ABSTRACT
The XXIII Annual State conference of Medicolegal Association of Maharashtra (MLAM)-FORENSICON 2020 was hosted virtually by the Department of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, T.N.M.C. & B.Y.L. Nair Ch. Hospital, Mumbai as a part of the Centenary year celebrations of the Institute on 10th and 11th April 2021. The intent of the conference was to educate and stimulate the postgraduates and faculty regarding newer pursuits in the field of Forensic Medicine. More than 500 delegates attended the conference, which included experts from the field as well as clinical practitioner’s and medical officers who were inclined towards Forensic Medicine. The e-release of the souvenir & MLAM Official Journal-Journal of Forensic Medicine, Science & Law was done at the same time. Sessions were conducted by dividing the lectures into Ante-mortem, Post-mortem and Academics. Engrossing topics were chosen which were delivered by established experts of that field. On day two of the conference, oral and poster presentations were done by faculty, postgraduate students and undergraduate students. © 2021, Medicolegal Association of Maharashtra. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
Background: Reinfection/reactivation of SARS-CoV-2 has been a matter of great interest from the immunological and vaccine perspective. However, little is known about the clinical presentation of such reinfection/reactivation. We report a case series of 9 COVID-19 patients having experienced two clinically- and/or virologically-confirmed episodes of COVID-19. Methods: Epidemiological and clinical characteristics of 9 healthcare workers (HCWs) with two episodes of SARS-CoV-2 are described. Results: The incidence of reinfection/reactivation amongst the HCWs was 2% (9 out of 491) with an average remission period of 66 days (range 43-78 days). Amongst the cases of reinfection 4/9 were asymptomatic in first episode were symptomatic in second episode. There is negative correlation between numbers of days the patients took to become SARS-CoV-2 negative by RT-CPR and/or clinically recover in the first episode and the second episode irrespective for the time spent in remission. Conclusion: Shorter durations of SARS-COV-2 infection in the first episode are associated with longer time to recovery in the second episode in patients with re-infection/reactivation.
ABSTRACT
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is rapidly spreading in India and across the world. Healthcare workers (HCWs) are at increased risk of contracting COVID-19 due to direct or indirect exposure to COVID-19 patients, and require special attention. Limited information is available about its effect in HCWs. Secondary transmission from HCWs is a possibility among patients, family members, and the community. Therefore, it is important to investigate the infection risk of HCWs and the clinical characteristics of affected cases and possible source of infection with exposure details. The aim of this study is to analyze the medical records of HCWs with COVID-19 retrospectively and carry out the analysis of the data of HCWs with COVID-19 at TNMC and BYL Nair Charitable Hospital (NH, COVID-19 Hospital) in Mumbai. Interim analysis was carried out for the data collected from 6th April to 20th August 2020. Total 3711 HCWs (frontline, 74.32%, non-frontline, 25.68%) are working at NH Mumbai. We observed 11% prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection among HCWs, 4% co-infection and 1% mortality. Majority (85%) of the HCWs with COVID-19 were symptomatic and 15% were asymptomatic. Comorbidities were reported in 19% of HCWs with COVID-19. Hypertension and Diabetes Mellitus were the most common co-morbidities reported. More than 4% percent of HCWs with COVID-19 were also positive for plasmodium vivax Malaria. The results of the study will be useful for determining the impact of COVID-19 and adverse outcomes in HCWs, identifying probable mode of acquiring SARS-CoV-2 infection in HCWs. This is required for planning the strategies to handle the epidemic of COVID-19 among HCWs in Mumbai region, and at Maharashtra state level.