Follow-up study on COVID-19 survivors one year after discharge from hospital.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the long-term consequences of COVID-19 survivors one year after recovery, and to identify the risk factors associated with abnormal patterns in chest imaging manifestations or impaired lung function. METHODS: COVID-19 patients were recruited and prospectively followed up with symptoms, health-related quality of life, psychological questionnaires, 6-minute walking test, chest computed tomography (CT), pulmonary function tests, and blood tests. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to evaluate the association between the clinical characteristics and chest CT abnormalities or pulmonary function. RESULTS: Ninety-four patients with COVID-19 were recruited between January 16 and February 6, 2021. Muscle fatigue and insomnia were the most common symptoms. Chest CT scans were abnormal in 71.28% of participants. The results of multivariable regression showed an increased odds in age. Ten patients had diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (DLCO) impairment. Urea nitrogen concentration on admission was significantly associated with impaired DLCO. IgG levels and neutralizing activity were significantly lower compared with those in the early phase. CONCLUSIONS: One year after hospitalization for COVID-19, a cohort of survivors were mainly troubled with muscle fatigue and insomnia. Pulmonary structural abnormalities and pulmonary diffusion capacities were highly prevalent in surviving COVID-19 patients. It is necessary to intervene in the main target population for long-term recovery.

Diagnostic values of Xpert MTB/RIF, T-SPOT.TB and adenosine deaminase for HIV-negative tuberculous pericarditis in a high burden setting: a prospective observational study.

The diagnosis of tuberculous pericarditis (TBP) remains challenging. This prospective study evaluated the diagnostic value of Xpert MTB/RIF (Xpert) and T-SPOT.TB and adenosine deaminase (ADA) for TBP in a high burden setting. A total of 123 HIV-negative patients with suspected TBP were enrolled at a tertiary referral hospital in China. Pericardial fluids were collected and subjected to the three rapid tests, and the results were compared with the final confirmed diagnosis. Of 105 patients in the final analysis, 39 (37.1%) were microbiologically, histopathologically or clinically diagnosed with TBP. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) for Xpert were 66.7%, 98.5%, 96.3%, 83.3%, 44.0, 0.338, and 130.0, respectively, compared to 92.3%, 87.9%, 81.8%, 95.1%, 7.6, 0.088, and 87.0, respectively, for T-SPOT.TB, and 82.1%, 92.4%, 86.5%, 89.7%, 10.8, 0.194, and 55.8, respectively, for ADA (≥ 40 U/L). ROC curve analysis revealed a cut-off point of 48.5 spot-forming cells per million pericardial effusion mononuclear cells for T-SPOT.TB, which had a DOR value of 183.8, while a cut-off point of 41.5 U/L for ADA had a DOR value of 70.9. Xpert (Step 1: rule-in) followed by T-SPOT.TB [cut-off point] (Step 2: rule-out) showed the highest DOR value of 252.0, with only 5.7% (6/105) of patients misdiagnosed. The two-step algorithm consisting of Xpert and T-SPOT.TB could offer rapid and accurate diagnosis of TBP.

Follow-up study of the pulmonary function and related physiological characteristics of COVID-19 survivors three months after recovery.

BACKGROUND: The long-term pulmonary function and related physiological characteristics of COVID-19 survivors have not been studied in depth, thus many aspects are not understood. METHODS: COVID-19 survivors were recruited for high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) of the thorax, lung function and serum levels of SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody tests 3 months after discharge. The relationship between the clinical characteristics and the pulmonary function or CT scores were investigated. FINDINGS: Fifty-five recovered patients participated in this study. SARS-CoV-2 infection related symptoms were detected in 35 of them and different degrees of radiological abnormalities were detected in 39 patients. Urea nitrogen concentration at admission was associated with the presence of CT abnormalities (P = 0.046, OR 7.149, 95% CI 1.038 to 49.216). Lung function abnormalities were detected in 14 patients and the measurement of D-dimer levels at admission may be useful for prediction of impaired diffusion defect (P = 0.031, OR 1.066, 95% CI 1.006 to 1.129). Of all the subjects, 47 of 55 patients tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 IgG in serum, among which the generation of Immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody in female patients was stronger than male patients in infection rehabilitation phase. INTERPRETATION: Radiological and physiological abnormalities were still found in a considerable proportion of COVID-19 survivors without critical cases 3 months after discharge. Higher level of D-dimer on admission could effectively predict impaired DLCO after 3 months discharge. It is necessary to follow up the COVID-19 patients to appropriately manage any persistent or emerging long-term sequelae. FUNDING: Key Scientific Research Projects of Henan Higher Education Institutions.