Reinvestigating the Co-Movements between Stock Market and Exchange Rates: An Augmented Vector Autoregression Analysis

Empirical works on the stock market exchange rate nexus remain scanty in the managed floating exchange rate environment like Nigeria. Thus, our paper contributes to the scanty literature by analyzing how the COVID19 pandemic shapes the existing link in the oil-rich countries like Nigeria using a time series approach based on daily data spanning between 2017 and 2021. The paper investigates a Granger causality relationship in the specified VAR model by implementing the Toda and Yamamoto procedures while determining the direction of the causality through our impulse response analysis. Our findings show unidirectional causality from exchange rates to the stock market in the pandemic but no causality before the pandemic. This suggests that the exchange rate affects the performance of the Nigerian stock market in the pandemic period. Therefore, the Nigerian stock market and the exchange rate should not be considered as alternative strategies to mitigate risk during the crisis periods.

Covid-19 and Cytokine Storm

Introduction: Covid-19 is associated with elevated proinflammatory cytokines that are associated with increased severity and mortality. There is controversy about the true role of cytokine storm (CS) in the pathophysiology of COVID-19. Method(s): Prospective, observational, longitudinal study of 91 hospitalized patients with different severity. It included Viral phase(1-9 days from clinical onset), early inflammatory (10-16 days), and late (>17 days). Clinical data, immune cell counts, proinflammatory cytokine levels (TNF-alpha,IL-1beta,IL-8,IL-6,INF-gamma,IL-17A andG-CSF), serum inflammatory markers (CRP,PCT,D-dimer,ferritin) and tissue damage markers (LDH and cfDNA) were included. Result(s): TNF- alpha, IL-8,IL-6 and G-CSF, were elevated in the most severe patients. IL-6, IL-8 and G-CSF were already elevated in the first admission sample in those who died. Only IL-6 remained elevated in all 3 phases of the disease in deceased patients. IL-1beta, INF-gamma and IL-17A were not related to severity. We found increased levels of cytokines from the viral phase to the early inflammatory phase, significant in moderate Covid-19, but stable in severe and decreasing in critically ill patients. Only IL-6 showed increasing levels in the evolution of critically ill patients. IL-6 correlated with the tissue damage markers studied and with length of stay, especially in critical patients (r=0.598). Conclusion(s): Only IL-6, TNF-alpha,IL-8 and G-CSF were associated with severity. IL-6 was the cytokine that best expressed hyperactivation of the innate immune response and cellular damage in critically ill. There was no significant and sustained increase in cytokines in late inflammation, as would be expected in major CS.

Circulating cfDNA is an excellent marker of severity in Covid-19

Introduction: LDH is released by cytokine-mediated tissue damage, reflecting injury and possible organ dysfunction. It is associated with severity and mortality in patients with Covid-19. Circulating free DNA (cfDNA) is a marker of tissue damage, released by the nucleus and mitochondria after cell destruction. Recent studies have showed its possible role as a marker of tissue damage in Covid-19. Method(s): Prospective, observational, longitudinal study of 91 hospitalized patients with different degrees of severity. The evolution distinguished viral, early inflammatory and late inflammatory phases. Clinical data, immune cells, proinflammatory cytokine levels(TNF-alpha,IL-1beta,IL-8,IL-6,INF-gamma,IL-17A andG-CSF),serum inflammatory markers (CRP,PCT,D-dimer,ferritin) and tissue damage markers (LDH and cfDNA) were included. Result(s): LDH levels increased in parallel with severity, but did not discriminate mortality in the first sample and only showed significantly higher levels in critically ill patients. The IL-6/LDH correlation was close and significant in all degrees of severity and at all stages of the disease. The cfDNA value was higher in more severe and patients who died, and was the only biomarker that remained higher in these patients during the 3 phases of the disease. The multivariate study showed that cfDNA, and not IL-6, was an independent risk factor for critical status and ICU admission. Conclusion(s): cfDNA is an excellent marker of tissue damage, severity and mortality in Covid-19 disease, better than LDH. The IL-6/LDH association seems to reflect better timely inflammation, and cfDNA probably reflects better the extent of tissue damage.

Lymphocytic exhaustion in Covid-19 patients

Introduction: The persistence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus is related to inflammation and lymphopenia in severe Covid19. Longitudinal follow-up of patients is scarce and would be of help to determine if the different immune responses lead to different clinical presentations Methods: Longitudinal prospective observational study of 91 patients. They were classified into viral phase, early inflammatory, and late inflammatory. We included clinical data, immune cell count, proinflammatory cytokine levels, serum inflammatory markers and tissue damage. Result(s): Lymphocyte count was lower with greater severity, and double in survivors. It remained stable during evolution, but with variations depending on the level of severity: critical and deceased patients, had a very low initial count (500/mm3) that did not increase;severe patients the initial lymphopenia (900/mm3) normalized during hospitalization;and moderate, showed a normal and stable count. The correlation of the initial innate immune response cytokine TNF-a with the T-cell-derived (CD4+) cytokines, IFN-g and IL-17A, was significant at all severity levels, although this correlation decreased in the late inflammatory phase. Furthermore, in patients who reached critical status or died, there was not the sustained increase in IFN-g levels observed in less severe Covid-19 (p<0.001), coinciding with the persistent lymphopenia in those patients. Conclusion(s): Our results confirm a drop in lymphocyte counts and decreased production of effector T-cell cytokines in the most severe patients, especially in the late phase of evolution, in line with the lymphocyte depletion described in critical and fatal Covid-19 disease.

Evolution ofIL-6 as possible marker of viral control in Covid-19

Introduction: Persistence of SARS-Cov-2 leads to immunosuppression and lack of viral control. Better understanding of the immune response throughout the course of evolution is important for a better patient management. Method(s): Prospective observational longitudinal study of 91 hospitalised patients with different degrees of severity (moderate, severe, critical). In 72 we obtained >=2 blood samples and classified them into viral phase (1-9 days after clinical onset), early inflammatory (10-16), and late inflammatory (>17). We included clinical data, immune cell counts, proinflammatory cytokine levels, serum inflammatory markers, and tissue damage. Result(s): We observed higher serum IL-6 levels in the more severe groups, from the first sample. In inflammatory phases, we found a significant decrease in IL-6 and LDH in moderate, severe and survivors, and high persistence in critical and deceased patients. The biphasic behavior of IL-6 described, first neutrophil recruitment, epithelial and endothelial damage and then, after achieving viral control, CD4 differentiation, Th cells response and potentiation of Ac response, could explain these differences between those who do not achieve viral control (critical, deceased) and those who do. Conclusion(s): - IL-6 levels at 10-16 days may indicate whether or not viral control is achieved and whether there may be progression to critical stage/death.

Diphtheria Outbreak During Covid-19 Pandemic in Katsina, North-Western Nigeria: Epidemiological Characteristics and Predictors of Death

Context: The impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on vaccine-preventable diseases, including diphtheria, may hamper the previous gains made in the eradication of the disease. Aims: We report the epidemiological profile, clinical features, laboratory findings, and hospitalization outcomes amongst cases of diphtheria managed at Federal Medical Centre, Katsina, Nigeria during the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic. Settings and Design: This was a retrospective review of cases of diphtheria managed between July and December 2020. Methods and Material: We extracted the clinical (socio-demographics, clinical features, and hospitalization outcomes) and laboratory findings (full blood counts, electrolytes, urea and creatinine) from the record of the children. Statistical Analysis Used: Using SPSS, we carried out a descriptive analysis and applied binary logistic regression to determine factors associated with death. Level of statistical significance was set at P < 0.05. Results: A total of 35 cases of diphtheria were admitted and managed from 1 July to 31 December 2020. The mean age of the children was 7.6 +/- 3.1 years. Males were 15 (42.9%). There were 24 deaths (case fatality of 68.6%). Clinical findings were comparable between survivors and non-survivors except the bull neck, which was more common among non-survivors (P = 0.022). The median duration of hospitalization was shorter in those that died (P = 0.001). The age, sex, immunization status, leukocytosis, and biochemical features of renal impairments were not predictive of deaths. Prescence of bull neck was predictive of death (adjusted odds ratio 2.115, 95% CI 1.270, 3.521). Conclusions: The study shows a high number of cases of diphtheria over a short period of six months with high mortality. Amongst the clinical and laboratory variables, only presence of bull neck was predictive of death.

Effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on blood donations and transfusions in Nigeria - A multi-facility study of 34 tertiary hospitals.

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic affected blood supplies globally. Mobile blood drive campaigns halted, and voluntary blood donations reduced, challenging available blood supplies. Furthermore, fears of virus transmission led to deferrals of elective surgeries and non-urgent clinical procedures with noticeable declines in blood donations and transfusions. Aims: We aimed to assess the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the number of blood donations and transfusions across the country by blood product type across various hospital departments. Materials and Methods: A retrospective descriptive study was conducted to determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on blood services in 34 tertiary hospitals in Nigeria, comparing January to July 2019 (pre-COVID-19) to January to July 2020 (peri-COVID-19). Data were collected from the country's web-based software District Health Information System, Version 2 (DHIS2). Results: A 17.1% decline in numbers of blood donations was observed over the study period, especially in April 2020 (44.3%), a 21.7% decline in numbers of blood transfusions, especially in April 2020 (44.3%). The largest declines in transfusion were noted in surgery department for fresh frozen plasma (80.1%) [p = 0.012] and accident and emergency department transfusion of platelets (78.3%) [p = 0.005]. The least decline of statistical significance was observed in internal medicine transfusions of whole blood (19.6%) [p = 0.011]. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic significantly affected the numbers of blood donations and transfusions in Nigeria. Strengthening blood services to provide various blood components and secure safe blood supplies during public health emergencies is therefore critical.

Expanding the Mammalian Phenotype Ontology to Meet the Needs of COVID-19 Model Curation

Through the course of the COVID-19 pandemic a wide array of signs and symptoms displayed by patients have been identified. Mouse models of COVID-19 display phenotypes that correlate to many of these signs and symptoms. To capture the phenotypes of these mouse models in the Mouse Genome Informatics database the Mammalian Phenotype (MP) ontology was reviewed to map these symptoms to existing MP terms and add new terms where needed. This review identified over 350 COVID-19 signs and symptoms and resulted in the addition of 127 new MP terms. © 2021 Copyright for this paper by its authors.

PREDICTING COVID-19 SECOND WAVE SIGNAL IN SELECTED STATES OF SOUTHWEST NIGERIA: A COMPARISON OF CUMULATIVE SUM C2 AND CUMULATIVE SUM C1 EPIDEMIC THRESHOLDS

INTRODUCTION: Epidemic thresholds generated using the conventional historical data is not optimal for COVID-19 because of its short historical trajectory. This study therefore, aimed to develop and compare Cumulative sum C2 and C1 epidemic thresholds for COVID-19 in selected states in southwestern Nigeria. METHODS: This was a retrospective longitudinal analysis of the COVID-19 surveillance data (week 10 - 48) retrieved from the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) database of situation reports as at the 6th of December, 2020. Data was managed with Microsoft excel. The weekly time scale was adopted for developing the CUSUM C2 and C1 epidemic thresholds for three selected southwest states and Nigeria. RESULTS: A total of 236 situation reports were reviewed for each state. For Lagos state, the maximum C2 and C1 estimated was 2326 which was during the peak of the epidemic. From the four most recent surveillance points, the thresholds and the observed confirmed cases appeared to diverge from each other. For Ogun state, the maximum C2 and C1 estimated was 318 during the peak of the epidemic. From the four most recent surveillance points, the thresholds and the observed confirmed cases appeared to converge. For Oyo state, the maximum C2 and C1 estimated was 708 during the peak of the epidemic. From the four most recent surveillance points, the thresholds and the observed confirmed cases appeared to converge and then diverge. CONCLUSION: A closer monitor of the surveillance data for the states is recommended for a possible public health intervention.

A review on molecular docking analysis of phytocompounds against SARS-CoV-2 druggable targets

The novel beta-coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, responsible for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) emerged in China in December 2019. Due to its high transmission and infection rate, it has spread around the world and has transformed into a ravaging global pandemic with enormously unprecedented impacts globally on human, social, and economic health. Just like SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, there is no specific antiviral drug for its treatment. The only available therapeutics are supportive and symptom-based. Thus, scientists are harnessing various strategies to expedite drug development. One such approach is drug repurposing through computational screening of phytocompounds, which leverages proteins that are essential for the entry, replication, pathogenesis, assembly, and release of SARS-CoV-2. Here, we review the available literature on molecular docking of phytoligands against SARS-CoV-2 integral proteins, in a bid to update our current knowledge and identify the most promising molecules. The overwhelming majority of the promising lead compounds are either phenolics or terpenoids. Furthermore, of the elucidated SARS-CoV-2 targets, the main protease (3CL(pro)) appears as one of the most attractive druggable targets. Notably, compounds such as rutin, quercetin, luteolin, neoandrographolide, curcumin, and others with evident anti-inflammatory benefits, in addition to their predicted anti-SARS-CoV-2 properties, deserve further studies to validate their activity.

Acute kidney injury in COVID-19: A single-center experience in Nigeria

Background & objective: Despite available data from developed countries, suggesting a high incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), there is scarce data from African countries, including Nigeria. We conducted this study to determine and document the incidence, the associated factors and the outcome (in-hospital mortality) of AKI among COVID-19 patients managed in a center in Nigeria. Methodology: It was a retrospective review of confirmed COVID-19 cases managed at a center in Nigeria. AKI was defined using 2012 Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) creatinine criteria. We extracted relevant data from the electronic records of the COVID-19 patients admitted to our hospital and analyzed. Fischer's exact tests were used to test factors associated with AKI for discrete variables, Mann-Whitney U test was used for skewed continuous data, and T-test for continuous normal distribution variables. Results: This study involved 41 of the 56 confirmed COVID-19 cases. The mean age was 45 +/- 17.94 y. A majority of the patients were males (33;80.5%). AKI occurred in 6 (14.6%) of the patients. Of the 6 AKI;4 (66.7%) and 2 (33.3%) were in stages 1 and 3 respectively. One patient (16.7%) had had hemodialysis. Of the 6 with AKI, 3 died with a mortality rate of 50.0%. Factors associated with AKI included age above 45 years, body weakness, severe and critical COVID, urea > 10 mmol/l, and serum creatinine > 1.5 mg/dl. Only severe and critical disease was predictive of AKI (adjusted odds ratio 1.777, 95% CI 1.028, 3.074). Conclusion: The results of our study show that AKI is common in severe and critical COVID-19 and is associated with a poor outcome.

Covid-19 in children: A case series from nigeria

Introduction: the global spread of COVID-19 remains unabated in the past few months with a rise in the number of available literature on the novel virus. There are very few paediatric studies and are mainly from developed countries with a paucity of information on the clinical manifestation of COVID-19 disease in African children, including Nigeria.Methods: we described the clinical presentation, laboratory findings, treatment and outcome in a group of five Nigerian children managed at COVID-19 isolation and treatment centre in Nigeria.Results: we managed a total of five children with an age range of 3 months to 8 years in the last four weeks (16th April to 15th May 2020). Three othe five children were males. All the children had close contact with family members that tested positive for COVID-19. Out of the five children, onhad moderate disease, three had mild symptomatic disease, and one was asymptomatic. Two out of the five children had lymphocytosis. Out of thfour children who had chest radiograph, two had features of pneumonia. Conclusion: COVID-19 is not uncommon in Nigerian children, and all had a confirmed family member with COVID-19. Besides, contrary to leucopaeniwith lymphopaenia observed in the adult’s population, we found lymphocytosis in this cohort and about 50.0% had pneumonic changes on chesradiograph.