Face mask correlation with allergic rhinitis symptoms severity during COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study.

Background: Face mask is the first line to protect the respiratory mucosa from the coronavirus particles in aerocells and droplets and without this, the exposure of the mucosa to the virus and allergens trigger the immune and inflammatory system. These lead to Allergic Rhinitis (AR) symptoms or virus infection. Aim: This study discusses about the effects of face mask on the severity of AR symptoms using the Sino-Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22) in AR cases during the Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Method: In this cross-sectional study, 54 cases previously diagnosed as moderate and severe AR based on Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma and Visual Analog Scale score referred to the tertiary allergy clinic were involved, while 5 of them were excluded. AR symptoms before and during the pandemic were compared based on the SNOT-22 questionnaire. Demographics, AR severity, and comorbidities were registered. Results: The mean age was 31.4 ± 13.5 years with the male-female ratio of 1.4. The mean SNOT-22 score was 36.1 ± 20.3 before and 29.5 ± 16.8 during the pandemic. Although 36.7% (n: 18) of all participants had severe symptoms before the pandemic, 10.2% (n: 5) had severe AR symptoms during the pandemic. 53.0% (n: 26) of patients had moderate AR symptoms, and 36.7% (n: 18) had mild AR symptoms in the pandemic. There was no significant difference between each paired subgroup in AR symptom changes but the symptom improvement was significant in most of the subgroups when compared to the pre-pandemic period. Smoking had an adverse effect on AR symptoms (p: 0.034). Conclusion: Face mask affects the quality of life in AR patients and improves the severity of AR symptoms during COVID-19 pandemic. Smoking worsens this severity. Age, gender, pet ownership, underlying conditions, and previous COVID-19 infection were not associated with AR symptoms severity and alteration in the AR individuals' quality of life during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A Review on the Antiviral Activity of Functional Foods Against COVID-19 and Viral Respiratory Tract Infections.

Due to the absence of successful therapy, vaccines for protection are continuously being developed. Since vaccines must be thoroughly tested, viral respiratory tract infections (VRTIs), mainly coronaviruses, have seriously affected human health worldwide in recent years. In this review, we presented the relevant data which originated from trusted publishers regarding the practical benefits of functional foods (FFs) and their dietary sources, in addition to natural plant products, in viral respiratory and COVID-19 prevention and immune-boosting activities. As a result, FFs were confirmed to be functionally active ingredients for preventing COVID-19 and VRTIs. Furthermore, the antiviral activity and immunological effects of FFs against VRTIs and COVID-19 and their potential main mechanisms of action are also being reviewed. Therefore, to prevent COVID-19 and VRTIs, it is critical to identify controlling the activities and immune-enhancing functional food constituents as early as possible. We further aimed to summarize functional food constituents as a dietary supplement that aids in immune system boosting and may effectively reduce VRTIs and COVID-19 and promote therapeutic efficacy.

Persistent cough and asthma-like symptoms post COVID-19 hospitalization in children.

BACKGROUNDS: Respiratory viruses are the main triggers of asthma. Coronavirus is shown to contribute to respiratory tract infections that can lead to prolonged cough and asthma. OBJECTIVES: Present study aimed to determine the risk of developing Persistent cough and asthma-like symptoms in hospitalized children due to COVID-19. METHODS: This prospective study was carried out in a tertiary referral center. During the COVID-19 pandemic, 69 hospitalized pediatric patients admitted with COVID-19 were observed from February 2020 to January 2021. Clinical and laboratory data were recorded, and after discharge, patients were followed and visited for cough and asthma evaluation one, 2 and 6 months later. Patients with asthma-like diagnoses in follow up defined as asthma-like groups, and patients without any sign of asthma were categorized as the non-asthma group. Asthma-like co-morbids and risk factors were evaluated and compared between the two groups. RESULTS: In follow-up, most of the COVID-19 hospitalized patients (N = 42) (58.5%) were not affected by asthma-like symptoms. 60.9% of the COVID-19 patients were male. The asthma-like group cases had a significantly familial history of asthma (63.0%), past medical history of asthma (33.3%), and Allergic rhinitis (85.2%). Rates of signs and symptoms during hospitalization were significantly higher in patients with COVID-19 and past medical history of asthma. CONCLUSIONS: We found an asthma-like prevalence of 41.5% in the cohort of COVID-19 hospitalized children. Family history of asthma and previous history of asthma and allergic rhinitis are risk factors for asthma-like after COVID-19 hospitalization. COVID-19 presentations are more severe in the asthma-like group.

Effect of COVID-19 on Kawasaki Disease: Decrease Age of Onset and Increase Skin Manifestation.

BACKGROUND: Kawasaki Disease (KD) is the most common childhood vasculitis and cause of acquired heart disease for no apparent reason. There is some evidence indicating infectious agents as possible triggers for KD. During the COVID-19 pandemic, vasculitis has been a presentation of COVID-19 in children. We performed this study to assess the association between KD and COVID-19. We evaluated KD hospitalized children during February to September 2020 for COVID-19 (group one) and compared their demographic, clinical, laboratory, and echocardiographic findings with KD patients from the same period time in 2019 (group two). We also compared the same data in COVID-19 positive and COVID-19 negative KD patients in 2020 pandemic period in Shiraz Namazi referral hospital at southwest of Iran. RESULTS: Thirty-two patients in group one compared with 44 patients in group two. Sixty-eight percent of group one KD patients were positive for COVID-19 during the pandemic period. KD Age of onset in the group one was lower than group two (4.38 years VS 5.5 years, P-value = 0.044). There was no difference in the demographic, clinical, laboratory, and echocardiographic features of the patients during and before the COVID-19 pandemic (p-value > 0.05). Moreover, Comparing COVID-19 positive and negative the incidence of rash was higher within COVID-19 positive cases (p < 0.05), and coronary artery abnormalities were more prevalent in COVID-19 negative cases (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Admission rate of KD was almost similar during the COVID-19 pandemic but 68% of KD admitted patient were COVID-19 positive. Age of onset for KD during the COVID-19 pandemic was lower and skin manifestation was higher than the same period time in last year.

Psychiatric Adverse Drug Reactions and Potential Anti-COVID-19 Drug Interactions with Psychotropic Medications.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) management in patients with predisposing psychiatric disorders would be challenging due to potential drug-drug interactions (PDDIs) and precipitation of their disease severity. Furthermore, COVID-19 itself might precipitate or induce unpredicted psychiatry and neuropsychiatry complications in these patients. In this literature review study, the psychological impacts of COVID-19 and major psychiatric adverse drug reactions (ADRs) of COVID-19 treatment options have been discussed. A detailed Table has been provided to assess potential drug-drug interactions of COVID-19 treatment options with psychotropic medications to avoid unwanted major drug-drug interactions. Finally, potential mechanisms of these major drug-drug interactions and possible management of them have been summarized. The most common type of major PDDIs is pharmacokinetics. Hydroxychloroquine/chloroquine and lopinavir/ritonavir were the most involved anti-COVID-19 agents in these major PDDIs.