CSCC Webinar Lectureship on Critical Care Medicine
Thursday April 30, 2020
08:00 PT / 09:00 MT / 10:00 CT / 11:00 ET / 12:00 AT / 12:30 NL
Sponsored by
COVID-19 – approach to laboratory testing and biosafety
Speakers:
Dr. Giuseppe Lippi
Professor of Clinical Chemistry, University of Verona; Director, Service of Laboratory Medicine, University Hospital of Verona
Dr. Khosrow Adeli
Head and Professor, Clinical Biochemistry, Hospital for Sick Children/University of Toronto
Moderator:
Dr. David Kinniburgh
Director, Alberta Centre for Toxicology
Program:
The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a severe pathology caused by acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The etiological diagnosis of COVID-19 is based on direct identification of viral RNA by means of molecular biology techniques in biological material, especially upper and lower respiratory tract specimens. As concerns serological testing, the vast majority of COVID-19 patients develop a sustained immune response against the virus, characterized by development of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG and IgA, 1 to 2 weeks after the onset of fever and/or respiratory symptoms. Unfavorable clinical course can then be predicted by some important lab data such as lymphopenia, thombocytopenia, neutrophilia, increased concentration of biomarkers of cardiac injury (i.e., cardiac troponins), C reactive protein and other inflammatory cytokines, liver and kidney function tests, increased D-dimer and procalcitonin. Biosafety is also essential in clinical laboratories when managing samples from patients with suspected or diagnosed COVID-19.
Clinics and Pathogenesis of COVID-19 and Laboratory Biosafety Concerns
Giuseppe Lippi (25 min)
- General Introduction
- Origin and biology of SARS-CoV-2
- Virus transmission and Epidemiology of COVID-19 infection
- Clinics of COVID-19
- Pathogenesis of progression to severe illness and death
- Clinical Laboratory Biosafety Guidelines
- Recommendations from the IFCC Taskforce on COVID-19
Molecular and Serological Testing of COVID-19
Khosrow Adeli (25 min)
a) Laboratory Diagnosis of Coronavirus Infection
-Laboratory-based and point of care tests recently developed for rapid testing (such as Cepheid, Abbott and Spartan)
-Quality issues for these molecular assays: FDA/Health Canada approval?; how well validated?; any EQA program?
>b) Serological Tests:
-Anti-COVID-19 antibodies: IgG, IgM, IgA assays/total assays; Qualitative versus Quantitative Tests
-Quality issues for these assays: FDA/Health Canada approval?; how well validated?; any EQA program?
-Link between anti-viral antibody levels and immunity; Are Anti-COVID-19 antibodies neutralizing? Leading to immunity against the virus?
c) Biochemical Monitoring of Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients
-Biochemical monitoring in Intensive care
-Inflammatory Markers: cytokines, ferritin, procalcitonin, etc. for assessment of hyperinflammation and cytokine storm syndrome
-Cardiac Markers: hs-Troponins
FOLLOWED BY a Panel Discussion: (20 min)
Objectives:
1. Identify the leading biological and clinical features of SARS-CoV-2
2. Discuss the approach to etiological diagnosis and clinics of COVID-19
3. Describe the kinetics and significance of immune response against SARS-CoV-2
4. Explain IFCC taskforce recommendations on biosafety in clinical laboratories
5. Appraise the current molecular and serological testing to detect COVID-19 infection and quality concerns
6. Dissect links between anti-COVID-19 antibodies levels and immunity and whether anti-COVID-19 antibodies can be neutralizing
7. Discuss assessment of patients for hyperinflammation and cytokine storm syndrome that enhance severity and progression to death
There is no charge to attend this lecture but it is necessary to register