Factors Associated with Prolonged SARS-CoV-2 Viral Positivity in an Italian Cohort of Hospitalized Patients.

Clinical or microbiological factors potentially associated with prolonged COVID-19 PCR positivity are still poorly underexplored, but they could be of importance for public-health and clinical reasons. The objective of our analysis is to explore demographic, clinical, and microbiological factors potentially associated with a prolonged positivity to SARS-CoV-2 among 222 hospitalized patients. Prolonged detection positivity for SARS-CoV-2 RNA in swap samples, defined as positivity more than 21 days, was the outcome of interest.

Detection of Echovirus 11 lineage 1 in wastewater samples in Sicily.

We report the presence of Echovirus 11 (E11) in wastewater in Sicily (Southern Italy), since August 2022. Overall, the 5.4 % of sewage samples (7/130) collected in 2022 were positives for E11 and then the percentage of E11-positive sewage samples reached the value of 27.

Biological Specimen Banking as a Time Capsule to Explore the Temporal Dynamics of Norovirus Epidemiology.

Norovirus is recognised as a major cause of epidemic and sporadic acute gastroenteritis (AGE) in all age groups. Information on the genetic diversity of the noroviruses circulating in the 1980s and 1990s, before the development and adoption of dedicated molecular assays, is limited compared with the last decades. Between 1986 and 2020, uninterrupted viral surveillance was conducted in symptomatic children hospitalized with AGE in Palermo, Italy, providing a unique time capsule for exploring the epidemiological and evolutionary dynamics of enteric viruses.

An Analysis of the Neutralizing Antibodies against the Main SARS-CoV-2 Variants in Healthcare Workers (HCWs) Vaccinated against or Infected by SARS-CoV-2.

Although the anti-COVID-19 vaccination has proved to be an effective preventive tool, "breakthrough infections" have been documented in patients with complete primary vaccination courses. Most of the SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies produced after SARS-CoV-2 infection target the spike protein receptor-binding domain which has an important role in facilitating viral entry and the infection of the host cells. SARS-CoV-2 has demonstrated the ability to evolve by accumulating mutations in the spike protein to escape the humoral response of a host.

Neutralizing Antibodies Response against SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Concern Elicited by Prior Infection or mRNA BNT162b2 Vaccination.

In order to determine the humoral protective response against SARS-CoV-2, the vaccine-induced and naturally induced neutralizing antibodies (NtAbs) responses against SARS-CoV-2 variants circulating in Italy through in vitro live virus neutralization assay were evaluated. A total of 39 SARS-CoV-2 recovered subjects (COVID-19+) and 63 subjects with a two-dose cycle of the BNT16262 vaccine were enrolled. A single serum sample was tested for COVID-19+ at 35-52 days post-positive swab, while vaccinees blood samples were taken at one (V1) and at three months (V3) after administration of the second vaccine dose.

Effect of COVID-19 quarantine on cognitive, functional and neuropsychiatric symptoms in patients with mild cognitive impairment and dementia.

Background: During the last two years, COVID-19 affected older people with dementia or mild cognitive impairment (MCI), but conflicting and sparse results are still present. The objective of this study was to investigate the frequency and type of changes in functional, cognitive and behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD), and caregiver's stress during the period of quarantine in 2020 in patients affected by dementia/MCI living in Palermo, Sicily.

Methods: Outpatients affected by MCI/dementia were evaluated before and after COVID-19 quarantine.