bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Longitudinal determination of mRNA-vaccination induced strongly binding SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies in a cohort of Romanian healthcare workers
Authors: Korodi Mónika , Horváth István , Rákosi Kinga , Jenei Zsuzsanna , Hudák Gabriella , Kákes Melinda , Dallos-Fejér Katalin , Simai Enikő , Páll Orsolya , Staver Natalia , Briciu Violeta , Lupşe Mihaela , Flonta Mirela , Almaş Ariana , Birlutiu Victoria , Lupu Claudia Daniela , Ghibu Andreea Magdalena , Pianoschi Dana , Terza Livia-Maria , Fejer Szilard N. 
Published: March 2021

AbstractMass vaccination against the disease caused by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) was a crucial step in slowing the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in 2021. Even in the face of new variants, it still remains extremely important for reducing hospitalizations and COVID-19 deaths. Only limited data exists about the short- and long-term dynamics of humoral immune response. We present a longitudinal analysis of post-vaccination IgG levels in a cohort of 166 healthcare workers vaccinated with BNT162b2 with weekly follow-up until 35 days past the first dose and monthly follow-up up to 6 months post-vaccination. A subset of the patients continued with follow-up after 6 months and either received a booster dose or got infected during the Delta wave in Romania. Tests were carried out on 1697 samples using a CE-marked IgG ELISA assay developed in-house, containing S1 and N antigens of the wild type virus.Participants infected with SARS-CoV-2 before vaccination mount a quick immune response, reaching peak IgG levels two weeks after the first dose, while IgG levels of previously uninfected participants mount gradually, increasing abruptly after the second dose. Overall higher IgG levels are maintained for the previously infected group 35-70 days after vaccination. The decrease of IgG levels is gradual, with lower overall values in the infection naïve cohort even 7-8 months after vaccination, compared to the previously infected cohort. Administration of a booster dose yielded higher average IgG antibody levels than post second dose in the infection naïve group and comparable levels in the previously infected group.
Forecasting the Epidemiological Impact of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19): Pre-vaccination Era
Authors: Amusat Saheed Oladele 
Published: March 2021

ABSTRACTBackgroundDuring this pandemic, many studies have been published on the virology, diagnosis, prevention, and control of the novel coronavirus. However, fewer studies are currently available on the quantitative future epidemiological impacts. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to forecast the COVID-19 morbidities and associated-mortalities among the top 20 countries with the highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases globally prior to vaccination intervention.MethodWe conducted a secondary data analysis of the prospective geographic distribution of COVID-19 cases data worldwide as of 10 April 2020. The historical data was forecasted using Exponential-Smoothing to detect seasonality patterns and confidence intervals surrounding each predicted value in which 95 percent of the future points are expected to fall based on the forecast.ResultsThe total mean forecasted cases and deaths were 99,823 and 8,801. Interestingly, the US has the highest forecasted cases, deaths, and percentage cases-deaths ratio of 45,338, 2 358, and 5.20% respectively. China has the lowest cases, deaths, and percentage cases-deaths ratio −267, −2, and 0.75% respectively. In addition, France has the highest forecasted percentage cases-deaths ratio of 26.40% with forecasted cases, and deaths of 6,246, and 1,649 respectively.ConclusionOur study revealed the possibility of higher COVID-19 morbidities and associated-mortalities worldwide.
HLA and red blood cell antigen genotyping in SARS-CoV-2 convalescent plasma donors
Authors: Lemieux William , Perreault Josée , Leiva-Torres Gabriel André , Baillargeon Nadia , Yanez Jessica Constanzo , Chevrier Marie-Claire , Richard Lucie , Lewin Antoine , Trépanier Patrick 
Published: March 2021

AbstractIntroductionThe SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has put significant additional pressure on healthcare systems throughout the world. The identification of at-risk population beyond age, pre-existing medical conditions and socioeconomic status has been the subject of only a small part of the global COVID-19 research so far. To this day, more data is required regarding the association between HLA allele and red blood cell (RBC) antigens’ expression in regard to SARS-CoV-2 infection susceptibility and virus clearance capability, and COVID-19 susceptibility, severity, and duration.MethodsThe phenotypes for ABO and RhD, and the genotypes for 37 RBC antigens and HLA-A, B, C, DRB1, DQB1 and DPB1 were determined using high throughput platforms (Luminex and Next-generation Sequencing) in 90 Caucasian convalescent plasma donors. The results were compared to expected reference frequencies, local and international databases, and literature.ResultsThe AB group was significantly increased (1.5x, p=0.018) and a non-significant (2.2x, p=0.030) increase was observed for the FY*A allele frequency in the convalescent cohort (N=90) compared to reference frequencies. Some HLA alleles were found significantly overrepresented (HLA-B*44:02, C*05:01, DPB1*04:01, DRB1*04:01 and DRB1*07:01) or underrepresented (A*01:01, B51:01 and DPB1*04:02) in convalescent individuals compared to the local bone marrow registry population.ConclusionOur study of infection-susceptible but non-hospitalized Caucasian COVID-19 patients contributes to the global understanding of host genetic factors associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection susceptibility and severity of the associated disease.
SARS-CoV-2 spike protein gene variants with N501T and G142D mutation dominated infections in minks in the US
Authors: Cai Hugh Y. , Cai Allison 
Published: March 2021

AbstractLarge number of minks were infected with SARS-CoV-2 virus containing the spike protein Y453F mutation in Europe, causing zoonosis concerns. To evaluate the genetic characteristics of the US and Canadian mink-derived SARS-CoV-2 sequences, we analyzed all animal-derived (977), all Canadian (19,529) and US (173,277) SARS-CoV-2 sequences deposited in GISAID from December 2019 to March 12, 2021, and identified 2 dominant novel variants, the N501T-G142D variant and N501T-G142D-F486L variant, in the US mink-derived SARS-CoV-2 sequences. These variants were not found in minks from Canada or other countries. The Y453F mutation was not identified in the mink-derive sequences in the US and Canada. The N501T mutation occurred two months earlier in the human than in the minks in the US, and the novel N501T-G142D variant and N501T-G142D-F486L variant were found in human prior to minks. The result of this study indicates that the novel variants may have evolved during human infection and then transmitted to mink populations in the US.
Self-reported smell and taste recovery in COVID-19 patients: a one-year prospective study
Authors: Boscolo-Rizzo Paolo , Guida Francesco , Polesel Jerry , Marcuzzo Alberto Vito , Antonucci Paolo , Capriotti Vincenzo , Sacchet Erica , Cragnolini Fiordaliso , D’Alessandro Andrea , Zanelli Enrico , Marzolino Riccardo , Lazzarin Chiara , Tofanelli Margherita , Gardenal Nicoletta , Borsetto Daniele , Hopkins Claire , Vaira Luigi Angelo , Tirelli Giancarlo 
Published: March 2021

AbstractPurposeThe aim of the present study was to estimate the one-year prevalence and recovery rate of self-reported chemosensory dysfunction in a series of subjects with previous mild-to-moderate symptomatic COVID-19.MethodsProspective study based on the SNOT-22 (item sense of smell or taste) and additional outcomes.Results268/315 patients (85.1%) completing the survey at baseline also completed the follow-up interview. The 12-months prevalence of self-reported COVID-19 associated chemosensory dysfunction was 21.3% (95% CI: 16.5-26.7%). Of the 187 patients who complained of COVID-19 associated chemosensory dysfunction at baseline, 130 (69.5%; 95% CI 62.4-76.0%) reported complete resolution of smell or taste impairment, 41 (21.9%) reported a decrease in the severity, and 16 (8.6%) reported the symptom was unchanged or worse one year after onset. The risk of persistence was higher for patients reporting a baseline SNOT-22 score > o = 4 (OR=3.32; 95% CI: 1.32-8.36) as well as for those requiring > o = 22 days for a negative swab (OR=2.18; 95% CI: 1.12-4.27).ConclusionA substantial proportion of patients with previous mild-to-moderate symptomatic COVID-19 characterized by new onset of chemosensory dysfunction still complained on altered sense of smell or taste one-year after the onset.
Pregnancy loss and postpartum mortality in a sub-Saharan African setting
Authors: Moodley Yoshan , Eilerts Hallie , Herbst Kobus , Tanser Frank 
Published: March 2021

ABSTRACTObjectiveStudies from industrialized countries report a harmful association between pregnancy loss and postpartum mortality. However, the nature of this relationship has not been established in resource limited sub-Saharan Africa. Given the potential implications of this knowledge for risk stratification and subsequent maternal health in sub-Saharan Africa, our study sought to use data from one of the continent’s largest and longest running population-based cohorts to investigate the relationship between pregnancy loss and postpartum mortality.MethodsWe conducted a population-based cohort study involving 25048 postpartum women from KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The study data was collected during biannual/triannual general household surveys, which also incorporated a pregnancy questionnaire for women who reported a pregnancy between survey waves. Pregnancy loss was defined as a pregnancy which ended in abortion, miscarriage, or stillbirth. Postpartum mortality was defined as the death of a woman, from any cause, within one year after the date that her pregnancy ended. We used a quasi-poisson regression model, adjusted for maternal age and other setting-specific predictors of postpartum mortality, to investigate the relationship between pregnancy loss and postpartum mortality.ResultsThe incidence of postpartum mortality was three times higher in women who experienced pregnancy loss (Adjusted Incidence Rate Ratio: 3.23, 95% Confidence Interval: 2.13-4.71), when compared with women who had live births.ConclusionOur results reveal a clear association between pregnancy loss and increased postpartum mortality in a typical rural sub-Saharan African setting. Women who have recently experienced pregnancy loss should be targeted with a package of risk reduction interventions, including additional opportunities for medical care or psychosocial support.
SARS-CoV-2 genome sequencing from COVID-19 in Ecuadorian patients: a whole country analysis
Authors: Márquez Sully , Prado-Vivar Belén , José Guadalupe Juan , Becerra-Wong Mónica , Gutierrez Bernardo ,   Clinical COVID-19 Ecuador Consortium, Fernández-Cadena Juan Carlos , Andrade-Molina Derly , Morey-Leon Gabriel , Moncayo Miguel , Guevara Rommel , Coloma Josefina , Trueba Gabriel , Grunauer Michelle , Barragán Verónica , Rojas-Silva Patricio , Cárdenas Paúl 
Published: March 2021

AbstractSARS-CoV-2, the etiological agent of COVID-19, was first described in Wuhan, China in December 2019 and has now spread globally. Ecuador was the second country in South America to confirm cases and Guayaquil was one of the first cities in the world to experience high mortality due to COVID-19. The aim of this study was to describe the lineages circulating throughout the country and to compare the mutations in local variants, to the reference strain. In this work we used the MinION platform (Oxford Nanopore Technologies) to sequence the whole SARS-CoV-2 genomes of 119 patients from all provinces of Ecuador, using the ARTIC network protocols. Our data from lineage assignment of the one hundred and nineteen whole genomes revealed twenty different lineages. All genomes presented differences in the S gene compared to the Wuhan reference strain, being the D614G amino acid replacement the most common change. The B.1.1.119 lineage was the most frequent and was found in several locations in the Coast and Andean region. Three sequences were assigned to the new B.1.1.7 lineage. Our work is an important contribution to the understanding of the epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 in Ecuador and South America.HighlightsAll 119 genomes showed mutations compared to the reference strain, which could be important to understand the virulence, severity and transmissibility of the virus.Until January 17, three sequences were assigned to the new B.1.1.7 lineage.Our findings suggest that there were at least twenty independent introductions of SARS-CoV-2 to Ecuador.Article Summary LineWe report 119 sequences of SARS-CoV-2 across all Ecuadorian provinces, 20 different lineages were found until January 17th, including B.1.1.7.
Viral And Antibody Testing For Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19): Factors Associated With Positivity In Electronic Health Records From The United States
Authors: Lindsay Lisa , Secrest Matthew H. , Rizzo Shemra , Keebler Dan , Yang Fei , Tsai Larry W. 
Published: March 2021

AbstractBackgroundInsufficient information on SARS-CoV-2 testing results exists in clinical practice from the United States.MethodsWe conducted an observational retrospective cohort study using Optum® de-identified COVID-19 electronic health records from the United States to characterize patients who received a SARS-CoV-2 viral or antibody test between February 20, 2020 and July 10, 2020. We assessed temporal trends in testing and positivity by demographic and clinical characteristics; evaluated concordance between viral and antibody tests; and identified factors associated with positivity via multivariable logistic regression.ResultsOur study population included 891,754 patients. Overall positivity rate for SARS-CoV-2 was 9% and 12% for viral and antibody tests, respectively. Positivity rate was inversely associated with the number of individuals tested and decreased over time across regions and race/ethnicities. Among patients who received a viral test followed by an antibody test, concordance ranged from 90%-93% depending on the duration between the two tests which is notable given uncertainties related to specific viral and antibody test characteristics. The following factors increased the odds of viral and antibody positivity in multivariable models: male, Hispanic or non-Hispanic Black and Asian, uninsured or Medicaid insurance, Northeast residence, dementia, diabetes, and obesity. Charlson Comorbidity Index was negatively associated with test positivity. We identified symptoms that were positively associated with test positivity, as well as, commonly co-occurring symptoms / conditions. Pediatric patients had reduced odds of a positive viral test, but conversely had increased odds of a positive antibody test.ConclusionsThis study identified sociodemographic and clinical factors associated with SARS-CoV-2 testing and positivity within routine clinical practice from the United States.
Seroprevalence of IgG antibody against SARS-CoV-2 among health care workers of anaesthesia departments from various hospital settings in India
Authors: Parai Debaprasad , Choudhary Hari Ram , Dash Girish Chandra , Peter Annalisha , Saket Dipika , Roy Ritesh , Agarwal Gaurav , Sahoo Saroj , Rout Usha Kiran , Nanda Rashmi Ranjan , Pati Sanghamitra , Bhattacharya Debdutta 
Published: March 2021

AbstractBackgroundHealth care workers (HCWs) are the most susceptible group to get COVID-19 infection and this group always need special attention as they are the key human resource to contain this pandemic.ObjectiveTo track down the seroprevalence among a particular group of HCWs working in the anaesthesia department in hospital settings.Study designTwo rounds of serosurvey were done to track the dynamicity among the 128 and 164 HCWs participants in the first round and second round, respectively. 5 mL of blood was collected and IgG SARS-CoV-2 antibody was tested in Abbott Architect i1000SR.ResultsThe seroprevalence found in the first and second round was 12.5% and 38.4%, respectively. A significant number (n=61, 77.21%) of seropositivity came from the asymptomatic HCWs group as found in both the survey. There was no significant association among different age, gender and RT-PCR tested groups.ConclusionRoutine diagnosis of COVID-19 should be referred among HCWs to identify and act upon unrecognized SARS-CoV-2 infection.
The Acute Treatment of Migraine with Low-Dose Naltrexone and acetaminophen Combinations and Each Component: Findings of a Small, Randomized, Double-Blind, and Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial
Authors: Toledano Annette C. 
Published: March 2021

ABSTRACTWe tested two low-dose naltrexone and acetaminophen combinations and each component in the acute treatment of migraine. The patients use a single-dose of the study medication for a moderate or severe pain intensity migraine attack. Patients were adults with migraine with or without aura experiencing 2 to 20 (average 6.4) monthly migraine days. The co-primary endpoints were pain-freedom and absence of prospectively-identified most bothersome migraine-associated symptom 2 hours after dosing. We randomized 92 patients; 72 completed the study (mean age, 43 years; 75% women). Pain-freedom at 2 hours was 10.2% higher than placebo with naltrexone 2.25 mg/acetaminophen 325 mg, 10.9% with naltrexone 3.25 mg/acetaminophen 325 mg, 17.3% with naltrexone 2.25 mg, and 31.3% with acetaminophen 325 mg. The treatment groups’ migraine burden at baseline was unbalanced due to randomized patients’ uneven study completion. The acetaminophen group had the lowest migraine burden, giving its results lower credibility.Saliently, Low-dose naltrexone alone (n=19) had a 17.3% higher response rate for headache pain-freedom at 2 hours than placebo (n=17). The naltrexone and the placebo groups were the largest and had a balanced disease burden, implying higher credibility to the naltrexone group results. We found low-dose naltrexone and acetaminophen combination, low-dose naltrexone, and acetaminophen had higher response rates than placebo in treating headache pain. The most commonly reported adverse events were sedation, nausea, and dizziness. We postulate that naltrexone’s toll-like receptor (TLR4) antagonism properties prevent pro-inflammatory cytokines’ production in the trigeminal ganglion averting “overactive nerves” (layman’s term) and migraine. Although this trial used low-dose naltrexone (defined as 1 – 5 mg/day), future phase 3 studies will test a range of naltrexone and acetaminophen combination doses.
High incidence of pulmonary thromboembolism in hospitalized SARS-CoV-2 infected patients
Authors: El-Qutob D , Alvarez L , García-Sidro P , Robustillo M , Barreda I , Nieto M , Pin M , Carrera-Hueso FJ 
Published: March 2021

AbstractIntroductionSARS-CoV-2 infected patients present thrombotic complications caused by direct endothelial cells injury of the microvessels. Pulmonary thromboembolism (PE) has been reported by Computed Tomography pulmonary angiogram (CTPA) in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia with high D-dimer levels.ObjectivesWe present the characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 infected patients diagnosed of PE by CTPA in our hospital. We also present the comparison of these findings with non-infected patients with PE data.MethodsPatients 18 years of age or older with SARS-CoV2 virus infection, and patients with suspected infection at beginning of admission but with negative PCR, were studied with CTPA for suspicion of VTE, during their hospitalization.ResultsDuring the study period, 52 CTPA were performed in our hospital, sixteen in SARS-CoV-2 infected patients. No significant differences in age (p=0.43) and sex (p=0.31) were found between the two groups, infected and non-infected patients. In the infected group, the patients who had PE had a much lower median age (47.8 years) than those without PE (73.3 years). No differences between infected and non-infected patients were detected in the diagnosis of PE with CTPA, 28.6% versus 27.8% (p=1.00). Overall patient mortality was 1.9%; one patient died (6.3%) in the infected group, and none in the non-infected group (p=0.31).ConclusionA considerable incidence of PE diagnosed by CTPA in SARS-CoV-2 infected patients has been observed, despite thrombo-prophylaxis.
Mitigating Covid-19 aerosol infection risk in school buildings: the role of natural ventilation, classroom volume, occupancy
Authors: Zivelonghi Alessandro , Lai Massimo 
Published: March 2021

AbstractIssues linked to aerosol physics within school buildings and related infection risk still lack a proper recognition in school safety regulations. In this theoretical work we try to shed more light on the critical role of air ventilation, classroom volume, occupancy, and face mask types (surgical vs ffp2) in controlling airborne transmission risk in educational settings. Limited spaces available in many schools require to precisely assess the occupancy/volume ratio in each classroom and to investigate the specific risk levels from aerosolization of viral loads from infective sources. Moreover, most schools are not provided with mechanical HVAC systems. Fundamental questions are therefore: how the specific classroom volume affects the long-range contagion risk in a given classroom? is linear social distancing the right way to assess a volumetric risk problem? How effective are other countermeasures like reduced speaking volume or equipping teachers with microphones? We present here the results of a numerical analysis based on the Gammaitoni-Nucci infection risk model and the consolidated Wells-Riley like approach, with SARS-CoV2 input data and geometric data from a typical high-school classroom in Italy. We investigated separately the case of infective asymptomatic student and infective asymptomatic teacher as source of viral quanta, taking into account thermal gradient effects on the air ventilation rates. First recommendations based on the volumetric nature of aerosol risk are suggested to extend the linear social distancing approach applied so far. Finally we discuss the concept of “cumulative infection risk” over multiple lesson+break cycles in Wells-Riley-like infection models. We believe that any attempt to proper model infection risk in closed environments with cycled changes of the source and the susceptible individuals, should carefully consider this point, particularly when modelling air ventilation breaks in classrooms.