The role of contemporary digital tools and technologies in Covid‐19 crisis: An exploratory analysis

Following the Covid‐19 pandemic, there has been an increase in interest in using digital resources to contain pandemics. To avoid, detect, monitor, regulate, track, and manage diseases, predict outbreaks and conduct data analysis and decision‐making processes, a variety of digital technologies are used, ranging from artificial intelligence (AI)‐powered machine learning (ML) or deep learning (DL) focused applications to blockchain technology and big data analytics enabled by cloud computing and the internet of things (IoT). In this paper, we look at how emerging technologies such as the IoT and sensors, AI, ML, DL, blockchain, augmented reality, virtual reality, cloud computing, big data, robots and drones, intelligent mobile apps, and 5G are advancing health care and paving the way to combat the Coivd‐19 pandemic. The aim of this research is to look at possible technologies, processes, and tools for addressing Covid‐19 issues such as pre‐screening, early detection, monitoring infected/quarantined individuals, forecasting future infection rates, and more. We also look at the research possibilities that have arisen as a result of the use of emerging technology to handle the Covid‐19 crisis.

COVID-19 related leukoencephalopathy with bilateral reticular formation involvement.

We are presenting the imaging findings of COVID-19-related leukoencephalopathy associated with bilateral reticular formation diffusion restriction in brain magnetic resonance imaging. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of bilateral reticular formation affection in a COVID-19 patient.

Spinal cord infarction in a 41-year-old male patient with COVID-19.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, became rapidly recognised by variable phonotypic expressions that involve most major body organs. Neurological complications of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus disease are increasingly encountered in patients with COVID-19 infection, more frequently in patients with severe infection, and develop as a consequence of the neurotropic potential of this virus, secondary cytokine storm and acquired syndrome of COVID-19 coagulopathy. Spinal cord involvement after COVID-19 more commonly includes infectious transverse myelitis, para and post infection myelopathy and, rarely, spinal cord ischaemia related to increased coagulopathy with thromboembolic consequences. We herein report a COVID-19-positive patient with increased coagulopathy and vertebral artery thrombosis leading to posterior circulation and subsequent spinal cord infarction.

Spectrum of neuroimaging findings in COVID-19.

An outbreak of corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) began in China in December 2019, and rapidly spread to become a worldwide pandemic. Neurological complications encountered in hospitalized patients include acute arterial ischemic cerebrovascular stroke, cerebral venous thrombosis, critical illness-associated cerebral microbleeds, hypertensive hemorrhagic posterior reversible encephalopathy, meningoencephalitis/flare up of infections, flare up of multiple sclerosis, acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, cerebral hemodynamic/hypoxic changes such as watershed ischemic changes and hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, and spine manifestations of Guillain Barre syndrome and viral myelitis. The purpose of our study is to illustrate the different neuroimaging features in critically ill hospitalized COVID-19 positive patients in the State of Qatar.

Acute Flaccid Myelitis in COVID-19.

Spinal cord imaging findings in COVID-19 are evolving with the increasing frequency of neurological symptoms among COVID-19 patients. Several mechanisms are postulated to be the cause of central nervous system affection including direct virus neuroinvasive potential, post infectious secondary immunogenic hyperreaction, hypercoagulability, sepsis and possible vasculitis as well as systemic and metabolic complications associated with critical illness. Only a few case reports of spinal cord imaging findings are described in COVID-19, which include transverse myelitis, acute disseminated encephalomyelitis and post-infectious Guillain Barre' syndrome. We are describing a case of myelitis which, to the best of our knowledge, is the first reported case of myelitis in COVID-19.

Critical illness-associated cerebral microbleeds in COVID-19.

We are reporting the imaging findings of the rare entity of critical illness-associated cerebral microbleeds in a COVID-19-positive 66-year-old woman with hypoxic respiratory failure, who was eventually intubated and ventilated. Multiple scattered cerebral microhaemorrhages diffusely distributed in the juxtacortical white matter and internal capsule region, sparing the deep and periventricular white matter, basal ganglia, thalami and cortex were seen, which is a unique imaging finding in critically ill patients with respiratory failure and hypoxemia requiring mechanical ventilation. The mechanism underlying these microhaemorrhages relates to the endpoint of critical illness, rather than a specific underlying disease.