False positive results in severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) rapid antigen tests for inpatients

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 rapid antigen detection (RAD) test kits are widely used as primary screening test in Japan because rapid diagnosis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is critical for infection control. We report cases with RAD test false-positive results in a ward for patients with disabilities. RAD tests potentially evoke hospital operational risk. It is desirable that performing PCR test appropriately when patients admitted to a medical treatment ward with COVID-19 symptoms instead of RAD test.     

流感病毒快速检测方法特异性和敏感性研究

目的比较多重逆转录聚合酶链反应(mRT-PCR)和胶体金法检测流感病毒的敏感性和特异性。方法采用mRT-PCR和胶体金法检测经细胞培养和红细胞凝集抑制试验(HI)鉴定为A/H1、A/H3、B型流感病毒的鼻咽拭标本78份,阴性鼻咽拭标本40份,并对已稀释成101~105病毒半数感染量(TCID50)/0.1 mL的3株H1、H3、B型流感病毒进行敏感性试验。结果mRT-PCR对A型流感病毒的检测敏感性为44.8%,特异性为97.5%;对B型流感病毒检测敏感性为20.0%,特异性为100.0%。胶体金法对A型流感病毒检测敏感性为44.8%,特异性为100.0%;对B型流感病毒检测敏感性为5.0%,特异性为97.5%。对经20代内狗肾细胞(MDCK)分离培养阳性的4份A/H1、4份A/H3和3份B型流感培养液,mRT-PCR和胶体金法检测的阳性符合率与型别符合率均为100.0%。mRT-PCR检测流感病毒敏感性为103TCID50/0.1 mL;胶体金法检测的敏感性为103TCID50/0.1 mL。结论mRT-PCR和胶体金法的敏感性与特异性无差异;mRT-PCR和胶体金法均可用于人群流感鼻咽拭标本流感病毒快速检...     

Evaluation of the QIAstat-Dx Respiratory SARS-CoV-2 panel,a rapid multiplex PCR method for the diagnosis of COVID-19

IntroductionRapid, simple, and accurate methods are required to diagnose coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This study aimed to evaluate the performance of the QIAstat-Dx Respiratory SARS-CoV-2 Panel (QIAstat-SARS-CoV-2), a rapid multiplex PCR assay for SARS-CoV-2 detection.MethodsNasopharyngeal swabs (NPS) that were obtained from patients with COVID-19 who were diagnosed at the National Center for Global Health and Medicine were used in this study. When the NPS samples were found to be negative for SARS-CoV-2 after treatment, they were used as negative samples. We evaluated the performance of the QIAstat-SARS-CoV-2 comparing SARS-CoV-2 detection with the National Institute of Infectious Diseases in Japan-recommended real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method (NIID-RT-PCR).ResultsIn total, 45 NPS samples were analyzed. The proportion of overall agreement between QIAstat-SARS-CoV-2 and NIID-RT-PCR on 45 samples was 91.0% with a sensitivity of 84.0% (21/25), specificity at 100% (20/20), negative predictive value at 83.3% (20/24), and positive predictive value at 100% (21/21). There were no patients with co-infections with pathogens other than SARS-CoV-2.ConclusionsQIAstat-SARS-CoV-2 showed a high agreement in comparison with the NIID-RT-PCR for the detection of SARS-CoV-2. The QIAstat-SARS-CoV-2 also provided a rapid and accurate diagnosis for COVID-19, even when the concurrent detection of other respiratory pathogens was desired, and therefore, has the potential to direct appropriate therapy and infection control precautions.     

Evaluation of influenza vaccination in health-care workers, using rapid antigen detection test

A study was conducted to assess the effectiveness of trivalent influenza vaccine in preventing influenza and reducing absenteeism in health-care workers of Gifu Red Cross Hospital during the 2002–2003 influenza season. Questionnaires were distributed to 370 health-care workers, and 366 were returned showing that 237 had received influenza vaccine and 129 were unvaccinated. The criterion for influenza was febrile episodes with a positive reaction on a rapid antigen detection test. Among vaccine recipients, the number of influenza infections was 3.4 per 100 subjects, compared with 8.5 per 100 subjects in nonrecipients (P = 0.034), and the number of days absent from work per 100 subjects was 9.5, compared with 15.1 per 100 subjects in nonrecipients (P = 0.0003). The prevalence of adverse reactions to the vaccine was rather low. No serious adverse reactions were recorded and no one was absent from work because of adverse reactions. It is concluded that influenza vaccine is effective in preventing influenza and reducing absenteeism in health-care workers. The results of this study support recommendations for influenza vaccination in health-care workers.     

Ivermectin in combination with doxycycline for treating COVID-19 symptoms: a randomized trial

ObjectiveWe evaluated whether ivermectin combined with doxycycline reduced the clinical recovery time in adults with COVID-19 infection.MethodsThis was a randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled trial in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 symptoms randomly assigned to treatment (n = 200) and placebo (n = 200) groups. The primary outcome was duration from treatment to clinical recovery. Secondary outcomes were disease progression and persistent COVID-19 positivity by RT-PCR.ResultsAmong 556 screened patients, 400 were enrolled and 363 completed follow-up. The mean patient age was 40 years, and 59% were men. The median recovery time was 7 (4–10, treatment group) and 9 (5–12, placebo group) days (hazard ratio, 0.73; 95% confidence interval, 0.60–0.90). The number of patients with a ≤7-day recovery was 61% (treatment group) and 44% (placebo groups) (hazard ratio, 0.06; 95% confidence interval, 0.04–0.09). The proportion of patients who remained RT-PCR positive on day 14 and whose disease did not progress was significantly lower in the treatment group than in the placebo group.ConclusionsPatients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 infection treated with ivermectin plus doxycycline recovered earlier, were less likely to progress to more serious disease, and were more likely to be COVID-19 negative by RT-PCR on day 14.Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: {"type":"clinical-trial","attrs":{"text":"NCT04523831","term_id":"NCT04523831"}}NCT04523831.Data Repository IDDryad. doi:10.5061/dryad.qjq2bvqf6     

Adverse reactions to the first and second doses of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine among healthcare workers

IntroductionIn the current coronavirus infection 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the messenger RNA vaccines have been shown to help protect high-risk groups from COVID-19. Among healthcare workers vaccinated with Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, a survey was conducted to analyze the relationship between the incidence and severity of adverse reactions after vaccination.MethodsWe conducted a prospective self-reported survey of adverse reactions among healthcare workers vaccinated with the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine (Comirnaty®) in Japan. After the first and second dose of vaccine, local and systemic reactions for 8 days after vaccination were reported by volunteer participants using a website. After receiving vaccination, 374 respondents participated in this matched-pair study.ResultsBoth the incidence and severity of adverse reactions tended to be higher after the second vaccine dose than after the first dose. However, the incidence and numeric rating scale (NRS) score of muscle and skin pain were nearly the same after the first and second doses. In a comparison by sex, women had significantly higher incidence and NRS scores for adverse reactions such as headache, skin pain, erythema, and itching. The results also showed that younger age groups had higher incidence rates and NRS scores for all adverse reactions investigated, except for muscle pain, compared with older age groups.ConclusionSome adverse reactions to the Pfizer-BioNTech Comirnaty® COVID-19 vaccine showed gender and age differences. However, generally speaking, all side reactions disappear within a week. Therefore, these side reactions are not a significant concern in recommending vaccination.     

胶体金免疫层析法对呼吸道合胞病毒抗原快速检测结果分析

目的分析胶体金免疫层析法对呼吸道合胞病毒(RSV)抗原快速检测的灵敏度和特异度。方法用RSV抗原检测试剂盒(胶体金免疫层析法)对197例疑似RSV感染患者的鼻咽抽吸物或鼻咽拭子标本进行检测,以反转录聚合酶链反应(RT-PCR)核酸检测结果为参考,比较胶体金免疫层析法对不同类型标本和不同年龄组患者的灵敏度。结果 197例患者标本中经RT-PCR检测,95例(48.2%)为阳性。以RT-PCR核酸检测结果为标准,胶体金免疫层析法的灵敏度和特异度分别是34.7%和100%。该方法对鼻咽抽吸物的阳性检出率较鼻咽拭子高(36.2%对8.6%,P<0.01),鼻咽抽吸物标本的灵敏度明显高于鼻咽拭子(22.1%对12.6%)。RSV检出率与年龄呈负相关(P<0.01),1岁以下患儿的阳性检出率最高(29.5%),而在>5岁患儿中阳性检出率为0。结论胶体金免疫层析法对1岁以下幼儿的鼻咽抽吸物中的RSV有较好检测效果,可辅助临床进行早期筛查。但鉴于该方法灵敏度较低,且适用于5岁以下儿童,临床上还需用RT-PCR对RSV进行确认和补充检测,以免漏诊。     

COVID-19 impact on the liver

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic imposed arestructuring of global health systems by rethinking spaces used for the care of these patients and the additions of intensive care, infectious diseases and pneumology departments. This paper provides evidence on the presence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 in hepatocytes and its direct cytopathic activity, as well as the degree of liver damage due to drug toxicity, inflammation and hypoxia in COVID-19. A review of clinical trials has quantified liver damage through both pathology and biochemistry studies. Additionally, we briefly present the results of a study conducted in our clinic on 849 patients admitted for COVID-19 treatment, of which 31 patients had pre-existing chronic liver disease and 388 patients had values above the normal limit for alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and total bilirubin. It was observed that patients with abnormal liver tests were significantly statistically older, had more comorbidities and had a higher percentage of unfavourable evolution (death or transfer to intensive care). The conclusion of this paper is that the main causes of liver damage are direct viral aggression, coagulation dysfunction and endothelial damage, and patients with impaired liver function develop more severe forms of COVID-19 which requires special care by a multidisciplinary team that includes a hepatologist.     

赣南地区护士新冠肺炎知信行现况及影响因素分析

目的 调查赣南地区临床护士对新型冠状病毒肺炎的知识、态度及行为水平的现状,并探讨其影响因素。方法 采用自行设计的新型冠状病毒肺炎知信行问卷对赣南地区二级以上医院的395名临床护士进行调查,并采用多元线性回归模型分析影响临床护士新冠肺炎知信行的因素。结果 共收回有效问卷395份,赣南地区临床护士新型冠状病毒肺炎相关知识、信念、行为及问卷总分的平均得分分别为41.17±8.04分、40.82±3.46分、45.07±3.81分、127.07±10.55分。多元线性分析发现职称、科室、是否有发热门诊工作经历与是否有隔离病区工作经历是新冠肺炎知识的影响因素,知识得分会影响临床护士对新冠肺炎的态度,态度得分会影响临床护士对新冠肺炎的行为。结论 临床护士新冠肺炎的知识有待进一步提升,但临床护士对新冠肺炎在工作及生活中的态度和行为较为积极,应加强新冠肺炎的培训和学术交流,重点关注低年资护士和未相关经历的临床护士新冠肺炎知识培训,护理管理者应创新护理管理及培训方式,根据不同护士的学习能力开展多样化的培训方式,以达到更好的培训效果。     

Disparities in co-payments for influenza vaccine among the elderly,during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan

IntroductionSeasonal influenza vaccination for the elderly is highly recommended during the COVID-19 pandemic. In Japan, the amount of subsidy for influenza differs among municipalities. Thus, we investigated the amount of and variation in subsidy for influenza vaccination for the elderly in 2020.MethodsThis was an ecological study of 1,922 municipalities in Japan. The amount of subsidy for influenza vaccines for the elderly in each municipality was surveyed through websites or via telephone. Geographic and financial data for municipalities and prefectures were obtained from the open data. The amount of co-payment for the influenza vaccine and the geographical and financial status of each municipality were compared, according to the aging rate. Univariate logistic regression analysis was performed to explore factors related to the free influenza vaccine.ResultsMunicipalities with higher aging rates tended to have higher median co-payments for vaccines in 2020. (0 yen vs 1000 yen, p < 0.001) In addition, they tended to have worse financial conditions and lower per capita incomes. A similar trend was observed in the analysis by prefecture, i.e., a higher influenza mortality rate in prefectures with a higher aging rate. Despite having lower incomes, municipalities and prefectures with higher aging populations had higher mortality rates from influenza and higher co-payments for influenza vaccination.ConclusionsIn Japan, there is a disparity among elderly people; areas with an aging population have higher co-payments for influenza vaccines despite lower incomes, suggesting that the government needs to implement corrective measures to reduce this disparity.     

The impact of COVID-19 on the mental health workforce: A rapid review

The COVID-19 pandemic led to significant adaptations to healthcare. Provision of mental healthcare in a changing environment presented healthcare workers with unique challenges and demands, including changes in workload and expectations. To inform current and future healthcare service responses, and adaptations, the current review aimed to collate and examine the impact of the pandemic on mental healthcare workers (MHWs). We conducted a rapid systematic review to examine the overall impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on MHWs. Searches were conducted in Ovid Medline and PsycInfo and restricted to articles published from 2020. Inclusion criteria specified articles written in English, published in peer-reviewed journals, and that examined any outcome of the impact of COVID-19 on MHWs; 55 articles fulfilled these criteria. Outcomes were categorized into ‘work-related outcomes’ and ‘personal outcomes’. Mental healthcare workers worldwide experienced a range of work-related and personal adversities during the pandemic. Key work-related outcomes included increased workload, changed roles, burnout, decreased job satisfaction, telehealth challenges, difficulties with work-life balance, altered job performance, vicarious trauma and increased workplace violence. Personal outcomes included decreased well-being, increased psychological distress and psychosocial difficulties. These outcomes differed between inpatient, outpatient and remote settings. The COVID-19 pandemic significantly altered the delivery of mental healthcare and MHWs experienced both work-related and personal adversities during the COVID-19 pandemic. With the continuation of changes introduced to healthcare in the initial stages of the pandemic, it will be important to maintain efforts to monitor negative outcomes and ensure supports for MHWs, going forward.