Pulmonary aspergillosis and cryptococcosis as a complication of COVID-19.

Invasive fungal infections may complicate infection by SARS-CoV-2 and increase morbidity and mortality. A 59-year-old man with multiple medical comorbidities was transferred to our hospital for worsening hypoxic respiratory failure due to COVID-19 and received high-dose corticosteroids and 2 doses of cyclophosphamide. He was diagnosed with pulmonary aspergillosis and cryptococcosis by culture of a bronchoalveolar lavage sample. This patient's secondary infections were likely due to treatment with immunosuppressants, his comorbidities, and his prolonged critical illness.

Oral Polio Vaccine to Protect Against COVID-19: Out of the Box Strategies?

The global coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has raised significant concerns of developing rapid, broad strategies to protect the vulnerable population and prevent morbidity and mortality. However, even with an aggressive approach, controlling the pandemic has been challenging, with concerns of emerging variants that likely escape vaccines, nonadherence of social distancing/preventive measures by the public, and challenges in rapid implementation of a global vaccination program that involves mass production, distribution, and execution. In this review, we revisit the utilization of attenuated vaccinations, such as the oral polio vaccine, which are safe, easy to administer, and likely provide cross-protection against respiratory pathogens. We discuss the rationale and data supporting its use and detail description of available vaccines that could be repurposed for curtailing the pandemic.