Nocardia neocaledoniensis as Rare Cause of Spondylodiscitis.

Nocardia neocaledoniensis is a rare species of Nocardia bacteria, identified in 2004 in hypermagnesian ultramafic soil of New Caledonia. Culture of this opportunistic pathogen from spinal biopsy samples confirmed N. neocaledoniensis spondylodiscitis in an immunocompromised man. Isolation of this unusual species from spinal biopsy samples illustrates its underappreciated ability to cause invasive infection.

Prevalence of post-acute coronavirus disease 2019 symptoms twelve months after hospitalization in participants retained in follow-up: analyses stratified by gender from a large prospective cohort.

OBJECTIVES: Persistent post-acute coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) symptoms (PACSs) have been reported up to 6 months after hospital discharge. Herein we assessed the symptoms that persisted 12 months (M12) after admission for COVID-19 in the longitudinal prospective national French coronavirus disease cohort. METHODS: Hospitalized patients with a confirmed virological diagnosis of COVID-19 were enrolled. Follow-up was planned until M12 after admission. Associations between persistence of ≥3 PACSs at M12 and clinical characteristics at admission were assessed through logistic regression according to gender. RESULTS: We focused on participants enrolled between 24 January 2020 and 15 July 2020, to allow M12 follow-up. The M12 data were available for 737 participants. Median age was 61 years, 475 (64%) were men and 242/647 (37%) were admitted to intensive care units during the acute phase. At M12, 27% (194/710) of the participants had ≥3 persistent PACS, mostly fatigue, dyspnoea and joint pain. Among those who had a professional occupation before the acute phase, 91 out of 339 (27%) were still on sick leave at M12. Presence of ≥3 persistent PACS was associated with female gender, both anxiety and depression, impaired health-related quality of life and Medical Muscle Research Council Scale <57. Compared with men, women more often reported presence of ≥3 persistent PACSs (98/253, 39% vs. 96/457, 21%), depression and anxiety (18/152, 12% vs. 17/268, 6% and 33/156, 21% vs. 26/264, 10%, respectively), impaired physical health-related quality of life (76/141, 54% vs. 120/261, 46%). Women had less often returned to work than men (77/116, 66% vs. 171/223, 77%). CONCLUSIONS: One fourth of the individuals admitted to hospital for COVID-19 still had ≥3 persistent PACSs at M12 post-discharge. Women reported more often ≥3 persistent PACSs, suffered more from anxiety and depression and had less often returned to work than men.

Prevalence of post-acute COVID-19 symptoms twelve months after hospitalisation in participants retained in follow-up: analyses stratified by gender from a large prospective cohort

Objectives Persistent post-acute COVID-19 symptom (PACS) have been reported up to 6-months (M6) after hospital discharge. Here we assessed, in the longitudinal prospective national French COVID cohort, symptoms that persisted 12-months (M12) after admission for COVID-19. Methods Hospitalized patients with a virologically-confirmed COVID-19 were enrolled. Follow-up was planned until M12 post-admission. Associations between persistence of ≥3 PACS at M12 and clinical characteristics at admission were assessed through logistic regression according to gender. Results We focused on participants enrolled between January 24th and July 15th 2020, in order to allow M12 follow-up. M12 data were available for 737 participants. Median age was 61 years, 475 (64%) were men and 242/647 (37%) were admitted to ICU during the acute phase. At M12, 194/710 (27%) of participants had ≥3 persistent PACS, mostly fatigue, dyspnea and joint pain. Among those who had a professional occupation before the acute phase 91/339 (27%) were still on sick leave at M12. Presence of ≥3 persistent PACS was associated with female gender, both anxiety and depression, impaired health-related quality of life (HRQL) and mMRC scale <57. Compared to men, women more often reported presence of >3 persistent PACS (98/253, 39% vs 96/457, 21%), depression and anxiety (18/152, 12% vs 17/268, 6% and 33/156, 21% vs 26/264, 10%, respectively), impaired physical HRQL (76/141, 54% vs 120/261, 46%). Women had less often returned to work than men (77/116, 66% vs 171/223, 77%). Conclusions A fourth of individuals admitted to hospital for COVID-19 still had ≥3 persistent PACS at M12 post-discharge. Women reported more often ≥3 persistent PACS, suffered more from anxiety and depression, and had less often returned to work than men.

No Impact of Corticosteroid Use During the Acute Phase on Persistent Symptoms Post-COVID-19.

Persistent COVID-19 symptoms may be related to residual inflammation, but no preventive treatment has been evaluated. This study aimed to analyze, in a prospective cohort, whether corticosteroid use in the acute phase of COVID-19 in hospitalized patients may reduce the risk of persistent COVID-19 symptoms. A total of 306 discharged patients, including 112 (36.6%) from the ICU, completed a structured face-to-face assessment 4 months after admission. Of these, 193 patients (63.1%) had at least one persistent symptom, mostly dyspnea (38.9%) and asthenia (37.6%). One-hundred and four patients have received corticosteroids. In multivariable adjusted regression analysis, corticosteroid use was not associated with the presence of at least one symptom (OR=1.00, 95% CI: 0.58-1.71, p=0.99) or with the number of persistent symptoms (p=0.74). Corticosteroid use remained ineffective when analyzing the ICU subpopulation separately. Our study suggests that corticosteroid use had no impact on persistent symptoms after COVID-19 in discharged patients.

Number of initial symptoms is more related to long COVID-19 than acute severity of infection: a prospective cohort of hospitalized patients.

OBJECTIVES: Post-COVID-19 symptoms experienced by many survivors have a further devastating effect. This study aimed to analyze the risk factors associated with long COVID-19 in a prospective cohort of hospitalized patients including those requiring intensive care unit (ICU) transfer, taking into account objective measures of COVID-19 severity. METHODS: Hospitalized patients with confirmed COVID-19 were enrolled. A structured follow-up visit was performed 4 months after hospital admission. Multivariable adjusted regression models were used to analyse the association between parameters at the acute phase and persistent symptoms. RESULTS: A follow-up visit was performed in 316 patients including 115 (36.4%) discharged from the ICU. Mean age was 64.1 years, and 201 patients (58.3%) were men. Female sex (odds ratio [OR], 1.94; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.17-3.22; P =.01), hypertension (OR, 2.01; 95% CI, 1.22-3.31; P <.01), and the number of initial symptoms (NIS) (OR, 1.35; 95% CI, 1.17-1.54; P <.001) were significantly associated with long COVID-19. Number of persistent symptoms was significantly associated with NIS (adjusted incidence rate ratio [aIRR], 1.16; 95% CI, 1.11-1.22; P <.001), female sex (aIRR, 1.56; 95% CI 1.29-1.87; P <.001), hypertension (aIRR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.02-1.50; P =.03), and length of stay in hospital (aIRR, 1.01; 95% CI, 1.005-1.017; P <.001). CONCLUSION: Our study suggested that female sex, hypertension, and NIS had a significant impact on persistent symptoms in hospitalized patients in contrast to severity of acute COVID-19 infection.

Parents as coronavirus disease-19 carriers in intrafamily settings: Cases of severe forms in a family cluster

The outbreak of coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) infection that started in China in December 2019 has subsequently spread too many countries worldwide with high contagiousness. Given the spread and the current debate on the management and origin of intrafamilial clusters of COVID-19, this case highlights how essential it has become to prompt quarantine for the whole family and any contact member who may be at risk of infection. For this, the management of family clusters requires specific guidelines that need to be prepared to help clinicians and families to better face the disease, especially the risk of developing severe forms. We reported a case and the management of severe forms of COVID-19 infection in an intrafamily cluster with different child and parent outcomes. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Journal of Health Sciences (Qassim University) is the property of Journal of Health Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

COVID-19 serology in nursing homes and long-term care facilities: prevalence of seroconversion in the Amiens-Picardie University Hospital.

INTRODUCTION: Since December 2019, an emerging infectious viral disease triggered by SARS-CoV-2 has caused a global pandemic. Elderly people, being more fragile, are the most affected by the severity and lethality of this disease. The residential care facility for dependent elderly people (Ehpad) and the long-term care facilities at the Amiens University Hospital registered their first COVID-19 cases in February 2020, which lead to the opening of a dedicated COVID-19 unit and aspecific protocol for isolation. METHODS: This descriptive study analysed the prevalence of COVID-19 seroconversion within the Ehpad and the long-term care facilities at the Amiens University Hospital. Both this screening test and the nasopharyngeal swab PCRs were used to assess the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on the residents of the Ehpad and the long-term care facilities. RESULTS: On 15 and 16 June 2020, the serological tests for COVID-19 were positive for 146 (66.1%) of the residents tested. The seroconversion rate was significantly different (p < 0.001) between the Ehpad (88.7%) and the long-term care facility (45.6%). DISCUSSION: During the epidemic, there was no excess mortality index within the Ehpad and the long-term care facility services of the Amiens University Hospital. Among frail patients, the role of immunosenescence can be evoked to account for the absence of this inflammatory reaction. This study showed that isolating the infected patient in a dedicated unit significantly reduces the risk of seroconversion and contamination compared to isolating them within their own unit.

[Covid-19 serology in nursing home and long-term care: prevalence of seroconversion in the Amiens-Picardie University Hospital]. / Sérologie Covid-19 en Ehpad et soins de longue durée : prévalence de la séroconversion au CHU Amiens-Picardie.

Since December 2019, an emerging infectious viral disease implicating a coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 has caused a global pandemic. Elderly people, being more fragile, are the most affected by the severity and lethality of this disease. The NH and LTCU of the Amiens University Hospital registered their first Covid-19 cases in February 2020, which lead to the opening of a Covid-19 dedicated unit and of specific protocol for confinement. This descriptive study was analyzing the prevalence of Covid-19 seroconversion within the NH and the LTCU of the Amiens University Hospital. Both this screening test and the nasopharyngeal swab PCRs were in order to assess the impact of the Covid-19 epidemic in NH and LTCU. On June 15th and 16th, the serological tests for Covid-19 were positive for 146 (66.1%) of the residents tested. The seroconversion rate was significantly different (p < 0.001) between the NH (88.7%) and the LTCU (45.6%). During the epidemic, there was no excess mortality index within the NH and LTCU services of the Amiens University Hospital. Among frail patients, the role of immunosenescence can be discussed to account for the absence of this inflammatory reaction. This study showed that isolating the infected patient in a dedicated unit significantly reduces the risk of seroconversion and contamination compared to isolating them within their own unit.

Clinical recurrences of COVID-19 symptoms after recovery: Viral relapse, reinfection or inflammatory rebound?

For the first 3 months of COVID-19 pandemic, COVID-19 was expected to be an immunizing non-relapsing disease. We report a national case series of 11 virologically-confirmed COVID-19 patients having experienced a second clinically- and virologically-confirmed acute COVID-19 episode. According to the clinical history, we discuss either re-infection or reactivation hypothesis. Larger studies including further virological, immunological and epidemiologic data are needed to understand the mechanisms of these recurrences.