Oral glucocorticoids in multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children patients: tapering schedules, return home and risks of relapse.

Introduction. Pediatric Inflammatory Multisystem Syndrome (MIS-C) is treated by the administration of intravenous polyvalent immunoglobulins and corticosteroids, as recommended by the French National Authority for Health (Haute Autorite de Sante) and the WHO (World Health Organization). However, no corticosteroids tapering schedule has been validated and patients returning home are not properly supervised by a pharmacist. Aims. Identify the occurrence of relapses according to the corticosteroid tapering schedules prescribed on return home. Analyze patients' reported compliance to these decreases. Identify possible links between poor compliance and relapse. Patients and method. This retrospective study analyzes the digital medical records on Orbis software of patients who have been hospitalized for a MIS-C between April 2020 and June 2021 in a French pediatric hospital. Results. 66 MIS-C patients were included. 54 were treated by intravenous corticotherapy 2 mg/kg/day, 2 with 1 mg/kg/day, 10 have not received any. Five different tapering schedules were prescribed, 3 patients relapsed. Recurrence of relapse is not significantly related to the tapering schedule followed (p = 0,759). 6/54 (11 %) patients wrongly followed their tapering schedules. Among them, 2 relapsed, versus 1/48 (2 %) among compliers (p = 0.029;OR = 0.04). Discussion - Conclusion. This study emphasizes the difficulty for a patient to comply with corticosteroids tapering schedule without supervision, as well as the subsequent rebound risks. Pharmaceutical counseling for patients returning home after hospitalization will be promoted to ensure better communication and patients' understanding and compliance.Copyright © 2023 John Libbey Eurotext. All rights reserved.

Follow up outcome in COVID-19 patients with persistent symptoms from central India

Introduction: Secondary infections are a known complication post viral respiratory infections. Secondary infections have always been significant cause of morbidity and mortality in previous well-studied influenza pandemics1. Aims and Objectives: We aimed to diagnose secondary infection early using indicated interventional procedures in post COVID-19 patients with persistent respiratory symptoms more than 4 weeks. Method(s): Post COVID-19 patients with persistent respiratory symptoms who presented to GHRI, Nagpur (India) during 2nd wave were selected for the study. Patients with persistent respiratory symptoms more than 4 weeks after recovering from COVID-19 infection and Radiological abnormality on either Chest X-ray or HRCT Chest were subjected to bronchoscopy or medical thoracoscopy as indicated. Result(s): A total of 72 patients with available culture reports were assessed. Persistent cough, fever and shortness of breath were present in 52.8%, 19.4% and 11.1% of patients respectively. We found evidence of respiratory infections in total 30.5% patients. 11.1% were found to be suffering from pulmonary (3 were drug resistant) and 2.8% from pleural tuberculosis. Also, 4.2% patients were found to be suffering from fungal and 12.5% patients from Bacterial and 6.9% of patients were found to be suffering from more than one infection. Conclusion(s): Meticulous follow up with indicated interventional procedures is useful and safe in diagnosing pulmonary infections early in post COVID-19 patients.

COVID-19 RELATED THROMBOTIC, CARDIOVASCULAR, AND RENAL COMPLICATIONS IN PATIENTS WITH INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE: DATA FROM AN INTERNATIONAL REGISTRY

Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can increase the risk of thrombosis, cardiovascular events, and kidney injury, but risks among patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) remain unknown. We aimed to characterize risk for these complications among patients with IBD who developed COVID-19. Methods We analyzed complications of COVID-19 in patients reported to the Surveillance Epidemiology of Coronavirus Under Research Exclusion in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (SECURE-IBD) database prior to November 15, 2021. Our primary outcome was a composite of thrombotic complications (peripheral venous thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, thrombotic stroke, and peripheral arterial thrombosis), cardiovascular complications (new arrhythmia, heart failure, myocarditis/pericarditis, and vasculitis), and renal complications (acute kidney injury). Covariates included cardiovascular disease (including stroke), cardiovascular risk factors (diabetes mellitus, hypertension, or smoking), pulmonary disease (asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or other chronic lung disease), thrombotic risk conditions (cancer), chronic kidney disease, chronic liver disease, “other” comorbidities, and COVID-19 vaccination with at least one dose. Multivariable analyses assessed the independent effect of variables significant in univariate analyses. Results Among 4,923 patients reported to SECURE-IBD, 79 (1.6%) had thrombotic, cardiovascular, and/or renal complications. There were 45 (0.9%) reports of acute kidney injury, 24 (0.5%) of arrythmias, 8 (0.2%) of peripheral venous thrombosis, 5 (0.1%) each of heart failure, myocarditis/pericarditis, and pulmonary embolism, and 1 (0.02%) each of vasculitis, peripheral atrial thrombosis, and thrombotic stroke. In univariate analyses, complications were more common in patients who were older (p < 0.01), black (p < 0.01), and on corticosteroids (p < 0.01) (Table 1). Patients with severe IBD were more likely to have complications than patients in remission (p < 0.01), as were those with more comorbidities (p < 0.01). Cardiovascular disease, cardiovascular risk factors, pulmonary disease, and chronic renal disease were associated with increased risk (p < 0.01 each). There was no association with vaccination status (p = 1). In multivariate analyses, age (aOR 1.04 [1.03, 1.06]), black race (aOR 4.02 [1.53, 10.55]), severe IBD (aOR 3.21 [1.31, 7.86]), corticosteroid use (aOR 3.63 [1.85, 7.12]), and one (aOR 2.33 [1.10, 4.91]), two (aOR 4.24 [1.42, 12.65]), and three or more (aOR 13.36 [3.48, 51.32]) comorbidities were significant predictors of complications (Table 2). Discussion Thrombotic, cardiovascular, and renal complications from COVID-19 were uncommon among patients with IBD. Patients with older age, black race, corticosteroid use, severe IBD, and greater number of comorbidities may require closer monitoring if they develop COVID-19. (Table Presented)

RISK FACTORS FOR INCOMPLETE TELEHEALTH APPOINTMENTS AMONG PATIENTS WITH INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE

Introduction: The start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 led to an increased rate of telehealth visits. Older adults, however, may be more vulnerable to missing appointments given cognitive, physical, and technological gaps. We looked to determine the completion rate of telehealth appointments for older adults with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), as well as predictors of incomplete appointments. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of all patients with IBD who had at least one telehealth visit at the NYU IBD Center between 3/1/2020-8/31/2021. Only the status of the first telehealth appointment was considered, with an incomplete visit defined as left before being seen, a cancellation or noshow. Medical records were parsed for relevant co-variables, and logistic regression was used to estimate the adjusted association between demographic factors and telehealth appointment completion rates. Results: From 3/1/2020 to 8/31/2021 there were 2,508 patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) who had at least one telehealth appointment, with 1088 (43%) having Crohn's disease (CD), 1037 (41%) having ulcerative colitis (UC), and 383 (15%) with indeterminate colitis (Table 1). Of the 2,508 initial telehealth visits, 519 (21%) were not completed, including 435 (20%) among patients under the age of 60-years as compared to 84 (23%) among patients over the age of 60-years. On multivariable analysis, patients with CD had higher odds of an incomplete appointment as compared to patients with UC (adjOR 1.37, 95%CI 1.10-1.69). Additionally, females had significantly higher odds of an incomplete appointment vs. males (adjOR 1.26, 95%CI 1.04-1.54), and patients who had a non-1st degree relative listed as an emergency contact also had significantly higher odds of an incomplete appointment vs. those with a spouse listed (adjOR 1.69, 95%CI 1.16-2.44;Table 2). Age over 60-years, partnership status, and comorbidities were not associated with appointment completion rates. Among the 361 patients over the age of 60-years who had a telehealth appointment, sex, emergency contact information, IBD subtype, and partnership status were not found to be associated with odds of completing a telehealth appointment. Conclusions: In our study, older patients with IBD were not at higher risk for missed telehealth appointments as compared to younger patients. On multivariable analysis, patients with CD as compared to patients with UC, females as compared to males, and patients who had a non-1st degree relative listed as an emergency contact as compared to those who had a spouse listed were more likely to miss telehealth appointments. Future studies should explore the role of these factors, including the role of social support, in order to design interventions aimed at limiting missed telehealth appointments. (Table Presented) (Table Presented)

Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated policy responses on food systems in sub-Saharan Africa

This policy brief summarizes a report which applies a systematic literature review methodology to survey the evidence on the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on sub-Saharan African food systems, particularly with respect to domestic food value chains, regional/international food trade, and food and nutrition security. This evidence synthesis gives rise to several recommendations for policy makers, some of which are immediately applicable while others would be relevant if a lockdown were reintroduced in a future crisis.

Predictors of households at risk for food insecurity in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Special Issue: Maternal and child nutrition in sub-Saharan Africa.)

Objective: To examine associations between sociodemographic and mental health characteristics with household risk for food insecurity during the COVID-19 outbreak. Design: Cross-sectional online survey analysed using univariable tests and a multivariable logistic regression model. Setting: The United States during the week of 30 March 2020. Participants: A convenience sample of 1965 American adults using Amazon's Mechanical Turk platform. Participants reporting household food insecurity prior to the pandemic were excluded from analyses.

The COVID-19 pandemic in francophone West Africa: from the first cases to responses in seven countries.

BACKGROUND: In early March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic hit West Africa. In response, countries in the region quickly set up crisis management committees and implemented drastic measures to stem the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The objective of this article is to analyse the epidemiological evolution of COVID-19 in seven Francophone West African countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, Niger, Senegal) as well as the public health measures decided upon during the first 7 months of the pandemic. METHODS: Our method is based on quantitative and qualitative data from the pooling of information from a COVID-19 data platform and collected by a network of interdisciplinary collaborators present in the seven countries. Descriptive and spatial analyses of quantitative epidemiological data, as well as content analyses of qualitative data on public measures and management committees were performed. RESULTS: Attack rates (October 2020) for COVID-19 have ranged from 20 per 100,000 inhabitants (Benin) to more than 94 per 100,000 inhabitants (Senegal). All these countries reacted quickly to the crisis, in some cases before the first reported infection, and implemented public measures in a relatively homogeneous manner. None of the countries implemented country-wide lockdowns, but some implemented partial or local containment measures. At the end of June 2020, countries began to lift certain restrictive measures, sometimes under pressure from the general population or from certain economic sectors. CONCLUSION: Much research on COVID-19 remains to be conducted in West Africa to better understand the dynamics of the pandemic, and to further examine the state responses to ensure their appropriateness and adaptation to the national contexts.

Participating in a vaccine trial for COVID-19 in Senegal: trust and information.

This research aims to understand the level and determinants of people's willingness to participate in a vaccine trial for COVID-19 in Senegal. We conducted a telephone survey among a marginal quota sample of 607 people over 18 years of age. Only 44.3% of the participants wanted to participate in a vaccine trial for COVID-19, with females intending to participate more than males (AOR = 1.82, 95% CI [1.22-2.72]). Participants who intended to be vaccinated against COVID-19 (AOR = 6.48, 95% CI [4.12-10.4]) and who thought that being infected with the coronavirus would have a significant impact on their health (AOR = 2.34, 95% CI [1.57, 3.51]) were more likely to agree to take part in the COVID-19 vaccine trial. Confidence in the vaccine, health personnel, and the government in the fight against the pandemic are key factors in participants' willingness to participate in a vaccine trial in Senegal.

Risk of adverse outcomes in hospitalized patients with autoimmune disease and covid-19: A matched cohort study from new york city

Objective: To examine the impact of autoimmune disease on the composite outcome of intensive care unit admission, intubation, or death, from COVID-19 in hospitalized patients. Methods: Retrospective cohort study of 186 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 between March 1st-April 15th, 2020 at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Irving Medical Center. The cohort included 62 patients with autoimmune disease and 124 age-and sex-matched controls. The primary outcome was a composite of intensive care unit admission, intubation, and death, with secondary outcome assessing time to in-hospital death. Baseline demographics, comorbidities, medications, vital signs, and laboratory values were collected. Conditional logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards regression were used to assess the association between autoimmune disease and clinical outcomes. Results: Patients with autoimmune disease were more likely to have at least one comorbidity (25.8% vs. 12.9%, p=0.03), take chronic immunosuppressive medications (66.1% vs. 4.0%, p<0.01), and have had a solid organ transplant (16.1% vs. 1.6%, p<0.01). There were no significant differences in intensive care unit admission (14.2% vs. 19.4%, p=0.44), intubation (14.2% vs. 17.7%, p=0.62) or death (17.5% vs. 14.5%, p=0.77). On multivariable analysis, patients with autoimmune disease were not at an increased risk for a composite outcome of intensive care unit admission, intubation, or death (adjOR 0.79, 95%CI 0.37-1.67). On Cox regression, autoimmune disease was not associated with in-hospital mortality (adjHR 0.73, 95%CI 0.33-1.63). Conclusion: Among patients hospitalized with COVID-19, individuals with autoimmune disease did not have an increased risk of a composite outcome of intensive care unit admission, intubation, or death.

Projecting potential impact of COVID-19 on major cereal crops in Senegal and Burkina Faso using crop simulation models.

CONTEXT: The rapid emergence of COVID-19 could have direct and indirect impacts on food production systems and livelihoods of farmers. From the farming perspective, disruption of critical input availability, supply chains and labor, influence crop management. Disruptions to food systems can affect (a) planting area; and (b) crop yields. OBJECTIVES: To quantify the impacts of COVID-19 on major cereal crop's production and their cascading impact on national economy and related policies. METHODS: We used the calibrated crop simulation model (DSSAT suite) to project the impact of potential changes in planting area and grain yield of four major cereal crops (i.e., rice, maize, sorghum, and millet) in Senegal and Burkina Faso in terms of yield, total production, crop value and contribution to agricultural gross domestic product (GDP). Appropriate data (i.e., weather, soil, crop, and management practices) for the specific agroecological zones were used as an input in the model. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The simulated yields for 2020 were then used to estimate crop production at country scale for the matrix of different scenarios of planting area and yield change (-15, -10, -5, 0, +5, +10%). Depending on the scenario, changes in total production of four cereals combined at country levels varied from 1.47 M tons to 2.47 M tons in Senegal and 4.51 M tons to 7.52 M tons in Burkina Faso. The economic value of all four cereals under different scenarios ranged from $771 Million (M) to $1292 M in Senegal and from $1251 M to $2098 M in Burkina Faso. These estimated total crop values under different scenarios were compared with total agricultural GDP of the country (in 2019 terms which was $3995 M in Senegal and $3957 M in Burkina Faso) to assess the economic impact of the pandemic on major cereal grain production. Based on the scenarios, the impact on total agricultural GDP can change -7% to +6% in Senegal and - 8% to +9% in Burkina Faso. SIGNIFICANCE: Results obtained from this modeling exercise will be valuable to policymakers and end-to-end value chain practitioners to prepare and develop appropriate policies to cope or manage the impact of COVID-19 on food systems.