Tsioutis, Constantinos

Scope: This guideline addresses the indications for direct testing of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in asymptomatic individuals in health care facilities, with the aim to prevent SARS-CoV-2 transmissions in these settings. The benefit of testing asymptomatic individuals to create a safe environment for patients and health care workers must be weighed against potential unintended consequences, including delaying necessary treatments owing to false positive results and lower quality of care owing to strict isolation measures. Methods: A total of nine PICOs (population, intervention, comparison, outcome) on the topic of testing asymptomatic individuals was selected by the panel members. Subsequently, a literature search for existing guidelines and systematic reviews was performed on PubMed, Epistemonikos, and RecMap using relevant filters available in each database. Data on article/recommendation type, setting, target population, intervention, and quality of the evidence were extracted. Credibility of the systematic reviews was evaluated using the AMSTAR tool, and level of agreement with available recommendation was evaluated with the AGREE II score. Because the evidence available from systematic reviews was deemed insufficiently updated to formulate relevant recommendations, an additional search targeting relevant guidance documents from major public health institutions and original studies was performed. Provisional recommendations were discussed via web conferences until agreement was reached, and final recommendations were formulated according to the GRADE approach. Recommendations: Recommendations were formulated regarding systematic testing in asymptomatic individuals upon admission to a health care setting, during hospital stay, before elective procedures, and before scheduled nonsurgical procedures. Moreover, recommendations regarding testing of asymptomatic visitors, personal caregivers, and health care workers in health care facilities were presented. Recommendations also were given on contact tracing in asymptomatic patients or health care workers and the possibility of a negative screening test to shorten the quarantine period. Furthermore, if applicable, recommendations were specified to transmission rate and vaccination coverage.

Background: Beau’s lines are transverse grooves in the nail plate that result from transient interruption of the growth of the proximal nail matrix after severe disease. The aim of this study is to systematically report all evidence on the association of Beau’s lines with COVID-19 infection or vaccination against COVID-19. Methods: PubMed and Scopus databases were searched up to January 2024 for articles reporting Beau’s lines associated with COVID-19 infection or vaccination for COVID-19. PROSPERO ID: CRD42024496830. Results: PubMed search identified 299 records while Scopus search identified 18 records. After screening the bibliography, nine studies including 35 cases were included in our systematic review. The studies were reported from different areas around the world. Included studies documented Beau’s lines following COVID-19 vaccination (two studies) or after COVID-19 infection (seven studies). High variability was recorded in onset and resolution times among included cases, averaging 3 months and 6 months after COVID-19 infection, respectively. In the two studies reporting Beau’s lines after vaccination, onset was at 7 days and 6 weeks and resolution occurred after 8 and 17 weeks, respectively. Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first systematic review reporting the association of Beau’s lines with COVID-19 infection and vaccination. Severe immune response can result in the formation of these nail disorders. Of importance, Beau’s lines represent a potential indicator of prior severe COVID-19 infection or vaccination for COVID-19, as well as a sign of long COVID-19 syndrome.

Vaccines remain the cornerstone of medical prevention and are highly effective in reducing the risk of severe disease and death due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In the context of expanding the therapeutic armamentarium against COVID-19, molnupiravir (Lagevrio) and ritonavir-boosted nirmatrelvir (Paxlovid) were developed, constituting the first effective oral treatments against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). In this narrative review, we retrospectively inquired into the clinical trials and real-world studies investigating the efficacy of these agents. Overall, clinical trials and real-world studies have demonstrated the efficacy of both agents in reducing hospitalization and death rates in COVID-19 patients. As per current recommendations, their use is suggested in patients with mild to moderate symptoms who are at high risk of developing severe disease. Nevertheless, limited data exist regarding their efficacy in specific subpopulations, such as immunocompromised patients, those with severe kidney disease, pregnant women, and children.

University students represent a highly active group in terms of their social activity in the community and in the propagation of information on social media. We aimed to map the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of University students in Cyprus about severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) and Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) to guide targeted future measures and information campaigns. We used a cross-sectional online survey targeting all students in conventional, not distance-learning, programs in five major universities in the Republic of Cyprus. Students were invited to participate through the respective Studies and Student Welfare Office of each institution. The survey was made available in English and Greek on REDCap. Participation was voluntary and anonymous. The questionnaire was developed based on a consensus to cover the main factual information directed by official channels toward the general public in Cyprus at the time of the survey. In addition to sociodemographic information (N = 8), the self-administered questionnaire consisted of 19 questions, assessing the knowledge regarding the characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19, infection prevention and control measures (N = 10), perceptions related to COVID-19, for instance, whether strict travel measures are necessary (N = 4), and attitudes toward a hypothetical person infected (N = 2). Furthermore, participants were asked to provide their own assessment of their knowledge about COVID-19 and specifically with regard to the main symptoms and ways of transmission (N = 3). The number of students who completed the survey was 3,641 (41% studying Health/Life Sciences). Amongst them, 68.8% responded correctly to at least 60% of knowledge-related questions. Misconceptions were identified in 30%. Only 29.1% expressed a positive attitude toward a hypothetical person with COVID-19 without projecting judgment (9.2%) or blame (38%). Odds of expressing a positive attitude increased by 18% (95% CI 13–24%; p < 0.001) per unit increase in knowledge. Postgraduate level education was predictive of better knowledge (odds ratio (OR) 1.81; 95% CI 1.34–2.46; p < 0.001 among doctoral students] and positive attitude [OR 1.35; 95% CI 1.01–1.80; p = 0.04). In this study, we show that specific knowledge gaps and misconceptions exist among University students about SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 and their prevalence is associated with negative attitudes toward people with COVID-19. Our findings highlight the integrated nature of knowledge and attitude and suggest that improvements to the former could contribute to improvements in the latter.