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In pandemic COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019), the prognosis of patients has been determined using clinical data and CT (computed tomography) scans, but it is still unclear whether chest CT characteristics are correlated to COVID-19 severity. To explore the potential association between clinical data and 25-point CT score and investigate their predictive significance in COVID-19-positive patients at Fayoum University Hospital in Egypt. This study was conducted on 252 Egyptian COVID-19 patients at Fayoum University Hospital in Egypt. The patients were classified into two groups: a mild group (174 patients) and a severe group (78 patients). The results of clinical laboratory data, and CT scans of severe and mild patients, were collected, analyzed, and compared. The severe group show high significance levels of CRP, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), creatinine, urea, ferritin, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), neutrophil percent, and heart rate (HR) than the mild group. Lymphopenia, hypoalbuminemia, hypocalcemia, and decreased oxygen saturation (SpO2) were the most observed abnormalities in severe COVID-19 patients. Lymphopenia, low SpO2 and albumin levels, elevated serum LDH, ferritin, urea, and CRP levels were found to be significantly correlated with severity CT score (P<0.0001). The clinical severity of COVID-19 and the CT score are highly correlated. Our findings indicate that the CT scoring system can help to predict COVID-19 disease outcomes and has a strong correlation with clinical laboratory testing.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a serious illness caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and in severe cases associated with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). To describe the clinical characteristics of patients with ARDS-COVID-19. This study involved 197 male Egyptian participants, among them111 COVID-19 patients presented with ARDS, 60 COVID-19 patients presented with non-ARDS, and 26 Non-COVID-19 patients. We reported the analysis results of clinical and laboratory information, including blood routine tests, blood biochemistry parameters [aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), creatinine and C-reactive protein (CRP)], thrombotic activity (D-dimer) and serum ferritin and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). The levels of hemoglobin, AST, creatinine, monocyte count, monocyte %, RBC count, TLC, and platelet count were not significantly different among the groups. The lymphopenia and increased CRP, ALT, D-dimer, ferritin, and LDH were observed in patients with ARDS-COVID-19. COVID-19 patients with ARDS presented with lymphopenia, increased thrombotic activity, increased CRP, LDH, and ferritin levels. The results revealed that CRP, D-dimer, LDH levels, and lymphopenia have a significant association with the COVID-19 severity and can be used as biomarkers to predict the disease severity.

The SARS-CoV-2 virus's frequent mutations have made disease control with vaccines and antiviral drugs difficult; as a result, there is a need for more effective coronavirus drugs. Therefore, detecting the expression of various diagnostic biomarkers, including ncRNA in SARS-CoV2, implies new therapeutic strategies for the disease. Our study aimed to measure NEAT-1, miR-374b-5p, and IL6 in the serum of COVID-19 patients, demonstrating the correlation between target genes to explore the possible relationship between them. Also, the association between target genes and patients' clinical findings and radiological severity indices will be explored. The current study included 48 COVID-19-infected individuals and 40 controls. Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) was performed to detect lncRNA NEAT-1 and miRNA374b-5p fold change (FC) in the participants' sera. Enzyme-Linked Immune Sorbent Assay (ELISA) is used to detect IL6. Our results showed statistical significance with lower levels of (NEAT-1) [ median (range) = 0.08 (0.001-0.602)], and (miR374b-5p) [ median (range) = 0.14 (.01-7.16)] while higher IL-6 levels [ median (range) = 41.3 (7.2-654) pg/ml] when compared to controls with p-value <0.001. Serum level of NEAT-1 correlates negatively with IL-6 level (r = -.317, P = .008). ROC curve analysis revealed that sensitivity and specificity tests for NEAT-1 and IL-6 levels in the diagnosis of cases illustrated a sensitivity of (100% and 97.9%) and a specificity of (85% and 100%) at cut-off values (0.985 and 12.55), respectively. In comparison, miR374b-5p showed sensitivity and specificity of around 85% in distinguishing COVID-19 patients from controls. No significant association was detected between target genes and radiological severity indices. Our study is the first to detect decreased NEAT-1 and miR374b-5p expression in COVID-19 patients' serum. There was also an increase in IL6 levels. There is a negative correlation between NEAT-1 and IL6 in COVID-19 patients.

Acinetobacter baumannii is a Gram-negative coccobacillus responsible for severe hospital-acquired infections, particularly in intensive care units (ICUs). The current study was designed to characterize the virulence traits of biofilm-forming carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii causing pneumonia in ICU patients using a Galleria mellonella model. Two hundred and thirty patients with hospital-acquired or ventilator-associated pneumonia were included in our study. Among the total isolates, A. baumannii was the most frequently isolated etiological agent in ICU patients with pneumonia (54/165, 32.7%). All A. baumannii isolates were subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility testing by the Kirby–Bauer disk diffusion method, while the minimum inhibitory concentrations of imipenem and colistin were estimated using the broth microdilution technique. The biofilm formation activity of the isolates was tested using the microtiter plate technique. Biofilm quantification showed that 61.1% (33/54) of the isolates were strong biofilm producers, while 27.7% (15/54) and 11.1% (6/54) showed moderate or weak biofilm production. By studying the prevalence of carbapenemases-encoding genes among isolates, blaOXA-23-like was positive in 88.9% of the isolates (48/54). The BlaNDM gene was found in 27.7% of the isolates (15/54 isolates). BlaOXA-23-like and blaNDM genes coexisted in 25.9% (14/54 isolates). Bap and blaPER-1 genes, the biofilm-associated genes, coexisted in 5.6% (3/54) of the isolates. For in vivo assessment of A. baumannii pathogenicity, a Galleria mellonella survival assay was used. G. mellonella survival was statistically different between moderate and poor biofilm producers (p < 0.0001). The killing effect of the strong biofilm-producing group was significantly higher than that of the moderate and poor biofilm producers (p < 0.0001 for each comparison). These findings highlight the role of biofilm formation as a powerful virulence factor for carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii that causes pneumonia in the ICU.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0249346.].[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0249346.].

Infection by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has a high incidence of spread. On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization proclaimed a public health emergency of worldwide concern. More than 6.9 million deaths and more than 768 million confirmed cases had been reported worldwide as of June 18, 2023. This study included 51 patients and 50 age- and sex-matched healthy subjects. The present study aimed to identify the expression levels of lncRNA CASC2 and miRNA-21-5p (also known as miRNA-21) in COVID-19 patients and their relation to the clinicopathological characteristics of the disease. The expression levels of noncoding RNAs were measured by RT-PCR technique. Results detected that CASC2 was significantly downregulated while miRNA-21-5p was significantly upregulated in COVID-19 patients compared to healthy subjects. A significant negative correlation was found between CASC2 and miRNA-21-5p. ROC curve analysis used to distinguish COVID-19 patients from controls. MiRNA-21-p serum expression level had a significant positive association with temperature and PO2 ( p  = 0.04 for each). These findings indicate that CASC2 and miRNA-21-p might be used as potential diagnostic and therapeutic biomarkers in COVID-19.

Following COVID-19 pandemic, clinical description focused on the clinical presentation of patients in the acute stage of the disease. More recently, data have emerged that some patients continue to experience symptoms related to COVID-19 after the acute phase of infection has subsided (post-COVID syndrome). Although characteristics of post-COVID syndrome have been well described, less is known about the possible invitations during acute illnesses that can predict such syndrome. Our study is a prospective study aiming at assessment of CT severity scoring in the acute phase of COVID-19 pneumonia as a predictor for development of post-COVID syndrome in recovering patients. A total of 192 symptomatic COVID-19 patients between April 2020 and October 2020 were enrolled in this single-center study, and high-resolution chest CT examinations were evaluated for CT severity scoring. Data were matched with the long-term clinical outcome. CT severity score was significantly higher in patients who developed post-COVID symptoms (p 7 was associated with an increased risk and was found to be predictive of condition development with sensitivity (95.9%), specificity (96%), positive predictive value (95.92%), negative predictive value (96%), and accuracy (95.96%). CT severity scoring can help in predicting the long-term outcome of COVID-19 patients with cutoff value of CT-SSS > 7 showing highest sensitivity and specificity for predicting development of post-COVID syndrome.

Coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic causes significant strain on healthcare infrastructure and medical resources. So, it becomes crucial to identify reliable predictor biomarkers for COVID-19 disease severity and short term mortality. Many biomarkers are currently investigated for their prognostic role in COVID-19 patients. Our study is retrospective and aims to evaluate role of semi-quantitative CT-severity scoring versus LDH as prognostic biomarkers for COVID-19 disease severity and short-term clinical outcome. Two hundred sixty-six patients between April 2020 and November 2020 with positive RT-PCR results underwent non-enhanced CT scan chest in our hospital and were retrospectively evaluated for CT severity scoring and serum LDH level measurement. Data were correlated with clinical disease severity. CT severity score and LDH were significantly higher in severe and critical cases compared to mild cases (P value < 0.001). High predictive significance of CT severity score for COVID-19 disease course noted, with cut-off value [greater than or equal to] 13 highly predictive of severe disease (96.96% accuracy); cut-off value [greater than or equal to] 16 highly predictive of critical disease (94.21% accuracy); and cut-off value [greater than or equal to] 19 highly predictive of short-term mortality (92.56% accuracy). CT severity score has higher sensitivity, specificity, positive, and negative predictive values as well as overall accuracy compared to LDH level in predicting severe, critical cases, and short-term mortality. Semi-quantitative CT severity scoring has high predictive significance for COVID-19 disease severity and short-term mortality with higher sensitivity, specificity, and overall accuracy compared to LDH. Our study strongly supports the use of CT severity scoring as a powerful prognostic biomarker for COVID-19 disease severity and short-term clinical outcome to allow triage of need for hospital admission, earlier medical interference, and to effectively prioritize medical resources for cases with high mortality risk for better decision making and clinical outcome.

Aim The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) outbreak began in Wuhan, China, and quickly escalated into a significant pandemic threat. COVID‐19 is associated with variable morbidity and mortality rates, which differ greatly from one country to another. This study aimed to investigate the clinical findings of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection in different ethnic groups, as well as to identify the radiological manifestations and various biomarkers for the assessment of COVID‐19 patients. Materials and Methods The clinical data of 210 COVID‐19 patients with respiratory disorders, who attended the chest clinic at Mouwasat Hospital, Jubail, in the Eastern area of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from April to May 2020, were thoroughly reviewed. The patients were divided into seven groups based on their ethnicities (Saudi, Egyptian, Nepali, Filipino, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Indian). The differences in the clinical findings, laboratory data and radiological manifestations between these groups were statistically analysed. Results The study included 210 COVID‐19 patients from seven ethnic groups (Saudi, Egyptian, Nepali, Filipino, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Indian). Comorbidities were reported among 60.9% of patients, which were significantly higher among Filipinos at 73.3%. Dyspnoea was prevalent in the Saudi and Pakistani groups, while hypoxaemia was prevalent in the Indian group (40%). In terms of laboratory assessment, Bangladesh patients had the highest median of serum ferritin and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels with a significant P value (<.001), while Saudi patients had the highest median of C‐reactive protein (CRP) levels with a significant P value (<.001). According to computed tomography (CT) findings, structural destruction was the most common finding in bilateral parenchymal affection among 88.6% of patients. Filipinos and Bangladeshis had the highest morbidity rates. Conclusion There were great variations in clinical, radiological and even laboratory findings among different ethnic groups of COVID‐19 patients.