Severe Covid-19 disease is associated with endothelial infection, viraemia, and multi-organ dysfunction. The process through which SARS-CoV2 causes severe disease is yet to be determined. Here, we propose that in severe Covid-19 infection, SARS-CoV2 reaches the host bloodstream by infecting endothelial cells through their basal surface. This occurs, independently of ACE2, through CD147, a putative SARS-CoV2 receptor. The pathway proposed here encourages research on the mechanisms mediating endothelial cell infection in Covid-19.

This review investigates links between post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC), post-infection viral persistence, mitochondrial involvement and aberrant innate immune response and cellular metabolism during SARS-CoV-2 infection. Advancement of proteomic and metabolomic studies now allows deeper investigation of alterations to cellular metabolism, autophagic processes and mitochondrial dysfunction caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection while computational biology and machine learning have advanced methodologies of predicting virus-host gene and protein interactions. Particular focus is given to interaction between viral genes and proteins with mitochondrial function and that of the innate immune system. Finally, the authors hypothesise that viral persistence may be a function of mitochondrial involvement in sequestration of viral genetic material. While further work is necessary to understand the mechanisms definitively, a number of studies now point to resolution of questions regarding the pathogenesis of PASC.

The study aimed to evaluate the after-effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the sleep quality and patterns of women across different cultural settings within Iraq, spanning the period of 2022. A cross-sectional survey was administered to a diverse cohort of women from multiple provinces in Iraq. The survey measured various parameters, including sleep duration, onset latency, and disturbances. The post-pandemic period has seen a notable decline in sleep quality among the female population. Contributing factors include psychological stress, lifestyle changes due to the pandemic, and ongoing socio-economic challenges. The impact on sleep quality exhibited variation across different cultural groups, indicating a significant cultural influence on the pandemic's psychological aftermath. The study concludes that the post-pandemic phase has adversely affected the sleep health of women in Iraq, with cultural factors playing a critical role in these changes. There is a pressing need for culturally sensitive public health strategies to address sleep disturbances and mitigate their long-term effects on women's health. Public health initiatives should be tailored to address the specific cultural contexts within Iraq to improve sleep health among women. Further research is warranted to explore the long-term consequences of disturbed sleep patterns and the effectiveness of different intervention strategies.

During the Covid 19 pandemic, we saw a huge impact on the lives of individuals in cities. The way people responded was controlled and limited. The lockdown restricted a lot of movements in the cities as well as contained the citizens in their houses. Through a semi-structured interview, the research aims to understand the change in behaviour and response of individuals across various cities. The paper aims to understand how people change their day-to-day life in cities during the pandemic and while the restrictions getting released post the first wave. The paper also understands how the pandemic impacted urban spaces and what value they hold for people. By interviewing individuals from different cities, the data were transcribed and analysed to understand this behavioural change and the attitude of people. The outcome of the research was derived as a concept map through the codes generated during the research.

Pineapple is a highly demanded fruit in international markets, thanks to its unique appearance and flavor, high fiber content, vitamins, folic acid, and minerals. It makes the pineapple production and processing market a significant source of income for producing countries, such as Costa Rica. Nowadays, its processing produces a large amount of waste with negative consequences for the environment. However, pineapple waste is an essential source of cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, and other high-value products like enzymes (bromelain). These by-products can be obtained by pineapple waste biorefinery, generating an additional source of export goods and foreign currency, framing pineapple processing in the concept of the circular economy. This review discusses how incorporating biorefinery in the pineapple production processes can contribute to the post-COVID 19 economy in Costa Rica. Pineapple production in Costa Rica is explored, and the contamination of generated residues is delineated. Furthermore, the primary processes for by-product extraction via biorefinery, their general characteristics and applications in the medical field, and their contribution to the circular economy are presented.

While it is not new that Nigeria is challenged by a huge infrastructure deficit, the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the country’s comatose healthcare system. Given the country’s dwindling revenue, massive debt profile and the inability of the public-sector to efficiently manage public facilities in the country, this paper examines how the public-private partnership model of infrastructure procurement can be deployed as a solution for Nigeria’s healthcare crisis. In addition to the above, this paper takes a look at how a partnership with the private sector can aid Nigeria’s quest towards achieving healthcare-related Sustainable Development Goals. The paper also considers two healthcare-based projects as case studies to serve as lessons for future projects in the country. Among others, the paper recommends a holistic long-term solution for the country’s healthcare needs.

Epithelial characteristics underlying the differential susceptibility of chronic asthma to SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) and other viral infections are currently unclear. By revisiting transcriptomic data from patients with Th2 low versus Th2 high asthma, as well as mild, moderate and severe asthmatics, we characterized the changes in expression of human coronavirus and influenza viral entry genes relative to sex, airway location and disease endotype. We found sexual dimorphism in expression of COVID-19 genes ACE2, TMPRSS2, TMPRSS4, and SLC6A19. ACE2 receptor downregulation occurred specifically in females in Th2 high asthma, while proteases broadly assisting coronavirus and influenza viral entry, TMPRSS2 and TMPRSS4, were highly upregulated in both sexes. Overall, changes in COVID-19 gene expression were specific to Th2 high molecular endotype of asthma, and different by asthma severity and airway location. The downregulation of ACE2 (COVID-19, SARS) and ANPEP (HCoV-229E) viral receptors correlated with loss of club and ciliated cells in Th2 high asthma, while the increase in DPP4 (MERS-CoV), ST3GAL4, and ST6GAL1 (influenza) associated with an increase in goblet and basal activated cells. Overall, this study elucidates sex, airway location, disease endotype and changes in epithelial heterogeneity as factors underlying asthmatic susceptibility, or lack thereof, to COVID-19.

Since 2020 COVID-19 has caused serious mortality around the world. Given the ambiguity in es-tablishing COVID-19 as the direct cause of death we first investigate the effects of age and sex upon all-cause mortality during 2020 and 2021 in England and Wales. Since infectious agents have their own unique age profile for death, we explore several methods to adjust single year of age deaths in England and Wales during 2019 (the pre-COVID-19 base year) to a pathogen-neutral single year of age baseline. This adjusted base year is then used to confirm the widely reported higher deaths in males for most ages above 43 years in both 2020 and 2021. During 2020 (+ COVID-19 but no vac-cination) both male and female population-adjusted deaths were significantly increased above age 35. A significant reduction in all-cause mortality among both males and females aged 75+ could be demonstrated in 2021 during widespread COVID–19 vaccination, however, below age 75 deaths progressively increased. This finding arises from a mix of vaccination and year of age profiles of deaths for the different SARS-CoV-2 variants. In addition, specific effects for age around puberty were demonstrated where females had higher deaths rather than males. There is evidence that year-of-birth cohorts may also be involved, indicating that immune priming to specific pathogen outbreaks in the past may lead to lower deaths for some birth cohorts. To specifically identify the age profile for the COVID-19 variants in 2020 to 2023, we employ the proportion of total deaths at each age which are potentially due to or ‘with’ COVID-19. The original Wuhan strain, and the Alpha variant show somewhat limited divergence in the age profile with the Alpha variant shifted to a moderately higher proportion of deaths below age 84. The Delta variant specifically targeted persons below age 65. The Omicron variants showed significantly lower proportion of overall mortality, with markedly higher relative proportion of deaths above age 65 steeply increasing with age to a maximum around 100 years of age. A similar age profile for the variants can be seen in the age-banded deaths in US states – although slightly obscured by using age bands rather than single year of age. However, the US data shows that higher male deaths are greatly dependent on age and the COVID-variant. Deaths determined as ‘due to’ COVID-19 (as opposed to ‘involving’ COVID-19) in England and Wales were especially over-estimated in 2021 relative to the change in all-cause mortality. This arose as a by-product of an increase in COVID-19 testing capacity in late 2020. Potential structure-function mechanisms for the year of age specificity of SARS-CoV-2 var-iants are discussed. The question is posed as to whether vaccines based on different variants carry the specific age profile through into the vaccine.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused considerable global disruption to clinical practice. This article will review the impact that the pandemic has had on oncology clinical trials. It will assess the effect of the COVID-19 situation on the initial presentation and investigation of patients with suspected cancer. It will also discuss the impact of the pandemic on the subsequent management of cancer patients and how clinical trial approval, recruitment and conduct were affected during the pandemic. An intriguing aspect of the pandemic is that clinical trials investigating treatments for COVID-19 and vaccinations against the causative virus, SARS-CoV-2, have been approved and conducted at unprecedented speed. In light of this, this re-view will also discuss the potential that this enhanced regulatory environment could have on the running of oncology clinical trials in the future.

The research deals with the particularities of the initiation in the sport of kin ball, of 94 students (54 boys and 40 girls), without a history of practicing the sport intensively, and the measure of the influence of some components of the motor capacity. Kin ball is a sport that appeared in Canada, in an academic setting and can become an alternative sport in the common university curricula in Romania. The research was carried out in 4 research groups in 2019 and 2022, two of boys and two of girls, similarly, before and after the declaration of the acute phase of the Covid-19 Pandemic, generating physical activity constraints. The originality of the research refers to the initiation, unprecedented in Romania, in the Kin ball sport, through 20 training sessions, carried out in 10-day stages and the evaluation of some motor skills on the subjects. During the experiment, the following components were tested pre- and post-intervention Kin-Ball: palmar muscle strength using the dynamometer, general resistance by running as long as possible for 2 min and general coordination function - body balance, by the Matorin test. The statistical calculation included the application of the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, depending on which parametric or non-parametric statistical significance tests were applied and the estimation of the size of the intervention effect. The results highlighted particularities of initiation in Kin ball, but also significant differences (p<0.05) in all measurements performed in 2022. The tests in 2019 recorded both significant and statistically insignificant differences, also highlighted by the calculation of the d indicator of to Cohen. The lower initial level of all motor components measured in 2022 and their significant improvement represent aspects that can be understood as collateral effects of the lack of movement during the pandemic.

Previous literature highlights the impact of COVID-19 on family functioning. Less is known about the impact of the pandemic on families of pediatric cancer patients. In order to determine universal and unique risk and resilience factors of these families during the pandemic, a qualitative analysis was conducted on families currently receiving cancer treatment at a midwestern hospital. Results of the data analysis depict ways in which these families have been impacted by and have adapted to COVID-19. These findings suggest that families of pediatric cancer patients have unique experiences in the context of COVID-19, in addition to universal experiences outlined in previous literature.

Background: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2. In Colombia, many commercial methods are now available to perform the RT-qPCR assays, and the laboratories must evaluate its diagnostic accuracy to ensure reliable results to suspected COVID-19 patients. The purpose of the study was to compare four commercial RT-qPCR assays for detection of SARS-CoV2 virus, from nasopharyngeal swab samples referred to Laboratorio Carvajal IPS, SAS of Tunja, Boyacá - Colombia. Methods: This prospective study was conducted on 152 samples of respiratory tract samples (Nasopharyngeal Swab) from patients with suspected SARS-CoV-2 infection. Diagnostic accuracy of GeneFinderTM COVID-19 Plus RealAmp (In Vitro diagnostic), One-Step Real-Time RT-PCR (Vitro Master diagnostica), Berlin modified protocol and gold standard Berlin protocol (Berlin Charite Probe One-Step RT-qPCR Kit, New England Biolabs) as reference was assessed. Operational characteristics were estimated in terms of sensitivity, specificity, agreement, and predictive values. Results: Using Berlin Charite Probe One-Step RT-qPCR Kit as reference, the sensitivity/specificity for the diagnostic tests were found to be GeneFinderTM COVID-19 Plus RealAmp Kit 100%/92.7%, One-Step Real-Time RT-PCR, One-Step Real-Time RT-PCR 92.75%/67.47%, and Berlin modified protocol 100%/96.39%. The results of four commercially available methods were found to be consistent with those obtained from Berlin Modified protocol analysis for % of the samples and showed good agreement (κ= 0.96). Concordant SARS-CoV2 negative and positive RT-qPCR results were reported for xxx and xxx samples, respectively. Summarize something about the Ct. Conclusion: Our data demonstrate that all commercially available methods are rapid and reliable for the identification of SARS-CoV-2 virus associated with COVID-19. One-Step RT-qPCR Kit and GeneFinderTM COVID-19 Plus RealAmp assay show optimal sensitivity compared with Belin modified protocol. In addition, there is no significant correlation between xxxxx

Abstract: (1) Background: The Covid-19 pandemic has spread globally since January 2020 and is a threat to public health. This study aims to highlight the psychosocial impact on Greek nursing students and the challenges they received regarding the new sustainable educational reality, in the context of the sudden and exclusive application of distance education during the pandemic Covid-19; (2) Methods: Questionnaires were distributed through an online form (Lime Survey) to undergraduate nursing students enrolled in online courses. Data were collected between De-cember 2020 and January 2021 (3) Results: A total of 341 participants were included in the study. Some of the participants (9.1%) reported that being unemployed because of the Covid-19 affected their sustainability of life. Similarly, distance education had a negative impact on students' par-ticipation in social activities with their classmates (64.5%), while many of the participants were concerned that the sudden transition from face-to-face to distance education would have a negative impact on their future career (46.3%). Furthermore, the majority of students in this study seemed to disagree that distance education could be more effective than face-to-face education (72.1%); (4) Conclusions: It is undoubtedly proven that the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic have a great impact on the educational sector. These social and psychological changes endangered the viability of students in the Greek educational reality.

Background: The Covid-19 pandemic has globally impacted the lives of individuals, families, and children. In Italy, measures such as lockdowns and distance learning were implemented in schools, which affected the mental health of children and families. Methods: This article employs qualitative methodology to explore the experiences of children, parents, and teachers during the pandemic and lockdown, as well as the implementation of a death education project aimed at primary school children to help them process emotions and losses experienced during this period. Results: Distance learning posed challenges to the learning process and exacerbated social inequalities. Children suffered from limited social contact with friends and experienced negative emotions, including anger, fear, and concern for the health of their loved ones. The death education project provided a safe space for emotional expression and facilitated the acquisition of coping strategies. Open communication between adults and children about illness and death proved effective in mitigating the psychological impacts of loss and preventing traumatic bereavement. Conclusions: The findings highlight the utility of death education in enhancing children's ability to express their emotions and approach the topic of death morefrankly.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD´s) continue as the primary cause of death worldwide. During the past couple of years, and with the surge of the COVID-19 pandemic, deaths linked to CVD´s were -slightly overshadowed by those deaths related to COVID-19, albeit during the highest peaks of the pandemic. The present study derived form understanding the correlation between both diseases, from the standpoint of patients already diagnosed with CVD´s (n = 41883) and what comorbidities had the highest influence on overall patient death (n = 3637). Obesity, hypertension, and diabetes are all linked to worsening the outcome of COVID-19 positive patients, hence they were considered when looking at the overview of all CVD positive patients. Our finding showed that 1697 deaths were related to diabetes (p < 0.001), 987 deaths were related to obesity (p < 0.001), and lastly 2499 deaths were attributed to hypertension (p < 0.001) individually. Using logistic regression modeling, we found diabetes (OR: 1.744, p < 0.001) and hypertension (OR: 2.179, p < 0.001) had a high impact on patient deaths. Hence, having a CVD diagnosis, with hypertension and/or diabetes seems to increase the likely-hood of complication leading to death in COVID-19 positive patients.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing measures were put into place to flatten the pandemic curve. It was projected older adults were at increased risk for poor psychological and health outcomes resulting from increased social isolation and loneliness. However, little re-search has supported this projection among community-dwelling older adults. While growing body of research has examined the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on older adults, there is a paucity of qualitative research that captures the lived experience of community-dwelling older adults. The current study aimed to better understand the lived experience of community-dwelling older adults during the first six months of the pandemic. Semi-structured one on one interviews were conducting with independent living older adults aged 65 years and older. After achieving saturation, 22 interview were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Following a recursive process, two overarching themes emerged from the data: perceived threat and challenges of the pandemic and coping with the pandemic. Specifically, participants reflected on the threat of contracting the virus and challenges associated with living arrangement, social isolation, and financial insecurity. Participants shared their coping strategies to maintain health and wellbeing, including behavioral strategies, emotion-focused strategies, and social support. Overall, this re-search highlights resilience among older adults during the first six months of the pandemic.

During this epidemic of COVID-19, children are in need of much concentration and profound love of the senior family members. Although the measures taken by the organizations are necessary to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, they may be causing widespread mental health issues, including depression and loneliness. Therefore, it is imperative that parents have to spend the lion-share of time with children while listening to them cordially. Parents can participate in sports with them to help them stay fit so that they can enjoy commemorating moments. However, in this additional time, the parents can also make them habituated to practice the rules of health, so does social distancing.

Whilst large-scale changes in population behaviour are required to reduce the transmission of the SARS-COV-2 virus, the emergency context is not conducive to the sort of careful communications planning that would normally be required to meet such a task. Rapid strategic communications planning in a pandemic by governments is, however, possible and necessary. Steps include setting up a dedicated communications task force, mobilising partners and resources, developing a creative brief and theory of change and overseeing the creation, testing, roll out and revision of content. In this short guide we argue that a minimum of strategic planning can be undertaken rapidly, and that good use can be made of simple principles of behaviour change, even during pandemics. Our aim here is to provide a blueprint that governments and their partners, especially in low-income settings, can follow to design, coordinate and resource national communications efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic immediately and for the longer term.

India is ranked 5th in world in terms of Covid-19 publications accounting for 6.7% of the total. About 60% of the Covid-19 publications in the year 2020 are from United States, China, UK, Italy, and India. We present a bibliometrics analysis of the publi-cation trends and citation structure along with identification of major research clusters. By performing network analysis of authors, citations, institutions, key-words, and countries, we explore semantic associations by applying visualization techniques. Our study shows lead taken by United States, China, UK, Italy, India in Covid-19 research may be attributed to the high prevalence of Covid-19 cases in those countries witnessing the first outbreak and also due to access to Covid-19 data, access to labs for experimental trials, immediate funding, and overall support from the govt. agencies. Large number of publications and citations from India are due to co-authored publications with countries like United States, UK, China, and Saudi Arabia. Findings show health sciences with highest the number of publications and citations, while physical sciences and social sciences and humanities counts were low. A large proportion of publications fall into the open access category. With India as focus, by comparing three major pandemics SARS, MERS, Covid-19 from biblio-metrics perspective, we observe much broader involvement of authors from multiple countries for Covid-19 studies as compared to SARS and MERS. Finally, by applying bibliometric indicators, we see an increasing number of sustainable develop-ment-related studies from the Covid-19 domain, particularly concerning the topic of good health and well-being. This study allows for a deeper understanding on how the scholarly community from a populous country like India pursued research in the midst of a major pandemic which resulted in closure of scientific institutions.

Cross-sectional survey was conducted to capture the true extent of COVID-19 exposure among students and staff of Polytechnic High School (PHS). Random cluster sampling was carried out between May 19 and August 18, 2022, after the fourth wave of COVID-19 transmission. IgM and IgG SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were screened using WANTAI SARS-CoV-2 ELISA assays. Seroprevalence and descriptive statistics were calculated. Moreo-ver, the association between seropositivity and different factors (age, gender, preventive measures comorbidity, and symptoms, etc.) was determined using Logistic Regression. The overall IgG and IgM seroprevalence were 92% and 6.91% respectively. We found a higher IgM seroprevalence in men than women (9.4% vs. 5.6%) and a lower IgM seroprevalence in (18-25) age group compared to (55-65) years. Low compliance with preventive measures was found with a significant IgM seroprevalence depending on non-respect of social distancing (p = 0.008). A total of 70% of participants presented symptoms linked to COVID-19 at the moment of the survey. Results revealed a significant difference according to IgG seroprevalence among participants who declared fa-tigue symptoms 92.06% compared to those who did not 80.39% (p = 0.0027). IgM seropositivity was associated with Body Mass Indice (BMI) categorized (O.R. 0.238, p = 0.043), ethnic group (O.R. 0.723, p = 0.046) and marital status (O.R. 2.399, p = 0.021). Moreover, IgG seropositivity was associated with Chronic sinusitis comorbidity (O.R. 0.238, p = 0.043) and vaccination status (O.R. 4.741, p < 0.001). The majority of students and staff have al-ready been exposed to SARS-CoV-2 and confirm the circulation of SARS-CoV-2 in PHS at the time of the survey. Our results underline the importance of sero-epidemiological surveys to estimate the real impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in a community and to monitor disparities in antibody response in the population.

The COVID-19 pandemic and associated restrictive measures implemented may considerably affect people’s lives. This study aimed to assess the well-being of Vietnamese people after COVID-19 lockdown measures were lifted and life gradually returned to normal. An online survey was organized from 21st to 25th April 2020 among Vietnamese residents aged 18 and over. Besides collecting socio-demographic and COVID-19-related data, the WHO-5 Well-Being Index (scored 0–25) was used to score participants’ well-being. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to determine the predictors of well-being. A total of 1922 responses were analyzed (mean age: 31 years; 30.5% male). Mean well-being score was 17.35±4.97. Determinants of high well-being score (≥13) included older age, eating healthy food, practising physical exercise, working from home, and adhering to the COVID-19 preventive measures. Female participants, persons worried about their relatives’ health, and smokers were more likely to have a low well-being score. In conclusion, after the lockdown measures were lifted, the Vietnamese people continued to follow COVID-19 preventive measures and most of them scored high on the well-being scale. Waiting to achieve large scale COVID-19 vaccine coverage, promoting preventive COVID-19 measures remains important, together with strategies to guarantee the well-being of the Vietnamese people.

In December 2019, an unusual cluster of pneumonia cases were reported in Wuhan and promptly confirmed to be caused by a new virus known as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) of which the disease it caused would be known as COVID-19. In March 2020, in the absence of any vaccines, and in response to the global spread of SARS-CoV-2 the UK implemented non-pharmaceutical intervention (NPI) measures in the form of a national lockdown to decelerate the spread. Compliance with NPIs can have significant impact on reducing disease transmission however there are currently no studies measuring compliance within the horse ownership world which naturally brings groups of people together during everyday caregiving activities. This article describes the reported horse owner compliance during the COVID-19 pandemic from March 2020 to December 2020 as deduced from 1036 respondents which completed an anonymous online survey between December 30th, 2020 and January 11th, 2021. Where rules/guidance did exist, there was good compliance with 92.76% of respondents indicating that they were following them. The most common rule/guidance implemented was social distancing, which was also the most common rule/guidance to be breached. Riding with others whilst at the yard (hacking or in an arena) and meeting up with non-household members (family and friends) when off the yard were also common rules/guidelines breached. Respondents who kept their horses at either DIY livery, or on a private yard were most likely to breach rules/regulations whereas respondents who kept their horses at full livery were least likely to breach rules/regulations. The results indicate that compliance of horse owners with COVID-19 rules/guidance is high when rules/guidance exists. However, just under half of respondents indicated that there were no rules/guidelines on their yards indicating that there is room for an increased contribution from the horse owning community by encouraging more yards to impose control measures where they currently do not exist.

COVID-19 appeared as an infectious disease of global health emergency and the highest public health concern of 21st century for this world due to its high-speed of spread across the globe. The disease started as one single case to a cluster of cases in Wuhan, China (Dec 2019) and within few months with its continuous upsurge of cases spreading globally which has created enormous threat and tension across the global Public health care field. Most significantly to share the fact that, this disease caused high level of Risk Group mortality, high morbidity, health care services burden, panic anxiety, mental trauma and tension, social and economic insecurity, which also collectively surfaced by diverse range of social reaction and political pressure across the world. Also with the appearance of new and unknown pathogenesis of the disease has created the most and significant attention and concern for the scientific community and political leaders as well. The disease also varies much with its pattern of virus, sign, symptoms, characteristics including its epidemiological and public health response (like prevention strategy, diagnoses, case management, treatment pattern) across the countries. However, this variance is comparatively less rather even more in commonality while it comes to basic public health prevention interventions like frequent hand washing, wearing face mask, maintaining social/physical distancing (2 - 6 meter in between), individual isolation and community quarantine for suspected exposure and lockdown in community areas where cases are identified. These are with the most commonly practiced public health interventions to deal with this disease in majority of the epicenters across countries. Also with the progress of the disease with its diverse categorical appearance of sign symptoms which are uniquely portraying this disease is more of a kind of COVID-19 syndrome than as COVID-19. Moreover, various factors including socio economic status, health status, population dynamics, health system and infrastructure, health behavioral pattern, nutrition and food habit and access to information and knowledge made this viral disease one of the historically counted on expensive disease of the modern world to fight for. Specially to mention here, the case fatality rate distinctively vary with the population dynamics and the health system infrastructure and ability factors which have already created clear evidence as explained in this paper how these factors are uniquely distinguished and different from country to country. Apart from the contextual differences, the various kind of ongoing preventive measures (like prevention, diagnosis and treatment) learnt every day from the emerging characteristics and pattern of this viral disease which are most commonly practiced across countries with a variance. According to the Public health prevention practice and interventions, the total world is connected and learning from each other’s public health experiences to fight for the virus. However, the world communities are eagerly waiting to see the result and outcome of the ongoing therapeutics and vaccine trial initiated in several countries, the people of the world are quite optimistic and hopeful that, global scientific community will be able to invent some miraculous and magic solution in upcoming months which ultimately will free the world from this most terrifying COVID-19 pandemic of 21st century.

Background: Routine childhood vaccination, e.g., for diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP), might provide an additional protection towards SARS-CoV-2 infection. This concept of heterologous immunity was explored in healthy children receiving both DTP and inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed on 154 healthy children aged 6–8 years old in Jakarta, Indonesia. Their vaccination status of DTP (including diphtheria-tetanus booster vaccine at 5 years old) and CoronaVac (from 6 years old) were recorded. Peripheral blood samples were collected from all participants, in which anti-diphtheria toxoid IgG, anti-SARS-CoV-2 S-RBD antibodies and T cell-derived IFN-g were measured. Results: Study participants with complete DTP vaccination had significantly higher titer of anti-diphtheria toxoid IgG than the ones without (median=0.9349 versus 0.2113 IU/mL; p<0.0001). Upon stratification based on DTP and CoronaVac vaccination statuses, participants with complete DTP and CoronaVac vaccinations had the highest titer of anti-SARS-CoV-2 S-RBD antibodies (median=1,196 U/mL) and the highest concentration of SARS-CoV-2-specific T cell-derived IFN-g (median=560.9 mIU/mL) among all groups. Conclusion: Healthy children aged 6-8 years old with complete DTP and CoronaVac vaccinations exhibited higher SARS-CoV-2-specific adaptive immune responses, particularly on their T-cell response. This suggests an additional benefit of routine childhood vaccination to generate protection against novel pathogens, presumably via heterologous immunity.

Syndemics theory has been applied to study interactions between biomedical and social factors leading to clustering of diseases. Because syndemics theory focuses on interactions that enhance risk, the concept of vulnerability is central to this approach. We conducted a scoping review to better understand how syndemics theory helped to define, operationalize, and tackle issues of vulnerability during the COVID-19 pandemic. Original research, review, and opinion pieces elaborating on syndemics, vulnerability and COVID-19, published between December 2019 and October 2022 and available in PubMed, were eligible. We analysed 40 records and identified three framings of syndemics operating during this period: (1) interactions between COVID-19, diseases/health conditions and specific social factors; (2) interactions between COVID-19 and social determinants of health; and (3) impacts of COVID-19 on specific populations. Emerging conceptualizations described vulnerability to COVID-19 as a systemic issue; explained the impact of COVID-19 control measures on increased vulnerability; and presented COVID-19 as a syndemic on its own. However, this theory's potential for deepening our understanding of vulnerability during this pandemic was constrained by superficial explorations of the interactions between biomedical and social spheres, and insufficient theoretical and methodological support from the social sciences.

Introduction: The majority of epidemiological reports focus on confirmed cases of COVID-19. In this study, we aim to assess the health and well-being of adults not infected with Covid-19 after two months of quarantine in Morocco. Materials and methods: Two months after the declaration of quarantine in Morocco following the Covid-19 epidemic, we carried out a descriptive cross-sectional study of 279 Moroccan citizens. We used the Short Form Health Survey (SF-12) as a determinant of quality of life, which is based on eight dimensions of health. The data were collected using an electronic questionnaire distributed online. The participants also indicated their socio-demographic data, their knowledge and practices regarding the Covid-19 pandemic and whether they had chronic health problems. Results: The quality of life of all participants was moderately disrupted during the Covid-19 pandemic with a mental health score (MCS) of 34.49 (± 6.44) and a physical health score (PCS) of 36.10 (± 5.82). Participants with chronic diseases scored lower with 29.28 (± 1.23) in mental health (MCS) and 32.51 (± 7.14) in physical health (PCS). The seriousness of COVID-19 has an impact on the quality of life and health well-being of people and this impact is more marked in people with chronic health problems. Conclusion: Our results confirm the need to pay attention to the health of people who have not been infected with the virus. Our results also point out that uninfected people with chronic illnesses may be more likely to have well-being problems due to quarantine restrictions.

Consumer behavior is unpredictable. The accelerated pace of life and daily changes in the desires and preferences of each individual require significant marketing efforts to fulfill needs. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has created significant disruptions in the market to which consumers have responded in a specific way. Our previous research on this topic [11], which included an analysis of various factors that influence consumer habits, was the basis for a new, more detailed analysis of the impact on individual consumption. The results of our previous research set psy-chological influence as a significant factor in consumer behavior. That is the main reason we put the impact of COVID-19 at the center of this research. The analysis was conducted on an existing sample of 559 respondents in the Republic of Croatia. The data obtained by the questionnaire were used to develop a hierarchical model. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) is a model based on deci-sion-making and was used to rank individual influences on consumer behavior due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These influences have had a significant impact on consumer buying habits.

Introduction. The outbreak of the COVID pandemic was a period of uncer-tainty and tension for healthcare managers, resulting from the lack of knowledge, i.e. about the transmission of the virus, but also from the lack of uniform organisational and treatment procedures. It was the period where the ability to prepare to a crisis situation, to adapt to the existing conditions and to draw conclusion from the situa-tion were critical to keep ICUs operating. The aim of this study was to show the prep-aration of an ICU in Poland to ensure resilience, and also the methods of reacting dur-ing the COVID-19 pandemic on both central and local level. Methods. Based on the EC and WHO guidelines on resilience a matrix of 6 elements and 13 standards as-signed to them was created, with a series of questions from a survey questionnaire. Results. Good management in resilient systems is free access to any resource. A free and transparent flow of information and also well motivated human resources in an appropriate number. Conclusion. Appropriate preparation, adaptation to the existing situation and effective management of crisis situations is an important element of ICU resilience.

: The purpose of this research was to verify the importance and performance of crisis management in Korean fitness center using Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA). For this study, 304 fitness center executives and managers in Seoul and Gyeonggi region were selected as from March 21 to May 17, 2020. Frequency analysis was performed using SPSS 24.0 and exploratory factor analysis was conducted to verify the validity and reliability. Priority analysis and IPA analysis were performed to compare the mean values, and the following results were obtained. First, in the first quadrant, there were 6 attributes besides keep social distancing between employees and customers. Second, in the second quadrant, there were four attributes in addition to regular disinfection of the gymnasium. Third, in the third quadrant, there were 6 attributes besides maintain furniture clean. Third, there were 6 attributes other than maintaining furniture clean in the third quadrant. Fourth, in the fourth quadrant, there are three attributes in addition to the restriction of face-to-face meetings. The conclusion is as follows. First, equip supplies for prevention of covid19, keep social distance, and check government support policies. Second, analyze of economic support policies, and research on their application methods. Third, Prepare various non-face-to-face communication methods and Untact(non-contact) marketing strategies. Fourth, make a checklist for factors with relatively little importance.

A global event such as the COVID-19 crisis presents new, often unexpected responses that are fascinating to investigate from both, scientific and social standpoints. Despite several documented similarities, the Coronavirus pandemic is clearly distinct from the 1918 flu pandemic in terms of our exponentially increased, almost instantaneous ability to access/share information, offering an unprecedented opportunity to visualise rippling effects of global events across space and time. Personal devices provide “big data” on people’s movement, the environment and economic trends, while access to the unprecedented flurry in scientific publications and media posts provides a measure of the response of the educated world to the crisis. Most bibliometric (co-authorship, co-citation, or bibliographic coupling) analyses ignore the time dimension, but COVID-19 has made it possible to perform a detailed temporal investigation into the pandemic. Here, we report a comprehensive network analysis based on more than 20000 published documents on viral epidemics, authored by over 75,000 individuals from 140 nations in the past one year of the crisis. In contrast to the 1918 flu pandemic, access to published data over the past two decades enabled a comparison of publishing trends between the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and those of the 2003 SARS epidemic, to study changes in thematic foci and societal pressures dictating research over the course of a crisis.

Coronavirus that is also known as COVID-19 disease is produced by SARSCoV-2. This causative agent is highly contagious and can cause potentially fatal pneumonia worldwide with serious public health concerns. In the beginning among infected individuals, most of them were those who were mainly shown to the wet animal market in a big city of China known as Wuhan. So, it was suggested that this was almost certainly the zoonotic source of COVID-19illness. The transitional source of origin and their mode of transmission to humans were not known obviously. Conversely, from human to human rapidly transformation have been confirmed generally. Currently, there is no availability of FDA approved clinically antiviral drugs and/or vaccines to be used against the COVID-19. Afterward, SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, the occurrence of SARS-CoV-2 has been manifested as the third sketch of an enormously pathogenic coronavirus into human population globally. In this review, we provide a brief overview of the history of COVID-19 in Pakistan up-to 18^th weeks after beginning, current situation, epidemiology, and its impact on the human population. Moreover, we focused on physiological variation during the incubation period, genome analysis of SARS-CoV2, supportive treatment approaches, and safety measures in the Pakistani population, which may be supportive for combating the risk of COVID-19 epidemic. We also reviewed the future approaches for the development of therapeutic interventions and vaccines to cope with the COVID-19 epidemic.

More than 1,000,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been registered worldwide since the beginning of the pandemic in Wuhan on December 2019. The high mortality rate of COVID-19 is associated with age, gender and the presence of comorbidities. Biochemical data have shown that COVID-19 patients develop a local and systemic hyper-inflammatory response associated with poor outcome. Therefore, the understanding of the biological mechanisms underlying SARS-CoV-2-induced inflammation is a compelling need. Following this reasoning, here we will focus on the importance of the progressive age-related development of a pro-inflammatory state (aka inflamm-aging) in the understanding of the unbalanced inflammatory response against SARS-CoV-2 in aged people. In particular, we underpin the role of mitochondrial DNA and genomic DNA telomeric sequences in local and systemic mechanisms of inflammation. Indeed, the leakage of mtDNA out of its natural compartment (i.e. the mitochondrion), into the cytoplasm and in the extracellular environment is a powerful trigger of innate immunity and inflammation, as part of an evolutionary-conserved signaling mechanism of cellular damage (e.g. viral infection). High levels of circulating mtDNA are increased in aged people and set up as inflammatory markers of poor prognosis in intensive care unit patients. In turn, telomeric DNA, which can be released into the cytoplasm and in the extracellular environment upon cell damage, has been proven to exert potent anti-inflammatory activity. Since that aged people (particularly those affected by co-morbidity) are equipped with shortened telomeres, we posit that, in aged people affected by COVID-19 the release of mtDNA, coupled with insufficient telomeric DNA favors the onset of a detrimental inflammatory response. In this regard, we highlight that the mechanism of action of some currently used drugs, as well as potential new ones may be better understood under the light of the above-depicted theoretical framework thus explaining how studies on inflamm-aging may help to understand and combat COVID-19 pandemic.

The outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020 caused significant disruptions to global shipping and the world economy. This paper aims to investigate the impact of the pandemic on global shipping by analyzing the Baltic Dry Index (BDI). The BDI is a metric that reflects the worldwide shipping costs and directs related to supply and demand conditions, making it an indicator of economic production. The study utilizes data from 2019 to 2021, before and after the outbreak of COVID-19, and considers 13 independent variables, including raw materials, energy, stock market indexes, global port calls, and confirmed COVID-19 cases to investigate how to influent the BDI. The study employs stepwise regression to select variables and build models before and after the pandemic. The findings reveal that the key factors affecting the freight index BDI before the outbreak are: international scrap steel prices, iron ore prices, and the Commodity Research Bureau Index. However, after the COVID-19 outbreak, the factors affecting the BDI changed to the Shanghai Index, global port calls, and the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases.

ATC is a rare cancer with a slightly growing incidence and a poor prognosis determined by the delay of treatment, usually revealed by an enlarging goiter with compressive symptoms and, more rarely, by inflammatory and thyrotoxic symptoms, a clinic entity called malignant pseudothyroiditis (MPT) mimicking subacute thyroiditis (SAT). With the advent of COVID-19 pandemic, many cases of COVID-19 related SAT were described with the usual clinical presentation enriched by the COVID-19 symptoms, leading to the emergence of atypic clinical pictures. We present the case of a 60-year-old patient who developed, one month after a COVID 19 acute infection, a clinical presentation of SAT with atypical ultrasound features leading to the diagnosis of MPT; histological atypia was misleading, finally making precise diagnosis was difficult. To our best knowledge, this is the first ever reported case of MPT mimicking COVID-19 SAT. We reviewed thirty five cases published to date and discuss the mechanisms underlying MPT physiopathogenesis and the ultrasound and histological features. We point out the similarities between MPT and SAT and the role of ultrasound at clinical presentation workup. Finally there are two key points to remind: First, to perform neck ultrasound in any painful goiter and, in case of atypia, perform a US guided core-needle biopsy, a complementary CT-scan and quickly refer the patient to an expert center. Second, always think that COVID-19 infection is a recent entity and be aware that it can influence the clinical presentation of any disease.

Aims: The study aims to take the COVID-19 pandemic as an example to provide a scientific reference for diabetic patients’ self-health management and nurses’ work for these patients when facing future pandemics. Review Methods: It conducted a comprehensive literature search and analysed relevant texts. This article reviews the daily health management of diabetic patients in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and the role that nurses should play in this process. Results: Diabetic patients face challenges in self-health management during the pandemic, including disruptions in healthcare access, increased mental problems, and unhealthy lifestyles. Nurses serve as the front-line interface between these patients and the healthcare system. Adopting telehealth and remote consultation has effectively bridged the gap created by social distancing measures. Conclusion: Daily self-health management can significantly improve glycemic control and reduce the risk of diabetes-related complications, which is vital during the pandemic when patients may be experiencing disruptions to their routine care. Moreover, empowering patients through educational initiatives led by nurses can bring better self-monitoring, medication adherence, and lifestyle modifications, all of which are crucial in mitigating the effects of diabetes on the body’s immune response, thus reducing the severity of COVID-19 if contracted.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS- CoV-2) infection has required a complete change in the management of patients with gastrointestinal disease who needed to undergo endoscopic procedures. In the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic, due to restrictions for elective endoscopic procedures a large number of cancer patients were prevented from early diagnosis of several digestive cancers, which has led to a serious burden in the health system which nowadays needs to be dealt with. We designed a prospective study that included patients in whom access to elective endoscopic examinations during the COVID-19 pandemic has been delayed. Our aim was to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the diagnosis rate of digestive tract malignancies in the context of a health crisis management that generates an ethical dilemma regarding the balance of utilitarianism versus deontology. Our study shows that the decrease in the number of newly diagnosed gastrointestinal cancers by endoscopy and biopsy during the pandemic restrictions and the delay in diagnosis have hads a clear impact on stage migration due to disease progression.

his quantitative study investigates teachers' perceptions of self-efficacy during the COVID-19 pandemic and explores the correlation between these perceptions and the preservice training they received. The research addresses the cognitive connection between teachers' current self-efficacy, particularly their satisfaction with and appreciation of preservice lecturers. Utilizing a retrospective lens, the study reveals a significant correlation between teachers' evaluation of their preservice training, especially their appreciation of lecturers, and their present self-efficacy. The findings highlight that teachers, amidst the challenges of the pandemic, evaluated their self-efficacy at a remarkably high level. This underscores their resilience during a period of unprecedented uncertainty, demanding substantial personal and professional adaptability. The nuanced interplay observed suggests that teachers' sense of self-efficacy serves as a predictive variable of their mental and professional resilience when confronting uncertainty and navigating rapid and profound changes, as exemplified by the exigencies of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Several epidemiological models are being used around the world to project the number of infected individuals and the mortality rates of the COVID-19 outbreak. Advancing accurate prediction models is of utmost importance to take proper actions. Due to a high level of uncertainty or even lack of essential data, the standard epidemiological models have been challenged regarding the delivery of higher accuracy for long-term prediction. As an alternative to the susceptible-infected-resistant (SIR)-based models, this study proposes a hybrid machine learning approach to predict the COVID-19 and we exemplify its potential using data from Hungary. The hybrid machine learning methods of adaptive network-based fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) and multi-layered perceptron-imperialist competitive algorithm (MLP-ICA) are used to predict time series of infected individuals and mortality rate. The models predict that by late May, the outbreak and the total morality will drop substantially. The validation is performed for nine days with promising results, which confirms the model accuracy. It is expected that the model maintains its accuracy as long as no significant interruption occurs. Based on the results reported here, and due to the complex nature of the COVID-19 outbreak and variation in its behavior from nation-to-nation, this study suggests machine learning as an effective tool to model the outbreak. This paper provides an initial benchmarking to demonstrate the potential of machine learning for future research.

As the world grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a sudden and abrupt change in global energy landscape. Traditional fossil fuels that serve as the linchpin of the modern civilization have found their consumption rapidly fell across the most categories due to strict lockdown and stringent measures that have been adopted to suppress the disease. These changes consequently steered various environmental benefits across the world in recent time. The present article is an attempt to investigate these environmental benefits and reversals that have been materialized in this unfolding situation due to reduced consumption of fossil fuels. Life cycle assessment tool has been used hereby to evaluate nine environmental impacts and one energy based impact. These impacts include: ozone formation (terrestrial ecosystems), terrestrial acidification, freshwater eutrophication, marine eutrophication, terrestrial ecotoxicity, freshwater ecotoxicity, marine ecotoxicity, land use, mineral resources scarcity and cumulative exergy demand. Outcomes from the study demonstrate that COVID-19 has delivered impressive changes in global environment and life cycle exergy demand with about 11-25% curtailment in all above-mentioned impacts in 2020 in comparison to their corresponding readings in 2019.

Background: In 2020, health providers were expected to provide care to individuals with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) putting them at risk of acquiring COVID-19. The possibility of acquiring poorly understood infectious diseases while providing care may have an impact on the mental health of providers. We conducted a study to explore the effects of COVID-19 on the mental health of healthcare providers. Methods: Between April and August 2021, we conducted in-depth interviews with 60 health providers in the infectious disease unit (IDU) and other units in the hospital (non-IDU). Health providers completed an online self-administered survey form with demographic data (age, sex, average income, and known contact with a COVID-19 patient). We used semi-structured interview guides to understand health providers’ lived experiences with stress, anxiety, depression, and their associated factors. We transcribed interviews verbatim, coded and analyzed the transcripts to derive thematic concepts related to mental health experiences. Results: Health providers had a median age of 37 years, [IQR 20.0-58.0], 56.7% were female, 30.0% nurses, 18.3% medical doctors, and 11.7% laboratory technologists. Health providers reported increased stress during the pandemic attributed to high demand for patient care, changes in social life, and fear of COVID-19 infection. They also reported experiences of anxiety and depression as a result of limited knowledge at the beginning of the pandemic and the perception that ‘COVID-19 resulted in death’. Testing positive for COVID-19, high exposure to COVID-19 risks, and death of patients and colleagues reportedly affected health providers’ mental health. Additionally, health providers reported mental health support through debriefing meetings, peer-to-peer support, and psychological counseling with privacy and confidentiality concerns. Conclusion: Health providers faced mental health issues such as stress and anxiety while taking care of COVID-19 patients. An effective mental health response requires institutional practices that address context-specific challenges such as privacy and confidentiality.

The coronavirus 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic has emerged as a global phenomenon that significantly affects almost all sectors, irrespective of whether they have a well-established economic system. The inception of COVID-19 pandemic has increased and accelerated the demand for opera industry embrace digit technology to continue to produce performances and reach audiences. The brutality of the Covid-19 pandemic has affected most sectors, and opera artists are significantly affected in the Global South. South Africa, among others, is at the receiving end. The Covid-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc and exacerbated the existing vulnerability of opera artists. Opera artists have difficulty obtaining employment and finding funding for performing arts organisations have caused seriously challenged opera artists to survive during the Covid-19 pandemic. This study is aimed to examine the quest for new digital skills for opera artists and opera companies during the Covid-19 pandemic. A qualitative research method was adopted using interviews with opera artists, selected retired opera practitioners and managers of opera companies. In this study, scholarly documents were reviewed to yield trustworthy findings. The findings demonstrate a high demand for opera artists to upgrade their current skills to meet the demand for digital skills. This demand for digital skills is partially attributable to the closed and suspension of live theatre performances due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The findings also reveal that digital connectivity in the performing arts sector become an essential driver of economic growth. This study concludes by affirming that digital skills are key skills required for resuscitating the opera industry.

In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, to be a pandemic. Since the declaration, Nigeria economy has been greatly impacted thus resulting in a recession. This paper considers a couple of misconceptions among Nigerian people in the COVID-19 pandemic era thereby causing the spread of the novel virus and hence making the situation difficult for the government to handle. In particular, we discuss the first and second waves of the pandemic as it affects the Nigerian people. The impact of the pandemic on animals and the role of mathematical epidemiologists in combatting the spread is discussed herein. We give some recommendations that could be adopted by the government and the good people of Nigeria to reduce the further spread of the virus.

Global pandemic COVID-19 is in stage 4 of widespread local transmission in Bangladesh- the country which did not have a noteworthy health policy and legislative structures to combat COVID-19 like a pandemic. Early strategic planning and groundwork for evolving and established challenges are crucial to assemble resources and react in an appropriate timely manner. This article, therefore, focuses on the public perception of comparative lockdown scenario analysis and how they may affect the sustainable development and the strategic management regime of COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh socioeconomically. Response from 159 respondents was collected via a purposive sampling survey method through a questionnaire, and 54 statements were collected for scenario analysis. Datasets were analyzed through a set of statistical techniques including Principal Component Analysis (PCA), hierarchical Cluster Analysis (CA), Pearson’s correlation matrix (PCM), Linear regression analysis (LRA), and psychometric characteristics were included in the Classical Test Theory (CTT) analysis. There were good associations among the lockdown scenarios and response strategies to be formulated. A strong significant positive relationship was observed between people who will start moving towards regular life and the formal and informal economic activities will be started in lockdown scenario 1(r=0.671, p<0.01). The scenario one describes how the death and infection rate will increase if Govt withdraw the partial lockdown before 40 to 50 days. Scenario 2 outlines people’s movement will enable low-level community transmission of COVID-19 with the infection and death rate will increase slowly (r=0.540, p<0.01). Moreover, there will be less supply of necessities of daily use with a price hike (r= 0.680, p<0.01). Scenario 3, full lock down will reduce the community transmission and death from COVID-19 (r=0.545, p<0.01). Moreover, along with the other problems gender discrimination and gender-based violence will increase rapidly (r=0.661, p<0.01). Form regression analysis, due to full lockdown, the formal and informal business, economy and education sector will be hampered severely (R=0.695), there was a strong association between the loss of livelihood and unemployment rate will increase due to business shutdown (p<0.01) and poor communities both in urban and rural areas will be affected severely (p<0.01).All these will further aggravate the humanitarian needs of the most vulnerable groups in the country in the coming months to be followed which needs to be dealt with proper response plans. It will undoubtedly affect the targets of global sustainable development goals (SDGs) of 2030 and all other development targets.

Purpose: A novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2 was identified as the cause of COVID-19 eventually led to the declaration of Public health emergency of international concern and a pandemic by WHO due to its exponential global spread. Present study was conducted to investigate the impact of second wave of pandemic on mental wellbeing and social behaviors among university students of Pakistan during this crucial period of COVID-19 infection. Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study was designed to evaluate the psychosocial impact during the current COVID-19 outbreak among the students of The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Pakistan. Snowball sampling or chain referral sampling procedure was adopted to recruit the participants in the study. Verbal informed consent was taken from all participants before recruitment in the study irrespective of their gender, age and socioeconomic status. Results: Mental health of university students during COVID-19 epidemic was affected to a varying degree revealing that 26.66% were recorded to have mild, 27.15% moderate and 17.04% suffering from severe anxiety out of total 1029 students. Students who were residing in urban areas with parents and having a steady family income were negatively associated and found protective factors against anxiety. However, having a relative or an acquaintance infected with COVID-19 was an independent risk factor for experienced anxiety. Positively associated factors with the level of anxiety symptoms included economic stressors, effects on daily-life, and academic delays whereas social support was negatively correlated with anxiety in COVID-19 related stressors. Conclusion: Public health emergencies and such pandemic are exerting serious psychological impacts on university students. It is recommended that the higher authorities should plan better policies to reduce this impact for the provision of high quality and timely crisis-oriented psychological services to university students.

The expansion of Open World Video Games (OWVGs) has seen the emergence of multiple new fictional worlds. This type of video game is characterized by total immersion in a world built for the players entertainment. What videogames developers want when players enter an OWVG is that they could feel like if they were open a door to an entirely new world and leave the real world behind. These virtual worlds manifest as a complement, an alternative, or the successor to the physical universe, and in some way continue the philosophical tradition of possible worlds begun by Leibniz. Accustomed to ‘surviving’ in hostile environments, millions of people continued to improve their skills in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic while locked in their homes. Once the pandemic seems to start to be left behind, the paper analyzes the virtual worlds created by the video games and the relations between the pandemic and these fictional worlds.

Sepsis is a life-threatening condition caused by the body's overwhelming response to an infection, such as pneumonia or urinary tract infection. It occurs when the immune system releases cytokines into the bloodstream, triggering widespread inflammation. If not treated, it can lead to organ failure and death. Unfortunately, sepsis has a high mortality rate, with studies reporting rates ranging from 20% to over 50%, depending on the severity and promptness of treatment. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the annual death toll in the world is about 11 million. One of the main toxins responsible for inflammation induction are lipopolysaccharides (LPS, endotoxin) from Gram-negative bacteria, which ranks among the most potent immunostimulants found in nature. Antibiotics are consistently prescribed as a part of anti-sepsis-therapy. However, antibiotic therapy (i) is increasingly ineffective due to resistance development and (ii) most antibiotics are unable to bind and neutralize LPS, a prerequisite to inhibit the interaction of endotoxin with its cellular receptor complex, namely Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/MD-2, responsible for the intracellular cascade leading to pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion. The pandemic virus SARS-CoV-2 has infected hundreds of millions of humans worldwide since its emergence in 2019. The COVID-19 (Coronavirus disease-19) caused by this virus is associated with high lethality, particularly for elderly and immunocompromised people. As of August 2023, nearly 7 million deaths were reported worldwide due to this disease. According to some reported studies, upregulation of TLR4 and the subsequent inflammatory signaling detected in COVID-19 patients “mimics bacterial sepsis”. Furthermore, the immune response to SARS-CoV-2 was described by others as “mirror image of sepsis”. Similarly, the cytokine profile in sera from severe COVID-19 patients was very similar to those suffering from the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and sepsis. Finally, the severe COVID-19 infection was frequently accompanied by bacterial co-infections, as well as by the presence of significant LPS concentrations. These data indicate similarity and interdependences of both syndromes, but also significant differences which will be discussed in the present review.

Legionella bacteria can proliferate in poorly maintained water systems, posing risks to users. All Legionella species are potentially pathogenic but Legionella pneumophila (L. pneumophila) is usually the primary focus of testing. However, Legionella anisa (L. anisa) also colonises water distribution systems, is frequently found with L. pneumophila and could be a good indicator for increased risk of nosocomial infection. Anonymized data from three commercial Legionella testing laboratories afforded analysis of 565,750 water samples. Data covered July 2019 to August 2021, including the COVID-19 pandemic. Results confirmed L. anisa commonly colonises water distribution systems, being the most frequently identified non-L. pneumophila species. Proportions of L. anisa and L. pneumophila generally remained similar but increases in L. pneumophila during COVID-19 lockdown suggests static water supplies might favour its growth. Disinfection of hospital water systems was effective but re-colonization did occur, appearing to favour L. pneumophila, although L. anisa colony numbers also increased as a proportion of the total. While L. pneumophila remains the main species of concern as a risk to human health, L. anisa’s role should not be under-estimated, either as a potential infection risk or as an indicator of the need to intervene to control Legionella colonization of water supplies.

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) remains a mystery in many respects. The importance of less common life-threatening diseases is still unclear. Therefore, in this study, it was attempted to determine the frequency of nontraumatic hemothorax, chylothorax, pleural, and pericardial effusion (PCE) in patients who underwent thoracic computed tomography during the pre-pandemic and pandemic period. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study included 147 patients over the age of 18 who were admitted to the emergency department between January 1st, 2019, and December 31st, 2020. The year 2019 was taken as the pre-pandemic period and the year 2020 was the pandemic period. Comorbidity, survival, and laboratory parameters of the patients were evaluated. Results: The mean age of the 147 patients included in the study was 66.41 ± 12.81 years, 54 (36.7%) were female, and the age range was 22–88 years. The mean plasma lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level of the patients was 373.97 ± 115.77 U/L, plasma protein was 5.45 ± 1.00 gr/dL, fluid LDH was 229.37 ± 125.73 U/L, fluid/plasma LDH was 0.60 ± 0.23, fluid/plasma protein was 0.55 ± 0.29, and the amount of fluid discharged was 562.11 ± 243.01 mL. Bilateral lung involvement was present in 72 (49%) patients, and coagulation use was present in 59 (40.1%) patients. Pleural effusion (PE) was found in 43 (76.8%) of the hospitalized patients, hemothorax in 11 (19.6%) patients, and chylothorax in 4 (7.1%) patients. However, PCE was more common in the 16 (42.1%) patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) (P < 0.001). While 38 (25.9%) of the patients were admitted to the ICU, mortality was observed in 30 (20.4%) patients. Conclusion: Although PE, nontraumatic hemothorax, chylothorax, and PCE are rare in COVID-19 patients, they can cause severe inflammation and poor prognosis.

After the arrival of a new airborne virus to the world, science is aiming to develop solutions to withstand the spread and contagion of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. The most severe among the adopted measures is to remain in home isolation for a significant number of hours per day, in order to avoid the spreading of the infection in an uncontrolled way through public spaces. Recent literature showed that the major route of transmission is via aerosols produced especially in poorly ventilated inner spaces. With regard to contagion rates, accumulated incidence or number of hospitalizations due to COVID-19, Spain has reached very high levels, therefore this article develops a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the requirements established in Spain with respect to the European framework in reference to ventilation parameters indoors. For this, a case study has been analyzed, representing a common residence in current Spanish residential developments. Results show that the criteria established in the applicable regulations are not sufficient to ensure health as well as to avoid contagion by aerosols indoors.

The ESKAPE pathogens are public health concerns worldwide, defining the present major antibiotic resistance issues: E. faecium vancomycin-R, S. aureus methicillin-R, Ps. Aeruginosa and A. baumannii carbapenem-R, resistance to 3rd generation cephalosporins of Kl. pneumoniae and Enterobacter spp. Covid-19 pandemic disturbed the health care usual procedures, contributing to the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The present study retrospectively assessed the prevalence and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) profile of ESKAPE microorganisms during 2020-2022 in a multidisciplinary emergency hospital from Romania, based on microbiological reports. The AMR issues mainly interest the urology department. ESKAPE group accounts for 33.5% of the total bacterial isolated. The specific AMR of ESKAPE pathogens cumulates 30.9%, while antimicrobial multidrug resistance characterizes 21% from all ESKAPE strains. Kl. Pneumoniae, followed by S. aureus, and Ps. aeruginosa are the main hospital problems concerning the ESKAPE surveillance. The directions of the near future antibiotic stewardship program focus to revise the clinical protocols for diagnostic and treatment in each department, to intensify the bacteriological samples collection, to improve the microbiological diagnostic techniques for AMR identification, to continue the epidemiological current actions of surveillance, control, and education.

Accurate demand forecasting plays a critical role in most furniture businesses’ operational, tactical, and strategic decisions, as the demand in the furniture business is considered seasonal and becomes more complex in crises. In this work, a neural network model using the Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) method was developed to forecast the demand for specific product groups. LSTM is a leading deep learning model for time series prediction, particularly seasonal, multi-item, and non-linear situations. The developed model was used to predict the demand based on old data before the Covid-19 pandemic and recent data of the first months of the pandemic as a fast response to the crisis. In addition, a comparison study was conducted between the developed model and the traditional planning inventory used by furniture businesses that provided us with the data. The results showed that the Covid-19 pandemic significantly impacted demand forecasting. Also, the fast response to Covid-19 pandemic has slightly increased the model performance. Finally, the comparison study demonstrated that our model is robust and better than the traditional demand forecasting method. Therefore, the developed model may help the business improve inventory and production planning to create a more flexible supply chain.

Volatility is the most widespread measure of risk. Volatility modeling allows investors to capture potential losses and investment opportunities. This work aims to examine the impact of the two waves of COVID-19 infections on the return and volatility of the stock market indices of the euro area countries. The study also focuses on other important aspects such as time-varying risk premium and leverage effect. Thus, this investigation employed the Threshold GARCH(1,1)-in-Mean model with exogenous dummy variables. Daily returns of ten euro area stock indices from 4th January 2016 to 31th December 2020 has been used for the analysis. The results reveal that euro area stock markets respond differently to the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, the first wave of COVID-19 infections had a notable impact on stock market volatility of euro area countries with large and middle financial centres while the second wave had a significant impact only on stock market volatility of Belgium.

Objective: The study aimed to characterize the changing landscape of circulating SARS-CoV-2 lineages in the local community of Hong Kong throughout 2022. We examined how adjustments to quarantine arrangements influenced the transmission pattern of Omicron variants in a city with relatively rigorous social distancing measures at that time. Methods: In 2022, a total of 4,684 local SARS-CoV-2 genomes were sequenced using the Oxford Nanopore GridION sequencer. SARS-CoV-2 consensus genomes were generated by MAFFT, and the maximum likelihood phylogeny of these genomes were determined using IQ-TREE. The dynamic changes in lineages were depicted in a time tree created by Nextstrain. Statistical analysis was conducted to assess the correlation between changes in the number of lineages and adjustments to quarantine arrangements. Results: By the end of 2022, a total of 83 SARS-CoV-2 lineages were identified in the community. The increase in the number of new lineages was significantly associated with the relaxation of quarantine arrangements (One-way ANOVA, F(5,47)=18.233, p&lt;0.001)). Over time, Omicron BA.5 sub-lineages replaced BA.2.2 and became the predominant Omicron variants in Hong Kong. The influx of new lineages reshaped the dynamics of Omicron variants in the community without fluctuating the death rate and hospitalization rate (One-way ANOVA, F(5,47)=2.037, p=0.091). Conclusion: The study revealed that even with an extended mandatory quarantine period for incoming travelers, it may not be feasible to completely prevent the introduction and subsequent community spread of highly contagious Omicron variants. Ongoing molecular surveillance of COVID-19 remains essential to monitor the emergence of new recombinant variants.

During the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, several environmental factors have influenced the activities and the protection policy measures. This has had a major effect on climate change and global environmental catastrophe. In many countries, the strategy of closing various activities such as tourism, industrial production, stopped normal life, transportation, among others. This closure has a positive impact on the environment. However, the massive use of masks and personal protection could significantly increase pollution worldwide. The impact on the environment needs to be calculated to have information for public health actions. In this study, we present a first overview of the potential impacts of COVID-19 on some environmental matrices in Bogota, Colombia.

Recently, the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is threatening human health globally. There is a dire need to find potential therapeutic agents. Angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), as an entry receptor of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is considered as potential therapeutic target in COVID-19 pandemic. Here, our bioinformatics analysis revealed that the biological function of ACE2 was correlated with regulation of blood pressure and mediation of SARS-CoV-2 entry into host cells. Ten ACE2 cooperative proteins were identified by using STRING with a high score. ACE2 expressed highly in the small intestine, testis, and kidney. The level of ACE2 expression in tumor tissues varies in different types of cancers compared with that in normal tissues. It was worth noting that the expression level of ACE2 in the tumor has no effect on patient survival. MiRNA hsa-miR-942-5p, and three transcription factors (TFs) including Signal transducer and activator of transcription 4 (STAT4), Estrogen related receptor α (ESRRA), and Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) were selected as novel ACE2 regulators. Moreover, nine potential therapeutic drugs were predicted by two online databases. Thus, our research may expand the overall view of ACE2 in COVID-19 treatment.

The COVID-19 pandemic has raised questions about indirect impact in pregnant women on the development of their future children. Investigating the characteristics of lipid metabolism in the "mother-placenta-fetus" system can give information about the pathophysiology of COVID-19 infection during pregnancy. 234 women were included in study. Maternal plasma, cord blood, amniotic fluid lipidome were analyzed using HPLC-MS/MS. Differences in lipid profile were searched by Manna-Whitney and Kruskall-Wallis test, diagnostic model based on logistic regres-sion were bilt by AIC. Elevation levels of lysophospholipids, triglycerides, sphingomyelins, and oxidized lipids was registered in patients’ after COVID-19 maternal and cord plasma. An increase in maternal plasma sphingomyelins and oxidized lipids was observed in cases of infection during the second trimester. In amniotic fluid, compared to the control group, nine lipids are reduced, six lipids are elevated. Levels of phosphoglycerides, lysophosphoglycerides, and phosphatidylinosi-tols decreased during infection in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. Newborn’s health diagnostic model based on maternal plasma were developed for each group and exhibit good di-agnostic value (AUC> 0.85). Maternal and cord plasma’s lipidome changes during delivery, asso-ciated with Covid-19 infection during pregnancy, are synergistic. The most significant disturbances occur with infections in the second trimester of pregnancy.

Conclusions: The mortality rate of people with disabilities from all causes did not significantly increase compared to the pre-COVID-19 era. However, COVID-related deaths among people with disabilities increased significantly.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships among student athlete’s identity and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, this study aimed to clarify the relationship between perceived social support from teammates and mental health in student-athletes. Two studies were conducted to investigate to clarify the mental health states of student-athletes in Japan during the COVID-19 pandemic. In Study 1 conducted in April 2020, the participants were 402 male student-athletes, and examined the relationships among student-athlete’s identity and mental health. The results of correlational analyses indicated that there were significant negative correlations between degree of student-athlete’s identity and depression and sports helplessness. In Study 2 conducted in March 2021, the participants were 136 male student-athletes, and examined the relationship between perceived social support from teammates, student-athlete’s identity and mental health. The results indicated that there was significant correlation among social support, student athlete’s identity and mental health. These results suggested that mental health may be improved if student-athletes are strongly aware of their social identity, which is their social role, when unforeseen events such as the COVID-19 pandemic occur. In addition, social support provided by significant others such as teammates may contribute to the improvement of mental health.

Background: The COVID-19 transmission has been established to occur through respiratory droplets from coughing and sneezing. Health agencies have strongly recommended the use of facemask as a precaution from cross-transmission. Objective: This study investigated the prevalence of facemask use among visitors to the hospital. This study also investigated the demographic factors contributing to unacceptable facemask practice. Setting: This prospective observational study was done among hospital visitors to a district specialist hospital during COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. Methods: Individuals entering through dedicated entry point were observed for the type, category and practice of wearing personal protective equipment. Inclusion criteria for this study were any individual's ≥ 2 years old entering the treatment facility from selected entry points. Patients were categorized into two groups of acceptable and unacceptable facemask practice. The Pearson chi-square was used to test for differences in investigated variables in the univariate setting and Binary Logistic regression model was used in the multivariate setting. Main Outcome Measure: Prevalence, acceptance practice and odds ratio of unacceptance of facemask use. Results: Among 1652 individuals included in the final analysis, 1574 (96.9%) was observed wearing facemask with 1269 (72.0%) of individuals worn medical-grade facemask. However, among them, only 1397 (88.8%) individuals' facemask practice was acceptable while the reaming 177 (11.2) individuals were perceived with unacceptable facemask practice. Male individuals, Malay ethnic and high risk age group are 1.47 times (Odds Ratio: OR=1.47; 95% CI, 1.06-2.06; p=.023), 2.18 times (OR=2.18; 95% CI, 1.55-3.08; p<.001) and 1.99 times (OR=2.18; 95% CI, 1.42 - 2.77; p<.001) more likely to exhibit unacceptable facemask practice respectively. Conclusion: Extensive use of facemasks coupled with environmental hygiene measures is a public health strategy which can help to mitigate the COVID-19 epidemic impact. However, a targeted comprehensive strategy to improve compliance to proper facemask practice among the high-risk population is needed to achieve maximal protective benefit.

Purpose: This study analysed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the diagnosis of malignant neoplasia of the bronchus and lung. Cases diagnosed in the Burgos region in the year prior to the official declaration of the pandemic were compared with those in the year after the pandemic. The research sought to identify whether there was a decrease in the number of cases during the pandemic, and whether this may have led to a delay in diagnosis, reflected in more advanced stages of the disease. Mortality and survival time in each of the periods were also analysed.

Introduction: Bystander CPR rates have increase from 15% to 30% in many countries over the last 20 years. However, these gains are at risk of being lost in the face of fear of transmission of the SARS-COV-2 virus given the global COVID-19 pandemic. This survey study was designed to examine the opinions and perceptions of the Canadian public on bystanderism as it relates to out-of-hospital cardiac arrest during the COVID-19 pandemic with a view to understanding the implications of those opinions on our expectations of bystanders during, and after the pandemic. Methods: In order to capture a pan-Canadian sample of the general public, we engaged with a well-established public opinion polling vendor, IPSOS (www.ipsos.com), to conduct a robust survey on public willingness to do bystander CPR in the context of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Results: A total of n=1,000 surveys were completed by Canadian adults using the IPSOS eNation Canadian Online Omnibus survey platform.In summary there were five key findings from this pan-Canadian survey: 1) the ability to recognize cardiac arrest remains a point of confusion for the lay public, 2) at the time of the survey only about half of respondents said they would respond to someone having cardiac arrest, 3) the majority of respondents said the pandemic has changed their willingness to respond to someone in cardiac arrest, 4) willingness to use an AED is low and the greatest barrier was reported as lack of experience, and lastly 5) most Canadians say it is important to be certified in CPR and are willing to take a CPR training course, however only half are willing to pay for it. Conclusion: Bystander CPR is an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest victim’s best chance of survival and so our understanding of how we encourage more citizens to respond given the current realities is more crucial than ever. Wider dissemination of the growing evidence on the safety of CPR in the context of COVID-19 and resuscitation training courses implemented with specific CPR maneuvers to reduce the risk of infection should be implemented to continued uncertainty and erosion in bystander CPR culture.

Objective: To investigate social, economic, and environmental contributors to quit or continue smoking and vaping during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A qualitative study design was adopted to identify smokers’ beliefs in a LMIC, using a small community sample. Results: 276 participants were primarily surveyed. Motivation to continue smoking included temporary pleasurable effects, working remotely, stress or anxiety, whereas a motivator to quit smoking was the overlap with COVID-19 symptomatology. There was a rise in social awareness regarding the potential harm of smoking and vaping during the pandemic yet those participants who were younger felt they were immune from its morbid complications. Conclusions: With paradoxical associations of COVID-19 with cigarette and vape usage, it is important to pay attention to biases in data in favor of educating its users of the increased risk of severe disease.

Social isolation magnified by the restriction of movement order during the COVID-19 pandemic may lead to negative psychosocial health impact among community-dwelling older adults. We evaluated the feasibility of virtual research methods and virtual group exercises among individuals aged 60 years and over in Malaysia. Participants were recruited from the Promoting Independence in Seniors with Arthritis (PISA) pilot cohort through social media messages. A four-week course of virtual group exercise was offered. Anxiety and depression were assessed with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) during the last attended follow-up of the cohort study (pre-pandemic), pre-intervention, and post-intervention. Exercise adherence was recorded using diary with daily entries and attendance to the virtual group exercise sessions were captured daily. The outcomes of interest were changes of anxiety and depression scores from baseline to pre-intervention (pandemic-related) and post-intervention (virtual exercise related). Forty-three individuals were recruited. A significant increase in anxiety scores from baseline to pre-intervention was observed. Comparisons using repeated-measures analysis of variance between those who attendance ≥14 and &lt;14 group exercise sessions revealed no between-within subjects differences in depression scores. There was a 23% dropout rate in the post intervention survey and 60.5% of diaries were returned. This study demonstrated the feasibility of conducting research entirely virtually among older persons during the peak of global first wave of a pandemic. The pandemic has led to increased anxiety among community-dwelling older adults.

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has caused mankind serious confusion, economic havoc and psychological distress. This study evaluated the level of knowledge, attitude and perception about COVID-19 pandemic, infection control and impact among veterinarians in Nigeria. A cross-sectional online survey was used to collect data from consenting respondents during implementation of lockdown in the country (April 23 - May 31, 2020). Purposive and chain referral sampling techniques were used to recruit 368 respondents from various sectors of the profession. The proportion of respondents surveyed 197/368 (53.5 %) were from the public sector, 35.3 % from private sector, 1.1 % were unemployed and 0.8 % retired. Majority of the respondents were males (72.8 %), within 30 – 39 years (39.7 %) and had 1 – 10 years work experience. Respondents displayed good level of knowledge about COVID-19 (72.4 % ± 9.9 %, range 44.1-91.2 %), with information mostly derived from TV/Radio (81.5%) and social media (81.0 %). The overall attitude level was poor and various determinants for good attitude among respondents were if they were above 60 years (p = 0.013), possessed postgraduate qualification ( p = 0.031), worked over 30 years post DVM (p = 0.001), had household members between 5 and 10 (p = 0.012), and were resident in states on total lockdown (p = 0.024). There was no correlation between the knowledge level score and respondents’ attitude towards the pandemic (p = 0.12). With increasing rate of COVID-19 transmission, research data are needed to develop evidence-driven strategies, policies and effective risk mitigations to reduce the pandemic’s adverse impacts.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created extraordinary challenges and prompted remarkable social changes around the world. The implications of the novel coronavirus and the public health control measures that have been implemented to mitigate its impact are likely to be accompanied by a unique set of consequences for specific populations living in low income-countries that have fragile health systems and pervasive social-structural vulnerabilities. This paper discusses the implications of COVID-19 and related public health interventions for children and young people living in Eastern and Southern Africa. Actionable prevention, care, and health promotion initiatives are proposed to attenuate the negative effects of the pandemic and government-enforced movement restrictions on children and young people.

The current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is still threatening humankind. Despite first successes in vaccine development and approval, no antiviral treatment is available for COVID-19 patients. The success is further tarnished by the emergence and spreading of mutation variants of SARS-CoV-2, for which some vaccines are not effective anymore. This highlights the urgent need for antiviral therapies even more. This article describes how the Genome-Scale Metabolic Model (GEM) of the host-virus interaction of human alveolar macrophages and SARS-CoV-2 was refined by incorporating the latest information about the virus’s structural proteins and the mutant variants B.1.1.7 and B.1.351. We confirmed the initially identified guanylate kinase as a potential antiviral target with this refined model and identified further potential targets from the purine and pyrimidine metabolism. The model was further extended by incorporating the virus’ lipid requirements. This opened new perspectives for potential antiviral targets in the altered lipid metabolism. Especially the phosphatidylcholine biosynthesis seems to play a pivotal role in viral replication. The guanylate kinase is even a robust target in all investigated mutation variants currently spreading worldwide. These new insights can guide laboratory experiments for the validation of identified potential antiviral targets. Only the combination of vaccines and antiviral therapies will effectively defeat this ongoing pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted healthcare worldwide, potentially impacting disease management. This cross-sectional study assessed the influence of COVID-19 on diabetes self-management in 341 Saudis with type 2 diabetes using the Diabetes Self-Management Questionnaire (DSMQ). The DSMQ contains 16 items across 4 domains assessing glucose management, dietary control, physical activity, and healthcare use. Three additional items measured the perceived overall impact of COVID-19. Total DSMQ scores were significantly higher in patients aged &gt;60 years versus younger groups. Scores were significantly lower in patients diagnosed for 1-5 years versus longer durations. Patients on insulin had higher glucose management subscores than oral medication users. Overall, DSMQ scores were higher than the pre-pandemic Saudi population and Turkish post-pandemic findings. DSMQ results suggest that while COVID-19 negatively impacted some self-management domains, Saudi patients upheld relatively good diabetes control during the pandemic. Further research is warranted on specific barriers to optimize diabetes care during public health crises.

The current global financial sector is dedicated to providing customers with more advanced and strategic services. With channels like internet banking, mobile phone banking, and telephone banking, the industry delivers multi-channel banking services to satisfy its clients. The COVID-19 pandemic has directly impacted the global economy, as well as the financial sector, with the banking sector facing lockdown initiatives to curb the virus's spread. As a result, mobile payment methods have been favored by people over physical money for transactions. This study analyzes the factors that influenced mobile banking usage during the pandemic in Sri Lanka.. Convenience sampling was used, comprising of 200 online questionnaires conducted among customers in Sri Lanka. The collected data was analyzed using descriptive analysis, exploratory factor analysis, and multiple linear regression through IBM SPSS 25. Research findings revealed that trust and risk were significant factors affecting mobile banking usage in Sri Lanka. Trust had a positive effect while Risk negatively effects to the mobile banking usage. Ease of use and Usefulness were irrelevant factors during the COVID-19 pandemic in Sri Lanka.

The purpose of the study is to analyze the trade performance of Bangladesh during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study identifies the effects of private consumption demand shock and trade disruptions due to higher trade costs caused by the pandemic on the export and import of Bangladesh in different sectors and compares the analysis results with actual data. Based on the previous literature, this study assumes the shocks in different levels such as low, medium, and high level and identifies their effects on the trade in Bangladesh. The study applies the CGE model using GTAP to measure the effects of the shocks on trade and output and compares the actual trade with the CGE simulated results. The results of the study suggest that both demand shock and trade disruptions substantially affect the export, import, and domestic output of Bangladesh during the Covid-19 pandemic. It is also evident that the higher the level of shock, the higher the impact on trade and output. The actual export and import data cross-validate the CGE analysis results and provide mixed findings on the trade performance of various sectors of Bangladesh during the pandemic.

Background: In the midst of a worldwide COVID-19 pandemic music therapists previously not involved in telehealth had to develop effective remote forms of music therapy. The objective of this review was to systematically explore how music therapists previously working in-person adapted to the transfer to remote forms of therapy in the context of the coronavirus outbreak. Methods: We searched Scopus, Web of Science Core Collection, CINAHL, Medline, ProQuest Central, PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO and PsyARTICLES, grey literature (October 2020), and websites of professional organizations. We followed the JBI methodology for scoping reviews. Results: Out of the 194 screened texts, we included ten very heterogenous articles with an overall very low quality. Most texts described remote therapy in the form of synchronous video calls using the Internet, one paper described a concert in a patio of a residential home. We report the authors´ experience with the adaptation and activities, challenges and benefits of remote forms of therapy, recommendations of organizations, and examples and tips for online therapies. Conclusions: Music therapists have adapted the musical instruments, the hours, the technology used, the therapeutic goals, the way they prepared their clients for sessions, and other aspects. They needed to be more flexible, consult with colleagues more, and mind the client-therapist relationship's boundaries. It seems, when taken as a necessary short-term measure, online music therapy works sufficiently well. The majority of papers stated that benefits outweighed the challenges, although many benefits were directly linked with the pandemic context.

Background: This year has seen the emergence of two major crises, a significant increase in frequency and severity of hurricanes and the COVID-19 pandemic. However, little is known as to how each of these two events have impacted the other. A rapid qualitative assessment was conducted to determine the impact of the pandemic on preparedness and response to natural disasters and the impact of past experiences with natural disasters in responding to the pandemic. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 26 representatives of 24 different community-based programs in southern Louisiana. Data were analyzed using procedures embedded in the Rapid Assessment Procedure – Informed Community Ethnography methodology, using techniques of immersion and crystallization and focused thematic analysis. Results: The pandemic has impacted the form and function of disaster preparedness, making it harder to plan for evacuations in event of a hurricane. Specific concerns included being able to see people in-person, providing food and other resources to residents who shelter in place, finding volunteers to assist in food distribution and other forms of disaster response, competing for funds to support disaster-related activities, developing new support infrastructures, and focusing on equity in disaster preparedness. However, several strengths based on disaster preparedness experience and capabilities were identified, including providing a framework for how to respond and adapt to COVID and integration of COVID response with their normal disaster preparedness activities. Conclusions: Although prior experience has enabled community-based organizations to respond to the pandemic, the pandemic is also creating new challenges to preparing for and responding to natural disasters.

Access to health services compromises therapeutic adherence in patients with HTN, which is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and premature death. The aim of the research is to determine the influence of access to health services on adherence to antihypertensive treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic. We included a cross-sectional analytical study. A survey was applied to 241 hypertensive patients at the Daniel Alcides Carrión Hospital, Callao-Peru. Data were analyzed using SPSS software. Absolute and relative frequencies were reported and the chi-square test was applied with a statistical significance level of p&lt;0.05. In addition, multiple logistic regression analysis was performed using the Stepwise method. An association was found between non-adherence to treatment and health expenses (ORa: 1.9 CI 95% 1.7-2.2), not receiving care due to lack of a doctor (ORa: 2.8 CI 95% 1.5-3.2), having difficulty with schedules (ORa: 3.7 CI 95% 2. 3-5.5), fear of receiving care at the hospital (ORa: 4.5 CI 95 % 2.7-6.8), trust in health personnel (ORa: 7.5 CI 95% 2.3-10.5) and considering that the physician does not have enough knowledge (ORa: 3.1 CI 95% 2.4-7.8). Therapeutic adherence was associated with physician availability for care, difficulty with schedules, fear of being seen in the hospital, trust in health personnel, and waiting time.

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19), an emerging viral infection, is impacting the social, economic and political patterns of the world. To contain the spread of this pandemic, Nigeria like many countries globally, has imposed drastic preventive measures such as physical distancing and lockdown/curfew. This study assessed the knowledge, attitude and perception (KAP) about COVID-19 among members of staff of a university community in southwest, Nigeria. A cross-sectional survey using an anonymous, self-designed, online KAP questionnaire was conducted from April 18 to May 31, 2020. Purposive and chain referral sampling techniques were used to recruit respondents from the teaching and non-teaching categories of the university. The KAP questionnaire consisted of ten knowledge questions regarding the identification of clinical characteristics, transmission and prevention of COVID-19. The questions on attitude (15) and perception (10) assessed respondents on adherence to policies and their views on government efforts to contain the spread of the infection respectively. A total of 125 (teaching) and 102 (non-teaching) staff responded. The respondents had scientific (78.8 %) and non-scientific (28.2 %) work background. Approximately 59.1 % of the respondents were males. The mean knowledge and positive attitude levels were 70.8 % (SD ± 9.6 %) and 83.1 % (SD ± 13.07 %) respectively. Significant differences in the knowledge mean scores were observed for demographic categories such as educational qualification (p = 0.0006), staff work category (p = <0.0001), work background (p = <0.0001), and type of lockdown (p = 0.0271). Most of the respondents (85.3 %) opined that COVID-19 was a biological weapon and viewed the lockdown as necessary (81.5 %). However, they thought that the Nigerian government was not doing enough to mitigate COVID-19 spread. The perception of COVID-19 in the university community bear implications across public health initiatives, compliance with precautionary behaviour and bilateral relations with foreign nations.

Background: This study aimed to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on breast reconstruction trends in the United States, focusing on implant-based and autologous techniques, as well as the timing of reconstruction (immediate vs. delayed). Methods: A retrospective analysis of data from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons' National Plastic Surgery Statistics from 2015 to 2022 was conducted. Annual trends in breast reconstruction procedures were analyzed, comparing the pre-pandemic (2015-2019) and pandemic (2020-2022) periods. Results: The total number of breast reconstructions increased from 106,338 in 2015 to 151,641 in 2022. The proportion of implant-based reconstructions decreased from 81.41% pre-pandemic to 76.51% during the pandemic (p < 0.001), with a notable rise in direct-to-implant procedures from 10.37% to 19.12% (p < 0.001). Autologous reconstructions increased from 18.59% to 23.49% (p < 0.001). Among autologous techniques, DIEP flaps remained the most popular. Immediate reconstruction rates increased from 72.61% pre-pandemic to 75.57% during the pandemic, while delayed recon-struction rates decreased from 27.39% to 24.43% (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly influenced breast reconstruction trends in the United States, with a shift towards autologous techniques, particularly DIEP flaps, and an in-crease in immediate reconstructions. These changes may reflect adaptations in surgical practice and decision-making processes in response to the unique challenges posed by the pandemic. Further research is needed to assess the long-term outcomes and patient satisfaction associated with these trends.

(1) Background: This study aimed to explore how prolonged mask use during the COVID-19 pandemic affected appearance anxiety; (2) Methods: It implemented a quantitative–qualitative mixed-research approach based on a convenience sample of young people in Taiwan; (3) Results: A total of 1,118 participants completed the online questionnaire. A total of 49 participants reached the 55-point threshold of Appearance Anxiety Scale. Higher score of appearance anxiety was correlated to higher state anxiety statistically (r = 0.4, p < 0.001). Ten participants were interviewed and qualitative content analysis revealed 5 main themes and 16 subthemes. Three of the main themes were related to the positive effects of wearing masks for pandemic prevention and reducing appearance anxiety: “Wearing masks indicates compliance with the epidemic prevention requirement,” “Wearing masks functions as protection against lack of confidence in appearance,” and “Wearing masks helps mitigate the fear of being judged by others.” The remaining two “Wearing masks shifts attention from appearance to figure” and “Prolonged mask wearing exacerbates the anxiety about taking it off” were related to the impacts of long-term mask use; (4) Conclusions: results enhance understanding of negative emotional experiences and anxiety related to physical appearance.

Abstract: Introduction: Nurses, at the forefront of the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, have a significant responsibility. Thus, it is substantial to examine the factors behind the job stress, job satisfaction, and the care nurses provide in this process. To examine the correlation between nurses' job stress, satisfaction, and caring behavior perceptions during the Covid-19 pandemic. Method: A descriptive and correlational study. It was conducted with 261 nurses working in a hospital between 2020-2021. Introductory information form, Job Satisfaction Scale for Nurses, Swedish Demand-Control-Support Questionnaire (Job Stress Scale) and Caring Behaviors Inventory-24 were used as data collection tools. Factors behind the perception of caring behaviors were analyzed by linear regression analysis. Results: Caring behavior was found negatively correlated with job stress and positively correlates with job satisfaction. The regression analysis showed that the evaluation of the pre-pandemic work environment and the sub-dimensions of the scales, job control, support from superiors, and perceived significance in the workplace affected the caring behavior. Conclusion: The nurses have low job stress, high job satisfaction, and a high perception of caring behavior in the fight against Covid-19.

This study investigates the impact of global financial crisis and the present COVID-19 pandemic on daily and weekly Crude oil futures using four variants of ARMA-GARCH models: ARMA-sGARCH, ARMA-eGARCH, ARMA-TGARCH and ARMA- aPARCH with dummy variables We also investigated the persistence, half-life and backtesting of the models. This study therefore seeks to contribute to the body of literature on the impact of global financial crisis and the present COVID-19 pandemic on crude oil futures market. This investigation of the impact of global financial crisis and the COVID-19 on crude oil futures has not been much studied at present. We obtained and analyzed the daily and weekly crude oil futures from secondary sources. Daily crude oil futures used in this study covers the period from the 4th January 2000 to 27th April 2020 while the weekly crude oil futures covered from 2ndJanuary 2000 to 26th April 2020 . The global financial crisis period covered from 2nd July 2007 to 31st March 2009 and the current COVID-19 pandemic covered from 1st January 2020 to 27th April, 2020. The study used both student t and skewed student t innovations with AIC, goodness-of-test fit and backtesting to select the best model. Most of the estimated ARMA-GARCH models are supported by skewed student t distribution while most of the ARMA-GARCH models exhibited high persistence values in the presence of global financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. In the overall, the estimated ARMA(1,0)-eGARCH(2,1) and ARMA(1,0)-eGARCH(2,2) model for daily crude oil futures and weekly crude oil futures respectively have been significantly impacted by the global financial crisis and the Present COVID-19 pandemic while the preferred estimated models also passed the goodness-of-test fit and backtesting.This study recommends shareholders and investors should think outside the box as crude oil futures tend to be affected by global financial crisis and COVID-19 pandemic while countries also that depend mostly on crude oil are encouraged to diversify their economy in other to survive and be sustained during financial and health crisis.

Background: from December 2019 and the spreading of syndemics, a lot of medical centers reg-istered data about their patients. In Italy, the most relevant quantity of patients was hospitalized in internal medicine wards. Methods: In this observational, retrospective cross-sectional study, all data of the COVID-19 patients, admitted Latio hospitals, from March 01 to December 31, 2020, were collected and their Epidemiological data, demographics, signs and symptoms on admission, comorbidities, laboratory findings, chest radiography and CT findings, treatment received and mortality rate were analyzed by gender to find any differences of gravity of disease. Clinician details were registered on database (one for every hospital). Cost analysis was performed by length of stay and antiviral drugs use, using point of view of Italian Healthcare System. Results: 2256 patients with mean age of 71.01 ± 28.02 years were included. For men, frequency of hyper-tension, COPD, use of oxygen therapy, Tocilizumab were significantly higher and epidemiolog-ical link was related to rehabilitation ward and community. The gender difference about hospi-talization was one day more for man. No strong significant difference by gender in the death rate was observed. Considering antiviral drugs and hospitalization, a man costs €1000 more than woman. Conclusions: In male patients, hypertension and COPD were observed more frequently and the epidemiological link was related to rehabilitation ward and community. In female sub-jects, the epidemiological link was related to Hospital and we observed significantly higher atypical chest-X ray. Tocilizumab, oxygen therapy and antiviral drugs were prescribed more in male subjects. No differences by gender we report in other treatments and outcomes. Future studies should be analyzed to get a more comprehensive understanding of COVID-19 by gender.

This paper presents the findings of an exploratory study on the continuously generating Big Data on Twitter related to the sharing of information, news, views, opinions, ideas, knowledge, feedback, and experiences about the COVID-19 pandemic, with a specific focus on the Omicron variant, which is the globally dominant variant of SARS-CoV-2 at this time. A total of 12028 tweets about the Omicron variant were studied, and the specific characteristics of tweets that were analyzed include - sentiment, language, source, type, and embedded URLs. The findings of this study are manifold. First, from sentiment analysis, it was observed that 50.5% of tweets had the ‘neutral’ emotion. The other emotions - ‘bad’, ‘good’, ‘terrible’, and ‘great’ were found in 15.6%, 14.0%, 12.5%, and 7.5% of the tweets, respectively. Second, the findings of language interpretation showed that 65.9% of the tweets were posted in English. It was followed by Spanish or Castillian, French, Italian, Japanese, and other languages, which were found in 10.5%, 5.1%, 3.3%, 2.5%, and <2% of the tweets, respectively. Third, the findings from source tracking showed that “Twitter for Android” was associated with 35.2% of tweets. It was followed by “Twitter Web App”, “Twitter for iPhone”, “Twitter for iPad”, “TweetDeck”, and all other sources that accounted for 29.2%, 25.8%, 3.8%, 1.6%, and <1% of the tweets, respectively. Fourth, studying the type of tweets revealed that retweets accounted for 60.8% of the tweets, it was followed by original tweets and replies that accounted for 19.8% and 19.4% of the tweets, respectively. Fifth, in terms of embedded URL analysis, the most common domains embedded in the tweets were found to be twitter.com, which was followed by biorxiv.org, nature.com, wapo.st, nzherald.co.nz, recvprofits.com, science.org, and other URLs. Finally, to support similar research and development in this field centered around the analysis of tweets, we have developed an open-access Twitter dataset that comprises tweets about the SARS-CoV-2 omicron variant since the first detected case of this variant on November 24, 2021.

Background: SARS-CoV-2 infection has spread to over 200 countries since it was first reported in December of 2019. Significant country-specific variations in infection and mortality rate have been noted. Although country-specific differences in public health response have had a large impact on infection rate control, it is currently unclear as to whether evolution of the virus itself has also contributed to variations in infection and mortality rate. Previous studies on SARS-CoV-2 mutations were based on the analysis of ~ 160 SARS-CoV-2 sequences available until mid-February 2020.^{2, 3, 4, 5} By mid-April, > 550 SARS-CoV-2 sequences had been deposited in GenBank, and over 8,200 in the GISAID database. Methods: We performed a sequence analysis on 474 SARS-CoV-2 genomes submitted to GenBank up to April 11, 2020 by multiple alignment using Map to a Reference Assembly and Variants/SNP identification. The results were verified on a larger scale, 8,126 hCoV-19 (SARS-CoV-2) sequences from GISAID database. Results: We identified 5 recently emerged mutations in many isolates (up to 40%). Our analysis highlights 5 frequent new mutations that have emerged since late February 2020. These mutations are: one each missense (non-synonymous) mutation in orf1ab (C1059T), orf3 (G25563T) and orf8 (C27964T), one in 5’UTR (C241T), one in a non-coding region (G29553A). The final mutation (G29553A) was found to be almost exclusive to the US isolates. The first 3 mutations are non-synonymous, leading to amino acid substitutions in the viral protein sequence. Except for C241T, all the novel mutations identified are absent in the isolates from Italy and Spain in the SARS-CoV-2 genomes deposited in GenBank and GISAID by April 13, 2020. Conclusion: The results of current study indicate that new mutations are emerging as COVID-19 pandemic are spreading to different countries and that geography specific mutants may exist. The findings of current study lay the foundation for further investigation into the impact of SARS-CoV-2 mutations on disease incidence, severity, and host immune response. In addition, it may also provide insights into vaccine development and serological response detection for the virus.

Analysis of immediate effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on SMEs in Rwanda aims to assess and quantify the economic and financial impacts of the pandemic during the lockdown and presents options adopted by SMEs to reopen their business opera-tions. It also seeks to recommend options for sustainable and resilient economic recovery from the scars of COVID-19. This analysis used data collected from nearly 220 SMEs located across the country and applied an Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA) and multivariate linear regression models to measure the pandemic effects. The study revealed that firms downsized employment by 36.4 per cent, but data depict significant deviation within SMEs by their size. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a greater magni-tude of negative effects on sales levels among small businesses. Tax amounts were reduced amidst the crisis however, data do not show any significant variations among SMEs. Additionally, SMEs owners applied various coping mechanisms during re-opening. The study used firm-level data, providing detailed and reliable effects of the shocks on business performance. This analysis recommends establishing the medium-term financing and technical support for SMEs to ensure steady and sustainable recovery from pandemic effects as well as strengthening their resilience to any other socio-economics shocks.

Objective: To use mathematical models to predict the epidemiological impact of lifting the lockdown in London, UK, and alternative strategies to help inform policy in the UK. Methods: A mathematical model for the transmission of SARS-CoV2 in London. The model was parametrised using data on notified cases, deaths, contacts, and mobility to analyse the epidemic in the UK capital. We investigated the impact of multiple non pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) and combinations of these measures on future incidence of COVID-19. Results: Immediate action at the early stages of an epidemic in the affected districts would have tackled spread. While an extended lockdown is highly effective, other measures such as shielding older populations, universal testing and facemasks can all potentially contribute to a reduction of infections and deaths. However, based on current evidence it seems unlikely they will be as effective as continued lockdown. In order to achieve elimination and lift lockdown within 5 months, the best strategy seems to be a combination of weekly universal testing, contact tracing and use of facemasks, with concurrent lockdown. This approach could potentially reduce deaths by 48% compared with continued lockdown alone. Conclusions: A combination of NPIs such as universal testing, contact tracing and mask use while under lockdown would be associated with least deaths and infections. This approach would require high uptake and sustained local effort but it is potentially feasible as may lead to elimination in a relatively short time scale.

This study explores how young people’s mental health was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic using artwork and semi-structured interviews. This is important to understand so that policy and practice professionals can support those affected, prepare, and respond to future crises, and support young people who are isolated and restricted in other contexts. Co-designed participatory art workshops and interviews were conducted with 16–18-year-olds (N = 21) from the London-based Longitudinal cohort Study of Cognition, Adolescents and Mobile Phones (SCAMP). Artworks and interview transcripts were qualitatively co-analysed with young people. From interviews, six themes were identified: adaptation, restriction, change, challenges, overcoming adversity, and lockdown life. From artwork, four themes were identified; trapped, negative mental wellbeing, positive emotions, and technology. Everyday factors such as home environment, relationships, hobbies, habits, and education or work were key determinants of how challenged and restricted participants felt, and their capacity to overcome this. This implies that young people’s mental health services should collaborate with other sectors to address wider life determinants in a holistic way, and that clearer guidance and support in these areas could mitigate the negative mental health impacts of major environmental changes on young people.

Background. The Weekly Mortality Cycle among CoViD-19 patients has been studied.Methods. Mortality data obtained from the 'Worldometer' website were analyzed with a comparison of absolute values, percentages, and p-value. Results. For patients suffering from CoViD-19, the most favorable or the safest days of the week were Sundays and Mondays. Conclusion. The weekly cycle with decreased mortality on Sundays and Mondays is a unique phenomenon observed among victims of CoViD-19. Presumably the decreased mortality on certain days of the week related to the optimized therapeutic protocols used on the "safest days".

Background: The COVID-19 among humans is spreading heavily and is largely impacting the mental health of the general population, students, and health care workers worldwide. Hence, this review aims to summarize the literatures addressing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of the general population, students, and health care workers. Methods: Published articles concerning mental health of the general population, students, and health care workers related to the COVID-19 outbreak have been considered and reviewed. Results and Discussion: Mental health symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression are common psychological reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic in the general population, students, and health care workers. This collectively influences daily behavior, economy, prevention strategies and decision making from policy makers and health organizations, weakening the strategies of COVID-19 control leading to more morbidity and mental health needs at the global level. Conclusion: There is a need for more evidence-based research from other affected countries, particularly in vulnerable populations such as children and adolescents, people of lower socioeconomic status, and those residing in rural areas, so that valid strategies can be developed and COVID-19 and outbreaks of similar types in the near future can be prevented.

SARS-CoV 2 also known as COVID-19 is a fast spreading coronavirus related disease that emerged from China in December 2019 and is currently attained the status of a pandemic. There are currently no drugs/ vaccines against the same and moreover limited diagnostic tests to identify the infection. Additionally, these tests are expensive and hence are exclusive for very highly suspected cases of the disease especially in developing countries. This is causing an under-diagnosis which is an alarming state of affairs, as even a single missed SARS-CoV 2 case would spread the disease exponentially and keep it in the community. Through this entirely in silico study, we have developed a cheaper and faster diagnostic method based on simple PCR and restriction enzyme digestion, commonly used in restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) tests. Through comparative genomics, we found the closest neighbours of SARS-CoV 2 then found the highly conserved regions of the genome which were absent in SARS-CoV 1, its closest neighbour. Then we found restriction sites for various enzymes followed by designing of PCR primers flanking those sites. We have found the primer pair to produce a 401 bp amplicon and when digested by SwaI enzyme, it produces two fragments of lengths 216 bp and 185 bp. As an internal control, GAPDH primers are pooled with the SARS-CoV 2 primers as the patient sample will also include human RNA mixed with the viral RNA. This primer pair gives an amplicon of 131 bp and hence a negative sample should show a single band of 131 bp while a positive digested sample will give three bands of 401 bp, 216 bp and 131 bp. The primers are specific to SARS-CoV 2 only and can additionally be used for SYBR green based real time quantification of viral load. The developed tests have not yet been tested in vitro due to stressed out working hours in the only pathogenic virus handling laboratory in our institute. Nonetheless, this study works as a head start for other laboratories to rapidly test the suggested protocols in vitro and make available a cheaper alternative test for SARS-CoV 2 which would especially be beneficial for the lower to middle income countries.

We conducted a retrospective observational study to assess the hospitalization rates for acute exacerbations of asthma and/or COPD during the first imposed lockdown in Athens, Greece. Patient characteristics and the concentration of eight air pollutants (namely, CO, NO, NO2, O3 PM2.5, PM10, SO2 and benzene) were considered. A total of 153 consecutive hospital admissions were studied. Reduced admissions occurred in the lockdown period when compared to the Pre-lockdown 2020 (p&lt;0.001) or the Control 2019 (p=0.007) period. Furthermore, the concentration of 6/8 air pollutants positively correlated with weekly hospital admissions in 2020 and significantly decreased during the lockdown. Finally, admitted patients for asthma exacerbation during the lockdown were younger (p=0.046) and less frequently presented respiratory failure (p=0.038), whereas patients with COPD presented higher blood eosinophil percentage (p=0.017) and count (p=0.012). Overall, admissions for asthma and COPD exacerbations decreased during the lockdown. This might partially explained by reduction of air pollution during this period while medical care avoidance behavior, especially among elderly patients cannot be excluded. Our findings aid in understanding the untold impact of the pandemic on diseases beyond COVID-19, focusing on patients with obstructive diseases..

Coronavirus infection disease -2019 (COVID-19) was a global pandemic with high mortality and morbidity, that lead to an increased health burned all over the world. Although the virus affects mostly pulmonary tract, cardiovascular implications were often among COVID-19 positive patients, and are predictive for poor outcomes. Increased values of myocardial biomarkers such as Troponin I or NT-proBNP were proven to be risk factors for respiratory failure (26). Although the risk of acute coronary syndromes (ACS) was greater in acute-phase of COVID-19, there were lower rates of hospitalization for ACS, due to patient’s hesitation for presenting at the hospital (22). Hospitalized ACS patients with COVID-19 infection, had a prolonged symptom-to-first medical contact time, and longer door-to-balloon time. The mechanisms of myocardial injurie in COVID -19 patients are not still not clear, most often is incriminated: the down-regulation of ACE2 inhibitors, endothelial disfunction, pro-coagulant status, increased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the long-term outcomes of COVID-19 survivors that presented an acute myocardial infarction by reviewing existing data.

Background: The potential impact of the pandemic on mental health should not be overlooked, especially among vulnerable populations such as women who gave birth during the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of the study was to assess the mental health status of women who gave birth during a pandemic and to examine the possible links between the onset of depressive disorder symptoms in close proximity to the time of delivery and the socio-demographic conditions, health status and obstetric circumstances of the patients. Materials and Methods: The study is a cross-sectional survey conducted from 01.03.2020 to 01.03.2023, during the period of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic, based on a retrospective evaluation of 860 postpartum women. The screening tool used to assess symptoms of postpartum depression was the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Rating Scale (EPDS) questionnaire. The questionnaire was completed both in the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Clinical Sections I and II of the "Pius Brînzeu" County Emergency Hospital from Timisoara, Romania and online using Google Forms. Results: The highest severity of postpartum depression symptoms was observed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results of the study conducted during the period of SARS-CoV-2 pandemic (COVID-19) showed that the prevalence of major postpartum depressive disorder (EPDS ≥ 13) was 54.2% (466 patients), while 15.6% (134) had minor depressive disorder (10 &lt; EPDS ≤ 12) in the first year after delivery. Comparing these results with those obtained in research conducted before the onset of the pandemic period shows an alarming increase in the prevalence of postpartum depression. Risk factors associated with postpartum depression included type of delivery, level of education, socio-economic conditions, health status, age, background, personal obstetric history (number of abortions on demand, parity). Conclusions: The effects of the pandemic on mental health are of particular concern for women in the first year after childbirth. Observing these challenges and developing effective measures to prepare our health system early can help and facilitate effective mental health screening for postpartum women, promoting maternal and child health.

The COVID-19 pandemic has not only affected public health but has also significantly impacted the economy. Bandung, a bustling city in Indonesia serving as a satellite to the capital, has been hit hard due to its high population density, mobility, and reliance on the tourism, trade, and transportation sectors. Using a Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model developed at the inter-regional level of Indonesia, this study investigates the microeconomic indicators of several economic activities in Bandung to assess the impact of the pandemic. Additionally, the study examines the role of private sector actors in contributing to the sustainable recovery efforts toward achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) amidst the pandemic. The findings reveal that Bandung's transportation, accommodation, food and beverage, water supply, and trade sectors experienced a significant decline in economic activity. However, there was a gradual recovery with increased economic activity between 2019 and 2021. Private sector actors and the health sector were the main drivers of economic recovery, with other sectors also contributing to the efforts.

Previous research has either neglected to consider misbehaviour or misconduct in the virtual workplace during the current COVID-19 pandemic or highlighted some challenges encountered with remote working or work from home but in isolation, e.g., misbehaviours or ethical concerns associated with improper use of technology when accessing clients’ confidential information, without understanding their aetiology and context in a holistic manner. This has impacted the ability of existing research in providing recommendations organisations can practically implement to improve the sustainability and productivity of the virtual workplace, especially as they seek to navigate the current pandemic and prepare for the global business environment in the next decade. Instead, this study, for the first time, proposes a novel holistic methodology to identify the aetiologies of ethical and performance challenges with focus to the Information Technology consulting sector, as well as developing a set of recommendations companies can adopt to manage such behavioural and productivity challenges. Thus, this study illustrates the key issues associated with remote working implemented to respond to the current COVID-19 pandemic, which mine not only the individual performance in an organisation but also its overall productivity, as well as suggests the main performance and reward management strategies that can be leveraged to mitigate them. Tailored strategies are described and discussed as referred to this industry to help in navigating a more unstable yet competitive market to manage the virtual employees’ misbehaviours in the workplace and drive growth for individuals and organisations alike.

Objective: To examine the burnout syndrome among the healthcare personnel in Puerto Rico during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Descriptive study that pursues to understand burnout syndrome in the clinical personnel in Puerto Rico. The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) was sent via email to healthcare professionals around the island. Furthermore, open questions were asked to the participants. Results: The overall burnout level on the clinical personnel was found to be moderate. Nonetheless, in physicians, 12.1% had severe burnout levels compared to a 13.1% score in nurses. Additionally, 92.4% of physicians and 100% of nurses had moderate to severe burnout. In the three subscales, nurses scored high levels in all of them, and physicians were high in Emotional Exhaustion and moderate level in Depersonalization and Personal Accomplishment at Work. There were high levels of burnout syndrome of the clinical personnel in Puerto Rico. Conclusion: Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, over 90% of healthcare professionals in Puerto Rico have been working with moderate to severe burnout syndrome, being the nurses the most affected. Key Words: Burnout syndrome, MBI, Clinical personnel, COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2

In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, countries around the world varied in the strength and timeliness of their responses. In Romania, specific challenges were faced with regards to managing the spread and limiting the impact of the disease, ranging from healthcare infrastructure to demographic and sociocultural aspects. As the country has a sizeable diaspora, major difficulties were faced when large numbers of individuals from highly affected areas returned to Romania. However, the fast implementation of control measures successfully averted a surge in the number of COVID-19 cases. This delayed the overburdening of an already challenged healthcare system during the initial phases of the epidemic. Furthermore, early control was facilitated by the exploitation of communication channels that penetrated all layers of society, from ordinary citizens to governmental authorities and high-ranking religious figures. The management of the COVID-19 crisis in Romania illustrates the importance of a fast initial response which takes into account the role played by sociocultural aspects in the context of an epidemic. As the challenges faced by Romania are not unique, these results could inform future public health strategies worldwide.

The COVID-19 pandemic is placing unprecedented stress on healthcare systems around the world. Although Radiation Oncology Departments are not at the frontline of fighting this infectious disease, it is important to implement COVID-19 policies to reduce risk of staff and patient exposure, and to limit the risk of department shutdown or downtime. This brief report describes the policy implemented at George Washington University Radiation Oncology to manage the risks of COVID-19. This includes a General Statement related to the priorities of the Radiation Oncology department, a screening procedure for new and follow-up patients, management policies for critical and non-critical patients with COVID-19 or under quarantine, a policy for the management of patients currently under treatment who are diagnosed or placed in quarantine, a clinical escalation action plan, guidelines for staff meetings and travel, and procedure management. This policy was implemented at George Washington University Radiation Oncology after the first case of COVID-19 was reported in Washington DC on March 7, 2020.

Following the unprecedented and global health crisis of COVID-19, without a doubt, there has been a tremendous impact on international tourism for two reasons: the imposed travel restrictions discourage people from traveling, while travelers watch increased anxiety when responding to the new travel landscape. We address the problem of travelers’ changing travel risk perceptions in the COVID-19 pandemic aftermath. Our main goal is to identify and weigh critical emerging travel risks and create a risk evaluation index in which one can measure the destinations and strategic interventions’ performance for South African travelers. We found that tourist perceived risks are multidimensional, including categories like additional expenses, exchange rates, and refund-related factors. These three criteria are the most important to overall travel risk perception. We applied the developed risk evaluation index to five tourist destinations to evaluate their performance regarding the identified risks, being the UK the country with the best performance.

The devastating COVID-19 pandemic forced academia to go virtual. Educational institutions around the world have stressed online learning programs in the aftermath of the pandemic. However, because of insufficient access to ICT, a substantial number of students failed to harness the opportunity of online learning. This study explores the latent digital divide exhibited during the COVID-19 pandemic while online learning activities are emphasized among Bangladeshi students. It also investigates the digital divide exposure and the significant underlying drivers of the divide. A cross-sectional survey was employed to collect quantitative data mixed with open-ended questions to collect qualitative information from the student community. The findings revealed that despite the majority of students have physical access to ICT but only 32.5% of students could attend online classes seamlessly, 34.1% of the students reported the data prices as the critical barrier, and 39.8% of students identified the poor network infrastructure is the significant barrier for them to participate in online learning activities. Although most students possess physical access to the device and the Internet, they face the first-level digital divide due to the quality of access and maintaining subscriptions. Consequently, they fail to take advantage of physical access, resulting in the third-level digital divide (Utility Gap) and submerging them into a digital divide cycle. This paper aimed to explore the underlying issues of the digital divide among Bangladeshi students to assist relevant stakeholders (e.g., the Bangladesh government, Educational Institutions, Researchers) in providing the necessary insights and theoretical understanding to arrange adequate support for students to undertake conducive online learning activities.

This study aims to understand the global environment of COVID-19 management and guide future policy directions after the pandemic crisis. To this end, we analyzed a series of the World Economic Forum’s COVID-19 response reports through text mining and network analysis. These reports, written by experts in diverse fields, discuss multidimensional changes in socioeconomic situations, various problems created by those changes, and strategies to respond to national crises. Based on 3,897 refined words drawn from a morphological analysis of 26 reports (as of the end of 2020), this study analyzes the frequency of words, the relationships among words, the importance of specific documents, and the connection centrality through text mining. In addition, network analysis helps develop strategies for sustainable response to and management of national crises through identifying clusters of words with a similar structural equivalence.

This study analyzed the levels of mental workload and the presence of burnout on a sample of fashion retailing workers from Spain and its relationship with the actual Covid-19 pandemic by exploring Covid-19 pandemic predictors of burnout and mental workload. We established a prospective cross-sectional design. Participants (n = 360) answered an online survey including questions about sociodemographic data, perception of Covid-19, CarMen-Q questionnaire (workload), and MBI (burnout syndrome). We obtained data throughout October-November 2020. The results showed that participants exhibit deep concern about the Covid-19 pandemic and its influence at the work level. Although the mental workload was near the middle point of the scale, participants showed moderate to high burnout levels, revealing that the sample is at risk of experiencing higher burnout levels over time as the pandemic and associated economic crisis continue. The multidimensional regression analysis results indicated that environmental changes, work overload, somatic symptoms, insomnia, negative job expectations, and uncertainty constituted significant mental workload predictors. Insomnia, somatic symptoms, and negative job expectations constituted significant predictors for burnout. In conclusion, the uncertainty at work derived from the Covid-19 pandemic is harming the psychological wellbeing of fashion retailing workers in Spain.

The article describes how atherosclerosis and coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) may affect each other. The features of this comorbid pathogenesis at various levels (vascular, cellular and molecular) are considered. A bidirectional influence of these conditions is described: the presence of cardiovascular diseases affects different individual susceptibility to viral infection. In turn, SARS-CoV-2 can have a negative effect on the endothelium and cardiomyocytes, causing blood clotting, secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines, and thus exacerbating the development of atherosclerosis. In addition to the established entry into cells via ACE2 принимая во внимание его влияние на, other mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 entry are currently under investigation, for example, through CD147. Pathogenesis of comorbidity can be determined by the influence of the virus on various links which are meaningful for atherogenesis: generation of oxidized forms of LDL, launch of a cytokine storm, damage to the endothelial glycocalyx, and mitochondrial injury. The transformation of a stable plaque into an unstable one plays an important role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis complications and can be triggered by COVID-19. The impact of SARS-CoV-2 on large vessels such as aorta is more complex than previously thought considering its impact on vasa vasorum. Current information on the mutual influence of the medicines used in the treatment of atherosclerosis and acute COVID-19 is briefly summarized

Apart from their obvious educational mission, public schools provide health, psychological, emotional, and social development grounding for students. Thus, the educational system is special in that it combines multiple integrated responsibilities and duties beyond the scope of any other social welfare program. As such, social workers are a very important constituent of this system, and they ostensibly serve to attend to the wellbeing of students while ensuring educational system performance. In light of this extremely steep set of demands, this work assesses and compares social workers’ authentic roles in UAE schools during and after the COVID-19 pandemic so that we may contribute to the improvement of educational systems worldwide. The results are nuanced and will better illuminate the important capabilities of social workers in the continually changing educational system, as well as the challenges they face and ameliorate during emergency scenarios.