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Highlights This is a prevalence study in the Italian province of Udine. We study SARS-CoV-2 tests in persons with and without comorbidities. Patients with comorbidities are tested more than the others. Prevalence of positive test is not increased in patients with most chronic conditions.

Background: An assessment of viral load in biologic specimens of subjects with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection may have important implications for public health planning. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of high viral load in upper respiratory specimens of patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection during the first Italian wave (spring) and at the beginning of the second wave (summer) of the COVID-19 epidemic, through the measurement of cycle threshold (Ct) values from real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction tests conducted at the University Hospital of Udine, Italy, serving 530,000 inhabitants. Methods:We compared the prevalence of high viral load, defined as Ct ≤ 20 at the first positive test result, in 262 subjects from the spring and 453 from the summer period. Logistic regression was used to account for potential confounding due to sex, age, and severity of infection.Results: In the spring, 9.2% of subjects had Ct ≤ 20 versus 21.4% in the summer. After adjusting for confounders, the likelihood of having high viral load was 2.9 times higher in the summer than in the spring (95% confidence interval, 1.7-5.0). Conclusions:In this Italian area, more COVID-19 patients had high viral load in the spring epidemic wave than at the beginning of the second, during the summer. Cycle threshold values may represent useful information to monitor viral load at a population level in subjects with SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Background & Aims. The inappropriate use of food supplements can potentially cause harms to patients. The role played by pharmacists in advising citizens and purchasing these products, can contribute in improving their safer use but the knowledge, attitudes and practice of these professionals on this topic is still largely unknown. Methods. Pharmacists of the Italian Region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia (FVG) were surveyed through a 47-items online questionnaire from Sept 2020 to Feb 2021. Questions investigated on knowledge (20 items), attitudes and practice (27 items). Data about sex, age, years of experience, degree, role within pharmacy (owner, employee) were also collected. Results. 232 questionnaires were collected, most of which (71%) from women. The majority of responders had a Pharmacy degree (77%) and were employees within pharmacies (66%) where they have been working for at least 10 years (61%). Pharmacists’ knowledge resulted to be poor with less than half participants scoring above the median value of 11; knowledge was higher among more experienced pharmacists. Larger gaps identified included the possible carcinogenicity of multivitamin’s abuse and the undesired presence of non-labeled components in food supplements. Responders with less working experience felt more unprepared about vitamin’s dosage and groups of patients with particular diseases (p<0.05). Employees reported the attitude of purchasing food supplements under patient direct request more frequently than owners (p<0.05). Conclusions. Pharmacists’ knowledge level on food supplements is unsatisfactory, and the effect of this lack on patient safety is concerning. Young professionals in particular would benefit further education the most on this specific public health topic.