ABSTRACT
Background The neurotrophic effects of Covid-19 are becoming increasingly recognized, with altered mental state now being the second most common presenting complaint insert numbers. A key question is whether this has long term consequences. Cognitive problems are commonly reported in patients 3 months after acute infection as part of the so called Long-Covid syndrome. However, the underlying cause is not well understood. Candidate explanations include legacy from encephalitis and stroke;however, other complications such as the sequelae, delirium, remain underexplored. Furthermore, little consideration has been given to functional cognitive disorders and the cognitive consequences of depression, anxiety and fatigue. Aims We propose a structured approach to clinical assessment for clinicians reviewing late cognitive complaints after COVID 19. Methods We created our own unique framework for neurocognitive Covid assessment based upon a review of the literature. Results Covid status- Any positive test. If not review of core symptoms such as breathlessness, headache, anosmia, nasal obstruction, cough, myalgia, or gustatory dysfunction;duration, extent of exposure to Covid confirmed cases. Consider rapid antibody testing. Neuropsychiatric history- Part 1 symptoms at onset- in particular disruptions of consciousness and altered mental state. Acute memory impairment, anterograde/retrograde and with/ without a temporal gradient. neurocognitive function. ITU admission and oxygen requirements. Part 2 Current cognitive and mental state- in addition to standard history seek evidence of internal inconsistency of memory symptoms and attentional dysregulation. Has social cognition and meta-cognition been affected. Note attribution bias i.e. no Im not depressed, I cant enjoy anything because of my symptoms Background history- subtle suggestion of neurodegeneration and depression, anxiety and functional symptoms should be explored. MRI findings- signal changes in the medial temporal lobe, nonconfluent multifocal white matter hyperintense lesions, and isolated white matter microhemorrhages. Novel biomarkers IL-6, MCP-1, and IP-10. Conclusion Cognitive symptoms are common after confirmed and assumed COVID exposure. We propose a framework for neuropsychiatric assessment and the use of adjuvant imaging and potential biomarkers.
ABSTRACT
When the Indian government declared the first lockdown on 25 March 2020 to control the increasing number of COVID-19 cases, people were forced to stay and work from home. The aim of this study is to quantify the impact of stay-at-home orders on residential Air Conditioning (AC) energy and household electricity consumption (excluding AC energy). This was done using monitored data from 380 homes in a group of five buildings in Hyderabad, India. We gathered AC energy and household electricity consumption data at a 30-min interval for each home individually in April 2019 and April 2020. Descriptive and inferential statistical analysis was done on this data. To offset the difference in temperatures for the month of April in 2019 and 2020, only those weekdays were selected where the average temperature in 2019 was same as the average temperature in 2020. The study establishes that the average number of hours the AC was used per day in each home increased in the range 4.90–7.45% depending on the temperature for the year 2020. Correspondingly, the overall AC consumption increased in the range 3.60–4.5%, however the daytime (8:00 AM to 8:00 PM) AC energy consumption increased in the range 22–26% and nighttime (8:00 PM to 8:00 AM) AC energy consumption decreased by 5–7% in the year 2020. The study showed a rise in household electricity consumption of about 15% for the entire day in the year 2020. The household electricity consumption increased during daytime by 22- 27.50% and 1.90- 6.6% during the nighttime. It was observed that the morning household electricity peak demand shifted from 7:00 AM in 2019 to 9:00 AM in 2020. Conversely, the evening peak demand shifted from 9:00 PM in 2019 to 7:00 PM in 2020. An additional peak was observed during afternoon hours in the lockdown. © 2022, The Author(s).