ABSTRACT
Background: The novel coronavirus is responsible for a widespread pandemic, causing multiple clinical manifestations. Peripheral blood films have shown changes in white blood cell (WBC) morphology and counts, as well as platelet abnormalities. Atypical and reactive lymphocytes may also be observed in the blood film, which suggests mild leukoerythroblastosis. Objectives: The present study aimed to evaluate the hematological and morphological changes in the peripheral blood smear of patients with COVID-19. Methods: This study was conducted on 175 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 infection. Blood samples were collected from the patients and examined for the estimation of blood parameters, differential cell count, and presence of atypical lymphocytes. Results: The mean age of the patients was 53.73 years, and males constituted 52.6% of the patients. The majority had normal hemoglobin levels. WBC count was normal in 60.6% of the patients, while 74.3% had normal platelet count, and thrombocytope-nia was detected in 23.4%. In addition, differential WBC count indicated that 56.6% of the patients had normal neutrophils, while lymphopenia was detected in 28 and 77.7% had a low eosinophil count. The peripheral blood smears showed atypical lymphocytes with deeply basophilic cytoplasm in 21.14% of the patients. Conclusions: Blood film examination may show multiple abnormal findings in patients with COVID-19 infection. Neutrophilia and lymphopenia with the presence of atypical lymphocytes are frequently observed as well. Low eosinophil count is also highly common. Although platelets showed changes, they were normal or reduced in most cases.
ABSTRACT
Pandemic COVID-19 is a contagious disease affecting more than 200 countries, territories, and regions. Recently, Iraq is one of the countries that have immensely suffered from this outbreak. The Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) is also prone to the disease. Until now, more than 23,000 confirmed cases have been recorded in the region. Since the onset of the COVID-19 in Wuhan, based on epidemiological modelling, researchers have used various models to predict the future of the epidemic and the time of peak, yielding diverse numbers in different countries. This study aims to estimate the basic reproductive number [R0] for COVID-19 in KRI, using the standard SIR (Susceptible-Infected-Removed) epidemic model. A system of nonlinear differential equations was formulated and solved numerically by the 4th order Runge-Kutta method. The reproductive numbers R0 was estimated by the method of fitting the curves between the actual daily data and numerical solution by applying the least square method. For the analysis, data were taken for the duration of 165 days, from 1st of March to 12th August 2020, in a population of 5.2 million. It is concluded that the R0 value was fluctuating during the outbreak, with an average of 1.33, predicting that infection cases will reach their maximum value of around 540,000 on the 5th of November 2020. Then, the spread of the disease will die out since the number of susceptible people will decrease to about 3.2 million. While the number of removed individuals will reach approximately to 1.5 million. © 2021 University of Baghdad-College of Science. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
Objectives: The present study aims to assess the psychological status of nurses providing care for patients with COVID 19. Methodology: a descriptive correlation design used in the present study established was for a period from October 10th, 2020 to March 20th, 2021. The study was conducted on a probability (convenient) sample of 100 nurses who providing care for patients with COVID-19 which were selected from isolation wards. The instruments of the study are adopted and modified for the purpose of this study, patients health questionnaire(PHQ), fear of COVID19 scale(FCS), general anxiety disorder scale(GAD). The data were analyzed through the application of descriptive and inferential statistical approaches which are applied by using SPSS version 22.0. Results: The majority of the study (43 percent) of nurses had minimal depression, (52 percent) had minimal anxiety, and (55percent) had minimal fear. Conclusions: The study concluded that minimal depression was prevalent among nurses who were male gender, married, and had small family. Minimal fear was significant with nurses who were not infected with COVID-19, did not have a history of psychological disorders, and highly significant among nurses who did not use any tobacco, alcohol drinking, and substance abuse. Recommendations: Emphasis should be focused on increasing the awareness through educational role of psychological misfortune COVID19 pandemic among nurses who work in isolation wards. Psychological care counselling and guidance are nessecary to increase nurses’ vulnerability and strengthen their mental health which helps to encounter any psychological burden caused by COVID 19 pandemic. © 2021 Universitatea de Vest Vasile Goldis din Arad. All rights reserved.