Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Covid-19 Surveillance Testing Of Healthcare Personnel Drives Universal Masking Practice, Paul S. Schulz, Ashley M. Wilde, Steve T. Hester, Jim Frazier, Julio A. Ramirez

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

Health care professionals (HCP) are at increased risk of COVID-19 infection due to the unpredictable clinical presentation of COVID-19 disease, limited SARS-CoV-2 testing, personal protective equipment (PPE) shortages, and the inherent inability to distance from patients. Infected HCP may infect others, including coworkers, leading to a simultaneous increase in the number of infections and decrease in the availability of HCP in a community. Due to PPE shortages, many healthcare systems have faced difficult decisions regarding utilization of PPE to protect HCP, patients, and the communities they serve. We describe Norton Healthcare’s success utilizing surveillance COVID-19 testing of HCP to inform …

The Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities And Threats (Swot) Analysis Of The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Of Covid-19, Michael Oluyemi Babalola Ph.D

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

Introduction: SARS-CoV-2 is the etiologic agent of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), a highly contagious, emergent, acute, viral pneumonia that emanated sporadically in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. COVID-19 became a pandemic in February 2020, leading to 4,942,687 confirmed cases and over 321,987 deaths and grounding several economies around the world as of May 2020. Although global researchers, epidemiologists, virologists, and medical professionals rose steadily to contain the disease, in-depth knowledge of the virus and concerted efforts to combat it are still evolving. This research sought to elucidate the biological Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats to SARS-CoV-2, with a view to …

False-Negative Sars-Cov-2 Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction (Rt-Pcr) Is An Important Consideration For Patient Management And Infection Prevention: A Case Report From The Louisville Covid-19 Epidemiology Study, Matthew Song Pharmd, Bcidp, Ashley M. Wilde, Sarah E. Moore Pharmd, Brian C. Bohn Pharmd, Clayton J. Patross, Bryan Denham, Paul Schulz, Julio A. Ramirez

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

We report a case of false-negative SARS-CoV-2 reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) on a nasopharyngeal swab. Treating clinicians and infection preventionists should maintain a high suspicion for COVID-19 in the appropriate clinical setting despite negative test results. Utilization of chest computed tomography (CT) should be strongly considered in the diagnostic work-up for suspected COVID-19, particularly in areas with limited RT-PCR availability.

A Comparison Efficacy Study Of Commercial Nasopharyngeal Swabs Versus A Novel 3d Printed Swab For The Detection Of Sars-Cov-2, Forest W. Arnold, Gerald Grant, Phillip F. Bressoud, Stephen P. Furmanek, Donghoon Chung, Nadine Sbaih, Dipan Karmali, Meredith Cahill, George Pantalos

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

Introduction: The large volume of diagnostic tests required by the response to the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a shortage of commercial nasopharyngeal swabs. In an effort to alleviate the shortage, swabs created by 3D printing may be a solution.

Methods: We designed and produced 3D printed swabs and sought to compare their ability to detect SARS-CoV-2 in patients admitted for COVID-19 or who were suspected of having COVID-19.

Results: A total of 30 patients were swabbed with a commercial and a 3D printed swab. Results matched in 27 of 30 patients (90%). Two patients were discordant with a positive commercial …

Sars-Cov-2 And Bacterial Co-Infection, Rodrigo Cavallazzi

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

No abstract provided.

Healthcare Workers In The Time Of Covid, Julio A. Ramirez, Ruth Carrico

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

No abstract provided.

Abo Blood Group Type And Susceptibility To Covid-19 Infection, G. Rafael Fernandez-Botran

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

Since December 2019, the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic has extended its reach over most of the world, infecting over four million people and causing well over 300,000 deaths so far.[1] A significant percentage of infected patients develop severe symptoms and life-threatening conditions. While COVID-19 infection can affect all ages, available evidence points to older age and pre-existing comorbidities, such as hypertension, diabetes, and coronary heart disease, as important risk factors related to increased mortality rates.[2-4] Moreover, recent reports from China and the U.S. have suggested that susceptibility, and perhaps even mortality, to COVID-19 infection might be influenced by the ABO blood …

Copd Exacerbation Caused By Sars-Cov-2: A Case Report From The Louisville Covid-19 Surveillance Program, Forest W. Arnold, Kamran Mahmood, Angeline Prabhu, Darmaan Aden, Anupama Raghuram, Mark Burns, Leslie A. Beavin, Donghoon Chung, Kenneth E. Palmer, Julio A. Ramirez

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

A 53-year-old male with a history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) on home oxygen presented to the hospital with worsening shortness of breath plus cough. He was admitted to the intensive care unit for COPD exacerbation and respiratory failure. A routine evaluation was performed, including a nasopharyngeal swab for a respiratory viral panel, which was negative. His symptoms improved over 48 hours, after which time a surveillance test for SARS-CoV-2 returned as positive. After clinical improvement, he was discharged to home isolation.

How To Prevent Covid-19 In Nurses And Physicians In The Hospital Setting: Universal Test-And-Isolate For All Patients Admitted To Hospitals, Julio A. Ramirez, Ruth Carrico, Forest W. Arnold, Paul Schulz

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

No abstract provided.