ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Understanding the transmission and dispersal of influenza virus and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) via aerosols is essential for the development of preventative measures in hospital environments and healthcare facilities. METHODS: During the 2017-2018 influenza season, patients with confirmed influenza or RSV infections were enrolled. Room air samples were collected close (0.30 m) to and distant (2.20 m) from patients' heads. Real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to detect and quantify viral particles in the air samples. The plaque assay was used to determine the infectiousness of the detected viruses. FINDINGS: Fifty-one air samples were collected from the rooms of 29 patients with laboratory-confirmed influenza; 51% of the samples tested positive for influenza A virus (IAV). Among the IAV-positive patients, 65% were emitters (had at least one positive air sample), reflecting a higher risk of nosocomial transmission compared with non-emitters. The majority (61.5%) of the IAV-positive air samples were collected 0.3 m from a patient's head, while the remaining IAV-positive air samples were collected 2.2 m from a patient's head. The positivity rate of IAV in air samples was influenced by distance from the patient's head and day of sample collection after hospital admission. Only three patients with RSV infection were recruited and none of them were emitters. CONCLUSION: Influenza virus can be aerosolized beyond 1 m in patient rooms, which is the distance considered to be safe by infection control practices. Further investigations are needed to determine the extent of infectivity of aerosolized virus particles.
Subject(s)
Air Microbiology , Influenza A virus/isolation & purification , Patients' Rooms , Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Human/isolation & purification , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Child , Child, Preschool , Cross Infection/prevention & control , Female , Humans , Infant , Infant, Newborn , Influenza, Human , Male , Middle Aged , Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections , Young AdultABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused an extraordinary need and challenge to identify effective therapeutic options for prevention and treatment. In this review, we summarize the major findings in the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) viral characteristics and the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pathophysiology, clinical presentation and outcomes. We then proceed to explain the mechanisms of action, outcomes, and adverse events identified for the front-running pharmacological treatments currently being used and/or investigated namely Remdesivir, Chloroquine/Hydroxychloroquine, Lopinavir/Ritonavir, Tocilizumab, and convalescent plasma. © 2020, American University of Beirut. All rights reserved.