ABSTRACT
We describe the unique disease course and cure of SARS-CoV-2 infection in a patient with SCID and graft failure. In absence of a humoral immune response, viral clearance was only achieved after transfusion of convalescent plasma. This observation underscores the necessity of the humoral immune response for SARS-CoV-2 clearance.
Subject(s)
COVID-19/therapy , SARS-CoV-2/physiology , Severe Combined Immunodeficiency/complications , Adult , Antibodies, Viral/blood , COVID-19/complications , COVID-19/immunology , COVID-19/virology , Female , Graft Rejection/complications , Graft Rejection/immunology , Graft Rejection/virology , Humans , Immunization, Passive , Severe Combined Immunodeficiency/immunology , Severe Combined Immunodeficiency/virology , Sustained Virologic Response , Viral Load , Virus Replication , COVID-19 SerotherapyABSTRACT
Oro- and nasopharyngeal swab specimens by quantitative reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to detect SARS-CoV-2 is currently the main diagnostic tool during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemia. Accurate performance of the procedure to avoid false negative results, adequate personal protective equipment and material sparing algorithms are mandatory while obtaining swab specimens. In the current stey-by-step review a feasible approach will be presented.
Subject(s)
COVID-19/diagnosis , Nasopharynx/virology , Oropharynx/virology , Specimen Handling , COVID-19/prevention & control , COVID-19 Nucleic Acid Testing , Humans , Personal Protective Equipment , SARS-CoV-2/genetics , Specimen Handling/instrumentation , Specimen Handling/methods , Specimen Handling/standardsABSTRACT
Objective: The affection of both the peripheral (PNS) and central nervous system (CNS) by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been assumed to play a direct role in the respiratory failure of patients with Corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) through affection of medullary cardiorespiratory centers resulting in neurological complications and sequelae. Methods: We used a multimodal electrophysiological approach combined with neuropsychological investigations to study functional alteration of both the PNS and CNS in four patients with severe COVID-19. Results: We found electrophysiological evidence for affection of both the PNS and CNS, and particularly affection of brain stem function. Furthermore, our neuropsychological investigations provide evidence of marked impairment of cognition independent of delirium, and outlasting the duration of acute infection with SARS-CoV-2. Conclusion: This case series provides first direct electrophysiological evidence for functional brain stem involvement in COVID-19 patients without evident morphological changes supporting the notion of the brain stem contributing to respiratory failure and thus promoting severe courses of the disease. Moreover, sustained neuropsychological sequelae in these patients may be of particular psychosocial and possibly also economic relevance for society.