ABSTRACT
Social distancing is of key importance during the current pandemic. It helps limit the spread of COVID by observing distance between disease spreading individuals. Now it is not possible to station a person 24x7 at each queue to monitor social distancing violations. Banks, Public Offices, Malls, Schools, Theatre, etc.., usually see long queues for hours every day. To ensure social distancing in queues we hereby design a social distancing monitoring robot. The robot consists of a four wheel design system used to drive the robotic vehicle. It makes use of a line following principle to constantly move along with the queue and monitor for social distancing violations. The robot use IR sensor to travel along with the queue to and front in order to detect violations. The robot is now equipped with the obstacle detecting ultrasonic sensor in order to detect obstacles in the vehicle path. The robotic vehicle uses other ultrasonic sensor for detecting distance between two individuals in a queue. It any two individuals are found having less than three feet distance between them, the robot instantly sounds a buzzer and alert to inform about the violation, also it sends alerts of these violations along with a camera picture using WiFi over IoT to inform the higher authorities or head office to update them about violations with proof so instant disciplinary action can be taken. Thus this work allows for automatic maintaining social distancing in queues help to prevent the spread of the Corona virus
ABSTRACT
Objectives: The present study focus on the liver-related adverse events (AEs) reported with COVID-19 vaccines in VigiBase, a database maintained by WHO for reporting adverse events. Materials and Methods: The data of liver-related adverse events following COVID-19 vaccination was acquired on a subscription basis from VigiBase. This study included all the suspected liverrelated adverse events reported in VigiBase after administering any of the three COVID-19 vaccines: Moderna, BNT162b2 Pfizer and 1222 AstraZeneca between December 15, 2020, and January 24, 2021. The MedDRA (Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities) and WHOART terminology- SOC (System Organ Class) and PT (Preferred Terms) were used for analysis. We extracted three SOCs - hepatobiliary disorders, gastrointestinal disorders and investigations. All the SOC were further cleaned to remove all PTs other than those related to the liver. Disproportionality analysis was reported in the form of IC025, Reporting Odds Ratio and Prevalence Odds Ratio. Results: A total of 103,954 AEs were reported for COVID-19 vaccines from 32,044 individuals, out of which only 51 (0.049%) AE from 32 patients was related to the liver. Most common liver-related AE reported were in the SOC ''investigations''- increase in alanine amino transferase (0.009%) followed by increased aspartate aminotransferase and increased bilirubin (0.006%). Based on the disproportionality analysis (IC025 values) none of them was vaccinerelated AE. Conclusion: COVID-19 vaccines are safe for liver and there was no increase in the events were associated with the use of vaccines. As these were early data of vaccine use, analysis based on recent data need to be done to ascertain it fully.
ABSTRACT
Objectives: Remdesivir was granted emergency approval for use in the management of COVID-19 though some studies exhibit concerns regarding its effectiveness, it is still being used for COVID-19 infection management in many parts of the globe. To date, limited data is available regarding its safety as it's a newer drug. Thus there is a need to observe and record its adverse events to aid future decisions. This study was designed with the aim of analyzing the liver-related adverse drug events (ADEs) reported in VigiBase, the WHO database for adverse event reporting. Materials and Methods: The analysis of all suspected adverse events related to remdesivir reported in the last 5 years to VigiBase®, i.e. from January 1, 2015, to July 19, 2020, was performed. We used SOC (System Organ Class) information and PT (Preferred Terms) for analysis in the present study. We extracted three SOCs - hepatobiliary disorders, gastrointestinal disorders, and investigations. Descriptive statistics were reported in the form of frequency and percentages. Results: The majority of ADEs were reported from males and the majority were serious in nature. A total of 1086 ADEs were reported from the 439 individuals up to July 19, 2020, in the VigiBase®, after exclusion of duplicates1004 ADE were analyzed. out of this 18.12% (182 of 1004), ADE was related to the liver from 142 subjects. The most common ADE were alternations in the liver enzymes with Alanine aminotransferase increased 4.98% (50 of 1004), 3.19% (32 pf 1004) of increase in Aspartate Aminotransferase, and increased in transaminase increased in 2. 39% (24 of 1004). Conclusion: Deterioration of liver functions was observed with the use of remdesivir in a few patients. A thorough review of cases and proportionality analysis should be done to ascertain the causality of these adverse events as COVID-19 infection may itself leads to an increase in liver enzymes.
ABSTRACT
COVAXIN was granted restricted emergency approval based on safety and immunogenicity studies alone. The approval was heavily questioned leading to controversy regarding safety concerns and unethical trial allegations resulting in lack of trust and vaccine hesitancy among common people. In this article, we aimed to review the scientific evidence regarding the safety and immunogenicity of COVAXIN. Adverse events reported in phase-I/II COVAXIN trials were mild to moderate with no serious adverse events. The incidence of adverse events due to COVAXIN was comparable to other inactivated severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccines like BBIBP-CorV and CoronaVac. COVAXIN has also demonstrated a similar immunogenicity profile and enhanced immune response as reported by other inactivated vaccines. COVAXIN has demonstrated an enhanced humoral and cell-mediated immune response among vaccine recipients. COVAXIN vaccinated human serum has also shown comparable antibody neutralization activity against SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.1.7, B.1.617, and other heterologous strains. Evidence suggests that COVAXIN is a safe, well-tolerated, and immunogenic coronavirus disease 2019 vaccine. Its stated efficacy of 77.8% significantly exceeds the World Health Organization’s recommendations. However, the COVAXIN phase-III clinical trial data need to be peer reviewed for better transparency and building public confidence in indigenously developed vaccine and shedding COVAXIN hesitancy among common masses. © 2021 Mukhtar Ahmad Dar et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
ABSTRACT
Knowledge of the disease, attitude towards the stopping of transmission and practicing of the preventing and treatment measure determine the spread of any communicable disease. COVID-19 is a viral pandemic wreaking havoc in day-to-day life especially affecting the health care workers. This was a prospective, cross-sectional, observational study that was carried out in the healthcare workers (HCWs) involved with the care of COVID-19 patients. The patients were given a semi-structured questionnaire adapted from online available literature and information provided on the WHO and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website. The questionnaire was distributed by online platforms as a google form. A total of 104 HCWs were enrolled and 95 of them were included. They were majorly from age group 26-35 years (64.2%) and were males (62.8%). Most of the HCWs were postgraduate (73.7%) and graduates (25.3%). A majority (96.7%) of subjects had a good knowledge about the disease and its prevention with a positive attitude towards proper care and management of the patient. Majority of the HCWs were practicing all the preventive measures possible in their work environment like disinfecting the frequently touched surfaces, hand hygiene, mask etc. Good knowledge and proper following of the COVID-19 protocols can help in protecting oneself from getting exposed especially in professions like health care and halting the spread of this communicable disease.
ABSTRACT
Background: Hydroxychloroquine(HCQ), one of the repurposed drugs in COVID-19, has several known cardiovascular(CVS) toxicities. Methods: VigiBase data were used to analyze the reported ADEs linked to HCQ. The data were analyzed based on age, gender, and seriousness of ADEs at the System Organ Classification level and the individual Preferred Term level. Results: The majority were above 18 years(91.6%) and from Europe(41.6%). A total of 5,315 ADEs were associated with HCQ use in COVID-19. Of these, 918 ADEs were attributed to CVS and reported from 773 patients. Grossly, CVS ADEs were associated with concomitant use of HCQ and azithromycin(AZM), and only 40 ADEs were solely due to HCQ. The majority were serious (69.3%) and resolved afterward (51%). In CVS ADEs, there were 366 cardiac disorders, 38 vascular disorders, and 514 ADEs under investigation. Among the cardiac disorders, palpitation was the most typical (N=65), followed by bradycardia(N=44) and tachycardia(N=33). Among arrhythmias, QT prolongation (N=469), atrial fibrillation (N=25), and ventricular tachycardia(N=16) were common. The odds of developing serious CVS ADEs increased with age, patients aged 45-64 years(OR=1.75;p=0.015) and >65 years(OR=1.93, p=0.003) as compared to younger ones. Conclusion: Hydroxychloroquine with known CVS toxicities and increased risk with co-administering AZM makes physicians cautious while prescribing in COVID-19 patients.