Result for
Topic: Testing and Treatment
June 12, 2020
Perceived versus Proven SARS-CoV-2-Specific Immune Responses in Health-Care Professionals
A study of 217 frontline healthcare workers at a German university hospital found 21% suspected they had previously been infected with SARS-CoV-2, but weekly testing for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies identified IgG prevalence 20 days later was 1-2% (assay sensitivity 93.8% and specificity 99%). Behrens et al. (June 10, 2020). Perceived versus Proven SARS-CoV-2-Specific Immune Responses in Health-Care Professionals. Infection. https://doi.org/10.1007/s15010-020-01461-0
Early Administration of Lopinavir/ritonavir plus Hydroxychloroquine Does Not Alter the Clinical Course of SARS-CoV-2 Infection a Retrospective Cohort Study
[pre-print, not peer reviewed] Giacomelli et al. studied early (<5 days from onset of symptoms, n=43) vs. delayed (n=129) initiation of lopinavir/ritonavir and hydroxychloroquine (LPV/r + HCQ) on clinical outcomes by analyzing a cohort of patients with COVID-19. All patients meeting the eligibility criteria were offered LPV/r + HCQ. After adjusting for clinical factors, the odds ratio (OR) for 30–day mortality was 1.45 (95%CI 0.50, 4.19). Increase in hepatic…
June 11, 2020
Effects of Tocilizumab on Mortality in Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19 A Multicenter Cohort Study
[pre-print, not peer reviewed] Martinez-Sanz et al. conducted a cohort study of 1,229 patients with COVID-19 in Spain to determine the relationship between tocilizumab use and ICU admission or death. Tocilizumab was associated with decreased risk of death (aHR=0.34, 95%CI 0.16-0.72) and ICU admission or death (0.38, 0.19-0.81; p=0.011) among patients with high C–reactive protein (CRP) levels (>150…
June 9, 2020
A How-to-Guide to Building a Robust SARS-CoV-2 Testing Program at a University-Based Health System
[pre-print, not peer reviewed] Nimer et al. report a how-to guide for building a robust COVID-19 testing program at a university-based health system, based on the University of Miami Health system. Investigators highlight the role of accessible diagnostics as key to the program’s success, which was made possible by developing in-house testing capabilities and establishing durable employee…
Validation of a Self-Administrable Saliva-Based RT-QPCR Test Detecting SARS-CoV-2
[pre-print, not peer reviewed] Miller et al. found comparable performance of self-collected saliva samples and clinician-administered nasopharyngeal swabs using RT-qPCR to detect SARS-CoV-2. The authors report 97.1% positive agreement and 96.5-98.2% negative agreement. Miller et al. (June 9, 2020). Validation of a Self-Administrable Saliva-Based RT-QPCR Test Detecting SARS-CoV-2. Preprint downloaded June 9 from https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.06.05.20122721
Adverse Outcomes and Mortality in Users of Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs Tested Positive for SARS-CoV-2 A Danish Nationwide Cohort Study
[pre-print, not peer reviewed] A population-based cohort study conducted in Denmark matched COVID-19 patients who were prescribed non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (n=248) with non-treated individuals with COVID-19 (n=8,988) (matched on age, sex, relevant comorbidities, and prescription fills) and found that use of NSAIDs was not associated with 30-day mortality, hospitalization, ICU-admission, or mechanical ventilation. Lund et al. (June 9, 2020). Adverse Outcomes and Mortality in…
June 8, 2020
Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies Using Commercial Assays and Seroconversion Patterns in Hospitalized Patients
Tuaillon et al. evaluated six point-of-care (POC) and three ELISA tests to determine their sensitivity and specificity for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies between 1 day and >15 days after onset of symptoms. Most tests detected antibodies in at least 50% of samples by day 7 and nearly all tests were positive for >80% of samples after 15 days, although none…
Identification of Nsp1 Gene as the Target of SARS-CoV-2 Real-Time RT-PCR Using Nanopore Whole Genome Sequencing
Chan et al. found that SARS-CoV-2 mutations in current binding sites for PCR tests may compromise their sensitivity and identified the nsp1 gene as a novel target. An RT-PCR assay developed using this target had a sensitivity of 93.1% and a specificity of 100%. Chan et al. (June 2020). Identification of Nsp1 Gene as the Target of SARS-CoV-2 Real-Time RT-PCR…
Side by Side Comparison of Three Fully Automated SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Assays with a Focus on Specificity
[pre-print, not peer reviewed] Comparison of the Abbott, Roche, and DiaSorin antibody assays found high specificity for all three (ranging from 98.3% to 99.2%). However, when seroprevalence is low, even these high specificities can result in very low positive predictive values (32.6% to 77.6% at 1% prevalence). Sensitivity was found to be lower than reported by…
Interleukin-1 Blockade with High-Dose Anakinra in Patients with COVID-19, Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome, and Hyperinflammation: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Cavalli et al. observed that patients (n=29) who received a high-dose of intravenous anakinra (an interleukin (IL)-1 receptor blocker) had a higher probability of survival at 21 days among a cohort of patients with COVID-19 who had moderate-to-severe ARDS and hyperinflammation and who were managed with non-invasive ventilation outside of the ICU. Treated patients were…
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