Optimization of medical waste recycling network considering disposal capacity bottlenecks under a novel coronavirus pneumonia outbreak.

The sudden outbreak and prolonged impact of the global novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) epidemic has caused an increase in demand for medical products, such as masks and protective clothing, leading to an exponential increase in the generation of medical waste. As medical waste under the epidemic is highly infectious, it poses a great danger to human health. Therefore, with the proliferation of medical waste, it has become crucial to construct a reverse logistics recycling network that can handle medical waste quickly and efficiently. In this study, we construct a multi-period medical waste emergency reverse logistics network siting model with the objectives of minimum cost, minimum safety risk, and minimum time for the safe and quick disposal of medical waste. The model considers disposal capacity bottlenecks of existing facilities. Based on an empirical analysis using the COVID-19 epidemic in New York City, USA, as a case study, we find that the use of a suitable number of synergistic facilities and the establishment of temporary medical waste disposal centers are viable options for handling the dramatic increase in medical waste during the peak of the COVID-19 epidemic.

Intravenous immunoglobulin-based adjuvant therapy for severe COVID-19: a single-center retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a major challenge facing the world. Certain guidelines issued by National Health Commission of the People's Repubilic of China recommend intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) for adjuvant treatment of COVID-19. However, there is a lack of clinical evidence to support the use of IVIG. METHODS: This single-center retrospective cohort study included all adult patients with laboratory-confirmed severe COVID-19 in the Respiratory and Critical Care Unit of Dabie Mountain Regional Medical Center, China. Patient information, including demographic data, laboratory indicators, the use of glucocorticoids and IVIG, hospital mortality, the application of mechanical ventilation, and the length of hospital stay was collected. The primary outcome was the composite end point, including death and the use of mechanical ventilation. The secondary outcome was the length of hospital stay. RESULTS: Of the 285 patients with confirmed COVID-19, 113 severely ill patients were included in this study. Compared to the non-IVIG group, more patients in the IVIG group reached the composite end point [12 (25.5%) vs 5 (7.6%), P = 0.008] and had longer hospital stay periods [23.0 (19.0-31.0) vs 16.0 (13.8-22.0), P < 0.001]. After adjusting for confounding factors, differences in primary outcomes between the two groups were not statistically significant (P = 0.167), however, patients in the IVIG group had longer hospital stay periods (P = 0.041). CONCLUSION: Adjuvant therapy with IVIG did not improve in-hospital mortality rates or the need for mechanical ventilation in severe COVID-19 patients. Our study does not support the use of immunoglobulin in patients with severe COVID-19 patients.

Intravenous Immunoglobulin-based Adjuvant Therapy for Severe COVID-19: a Single-center Retrospective Cohort Study (preprint)

Objective Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a major challenge facing the world. Certain guidelines recommend intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) for adjuvant treatment of COVID-19. However, there is a lack of clinical evidence to support the use of IVIG.Methods This single-center retrospective cohort study included all adult patients with laboratory-confirmed severe COVID-19 in the Respiratory and Critical Care Unit of Dabie Mountain Regional Medical Center, China. Patient information, including demographic data, laboratory indicators, the use of glucocorticoids and IVIG, hospital mortality, the application of mechanical ventilation, and the length of hospital stay was collected. The primary outcome was the composite end point, including death and the use of mechanical ventilation. The secondary outcome was the length of hospital stay.Results Of the 285 patients with confirmed COVID-19, 113 severely ill patients were included in this study. Compared with the non-IVIG group, more patients in the IVIG group reached the composite end point [12 (25.5%) vs 5 (7.6%), P=0.008]. However, there was no statistically significant difference in the primary outcome between the two groups (P=0.167) after adjusting for confounding factors. Patients in the IVIG group had a longer hospital stay [23.0 (19.0-31.0) vs 16.0 (13.8-22.0), P<0.001]. After adjusting for confounding factors, there was still a statistically significant difference between the two groups (P=0.041).Conclusion Adjuvant therapy with IVIG did not improve the in-hospital mortality rate or the need for mechanical ventilation in patients with severe COVID-19. In contrast, the application of IVIG was related to a longer hospital stay.

The changes of the peripheral CD4+ lymphocytes and inflammatory cytokines in Patients with COVID-19.

To investigate the clinical value of changes in the subtypes of peripheral blood lymphocytes and levels of inflammatory cytokines in patients with COVID-19, the total numbers of lymphocytes and CD4+ lymphocytes and the ratio of CD4+/CD8+ lymphocytes were calculated and observed in different groups of patients with COVID-19. The results show that the lymphocytopenia in patients with COVID-19 was mainly manifested by decreases in the CD4+ T lymphocyte number and the CD4+/CD8+ ratio. The decreased number of CD4+ T lymphocytes and the elevated levels of TNF-α and IL-6 were correlated with the severity of COVID-19 disease.