Hospital-based screening outperforms primary care screening as a means of achieving hepatitis C virus micro-elimination.

Aim: To assess the respective performances of a HCV screening program in a hospital setting and a HCV screening model applied concomitantly in a primary care centre.

Methods: Adult patients consecutively admitted to hospital for ambulatory surgery were screened for anti-HCV antibodies (hospital screening cohort, HPSC), as were patients receiving blood tests for medical reasons in a primary care centre (primary care screening cohort, PCSC). Serum anti-HCV and HCV RNA levels were tested by ELISA and real-time PCR, respectively.

Relevant SARS-CoV-2 viremia is associated with COVID-19 severity: Prospective cohort study and validation cohort.

Early kinetics of SARS-CoV-2 viral load (VL) in plasma determined by quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was evaluated as a predictor of poor clinical outcome in a prospective study and assessed in a retrospective validation cohort. Prospective observational single-center study including consecutive adult patients hospitalized with COVID-19 between November 2020 and January 2021. Serial plasma samples were obtained until discharge.

Usefulness of real-time RT-PCR to understand the kinetics of SARS-CoV-2 in blood: A prospective study.

Background: SARS-CoV-2 viral load and kinetics assessed in serial blood samples from hospitalised COVID-19 patients by RT-PCR are poorly understood.

Methods: We conducted an observational, prospective case series study in hospitalised COVID-19 patients. Clinical outcome data (Intensive Care Unit admission and mortality) were collected from all patients until discharge.

Evaluation of two RT-PCR techniques for SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection in serum for microbiological diagnosis.

Presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in serum (viremia) of COVID-19 patients has been related to poor prognosis and death. The aim of this study was to evaluate both the ability to detect viremia in COVID-19 patients of two commercial reverse real-time-PCR (rRT-PCR) tests, Cobas® and TaqPath™, comparing them with a gold standard method, and their implementation in microbiology laboratories. This retrospective cohort study included 303 adult patients (203 diagnosed with COVID-19 and 100 non-COVID-19 patients) admitted to a tertiary hospital, with at least one serum sample collected within the first 48 h from admission.

Evaluation of diagnostic accuracy of 10 serological assays for detection of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies.

Antibody detection is essential to establish exposure, infection, and immunity to SARS-CoV-2, as well as to perform epidemiological studies. The worldwide urge for new diagnostic tools to control the pandemic has led to a quick incorporation in clinical practice of the recently developed serological assays. However, as only few comparative studies have been published, there is a lack of data about the diagnostic accuracy of currently available assays.

PCR Multiplex for CMV Detection in Patients with Anterior Uveitis.

Purpose: Describing the utility of Polymerase Chain Reaction for Cytomegalovirus (CMV-PCR) in the diagnosis of suspected viral anterior uveitis (AU).

Patients And Methods: We analyzed aqueous humor (AH) CMV-PCR positivity and treatment modifications in 47 eyes of 46 patients with viral uveitis and its correlation with high intraocular pressure (HIOP), uveitis clinical characteristics and time intervals from samples to uveitis diagnosis and to relapse.

Results: CMV-PCR positive results occurred in 13 eyes (27.

Mycobacterium lentiflavum as the main cause of lymphadenitis in pediatric population.

Introduction: Cervical lymphadenitis is the most common nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) infection in immunocompetent children, mainly in those under 5years. For many years Mycobacterium lentiflavum (M. lentiflavum) has been considered a rare NTM causing lymphadenitis.