Are mobile phones part of the chain of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in hospital settings?

Mobile phones (MPs) have become an important work tool around the world including in hospitals. We evaluated whether SARS-CoV-2 can remain on the surface of MPs of first-line healthcare workers (HCW) and also the knowledge of HCWs about SARS-CoV-2 cross-transmission and conceptions on the virus survival on the MPs of HCWs. A cross-sectional study was conducted in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit of a teaching hospital. An educational campaign was carried out on cross-transmission of SARS-CoV-2, and its permanence in fomites, in addition to the proper use and disinfection of MPs. Herewith an electronic questionnaire was applied including queried conceptions about hand hygiene and care with MP before and after the pandemic. The MPs were swabbed with a nylon FLOQ Swab™, in an attempt to increase the recovery of SARS-CoV-2. All MP swab samples were subjected to SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR; RT-PCR positive samples were subjected to viral culture in Vero cells (ATCC® CCL-81™). Fifty-one MPs were swabbed and a questionnaire on hand hygiene and the use and disinfection of MP was applied after an educational campaign. Most HCWs increased adherence to hand hygiene and MP disinfection during the pandemic. Fifty-one MP swabs were collected and two were positive by RT-PCR (4%), with Cycle threshold (Ct ) values of 34-36, however, the cultures of these samples were negative. Although most HCWs believed in the importance of cross-transmission and increased adherence to hand hygiene and disinfection of MP during the pandemic, SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in MPs. Our results suggest the need for a universal policy in infection control guidelines on how to care for electronic devices in hospital settings.

SARS-CoV-2 aerosol generation during respiratory equipment reprocessing.

Aerosolization may occur during reprocessing of medical devices. With the current coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, it is important to understand the necessity of using respirators in the cleaning area of the sterile processing department. To evaluate the presence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) in the air of the sterile processing department during the reprocessing of contaminated medical devices. Air and surface samples were collected from the sterile processing department of two teaching tertiary hospitals during the reprocessing of respiratory equipment used in patients diagnosed with coronavirus disease 2019 and from intensive care units during treatment of these patients. SARS-CoV-2 was detected only in 1 air sample before the beginning of decontamination process. Viable severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 RNA was not detected in any sample collected from around symptomatic patients or in sterile processing department samples. The cleaning of respiratory equipment does not cause aerosolization of SARS-CoV-2. We believe that the use of medical masks is sufficient while reprocessing medical devices during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

Concentration of cytokines in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee and fibromyalgia.

INTRODUCTION: Fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis may present a relationship with the concentration of cytokines. The aim of this study was to compare the serum concentrations of IL-12p70, tumor necrosis factor, IL-10, IL-6, IL-1ß, and IL-8 in patients with knee osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 53 women (71.2±7.6 years old) diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis with moderate-to-severe pain (visual analog scale >4) for at least 3 months. Sixty women (54.1±8.1 years old) diagnosed with fibromyalgia according to the American College of Rheumatology criteria and with moderate-to-severe pain (visual analog scale >4) also participated in this study. For the dosage of cytokines, blood was collected in the morning: 5 mL from the cubital vein. The material was centrifuged at 4°C, separated into 100 µL aliquots and stored at -80°C until processing. Serum concentrations of the studied cytokines were assessed using the BD Cytometric Bead Array method. Data were analyzed with Student's t-test and the Mann-Whitney U test. RESULTS: We found higher levels of IL-6, IL-10, and IL-1ß in fibromyalgia patients. After adjustment of age as a covariate, there was no statistically significant difference in the concentration of any cytokine between fibromyalgia and knee osteoarthritis patients. CONCLUSION: Patients with knee osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia with the same duration and intensity of pain demonstrate similar concentrations of cytokines. Aging may play a role in cytokine profile, a finding not so extensively addressed in the literature and one that should be further investigated.