Some studies have suggested a potential protective role of vitamin D in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients, and this has led to a debate on the topic in the medical community. However, the reported data on the number of hospitalized patients who were vitamin D-deficient is not convincing. In light of this, the aim of the present study was to explore if vitamin D deficiency is correlated with severity and mortality rates of COVID-19 infection in hospitalized COVID-19 patients at a tertiary care hospital in Greece. We conducted a single-center retrospective study involving 71 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 from August to October 2020. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) level was assessed in all patients within 48 hours of hospital admission. Serum 25(OH)D level ≤20 ng/ml was defined as a deficiency, while that >20 ng/ml as repletion. The primary outcomes of the infection were classified as partial/complete recovery and mortality during hospitalization. The secondary outcomes were blood markers of inflammation and thrombosis. Among the 71 COVID-19-positive patients [mean age: 63 years, range: 20-97; male (n=47; 66.2%): female (n=24; 33.8%)] who were enrolled in the study, 46 (64.8%) patients had 25(OH)D levels ≤20 ng/ml and 25 (35.2%) had a level >20 ng/ml. According to the patients' medical history, 55 patients (77.5%) had comorbidities. It appears that vitamin D deficiency (<20 ng/ml) significantly correlated with elevated biochemical markers such as procalcitonin and troponin (p60 years), and comorbidities were positively associated with more severe COVID-19 infection (elevated inflammation markers, radiographic findings on X-rays, and increased length of hospital stay). These preliminary findings show that vitamin D status among the patients was not related to the severity of COVID-19 infection.

Candidozyma auris, recently taxonomically reclassified, represents an emerging multidrug-resistant fungal pathogen that has evolved into a critical nosocomial and global public health threat. This organism exhibits a profound capacity for resilient biofilm formation on biotic and abiotic surfaces, leading to severe systemic infections with highly constrained therapeutic options. This report describes a rare, highly challenging case of a C. auris-associated prosthetic joint infection (PJI) in a diabetic patient, representing the 5th analogous documented case (and the 17th osteoarticular infection overall) in the medical literature. The clinical course was characterized by an initial failure to respond to standard echinocandin monotherapy, necessitating the escalation to a synergistic combination regimen. Although temporary microbiological and clinical clearance was achieved, the patient ultimately succumbed to multi-organ failure secondary to a subsequent Gram-negative septic outbreak. Fungal PJIs remain rare clinical entities associated with extreme morbidity and treatment failure. This systematic review emphasizes the crucial need for enhanced infection control strategies and specialized therapeutic protocols as C. auris infections continue to rise within everyday clinical environments.