ABSTRACT
The Omicron emerged in November 2021 and became the predominant SARS-CoV-2 variant globally. It spreads more rapidly than ancestral lineages and its rapid detection is critical for the prevention of disease outbreaks. Antigen tests such as immunochromatographic assay (ICA) and chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay (CLEIA) yield results more quickly than standard polymerase chain reaction (PCR). However, their utility for the detection of the Omicron variant remains unclear. We herein evaluated the performance of ICA and CLEIA in saliva from 51 patients with Omicron and 60 PCR negative individuals. The sensitivity and specificity of CLEIA were 98.0% (95%CI: 89.6-100.0%) and 100.0% (95%CI: 94.0-100.0%), respectively, with fine correlation with cycle threshold (Ct) values. The sensitivity and specificity of ICA were 58.8% (95%CI: 44.2-72.4%) and 100.0% (95%CI: 94.0-100.0%), respectively. The sensitivity of ICA was 100.0% (95%CI: 80.5-100.0%) when PCR Ct was less than 25. The Omicron can be efficiently detected in saliva by CLEIA. ICA also detects high viral load Omicron using saliva.
ABSTRACT
The importance of protecting the eyes from infectious agents in patients’ blood and saliva during dental surgery has long been known, but the global COVID-19 pandemic has made this even more important. The use of ATP bioluminescence to investigate the contamination of dental goggles during the surgical removal of impacted teeth in the present study indicates their importance for protecting the eyes from aerosols from the front, from above, and from the sides.
ABSTRACT
Bioshell calcium oxide (BiSCaO) is derived from scallop shells and after heat treatment exhibits broad microbicidal activity. BiSCaO Water is a disinfectant prepared by collecting the aqueous layer after adding BiSCaO powder to water, is colorless and transparent, and has a pH of 12.8. We compared the utility of commercially available BiSCaO Water, ethanol, sodium hypochlorite, hypochlorous acid and hydrogen peroxide solutions as sterilization agents to enable the reuse of surgical and N95 face masks. The microbicidal efficacy of each disinfectant was evaluated using pieces of surgical and N95 face masks contaminated with normal bacterial flora. The results suggest that BiSCaO Water has excellent disinfection activity toward contaminated polypropylene masks and has minimal adverse effect on the structure of non-woven masks.
Subject(s)
Disinfectants , Calcium Compounds , Disinfectants/pharmacology , Disinfection , Masks , Oxides , WaterABSTRACT
Immediately post-production, commercially available bioshell calcium oxide (BiSCaO) water is colorless, transparent, and strongly alkaline (pH 12.8), and is known to possess deodorizing properties and broad microbicidal activity. However, BiSCaO Water may represent a serious safety risk to the living body, given the strong alkalinity. This study aimed to investigate the safety of BiSCaO Water for use as an antiseptic/disinfectant despite concerns regarding its high alkalinity. The change over time in pH of BiSCaO Water was measured during air contact (stirring BiSCaO Water in ambient air). When sprayed on metal, plastic, wood piece, paper, and skin surfaces, the pH of BiSCaO Water decreased rapidly, providing a white powder coating upon drying. Scanning electron microscopy images, energy dispersive X-ray elemental mapping, and X-ray diffractograms showed that the dried powder residues of BiSCaO Water were composed primarily of calcium carbonate. These results suggested that BiSCaO Water is a potent reagent that may overcome the obstacles of being strongly alkaline, making this material appropriate for use in disinfection against pathogenic microbes.