An economic analysis of immediate delivery and expectant monitoring in women with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, between 34 and 37 weeks of gestation (HYPITAT-II).

OBJECTIVE: To assess the economic consequences of immediate delivery compared with expectant monitoring in women with preterm non-severe hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. DESIGN: A cost-effectiveness analysis alongside a randomised controlled trial (HYPITAT-II). SETTING: Obstetric departments of seven academic hospitals and 44 non-academic hospitals in the Netherlands. POPULATION: Women diagnosed with non-severe hypertensive disorders of pregnancy between 340/7 and 370/7  weeks of gestation, randomly allocated to either immediate delivery or expectant monitoring. METHODS: A trial-based cost-effectiveness analysis was performed from a healthcare perspective until final maternal and neonatal discharge. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Health outcomes were expressed as the prevalence of respiratory distress syndrome, defined as the need for supplemental oxygen for >24 hours combined with radiographic findings typical for respiratory distress syndrome. Costs were estimated from a healthcare perspective until maternal and neonatal discharge. RESULTS: The average costs of immediate delivery (n = 352) were €10 245 versus €9563 for expectant monitoring (n = 351), with an average difference of €682 (95% confidence interval, 95% CI -€618 to €2126). This 7% difference predominantly originated from the neonatal admissions, which were €5672 in the immediate delivery arm and €3929 in the expectant monitoring arm. CONCLUSION: In women with mild hypertensive disorders between 340/7 and 370/7  weeks of gestation, immediate delivery is more costly than expectant monitoring as a result of differences in neonatal admissions. These findings support expectant monitoring, as the clinical outcomes of the trial demonstrated that expectant monitoring reduced respiratory distress syndrome for a slightly increased risk of maternal complications. TWEETABLE ABSTRACT: Expectant management in preterm hypertensive disorders is less costly compared with immediate delivery.

Transition from Reconstruction toward Thin Film on the (110) Surface of Strontium Titanate.

The surfaces of metal oxides often are reconstructed with a geometry and composition that is considerably different from a simple termination of the bulk. Such structures can also be viewed as ultrathin films, epitaxed on a substrate. Here, the reconstructions of the SrTiO3 (110) surface are studied combining scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), transmission electron diffraction, and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), and analyzed with density functional theory calculations. Whereas SrTiO3 (110) invariably terminates with an overlayer of titania, with increasing density its structure switches from n × 1 to 2 × n. At the same time the coordination of the Ti atoms changes from a network of corner-sharing tetrahedra to a double layer of edge-shared octahedra with bridging units of octahedrally coordinated strontium. This transition from the n × 1 to 2 × n reconstructions is a transition from a pseudomorphically stabilized tetrahedral network toward an octahedral titania thin film with stress-relief from octahedral strontia units at the surface.

Increased prevalence of gastrointestinal viruses and diminished secretory immunoglobulin a levels in antibody deficiencies.

PURPOSE: Gastrointestinal disease occurs frequently in antibody deficiencies. This study aims to explore the relation between gastrointestinal infections and mucosal homeostasis in patients with antibody deficiencies. METHODS: We performed an observational study including 54 pediatric antibody deficient patients (48 % CVID, 41 % CVID-like, 11 % XLA) and 66 healthy controls. Clinical symptom scores and stool samples were collected prospectively. Stool samples were evaluated for bacteria, parasites, viruses, secretory IgA- and for calprotectin levels. Results were compared between patients and controls. RESULTS: 24 % of antibody deficient patients versus 9 % of healthy controls tested positive for gastrointestinal viruses (p = 0.028). Fecal calprotectin levels were significantly higher in virus positive patients compared to virus negative patients (p = 0.002). However, in controls, fecal calprotectin levels were similar between virus positive and virus negative controls. Moreover, gastrointestinal virus positive patients had low serum IgA levels in 13/14 cases (94 %) versus 40/62 (62 %) patients in the virus negative patient group (p = 0.04). The virus positive patient group also displayed significantly lower secretory IgA levels in stool (median 13 ug/ml) than patients without gastrointestinal viruses detected or healthy controls (median 155 ug/ml) (p = 0.046). CONCLUSION: We here report an increased prevalence of gastrointestinal viruses and gastrointestinal complaints in antibody deficient patients. Patients that tested positive for gastrointestinal viruses showed diminished serum- and secretory IgA levels, and only in patients, virus positivity was associated with signs of mucosal inflammation. These findings suggest that particularly patients with low IgA are at risk for longstanding replication of gastrointestinal viruses, which may eventually result in CVID-related enteropathy.

Transfusion policy after severe postpartum haemorrhage: a randomised non-inferiority trial.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of red blood cell (RBC) transfusion on quality of life in acutely anaemic women after postpartum haemorrhage. DESIGN: Randomised non-inferiority trial. SETTING: Thirty-seven Dutch university and general hospitals. POPULATION: Women with acute anaemia (haemoglobin 4.8-7.9 g/dl [3.0-4.9 mmol/l] 12-24 hours postpartum) without severe anaemic symptoms or severe comorbidities. METHODS: Women were allocated to RBC transfusion or non-intervention. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Primary outcome was physical fatigue 3 days postpartum (Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory, scale 4-20; 20 represents maximal fatigue). Non-inferiority was demonstrated if the physical fatigue difference between study arms was maximal 1.3. Secondary outcomes were health-related quality of life and physical complications. Health-related quality of life questionnaires were completed at five time-points until 6 weeks postpartum. RESULTS: In all, 521 women were randomised to non-intervention (n = 262) or RBC transfusion (n = 259). Mean physical fatigue score at day 3 postpartum, adjusted for baseline and mode of delivery, was 0.8 lower in the RBC transfusion arm (95% confidence interval: 0.1-1.5, P = 0.02) and at 1 week postpartum was 1.06 lower (95% confidence interval: 0.3-1.8, P = 0.01). A median of two RBC units was transfused in the RBC transfusion arm. In the non-intervention arm, 33 women received RBC transfusion, mainly because of anaemic symptoms. Physical complications were comparable. CONCLUSIONS: Statistically, non-inferiority could not be demonstrated as the confidence interval crossed the non-inferiority boundary. Nevertheless, with only a small difference in physical fatigue and no differences in secondary outcomes, implementation of restrictive management seems clinically justified.

Economic analysis of use of pessary to prevent preterm birth in women with multiple pregnancy (ProTWIN trial).

OBJECTIVE: To assess the cost-effectiveness of a cervical pessary to prevent preterm delivery in women with a multiple pregnancy. METHODS: The study design comprised an economic analysis of data from a randomized clinical trial evaluating cervical pessaries (ProTWIN). Women with a multiple pregnancy were included and an economic evaluation was performed from a societal perspective. Costs were estimated between the time of randomization and 6 weeks postpartum. The prespecified subgroup of women with a cervical length (CL) < 25(th) centile (< 38 mm) was analyzed separately. The primary endpoint was poor perinatal outcome occurring up to 6 weeks postpartum. Direct medical costs and health outcomes were estimated and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios for costs to prevent one poor outcome were calculated. RESULTS: Mean costs in the pessary group (n = 401) were € 21,783 vs € 21,877 in the group in which no pessary was used (n = 407) (difference, -€ 94; 95% CI, -€ 5975 to € 5609). In the prespecified subgroup of women with a CL < 38 mm we demonstrated a significant reduction in poor perinatal outcome (12% vs 29%; RR, 0.40; 95% CI, 0.19-0.83). Mean costs in the pessary group (n = 78) were € 25,141 vs € 30,577 in the no-pessary group (n = 55) (difference, -€ 5436 (95% CI, -€ 11,001 to € 1456). In women with a CL < 38 mm, pessary treatment was the dominant strategy (more effective and less costly) with a probability of 94%. CONCLUSION: Cervical pessaries in women with a multiple pregnancy involve costs comparable to those in women without pessary treatment. However, in women with a CL < 38 mm, treatment with a cervical pessary appears to be highly cost-effective.

Most but not all laboratories can detect the recently emerged Neisseria gonorrhoeae porA mutants - results from the QCMD 2013 N. gonorrhoeae external quality assessment programme.

We describe the results of the Quality Control for Molecular Diagnostics 2013 Neisseria gonorrhoeae external quality assessment programme that included an N. gonorrhoeae strain harbouring an N. meningitidis porA gene which causes false-negative results in molecular diagnostic assays targeting the gonococcal porA pseudogene. Enhanced awareness of the international transmission of such gonococcal strains is needed to avoid false-negative results in both in-house and commercial molecular diagnostic assays used in laboratories worldwide, but particularly in Europe.

Rest is essential for effective therapies, and so it is for preparing a manuscript.

Numerous medical articles are commented upon. This suggests that their scientific quality is insufficient. This need not be the case, however: most comments regard the presentation of the data, the conclusions or lacking information in the discussion. Such flaws can commonly be attributed to either too much haste in writing the manuscript, or insufficient time between finishing the manuscript and submission; this last problem seems the most common cause, as it deprives the author from reading his own text critically and with an open mind. The solution for this problem is simple: after having finished a manuscript, it should be laid aside for at least a week, after which the author should read it with the eyes of a reader, not the eyes of an author. Critical, open-minded reading after rest helps increase the quality of the resulting manuscript, just like rest helps a patient during most therapies.

Keeping medical science trustworthy: The threat by predatory journals.

Since most scientific journals tend to ask article processes costs from authors, a new category of journals has developed of which the business model is commonly exclusively based on financial contributions by authors. Such journals have become known as predatory journals. The financial contributions that they ask are not always lower than those asked by high-quality journals although they offer less: there is commonly no real review, texts are not edited, and there are commonly no printed editions. The lack of serious reviews makes predatory journals attractive, however, particularly for authors of low-quality (or even fraudulent) manuscripts. It is shown here that numerous - commonly fairly recent - journals, some of which may predatory, attract manuscripts by approaching authors of articles in high-quality journals like Complementary Therapies in Medicine. Publication of articles in such journals contaminates thorough literature and undermines the trustworthiness of the medical society. Any involvement in such journals (as an author, reviewer or editor) of such journals should therefore be discouraged.

Changing roles of the corresponding author - Consequences for the accessibility of medical information.

It appears that ever more frequently the corresponding author of a multi-author manuscript is not what he/she was originally supposed to be: the most involved researcher with the best overview concerning the presented study. Numerous journals now use the term 'corresponding author', however, for the author who acts as a kind of secretary for the submitted manuscript, irrespective of his/her expertize in the subject. Another problem is that a significant number of universities give more scientific credits to the corresponding author than to his/her co-authors, which fairly commonly results in granting the corresponding authorship to the student or young scientist who needs scientific credits most urgently for his/her academic career. Consequently, readers of a multi-author article are nowadays hardly able to judge which author of an interesting article might best be contacted for additional information. An increasing number of journals seem unaware of the problems that this changing role of the corresponding author may cause. The present contribution both mentions the main resulting problems and proposes possible solutions.

Performance of different mono- and multiplex nucleic acid amplification tests on a multipathogen external quality assessment panel.

An external quality assessment (EQA) panel consisting of a total of 48 samples in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid or transport medium was prepared in collaboration with Quality Control for Molecular Diagnostics (QCMD) (www.qcmd.org). The panel was used to assess the proficiency of the three laboratories that would be responsible for examining the 6,000 samples to be collected in the GRACE Network of Excellence (www.grace-lrti.org). The main objective was to decide on the best-performing testing approach for the detection of influenza viruses A and B, parainfluenza virus types 1 to 3, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), human metapneumovirus, coronavirus, rhinovirus, adenovirus, Chlamydophila pneumoniae, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, and Legionella pneumophila by nucleic acid amplification techniques (NAATs). Two approaches were chosen: (i) laboratories testing samples using their in-house procedures for extraction and amplification and (ii) laboratories using their in-house amplification procedures on centrally extracted samples. Furthermore, three commercially available multiplex NAAT tests-the ResPlex (Qiagen GmbH, Hilden, Germany), RespiFinder plus (PathoFinder, Maastricht, The Netherlands), and RespiFinder Smart 21 (PathoFinder) tests-were evaluated by examination of the same EQA panel by the manufacturer. No large differences among the 3 laboratories were noticed when the performances of the assays developed in-house in combination with the in-house extraction procedures were compared. Also, the extraction procedure (central versus local) had little effect on performance. However, large differences in amplification efficacy were found between the commercially available tests; acceptable results were obtained by using the PathoFinder assays.

Should cervical favourability play a role in the decision for labour induction in gestational hypertension or mild pre-eclampsia at term? An exploratory analysis of the HYPITAT trial.

OBJECTIVE: To examine whether cervical favourability (measured by cervical length and the Bishop score) should inform obstetricians' decision regarding labour induction for women with gestational hypertension or mild pre-eclampsia at term. DESIGN: A post hoc analysis of the Hypertension and Pre-eclampsia Intervention Trial At Term (HYPITAT). SETTING: Obstetric departments of six university and 32 teaching and district hospitals in the Netherlands. POPULATION: A total of 756 women diagnosed with gestational hypertension or pre-eclampsia between 36 + 0 and 41 + 0 weeks of gestation randomly allocated to induction of labour or expectant management. METHODS: Data were analysed using logistic regression modelling. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The occurrence of a high-risk maternal situation defined as either maternal complications or progression to severe disease. Secondary outcomes were caesarean delivery and adverse neonatal outcomes. RESULTS: The superiority of labour induction in preventing high-risk situations in women with gestational hypertension or mild pre-eclampsia at term varied significantly according to cervical favourability. In women who were managed expectantly, the longer the cervix the higher the risk of developing maternal high-risk situations, whereas in women in whom labour was induced, cervical length was not associated with a higher probability of maternal high-risk situations (test of interaction P = 0.03). Similarly, the beneficial effect of labour induction on reducing the caesarean section rate was stronger in women with an unfavourable cervix. CONCLUSION: Against widely held opinion, our exploratory analysis showed that women with gestational hypertension or mild pre-eclampsia at term who have an unfavourable cervix benefited more from labour induction than other women. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial has been registered in the clinical trial register as ISRCTN08132825.

Hardly traceable pitfalls in medical review articles.

The main purpose of review articles is to increase insight into the best possible practice for increasing the health condition of future subjects. This requires the collection of as many relevant data as possible from earlier case studies, but such data should be mutually independent. If the data from the reviewed single- or multi-case studies are not entirely mutually independent, the conclusions of the review study may easily - though not necessarily - become biased. This is shown on the basis of a 2020 systematic review about the effects of deep dry needling on spasticity and related physical disabilities. We analyzed this study by checking undisclosed possible overlaps regarding the subjects dealt with in the various case studies that were reviewed. This analysis raised also some questions about the accuracy of the number of subjects that had been treated, which is an aspects of which errors can commonly not be disclosed by the readers. The objective of our Letter is to show that insufficient attention by authors, editor and reviewers for an unambiguous presentation of the data regarding the subjects dealt with can make it impossible for readers to draw correct conclusions regarding the optimization of possible treatments.

Lower respiratory tract infection in the community: associations between viral aetiology and illness course.

OBJECTIVES: This study determined associations between respiratory viruses and subsequent illness course in primary care adult patients presenting with acute cough and/or suspected lower respiratory tract infection. METHODS: A prospective European primary care study recruited adults with symptoms of lower respiratory tract infection between November 2007 and April 2010. Real-time in-house polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed to test for six common respiratory viruses. In this secondary analysis, symptom severity (scored 1 = no problem, 2 = mild, 3 = moderate, 4 = severe) and symptom duration were compared between groups with different viral aetiologies using regression and Cox proportional hazard models, respectively. Additionally, associations between baseline viral load (cycle threshold (Ct) value) and illness course were assessed. RESULTS: The PCR tested positive for a common respiratory virus in 1354 of the 2957 (45.8%) included patients. The overall mean symptom score at presentation was 2.09 (95% confidence interval (CI) 2.07-2.11) and the median duration until resolution of moderately bad or severe symptoms was 8.70 days (interquartile range 4.50-11.00). Patients with influenza virus, human metapneumovirus (hMPV), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), coronavirus (CoV) or rhinovirus had a significantly higher symptom score than patients with no virus isolated (0.07-0.25 points or 2.3-8.3% higher symptom score). Time to symptom resolution was longer in RSV infections (adjusted hazard ratio (AHR) 0.80, 95% CI 0.65-0.96) and hMPV infections (AHR 0.77, 95% CI 0.62-0.94) than in infections with no virus isolated. Overall, baseline viral load was associated with symptom severity (difference 0.11, 95% CI 0.06-0.16 per 10 cycles decrease in Ct value), but not with symptom duration. CONCLUSIONS: In healthy, working adults from the general community presenting at the general practitioner with acute cough and/or suspected lower respiratory tract infection other than influenza impose an illness burden comparable to influenza. Hence, the public health focus for viral respiratory tract infections should be broadened.

Multicenter external quality assessment of molecular methods for detection of human herpesvirus 6.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the performance of laboratories for the detection and quantification of human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) by an external quality assessment (EQA) evaluation. The HHV-6 EQA panel consisted of eight samples containing various concentrations of HHV-6 type A (strain GS) or type B (strain Z29), two samples containing other herpesviruses (i.e., human cytomegalovirus [HCMV] and Epstein-Barr virus [EBV]), and two HHV-6-negative samples. Panel samples were prepared in human plasma, heat inactivated, and lyophilized. Panel distribution, data management, and analysis were coordinated by Quality Control for Molecular Diagnostics (QCMD), Glasgow, United Kingdom. Fifty-one laboratories participated and submitted 57 data sets. Eleven (19.3%) data sets were generated using conventional in-house assays, 11 (19.3%) data sets using commercial real-time PCR assays, and 35 (61.4%) data sets using in-house real-time PCR assays. The presence of HHV-6 DNA at viral loads exceeding 6,000 copies/ml was detected by all participants, and over 80% of the participants still reported correct qualitative results for the sample containing just over 200 copies/ml. The false-positivity rate was 1.8% for both the negative samples and the samples containing HCMV or EBV DNA. The majority (23/33; 69.7%) of quantitative data sets were generated using in-house real-time PCR assays. The standard deviations of the geometric means of the samples ranged from 0.5 to 0.7 log(10). The results of this first international EQA demonstrate encouraging analytical sensitivity for the detection of HHV-6-DNA in human plasma, although we observed extensive interlaboratory variation of quantitative HHV-6 DNA results. Standardization needs to be improved to allow further elucidation of the clinical significance of HHV-6 loads.

Persistent and transient hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections in children born to HBV-infected mothers despite active and passive vaccination.

Combined passive and active immunization for newborns very effectively prevents perinatal hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections. In the Netherlands, babies born to hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive women receive passive immunization with hepatitis B and at least three active HBsAg vaccinations. Serological testing for the presence of HBV markers was offered for all infants born to HBsAg-positive mothers between January 2003 and July 2007, after completion of their vaccination schedule. About 75% of the infants (n = 1743) completed their HB-vaccination schedule and participated in the serologic evaluation. Twelve of them (0.7%) were found to be HBV infected. Furthermore, we identified three older children with high levels of anti-HBc, anti-HBs and anti-HBe, while they were HBsAg and HBV DNA negative. This serologic profile is evidence for a resolved HBV infection. In the group of older children (1.5-5 years of age, n = 728), about half of the HBV-infected children (3 of 7) had already cleared their infection at the time of sampling. For a proper evaluation of the efficacy of a new intervention programme to prevent vertical HBV transmission, it is also important to analyse the HBV markers in serum collected when the children are older than 1.5 years. In a programmatic setting, all children born to HBV-infected mothers should be tested not only for the level of anti-HBs but also for the absence of HBsAg, because 2 of the 12 HBV-infected children (17%) had a high level of anti-HBs.

An economic analysis of induction of labour and expectant monitoring in women with gestational hypertension or pre-eclampsia at term (HYPITAT trial).

OBJECTIVE: To assess the economic consequences of labour induction compared with expectant monitoring in women with gestational hypertension or pre-eclampsia at term. DESIGN: An economic analysis alongside the Hypertension and Pre-eclampsia Intervention Trial At Term (HYPITAT). SETTING: Obstetric departments of six university and 32 teaching and district hospitals in the Netherlands. POPULATION: Women diagnosed with gestational hypertension or pre-eclampsia between 36(+0) and 41(+0) weeks of gestation, randomly allocated to either induction of labour or expectant monitoring. METHODS: A trial-based cost-effectiveness analysis was performed from a societal perspective during a 1-year time horizon. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: One-year costs were estimated and health outcomes were expressed as the prevalence of poor maternal outcome defined as either maternal complications or progression to severe disease. RESULTS: The average costs of induction of labour (n = 377) were €7077 versus €7908 for expectant monitoring (n = 379), with an average difference of -€831 (95% CI -€1561 to -€144). This 11% difference predominantly originated from the antepartum period: per woman costs were €1259 for induction versus €2700 for expectant monitoring. During delivery, more costs were generated following induction (€2190) compared with expectant monitoring (€1210). No substantial differences were found in the postpartum, follow-up and for non-medical costs. CONCLUSION: In women with gestational hypertension or mild pre-eclampsia at term, induction of labour is less costly than expectant monitoring because of differences in resource use in the antepartum period. As the trial already demonstrated that induction of labour results in less progression to severe disease without resulting in a higher caesarean section rate, both clinical and economic consequences are in favour of induction of labour in these women. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial has been registered in the clinical trial register as ISRCTN08132825.

An international comparison of web-based reporting about health care quality: content analysis.

BACKGROUND: On more and more websites, consumers are provided with public reports about health care. This move toward provision of more comparative information has resulted in different information types being published that often contain contradictory information. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to assess the current state of the art in the presentation of online comparative health care information and to compare how the integration of different information types is dealt with on websites. The content analysis was performed in order to provide website managers and Internet researchers with a resource of knowledge about presentation formats being applied internationally. METHODS: A Web search was used to identify websites that contained comparative health care information. The websites were systematically examined to assess how three different types of information (provider characteristics and services, performance indicators, and health care user experience) were presented to consumers. Furthermore, a short survey was disseminated to the reviewed websites to assess how the presentation formats were selected. RESULTS: We reviewed 42 websites from the following countries: Australia, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Sweden. We found the most common ways to integrate different information types were the two extreme options: no integration at all (on 36% of the websites) and high levels of integration in single tables on 41% of the websites). Nearly 70% of the websites offered drill down paths to more detailed information. Diverse presentation approaches were used to display comparative health care information on the Internet. Numbers were used on the majority of websites (88%) to display comparative information. CONCLUSIONS: Currently, approaches to the presentation of comparative health care information do not seem to be systematically selected. It seems important, however, that website managers become aware of the complexities inherent in comparative information when they release information on the Web. Important complexities to pay attention to are the use of numbers, the display of contradictory information, and the extent of variation among attributes and attribute levels. As for the integration of different information types, it remains unclear which presentation approaches are preferable. Our study provides a good starting point for Internet research to further address the question of how different types of information can be more effectively presented to consumers.

[COVID-19 in nursing homes A study of diagnosis, symptomatology and disease course]. / Covid-19 in verpleeghuizen.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the diagnosis, symptomatology and disease course of COVID-19 in nursing home (NH) residents in the Netherlands. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. METHOD: Data on NH residents with suspected COVID-19 were collected from the electronic patient records. Data were collected on diagnostic status (COVID-19: confirmed/excluded (using the RT-PCR test)), symptomatology (typical/atypical and other symptoms, body temperature and oxygen saturation) and, in the case of confirmed COVID-19, on disease course (recovered/clinically improved/deteriorated, deceased). We described and compared the symptomatology in NH residents with confirmed COVID-19 and NH residents in whom COVID-19 had been excluded. We also analysed mortality risk using survival analysis. We used registrations from the period 18 March to15 April 2020 for this study. RESULTS: We reported on 1,969 NH residents with suspected COVID-19. The diagnosis was confirmed in 857 patients (43.5%); diagnosis was excluded in 1,112 (56.5%) patients. Among patients with confirmed COVID-19, 65% had coughs, 70% had fever, 33% had shortness of breath, 28% had delirium/confusion and 10% had a sore throat; in patients in whom COVID-19 was excluded these symptoms were experienced in 70%, 47%, 45%, 26% and 13% of patients, respectively. Of the patients with confirmed COVID-19, 48% died within 30 days (95% CI: 36-44%), versus 20% of the patients in whom COVID-19 was excluded (95% CI: 11-15%). CONCLUSION: There is a lot of overlap in symptomatology between NH residents with COVID-19 and those with other acute diseases. An RT-PCR test is required to be able to make the distinction better. The mortality risk in patients with confirmed COVID-19 is significantly higher than in patients in whom covid-19 is excluded.