BACKGROUND The inflammatory response plays a critical role in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and inflammatory cytokine storm increases the severity of COVID-19. OBJECTIVE To investigate the ability of interleukin-6 (IL-6), C-reactive protein (CRP), and procalcitonin (PCT) to predict mild and severe cases of COVID-19. STUDY DESIGN This retrospective cohort study included 140 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 from January 18, 2020, to March 12, 2020. The study population was divided into two groups according to disease severity a mild group (MG) (n = 107) and a severe group (SG) (n = 33). Data on demographic characteristics, baseline clinical characteristics, and the levels of IL-6, CRP, and PCT on admission were collected. RESULTS Among the 140 patients, the levels of IL-6, CRP, and PCT increased in 95 (67.9 %), 91 (65.0 %), and 8 (5.7 %) patients on admission, respectively. The proportion of patients with increased IL-6, CRP, and PCT levels was significantly higher in the SG than in the MG. Cox proportional hazard model showed that IL-6 and CRP could be used as independent factors to predict the severity of COVID-19. Furthermore, patients with IL-6 > 32.1 pg/mL or CRP > 41.8 mg/L were more likely to have severe complications. CONCLUSION The serum levels of IL-6 and CRP can effectively assess disease severity and predict outcome in patients with COVID-19. OBJECTIVES To explore the clinical course and its dynamic features of immune status in COVID-19 patients and find predictors correlated with severity and prognosis of COVID-19. METHODS The electronic medical records of 204 patients with COVID-19 pneumonia confirmed by nucleic acid testing were retrospectively collected and analyzed. RESULTS All patients were divided into severe (69) and non-severe group (135). Lymphocyte subsets count, including CD3+ T cell, CD4+ T cell, CD8+ T cell, B cell (CD19+) and NK cell (CD16+ 56+), were significantly lower in severe group (P＜0.001). The dynamic levels of T lymphocyte in severe group were significantly lower from disease onset, but in the improved subgroup the value of T lymphocyte began to increase after about 15-day treatment and finally returned to the normal level. The cut-off value of the counts of CD3+ (576), CD4+ (391) and CD8+ (214) T cell were calculated and indicated significantly high sensitivity and specificity for severity of COVID-19. CONCLUSION Our results shown that the decrease of CD3+, CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocyte correlated with the course of patients with COVID-19 pneumonia, especially in severe cases. The level of T lymphocyte could be used as an indicator for prediction of severity and prognosis of patients with COVID-19 pneumonia. The application of glucocorticoid should be cautious in severe cases. BACKGROUND A novel coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), emerged in China in late 2019 and subsequently caused a pandemic. Surveillance is important to better appreciate this evolving pandemic and to longitudinally monitor the effectiveness of public health measures. OBJECTIVES We aimed to provide a rapid, easy to establish and costeffective laboratory-based surveillance tool for SARS-CoV-2. STUDY DESIGN We used minipools of RNA prepared from nucleic acid extractions of routine respiratory samples. We technically validated the assay and distributed the protocol within an informal network of five German university laboratories. RESULTS We tested a total of 70 minipools resembling 700 samples shortly before the upsurge of cases in Germany from 17.02.2020 to 10.03.2020. One minipool reacted positive and after resolution one individual sample tested SARS-CoV-2 positive. This sample was from a hospitalized patient not suspected of having contracted SARS-CoV-2. CONCLUSIONS Our approach of a laboratory-based surveillance for SARSCoV-2 using minipools proved its concept is easily adaptable and resource-saving. It might assist not only public health laboratories in SARS-CoV-2 surveillance. The prognostic importance of SIR in patients with cancer is widely recognised. More recently it has become clear that the systemic inflammatory response is an important etiologic factor in the development of cancer cachexia. Two recent meta-analysis carried out in 2017 and 2018 were interrogated and the number of patients with specific cancer types were identified. The percentage of patients with operable cancer (n>28,000) who were systemically inflamed varied from 21% to 38%. The percentage of patients with inoperable cancer (n>12,000) who were systemically inflamed varied from 29% to 79%. Overall, the percentage of patients (n>40,000) who were systemically inflamed varied from 28% to 63% according to tumour type. The most commonly studied cancer was colorectal cancer (n∼10,000 patients) and 40% were systemically inflamed. The novel coronavirus, also known as SARS-Cov-2 or COVID-19 has become a worldwide threat and the major healthcare concern of the year 2020. Cancer research was directly affected by the emerging of this disease.  https://www.selleckchem.com/products/pifithrin-alpha.html  According to some Chinese studies, cancer patients are more vulnerable to COVID-19 complications. This observation led many oncologists to change their daily practice in cancer care, without solid evidence and recommendations. Moreover, the COVID-19 manifestations as well as its diagnosis are particular in this special population. In this review paper we expose the challenges of cancer management in the era of SARS-CoV-2, the epidemiological, clinical, pathological and radiological characteristics of the disease in cancer patients and its outcomes on this population. Finally, we focus on strategies that are followed in cancer management with review of national and international guidelines. Persistent use of cannabis in persons with psychosis is associated with poor symptomatic and functional outcomes and increased healthcare costs. Face-to-face psychological interventions (e.g., Cognitive Behavioral Therapy- [CBT], Motivation Enhancement Therapy- [MET]) are widely used in treating problematic cannabis use. We aimed to comprehensively review the efficacy of technology-based psychological interventions (TBPIs) in decreasing cannabis use, the design of TBPIs, and TBPI-related preferences in individuals with psychosis. For the systematic review, we searched six major databases from their inception to November 27, 2019. We included empirical articles of quantitative and qualitative methodologies related to TBPIs in individuals with psychosis and cannabis misuse and used narrative synthesis to report results. Only eight articles were found showing that technology-based motivational and psycho-education interventions and cognitive enhancement therapy were minimally efficient in achieving cannabis abstinence or decreasing frequency of use.