Identifying SARS-CoV-2 infections through aggressive diagnostic testing remains critical in tracking and curbing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Collection of nasopharyngeal swabs (NPS), the preferred sample type for SARS-CoV-2 detection, has become difficult due to the dramatic increase in testing and consequential supply strain. Therefore, alternative specimen types have been investigated, that provide similar detection sensitivity with reduced health care exposure and potential for self-collection. In this study, the detection sensitivity of SARS-CoV-2 in nasal swabs (NS) and saliva was compared to that of NPS, using matched specimens from two outpatient cohorts in New York State (total n = 463). The first cohort showed only a 5.4% positivity but the second cohort (n=227) had a positivity rate of 41%, with sensitivity in NPS, NS and saliva of 97.9%, 87.1%, and 87.1%, respectively. Whether the reduced sensitivity of NS or saliva is acceptable must be assessed in the settings where they are used. However, we sought to improve on it by validating a method to mix the two sample types, as the combination of nasal swab and saliva resulted in 94.6% SARS-CoV-2 detection sensitivity. Spiking experiments showed that combining them did not adversely affect the detection sensitivity in either. Virus stability in saliva was also investigated, with and without the addition of commercially available stabilizing solutions. The virus was stable in saliva at both 4°C and room temperature for up to 7 days. The addition of stabilizing solutions did not enhance stability and in some situations reduced detectable virus levels.
Nearly half of older women diagnosed with a UTI in an ED setting did not have confirmatory findings on urine culture and were therefore inappropriately treated. Catheterization improved the accuracy of UA when assessing older women for possible UTI.
Identifying SARS-CoV-2 infections through aggressive diagnostic testing remains critical in tracking and curbing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Collection of nasopharyngeal swabs (NPS), the preferred sample type for SARS-CoV-2 detection, has become difficult due to the dramatic increase in testing and consequential supply strain. Therefore, alternative specimen types have been investigated, that provide similar detection sensitivity with reduced health care exposure and potential for self-collection. In this study, the detection sensitivity of SARS-CoV-2 in nasal swabs (NS) and saliva was compared to that of NPS, using matched specimens from two outpatient cohorts in New York State (total n = 463). The first cohort showed only a 5.4% positivity but the second cohort (n=227) had a positivity rate of 41%, with sensitivity in NPS, NS and saliva of 97.9%, 87.1%, and 87.1%, respectively. Whether the reduced sensitivity of NS or saliva is acceptable must be assessed in the settings where they are used. However, we sought to improve on it by validating a method to mix the two sample types, as the combination of nasal swab and saliva resulted in 94.6% SARS-CoV-2 detection sensitivity. Spiking experiments showed that combining them did not adversely affect the detection sensitivity in either. Virus stability in saliva was also investigated, with and without the addition of commercially available stabilizing solutions. The virus was stable in saliva at both 4C and room temperature for up to 7 days. The addition of stabilizing solutions did not enhance stability and in some situations reduced detectable virus levels.
In 19 patients with severe Parkinson's disease, we replicated the surgical procedures developed by Madrazo et al. for transplantation of the adrenal medulla to the striatum, and followed them for six months after operation. We monitored their motor function with the use of standardized scales and determined the amount and quality of "on" and "off" time (the hours of the waking day when the antiparkinsonian medications were effective and ineffective, respectively). We found significant improvement in focal areas of motor function. The mean percentage of on time during the day increased from 47.6 percent to 75.0 percent (P = 0.012); the mean percentage of on time without chorea increased from 26.6 percent to 59.2 percent (P = 0.006); the mean severity of off time decreased as assessed by both the Activities of Daily Living subscale of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Scale (P = 0.002) and the Schwab and England scale (P = 0.037). In contrast to the finding of Madrazo et al., however, the dosages of antiparkinsonian medications could not be decreased and postoperative morbidity was substantial. Despite cautious optimism, we conclude that the widespread use of this procedure outside of research centers is premature, since the improvement we found was slighter than in the previous cases.
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