Background and Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic is an ongoing public health emergency. Patients with chronic diseases are at greater risk for complications and poor outcomes. The objective of this study was to investigate the liver function abnormalities and clinical outcomes in patients with COVID-19 and chronic hepatitis C. Materials and Methods: This retrospective, single-center study was conducted on a cohort of 126 patients with a history of hepatitis C, confirmed with COVID-19 between 01 April 2020 and 30 December 2020. Several clinical outcomes were compared between patients with active and non-active HCV infection, and the risks of liver impairment and all-cause mortality in active HCV patients were analyzed using a multivariate logistic regression model. Results: Among 1057 patients under follow-up for chronic HCV infection, 126 (11.9%) were confirmed with COVID-19; of these, 95 (75.4%) were under treatment or achieved SVR, while in the other 31 (24.6%), we found active HCV replication. There was a significantly higher proportion of severe COVID-19 cases in the active HCV group as compared to the non-active HCV group (32.2 vs. 7.3%, p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that age, sex, alanine aminotransferase, C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, and HCV viral load were significant independent risk factors for liver impairment and all-cause mortality. The length of stay in hospital and intensive care unit for COVID-19 was significantly higher in patients with active HCV infection (p-value < 0.001), and a higher proportion of these patients required mechanical ventilation. Conclusions: Active HCV infection is an independent risk factor for all-cause mortality in COVID-19 patients.

The multiplex PCR is a powerful and efficient tool that was widely used during the COVID-19 pandemic to diagnose SARS-CoV-2 infections and that has applications for bacterial identification, as well as determining bacterial resistance to antibiotics. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the usability of multiplex PCR, especially in patients self-medicated with antibiotics, where bacterial cultures often give false-negative results. A cross-sectional study was developed in two COVID-19 units, where 489 eligible patients were included as antibiotic takers and non-antibiotic takers. Antibiotic takers used mostly over-the-counter medication; they suffered significantly more chronic respiratory conditions and were self-medicated most often with cephalosporins (41.4%), macrolide (23.2%), and penicillin (19.7%). The disease severity in these patients was significantly higher than in non-antibiotic takers, and bacterial superinfections were the most common finding in the same group (63.6%). Antibiotic takers had longer hospital and ICU admissions, although the mortality rate was not significantly higher than in non-antibiotic takers. The most common bacteria involved in secondary infections were Staphylococcus aureus (22.2%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (27.8%), and Klebsiellaspp (25.0%). Patients self-medicating with antibiotics had significantly higher rates of multidrug resistance. The multiplex PCR test was more accurate in identifying multidrug resistance and resulted in a quicker initiation of therapeutic antibiotics compared with instances where a bacterial culture was initially performed, with an average of 26.8 h vs. 40.4 h, respectively. The hospital stay was also significantly shorter by an average of 2.5 days when PCR was used as an initial assessment tool for secondary bacterial infections. When adjusted for age, COVID-19 severity, and pulmonary disease, over-the-counter use of antibiotics represented a significant independent risk factor for a prolonged hospitalization (AOR = 1.21). Similar findings were observed for smoking status (AOR = 1.44), bacterial superinfection (AOR = 1.52), performing only a conventional bacterial culture (AOR = 1.17), and a duration of more than 48 h for bacterial sampling from the time of hospital admission (AOR = 1.36). Multiplex PCR may be a very effective method for diagnosing secondary bacterial infections in COVID-19 individuals self-medicating with antibiotics. Utilizing this strategy as an initial screen in COVID-19 patients who exhibit signs of sepsis and clinical deterioration will result in a faster recovery time and a shorter period of hospitalization.

In this paper, we aim at understanding the broad spectrum of factors influencing the survival of infected patients and the correlations between these factors to create a predictive probabilistic score for surviving the COVID-19 disease. Initially, 510 hospital admissions were counted in the study, out of which 310 patients did not survive. A prediction model was developed based on this data by using a Bayesian approach. Following the data collection process for the development study, the second cohort of patients totaling 541 was built to validate the risk matrix previously created. The final model has an area under the curve of 0.773 and predicts the mortality risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection based on nine disease groups while considering the gender and age of the patient as distinct risk groups. To ease medical workers’ assessment of patients, we created a visual risk matrix based on a probabilistic model, ranging from a score of 1 (very low mortality risk) to 5 (very high mortality risk). Each score comprises a correlation between existing comorbid conditions, the number of comorbid conditions, gender, and age group category. This clinical model can be generalized in a hospital context and can be used to identify patients at high risk for whom immediate intervention might be required.

Background and Objectives: As maternal deaths associated with the SARS-CoV-2 infection remain at several times greater than the general population, significant factors that might contribute to the higher mortality and morbidity rate are the psychological impact of the disease and pregnancy itself. Therefore, the current study’s main objective was to assess how pregnant women react and cope with the stress of COVID-19 disease and how it influences their overall health and quality of life in healthcare facilities. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we included 304 pregnant women who successfully completed standardized forms to assess our topics of interest, comprising of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the Short Form Health Survey-12, the Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced Inventory scale, the CORE-Outcome Measure Questionnaire, and the Quality from the Patient’s Perspective questionnaire. Results: Unemployed, pregnant women living in poverty in the rural areas had higher SARS-CoV-2 infection rates during pregnancy. They faced higher anxiety levels and depression rates, with associated increased physical burden and exhaustion. However, these findings are not influenced by hospital care since it remained unchanged among COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 maternity units, excepting significantly lower technical competence scores of COVID-19 facilities. Conclusions: As the pandemic’s consequences emerge and additional outbreaks occur, care must prioritize the additional physical burden experienced by pregnant women who have contracted COVID-19, as well as psychological, emotional, and mental health support.

Measles causes in vaccinated children, with some exceptions, a mild disease, while the unvaccinated can suffer complications that result in serious consequences and even death. Although the introduction of the measles vaccine has reduced the number of cases and the viral spread, the current downward vaccination trend has resulted in the resurgence of the disease. Currently, Romania has a measles vaccination coverage below the 95% safety threshold. Thus, an outbreak started in 2016 and still ongoing in Romania, many cases being identified in the Western region in the pediatric population. Our objective was to conduct a thorough examination of clinical characteristics, evolution, and risk factors in vaccinated and unvaccinated children in this region. To reach our objectives we used a retrospective cohort analysis. The authors reviewed clinical and laboratory data from patients hospitalized at “Victor Babes” Hospital for Infectious Diseases and Pulmonology in Timisoara. We found a total of 136 qualifying cases of measles among the children admitted to this facility. The two comparison groups consisted of 104 children under 10 years and 32 patients between 10 and 18 years. An important characteristic of both study groups was the high prevalence of patients from the Roma ethnicity, which, although represents a minority in Romania, the prevalence was over 40% in the current study. The infection source was in 40.4% of children under 10 years inside the family, while 71.9% of infections in the group of adolescents were isolated (p-value = 0.047). The multivariate risk factor analysis identified as independent risk factors for the development of pneumonia the older age of patients (OR = 1.62), poor nutritional status (OR = 1.25), Roma ethnicity (OR = 2.44), presence of anemia (OR = 1.58), and procalcitonin (OR = 3.09). It is essential to handle these risk factors in a patient with measles, especially in conjunction with an unknown vaccination status. To achieve a vaccination rate greater than 95 percent for Romanian children, measles vaccination awareness must be promoted, moreover in the Roma population. More comprehensive preventative methods must be developed promptly with the objective of eradicating measles in Romania via a vigorous vaccination campaign.

Infective endocarditis (IE) is a bacterial infection with high morbidity and mortality rates, particularly among the elderly. This systematic review was conducted to determine the clinical characteristics of IE in older adults and the risk factors that could lead to adverse outcomes. The research employed three databases (PubMed, Wiley, and Web of Science), with a primary search for studies that have described cases of IE in patients older than 65 years. From a total of 555 articles, 10 were selected for inclusion in the current study, comprising a total of 2222 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of IE. The primary findings were an increased incidence of staphylococcal and streptococcal infections (33.4% and32.0%, respectively), an increased prevalence of comorbidities, namely, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer, and a significantly greater mortality risk than the younger group. Regarding mortality risks, the pooled odds ratio for cardiac disorders was OR = 3.81, septic shock OR = 8.22, renal complications OR = 3.75, and advancing age OR = 3.54 were most frequently mentioned. Taking into consideration the fact that the majority of the elderly population suffers from significant complications and is unable to undergo surgery due to an increased risk of complications after the procedure, it is imperative that effective treatment methods should be investigated.