Covid-19-related health literacy: a cross-sectional study in Israel

Background

The “infodemic” related to Covid-19 emphasized the importance of the public’s ability to access, understand, appraise and use information to make decisions about health. This study aimed to:

1. Assess the components of Covid-19 related health literacy (Co-HL)

2. Examine the associations of socio-demographic variables and health status with Co-HL

Methods

This study was conducted as part of the European Health Literacy Population Survey 2019-2021 (HLS19). A cross-sectional survey of a representative sample of adults in Israel was conducted in December 2020 using phone interviews and an online survey (n = 1,315). Five items measuring Co-HL were added. Multivariable regression models were used to assess the associations between socio-demographic variables and health status with Co-HL.

Results

Of participants, 63% reported concern about Covid-19. The mean general HL was lower among those who reported concern about Covid-19 compared to those who worried less (p = 0.002). The most difficult component of Co-HL was “judging the reliability of information regarding Covid-19” (36% expressed difficulty). Older participants, those with low self-reported social status, and low self-assessed health, were significantly (p < 0.05) more likely to express difficulty in judging the reliability of Covid-19 information. Interestingly, education level was not significantly associated with Co-HL.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that, to best promote the use of information on Covid-19 prevention, older people, those with low social status and those with poor general health should be prioritized for improving critical health literacy.

Key messages

• Co-HL is unequally distributed in the population, warranting tailored health promotion efforts.

• It is vital to improve the ability of the population to identify reliable information about covid-19.

SARS-CoV-2-associated gastrointestinal and liver diseases: what is known and what is needed to explore

BACKGROUND

The pandemic of COVID19 which is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was first described in China as an unexplained pneumonia transmitted by respiratory droplets. Gastrointestinal (GI) and liver injury associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection were reported as an early or sole disease manifestation, mainly outside China. The exact mechanism and incidence of GI and liver involvement are not well elucidated.

MAIN BODY

We conducted a PubMed search for all articles written in the English language about SARS-CoV-2 affecting the GI and liver. Following data extraction, 590 articles were selected. In addition to respiratory droplets, SARS-CoV-2 may reach the GI system through the fecal-oral route, saliva, and swallowing of nasopharyngeal fluids, while breastmilk and blood transmission were not implicated. Moreover, GI infection may act as a septic focus for viral persistence and transmission to the liver, appendix, and brain. In addition to the direct viral cytopathic effect, the mechanism of injury is multifactorial and is related to genetic and demographic variations. The most frequently reported GI symptoms are diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and bleeding. However, liver infection is generally discovered during laboratory testing or a post-mortem. Radiological imaging is the gold standard in diagnosing COVID-19 patients and contributes to understanding the mechanism of extra-thoracic involvement. Medications should be prescribed with caution, especially in chronic GI and liver patients.

CONCLUSION

GI manifestations are common in COVID-19 patients. Special care should be paid for high-risk patients, older males, and those with background liver disease.

Cerebral heterotopia of the temporofacial region. Case report

The authors report a case of cerebral heterotopia in the right temporofacial region of a neonate. The lesion presented as a massive cystic swelling containing cerebrospinal fluid. It produced calvarial and facial bone deformities. After the mass was excised, histological examination revealed glial tissue and choroid plexus.

Cystic meningioma

Meningiomas are usually solid tumours. Cystic changes in meningiomas are rare. These cysts may occur extratumoural, peritumoural or intratumoural. Diagnostic difficulties arise in cases of cystic meningiomas. Nine cases of cystic meningiomas were operated on in the past 6 years at the department of neurosurgery University of Alexandra. The mean age of patients was 46.2 years. Male to female ratio was 1/2. Less oedema was observed in extratumoural cysts, and more oedema in intratumoural cysts. The fluid contained was dark brown or dirty yellow in intratumoural cysts (type C), xanthochromic in peritumoural cysts surrounded by tumour tissue (Type B), or clear fluid in extratumoural cysts (Type A). Based on these two observations it is proposed that the cyst fluid and peritumoral oedema may represent variable degrees of degeneration or secretion by tumour cells. Pre-operatively diagnostic criteria are presented.