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In a cross-sectional study in a hospital in Tehran in 2006-08 the QuantiFERON®-TB interferon-gamma release assay (QTB) was compared with the tuberculin skin test (TST) in 59 young people (aged < 20 years) with close contact with immunocompetent cases of proven pulmonary tuberculosis. After 1 year follow-up 10 subjects had progressed to tuberculosis disease and received treatment; TST was positive in 30% and QTB in 100%. Of the 49 non-progressive subjects, TST was positive in 10.4% and QTB in 16.3%. The agreement between TST and QTB assay in non-progressive subjects was poor (κ = 0.43). False positive and false negative rates for TST were 40.0% and 9.3% respectively; positive and predictive values were 60.0% and 90.7%. We suggest adding the interferon assay to the skin test in the decision to perform chest X-ray or to start chemoprophylaxis at least in younger subjects (aged < 20 years).

Background COVID‐19 is considered a widespread concern in global public health. Diagnoses of COVID‐19 in some cases are necessary because of severe prognosis. In this study, epidemiologies, clinical and demographic characteristics of patients with COVID‐19 were studied in Taleghani Hospital, Urmia, Iran. Methods This descriptive‐analytical cross‐sectional study was carried out on 215 patients with COVID‐19 during March and April 2020. Approved COVID‐19 case was considered as a person with a positive respiratory sample performed by at least one of two RT‐PCR methods or genetic sequencing. ANOVA repeated measure, independent t‐test and logistic regression were done. A P < .05 was considered significant. Results The mean age of patients was 50.93 ± 17.92 years. Regarding gender, there were 91 females (42.3%) and 124 males (57.7%). The mean hospital stay, the temperature at admission, and onset of symptoms were 4.91 ± 3.68 days, 37.40 ± 0.96°C and 5.88 ± 4.80 days, respectively. Close contact with suspected people was found in 10.2% of patients. Additionally, 44 patients (20.5%) were smokers. Shortness of breath and cough were found in 62.8% and 49.3% of patients. Diabetes mellitus and hypertension were the most common comorbidities of patients. Regarding lung involvement, 33 patients (33%) were normal, most of the patients (n = 71) had 5%‐25% involvement in their lung and a minority of patients (n = 13) had a severe condition of 50%‐75% lung involvement. The association between smoking and mortality was tested using chi‐square showing no significant difference (X2:2.959, P = .085). There was no significant difference between AST, ALT, ALP, total, direct Bilirubin, lung involvement and suffering from fever (P > .05). High Spo2 can increase the chance of recovery by 24% with each unit reduction. Kidney involvement increases the chance of death by about 80% (95% CI: 0.104‐0.013). The odds ratio of spo2 for recovery of COVID‐19 was 1.24 (95% CI: 1.014‐1.528; P = .037). Kaletra with odds ratio of 31.960 had the most highest effect on recovery following COVID‐19 (P = .043). Conclusion COVID‐19 involves different organs of the body with different severity. In the meantime, smoking was not a risk factor for the virus or associated with severe manifestations of the disease. Patients with high creatinine and CPK, pulmonary involvement above 25%, and hypoxemia had a higher mortality rate. Increase of Spo2 by 1% can improve the patients by 24%. The results indicated that Kaletra had the most highest effect on improvement following COVID‐19.

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Background: COVID-19 is considered a widespread concern in global public health. Diagnoses of COVID-19 in some cases are necessary due to severe prognosis. In this study, clinical and demographic characteristics of patients with COVID-19 were studied in Taleghani Hospital, Urmia, Iran. Methods: This descriptive-analytical cross-sectional (retrospective) study carried out on 215 patients with COVID-19 during March and April 2020.. Approved COVID-19 case was considered as a person with