Betacoronavirus ; COVID-19 ; Coronavirus ; Coronavirus Infections/epidemiology* ; Humans ; Liver/pathology* ; Liver Diseases/virology* ; Pandemics ; Pneumonia, Viral/epidemiology* ; SARS-CoV-2

Owing to advancements in molecular diagnostics, recent years have seen an increasing number of laboratories adopting respiratory viral panels to detect respiratory pathogens. In December 2015, the NxTAG respiratory pathogen panel (NxTAG RPP) was approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration. We compared the clinical performance of this new assay with that of the xTAG respiratory viral panel (xTAG RVP) FAST v2 using 142 clinical samples and 12 external quality assessment samples. Discordant results were resolved by using a laboratory-developed respiratory viral panel. The NxTAG RPP achieved 100% concordant negative results and 86.6% concordant positive results. It detected one coronavirus 229E and eight influenza A/H3N2 viruses that were missed by the xTAG RVP FAST v2. On the other hand, the NxTAG RPP missed one enterovirus/rhinovirus and one metapneumovirus that were detected by FAST v2. Both panels correctly identified all the pathogens in the 12 external quality assessment samples. Overall, the NxTAG RPP demonstrated good diagnostic performance. Of note, it was better able to subtype the influenza A/H3N2 viruses compared with the xTAG RVP FAST v2.
Coronavirus ; Hand ; Influenza, Human ; Metapneumovirus ; Pathology, Molecular ; Respiratory Tract Infections ; United States Food and Drug Administration

Betacoronavirus ; China ; Coronavirus Infections ; Humans ; Pandemics ; Pathology ; organization & administration ; Pneumonia, Viral

Autopsy of patients who died of infectious diseases is of significance for public health management. Few forensic autopsies have been performed since the outbreak of the corona virus disease 2019 （COVID-19） due to some limitations, thus forensic pathological examination failed to contribute to the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases. Virtual autopsy has unique advantages in the forensic examination of patients who died of infectious diseases. Accumulated virtual autopsy image data are of great value to the study of the pathological mechanism and diagnosis of COVID-19. This article reviews the relationship between imaging changes and pathology of the COVID-19 as well as the application of virtual autopsy in autopsy of patients who died of infectious diseases, in order to provide reference for performing virtual autopsy in the outbreak of COVID-19.
Autopsy ; Betacoronavirus ; COVID-19 ; Coronavirus Infections/pathology* ; Forensic Pathology ; Humans ; Pandemics ; Pneumonia, Viral/pathology* ; SARS-CoV-2

BACKGROUND: The accurate and rapid identification of the causative viruses is important for the timely diagnosis and management of respiratory infections. Multiplex molecular diagnostic techniques have been widely adopted to detect respiratory viruses. We compared the results of a newly upgraded, multiplex, molecular bead-based respiratory viral panel (RVP) assay with the results of Anyplex II RV16 detection kit and AdvanSure RV real-time RT-PCR assay. METHODS: We tested 254 respiratory specimens and cultured viral strains using the Luminex xTAG RVP Fast v2 assay (Luminex Molecular Diagnostics, Canada) and Anyplex II RV16 detection kit and compared the results. Specimens showing discordant results between the two assays were tested with a AdvanSure RV real-time RT-PCR assay. RESULTS: Of the 254 respiratory specimens, there was total agreement in the results between the xTAG RVP Fast v2 assay and the other real-time PCR assay in 94.1–100% of the specimens. The agreement levels were relatively low (94.1–97.6%) for specimens of adenovirus, coronavirus NL63, and parainfluenza type 3. In comparison to the other assay, the xTAG RVP Fast v2 assay detected a higher number of parainfluenza type 3 (4 cases) and metapneumovirus (9 cases). CONCLUSIONS: The xTAG RVP Fast v2 assay showed comparable capabilities compared with the other assays; it will be useful for identifying respiratory viral infections in patients with respiratory symptoms. Clinicians should be aware of the characteristics of the assays they use, since different assays show different detectability for each virus.
Adenoviridae ; Coronavirus ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Metapneumovirus ; Molecular Diagnostic Techniques ; Paramyxoviridae Infections ; Pathology, Molecular ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Respiratory Tract Infections

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused a global pandemic. All people including children are generally susceptible to COVID-19, but the condition is relatively mild for children. The diagnosis of COVID-19 is largely based on the epidemiological evidence and clinical manifestations, and confirmed by positive detection of virus nucleic acid in respiratory samples. The main symptoms of COVID-19 in children are fever and cough; the total number of white blood cell count is usually normal or decreased; the chest imaging is characterized by interstitial pneumonia, which is similar to other respiratory virus infections and infections. Early identification, early isolation, early diagnosis and early treatment are important for clinical management. The treatment of mild or moderate type of child COVID-19 is mainly symptomatic. For severe and critical ill cases, the oxygen therapy, antiviral drugs, antibacterial drugs, glucocorticoids, mechanical ventilation or even extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) may be adopted, and the treatment plan should be adjusted timely through multi-disciplinary cooperation.
Betacoronavirus ; isolation & purification ; Child ; Coronavirus Infections ; diagnosis ; pathology ; therapy ; Humans ; Pandemics ; Pneumonia, Viral ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging ; etiology ; pathology ; therapy

Betacoronavirus ; Clinical Protocols ; Coronavirus Infections ; diagnosis ; epidemiology ; pathology ; therapy ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Pandemics ; Pneumonia, Viral ; diagnosis ; epidemiology ; pathology ; therapy

Betacoronavirus ; Clinical Protocols ; Coronavirus Infections ; diagnosis ; pathology ; therapy ; transmission ; Humans ; Pandemics ; Patient Discharge ; Pneumonia, Viral ; diagnosis ; pathology ; therapy ; transmission ; Triage

Radiologic findings of Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), a novel coronavirus infection, have been rarely reported. We report a 30-year-old male presented with fever, abdominal pain, and diarrhea, who was diagnosed with MERS. A chest computed tomographic scan revealed rapidly developed multifocal nodular consolidations with ground-glass opacity halo and mixed consolidation, mainly in the dependent and peripheral areas. After treatment, follow-up imaging showed that these abnormalities markedly decreased but fibrotic changes developed.
Adult ; Coronavirus Infections/pathology/*radiography ; Fever/virology ; Fibrosis ; Humans ; Male ; *Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus ; Radiography, Thoracic/*methods ; Republic of Korea ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed/*methods

This study aimed to investigate the medically inclined college students' knowledge, attitude, and compliance on the preventive behaviors of the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). A cross-sectional study was conducted on 251 medically inclined college students in Jeonju Kijeon College from June 8 to 13, 2015, using a scale on the knowledge and attitude toward MERS and a structured questionnaire. The t-test, analysis of variance, and Pearson correlation coefficient were used to analyze the data. The participants consisted of 46.6% college students majoring in dental hygiene, 30.7% in clinical pathology, and 22.7% in emergency rescue, and 69.7% of them had been educated on MERS prevention. This study revealed that students who received MERS prevention training (t=3.457, p=0.001) and female students (t=−2.945, p=0.005) had more knowledge on MERS, while students from the dental hygiene department (F=8.048, p<0.001) and those in their third year (F=3.978, p=0.020) showed a more positive attitude toward MERS. Regarding the correlation between knowledge, attitude, fear of infection and compliance on the preventive behaviors, students were more knowledgeable (r=0.133, p=0.036), presented a more positive attitude (r=0.158, p=0.012) and had more fear of infection (r=0.312, p<0.001), were more likely to comply with the preventive measures. For an effective prevention of MERS, a newly found infectious disease, we suggest that medically inclined college students must improve their knowledge of and have a positive attitude toward MERS infection management at a medical institution in compliance with the MERS infection preventive behaviors. Furthermore, this study shows that an infection management education program should be developed, so that which students could learn about the causes, dissemination routes, and preventive methods of infectious diseases, including the newly discovered ones, prior to their clinical training at a medical institution.
Communicable Diseases ; Compliance* ; Coronavirus Infections* ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Education ; Emergencies ; Female ; Humans ; Jeollabuk-do ; Middle East* ; Oral Hygiene ; Pathology, Clinical