Project description:COVID-19 may predispose patients to an increased risk of thrombotic complications through various pathophysiological mechanisms. Most of the reports on a high incidence of thrombotic complications are in relation to deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, while the evidence about arterial thrombosis in patients with COVID-19 is limited. We describe 4 cases of aortic thrombosis and associated ischemic complications in patients with severe SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Project description:The global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to the rapid development of vaccines against this disease. Despite the success of the international vaccination program, adverse events following vaccination, and the mechanisms behind them, remain poorly understood. Here we present four cases of death following receipt of a second dose of COVID-19 vaccine, with no obvious cause identified at autopsy. Using RNA sequencing, we identified genes that were differentially expressed between our post-vaccination cases and a control group that died of blood loss and strangulation. Three hundred and ninety genes were found to be upregulated and 115 genes were downregulated in post-vaccination cases compared with controls. Importantly, genes involved in neutrophil degranulation and cytokine signaling were upregulated. Our results suggest that immune dysregulation occurred following vaccination. Careful observation and care may be necessary if an abnormally high fever exceeding 40°C occurs after vaccination, even with antipyretic drugs.
Project description:Coronaviruses are revealed to target the human respiratory system mainly. However, they also have neuro-invasive abilities and might spread from the respiratory system to the central nervous system. Herein, we report four patients with COVID-19 simultaneously diagnosed with acute ischemic stroke. There were four stroke cases with simultaneously diagnosis of Covid-19 till the April 14, 2020 in the city of Sakarya, Turkey. They were aged between 45 and 77 years. All four cases were likely to have contracted the virus in Sakarya. The patients had all commonly reported symptoms of Covid-19. Three patients have elevated D-dimer levels, and two of them had high C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. They were managed symptomatically for both the infection and the stroke. Our findings suggest that ischemic cerebrovascular diseases may simultaneously develop in the course of Covid-19 independently of the critical disease process. Increased inflammation predicted by CRP and D-dimer levels may play a role in the formation of ischemia. In particular, elder patients with prothrombotic risk factors should also be considered for the signs of cerebrovascular events in addition to infectious symptoms.
Project description:The vaccine is still the best clinical measure for effective prevention and control of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The vaccine-associated ocular adverse reactions should be noted in detail among the medical community. We reported twelve eyes of 9 patients presented at the Department of Ophthalmology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University from March to August 2021 with ocular complaints following COVID-19 vaccination. The main inclusion criterion was the development of ocular symptoms within 14 days after receiving a dose of an inactivated COVID-19 vaccine. The mean (SD) age was 44.7 ± 16.5 years (range, 19-78 years), among which seven (77.8%) cases were women. The mean time of ocular adverse events was 7.1 days (range, 1-14 days) after receiving the inactivated COVID-19 vaccine. One patient was diagnosed with choroiditis, 1 with uveitis, 4 with keratitis, 1 with scleritis, 1 with acute retinal necrosis, and 1 with iridocyclitis. Although the causal relationship between vaccines and ocular adverse events cannot be established from this case series report, physicians should pay attention to the ocular adverse reactions following the COVID-19 vaccine administration.
Project description:BackgroundVarious cutaneous manifestations have been observed in patients with COVID-19 infection. However, overall similarities in the clinical presentation of these dermatological manifestations have not yet been summarized.ObjectiveThis review aims to provide an overview of various cutaneous manifestations in patients with COVID-19 through three case reports and a literature review.MethodsA literature search was conducted using PubMed, OVID, and Google search engines for original and review articles. Studies written in the English language that mentioned cutaneous symptoms and COVID-19 were included.ResultsEighteen articles and three additional cases reported in this paper were included in this review. Of these studies, 6 are case series and 12 are case report studies. The most common cutaneous manifestation of COVID-19 was found to be maculopapular exanthem (morbilliform), presenting in 36.1% (26/72) patients. The other cutaneous manifestations included: a papulovesicular rash (34.7%, 25/72), urticaria (9.7%, 7/72), painful acral red purple papules (15.3%, 11/72) of patients, livedo reticularis lesions (2.8%, 2/72) and petechiae (1.4%, 1/72). Majority of lesions were localized on the trunk (66.7%, 50/72), however, 19.4% (14/72) of patients experienced cutaneous manifestations in the hands and feet. Skin lesion development occurred before the onset of respiratory symptoms or COVID-19 diagnosis in 12.5% (9/72) of the patients, and lesions spontaneously healed in all patients within 10 days. Majority of the studies reported no correlation between COVID-19 severity and skin lesions.ConclusionInfection with COVID-19 may result in dermatological manifestations with various clinical presentations, which may aid in the timely diagnosis of this infection.
Project description:Despite extensive technological advances in recent years, objective and continuous assessment of physiologic measures after vaccination is rarely performed. We conducted a prospective observational study to evaluate short-term self-reported and physiologic reactions to the booster BNT162b2 mRNA (Pfizer-BioNTech, https://www.pfizer.com) vaccine dose. A total of 1,609 participants were equipped with smartwatches and completed daily questionnaires through a dedicated mobile application. The extent of systemic reactions reported after the booster dose was similar to that of the second dose and considerably greater than that of the first dose. Analyses of objective heart rate and heart rate variability measures recorded by smartwatches further supported this finding. Subjective and objective reactions after the booster dose were more apparent in younger participants and in participants who did not have underlying medical conditions. Our findings further support the safety of the booster dose from subjective and objective perspectives and underscore the need for integrating wearables in clinical trials.
Project description:Background and objectivesAccording to some reports, there is a link between the development of myocarditis and the administration of messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines against coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Here, we report seven cases that developed myocarditis after receiving a second dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine.MethodsThis is a multi-center case series study. In this study, we present 7 patients diagnosed with myocarditis following BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273 COVID-19 vaccinations on March 7, 2021, and March 3, 2022.ResultsAll seven patients were males and hemodynamically stable. The median age was 24.5 years, ranging from 16 to 36 years old. All patients received the second dose of a messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine between one and four days before being admitted to the hospital (5 received BNT162b2 [Pfizer-BioNTech] and 2 received mRNA-1273 [Moderna]). The electrocardiograms of all seven patients were abnormal, and their troponin levels were elevated. Moreover, all patients were treated with colchicine and NSAIDs. The average length of stay in the hospital was 2.4 days, and all of the patients' symptoms had resolved by the time they were discharged.ConclusionThe results of the current study raise the possibility of an association between BNT162b2 [Pfizer-BioNTech] or mRNA-1273 [Moderna] COVID-19 vaccination and myocarditis.
Project description:IntroductionAlthough the COVID-19 Vaccine usually causes a few non-serious side effects, serious ones such as Erythema multiforme recently has been linked to it.Case presentationOur patient presented with severe skin reaction one day post-Covid-19 Moderna vaccine diagnosed as erythema multiforme proven by skin biopsy that responded well to steroids.DiscussionErythema multiform major, an immune-mediated cutaneous reaction to infections or drugs involving the oral cavity, should be considered a possible adverse effect of numerous vaccinations, including SARSCoV2. Correct patient history gathering enables early detection and successful medical therapy with oral corticosteroids.Furthermore, the disease's rarity makes establishing a causative link difficult. However, because we are still learning about the innovative antiSARSCoV2 vaccines, it is crucial to be cautious of the potential cutaneous adverse responses.ConclusionDespite being rare, life-threatening adverse reactions can occur post-COVID-19 Vaccination.
Project description:The humoral response after the fourth dose of a mRNA vaccine against COVID-19 has not been adequately described in elderly recipients, particularly those not exposed previously to SARS-CoV-2. Serum anti-RBD IgG levels (Abbott SARS-CoV-2 IgG II Quant assay) and neutralizing capacities (spike SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus Wuhan and Omicron BA.1 variant) were measured after the third and fourth doses of a COVID-19 mRNA vaccine among 46 elderly residents (median age 85 years [IQR 81; 89]) of an assisted living facility. Among participants never infected by SARS-CoV-2, the mean serum IgG levels against RBD (2025 BAU/ml), 99 days after the fourth vaccine, was as high as 76 days after the third vaccine (1987 BAU/ml), and significantly higher (p = 0.030) when the latter were corrected for elapsed time. Neutralizing antibody levels against the historical Wuhan strain were significantly higher (Mean 1046 vs 1573; p = 0.002) and broader (against Omicron) (Mean 170 vs 375; p = 0.018), following the fourth vaccine. The six individuals with an Omicron breakthrough infection mounted strong immune responses for anti-RBD and neutralizing antibodies against the Omicron variant indicating that the fourth vaccine dose did not prevent a specific adaptation of the immune response. These findings point out the value of continued vaccine boosting in the elderly population.
Project description:A known history of a severe allergic reaction (e.g., anaphylaxis) to any component of the vaccine is the only contraindication to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) mRNA vaccination. It is important for pediatricians to understand the likelihood of an allergic reaction to COVID-19 mRNA vaccines, including its excipients. Episodes concerning for anaphylaxis were immediately reported following early administration of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines to adults. Although allergic type symptoms were reported equally in recipients of placebos and test vaccines in phase 3 clinical trials, post-authorization prospective studies state that 0.2-2% of vaccine recipients have experienced allergic reactions. Subsequent allergy testing of affected individuals has focused largely on evaluation of allergic sensitization to a novel vaccine excipient, polyethylene glycol (PEG). PEG is a polymer incorporated in numerous pharmaceutical products because of its favorable, inert properties. The results of allergy testing in adults to date indicate that IgE mediated anaphylaxis to PEG allergy is rarely identified after COVID-19 mRNA vaccine reactions. Numerous individuals with presumed anaphylaxis have tolerated a second vaccine after evaluation and testing by an allergist, suggesting either misdiagnosis or a novel immune mechanism. Confirmed anaphylactic reactions to COVID-19 mRNA vaccines are rare, likely due to a lack of preexisting IgE against the vaccine components, including PEG.