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VirologyComparison of Upper Respiratory Viral Load Distributions in Asymptomatic and Symptomatic Children Diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Pediatric Hospital Testing ProgramsThe distribution of upper respiratory viral loads (VL) in asymptomatic children infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is unknown. We assessed PCR cycle threshold (Ct) values and estimated VL in infected asymptomatic children diagnosed in nine pediatric hospital testing programs. Records for asymptomatic and symptomatic patients with positive clinical SARS-CoV-2 tests were reviewed. Ct values were (i...
EditorialWhen Should Asymptomatic Persons Be Tested for COVID-19?On 24 August 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its website to highlight that asymptomatic individuals, even those with exposure to a COVID-19-positive contact, do not necessarily need to be tested unless they have medical conditions associated with increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19. The CDC subsequently updated its guidance on 19 September 2020 to support testing of asymptomatic persons,...
BacteriologyNovel Strategy for Rapidly and Safely Distinguishing Bacillus anthracis and Bacillus cereus by Use of Peptide Mass Fingerprints Based on Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization–Time of Flight Mass SpectrometryThe objective of this study was to construct a rapid, high-throughput, and biosafety-compatible screening method for Bacillus anthracis and Bacillus cereus based on matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization–time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). MALDI-TOF MS coupled to ClinProTools was...
VirologyClinical Evaluation of BD Veritor SARS-CoV-2 Point-of-Care Test Performance Compared to PCR-Based Testing and versus the Sofia 2 SARS Antigen Point-of-Care TestThe clinical performance of the BD Veritor System for Rapid Detection of SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid antigen (Veritor), a chromatographic immunoassay used for SARS-CoV-2 point-of-care testing, was evaluated using nasal specimens from individuals with COVID-19 symptoms. Two studies were completed to determine clinical performance. In the first study, nasal specimens and either nasopharyngeal or oropharyngeal specimens from 251 participants...
MycologyDiagnostic Accuracy of the Biosynex CryptoPS Cryptococcal Antigen Semiquantitative Lateral Flow Assay in Patients with Advanced HIV DiseaseHigh cryptococcal antigen (CrAg) titers in blood are associated with subclinical meningitis and mortality in CrAg-positive individuals with advanced HIV disease (AHD). We evaluated a novel semiquantitative lateral flow assay (LFA), CryptoPS, that may be able to identify individuals with high CrAg titers in a cohort of AHD patients undergoing CrAg screening. In a prospective cohort of patients with AHD (CD4 cell count, ≤200/μl) receiving...
VirologyHIV-2 Drug Resistance Genotyping from Dried Blood SpotsThe treatment of HIV-2 in resource-limited settings (RLS) is complicated by the limited availability of HIV-2-active antiretroviral drugs and inadequate access to HIV-2 viral load and drug resistance testing. Dried blood spots (DBS)-based drug resistance testing, widely studied for HIV-1, has not been reported for HIV-2 and could present an opportunity to improve care for HIV-2-infected individuals. We selected 150 DBS specimens from...
