An online cross-sectional study of the psychosocial impact of COVID-19 lockdown on general population of Haryana, India

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has not only posed serious medical challenges but also significant psychological, social, and economic challenges acutely as well as in the long-term. There is evidence that this pandemic has caused intense psychological distress among people which is further likely to get compounded by administrative decision of nationwide lockdown. Aim: To determine the psychosocial impact of lockdown due to COVID-19 pandemic on the general population of Haryana, India. Method: It was an online cross-sectional study conducted on the general population of Haryana from 15th April to 5th May 2020 using a snowball sampling technique. A pre-tested, self-designed questionnaire comprising three sections, viz. sociodemographic characteristics, general life during lockdown, and psychological impact, was prepared using google forms and the link was sent to the participants through social media. Results: A total of 640 participants responded to the survey within the stipulated time. The most common depressive symptoms were insomnia (56%) followed by hopelessness (45%) and irritability (36%). Hypochondriacal preoccupation and obsessional ruminations were present in 87% and 23% of the respondents respectively. Twenty seven per cent of the people experienced autonomic symptoms of anxiety. Fear of death due to COVID (68.4%) and excessive COVID-related information being circulated through news and social media (26.2%) generated maximum stress. They coped with this stress by engaging themselves with television (TV)/social media (57%) and physical exercises (48.4%). Social life followed by professional life was the most affected facet of life. Lockdown had adversely affected the family bond in one per cent of the participants. Conclusion: The study concludes that lockdown due to COVID-19 pandemic had an adverse psychosocial impact on the general population of Haryana resulting in a magnitude of psychological issues.

Evaluation of causes of vaginal discharge in relation to pregnancy status.

The purpose of this study was to determine incidence of vaginal discharge in pregnant and non-pregnant sexually active females of age group 20-40 years presenting with the chief complaint of vaginal discharge. One hundred sexually active females in the age group of 20-40 years, with vaginal discharge, were selected for this study at random. A detailed clinical history and a thorough examination of all the cases were done. After making the clinical diagnosis, appropriate tests for diagnosing candidiasis, trichomoniasis, gonorrhoea and bacterial vaginosis were done. It was observed that out of 100 cases, 13 (13%) patients were pregnant and 87 (87%) were non-pregnant.

Incidence of various causes of vaginal discharge among sexually active females in age group 20-40 years.

The present study was undertaken to know incidence of various causes of vaginal discharge in sexually active females of age group 20-40 years. One hundred sexually active females in the age group of 20-40 years, with vaginal discharge, were selected for this study at random. A detailed clinical history and a thorough examination of all the cases was done. After making the clinical diagnosis, appropriate tests for diagnosing candidiasis, trichomoniasis, gonorrhoea and bacterial vaginosis were done. The present study showed 45% incidence of bacterial vaginosis, 31% vulvovaginal candidiasis, 2% trichomoniasis, 3% gonorrhoea, 5% non-specific urogenital causes, and 14% with other causes.

Subcutaneous epinephrine vs nebulized salbutamol in asthma.

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to compare the efficacy of the subcutaneous epinephrine with nebulized salbutamol. METHODS: Fifty asthmatic children in the age range of 6-14 years were divided into two equal groups. Group I children were given subcutaneous epinephrine and Group II were nebulized with salbutamol. Patients were observed at 15, 20, 30, 60, 120, 180 and 240 minute intervals. Both the groups had comparable mean increase in peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR %) (Group I 27.7 +/- 0.7; Group II 28.8 +/- 0.06, p >0.05). RESULT: In Group I there was significant increase in systolic blood pressure, 30 minutes after the start of treatment, however it settled on its own by 60 minutes. CONCLUSION: Both the groups had satisfactory improvement in clinical parameters which continued upto 4 hours after start of treatment. Subcutaneous epinephrine can be safely used if nebulizers are not available.

Cloning, expression and purification of the DNA binding domain of RFX protein.

The RFX DNA binding domain (DBD) is a novel highly conserved motif belonging to a large number of dimer DNA binding proteins which have diverse regulatory functions in eukaryotic organisms. To characterize this novel motif, a 78mer polypeptide corresponding to the DBD of human hRFX (hrfX1/DBD), a prototypical member of the RFX family has been cloned and overproduced in Escherichia coli. A purification procedure using cation exchange chromatography has also been developed.

Lipid profile norms in Indian children.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the lipid parameters in normal Indian children. DESIGN: Cross-sectional. SETTING: Hospital based. METHODS: 410 children (siblings of hospitalized pediatric cases) between 3-12 years were evaluated for total plasma cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG) and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). The low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels were derived from the above parameters using Fredrickson-Friedwald formula. RESULTS: No significant difference was found between the sexes in any of the lipid parameters studied. The mean values were: TC-134.5 mg/ dl, TG-91.1 mg/dl, HDL-C-34.15 mg/dl and LDL-C-80.1 mg/dl. The suggested cut off limits for these parameters were 190 mg/dl, 150 mg/dl, 20 mg/dl and 130 mg/d respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Lipid profile norms and cut off levels to define abnormalities for Indian children were recommended. The HDL-C levels were lower than western data.

Conformational dynamism in d-(GAATTCCGTTATT) containing the complementary Myb responsive element d-CCGTTA: NMR and MD investigations.

Conformational features of the DNA segment d-(GAATTCCGTTATT) containing the complementary Myb responsive element CCGTTA has been studied by NMR and molecular dynamics calculations with a view to see the role of 3D structure in specific DNA recognition. From the low field imino proton NMR spectra, the DNA sequence is seen to exist as a duplex with pyrimidine mismatches in the centre. The 2D NMR spectra however show that teh molecule exhibits substantial dynamism even at 1 degree C. Several extra cross peaks, more than the expected number, are seen in particular regions in all the spectra. These observations indicate that the duplex undergoes slow transitions between base-paired and unbase-paired states due to mismatches in the centre. Hence, to characterise those transitions a restrained verlet dynamics has been performed for 50ps using X-PLOR force field. Structural intermediates at regular intervals have been analysed, and we see that the dynamism in the molecule results in substantial fluctuations in the different torsion angles. The mismatch sites are seen to exhibit the highest degree of fluctuations, with the bases stacking in and looping out of the duplex. The sugar geometry is seen to be fairly steady around the S domain for most of the residues.

Preliminary observation on drug resistant cases of typhoid fever.

We report here a sudden and marked increase in the occurrence, in a captive population, of typhoid fever cases showing multiple drug resistance. Fifty one cases of typhoid fever were seen from January '90 to June '90 of which 49% showed multiple drug resistance. Comparative figures for resistance in the previous three years were 0% (1987), 5% (1988), 14% (1989). Shared resistance to chloramphenicol, ampicillin, amoxycillin and sensitivity to gentamicin, kanamycin, sisomycin, cephazolin, norfloxacin and ciprofloxacin in most of our cases suggest infection by a common strain with R-factor, mediated resistance. The illness was prolonged and associated with serious complications. Therapy with combination of quinolone derivatives and aminoglycoside antibiotics seemed justified on the basis of the in-vitro tests and clinical response. Efforts to identify the strain and stern public health measures to prevent further development of drug resistant S typhi are urgently indicated.

Hepatopulmonary amoebiasis. Efficacy of various treatment regimens containing dehydroemetine and/or metronidazole.

Thirty three patients with hepatopulmonary amoebiasis were studied. Pulmonary involvement was observed in 55%, pleuro-pulmonary lesions in 30%. Typical chocolate coloured sputum was obtained in 24% and pleural fluid in 21% of patients. Entamoeba histolytica were demonstrable in the sputum in only 6% and in the pleural fluid in 15%. The best therapeutic results were obtained with a combination of dehydroemetine and metronidazole. However, metronidazole was found to be nearly as effective as dehydroemetine, and metronidazole 400 mg and 800 mg were equally effective.

Bronchogenic carcinoma. A study of 109 cases.

The clinical profile of 109 cases of bronchogenic carcinoma has been studied. Definite histopathological typing of malignancy was possible in 61 patients, squamous cell carcinoma being the commonest tumour in 27 followed by small cell carcinoma in 16, adenocarcinoma in 11 and large cell carcinoma in 7. Another 23 patients showed changes suggestive of malignancy on histological/cytological examination. Definitive diagnosis was obtained in half of the patients by bronchial biopsy, in 16% by bronchial aspiration fluid cytology, in 13% by pleural biopsy, in 11% by lymph node biopsy and in others by pleural fluid cytology, lung biopsy and skin biopsy. Commonest radiological involvement among different cell types was hilar involvement in small cell carcinoma in 62%, evidence of bronchial obstruction (collapse/consolidation) in squamous cell carcinoma in 56%, peripheral mass in adenocarcinoma in 54% and cavitation in a mass in squamous cell carcinoma in 15% cases.