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The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is causing considerable morbidity and mortality worldwide. Multiple reports have suggested that patients with heart failure (HF) are at a higher risk of severe disease and mortality with COVID-19. Moreover, evaluating and treating HF patients with comorbid COVID-19 represents a formidable clinical challenge as symptoms of both conditions may overlap and they may potentiate each other. Limited data exist regarding comprehensive management of HF patients with concomitant COVID-19. Since these issues pose serious new challenges for clinicians worldwide, HF specialists must develop a structured approach to the care of patients with COVID-19 and be included early in the care of these patients. Therefore, the Heart Failure Association of the European Society of Cardiology and the Chinese Heart Failure Association & National Heart Failure Committee conducted web-based meetings to discuss these unique clinical challenges and reach a consensus opinion to help providers worldwide deliver better patient care. The main objective of this position paper is to outline the management of HF patients with concomitant COVID-19 based on the available data and personal experiences of physicians from Asia, Europe and the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During last two decades, the biggest global epidemic had been associated with middle east respiratory syndrome, severe acute respiratory syndrome, and novel coronavirus-19 (COVID-19) with clinical symptoms of bronchitis, pneumonia, and fetal respiratory illness. Infection caused by COVID-19 initially assumed to be milder in nature but consequently spreading across the globe and devastating mortality rate rapidly made it a pandemic. Having enormous challenges, many significant issues are yet to be addressed. Scientific community is engaged in designing and developing effective nano-biosensors for the quick detection of COVID-19, easy diagnosis as well as absolute tracking of infected population in order to prevent pandemic outbreak further. In this paper, key stages like suppressing the immune response of COVID-19 patients, diagnosis of COVID-19, and prevention of COVID-19 using nanomaterials have been discussed. Further, the unresolved challenges and drawbacks toward treatments and vaccine development at the earliest to win over this war have also been critically discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), due to the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), has become an epidemiological threat and a worldwide concern. SARS-CoV-2 has spread to 210 countries worldwide and more than 6,500,000 confirmed cases and 384,643 deaths have been reported, while the number of both confirmed and fatal cases is continually increasing. COVID-19 is a viral disease that can affect every age group—from infants to the elderly—resulting in a wide spectrum of various clinical manifestations. COVID-19 might present different degrees of severity—from mild or even asymptomatic carriers, even to fatal cases. The most common complications include pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome. Fever, dry cough, muscle weakness, and chest pain are the most prevalent and typical symptoms of COVID-19. However, patients might also present atypical symptoms that can occur alone, which might indicate the possible SARS-CoV-2 infection. The aim of this paper is to review and summarize all of the findings regarding clinical manifestations of COVID-19 patients, which include respiratory, neurological, olfactory and gustatory, gastrointestinal, ophthalmic, dermatological, cardiac, and rheumatologic manifestations, as well as specific symptoms in pediatric patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune and multisystemic chronic inflammatory disease that can affect various organs, including skin, joints, kidneys, lungs and the nervous system. Infectious agents have long been implicated in the pathogenesis of SLE. The new viral infection caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has shown that, in genetically predisposed patients could trigger the presentation or exacerbation of the autoimmune disease. We herein report a case of a 45-year-old man who presented respiratory symptoms, bilateral pleural effusion, ascites, splenomegaly, severe thrombocytopenia and renal failure with proteinuria and hematuria. SARS-CoV-2 PCR confirmed the COVID-19 diagnosis. We diagnosed the patient with SLE based on the clinical manifestations and positive immunological markers (2019 European League Against Rheumatism/American College of Rheumatology, score of 18). Glucocorticoid pulses were administered to the patient, which improved renal function. However, thrombocytopenia was also refractory to IV immunoglobulin and rituximab, so the patient underwent splenectomy. Through a systematic search of the medical literature, we retrieved two cases with newly onset SLE and five cases with previous SLE diagnosis that showed activity of the disease due to SARS-CoV-2 infection. We herein present a systemic review of these cases and discuss the clinical manifestations that could help to the diagnosis of this clinical condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical features of mild‐to‐moderate coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) in a sample of Italian patients and to investigate the occurrence of smell and taste disorders. Infected individuals with suspected (clinical diagnosis) or laboratory‐confirmed COVID‐19 infection were recruited. Patients completed a survey‐based questionnaire with the aim of assessing their epidemiological and clinical characteristics, general otorhinolaryngological symptoms, and smell and taste disorders. A total of 294 patients with mild‐to‐moderate COVID‐19 completed the survey (147 females). The most prevalent general symptoms included fever, myalgia, cough, and headache. A total of 70.4% and 59.2% of patients reported smell and taste disorders, respectively. A significant association between the two above‐mentioned disorders was found (rs: 0.412; P <.001). Smell disorders occurred before the other symptoms in 11.6% of patients and was not significantly associated with nasal obstruction or rhinorrhea. Interestingly, our statistical analysis did not show any significant difference, either for general symptoms or otorhinolaryngological features, between the clinical diagnosis group and the laboratory‐confirmed diagnosis (polymerase chain reaction) group. The structural equation model confirmed significant standardized paths (P <.05) between general symptoms, comorbidities, and general otorhinolaryngological complaints in the absence of a significant correlation between these elements and smell and taste alterations. The prevalence of smell and taste disorders in mild‐to‐moderate Italian COVID‐19 patients is significant both in suspected and laboratory‐confirmed cases and reveals a strong correlation between these clinical signs regardless of the presence of general or otorhinolaryngological symptoms, such as nasal obstruction or rhinorrhea. Highlights: This study evaluates the clinical features of mild‐to‐moderate COVID‐19 in a sample of adult Italian patients. The structural equation model (SEM) built to examine the clinical characteristics of the infection, confirms significant standardised paths between all the evaluated variables and underlines the absence of a significant correlation between smell and taste disorders and all the other variables. Furthermore, the study reveals a strong correlation between smell and taste alterations with a significant prevalence of these symptoms both in suspected (clinical diagnosis) and laboratory‐confirmed (pcr) cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To systematically analyze CT findings during the early and progressive stages of natural course of coronavirus disease 2019 and also to explore possible changes in pulmonary parenchymal abnormalities during these two stages.Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the initial chest CT data of 62 confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 patients (34 men, 28 women; age range 20-91 years old) who did not receive any antiviral treatment between January 21 and February 4, 2020, in Chongqing, China. Patients were assigned to the early-stage group (onset of symptoms within 4 days) or progressive-stage group (onset of symptoms within 4-7 days) for analysis. CT characteristics and the distribution, size, and CT score of pulmonary parenchymal abnormalities were assessed.Results: In our study, the major characteristic of coronavirus disease 2019 was ground-glass opacity (61.3%), followed by ground-glass opacity with consolidation (35.5%), rounded opacities (25.8%), a crazy-paving pattern (25.8%), and an air bronchogram (22.6%). No patient presented cavitation, a reticular pattern, or bronchial wall thickening. The CT scores of the progressive-stage group were significantly greater than those of the early-stage group (p = 0.004).Conclusions: Multiple ground-glass opacities with consolidations in the periphery of the lungs were the primary CT characteristic of coronavirus disease 2019. CT score can be used to evaluate the severity of the disease. If these typical alterations are found, then the differential diagnosis of coronavirus disease 2019 must be considered.Key Points: • Multiple GGOs with consolidations in the periphery of the lungs were the primary CT characteristic of COVID-19. • The halo sign may be a special CT feature in the early-stage COVID-19 patients. • Significantly increased CT score may indicate the aggravation of COVID-19 in the progressive stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]