December 29, 2020

In today's episode we discuss: —Understanding the Pathology: SARS-CoV-2 Infection likely triggers an autoimmune response. A case control study from Northern Italy found elevated inflammatory markers and autoantibodies (ANA, ASCA, IgG and anti-Cardiolipin) in 40 hospitalized COVID-19 patients compared to healthy controls. These results add to the growing body of evidence suggesting the association of COVID-19 with autoimmune disease and inflammatory dysfunction. The authors suggest utilizing these antibodies as prognostic indicators, especially when considering treatment with plasma therapy. —Management: Is there an effect of artificial liver blood purification treatment on the survival of critically ill COVID-19 patients? A prospective study by multiple infectious disease centers in China to investigated the efficacy of liver blood purification treatment on the survival of severe/critical COVID-19 patients with serum inflammatory factors greater than or equal to five times the upper limit. A total of 101 critical COVID-19 patients were enrolled in the study and divided into either the treatment group or the control group. The authors demonstrated that artificial liver therapy clears inflammatory mediators through blocking the cytokine storm thus preventing theses cases from worsening any further and improving the survival rate. —Mental Health & Resilience Needs: Mental health continues to take a toll approximately 35 days after hospitalization for COVID-19 infection. Investigators from Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine and Hospital in New Jersey conducted a single center prospective cohort study of 183 COVID-19 patients admitted to Hackensack Meridian Hospital in order to identify persistent physical symptoms, psychological health, social relationships, and activities of daily living all pertaining to their self-reported quality of life 35 ± 5 days after hospital discharge. The results revealed 16.9% of participants reported their mental health as poor or fair, impairing their daily living, physical and mental health, and quality of life, suggesting the importance of early intervention for both physical and mental symptoms, along with social support, as an essential part of full recovery from COVID-19.