Detection of SARS-CoV-2 in COVID-19 Patient Nasal Swab Samples Using Signal Processing.

This work presents an opto-electrical method that measures the viral nucleocapsid protein and anti-N antibody interactions to differentiate between SARS-CoV-2 negative and positive nasal swab samples. Upon light exposure of the patient nasal swab sample mixed with the anti-N antibody, charge transfer (CT) transitions within the altered protein folds are initiated between the charged amino acids side chain moieties and the peptide backbone that play the role of donor and acceptor groups. A Figure of Merit (FOM) was introduced to correlate the relative variations of the samples with and without antibody at two different voltages. Empirically, SARS-CoV-2 in patient nasal swab samples was detected within two minutes, if an extracted FOM threshold of >1 was achieved; otherwise, the sample wasconsidered negative.

Transmission of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Infections in Healthcare Settings, Abu Dhabi.

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infections sharply increased in the Arabian Peninsula during spring 2014. In Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, these infections occurred primarily among healthcare workers and patients. To identify and describe epidemiologic and clinical characteristics of persons with healthcare-associated infection, we reviewed laboratory-confirmed MERS-CoV cases reported to the Health Authority of Abu Dhabi during January 1, 2013-May 9, 2014. Of 65 case-patients identified with MERS-CoV infection, 27 (42%) had healthcare-associated cases. Epidemiologic and genetic sequencing findings suggest that 3 healthcare clusters of MERS-CoV infection occurred, including 1 that resulted in 20 infected persons in 1 hospital. MERS-CoV in healthcare settings spread predominantly before MERS-CoV infection was diagnosed, underscoring the importance of increasing awareness and infection control measures at first points of entry to healthcare facilities.

Characteristics of epidemic and sporadic strains of Acinetobacter baumannii isolated in Abu Dhabi hospitals.

We compared the antibiotic susceptibility, clonal lineages and resistance genes of singleton Acinetobacter baumannii strains to those of isolates representing repeatedly encountered molecular types in five Abu Dhabi hospitals. One hundred and ten clinically relevant, non-repeat strains were typed by blaOXA-51-like allele sequencing and by PFGE, and selected isolates also by MLST. Resistance was assessed by MIC determinations and by disc diffusion. Genotyping was carried out by PCR, targeting 28 genes. The 80 epidemic strains belonged to worldwide lineages 1, 2 and 7, representing 11 pulsotypes and 9 genotypes, while the 30 sporadic isolates exhibited a high level of genetic variability and, with the exception of a small subgroup, were not associated with any recognized epidemic lineages. All epidemic subtypes carried the ISAba1-linked blaOXA-23 gene, and harboured the int, the blaPER and the armA genes significantly more frequently than their sporadic counterparts. They were all multi-drug resistant, including non-susceptibility to carbepenems, and were often extensively drug resistant, a phenomenon rarely seen among sporadic strains. Epidemic strains represented 78.8 % of intensive care unit isolates, causing more respiratory infections, while sporadic strains were more frequently isolated from wound and soft tissue infections. The study showed that among strains collected at the same time and from the same region, the very heterogeneous, sensitive sporadic strains, with the exception of a few non-susceptible singleton isolates, clearly differed from the highly resistant epidemic ones, which belonged to multiple pulsotypes and genotypes clustered into three worldwide clonal lineages carrying blaOXA-64, blaOXA-66 and blaOXA-69, respectively.