ABSTRACT
While antidepressant drugs (ADs) have shown some efficacy in treatment of COVID-19, their preventative potential remains unexplored. To investigate association between AD and COVID-19 incidence in the community, we analysed data from community-living, non-hospitalized adults admitted to inpatient care of the South London&Maudsley (SLaM) NHS Foundation Trust during the 1st wave of COVID-19 pandemic in the UK. Prescription of ADs within the period of 1 to 3 months before admission was associated with an approximately 40% decrease in positive COVID-19 test results when adjusted for socioeconomic parameters and physical health. This association was specifically observed for ADs of the Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) class. These results suggest that ADs, specifically SSRIs, may help prevent COVID-19 infection in the community. Definitive determination of AD preventative potential warrants prospective studies in the wider general population.
ABSTRACT
Global healthcare systems continue to be challenged by the COVID-19 pandemic, and there is a need for clinical assays that can both help to optimize resource allocation and accelerate the development and evaluation of new therapies. Here, we present a multiplex proteomic panel assay for the assessment of disease severity and outcome prediction in COVID-19. The assay quantifies 50 peptides derived from 30 COVID-19 severity markers in a single measurement using analytical flow rate liquid chromatography and multiple reaction monitoring (LC-MRM), on equipment that is broadly available in routine and regulated analytical laboratories. We demonstrate accurate classification of COVID-19 severity in patients from two cohorts. Furthermore, the assay outperforms established risk assessments such as SOFA and APACHE II in predicting survival in a longitudinal COVID-19 cohort. The prognostic value implies its use for support of clinical decisions in settings with overstrained healthcare resources e.g. to optimally allocate resources to severely ill individuals with high chance of survival. It can furthermore be helpful for monitoring of novel therapies in clinical trials.
ABSTRACT
The lockdown and social distancing policy imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic has had a substantial impact on both mental health service delivery, and the ways in which people are accessing these services. Previous reports from the South London and Maudsley NHS Trust (SLaM; a large mental health service provider for around 1.2m residents in South London) have highlighted increased use of virtual contacts by mental health teams, with dropping numbers of face-to-face contacts over the first wave of the pandemic. There has been concern that the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic would lead to higher mental health emergencies, particularly instances of self-harm. However, with people advised to stay at home during the first wave lockdown, it is as yet unclear whether this impacted mental health service presentations. Taking advantage of SLaMs Clinical Records Interactive Search (CRIS) data resource with daily updates of information from its electronic mental health records, this paper describes overall presentations to Emergency Department (ED) mental health liaison teams, and those with self-harm. The paper focussed on three periods: i) a pre-lockdown period 1st February to 15th March, ii) a lockdown period 16th March to 10th May and iii) a post-lockdown period 11th May to 28th June. In summary, all attendances to EDs for mental health support decreased during the lockdown period, including those with self-harm. All types of self-harm decreased during lockdown, with self-poisoning remaining the most common. Attendances to EDs for mental health support increased post-lockdown, although were only just approaching pre-lockdown levels by the end of June 2020.
