New development: Covid 19 and changes in public administration-what do we know to date?

The pandemic disrupted previous operational models and led to changes in public administration. The academic literature on the impacts of the pandemic on public administration and management is growing. To date, no literature review outlining the findings of the published research has been made available, to our knowledge. This article summarises the findings of a systematic literature review outlining changes in public administration that can be attributed to the pandemic. It also points out gaps that should receive attention in future research (for example the longevity of changes).

The first 50 COVID-19 positive patients at the Department of Haemato-oncology, Faculty Hospital Ostrava in 2020

Aim: The novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) is a highly contagious disease with a significant mortality rate. Haematological patients are among those most at risk. We evaluate here the disease course, association between comorbidities and COVID-19 severity and seroconversion potential in 50 positive patients at our clinic. Methods: We performed 1,600 diagnostic PCR nasopharyngeal swabs over a period of 8 months. We introduced a set of preventive measures so as to protect our patients and personnel. In 50 COVID-19 positive patients, we closely evaluated the course of the disease, the impact of underlying risk factors and the principal haematological diagnoses. We also evaluated the potential for seroconversion in 15 COVID-19 positive patients. Results: Strict barrier measures, especially in patients undergoing autologous stem cell transplantation, have been shown as being crucial for reducing the spread of disease.We did not record any disease outbreak and registered only one positive case during the peri-transplant period at our facility. The most common comorbidities were arterial hypertension or other cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and renal impairment. Two-thirds of positive patients were on first line treatment. Hypogammaglobulinemia did not prove to be a risk factor for a severe COVID-19 course and we did not observe it to be an obstacle for seroconversion. Conclusion: Preventive measures are significant for reducing the spread of disease, especially in haematology centres. In our single centre experience, we report a mortality of 14%. Although we report a relatively small cohort and much remains yet to be clarified, our results can even now be implemented in daily practice.