High-flow nasal cannula oxygen versus non-invasive ventilation in patients with COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction: High-flow nasal cannula oxygen (HFNC) and non-invasive ventilation (NIV), have been widely used in patients with acute hypoxic respiratory failure (AHRF) due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Their impact on clinical outcomes of COVID-19 is uncertain. Therefore, we performed this meta-analysis to evaluate the effect of HFNC vs. NIV in COVID-19-related AHRF. Method(s): PubMed and Embase were searched through December 15, 2021, for eligible studies comparing the outcomes of HFNC vs. NIV in patients with COVID-19-related AHRF. Our primary outcome was intubation rate. The secondary outcomes were mortality, length of hospital stay (LOS), and changes in PaO2/FiO2 ratio. Pooled risk ratio (RR) and mean difference (MD) with the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were obtained by using a random-effect model. Result(s): Eleven studies involving 1380 patients (525 received HFNC and 855 received NIV) were included. There were no differences in intubation rate, mortality, or LOS between the two groups (Figure). HFNC achieved a lower level of PaO2/FiO2 ratio improvement than NIV (MD 0.40 days, 95% CI 0.08, 0.72, P=0.02, Figure). Conclusion(s): Our study demonstrated that despite NIV achieving a higher level of PaO2/FiO2 ratio improvement than HFNC, HFNC is non-inferior to NIV in intubation, mortality, and LOS among patients with COVID-19-related AHRF. Large-scale RCTs are needed to validate our findings.

Fashion-related remedies: Exploring fashion consumption stories during Covid-19. ‘Nostalgia overpowering, Old is the new me'

During Covid-19 lockdown, individuals experienced depression, anxiety, and demotivation symptoms tremendously. Therefore, people had to develop coping mechanisms to improve their physical and mental health. Some learned new skills, some re-evaluated their lives and some took the time to relax. This research adopts a qualitative approach by which narratives were collected from 16 participants, who voluntarily responded to the request of the researcher, via social media platforms. The findings reveal the effect of nostalgia on the consumption of fashion-related goods, hidden benefits of COVID-19, transition points among individuals, nostalgia as a coping mechanism, and the choice of acquiring fashion-related goods. Individuals had the chance to reminisce over the past with their family and friends, which led them to consume certain fashion pieces that they feel connected to, to re-live the past. Therefore, fashion brands are encouraged to shift to digital channels to draw, encourage, and connect with their consumers. Moreover, brands should focus on promoting content that focuses on the well-being of individuals to relate to their current state of mind. Furthermore, given the context of the research, fashion brands may discover opportunities to seize in "social group oriented” individuals, who have discovered their ‘true fashion sense,' during a pandemic. © 2022 Korean Scholars of Marketing Science.

Oseltamivir and Remdesivir as a Targeted Combination Therapy for a Young and Previously Healthy Adult with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Secondary to Flurona

Introduction/Background COVID-19 and influenza typically present in a very similar clinical picture. The co-infection of influenza among COVID-19 patients (i.e., flurona) can occur in the fall and winter of the year. The prevalence of flurona was estimated to be 0.4% and 4.5% in America and Asia, respectively. The damage of respiratory ciliated cells by the influenza virus can facilitate COVID-19 infection. Few studies reported COVID-19 co-infection with influenza virus. The majority of flurona cases affected older patients with co-morbidities. The co-infection of influenza among COVID-19 patients was associated with more severe disease, especially among older patients with co-morbidities. Young and healthy adults are less likely to develop severe COVID-19 leading to ARDS even with co-infection. However, severe COVID-19 can still occur regardless of age and co-morbidities. Herein, we report a case of severe ARDS in a young and previously healthy adult secondary to flurona that was successfully treated with targeted combination therapy with oseltamivir and remdesivir. Objective(s) A 21-year-old Caucasian male patient without significant past medical history presented the ED with a chief complaint of fatigue, cough, and generalized body aches. The patient mentioned that symptoms started a few days before his presentation. He suspected it was the flu, so he did not seek medical care initially. However, his symptoms continued to worsen, to the point that he could not move without getting severely out of breath. He was tachycardic, tachypneic in the emergency department (ED). His COVID-19 swab returned positive, and a respiratory pathogen panel was also positive for influenza A infection. Initial CTA was negative for PE but showed extensive multifocal bilateral infiltrates consistent with viral pneumonia. He was started on a high-flow nasal cannula. Still, his oxygen was peaking around 85% with increased work of breathing. The patient also did not tolerate BiPAP. Therefore, the patient was intubated in the ED and admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). He was started on a five-day course of oseltamivir, remdesivir, and intravenous methylprednisolone. The patient remained intubated and mechanically ventilated on the next day, and PaO2/FIO2 ratio was 100. He was started on ARDS treatment protocol, and daily prone positioning was initiated. Gradually the patient started to improve. On day nine, he successfully passed a CPAP trial and was extubated. His ICU stay was complicated by the development of a small segmental PE that was treated with IV heparin. He also had upper GI bleeding, and esophagogastroduodenoscopy revealed a bleeding gastric ulcer, which was successfully managed with endoscopic clipping. The patient gradually improved, and his oxygen requirements decreased significantly over the next few days. He was discharged home with no supplemental oxygen on apixaban and pantoprazole. Methods Our study highlights the importance of screening for co-infecting influenza virus in COVID-19 patients, which could be the leading cause of disease severity. Early detection of flurona can play an important role in managing these patients, especially if they develop ARDS. Targeted combined therapy against influenza and COVID-19 with oseltamivir and remdesivir may effectively mitigate the morbidity and mortality of these patients. Improving compliance with flu vaccination is highly recommended to reduce influenza virus transmission during this long COVID-19 pandemic and reduce the risk of COVID-19 severity.

EFFECT OF MICRONUTRIENT SUPPLEMENTS ON MORTALITY IN PATIENTS WITH CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS

Background and aims: Micronutrient supplements such as vitamin D, vitamin C, and zinc have been used in managing viral illnesses. However, the role of these micronutrients in reducing mortality in patients with Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) remains unclear. We conducted this meta-analysis to provide a quantitative assessment of the effect of these individual micronutrients on mortality in COVID-19. Methods: We performed a comprehensive literature search using MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane databases through November 5th, 2021. All individual micronutrients reported by ≥3 studies and compared with standardof- care (SOC) were included. The outcome was mortality. All statistical analyses were performed using the Review Manager. Pooled risk ratios (RR) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using the random-effects model. Results: We involving 5573 COVID-19 patients that compared three individual micronutrient supplements (vitamin C, vitamin D, and zinc) with SOC. Eight studies evaluated vitamin C in 1338 patients (530 in vitamin C and 808 in SOC). Vitamin C supplementation had no significant effect on the risk of mortality (RR 1.06, 95% CI 0.63-1.80, P=0.82, Figure 1A). Fourteen studies assessed the impact of vitamin D supplementation on mortality risk among 3497 patients (927 in vitamin D and 2570 in SOC). Vitamin D did not reduce the mortality risk in patients (RR 0.75, 95% CI 0.49-1.17, P=0.21, Figure 1B). Subgroup analysis showed that vitamin D supplementation was not associated with a mortality benefit in patients receiving vitamin D pre or post COVID-19 diagnosis (Figure 1B). Five studies, including 738 patients, compared zinc intake with SOC (447 in zinc and 291 in SOC). Zinc supplementation was not associated with a significant reduction of mortality (RR 0.79, 95% CI 0.60- 1.03, P=0.08, Figure 1C). Subgroup analyses of RCTs for all three micronutrient supplements showed consistent findings (Figure 2). Conclusions: Individual micronutrient supplementations, including vitamin C, vitamin D, and zinc, did not reduce mortality in patients with COVID-19. Further research is needed to validate our findings. (Figure Presented)

PRONE POSITIONING IN NONINTUBATED PATIENTS WITH COVID-19: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS

TOPIC: Chest Infections TYPE: Original Investigations PURPOSE: Prone positioning (PP) in awake patients has been recently proposed as an adjunctive treatment for spontaneously breathing non-intubated coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients requiring oxygen therapy to reduce the risk of intubation. However, the magnitude of the effect of PP on clinical outcomes (e.g., the risk of endotracheal intubation, intensive care unit [ICU] admission, or mortality) in these patients remains uncertain. Therefore, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the effectiveness of PP to improve the clinical outcomes in non-intubated patients with COVID-19. METHODS: We performed a comprehensive literature search using PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases from inception through February 24, 2020 for all the studies all studies that all compared PP versus no PP in non-intubated patients with COVID-19. The primary outcome of interest was the rate of endotracheal intubation. The secondary outcomes were in-hospital mortality and intensive care unit (ICU) rates. Pooled odds risk (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were obtained by the Mantel-Haenszel method within a random-effect model. RESULTS: A total of five studies (two randomized controlled trials and three observational studies), involving 470 non-intubated patients with COVID-19 (185 patients received PP and 285 did not) were included. The mean age was 59.82 years, and males represented 67% of total patients. The follow-up period ranged from 14 to 30 days. The endotracheal intubation rate was similar between PP and control groups (OR 0.75, 95% CI 0.41-1.35, P = 0.33, I2 = 20%). There was no difference in the in-hospital mortality rate between the two groups (OR 0.68, 95% CI 0.16-2.85, P = 0.60, I2 = 60%). Four studies reported the risk of ICU admission and demonstrated no difference between the two groups (OR 0.77, 95% CI 0.30-1.95, P = 0.58, I2 = 37%). CONCLUSIONS: Our meta-analysis demonstrated that prone positioning in non-intubated COVID-19 patients did not reduce the risk of endotracheal intubation. Furthermore, PP failed to reduce in-hospital mortality and ICU admission rates. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Although our meta-analysis showed that prone positioning might not reduce the risks of intubation, in-hospital mortality, or ICU admission rate in spontaneously breathing non-intubated COVID-19 patients, more large-scale trials with a standardized protocol for prone positioning are needed to better evaluate the effectiveness of prone positioning in this select population. DISCLOSURES: No relevant relationships by Ragheb Assaly, source=Web Response No relevant relationships by Hazem Ayesh, source=Web Response No relevant relationships by Azizullah Beran Beran, source=Web Response No relevant relationships by Sami Ghazaleh, source=Web Response No relevant relationships by Waleed Khokher, source=Web Response No relevant relationships by Saif-Eddin Malhas, source=Web Response No relevant relationships by Aadil Maqsood, source=Web Response No relevant relationships by Reem Matar, source=Web Response No relevant relationships by Mohammed Mhanna, source=Web Response No relevant relationships by Omar Sajdeya, source=Web Response No relevant relationships by Omar Srour, source=Web Response