Remdesivir has appeared to be the most effective medication against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and is broadly administered to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients around the world. Remdesivir is an RNA polymerase inhibitor with a broad spectrum of antiviral activities against RNA viruses in in-vitro and in-vivo models of SARS-CoV, the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), and SARS-CoV-2. Remdesivir is the first Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved anti-SARS-CoV-2 treatment for adult and pediatric patients and has been used intravenously for patients requiring hospitalization for COVID-19. However, questions have been raised about the value of remdesivir in treating COVID-19, and governing bodies worldwide have been hesitant to approve this medication. Nevertheless, in the context of the public health emergency and the urgent need for effective treatments for patients with COVID-19, remdesivir has been approved by several authorities worldwide. Here, we discuss characteristics and applications of remdesivir, and various challenging studies with different outcomes about its efficacy are also reviewed.

Background: Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is the leading cause of death worldwide. Seasonal Influenza can lead to cardiovascular complications. Thus, the association between Influenza and cardiovascular events has been of interest recently. Hypothesis: Therefore, this study aimed to investigate recent influenza-like illnesses (ILI) in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients compared to other hospitalized patients as the control group during the cold season in the north of Iran. Methods: This retrospective case-control study included 300 patients (150 AMI patients and 150 controls) aged ≥ 50 years hospitalized for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) or other conditions between September 22, 2019, and March 15, 2020. Patients in each group were frequency-matched for gender and age range. The primary exposure was a recent ILI (fever ≥ 37.8°C, cough, and sore throat) in the past month. Results: The patients’ mean age was 64.42 ± 9.47 years, with a range of 50-94 years. Overall, forty-five (15%) patients of 300 participants had diseases that met the ILI criteria. The AMI group patients significantly reported more ILI than controls (adjusted OR: 3.04, 95% CI: 1.02 to 9.09, p < 0.001). On the other hand, patients who received the influenza vaccine were significantly less likely to have an acute myocardial infarction than those who did not receive the vaccine (adjusted OR: 0.02, 95% CI: 0.001 to 0.38, p = 0.006). Conclusion: In conclusion, the present study demonstrates that ILI can increase the risk of AMI. Also, it was confirmed that Influenza vaccination could reduce the risk of AMI.

At the beginning of the current pandemic, it was believed that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection would induce lifelong immunity and that reinfections would be unlikely. However, after several cases of reinfection were documented in previously infected patients, this was understood to be a false assumption, and this waning humoral immunity has raised significant concerns. Accordingly, long-term and durable vaccine-induced antibody protection against infection have also become a challenge, as several breakthroughs of COVID-19 infection have been identified in individuals who were fully vaccinated. This review discusses the current evidence on breakthrough COVID-19 infections occurring after vaccination.

Brucellosis is a zoonotic infection often associated with osteoarticular involvement. In the current report, we described a case of brucellosis-induced avascular necrosis (AVN) of the hip. A 28-year-old rural female with a chief complaint of right lower limb claudication for two weeks was admitted into the infectious disease ward. She was diagnosed with brucellosis one month ago, for which she received standard medications. Her brucellosis was confirmed via serological tests, i.e., Wright’s test, 2-mercaptoethanol (2ME), and Coombs Wright. Because of her right lower limb claudication and reduced range of motion in the right hip joint, pelvic radiography was performed, indicating AVN. Then, this clinical suspicion was further confirmed by ultrasound (US) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the hip. Because of the unreversible damage to the head of her right femur, a total hip replacement surgery was suggested for this patient after consultation with an orthopedic surgeon. Then, she was discharged from the hospital after her arthralgia had improved, and she could walk without aid. Brucellosis is considered a thousand face infection due to its long-lasting side effects. Therefore, in endemic regions, more attention should be paid to suspected cases of brucellosis for any diagnosing and treating any common or uncommon complications.

There is a growing concern about the reinfection of recovered patients with novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Various researches have shown that the Reinfection of COVID-19 is probable, but its risk and probability vary considerably. Positive reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) retest results are not necessarily defined as reinfections, as several factors may be responsible for this re-positivity in the laboratory. Therefore, the utilization of tests with higher sensitivity and further clinical examinations can help distinguish true reinfection. This review is focused on the latest findings of COVID-19 reinfection in recovering patients.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by infecting with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that was recognized in late December 2019 in Wuhan, China. As the infection spread and rapidly becomes a global pandemic, effective therapy is urgently needed against the new coronavirus due to the increased morbidity and mortality rates. Based on this aspect, several therapeutic options have been explored, one of which is corticosteroids. Though the application of corticosteroids in treating COVID-19 remains controversial, this review aimed to evaluate and describe the effectiveness and safety of corticosteroids in the management of COVID-19.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has shown unexpected viral infection traits. Initially thought to affect respiratory health primarily, it also involves the gastrointestinal system. However, many complications during the pandemic were caused by the virus, including neurological, cardiovascular, dermatological, and metabolic issues. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has also been linked to cardiac complications, such as myocardial infarction, in individuals without cardiovascular risk factors. SARS-CoV-2 vaccines exacerbated the situation with possible adverse events (AEs). Vaccine side effects, like thromboembolic events, can be life-threatening or simply bothersome. Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) is a nonlethal cardiac complication seen with COVID-19 and its vaccines. In this review, we summarized the POTS-COVID-19 relationship comprehensively.

Lyme Neuroborreliosis: A case reportBabak Sayad1, Arefeh Babazadeh2, Mohammad Barary3, Rezvan Hosseinzadeh4, Soheil Ebrahimpour2, Zeinab Mohseni Afshar1, *Clinical Research Development Center, Imam Reza Hospital, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, IranInfectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, IranStudent Research Committee, Virtual School of Medical Education and Management, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IranStudent Research Committee, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran

SARS-CoV-2 and Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus coinfection: A case report and review of the diagnostic challengesZeinab Mohseni Afshar1, Mohammad Barary2, Arefeh Babazadeh3, Soheil Ebrahimpour3, *Clinical Research Development Center, Imam Reza Hospital, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, IranStudent Research Committee, Virtual School of Medical Education and Management, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IranInfectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, IranCorrespondence: Soheil Ebrahimpour, Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran. Email: [email protected]

Pseudotumor cerebri due to brucellosis: A rare case reportEhsan Alimohammad1, Arefeh Babazadeh2, Soheil Ebrahimpour2, Ali Alizadeh Khatir3 Mohammad Barary4, Zeinab Mohseni Afshar5, *Department of Neurosurgery, Kermanshah University of Medical Science, Kermanshah, IranInfectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, I.R. IranMobility Impairment Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, IranStudent Research Committee, Virtual School of Medical Education and Management, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IranClinical Research Development Center, Imam Reza Hospital, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, IranCorrespondence: Zeinab Mohseni Afshar, Clinical Research Development Center, Imam Reza Hospital, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran. Email: [email protected]

Influenza A infection can mimic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in case of their signs and symptoms, making it almost impossible to distinguish them clinically, necessitating using high-precision assays in such patients. Clinicians should be careful in treating such patients merely based on their unspecific manifestations.

Tuberculosis (TB) primarily involves the respiratory tract, but any organ in the body can be affected. In recent years, extrapulmonary TB cases have significantly increased due to the prevalence of immunocompromised patients. Here, we report a case of unilateral ankle arthritis due to Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection.