A Comparison Efficacy Study of Commercial Nasopharyngeal Swabs versus a Novel 3D Printed Swab for the Detection of SARS-CoV-2

The large volume of diagnostic tests required by the response to the pandemic of COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a shortage of commercial nasopharyngeal swabs. In an effort to alleviate the shortage, swabs created by 3D printing may be a solution. We designed and produced 3D printed swabs and sought to compare their ability to detect SARS-CoV-2 in patients admitted for COVID-19 or who were suspected of having COVID-19. A total of 30 patients were swabbed with a commercial and printed 3D swab. Results matched in 28 of 31 patients (90%). Two patients were discordant with a positive commercial swab and a negative 3D printed swab and another was discordant because the 3D printed swab was positive and the commercial swab was negative. The sensitivity was 89%, specificity was 92% and Cohen’s kappa coefficient was 0.80. The 3D printed swabs performed acceptably compared to the commercial swab and may be considered for use in lieu of a commercial swab

Characteristics and Outcomes of Adults Hospitalized with SARS-CoV-2 Community-Acquired Pneumonia in Louisville, Kentucky

Background: Patients infected with the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 are frequently hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). The objective of this study was to define the clinical characteristics and outcomes of hospitalized patients with SARS-CoV-2 CAP in the city of Louisville, KY. Methods: This was a retrospective observational study of 700 patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection hospitalized to eight of the adult hospitals in the city of Louisville. Patients with 1) a positive RT-PCR for SARS-CoV-2, 2) fever, cough, or shortness of breath, and 3) an infiltrate at chest imaging were defined as having SARS-CoV-2 CAP. Demographic characteristics of the study population were compared with census data from the city of Louisville. For each patient more than 500 variables were abstracted from electronic medical records and recorded using Research Electronic Data Capture software. Data was analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistics using R version 3.4.0. Results: SARS-CoV-2 CAP was identified in 632 (90%) patients hospitalized with COVID-19. The median age of the patients was 63 years, 53% were females, 31% were black and 12% Hispanic. The most frequent comorbidities were hypertension (56%), obesity (50%), and diabetes (33%). Mortality was 17% for the total population and 34% for the 249 patients admitted to ICU. For each category of race, ethnicity and comorbidities, the proportion of hospitalized patients with SARS-CoV-2 CAP was significantly different when compared to the Louisville population (p \u3c 0.001). Conclusion: Patients of black race, Hispanic ethnicity, and patients with history of hypertension, obesity or diabetes are overrepresented among hospitalized patients with SARS-CoV-2 CAP when compared to the Louisville population. Hospitalized patients with SARS-CoV-2 CAP are likely to require ICU care, with death occurring in approximately one of six hospitalizations

No difference in clinical outcomes for African American and White patients hospitalized with SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia in Louisville, Kentucky

Introduction: Current literature indicates that African American individuals are at increased risk of becoming infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus and suffer higher SARS-CoV-2-related mortality rates. However, there is a lack of consensus as to how the clinical outcomes of African American patients differ from those of other groups. The objective of this study was to define the clinical outcomes of African American and White hospitalized patients with SARS-CoV-2 community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in Louisville, Kentucky. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of hospitalized patients with SARS-CoV-2 CAP at eight hospitals in Louisville, Kentucky. Severity of CAP at time of hospitalization was evaluated using the pneumonia severity index (PSI), CURB-65 score and SARS-CoV-2 viral load. The following thirteen clinical outcomes were compared: discharge alive to home, time to home discharge, admission to the ICU, length of ICU stay, need for invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV), duration of IMV, development of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), development of septic shock, need for vasopressors, development of cardiovascular events, time to cardiovascular events, in-hospital mortality, and time to death. Results: A total of 541 patients were eligible for this study, 343 White (63%) and 198 African American (37%). None of the thirteen clinical outcomes were statistically significantly different between the two groups. Conclusions: This study indicates that African American and White patients do not have different clinical outcomes after the point of hospitalization due to SARS-CoV-2 CAP