Characteristics and management of asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infections.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused and is still causing tremendous morbidity, mortality, and damage to our societies. The disease course of COVID-19 can be unpredictable ranging from asymptomatic infections to multi-organ failure and death. Transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) from an asymptomatic infected individual to others has been observed early in the pandemic. Asymptomatic individuals have been shown to have quantitative SARS-CoV-2 viral loads, there may or may not be radiological and/or laboratory abnormalities. No antiviral therapy has been approved for the treatment of asymptomatic SARS-CoV2- infection. The management of asymptomatic individuals at home requires that the person can be monitored for any signs and symptoms of deterioration and that the requirements for infection prevention and control measures can be fulfilled. It is crucial to properly diagnose and manage asymptomatic COVID-19 cases with effective testing, contact tracing, quarantine, and isolation strategies. Preventing asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infections that have a major role in the unhindered transmission of the virus is a milestone to take control of the pandemic. Vaccination has been proven to be the crucial pillar for preventing asymptomatic infections and real-life data will continue to exhibit the effects of community vaccination in breaking the transmission chain of SARS-CoV-2 infections.

Pulmonary mucormycosis: A case report.

Mucormycosis is a rare fungal infection caused by Mucorales order fungi. The rhino-cerebral form of mucormycosis is most commonly seen in patients with diabetes mellitus, whereas, pulmonary mucormycosis is a rare manifestation in patients with haematological malignancy and transplant recipients. We report a case of pulmonary mucormycosis presenting with a late acute onset diabetes on a patient immunosuppressed with a low dose of steroids. We aim to illustrate the need for a high clinical suspicion for the diagnosis of mucormycosis and to report the importance of early and aggressive inhiation of antifungal therapy.