Impact of Covid-19 Quarantine on Child Sexual Abuse: Experience of Child Advocacy Center

Objective: We aimed to evaluate the characteristics of child sex-ual abuse reports and the affecting factors during the pandemic compared to the pre-pandemic period.Material and Method: The study included 506 children and ad-olescents admitted to the Child Advocacy Center (CAC). Case and control groups were determined according to the time of admission (first 15 months of the pandemic and 15 months be -fore the pandemic). The data were obtained by retrospectively examining the files, forensic investigation reports, family evalu-ation reports, and other documents in the files of the children in the legal process. Result: Cases applied to CAC during the pandemic decreased by 16 percent. Sexual abuse reported by teachers and profes-sionals such as public servants decreased from 30% to 4.7%. However, abuse through online platforms doubled. Finally, re-current domestic abuse increased significantly during quaran-tine (p<0.001). Conclusion: The pandemic changed the way CAC is admitted and the specifics of abuse. The teachers and public servants reported fewer incidences of sexual abuse during the pandemic period. In addition, the form of abuse shifted to the online platform, and recurrent domestic abuses have increased. Professionals working in the field of sexual abuse should keep in mind that the possible effects of these changes may continue after the pandemic.

Performance Comparison of Oral, Laryngeal and Thoracic Sounds in the Detection of COVID-19 by Employing Machine Learning Techniques

COVID-19 can directly or indirectly cause lung involvements by crossing the upper airways. It is essential to quickly detect the lung involvement condition and to follow up and treat these patients by early hospitalization. In recent COVID-19 diagnosis procedure, PCR testing is applied to the samples taken from the patients and a quarantine period is applied to the patient until the test results are received. As a complement to PCR tests and for faster diagnosis, thin-section lung computed tomography (CT) imaging is used in COVID-19 patients. In this study, it is aimed to develop a method that is as reliable as CT, and compared to CT, less risky, more accessible, and less costly for the diagnosis of COVID-19 disease. For this purpose, first speech and cough sounds from the oral, laryngeal and thoracic regions of COVID-19 patients and healthy individuals were obtained with the multi-channel voice recording system we proposed, the obtained data were processed with machine learning methods and their accuracies in COVID-19 diagnosis were presented comparatively. In our study, the best results were obtained with the features extracted from the cough sounds taken from the oral region. © 2022 IEEE.

Qualitative and Digital Research in Times of Crisis: Methods, Reflexivity, and Ethics

Crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, disasters, or violent conflict present numerous challenges for researchers. Faced with disruption, obstacles, and even danger to their own lives, researchers in times of crisis must adapt or redesign existing research methods in order to continue their work effectively. Including contributions on qualitative and digital research from Europe, Asia, Africa, Australasia, and the Americas, this volume explores the creative and thoughtful ways in which researchers have adapted methods and rethought relationships in response to challenges arising from crises. Their collective reflections, strategies, and practices highlight the importance of responsive, ethical, and creative research design and the need to develop methods for fostering mutual, reflexive, and healthy relationships in times of crisis. © the editors;individual chapters © their respective authors, 2022.

Olfactory dysfunction and coronavirus disease 2019 severity: a prospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: The primary goal of this study was to evaluate the association between olfactory dysfunction or taste impairment and disease severity and radiological findings in coronavirus disease-2019. The secondary goal was to assess the prevalence, severity and course of olfactory dysfunction or taste impairment in patients with coronavirus disease 2019. METHOD: This prospective observational cohort study evaluated patients hospitalised with coronavirus disease 2019 between April 1 and 1 May 2020. Olfactory dysfunction and taste impairment were evaluated by two questionnaires. Chest computed tomography findings and coronavirus disease-2019 severity were assessed. RESULTS: Among 133 patients, 23.3 per cent and 30.8 per cent experienced olfactory dysfunction and taste impairment, respectively, and 17.2 per cent experienced both. The mean age was 56.03 years, and 64.7 per cent were male and 35.3 per cent were female. No statistically significant association was found between olfactory dysfunction (p = 0.706) and taste impairment (p = 0.35) with either disease severity or chest computed tomography grading. CONCLUSION: Olfactory dysfunction or taste impairment does not have prognostic importance in patients with coronavirus disease 2019.

Rapid and Effective Vitamin D Supplementation May Present Better Clinical Outcomes in COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) Patients by Altering Serum INOS1, IL1B, IFNg, Cathelicidin-LL37, and ICAM1.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to establish an acute treatment protocol to increase serum vitamin D, evaluate the effectiveness of vitamin D3 supplementation, and reveal the potential mechanisms in COVID-19. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the data of 867 COVID-19 cases. Then, a prospective study was conducted, including 23 healthy individuals and 210 cases. A total of 163 cases had vitamin D supplementation, and 95 were followed for 14 days. Clinical outcomes, routine blood biomarkers, serum levels of vitamin D metabolism, and action mechanism-related parameters were evaluated. RESULTS: Our treatment protocol increased the serum 25OHD levels significantly to above 30 ng/mL within two weeks. COVID-19 cases (no comorbidities, no vitamin D treatment, 25OHD <30 ng/mL) had 1.9-fold increased risk of having hospitalization longer than 8 days compared with the cases with comorbidities and vitamin D treatment. Having vitamin D treatment decreased the mortality rate by 2.14 times. The correlation analysis of specific serum biomarkers with 25OHD indicated that the vitamin D action in COVID-19 might involve regulation of INOS1, IL1B, IFNg, cathelicidin-LL37, and ICAM1. CONCLUSIONS: Vitamin D treatment shortened hospital stay and decreased mortality in COVID-19 cases, even in the existence of comorbidities. Vitamin D supplementation is effective on various target parameters; therefore, it is essential for COVID-19 treatment.

THE ROLE OF TRACHEOTOMY IN WEANING FROM MECHANICAL VENTILATION IN PATIENTS WITH COVID-19

Objective: Significant numbers of COVID-19 patients require invasive mechanical ventilation support during their treatment. Prolonged mechanical ventilation causes a tracheotomy need in some of those patients. The study aimed to assess the possible benefits of tracheotomy in patients with COVID-19 and its effect on clinical outcomes. Material and Method: Six patients with COVID-19 who underwent an open tracheotomy in our institution were retrospectively reviewed. Its effect on the prognosis, the effectiveness of the safety precautions, and personnel protective equipment (PPE) utilization during the tracheotomy procedures was evaluated. Results: Mean intubation period before a tracheotomy was 21 days (range,14-28). All patients were male with a mean age of 62. Five of them died postoperatively. One patient was discharged and decannulated. None of the airway team members were infected after the procedures. Conclusion: Tracheotomy in COVID-19 patients is a safe procedure when appropriate PPE measures are taken. Our data do not support the contribution of tracheotomy to accelerating ventilator weaning in patients with COVID-19.

Tobacco and COVID-19

Tobacco and its products are the well-known causes of premature deaths associated with cancer, cardiovascular disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, as well as they constitute a significant risk factor that increases the tendency to respiratory system infection and other systemic infections. Active tobacco use and passive smoking increase the risk of infection. Both increase peribronchial and alveolar inflammation and fibrosis and mucosal permeability, cause inadequate mucociliary cleaning, damage to the respiratory tract epithelium resulting in fibrosis, and they adversely affect cellular and humoral immunity. Smoking has been known to increase the risk for viral infections and influenza. Similar data have been approved found for coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Smoking is reported to be associated with the frequency of the disease and its severity of the clinical course. Severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 penetrates the cell using the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptors. Such receptor proteins had been shown to increase in smoker individuals. Also, smoking facilitates penetration of the virus into the cell. The frequency of smoking and the rates of admission to intensive care, mechanical ventilation, and mortality have been also found to be higher was higher in severe cases. The risk for disease progression was found to be 14-fold higher in smokers. Further, the World Health Organization emphasized similar negative effects of hookah and new tobacco products such as electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products. It is vital to underline the adverse effects of tobacco and tobacco products and to raise awareness among the public and to make efforts to smoking on every opportunity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Public awareness campaigns during the pandemic must always accompanied by the methods and strategies to avoid active and passive smoking.