Outcomes of targeted treatment in immunocompromised patients with asymptomatic or mild COVID-19: a retrospective study.

The aim of this study was to describe the outcomes of targeted COVID-19 treatments in immunocompromised patients with asymptomatic or mild COVID-19 during the period of expansion of the different Omicron subvariants in France. A retrospective monocentric observational study was performed. All immunocompromised patients aged 18 or more, with asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection or mild COVID-19, and who had received a targeted treatment with sotrovimab, tixagevimab/cilgavimab, nirmatrelvir/ritonavir or remdesivir at the Bordeaux University Hospital from 1st January 2022 to 31st December 2022 were eligible. The primary outcomes of interest was defined as a composite of either (i) progression to moderate (WHO-Clinical Progression Scale at 4 or 5) or severe COVID-19 (WHO-CPS ≥ 6), or (ii) the occurrence of COVID-19-related death. The secondary outcomes of interest were the components of the primary outcome. Outcomes were collected until day 30 after targeted treatment administration or at discharge for patients still hospitalised in relation with COVID-19 at day 30. 223 immunocompromised patients received targeted treatment for asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection or mild COVID-19: 114 received sotrovimab, 50 tixagevimab/cilgavimab, 49 nirmatrelvir/ritonavir, and 10 remdesivir. Among 223 treated patients, 10 (4.5%) progressed to moderate or severe disease: three patients (1.3%) progressed to moderate COVID-19 and 7 (3.1%) patients progressed to severe disease. Among them, 4 (1.8%) died of COVID-19. More than 95% of immunocompromised patients with asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection or mild COVID-19 treated by targeted therapies during the Omicron subvariants era did not progress to moderate or severe disease.

[Ensuring continuity of care at the time of COVID-19: challenges for the Dakar Integrated Support Center for Addictions]. / Assurer la continuité des soins au temps de la COVID-19 : défis pour le centre de traitement des addictions à Dakar.

The COVID-19 pandemic has an impact on health systems, whose modes of adaptation and response on the ground are still poorly documented and are evolving. The Dakar Integrated Support Center for Addictions (CEPIAD) has been implementing risk reduction since 2014, particularly with drug users. The COVID-19 pandemic and related public health measures were an obstacle to its attendance by patients, in particular due to movement restriction. In addition to the implementation of individual and collective preventive measures in the center, CEPIAD has experimented "take-home" for methadon that is generally provided daily through directly observed treatment. The center has also taken care of amnestied incarcerated cannabis users. Several aspects of this experience, perceived positively, could be relevant outside the pandemic context.

Experience of ultrasound performed by infectiologists, an innovating approach for the management of patients.

INTRODUCTION: Ultrasound imaging has many clinical applications, but there is a lack of data about its use by infectiologists. The aim of this study was to describe ultrasound performed routinely by infectiologists and to assess the diagnostic performance of ultrasound with aspirate and fluid analysis in prosthetic joint infections. METHODS: Retrospective study between 1st June 2019 and 1st June 2020 in an infectious and tropical diseases unit in a tertiary University Hospital. RESULTS: One hundred and thirty-one ultrasounds were performed on 127 patients by the infectious diseases team. These included 64 musculoskeletal ultrasounds (31 in native joints and 33 in prosthetic joints including 15 knees, 13 hips and 5 spacers) and 33 led to a fluid aspirate. Fourteen lung ultrasounds were done, 11 confirmed pneumopathy and 7 resulted in pleural puncture. Twenty-three vascular ultrasounds were done, 17 to insert a catheter, and four to perform a blood test. Five ultrasounds explored adenopathy, of which one node tuberculosis and one Bartonella infection were diagnosed. In prosthetic joint infections, sensitivity and specificity of ultrasound with fluid aspirate and analysis were respectively 100% and 100% for the knee and 40% and 100% for the hip. CONCLUSION: Ultrasound performed by infectiologists is useful and contributes to a faster diagnosis. Furthermore, the specificity of ultrasound with aspirate and fluid analysis is very high in prosthetic joint infection. Ultrasound training courses should be considered for infectiologists including residents.

Severe adverse events during medical and surgical treatment of hip and knee prosthetic joint infections.

INTRODUCTION: The management of prosthetic joint infection requires a complex treatment procedure and can be associated with complications. However, the occurrence of severe adverse events during this intervention has been poorly evaluated. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A 5-year multicentric retrospective study including patients from 3 hospitals in the South-Western France referral center for complex bone and joint infections (Crioac GSO) and treated for hip or knee prosthetic joint infection with 1 or 2-stage implant exchanges. The objective was to describe grade≥3 adverse events, according to the CTCAE classification, occurring within 6 weeks after surgery and to identify their associated factors. RESULTS: One hundred and eighteen patients were identified. We observed 71 severe events in 50 patients (42.3%; 95% confidence interval [CI95%]: 33.8-51.4%). Sixteen severe events were an evolution of the infection. The remaining 55 others (47 grade 3 and 8 grade 4) occurred in 41 patients (34.7%; CI95%: 26.8-43.7%). They were distributed as follows: 27 (49.1%) medical complications, 21 (38.2%) surgical complications and 7 (12.7%) antibiotic-related complications. The main identified risk factor was a two-stage prosthetic exchange with OR=3.6 (CI95% [1.11-11.94], P=0.032). Obesity was limit of significance with OR=3.3 (CI95% [0.9-12.51], P=0.071). Infection with coagulase negative Staphylococcus was a protective factor with OR=0.3 (CI95% [0.12-0.99], P=0.047). CONCLUSION: Severe adverse events are frequent following prosthetic exchange for PJI (34.7%) and are related to the high frequency of comorbidities in this population and to the complex surgical procedures required. The risk factor significantly associated with these events was a two-stage exchange.

User fees and access to ARV treatment for persons living with HIV/AIDS: implementation and challenges in Burkina Faso, a limited-resource country.

Access to antiretroviral (ARV) treatment remains a crucial problem for patients living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in limited-resources countries. Some African countries have adopted the principle of providing ARV free of charge, but Burkina Faso opted for a direct out-of-pocket payment at the point of care delivery, with subsidized payments and mechanisms for the poorest populations to receive these services free of charge. Our objectives were to determine the proportion of PLWHA who pay for ARV and to identify the factors associated with ARV access in Burkina Faso. A cross-sectional study was performed in 13 public health facilities, 10 Nongovernmental Organizations and association health facilities, and three faith-based health facilities. In each facility, 20 outpatients receiving ARV were interviewed during a routine clinic visit. A multivariate analysis by logistic regression was performed. Among the expected 520 patients receiving ARV, 499 (96.0%) were surveyed. The majority of patients (79%) did not pay for their ARV treatment, thereby limiting cost recovery from patient payments. In a multivariate analysis, level of education and income were associated with free access to ARV. Patients with no education more frequently received free ARV than those who had received some level of education (OR 2.7, 95% CI [1.3-5.6]). Patients without any income or with less than US$10 per month were more likely to receive free ARV (OR 2.6 [95% CI 1.3-5.2]) than those who earned more than US$10 per month. However, 16% of patients without any income and 21% of those without employment paid for ARV, and the costs of drugs for opportunistic infections, food, and transport remained a burden for 85%, 91%, and 74%, respectively, of those who did not pay for ARV. Free access to a minimum care package for every PLWHA would enhance access to ARV.

Haemophilus spp., an emerging multidrug-resistant sexually transmitted pathogen.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the characteristics of patients with a positive urethral sample for Haemophilus spp. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective study from January 2018 to July 2019 at the Bordeaux university hospital (France) of all urethral samples positive for Haemophilus spp. RESULTS: Haemophilus spp. was isolated in 10 urethral samples from nine patients. The mean age was 33.8 years. Most patients reported having unprotected sex. Haemophilus parainfluenzae was isolated in nine samples, and Haemophilus influenzae in one sample. Antibiotic susceptibility tests were performed in five samples; Haemophilus spp. was always resistant to amoxicillin and tetracycline. One patient had persistent symptoms after treatment for a multidrug-resistant Haemophilus parainfluenzae strain. CONCLUSION: Haemophilus spp. is a rare pathogen of urethritis. Its responsibility should be considered in case of persistent symptoms. The emergence of multidrug-resistant Haemophilus spp. is becoming problematic.

Surveillance in the field: Over-identification of Ebola suspect cases and its contributing factors in West African at-risk contexts.

During an Ebola outbreak, the WHO recommends that health professionals consider people as suspect cases (SCs) when they show key signs such as the sudden onset of high fever or specific symptoms after having had contact with a suspect or confirmed Ebola case. SCs should then get care, be isolated and be reported to health authorities until the Ebola virus disease is confirmed through a lab test. This exploratory study aims to understand this identification process in the field based on a qualitative analysis of the diagnosis and therapeutic itineraries of 19 SCs in Cote d'Ivoire and Senegal (2014-2015). Results indicate that the main criteria for SC identification at the field level were fever (understood broadly) and provenance from a highly affected country (applied indiscriminately). WHO criteria were not followed in at least 9 of the 19 cases. Several medical, social and cultural factors favour over-identification of people as SCs, including relativism in defining 'high fever', placism, humanitarian or securitarian bias, issues in categorising SC's contact cases, and the context of fear. To avoid undue categorisation and its possible harmful social effects, the WHO definition should be implemented more carefully in various contexts and with greater consideration for ethical issues, while prioritising diagnosis strategies with higher specificity.

High prevalence of Mycoplasma genitalium infection and macrolide resistance in patients enrolled in HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis program.

OBJECTIVES: Limited data on Mycoplasma genitalium infection has been reported among PrEP users. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence and macrolide resistance of M. genitalium infection among enrollees in a French PrEP program. PATIENTS AND METHODS: M. genitalium infection screening was systematically and prospectively proposed to patients of the Bordeaux PrEP program (between January 2016 and February 2017). Macrolide resistance was evaluated in M. genitalium-positive patients. RESULTS: Among 89 clients, M. genitalium infection prevalence was 10% (mainly asymptomatic) with a high rate of macrolide resistance (58%). CONCLUSIONS: Because of a high level of macrolide resistance, a systematic search for M. genitalium macrolide resistance associated-mutations may be recommended in PrEP users before initiating the antibiotic therapy.

[Medical research-ethics applied to social sciences: relevance, limits, issues and necessary adjustments]. / L'éthique médicale appliquée aux sciences humaines et sociales: pertinence, limites, enjeux, et ajustements néessaires.

Social sciences are concretely concerned by the ethics of medical research when they deal with topics related to health, since they are subjected to clearance procedures specific to this field. This raises at least three questions: - Are principles and practices of medical research ethics and social science research compatible? - Are "research subjects" protected by medical research ethics when they participate in social science research projects? - What can social sciences provide to on-going debates and reflexion in this field? The analysis of the comments coming from ethics committees about social science research projects, and of the experience of implementation of these projects, shows that the application of international ethics standards by institutional review boards or ethics committees raises many problems in particular for researches in ethnology anthropology and sociology. These problems may produce an impoverishment of research, pervert its meaning, even hinder any research. They are not only related to different norms, but also to epistemological divergences. Moreover, in the case of studies in social sciences, the immediate and differed risks, the costs, as well as the benefits for subjects, are very different from those related to medical research. These considerations are presently a matter of debates in several countries such as Canada, Brasil, and USA. From another hand, ethics committees seem to have developed without resorting in any manner to the reflexion carried out within social sciences and more particularly in anthropology Still, the stakes of the ethical debates in anthropology show that many important and relevant issues have been discussed. Considering this debate would provide openings for the reflexion in ethics of health research. Ethnographic studies of medical research ethics principles and practices in various sociocultural contexts may also contribute to the advancement of medical ethics. A "mutual adjustment" between ethics of medical research and social sciences is presently necessary: it raises new questions open for debate.

Preparation needed for the social dimensions of epidemics in Africa: Experience from a training session in Conakry.

After the Ebola outbreak in West Africa (2013-2016), preparedness is on the agenda of health institutions. However, key questions remain about the scope of preparedness and activities related to the socio-cultural dimension of epidemics. A multidisciplinary short-course Infectious Diseases and Anthropology in West Africa (MIAA) was held at CERFIG, Conakry, in November 2017. Its evaluation provides some answers to key questions, such as who should be trained, and what its objectives, pedagogical contents, and methods should be.

Living with HIV at the time of its normalization: a routine experience for women?

To meet the objective of ending the AIDS pandemic in 2030, screening and access to antiretroviral treatments (ARV) must be extended in Africa. This in turns requires that people agree to be screened and treated. Since the beginning of the epidemic, however, the stigmatization of people persons living with HIV (PlHIV) has been a major obstacle in the battle against HIV/AIDS. Despite a substantial reduction in its prevalence over the past 20 years in Burkina Faso, its stigma remains high. The objective of this study is to characterize the local expression of stigmatization in this country towards these women to help to combat it. The method used a long-term ethnographic survey that combined observations of the setting and qualitative interviews of 40 women - both seronegative and seropositive. The results show the appearance of a sort of normalization of HIV/AIDS because the bioclinical effects of the infection are less serious and less visible than they were before ARV. The social effects of the disease nonetheless continue to constitute a threat, or at least they are so perceived by both seropositive and seronegative women. Although less visible, stigmatization persists and constrains seropositive women to use strategies to withdraw from some social spaces to protect themselves. PlHIV active in community associations play an essential role in this setting. They help women to keep their stigmata "under control" and play a role in its normalization by helping to moderate representations of HIV/AIDS and the people who have it.

Clinical and biological features of enteroviral meningitis among adults and children and factors associated with severity and length of stay.

BACKGROUND: Enterovirus (EV) meningitis is the most common form of meningitis. Clinical and biological manifestations may be non-specific, leading to prolonged and costly investigations. OBJECTIVES: To determine the different aspects of EV meningitis and the variables associated with length of stay (LOS) in hospital independently of patients' age. STUDY DESIGN: Single center retrospective study of all EV PCR positive CSF samples during 3.5 years in Bordeaux University Hospital, France. RESULTS: 172 patients were included. 65 were under 3 years old and 49 over 18 years old. 10% of patients had severe forms of the disease. 47 patients (27.3%) had normal CSF count and in 63 patients (36.6%) polynuclear cells predominated in CSF. Procalcitonin, Hoens' score or PCR in stool samples appeared as good markers for enteroviral diagnosis. Time elapsed before PCR results was associated with LOS (p = .002) and should help in limiting investigations in case of aseptic meningitis. CONCLUSION: Rapid availability of EV PCR reduces LOS for patients and contributes to diminish unnecessary procedures and further tests.

[Ebola in Guinea: experience of stigma among health professional survivors]. / Ebola en Guinée : formes de la stigmatisation des acteurs de santé survivants.

This article aims to describe the various forms of stigma faced by Ebola health professional survivors. A study based on in-depth interviews with 20 survivors was conducted in Conakry as part of PostEboGui multidisciplinary cohort research Program (Life after Ebola) in July-August 2015. Participants were health professionals, male and female, mostly with precarious positions in the health system. The results show that stigmatization is mainly expressed through avoidance, rejection, or being refused to be reinstated in the position at work and non-acceptance of the disease by third parties. This stigmatization appears to be rooted in fear of contagion and in diverging conceptions of the disease aetiology that may engender conflict. Being health workers did not protect them against stigma and some of them faced rejection in their own health care facility. This stigmatization was not based on moral grounds, contrary to the one experienced by people living with HIV, and attitudes of solidarity were encountered in family and confessional networks. Responders found support within an association of survivors (Association des personnes guéries et affectées d'Ebola en Guinée, APEGUAEG) that was created in early 2015. Stigmatization was temporary and disappeared for most responders owing to strategies implemented by survivors and because the fear of contagion had vanished: interviews were conducted when the notion of persistence of Ebola virus in the semen was not spread in the population. This research study shows that stigma is perpetuated among health agents, towards workers who were exposed by their professional role. This observation should be considered for specific measures towards behavioural change. Finally, the very notion of "stigmatization", widely used by public health institutions, is challenged by the diversity of individual experiences that are particular to Ebola virus disease regarding their expression and evolution. Studies on stigma related to Ebola should be held in other populations and contexts for comparison.

[Security agents on the front line against Ebola: roles, perceptions and knowledge in Fann Teaching Hospital, Dakar, Senegal]. / Les agents de sécurité en première ligne face à Ebola : rôles, perceptions et connaissances au CHU de Fann, Dakar, Sénégal.

Security agents are on the front line when patients arrive at health facilities, giving them a potential role to play in an Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak. The position of security agents within health services is poorly documented. A survey was conducted to clarify their understanding of Ebola pathology, to assess their need for information and to determine their role in patient management. The survey included both qualitative and quantitative aspects. 80 security agents of the Fann teaching hospital (Dakar) completed questionnaires, and 11 were interviewed. Qualitative analysis was performed with Dedoose and the quantitative analysis using Excel. The results show that security agents' activities go beyond their mission of security and control. They are involved in informing, orienting and assisting patients and those accompanying them in the hospital. The security agents have basic knowledge of EVD, but overestimate the risk of transmission. They want to be more informed and to have access to protective material. These results suggest that these professionals should be taken into account when developing response strategies to Ebola outbreaks. Their knowledge of and protection against the disease must be strengthened. Non-health professionals working in health facilities should be trained in order to be able to relay information to the public.

[Ebola contacts' surveillance: social impact and ethical issues in Senegal]. / La surveillance des personnes contacts pour Ébola : effets sociaux et enjeux éthiques au Sénégal.

Quarantine has been widely used during the Ebola outbreak in West Africa mainly to control transmission chains. This measure raises ethical issues that require documentation of the modalities of quarantine at the field level and its social effects for contact persons. In Senegal, 74 people were in contact with the Ebola case coming from Guinea in September 2014. Of these, 34 members of the case's household were contained together at home and monitored by officers. The remaining 40 health care workers from two facilities were dispersed in their family households and monitored by telephone or during doctors' visits. The study is based on in-depth interviews with 43 adult contacts about their experiences and perceptions, with additional observation for interpretation and contextualization.Containment at home was applied differently to contacts who lived with patient zero than to professional health care contacts. No coercion was used at first since all contacts adhered to surveillance, but some of them did not fully comply with movement restrictions. Contacts found biosafety precautions stigmatizing, especially during the first days when health workers and contacts were feeling an acute fear of contagion. The material support that was provided-food and money-was necessary since contacts could not work nor get resources, but it was too limited and delayed. The relational support they received was appreciated, as well as the protection from stigmatization by the police and follow-up workers. But the information delivered to contacts was insufficient, and some of them, including health workers, had little knowledge about EVD and Ebola transmission, which caused anxiety and emotional suffering. Some contacts experienced the loss of their jobs and loss of income; several could not easily or fully return to their previous living routines.Beyond its recommendations to enhance support measures, the study identifies the ethical stakes of quarantine in Senegal regarding informed consent and individual autonomy, non-maleficence and benevolence, and equity and adaptation to specific situations. Nevertheless, the balance between preventive benefits and individual inconveniences of quarantine should still be evaluated from a public health perspective.

[Revival after Ebola: multidisciplinary assessment at 1 year, prospect and follow-up study of surviving patients from Ebola in Guinea (PostEboGui cohort)]. / (Re)vivre après Ebola : bilan à un an et perspectives d'une étude d'évaluation et accompagnement des patients déclarés guéris d'une infection par le virus Ebola en Guinée (cohorte PostEboGui).

Ebola virus disease (EVD) epidemic that spread in West Africa from the end of 2013 to early 2016 has reached more people than all past epidemics. Beyond care management of acute phase ill patients and measures for the control of the epidemic, the outcome of Ebola survivors became an important question as their number increased and raised new issues. A multidisciplinary prospective cohort of survivors in Guinea has been launched by IRD UMI 233 and Donka National Hospital, Conakry, Guinea, to assess the long-term clinical, psychological, sociological, immunological, and viral outcomes potentially related to EVD. This paper describes PostEboGui Programme, constraints and changes to the initial proposal, participants, first results, and new issues, 1 year after its start, in a descriptive and critical view. We started also to work on ethical aspects in the context of epidemics and of mass interventions with a risk of overinvestigation of patients.

[Popular perceptions about childhood diarrheas: diversity and unity]. / Les perceptions populaires des diarrhées infantiles: diversité et invariants.

Sickness is defined by culture: each society has its own way of labelling, explaining and treating symptoms. In the case of childhood diarrhea, each population selects some signs and considers them as symptoms, defines a limit between normal and pathologic, arranges symptoms in order to build syndromes that make up a local nosology. Examples from Thailand, China, Algeria, Nicaragua and Burkina Faso show the diversity of popular beliefs about diarrhea. These beliefs depend upon the epidemiological context, but they do not reflect it exactly: thus in Burkina Faso, AIDS has not been integrated in popular beliefs about childhood diarrhea. The examples discussed in this article show how popular beliefs evolve, especially under the influence of biomedicine. Moreover, every individual understands differently the popular nosology according to his (or her) social status and to the level of his (her) knowledge. To the unity of biomedical knowledge responds a great diversity of popular beliefs. In France, contemporary popular beliefs about childhood diarrhea have been seldom studied by social sciences. They seem to be close to biomedical knowledge and share some essential elements with it, but they also show some features--such as the belief that diarrhea is benign when simultaneous to teething--that relate them to popular beliefs which have been described in other cultures. By describing and analysing these popular beliefs, medical anthropology makes it possible to adapt medicine to local knowledges.

[10 years' research in the social sciences on AIDS in Burkina Faso. Elements for prevention]. / Dix ans de recherches en sciences sociales sur le SIDA au Burkina Faso. Eléments pour la prévention.

The first cases of AIDS in Burkina Faso were reported in 1986. During the past ten years, there have been several types of research conducted in Burkina Faso in the field of social sciences, including KABP, focus groups, and ethnographic studies. This article reviews approximately 100 publications and presents the results most relevant to prevention. Although general knowledge of the disease, its transmission and means of protection has improved, part of the population remains poorly informed; erroneous ideas remain prevalent and certain concepts, for example asymptomatic infection, are ignored. Young women in rural areas have the poorest knowledge. Understanding the information is conditioned by underlying perceptions of blood and physiology, the "components of the person", pre-existent and sexually transmitted diseases, and modes of transmission. Research on sexuality has elucidated the age at which individuals become sexually active, and paramatrimonial practices. The prevalence of STD is high. STD are mostly treated by traditional practitioners or by automedication. Family planning is insufficiently developed. AIDS prevention should be integrated into wider considerations of reproductive health. The popular perception that "Others" are responsible for bringing AIDS into the country has often been reinforced by health messages. Consequently, people do not sufficiently consider themselves vulnerable to HIV infection. The populations that are most vulnerable, for various reasons that have been analysed, include young girls and women, married women, prostitutes, truck drivers, and young men from rural areas. The message "Fidelity or condom" has been widely used. However, it has hindered the generalisation of the use of condoms, because asking for a condom consequently implies distrust of the partner. The interpretation of fidelity is diverse, and many people who choose this means of prevention believe erroneously that they are protected. Studies of the social impact of AIDS reveal fragmentation of society, reactions causing social exclusion and discriminative practices, and no social visibility of HIV infected persons. After ten years of preventive actions, the prevalence of HIV is still increasing, evidence of the failure of the preventive strategies. It is no longer sufficient to see prevention as the transfer of knowledge from professionals to the population. Preventive strategies such as voluntary testing and the participation of HIV+ persons in informative actions need to be developed. Prevention should be understood on new bases. The concept of "vulnerability" might help the definition of in-depth actions and also focus interventions. The idea of developing social cohesion to confront the epidemic may help avoid some of the adverse consequences of previous actions. Do these concepts conform to current AIDS prevention attitudes? To answer this question, social scientists should study the ideologies, knowledge, beliefs, and practices of institutions and professionals working in the field of AIDS prevention.