Introduction to the reader In this case, a survivor of torture presents with symptoms clinically consistent with both major depressive disorder (MDD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). During her evaluation, a validated psychological questionnaire for PTSD was administered verbally through a translator and accurately identified this diagnosis. However, a self-administered (read and completed by the client) questionnaire for MDD vastly underestimated the severity of her symptoms and failed to diagnose her with depression.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant psychological impact on medical professionals, including medical students, many who have been caring for patients on the frontlines. Understanding how medical students perceive their stressful life experiences is important as the mental health of these future physicians directly impacts their ability to care for patients. We assessed for post-traumatic growth and resilience in the face of traumatic events among a cohort of medical students that attended a medical school located in an early epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe CRISPR effector Cas13 could be an effective antiviral for single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) viruses because it programmably cleaves RNAs complementary to its CRISPR RNA (crRNA). Here, we computationally identify thousands of potential Cas13 crRNA target sites in hundreds of ssRNA viral species that can potentially infect humans. We experimentally demonstrate Cas13's potent activity against three distinct ssRNA viruses: lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV); influenza A virus (IAV); and vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn one patient over time, we found that concentration of Ebola virus RNA in semen during recovery is remarkably higher than blood at peak illness. Virus in semen is replication-competent with no change in viral genome over time. Presence of sense RNA suggests replication in cells present in semen.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAlthough the recent Zika virus (ZIKV) epidemic in the Americas and its link to birth defects have attracted a great deal of attention, much remains unknown about ZIKV disease epidemiology and ZIKV evolution, in part owing to a lack of genomic data. Here we address this gap in knowledge by using multiple sequencing approaches to generate 110 ZIKV genomes from clinical and mosquito samples from 10 countries and territories, greatly expanding the observed viral genetic diversity from this outbreak. We analysed the timing and patterns of introductions into distinct geographic regions; our phylogenetic evidence suggests rapid expansion of the outbreak in Brazil and multiple introductions of outbreak strains into Puerto Rico, Honduras, Colombia, other Caribbean islands, and the continental United States.
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