Hemodynamic changes in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection presenting for cesarean delivery under spinal anesthesia: a retrospective case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is associated with adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes. Early studies suggested that COVID-19 was associated with a higher incidence of hypotension following neuraxial anesthesia in parturients. We explored the hemodynamic response to spinal anesthesia for cesarean delivery in pregnant severe respiratory distress syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) positive patients, using a retrospective case-control design. METHODS: We searched our electronic medical records for patients who received spinal anesthesia for cesarean delivery, and were SARS-CoV-2 positive or recovered at delivery, and used historical and SARS-CoV-2 negative controls from two tertiary care hospitals. We compared the demographic, clinical, and hemodynamic variables between patients who were SARS-CoV-2 positive at delivery, those who were positive during pregnancy and recovered before delivery, and controls. Analyses were stratified by normotensive versus hypertensive status of the patients at delivery. RESULTS: We identified 22 SARS-CoV-2 positive, 73 SARS-CoV-2 recovered, and 1517 controls. The SARS-CoV-2 positive, and recovered pregnant patients, had on average 5.6 and 2.2 mmHg, respectively, higher post-spinal mean arterial pressures (MAPs) than control patients, adjusting for covariates. Additionally, the lowest post-spinal MAP was negatively correlated with the number of daysbetween the onset of COVID-19 symptoms and delivery in patients with hypertension (correlation -0.55, 95% CI -0.81 to -0.09). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy exhibit less spinal hypotension than non-infected patients. While the clinical significance of this finding is unknown, it points to important cardiovascular effects of the virus.

Virus shedding dynamics in asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic patients infected with SARS-CoV-2.

OBJECTIVES: Asymptomatic patients, together with those with mild symptoms of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), may play an important role in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission. However, the dynamics of virus shedding during the various phases of the clinical course of COVID-19 remains unclear at this stage. METHODS: A total of 18 patients found to be positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection by real-time reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) assay and admitted to Chongqing University Central Hospital between 29 January and 5 February 2020 were enrolled into this study. Medical data, pulmonary computed tomographic (CT) scan images and RT-PCR results were periodically collected during the patients' hospital stay. All participants were actively followed up for 2 weeks after discharge. RESULTS: A total of nine (50%) asymptomatic patients and nine (50%) patients with mild symptoms of COVID-19 were identified at admission. Six patients (66.7%) who were asymptomatic at admission developed subjective symptoms during hospitalization and were recategorized as being presymptomatic. The median duration of virus shedding was 11.5, 28 and 31 days for presymptomatic, asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic patients, separately. Seven patients (38.9%) continued to shed virus after hospital discharge. During the convalescent phase, detectable antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 and RNA were simultaneously observed in five patients (27.8%). CONCLUSIONS: Long-term virus shedding was documented in patients with mild symptoms and in asymptomatic patients. Specific antibody production to SARS-CoV-2 may not guarantee virus clearance after discharge. These observations should be considered when making decisions regarding clinical and public health, and when considering strategies for the prevention and control of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

[Effects on the integrated treatment of colorectal cancer patients during COVID-19 epidemic in China: a cross-sectional study].

Objective: To understand the treatment status and effects on colorectal cancer (CRC) patients in China during the COVID-19 pandemic, and provide evidence for decision-making for health-care workers. Methods: The method of cross-sectional study was applied. A questionnaire survey of CRC patients in China was carried out. Their basic and treatment information during the COVID-19 were collected and associated effects on treatment, nursing, state of psychology and needs of social support were analyzed. Results: Of the 1147 participants in the study, 635 (55.4%) were male and 512 (44.6%) were female with mean age of (52.8±12.8) years. The treatment or follow up of 896 (78.1%) CRC patients were affected during the COVID-19 outbreak. A total of 253 patients (22.1%) had their treatment regiments changed, of whom 141 (12.3%) had their chemotherapy regiments postponed or changed, and 83 patients (7.2%) had their surgical treatment affected. Among the above 83 patients, 39 patients (3.4%) underwent emergency surgery. A total of 277 patients (24.1%) had their out-of-hospital care needs affected, mainly due to maintenance of PICC (49.5%, 137/277). CRC patients had poorer sleep quality and increased levels of insomnia than before (P<0.001), and were more distressed, anxious, depressed, and angry than they were before. They presented the more requirements of help (P<0.001). In addition, 376 patients (32.8%) had received telemedicine services, but only 36.4% (137/376) of them were satisfied. Conclusions: The COVID-19 epidemic has effect on the integrated treatment of CRC patients include diagnosis, treatment, examination and prognosis. While protecting CRC patients from being infected with SARS-CoV-2, health-care workers should also actively help them to receive timely and correct treatment and pay attention to their nursing, nutritional, psychological and social support needs in the COVID-19 epidemic.