Pre-analytical considerations in the development of a prototype SARS-CoV-2 antigen ARCHITECT automated immunoassay.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate pre-analytical challenges related to high-volume central laboratory SARS-CoV-2 antigen testing with a prototype qualitative SARS-CoV-2 antigen immunoassay run on the automated Abbott ARCHITECT instrument. METHODS: Contrived positive and negative specimens and de-identified nasal and nasopharyngeal specimens in transport media were used to evaluate specimen and reagent on-board stability, assay analytical performance and interference, and clinical performance. RESULTS: TCID50/mL values were similar for specimens in various transport media. Inactivated positive clinical specimens and viral lysate (USA-WA1/2020) were positive on the prototype immunoassay. Within-laboratory imprecision was ≤0.10 SD (<1.00 S/C) with a ≤10% CV (≥1.00 S/C). Assay reagents were stable on board the instrument for 14 days. No high-dose hook effect was observed with a SARS-CoV-2 stock of Ct 13.0 (RLU>1.0 × 106). No interference was observed from mucin, whole blood, 12 drugs, and more than 20 cross-reactants. While specimen stability was limited at room temperature for specimens with or without viral inactivation, a single freeze/thaw cycle or long-term storage (>30 days) at -20 °C did not adversely impact specimen stability or assay performance. Specificity of the prototype SARS-CoV-2 antigen immunoassay was ≥98.5% and sensitivity was ≥89.5% across two ARCHITECT instruments. Assay sensitivity was inversely correlated with Ct and was similar to that reported for the Roche Elecsys® SARS-CoV-2 Ag immunoassay. CONCLUSIONS: The prototype SARS-CoV-2 antigen ARCHITECT immunoassay is sensitive and specific for detection of SARS-CoV-2 in nasal and nasopharyngeal specimens. Endogenous proteases in mucus may degrade the target antigen, which limits specimen storage and transport times and complicates assay workflow.

Ukraine war refugees - threats and new challenges for healthcare in Poland.

BACKGROUND: Between February 2022, when the war in Ukraine began, and April 1, 2022, the number of refugees to neighboring countries reached 4,137,842 people. The majority have fled to Poland. The main challenge for the health system in Poland in this situation is how to develop effective adaptation measures. AIM: The aim of this study is to describe threats and challenges to public health related in particular to infectious diseases and to identify the resources of the healthcare system that are necessary to meet the needs of the recent war refugees and the Polish population. METHODS: Scientific publications, statistical data from national and international organizations, information obtained from public institutions in Poland and Ukraine, and reliable sources of up-to-date information on the Internet were used. Key data on threats and challenges to public health were collected and presented. FINDINGS: Differences were observed between Poland and Ukraine in terms of immunization programmes and their implementation as well as in relation to the prevalence of selected infectious diseases. The increase in demand for healthcare resources in Poland was estimated on the basis of current indicators. Both the possibilities of counteracting epidemic threats related to the current situation and possible consequences for the availability of services and the health condition of all people currently staying in Poland were presented. CONCLUSION: European countries may experience public health threats due to the influx of war refugees. The data presented could be useful for European countries while developing effective strategies to mitigate public health issues.

Does Politics Influence Crisis Communication? An Analysis of Health Minister Nelu Tătaru's Discourses During the COVID-19 Pandemic

. Crises are special instances in which leadership figures test their public communication skills. The COVID-19 pandemic represents one of these scenarios, in which responsible institutions are required to manage a communication process that provides information and builds trust amongst the public. To assess communication efficiency, it is essential to put under a lens the communication efforts of political leaders mandated to communicate with the public. This paper analyzes the communication of Romanian health minister Nelu T&acaron;taru, one of the critical voices managing pandemic communication in the country. To illustrate the communicationalprofile of the leader investigation, this research aims to investigate how the subject navigated between crisis communication and political communication throughout his public statements. Building on crisis communication research, this paper displays the discursive approaches of T&acaron;tarus COVID-19 rhetoric in 2020. The analysis of the Health Ministers discourses reveals an overview of the approach to crisis communication by main political actors. The results show a lack of accuracy, predictability, and clarity of the messages transmitted to the public. What is more, the results of the discourse analysis reflect a tendency of discourses in the Romanian public sphere towards populist messages, which intensely use elements of partisan, subjective or wooden language, to divert attention from the main issues.

Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy procedure for uterine sarcoma following a COVID-19 infection-case report

In the current context of the COVID-19 pandemic, major oncologic surgery sometimes had to be postponed for fear of overcrowding the intensive care units, the risk of cross-contamination or the risk of severe morbidity and mortality associated with a perioperative COVID- 19 infection. In this setting, we want to present the first case of a patient who received a hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) procedure for uterine sarcoma following a COVID-19 infection. To date, the patient is in good condition and has not developed any postoperative complications.

PERCEPTIONS OF COVID-19 VACCINATION AMONG HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS IN ROMANIA

The first case of new coronavirus infection was reported first in the Wuhan city area from China in December 2019. The virus spread rapidly worldwide, produced an atypical cluster of pneumonia, was known all over the world as Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and, in Romania, first case was registered on the 26th of February. In Romania, the number of cases increased constantly, and a lot of healthcare professionals were infected with SARS-CoV-2. Aim: The aim of our study was to assess the opinion of healthcare professionals on the situation generated by the COVID-19 pandemic and to find what treatment against COVID-19 (a future vaccine, hydroxychloroquine) would be accepted by healthcare professionals. Material and methods: We used an online survey that was conducted from April 15th, 2020 to May 15th, 2020. The survey was developed using Google Forms and included 15 items. The respondents were recruited from health professionals (physicians, pharmacists and nurses), and future health professionals. Results: a number of 529 healthcare professionals were included in the study from different cities of the country. A total of 365 respondents (69%) agreed with the COVID-19 vaccine. Differences in accepting the vaccination against COVID-19 coverage by profession (p=0.011<0.05) were found. Conclusions: Based on the assessment of the current COVID-19 situation globally, the COVID-19 vaccines must be inoculated to the healthcare workers, but training on vaccination and compulsory measures may be needed in order to achieve better coverage.