Publications by authors named "J Massachi"
Purpose: Having dedicated MRI scanners within radiation oncology departments may present unexpected challenges since radiation oncologists and radiation therapists are generally not trained in this modality and there are potential patient safety concerns. This study retrospectively reviews the incidental findings and safety events that were observed at a single institution during introduction of MRI sim for head and neck radiotherapy planning.
Methods: Consecutive patients from March 1, 2020, to May 31, 2022, who were scheduled for MRI sim after having completed CT simulation for head and neck radiotherapy were included for analysis.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigated how vaccination affects the infectiousness of SARS-CoV-2 by comparing viral shedding in unvaccinated and fully vaccinated adults who tested positive for the virus.
- Although maximum RNA levels in both groups were similar, vaccinated individuals showed a quicker decline in viral load and had a shorter duration of infectious virus.
- Specifically, vaccinated participants had a median infectious virus detection duration of 6 days compared to 7.5 days in unvaccinated individuals, showing that vaccination reduces the likelihood of spreading the virus after the first five days of symptoms.
Background: There is mounting evidence for the presence of postacute sequelae of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection (PASC), but there is limited information on the spectrum, magnitude, duration, and patterns of these sequelae as well as their influence on quality of life.
Methods: We assembled a cohort of adults with a documented history of SARS-CoV-2 RNA positivity at ≥2 weeks past onset of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) symptoms or, if asymptomatic, first positive test. At 4-month intervals, we queried physical and mental health symptoms and quality of life.
Evaluating cases of reinfection may offer some insight into areas for further investigation regarding durability of immune response to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Sixty cases of reinfection with viral sequencing were identified in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and medRxiv before May 1, 2021.Episodes of infection were separated by a median of 116 days.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: As the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues and millions remain vulnerable to infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), attention has turned to characterizing post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC).
Methods: From April 21 to December 31, 2020, we assembled a cohort of consecutive volunteers who a) had documented history of SARS-CoV-2 RNA-positivity; b) were ≥ 2 weeks past onset of COVID-19 symptoms or, if asymptomatic, first test for SARS-CoV-2; and c) were able to travel to our site in San Francisco. Participants learned about the study by being identified on medical center-based registries and being notified or by responding to advertisements.