View clinical trials related to Coronavirus Infections.
Filter by:Highly communicable and virulent diseases, the ongoing threat of emerging infectious diseases, and the prospect of bio-terrorism have become part of the new reality for health care workers. SARS transmission has occurred despite the use of droplet, contact, and airborne precautions. Potential explanations for some of the episodes of “through-precautions” transmission include the possibility of contamination during removal of protective clothing. The recommended protective systems (PPS) for aerosol generating procedures set out by the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care (MOHLTC) differ. The failure of a PPS may be associated with significant consequences in terms of the morbidity and mortality of front-line health care workers. The purpose of this study is to determine if a difference exists between the rate of self-contamination due to deficiencies in contact precautions for individuals wearing either the CDC or MOHLTC recommended PPS. Study participants will don one of the two recommended PPS, be “contaminated” with an indicator that becomes visible under ultraviolet light, and then assessed for contamination of clothing layers and skin after removal of the PPS. They will then repeat the procedure using the other PPS.
This study will test whether an experimental vaccine to protect against severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is safe, causes any side effects, and causes an immune response. SARS affects the respiratory system, usually starting with fever and muscle aches. Patients may get a dry cough and have difficulty breathing. Infection may be mild, but it can lead to death. Vaccines contain substances from an infectious agent, such as a virus, that, when injected into a person's body, stimulates production of antibodies that create resistance, or immunity, to that agent. The vaccine in this study contains genetic material (DNA) that codes for a protein found in the virus that causes SARS. Injected into a muscle, it instructs the body to make a small amount of a SARS protein. The vaccine is made from just one small part of the code for one SARS protein; a person cannot get SARS from the vaccine. Normal volunteers between 18 and 50 years of age who are in general good health may be eligible for this 32-week study. Candidates are screened with a physical examination and blood and urine tests. Participants have nine clinic visits during the study. They receive three vaccine injections, given with a system called the Bioinjector 2000® (Registered Trademark), which delivers the vaccine through the skin without the use of a needle. Following each injection, participants take home a diary card, on which they record their temperature and any vaccine side effects daily for 5 days. Participants must immediately report any symptoms to a study physician, and, if necessary, go to the clinic for an examination. Participants have the following tests and procedures: - Vaccine injections (study day 0, around week 4, and around week 8, with at least 21 days between injections) - Medical history and, if needed, physical examination (study day 0 and weeks 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 24, and 32) - Check of vital signs and weight (study day 0 and weeks 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 24 and 32) - Lymph node examination (day 0 and weeks 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12) - Blood draw (study day 0 and weeks 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 24 and 32) - Pregnancy test for women (day 0 and weeks 4, 8 and 32) - Urine sample (day 0 and weeks 2, 4, 6, 8, 10)
This study will evaluate and treat people with SARS, a new type of pneumonia (lung infection) originating in China. SARS is caused by a new virus that is easily transmitted from person to person. This study will look at the course of the disease; determine how the virus affects the body and how the body fights the infection; and evaluate diagnostic tests to quickly identify the disease. People 18 years of age and older with probable or suspected SARS may be eligible for this study. Close contacts of patients with SARS, patients who recovered from SARS, and NIH health care workers involved in the care of patients will also be enrolled. Patients with SARS who require hospitalization will be admitted to the NIH Clinical Center. Because SARS spreads easily, hospitalized patients will be in a room by themselves and will not be allowed any visitors. They will not leave their room except for tests, such as x-rays. All participants will have a full medical examination, including a medical history, physical examination, and blood tests. In addition, the participants undergo various tests and procedures as follows: - Probable and suspected SARS patients may be hospitalized or may be seen as outpatients. They are provided the treatment judged best for their disease, usually according to expressed or published recommendations. The best treatment for SARS is not yet known, and there have been no studies evaluating therapies. Outpatients are seen three times a week for 2 weeks, once a week for 4 more weeks, and then at 6 months. Patients have mouth and throat swabs taken three times a week for the first 2 weeks, then once a week for 4 more weeks. Blood is drawn three times a week for the first 2 weeks, then once at weeks 3, 4, and 6. If virus is still detectable after 6 weeks, nose washings and throat swabs are repeated until no virus is detected for 3 weeks in a row. In addition, patients provide urine and stool samples, have a chest x-ray and electrocardiogram, and undergo bronchoscopy and bronchial lavage. For the bronchoscopy, a bronchoscope (pencil-thin flexible tube) is passed into the large airways of the lung, allowing the physician to examine the airways. Cells and secretions from the airways are rinsed from the lung with salt water. A brush the size of a pencil tip is passed through the bronchoscope to scrape cells lining the airways and pieces of tissue are collected for analysis. - Close contacts of patients are evaluated twice a week for 2 weeks, then once a week for 2 more weeks. Blood is drawn at the first visit and then at 1, 2, and 4 weeks. Mouth and throat swabs, nose washings, and sputum collections are done twice a week for 2 weeks, then once a week for 2 more weeks. Urine and stool samples are collected once a week for 4 weeks. If virus from the nose or throat is still detectable after 4 weeks, weekly nose washings and throat swabs continue until no virus is detected for 3 weeks in a row. Blood may also be drawn during the weekly visits. - Recovered SARS patients provide blood, urine, and stool samples and have a mouth and throat swab and nose aspiration to see if the SARS virus is present. For the nasal aspiration, salt water is put in the nose and then suctioned out. Usually, these tests are done only once. If virus is detected, however, the nose washing, throat swabs and blood tests are repeated once a week until no virus is detected for 3 weeks in a row. - Health care workers document their contact with patients, use of isolation procedures and equipment, and any unexpected events that occur during contact. They are evaluated for symptoms of infection and provide a blood sample once a month
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) is a newly recognized illness that can be fatal. The purpose of this study is to better understand SARS by collecting samples of blood and other body fluids of people who have been exposed to SARS or who are suspected to have the illness. Up to 300 volunteers aged 18 years or older will be enrolled in this study. Participants will donate blood samples and, if appropriate, samples of fluid from the lungs, nose, or throat. Researchers will test these samples for proteins that control or mediate inflammatory or immune responses. The patterns of these proteins will reveal how SARS affects the body and the efforts the body makes to fight off the infection.