[German S1 Guideline Long-/Post-COVID]. / S1-Leitlinie Long-/Post-COVID.

The German Society of Pneumology initiated 2021 the AWMF S1 guideline Long COVID/Post-COVID. In a broad interdisciplinary approach, this S1 guideline was designed based on the current state of knowledge.The clinical recommendations describe current Long COVID/Post-COVID symptoms, diagnostic approaches, and therapies.In addition to the general and consensus introduction, a subject-specific approach was taken to summarize the current state of knowledge.The guideline has an explicit practical claim and will be developed and adapted by the author team based on the current increase in knowledge.

[Algorithm for flexible decision-making in the intra-hospital management of patients with the changing requirements of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic]. / Flexibler Entscheidungsalgorithmus zum innerklinischen stationären Patient*innen-Management unter wechselnden Anforderungen der SARS-CoV-2-Pandemie.

After the initial fulminant outbreak, the SARS-CoV­2 pandemic has now taken a more protracted course which, nevertheless, challenges hospitals in returning to a "normal" mode and in preparing for a worst-case scenario of a second wave. Not only the organization of the first contact with the patient and the admission in the emergency department but also the admission as an in-patient and the subsequent management requires both flexibility and clear directions of action for the medical personnel involved. The aim of the algorithm was to develop a structured, easy to implement and easy to follow guideline while simultaneously preserving resources. The algorithm covers some key points of decision making such as clinical signs, first contact, admission for in-patient treatment, consequences of swab and computed tomography (CT) results, and allocation and isolation measures within the hospital. The algorithm is not intended to guide diagnostics, decisions and treatment in the narrower medical sense but to provide more general instructions for the management of in-patients considering specific aspects of SARS-CoV­2.

Relevance of human metapneumovirus in exacerbations of COPD.

BACKGROUND AND METHODS: Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) is a recently discovered respiratory virus associated with bronchiolitis, pneumonia, croup and exacerbations of asthma. Since respiratory viruses are frequently detected in patients with acute exacerbations of COPD (AE-COPD) it was our aim to investigate the frequency of hMPV detection in a prospective cohort of hospitalized patients with AE-COPD compared to patients with stable COPD and to smokers without by means of quantitative real-time RT-PCR. RESULTS: We analysed nasal lavage and induced sputum of 130 patients with AE-COPD, 65 patients with stable COPD and 34 smokers without COPD. HMPV was detected in 3/130 (2.3%) AE-COPD patients with a mean of 6.5 x 10(5) viral copies/ml in nasal lavage and 1.88 x 10(5) viral copies/ml in induced sputum. It was not found in patients with stable COPD or smokers without COPD. CONCLUSION: HMPV is only found in a very small number of patients with AE-COPD. However it should be considered as a further possible viral trigger of AE-COPD because asymptomatic carriage is unlikely.