COVID-19 and Plasmodium ovale Malaria: A Rare Case of Co-Infection

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to be a major health problem worldwide. Timely diagnosis of co-infections mimicking COVID-19, such as malaria, might be challenging particularly in non-endemic areas. We report the first case of COVID-19 and Plasmodium ovale malaria co-infection from our region aiming to highligt the importance of travel history and prophylaxis in malaria management in the context of pandemic. The galloping sound can sometimes be a harbinger of zebra besides the horse.

COVID-19 and Plasmodium ovale Malaria: A Rare Case of Co-Infection

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to be a major health problem worldwide. Timely diagnosis of co-infections mimicking COVID-19, such as malaria, might be challenging particularly in non-endemic areas. We report the first case of COVID-19 and Plasmodium ovale malaria co-infection from our region aiming to highligt the importance of travel history and prophylaxis in malaria management in the context of pandemic. The galloping sound can sometimes be a harbinger of zebra besides the horse.

Psychiatric morbidity and protracted symptoms in recovered COVID-19 patients

We investigated the psychiatric symptomatology and the protracted symptoms in recently recovered COVID-19 patients. This cross-sectional study assessed 284 patients recruited from a tertiary hospital. Patients completed a web-based survey on socio-demographic data, past medical/psychiatric history, and additional information relevant to the outbreak conditions. The psychiatric status was assessed using the Impact of Events Scale-Revised (IES-R), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and MINI suicidality scale. Patients completed a checklist for the acute symptom burden and protracted symptoms that were experienced after the acute infection. After a mean of 50 days following the diagnosis of COVID-19, 98 patients (34.5%) reported clinically significant PTSD, anxiety, and/or depression, with PTSD being the most common condition reported (25.4%). One hundred and eighteen patients (44.3%) reported one or more protracted symptom(s), with fatigue, muscle aches, alteration of smell/taste, headache and difficulty in concentration, being the most common symptoms reported. Predictors of PTSD symptom severity were the female gender, past traumatic events, protracted symptoms, perceived stigmatization, and a negative view on the seriousness of the COVID-19 pandemic. Binary logistic regression analysis showed that PTSD symptom severity was the sole independent predictor of the presence of protracted symptoms. Our results suggest that COVID-19 patients may be prone to substantial psychological distress in the first months after the infection. The protracted symptoms were also frequent in this period, and these were related to the posttraumatic psychiatric morbidity. Both the psychiatric morbidity and the protracted symptoms were independent of the initial infection severity. Further research on the neurobiological commonalities between the protracted symptoms and PTSD in COVID-19 patients is warranted.

Seroprevalence of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Among Health Care Workers from Three Pandemic Hospitals of Turkey

COVID-19 is a global threat with an increasing number of infections. Research on IgG seroprevalence among health care workers (HCWs) is needed to re-evaluate health policies. This study was performed in three pandemic hospitals in Istanbul and Kocaeli. Different clusters of HCWs were screened for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Seropositivity rate among participants was evaluated by chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay. We recruited 813 non-infected and 119 PCR-confirmed infected HCWs. Of the previously undiagnosed HCWs, 22 (2.7%) were seropositive. Seropositivity rates were highest for cleaning staff (6%), physicians (4%), nurses (2.2%) and radiology technicians (1%). Non-pandemic clinic (6.4%) and ICU (4.3%) had the highest prevalence. HCWs in "high risk group" had similar seropositivity rate with "no risk" group (2.9 vs 3.6 p=0.7), indicating the efficient implementation of protection measures in the hospitals in Turkey. These findings might lead to the re-evaluation of infection control and transmission dynamics in hospitals.

Kidney function on admission predicts in-hospital mortality in COVID-19

BackgroundRecent data have reinforced the concept of a reciprocal relationship between COVID-19 and kidney function. However, most studies have focused on the effect of COVID-19 on kidney function, whereas data regarding kidney function on the COVID-19 prognosis is scarce. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to investigate the association between eGFR on admission and the mortality rate of COVID-19. MethodsWe recruited 336 adult consecutive patients (male 57.1%, mean age 55.0{+/-}15.9) that were hospitalized with the diagnosis of COVID-19 in the tertiary care university hospital. Data were collected from the electronic health records of the hospital. On admission, eGFR was calculated using the CKD-EPI formula. Acute kidney injury was defined according to the KDIGO criteria. Binary logistic regression and Cox regression analyses were used to assess the relationship between eGFR on admission and in-hospital mortality of COVID-19. ResultsBaseline eGFR was under 60 mL/min/1.73m2 in 61 patients (18.2%). Acute kidney injury occurred in 29.1% of the patients. In-hospital mortality was calculated as 12.8%. Age-adjusted and multivariate logistic regression analysis (p:0.005, odds ratio:0.974, CI:0.956-0.992) showed that baseline eGFR was independently associated with mortality. Additionally, age-adjusted Cox regression analysis revealed a higher mortality rate in patients with an eGFR under 60 mL/min/1.73m2. ConclusionsOn admission eGFR seems to be a prognostic marker for mortality in patients with COVID-19; We recommend to determine eGFR in all patients on admission and use it as an additional tool for risk stratification. Close follow-up should be warranted in patients with reduced eGFR.