Assessing the knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) measures against tuberculosis in patients in the ambulatory department facilities in Pakistan: a cross-sectional analysis.

Tuberculosis (TB), at present, is the leading infectious aetiology of death globally. In Pakistan, there are approximately 510,000 new cases annually, with more than 15,000 of them developing into drug resistant TB, making the nation the fifth leading country in TB prevalence in the world. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, focus has drifted away from TB screening, diagnostic, health awareness campaigns and therapeutic measures endangering KAP (knowledge, attitude and practices) towards TB in our population. We conducted a cross-sectional descriptive study in Pakistan to assess the knowledge, attitude and practices of Pakistani residents attending the adult outpatient departments of public hospitals for any health-related concern. Our sample size was of 856 participants, with a median age of 22 years. Occupation-wise, those who were employed had better knowledge of TB than those who were unemployed [odds ratio (OR): 1.011; 95% CI :1.005-1.8005]. No differences were observed in TB knowledge between those adherents to common preventive practices versus not adherent (OR 0.875, 95% CI: 0.757-1.403). More than 90 % of participants agreed that TB is dangerous for the community and a majority opted against stigmatising TB patients (79.1%). People who could read and write were 3.5 times more likely to have a good attitude towards TB compared to those who could not (OR: 3.596;95% CI: 1.821-70.230; p=0.037). Similarly, employed subjects had better attitude compared to unemployed ones (p=0.024), (OR: 1.125; 95% CI: 0.498, 1.852) and those having better knowledge of TB had a better attitude grade (OR:1.749; 95% CI: 0.832-12.350), p=0.020). Age, occupation, and educational status were statistically significant among the two groups (p=0.038, p=0.023, p=0.000) respectively. Literate subjects had thrice good practice towards TB than illiterate (OR: 3.081; 95% CI: 1.869-4.164; p=0.000). Future education and awareness programs should target specific groups such as the unemployed and illiterate with practice-focused approaches. Our study outcomes can enable the concerned officials and authorities taking appropriate evidence-based steps to direct the efforts in an efficient manner to curtail the burden of TB in Pakistan and to limit its progression that could potentially lead our nation to become an MDR-TB endemic territory.

Survival impact of previous statin therapy in patients hospitalized with COVID-19. / Impacto del tratamiento previo con estatinas sobre la supervivencia de los pacientes hospitalizados con COVID-19.

INTRODUCTION: Statin therapy might have a beneficial prognostic effect in patients with COVID-19, given its immunomodulative, anti-inflammatory and anti-atherosclerotic properties. Our purpose was to test this hypothesis by using the COVID-19 registry of a Spanish university hospital. METHODS: We conducted a single-center, observational and retrospective study in which hospitalized patients with COVID-19 diagnosed by PCR between March 2020 and October 2020 were included. By means of logistic regression, we designed a propensity score to estimate the likelihood that a patient would receive statin treatment prior to admission. We compared the survival of COVID-19 patients with and without statin treatment by means of Cox regression with inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW). The median follow-up was 406 days. RESULTS: We studied 1122 hospitalized patients with COVID-19, whose median age was 71years and of which 488 (43.5%) were women. 451 (40.2%) patients received statins before admission. In the IPTW survival analysis, prior statin treatment was associated with a significant reduction in mortality (HR: 0.76; 95%CI: 0.59-0.97). The greatest benefit of previous statin therapy was seen in subgroups of patients with coronary artery disease (HR: 0.32; 95%CI: 0.18-0.56) and extracardiac arterial disease (HR: 0.45; 95%CI: 0.28-0.73). CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed a significant association between previous treatment with statins and lower mortality in hospitalized patients with COVID-19. The observed prognostic benefit was greater in patients with previous coronary or extracardiac atherosclerotic disease.

Preclinical evaluation of a COVID-19 vaccine candidate based on a recombinant RBD fusion heterodimer of SARS-CoV-2

Current COVID-19 vaccines have been associated with a decline in infection rates, prevention of severe disease and a decrease in mortality rates. However, SARS-CoV-2 variants are continuously evolving, and development of new accessible COVID-19 vaccines is essential to mitigate the pandemic. Here, we present data on preclinical studies in mice of a receptor-binding domain (RBD)-based recombinant protein vaccine (PHH-1V) consisting of an RBD fusion heterodimer comprising the B.1.351 and B.1.1.7 SARS-CoV-2 variants formulated in SQBA adjuvant, an oil-in-water emulsion. A prime-boost immunisation with PHH-1V in BALB/c and K18-hACE2 mice induced a CD4+ and CD8+ T cell response and RBD-binding antibodies with neutralising activity against several variants, and also showed a good tolerability profile. Significantly, RBD fusion heterodimer vaccination conferred 100% efficacy, preventing mortality in SARS-CoV-2 infected K18-hACE2 mice, but also reducing Beta, Delta and Omicron infection in lower respiratory airways. These findings demonstrate the feasibility of this recombinant vaccine strategy. Graphical

Transcriptomic clustering of critically ill COVID-19 patients.

Infections caused by SARS-CoV-2 may cause a severe disease, termed COVID-19, with significant mortality. Host responses to this infection, mainly in terms of systemic inflammation, have emerged as key pathogenetic mechanisms, and their modulation has shown a mortality benefit.In a cohort of 56 critically-ill COVID-19 patients, peripheral blood transcriptomes were obtained at admission in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and clustered using an unsupervised algorithm. Differences in gene expression, circulating microRNAs (c-miRNA) and clinical data between clusters were assessed, and circulating cell populations estimated from sequencing data. A transcriptomic signature was defined and applied to an external cohort to validate the findings.We identified two transcriptomic clusters characterised by expression of either interferon-related or immune checkpoint genes, respectively. Steroids have cluster-specific effects, decreasing lymphocyte activation in the former but promoting B-cell activation in the latter. These profiles have different ICU outcome, in spite of no major clinical differences at ICU admission. A transcriptomic signature was used to identify these clusters in two external validation cohorts (with 50 and 60 patients), yielding similar results.These results reveal different underlying pathogenetic mechanisms and illustrate the potential of transcriptomics to identify patient endotypes in severe COVID-19, aimed to ultimately personalise their therapies.

Preclinical evaluation of a COVID-19 vaccine candidate based on a recombinant RBD fusion heterodimer of SARS-CoV-2.

Current COVID-19 vaccines have been associated with a decline in infection rates, prevention of severe disease, and a decrease in mortality rates. However, SARS-CoV-2 variants are continuously evolving, and development of new accessible COVID-19 vaccines is essential to mitigate the pandemic. Here, we present data on preclinical studies in mice of a receptor-binding domain (RBD)-based recombinant protein vaccine (PHH-1V) consisting of an RBD fusion heterodimer comprising the B.1.351 and B.1.1.7 SARS-CoV-2 variants formulated in SQBA adjuvant, an oil-in-water emulsion. A prime-boost immunisation with PHH-1V in BALB/c and K18-hACE2 mice induced a CD4+ and CD8+ T cell response and RBD-binding antibodies with neutralizing activity against several variants, and also showed a good tolerability profile. Significantly, RBD fusion heterodimer vaccination conferred 100% efficacy, preventing mortality in SARS-CoV-2 infected K18-hACE2 mice, but also reducing Beta, Delta and Omicron infection in lower respiratory airways. These findings demonstrate the feasibility of this recombinant vaccine strategy.

Evaluation and Clinical Impact of Biofire FilmArray Pneumonia Panel Plus in ICU-Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients.

Microbiological diagnosis by using commercial multiplex quantitative PCR systems provides great advantages over the conventional culture. In this work, the Biofire FilmArray Pneumonia Panel Plus (FAPP+) was used to test 144 low respiratory tract samples from 105 COVID-19 patients admitted to an Intensive Care Unit (ICU), detecting 78 pathogens in 59 (41%) samples. The molecular panel was evaluated by using the conventional culture (CC) as comparator, which isolated 42 pathogens in 40 (27.7%) samples. The overall percentage of agreement was 82.6%. Values of sensitivity (93%), specificity (62%), positive predictive value (50%), and negative predictive value (96%) were obtained. The mean time elapsed from sample extraction to modification of antibiotic treatment was 7.6 h. A change in antimicrobial treatment after the FAPP+ results was performed in 27% of patients. The FAPP+ is a highly sensitive diagnostic method that can be used to significantly reduce diagnostic time and that allows an early optimization of antimicrobial treatment.

Survival impact of previous statin therapy in patients hospitalized with COVID-19 Impacto del tratamiento previo con estatinas sobre la supervivencia de los pacientes hospitalizados con COVID-19

Introduction Statin therapy might have a beneficial prognostic effect in patients with COVID-19, given its immunomodulative, anti-inflammatory and anti-atherosclerotic properties. Our purpose was to test this hypothesis by using the COVID-19 registry of a Spanish university hospital. Methods We conducted a single-center, observational and retrospective study in which hospitalized patients with COVID-19 diagnosed by PCR between March 2020 and October 2020 were included. By means of logistic regression, we designed a propensity score to estimate the likelihood that a patient would receive statin treatment prior to admission. We compared the survival of COVID-19 patients with and without statin treatment by means of Cox regression with inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW). The median follow-up was 406 days. Results We studied 1122 hospitalized patients with COVID-19, whose median age was 71 years and of which 488 (43.5%) were women. 451 (40.2%) patients received statins before admission. In the IPTW survival analysis, prior statin treatment was associated with a significant reduction in mortality (HR: 0.76;95% CI: 0.59-0.97). The greatest benefit of previous statin therapy was seen in subgroups of patients with coronary artery disease (HR: 0.32;95% CI: 0.18-0.56) and extracardiac arterial disease (HR: 0.45;95% CI: 0.28-0.73). Conclusions Our study showed a significant association between previous treatment with statins and lower mortality in hospitalized patients with COVID-19. The observed prognostic benefit was greater in patients with previous coronary or extracardiac atherosclerotic disease.

Survival impact of previous statin therapy in patients hospitalized with COVID-19.

Introduction: Statin therapy might have a beneficial prognostic effect in patients with COVID-19, given its immunomodulative, anti-inflammatory and anti-atherosclerotic properties. Our purpose was to test this hypothesis by using the COVID-19 registry of a Spanish university hospital. Methods: We conducted a single-center, observational and retrospective study in which hospitalized patients with COVID-19 diagnosed by PCR between March 2020 and October 2020 were included. By means of logistic regression, we designed a propensity score to estimate the likelihood that a patient would receive statin treatment prior to admission. We compared the survival of COVID-19 patients with and without statin treatment by means of Cox regression with inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW). The median follow-up was 406 days. Results: We studied 1122 hospitalized patients with COVID-19, whose median age was 71 years and of which 488 (43.5%) were women. 451 (40.2%) patients received statins before admission. In the IPTW survival analysis, prior statin treatment was associated with a significant reduction in mortality (HR: 0.76; 95% CI: 0.59-0.97). The greatest benefit of previous statin therapy was seen in subgroups of patients with coronary artery disease (HR: 0.32; 95% CI: 0.18-0.56) and extracardiac arterial disease (HR: 0.45; 95% CI: 0.28-0.73). Conclusions: Our study showed a significant association between previous treatment with statins and lower mortality in hospitalized patients with COVID-19. The observed prognostic benefit was greater in patients with previous coronary or extracardiac atherosclerotic disease.

Introducción: El tratamiento con estatinas podría presentar un efecto pronóstico beneficioso en pacientes con COVID-19, dadas sus propiedades inmunomoduladoras, antiinflamatorias y estabilizadoras de la placa de ateroma. Nuestro propósito fue analizar esta hipótesis tomando como base el registro de COVID-19 de un hospital universitario español. Métodos: Realizamos un estudio observacional y retrospectivo en el que se incluyeron los pacientes hospitalizados con COVID-19 diagnosticado mediante PCR entre marzo de 2020 y octubre de 2020 en un centro. Mediante regresión logística, diseñamos una puntuación de propensión para estimar la probabilidad de que un paciente recibiese tratamiento con estatinas antes del ingreso. Comparamos la supervivencia de los pacientes con y sin tratamiento con estatinas mediante la regresión de Cox ponderada por la inversa de la probabilidad de recibir el tratamiento (IPT). La mediana de seguimiento fue de 406 días. Resultados: Estudiamos 1.122 pacientes hospitalizados con COVID-19, cuya mediana de edad era de 71 años y de los cuales 488 (43,5%) eran mujeres. 451 (40,2%) pacientes recibían estatinas antes del ingreso. En el análisis de supervivencia ponderado por la IPT, el tratamiento previo con estatinas se asoció a una reducción significativa de la mortalidad (HR: 0,76; IC 95%: 0,59­0,97). El mayor beneficio del tratamiento previo con estatinas se observó en los subgrupos de pacientes con enfermedad arterial coronaria (HR: 0,32; IC 95%: 0,18­0,56) y enfermedad arterial extracardiaca (HR: 0,45; IC 95%: 0,28­0,73). Conclusiones: Nuestro estudio mostró una asociación significativa entre el tratamiento previo con estatinas y una menor mortalidad en pacientes hospitalizados con COVID-19. El beneficio pronóstico observado fue mayor en los pacientes con enfermedad aterosclerótica coronaria o extracardiaca previa.

Clinical course of Covid-19 in a cohort of patients with Behçet disease.

Objective: The implications of Covid-19 in patients with Behçet's disease (BD) are unknown. Patients with BD usually take long-term therapy with therapeutic agents that have been tested in Covid-19 patients. We aimed to assess the prevalence of Covid-19 in a cohort of patients with BD and investigate whether those patients with a long-term treatment with colchicine, tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) or glucocorticoids are at reduced or increased prevalence of Covid-19 related clinical outcomes. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted among 244 patients with BD (86.1% females; mean age 43.95 ± 11.11 years). Each participant completed an online questionnaire regarding demographics, medical conditions, dispensed colchicine, TNFi or oral glucocorticoids, Covid-19 infection, clinical symptoms and recovery. Results: The prevalence of Covid-19 infection was 14.75%. Regarding dose of colchicine, the presence of ageusia was lower in patients taking 0.5 mg/day of colchicine compared to those taking 1.5 mg/day (p = 0.021). The prevalence of dyspnea was significantly higher in patients taking TNFi compared with those without therapy (p = 0.032). With regards to oral glucocorticoids, no significant differences were found. Conclusions: The prevalence of Covid-19 among patients with BD seems to be higher than that among the general population in Spain. Continuous TNFi therapy might increase the prevalence of worse clinical outcomes such as dyspnea; oral glucocorticoids and colchicine apparently provided no protection against the Covid-19 related clinical outcomes of patients with BD.

Objetivo: Se desconocen las implicaciones de la Covid-19 en pacientes con enfermedad de Behçet (EB). Los pacientes con EB generalmente tienen tratamiento de larga duración con agentes terapéuticos que se han probado en pacientes con Covid-19. Nuestro objetivo fue evaluar la prevalencia de la Covid-19 en una cohorte de pacientes con EB e investigar si los pacientes con un tratamiento de larga duración con colchicina, inhibidores del factor de necrosis tumoral (TNFi) o glucocorticoides tienen una prevalencia reducida o aumentada en los resultados clínicos de la Covid-19. Métodos: Se realizó un estudio retrospectivo en 244 pacientes con EB (86,1% mujeres; edad media, 43,95 ± 11,11 años). Cada participante completó un cuestionario en línea sobre datos demográficos, afecciones médicas, tratamiento con colchicina, TNFi o glucocorticoides orales, infección por Covid-19, síntomas clínicos y recuperación. Resultados: La prevalencia de la infección por Covid-19 fue del 14,75%. En cuanto a la dosis de colchicina, la presencia de ageusia fue menor en los pacientes que tomaban 0,5 mg/día de colchicina en comparación con los que tomaban 1,5 mg/día (p = 0,021). La prevalencia de disnea fue significativamente mayor en los pacientes que tomaban TNFi en comparación con aquellos sin terapia (p = 0,032). Con respecto a los glucocorticoides orales, no se encontraron diferencias significativas. Conclusiones: La prevalencia de Covid-19 en pacientes con EB parece ser superior a la de la población general en España. La terapia continua con TNFi podría aumentar la prevalencia de peores resultados clínicos como la disnea; los glucocorticoides orales y la colchicina aparentemente no proporcionan protección contra los resultados clínicos relacionados con la Covid-19 en pacientes con EB.

Clinical course of Covid-19 in a cohort of patients with Behçet disease Evolución clínica de la Covid-19 en una cohorte de pacientes con enfermedad de Behçet

Objective The implications of Covid-19 in patients with Behçet's disease (BD) are unknown. Patients with BD usually take long-term therapy with therapeutic agents that have been tested in Covid-19 patients. We aimed to assess the prevalence of Covid-19 in a cohort of patients with BD and investigate whether those patients with a long-term treatment with colchicine, tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) or glucocorticoids are at reduced or increased prevalence of Covid-19 related clinical outcomes. Methods A retrospective study was conducted among 244 patients with BD (86.1% females;mean age 43.95 ± 11.11 years). Each participant completed an online questionnaire regarding demographics, medical conditions, dispensed colchicine, TNFi or oral glucocorticoids, Covid-19 infection, clinical symptoms and recovery. Results The prevalence of Covid-19 infection was 14.75%. Regarding dose of colchicine, the presence of ageusia was lower in patients taking 0.5 mg/day of colchicine compared to those taking 1.5 mg/day (p = 0.021). The prevalence of dyspnea was significantly higher in patients taking TNFi compared with those without therapy (p = 0.032). With regards to oral glucocorticoids, no significant differences were found. Conclusions The prevalence of Covid-19 among patients with BD seems to be higher than that among the general population in Spain. Continuous TNFi therapy might increase the prevalence of worse clinical outcomes such as dyspnea;oral glucocorticoids and colchicine apparently provided no protection against the Covid-19 related clinical outcomes of patients with BD.

The Use of IV Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide (Aviptadil) in Patients With Critical COVID-19 Respiratory Failure: Results of a 60-Day Randomized Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVES: Respiratory failure is a lethal complication of COVID-19 that has remained resistant to drug therapy. Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) is shown in nonclinical studies to upregulate surfactant production, inhibit cytokine synthesis, prevent cytopathy, and block replication of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 virus in pulmonary cells. The study aims to determine whether Aviptadil (synthetic VIP) can improve survival and recovery in patients with COVID-19 respiratory failure compared with placebo and demonstrate biological effects in such patients. DESIGN: A multicenter, placebo-controlled trial. SETTING: Ten U.S. hospitals: six tertiary-care hospitals and four community hospitals. PATIENTS: A total of 196 patients with COVID-19 respiratory failure. INTERVENTIONS: Participants were randomized 2:1 to receive 3 days of IV Aviptadil or placebo. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The primary end point (alive and free from respiratory failure at day 60) did not reach statistical significance (odds ratio [OR], 1.6; 95% CI, 0.86-3.11) for patients treated with Aviptadil when controlling for baseline ventilation status as prespecified in the protocol. There was, however, a statistically significant two-fold odds of improved survival (OR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.1-3.9) at 60 days ( p = 0.035). There was significant improvement in respiratory distress ratio and reduced interleukin 6 cytokine release ( p = 0.02) by day 3.Subgroup analysis identified a statistically significant likelihood of achieving primary end point among those treated with high-flow nasal oxygen at baseline ( p = 0.039). Subjects on mechanical ventilation also experienced a 10-fold increased odds of survival with drug versus placebo ( p = 0.031). CONCLUSIONS: The primary end point did not reach statistical significance, indicating that there was no difference between Aviptadil versus placebo. However, Aviptadil improves the likelihood of survival from respiratory failure at day 60 in critical COVID-19 across all sites of care. Given the absence of drug-related serious adverse events and acceptable safety profile, we believe the benefit versus risk for the use of Aviptadil is favorable for patient treatment.

The impact of misinformation on the COVID-19 pandemic

Since the inception of the current pandemic, COVID-19 related misinformation has played a role in defaulting control of the situation. It has become evident that the internet, social media, and other communication outlets with readily available data have contributed to the dissemination and availability of misleading information. It has perpetuated beliefs that led to vaccine avoidance, mask refusal, and utilization of medications with insignificant scientific data, ultimately contributing to increased morbidity. Undoubtedly, misinformation has become a challenge and a burden to individual health, public health, and governments globally. Our review article aims at providing an overview and summary regarding the role of media, other information outlets, and their impact on the pandemic. The goal of this article is to increase awareness of the negative impact of misinformation on the pandemic. In addition, we discuss a few recommendations that could aid in decreasing this burden, as preventing the conception and dissemination of misinformation is essential.

IMPACTO DEL TRATAMIENTO PREVIO CON ESTATINAS SOBRE LA SUPERVIVENCIA DE LOS PACIENTES HOSPITALIZADOS CON COVID-19 SURVIVAL IMPACT OF PREVIOUS STATIN THERAPY IN PATIENTS HOSPITALIZED WITH COVID-19 Título breve: Estatinas y supervivencia en COVID-19

Introducción: El tratamiento con estatinas podría presentar un efecto pronóstico beneficioso en pacientes con COVID-19, dadas sus propiedades inmunomoduladoras, antiinflamatorias y estabilizadoras de la placa de ateroma. Nuestro propósito fue analizar esta hipótesis tomando como base el registro de COVID-19 de un hospital universitario español Métodos: Realizamos un estudio observacional y retrospectivo en el que se incluyeron los pacientes hospitalizados con COVID-19 diagnosticado mediante PCR entre Marzo de 2020 y Octubre de 2020 en un centro. Mediante regresión logística, diseñamos una puntuación de propensión para estimar la probabilidad de que un paciente recibiese tratamiento con estatinas antes del ingreso. Comparamos la supervivencia de los pacientes con y sin tratamiento con estatinas mediante y regresión de Cox ponderada por la inversa de la probabilidad de recibir el tratamiento (IPT). La mediana de seguimiento fue de 406 días Resultados: Estudiamos 1122 pacientes hospitalizados con COVID-19, cuya mediana de edad era de 71 años y de los cuales 488 (43.5%) eran mujeres. 451 (40.2%) pacientes recibían estatinas antes del ingreso. En el análisis de supervivencia ponderado por la IPT, el tratamiento previo con estatinas se asoció a una reducción significativa de la mortalidad (HR 0,76;IC 95% 0,59–0,97). El mayor beneficio del tratamiento previo con estatinas se observó en los subgrupos de pacientes con enfermedad arterial coronaria (HR 0,32;IC 95% 0,18–0,56) y enfermedad arterial extracardiaca (HR 0,45;IC95% 0,28–0,73) Conclusiones: Nuestro estudio mostró una asociación significativa entre el tratamiento previo con estatinas y una menor mortalidad en pacientes hospitalizados con COVID-19. El beneficio pronóstico observado fue mayor en los pacientes con enfermedad aterosclerótica coronaria o extracardiaca previa

The Relationship Between Health Literacy and Quality of Life, Attitudes and Perceptions of Covid-19 and Vaccination Among Patients with Systemic Autoimmune Diseases.

This study aimed to evaluate health literacy in patients (n=395) with systemic autoimmune diseases (SAD) and analyze their relationships with health-related quality of life (HRQoL), attitudes and beliefs about Covid-19 and vaccination, and perceptions of changes in medical care during the pandemic. This study was cross-sectional and the majority (81%) of particpants resided in Spain. An anonymous online survey was distributed to an online SAD association. Health literacy was measured using the European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire (HLS-EU-Q16) and the SF-36 tool was used to assess HRQoL. More than half of patients (57.7%) have inadequate health literacy and the mean health literacy level was 9.63(5.66). Patients with inadequate health literacy levels presented the lowest HRQoL scores in all SF-36 domains (p < .001). Health literacy scores were positively correlated with all SF-36 domains (p < .001). The reservations to get vaccinated against Covid-19 were linked to health literacy level (p = 0.024). There are high levels of inadequate health literacy among patients with SAD and it is associated with worse HRQoL and risk attitudes about Covid-19 vaccination and medical care during the pandemic.

Academia During the Time of COVID-19: Examining the Voices of Untenured Female Professors in STEM

This paper highlighted the diverse voices of 84 female-identifying professors in STEM fields who responded to a series of open-ended questions regarding work, family, and tenure experiences in the context of the current global pandemic. The current paper is part of a longitudinal study of the vocational experiences of tenure-track women in STEM that has examined the ?leaky pipeline? in women?s academic careers. Consensual Qualitative Research-Modified (CQR-M;) was implemented to analyze the data. The findings suggested that participants perceived the precarious balance between work and family to have increased in difficulty in the face of COVID-19. Among untenured female faculty with children, an added layer of challenge was noted related to loss of childcare in the wake of the pandemic. The pre-existing, pervasive barriers (i.e., institutional, systemic, and psychological) were further exacerbated by familial barriers for female STEM faculty seeking tenure during COVID-19. Overall, the results indicated missed opportunities within higher education to implement supportive policies for untenured female faculty in STEM. Clinical implications, future research directions, and social advocacy interventions in the context of COVID-19 are discussed.

Critical Care in SARS-CoV-2 Infected Pregnant Women: A Prospective Multicenter Study.

Evidence suggests that pregnant women are at a higher risk of complications compared to the general population when infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and the reasons that lead them to need intensive care are not clear. This is a prospective multicenter study of SARS-CoV-2 positive pregnant women, registered by the Spanish Obstetric Emergency Group, with the objective to define the characteristics of the mothers who were admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and to investigate the causes and risk factors for ICU admission. A total of 1347 infected pregnant women were registered and analyzed, of whom, 35 (2.6%) were admitted to the ICU. No differences in maternal characteristics or comorbidities were observed between ICU and non-ICU patients, except for in vitro fertilization and multiple pregnancies. The main causes of admission to the ICU were non-obstetric causes (worsening of the maternal condition and respiratory failure due to SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia, 40%) and a combination of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) symptoms and obstetrical complications (31.4%). The multivariable logistic analysis confirmed a higher risk of ICU admission when pre-eclampsia or hemorrhagic events coexist with pneumonia. The incidence of thromboembolic events and disseminated intravascular coagulation were also significantly higher among patients admitted to the ICU. Therefore, surveillance and rapid intervention should be intensified in SARS-CoV-2 infected pregnant women with the mentioned risk factors and complications. Emphasis should always be placed on anticoagulant therapy in these patients due to the increased thromboembolic risk, C-section surgery and immobilization in the ICU.

Clinical course of Covid-19 in a cohort of patients with Behçet disease.

OBJECTIVE: The implications of Covid-19 in patients with Behçet's disease (BD) are unknown. Patients with BD usually take long-term therapy with therapeutic agents that have been tested in Covid-19 patients. We aimed to assess the prevalence of Covid-19 in a cohort of patients with BD and investigate whether those patients with a long-term treatment with colchicine, tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) or glucocorticoids are at reduced or increased prevalence of Covid-19 related clinical outcomes. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted among 244 patients with BD (86.1% females; mean age 43.95±11.11 years). Each participant completed an online questionnaire regarding demographics, medical conditions, dispensed colchicine, TNFi or oral glucocorticoids, Covid-19 infection, clinical symptoms and recovery. RESULTS: The prevalence of Covid-19 infection was 14.75%. Regarding dose of colchicine, the presence of ageusia was lower in patients taking 0.5mg/day of colchicine compared to those taking 1.5mg/day (p=0.021). The prevalence of dyspnea was significantly higher in patients taking TNFi compared with those without therapy (p=0.032). With regards to oral glucocorticoids, no significant differences were found. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of Covid-19 among patients with BD seems to be higher than that among the general population in Spain. Continuous TNFi therapy might increase the prevalence of worse clinical outcomes such as dyspnea; oral glucocorticoids and colchicine apparently provided no protection against the Covid-19 related clinical outcomes of patients with BD.

COVID-19 vaccine literacy in patients with systemic autoimmune diseases.

COVID-19 related infodemic is a threat to the successful COVID-19 vaccination campaigns. This might be especially apparent for patients with autoimmune diseases since there is no data available about the balance between benefits and risks of the newly developed COVID-19 vaccines in this population. We aim (i) to evaluate vaccine literacy skills in a population of patients with systemic autoimmune diseases, (ii) to examine the potential associations between vaccine literacy skills and sociodemographic characteristics and (iii) to analyze the relationships between attitudes, perceptions and beliefs about current vaccinations and vaccine literacy skills and sociodemographic characteristics. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 319 patients with systemic autoimmune diseases (92% females; 49.5% of patients in the 31-50 years age category). The vaccine literacy levels were determined using the Health Literacy about Vaccination in adulthood in Italian (HLVa-IT). Sociodemographic characteristics including gender, age, country and area of residence, civil status, socioeconomic status, educational attainment and occupational status were evaluated. The mean vaccine literacy functional and interactive-critical scores were 2.59 ± 0.74 and 3.07 ± 0.60, respectively. The vaccine literacy interactive-critical score was higher in females than in males (p = 0.048). Interactive-critical scores were associated with the area of residence, civil status and socioeconomic status, with the highest score in urban area of ≥ 100.000 inhabitants (p = 0.045), in widow patients (p = 0.023) and in patients with high socioeconomic status (p = 0.018). Significant differences were observed between the different education levels, for both the functional and the interactive-critical scores (p = 0.002 and p < 0.001, respectively), the highest score was observed in patients who completed a university degree. The level of vaccine literacy for functional and interactive-critical scales were medium. Area of residence, civil status and socioeconomic status represented determinants of vaccine literacy interactive-critical scale. Educational attainment also contributes to vaccine literacy functional scale. Insight into these factors is required to ensure an optimal vaccine literacy level in patients with autoimmune diseases. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12144-022-02713-y.

Treatment with therapeutic plasma exchange in severe COVID-19 pneumonia: A case report and review of the literature.

The role of various therapeutic approaches on the clinical improvement in patients with severe COVID-19 is being researched. Few published studies show positive outcomes after the use of therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE). However, additional clinical evidence is required to understand better the role of therapeutic plasma exchange in severe COVID-19 patients. Thereby, we report a case of a 57-year-old female with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 who was included in clinical trial NCT04592705. Prompt treatment with TPE facilitated improved clinical-laboratory parameters and speedy recovery and prevented further deterioration of the condition or complications. Successful therapeutic strategies in our case suggest that TPE as a therapeutic option in critically ill COVID-19 patients could prevent the disease from worsening and reduce the need for mechanical ventilation and intensive supportive care in these patients.