Implementing COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) Rapid Diagnostic Tests in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Review.

For the COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) response, COVID-19 antigen (Ag), and antibody (Ab) rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) are expected to complement central molecular testing particularly in low-resource settings. The present review assesses requirements for implementation of COVID-19 RDTs in sub-Saharan Africa. Review of PubMed-published articles assessing COVID-19 RDTs complemented with Instructions for Use (IFU) of products.

Features of Mild-to-Moderate COVID-19 Patients With Dysphonia.

Introduction: To explore the prevalence of dysphonia in European patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 and the clinical features of dysphonic patients.

Methods: The clinical and epidemiological data of 702 patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 were collected from 19 European Hospitals. The following data were extracted: age, sex, ethnicity, tobacco consumption, comorbidities, general, and otolaryngological symptoms.

One-Step Duplex Droplet Digital PCR for WT1 Overexpression.

With the improvement of treatment methods in acute hematology malignancies, the development of sensitive tools for minimal residual disease assessment has become a priority. The monitoring of WT1 expression level by real-time quantitative PCR has been a standard for minimal residual disease evaluation in acute myeloid leukemia and, since 2009, has been optimized through a European LeukemiaNet effort in an established protocol with well-defined clinical end points. Building on the work of the European LeukemiaNet, this article reports the development of a novel, one-step duplex WT1/ABL1 droplet digital assay for WT1 overexpression detection.

Psychophysical Olfactory Tests and Detection of COVID-19 in Patients With Sudden Onset Olfactory Dysfunction: A Prospective Study.

Objective: To investigate the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) status of patients with initial sudden olfactory anosmia (ISOA) through nasopharyngeal swabs for reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis and to explore their olfactory dysfunctions with psychophysical olfactory evaluation.

Methods: A total of 78 ISOA patients were recruited from April 6, 2020, to April 10, 2020, through a public call of University of Mons (Mons, Belgium). Patients benefited from nasopharyngeal swabs and fulfilled the patient-reported outcome questionnaire.

Objective olfactory evaluation of self-reported loss of smell in a case series of 86 COVID-19 patients.

Objective: To investigate olfactory dysfunction (OD) in patients with mild coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) through patient-reported outcome questionnaires and objective psychophysical testing.

Methods: COVID-19 patients with self-reported sudden-onset OD were recruited. Epidemiological and clinical data were collected.

Evaluation of two automated and three rapid lateral flow immunoassays for the detection of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies.

Introduction: Several SARS-CoV-2 immunoassays have been developed recently. The purpose of this study was to assess the performance of five immunoassays for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies.

Methods: Two quantitative automated immunoassays (Maglumi™2019-n-Cov IgG and IgM and Euroimmun Anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG and IgA assays) and three lateral flow rapid tests were performed.

Clinical and epidemiological characteristics of 1420 European patients with mild-to-moderate coronavirus disease 2019.

Background: The clinical presentation of European patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 infection is still unknown.

Objective: To study the clinical presentation of COVID-19 in Europe.

Methods: Patients with positive diagnosis of COVID-19 were recruited from 18 European hospitals.

Infections due to carbapenemase-producing bacteria, clinical burden, and impact of screening strategies on outcome.

Objectives: To characterize the risk factors, impact of screening, and clinical burden of colonization and/or infection by carbapenemase-producing bacteria (CPB) in hospitalized patients.

Method: Retrospective study in a tertiary care hospital between 2008 and 2016.

Results: Among 88 included patients, 41% were colonized, 59% developed an infection, and 69% of all cases were hospital-acquired.

Reactivation of Plasmodium infection during a treatment with infliximab: A case report.

We describe a symptomatic Plasmodium falciparum infection in a 29-year-old Guinean man receiving Infliximab for one year and without recent travel. The reactivation of submicroscopic malaria following the inhibition of TNF-alpha by infliximab is suspected.

High rate of rubella seronegativity in perinatally-infected HIV women of childbearing age: A case-control study.

Rubella infection is a vaccine preventable disease. Maternal infection during pregnancy may lead to congenital infection and severe foetal malformations. Thanks to antiretroviral therapy, perinatally HIV-infected women have better prognosis and are now experiencing pregnancy.

Enteropathogens in paediatric gastroenteritis: comparison of routine diagnostic and molecular methods.

Objectives: Studies of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) are hampered by the lack of routine diagnostic methods with good sensitivity and specificity. Molecular methods are increasingly used for clinical purposes, but the clinical significance of a positive result remains a challenge. In this study we aimed to compare results of routine diagnostic methods and molecular methods in symptomatic children and asymptomatic controls.

Multi-step optimization of the filtration method for the isolation of Campylobacter species from stool samples.

The filtration method (FM) is the most effective isolation technique for Epsilobacteriaceae from stool samples. FM's different adaptations make it difficult to compare data between studies. This study was performed in three phases to optimize FM from a routine laboratory perspective.

Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Serotype Distribution of Group B Streptococcus Colonization in HIV-Infected Pregnant Women Living in Belgium: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Background: Group B streptococcus (GBS) infection is a leading cause of severe neonatal infection. Maternal GBS carriage during pregnancy is the main risk factor for both early-onset and late-onset GBS disease. High incidence of GBS infection has been reported in HIV-exposed but -uninfected infants (HEU).

Detection of beta-lactamase-negative ampicillin resistance in Haemophilus influenzae in Belgium.

Haemophilus influenzae, a frequent colonizer of the respiratory tract, is the causative agent of several clinically important infections. In cases that require therapeutic intervention, laboratory susceptibility testing can detect beta-lactam antibiotic resistance and guide the best treatment course. In the absence of a beta-lactamase, beta-lactam resistance may be due to an altered form of the PBP3 protein, encoded by the ftsI gene.

Atopobium vaginae intrapartum bacteremia: A case report with a literature review.

Atopobium vaginae is an anaerobic Gram-positive bacterium recognized as a causative agent of bacterial vaginosis and associated with preterm delivery. Invasive infection and bacteremia have been rarely reported. We describe the case of a woman expecting her firstborn child who presented with a A.

Campylobacter Concisus and Acute Gastroenteritis in Children: Lack of Association.

The role of Campylobacter concisus as a cause of acute gastroenteritis remains to be demonstrated. This prospective study includes 184 cases and 176 controls. It shows no evidence that C.