Comparative Performance in the Detection of Four Coronavirus Genera from Human, Animal, and Environmental Specimens.

Emerging coronaviruses (CoVs) are understood to cause critical human and domestic animal diseases; the spillover from wildlife reservoirs can result in mild and severe respiratory illness in humans and domestic animals and can spread more readily in these naïve hosts. A low-cost CoV molecular method that can detect a variety of CoVs from humans, animals, and environmental specimens is an initial step to ensure the early identification of known and new viruses. We examine a collection of 50 human, 46 wastewater, 28 bat, and 17 avian archived specimens using 3 published pan-CoV PCR assays called Q-, W-, and X-CoV PCR, to compare the performance of each assay against four CoV genera.

The dose of the normal saline pre-infusion and other risk factors for amphotericin B deoxycholate-associated acute kidney injury.

Background: Conventional amphotericin B deoxycholate (AmBd) is the preferred amphotericin B formulation in countries with limited resources despite its nephrotoxicity. Normal saline pre-infusion is a recommended measure to reduce the risk of nephrotoxicity in patients receiving AmBd.

Objectives: To examine the effect of different normal saline solution (NSS) pre-infusion doses, and other potential risk factors, on the development of acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients with invasive fungal infection receiving AmBd.

Long-term immunogenicity in previously vaccinated healthcare workers with inactivated virus vaccine after SARS-CoV-2 infection or booster vaccination.

Immunity against SARS-CoV-2 infection in vaccinated individuals varies based on the vaccine type, duration after vaccination or infection, and SARS-CoV-2 variant type. We conducted a prospective observational study to evaluate the immunogenicity of a booster vaccination with AZD1222 after two doses of CoronaVac (booster group) compared to individuals who had SARS-CoV-2 infection after receiving two doses of CoronaVac (infection group). We used a surrogate virus neutralization test (sVNT) to evaluate immunity against wild-type and Omicron variant (BA.

Comparison of the Immune Response After an Extended Primary Series of COVID-19 Vaccination in Kidney Transplant Recipients Receiving Standard Versus Mycophenolic Acid-sparing Immunosuppressive Regimen.

Unlabelled: Two doses of coronavirus disease 2019 vaccination provide suboptimal immune response in transplant patients. Mycophenolic acid (MPA) is one of the most important factors that blunts the immune response. We studied the immune response to the extended primary series of 2 doses of AZD1222 and a single dose of BNT162b2 in kidney transplant patients who were on the standard immunosuppressive regimen compared to those on the MPA-sparing regimen.

Benefits of Switching Mycophenolic Acid to Sirolimus on Serological Response after a SARS-CoV-2 Booster Dose among Kidney Transplant Recipients: A Pilot Study.

Kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) have a suboptimal immune response to COVID-19 vaccination due to the effects of immunosuppression, mostly mycophenolic acid (MPA). This study investigated the benefits of switching from the standard immunosuppressive regimen (tacrolimus (TAC), MPA, and prednisolone) to a regimen of mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitor (mTORi), TAC and prednisolone two weeks pre- and two weeks post-BNT162b2 booster vaccination. A single-center, opened-label pilot study was conducted in KTRs, who received two doses of ChAdOx-1 and a single dose of BNT162b2.

Erectile dysfunction after COVID-19 recovery: A follow-up study.

Objectives: Several studies confirm multiple complications after COVID-19 infection, including men's sexual health, which is caused by both physical and psychological factors. However, studies focusing on long-term effects among recovered patients are still lacking. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the erectile function at three months after COVID-19 recovery along with its predicting factors.

Impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on the profiles and responses of innate immune cells after recovery.

Backgrounds: SARS-CoV-2 infection results in a broad spectrum of clinical outcomes, ranging from asymptomatic to severe symptoms and death. Most COVID-19 pathogenesis is associated with hyperinflammatory conditions driven primarily by myeloid cell lineages. The long-term effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection post recovery include various symptoms.

Tuberculosis at a university hospital, Thailand: A surprising incidence of TB among a new generation of highly exposed health care workers who may be asymptomatic.

Objectives: There are a few reports of TB disease among healthcare workers (HCWs) in Thailand. The authors assessed the demographic data and incidence of overall TB disease including specific profession among HCWs in order to reduce the incidence rate.

Methods: This was a descriptive, cross-sectional study of 195 HCWs at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital (KCMH), Bangkok, Thailand, who had TB disease from 2003-2020.

Prevalence of latent tuberculosis infection among pre-clinical and clinical medical students using QuantiFERON-TB gold plus and tuberculin skin test at a teaching hospital in Thailand: A cross-sectional study.

Background: Healthcare workers are considered to be at a higher risk of acquiring tuberculosis (TB) infection than the general population. Clinical medical students are part of the healthcare team and clinical practice are done during their clinical rotation. They could be exposed to similar occupational risks as the healthcare workers.

Erectile dysfunction among Thai patients with COVID-19 infection.

Background: Erectile dysfunction (ED) is suspected to be the symptom manifestation of COVID-19. However, scarce data was presented this day. Our study was conducted to determine the prevalence of ED and its associated factors among Thai patients with COVID-19.

COVID-19 vaccine acceptance, hesitancy, and determinants among physicians in a university-based teaching hospital in Thailand.

Background: The COVID-19 vaccines provide renewed hope in the fight against the recent pandemic. To ensure widespread vaccination, it is crucial to analyze vaccine willingness and its determinants among physicians, key health care influencers. This study aimed to assess acceptance rate and identify factors associated with vaccine hesitancy among Thai physicians.

Short-term immune response after inactivated SARS-CoV-2 (CoronaVac®, Sinovac) and ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (Vaxzevria®, Oxford-AstraZeneca) vaccinations in health care workers.

Background: Inactivated SARS-CoV-2 (CoronaVac®, Sinovac, or SV) and ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (Vaxzevria®, Oxford-Astra Zeneca, or AZ) vaccines have been administered to the health care workers (HCWs).

Objective: To determine the short-term immune response after the SV and AZ vaccinations in HCWs.

Methods: In this prospective cohort study, HCWs who completed a 2-dose regimen of the SV or AZ were included.

Prevalence of thrombocytopenia, anti-platelet factor 4 antibodies and D-dimer elevation in Thai people After ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccination.

Background: Vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT) is a rare distinctive syndrome characterized by unusual site thrombosis accompanied by thrombocytopenia after ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccination. Platelet-activating anti-platelet factor 4-dependent antibodies (anti-PF4 Abs) were detected in most cases of VITT. To date, data from Asian countries are lacking.

Multimodality treatment in immunocompromised patients with severe COVID-19: the role of IL-6 inhibitor, intravenous immunoglobulin, and haemoperfusion.

Cytokine release syndrome (CRS) is known to be associated with severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Multiple anti-inflammatory therapies such as tocilizumab, corticosteroids, intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), and haemoadsorption or haemoperfusion have been used to combat this life-threatening condition. However, immunocompromised hosts are often omitted from research studies, and knowledge on the clinical efficacy of these therapies in immunocompromised patients is therefore limited.

Early detection of neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in COVID-19 patients in Thailand.

Background: The presence of neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) is an indicator of protective immunity for most viral infections. A newly developed surrogate viral neutralization assay (sVNT) offers the ability to detect total receptor binding domain-targeting NAbs in an isotype-independent manner, increasing the test sensitivity. Thus, specimens with low IgM/ IgG antibody levels showed strong neutralization activity in sVNT.

Amount of contamination on the face shield of endoscopists during upper endoscopy between patients in two positions: A randomized study.

Background And Aim: During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 pandemic, esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) has been recognized as an aerosol-generating procedure. This study aimed to systematically compare the degree of face shield contamination between endoscopists who performed EGD on patients lying in the left lateral decubitus (LL) and prone positions.

Methods: This is a randomized trial in patients scheduled for EGD between April and June 2020.

U.S.-Japan cooperative medical sciences program: 22nd International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases in the Pacific Rim.

This review summarizes the presentations given at the 22nd International conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases in the Pacific Rim. The purpose of this annual meeting is to foster international collaborations and address important public health issues in the Asia-Pacific region. This meeting was held in Bangkok in February 2020 and focused on emerging virus infections.

Cold agglutinin disease following SARS-CoV-2 and co-infections.

SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory co-infections may occur. As and various viruses can cause cold agglutinin disease (CAD), the presence of CAD in COVID-19 patients should indicate the need of investigations for those pathogens.

A case of successful treatment of severe COVID-19 pneumonia with favipiravir and tocilizumab in post-kidney transplant recipient.

We report a case of COVID-19 in kidney transplant patient in Thailand. A 58-year-old 2 years post-kidney transplant recipient, with maintenance immunosuppression of tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), and prednisolone, presented with acute diarrhea which followed by fever on day 12. Symptoms of pneumonia together with lymphopenia from complete blood count were developed on day 7 after onset of fever with the x-ray finding of bilateral multifocal patchy infiltration.

Evaluating the efficiency of specimen pooling for PCR-based detection of COVID-19.

In the age of a pandemic, such as the ongoing one caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the world faces a limited supply of tests, personal protective equipment, and factories and supply chains are struggling to meet the growing demands. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of specimen pooling for testing of SARS-CoV-2 virus, to determine whether costs and resource savings could be achieved without impacting the sensitivity of the testing. Ten previously tested nasopharyngeal and throat swab specimens by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), were pooled for testing, containing either one or two known positive specimens of varying viral concentrations.