Does COVID-19 and oral, lung cancer have a connection? A insight to future investigation, A literature review

Even though there has been a significant amount of research conducted on the origin of SARS-CoV-2 (SARS-CoV-2) aetiology, very little is known about the disease's long-term effects till the date(1). As with previous viral infections, SARS-CoV-2 may raise the risk of developing cancer by altering tumour suppressor genes and expression of various pro-oncogenic proteins. We will conduct a comprehensive review of the available research on it,because an infection with SARS-CoV-2 might have a potential to cause cancer in the long run, researchers are looking at the likelihood of this happening, precisely on likeliness of occurring oral and pulmonary malignancies in this work. We speculate that one of these long-term impacts may be the SARS-carcinogenic CoV-2 virus. The viral proteins Nsp-15 or Nsp-3 are hypothesised to have pro-oncogenic effects when they interact with two essential tumour suppressors, pRB and p53 inhibitors. Copyright © 2023, Ibn Sina Trust. All rights reserved.

Clinicopathological Features and Outcome of COVID-19-Early Experiences from Three COVID Hospitals, Chittagong, Bangladesh

Introduction: COVID 19 is an unknown virus affecting mankind creating a deadly experience to all. It is true for Bangladesh also. So the objectives of the present study are to find the clinicopathological features and outcome of COVID patients admitted to three COVID dedicated hospitals of Chittagong, Bangladesh. Methods: This was an observational study where a total of 209 patients admitted to three COVID dedicated hospital were recruited. Clinicopathological data were recorded and patients were under observation till discharge and thus outcome were recorded. Prior consent was taken from the patients and ethical clearance was also taken. Data were compiled and analyzed by Statistical Package for Social Sciences-20. Results: Among 209 patients most of them were male 139 (66.5%) and male to female ratio was 1.98:1. Age group distribution revealed more were aggregated in the age group of 41-50 years 36 (17.2%), 51-60 years 54 (25.8%), and 61-70 years 57 (27.3%). Among all 92 (44%) patients were reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) positive and 117 (56%) were probable cases. Fever was present in 195 (93.3%) cases, cough in 180 (86.1%), respiratory distress in 105 (50.2%) anosmia in 123 (58.8%), aguesea in 112 (53.58%) and lethargy was present in 143 (68.42%). Chest X-ray findings revealed 73 (34.9%) had bilateral patchy opacities, 20 (9.6%) had unilateral opacities 65 (31.1%) had consolidations, 6 (2.9%) had ground glass opacities, and 2 (1.0%) had pleural effusion. Supplemental O2 was given in 173 (82.8%) patients, Favipiravir in 59 (28.2%), Remdesivir in 111 (53.1%), Methylprednisolone in 87 (41.6%), Dexamethasone in 93 (44.5%), Antibiotics in 204 (97.60%), Toccilizumab in 34 (16.3%), plasma in 18 (8.6%), and low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) in 200 (95.7%) patients. Regarding outcome of the COVID patients admitted, 85 (92.4%) patients improved, 6 (6.5%) died who were RT-PCR positive and 107 (91.15%) improved, 9 (7.7%) died who were probable cases. Total death rate was 7.1%. Conclusion: The present study findings were some early activities among COVID patients in the years 2020. Male were more affected and middle age group people were the most victims.

ACE2-Fc fusion protein overcomes viral escape by potently neutralizing SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern.

COVID-19, an infectious disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, emerged globally in early 2020 and has remained a serious public health issue. To date, although several preventative vaccines have been approved by FDA and EMA, vaccinated individuals increasingly suffer from breakthrough infections. Therapeutic antibodies may provide an alternative strategy to neutralize viral infection and treat serious cases; however, the clinical data and our experiments show that some FDA-approved monoclonal antibodies lose function against COVID-19 variants such as Omicron. Therefore, in this study, we present a novel therapeutic agent, SI-F019, an ACE2-Fc fusion protein whose neutralization efficiency is not compromised, but actually strengthened, by the mutations of dominant variants including Omicron. Comprehensive biophysical analyses revealed the mechanism of increased inhibition to be enhanced interaction of SI-F019 with all the tested spike variants, in contrast to monoclonal antibodies which tended to show weaker binding to some variants. The results imply that SI-F019 may be a broadly useful agent for treatment of COVID-19.

Telepsychiatry and In-Person Care for Pediatric Patients During COVID-19: Patients Perspectives

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly affected how physicians, including child and adolescent psychiatrists, practice. A major shift came in the form of telehealth, in which patients attend clinic appointments online. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to identify the advantages and disadvantages of the telepsychiatry care delivery system and to devise future strategies to resolve drawbacks to improve patient and caregiver satisfaction. METHODS: A proposal was approved by the University of Missouri-Columbia Internal Review Board to conduct this study. One hundred patients were randomly selected for the study questionnaires. To understand patient satisfaction with telehealth and work toward improvements, this study conducted comparative survey research with 50 patients seen virtually and 50 patients seen in-person. Identical survey questions were filled out by patients and their respective guardians. The survey's first question asked which setting was preferred during the COVID-19 crisis and was followed by free-response questions prompting responses about what they liked and disliked about telehealth and in-person visits. RESULTS: Of the 50 patients seen virtually, 72% indicated a preference for telehealth, 14% preferred in-person, and 14% had no preference. These patients stated they preferred telehealth because it was convenient, required no travel and required fewer absences from school or work. A total of 28% of patients listed safety from exposure to COVID-19 as a reason they liked telehealth. Over half of these patients reported no complaints with telehealth, the most common issue according to patients seen virtually was internet connectivity and technology problems. A total of 64% of in-person patients reported a preference for in-person visits during the COVID-19 crisis. Similar to virtual patients, convenience was the most popular advantage of telehealth and personal connection was the most common disadvantage. The second most common complaint regarding telehealth and the highest reported advantage of in-person visits is the element of personal connection. A total of 16% of patients seen virtually and 24% of patients seen in-person reported more accurate assessment advantage of in-person care. These patients listed concerns about body language, vital signs, and other physical symptoms. CONCLUSION: With telehealth as a seemingly permanent aspect of medicine, the field of psychiatry must adapt. Expansion of broadband and increasing affordability of high-speed internet connection are practical solutions to technological issues with telehealth. For patients preferring to be seen virtually, a recommendation can be made to have at least the first visit in-person to establish a personal relationship. Vital signs can be checked at home with proper training. Telepsychiatry is likely to continue to be a part of our care delivery system. To that end, we must be vigilant and develop better strategies to improve the quality of patient care and patient satisfaction. FUNDING: No funding.

A meta-analysis of Nigella sativa in respiratory disorders

Plants have always been used as a remedy for various illnesses and their widespread use is because they are safe, effective, and affordable when compared to allopathic medications. Nigella sativa is considered as a miracle herb and is accepted as a panacea in Middle East and South Asian countries. Numerous therapeutic benefits of the plant extract against diabetes, hypertension, pediatric seizures, opioid dependence, anxiety, arthritis, various infectious diseases, infertility, dyspepsia, asthma, allergic rhinitis were demonstrated by clinical studies. The bronchodilating property of few constituents of the seeds contributes its potency against different illnesses of the respiratory system, including asthma, dyspnea, nasal dryness, and rhinitis. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), respiratory diseases are second to cardiovascular disease and make up to five of the 30 most common causes of deaths worldwide. Currently, there is no cure to the chronic respiratory diseases, but various forms of treatments may help to ameliorate the quality of life of people suffering with the condition. An increasing number of people are approaching toward natural remedy to improve their respiratory symptoms, this review is planned to summarize all the therapeutic benefits of N. sativa against different respiratory illnesses which were characterized by experimental and clinical studies. © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

ACE2-Fc fusion protein overcomes viral escape by potently neutralizing SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern

COVID-19, an infectious disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, emerged globally in early 2020 and has remained a serious public health issue. To date, although several preventative vaccines have been approved by FDA and EMA, vaccinated individuals increasingly suffer from breakthrough infections. Therapeutic antibodies may provide an alternative strategy to neutralize viral infection and treat serious cases;however, the clinical data and our experiments show that some FDA-approved monoclonal antibodies lose function against COVID-19 variants such as Omicron. Therefore, in this study, we present a novel therapeutic agent, SI–F019, an ACE2-Fc fusion protein whose neutralization efficiency is not compromised, but actually strengthened, by the mutations of dominant variants including Omicron. Comprehensive biophysical analyses revealed the mechanism of increased inhibition to be enhanced interaction of SI–F019 with all the tested spike variants, in contrast to monoclonal antibodies which tended to show weaker binding to some variants. The results imply that SI–F019 may be a broadly useful agent for treatment of COVID-19. Graphical Image 1

Circadian Liver Metabolism Affects Management of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus During Cytokine Storm Due to COVID-19

Diabetes is managed to keep the blood sugar in normal range. This involves liver as glucose metabolizing organ and sensitization of somatic cells to utilize this glucose for daily energy requirements. The management is subjected to the rhythmic glucose intake as diet and liver circadian cycles that runs parallel to this zeitgeber. COVID-19 patients having diabetes as comorbid condition face the challenges of inflammatory cytokine management along with the organization of glucose. Increased blood glucose level during the cytokine storm further aggravates the pathophysiology of COVID-19 patients leading to high morbidity and mortality in such patients. Clinical treatment of these patients requires multidimensional approach involving circadian variation of hepatic physiology, glucose intake, and inflammatory cytokine release. © This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/bync/4.0) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Copyright © 2021 Korean Academy of Sleep Medicine

Advancing Health Information System with System Thinking: Learning Challenges of E-Health in Bangladesh During COVID-19

Background: Public health system is connected to a complex dynamic of overall systematic processes of socio-political structure. Therefore, ensuring a high-quality digital healthcare system has inter-connected impacts on the war of COVID-19 prevention and beneficial for the health and welfare of people. Adopting an electronic vaccination registration system in Bangladesh has already made a huge impact in bringing the huge population under the vaccine scheme in a responsive manner. However, the country still has been struggling to achieve a systematic and technical strength due to a range of issues such as technical knowledge of healthcare professionals in providing services (for instance, e-healthcare services), use of tech tools and their application, developing and managing data, data visualization, and data availability. Objective: The advancement of the health information system (HIS) develops the entire healthcare service in a country. This paper aims to explore how a developing country like Bangladesh has been fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and how the adoption of a robust digital health information system can impact the overall health and living conditions of the large population at stake. Method: Based on system thinking and modeling, this study provided and described information based on existing data obtained from different inter-connecting sources with contributions to the systematic approach indicating a brief statistical data analysis. Results: This study finds out that adopting a rigorous digital health information system during COVID-19 helped Bangladesh immensely to fight the ongoing pandemic and minimized the overall risks, but she still has a lot of scope to improve. © 2021, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Demographic and Clinical Profile of COVID-19 ICU Patients of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Bangladesh

Corona viruses are a group of RNA viruses that cause infection in humans and animals. In human Corona viruses cause respiratory tract infections ranging from mild to critical illness. Corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by strain of severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The disease was first identified in Wuhan city, of China, in December 2019 and since spread all around the world. In Bangladesh first case has been declared by Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) in 8th March, 2020 and first death on 18th march in an ICU and by 13th December total 489,178 cases and 7,020 deaths occurred in this country. The main objective of this study was to determine the Demographic and Clinical Profile of COVID-19 ICU patients in Bangladesh. This retrospective descriptive study on clinical profile along with short term treatment outcomes of COVID-19 patients conducted from COVID-19 dedicated Intensive care unit of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Bangladesh during July 2020 to November 2020. Total 300 ICU patients was included in this study. The age range of the patients was from 15 to 91 years. The highest percentage of patients about 49.00%, which was 147 patients were belonged to 61-75 years age group. The patients mean age was 62.80 years. Regarding gender distribution, among those 300 patients;77.00% which is 231 were male and only 23.00% which is 69 were female. Patients admitted with symptoms like, respiratory distress/shortness of breath (100.00%), persistent worsening cough (60.00%), fatigue (55.00%) and fever (40.00%). Patients were also present with sore throat (35.00%), rhinorrhea (30.00%), altered mental status (20.00%), diarrhoea (10.00%) and chest pain (5.00%). Regarding co-morbidities, around half of the patients were suffering from Diabetes (60.22%) and Hypertension (53.44%). Significant amount of patients were also suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (27.00%) and bronchial asthma (16.78%). Ischemic heart disease was (10.33%), chronic kidney disease (10.89%), hypothyroidism (9.78%) and multiple co-morbidities (15.12%) at the time of admission. Mortality rate in this case were 71.00% and most of the death cases were in between 61 to 75 years of age group (40.00%). After improvement 27.00% patients were transferred to cabin for further management. We could discharge to home directly only 2.00% of patients.

Knowledge and public health practices during lockdown towards COVID-19 in Bangladesh

The study aimed to assess the role of having knowledge and essential hygiene practices to prevent coronavirus pandemic and to find out the relationship between people’s knowledge and good hygiene practices with socio-demographic variables during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic situation. In this study, data were collected from 248 respondents for cross-sectional study using voluntary response sampling from April, 30 2020 to May, 30 2020, during lockdown situation in Bangladesh. Descriptive statistics were done to calculate the frequencies and percentages by using Stata SE 14.2 (StataCorp). Chi-square was performed at the significance level of 5% to find the factors which were associated with knowledge about COVID-19. After knowing about COVID-19, 86.29% respondents had taken preventive measures and 71.37% respondents had agreed to stay at home. Among the respondents, 47.98% were involved in services and were positively associated with good general knowledge of preventive practices. Our present findings indicated significant relationship between good general knowledge and practice of general people towards COVID-19 outbreak in Bangladesh. The findings of the study are helpful for the researchers and the population to follow all good promotional practices for preventive measures against coronavirus. © 2021, Intelektual Pustaka Media Utama. All rights reserved.

Novel coronavirus treatment with ribavirin: Groundwork for an evaluation concerning COVID-19.

Confronting the challenge of the outbreak of COVID-19 should sharpen our focus on global drug access as a key issue in antiviral therapy testing. The testing and adoption of effective therapies for novel coronaviruses are hampered by the challenge of conducting controlled studies during a state of emergency. The access to direct antiviral drugs, such as ribavirin, that have an existing inventory and reliable supply chain may be a priority consideration for therapies developed for the 2019-nCoV infection outbreaks and any strain variants that may emerge. On the basis of the direct antiviral activity of ribavirin against 2019-nCoV in vitro and evidence for potency enhancement strategies developed during the prior SARS and MERS outbreaks, ribavirin may significantly impact our ability to end the lingering outbreaks in China and slow outbreaks in other countries. The apparent COVID-19 pandemic provides an opportunity to follow dosage guidelines for treatment with ribavirin, test new therapeutic concepts, and conduct controlled testing to apply the scientific rigor required to address the controversy around this mainstay of antiviral therapy.