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Almahmoud O, Asmar I, Kahala A, Awadallah N, Awad W, Sarhan N, Joulany S. Burnout Among Nurses Working in Critical Care Units During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Crit Care Nurs Q 2024; 47:257-268. [PMID: 38860954 DOI: 10.1097/cnq.0000000000000514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2024]
Abstract
Burnout is a state of emotional and physical depletion. Its occurrence among critical care nurses (CCNs) is a concept that has gained traction yet remains an issue with global consequences. Nurses are especially vulnerable to burnout due to the persistent stressors they are exposed to, which include the general work environment, biological factors, and emerging changes caused by COVID-19. This study aims to assess the severity of burnout among CCNs during the COVID-19 pandemic and its associated factors. A descriptive cross-sectional questionnaire was used in this study to measure the estimated burnout rate among CCNs in Palestine and establish associations with potential factors. Maslach Burnout Inventory questionnaire was used for the task. The results showed out of the 173 participants, more than 35% reported severe overall burnout. Per burnout domains, it was found that around 70% of participants suffered from low personal accomplishment, while 59.5% had severe levels of depersonalization, and finally, more than 65% of critical nurses had severe emotional exhaustion. Out of the various variables tested, gender, age, type of hospital, PPE, and fear of transmission were found to be associated with overall burnout. CCNs in Palestine were found to be severely burned out and should be dealt with before getting out of hand. The research found variables related to burnout contributed to burnout. Recommendations for further studies and prioritization should be made.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omar Almahmoud
- Department of Nursing, Faculty of Pharmacy, Nursing and Health Professions, Birzeit University, Palestine
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Njuguna AG, Wangombe AW, Walekhwa MN, Kamondo DK. Clinical Course and Factors Associated With Hospital Admission and Mortality among Sars-Cov 2 Patients within Nairobi Metropolitan Area. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2024:2024.05.15.24307403. [PMID: 38798388 PMCID: PMC11118643 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.15.24307403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
This study aims to investigate the clinical course and factors associated with hospital admission and mortality among SARS-CoV-2 patients within the Nairobi Metropolitan Area. The study utilizes a multicenter retrospective cohort design, collecting clinical characteristics and laboratory parameters of hospitalized patients from March 2020 to May 2022. Data analysis includes percentages, frequencies, chi-square tests, Kaplan-Meier analysis, pairwise comparisons, and multivariate regression models. Ethical considerations are observed throughout the research process. The study findings highlight significant associations between comorbidities, such as hypertension, and increased mortality risk due to COVID-19. Symptoms including fever, cough, dyspnea, chest pain, sore throat, and loss of smell/taste are also identified as predictors of mortality. Abnormal laboratory parameters, such as oxygen saturation, procalcitonin, glucose levels, serum creatinine, and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, are associated with mortality. However, demographic factors and certain vital signs do not exhibit significant associations. Recommendations based on this study suggest increased monitoring and management of comorbidities, early identification and management of symptoms, regular monitoring of laboratory parameters, continued research and collaboration, and implementation of preventive measures. Overall, a multidisciplinary approach involving healthcare professionals, researchers, policymakers, and the public is crucial to improve COVID-19 outcomes and reduce mortality rates. Adaptation of strategies based on emerging evidence and resource allocation is essential for effective management of the pandemic.
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Abdallah AM, Doudin A, Sulaiman TO, Jamil O, Arif R, Sada FA, Yassine HM, Elrayess MA, Elzouki AN, Emara MM, Thillaiappan NB, Cyprian FS. Metabolic predictors of COVID-19 mortality and severity: a survival analysis. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1353903. [PMID: 38799469 PMCID: PMC11127595 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1353903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction The global healthcare burden of COVID-19 pandemic has been unprecedented with a high mortality. Metabolomics, a powerful technique, has been increasingly utilized to study the host response to infections and to understand the progression of multi-system disorders such as COVID-19. Analysis of the host metabolites in response to SARS-CoV-2 infection can provide a snapshot of the endogenous metabolic landscape of the host and its role in shaping the interaction with SARS-CoV-2. Disease severity and consequently the clinical outcomes may be associated with a metabolic imbalance related to amino acids, lipids, and energy-generating pathways. Hence, the host metabolome can help predict potential clinical risks and outcomes. Methods In this prospective study, using a targeted metabolomics approach, we studied the metabolic signature in 154 COVID-19 patients (males=138, age range 48-69 yrs) and related it to disease severity and mortality. Blood plasma concentrations of metabolites were quantified through LC-MS using MxP Quant 500 kit, which has a coverage of 630 metabolites from 26 biochemical classes including distinct classes of lipids and small organic molecules. We then employed Kaplan-Meier survival analysis to investigate the correlation between various metabolic markers, disease severity and patient outcomes. Results A comparison of survival outcomes between individuals with high levels of various metabolites (amino acids, tryptophan, kynurenine, serotonin, creatine, SDMA, ADMA, 1-MH and carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1 and 2 enzymes) and those with low levels revealed statistically significant differences in survival outcomes. We further used four key metabolic markers (tryptophan, kynurenine, asymmetric dimethylarginine, and 1-Methylhistidine) to develop a COVID-19 mortality risk model through the application of multiple machine-learning methods. Conclusions Metabolomics analysis revealed distinct metabolic signatures among different severity groups, reflecting discernible alterations in amino acid levels and perturbations in tryptophan metabolism. Notably, critical patients exhibited higher levels of short chain acylcarnitines, concomitant with higher concentrations of SDMA, ADMA, and 1-MH in severe cases and non-survivors. Conversely, levels of 3-methylhistidine were lower in this context.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Asmma Doudin
- Biomedical Research Center (BRC), Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Theeb Osama Sulaiman
- Department of Medicine, Hamad General Hospital, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Omar Jamil
- Department of Radiology, Hamad General Hospital, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Rida Arif
- Emergency Medicine Department, Hamad General Hospital, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Fatima Al Sada
- Neurosurgery Department, Hamad General Hospital, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Hadi M. Yassine
- Biomedical Research Center (BRC), Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Mohamed A. Elrayess
- College of Medicine, Qatar University (QU) Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
- Biomedical Research Center (BRC), Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Abdel-Naser Elzouki
- College of Medicine, Qatar University (QU) Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
- Department of Medicine, Hamad General Hospital, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Mohamed M. Emara
- College of Medicine, Qatar University (QU) Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
| | | | - Farhan S. Cyprian
- College of Medicine, Qatar University (QU) Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
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Guo C, Yuan D, Tang H, Hu X, Lei Y. Impact of a pandemic shock on unmet medical needs of middle-aged and older adults in 10 countries. BMJ Health Care Inform 2024; 31:e100865. [PMID: 38589212 PMCID: PMC11015184 DOI: 10.1136/bmjhci-2023-100865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The objective is to explore the impact of the pandemic shock on the unmet medical needs of middle-aged and older adults worldwide. METHODS The COVID-19 pandemic starting in 2020 was used as a quasiexperiment. Exposure to the pandemic was defined based on an individual's context within the global pandemic. Data were obtained from the Integrated Values Surveys. A total of 11 932 middle-aged and older adults aged 45 years and above from 10 countries where the surveys conducted two times during 2011 and 2022 were analysed. We used logistic regression models with the difference-in-difference method to estimate the impact of pandemic exposure on unmet medical needs by comparing differences before and after the pandemic across areas with varying degrees of severity. RESULTS Among the 11 932 middle-aged and older adults, 3647 reported unmet medical needs, with a pooled unmet rate of 30.56% (95% CI: 29.74% to 31.40%). The pandemic significantly increased the risk of unmet medical needs among middle-aged and older adults (OR: 2.33, 95% CI: 1.94 to 2.79). The deleterious effect of the pandemic on unmet medical needs was prevalent among middle-aged adults (2.53, 2.00 to 3.20) and older adults (2.00, 1.48 to 2.69), as well as among men (2.24, 1.74 to 2.90) and women (2.34, 1.82 to 3.03). The results remained robust in a series of sensitivity analyses. CONCLUSION These findings suggest that efforts should be made by policymakers and healthcare professionals to balance healthcare resources to adequately address the comprehensive healthcare demands of individuals regarding multiple health issues, taking into account the challenges posed by pandemics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Guo
- Institute of Population Research, Peking University, Beijing, China
- APEC Health Science Academy, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Dianqi Yuan
- Institute of Population Research, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Huameng Tang
- Institute of Population Research, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiyuan Hu
- Department of Population Health Sciences, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Yiyang Lei
- Institute of Population Research, Peking University, Beijing, China
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Wu G, Du J, Yu C, Fu Z, Zhang X, Wang L, Wang J. Mass spectrometry study on SARS-CoV-2 recombinant vaccine with comprehensive separation techniques to characterize complex heterogeneity. Anal Chim Acta 2024; 1297:342349. [PMID: 38438233 DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2024.342349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19, has imposed a major public health threat, which needs effective therapeutics and vaccination strategies. Several potential candidate vaccines being rapidly developed are in clinical evaluation and recombinant vaccine has gained much attention thanks to its potential for greater response predictability, improved efficacy, rapid development and reduced side effects. Recombinant vaccines are designed and manufactured using bacterial, yeast cells or mammalian cells. A small piece of DNA is taken from the virus or bacterium against which we want to protect and inserted into the manufacturing cells. Due to the extremely complex heterogeneity of SARS-CoV-2 recombinant vaccine, single technology platform cannot achieve thorough and accurate characterization of such difficult proteins so integrating comprehensive technologies is essential. This study illustrates an innovative workflow employing multiple separation techniques tandem high-resolution mass spectrometry for comprehensive and in-depth characterization of SARS-CoV-2 recombinant vaccine, including ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC), ion exchange chromatography (IEX) and imaged capillary isoelectric focusing (icIEF). The integrated methodology focuses on the importance of cutting-edge icIEF-MS online coupling and icIEF fractionation applied to revealing the heterogeneity secret of SARS-CoV-2 recombinant vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gang Wu
- School of Life Science and Biopharmaceutics, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, No. 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110016, China
| | - Jialiang Du
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Health for Research on Quality and Standardization of Biotech Products, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, Daxing District, Beijing, 102629, China
| | - Chuanfei Yu
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Health for Research on Quality and Standardization of Biotech Products, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, Daxing District, Beijing, 102629, China
| | - Zhihao Fu
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Health for Research on Quality and Standardization of Biotech Products, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, Daxing District, Beijing, 102629, China
| | - Xiaoxi Zhang
- Thermo Fisher Scientific, A Building, Henggu1976, No.1976 Middle Gaoke Road, Pudong District, 201203, Shanghai, China
| | - Lan Wang
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Health for Research on Quality and Standardization of Biotech Products, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, Daxing District, Beijing, 102629, China
| | - Junzhi Wang
- School of Life Science and Biopharmaceutics, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, No. 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110016, China.
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Kaygısız Yiğit M, Akyol R, Yalvaç B, Etöz M. Dental radiographic changes in individuals with COVID-19: a controlled retrospective study. Oral Radiol 2024; 40:148-157. [PMID: 37733163 DOI: 10.1007/s11282-023-00713-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to compare the pre-COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 dental radiological findings of individuals with positive rRT-PCR test results and with healthy controls using the apical periodontitis grade scale (APGS), radiographic-based periodontal bone loss (R-PBL), and radiographic DMFT indices, and to investigate the relatively long-term dental effects of COVID-19. METHODS This study included people who had two panoramic radiographs taken between 2018 and 2022. There are 52 patients with positive rRT-PCR tests in the study group. The control group included 50 individuals. Study and control groups were compared using the apical periodontitis grade scale (APGS), radiographic-based periodontal bone loss (R-PBL), and radiographic DMFT indices. RESULTS Although results showed a significant difference in percentage R-PBL value and R-PBL types in the study group, there was no significant difference in percentage R-PBL value and R-PBL types in the control group. Also, both groups showed a significant difference in the DMFT index. CONCLUSIONS According to the results of this study, it can be said that COVID-19 increases the incidence of periodontitis, and it can be interpreted that the pandemic may adversely affect the general oral health of all people.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meryem Kaygısız Yiğit
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Faculty of Dentistry, Erciyes University, 38039, Kayseri, Turkey.
| | - Rıdvan Akyol
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Faculty of Dentistry, Nuh Naci Yazgan University, Kayseri, Turkey
| | - Beyza Yalvaç
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Faculty of Dentistry, Erciyes University, 38039, Kayseri, Turkey
| | - Meryem Etöz
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Faculty of Dentistry, Erciyes University, 38039, Kayseri, Turkey
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Shi W, Chen R, Wang K, Wang Y, Gui L. Exploring hospital resilience protective or risk factors: lessons for future disaster response efforts. Front Public Health 2024; 12:1378257. [PMID: 38601510 PMCID: PMC11004231 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1378257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Hospital resilience is essential in responding to disasters, but current research focuses mainly on frameworks and models rather than the protection of resilience and analysis of risk factors during public health emergencies. This study aims to examine the development of resilience in Chinese frontline hospitals during the initial COVID-19 outbreak in 2020, providing insights for future disaster response efforts. Objectives We conducted interviews with 26 hospital staff members who were involved in the initial response to the COVID-19 outbreak in China. We used a semi-structured interview approach and employed purposive sampling and snowball sampling techniques. The interview outline was guided by the 'Action Framework' proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO) for responding to infectious disease emergencies. This framework includes dimensions such as command, surveillance, risk communication, medical response, and public health response. We analyzed the collected data using Colaizzi's seven-step data analysis method and the template analysis method. Results WHO's 'action framework' effectively highlights the factors that contribute to hospital resilience. While medical response, including the availability of materials and facilities, the use of information technology, and the capacity for infectious disease diagnosis and treatment, remains crucial, other important aspects include awareness and beliefs about infections, treatment experience, interdisciplinary collaboration, and more. Additionally, it is essential to establish an intelligent command system, foster trusting partnerships between teams, improve monitoring capabilities for infectious disease agents, enhance risk communication through information synchronization and transparency, strengthen infection control planning, and improve environmental disinfection capabilities for effective public health emergency response. These contradictions significantly impact the enhancement of hospital resilience in dealing with major infectious disease outbreaks. Conclusion In responding to sudden major infectious diseases, hospitals play a vital role within the healthcare system. Enhancing hospital resilience involves more than just improving treatment capabilities. It also requires effective command coordination at the hospital level, infection control planning, and the deployment of intelligent equipment. Additionally, planning for effective communication and coordination between hospitals, communities, and the national healthcare system can further enhance hospital resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenwen Shi
- Department of Emergency Nursing, School of Nursing, Navy Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Rujie Chen
- Department of Emergency Nursing, School of Nursing, Navy Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
- 905th Hospital of the PLA Navy, Shanghai, China
| | - Kuan Wang
- Department of Emergency Nursing, School of Nursing, Navy Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yixin Wang
- Department of Emergency Nursing, School of Nursing, Navy Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Li Gui
- School of Nursing, Navy Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
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Ghaderinia M, Abadijoo H, Mahdavian A, Kousha E, Shakibi R, Taheri SMR, Simaee H, Khatibi A, Moosavi-Movahedi AA, Khayamian MA. Smartphone-based device for point-of-care diagnostics of pulmonary inflammation using convolutional neural networks (CNNs). Sci Rep 2024; 14:6912. [PMID: 38519489 PMCID: PMC10959990 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-54939-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024] Open
Abstract
In pulmonary inflammation diseases, like COVID-19, lung involvement and inflammation determine the treatment regime. Respiratory inflammation is typically arisen due to the cytokine storm and the leakage of the vessels for immune cells recruitment. Currently, such a situation is detected by the clinical judgment of a specialist or precisely by a chest CT scan. However, the lack of accessibility to the CT machines in many poor medical centers as well as its expensive service, demands more accessible methods for fast and cheap detection of lung inflammation. Here, we have introduced a novel method for tracing the inflammation and lung involvement in patients with pulmonary inflammation, such as COVID-19, by a simple electrolyte detection in their sputum samples. The presence of the electrolyte in the sputum sample results in the fern-like structures after air-drying. These fern patterns are different in the CT positive and negative cases that are detected by an AI application on a smartphone and using a low-cost and portable mini-microscope. Evaluating 160 patient-derived sputum sample images, this method demonstrated an interesting accuracy of 95%, as confirmed by CT-scan results. This finding suggests that the method has the potential to serve as a promising and reliable approach for recognizing lung inflammatory diseases, such as COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammadreza Ghaderinia
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Tehran, Tehran, 1417614335, Iran
- Integrated Biophysics and Bioengineering Lab (iBL), Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Tehran, Tehran, 1417614335, Iran
- Nano Electronic Center of Excellence, Nano Bio Electronics Devices Lab, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Tehran, P.O. Box 14395/515, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hamed Abadijoo
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Tehran, Tehran, 1417614335, Iran
- Integrated Biophysics and Bioengineering Lab (iBL), Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Tehran, Tehran, 1417614335, Iran
- Nano Electronic Center of Excellence, Nano Bio Electronics Devices Lab, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Tehran, P.O. Box 14395/515, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ashkan Mahdavian
- Nano Electronic Center of Excellence, Nano Bio Electronics Devices Lab, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Tehran, P.O. Box 14395/515, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ebrahim Kousha
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Tehran, Tehran, 1417614335, Iran
- Integrated Biophysics and Bioengineering Lab (iBL), Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Tehran, Tehran, 1417614335, Iran
- Nano Electronic Center of Excellence, Nano Bio Electronics Devices Lab, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Tehran, P.O. Box 14395/515, Tehran, Iran
| | - Reyhaneh Shakibi
- Department of Biophysics, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - S Mohammad-Reza Taheri
- Groningen university, University medical center Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, 9713AW, Groningen, The Netherlands
- Condensed Matter National Laboratory, Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences (IPM), Tehran, Iran
| | - Hossein Simaee
- Cardiac Primary Prevention Research Center, Cardiovascular Diseases Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Khatibi
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Mohammad Ali Khayamian
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Tehran, Tehran, 1417614335, Iran.
- Integrated Biophysics and Bioengineering Lab (iBL), Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Tehran, Tehran, 1417614335, Iran.
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Ahmed A, Kazzaz ME, Brakat AM. Can Intranasal Insulin and Cholinergic Agonist Improve Post-Covid-19 Cognition Impairment? Adv Pharm Bull 2024; 14:7-8. [PMID: 38585466 PMCID: PMC10997940 DOI: 10.34172/apb.2024.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2022] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/08/2023] [Indexed: 04/09/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Amr Ahmed
- Department of Public Health, Tuberculosis Program, First Health Cluster, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mahmoud El Kazzaz
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Damietta University, Egypt
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Bernauer H, Maier J, Bannert N, Ivanusic D. tANCHOR cell-based ELISA approach as a surrogate for antigen-coated plates to monitor specific IgG directed to the SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain. Biol Methods Protoc 2024; 9:bpae001. [PMID: 38332985 PMCID: PMC10850845 DOI: 10.1093/biomethods/bpae001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) systems use plates coated with peptides or expressed and purified proteins to monitor immunoglobulins derived from patient serum. However, there is currently no easy, flexible, and fast adaptive ELISA-based system for testing antibodies directed against new severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants. In this study, we utilized the tANCHOR protein display system that provides a cell surface decorated with the receptor-binding domain (RBD) to monitor specific antibodies derived from SARS-CoV-2 convalescent and vaccinated individuals directed against it. To test sera from vaccinees or convalescent individuals, only the RBD coding sequence needs to be cloned in the tANCHOR vector system and transfected into HeLa cells. Time-consuming protein expression, isolation, and purification followed by coating assay plates are not necessary. With this technique, the immune evasion of new SARS-CoV-2 variants from current vaccination regimes can be examined quickly and reliably.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Josef Maier
- ATG:biosynthetics GmbH, 79249 Merzhausen, Germany
| | - Norbert Bannert
- Sexually Transmitted Bacterial Pathogens and HIV (FG18), Robert Koch-Institute, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Daniel Ivanusic
- Sexually Transmitted Bacterial Pathogens and HIV (FG18), Robert Koch-Institute, 13353 Berlin, Germany
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Heshmati HM. Interactions between COVID-19 infection and diabetes. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2024; 14:1306290. [PMID: 38292772 PMCID: PMC10826510 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1306290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused a major pandemic affecting human health and economy around the world since the beginning of 2020. The virus responsible for the disease is "severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2" (SARS-CoV-2). It invades the target cells by binding to angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). ACE2 is expressed in several organs including endocrine glands. Multiple endocrine and metabolic systems including the endocrine pancreas have been impacted by COVID-19 infection/pandemic. COVID-19 pandemic can promote obesity through alterations in lifestyle (e.g., unhealthy diet and reduced physical activity due to confinement and isolation) leading to type 2 diabetes and/or can directly impair the function of the endocrine pancreas particularly through a cytokine storm, promoting or aggravating type 1 or type 2 diabetes. The increased ACE2 receptors of high adiposity commonly associated with type 2 diabetes and the chronic hyperglycemia of diabetes with its negative impact on the immune system can increase the risk of COVID-19 infection and its morbidity/mortality. In conclusion, there are bidirectional interactions between COVID-19 pandemic and diabetes (e.g., COVID-19 infection can impact diabetes and diabetes can impact COVID-19 infection). The services offered by healthcare systems for the management of diabetes have been adapted accordingly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hassan M. Heshmati
- Endocrinology Metabolism Consulting, LLC, Hassan Heshmati and Valerie Shaw Endocrine Research, Anthem, AZ, United States
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12
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Xu X, Li Z, Mackay L, Li N, Zhang Y, Wu Y, Zhang Y. The state of health professions students' self-directed learning ability during online study and the factors that influence it. BMC MEDICAL EDUCATION 2024; 24:25. [PMID: 38178042 PMCID: PMC10768216 DOI: 10.1186/s12909-023-04876-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Universities have widely switched from traditional face-to-face classes to online instruction as a result of the epidemic. Self-directed learning is becoming the new norm for university students' learning styles. The ability of health professions students to learn independently during online study directly impacts the effectiveness of online medical education. The ability to learn on their own initiative may be affected by health professions students' professional identities, defined as their positive perceptions, evaluations, emotional experiences, and identity as professionals related to medicine. This study aimed to look into the current status and the factors that influence health professions students' self-directed learning ability (SDLA) during online study and its relationship with professional identity. METHODS This study was conducted from September to November 2022 at a medical school in East China. An online questionnaire was used to collect participants' status of online learning, self-directed learning ability (SDLA), and professional identity. RESULTS One thousand two hundred ninety-eight health professions students demonstrated intermediate self-directed learning ability during online study. In terms of teacher-student interaction (F = 14.778, P < 0.001), student-student interaction (F = 15.713, P < 0.001), and learning concentration (F = 13.424, P < 0.001), there were significant differences in health professions students' self-directed learning ability. Professional identity and self-directed learning ability positively correlated (r = 0.589-0.802, P < 0.01). Academic atmosphere and professional identity were significant predictors. CONCLUSIONS The self-directed learning ability of health professions students while receiving instruction online is at an intermediate level and is influenced by several factors. Developing health professions students' professional identities can enhance their ability for self-directed learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyue Xu
- School of Anesthesiology, Xu Zhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Ziyi Li
- School of Anesthesiology, Xu Zhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Louisa Mackay
- School of International Education, Xu Zhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Na Li
- School of Nursing, Xu Zhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Yaheng Zhang
- School of Nursing, Xu Zhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Yujie Wu
- School of Nursing, Xu Zhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Yang Zhang
- School of Anesthesiology, Xu Zhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province, China.
- School of International Education, Xu Zhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province, China.
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13
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Han X, Xia Z. Application of Host-Depleted Nanopore Metagenomic Sequencing in the Clinical Detection of Pathogens in Pigs and Cats. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:3838. [PMID: 38136875 PMCID: PMC10741237 DOI: 10.3390/ani13243838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Metagenomic sequencing is a valuable tool for non-specifically detecting various microorganisms in samples, offering unique advantages for detecting emerging pathogens, fastidious or uncultivable pathogens, and mixed infections. It has recently been applied to clinically detect pathogenic microorganisms in animals; however, the high proportion of host genes, expensive sequencing equipment, and the complexity of sequencing and data analysis methods have limited its clinical utility. In this study, a combination of tissue homogenization and nuclease digestion was employed to remove host genes from pig and cat samples; DNA and RNA were then extracted and subjected to nonselective PCR amplification to simultaneously detect DNA and RNA pathogen genomes using R9.4.1 or R10.4.1 flow cells on the MinION platform. Real-time pathogen detection was conducted using EPI2M WIMP, and viral genome assembly was performed using NanoFilt, minimap2, samtools, and ivar. Pathogens in five clinical samples (serum, nasopharyngeal swab, feces, or ascites) from cats and four clinical samples (lung or small intestine tissue) from pigs were examined by metagenomic sequencing, and the results were consistent with those obtained by PCR and bacterial culture. Additionally, we detected four viruses and three bacteria that may be associated with diseases. A comparison of results before and after host gene removal in three samples showed a 9-50% reduction in host genes. We also compared the assembly efficiency of six virus genomes and found that data volumes ranging from 3.3 to 98.3 MB were sufficient to assemble >90% of the viral genomes. In summary, this study utilized optimized nanopore metagenomic sequencing and analysis methods to reduce host genes, decrease the required data volume for sequencing analysis, and enable real-time detection to determine when to stop sequencing. The streamlined sequencing and analysis process overcomes barriers to the veterinary clinical application of metagenomic sequencing and provides a reference for clinical implementation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Zhaofei Xia
- College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
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14
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Nazemi P, SeyedAlinaghi S, Azarnoush A, Mabadi A, Khaneshan AS, Salehi M. Serum C-reactive protein greater than 75 mg/dL as an early available laboratory predictor of severe COVID-19: A systematic review. Immun Inflamm Dis 2023; 11:e1130. [PMID: 38156391 PMCID: PMC10753867 DOI: 10.1002/iid3.1130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2023] [Revised: 12/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Severe COVID-19 management is still challenging. Having a laboratory factor to predict the severity of a patient's condition can be very useful in how to approach each patient. There have been studies concentrating on the correlation between serum C-reactive protein (CRP) level and COVID-19 severity but we aim to reach a threshold for CRP in disease severity determination. METHODS We conducted a thorough search on PubMed, Web of Science and Google Scholar databases from early 2019 to October 2021, and 323 studies were assessed for eligibility in three phases. We used the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale to examine the validity of the studies. The t-test was applied for the CRP level cutoffs. RESULTS Eventually, 11 articles and 1615 patients were included in this systematic review. Our analysis evaluated combined mean, median, and standard deviation of severe patients' CRP to be respectively 73.37, 53.80, and 47.936. Based on the combined mean, 75 mg/dL was suggested as an initial threshold for baseline CRP in hospitalized patients for developing severe conditions. CONCLUSION This study recommends that COVID-19 patients with on-admission serum CRP levels of 75 mg/dL and more are likely associated with severe conditions. Thus, anti-inflammatory agents and further following may be helpful in these patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pershang Nazemi
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Imam Khomeini and Yas Hospital ComplexTehran University of Medical SciencesTehranIran
| | - SeyedAhmad SeyedAlinaghi
- Iranian Research Center for HIV/AIDS, Iranian Institute for Reduction of High‐Risk BehaviorsTehran University of Medical SciencesTehranIran
| | - Ayein Azarnoush
- Iranian Research Center for HIV/AIDS, Iranian Institute for Reduction of High‐Risk BehaviorsTehran University of Medical SciencesTehranIran
- Medical SchoolAlborz University of Medical SciencesKarajIran
| | - Avin Mabadi
- Medical SchoolIran University of Medical SciencesTehranIran
| | - Arezoo Salami Khaneshan
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Imam Khomeini Hospital ComplexTehran University of Medical SciencesTehranIran
| | - Mohammadreza Salehi
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Imam Khomeini Hospital ComplexTehran University of Medical SciencesTehranIran
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15
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Won YS, Son WS, Choi S, Kim JH. Estimating the instantaneous reproduction number ( Rt) by using particle filter. Infect Dis Model 2023; 8:1002-1014. [PMID: 37649793 PMCID: PMC10463196 DOI: 10.1016/j.idm.2023.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Revised: 07/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Monitoring the transmission of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) requires accurate estimation of the effective reproduction number (R t ). However, existing methods for calculating R t may yield biased estimates if important real-world factors, such as delays in confirmation, pre-symptomatic transmissions, or imperfect data observation, are not considered. Method To include real-world factors, we expanded the susceptible-exposed-infectious-recovered (SEIR) model by incorporating pre-symptomatic (P) and asymptomatic (A) states, creating the SEPIAR model. By utilizing both stochastic and deterministic versions of the model, and incorporating predetermined time series of R t , we generated simulated datasets that simulate real-world challenges in estimating R t . We then compared the performance of our proposed particle filtering method for estimating R t with the existing EpiEstim approach based on renewal equations. Results The particle filtering method accurately estimated R t even in the presence of data with delays, pre-symptomatic transmission, and imperfect observation. When evaluating via the root mean square error (RMSE) metric, the performance of the particle filtering method was better in general and was comparable to the EpiEstim approach if perfectly deconvolved infection time series were provided, and substantially better when R t exhibited short-term fluctuations and the data was right truncated. Conclusions The SEPIAR model, in conjunction with the particle filtering method, offers a reliable tool for predicting the transmission trend of COVID-19 and assessing the impact of intervention strategies. This approach enables enhanced monitoring of COVID-19 transmission and can inform public health policies aimed at controlling the spread of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Sul Won
- National Institute for Mathematical Sciences, Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Woo-Sik Son
- National Institute for Mathematical Sciences, Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Sunhwa Choi
- National Institute for Mathematical Sciences, Daejeon, South Korea
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16
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Keske Ş, Akyol M, Tanrıöver C, Özlüşen B, Akcan RE, Güler U, Sait B, Kaçmaz B, Gönen M, Ergönül Ö. Effectiveness of tocilizumab in non-intubated cases with COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Infection 2023; 51:1619-1628. [PMID: 37162716 PMCID: PMC10170028 DOI: 10.1007/s15010-023-02047-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Tocilizumab, a monoclonal IL-6 receptor blocker, is an effective agent for severe-to-critical cases of COVID-19; however, its target patients for the optimum use need to be detailed. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to define its effect among severely ill but non-intubated cases with COVID-19. METHODS We searched PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, MEDLINE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Medrxiv, and Biorxiv until February 13, 2022, for non-intubated cases, and included randomized-controlled trials (RCT) based on bias assessment. The primary outcomes were the requirement of invasive mechanical ventilation and mortality. Random effect and fixed-effect models were used. The heterogeneity was measured using the χ2 and I2 statistics, with χ2 p ≤ 0.05 and I2 ≥ 50% indicating the presence of significant heterogeneity. We registered the study to the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) with the registration number CRD42021232575. RESULTS Among 261 articles, 11 RCTs were included. The pooled analysis of the 11 RCTs demonstrated that the rate of mortality was significantly lower in the tocilizumab group than in the control group (20.0% and 24.2%, OR: 0.84, 95% CI 0.73-0.96, and heterogeneity I2 = 0%. p = 0.82.). The mechanical ventilation rate was lower in the tocilizumab group than the control group (27% vs 35.2%, OR: 0.76, 95% CI 0.67-0.86, and heterogeneity I2 = 6%. p = 0.39). CONCLUSION Among non-intubated severe COVID-19 cases, tocilizumab reduces the risk of invasive mechanical ventilation and mortality compared to standard-of-care treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Şiran Keske
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, School of Medicine, Koç University, Davutpaşa Cd. No:4, Zeytinburnu, 34010, Istanbul, Turkey.
- Koç University Isbank Center for Infectious Diseases (KUISCID), Istanbul, Turkey.
| | - Merve Akyol
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, School of Medicine, Koç University, Davutpaşa Cd. No:4, Zeytinburnu, 34010, Istanbul, Turkey
- Koç University Isbank Center for Infectious Diseases (KUISCID), Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Cem Tanrıöver
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, School of Medicine, Koç University, Davutpaşa Cd. No:4, Zeytinburnu, 34010, Istanbul, Turkey
- Koç University Isbank Center for Infectious Diseases (KUISCID), Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Batu Özlüşen
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, School of Medicine, Koç University, Davutpaşa Cd. No:4, Zeytinburnu, 34010, Istanbul, Turkey
- Koç University Isbank Center for Infectious Diseases (KUISCID), Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Rüştü Emre Akcan
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, School of Medicine, Koç University, Davutpaşa Cd. No:4, Zeytinburnu, 34010, Istanbul, Turkey
- Koç University Isbank Center for Infectious Diseases (KUISCID), Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Ulaş Güler
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, School of Medicine, Koç University, Davutpaşa Cd. No:4, Zeytinburnu, 34010, Istanbul, Turkey
- Koç University Isbank Center for Infectious Diseases (KUISCID), Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Bilgin Sait
- Department of Internal Medicine, American Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Bahar Kaçmaz
- Department of Infectious Diseases, American Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Mehmet Gönen
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, School of Medicine, Koç University, Davutpaşa Cd. No:4, Zeytinburnu, 34010, Istanbul, Turkey
- Koç University Isbank Center for Infectious Diseases (KUISCID), Istanbul, Turkey
- Department of Industrial Engineering, College of Engineering, Koç University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Önder Ergönül
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, School of Medicine, Koç University, Davutpaşa Cd. No:4, Zeytinburnu, 34010, Istanbul, Turkey
- Koç University Isbank Center for Infectious Diseases (KUISCID), Istanbul, Turkey
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17
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Azizi M, Aghababa A, Hoseini R, Rohani H, Nabilpour M, Moradi F. Negative mood state in Kermanshah population during COVID-19 quarantine linked to low physical activity levels: a cross-sectional online survey study. Sci Rep 2023; 13:20566. [PMID: 37996488 PMCID: PMC10667235 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-48009-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
One of the most significant consequences of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic is the anxiety and stress it causes among the general population, which can be reduced by engaging in regular physical activity. The aim of this study was to estimate the levels of physical activity and mood state during the COVID-19 quarantine among the Kermanshah population. In this cross-sectional study, a total of 2471 subjects (1256 males and 1215 females) were selected in the population of Kermanshah in the west of Iran, using the convenience sampling method. Physical activity levels were assessed using the physical activity (PA) questionnaire short form (IPAQ-SF), and mood state was measured by the abbreviated form of the Iranian version of the standard POMS questionnaire (Bill Morgan 1979). Participants completed the online questionnaire between March 28th and May 20th, 2020. Descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, and percentage), and deductive (Chi-square and Spearman's correlation) were used for data analysis. our study found that the majority of participants reported decreased PA levels during the quarantine period. Specifically, 71.7% reported a decrease in moderate-intensity physical activity, 80.5% reported a decrease in high-intensity PA, and 71.3% reported a decrease in the total volume of PA. The results showed that there was a significant difference between the number of sessions (P=0.001), intensity (P=0.001), and duration of exercise (P=0.001) before and during the coronavirus. There was a significant positive relationship between low (r=0.93; P=0.001) and high (r=0.673; P=0.034) levels of PA and negative mood state. Additionally, there was a positive relationship between moderate PA level (r=0.82; P=0.001) and a positive mood states. The study suggests that the current quarantine has negatively affected the mood states of the participants. Overall, the study recommends regular PA to prevent COVID-19 while adhering to health and safety protocols.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Azizi
- Department of Exercise Physiology, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Alireza Aghababa
- Department of Sport Psychology, Sport Sciences Research Institute, No. 3, 5th Alley, Miremad Street, Motahari Street, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Rastegar Hoseini
- Department of Exercise Physiology, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Hadi Rohani
- Department of Exercise Physiology, Sport Sciences Research Institute, Tehran, Iran
| | - Maghsoud Nabilpour
- Department of Exercise Physiology, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran
| | - Fardin Moradi
- Nutritional Sciences Department, Faculty of Nutritional Sciences and Food Technology, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
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18
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Ghaempanah F, Nikouei M, Cheraghi M, Jahangiri A, Moradi Y. Does tocilizumab have an effect on the clinical outcomes in COVID-19 patients? A meta-analysis of randomized control trials. J Pharm Policy Pract 2023; 16:151. [PMID: 37986199 PMCID: PMC10658795 DOI: 10.1186/s40545-023-00662-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND This meta-analysis was conducted to investigate the impact of tocilizumab on clinical outcomes associated with COVID-19. METHODS A comprehensive search was conducted across Scopus, PubMed (Medline), Cochrane Library, EMBASE (Elsevier), ClinicalTrials.gov, and Web of Sciences to identify pertinent studies published until May 2022. The primary search terms included "tocilizumab" and "COVID-19". Following the formulation of the search strategy, all identified studies were screened, and the data extraction process was initiated. Subsequently, the Cochrane risk of bias checklist was employed to evaluate the risk of bias. The effects of tocilizumab were assessed utilizing the pooled risk ratio (RR) and the fixed effect model in STATA (version 17). RESULTS In this meta-analysis, we analyzed 17 clinical trial studies to assess the impact of tocilizumab on mortality in patients with COVID-19. The pooled risk ratio (RR) for mortality was 0.93 (RR: 0.93; 95% CI: 0.86, 1.00; I2: 72.39%; P value: 0.001). The findings indicated that tocilizumab use was associated with a 4% increase in ICU hospitalization (RR: 1.04; 95% CI: 0.90, 1.20; I2: 0.00%; P value: 0.65). Additionally, tocilizumab administration was linked to a 2% reduction in the requirement for a ventilator (RR: 0.98; 95% CI: 0.90, 1.08; I2: 26.87%; P value: 0.16). CONCLUSION The administration of tocilizumab during the COVID-19 pandemic, prescribed to patients with the virus, exerted a noteworthy impact on reducing outcomes associated with COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faezeh Ghaempanah
- Student Research Committee, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran
| | - Maziar Nikouei
- Student Research Committee, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran
| | - Mojtaba Cheraghi
- Student Research Committee, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran
| | - Arman Jahangiri
- Department of Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine, Besat Hospital, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamedan, Iran
| | - Yousef Moradi
- Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Research Institute for Health Development, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, 66179-13446, Iran.
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19
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Abidemi A, Akanni JO, Makinde OD. A non-linear mathematical model for analysing the impact of COVID-19 disease on higher education in developing countries. HEALTHCARE ANALYTICS (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2023; 3:100193. [PMID: 37197369 PMCID: PMC10174074 DOI: 10.1016/j.health.2023.100193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Revised: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
This study proposes a non-linear mathematical model for analysing the effect of COVID-19 dynamics on the student population in higher education institutions. The theory of positivity and boundedness of solution is used to investigate the well-posedness of the model. The disease-free equilibrium solution is examined analytically. The next-generation operator method calculates the basic reproduction number ( R 0 ) . Sensitivity analyses are carried out to determine the relative importance of the model parameters in spreading COVID-19. In light of the sensitivity analysis results, the model is further extended to an optimal control problem by introducing four time-dependent control variables: personal protective measures, quarantine (or self-isolation), treatment, and management measures to mitigate the community spread of COVID-19 in the population. Simulations evaluate the effects of different combinations of the control variables in minimizing COVID-19 infection. Moreover, a cost-effectiveness analysis is conducted to ascertain the most effective and least expensive strategy for preventing and controlling the spread of COVID-19 with limited resources in the student population.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Abidemi
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria
| | - J O Akanni
- Department of Mathematical and Computing Sciences, Koladaisi University, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria
- Department of Mathematics, Universitas Airlangga, Kampus C Mulyorejo Surabaya 60115, Indonesia
| | - O D Makinde
- Faculty of Military Science, Stellenbosch University, South Africa
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20
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Saha T, Sinha S, Harfoot R, Quiñones-Mateu ME, Das SC. Inhalable dry powder containing remdesivir and disulfiram: Preparation and in vitro characterization. Int J Pharm 2023; 645:123411. [PMID: 37703955 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2023.123411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Revised: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023]
Abstract
The respiratory tract, as the first and most afflicted target of many viruses such as SARS-CoV-2, seems to be the logical choice for delivering antiviral agents against this and other respiratory viruses. A combination of remdesivir and disulfiram, targeting two different steps in the viral replication cycle, has showed synergistic activity against SARS-CoV-2 in-vitro. In this study, we have developed an inhalable dry powder containing a combination of remdesivir and disulfiram utilizing the spray-drying technique, with the final goal of delivering this drug combination to the respiratory tract. The prepared dry powders were spherical, and crystalline. The particle size was between 1 and 5 μm indicating their suitability for inhalation. The spray-dried combinational dry powder containing remdesivir and disulfiram (RDSD) showed a higher emitted dose (ED) of >88% than single dry powder of remdesivir (RSD) (∼72%) and disulfiram (DSD) (∼84%), with a fine particle fraction (FPF) of ∼55%. Addition of L-leucine to RDSD showed >60% FPF with a similar ED. The in vitro aerosolization was not significantly affected after the stability study conducted at different humidity conditions. Interestingly, the single (RSD and DSD) and combined (RDSD) spray-dried powders showed limited cellular toxicity (CC50 values from 39.4 to >100 µM), while maintaining their anti-SARS-CoV-2 in vitro (EC50 values from 4.43 to 6.63 µM). In a summary, a combinational dry powder formulation containing remdesivir and disulfiram suitable for inhalation was developed by spray-drying technique which showed high cell viability in the respiratory cell line (Calu-3 cells) retaining their anti-SARS-CoV-2 property. In the future, in vivo studies will test the ability of these formulations to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 which is essential for clinical translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tushar Saha
- School of Pharmacy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Shubhra Sinha
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Rhodri Harfoot
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Miguel E Quiñones-Mateu
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Shyamal C Das
- School of Pharmacy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
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21
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Jia L, Ye M, Wang H, Wang H. Physical discomforts, feeling of the high work intensity and the related risk factors of the frontline medical staff during COVID-19 epidemic: an early-outbreak, national survey in China. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1270366. [PMID: 37900046 PMCID: PMC10602654 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1270366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Facing the unknown virus, COVID-19 medical staff kept wearing thick personal protective equipment during their work in the early stage of the outbreak. The survey was designed to investigate the physical discomforts, the feeling of the work intensity and the related risk factors of the frontline medical staff during COVID-19 epidemic in the early outbreak. Methods An national survey was carried out in China from March 17th 2020 to March 20th 2020 by applying a standardized WeChat questionnaire survey. The doctors or nurses working in the wards for the confirmed COVID-19 patients on front-line were eligible to participate in the survey. Descriptive analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used. Results A total number of 515 COVID-19 medical staff, including 190 physicians and 325 nurses participated in this survey. 375 medical staff (72.8%) experienced physical discomforts at work, mostly consist of dyspnea (45.8%), pain (41.0%), chest distress (24.1%), dizziness (18.8%), and weakness (17.5%), while wearing thick isolation clothes at work. The mean onset time and peak time of these symptoms were 2.4 h and 3.5 h after working, respectively. 337 medical staff (65.4%) suffered from sleep disorders. 51 medical staff (10%) were highly worried about being infected by COVID-19 even during their work breaks. 246 medical staffs (47.8%) felt high work intensity and the independent influential factors were the effective daily sleep time and anxiety levels at break time (p = 0.04). Conclusion The frontline medical staff during COVID-19 epidemic felt different physical discomforts when they wear thick isolation clothes at work in the early outbreak and they felt high work intensity. These precious data will help optimize the work management strategy to ensure the physical and mental health of medical staff in the face of similar outbreaks in future.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Huaiquan Wang
- Department of Intensive Care Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
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22
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Wang Z, Xiao Y, Wang M, Chen Q, Lin Y, Fang X, Wang W. Acupuncture as a therapeutic intervention for post-COVID-19 vaccination urticaria: a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol. BMJ Open 2023; 13:e073914. [PMID: 37802610 PMCID: PMC10565136 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-073914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The COVID-19 pandemic persisted for over 3 years since its onset in December 2019, posing an ongoing global threat to human health. In the absence of specific antiviral medications for COVID-19, vaccination has emerged as a popular preventive measure adopted by the general public. However, an undesirable consequence of COVID-19 vaccination has been the frequent incidence of urticaria, a type of adverse skin manifestations. Despite the prevalence of this issue, there is currently a lack of clinical evidence exploring the potential utility of acupuncture as a therapeutic approach to managing urticaria arising after COVID-19 vaccination. To address this knowledge gap, this study aims to comprehensively evaluate the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture as a therapeutic intervention for treating urticaria in the general population following COVID-19 vaccination. METHODS AND ANALYSIS The retrieval strategies employed in this study involve obtaining all relevant articles published from December 2019 to October 2023. These articles will be obtained from databases including PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (SinoMed), VIP database and the WanFang database. Subsequently, the collected articles will undergo a thorough screening process based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Additionally, study quality will be evaluated using the Cochrane risk bias assessment tool. To conduct the meta-analysis, we will employ the Review Manager software (RevMan V.5.3). Finally, the study findings will be evaluated for their level of evidence. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION As this is a secondary review of published clinical data, this study does not involve direct contact with human subjects, and therefore, ethical approval and consent are not required. The findings of the study will be disseminated through a peer-reviewed journal, ensuring that the results undergo rigorous evaluation by experts in the field. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER CRD42022377343.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zixia Wang
- The Second Clinical Medical College, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yao Xiao
- The Second Clinical Medical College, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Muyao Wang
- The Second Clinical Medical College, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qiqi Chen
- The Second Clinical Medical College, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yueqi Lin
- The Fourth Clinical Medical College, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xinyue Fang
- The First Clinical Medical College, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wenhui Wang
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Dongguan Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Dongguan, China
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23
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Patiño-Marín N, Escobar de González WY, Aguirre de Rodríguez KA, Casillas Santana MA, Medina-Solís CE, Aguirre Escobar GA, Martínez-Castañón GA, Salas M. Impact of COVID-19 on Dental Practices in El Salvador and Mexico: A Comprehensive Survey Analysis. Cureus 2023; 15:e46524. [PMID: 37927772 PMCID: PMC10625394 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.46524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES This study aimed to identify the relationship between prevention measures and protective barriers in dental practice in El Salvador and Mexico during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021. MATERIALS AND METHODS A longitudinal study was conducted from June 2020 to December 2021, involving 1,719 dentists divided into four groups based on location and year. A 20-question survey in Spanish was utilized and validated with a Cronbach's alpha value of 0.84. RESULTS The use of phone triage (OR = 1.3), thermometers (OR = 1.4), physical distancing (OR = 1.7), and face shields (OR = 2.6) was significantly associated with dental practice in both countries during the pandemic. CONCLUSIONS During 2020 and 2021, dental care in El Salvador and Mexico was significantly linked to COVID-19 preventive measures. Phone triage, thermometers, distancing, and face shields positively correlated with dental services. National health agencies should promote the use of minimum preventive measures in dental care, preparing for potential reinfections or new pandemics from emerging virus variants.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Marco Salas
- Dentistry, Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosi, San Luis Potosi, MEX
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Dada SA, Dele-Ojo BF, Raimi TH, Ojo P, Adeoti AO, Fadare JO, Rafiu MO, Dada OE, Olabanji JK. Clinical and Epidemiological Characteristics of Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients in an Isolation Centre in South-West Nigeria. Cureus 2023; 15:e46992. [PMID: 38021567 PMCID: PMC10640905 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.46992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The clinical presentation of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can vary widely, and while the primary infection involves the respiratory system, other organs can also be affected. This study presents the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of hospitalized COVID-19 patients in a tertiary hospital in Ado Ekiti, South-West Nigeria. MATERIALS AND METHODS This is a retrospective study involving COVID-19 patients admitted to the isolation ward between August 2020 and January 2021. The data used for this study was obtained from the patient's medical record, which includes demographic characteristics, clinical presentation, baseline co-morbidities, and laboratory investigations. RESULTS The average age of the patients was 60.3 years, and more than two-thirds were male. The most common symptoms were fever, shortness of breath, cough, and tiredness. Comorbidities identified among the patients included diabetes mellitus, heart disease, obesity, and chronic kidney disease. The most common radiological findings were bilateral homogeneous patchy opacities and peripheral fluffy infiltrates. The overall mortality rate was 21.9%, with 13 deaths in patients with severe disease. Age and duration of admission were found to be significant predictors of death. CONCLUSION The results of this study provide valuable insights into the clinical presentation of COVID-19 in Nigeria and may guide future management strategies for similar infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel A Dada
- Department of Medicine, Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti, NGA
| | - Bolade F Dele-Ojo
- Department of Medicine, Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti, NGA
| | - Taiwo H Raimi
- Department of Medicine, Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti, NGA
| | - Peter Ojo
- Department of Medicine, Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti, NGA
| | - Adekunle O Adeoti
- Department of Medicine, Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti, NGA
| | - Joseph O Fadare
- Department of Medicine, Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti, NGA
| | - Mojeed O Rafiu
- Department of Internal Medicine, Institute of Viral Haemorrhagic Fever and Emergent Pathogens, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Irrua Edo State, NGA
| | - Oluwamayowa E Dada
- Department of Health Information Management, Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido Ekiti, NGA
| | - Jimoh K Olabanji
- Department of Surgery, Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti, NGA
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Zhu P, Qian M, Lee A, Hayter M, Wang W, Shi G, Wu Q, Ji Q, Gu X, Zhang H, Ding Y. Trajectory analysis of the work and life experience of healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: a longitudinal qualitative study. BMC Nurs 2023; 22:333. [PMID: 37759182 PMCID: PMC10523727 DOI: 10.1186/s12912-023-01520-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic has posed a global health threat and has had a profoundly negative impact on the work and lives of healthcare workers. However, few people know how their experiences have evolved over time. AIMS To describe healthcare workers' experiences during clinical responses to COVID-19 and how they changed over time. DESIGN A longitudinal qualitative study. METHODS We undertook a series of four semi-structured qualitative interviews of 14 healthcare workers called as 1st responders to the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants were recruited through purposive snowball sampling. Interviews were undertaken between May 2020 and May 2022 and trajectory approach was used to reveal individual experiences over time. This paper follows the COREQ (Consolidated criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research) guidance. RESULTS Data analysis yielded the following four themes: (1) Changes in emotions; (2) Changes in organization and management of care; (3) Changes in knowledge and capabilities; and (4) Changes in outlook on life and career. CONCLUSION Healthcare workers have become stronger in the pandemic and have demonstrated a high degree of professional loyalty and responsibility. However, there is a need to focus on the issue of jealousy and create a harmonious and safe work environment to reduce harm to healthcare workers. Additionally, human resource management strategies must support well-being of healthcare workers and maximize the efficiency of human resource utilization to enable them to respond to current and future needs and emergencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pingting Zhu
- School of Nursing, School of Public Health, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China.
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Yangzhou, China.
| | - Meiyan Qian
- School of Nursing, School of Public Health, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Amanda Lee
- Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, England
| | - Mark Hayter
- Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, England.
| | - Wen Wang
- School of Nursing, School of Public Health, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Guanghui Shi
- School of Nursing, School of Public Health, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Qiwei Wu
- School of Nursing, School of Public Health, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Qiaoying Ji
- School of Nursing, School of Public Health, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Xinyue Gu
- School of Nursing, School of Public Health, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Hui Zhang
- School of Nursing, School of Public Health, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Yinwen Ding
- School of Nursing, School of Public Health, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
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Zhu HY, Guo YM, Pan ZM, Wang Y, Zhang ML, Zhu RH, Li ZP, Wang Z. Long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on five mental and psychological disorders: in terms of the number of disease visits, drug consumption, and scale scores. BMC Psychiatry 2023; 23:677. [PMID: 37723474 PMCID: PMC10506188 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-023-05166-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND COVID-19 caused mild to severe infections in humans. The long-term epidemic environment harms people's mental health. To explore the impact of the epidemic on people's mental and psychological conditions, we surveyed in Wenzhou. METHODS We collected the data of people who visited the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University for five types of mental and psychological diseases from January 2018 to December 2021. Then, taking December 2019 as the cut-off point, the 48-month data were divided into the pre-epidemic group and the dur-epidemic group. Based on the above data, statistical analysis was done. RESULTS From 2018 to 2021, the number of initial diagnoses, the number of disease visits, and drug consumption for these five types of mental and psychological diseases were all on the rise. Compared with the number of disease visits for all disorders in both psychiatry and neurology departments, it was found that the growth rate of these five diseases was higher than the growth rate of all disorders. We found that the number of disease visits, drug consumption, and scale scores after the COVID-19 outbreak were significantly different from those before the outbreak (P < 0.05). And the number of disease visits positively correlated with drug consumption (P < 0.0001, r = 0.9503), which verified the stability of the data. CONCLUSION The epidemic environment has had a long-term and negative impact on people's mental and psychological conditions. Therefore, whether or not the epidemic is receding, we still need to be concerned about the impact of COVID-19 on mental and psychological health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han-Yu Zhu
- Department of Neurology, The Quzhou Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Quzhou People's Hospital, Quzhou, Zhejiang, 324000, China
| | - Yi-Mo Guo
- The Second Clinical College, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325000, China
| | - Zhi-Ming Pan
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325000, China
- The First Clinical College, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325000, China
| | - Yan Wang
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325000, China
- The First Clinical College, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325000, China
| | - Meng-Li Zhang
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325000, China
- The First Clinical College, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325000, China
| | - Ru-Huang Zhu
- Department of Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325000, China
| | - Zhang-Ping Li
- The Quzhou Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Quzhou People's Hospital, Quzhou, Zhejiang, 324000, China.
| | - Zhen Wang
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325000, China.
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Li Z, Xue Y, Li L, Li C. Methylprednisolone or dexamethasone? How should we choose to respond to COVID-19?: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Medicine (Baltimore) 2023; 102:e34738. [PMID: 37682199 PMCID: PMC10489360 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000034738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Methylprednisolone (MP) and dexamethasone (DXM) are commonly prescribed hormone drugs for treating coronavirus pandemic disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients, but conflicting results from previous studies and meta-analyses on their efficacy and safety necessitate further investigation. Therefore, in this study, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials to enhance the level of evidence and compare the efficacy and safety of MP and DXM in COVID-19 patients. METHODS We conducted a comprehensive search of PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases to retrieve randomized clinical trials. Our primary outcome measure was all-cause mortality, with secondary outcomes including admission to the intensive care unit, length of hospital stay, mechanical ventilation, and adverse events. RESULTS This study analyzed six randomized controlled trials involving 1403 patients (MP group: 704; DXM group: 699). The results of the analysis showed no significant differences in mortality rates, admission to intensive care units, hospitalization time, mechanical ventilation, or adverse events between the MP and DXM groups (P > .05). However, a significant difference was observed in the incidence of hyperglycemia between these 2 groups (RR = 1.78, 95% CI [1.09, 2.89], P = .02, I2 = 78%). CONCLUSION The results of this meta-analysis showed that there was no difference in mortality, ICU admission rate, hospital stay, mechanical ventilation, or adverse events between MP and DXM in the treatment of COVID-19. The incidence of hyperglycemia with methylprednisolone was higher than that with dexamethasone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengning Li
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yuan Xue
- Liuzhou People’s Hospital, Liuzhou, Guangxi, People’s Republic of China
| | - Laodong Li
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, People’s Republic of China
| | - Chaoqian Li
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, People’s Republic of China
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Dimitrova M, Marinova Y, Dilkov D. Investigation of Cognitive Impairment in the Course of Post-COVID Syndrome. Diagnostics (Basel) 2023; 13:2703. [PMID: 37627961 PMCID: PMC10453167 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics13162703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
(1) Background: The study presents results from an investigation of cognitive impairment in patients hospitalized in the first psychiatric clinic in Bulgaria to treat patients with COVID-19 during the pandemic period between 2020 and 2022. One hundred and twenty patients who had recovered from acute COVID-19 infection (up to 12 weeks ago) and had no previous history of cognitive impairment participated in the study. In 23 of them (19.17%), disturbance of cognitive functioning was observed. (2) Methods: All 23 patients underwent neuropsychological (Luria's test, Platonov's Maze test, MMSE, Boston Naming test) and neuroimaging examinations. Only seven of them had evidence of cortical atrophy on CT/MRI images. The most significantly demonstrative image of one of those patients is presented. (3) Results: The neuropsychological testing results of both groups show a certain decrease in fixation and memory retention as well as in the range, concentration, distribution and switching of attention. Deviations from the norm on the MMSE, as well as on the Boston Naming Test, were found in the group of patients with cortical atrophy (mild to moderate aphasia). Neuroprotective agents such as Citicoline, Piracetam and Memantine were prescribed to the patients with evident cortical atrophy. After 3 months, positive results of the neuropsychological examination were reported in both groups. (4) Conclusions: Although there are limited data on the benefit of prescribing pro-cognitive agents in the post-COVID period, our clinical experience suggests that it might be useful in the recovery process from the infection's consequences on cognition for patients with brain pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yoanna Marinova
- Psychiatry Clinic, Military Medical Academy, 1606 Sofia, Bulgaria
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Santos BC, Flumignan RL, Civile VT, Atallah ÁN, Nakano LC. Prophylactic anticoagulants for non-hospitalised people with COVID-19. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2023; 8:CD015102. [PMID: 37591523 PMCID: PMC10428666 DOI: 10.1002/14651858.cd015102.pub2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted healthcare systems worldwide. Multiple reports on thromboembolic complications related to COVID-19 have been published, and researchers have described that people with COVID-19 are at high risk for developing venous thromboembolism (VTE). Anticoagulants have been used as pharmacological interventions to prevent arterial and venous thrombosis, and their use in the outpatient setting could potentially reduce the prevalence of vascular thrombosis and associated mortality in people with COVID-19. However, even lower doses used for a prophylactic purpose may result in adverse events such as bleeding. It is important to consider the evidence for anticoagulant use in non-hospitalised people with COVID-19. OBJECTIVES To evaluate the benefits and harms of prophylactic anticoagulants versus active comparators, placebo or no intervention, or non-pharmacological interventions in non-hospitalised people with COVID-19. SEARCH METHODS We used standard, extensive Cochrane search methods. The latest search date was 18 April 2022. SELECTION CRITERIA We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing prophylactic anticoagulants with placebo or no treatment, another active comparator, or non-pharmacological interventions in non-hospitalised people with COVID-19. We included studies that compared anticoagulants with a different dose of the same anticoagulant. We excluded studies with a duration of under two weeks. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS We used standard Cochrane methodological procedures. Our primary outcomes were all-cause mortality, VTE (deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism (PE)), and major bleeding. Our secondary outcomes were DVT, PE, need for hospitalisation, minor bleeding, adverse events, and quality of life. We used GRADE to assess the certainty of the evidence. MAIN RESULTS We included five RCTs with up to 90 days of follow-up (short term). Data were available for meta-analysis from 1777 participants. Anticoagulant compared to placebo or no treatment Five studies compared anticoagulants with placebo or no treatment and provided data for three of our outcomes of interest (all-cause mortality, major bleeding, and adverse events). The evidence suggests that prophylactic anticoagulants may lead to little or no difference in all-cause mortality (risk ratio (RR) 0.36, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.04 to 3.61; 5 studies; 1777 participants; low-certainty evidence) and probably reduce VTE from 3% in the placebo group to 1% in the anticoagulant group (RR 0.36, 95% CI 0.16 to 0.85; 4 studies; 1259 participants; number needed to treat for an additional beneficial outcome (NNTB) = 50; moderate-certainty evidence). There may be little to no difference in major bleeding (RR 0.36, 95% CI 0.01 to 8.78; 5 studies; 1777 participants; low-certainty evidence). Anticoagulants probably result in little or no difference in DVT (RR 1.02, 95% CI 0.30 to 3.46; 3 studies; 1009 participants; moderate-certainty evidence), but probably reduce the risk of PE from 2.7% in the placebo group to 0.7% in the anticoagulant group (RR 0.25, 95% CI 0.08 to 0.79; 3 studies; 1009 participants; NNTB 50; moderate-certainty evidence). Anticoagulants probably lead to little or no difference in reducing hospitalisation (RR 1.01, 95% CI 0.59 to 1.75; 4 studies; 1459 participants; moderate-certainty evidence) and may lead to little or no difference in adverse events (minor bleeding, RR 2.46, 95% CI 0.90 to 6.72; 5 studies, 1777 participants; low-certainty evidence). Anticoagulant compared to a different dose of the same anticoagulant One study compared anticoagulant (higher-dose apixaban) with a different (standard) dose of the same anticoagulant and reported five relevant outcomes. No cases of all-cause mortality, VTE, or major bleeding occurred in either group during the 45-day follow-up (moderate-certainty evidence). Higher-dose apixaban compared to standard-dose apixaban may lead to little or no difference in reducing the need for hospitalisation (RR 1.89, 95% CI 0.17 to 20.58; 1 study; 278 participants; low-certainty evidence) or in the number of adverse events (minor bleeding, RR 0.47, 95% CI 0.09 to 2.54; 1 study; 278 participants; low-certainty evidence). Anticoagulant compared to antiplatelet agent One study compared anticoagulant (apixaban) with antiplatelet agent (aspirin) and reported five relevant outcomes. No cases of all-cause mortality or major bleeding occurred during the 45-day follow-up (moderate-certainty evidence). Apixaban may lead to little or no difference in VTE (RR 0.36, 95% CI 0.01 to 8.65; 1 study; 279 participants; low-certainty evidence), need for hospitalisation (RR 3.20, 95% CI 0.13 to 77.85; 1 study; 279 participants; low-certainty evidence), or adverse events (minor bleeding, RR 2.13, 95% CI 0.40 to 11.46; 1 study; 279 participants; low-certainty evidence). No included studies reported on quality of life or investigated anticoagulants compared to a different anticoagulant, or anticoagulants compared to non-pharmacological interventions. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS We found low- to moderate-certainty evidence from five RCTs that prophylactic anticoagulants result in little or no difference in major bleeding, DVT, need for hospitalisation, or adverse events when compared with placebo or no treatment in non-hospitalised people with COVID-19. Low-certainty evidence indicates that prophylactic anticoagulants may result in little or no difference in all-cause mortality when compared with placebo or no treatment, but moderate-certainty evidence indicates that prophylactic anticoagulants probably reduce the incidence of VTE and PE. Low-certainty evidence suggests that comparing different doses of the same prophylactic anticoagulant may result in little or no difference in need for hospitalisation or adverse events. Prophylactic anticoagulants may result in little or no difference in risk of VTE, hospitalisation, or adverse events when compared with antiplatelet agents (low-certainty evidence). Given that there were only short-term data from one study, these results should be interpreted with caution. Additional trials of sufficient duration are needed to clearly determine any effect on clinical outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brena C Santos
- Department of Surgery, Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ronald Lg Flumignan
- Department of Surgery, Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Cochrane Brazil, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Vinicius T Civile
- Cochrane Brazil, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Physiotherapy, Universidade Paulista, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Álvaro N Atallah
- Cochrane Brazil, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Luis Cu Nakano
- Department of Surgery, Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Cochrane Brazil, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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Baek YH, Park MY, Lim HJ, Youm DJ, You Y, Ahn S, Park JE, Kim MJ, Lee SH, Sohn YH, Yang YJ. Evaluation of Rapid Multiplex Reverse Transcription-Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction Assays for SARS-CoV-2 Detection in Individual and Pooled Samples. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:1717. [PMID: 37629574 PMCID: PMC10455980 DOI: 10.3390/life13081717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Although coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is no longer a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection has had a vast impact to date. Hence, continuous management is required, given the uncertainty caused by the potential evolution of SARS-CoV-2. Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) diagnosis has been fundamental in overcoming this issue. In this study, the performances of two rapid RT-qPCR assays (Real-Q Direct SARS-CoV-2 Detection Kit and Allplex™ SARS-CoV-2 fast PCR Assay) with short PCR times were comparatively evaluated using a STANDARD M nCoV Real-Time Detection Kit (STANDARD M, conventional RT-qPCR assay). All kits showed a limit of detection values (102-103 copies/reaction). The evaluation showed that the two rapid assay tests had ≥97.89% sensitivity and ≥99.51% specificity (κ = 0.98) for individual samples and ≥97.32% sensitivity and ≥97.67% specificity for pooled samples compared to STANDARD M. These results indicate that the two rapid RT-qPCR kits, which showed significant time reduction in performance, are as effective as a conventional RT-qPCR assay. They are likely to increase not only the number of tests that can be performed but also the efficiency of sustainable management of COVID-19 in the long term.
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Affiliation(s)
- Young-Hyun Baek
- Department of Molecular Diagnostics, Seegene Medical Foundation, Seoul 04805, Republic of Korea; (Y.-H.B.); (M.-Y.P.); (H.-J.L.); (D.-J.Y.); (Y.Y.); (S.A.); (M.-J.K.); (Y.-H.S.)
| | - Min-Young Park
- Department of Molecular Diagnostics, Seegene Medical Foundation, Seoul 04805, Republic of Korea; (Y.-H.B.); (M.-Y.P.); (H.-J.L.); (D.-J.Y.); (Y.Y.); (S.A.); (M.-J.K.); (Y.-H.S.)
| | - Ho-Jae Lim
- Department of Molecular Diagnostics, Seegene Medical Foundation, Seoul 04805, Republic of Korea; (Y.-H.B.); (M.-Y.P.); (H.-J.L.); (D.-J.Y.); (Y.Y.); (S.A.); (M.-J.K.); (Y.-H.S.)
- Department of Integrative Biological Sciences & BK21 FOUR Educational Research Group for Age-Associated Disorder Control Technology, Chosun University, Gwangju 61452, Republic of Korea;
| | - Dong-Jae Youm
- Department of Molecular Diagnostics, Seegene Medical Foundation, Seoul 04805, Republic of Korea; (Y.-H.B.); (M.-Y.P.); (H.-J.L.); (D.-J.Y.); (Y.Y.); (S.A.); (M.-J.K.); (Y.-H.S.)
| | - Youngshin You
- Department of Molecular Diagnostics, Seegene Medical Foundation, Seoul 04805, Republic of Korea; (Y.-H.B.); (M.-Y.P.); (H.-J.L.); (D.-J.Y.); (Y.Y.); (S.A.); (M.-J.K.); (Y.-H.S.)
| | - Seojin Ahn
- Department of Molecular Diagnostics, Seegene Medical Foundation, Seoul 04805, Republic of Korea; (Y.-H.B.); (M.-Y.P.); (H.-J.L.); (D.-J.Y.); (Y.Y.); (S.A.); (M.-J.K.); (Y.-H.S.)
| | - Jung-Eun Park
- Department of Integrative Biological Sciences & BK21 FOUR Educational Research Group for Age-Associated Disorder Control Technology, Chosun University, Gwangju 61452, Republic of Korea;
| | - Min-Jin Kim
- Department of Molecular Diagnostics, Seegene Medical Foundation, Seoul 04805, Republic of Korea; (Y.-H.B.); (M.-Y.P.); (H.-J.L.); (D.-J.Y.); (Y.Y.); (S.A.); (M.-J.K.); (Y.-H.S.)
| | - Sun-Hwa Lee
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Seegene Medical Foundation, Seoul 04805, Republic of Korea;
| | - Yong-Hak Sohn
- Department of Molecular Diagnostics, Seegene Medical Foundation, Seoul 04805, Republic of Korea; (Y.-H.B.); (M.-Y.P.); (H.-J.L.); (D.-J.Y.); (Y.Y.); (S.A.); (M.-J.K.); (Y.-H.S.)
| | - Yong-Jin Yang
- Department of Molecular Diagnostics, Seegene Medical Foundation, Seoul 04805, Republic of Korea; (Y.-H.B.); (M.-Y.P.); (H.-J.L.); (D.-J.Y.); (Y.Y.); (S.A.); (M.-J.K.); (Y.-H.S.)
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Graziani AR, Botindari L, Menegatti M, Moscatelli S. Adaptive Coping Strategies at the Time of COVID-19: The Role of Social and General Trust. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:6512. [PMID: 37569052 PMCID: PMC10419113 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20156512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/29/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023]
Abstract
Research in the field shows the crucial role of trust in the functioning of many aspects of social life, especially when dealing with emergencies. We report the results of a study (N = 883) carried out in Italy during the first phase of the COVID-19 crisis to assess whether and how social trust (i.e., trust in those who have the authority and responsibility for making decisions, such as the Italian government, the regional government, the Civil Protection, the European Union, the Catholic Church, and the scientific community) and general trust (i.e., trust in the trustworthiness of other individuals, such as Italians and humankind) are associated with the employment of coping strategies in dealing with the challenges of the pandemic. Overall, the results highlight that trust in different authorities and institutions and trust in other human beings are positively associated with the adoption of adaptive coping strategies such as seeking social support, positive reinterpretation and growth, problem-solving orientation, and transcendent orientation. In contrast, they are negatively related to the adoption of maladaptive coping strategies such as avoidance. These findings point out the benefits of various types of trust in helping individuals deal with crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Rita Graziani
- Department of Communication and Economics, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Viale Allegri 9, 42121 Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Lucia Botindari
- SAIS Europe, Johns Hopkins University, Via Andreatta 3, 40126 Bologna, Italy;
| | - Michela Menegatti
- Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, Viale Berti Pichat 5, 40126 Bologna, Italy; (M.M.); (S.M.)
| | - Silvia Moscatelli
- Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, Viale Berti Pichat 5, 40126 Bologna, Italy; (M.M.); (S.M.)
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Tozetto-Mendoza TR, Mendes-Correa MC, Linhares IM, de Cássia Raymundi V, de Oliveira Paião HG, Barbosa EMG, Luna-Muschi A, Honorato L, Correa GF, da Costa AC, Costa SF, Witkin SS. Association between development of severe COVID-19 and a polymorphism in the CIAS1 gene that codes for an inflammasome component. Sci Rep 2023; 13:11252. [PMID: 37438453 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-38095-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023] Open
Abstract
An elevated pro-inflammatory cytokine response is associated with severe life-threatening symptoms in individuals with Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID). The inflammasome is an intracellular structure responsible for generation of interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-18. NALP3, a product of the CIAS1 gene, is the rate-limiting component for inflammasome activity. We evaluated if a CIAS1 42 base pair length polymorphism (rs74163773) was associated with severe COVID. DNA from 93 individuals with severe COVID, 38 with mild COVID, and 98 controls were analyzed for this polymorphism. The 12 unit repeat allele is associated with the highest inflammasome activity. Five alleles, corresponding to 6, 7, 9, 12 or 13 repeat units, divided into 12 genotypes were identified. The frequency of the 12 unit repeat allele was 45.3% in those with severe disease as opposed to 30.0% in those with mild disease and 26.0% in controls (p < 0.0001, severe vs. controls). In contrast, the 7 unit repeat allele frequency was 30.1% in controls as opposed to 14.0% and 12.5% in those with severe or mild disease, respectively (p ≤ 0.0017). We conclude that individuals positive for the CIAS1 12 allele may be at elevated risk for development of severe COVID due to an increased level of induced pro-inflammatory cytokine production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tania R Tozetto-Mendoza
- Laboratório de Virologia LIM 52, Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
| | - Maria Cassia Mendes-Correa
- Laboratório de Virologia LIM 52, Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Departamento de Moléstias Infecciosas e Parasitárias, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Iara Moreno Linhares
- Departamento de Ginecologia e Obstetricia, Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Vanessa de Cássia Raymundi
- Laboratório de Virologia LIM 52, Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Heuder Gustavo de Oliveira Paião
- Laboratório de Virologia LIM 52, Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Departamento de Moléstias Infecciosas e Parasitárias, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Erick Matheus Garcia Barbosa
- Laboratório de Virologia LIM 52, Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Alessandra Luna-Muschi
- Departamento de Moléstias Infecciosas e Parasitárias, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Layla Honorato
- Laboratório de Virologia LIM 52, Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Giovanna Francisco Correa
- Laboratório de Virologia LIM 52, Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Antonio Charlys da Costa
- Laboratório de Virologia LIM 52, Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Silvia Figueiredo Costa
- Departamento de Moléstias Infecciosas e Parasitárias, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Steven S Witkin
- Laboratório de Virologia LIM 52, Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Departamento de Moléstias Infecciosas e Parasitárias, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
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Li L, Zhang S, Wang J, Yang X, Wang L. Governing public health emergencies during the coronavirus disease outbreak: Lessons from four Chinese cities in the first wave. URBAN STUDIES (EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND) 2023; 60:1750-1770. [PMID: 37416836 PMCID: PMC10311377 DOI: 10.1177/00420980211049350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
The ongoing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has had a far-reaching impact on urban living, prompting emergency preparedness and response from public health governance at multiple levels. The Chinese government has adopted a series of policy measures to control infectious disease, for which cities are the key spatial units. This research traces and reports analyses of those policy measures and their evolution in four Chinese cities: Zhengzhou, Hangzhou, Shanghai and Chengdu. The theoretical framework stems from conceptualisations of urban governance and its role in public health emergencies, wherein crisis management and emergency response are highlighted. In all four cities, the trend curves of cumulative diagnosed cases, critical policies launched in key time nodes and local governance approaches in the first wave were identified and compared. The findings suggest that capable local leadership is indispensable for controlling the coronavirus epidemic, yet local governments' approaches are varied, contributing to dissimilar local epidemic control policy pathways and positive outcomes in the fight against COVID-19. The effectiveness of disease control is determined by how local governments' measures have adapted to geospatial and socioeconomic heterogeneity. The coordinated actions from central to local governments also reveal an efficient, top-down command transmission and execution system for coping with the pandemic. This article argues that effective control of pandemics requires both a holistic package of governance strategies and locally adaptive governance measures/processes, and concludes with proposals for both a more effective response at the local level and identification of barriers to achieving these responses within diverse subnational institutional contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jinfeng Wang
- Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, P.R. China
| | - Xiaoming Yang
- Shanghai Jing'an District Center for Disease Control and Prevention, P.R. China; Chinese Academy of Sciences
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Chen C, Zhu R, Hodge EA, Díaz-Salinas MA, Nguyen A, Munro JB, Lee KK. hACE2-Induced Allosteric Activation in SARS-CoV versus SARS-CoV-2 Spike Assemblies Revealed by Structural Dynamics. ACS Infect Dis 2023; 9:1180-1189. [PMID: 37166130 PMCID: PMC10228703 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.3c00010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 cell entry begins when spike glycoprotein (S) docks with the human ACE2 (hACE2) receptor. While the two coronaviruses share a common receptor and architecture of S, they exhibit differences in interactions with hACE2 as well as differences in proteolytic processing of S that trigger the fusion machine. Understanding how those differences impact S activation is key to understand its function and viral pathogenesis. Here, we investigate hACE2-induced activation in SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 S using hydrogen/deuterium-exchange mass spectrometry (HDX-MS). HDX-MS revealed differences in dynamics in unbound S, including open/closed conformational switching and D614G-induced S stability. Upon hACE2 binding, notable differences in transduction of allosteric changes were observed extending from the receptor binding domain to regions proximal to proteolytic cleavage sites and the fusion peptide. Furthermore, we report that dimeric hACE2, the native oligomeric form of the receptor, does not lead to any more pronounced structural effect in S compared to saturated monomeric hACE2 binding. These experiments provide mechanistic insights into receptor-induced activation of Sarbecovirus spike proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengbo Chen
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
- Biological
Physics Structure and Design Program, University
of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Richard Zhu
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Edgar A. Hodge
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Marco A. Díaz-Salinas
- Department
of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts 01605, USA
| | - Adam Nguyen
- Biological
Physics Structure and Design Program, University
of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - James B. Munro
- Department
of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts 01605, USA
| | - Kelly K. Lee
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
- Biological
Physics Structure and Design Program, University
of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
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Cao C, Li S, Zhou G, Xu C, Chen X, Qiu H, Li X, Liu Y, Cao H, Bi C. Global trends in COVID-19 Alzheimer's related research: a bibliometric analysis. Front Neurol 2023; 14:1193768. [PMID: 37342784 PMCID: PMC10278887 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2023.1193768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted public health, putting people with Alzheimer's disease at significant risk. This study used bibliometric analysis method to conduct in-depth research on the relationship between COVID-19 and Alzheimer's disease, as well as to predict its development trends. Methods The Web of Science Core Collection was searched for relevant literature on Alzheimer's and Coronavirus-19 during 2019-2023. We used a search query string in our advanced search. Using Microsoft Excel 2021 and VOSviewer software, a statistical analysis of primary high-yield authors, research institutions, countries, and journals was performed. Knowledge networks, collaboration maps, hotspots, and regional trends were analyzed using VOSviewer and CiteSpace. Results During 2020-2023, 866 academic studies were published in international journals. United States, Italy, and the United Kingdom rank top three in the survey; in terms of productivity, the top three schools were Harvard Medical School, the University of Padua, and the University of Oxford; Bonanni, Laura, from Gabriele d'Annunzio University (Italy), Tedeschi, Gioacchino from the University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli (Italy), Vanacore, Nicola from Natl Ctr Dis Prevent and Health Promot (Italy), Reddy, P. Hemachandra from Texas Tech University (USA), and El Haj, Mohamad from University of Nantes (France) were the authors who published the most articles; The Journal of Alzheimer's Disease is the journals with the most published articles; "COVID-19," "Alzheimer's disease," "neurodegenerative diseases," "cognitive impairment," "neuroinflammation," "quality of life," and "neurological complications" have been the focus of attention in the last 3 years. Conclusion The disease caused by the COVID-19 virus infection related to Alzheimer's disease has attracted significant attention worldwide. The major hot topics in 2020 were: "Alzheimer' disease," COVID-19," risk factors," care," and "Parkinson's disease." During the 2 years 2021 and 2022, researchers were also interested in "neurodegenerative diseases," "cognitive impairment," and "quality of life," which require further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenjun Cao
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Medicine, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Department of Psychiatry, Hunan Brain Hospital (The Second People's Hospital of Hunan Province), Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Sixin Li
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Medicine, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Department of Psychiatry, Hunan Brain Hospital (The Second People's Hospital of Hunan Province), Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Gaoya Zhou
- Department of Neurology, School of Clinical Medicine, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Department of Neurology, Hunan Brain Hospital (The Second People's Hospital of Hunan Province), Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Caijuan Xu
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Medicine, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Department of Psychiatry, Hunan Brain Hospital (The Second People's Hospital of Hunan Province), Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Xi Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Medicine, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Department of Psychiatry, Hunan Brain Hospital (The Second People's Hospital of Hunan Province), Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Huiwen Qiu
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Medicine, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Department of Psychiatry, Hunan Brain Hospital (The Second People's Hospital of Hunan Province), Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Xinyu Li
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Medicine, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Department of Psychiatry, Hunan Brain Hospital (The Second People's Hospital of Hunan Province), Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Ying Liu
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Medicine, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Department of Psychiatry, Hunan Brain Hospital (The Second People's Hospital of Hunan Province), Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Hui Cao
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Medicine, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Department of Psychiatry, Hunan Brain Hospital (The Second People's Hospital of Hunan Province), Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Changlong Bi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xiangya Hospital, Center South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
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Shanthi A, Koppu S. Remora Namib Beetle Optimization Enabled Deep Learning for Severity of COVID-19 Lung Infection Identification and Classification Using CT Images. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 23:s23115316. [PMID: 37300043 DOI: 10.3390/s23115316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Revised: 02/26/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has seen a crucial outburst for both females and males worldwide. Automatic lung infection detection from medical imaging modalities provides high potential for increasing the treatment for patients to tackle COVID-19 disease. COVID-19 detection from lung CT images is a rapid way of diagnosing patients. However, identifying the occurrence of infectious tissues and segmenting this from CT images implies several challenges. Therefore, efficient techniques termed as Remora Namib Beetle Optimization_ Deep Quantum Neural Network (RNBO_DQNN) and RNBO_Deep Neuro Fuzzy Network (RNBO_DNFN) are introduced for the identification as well as classification of COVID-19 lung infection. Here, the pre-processing of lung CT images is performed utilizing an adaptive Wiener filter, whereas lung lobe segmentation is performed employing the Pyramid Scene Parsing Network (PSP-Net). Afterwards, feature extraction is carried out wherein features are extracted for the classification phase. In the first level of classification, DQNN is utilized, tuned by RNBO. Furthermore, RNBO is designed by merging the Remora Optimization Algorithm (ROA) and Namib Beetle Optimization (NBO). If a classified output is COVID-19, then the second-level classification is executed using DNFN for further classification. Additionally, DNFN is also trained by employing the newly proposed RNBO. Furthermore, the devised RNBO_DNFN achieved maximum testing accuracy, with TNR and TPR obtaining values of 89.4%, 89.5% and 87.5%.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amgothu Shanthi
- School of Information Technology and Engineering, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore 632014, India
| | - Srinivas Koppu
- School of Information Technology and Engineering, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore 632014, India
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Arun N, Saurabh K, Muni S, Kumari N, Dev A. A Comparative Study of Bacterial Infections Between COVID-19 and Non-COVID-19 Patients With Respect to Different Isolates and Their Antibiotic Sensitivity Pattern. Cureus 2023; 15:e40387. [PMID: 37456417 PMCID: PMC10344732 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.40387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Following the pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2, the emergence of and following the pandemic has required major modifications to healthcare systems and frameworks. Antimicrobials have more than a few potential roles in managing COVID-19. Experimental cures for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 are being explored. The availability of limited data suggests that nosocomial infections are associated with a higher risk of death and severity of COVID-19. To fill this knowledge gap, we conducted a study to assess the spectrum of bacteriological isolates in different samples from COVID-19 patients. Our study aimed to evaluate the antibiotic resistance pattern of these bacterial isolates and compare the spectrum of bacteriological isolates in different samples and their antibiotic sensitivity pattern between COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients. Methodology An observational cross-sectional, partly retrospective, and partly prospective study was carried out in the bacteriology section of the Department of Microbiology, Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS), Patna, Bihar, for a total duration of six months from February 2021 to July 2021. The profile of pathogens isolated from 105 clinical samples from COVID-19 patients was studied. To detect COVID-19, RT-PCR was performed. All clinical specimens (urine, blood, pus, respiratory sample, etc.) were processed and cultured on different media to support the growth of the bacteria as per our standard operating procedures (SOP) for bacteriology samples. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was carried out based on the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute. Results A total of 105 clinical samples were received in the bacteriology section of the Department of Microbiology, IGIMS, Patna, Bihar, from admitted COVID-19 patients. The mean age of study participants was 51.57 ± 14.76 years, and males (66.7%, 70/105) were more than females (33.3%, 35/105). The majority of the patients were 91 out of 105 (86.67%) from the ward and 14 from the ICU (13.33%). Of the total samples tested, 62 (59%) were urine samples, 26 (24.8%) were respiratory specimens, 13 (12.4%) were pus samples, 3 (2.9%) were body fluids, and 1 (1%) were tissue samples. Among the total pathogen isolates (n=57) obtained from patients with SARS-CoV-2 admitted to the ward and ICU, 56.14% (32) were gram-negative, 26.31% (15) were Candida, and 17.54% (10) were gram-positive pathogens. The most isolated pathogen was Escherichia coli (39.02%, 16/41) followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae (29.26%, 12/41), Acinetobacter baumannii (7.31%, 3/41), and Enterobacter cloacae (2.43%, 1/41). Enterococcus spp. as gram-positive bacteria were isolated in 21.95% (9/41) of patients. Among the gram-negative bacteria (Enterobacterales), the highest resistance was seen in ampicillin (100%,29/29). For non-Enterobacterales, the highest resistance was seen in ceftriaxone (66.66%,2/3). Enterococcus spp. showed maximum ciprofloxacin, and gentamicin (high level) resistance was 100% (9/9). Conclusion Secondary infections with resistant pathogens in COVID-19 patients highlight the importance of antimicrobial management programs focused on the optimal selection of empirical treatments based on culture reports.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nitali Arun
- Microbiology, Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna, IND
| | - Kumar Saurabh
- Microbiology, Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna, IND
| | - Sweta Muni
- Microbiology, Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna, IND
| | - Namrata Kumari
- Microbiology, Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna, IND
| | - Anand Dev
- Emergency Medicine, Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna, IND
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Singh P, Hernandez‐Rauda R, Peña‐Rodas O. Preventative and therapeutic potential of animal milk components against COVID-19: A comprehensive review. Food Sci Nutr 2023; 11:2547-2579. [PMID: 37324885 PMCID: PMC10261805 DOI: 10.1002/fsn3.3314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The global pandemic of COVID-19 is considered one of the most catastrophic events on earth. During the pandemic, food ingredients may play crucial roles in preventing infectious diseases and sustaining people's general health and well-being. Animal milk acts as a super food since it has the capacity to minimize the occurrence of viral infections due to inherent antiviral properties of its ingredients. SARS-CoV-2 virus infection can be prevented by immune-enhancing and antiviral properties of caseins, α-lactalbumin, β-lactoglobulin, mucin, lactoferrin, lysozyme, lactoperoxidase, oligosaccharides, glycosaminoglycans, and glycerol monolaurate. Some of the milk proteins (i.e., lactoferrin) may work synergistically with antiviral medications (e.g., remdesivir), and enhance the effectiveness of treatment in this disease. Cytokine storm during COVID-19 can be managed by casein hydrolyzates, lactoferrin, lysozyme, and lactoperoxidase. Thrombus formation can be prevented by casoplatelins as these can inhibit human platelet aggregation. Milk vitamins (i.e., A, D, E, and B complexes) and minerals (i.e., Ca, P, Mg, Zn, and Se) can have significantly positive effects on boosting the immunity and health status of individuals. In addition, certain vitamins and minerals can also act as antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, and antivirals. Thus, the overall effect of milk might be a result of synergistic antiviral effects and host immunomodulator activities from multiple components. Due to multiple overlapping functions of milk ingredients, they can play vital and synergistic roles in prevention as well as supportive agents during principle therapy of COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parminder Singh
- Department of Animal Husbandry AmritsarGovernment of PunjabAmritsarIndia
| | - Roberto Hernandez‐Rauda
- Laboratorio de Inocuidad de AlimentosUniversidad Doctor Andres BelloSan SalvadorEl Salvador, América Central
| | - Oscar Peña‐Rodas
- Laboratorio de Inocuidad de AlimentosUniversidad Doctor Andres BelloSan SalvadorEl Salvador, América Central
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Yazdi SAM, Eshraghi N, Mirzaei S, Nazar E. Empyema with an extensive retroperitoneal abscess after the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, a case report. Int J Surg Case Rep 2023; 107:108323. [PMID: 37201360 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijscr.2023.108323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2023] [Revised: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The most common side effects were mild pain at the injection site and fever after the COVID-19 vaccination. A retroperitoneal abscess is a rare disorder with a deceptive onset and difficult diagnosis. It has various reasons and is related to a high mortality rate. CASE PRESENTATION A 29-year-old man with a recent history of first-dose Covid-19 vaccination, was referred for dyspnea, chest, and abdominal pain. Chest imaging revealed a lung abscess evacuated to pleural space. Left posterolateral thoracotomy surgery was done. Post-operation abdominopelvic imaging revealed increased fat stranding and fluid collection, suggesting retroperitoneal infection and abscess formation and the patient underwent drainage. CLINICAL DISCUSSION Common side effects after COVID-19 vaccination were mild and expectable without hospitalization. But in our case, a rare complicated side effect was seen. CONCLUSION Uncommon side effects should be observed to recognize whether they are related to the vaccine or not.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nasim Eshraghi
- Students' Scientific Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Samira Mirzaei
- Department of Radiology, Sina Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Elham Nazar
- Department of Pathology, Sina Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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Saeed H, Lu YC, Andescavage N, Kapse K, Andersen NR, Lopez C, Quistorff J, Barnett S, Henderson D, Bulas D, Limperopoulos C. Influence of maternal psychological distress during COVID-19 pandemic on placental morphometry and texture. Sci Rep 2023; 13:7374. [PMID: 37164993 PMCID: PMC10172401 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-33343-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been accompanied by increased prenatal maternal distress (PMD). PMD is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes which may be mediated by the placenta. However, the potential impact of the pandemic on in vivo placental development remains unknown. To examine the impact of the pandemic and PMD on in vivo structural placental development using advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), acquired anatomic images of the placenta from 63 pregnant women without known COVID-19 exposure during the pandemic and 165 pre-pandemic controls. Measures of placental morphometry and texture were extracted. PMD was determined from validated questionnaires. Generalized estimating equations were utilized to compare differences in PMD placental features between COVID-era and pre-pandemic cohorts. Maternal stress and depression scores were significantly higher in the pandemic cohort. Placental volume, thickness, gray level kurtosis, skewness and run length non-uniformity were increased in the pandemic cohort, while placental elongation, mean gray level and long run emphasis were decreased. PMD was a mediator of the association between pandemic status and placental features. Altered in vivo placental structure during the pandemic suggests an underappreciated link between disturbances in maternal environment and perturbed placental development. The long-term impact on offspring is currently under investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haleema Saeed
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, MedStar Washington Hospital Center, Washington, DC, 20010, USA
| | - Yuan-Chiao Lu
- Developing Brain Institute, Children's National Hospital, 111 Michigan Ave. NW, Washington, DC, 20010, USA
| | - Nickie Andescavage
- Developing Brain Institute, Children's National Hospital, 111 Michigan Ave. NW, Washington, DC, 20010, USA
- Division of Neonatology, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, 20010, USA
| | - Kushal Kapse
- Developing Brain Institute, Children's National Hospital, 111 Michigan Ave. NW, Washington, DC, 20010, USA
| | - Nicole R Andersen
- Developing Brain Institute, Children's National Hospital, 111 Michigan Ave. NW, Washington, DC, 20010, USA
| | - Catherine Lopez
- Developing Brain Institute, Children's National Hospital, 111 Michigan Ave. NW, Washington, DC, 20010, USA
| | - Jessica Quistorff
- Developing Brain Institute, Children's National Hospital, 111 Michigan Ave. NW, Washington, DC, 20010, USA
| | - Scott Barnett
- Developing Brain Institute, Children's National Hospital, 111 Michigan Ave. NW, Washington, DC, 20010, USA
| | - Diedtra Henderson
- Developing Brain Institute, Children's National Hospital, 111 Michigan Ave. NW, Washington, DC, 20010, USA
| | - Dorothy Bulas
- Division of Radiology, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, 20010, USA
| | - Catherine Limperopoulos
- Developing Brain Institute, Children's National Hospital, 111 Michigan Ave. NW, Washington, DC, 20010, USA.
- Division of Radiology, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, 20010, USA.
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Ritsinger V, Bodegård J, Kristofi R, Thuresson M, Nathanson D, Nyström T, Eriksson J, Norhammar A. History of heart failure and chronic kidney disease and risk of all-cause death after COVID-19 during the first three waves of the pandemic in comparison with influenza outbreaks in Sweden: a registry-based, retrospective, case-control study. BMJ Open 2023; 13:e069037. [PMID: 37117003 PMCID: PMC10151240 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-069037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/30/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To explore how cardiorenal disease (CRD; heart failure and/or chronic kidney disease) impacted mortality in men and women hospitalised for COVID-19 during the first three waves of the pandemic in Sweden in comparison to previous influenza outbreaks. DESIGN A registry-based, retrospective, case-control study. SETTING Hospital care in Sweden. PARTICIPANTS All patients in Sweden with a main hospital diagnosis of COVID-19 (January 2020-September 2021) or influenza (January 2015-December 2019) with previous CRD were identified in registries and compared with a reference group free from CRD but with COVID-19 or influenza. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURE Associated risk of all-cause death during the first year was analysed using adjusted Cox proportional hazards models. RESULTS In COVID-19 patients with and without prior history of CRD (n=44 866), mean age was 79.8 years (SD 11.8) and 43% were women. In influenza patients (n=8897), mean age was 80.6 years (SD 11.5) and 45% were women. COVID-19 versus influenza was associated with higher mortality risk during the first two COVID-19 waves (HR 1.53; 95% CI 1.45 to 1.62, p<0.001 and HR 1.52; 95% CI 1.44 to 1.61, p<0.001), but not in the third wave (HR 1.07; 95% CI 0.99 to 1.14, p=0.072). CRD was an independent risk factor for all-cause death after COVID-19 in men and women (men: 1.37; 95% CI 1.31 to 1.44, p<0.001; women: 1.46; 95% CI 1.38 to 1.54, p<0.001). At ages <70 years, women with CRD had a similar mortality rate to men with CRD, while at ages ≥70 years, the mortality rate was higher in men. CONCLUSIONS Outcome after COVID-19 is worse if CRD is present. In women at ages <70 years, the presence of CRD attenuates the protective effect of female sex. COVID-19 was associated with higher mortality risk than influenza during the first two pandemic waves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viveca Ritsinger
- Cardiology Unit, Department of Medicine, Solna, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Research and Development, Region Kronoberg, Vaxjo, Sweden
| | - Johan Bodegård
- Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolism, Medical Department, BioPharmaceuticals, AstraZeneca Nordic, Oslo, Norway
| | - Robin Kristofi
- Department of Medical Sciences, Clinical Diabetes and Metabolism, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | - David Nathanson
- Department of Medicine, Huddinge, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Thomas Nyström
- Department of Clinical Science and Education, Karolinska Institute, Södersjukhuset, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jan Eriksson
- Department of Medical Sciences, Clinical Diabetes and Metabolism, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Anna Norhammar
- Cardiology Unit, Department of Medicine, Solna, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
- Capio S:t Göran Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
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Curreli F, Chau K, Tran TT, Nicolau I, Ahmed S, Das P, Hillyer CD, Premenko-Lanier M, Debnath AK. Discovery of Highly Potent Small Molecule Pan-Coronavirus Fusion Inhibitors. Viruses 2023; 15:v15041001. [PMID: 37112982 PMCID: PMC10141620 DOI: 10.3390/v15041001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Revised: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The unprecedented pandemic of COVID-19, caused by a novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, and its highly transmissible variants, led to massive human suffering, death, and economic devastation worldwide. Recently, antibody-evasive SARS-CoV-2 subvariants, BQ and XBB, have been reported. Therefore, the continued development of novel drugs with pan-coronavirus inhibition is critical to treat and prevent infection of COVID-19 and any new pandemics that may emerge. We report the discovery of several highly potent small-molecule inhibitors. One of which, NBCoV63, showed low nM potency against SARS-CoV-2 (IC50: 55 nM), SARS-CoV-1 (IC50: 59 nM), and MERS-CoV (IC50: 75 nM) in pseudovirus-based assays with excellent selectivity indices (SI > 900), suggesting its pan-coronavirus inhibition. NBCoV63 showed equally effective antiviral potency against SARS-CoV-2 mutant (D614G) and several variants of concerns (VOCs) such as B.1.617.2 (Delta), B.1.1.529/BA.1 and BA.4/BA.5 (Omicron), and K417T/E484K/N501Y (Gamma). NBCoV63 also showed similar efficacy profiles to Remdesivir against authentic SARS-CoV-2 (Hong Kong strain) and two of its variants (Delta and Omicron), SARS-CoV-1, and MERS-CoV by plaque reduction in Calu-3 cells. Additionally, we show that NBCoV63 inhibits virus-mediated cell-to-cell fusion in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) data of NBCoV63 demonstrated drug-like properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Curreli
- Laboratory of Molecular Modeling and Drug Design, Lindsey F. Kimball Research Institute, New York Blood Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Kent Chau
- SRI Biosciences (A Division of SRI International), 333 Ravenswood Avenue, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA
| | - Thanh-Thuy Tran
- SRI Biosciences (A Division of SRI International), 333 Ravenswood Avenue, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA
| | - Isabella Nicolau
- Laboratory of Molecular Modeling and Drug Design, Lindsey F. Kimball Research Institute, New York Blood Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Shahad Ahmed
- Laboratory of Molecular Modeling and Drug Design, Lindsey F. Kimball Research Institute, New York Blood Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Pujita Das
- Laboratory of Molecular Modeling and Drug Design, Lindsey F. Kimball Research Institute, New York Blood Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Christopher D Hillyer
- Laboratory of Molecular Modeling and Drug Design, Lindsey F. Kimball Research Institute, New York Blood Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Mary Premenko-Lanier
- SRI Biosciences (A Division of SRI International), 333 Ravenswood Avenue, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA
- Department of Basic Science, Samuel Merritt University, 3100 Telegraph Avenue, Oakland, CA 94609, USA
| | - Asim K Debnath
- Laboratory of Molecular Modeling and Drug Design, Lindsey F. Kimball Research Institute, New York Blood Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
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Ray M, Manjunath A, Halami PM. Effect of probiotics as an immune modulator for the management of COVID-19. Arch Microbiol 2023; 205:182. [PMID: 37031431 PMCID: PMC10098245 DOI: 10.1007/s00203-023-03504-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 04/10/2023]
Abstract
COVID-19, an acute respiratory viral infection conveyed by pneumonia caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has affected millions of individuals globally, and is a public health emergency of international concern. Till now, there are no highly effective therapies for this infection without vaccination. As they can evolve quickly and cross the strain level easily, these viruses are causing epidemics or pandemics that are allied with more severe clinical diseases. A new approach is needed to improve immunity to confirm the protection against emerging viral infections. Probiotics can modify gut microbial dysbiosis, improve the host immune system, and stimulate immune signaling, increasing systemic immunity. Several probiotic bacterial therapies have been proven to decrease the period of bacterial or viral infections. Superinduction of inflammation, termed cytokine storm, has been directly linked with pneumonia and severe complications of viral respiratory infections. In this case, probiotics as potential immunomodulatory agents can be an appropriate candidate to improve the host's response to respiratory viral infections. During this COVID-19 pandemic, any approach that can induce mucosal and systemic immunity could be helpful. Here, we summarize contexts regarding the effectiveness of various probiotics for preventing virus-induced respiratory infectious diseases, especially those that could be employed for COVID-19 patients. In addition, the effects of probiotics, their mechanisms on different aspects of immune responses against respiratory viral infection, and their antiviral properties in clinical findings have been described in detail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mousumi Ray
- Department of Microbiology and Fermentation Technology, CSIR-Central Food Technological Research Institute, Mysuru, 570020, India
| | - Ashwini Manjunath
- Department of Developmental Biology and Genetics, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, India
| | - Prakash M Halami
- Department of Microbiology and Fermentation Technology, CSIR-Central Food Technological Research Institute, Mysuru, 570020, India.
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Wu D, Efimov GA, Bogolyubova AV, Pierce BG, Mariuzza RA. Structural insights into protection against a SARS-CoV-2 spike variant by T cell receptor diversity. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:103035. [PMID: 36806685 PMCID: PMC9934920 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.103035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
T cells play a crucial role in combatting SARS-CoV-2 and forming long-term memory responses to this coronavirus. The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants that can evade T cell immunity has raised concerns about vaccine efficacy and the risk of reinfection. Some SARS-CoV-2 T cell epitopes elicit clonally restricted CD8+ T cell responses characterized by T cell receptors (TCRs) that lack structural diversity. Mutations in such epitopes can lead to loss of recognition by most T cells specific for that epitope, facilitating viral escape. Here, we studied an HLA-A2-restricted spike protein epitope (RLQ) that elicits CD8+ T cell responses in COVID-19 convalescent patients characterized by highly diverse TCRs. We previously reported the structure of an RLQ-specific TCR (RLQ3) with greatly reduced recognition of the most common natural variant of the RLQ epitope (T1006I). Opposite to RLQ3, TCR RLQ7 recognizes T1006I with even higher functional avidity than the WT epitope. To explain the ability of RLQ7, but not RLQ3, to tolerate the T1006I mutation, we determined structures of RLQ7 bound to RLQ-HLA-A2 and T1006I-HLA-A2. These complexes show that there are multiple structural solutions to recognizing RLQ and thereby generating a clonally diverse T cell response to this epitope that assures protection against viral escape and T cell clonal loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daichao Wu
- Laboratory of Structural Immunology, Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, China; W.M. Keck Laboratory for Structural Biology, University of Maryland Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, Rockville, Maryland, USA; Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | | | | | - Brian G Pierce
- W.M. Keck Laboratory for Structural Biology, University of Maryland Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, Rockville, Maryland, USA; Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Roy A Mariuzza
- W.M. Keck Laboratory for Structural Biology, University of Maryland Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, Rockville, Maryland, USA; Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA.
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Omame A, Abbas M. Modeling SARS-CoV-2 and HBV co-dynamics with optimal control. PHYSICA A 2023; 615:128607. [PMID: 36908694 PMCID: PMC9984188 DOI: 10.1016/j.physa.2023.128607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Revised: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Clinical reports have shown that chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) patients co-infected with SARS-CoV-2 have a higher risk of complications with liver disease than patients without SARS-CoV-2. In this work, a co-dynamical model is designed for SARS-CoV-2 and HBV which incorporates incident infection with the dual diseases. Existence of boundary and co-existence endemic equilibria are proved. The occurrence of backward bifurcation, in the absence and presence of incident co-infection, is investigated through the proposed model. It is noted that in the absence of incident co-infection, backward bifurcation is not observed in the model. However, incident co-infection triggers this phenomenon. For a special case of the study, the disease free and endemic equilibria are shown to be globally asymptotically stable. To contain the spread of both infections in case of an endemic situation, the time dependent controls are incorporated in the model. Also, global sensitivity analysis is carried out by using appropriate ranges of the parameter values which helps to assess their level of sensitivity with reference to the reproduction numbers and the infected components of the model. Finally, numerical assessment of the control system using various intervention strategies is performed, and reached at the conclusion that enhanced preventive efforts against incident co-infection could remarkably control the co-circulation of both SARS-CoV-2 and HBV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Omame
- Department of Mathematics, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Nigeria
- Abdus Salam School of Mathematical Sciences, Government College University, Katchery Road, Lahore 54000, Pakistan
| | - Mujahid Abbas
- Department of Mathematics, Government College University, Katchery Road, Lahore 54000, Pakistan
- Department of Medical Research, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan
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46
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Bourion-Bédès S, Rousseau H, Batt M, Tarquinio P, Lebreuilly R, Sorsana C, Legrand K, Tarquinio C, Baumann C. Child self-report and child-parent agreement regarding health-related quality of life under COVID-19 lockdown in the French Grand Est area. CHILDREN AND YOUTH SERVICES REVIEW 2023; 147:106842. [PMID: 36741817 PMCID: PMC9886068 DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2023.106842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Revised: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Nearly 1.6 billion of children and young people in more than 190 countries have been affected by school closures under the first lockdown due to the coronavirus disease. This study aimed to investigate child-reported and parent-rated health-related quality of life among 8- to 18-year-olds and the agreement between the children's assessments and those of their parents during lockdown. A cross-sectional study was conducted among French children living in the Grand Est area. An online survey was used to collect data on the children's sociodemographics, living environments, education and HRQoL. The latter was assessed with KIDSCREEN-27, which consists of five domains. Sex and age differences in parent ratings and child-reported data were analyzed using Mann-Whitney tests. Child-parent agreement was analyzed using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). In total, 471 child-parent pairs from 341 households were included. Compared to European norms, children scored lower on all dimensions during the first lockdown: physical well-being (45.9/49.94 EU), psychological well-being (48.8/49.77 EU), parent relations and autonomy (47.7/49.99 EU), social support and peers (36.4/49.94 EU) and school (48.2/50 EU). Significant child-reported sex and age differences were identified for both psychological and physical well-being dimensions. Moderate to good agreement existed between children's and parents' ratings on all KIDSCREEN dimensions (ICC ranged from 0.60 to 0.76). The study suggests the need to focus on children's social support and peers during epidemics and to consider the children's self-reported HRQoL. Additional research should be conducted to identify ways of minimizing the gap between mental health needs and the services available and to help more children maintain their physical and mental health during the current crisis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stéphanie Bourion-Bédès
- Université de Lorraine, APEMAC, équipe MICS, F-54 000 Nancy, France
- Centre Hospitalier de Versailles, Service Universitaire de Psychiatrie de l'Enfant et de l'Adolescent, 78157 Versailles-Le Chesnay, France
| | - Hélène Rousseau
- Methodology, Data Management and Statistics Unit, University Hospital of Nancy, 54000 Nancy, France
| | - Martine Batt
- InterPsy, GRC Team, University of Lorraine, 54000 Nancy, France
| | | | | | | | - Karine Legrand
- Université de Lorraine, APEMAC, équipe MICS, F-54 000 Nancy, France
- Clinical Investigation Center, INSERM, University Hospital of Nancy, 54000 Nancy, France
| | - Cyril Tarquinio
- Université de Lorraine, APEMAC, équipe MICS, F-54 000 Nancy, France
| | - Cédric Baumann
- Université de Lorraine, APEMAC, équipe MICS, F-54 000 Nancy, France
- Methodology, Data Management and Statistics Unit, University Hospital of Nancy, 54000 Nancy, France
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Tellis GJ, Sood A, Nair S, Sood N. Lockdown Without Loss? A Natural Experiment of Net Payoffs from COVID-19 Lockdowns. JOURNAL OF PUBLIC POLICY & MARKETING : JPP&M : AN ANNUAL PUBLICATION OF THE DIVISION OF RESEARCH, GRADUATE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION, THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN 2023; 42:133-151. [PMID: 38603285 PMCID: PMC9836842 DOI: 10.1177/07439156221143954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
Lacking a federal policy to control the spread of COVID-19, state governors ordered lockdowns and mask mandates, at different times, generating a massive natural experiment. The authors exploit this natural experiment to address four issues: (1) Were lockdowns effective in reducing infections? (2) What were the costs to consumers? (3) Did lockdowns increase (signaling effect) or reduce (substitution effect) consumers' mask adoption? (4) Did governors' decisions depend on medical science or nonmedical drivers? Analyses via difference-in-differences and generalized synthetic control methods indicate that lockdowns causally reduced infections. Although lockdowns reduced infections by 480 per million consumers per day (equivalent to a reduction of 56%), they reduced customer satisfaction by 2.2%, consumer spending by 7.5%, and gross domestic product by 5.4% and significantly increased unemployment by 2% per average state by the end of the observation period. A counterfactual analysis shows that a nationwide lockdown on March 15, 2020, would have reduced total cases by 60%, whereas the absence of any state lockdowns would have resulted in five times more cases by April 30. The average cost of reducing the number of cases by one new infection was about $28,000 in lower gross domestic product.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ashish Sood
- Gerard J. Tellis is Neely Chaired Professor of American Enterprise, Director of the Center for Global Innovation, and Director of the Institute for Outlier Research in Business, Marshall School of Business, University of Southern California, USA (). Ashish Sood is Associate Professor of Marketing, Academic Director MBA/PMBA programs, A. Gary Anderson Graduate School of Management, University of California, and Research Fellow, Center of Global Innovation, University of Southern California, USA (). Sajeev Nair is Assistant Professor of Marketing, School of Business, University of Kansas, USA (). Nitish Sood is an MD student, Medical College of Georgia, USA ()
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Ezaki M, Wada H, Ichikawa Y, Ikeda N, Shiraki K, Yamamoto A, Moritani I, Shimaoka M, Shimpo H. Plasma Soluble Fibrin Is Useful for the Diagnosis of Thrombotic Diseases. J Clin Med 2023; 12:jcm12072597. [PMID: 37048680 PMCID: PMC10095172 DOI: 10.3390/jcm12072597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Soluble fibrin (SF) is a form of fibrinogen that is activated by thrombin and is considered to be useful for the diagnosis of the prethrombotic state or thrombosis. Methods: Plasma levels of fibrin-related markers (FRMs), such as SF, D-dimer, fibrinogen, and fibrin degradation prioduct (FDP) levels in critically ill patients, were examined for the diagnosis of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), venous thromboembolism (VTE), peripheral arterial thromboembolism (PATE), acute myocardial infarction (AMI), and acute cerebral infarction (ACI). Results: FRMs showed the usefulness in diagnosing DIC and VTE and the cutoff values of D-dimer, FDP, and SF for DIC were 7.2–7.8 μg/mL, 10.0 μg/mL, and 9.5 μg/mL, respectively. The cutoff values of D-dimer and FDP for VTE were similar to the 97.5th percentile values of healthy volunteers, while the cutoff value of SF was 6.9 μg/mL. In AMI and ACI, the cutoff values of D-dimer and FDP were lower than the 97.5 percentile values of healthy volunteers. A receiver operating characteristic analysis for all thrombosis cases showed that an adequate cutoff value in only SF among FRMs was higher than the confidence interval of healthy volunteers. Only SF had high sensitivity for thrombosis, as the FDP/SF ratio was markedly low for ACI, AMI and VTE. Conclusions: FRMs, especially D-dimer and FDP, were useful for diagnosing thrombosis with hyperfibrinolysis (e.g., DIC). As SF showed high sensitivity for predominantly thrombotic diseases, including arterial thrombosis, such as ACI and AMI, a high SF value suggests the possibility of an association with thrombosis. Finally, SF is the most useful marker for raising suspicion of an association with thrombosis, especially arterial thrombosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minoru Ezaki
- Department of Central Laboratory, Mie Prefectural General Medical Center, Yokkaichi 510-0885, Japan
| | - Hideo Wada
- Department of General and Laboratory Medicine, Mie Prefectural General Medical Center, Yokkaichi 510-0885, Japan;
| | - Yuhuko Ichikawa
- Department of Central Laboratory, Mie Prefectural General Medical Center, Yokkaichi 510-0885, Japan
| | - Nozomi Ikeda
- Department of Central Laboratory, Mie Prefectural General Medical Center, Yokkaichi 510-0885, Japan
| | - Katsuya Shiraki
- Department of General and Laboratory Medicine, Mie Prefectural General Medical Center, Yokkaichi 510-0885, Japan;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +81-59-345-2321
| | - Akitaka Yamamoto
- Department of Emergency and Critical Care Center, Mie Prefectural General Medical Center, Yokkaichi 510-0885, Japan
| | - Isao Moritani
- Department of Gastroenterology, Mie Prefectural General Medical Center, Yokkaichi 510-0885, Japan
| | - Motomu Shimaoka
- Department of Molecular Pathobiology and Cell Adhesion Biology, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Tsu 514-8507, Japan
| | - Hideto Shimpo
- Mie Prefectural General Medical Center, Yokkaichi 510-0885, Japan
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Sirat R, Sahrai MS, Rahimi BA, Asady A, Wasiq AW. Knowledge, attitudes and practices of university students toward COVID-19 in Southern region, Afghanistan: a cross-sectional study. BMC MEDICAL EDUCATION 2023; 23:171. [PMID: 36941657 PMCID: PMC10026196 DOI: 10.1186/s12909-023-04164-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Successful implementation of preventive measures and level of awareness in particular among university students in Afghanistan could play a crucial role in spreading the information for better control of the ongoing pandemic. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the level of knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) regarding COVID-19 among Kandahar university students. METHODS A cross-sectional study conducted among undergraduate students to investigate their KAP regarding COVID-19 from January to March, 2021. The data were collected using a structured questionnaire (socio-demographic characteristics, KAP questionnaire) by phone call interviews. RESULTS From 359 participants, 88.9% were males, 81.3% were single, 65.1% lived in urban areas, and more than 64% of the students were less than 23 years old. Overall, 86.6% of the study participants had adequate level of knowledge and 87.5% had positive attitudes toward COVID-19. Almost one-third of the participants had good practices regarding COVID-19. All KAP scores were higher in male students. Significant difference of good practice (p < 0.001) was observed among students who were in high socioeconomic status (SES) group. In univariate analysis, female sex (β: -0.75, p = 0.007) was negatively and watching television (β: 0.44; p = 0.014) was positively associated with knowledge score. However, in multivariate linear regression analysis, the knowledge score was significantly associated with age (β: -0.115; p = 0.004); attitude score was significantly associated with female sex (β: -2.776; p < 0.001) and radio use (β: -0.974; p = 0.031); and practice score was significantly associated with female sex (β: -3.704; p = 0.002) and urban area (β: 1.702; p = 0.016). CONCLUSIONS The overall knowledge and attitudes regarding COVID-19 among university students were desirable. Higher university year, young age, male sex and living in urban areas were significantly associated with good KAP regarding COVID-19. Good practices towards COVID-19 should be increased through awareness programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahmatullah Sirat
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kandahar University, Kandahar, 03801, Afghanistan
| | - Mohammad Sediq Sahrai
- Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kandahar University, Kandahar, Afghanistan.
| | - Bilal Ahmad Rahimi
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Kandahar University, Kandahar, Afghanistan
| | - Abdullah Asady
- Department of Microbiology, Kabul University of Medical Sciences, Kabul, Afghanistan
| | - Abdul Wahed Wasiq
- Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kandahar University, Kandahar, Afghanistan
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Ceruti S, Glotta A, Biggiogero M, Marzano M, Bona G, Previsdomini M, Saporito A, Capdevila X. Long-Term Evolution of Activities of Daily Life (ADLs) in Critically Ill COVID-19 Patients, a Case Series. Healthcare (Basel) 2023; 11:healthcare11050650. [PMID: 36900655 PMCID: PMC10001119 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare11050650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Revised: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The most common long-term symptoms of critically ill COVID-19 patients are fatigue, dyspnea and mental confusion. Adequate monitoring of long-term morbidity, mainly analyzing the activities of daily life (ADLs), allows better patient management after hospital discharge. The aim was to report long-term ADL evolution in critically ill COVID-19 patients admitted to a COVID-19 center in Lugano (Switzerland). METHODS A retrospective analysis on consecutive patients discharged alive from ICU with COVID-19 ARDS was performed based on a follow-up one year after hospital discharge; ADLs were assessed through the Barthel index (BI) and the Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) scale. The primary objective was to assess differences in ADLs at hospital discharge (acute ADLs) and one-year follow-up (chronic ADLs). The secondary objective was to explore any correlations between ADLs and multiple measures at admission and during the ICU stay. RESULTS A total of 38 consecutive patients were admitted to the ICU; a t-test analysis between acute and chronic ADLs through BI showed a significant improvement at one year post discharge (t = -5.211, p < 0.0001); similarly, every single task of BI showed the same results (p < 0.0001 for each task of BI). The mean KPS was 86.47 (SD 20.9) at hospital discharge and 99.6 at 1 year post discharge (p = 0.02). Thirteen (34%) patients deceased during the first 28 days in the ICU; no patient died after hospital discharge. CONCLUSIONS Based on BI and KPS, patients reached complete functional recovery of ADLs one year after critical COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuele Ceruti
- Department of Critical Care, Clinica Luganese Moncucco, 6900 Lugano, Switzerland
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +41-079/440-73-92
| | - Andrea Glotta
- Department of Critical Care, Clinica Luganese Moncucco, 6900 Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Maira Biggiogero
- Clinical Research Unit, Clinica Luganese Moncucco, 6900 Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Martino Marzano
- Department of Internal Medicine, Clinica Luganese Moncucco, 6900 Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Giovanni Bona
- Clinical Research Unit, Clinica Luganese Moncucco, 6900 Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Marco Previsdomini
- Department of Intensive Care Medicine, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale, 6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Andrea Saporito
- Service of Anesthesiology, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale, 6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Xavier Capdevila
- Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Montpellier, 34000 Montpellier, France
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