ABSTRACT
Background: The second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic created a havoc everywhere, especially in developing countries. There was a dearth of hospital beds, oxygen supply and healthcare personnel. The overpopulation and improper implementation of containment strategies led to prevalence of a no. of mutated strains in India;B.1.351, B.1.1.7, Brazilian strain P.1 and double mutant strain B.1.617 to name a few. These strains were responsible for high morbidity and mortality especially in young individuals. Aims and Objectives: In this study, we tried to determine the various factors associated with mortality in COVID-19 patients in a tertiary care COVID hospital during the second wave of the pandemic. Results: The hospital recorded a total of 555 deaths with a male to female ratio of 2.05:1. The mean age of these patients was 57.41±15.19 yrs. The mean duration of hospital stay was 8.39±7 days. Diabetes mellitus and hypertension were the commonest co-morbidities reported in 142 (25.6%) and 106 (19.1%) cases respectively. Inflammatory parameters were markedly raised in these patients;the mean CRP was 189.58±117.64 mg/ml while the mean d-dimer was4.7965±3.5969 ng/ml. There was a significant correlation when comparing the lymphocyte count between patients with and without co-morbidities (p=0.000). The mean neutrophil to leukocyte ratio (NLR) was 19.26± 13.93. Conclusion: The second wave of COVID-19 has affected people with a comparatively lower age. The inflammatory markers still play an important role in depicting the severity and outcome of the disease.
ABSTRACT
Introduction and Aim: Secondary antiphospholipid syndrome (APLS) and rise in antiphospholipid antibody (APLA) has been linked to the development of Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation in COVID-19. But still controversies exist regarding the increase in APLA in COVID-19. Hence, the present study aimed to estimate the levels of APLA in COVID patients and its relationship with the severity of the disease. Materials and Methods: 40 RT PCR positive COVID-19 cases and normal control were recruited for the study. Biochemical and hematological findings were compared in both the groups. COVID-19 patients were further subdivided into survivor Vs non-survivor and based upon the CT findings of thorax they were grouped with vs without CT findings. Results: CRP, PCT, ESR were found to be significantly increased in COVID-19 patients. IgM & IgG APLA antibody (3.02±1.32 U/ml & 3.54±1.85 U/ml) were found to be within normal range in COVID cases. APLA did not show any correlation with serum ferritin, CRP, PCT, N/L ratio and MPV in COVID-19. No statistical difference was seen in the levels of APLA when compared in non-survivors vs survivors. Even APLA was within normal range in the patients who presented with pulmonary embolism (PE), venous thromboembolism (VTE) and succumbed to the disease. Serum ferritin and neutrophil to lymphocyte (N/L) ratio was found to be significantly higher in non-survivors. Conclusion: Hence, in our study APLA was within normal range and was not related to the severity of the disease. © 2021, Indian Association of Biomedical Scientists. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
Coronavirus disease–2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome–coronavirus disease-2, is the first pandemic that has been caused by a coronavirus. The COVID-19 pandemic has already led to a marked increase in burdens including disease, disability, and health-care system costs. Patients with COVID-19 may present with a broad spectrum of clinical features such as fever, cough, shortness of breath, myalgia, fatigue, sore throat, hemoptysis, and diarrhea. To our knowledge, no specific antiviral or vaccine is available for COVID-19 treatment and prevention. Present-day management includes supportive care, oxygen supplementation, and mechanical ventilatory support when indicated, along with infection control measures. Apart from physical symptoms, patients usually face various so-cial or psychological problems;hence, comprehensive health status assessment is essential. During the first year following acute respiratory distress syndrome of any cause, more than two-thirds of survivors reported clinically significant fatigue symptoms. This proves the need for appropriate rehabilitation for COVID-19 survivors. Pulmonary rehabilitation aims to improve respiratory function and quality of life in patients with various disorders. Studies are re-quired to define those patients with impaired health conditions after COVID-19 infection during follow-up. However, an easy method for prescribing pulmonary rehabilitation is according to disease severity. Rehabilitation must start at admission and continue after discharge. At the time of discharge from a COVID care center, patients must be educated for home-based rehabilitation. © 2020 by Begell House, Inc.