Impelling Factors for Contracting COVID-19 Among Surgical Professionals During the Pandemic: A Multinational Cohort Study.

Background: Medical workers, including surgical professionals working in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) treating hospitals, were under enormous stress during the pandemic. This global study investigated factors endowing COVID-19 amongst surgical professionals and students. Methods: This global cross-sectional survey was made live on February 18, 2021 and closed for analysis on March 13, 2021. It was freely shared on social and scientific media platforms and was sent via email groups and circulated through a personal network of authors. Chi-square test for independence, and binary logistic regression analysis were carried out on determining predictors of surgical professionals contracting COVID-19. Results: This survey captured the response of 520 surgical professionals from 66 countries. Of the professionals, 92.5% (481/520) reported practising in hospitals managing COVID-19 patients. More than one-fourth (25.6%) of the respondents (133/520) reported suffering from COVID-19 which was more frequent in surgical professionals practising in public sector healthcare institutions (P = 0.001). Thirty-seven percent of those who reported never contracting COVID-19 (139/376) reported being still asked to practice self-isolation and wear a shield without the diagnosis (P = 0.001). Of those who did not contract COVID-19, 75.7% (283/376) were vaccinated (P < 0.001). Surgical professionals undergoing practice in the private sector (odds ratio (OR): 0.33; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.14 - 0.77; P = 0.011) and receiving two doses of vaccine (OR: 0.55; 95% CI: 0.32 - 0.95; P = 0.031) were identified to enjoy decreased odds of contracting COVID-19. Only 6.9% of those who reported not contracting COVID-19 (26/376) were calculated to have the highest "overall composite level of harm" score (P < 0.001). Conclusions: High prevalence of respondents got COVID-19, which was more frequent in participants working in public sector hospitals. Those who reported contracting COVID-19 were calculated to have the highest level of harm score. Self-isolation or shield, getting two doses of vaccines decreases the odds of contracting COVID-19.

Clinical efficacy of Azithromycin for COVID-19 management: A systematic meta-analysis of meta-analyses

Background Azithromycin has been adopted as a component of the COVID-19 management protocol throughout the global healthcare settings but with a questionable if not downright unsubstantiated evidence base. Objectives In order to amalgamate and critically appraise the conflicting evidence around the clinical efficacy of Azithromycin (AZO) vis a vis COVID-19 management outcomes, a meta-analysis of meta-analyses was carried out to establish an evidence-based holistic status of AZO vis a vis its efficacy as a component-in-use of the COVID-19 management protocol. Methods A comprehensive systematic search was carried out through PubMed/Medline, Cochrane and Epistemonikos with a subsequent appraisal of abstracts and full-texts, as required. The Quality of Reporting of Meta-analyses (QUOROM) checklist and the Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR) methodology were adopted to assess the methodological quality of the included meta-analyses. Random-effects models were developed to calculate summarized pool Odds Ratios (with 95% confidence interval) for the afore determined primary and secondary outcomes. Results AZO, when compared with best available therapy (BAT) including or excluding Hydroxychloroquine, exhibited statistically insignificant reduction in mortality [(n= 27,204 patients) OR= 0.77 (95% CI: 0.51-1.16) (I2= 97%)], requirement of mechanical ventilation [(n= 14,908 patients) OR= 1.4 (95% CI: 0.58-3.35) (I2= 98%)], induction of arrhythmia [(n= 9,723 patients) OR= 1.21 (95% CI: 0.63-2.32) (I2= 92%)] and QTc prolongation (a surrogate for torsadogenic effect) [(n= 6,534 patients) OR= 0.62 (95% CI: 0.23-1.73) (I2= 96%)]. Conclusion The meta-analysis of meta-analyses portrays AZO as a pharmacological agent that does not appear to have a comparatively superior clinical efficacy than BAT when it comes to COVID-19 management. Secondary to a very real threat of anti-bacterial resistance, it is suggested that AZO be discontinued and removed from COVID-19 management protocols.

Clinical efficacy of Azithromycin for COVID-19 management: A systematic meta-analysis of meta-analyses.

BACKGROUND: Azithromycin has been adopted as a component of the COVID-19 management protocol throughout the global healthcare settings but with a questionable if not downright unsubstantiated evidence base. OBJECTIVES: In order to amalgamate and critically appraise the conflicting evidence around the clinical efficacy of Azithromycin (AZO) vis a vis COVID-19 management outcomes, a meta-analysis of meta-analyses was carried out to establish an evidence-based holistic status of AZO vis a vis its efficacy as a component-in-use of the COVID-19 management protocol. METHODS: A comprehensive systematic search was carried out through PubMed/Medline, Cochrane and Epistemonikos with a subsequent appraisal of abstracts and full-texts, as required. The Quality of Reporting of Meta-analyses (QUOROM) checklist and the Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR) methodology were adopted to assess the methodological quality of the included meta-analyses. Random-effects models were developed to calculate summarized pool Odds Ratios (with 95% confidence interval) for the afore determined primary and secondary outcomes. RESULTS: AZO, when compared with best available therapy (BAT) including or excluding Hydroxychloroquine, exhibited statistically insignificant reduction in mortality [(n= 27,204 patients) OR= 0.77 (95% CI: 0.51-1.16) (I2= 97%)], requirement of mechanical ventilation [(n= 14,908 patients) OR= 1.4 (95% CI: 0.58-3.35) (I2= 98%)], induction of arrhythmia [(n= 9,723 patients) OR= 1.21 (95% CI: 0.63-2.32) (I2= 92%)] and QTc prolongation (a surrogate for torsadogenic effect) [(n= 6,534 patients) OR= 0.62 (95% CI: 0.23-1.73) (I2= 96%)]. CONCLUSION: The meta-analysis of meta-analyses portrays AZO as a pharmacological agent that does not appear to have a comparatively superior clinical efficacy than BAT when it comes to COVID-19 management. Secondary to a very real threat of anti-bacterial resistance, it is suggested that AZO be discontinued and removed from COVID-19 management protocols.

Synthetic cannabinoids and ST elevation myocardial infarction.

Synthetic cannabinoids cannot be detected on a standard urine drug screen (UDS), making them a convenient drug of abuse. We report the first case of ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in a young patient due to coronary artery thrombosis secondary to synthetic cannabinoid use and concurrent COVID-19 infection. A 38-year-old previously healthy male developed severe chest pain and was found to have anterior STEMI and COVID-19 infection. Coronary angiography showed acute thrombotic occlusion of the mid-left anterior descending artery that was managed with thrombectomy and stent placement. He only required supportive care for COVID-19. A comprehensive literature search revealed 34 additional cases of STEMI with synthetic cannabinoid use; majority were males (97%) with mean age of 29 years. 29 patients (85.3%) underwent coronary angiography and majority had left anterior descending artery (LAD) involvement (55%), with 13 (44.8%) undergoing stent placement. We highlight STEMI as a potentially lethal complication of synthetic cannabinoids; prompt angiography may be lifesaving.

Effect of Lockdown on the Air Quality of Four Major Cities in Pakistan During the COVID-19 Pandemic

This study attempted to evaluate the effect of lockdown on the air quality of four major cities in Pakistan: Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, and Peshawar. Particulate matter (PM2.5) concentration and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Air Quality Index (AQI) were used to determine air quality before and after lockdown. We found that air quality in all the cities improved after lockdown was imposed: PM2.5 concentrations in Karachi and Lahore decreased by 62% and in Peshawar and Islamabad by 57% and 55%, respectively. AQI in Karachi and Islamabad improved from Unhealthy to Moderate and in Peshawar and Lahore from Unhealthy to Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups. Formal complete lockdown in Pakistan was imposed on March 24, 2020, and lasted until May 10, 2020, after which partial or smart lockdown was still in place. Maximum improvement in air quality was observed in April 2020, with concentrations starting to increase in May 2020 following the ease of restrictions.

Analysis of the Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on the Intraday Efficiency of Agricultural Futures Markets

The investigation of the fractal nature of financial data has been growing in the literature. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the efficiency of agricultural futures markets by using multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis (MF-DFA). To better understand the relative changes in the efficiency of agriculture commodities due to the pandemic, we split the dataset into two equal periods of seven months, i.e., 1 August 2019 to 10 March 2020 and 11 March 2020 to 25 September 2020. We used the high-frequency data at 15 min intervals of cocoa, cotton, coffee, orange juice, soybean, and sugar. The findings reveal that the COVID-19 pandemic has great but varying impacts on the intraday multifractal properties of the selected agricultural future markets. In particular, the London sugar witnessed the lowest multifractality while orange juice exhibited the highest multifractality before the pandemic declaration. Cocoa became the most efficient while the cotton exhibited the minimum efficient pattern after the pandemic. Our findings show that the highest improvement is found in the market efficiency of orange juice. Furthermore, the behavior of these agriculture commodities shifted from a persistent to an antipersistent behavior after the pandemic. The information given by the detection of multifractality can be used to support investment and policy-making decisions.

Parental health beliefs, intention, and strategies about covid-19 vaccine for their children: A cross-sectional analysis from five Arab countries in the Middle East.

BACKGROUND: The issue around vaccination of children has brought divergent opinions among the populations across the globe and among the Arab population. There has been a low response rate to the calls for vaccination of children and this is reflective of the sentiments which parents may have towards their children being vaccinated. This study aims to explore the parents' health beliefs, intentions, and strategies towards the COVID-19 vaccine for their children among Arab population. METHODS: A cross-sectional study using an online survey from October to December 2021, was carried out in five Arab countries in the Middle East. A reliable health belief model (HBM) including five domains: severity, susceptibility, benefits, barriers and cues to action, was adopted. Chi-square, Mann-Whitney test, and multivariable logistic regression were performed for data analysis. RESULTS: The survey response rate was 58 % (1154/2000). Only 56 % of Arab parents are intended to vaccinate their children against COVID-19. The mean scores of parental health belief are largely driven by their concern over the vaccine's side effect (p = 0.001) followed by its efficacy, safety (p < 0.001), and scheduling difficulty (p = 0.029). However, strategies that were statistically encouraged parents to vaccinate their children included doctor's recommendation, adequate information being provided, and acceptance of the vaccine by public (p < 0.001). Parents with one child were almost three times most likely to vaccinate their children (OR = 2.660, 95 %CI = 1.572-4.504, p < 0.001). Parents' desire to vaccinate their children is also influenced by other factors such as job loss owing to COVID-19 and the presence of a health worker in the family. CONCLUSION: Intention of Arab parents to vaccinate their children via COVID-19 vaccine is still limited. Thus, it is essential for health care authorities to avail the information which will debunk the erroneous beliefs which some parents have developed towards the vaccination of children against COVID-19.

Impelling Factors for Contracting COVID-19 Among Surgical Professionals During the Pandemic: a Multinational Cohort Study

Background Medical workers, including surgical professionals working in COVID-19 treating hospitals, were under enormous stress during the pandemic. This global study investigated factors endowing COVID amongst surgical professionals and students. Methods This global cross-sectional survey was made live on the 18th of February, 2021, and closed for analysis on the 13th of March, 2021. It was freely shared on social and scientific media platforms. It was also sent via email groups and circulated through a personal network of authors. Chi-square test for independence, binary logistic regression analysis was carried on determining predictors of surgical professionals contracting COVID-19. Results This survey captured the response of 520 respondents from 66 countries. 92.29% (503/545) were working in a hospital receiving patients with COVID-19. More than one-fourth (25.5%) caught COVID-19, which was more frequent in participants working in public sector hospitals (P=0.001). 75.7% of those who did not contract Covid (283/376) were vaccinated (P<0.001). Surgical professionals undergoing practice in the private sector (OR: 0.33;95% CI: 0.14–0.77;p=0.011) and getting two doses of vaccines (OR: 0.55;95% CI: 0.32–0.95;p=0.031) had decreased odds of contracting COVID-19. Only 6.9% of those who reported not contracting COVID-19 (26/376) were calculated to have the highest Level of Harm score (LH4) (P<0.001). Conclusions High prevalence of respondents caught COVID-19, which was more frequent in participants working in public sector hospitals. Self-isolation or shield, getting two doses of vaccines decreases the odds of contracting COVID-19. Those who reported contracting COVID-19 were calculated to have the highest Level of Harm score.

Lockdown Fatigue and University Students: Exploring the Factors That Play Significant Roles in the Level of Lockdown Fatigue Among University Students in the Era of COVID-19.

Background: Due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, the educational sector has undergone a series of changes which have affected both learners and students alike. As a result, the distortion of the students' daily routine, isolation, social distancing and potential exposure to the COVID-19 virus changed almost all of the aspects of student life which has led to exhaustion of students, with both psychological and emotional challenges. Therefore, the main aim of this study is to determine the factors that have a significant impact on the level of lockdown fatigue among university students in the era of COVID-19. Methods: A cross sectional was undertaken for this study. A questionnaire was designed and then shared electronically with the respondents of this study. The respondents were 819 students from tertiary institutions in Iraq. Some of the scales used in ranking the responses of the participants are the Lockdown Fatigue scale, Brief Resilience Scale and Coping Behaviours questionnaire. Data analysis was. Results: Overall, the students had a high level of fatigue due to lockdown-measurement. Emptiness was one of the dominant feelings experienced by the students, along with concern for the safety and well-being of their own families. There was general agreement that students take a long time to return to normal routines after stressful events. The students also indicated that they cope with the lockdown through a variety of activities, ranging from making jokes about the situation to putting their faith in a higher power. Male student were less likely to suffer from lockdown-fatigue, however, studying in public university, being from urban areas, and studying in science field are the most significant factors that increase the level of lockdown. However, lower levels of lockdown fatigue were linked to significantly higher levels of personal resilience and coping abilities. Conclusion: High level of lockdown fatigue among students is noticed, and several factors have been identified. Therefore, it is helpful for students to consistently work on reinforcing positive habits which would help them to build resilience when they are subjected to stressful conditions and scenarios.

Publishing and Interlinking COVID-19 Data Using Linked Open Data Principles: Toward Effective Healthcare Planning and Decision-Making

The COVID-19 data is critical to support countries and healthcare organizations for effective planning and evidence-based practices to counter the pressures of cost reduction, improved coordination, and outcome and produce more with less. Several COVID-19 datasets are published on the web to support stakeholders in gaining valuable insights for better planning and decision-making in healthcare. However, the datasets are produced in heterogeneous proprietary formats, which create data silos and make data discovery and reuse difficult. Further, the data integration for analysis is difficult and is usually performed by the domain experts manually, which is time-consuming and error-prone. Therefore, an explicit, flexible, and widely acceptable methodology to represent, store, query, and visualize COVID-19 data is needed. In this paper, we have presented the design and development of the Linked Open COVID-19 Data system for structuring and transforming COVID-19 data into semantic format using explicitly developed ontology and publishing on the web using Linked Open Data (LOD) principles. The key motivation of this research is the evaluation of LOD technology as a potential option and application of the available Semantic Web tools (i.e., Protégé, Excel2RDF, Fuseki, Silk, and Sgvizler) for building LOD-based COVID-19 information systems. We have also underpinned several use-case scenarios exploiting the LOD format of the COVID-19 data, which could be used by applications and services for providing relevant information to the end-users. The effectiveness of the proposed methodology and system is evaluated using the system usability scale and descriptive statistical methods and results are found promising. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Mathematical Problems in Engineering is the property of Hindawi Limited 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 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 . (Copyright applies to all s.)

The global level of harm among surgical professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic: A multinational cross-sectional cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Health care workers, including surgical professionals, experienced psychological burnout and physical harm during the coronavirus 2019 pandemic. This global survey investigated the coronavirus 2019 pandemic impact on psychological and physical health. METHODS: We conducted a global cross-sectional survey between February 18, 2021 and March 13, 2021. The primary outcome was to assess the psychological burnout, fulfillment, and self-reported physical level of harm. A validated Stanford Professional Fulfilment Index score with a self-reported physical level of harm was employed. We used a practical overall composite level of harm score to calculate the level of harm gradient 1-4, combining psychological burnout with self-reported physical level of harm score. RESULTS: A total of 545 participants from 66 countries participated. The final analysis included 520 (95.4%) surgical professionals barring medical students. Most of the participants (81.3%) were professionally unfulfilled. The psychological burnout was evident in 57.7% and was significantly common in those <50 years (P = .002) and those working in the public sector (P = .005). Approximately 41.7% of respondents showed changes in the physical health with self-remedy and no impact on work, whereas 14.9% reported changes to their physical health with <2 weeks off work, and 10.1% reported changes in physical health requiring >2 weeks off work. Severe harm (level of harm 4) was detected in 10.6%, whereas moderate harm (level of harm 3) affected 40.2% of the participants. Low and no harm (level of harm 2 and level of harm 1) represented 27.5% and 21.7%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Our study showed that high levels of psychological burnout, professional unfulfillment, work exhaustion, and severe level of harm was more frequent in younger professionals working in the public sector. The findings correlated with a high level of harm in surgical professionals impacting surgical services.

The Impact of Job Stress and State Anger on Turnover Intention Among Nurses During COVID-19: The Mediating Role of Emotional Exhaustion

Based on the social exchange theory, the aim of this study is to identify the association between job stress state anger, emotional exhaustion and job turnover intention. This study postulates that job related stress and state anger among nurses during COVID-19 subsequently leads to their job turnover intentions. In addition, the study also aims to see the mediating role of emotional exhaustion between COVID-19-related job stress, state anger, and turnover intentions. The sample of this study is gathered from 335 registered nurses working in Pakistani hospitals dealing with COVID-19-related patients. The interrelationships between variables are checked by using structural equation modeling through AMOS. Key findings confirm that COVID-19-related job stress and state anger had a significant effect on nurses’ turnover intentions. Furthermore, emotional exhaustion mediated the relationship between COVID-19-related job stress, state anger, and turnover intentions. There is a lack of research which has assessed the impact of Novel COVID-19-related job stress and state anger on nurses’ turnover intentions in hospitals, providing empirical evidence from a developing country-Pakistan. This study offers managerial implications for hospital management and health policymakers. Moreover, nursing managers need to pay attention to nurses’ turnover intentions who are facing the issue at the front line as patients receive their initial treatment from nurses in the COVID-19 outbreak.

Exploring the level of lockdown fatigue and effect of personal resilience and coping behaviours on university students during the covid-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional analysis from Iraq.

Governments worldwide have imposed lockdowns in their countries to restrict unnecessary movement and curb the spread and transmission of the Covid-19 as a mitigation measure. The education sector has also implemented rapid changes, and this has transformed the operational procedures for both students and lecturers. As the pandemic has progressed, its emotional and psychological toll is equally bearing on students, leading to lockdown fatigue. This study aimed to investigate the level of lockdown-induced fatigue and its correlation with personal resilience and coping skills among university students in Iraq. This study used quantitative methods of research using a cross-sectional study design. A questionnaire survey was distributed electronically among 819 university students in Iraq. The study used three standardised scales: the lockdown fatigue scale, brief resilience scale, and coping behaviours questionnaire for data collection. Descriptive and inferential statistical analysis were done using SPSS. Overall, students indicated a high level of lockdown fatigue with a mean score of 33.48out of 50. Fear of personal safety and the wellbeing of the family was the most fear expressed by the students. The ability to go through stressful times and unpleasant events was the most common worry among the students. Female, urbanised, and science field students were the most students who suffered from lockdown-induced fatigue. However, positive coping behaviours and personal resilience were significantly correlated with decreasing fatigue levels during the lockdown period. Level of lockdown fatigue accelerated in an alarming stage among university students in Iraq. Hence, students need to build their emotional resilience and learn how to navigate surviving hard times and bounce back after a loss. This could be facilitated by counselling services being availed to educational and social institutions to benefit university students.

Testing the Usability of the MediCare System

Smartphones, digital medical devices, smart bracelets, and mobile applications have emerged in the healthcare field as an effective way to help in the treatment of patients. Healthcare services are characterized by ease of use, low cost, accessibility, mobility, and reliability. The MediCare system was built to enhance healthcare services in the Iraqi environment. The MediCare system can run on smartphones or tablets that operate on Android, but it can also be used as a web application. The research team wanted to evaluate if the platform meets customers' needs. Therefore, a usability survey for the MediCare system in regard to healthcare services and underlying technology was done. In this paper, an evaluation and usability measurement of the MediCare system is presented. The quantitative research shows that users found that the system is suitable for their needs. The system is especially necessary now, when the COVID-19 pandemic is a global emergency.

Pilot study on burden of fungal contamination in face masks: need for better mask hygiene in the COVID-19 era.

Risk factors which led to the outbreak of COVID-19 associated Mucormycosis still remains elusive. Face masks can become contaminated by fungal spores that are present ubiquitously in the environment. However the exact burden of such contamination is not known. Fifty masks of patients who attended the Employees Health Scheme COVID-19 facility of a tertiary healthcare centre in India were sampled by direct impression smears on Sabouraud Dextrose Agar. Agar plates were screened for any growth within five days after incubation. Growth was identified by microscopy on the Lactophenol Cotton Blue mount. Mask hygiene practices of participants was assessed using a pre-designed proforma. Out of 50 masks, fungal contamination was seen in 35/50 (70%) masks, with Aspergillus sp. being isolated from 26/50 (52%) masks and Mucorales being isolated from 9/50 (18%) of the masks. Aspergillus niger, Rhizopus a rrhizus and Syncephalastrum sp. were the most common species isolated. Same mask was worn for a median duration of 8 days (2-30 days) at a stretch with or without washing. Thirty one patients washed and re-wore their masks, with median time duration since last wash being 12 hours (4-72 hours). None of the factors assessed for mask hygiene were associated with fungal contamination. High rates of fungal contamination observed in our study emphasizes the need for better mask hygiene in the COVID-19 era.

COVID-19 recommender system based on an annotated multilingual corpus.

Tracking the most recent advances in Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related research is essential, given the disease's novelty and its impact on society. However, with the publication pace speeding up, researchers and clinicians require automatic approaches to keep up with the incoming information regarding this disease. A solution to this problem requires the development of text mining pipelines; the efficiency of which strongly depends on the availability of curated corpora. However, there is a lack of COVID-19-related corpora, even more, if considering other languages besides English. This project's main contribution was the annotation of a multilingual parallel corpus and the generation of a recommendation dataset (EN-PT and EN-ES) regarding relevant entities, their relations, and recommendation, providing this resource to the community to improve the text mining research on COVID-19-related literature. This work was developed during the 7th Biomedical Linked Annotation Hackathon (BLAH7).

Association of hypothyroidism with acute COVID-19: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: There is an increasing body of literature on the impact of COVID-19 on the pituitary-thyroid axis. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review to assess the prevalence of hypothyroidism in patients with COVID-19. METHODS: A literature review was conducted using LitCOVID for study selection in PubMed and MEDLINE till May 2021. All relevant original articles evaluating thyroid dysfunction were included and information regarding the prevalence of hypothyroid disease in COVID-19 was retrieved from the eligible articles. RESULTS: Out of 32 articles, six articles qualified for the final analysis which included 1160 patients. There was significant heterogeneity among the included articles. Most of the patients had lower mean triiodothyronine (T3) and normal or low thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). Increased TSH ranged from 5.1% to 8% while low T3 was present in up to 28% of the patients. In these studies, the prevalence of altered thyroid hormones was significantly more in COVID-19 patients as compared to control groups. A positive correlation between low mean T3 and clinical severity of COVID-19 was reported. CONCLUSION: This systematic review reveals a significant proportion of hypothyroidism associated with COVID-19. Therefore, routine assessment of thyroid function is warranted in hospitalized COVID-19 patients.