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ÖNAL, UĞUR

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ÖNAL

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UĞUR

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Now showing 1 - 10 of 17
  • Publication
    Ertapenem plus meropenem combination treatment in carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteremia: An analysis of 53 cases
    (Springer, 2023-10-01) Onal, Ugur; Akyol, Deniz; Kaya, Arda; Baskol, Dilsah; Kenanoglu, Buse; Sanlidag, Gamze; Onal, Ayse Uyan; Avsar, Cansu Bulut; Mert, Merve; Memetali, Seichan; Erdem, Hueseyin Aytac; Bozkurt, Devrim; Simsir, Adnan; Bozbiyik, Osman; Kahraman, Umit; Ozgiray, Erkin; Korkmaz, Pervin; Cilli, Feriha; Pullukcu, Husnu; Yamazhan, Tansu; Tasbakan, Meltem Isikgoz; Arda, Bilgin; Ulusoy, Sercan; Sipahi, Oguz Resat; ÖNAL, UĞUR; 0000-0001-6194-3254; JCO-3678-2023
    Herein, we aimed to describe the outcomes of patients with blood stream infections due to carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CR-Kp) who received ertapenem plus meropenem combination treatment (EMCT). A total of 53 patients with culture proven CR-Kp bacteremia treated with ertapenem + meropenem were included. The patients with secondary bacteremia due to urinary tract infection exhibited a significantly lower 1-month mortality (OMM), particularly in those with microbiological eradication and those with end-of-treatment success. Salvage EMCT resulted in 49% 1-month survival.
  • Publication
    Comparison of clinical, laboratory, and radiological characteristics between COVID-19, influenza, and adenovirus pneumonia: A narrative review
    (Galenos Yayıncılık, 2021-01-01) Önal, Uğur; Ursavaş, Ahmet; Akalın, Halis; ÖNAL, UĞUR; URSAVAŞ, AHMET; AKALIN, EMİN HALİS; Tıp Fakültesi; Enfeksiyon Hastalıkları ve Klinik Mikrobiyoloji Ana Bilim Dalı; 0000-0001-6194-3254; 0000-0001-7530-1279; 0000-0001-6953-8499; ACQ-7832-2022; AAI-3169-2021; AAU-8952-2020; JCO-3678-2023
    The Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-2019) pandemic is a major global healthcare problem nowadays, and because of the high numbers of infected patients, it is vitally important to distinguish this from other types of viral pneumonia caused by influenza or adenovirus, which may have similar signs and symptoms. We conducted a narrative literature review and performed a PubMed and Scopus search for studies published up to November 18, 2020, using the following medical subject headings terms: ["comparison," "comparisons" AND "severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2," "ncov," "2019 ncov," "covid 19," "sars coy 2," "coronavirus," "coy" AND ("influenzas," "influenza," "influenzae," "human influenza" OR "adenoviridae," "adenovirus," "adenoviridae infections")]. This narrative review aims to compare pneumonia caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2, influenza, and adenovirus in terms of clinical, laboratory, and radiological characteristics. In conclusion, although these viral pneumonia clinics share the similar patterns of symptoms and laboratory findings; we believe that there have some distrinctions especially in radiological findings.
  • Publication
    Development and validation of a simple risk scoring system for a COVİD-19 diagnostic prediction model
    (Tüberküloz ve Toraks, 2023-01-01) Güçlü, Özge Aydın; Ursavaş, Ahmet; Ocakoğlu, Gokhan; Demirdogen, Ezgi; Öztürk, Nilufer Aylin Acet; Topçu, Dilara Ömer; Terzi, Orkun Eray; Onal, Uğur; Dilektaşlı, Aslı Görek; Sağlık, İmran; Coşkun, Funda; Ediger, Dane; Uzaslan, Esra; AkalIn, Halis; Karadağ, Mehmet; AYDIN GÜÇLÜ, ÖZGE; URSAVAŞ, AHMET; OCAKOĞLU, GÖKHAN; DEMİRDÖĞEN, EZGİ; ACET ÖZTÜRK, NİLÜFER AYLİN; ÖMER TOPÇU, DİLARA; TERZİ, ORKUN ERAY; ÖNAL, UĞUR; GÖREK DİLEKTAŞLI, ASLI; SAĞLIK, İMRAN; COŞKUN, NECMİYE FUNDA; EDİGER, DANE; UZASLAN, AYŞE ESRA; AkalIn, Halis; KARADAĞ, MEHMET; Tıp Fakültesi; Göğüs Hastalıkları Ana Bilim Dalı; 0000-0003-1005-3205; 0000-0002-1114-6051; 0000-0002-7400-9089; 0000-0002-6375-1472; 0000-0001-7099-9647; 0000-0002-2954-4293; 0000-0001-7530-1279; 0000-0002-9027-1132; AAH-5180-2021; A-4970-2019; AAG-8744-2021; AAI-3169-2021; JCO-3678-2023; JPK-7012-2023
    Introduction: In a resource-constrained situation, a clinical risk stratification system can assist in identifying individuals who are at higher risk and should be tested for COVID-19. This study aims to find a predictive scoring model to estimate the COVID-19 diagnosis.Materials and Methods: Patients who applied to the emergency pandemic clinic between April 2020 and March 2021 were enrolled in this retrospective study. At admission, demographic characteristics, symptoms, comorbid diseases, chest computed tomography (CT), and laboratory findings were all recorded. Development and validation datasets were created. The scoring system was performed using the coefficients of the odds ratios obtained from the multivariable logistic regression analysis.Results: Among 1187 patients admitted to the hospital, the median age was 58 years old (22-96), and 52.7% were male. In a multivariable analysis, typical radiological findings (OR= 8.47, CI= 5.48-13.10, p< 0.001) and dyspnea (OR= 2.85, CI= 1.71-4.74, p< 0.001) were found to be the two important risk factors for COVID-19 diagnosis, followed by myalgia (OR= 1.80, CI= 1.082.99, p= 0.023), cough (OR= 1.65, CI= 1.16-2.26, p= 0.006) and fatigue symptoms (OR= 1.57, CI= 1.06-2.30, p= 0.023). In our scoring system, dyspnea was scored as 2 points, cough as 1 point, fatigue as 1 point, myalgia as 1 point, and typical radiological findings were scored as 5 points. This scoring system had a sensitivity of 71% and a specificity of 76.3% for a cut-off value of >2, with a total score of 10 (p< 0.001).Conclusion: The predictive scoring system could accurately predict the diagnosis of COVID-19 infection, which gave clinicians a theoretical basis for devising immediate treatment options. An evaluation of the predictive
  • Publication
    Coronavirus disease 2019 and antibiotic stewardship-antibiotic usage in adult patients: Is it necessary? When should it be concerned?
    (Galenos Publ House, 2021-01-30) Önal, Uğur; Akalın, Halis; ÖNAL, UĞUR; AKALIN, EMİN HALİS; Tıp Fakültesi; Enfeksiyon Hastalıkları ve Klinik Mikrobiyoloji Ana Bilim Dalı; 0000-0001-6194-3254; 0000-0001-7530-1279; JCO-3678-2023; AAU-8952-2020; ACQ-7832-2022
    Antibiotic consumption rates were quite high in number, although the bacterial coinfection rates were low in coronavirus disease 2019 pneumonia. Generally, empirical antibiotic treatment is not recommended for uncomplicated coronavirus disease 2019 mild to moderate pneumonia cases. On the other hand, antibiotic treatment and de-escalation are recommended for intubated intensive care unit patients or critical patients with sepsis, septic shock, or acute respiratory distress syndrome. The presentation of patients with severe coronavirus disease 2019 pneumonia can direct the clinicians to use antibiotics. We believe that wait and watch strategy can be preferred in such cases without sepsis, secondary bacterial infection findings, or procalcitonin < 0.5 ng/mL. We think that a new wave of resistance will occur inevitably if we cannot perform the antibiotic stewardship properly.
  • Publication
    Tocilizumab treatment in covid-19: A prognostic study using propensity score matching
    (Wroclaw Medical Univ, 2022-08-11) Güçlü, Özge Aydın; Önal, Uğur; Akalın, Halis; Öztürk, Nilüfer Aylin Acet; Belik, Hazel Öztürk; Demirdoğen, Ezgi; Dilektaşlı, Aslı Görek; Kazak, Esra; Ocakoğlu, Gökhan; Sağlık, İmran; Coşkun, Funda; Ediger, Dane; Heper, Yasemin; Ursavaş, Ahmet; Yılmaz, Emel; Uzaslan, Esra; Karadağ, Mehmet; AYDIN GÜÇLÜ, ÖZGE; ÖNAL, UĞUR; AKALIN, EMİN HALİS; ACET ÖZTÜRK, NİLÜFER AYLİN; ÖZTÜRK BELİK, HAZEL; DEMİRDÖĞEN, EZGİ; GÖREK DİLEKTAŞLI, ASLI; KAZAK, ESRA; OCAKOĞLU, GÖKHAN; SAĞLIK, İMRAN; COŞKUN, NECMİYE FUNDA; EDİGER, DANE; HEPER, YASEMİN; URSAVAŞ, AHMET; YILMAZ, EMEL; UZASLAN, AYŞE ESRA; KARADAĞ, MEHMET; Tıp Fakültesi; 0000-0003-1005-3205; 0000-0001-6194-3254; 0000-0001-7530-1279; 0000-0002-6375-1472; 0000-0002-7400-9089; 0000-0001-7099-9647; 0000-0002-1114-6051; 0000-0003-0864-4989; 0000-0003-3604-8826; 0000-0002-2954-4293; 0000-0003-1785-3539; 0000-0002-9027-1132; AAG-8744-2021; AAD-1271-2019; JCO-3678-2023; AAH-5180-2021; JPK-7012-2023; ACQ-7832-2022; AAU-8952-2020; AAI-3169-2021; AAG-9930-2019; Z-1424-2019; GQC-6764-2022; DTT-7416-2022
    Background. The potential role of interleukin-6 (IL-6) in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia provides the rationale for investigating IL-6 signaling inhibitors.Objectives. To evaluate and report treatment responses to tocilizumab (TCZ) in COVID-19 patients and compare mortality outcomes with those of standard care.Materials and methods. Patients hospitalized with a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, diagnosed with reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) between March 2020 and April 2021, were enrolled in this single-center retrospective cohort study. Propensity score matching was performed in order to reduce confounding effects secondary to imbalances in receiving TCZ treatment.Results. A total of 364 patients were included in this study. Two hundred thirty-six patients received standard care, while 128 patients were treated with TCZ in addition to standard care (26 (20.3%) patients received a dose of 400 mg intravenously once, while 102 (79.7%) patients received a total dose of 800 mg intravenously). In the propensity score-matched population, less noninvasive mechanical ventilation (p = 0.041) and mechanical ventilation support (p = 0.015), and fewer deaths (p = 0.008) were observed among the TCZ-treated patients. The multivariate adjusted Cox regression model showed a significantly higher survival rate among TCZ patients compared to controls (hazard ratio (HR): 0.157, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 0.026-0.951; p = 0.044). The hazard ratio for mortality in the TCZ group was 0.098 (95% CI: 0.030-0.318; p = 0.0001 using log-rank test).Conclusions. This study determined that TCZ treatment in COVID-19 patients was associated with better survival, reduced need for mechanical ventilation and reduced hospital-associated mortality.
  • Publication
    Evaluation of the combination treatments with intravenous fosfomycin for carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae
    (Assoc Medica Brasileira, 2023-01-01) ÖNAL, UĞUR; Tüzemen, Nazmiye Ülkü; TÜZEMEN, NAZMİYE ÜLKÜ; Kaya, Pınar Küçükdemirci; KELEBEK GİRGİN, NERMİN; KÜÇÜKDEMİRCİ KAYA, PINAR; İŞÇİMEN, REMZİ; ÖZAKIN, CÜNEYT; Özakın, Cüneyt; Kahveci, Ferda Şöhret; KAHVECİ, FERDA ŞÖHRET; Akalın, Halis; AKALIN, EMİN HALİS; Tıp Fakültesi; Mikrobiyoloji Ana Bilim Dalı; 0000-0003-3544-3509; 0000-0002-8428-8245; 0000-0002-5882-1632; 0000-0001-7530-1279; JCO-3678-2023; AAU-8952-2020; A-4290-2018
    OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the combination treatments with intravenous fosfomycin for carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae infections in a tertiary-care center.METHODS: Between December 24, 2018 and November 21, 2022, adult patients diagnosed with bloodstream infection or ventilator-associated pneumonia due to culture-confirmed carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae in the anesthesiology and reanimation intensive care units were investigated retrospectively.RESULTS: There were a total of 62 patients fulfilling the study inclusion criteria. No significant difference was recorded in 14-and 30-day mortality among different types of combination regimens such as fosfomycin plus one or two antibiotic combinations. Hypokalemia (OR:5.651, 95%CI 1.019- 31.330, p=0.048) was found to be a significant risk factor for 14-day mortality, whereas SOFA score at the time of diagnosis (OR:1.497, 95%CI 1.103- 2.032, p=0.010) and CVVHF treatment (OR:6.409, 95%CI 1.395-29.433, p=0.017) were associated with 30-day mortality in multivariate analysis.CONCLUSION: In our study, high mortality rates were found in patients with bloodstream infection or ventilator-associated pneumonia due to carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae, and no significant difference was recorded in 14-and 30-day mortality among different types of combination regimens such as fosfomycin plus one or two antibiotic combinations.
  • Publication
    Prognostic value of neutrophile-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels for geriatric patients with COVID-19
    (Bmc, 2022-04-25) Demirci, Nese; Özden, Ahmet; Erol, Nazlı; Işık, Sema; Gulten, Sedat; Atalay, Fatma; Coplu, Nilay; ÖNAL, UĞUR; Uludağ Üniversite; Tıp Fakültesi; Enfeksiyon Hastalıkları ve Klinik Mikrobiyoloji Ana Bilim Dalı; 0000-0001-6953-8499; ACQ-7832-2022
    Aim In this study it was aimed to evaluate the prognostic factors for the geriatric patients with confirmed COVID-19 in a tertiary-care hospital at Kastamonu region of Turkey. Method Patients (>= 65-year-old) who had PCR positivity for COVID-19 between March 2020 and April 2020 in our center were recorded retrospectively. A p value less than 0.05 was considered significant. Ethical committee approval was given from the Bolu University with decision number 2020/176. Results There were a total of 100 patients (44% female). In-hospital mortality was recorded as 7%. In univariate analysis for 1 month mortality, diabetes mellitus (p = 0.038), leucocyte count (p = 0.005), neutrophile count (p = 0.02), neutrophile-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) (p < 0.001), thrombocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (TLR) (p = 0.001), C-reactive protein (CRP) (p = 0.002), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) (p = 0.001), sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score (p = 0.001) and qSOFA score (p = 0.002) were found as independent risk factors. On admission, one point increase of NLR (p = 0.014, odds ratio (OR) = 1.371, 95% CI = 1.067-1.761) and one point increase of LDH (p = 0.047, OR = 1.011, 95% CI = 1.001-1.023) were associated with mortality on day 30 according to logistic regression analysis. The cut-off values were found as > 7.8 for NLR (83.33% sensitivity, 97.7% specificity) and > 300 U/L for LDH (100% sensitivity, 79.31% specificity) regarding the prediction of 30-day mortality. Conclusion In order to improve clinical management and identify the geriatric patients with COVID-19 who have high risk for mortality, NLR and LDH levels on admission might be useful prognostic tools.
  • Publication
    An outbreak of Ralstonia insidiosa bloodstream infections caused by contaminated heparinized syringes
    (Elsevier, 2022-08-05) Tüzemen, Nazmiye Ulkü; Önal, Uğur; Kazak, Esra; Tezgeç, Nergiz; Eren, Hale; Şimşek, Hüsniye; Bakkaloğlu, Zekiye; Ünaldı, Özlem; Çelebi, Solmaz; Yılmaz, Emel; Hacımustafaoğlu, Mustafa; Akalın, Emin Halis; Özakın, Cüneyt; TÜZEMEN, NAZMİYE ÜLKÜ; ÖNAL, UĞUR; KAZAK, ESRA; Tezgeç, Nergiz; Eren, Hale; ÇELEBİ, SOLMAZ; HACIMUSTAFAOĞLU, MUSTAFA KEMAL; YILMAZ, EMEL; AKALIN, EMİN HALİS; ÖZAKIN, CÜNEYT; Tıp Fakültesi; Tıbbi Mikrobiyoloji Ana Bilim Dalı; 0000-0001-6953-8499 ; A-4290-2018; ACQ-7832-2022; AAG-8459-2021; GQV-3906-2022; GQT-6881-2022; ENK-4130-2022; HJZ-6992-2023; CTG-5805-2022; AAU-8952-2020; DXX-3499-2022
    Introduction: Ralstonia insidiosa , a gram-negative waterborne bacteria able to survive and grow in any type of water source, can cause nosocomial infections, and are considered emerging pathogens of infectious diseases in hospital settings. In this study, we report an outbreak of R. insidiosa at our center related to contaminated heparinized syringes.Material and methods: The present study was conducted in a tertiary care university hospital in Turkey. An outbreak analysis was performed between September 2021 and December 2021. Microbiological samples were obtained from environmental sources and from patient blood cultures. Species identification was performed using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). To inves-tigate the clonality of strains, all confirmed isolates were sent to the National Reference Laboratory and pulsed -field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) was used to perform molecular typing.Results: Seventeen R. insidiosa isolates were identified from the blood cultures of 13 patients from various wards and intensive care units. Isolates from seven patient blood cultures and two heparinized blood gas syringes were characterized by PFGE. All isolates were found to belong to the same clone of R. insidiosa.Conclusion: R. insidiosa was identified as the cause of a nosocomial infection outbreak in our hospital, which was then rapidly controlled by the infection-control team. When rare waterborne microorganisms grow in blood or other body fluid cultures, clinicians and the infection-control team should be made aware of a possible outbreak.
  • Publication
    Prognostic factors for COVID-19 patients
    (J Infection Developing Countries, 2022-03-01) Önal, Uğur; Güçlü, Özge Aydın; Akalın, Halis; Öztürk, Nilüfer Aylin Acet; Semet, Cihan; Demirdoğen, Ezgi; Dilektaşlı, Aslı Görek; Sağlık, İmran; Kazak, Esra; Özkaya, Güven; Coşkun, Funda; Ediger, Dane; Heper, Yasemin; Ursavaş, Ahmet; Yılmaz, Emel; Uzaslan, Esra; Karadağ, Mehmet; ÖNAL, UĞUR; AYDIN GÜÇLÜ, ÖZGE; AKALIN, EMİN HALİS; ACET ÖZTÜRK, NİLÜFER AYLİN; SEMET, CİHAN; DEMİRDÖĞEN, EZGİ; GÖREK DİLEKTAŞLI, ASLI; SAĞLIK, İMRAN; KAZAK, ESRA; ÖZKAYA, GÜVEN; COŞKUN, NECMİYE FUNDA; EDİGER, DANE; HEPER, YASEMİN; URSAVAŞ, AHMET; YILMAZ, EMEL; UZASLAN, AYŞE ESRA; KARADAĞ, MEHMET; Tıp Fakültesi; Mikrobiyoloji Ana Bilim Dalı; 0000-0001-6194-3254; 0000-0003-1005-3205; 0000-0001-7530-1279; 0000-0002-6375-1472; 0000-0002-7400-9089; 0000-0001-7099-9647; 0000-0003-0864-4989; 0000-0003-0297-846X; 0000-0003-3604-8826; 0000-0002-2954-4293; 0000-0002-3894-1231; 0000-0002-9027-1132; A-4421-2016; AAG-8459-2021; GCM-3391-2022; DTT-7416-2022; AAH-9812-2021; AEA-4817-2022; Z-1424-2019; AAU-8952-2020; AAG-9930-2019; ACQ-7832-2022; AAD-1271-2019; AAE-9142-2019; CTY-9474-2022; AAI-3169-2021; HJZ-6992-2023; CDI-1977-2022; AAG-8744-2021
    Introduction: Determining prognostic factors in patients with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) can have great impact on treatment planning and follow-up strategies. Herein, we aimed to evaluate prognostic factors and clinical scores for confirmed COVID-19 patients in a tertiary care hospital in the Bursa region of Turkey. Methodology: Patients who had been diagnosed with COVID-19 microbiologically and/or radiologically between March and October 2020 in a tertiary-care university hospital were enrolled retrospectively. Adult patients (>= 18 years) with a clinical spectrum of moderate, severe, or critical illness were included. The dependent variable was 30-day mortality and logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate any variables with a significant p value (< 0.05) in univariate analysis. Results: A total of 257 patients were included in the study. The mortality rate (30-day) was 14.4%. In logistic regression analysis, higher scores on sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) (p < 0.001, odds ratio (OR) = 1.86, 95% CI = 1.42-2.45) and CURB-65 pneumonia severity criteria (p = 0.001, OR = 2.60, 95% CI = 1.47-4.57) were found to be significant in predicting mortality at admission. In deceased patients, there were also significant differences between the baseline, day-3, day-7, and day-14 results of D-dimer (p = 0.01), ferritin (p = 0.042), leukocyte (p = 0.019), and neutrophil (p = 0.007) counts. Conclusions: In our study of COVID-19 patients, we found that high SOFA and CURB-65 scores on admission were associated with increased mortality. In addition, D-dimer, ferritin, leukocyte and neutrophil counts significantly increased after admission in patients who died.
  • Publication
    Association of SARS-CoV-2 cycle threshold (Ct) values with clinical course and serum biomarkers in COVID-19 patients
    (J Infection Developing Countries, 2022-03-01) Sağlık, İmran; Ener, Beyza; Akalın, Halis; Özdemir, Buşra; Ocakoğlu, Gökhan; Yalçın, Barış; Onal, Uğur; Güçlü, Özge Aydın; Öztürk, Nilüfer Aylin Acet; Tüzemen, Ülku; Demirdoğen, Ezgi; Dilektaşlı, Asli Görek; Ağca, Harun; Kazak, Esra; Coşkun, Funda; Heper, Yasemin; Payaslıoğlu, Melda; Ediger, Dane; Ursavaş, Ahmet; Yılmaz, Emel; Özakin, Cüneyt; Uzaslan, Esra; Karadağ, Mehmet; SAĞLIK, İMRAN; ENER, BEYZA; AKALIN, EMİN HALİS; OCAKOĞLU, GÖKHAN; ÖNAL, UĞUR; AYDIN GÜÇLÜ, ÖZGE; ACET ÖZTÜRK, NİLÜFER AYLİN; TÜZEMEN, NAZMİYE ÜLKÜ; DEMİRDÖĞEN, EZGİ; GÖREK DİLEKTAŞLI, ASLI; AĞCA, HARUN; KAZAK, ESRA; COŞKUN, NECMİYE FUNDA; HEPER, YASEMİN; PAYASLIOĞLU, AYŞE MELDA; EDİGER, DANE; URSAVAŞ, AHMET; YILMAZ, EMEL; ÖZAKIN, CÜNEYT; KARADAĞ, MEHMET; Tıp Fakültesi; Göğüs Hastalıkları Ana Bilim Dalı; 0000-0003-0864-4989; 0000-0001-7530-1279; 0000-0002-1114-6051; 0000-0001-6194-3254; 0000-0003-1005-3205; 0000-0002-6375-1472; 0000-0002-7400-9089; 0000-0001-7099-9647; 0000-0002-2651-2034; 0000-0003-3604-8826; 0000-0002-2954-4293; 0000-0002-3894-1231; 0000-0001-5428-3630; 0000-0002-9027-1132; AAD-1271-2019; ISU-9626-2023; ACQ-7832-2022; JCO-3678-2023; AAI-3169-2021; AAU-8952-2020; AAH-5180-2021; AAG-8744-2021; JPK-7012-2023; A-4970-2019
    Introduction: Our knowledge has gaps regarding severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) replication levels and its association to severity of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The aim of this study was to investigate the association of SARS-CoV-2 viral load with disease severity and serum biomarkers in COVID-19 patients. Methodology: Viral load was determined via cycle threshold (Ct) values of SARS-CoV-2 real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in 214 adult patients. Ct values were compared with clinical severity, biochemical and hematological biomarkers. Results: Clinical course of the disease was mild (49.1%), moderate (40.2%), and severe (10.7%). Median Ct value was 28.2 (IQR: 22.2-33.8) during the first week of the disease. Ct values were lower within five days after symptom onset [lowest Ct value on the third day (median: 24, IQR: 20.6-32.3)], but they increased significantly during the second and third weeks. No association was detected between admission Ct values and disease severity. Gender, age, co-morbidity, and mortality did not differ significantly in patients with low (<= 25) and high (> 25) Ct values. White blood cell, neutrophil, platelet, and especially lymphocyte counts, were significantly lower in patients with low Ct values. Conclusions: No definitive/clear correlation between SARS-CoV-2 viral load and severity and mortality was found in the studied COVID-19 patients. However, neutrophil, platelet, and especially lymphocyte count were significantly lower in patients with a high viral load.