Clinical cases of C. auris noted during a COVID-19 surge led to an epidemiological, clinical, and genomic investigation. Evaluation identified a close genetic relationship but no conclusive epidemiologic link between all cases. Prolonged hospitalization due to critical illness from COVID-19 and use of antimicrobials may have contributed to clinical infections.

A concerning rise in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases has been recently reported, particularly in the United States. The causes of this increase are likely multifactorial and the object of an ongoing health and socioeconomic debate. However, preliminary data have indicated that the new COVID-19 cases are increasing among younger adults with obesity. Considering this recent spike, the timing of the paper by Deng et al. (1) is of particular importance. Deng et al. (1) not only confirmed that obesity is a major and independent risk factor for COVID-19 complications in young adults (2) but also pointed out ectopic and visceral fat depots as new markers of that risk. The authors found that computed tomography (CT) imaging showed significantly higher fatty liver and epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) in severely and critically ill patients with COVID-19 under 40 years old as compared with those with milder disease.

A single first-sputum NAA testing can rapidly and accurately identify the subset of patients with suspected TB who require RI according to serial sputum smears. Its potential use to shorten RI time does not preclude the need to obtain subsequent specimens for culture.

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has become a mainstay in treatment for patients with severe aortic stenosis who are considered high-risk surgical candidates. The use of TAVR in low-risk patients with severe aortic stenosis is being explored as an alternative to surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR). Recent results from the Medtronic Evolut Low Risk trial and the Placement of Aortic Transcatheter Valves (PARTNER) 3 trial shed light on the use of TAVR in low-risk surgical candidates. The Evolut Low Risk trial compared TAVR with a self-expanding supra-annular bioprosthesis to SAVR in 1468 patients with severe aortic stenosis who were low surgical risk. Patients with a mean age of 74 and a mean Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) risk score of 1.9% were randomized to either TAVR or SAVR groups. Using the composite end point of death or disabling stroke at 24 months, the study found an incidence of 5.3% in the TAVR arm and 6.7% in the surgical arm. The Evolut Low Risk trial thus concluded that TAVR was statistically noninferior but not superior to SAVR (difference, −1.4 percentage points; 95% Bayesian credible interval for the difference, −4.9 to 2.1; posterior probability of noninferiority, >0.999). The PARTNER 3 trial assigned 1,000 patients with severe aortic stenosis and low surgical risk to either TAVR with transfemoral placement of balloon expandable valve or SAVR. Patients with a mean age of 73 and a mean STS score of 1.9% were randomized to either TAVR or SAVR groups. With respect to the primary endpoint of composite death from any cause, stroke, or rehospitalization, the study found an occurrence of 8.5% in TAVR and 15.1% in SAVR, confirming both noninferiority and superiority in the TAVR group [absolute difference, −6.6 percentage points; 95% confidence interval (CI), −10.8 to −2.5; P<0.001 for noninferiority; hazard ratio, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.37 to 0.79; P=0.001 for superiority]. Both the Evolut low risk trial and the PARTNER 3 trial provide evidence that the use of TAVR extends beyond the scope of high and intermediate risk surgical patients and is at the very least equivalent to SAVR in the treatment low-risk surgical candidates when using a transfemoral approach in patients without bicuspid aortic valves. In this article we provide an extensive review on the Evolute low risk and PARTNER 3 trials, including a discussion on clinically relevant outcomes.