Establishment and evaluation of fluorescent RT-RAA assay for SARS-CoV-2 sgRNAs detection

Objective To establish a reverse-transcription recombinase-aided amplification assay（RT-RAA） to rapidly detect SARS-CoV-2 sub-genomic RNAs（sgRNAs）. Methods The primers and probe for isothermal nucleic acid amplification were designed based on the 5′-leader and 7a and N gene sequence of SARS-CoV-2, and the sgRNAs of SARS-COV-2 were rapidly detected within 30 min at 39 ℃.The sensitivity, specificity and consistency of the assay were evaluated. Results The detection limit of the method was 20 copies/μl and there were no cross-reactions with other respiratory pathogens, showing decent sensitivity and specificity.The results of the assay were concordant with that of real-time PCR, indicating a better consistency of two methods（κ=0.762,P<0.001）. Conclusions The fluorescence RT-RAA assay established in the study can be used for the rapid detection of SARS-CoV-2 sgRNAs, which is of great significance for the rapid diagnosis of COVID 19.

Analysis of 256 pediatric oral and maxillofacial emergency in-patients during the outbreak of COVID-19.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Pediatric oral and maxillofacial surgeons have faced severe challenges in ward management due to their high risk of exposure during the COVID-19 epidemic. The aim of this study was to analyze and summarize the treatment methods and infection prevention and control measures applied in emergency cases in the Department of Pediatric Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, during the COVID-19 epidemic. METHODS: In this retrospective study, information was collected from 256 pediatric emergency patients who were treated from January 23, 2020 to August 9, 2021. The patients' data were statistically analyzed according to age, gender, disease and pathogenesis, operation time, and the main treatment applied in pediatric oral and maxillofacial emergency cases during the COVID-19 epidemic. RESULTS: During the epidemic period, 256 pediatric emergency patients were successfully treated. Among them, there were 170 boys and 86 girls. In all, 182 patients were diagnosed with oral or facial lacerations; 43 had jaw fractures; 26 had maxillofacial infections; and five had dento-alveolar fractures. A total of 246 patients underwent surgery under negative pressure with level 3 protection standards. No doctors or patients infected with COVID-19 were found throughout the stury period. CONCLUSIONS: Pediatric oral and maxillofacial emergency in-patients mainly experienced maxillofacial trauma during the COVID-19 epidemic, followed by infection. Effective diagnosis and treatment, and avoidance of COVID-19 infection can be achieved by strictly following epidemic prevention and treatment procedures.

Electronic health literacy among older adults in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic: A mixed-methods study.

AIM: This study aimed to investigate eHealth literacy about coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) among older adults during the pandemic. BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic promoted the development of online health care. Higher demand for accessing information from the Internet was seen. METHODS: This was a sequential explanatory mixed-method study, involving a survey of older adults to explore the status and influencing factors of eHealth literacy regarding COVID-19. Semi-structured interviews were used to understand experiences and challenges regarding information retrieval, judgment and utilization. RESULTS: A total of 337 older adults participated in the online questionnaire survey. Overall, older adults had slightly higher scores on eHealth literacy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants' location in the past month and current health issues were associated with eHealth literacy. Qualitative data were collected from nine older adults and included that some older adults retrieved health-related information during the pandemic. However, those who used non-smartphones described difficulties in information retrieval. A glut of misinformation has resulted in an 'infodemic', which has not only increased the difficulty of judging information but also posed challenges in information utilization for older adults. CONCLUSION: Improving older adults' eHealth literacy is essential in promoting an improved response to major public health events and in providing better health care for this group in the future. It is essential that government health agencies and health care providers provide evidence-based health information via social media platforms. Further efforts are needed to combine aspects of traditional and online health care services and provide reliable and updated online information and resources for older adults. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Providing evidence to eHealth literacy improvement and health management of older adults in the context of public health events.

Diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19 and intervention of Chinese patent medicine

From the end of December 2019 to today, there has been a global outbreak of COVID-19 pneumonia caused by SARS-CoV-2. Chinese doctors, hospitals and scholars have made a lot of research and Practice on the diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19 pneumonia. The National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China has taken a series of effective diagnosis and treatment measures. Seven COVID-19 pneumonia diagnosis and treatment programs were released from January 16, 2020 to March 3, 2020, which played a key role in strengthening early detection, early treatment, improving the ability of treatment, reducing the spread of disease, improving the cure rate and reducing the mortality. This study vertically interprets and analyzes the research progress of COVID-19 pneumonia among the trial versions, and discusses the intervention of Chinese traditional medicine, so as to provide a scientific understanding for the in-depth understanding of the evolution of each diagnosis and treatment program version, the formulation of treatment plan and the intervention of Chinese patent medicine.

Potential therapeutic effect and methods of traditional Chinese medicine on COVID-19-induced depression: A review.

COVID-19 (coronavirus) has spread all over the world with a high infection rate. Currently, there are no targeted therapeutic drugs for COVID-19 as well as for stress induced by COVID-19. The unpredictable events of COVID-19 can trigger feelings of fear, worry, or unease in people, leading to stress-related disorders such as depression and anxiety. It has been reported that individuals, including COVID-19 patients, medical staff, and ordinary people, are under both physical and psychological pressure, and many of them have developed depression or anxiety during this pandemic. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been widely used in treating depression with relatively better safety and efficacy and may have an important role in treating stress-related disorders induced by COVID-19. In this review, we collected the common TCM treatment methods including Qigong, Acupuncture, Five Elements Musical Therapy, Five Elements Emotional Therapy, and Chinese herbal medicine from the databases of PubMed and the China National Knowledge Internet to illustrate the effect of TCM on depression. The better knowledge of TCM and implementation of TCM in COVID-19 clinics may help to effectively improve depression induced by COVID-19, may assist people to maintain a healthy physical and mental quality, and may alleviate the current shortage of medical resources.

Factors Influencing Nurses' Work Interruption in Wuhan Isolation Wards During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

BACKGROUND Through January 2021, the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) continued to create significant pressure on medical staff who have worked to treat patients with the disease and control its spread. This study aimed to increase understanding of the situation and influencing factors of nurses' work interruption in Wuhan's isolation ward during the COVID-19 pandemic. MATERIAL AND METHODS A self-designed general situation questionnaire and work interruption questionnaire were used to survey 160 nurses from Beijing, Chongqing, and Jilin who worked during the COVID-19 pandemic in Wuhan in March 2020. The questionnaire could only be answered once by each nurse via a WeChat account. The submitted answers were verified by 2 researchers. RESULTS The results showed that the rate of interruption of work among nurses in the isolation ward was 25%, and the rate of nurses experiencing a negative experience was 96.9%. The results of univariate analysis showed that the following factors were related to the work interruption of the nurses in the isolation ward (all P<0.05): emergency public incident training; emergency public incident treatment experience; knowledge of COVID-19 pneumonia; hours worked per shift in the quarantine area; and negative physiologic experience. Logistic regression analysis showed that negative experience, hours worked per shift, and emergency public incident training were the independent factors influencing work interruption among nurses in the isolation wards. CONCLUSIONS The incidence of interruption of work among nurses in the isolation ward was 25%. Negative experiences, long working hours per shift, and lack of emergency public incident training made the nurses more prone to work interruption.

Antibody response in COVID-19 patients with and without re-positive RT-PCR results during the convalescent phase.

Nucleic acid testing and antibody testing data from 143 recovered COVID-19 patients during the convalescent phase were retrospectively analyzed. A total of 23 (16.1%) recovered patients re-tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA by RT-PCR. Three months after symptom onset, 100% and 99.3% of the patients remained positive for total and IgG antibodies, and the antibody levels remained high. IgM antibodies declined rapidly, with a median time to seroconversion of 67 (95% CI: 59, 75) days after onset. Approximately 25% of patients were seronegative for IgA antibodies at three months after onset. There was no statistically significant difference in antibody kinetics between patients with and without re-positive RT-PCR results during the convalescent phase.

[Routine Epidemic Prevention and Control and Treatment Process Reengineering of Outpatient Dental Care].

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is the most severe global public health emergency in over a hundred years. We have collected and organized prevention and control information from China and other counties and used it as an important reference for designing routine epidemic prevention and control measures and treatment process reengineering of outpatient dental services. Suggestions are made in the following aspects: standard precaution is adopted for all patients based on situational risk assessment conducted by the medical staffs; transmission-based precautions are adopted in addition while caring for patients who are suspected of or have been confirmed of having infectious diseases, in which scenario, standard precautions may not be enough; regarding clinical services, the triage process should be further improved, clinical service delivery areas should be redesigned to maximize safe distances, minimally invasive dentistry procedures should be prioritized for treatment, and postponement of treatment should be recommended appropriately; infection prevention and control guidelines should be regularly updated and relevant trainings provided to the medical staffs accordingly; COVID-19 incidents associated with delivery of dental care should be documented and evaluated; it is also important to communicate with Chinese and international colleagues and stress research and professional training.

[Effect of moxibustion on clinical symptoms, peripheral inflammatory indexes and T lymphocyte subsets in COVID-19 patients].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the therapeutic effect and the mechanism of the adjuvant treatment with moxibustion on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). METHODS: A total of 95 patients with COVID-19 were randomly divided into a moxibustion group (45 cases) and a basic treatment group (50 cases). The routine treatment of western medicine was applied in the patients of both groups. In the moxibustion group, on the base of the treatment of western medicine, moxibustion was applied to Dazhui (GV 14), Feishu (BL 13), Qihai (CV 6) and Zusanli (ST 36), once daily and consecutively for 14 days. At the end of treatment courses, clinical symptom scores for cough, asthmatic breathing, chest oppression and short breath, as well as their remission rates were compared between the two groups before and after treatment. Before and after treatment, the white blood cell (WBC) count, the levels of c-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) and the absolute number of T lymphocyte subsets, i.e. , and of the peripheral blood were compared in the patients between the two groups. The principal component analysis was adopted to analyze the common data extracted from the above 10 clinical indexes variables and comprehensively evaluate the differences in the therapeutic effect of two regimens. RESULTS: The clinical symptom scores were all decreased after treatment in both of the moxibustion group and the basic treatment group as compared with those before treatment (P<0.05). After treatment, the clinical symptom scores of cough, chest oppression and asthmatic breathing in the moxibustion group were lower significantly than those in the basic treatment group (P<0.05) and the remission rates of cough, chest oppression and asthmatic breathing were higher than the basic treatment group (P<0.05). After treatment, WBC count was increased as compared with that before treatment in either group (P<0.05) and the levels of CRP and IL-6 in the moxibustion group were reduced as compared with those before treatment (P<0.05). The reducing range of IL-6 level in the moxibustion group was larger than the basic treatment group (P<0.05). After treatment, the absolute number of , and T lymphocytes was increased as compared with that before treatment in the moxibustion group (P<0.05), and its increase range was larger than the basic treatment group (P<0.05). The difference value was 33.38 for the score of comprehensive evaluation before and after treatment in the moxbustion group, higher obviously than 8.91 in the basic treatment group. CONCLUSION: On the base of the routine treatment with western medicine, moxibustion therapy supplemented relieves the clinical symptoms, reduces the levels of inflammatory indexes, i.e. IL-6 and CRP as well as improves the absolute number of peripheral T lymphocyte subsets. The clinical therapeutic effect of such regimen with moxibustion supplemented is significantly better than the simple routine treatment of western medicine.

Clinical and pathological findings of SARS-CoV-2 infection and concurrent IgA nephropathy: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Since the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, there is accumulating data on the clinical characteristics, treatment strategies and prognosis of COVID-19 in patients with concurrent renal disease. Postmortem investigations reveal renal involvement in COVID-19, and most recently, several biopsy researches reveal that acute tubular injury, as well as glomerular nephropathy such as collapsing glomerulopathy were common histological findings. However, to our best knowledge, there is limited data regarding IgA nephropathy in the setting of COVID-19. CASE PRESENTATION: In the present case, we report a 65-year old Chinese woman who presented with dark-colored urine, worsening proteinuria and decreased renal function after COVID-19 infection. She received a renal biopsy during COVID-19 infection. The renal biopsy revealed IgA nephropathy without any evidence for SARS-Cov-2. The findings suggest that the renal abnormalities were a consequence of exacerbation of this patient's underlying glomerular disease after COVID-19 infection. After a regimen of 3-day course of glucocorticoid and angiotensin II receptor blocker therapy, the patient recovered and remained stable upon follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: It is important to consider the underlying glomerular disease exacerbation as well as virus induced injury when dealing with renal abnormalities in patients with COVID-19. A kidney biopsy may be indicated to exclude a rapidly progressive glomerular disease.

Nurses' ethical challenges caring for people with COVID-19: A qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Ethical challenges are common in clinical nursing practice, and an infectious environment could put nurses under ethical challenges more easily, which may cause nurses to submit to negative emotions and psychological pressure, damaging their mental health. PURPOSE: To examine the ethical challenges encountered by nurses caring for patients with the novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19) and to provide nurses with suggestions and support regarding promotion of their mental health. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHOD: A qualitative study was carried out using a qualitative content analysis. The participants were 18 nurses who agreed to attend an interview and describe their own experiences of providing care to COVID-19 patients in China. They were purposively sampled, and structured, in-depth interviews were performed. Data were iteratively collected and analyzed from February to March 2020. ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS: The proposal was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the Second Hospital of Shandong University, China. FINDINGS: The findings revealed three main themes and 10 categories. The themes were the following: (1) ethical challenges (people with COVID-19, inequality, professional ethics, and job competency); (2) coping styles (active control and planning, seeking support as well as catharsis, and staying focused); and (3) impacts on career (specialized nursing skills, scientific research ability, and management skills). CONCLUSION: Nurses faced ethical challenges on multiple fronts in caring for COVID-19 patients. The results may help nurses with more safety, ethics, and humanistic care in nursing practice.

Immunogenicity and Safety of a SARS-CoV-2 Inactivated Vaccine in Healthy Adults Aged 18-59 years: Report of the Randomized, Double-blind, and Placebo-controlled Phase 2 Clinical Trial (preprint)

BACKGROUND The top priority for the control of COVID-19 pandemic currently is the development of a vaccine. A phase 2 trial conducted to further evaluate the immunogenicity and safety of a SARS-CoV-2 inactivated vaccine (CoronaVac). METHODS We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to evaluate the optimal dose, immunogenicity and safety of the CoronaVac. A total of 600 healthy adults aged 18-59 years were randomly assigned to receive 2 injections of the trial vaccine at a dose of 3 g/0.5 mL or 6 g /0.5mL, or placebo on Day 0,14 schedule or Day 0,28 schedule. For safety evaluation, solicited and unsolicited adverse events were collected after each vaccination within 7 days and 28 days, respectively. Blood samples were taken for antibody assay. RESULTS CoronaVac was well tolerated, and no dose-related safety concerns were observed. Most of the adverse reactions fell in the solicited category and were mild in severity. Pain at injection site was the most frequently reported symptoms. No Grade 3 adverse reaction or vaccine related SAEs were reported. CoronaVac showed good immunogenicity with the lower 3 g dose eliciting 92.4% seroconversion under Day 0,14 schedule and 97.4% under Day 0,28 schedule. 28 days after two-dose vaccination, the Nab levels of individual schedules range from 23.8 to 65.4 among different dosage and vaccination schedules. CONCLUSIONS Favorable safety and immunogenicity of CoronaVac was demonstrated on both schedules and both dosages, which support the conduction of phase 3 trial with optimum schedule/dosage per different scenarios.

Efficacy and safety of tocilizumab in COVID-19 patients: A Meta-Analysis (preprint)

The therapeutic effect of tocilizumab remains controversial. We aimed to evaluate whether tocilizumab might be beneficial in COVID-19 patients. We searched PubMed, Embase and Cochrane library from inception to June 23, 2020. Summary estimates of overall response rate (ORR) and all-cause death rate in all patients were analyzed. This study was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42020191313). We included data from 28 articles including 991 COVID-19 patients who underwent tocilizumab administration. The pooled ORR was 72% (95% CI, 66-79%) and pooled all-cause death rate was 16% (95% CI, 11-22%). The optimal timing of administration was the 7.15 day from the symptom onset and with the lowest death rate of 13.11%. 562 patients were defined as with severe infection, and the pooled ORR was 78% (95% CI, 70-85%). The pooled ORR of 56 organ transplantation recipients was 53% (95% CI, 26-78%), which was lower than non-transplant patients [75% (95% CI, 69-81%)]. Nearly all studies confirmed the safety of tocilizumab administration. Tocilizumab improves the clinical outcome of COVID-19 patients, especially in severe cases, and the optimal timing of administration may provide the guidance for management. However, tocilizumab may be used with caution in solid transplant recipients for the suboptimal efficacy.

Comparison of the Clinical Characteristics of Patients With COVID-19 in Suining and Wuhan (preprint)

 Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which was first identified in December 2019 in Wuhan. This study mainly analyzed the clinical characteristics, imaging features, and prognosis of patients with COVID-19 in Suining, one of China's fourth-tier cities, and Wuhan in 2019 and compared data between the 2 cities. Methods A retrospective analysis of the epidemiological history, clinical data, symptom presentation, laboratory test results, chest computed tomography (CT) imaging features, treatment measures and prognosis of 68 patients with COVID-19 diagnosed at Wuhan Red Cross Hospital and 17 patients with COVID-19 diagnosed at Suining Central Hospital from January 23, 2020, to February 27, 2020, was conducted. Results 1) The incidence rate of COVID-19 in Wuhan was 52.99‱, and the incidence rate in Suining was 0.04‱. The median age of patients with COVID-19 was 40.71 years old in Suining and 56.04 years old in Wuhan. The age of patients with COVID-19 in Wuhan was significantly older than that of patients with COVID-19 in Suining. Among the 68 patients with COVID-19 in Wuhan, 30 (44.1%) had hypertension, and 25 (36.8%) had diabetes. Three out of the 17 patients in Suining (17.6%) had hypertension, and 2 patients (11.8%) had diabetes. The proportion of patients with diabetes or hypertension in Wuhan was significantly higher than that in Suining (P<0.05). In the clinical classification, there were 1 (5.9%) and 23 (33.8%) patients with severe COVID-19 in Suining and Wuhan, respectively. The proportion of patients with severe COVID-19 in Wuhan was significantly higher than that in Suining (P<0.05).Fever and cough were the most common clinical symptoms, with 9 cases (52.9%) and 8 cases (47.1%) in Suining, respectively, and 54 cases (79.4%) and 42 cases (61.8%) in Wuhan, respectively. There was 1 patient (5.9%) with COVID-19 with dyspnea in Suining and 23 patients (33.8%) with COVID-19 with dyspnea in Wuhan; the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). Chest CT showed that lung consolidation occurred in 2 (11.8%) and 26 (38.2%) patients with COVID-19 in Suining and Wuhan, respectively. The proportion of lung consolidation in patients in Wuhan was significantly higher than that in patients in Suining (P<0.05). The laboratory tests suggested that percentage ofelevated C-reactive protein (CRP) (58.8%), ALT (33.8%), blood glucose (45.6%), creatine kinase (CK) (33.8%) or D-dimer (47.1%) of patients in Wuhan were significantly increased than those in Suining (29.4%, 5.9%, 17.6%, 5.9%, and 17.7%, respectively). Moreover, the average length of hospital stay of patients in Wuhan was 17.49 days, which was significantly longer than that of patients in Suining (12.29 days). Conclusions The incidence of COVID-19 in fourth-tier cities, Suining, in China was significantly lower than that in Wuhan, and the disease severity was generally lower than that in Wuhan, with mostly good prognoses. Advanced age, diabetes, and hypertension are important factors that aggravate COVID-19, while elevated CRP, ALT, blood glucose, CK, and D-dimer levels are important indicators for severe disease. 

First case of COVID-19 complicated with fulminant myocarditis: a case report and insights.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been demonstrated to be the cause of pneumonia. Nevertheless, it has not been reported as the cause of acute myocarditis or fulminant myocarditis. CASE PRESENTATION: A 63-year-old male was admitted with pneumonia and cardiac symptoms. He was genetically confirmed as having COVID-19 according to sputum testing on the day of admission. He also had elevated troponin I (Trop I) level (up to 11.37 g/L) and diffuse myocardial dyskinesia along with a decreased left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) on echocardiography. The highest level of interleukin-6 was 272.40 pg/ml. Bedside chest radiographs showed typical ground-glass changes indicative of viral pneumonia. Laboratory test results for viruses that cause myocarditis were all negative. The patient conformed to the diagnostic criteria of the Chinese expert consensus statement for fulminant myocarditis. After receiving antiviral therapy and mechanical life support, Trop I was reduced to 0.10 g/L, and interleukin-6 was reduced to 7.63 pg/mL. Moreover, the LVEF of the patient gradually recovered to 68%. The patient died of aggravation of secondary infection on the 33rd day of hospitalization. CONCLUSION: COVID-19 patients may develop severe cardiac complications such as myocarditis and heart failure. This is the first report of COVID-19 complicated with fulminant myocarditis. The mechanism of cardiac pathology caused by COVID-19 needs further study.

First Case of COVID-19 Complicated with Fulminant Myocarditis: A case Report and Insights (preprint)

Background: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been demonstrated to be the cause of pneumonia. Nevertheless, it has not been reported as the cause of acute myocarditis or fulminant myocarditis. Case presentation: A 63-year-old male was admitted with pneumonia and cardiac symptoms. He was genetically confirmed as having COVID-19 according to sputum testing on the day of admission. He also had elevated troponin I (Trop I) level (up to 11.37 g/L) and diffuse myocardial dyskinesia along with a decreased left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) on echocardiography. The highest level of interleukin-6 was 272.40 pg/ml. Bedside chest radiographs showed typical ground-glass changes indicative of viral pneumonia. Laboratory test results for viruses that cause myocarditis were all negative. The patient conformed to the diagnostic criteria of the Chinese expert consensus statement for fulminant myocarditis. After receiving antiviral therapy and mechanical life support, Trop I was reduced to 0.10 g/L, and interleukin-6 was reduced to 7.63 pg/ml. Moreover, the LVEF of the patient gradually recovered to 68%. The patient died of aggravation of secondary infection on the 33rd day of hospitalization. Conclusion: COVID-19 patients may develop severe cardiac complications such as myocarditis and heart failure. This is the first report of COVID-19 complicated with fulminant myocarditis. The mechanism of cardiac pathology caused by COVID-19 needs further study.

Clinical features and obstetric and neonatal outcomes of pregnant patients with COVID-19 in Wuhan, China: a retrospective, single-centre, descriptive study.

BACKGROUND: In December, 2019, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) emerged in Wuhan, China. The number of affected pregnant women is increasing, but scarce information is available about the clinical features of COVID-19 in pregnancy. This study aimed to clarify the clinical features and obstetric and neonatal outcomes of pregnant patients with COVID-19. METHODS: In this retrospective, single-centre study, we included all pregnant women with COVID-19 who were admitted to Tongji Hospital in Wuhan, China. Clinical features, treatments, and maternal and fetal outcomes were assessed. FINDINGS: Seven patients, admitted to Tongji Hospital from Jan 1, to Feb 8, 2020, were included in our study. The mean age of the patients was 32 years (range 29-34 years) and the mean gestational age was 39 weeks plus 1 day (range 37 weeks to 41 weeks plus 2 days). Clinical manifestations were fever (six [86%] patients), cough (one [14%] patient), shortness of breath (one [14%] patient), and diarrhoea (one [14%] patient). All the patients had caesarean section within 3 days of clinical presentation with an average gestational age of 39 weeks plus 2 days. The final date of follow-up was Feb 12, 2020. The outcomes of the pregnant women and neonates were good. Three neonates were tested for SARS-CoV-2 and one neonate was infected with SARS-CoV-2 36 h after birth. INTERPRETATION: The maternal, fetal, and neonatal outcomes of patients who were infected in late pregnancy appeared very good, and these outcomes were achieved with intensive, active management that might be the best practice in the absence of more robust data. The clinical characteristics of these patients with COVID-19 during pregnancy were similar to those of non-pregnant adults with COVID-19 that have been reported in the literature. FUNDING: National Natural Science Foundation of China, Hubei Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China.

First Case of COVID-19 Infection with Fulminant Myocarditis Complication: Case Report and Insights (preprint)

Background: The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been demonstrated as the cause of pneumonia. Nevertheless, it has not been reported as the cause of acute myocarditis or fulminant myocarditis. Case Presentation: A 63-year-old male was admitted with pneumonia and cardiac symptoms. He was genetically confirmed as COVID-19 by testing sputum on the first day of admission. He also had an elevated troponin-I (Trop I) level and diffuse myocardial dyskinesia along with decreased left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) on echocardiography. The highest level of Interleukin 6 was 272.40pg/ml. Bedside chest radiograph had typical ground-glass changes of viral pneumonia. The laboratory test results of virus that can cause myocarditis are all negative. The patient conformed to the diagnostic criteria of Chinese expert consensus statement for fulminant myocarditis. After receiving antiviral therapy and mechanical life support, the Trop I reduced to 0.10 g/L, and Interleukin 6 was 7.63 pg/ml. Meanwhile the LVEF of the patient gradually recovered to 68%. Conclusion: COVID-19 patients may develop severe cardiac complications such as myocarditis and heart failure, and this is the first case of COVID-19 infection complicated with fulminant myocarditis. The mechanism of cardiac pathology caused by COVID-19 needs further study.