Editor's Note Abbott’s new COVID-19 antibody test that has 99% sensitivity and specificity has been given CE Mark approval for use across Europe, the April 29 Mass Device reports. The test is 99% accurate in identifying the IgG protein in patients infected by COVID-19, 14 days after symptoms develop. Abbott…

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Editor's Note In this proof-of-concept study, a new lateral flow immunoassay developed by researchers from China can quickly detect antibodies against SARS-COV-2, which appear as a bright orange line when placed on a fluorescence reader. The test, which is based on a technique similar to what is used in home…

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Editor's Note European regulators have approved Siemens Healthineers’ molecular Fast Track Diagnostics SARS-CoV-2 Assay, which has 100% specificity and sensitivity. The new assay uses real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect ribonucleic acid (RNA) from this virus. The company plans to ship more than 1.3 million tests per month worldwide…

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Editor's Note The spread of COVID-19 in the US could result in hundreds of billions of dollars in direct medical costs, according to this study partially funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Using AHRQ data and other sources, researchers developed computer models to simulate the financial…

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Editor's Note The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) on April 24 issued interim guidance on the reuse and decontamination of N95 and other filtering-facepiece respirators during the COVID-19 pandemic. OSHA notes that the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has identified research that suggests the following methods…

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Editor's Note In this study from BJC HealthCare and Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, a multidisciplinary team that included surgeons created a new process for disinfecting and reusing N95 masks, using vaporized hydrogen peroxide. The process allows healthcare workers (HCW) to reuse masks up to 20 cycles, and…

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Editor's Note An artificial intelligence (AI) tool that analyzes CT scans of the chest was 75% accurate in determining COVID-19 patients who required ventilators, the April Radiology Business reports. Researchers at Cleveland’s Case Western Reserve University built the tool using scans and datasets from the web, COVID-19 chest images from…

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Editor's Note: A research team led by the University of Singapore has developed an artificial intelligence (AI) platform called, “IDentif.AI” (Indentifying Infectious Disease Combination Therapy with Artificial Intelligence) to increase efficiency in the development of treatments that combine several different drugs. The researchers selected 12 drugs that are viable candidates…

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Editor's Note: Epic’s deterioration index, an artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning-based system that can predict which patients with COVID-19 could become seriously ill, has been put into use at hospitals nationwide, the April 24 STAT reports. Though normally hospitals would take weeks or months to test a new tool on…

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Editor's Note COVID-19 may predispose patients to venous and arterial thrombotic disease because of excessive inflammation, platelet activation, endothelial dysfunction, and stasis, this study finds. Though a recent document from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates an increased risk of severe COVID-19 in patients receiving antiplatelet agents and…

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