ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess whether there has been a change in presentations of biliary atresia (BA) in England and Wales during the first and second coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdowns (January-June 2020 and 2021). DESIGN: This population study assessed all confirmed cases of BA, from January 2020 to December 2021 across the 3 UK pediatric liver centers originating from England and Wales. Data was then compared to the incidence of confirmed BA cases from January to December 2017, 2018, and 2019. RESULTS: During January-June 2020 and 2021, there were only 8 and 12 presenting cases of BA in England and Wales, compared to 16, 13, and 18 for the same time periods in 2017, 2018, and 2019, respectively. This difference was significant in a two-sided t test for 2020 ( P = 0.035) but not for 2021 ( P = 0.385). There was no difference in the mean days to Kasai procedure in January-June 2020 and 2021 compared to 2017-2019; however average time to Kasai after the lockdown periods was significantly higher. CONCLUSIONS: There was a significant reduction in the presenting cases of BA during the first COVID-19 lockdown, with an increased time for BA referrals after the pandemic lockdowns were lifted in England and Wales.
Subject(s)
Biliary Atresia , COVID-19 , Liver Transplantation , Child , Humans , Infant , Biliary Atresia/epidemiology , Biliary Atresia/surgery , COVID-19/epidemiology , COVID-19/prevention & control , Communicable Disease Control , Portoenterostomy, HepaticABSTRACT
The ongoing viral outbreak labeled COVID-19 is spreading rapidly across states and is posing a great threat to public health. Rapid identification of the virus in the population plays a crucial role in isolating the individual and breaking the transmission chain, apart from initiating an appropriate treatment procedure. Here, we discuss an electrowetting-on-dielectric (EWOD) technology that uses a microprocessor-controlled electrode array to merge a possibly infected sample carried by a liquid drop with a drop of a reagent to carry out the testing process. Changes in color occurring during the mixing process of the drops are imaged using a camera.