Solid organ transplantation from donors with recent or current SARS-CoV-2 infection: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Solid-organ transplantation (SOT) from SARS-CoV-2 positive donors could be a life-saving opportunity worth grasping. We perform a systematic review to evaluate the recipient outcomes of SOT from donors with recent or current SARS-CoV-2 infection. METHODS: Search strategy was performed in PubMed, Cochrane COVID-19 Study Register, and Web of Science databases from the 1st of January 2019 to the 31st of December 2021. SOT adult recipients from a donor with past or current SARS-CoV-2 infection were elegible for inclusion. Outcomes were viral transmission, COVID-19 symptoms, mortality, hospital stay, and complications. PROSPERO Register Number: CRD42022303242 FINDINGS: Sixty-nine recipients received 48 kidneys, 18 livers and 3 hearts from 57 donors. Six additional transplants from positive lungs were identified. IgG+ anti-SARS-CoV-2 titers were detected among 10/16 recipients; only 4% (3/69) recipients were vaccinated. Non-lung transplant recipients received organs from 10/57 (17.5%) donors with persistent COVID-19. In 18/57 donors, SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected (median 32 Cycle threshold [Ct]) at procurement. Among non-lung transplant recipients, SARS-CoV-2 viral transmission was not documented. Four patients presented delayed graft dysfunction, two patients acute rejection, and two patients died of septic shock. The median (IQR) hospital stay was 18 (11-28) days in recipients from symptomatic donors. Viral transmission occurred from three lung donors to their recipients, who developed COVID-19 symptoms. One of the recipients subsequently died. CONCLUSION: Use of non-lung (kidney, liver and heart) organs from SARS-CoV-2 positive donors seem to be a safe practice, with a low risk of transmission irrespective of the presence of symptoms at the time of procurement. Low viral replication (Ct > 30) was safe among non-lung donors, even if persistently symptomatic at procurement.

Evaluation of Diarrhea in Patients with COVID-19.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The COVID-19 disease, which was declared epidemic by the WHO, is a global emergency public health problem. Patients with extrapulmonary symptoms are the group of patients who should be considered for person-to-person transmission in the community. In our study, it was aimed to investigate the characteristics of patients with COVID-19-related diarrhea symptoms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was conducted retrospectively in CO-VID-19 rtRT-PCR-positive patients in 5 medical centers. Three or more loose/liquid stools per day or increased number of defecations compared to normal defecation were defined as diarrhea. The patients were analyzed in 2 groups as those with and without diarrhea. RESULTS: One thousand eighty-six patients were included in the study. Seventy-eight (7.2%) of the patients had diarrhea. Diarrhea was watery in 54 (69.2%) patients while with blood and mucus in 18 (23.1%) patients. Diarrhea continued for an average of 5.2 ± 1.6 (2-11) days. The clinical and laboratory findings of patients with diarrhea were more serious than those without diarrhea. Diarrhea is more common in the elderly and people with comorbid disease, and patients with diarrhea had higher CMI score and CRP and higher complaints of fever, cough, shortness of breath, myalgia, and fatigue. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of diarrhea should indicate a suspected COVID-19 infection and suggest testing for early diagnosis of the disease. It should be kept in mind that the course of the disease may be more severe in these patients, and precautions should also be taken in terms of fecal transmission during discharge.

The Role of CO-RADS Scoring System in the Diagnosis of COVID-19 Infection and its Correlation with Clinical Signs.

BACKGROUND: Computed tomography (CT) evaluation systematics has become necessary to eliminate the difference of opinion among radiologists in evaluating COVID-19 CT findings. INTRODUCTION: The objectives of this study were to evaluate the efficiency of CO-RADS scoring system in our patients with COVID-19 as well as to examine its correlation with clinical and laboratory findings. METHODS: The CO-RADS category of all patients included in the study was determined by a radiologist who did not know the rtRT-PCR test result of the patients, according to the Covid-19 reporting and data system of Mathias Prokop et al. Results: A total of 1338 patients were included. CT findings were positive in 66.3%, with a mean CO-RADS score of 3,4 ± 1,7. 444 (33.1%) of the patients were in the CO-RADS 1-2, 894 (66.9%) were in the CO-RADS 3-5 group. There were positive correlations between CO-RADS score and age, CMI, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, chronic pulmonary diseases presence of symptoms, symptom duration, presence of cough, shortness of breath, malaise, CRP, and LDH, while CORADS score was negatively correlated with lymphocyte count. The results of the ROC analysis suggested that those with age ≥40 years, symptom duration >2 days, CMI score >1 and/or comorbid conditions were more likely to have a CO-RADS score of 3-5. CONCLUSION: The CO-RADS classification system is a CT findings assessment system that can be used to diagnose COVID-19 in patients with symptoms of cough, shortness of breath, myalgia and fatigue for more than two days.

Comparison of two pandemics: H1N1 and SARS-CoV-2.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to compare the clinical, epidemiological, and prognostic features of the H1N1 pandemic in 2009 and the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 pandemic in 2020. METHODS: This retrospective study involved subjects from seven centers that were admitted and found to be positive for H1N1 or COVID-19 real-time polymerase chain reaction test. RESULTS: A total of 143 patients with H1N1 and 309 patients with COVID-19 were involved in the study. H1N1 patients were younger than COVID-19 ones. While 58.7% of H1N1 patients were female, 57.9% of COVID-19 patients were male. Complaints of fever, cough, sputum, sore throat, myalgia, weakness, headache, and shortness of breath in H1N1 patients were statistically higher than in COVID-19 ones. The duration of symptoms until H1N1 patients were admitted to the hospital was shorter than that for COVID-19 patients. Leukopenia was more common in COVID-19 patients. C-reactive protein levels were higher in COVID-19 patients, while lactate dehydrogenase levels were higher in H1N1 ones. The mortality rate was also higher in H1N1 cases. CONCLUSIONS: The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 pandemic is a major public health problem that continues to affect the world with its high rate of contagion. In addition, no vaccines or a specific drug for the benefit of millions of people have been found yet. The H1N1 pandemic is an epidemic that affected the whole world about ten years ago and was prevented by the development of vaccines at a short period. Experience in the H1N1 pandemic may be the guide to prevent the COVID-19 pandemic from a worse end.