Case report of acute encephalitis following the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines have proven to be safe, effective and life-saving. However, little information is available on the neurological complications of COVID-19 vaccine. Here, we report a case who developed acute encephalomyelitis 1 week after being vaccinated with AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine (AZ vaccine). Autoimmune/inflammatory syndrome induced by adjuvants (ASIA) was also suspected. After intravenous dexamethasone and subcutaneous fondaparinux therapy, he returned to normal life without neurological sequelae. Four months later, he received Moderna COVID-19 vaccine without any sequelae.

COVID-19 Screening for Hospitalized Patients: The Role of Expanded Hospital Surveillance in a Low Prevalence Setting.

PURPOSE: The COVID-19 pandemic poses a serious threat to healthcare workers and hospitalized patients. Early detection of COVID-19 cases is essential to control the spread in healthcare facilities. However, real-world data on the screening criteria for hospitalized patients remain scarce. We aimed to explore whether patients with negative results of pre-hospital screening for COVID-19 should be rescreened after admission in a low-prevalence (less than 3% of the world average) setting. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively included patients in central Taiwan who were negative at the first screening but were newly diagnosed with pneumonia or had a body temperature above 38 degrees Celsius during their hospitalization. Each patient might be included as an eligible case several times, and the proportions of cases who were rescreened for COVID-19 and those diagnosed with COVID-19 were calculated. A logistic regression model was constructed to identify factors associated with rescreening. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction tests were used to confirm the diagnosis of COVID-19. RESULTS: A total of 3549 cases eligible for COVID-19 rescreening were included. There were 242 cases (6.8%) who received rescreening. In the multivariable analysis, cases aged 75 years or older, those with potential exposure to SARS-CoV-2, or patients visiting specific departments, such as the Cardiovascular Center and Department of Neurology, were more likely to be rescreened. None was diagnosed with COVID-19 after rescreening. There was no known cluster infection outbreak in the hospital or in the local community during the study period and in the following two months. CONCLUSION: In Taiwan, a country with a low COVID-19 prevalence, it was deemed safe to rescreen only high-risk hospitalized patients. This strategy was effective and reduced unnecessary costs.