Deep Learning Convolutional Neural Network for SARS-CoV-2 Detection Using Chest X-Ray Images

The COVID-19 coronavirus illness is caused by a newly discovered species of coronavirus known as SARS-CoV-2. Since COVID-19 has now expanded across many nations, the World Health Organization (WHO) has designated it a pandemic. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) is often used to screen samples of patients showing signs of COVID-19;however, this method is more expensive and takes at least 24 hours to get a positive or negative response. Thus, an immediate and precise method of diagnosis is needed. In this paper, chest X-rays will be utilized through a deep neural network (DNN), based on a convolutional neural network (CNN), to detect COVID-19 infection. Based on their X-rays, those with COVID-19 indications may be categorized as clean, infected with COVID-19 or suffering from pneumonia, according to the suggested CNN network. Sample pieces from every group are used in experiments, and categorization is performed by a CNN. While experimenting, the CNN-derived features were able to generate the maximum training accuracy of 94.82% and validation accuracy of 94.87%. The F1-scores were 97%, 90% and 96%, in clearly categorizing patients afflicted by COVID-19, normal and having pneumonia, respectively. Meanwhile, the recalls are 95%, 91% and 96% for COVID-19, normal and pneumonia, respectively. © 2023 by the author(s). Licensee Prague University of Economics and Business, Czech Republic.

Intention to Participate in MOOCs: Case of University Students in Northwestern Nigeria During COVID-19 Pandemic

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) have been introduced over the past few decades to account for the twenty-first-era education and recent COVID-19 pandemic trials driven by the spread of internet-based technology on the internet. This research seeks to give an extended model investigating the intention to use MOOCs based on students at public universities in northwestern Nigeria. The extended TAM model was tested via PLS structural equation modelling using data collected from 451 students at public universities in northwestern Nigeria. The research findings indicated that the proposed extended model delivers a 72.0% descriptive effect. The creative technology acceptance TAM model establishes a strong signal for the effects of PU, PR, PEOU, SN, and TA on intentions to practice MOOCs technology among students in Nigerian public universities during the COVID-19 pandemic. The outcomes present practical and theoretical implications that MOOC developers can use to justify why MOOCs are not high within public universities in Northern-western Nigeria. The findings also indicated that PU, PEOU, PR SN, and TA significantly impact students' intention to use MOOCs. The research has provided insight into extended TAM in Nigerian learning environments to discover the issues influencing students' intention to use MOOCs. Dissimilar to preceding empirical reviews, this research broadly investigated the intention to participate in MOOCs of public University students in northwestern Nigeria during the COVID-19 pandemic, delivering crucial discoveries and commendations for impending research openings. The findings could practically enlighten administrators, instructors, developers, and policymakers in making informed decisions © 2023, International Journal of Interactive Mobile Technologies.All Rights Reserved.

'Micro-terrorism': COVID-19 makes the horrible face of microbiology

Micro-terrorism! We coin this term to show the horrible face of microbiology in a way similar to the current widespread terrorism throughout the world. Throughout the ages, tiny organisms were the immediate cause of devastating epidemics that killed hundreds of millions of the inhabitants of the planet. Corona virus disease-19 (COVID-19) is a prominent milestone in the history of microbiology. Historically, microbiology witnessed prominent milestones from the discoveries of Antoni Philips van Leeuwenhoek and Louis Pasteur to the development of antibiotics in the first half of the twentieth century. Nowadays we live a new milestone in microbiology history. From the public point of view, it is astonishing that a tiny unseen organism could produce such a huge transition in the history of the world. Extra jeopardy is that the COVID-19 patient put his contacts at work and household members at a real risk of rapidly transmitting the disease all over the world. © 2020 The author (s). Published by Zagazig University.

Internet of Wearable Medical Things for COVID-19 Diagnostics

Wearable devices have played a key role in the medical industry, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic spread. The need for a self-monitoring system increased since the spread of the virus. With the development of semiconductor technology and the increased research and development in medical wearable devices, wearable devices have been able to detect the medical condition of patients. This paper presents a biomedical wearable device to monitor the vital signs of patients. The device can be used to detect the patient COVID-19 infection. Data were extracted using different sensors and other components, and results were displayed on a mobile application that showed the health status of the patient. A PCB (Printed Circuit Board) design was made for the purpose of making the system a wearable device. The system power consumption ranged from 5-37.5mW. © 2022 IEEE.

A look at the global impact of COVID-19 pandemic on neurosurgical services and residency training.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has left an indelible effect on healthcare delivery and education system, including residency training. Particularly, neurosurgical departments worldwide had to adapt their operating model to the constantly changing pandemic landscape. This review aimed to quantify the reduction in neurosurgical operative volume and describe the impact of these trends on neurosurgical residency training. Methods: We performed a comprehensive search of PubMed and EMBASE between December 2019 and October 2022 to identify studies comparing pre-pandemic and pandemic neurosurgical caseloads as well as articles detailing the impact of COVID-19 on neurosurgery residency training. Statistical analysis of quantitative data was presented as pooled odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results: A total of 49 studies met the inclusion criteria, of which 12 (24.5%) were survey-based. The case volume of elective surgeries and non-elective procedures decreased by 70.4% (OR=0.296, 95%CI 0.210-0.418) and 68.2% (OR=0.318, 95%CI 0.193-0.525), respectively. A significant decrease was also observed in functional (OR=0.542, 95%CI 0.394-0.746), spine (OR=0.545, 95%CI 0.409-0.725), and skull base surgery (OR=0.545, 95%CI 0.409-0.725), whereas the caseloads for tumor (OR=1.029, 95%CI 0.838-1.263), trauma (OR=1.021, 95%CI 0.846-1.232), vascular (OR=1.001, 95%CI 0.870-1.152), and pediatric neurosurgery (OR=0.589, 95%CI 0.344-1.010) remained relatively the same between pre-pandemic and pandemic periods. The reduction in caseloads had caused concerns among residents and program directors in regard to the diminished clinical exposure, financial constraints, and mental well-being. Some positives highlighted were rapid adaptation to virtual educational platforms and increasing time for self-learning and research activities. Conclusion: While COVID-19 has brought about significant disruptions in neurosurgical practice and training, this unprecedented challenge has opened the door for technological advances and collaboration that broaden the accessibility of resources and reduce the worldwide gap in neurosurgical education.

Overview Of Immune Response to the COVID-19 Vaccination Among Hemodialysis Patients

Globally, over 100 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been reported. The virus that causes COVID-19 is designated SARS-CoV-2;previously, it was referred to as 2019-nCoV. At the end of 2019, cases have been reported in all continents. The main aim of the COVID-19 vaccine is to establish immunity to the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2. Immune system dysfunction is one of the serious complications of chronic kidney disease (CKD). On the other hand, the immune system has a central role in the initiation and progression of this disease by promoting and persistence of systemic inflammation. Patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD) are particularly vulnerable to severe COVID-19 due to the older age and high frequency of comorbidity, such as diabetes and hypertension, in this population. This study aimed to review the immune response following vaccination with the COVID-19 vaccines in patients on maintenance HD and the factors associated with it.

VACCINATION IS ASSOCIATED WITH DECREASED MORTALITY IN PATIENTS WITH GI BLEEDING AND COVID INFECTION

Introduction: Since the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, infected patients demonstrate severe coagulation disturbances leading to considerable mortality. COVID-19 vaccination has been shown to not only reduce infection risk but also to improve survival from breakthrough infections. It is not known if COVID vaccination improves outcomes from bleeding. Alabama has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the US. We, therefore, sought to examine the effect of vaccination on patient outcomes with GI bleeding in the setting of a COVID infection in this population. Methods: A retrospective review was conducted of adult patients admitted at a single institution with GI bleeding and COVID infection from May 2020 to October 2021. Inclusion Criteria included patients who had active COVID infection and evidence of GI bleeding (hematemesis, melena, hematochezia or anemia secondary to GI blood loss). Data collected included baseline demographics, vaccination status, mortality, and inpatient treatment including supplemental oxygen requirement, mechanical ventilation, and blood transfusions. The group was dichotomized by vaccination status and clinical outcomes were compared. Results: A total of 113 patients were included in the final analysis. The mean age was 57.3 years (range 19-93), 51.3% were female, and 68.1% identified as White. 44 patients (39.0%) and 63 (61.0%) were vaccinated and unvaccinated, respectively. Vaccinated patients were older than unvaccinated (mean age 63.3 vs. 53.1 years, p=0.003) and more likely to be White (72.7% vs. 50.7%, p=0.03) but had similar gender (%female, 45.5% vs. 54.4%, p=0.44). At presentation, the two groups had similar pulmonary status (vaccinated vs. unvaccinated, need for supplemental oxygen: 11.4% vs. 17.4%, p=0.43;need for mechanical ventilation, 0% vs. 5.8%, p=0.16). Vaccinated patients required significantly fewer blood transfusions (mean, 0.2 units vs. 1.4 units, p=0.03), and this translated to lower mortality (0% vs. 10.1%, p=0.04). In multivariable logistic analysis, the strongest predictor of mortality was lack of COVID-19 vaccination (OR=infinity, p=0.004). Conclusions: In this early analysis, COVID vaccination is associated with decreased mortality related to GI bleeding. This was true even when initial oxygen requirements were accounted for in either of the groups. Further work should be done to elucidate differences in the coagulation cascade in these patient cohorts.(Table Presented)

Assessment of Immune Response to the COVID-19 Vaccination in Egyptian Patients Undergoing Maintenance Hemodialysis

Background: COVID-19 is a global health crisis caused by SARS-CoV-2 and associated with higher morbidity and mortality in patients on maintenance Haemodialysis (HD). Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), but especially those with End-stage renal disease (ESRD), treated with maintenance HD tend to have a reduced immune response to infection or vaccination. Objective: The present study aimed to evaluate the immune response following vaccination with the COVID-19 vaccines in patients with maintenance HD and the factors associated with it. Patients and methods: This prospective observational comparative study included 44 patients with ESRD on maintenance HD had been done in the Internal Medicine and Clinical Pathology Departments, Zagazig University Hospital. Another 20 vaccinated non-renal patients were considered controls. SARS-COV2 IgG was estimated using an ELISA assay. Results: There is a lower significant value of SARS COVID igG in renal dialysis patients compared to the control group regarding sex, smoking habit, and obesity. Also, there is a lower significant value of SARS COVID IgG in renal dialysis patients compared to the control group regarding the history of COVID19 infection before vaccination and occurrence of post-vaccine adverse effects. There is a higher significant SARS COVID igG value for males and smokers in the control group. Conclusion: Hemodialysis patients demonstrate a hyporesponsiveness to vaccination against COVID-19. Although most patients on maintenance hemodialysis developed a substantial humoral response following the COVID vaccine, it was significantly lower than controls. © 2022, Ain Shams University Faculty of Medicine. All rights reserved.

The dual therapeutic effect of metformin nuclei-based drugs modified with one of Tulbaghia violacea extract compounds

Novel Schiff base was synthesized from the condensation reaction of metformin with [4-(Diethylamino) benzaldehyde (NBM). Different metal complexes were prepared using Pd (II), Pt (II), Cu (II), and V (IV) metal ions. All complexes showed the nonelectrolytic behavior. So, the expected molecular formulas for complexes were [Pd (NBM)Cl2], [Pt (NBM)Cl2], [Cu (NBM)2Cl2] and [VO (NBM)2]. The cytotoxicity of (NBM) Schiff base and its metal complexes on human cancer cell line, MCF-7, was investigated. V (IV) and Cu (II) complexes showed potential blood glucose lowering effect higher than the commercial metformin drug. VO (II) complex has superior antioxidant activity more than the other synthesized compounds and the standard ascorbic acid. Molecular docking investigation proved the presence of interesting interactions between all synthesized compounds with the active site amino acids of EGFR tyrosine kinase (anticancer activity). The molecular docking of metal complexes has observed effective inhibition for the specific mTOR protein that is expected to aid the growth of the COVID-19 virus. © 2022 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Site-Specific Education Using Digital Media to Improve Patients' Understanding of the Radiotherapy Trajectory: An Interventional Study

To assess the effectiveness of a site-specific video educational material in improving patients' understanding and confidence regarding radiotherapy trajectory A quasi-experimental longitudinal pre-test post-test study was conducted at a referral radiotherapy center, from May 2020 to September 2020. It included 52 adult patients admitted for a first course radical radiotherapy. One generic and 6 site-specific (breast, pelvis, head and neck, brain, chest and abdomen and bladder) inhouse production, animated cartoon videos were developed to provide concise overview of the overall patient's trajectory in radiotherapy, with full visual description of the procedures and specific preparation measures. A 14-item questionnaire was designed to assess pre- and post-intervention levels of understanding and confidence of patients, with calculation of and an understanding and confidence score (UCS, range 0-14). The mean (SD) UCS in pre- and post-intervention was 9.36 (2.48) and 11.92 (1.34) out of 14, respectively, indicating a mean increase of 2.57 subsequent to the intervention (P < 0.001). The effect size was large with a Cohen's d = 1.01. Of the 14 dimensions explored, 8 were observed to have remarkable improvement, notably understanding the purpose of the tattoo mark, reason of daily or weekly imaging, and what to expect with radiotherapy. Participants with poor reading ability had greater increase in UCS (ΔUCS = 4.25 vs ≤2.33) and in 5 out of 8 dimensions with remarkable improvement The use of digital educational material in radiation oncology meets the urgent need for providing patients with concise and site-specific information, while sparing extra hospital visits to meet education coordinators during the COVID-19 crisis. Further studies are warranted to assess both the clinical and long-term effectiveness of the educational material, using a longitudinal controlled design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics is the property of Pergamon Press - An Imprint of Elsevier Science and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Cytokine profile in Egyptian children and adolescents with COVID-19 pneumonia: A multicenter study.

BACKGROUND: To date, the cytokine profile in children and adolescent with novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has not been reported. OBJECTIVES: We investigated serum levels of a panel of key cytokines in children and adolescent with COVID-19 pneumonia with a primary focus on "cytokine storm" cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-1ß, IL-6, IL-17, IL-2, IL-4, IL-10, interferon (IFN-γ), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and two chemokines interferon-inducible protein-10 (IP-10) and IL-8. We also studied whether these cytokines could be potential markers for illness severity in COVID-19 pneumonia. METHODS: Ninety-two symptomatic patients aged less than 18 years with confirmed COVID-19 pneumonia and 100 well-matched healthy controls were included in this multi-center study. For all patients, the presence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in respiratory fluid specimens was detected by real-time reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. We measured serum concentrations of studied cytokines by using flow cytometry. RESULTS: Patients with COVID-19 had significantly higher median IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-17, TNF-α, and IP-10 serum levels than did control children (all p < 0.01). Patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia had significantly higher median IL-1ß, IL-6, and IP-10 serum levels as compared with those with moderate COVID-19 pneumonia; all p < 0.01. ROC analysis revealed that three of the studied markers (IL-6, IL-1ß, and IP-10) could predict severe COVID-19 pneumonia cases with the largest AUC for IL-6 of 0.893 (95% confidence interval: 0.84-0.98; p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Our study shows that pediatric patients with COVID-19 pneumonia have markedly elevated serum IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-17, TNF-α, and IP-10 levels at the initial phase of the illness indicating a cytokine storm following SARS-CoV-2 infection. Moreover, serum IL-6, IL-1ß, and IP-10 concentrations were independent predictors for severe COVID-19 pneumonia.

A new hybrid conjugate gradient algorithm for optimization models and its application to regression analysis

The hybrid conjugate gradient (CG) method is among the efficient variants of CG method for solving optimization problems. This is due to their low memory requirements and nice convergence properties. In this paper, we present an efficient hybrid CG method for solving unconstrained optimization models and show that the method satisfies the sufficient descent condition. The global convergence prove of the proposed method would be established under inexact line search. Application of the proposed method to the famous statistical regression model describing the global outbreak of the novel COVID-19 is presented. The study parameterized the model using the weekly increase/decrease of recorded cases from December 30, 2019 to March 30, 2020. Preliminary numerical results on some unconstrained optimization problems show that the proposed method is efficient and promising. Furthermore, the proposed method produced a good regression equation for COVID-19 confirmed cases globally. © 2021 Institute of Advanced Engineering and Science. All rights reserved.

The Effects of Internet Addiction on the Academic Performance of Medical Students at Omdurman Islamic University: An Online Cross-sectional Study (preprint)

Background:In general, the emergence of new technologies such as the internet, social networks and providing opportunities to facilitate and improve global communications quality have created some threats, as Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD), which is an emerging psychological problem across the globe. Young defined it as “an individual’s inability to control his or her use of the internet, which eventually causes psychological, social, school, and/or work difficulties in a person’s life”. Students are among the most critical internet and social networks, particularly during the coronavirus recent pandemic. The prevalence of internet addiction and its association with academic performance among Sudanese medical students has not been discussed yet. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the effects of internet addiction on medical students’ academic performance. Methods:This study was an observational descriptive cross-sectional study conducted on medical students at Omdurman Islamic University in Sudan from 321 sample size by stratified random technique. Data were collected using a questionnaire that contains four sections; the last one is the Internet Addiction Test (IAT), a 20-item scale that measures the presence and severity of internet addiction, developed by Young. Data were analyzed using the statistical package for social science (SPSS) version 24. A P-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results:Out of 321 medical students, 186 (57.9%) were females, and 135 (42.1%) were males, with no general differences regarding the addiction score. Social media was the leading platform for internet use purposes (88%), mean internet addiction score was 47.7; most of the respondents (55.8%) fit into the moderate-level addiction. There is an association between the duration of internet time consumption and the IAT score, with 5-6 hour/day scoring the highest (mean 50.1 ± 14.3) (P-value 0.001). There is a significant association between platforms that consume most of the participant time and IAT score, with games scoring the highest (IAT mean 56.4 ± 15) (P-value 0.001). There is an insignificant negative correlation between Internet Addiction Test (IAT) grade and CGPA (p-value 0.07).Conclusion:The mean internet addiction score is 47.7, and most of the respondents (55.8%) show moderate-level addiction. The Internet Addiction Test’s application to medical students’ sample concerning the academic performance found no significant association between Internet Addiction Test score and CGPA score.

Cholecystitis Associated with Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation: Temporal Trends and Outcomes from National Inpatient Sample Analysis from 2010-2017

INTRODUCTION: Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) has become essential support to patients with severe cardiac and pulmonary dysfunction refractory to conventional management. The usage of ECMO has strikingly progressed, especially during the pandemic of novel coronavirus disease 2019. Previous research has shown increased frequencies of cholecystostomy and cholecystectomy in patients receiving ECMO. The aim of this study was to determine the trends and outcomes of cholecystitis in hospitalized patients receiving ECMO. METHODS: The NIS database was used to identify adult patients receiving ECMO who had the diagnosis of cholecystitis from 2010 to 2017 using ICD codes. Primary outcomes included the trend of prevalence of ECMO, cholecystitis, and inpatient outcomes. RESULTS: Between 2010 and 2017, there was an uptrend in the number of patients receiving ECMO (weighted: 1471 in 2010 to 8525 in 2017, P < 0.0001), while the rate of cholecystitis has remained stable (1.4%). In patients receiving ECMO with cholecystitis, 73.9% had acalculous cholecystitis (ACC). Both patients with ACC and calculous cholecystitis (CC) had high mortality rates (48.8% vs. 61.5%), prolonged length of stay (LOS) (38.9 vs. 46 days) and significant hospitalization charges ($1214147.4 vs. $1346440.9), with an uptrend in hospitalization charges (P < 0.0001). More than 95% of ECMO patients with cholecystitis had at least two Elixhauser comorbidities. ECMO patients with ACC were generally Caucasian (56.5%) and male (72.8%) dominant with an average age of 51.3 years old. More than 90% were treated in medium to large urban teaching hospitals, and more than 50% had private insurance. Compared to CC patients, patients with ACC were more likely to be male (P < 0.042) and had fewer cardiogenic indications for ECMO (P < 0.011). The ACC cohort was also associated with higher rates of HCV infection (P < 0.020) and cirrhosis (P < 0.007). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated a stable rate of cholecystitis from 2010 to 2017 in ECMO patients despite an increased number of ECMO use. ECMO patients with cholecystitis were associated with more comorbidities, high mortality rates, prolonged LOS and significant hospitalization costs. Patients with ACC were associated with fewer cardiogenic indications for ECMO, but more HCV infection and cirrhosis compared to those with CC. Further prospective studies are needed to evaluate the different characteristics and underlying pathophysiology between ACC and CC in patients receiving ECMO.

Virtual learning during the COVID-19 pandemic: a turning point in neurosurgical education.

OBJECTIVE: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused dramatic changes in medical education. Social distancing policies have resulted in the rapid adoption of virtual learning (VL) by neurosurgeons as a method to exchange knowledge, but it has been met with variable acceptance. The authors surveyed neurosurgeons from around the world regarding their opinions about VL and how they see the future of neurosurgical conferences. METHODS: The authors conducted a global online survey assessing the experience of neurosurgeons and trainees with VL activities. They also questioned respondents about how they see the future of on-site conferences and scientific meetings. They analyzed responses against demographic data, regions in which the respondents practice, and socioeconomic factors by using frequency histograms and multivariate logistic regression models. RESULTS: Eight hundred ninety-one responses from 96 countries were received. There has been an increase in VL activities since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Most respondents perceive this type of learning as positive. Respondents from lower-income nations and regions such as Europe and Central Asia were more receptive to these changes and wanted to see further movement of educational activities (conferences and scientific meetings) into a VL format. The latter desire may be driven by financial savings from not traveling. Most queried neurosurgeons indicated that virtual events are likely to partially replace on-site events. CONCLUSIONS: The pandemic has improved perceptions of VL, and despite its limitations, VL has been well received by the majority of neurosurgeons. Lower-income nations in particular are embracing this technology. VL is still evolving, but its integration with traditional in-person meetings seems inevitable.

The first consecutive 5000 patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019 from Qatar; a nation-wide cohort study.

BACKGROUND: There are limited data on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outcomes at a national level, and none after 60 days of follow up. The aim of this study was to describe national, 60-day all-cause mortality associated with COVID-19, and to identify risk factors associated with admission to an intensive care unit (ICU). METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study including the first consecutive 5000 patients with COVID-19 in Qatar who completed 60 days of follow up by June 17, 2020. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality at 60 days after COVID-19 diagnosis. In addition, we explored risk factors for admission to ICU. RESULTS: Included patients were diagnosed with COVID-19 between February 28 and April 17, 2020. The majority (4436, 88.7%) were males and the median age was 35 years [interquartile range (IQR) 28-43]. By 60 days after COVID-19 diagnosis, 14 patients (0.28%) had died, 10 (0.2%) were still in hospital, and two (0.04%) were still in ICU. Fatal COVID-19 cases had a median age of 59.5 years (IQR 55.8-68), and were mostly males (13, 92.9%). All included pregnant women (26, 0.5%), children (131, 2.6%), and healthcare workers (135, 2.7%) were alive and not hospitalized at the end of follow up. A total of 1424 patients (28.5%) required hospitalization, out of which 108 (7.6%) were admitted to ICU. Most frequent co-morbidities in hospitalized adults were diabetes (23.2%), and hypertension (20.7%). Multivariable logistic regression showed that older age [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.041, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.022-1.061 per year increase; P < 0.001], male sex (aOR 4.375, 95% CI 1.964-9.744; P < 0.001), diabetes (aOR 1.698, 95% CI 1.050-2.746; P 0.031), chronic kidney disease (aOR 3.590, 95% CI 1.596-8.079, P 0.002), and higher BMI (aOR 1.067, 95% CI 1.027-1.108 per unit increase; P 0.001), were all independently associated with increased risk of ICU admission. CONCLUSIONS: In a relatively younger national cohort with a low co-morbidity burden, COVID-19 was associated with low all-cause mortality. Independent risk factors for ICU admission included older age, male sex, higher BMI, and co-existing diabetes or chronic kidney disease.