Asthma status during COVID-19 pandemic

Background and Aims: The social restrictions in COVID- 19 pandemic can affect to patient's asthma status. The use of telecommunications by the physician to know the patient's asthma status during pandemic is recommended. This study aims to determine patient's asthma status before the COVID-19 pandemic compared to one year after. Methods: This preliminary study was a retrospective cohort which was conducted in March of 2020 and March of 2021 at Asthma Polyclinic, Persahabatan Hospital, Jakarta. The subjects were asthma patients who visited Asthma Polyclinic in March of 2020 and requires an ACT score. Patients who didn't come to Asthma Polyclinic in March of 2021 will be contacted by the researchers. Results: The ACT score in March of 2020 are 6% patients had fully controlled asthma, 34% of partial controlled asthma and 60% of uncontrolled asthma while in March of 2021, 26% have fully controlled asthma, 26% of partial controlled asthma and 48% of uncontrolled asthma. There was a significant difference between ACT score in March of 2020 and March of 2021 with a p value 0.020. The patient's activities during pandemic was decreasing, 80% patients who didn't work, while 20% were still working. There was a significant difference between patient's severity of asthma and ACT score in March of 2021 with a p value <0,05. Conclusion: There is a significant difference between the ACT score in March of 2020 and March of 2021, also a significant difference between patient's severity of asthma and ACT score in March of 2021.

An atypical case: RT-PCR-negative, sero-positive covid-19 patient un caz atipic: Pacient COVID 19 seropozitiv, RT-PCR negativ

The novel coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), has become a public health emergency of international concern. The first confirmed COVID-19 case in Indonesia was announced on 2 March 2020, and later on, 11,192 confirmed cases were reported as of 3 May. The World Health Organization has stated that performing a real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) specific for SARS-CoV-2 on specimens from the upper and the lower respiratory tracts, especially nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swabs, is the standard diagnostic procedure for COVID-19. In Indonesia, we also use other diagnostic tests, such as rapid antibody tests specific for SARS-CoV-2. Herein, we report an atypical case of COVID-19 and describe the diagnostic process, the clinical course, with progression to severe pneumonia on Week 3 of illness and the case management. We also try to highlight the possibility of false-negative RT-PCR tests. © 2020 William Suriady et al.