COVID-19 Management at IHU Méditerranée Infection: A One-Year Experience

Abstract

Background: The Hospital-University Institute (IHU) Méditerranée Infection features a 27,000 square meter building hosting 700 employees and 75 hospitalized patients in the center of Marseille, France. Method: Previous preparedness in contagious disease management allowed the IHU to manage the COVID-19 outbreak by continuing adaptation for optimal diagnosis, care and outcome. We report here the output of this management. Results: From 5 March 2020, and 26 April 2021, 608,313 PCR tests were provided for 424,919 patients and 44,089 returned positive. A total of 23,390 patients with COVID-19 were followed at IHU with an overall case fatality ratio of 1.7%. Of them 20,270 were followed as outpatients with an overall CFR of 0.17%. We performed 24,807 EKG, 5759 low dose CT Scanner, and 18,344 serology. Of the 7643 nasopharyngeal samples inoculated in cell cultures 3317 (43.3%) yielded SARS-Cov-2 isolates. Finally, 7370 SARS-Cov-2 genomes were analyzed, allowing description of the first genetic variants and their implication in the epidemiologic curves. Continuous clinical care quality evaluation provided the opportunity for 155 publications allowing a better understanding of the disease and improvement of care and 132 videos posted on the IHU Facebook network, totaling 60 million views and 390,000 followers, and dealing with COVID-19, outbreaks, epistemology, and ethics in medicine. Conclusions: During this epidemic, IHU Méditerranée Infection played the role for which it has been created; useful clinical research to guarantee a high-quality diagnostic and care for patient and a recognized expertise.

Cardiovascular Safety of Hydroxychloroquine–Azithromycin in 424 COVID-19 Patients

“…The patients were the first adults seen for SARS-CoV-2 infection at the Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire (IHU) Méditerranée Infection, France, between 3 March 2020 and 5 April 2020. Our institute includes 75 hospital beds [ 18 ]. COVID-19 patients could be hospitalized in five different ways at our institute: (a) directly after screening at our day clinic; (b) outpatients initially followed at our day clinic and then requiring hospitalization; (c) from the emergency department; (d) from other hospital wards or nursing homes; and (e) from intensive care units.…”

Outcomes of 2111 COVID-19 Hospitalized Patients Treated with Hydroxychloroquine/Azithromycin and Other Regimens in Marseille, France, 2020: A Monocentric Retrospective Analysis

“…Since the beginning of the outbreak, we performed early massive PCR screening both on patients suspected of having COVID-19 and their contacts. 37 , 38 In addition, we proposed standardised treatment and follow-up for all individuals ≥18 years of age, with PCR-documented SARS-CoV-2 RNA from a nasopharyngeal sample in our outpatient ward. The most severe patients could be hospitalised in five different ways at our institute: 1) directly after screening in our day clinic, 2) outpatients initially followed in our day clinic and then requiring hospitalisation, 35 3) from the emergency department, 4) from other hospital wards or nursing homes, 5e) from intensive care units.…”