ABSTRACT
Background: Hemodialysis patients are susceptible population for COVID-19 the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, with early diagnosis being an urgent and needed because they are considered a population with high risk for severe and serious conditions. Purpose: The objective of our study was to estimate whether sudden-onset anosmia allow to detect COVID-19 infection early in hemodialysis patients without classic symptoms (who did not present malaise, respiratory or gastrointestinal symptoms at the beginning of the disease). Methodology: A diagnostic test study was accomplished during the months of September and October 2020 in three hemodialysis units in Colombia. Adult patients without classic symptoms for COVID-19 were included. Patients with previous COVID-19 infection or with a history of smell alteration were excluded. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were collected, prior signature of informed con-sent endorsed by the ethics committee. Anosmia was evaluated with objective test for odor detection before the start of hemodialysis session. Results: 587 patients were included. Anosmia prevalence was 0.85 % (5 patients) and the incidence of COVID-19 was 1.19 % (7 patients). There was no statistically difference in demographic, clinical, and laboratory comparison between patients with and without anosmia. The presence of anosmia had a sensitivity and a positive predictive value of 0 %, but a specificity of 99.14 % and a negative predictive value of 98.8 %. The accuracy was 97.9 %. Conclusions: The prevalence of anosmia in our hemodialysis population was low. Any symptoms (in-cluding altered sense of smell) should be investigated in TRIAGE as a strategy to detect early individual cases of COVID-19 or an outbreak in hemodialysis units. © 2022, Asociacion Colombiana de Nefrologia e Hipertension Arterial. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
Background: SARS-CoV-2 is a coronavirus described for the first time in China, in December 2019. This virus can cause a disease with a very variable spectrum that ranges from asymptomatic cases to deaths. The most severe cases are normally associated with comorbidities and with the age of the patient. However, there are patients who are not part of these risk groups and develop severe cases. Objetive: To determine the association between coinfections by SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory viruses and their clincal outcome. Material and methods: RT-qPCR was performed to determine the presence of 16 respiratory viruses in 103 confirmed COVID-19 cases. Demographic and comorbid data were collected, and statistical analyzes were performed to determine associations with severity. Results: Of the 103 analyzed cases, 14 (13.6%) presented a coinfection, of these, 92% did not require hospitalization, even in those cases in which the patient presented advanced age and some comorbidities. Conclusions: These results suggest that coinfection of SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory viruses is not related to a more severe form of COVID-19 and, in some cases, depending on the virus involved, it could even lead to a better prognosis. These findings lay the foundations for the development of new studies that could determine the biological mechanism of this phenomenon.
ABSTRACT
In the efforts to explain COVID-19 pathophysiology, studies are being carried out on the correspondence between the expression of SARS-CoV-2 cell receptors and viral sequences. ACE2, CD147 and TMPRSS2 receptors expression could indicate poorly explored potential infection targets. For the genomic analysis of SARS-CoV-2 receptors, using BioGPS information was decided, which is a portal that centralizes genetic annotation resources, in combination with that of The Human Protein Atlas, the largest portal of human transcriptome and proteome data. We also reviewed the most recent articles on the subject. RNA and viral receptor proteins expression was observed in numerous anatomical sites, which partially coincides with the information reported in the literature. High expression in testicular cells markedly stood out, and it would be therefore important ruling out whether this anatomical site is a SARS-CoV-2 reservoir;otherwise, germ cell damage, as it is observed in infections with other RNA viruses, should be determined.