ABSTRACT
Although the benefits associated with a healthy lifestyle are known, a large percentage of young people do not comply with the established recommendations for the different healthy behaviors, especially during Covid-19. Thus, the aim of this study was to design, implement, and evaluate the effects of a multicomponent and multilevel school-based program on multiple health-related behaviors in Primary Education students. For this, 12 students (M=10.33±1.07), from a multilevel Primary Education classroom of a rural school in Teruel, participated. This five-week program aimed to raise awareness about the importance of adopting a healthy lifestyle. The results showed an increase in daily physical activity and perceived health status after participating in the intervention program. Likewise, recreational screen time also showed a significant decrease. However, the students did not report significant differences in sleep duration, adherence to the Mediterranean diet, and quality of life. Thus, it seems convenient to develop multicomponent, multibehavioral, and multilevel school programs, involving different subjects and areas of action, as well as the entire educational community, to improve these healthy behaviors in young people from rural schools. © 2023, Federacion Extremena de Balonmano, University of Extremadura. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
Aim: The aim of this study was to determine severity in patients who have had SARS-CoV2 pneumonia. Method(s): A cohort of 802 patients from our post-COVID multidisciplinary unit treated at least 30 days after being discharged from hospital was analyzed. Patients were divided into three groups: group 1 (admission to the Intensive Care Unit or Intermediate Respiratory Care Unit), group 2 (admission to conventional hospitalization), and group 3 (outpatient management without hospitalization). Symptoms, quality of life, daily physical activity, emotional state, biomarkers of systemic inflammation and KL-6 levels were evaluated. Result(s): A total of 802 patients with a median (interquartile range) age 59 (48-70 years) at diagnosis were reviewed, of whom 439 (54.8%) were women. Dyspnea was reported by 351 (66.%) patients and 142 (36.4%) had a grade more than 2 on the mMRC scale. Likewise, 106 (20.1%) presented dry cough and 233 (44.5%) asthenia. There were significant differences between groups 2 and 3 in: dyspnea (p=0.04), myalgia (p=0.04) and asthenia (p=0.01). Group 1 had a higher score in the TTO and VAS rates of the EuroQuoL scale compared to group 2. Finally, the KL6 levels in groups 1, 2 and 3 were: 381.50 (304 - 511.75) U/ml, 372 (249 - 483) U/ml and 298 (231.5 - 398) U/ml, respectively. Statistically significant differences were observed between the 3 groups (p=0.001) and in the post-hoc analysis, lower levels of KL-6 were observed in group 3 compared to the other two groups. Conclusion(s): There is evidence to affirm that KL6 levels in post-COVID patients are related to the severity of the acute episode.
ABSTRACT
Nowadays, beyond the acute phase of COVID-19, there is a growing interest in the clinical manifestations that appear after the recovery of this phase, giving the potential repercussions that this could have in the recovered population. Asthma is a prevalent disease, and it is possible that its pathogenic basis could affect the postCOVID-19 course. Objective(s): evaluate the evolution of asthmatic patients at 6 and 12 months after the recovery of COVID-19. Method(s): Data was collected through manual revision of electronic clinical histories. There were included as demographic features the age and sex, and comorbidities such as smoking habit, COPD, obesity (BMI > 30 Kg/m2), obstructive sleep apnea, gastroesophagic reflux, rinosinusitis, nasal poliposis, anxiety and depression. Patients were classified according to whether they had T2 asthma or not. There were considered previous pneumonia, need of conventional hospitalization or ICU. Symptoms (chest pain, cough, sputum production and dyspnoea) and the development of further complications were also recorded. Result(s): After analyzing the variables at 6 months after recovery, we found statistical significance in the presence of chest pain in patients with previous COVID-19 pneumonia (p=0.009). In the same period, lower eosinophil blood levels were found in patients that had dyspnoea (p=0.043). Additionally, there was a significant association between smoking habit and pulmonary embolism at 12 months after recovery (p=0.025). Conclusion(s): Developing COVID-19 associated pneumonia in asthmatic patients is related to the presence of chest pain at 6 months after recovery. Also, the smoking habit seems to be associated with thromboembolic disease in postCOVD-19 period.
ABSTRACT
The pandemic caused by the infectious disease coronavirus-19 (COVID-19) triggered isolation globally, affecting people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) to a worse extent. This study aims to investigate how this impact has been on their day-to-day behavioral, emotional, social, and communicative levels and the impact it has had on their families. For this purpose, an "ad hoc" questionnaire was used, during and after confinement, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) (Goodman, 1997), and the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (Martinez Lorca et al., 2020). This questionnaire was answered by 140 parents based on the behavior of their son or daughter diagnosed with ASD, with a mean age of 7.86 years, and from different autonomous communities of Spain. The results affirm that the participants have shown flexibility to routine changes but a high level of stress, irritability, behavioral and social difficulties, and regression in previously acquired skills during the lockdown period and also presenting difficulties in understanding what was happening and expressing what they felt. In addition, they had difficulties in applying the security measures imposed, such as the use of a mask, hydroalcoholic gel, and interpersonal distancing. Families have experienced excessive stress and fear and have missed some support and help services.
ABSTRACT
COVID-19 is a worldwide health emergency, therapy for this disease is based on antiviral drugs and immunomodulators, however, there is no treatment to effectively reduce the COVID-19 mortality rate. Fucoidan is a polysaccharide obtained from marine brown algae, with anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and immune-enhancing properties, thus, fucoidan may be used as an alternative treatment (complementary to prescribed medical therapy) for the recovery of COVID-19. This work aimed to determine the effects of ex-vivo treatment with fucoidan on cytotoxicity, apoptosis, necrosis, and senescence, besides functional parameters of calcium flux and mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) on human peripheral blood mononuclear cells isolated from SARS-CoV-2 infected, recovered and healthy subjects. Data suggest that fucoidan does not exert cytotoxicity or senescence, however, it induces the increment of intracellular calcium flux. Additionally, fucoidan promotes recovery of ΔΨm in PBMCs from COVID-19 recovered females. Data suggest that fucoidan could ameliorate the immune response in COVID-19 patients.