A Retrospective Population Study of 385 191 Positive Real-Time Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction Tests For SARS-CoV-2 from a Single Laboratory in Katowice, Poland from April 2020 to July 2022.

BACKGROUND This retrospective population study identified 385 191 positive real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests for the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) from a single laboratory in Katowice, Poland, from April 2020 to July 2022. MATERIAL AND METHODS The material was nasopharyngeal, nasopharyngeal swab or bronchial lavage, and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) to confirm or exclude SARS-CoV-2 infection with the RT-PCR technique. Personal data are use according to the Provisions on the Protection of Personal Data by the Gyn-Centrum laboratory. RESULTS In 9 months of 2020, the number of SARS-CoV-2 results was 88 986; in 2021, it was 168 439, and in the first 7 months of 2022, it was 12 786. In 2020, the highest number of positive results was recorded in the third quarter (83 094 cases); 2021, in the 1st, 2nd, and 4th quarters (58 712; 37 720; and 71 753 cases, respectively), and in 2022, in the 1st quarter (127 613 cases) of the year. A positive result was observed more often in women and people aged 30-39, followed by those 40-49 years. Patients aged 10-19 years comprised the smallest population of SARS-CoV-2-positive cases. CONCLUSIONS In the Polish population studied, from April 2020 to July 2022, the detection rates of SARS-CoV-2 positivity were significantly higher for women than for men and in the 30-49 age group for both sexes. Also, the infection detection rate of 385 191 out of 1 332 659 patient samples, or 28.9%, supports that the Polish society adhered to public health recommendations for infection control during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Influence of Storage Conditions on the Stability of Gum Arabic and Tragacanth.

Storage conditions should be chosen so that they do not affect the action and stability of the active pharmaceutical substance (API), and excipients used in pharmacy. UV irradiation, increased temperature, and relative humidity can decompose storage substances by photolysis, thermolysis, and hydrolysis process, respectively. The effect of physical factors may be the decomposition of pharmaceutical substances or their inappropriate action, including pharmacological effects. Polymers of natural origin are increasingly used in the pharmaceutical industry. With this in mind, we evaluated the effect of storage conditions on the stability of gum arabic (GA) and tragacanth (GT). The influence of higher temperature, UV irradiation, and relative humidity on GA and GT was tested. Thermogravimetry (TG, c-DTA), colorimetric analysis, UV-Vis spectrophotometry, and optical microscopy were used as research methods. The TGA and c-DTA examination indicated that decomposition of GA starts at a higher temperature compared to GT. This indicate that gum arabic is more resistant to higher temperatures compared to tragacanth. However, the conducted analysis showed that gum arabic is more sensitive to the tested storage conditions. Among the tested physical conditions, both polymers were most sensitive to conditions of increased relative humidity in the environment.