ASPHER statement on the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak emergency

With the outbreak of novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) we are currently experiencing a worldwide emergency affecting all societies. Fortunately, we have learnt much since the 1918/19 influenza pandemic, and we have come a long way towards controlling infectious diseases. Smallpox has been eradicated, cases of measles and poliomyelitis have been drastically reduced, and much has been achieved in mitigating HIV. Still, we now must coordinate efforts on a global scale to stop the spread ...

Aortic Prosthesis-Associated MDR Pseudomonas Infections as a Diagnostic and Therapeutic Challenge

Endovascular prostheses are used to treat life-threatening conditions such as ruptured aortic aneurysms. Prosthetic infection cause significant morbidity and mortality, posing important diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. It is particularly difficult to diagnose and, in the era of multidrug resistance (MDR), these type of infections may become even more difficult to treat. Herein, we reported a case of a secondary prosthetic endovascular infection following repeated bacteremia episodes fro...

Cohort Profile: Effective Perinatal Intensive Care in Europe (EPICE) very preterm birth cohort

The EPICE cohort is a geographically defined study of still-births and live births from 22 þ 0 to 31 þ 6 weeks of gestation in 19 European regions (Fig. 1). Regions were selected with respect to geographic and organizational diversity and feasibility, meaning they had systems for collecting population data on VPT babies that could be modified to integrate the study protocol. In France, the EPICE study includes three regions of the national EPIPAGE 2 cohort study. Participating regions started...

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on testing services for HIV, viral hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections in the WHO European Region, March to August 2020

We present preliminary results of a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) impact assessment on testing for HIV, viral hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections in the WHO European Region. We analyse 98 responses from secondary care (n = 36), community testing sites (n = 52) and national level (n = 10). Compared to pre-COVID-19, 95% of respondents report decreased testing volumes during March–May and 58% during June–August 2020. Reasons for decreases and mitigation measures were analysed.