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1.
J Community Hosp Intern Med Perspect ; 12(5): 88-92, 2022.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2081655

ABSTRACT

Thromboembolic manifestations like pulmonary embolism and deep venous thrombosis are often reported and contribute to a significant mortality from acute and chronic COVID-19 infections. These phenomena are a result of the activation of the coagulation cascade by the COVID-19 induced inflammatory state. Majority of the thrombotic incidences are reported as a venous thrombosis but extremely rarely, arterial thrombi can be a manifestation of acute COVID-19 infection. The patient in our case report was an unvaccinated 47-year-old female who presented with fever, nausea, abdominal pain and vomiting. The imaging confirmed the presence of a non-occlusive thrombus in the descending aorta, multiple splenic infarctions and paralytic ileus. She was treated with systemic anti-coagulation. A hyper-coagulable workup was performed on the patient and no other risk factors that could contribute to a thrombus was identified.

2.
Cureus ; 13(11): e20032, 2021 Nov.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1561156

ABSTRACT

Chronic pain is defined as pain that persists following tissue injury or disease processes and is believed to have taken place after healing. It is a functional impairment that causes discomfort and leads to the inability to perform various essential daily activities. Chronic pain in pediatrics can be of various types, the most commonly prevalent types being headaches, abdominal pain, and limb pain. Adolescents with chronic pain have been found to have generalized anxiety scores twice that of the average population, along with significant impairment of family dynamics. Some forms of chronic pain respond effectively to medication and psychotherapy, and recurrence is common when stress is triggered by external or environmental factors, most recently in the form of COVID-19. In this case series, we discuss three cases of worsening mental health presentations and chronic pain exacerbation in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. We talk about the unique perspective of chronic pain in the pediatric population and comorbid mental illnesses and their management from a psychiatric standpoint.

3.
Cureus ; 13(10): e18985, 2021 Oct.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1504346

ABSTRACT

Vaccination is now considered the best measure in minimizing the morbidity and mortality from the Covid-19 pandemic. Almost all the vaccines are considered safe except for minor and occasional side effects. Some of the commonly reported complications from the COVID-19 vaccines are vaccine-induced thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT)/thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome/vaccine-induced pro-thrombotic immune thrombocytopenia syndrome. In this case report, we present a case of a 75-year-old female who had an uncomplicated first and second vaccine dose but developed VITT after the booster dose of the vaccine. The patient was treated with dexamethasone and platelet transfusions. So far no such cases have been reported after the third (booster) dose of the Pfizer-Biontech vaccine. With this case report, we present the case of the patient and discuss the literature related to vaccine-induced thrombocytopenia.

4.
Cureus ; 13(10): e18505, 2021 Oct.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1497847

ABSTRACT

The COVID-19 virus is well known to cause respiratory tract infections but several non-respiratory presentations and post-infectious complications have been well reported since its origin. With this case report, we present a rare manifestation of COVID-19 infection that presented as acute cerebellitis. This is a case of a 63-year-old Caucasian male patient who presented with altered mental status and ataxia. He was diagnosed with COVID-19 infection about five days prior to presenting to the hospital. Neurological exam was consistent with cerebellar symptoms like broad bases gait, truncal ataxia and subsequent imaging revealed white matter degeneration and edema of the cerebellar hemispheres. The symptoms completely resolved following treatment of ongoing COVID-19 infection with corticosteroids and intravenous remdesivir. With this case report, we intend to discuss the available literature regarding the clinical manifestations, management, and prognosis of COVID-19-induced cerebellitis.

6.
J Clin Med Res ; 13(6): 317-325, 2021 Jun.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1316013

ABSTRACT

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a beta coronavirus that belongs to the Coronaviridae family. SARS-CoV-2 is an enveloped spherical-shaped virus. The ribonucleic acid (RNA) is oriented in a 5'-3'direction which makes it a positive sense RNA virus, and the RNA can be read directly as a messenger RNA. The nonstructural protein 14 (nsp14) has proofreading activity which allows the rate of mutations to stay low. A change in the genetic sequence is called a mutation. Genomes that differ from each other in genetic sequence are called variants. Variants are the result of mutations but differ from each other by one or more mutations. When a phenotypic difference is demonstrated among the variants, they are called strains. Viruses constantly change in two different ways, antigenic drift and antigenic shift. SARS-CoV-2 genome is also prone to various mutations that led to antigenic drift resulting in escape from immune recognition. The Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updates the variant strains in the different classes. The classes are variant of interest, variant of concern and variant of high consequence. The current variants included in the variant of interest by the USA are: B.1.526, B.1.525, and P.2; and those included in the variant of concern by the USA are B.1.1.7, P.1, B.1.351, B.1.427, and B.1.429. The double and triple mutant variants first reported in India have resulted in a massive increase in the number of cases. Emerging variants not only result in increased transmissibility, morbidity and mortality, but also have the ability to evade detection by existing or currently available diagnostic tests, which can potentially delay the diagnosis and treatment, exhibit decreased susceptibility to treatment including antivirals, monoclonal antibodies and convalescent plasma, possess the ability to cause reinfection in previously infected and recovered individuals, and vaccine breakthrough cases in fully vaccinated individuals. Hence, continuation of precautionary measures, genomic surveillance and vaccination plays an important role in the prevention of spread, early identification of variants, prevention of mutations and viral replication, respectively.

7.
J Community Hosp Intern Med Perspect ; 11(4): 457-463, 2021 Jun 21.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1280005

ABSTRACT

Background: Given that nearly a quarter of the US physician workforce are international medical graduates (IMGs), many of whom remain on temporary work visas for prolonged periods due to processing delays, the pandemic has posed unique challenges to these frontline workers and has arbitrarily limited our physician workforce. Methods: This is cross-sectional survey data obtained from IMGs on temporary work visas pertaining to their role in healthcare, impact of visa-related restrictions on their professional and personal lives was sent to the participants. Results: A total of 2630 IMGs responded to the survey. Most of the respondents (1493, 56.8%) were physicians in active practice, with Internal Medicine (1684, 65.7%) being the predominant specialty encountered. 64.1% were practicing in Medically Underserved Areas (MUA) or Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA), with 45.6% practicing in a rural area. Nearly 89% of respondents had been involved with direct care of COVID-19 patients, with 63.7% assuming administrative responsibilities for COVID-19 preparedness. 261 physicians (11.5%) were subject to quarantine, while 28 (1.2%) reported a confirmed COVID-19 infection. 93% physicians expressed inability to serve in COVID-19 surge areas due to visa-related restrictions, while 57% had been approached by recruiters due to staffing shortages. 72% physicians reported that their families would be at risk for deportation in case of their disability or death. Most respondents (98.8%) felt that permanent resident status would help alleviate the above concerns. Conclusion: A significant proportion of the US physician workforce is adversely impacted by work-based visa restrictions and processing backlog. Mitigating these restrictions could significantly bolster the current physician workforce and prove beneficial in our response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

8.
Int J Infect Dis ; 106: 376-381, 2021 May.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1279608

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Concerns are prevailing about the safety and side effects of the BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). METHODS: A randomized, cross-sectional study was performed to investigate the side effects of the BNT162b2 vaccine using an independent online questionnaire gathering responses from healthcare workers (HCWs) with detailed review of organ systems. RESULTS: Of all HCWs, 87.98% (1245/1415) completed the survey. Of them, 64.5% (803/1245) received the BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine and reported at least one or more symptoms (classified based on organ systems and occurrence rate) post vaccination. Of these, 640/803 (79.7%) were able to continue activities of daily living (ADL), 103/803 (12.83%) had trouble temporarily to perform ADL, 99/803 (12.33%) took time off work temporarily, 20/803 (2.49%) required help from an outpatient provider, 5/803 (0.62%) required help from an emergency department and 2/803 (0.25%) required hospitalization. Despite this, 97.61% intended to have the second dose and 92.9% had already received it. CONCLUSIONS: Commonly reported symptoms (occurrence in descending order) were soreness, fatigue, myalgia, headache, chills, fever, joint pain, nausea, muscle spasm, sweating, dizziness, flushing, feelings of relief, brain fogging, anorexia, localized swelling, decreased sleep quality, itching, tingling, diarrhoea, nasal stuffiness and palpitations. Despite this, remarkable acceptance for the second dose of the BNT162b2 vaccine was found among HCWs.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 Vaccines/adverse effects , RNA, Messenger/adverse effects , Self Report , Activities of Daily Living , Adult , BNT162 Vaccine , Cross-Sectional Studies , Fatigue/etiology , Health Personnel/statistics & numerical data , Humans , RNA, Messenger/genetics
9.
J Clin Med Res ; 13(4): 204-213, 2021 Apr.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1225973

ABSTRACT

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a novel coronavirus causing a global pandemic. Coronaviruses are a large family of single-stranded ribonucleic acid (RNA) viruses. The virus has four essential structural proteins which include the spike (S) glycoprotein, matrix (M) protein, nucleocapsid (N) protein and small envelope (E) protein. Different technologies are being used for vaccine development to battle the pandemic. There are messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA)-based vaccines, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) vaccines, inactivated viral vaccines, live attenuated vaccines, protein subunit-based vaccines, viral vector-based vaccines and virus-like particle-based vaccines. Vaccine development has five stages. In the clinical developmental stage, vaccine development can be sped up by combining phase 1 and 2. The vaccines can also be approved more swiftly on an emergent basis and released sooner for usage. The United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) has approved Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Janssen coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines for emergency use. There are other vaccines that have been approved around the world. The mRNA vaccines have been created using a novel technology and they contain a synthetically created RNA sequence of virus fragments encoding the S-protein which is injected. These vaccines have a relatively low cost of production and faster manufacturing time but can have comparatively lower immunogenicity and more than one dose of vaccine may be required. In the case of viral vector-based vaccines, genes encoding the SARS-CoV-2 S protein are isolated and following gene sequencings are introduced into the adenovirus vector. These vaccines have a relatively fast manufacturing time but the efficacy of the vaccine is variable based on the host's immune response to the viral vector. At the time of this paper, there were 81 vaccines in clinical development stage and 182 vaccines in preclinical development stage. Vaccines are an essential tool in our battle against COVID-19. Some of the COVID-19 vaccines have completed their phase III trials while many other potential vaccines are still in developmental stages. It used to take close to a decade for a vaccine to be developed and undergo rigorous testing until its production and availability to the public, but over the past year, we have seen multiple vaccines in different phases of testing against SARS-CoV-2 virus.

10.
J Med Virol ; 93(7): 4420-4429, 2021 Jul.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1209630

ABSTRACT

There are concerns regarding the side effects of the new coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) mRNA-1273 vaccine among healthcare workers (HCWs) in the United States. The objective of the study was to investigate the side effects of the mRNA-1273 vaccine with detailed review of organ systems. A randomized, cross-sectional study using an independent online survey questionnaire was conducted to collect responses from HCWs. Of all participants, 87.8% (1116/1271) provided complete responses. Of them, 38.7% (432/1116) received the mRNA-1273 vaccine, among which, 89.35% were females; 425 of these 432 mRNA-1273 vaccine recipients (98.34%) reported at least one or more symptoms. The results were classified based on the frequency of symptoms reported postvaccination. Of these, 254/432 (58.8%) were able to continue their daily routine activities. 108/432 (25%) temporarily had trouble to perform daily activities, 120/432 (27.78%) required transient time off from work, 17/432 (3.94%) required help from an outpatient provider, 1/432 (0.23%) required help from emergency department, and none of them were hospitalized. Despite the wide array of self-reported symptoms, 97.02% of the HCWs did not intend to skip the second dose of vaccine. Among all the symptoms reported, localized pain, generalized weakness, headache, myalgia, chills, fever, nausea, joint pains, sweating, localized swelling at the injection site, dizziness, itching, rash, decreased appetite, muscle spasm, decreased sleep quality, and brain fogging were the most commonly reported symptoms (in descending order of occurrence). Most of the symptoms reported were nonlife threatening. Despite the wide array of self-reported symptoms, there appears to be a higher acceptance for this vaccine.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 Vaccines/adverse effects , COVID-19/prevention & control , Health Personnel/psychology , Injection Site Reaction/pathology , 2019-nCoV Vaccine mRNA-1273 , Activities of Daily Living , Adult , Aged , Anaphylaxis/pathology , COVID-19/immunology , COVID-19 Vaccines/immunology , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Fever , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , SARS-CoV-2/immunology , Self Report , Sick Leave/statistics & numerical data , Surveys and Questionnaires , Young Adult
11.
Cureus ; 13(2): e13541, 2021 Feb 24.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1170566

ABSTRACT

The use of electronic cigarettes among the young adult and adolescent population has increased over the past decade. Vaping is the process of inhaling an aerosol that is produced by heating a liquid or wax containing substances, such as nicotine, cannabinoids (e.g., tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol), flavoring, and additives (e.g., glycerol, propylene glycol) using an e-cigarette. A multistate epidemic associated with vaping prompted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to issue an official health advisory on e-cigarette or vaping product use-associated lung injury (EVALI). EVALI is a diagnosis of exclusion with no specific diagnostic test. We present a case of EVALI before the COVID-19 pandemic time in a 23-year-old immunocompetent male student with an eight-year history of vaping. He presented to the emergency department with fever, shortness of breath, tachypnea, nausea, and diarrhea. The patient had no past medical history. The patient denied illicit drug abuse or known drug allergies. The patient was admitted with a diagnosis of sepsis and pneumonia. The patient's urine drug screen was positive for cannabinoids with a history of vaping. Community-acquired pneumonia due to Legionella, Pneumococcal, Mycoplasma bacteria was ruled out. Influenza A/B, Parainfluenza, Rhino, and Adenoviruses were negative. A computed tomographyscan of the chest showed bilateral infiltrates. He was treated with high dose steroids, empiric antibiotics, high flow oxygen and managed in ICU for seven days. The patient was discharged on tapering doses of steroid and counseled to quit vaping. EVALI outbreak is strongly linked to vitamin E acetate in vaping products. EVALI is a diagnosis of exclusion with a history of vaping and responds well to steroids.

12.
Cureus ; 13(3): e14099, 2021 Mar 25.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1158449

ABSTRACT

The mRNA-1273 vaccine, popularly called the "Moderna vaccine" is being widely administered in the United States for the prevention of COVID-19 infection since December 2020. Mild to moderate intensity side effects like low-grade fever, myalgia, chills and malaise were reported in the trials related to the vaccine. With this case report, we report a case of purpuric rash and thrombocytopenia after receiving the first dose of the m-RNA-1273 vaccine. The patient, in this case, is a 60-year-old male patient who received the first vaccine dose and within two days, he developed diffuse papular rash associated with some thrombocytopenia. He had a history of tobacco use, Hepatitis C liver cirrhosis, chronic kidney disease stage 4, untreated hypertension and systolic congestive heart failure at the baseline. With review of the limited literature related to the vaccine and its side effect profile and with no other etiology explaining the sudden onset of rash, we attribute this thrombocytopenia and purpuric rash as the side effects of the mRNA-1273 vaccine.

13.
Cureus ; 13(2): e13052, 2021 Feb 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1110728

ABSTRACT

Many patients with COVID-19 are asymptomatic. However, among the patients that are symptomatic, influenza-like illnesses including fever, myalgia and respiratory symptoms seem to be the most common presentation across age groups. Though respiratory illness seems to be the primary presentation, about 36.4% to 69% of hospitalized COVID-19 patients have exhibited neurological manifestations.  We present two patients who were hospitalized for the presenting symptom of acute encephalopathy. Both the patients regained consciousness within 24 to 48 hours of initiating treatment. The first patient was known to have mild cognitive impairment and a thorough work-up was done in the emergency department which did not reveal any other causes apart from positive SARS-CoV-2 rapid PCR test. The second patient was from a long-term care facility with underlying dementia, usually alert, awake and oriented to self and presented with severe encephalopathy with a Glasgow Coma Scale of 3 on admission. Her work up was notable only for a positive SARS-CoV-2 rapid polymerase chain reaction test. Both patients responded well to standard remdesivir and steroid therapy and returned to baseline cognition. SARS-COV 2 virus appears to be a causative agent of acute onset encephalopathy. Very little is known about the pathophysiology of neurological manifestations in COVID-19 illness. There are several theoretical possibilities of pathogenesis such as of blood-brain barrier disruption secondary to SARS-CoV-2 binding to angiotensin-converting enzyme 2, autoimmune sequelae, ischemic injury via systemic hypoxia or local vascular endothelial information or thrombosis, toxic metabolic encephalopathies and long-term impact of systemic proinflammatory state that have been considered.

14.
J Clin Med Res ; 13(1): 20-25, 2021 Jan.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1094413

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Pediatrician shortage and healthcare access has been a serious issue especially in medically underserved and rural areas aplenty in the USA and has further worsened during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Many US trained international medical graduates (IMGs) on a visa status serve these areas to fill in the physician gap. These physicians are usually on a visa and the majority of them have approved immigration petitions. During this pandemic, the sudden changes in immigration policies in addition to the longstanding administrative backlog and processing times had posed new challenges to the pediatricians and the communities served by them. The objective of this study was to determine the demographics, level of training and practice, immigration status, the clinical role they played in the communities they served and the various professional and personal setbacks they faced during the pandemic. METHODS: A survey was created and data were collected using data collection platform "Survey Monkey". Screening questions were designed to include only IMG pediatricians on a visa status. RESULTS: A total of 267 IMG pediatricians qualified for the survey on a nationwide basis. Of the physicians that participated in the survey, 58.4% were working in either medically underserved or physician shortage areas, 36% of the total physicians were working in a rural setting, 10.6% of the pediatricians had to be quarantined due to exposure to COVID-19, 0.8% were infected with COVID-19 themselves, and 81.3% of the pediatricians had faced hindrance in being able to work at a COVID-19 hotspot due to work site restrictions because of their visa status. CONCLUSION: IMG pediatricians play a valuable role in taking care of the children in medically underserved areas. The challenges surrounding the immigration backlog are contributing to significant hardships for these pediatricians and their families and are causing a hindrance to healthcare access to the children in medically underserved communities during the pandemic especially limiting the pediatricians' scope and geographic radius of the practice, thus not allowing them to practice to the full extent of their license.

15.
J Prim Care Community Health ; 12: 2150132721994018, 2021.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1079200

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To examine the reasons contributing to the physician shortage in the country's medically underserved areas using the state of Delaware as a focus state. METHOD: A literature review regarding the shortage of physicians with data compilation from Delaware Department of Public Health (DPH) and Delaware Health and Social services (DHSS) was performed. A review of the "Conrad 30 J1 VISA waiver program," the most important and primary supplier of physicians to underserved areas of the state was performed. A survey interviewing the physicians recruited through this program to identify any challenges faced by them was designed and conducted. RESULTS: The number of primary care physicians providing direct patient care in Delaware in 2018 had declined about 6% from 2013. The average wait time to see a PCP was 8.2 days in 1998 as compared to 23.5 days in 2018. Forty-six percent of physicians serving in HPSAs in Delaware are IMGs recruited through the J1 VISA waiver program. Eighty percent of these IMGs are actively considering leaving the United States due to anxieties around physician immigration policies, mainly "Immigration backlog." CONCLUSION: The existing programs to recruit physicians to underserved areas seem to be inadequate. The state and the hospital systems should be able to utilize the J1 program to its full potential and focus on retaining these physicians after their assigned services. As the challenges of IMGs continue to worsen every day; the medical societies, hospitals, the state and federal government should advocate for policies that resolve these challenges.


Subject(s)
Medically Underserved Area , Physicians/supply & distribution , Primary Health Care/statistics & numerical data , Rural Health Services/statistics & numerical data , Delaware , Humans
16.
Cureus ; 12(11): e11752, 2020 Nov 28.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1011753

ABSTRACT

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has created a global health crisis. Though respiratory symptoms have been the usual manifestations, the presentation in some cases may be atypical with various neurological and cutaneous manifestations. We present a case of a 63-year-old female diagnosed with COVID-19 and associated rare manifestations during her visit to Europe.

17.
Cureus ; 12(12): e12254, 2020 Dec 24.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1005951

ABSTRACT

Background Physician shortage and healthcare access are serious issues in rural states like Kentucky and further worsened during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. International Medical Graduates (IMGs) serve the underserved communities of Kentucky to fill in the physician gap. However, uncertainties surrounding immigration policies added significant challenges to physicians and the rural communities served by them during the pandemic. Methods A survey was created using the data collection platform "SurveyMonkey" and sent to IMG physicians practicing on a visa to understand their role and their immigration-related challenges. Only the physicians practicing in Kentucky were included in this study. Results It was found that 84% practice in primary care specialties like internal medicine, pediatrics, or family medicine, 92.9% practice in Medically Underserved Areas or Health Professional Shortage Areas, and 71.4% practice in rural settings. Also, 61.5% practice in a "frontline" COVID-19 specialty and 92.3% were involved in direct care of COVID-19 infected or suspected patients. Of the physicians, 88.5% were in an "immigration backlog"; 92.6% of them were the primary visa holders of their families and 88.9% expressed concern that their families face hardship if they have a disability during the pandemic. It was reported by 92.3% of them that visa-related restrictions limited them from providing additional coverage in these places. Conclusions Lack of physician access is a critical issue facing many rural states in America like Kentucky, and IMG physicians play a valuable role in taking care of this underserved population and fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. The challenges surrounding the immigration backlog are contributing to significant hardships and remain a hurdle to expand healthcare access to the rural and medically underserved communities.

18.
J Community Hosp Intern Med Perspect ; 10(6): 529-536, 2020 Oct 29.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-900305

ABSTRACT

IMPORTANCE: As the scientific community is in a marathon in finding out the cure for COVID-19, in this crisis, it is essential for the physicians not to forget about the basics. Due to the pandemic crisis, in many nursing homes and hospitals, there established new policies on decreasing unnecessary medications to minimize cross-contamination. Sometimes these policies are making providers avoid essential drugs such as Vitamins, including Vitamin D. In this paper, we try to emphasize the importance of Vitamin D in COVID-19 and respiratory viral patients. RELEVANCE: Vitamin D helps in decreasing the 'pro-inflammatory cytokines' in the lungs and acts in immunomodulatory function, and 'also it will increase the anti-inflammatory, antiviral responses of the respiratory epithelial cells during infection.' CONCLUSION: Due to the highly contagious nature of COVID-19 and the increased morbidity and mortality with no appropriate therapy and vaccine, one must be cautious and do everything to help COVID-19 patients. In hospitals and other health care settings to decrease cross-contamination, holding other non-essential medications is taking place. Discontinuing Vitamins could increase the mortality and morbidity of those affected, especially in deficient/insufficient individuals. Obtaining serum 25 (OH) D levels in all patients with viral respiratory infections, especially COVID-19, could help in the detection and treatment of Vitamin D deficiency and potentially decrease recovery time and improve outcome. Even though evidence suggests that vitamin D has the anti-inflammatory, antiviral properties, randomized double-blinded controlled trials are needed to verify this further, and to understand Vitamin D and COVID-19 better. ABBREVIATIONS: Vitamin D receptor-VDR; 25(OH)D- 25 hydroxyvitamin D; 1,25 (OH)D-1,25 dihydroxy Vitamin D; 1α,25-dihydroxy Vitamin D-1,25[OH]2 D or calcitriol; IU- International Units; Interferons stimulated genes- ISG; ARI- acute respiratory infection; RSV- respiratory syncytial virus; RTI- Respiratory tract infections; COPD-Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; BMI-Basal metabolic index; USA-USA.

19.
Cureus ; 12(6): e8918, 2020 Jun 30.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-696179

ABSTRACT

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19, a novel coronavirus infection, as a pandemic in March 2020. Since the origin of the disease in Wuhan, China, understanding the pathophysiology, clinical presentation, screening guidelines, and management of the disease has been ever-evolving. Though respiratory pathologies have been the major complications of a COVID-19 infection, other presentations like abdominal pain, deep venous thrombosis, cardiomyopathy, and even acute cerebrovascular ischemic attacks have been reported. We present a case of a young patient presenting with vertigo, possibly from COVID-19-induced acute vestibular neuritis. This is a 20-year-old Hispanic female patient presenting with intractable vertigo, nausea, and vomiting but without any typical symptoms like fever, cough, or shortness of breath. Initial examination and imaging ruled out an acute stroke. There was minimal improvement in her vestibular symptoms with the recommended COVID-19 treatment as of March 2020 (hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin) and symptomatic management. Her inflammatory markers were surprisingly normal all through the hospital course. She was then treated with oral prednisone and subsequently discharged home after a prolonged course of eight days. The pathophysiology of COVID-19-induced vestibular neuritis could be similar to any other viral infection. Clinicians should consider COVID-19 in the differential diagnosis for patients presenting with similar symptoms, especially in areas of a high prevalence of this disease. Early diagnosis of COVID-19 in such cases is important for proper isolation, to minimize exposure and avoid further unnecessary investigations. These symptoms will just resolve with symptomatic management like any other case of vestibular neuritis without any further management that is specific for a COVID-19 infection.

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