Background: The second COVID-19 wave in India has been associated with an unprecedented increase in cases of COVID-19 associated mucormycosis (CAM), mainly Rhino-orbito-cerebral mucormycosis (ROCM).
Methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted at Noble hospital and Research Centre (NHRC), Pune, India, between 1 April, 2020, and 1 August, 2021, to identify CAM patients and assess their management outcomes. The primary endpoint was incidence of all-cause mortality due to CAM.
Results: 59 patients were diagnosed with CAM. Median duration from the first positive COVID-19 RT PCR test to diagnosis of CAM was 17 (IQR: 12,22) days. 90% patients were diabetic with 89% having uncontrolled sugar level (HbA1c >7%). All patients were prescribed steroids during treatment for COVID-19. 56% patients were prescribed steroids for non-hypoxemic, mild COVID-19 (irrational steroid therapy), while in 9%, steroids were prescribed in inappropriately high dose. Patients were treated with a combination of surgical debridement (94%), intravenous liposomal Amphotericin B (91%) and concomitant oral Posaconazole (95.4%). 74.6% patients were discharged after clinical and radiologic recovery while 25.4% died. On relative risk analysis, COVID-19 CT severity index ≥18 (p = .017), presence of orbital symptoms (p = .002), presence of diabetic ketoacidosis (p = .011) and cerebral involvement (p = .0004) were associated with increased risk of death.
Conclusions: CAM is a rapidly progressive, angio-invasive, opportunistic fungal infection, which is fatal if left untreated. Combination of surgical debridement and antifungal therapy leads to clinical and radiologic improvement in majority of cases.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/myc.13435 | DOI Listing |
PLoS One
December 2024
Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Fayoum University, Fayoum, Egypt.
Background: The SARS-CoV-2 virus's frequent mutations have made disease control with vaccines and antiviral drugs difficult; as a result, there is a need for more effective coronavirus drugs. Therefore, detecting the expression of various diagnostic biomarkers, including ncRNA in SARS-CoV2, implies new therapeutic strategies for the disease.
Aim: Our study aimed to measure NEAT-1, miR-374b-5p, and IL6 in the serum of COVID-19 patients, demonstrating the correlation between target genes to explore the possible relationship between them.
Fam Pract
December 2024
Department of Medicine, Larner College of Medicine, University of Vermont, 89 Beaumont Ave, Burlington, VT 05405, United States.
Background: During coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), people managing multiple chronic conditions (MCCs) experienced barriers to obtaining needed medications. The purposes of this paper are to (i) determine risk factors for difficulty obtaining medications during COVID-19, (ii) document reasons for the difficulty, and (iii) evaluate the impact on later physical and mental health outcomes.
Method: In a randomized controlled trial conducted in 2016-2021, 1969 adult primary care patients were surveyed about physical and mental health both before and during COVID-19.
PLoS One
December 2024
Chair of Biomedical Physics, Department of Physics & School of Natural Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Garching bei München, Germany.
Background: Dark-field radiography has been proven to be a promising tool for the assessment of various lung diseases.
Purpose: To evaluate the potential of dose reduction in dark-field chest radiography for the detection of the Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pneumonia.
Materials And Methods: Patients aged at least 18 years with a medically indicated chest computed tomography scan (CT scan) were screened for participation in a prospective study between October 2018 and December 2020.
Ann Med
December 2025
Faculty of Nursing, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Background: Despite high COVID-19 vaccine coverage in Canada, vaccine acceptance and preferred delivery among newcomers, racialized persons, and those who primarily speak minority languages are not well understood. This national study explores COVID-19 vaccine acceptance, access to vaccines, and delivery preferences among ethnoculturally diverse population groups.
Methods: We conducted two national cross-sectional surveys during the pandemic (Dec 2020 and Oct-Nov 2021).
JAMA Netw Open
December 2024
Influenza Division, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia.
Importance: Increasing the understanding of vaccine effectiveness (VE) against levels of severe influenza in children could help increase uptake of influenza vaccination and strengthen vaccine policies globally.
Objective: To investigate VE in children by severity of influenza illness.
Design, Setting, And Participants: This case-control study with a test-negative design used data from 8 participating medical centers located in geographically different US states in the New Vaccine Surveillance Network from November 6, 2015, through April 8, 2020.
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