and receptor use, highlighting its key difference from previously known coronaviruses. We summarize current knowledge of clinical, epidemiological and pathological features of COVID-19, as well as recent progress in animal models and antiviral treatment approaches for SARS-CoV-2 infection. We also discuss the potential wildlife hosts and zoonotic origin of this emerging virus in detail. | Nat Rev Microbiol | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 1726 | Immunogenicity and safety of a recombinant adenovirus type-5-vectored COVID-19 vaccine in healthy adults aged 18 years or older: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 2 trial BACKGROUND: This is the first randomised controlled trial for assessment of the immunogenicity and safety of a candidate non-replicating adenovirus type-5 (Ad5)-vectored COVID-19 vaccine, aiming to determine an appropriate dose of the candidate vaccine for an efficacy study. METHODS: This randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 2 trial of the Ad5-vectored COVID-19 vaccine was done in a single centre in Wuhan, China. Healthy adults aged 18 years or older, who were HIV-negative and previous severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection-free, were eligible to participate and were randomly assigned to receive the vaccine at a dose of 1 × 10(11) viral particles per mL or 5 × 10(10) viral particles per mL, or placebo. Investigators allocated participants at a ratio of 2:1:1 to receive a single injection intramuscularly in the arm. The randomisation list (block size 4) was generated by an independent statistician. Participants, investigators, and staff undertaking laboratory analyses were masked to group allocation. The primary endpoints for immunogenicity were the geometric mean titres (GMTs) of specific ELISA antibody responses to the receptor binding domain (RBD) and neutralising antibody responses at day 28. The primary endpoint for safety evaluation was the incidence of adverse reactions within 14 days. All recruited participants who received at least one dose were included in the primary and safety analyses. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04341389. FINDINGS: 603 volunteers were recruited and screened for eligibility between April 11 and 16, 2020. 508 eligible participants (50% male; mean age 39·7 years, SD 12·5) consented to participate in the trial and were randomly assigned to receive the vaccine (1 × 10(11) viral particles n=253; 5 × 10(10) viral particles n=129) or placebo (n=126). In the 1 × 10(11) and 5 × 10(10) viral particles dose groups, the RBD-specific ELISA antibodies peaked at 656·5 (95% CI 575·2–749·2) and 571·0 (467·6–697·3), with seroconversion rates at 96% (95% CI 93–98) and 97% (92–99), respectively, at day 28. Both doses of the vaccine induced significant neutralising antibody responses to live SARS-CoV-2, with GMTs of 19·5 (95% CI 16·8–22·7) and 18·3 (14·4–23·3) in participants receiving 1 × 10(11) and 5 × 10(10) viral particles, respectively. Specific interferon γ enzyme-linked immunospot assay responses post vaccination were observed in 227 (90%, 95% CI 85–93) of 253 and 113 (88%, 81–92) of 129 participants in the 1 × 10(11) and 5 × 10(10) viral particles dose groups, respectively. Solicited adverse reactions were reported by 183 (72%) of 253 and 96 (74%) of 129 participants in the 1 × 10(11) and 5 × 10(10) viral particles dose groups, respectively. Severe adverse reactions were reported by 24 (9%) participants in the 1 × 10(11) viral particles dose group and one (1%) participant in the 5 × 10(10) viral particles dose group. No serious adverse reactions were documented. INTERPRETATION: The Ad5-vectored COVID-19 vaccine at 5 × 10(10) viral particles is safe, and induced significant immune responses in the majority of recipients after a single immunisation. FUNDING: National Key R&D Programme of China, National Science and Technology Major Project, and CanSino Biologics. | Lancet | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 1727 | The common cold Despite great advances in medicine, the common cold continues to be a great burden on society in terms of human suffering and economic losses. Of the several viruses that cause the disease, the role of rhinoviruses is most prominent. About a quarter of all colds are still without proven cause, and the recent discovery of human metapneumovirus suggests that other viruses could remain undiscovered. Research into the inflammatory mechanisms of the common cold has elucidated the complexity of the virus-host relation. Increasing evidence is also available for the central role of viruses in predisposing to complications. New antivirals for the treatment of colds are being developed, but optimum use of these agents would require rapid detection of the specific virus causing the infection. Although vaccines against many respiratory viruses could also become available, the ultimate prevention of the common cold seems to remain a distant aim. | Lancet | 2003 | CORD-19 | |
| 1728 | Control Measures for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in Taiwan As of April 14, 2003, Taiwan had had 23 probable cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), all imported. Taiwan isolated these first 23 patients with probable SARS in negative-pressure rooms; extensive personal protective equipment was used for healthcare workers and visitors. For the first 6 weeks of the SARS outbreak, recognized spread was limited to one healthcare worker and three household contacts. | Emerg Infect Dis | 2003 | CORD-19 | |
| 1729 | Network theory and SARS: predicting outbreak diversity Many infectious diseases spread through populations via the networks formed by physical contacts among individuals. The patterns of these contacts tend to be highly heterogeneous. Traditional “compartmental” modeling in epidemiology, however, assumes that population groups are fully mixed, that is, every individual has an equal chance of spreading the disease to every other. Applications of compartmental models to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) resulted in estimates of the fundamental quantity called the basic reproductive number [Formula: see text] —the number of new cases of SARS resulting from a single initial case—above one, implying that, without public health intervention, most outbreaks should spark large-scale epidemics. Here we compare these predictions to the early epidemiology of SARS. We apply the methods of contact network epidemiology to illustrate that for a single value of [Formula: see text] , any two outbreaks, even in the same setting, may have very different epidemiological outcomes. We offer quantitative insight into the heterogeneity of SARS outbreaks worldwide, and illustrate the utility of this approach for assessing public health strategies. | J Theor Biol | 2004 | CORD-19 | |
| 1730 | Hematologic, biochemical and immune biomarker abnormalities associated with severe illness and mortality in COVID-19: a meta-analysis N/A | Clin Chem Lab Med | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 1731 | Parenting-Related Exhaustion During the Italian COVID-19 Lockdown OBJECTIVE: Worldwide, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has generated significant worry, uncertainty, anxiety, sadness, and loneliness. In Italy, these effects have been particularly pronounced. While research on the COVID-19 outbreak has mainly focused on the clinical features of infected patients and the psychological impact on the general population and health professionals, no investigation has yet assessed the psychological impact of the pandemic on parents. In the present research, we conducted a web-based survey of Italian parents to examine the prevalence of parenting-related exhaustion—and to identify its associated risk and protective factors—4 weeks into the lockdown. METHODS: A total of 1,226 parents provided their consent to participate in the study and completed a demographic questionnaire, information relating to particular COVID-19 experiences, and measures of emotional exhaustion, parental resilience, social connections, and psychological distress during the lockdown. RESULTS: Seventeen percent of our sample experienced significant parenting-related exhaustion, with mothers more severely affected. Multiple regression analyses showed that greater parenting-related exhaustion was predicted by psychological distress, lower parental resilience, motherhood, fewer perceived social connections, and being single, as well as having a child with special needs, having a large number of children, and having younger children. CONCLUSION: The findings add further support to the call for preventive programs to support parents throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Mental health professionals and social workers should be warned of the effects of lockdown and social distancing on parenting and, consequently, the well-being of children. | J Pediatr Psychol | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 1732 | Coronaviruses Hijack the LC3-I-Positive EDEMosomes, ER-Derived Vesicles Exporting Short-Lived ERAD Regulators, for Replication Coronaviruses (CoV), including SARS and mouse hepatitis virus (MHV), are enveloped RNA viruses that induce formation of double-membrane vesicles (DMVs) and target their replication and transcription complexes (RTCs) on the DMV-limiting membranes. The DMV biogenesis has been connected with the early secretory pathway. CoV-induced DMVs, however, lack conventional endoplasmic reticulum (ER) or Golgi protein markers, leaving their membrane origins in question. We show that MHV co-opts the host cell machinery for COPII-independent vesicular ER export of a short-living regulator of ER-associated degradation (ERAD), EDEM1, to derive cellular membranes for replication. MHV infection causes accumulation of EDEM1 and OS-9, another short-living ER chaperone, in the DMVs. DMVs are coated with the nonlipidated LC3/Atg8 autophagy marker. Downregulation of LC3, but not inactivation of host cell autophagy, protects cells from CoV infection. Our study identifies the host cellular pathway hijacked for supplying CoV replication membranes and describes an autophagy-independent role for nonlipidated LC3-I. | Cell Host Microbe | 2010 | CORD-19 | |
| 1733 | Levels and predictors of anxiety, depression and health anxiety during COVID-19 pandemic in Turkish society: The importance of gender BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic is having negative effects on societies’ mental health. Both the pandemic and the measures taken to combat it can affect individuals’ mental health. AIMS: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the levels of depression, anxiety and health anxiety in Turkish society during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to examine the factors affecting these. METHOD: The study was performed using an online questionnaire. Participants were asked to complete a sociodemographic data form, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the Health Anxiety Inventory (HAI). The effects on depression, anxiety and health anxiety levels of factors such as age, sex, marital status, living with an individual aged above 60, the presence of a new Coronavirus+ patient among friends or relatives, previous and current psychiatric illness and presence of accompanying chronic disease were then investigated. RESULTS: In terms of HADS cut-off points, 23.6% (n = 81) of the population scored above the depression cut-off point, and 45.1% (n = 155) scored above the cut-off point for anxiety. In regression analysis, female gender, living in urban areas and previous psychiatric illness history were found as risk factors for anxiety; living in urban areas was found as risk factor for depression; and female gender, accompanying chronic disease and previous psychiatric history were found as risk factors for health anxiety. CONCLUSION: The results of this cross-sectional study suggest that the groups most psychologically affected by the COVID-19 pandemic are women, individuals with previous psychiatric illness, individuals living in urban areas and those with an accompanying chronic disease. Priority might therefore be attached to these in future psychiatric planning. | Int J Soc Psychiatry | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 1734 | A novel rapid detection for SARS-CoV-2 spike 1 antigens using human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a newly emerging human infectious disease. Because no specific antiviral drugs or vaccines are available to treat COVID-19, early diagnostics, isolation, and prevention are crucial for containing the outbreak. Molecular diagnostics using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) are the current gold standard for detection. However, viral RNAs are much less stable during transport and storage than proteins such as antigens and antibodies. Consequently, false-negative RT-PCR results can occur due to inadequate collection of clinical specimens or poor handling of a specimen during testing. Although antigen immunoassays are stable diagnostics for detection of past infection, infection progress, and transmission dynamics, no matched antibody pair for immunoassay of SARS-CoV-2 antigens has yet been reported. In this study, we designed and developed a novel rapid detection method for SARS-CoV-2 spike 1 (S1) protein using the SARS-CoV-2 receptor ACE2, which can form matched pairs with commercially available antibodies. ACE2 and S1-mAb were paired with each other for capture and detection in a lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) that did not cross-react with SARS-CoV Spike 1 or MERS-CoV Spike 1 protein. The SARS-CoV-2 S1 (<5 ng of recombinant proteins/reaction) was detected by the ACE2-based LFIA. The limit of detection of our ACE2-LFIA was 1.86 × 10(5) copies/mL in the clinical specimen of COVID-19 Patients without no cross-reactivity for nasal swabs from healthy subjects. This is the first study to detect SARS-CoV-2 S1 antigen using an LFIA with matched pair consisting of ACE2 and antibody. Our findings will be helpful to detect the S1 antigen of SARS-CoV-2 from COVID-19 patients. | Biosens Bioelectron | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 1735 | Stability of SARS coronavirus in human specimens and environment and its sensitivity to heating and UV irradiation N/A | Biomed Environ Sci | 2003 | CORD-19 | |
| 1736 | Improvements in Patient Monitoring in the Intensive Care Unit: Survey Study BACKGROUND: Due to demographic change and, more recently, coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the importance of modern intensive care units (ICU) is becoming apparent. One of the key components of an ICU is the continuous monitoring of patients' vital parameters. However, existing advances in informatics, signal processing, or engineering that could alleviate the burden on ICUs have not yet been applied. This could be due to the lack of user involvement in research and development. OBJECTIVE: This study focused on the satisfaction of ICU staff with current patient monitoring and their suggestions for future improvements. We aimed to identify aspects of monitoring that interrupt patient care, display devices for remote monitoring, use cases for artificial intelligence (AI), and whether ICU staff members are willing to improve their digital literacy or contribute to the improvement of patient monitoring. We further aimed to identify differences in the responses of different professional groups. METHODS: This survey study was performed with ICU staff from 4 ICUs of a German university hospital between November 2019 and January 2020. We developed a web-based 36-item survey questionnaire, by analyzing a preceding qualitative interview study with ICU staff, about the clinical requirements of future patient monitoring. Statistical analyses of questionnaire results included median values with their bootstrapped 95% confidence intervals, and chi-square tests to compare the distributions of item responses of the professional groups. RESULTS: In total, 86 of the 270 ICU physicians and nurses completed the survey questionnaire. The majority stated they felt confident using the patient monitoring equipment, but that high rates of false-positive alarms and the many sensor cables interrupted patient care. Regarding future improvements, respondents asked for wireless sensors, a reduction in the number of false-positive alarms, and hospital standard operating procedures for alarm management. Responses to the display devices proposed for remote patient monitoring were divided. Most respondents indicated it would be useful for earlier alerting or when they were responsible for multiple wards. AI for ICUs would be useful for early detection of complications and an increased risk of mortality; in addition, the AI could propose guidelines for therapy and diagnostics. Transparency, interoperability, usability, and staff training were essential to promote the use of AI. The majority wanted to learn more about new technologies for the ICU and required more time for learning. Physicians had fewer reservations than nurses about AI-based intelligent alarm management and using mobile phones for remote monitoring. CONCLUSIONS: This survey study of ICU staff revealed key improvements for patient monitoring in intensive care medicine. Hospital providers and medical device manufacturers should focus on reducing false alarms, implementing hospital alarm standard operating procedures, introducing wireless sensors, preparing for the use of AI, and enhancing the digital literacy of ICU staff. Our results may contribute to the user-centered transfer of digital technologies into practice to alleviate challenges in intensive care medicine. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03514173; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03514173 | J Med Internet Res | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 1737 | Broad-Spectrum Host-Based Antivirals Targeting the Interferon and Lipogenesis Pathways as Potential Treatment Options for the Pandemic COVID-19 The ongoing Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) signals an urgent need for an expansion in treatment options. In this study, we investigated the anti-SARS-CoV-2 activities of 22 antiviral agents with known broad-spectrum antiviral activities against coronaviruses and/or other viruses. They were first evaluated in our primary screening in VeroE6 cells and then the most potent anti-SARS-CoV-2 antiviral agents were further evaluated using viral antigen expression, viral load reduction, and plaque reduction assays. In addition to remdesivir, lopinavir, and chloroquine, our primary screening additionally identified types I and II recombinant interferons, 25-hydroxycholesterol, and AM580 as the most potent anti-SARS-CoV-2 agents among the 22 antiviral agents. Betaferon (interferon-β1b) exhibited the most potent anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity in viral antigen expression, viral load reduction, and plaque reduction assays among the recombinant interferons. The lipogenesis modulators 25-hydroxycholesterol and AM580 exhibited EC(50) at low micromolar levels and selectivity indices of >10.0. Combinational use of these host-based antiviral agents with virus-based antivirals to target different processes of the SARS-CoV-2 replication cycle should be evaluated in animal models and/or clinical trials. | Viruses | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 1738 | The mental health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on people with and without depressive, anxiety, or obsessive-compulsive disorders: a longitudinal study of three Dutch case-control cohorts BACKGROUND: The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health in people with pre-existing mental health disorders is unclear. In three psychiatry case-control cohorts, we compared the perceived mental health impact and coping and changes in depressive symptoms, anxiety, worry, and loneliness before and during the COVID-19 pandemic between people with and without lifetime depressive, anxiety, or obsessive-compulsive disorders. METHODS: Between April 1 and May 13, 2020, online questionnaires were distributed among the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety, Netherlands Study of Depression in Older Persons, and Netherlands Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Association cohorts, including people with (n=1181) and without (n=336) depressive, anxiety, or obsessive-compulsive disorders. The questionnaire contained questions on perceived mental health impact, fear of COVID-19, coping, and four validated scales assessing depressive symptoms, anxiety, worry, and loneliness used in previous waves during 2006–16. Number and chronicity of disorders were based on diagnoses in previous waves. Linear regression and mixed models were done. FINDINGS: The number and chronicity of disorders showed a positive graded dose–response relation, with greater perceived impact on mental health, fear, and poorer coping. Although people with depressive, anxiety, or obsessive-compulsive disorders scored higher on all four symptom scales than did individuals without these mental health disorders, both before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, they did not report a greater increase in symptoms during the pandemic. In fact, people without depressive, anxiety, or obsessive-compulsive disorders showed a greater increase in symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic, whereas individuals with the greatest burden on their mental health tended to show a slight symptom decrease. INTERPRETATION: People with depressive, anxiety, or obsessive-compulsive disorders are experiencing a detrimental impact on their mental health from the COVID-19 pandemic, which requires close monitoring in clinical practice. Yet, the COVID-19 pandemic does not seem to have further increased symptom severity compared with their prepandemic levels. FUNDING: Dutch Research Council. | Lancet Psychiatry | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 1739 | COVID-19 Pandemic and Vaccines Update on Challenges and Resolutions The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is caused by a positive-stranded RNA virus called severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), belonging to the Coronaviridae family. This virus originated in Wuhan City, China, and became the cause of a multiwave pandemic that has killed 3.46 million people worldwide as of May 22, 2021. The havoc intensified with the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants (B.1.1.7; Alpha, B.1.351; Beta, P.1; Gamma, B.1.617; Delta, B.1.617.2; Delta-plus, B.1.525; Eta, and B.1.429; Epsilon etc.) due to mutations generated during replication. More variants may emerge to cause additional pandemic waves. The most promising approach for combating viruses and their emerging variants lies in prophylactic vaccines. Several vaccine candidates are being developed using various platforms, including nucleic acids, live attenuated virus, inactivated virus, viral vectors, and protein-based subunit vaccines. In this unprecedented time, 12 vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 have been phased in following WHO approval, 184 are in the preclinical stage, and 100 are in the clinical development process. Many of them are directed to elicit neutralizing antibodies against the viral spike protein (S) to inhibit viral entry through the ACE-2 receptor of host cells. Inactivated vaccines, to the contrary, provide a wide range of viral antigens for immune activation. Being an intracellular pathogen, the cytotoxic CD8(+) T Cell (CTL) response remains crucial for all viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, and needs to be explored in detail. In this review, we try to describe and compare approved vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 that are currently being distributed either after phase III clinical trials or for emergency use. We discuss immune responses induced by various candidate vaccine formulations; their benefits, potential limitations, and effectiveness against variants; future challenges, such as antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE); and vaccine safety issues and their possible resolutions. Most of the current vaccines developed against SARS-CoV-2 are showing either promising or compromised efficacy against new variants. Multiple antigen-based vaccines (multivariant vaccines) should be developed on different platforms to tackle future variants. Alternatively, recombinant BCG, containing SARS-CoV-2 multiple antigens, as a live attenuated vaccine should be explored for long-term protection. Irrespective of their efficacy, all vaccines are efficient in providing protection from disease severity. We must insist on vaccine compliance for all age groups and work on vaccine hesitancy globally to achieve herd immunity and, eventually, to curb this pandemic. | Front Cell Infect Microbiol | 2021 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 1740 | Neurological manifestations of COVID-19 and other coronavirus infections: A systematic review BACKGROUND: Increasing research reports neurological manifestations of COVID-19 patients. SARS-CoV-2 shares homology with other human coronaviruses that have also had nervous system involvement. OBJECTIVE: To review the neurological aspects of SARS-cov2 and other coronavirus, including transmission pathways, mechanisms of invasion into the nervous system, and mechanisms of neurological disease. METHODS: We conducted a systematic review of articles in PubMed, SCOPUS and EMBASE data bases. Reviewed evidence is presented in sections of this manuscript which includes pathogenesis, neuro-invasion, encephalitis, Guillain-Barré, ADEM, multiple sclerosis, polyneuropathy, and cerebrovascular disease. RESULTS: A total 67 studies were included in the final analysis of experimental studies, case reports, series of cases, cohort studies, and systematic reviews related to neurological manifestations of SARS- CoV-2 and other human coronavirus infections. The SARS-CoV-2 receptor is expressed in the nervous system. Common reported symptoms included hyposmia, headaches, weakness, altered consciousness. Encephalitis, demyelination, neuropathy, and stroke have been associated with COVID-19. Infection through the cribriform plate and olfactory bulb and dissemination through trans-synaptic transfer are some of the mechanisms proposed. Invasion of the medullary cardiorespiratory center by SARS-CoV-2 may contribute to the refractory respiratory failure observed in critically-ill COVID-19 patients. CONCLUSION: An increasing number of reports of COVID-19 patients with neurological disorders add to emergent experimental models with neuro-invasion as a reasonable concern that SARS-CoV-2 is a new neuropathogen. How it may cause acute and chronic neurologic disorders needs to be clarified in future research. | Clin Neurol Neurosurg | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 1741 | Intranasal interferon as protection against experimental respiratory coronavirus infection in volunteers N/A | Antimicrob Agents Chemother | 1983 | CORD-19 | |
| 1742 | Tocilizumab treatment in COVID-19: A single center experience Tocilizumab (TCZ), a monoclonal antibody against interleukin‐6 (IL‐6), emerged as an alternative treatment for COVID‐19 patients with a risk of cytokine storms recently. In the present study, we aimed to discuss the treatment response of TCZ therapy in COVID‐19 infected patients. The demographic, treatment, laboratory parameters of C‐reactive protein (CRP) and IL‐6 before and after TCZ therapy and clinical outcome in the 15 COVID‐19 patients were retrospectively assessed. Totally 15 patients with COVID‐19 were included in this study. Two of them were moderately ill, six were seriously ill and seven were critically ill. The TCZ was used in combination with methylprednisolone in eight patients. Five patients received the TCZ administration twice or more. Although TCZ treatment ameliorated the increased CRP in all patients rapidly, for the four critically ill patients who received an only single dose of TCZ, three of them (No. 1, 2, and 3) still dead and the CRP level in the rest one patient (No. 7) failed to return to normal range with a clinical outcome of disease aggravation. Serum IL‐6 level tended to further spiked firstly and then decreased after TCZ therapy in 10 patients. A persistent and dramatic increase of IL‐6 was observed in these four patients who failed treatment. TCZ appears to be an effective treatment option in COVID‐19 patients with a risk of cytokine storms. And for these critically ill patients with elevated IL‐6, the repeated dose of the TCZ is recommended. | J Med Virol | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 1743 | Gender Differences in Patients With COVID-19: Focus on Severity and Mortality Objective: The recent outbreak of Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) is reminiscent of the SARS outbreak in 2003. We aim to compare the severity and mortality between male and female patients with COVID-19 or SARS. Study Design and Setting: We extracted the data from: (1) a case series of 43 hospitalized patients we treated, (2) a public data set of the first 37 cases of patients who died of COVID-19 and 1,019 patients who survived in China, and (3) data of 524 patients with SARS, including 139 deaths, from Beijing in early 2003. Results: Older age and a high number of comorbidities were associated with higher severity and mortality in patients with both COVID-19 and SARS. Age was comparable between men and women in all data sets. In the case series, however, men's cases tended to be more serious than women's (P = 0.035). In the public data set, the number of men who died from COVID-19 is 2.4 times that of women (70.3 vs. 29.7%, P = 0.016). In SARS patients, the gender role in mortality was also observed. The percentage of males were higher in the deceased group than in the survived group (P = 0.015). Conclusion: While men and women have the same prevalence, men with COVID-19 are more at risk for worse outcomes and death, independent of age. | Front Public Health | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 1744 | Short-term and long-term health impacts of air pollution reductions from COVID-19 lockdowns in China and Europe: a modelling study BACKGROUND: Exposure to poor air quality leads to increased premature mortality from cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Among the far-reaching implications of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, a substantial improvement in air quality was observed worldwide after the lockdowns imposed by many countries. We aimed to assess the implications of different lockdown measures on air pollution levels in Europe and China, as well as the short-term and long-term health impact. METHODS: For this modelling study, observations of fine particulate matter (PM(2·5)) concentrations from more than 2500 stations in Europe and China during 2016–20 were integrated with chemical transport model simulations to reconstruct PM(2·5) fields at high spatiotemporal resolution. The health benefits, expressed as short-term and long-term avoided mortality from PM(2·5) exposure associated with the interventions imposed to control the COVID-19 pandemic, were quantified on the basis of the latest epidemiological studies. To explore the long-term variability in air quality and associated premature mortality, we built different scenarios of economic recovery (immediate or gradual resumption of activities, a second outbreak in autumn, and permanent lockdown for the whole of 2020). FINDINGS: The lockdown interventions led to a reduction in population-weighted PM(2·5) of 14·5 μg m(−3) across China (−29·7%) and 2·2 μg m(−3) across Europe (−17·1%), with unprecedented reductions of 40 μg m(−3) in bimonthly mean PM(2·5) in the areas most affected by COVID-19 in China. In the short term, an estimated 24 200 (95% CI 22 380–26 010) premature deaths were averted throughout China between Feb 1 and March 31, and an estimated 2190 (1960–2420) deaths were averted in Europe between Feb 21 and May 17. We also estimated a positive number of long-term avoided premature fatalities due to reduced PM(2·5) concentrations, ranging from 76 400 (95% CI 62 600–86 900) to 287 000 (233 700–328 300) for China, and from 13 600 (11 900–15 300) to 29 500 (25 800–33 300) for Europe, depending on the future scenarios of economic recovery adopted. INTERPRETATION: These results indicate that lockdown interventions led to substantial reductions in PM(2·5) concentrations in China and Europe. We estimated that tens of thousands of premature deaths from air pollution were avoided, although with significant differences observed in Europe and China. Our findings suggest that considerable improvements in air quality are achievable in both China and Europe when stringent emission control policies are adopted. FUNDING: None. | Lancet Planet Health | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 1745 | Characteristics of Ocular Findings of Patients With COVID-19 in Hubei Province, China IMPORTANCE: While the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has resulted in more than 100 000 infected individuals in China and worldwide, there are few reports on the association of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) with ocular abnormalities. Understanding ocular manifestations of patients with COVID-19 by ophthalmologists and others may facilitate the diagnosis and prevention of transmission of the disease. OBJECTIVE: To investigate ocular manifestations and viral prevalence in the conjunctiva of patients with COVID-19. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: In this case series, patients with COVID-19 treated from February 9 to 15, 2020, at a hospital center in Hubei province, China, were retrospectively reviewed for ocular manifestations. During the period of treatment, the ocular signs and symptoms as well as results of blood tests and reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) from nasopharyngeal and conjunctival swabs for SARS-CoV-2 were noted and analyzed. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Ocular signs and symptoms as well as results of blood tests and RT-PCR for SARS-CoV-2. RESULTS: Of the 38 included patients with clinically confirmed COVID-19, 25 (65.8%) were male, and the mean (SD) age was 65.8 (16.6) years. Among them, 28 patients (73.7%) had positive findings for COVID-19 on RT-PCR from nasopharyngeal swabs, and of these, 2 patients (5.2%) yielded positive findings for SARS-CoV-2 in their conjunctival as well as nasopharyngeal specimens. A total of 12 of 38 patients (31.6%; 95% CI, 17.5-48.7) had ocular manifestations consistent with conjunctivitis, including conjunctival hyperemia, chemosis, epiphora, or increased secretions. By univariate analysis, patients with ocular symptoms were more likely to have higher white blood cell and neutrophil counts and higher levels of procalcitonin, C-reactive protein, and lactate dehydrogenase than patients without ocular symptoms. In addition, 11 of 12 patients with ocular abnormalities (91.7%; 95% CI, 61.5-99.8) had positive results for SARS-CoV-2 on RT-PCR from nasopharyngeal swabs. Of these, 2 (16.7%) had positive results for SARS-CoV-2 on RT-PCR from both conjunctival and nasopharyngeal swabs. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In this study, one-third of patients with COVID-19 had ocular abnormalities, which frequently occurred in patients with more severe COVID-19. Although there is a low prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in tears, it is possible to transmit via the eyes. | JAMA Ophthalmol | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 1746 | COVID-19 Pandemic: Disparate Health Impact on the Hispanic/Latinx Population in the United States In December 2019, a novel coronavirus known as SARS-CoV-2, emerged in Wuhan, China, causing the Coronavirus disease 2019 we now refer to as COVID-19. The World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic on March 12th, 2020. In the United States, the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed pre-existing social and health disparities among several historically vulnerable populations, with stark differences in the proportion of minority individuals diagnosed with and dying from COVID-19. In this article we will describe the emerging disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on the Hispanic/Latinx (henceforth: Hispanic or Latinx) community in the U.S., discuss potential antecedents and consider strategies to address the disparate impact of COVID-19 on this population. | J Infect Dis | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 1747 | Characteristics and outcomes of pregnant women admitted to hospital with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection in UK: national Population-Based cohort study OBJECTIVES: To describe a national cohort of pregnant women admitted to hospital with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in the UK, identify factors associated with infection, and describe outcomes, including transmission of infection, for mothers and infants. DESIGN: Prospective national population based cohort study using the UK Obstetric Surveillance System (UKOSS). SETTING: All 194 obstetric units in the UK. PARTICIPANTS: 427 pregnant women admitted to hospital with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection between 1 March 2020 and 14 April 2020. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Incidence of maternal hospital admission and infant infection. Rates of maternal death, level 3 critical care unit admission, fetal loss, caesarean birth, preterm birth, stillbirth, early neonatal death, and neonatal unit admission. RESULTS: The estimated incidence of admission to hospital with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnancy was 4.9 (95% confidence interval 4.5 to 5.4) per 1000 maternities. 233 (56%) pregnant women admitted to hospital with SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnancy were from black or other ethnic minority groups, 281 (69%) were overweight or obese, 175 (41%) were aged 35 or over, and 145 (34%) had pre-existing comorbidities. 266 (62%) women gave birth or had a pregnancy loss; 196 (73%) gave birth at term. Forty one (10%) women admitted to hospital needed respiratory support, and five (1%) women died. Twelve (5%) of 265 infants tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA, six of them within the first 12 hours after birth. CONCLUSIONS: Most pregnant women admitted to hospital with SARS-CoV-2 infection were in the late second or third trimester, supporting guidance for continued social distancing measures in later pregnancy. Most had good outcomes, and transmission of SARS-CoV-2 to infants was uncommon. The high proportion of women from black or minority ethnic groups admitted with infection needs urgent investigation and explanation. STUDY REGISTRATION: ISRCTN 40092247. | BMJ | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 1748 | Structure, Function and Evolution of Coronavirus Spike Proteins N/A | Annu Rev Virol | 2016 | CORD-19 | |
| 1749 | The evidence of indirect transmission of SARS-CoV-2 reported in Guangzhou, China BACKGROUND: More than 2 months have passed since the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) first emerged in Wuhan, China. With the migration of people, the epidemic has rapidly spread within China and throughout the world. Due to the severity of the epidemic, undiscovered transmission of COVID-19 deserves further investigation. The aim of our study hypothesized possible modes of SARS-CoV-2 transmission and how the virus may have spread between two family clusters within a residential building in Guangzhou, China. METHODS: In a cross-sectional study, we monitored and traced confirmed patients and their close contacts from January 11 to February 5, 2020 in Guangzhou, China, including 2 family cluster cases and 61 residents within one residential building. The environmental samples of the building and the throat swabs from the patients and from their related individuals were collected for SARS-CoV-2 and tested with real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The relevant information was collected and reported using big data tools. RESULTS: There were two notable family cluster cases in Guangzhou, which included 3 confirmed patients (family No.1: patient A, B, C) and 2 confirmed patients (family No.2: patient D, E), respectively. None of patients had contact with other confirmed patients before the onset of symptoms, and only patient A and patient B made a short stop in Wuhan by train. Home environment inspection results showed that the door handle of family No.1 was positive of SARS-CoV-2. The close contacts of the 5 patients all tested negative of SARS-CoV-2 and in good health, and therefore were released after the official medical observation period of 14-days. Finally, according to the traceability investigation through applying big data analysis, we found an epidemiological association between family No.1 and family No.2, in which patient D (family No.2) was infected through touching an elevator button contaminated by snot with virus from patient A (family No.1) on the same day. CONCLUSIONS: Contaminants with virus from confirmed patients can pollute the environment of public places, and the virus can survive on the surface of objects for a short period of time. Therefore, in addition to the conventional droplet transmission, there is also indirect contact transmission such as snot-oral transmission that plays a crucial role in community spread of the virus. | BMC Public Health | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 1750 | Engaging Third-Year Medical Students on Their Internal Medicine Clerkship in Telehealth During COVID-19 Purpose: Due to the coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) global pandemic, the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) recommended that medical students be removed from contact with patients testing positive or patients under suspicion (PUIs) for COVID-19. As a result of Detroit being a highly affected area, the Wayne State University (WSU) medical students assigned to hospital clerkships during this time were essentially prevented from performing any direct patient care activities. A model for the Internal Medicine (IM) clerkship was developed incorporating a clinical telehealth component, in order to create a safe environment for students to continue to perform meaningful patient care. Objectives: To model a curriculum whereby students have a diverse patient care experience while increasing their skill and confidence in the performance of telehealth, as measured by self-report in a required pre- and post-clerkship assessment. Participant population: Twenty, third-year medical students at the end of their academic year, assigned to the IM clerkship at the Detroit Medical Center. Methods: Students were instructed to complete the American College of Physicians (ACP) module on telehealth, given an orientation via the Zoom online platform by clinical faculty, and placed on a weekly telehealth clinic schedule, precepted by residents and attendings in IM. Survey data was collected covering students’ knowledge, skills, and attitudes surrounding telehealth at the beginning of the rotation. A mid-clerkship feedback session was held with the clerkship director, and the resultant qualitative data was assessed for themes to be compared against the baseline assessment. Determination of incremental change between pre- and post-assessment reports will be evaluated at the completion of the clerkship, with that data forthcoming. Results: Baseline survey revealed that 90% of students believed the telemedicine experience would be a valuable addition to their IM clerkship. Most were confident that, with training, they could effectively complete a telemedicine visit and 80% felt that telehealth would play an important role in their future careers. Students were pleased with the telemedicine visit logistics and with their role in actively assisting patients with the Zoom online platform. Despite initial anxiety over effectively communicating with patients prior to beginning the telemedicine experience, students demonstrated a common trend towards comfort with that aspect of the visit. Students were impressed with the amount of guidance given by resident and attending physicians in expressing empathy via a virtual platform. Overall, students were pleased with the variety of cases seen and the prompt feedback they received from resident and attending physicians after the telemedicine encounters. At the midpoint assessment, students expressed satisfaction with the overall experience and appreciated the opportunity to continue interacting with patients despite the limitations the pandemic imposed. Conclusions: Little is formally taught about telehealth in either medical school or medical residency, and integration into a formal curriculum is rare. The AAMC is underway with the development of competencies for telehealth, and, once released, the teaching of this format will become an expectation. We successfully developed a robust model in which medical students not only actively participated in, but also actively delivered, telehealth care to our patients. | Cureus | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 |
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(3) Currently tweets of June 23rd to June 29th 2022 have been considered.