Determination of Fear of Birth in Individuals During The Covid-19 (Coronavirus) Pandemic Process

Background: The Covid-19 pandemic process has affected individuals' thoughts on pregnancy and having a child, as in many areas. Objective: It was aimed to examine the fear of childbirth in individualsin the pre-pregnancy period during the pandemic process in this research. Method: The research is of descriptive-cross-sectional type. A total of 385 participants who were of reproductive age (18-49 years old), did not have children, and were planning/desiring to have children in the future were included in the study. In the data collection form, there are questions about the socio-demographic characteristics of the participants,their planning of pregnancy and childbearing during the pandemic process and the "Childbirth Fear-Prior to Pregnancy Scale (CF-PPS)”. Results: While 72.2% of the participants were afraid of the future birth/birth of their spouse;41% stated that this fear increased during the pandemic process. The total mean score of the participants' CF-PPS scale was 40.49 ± 11.10. It has been determined that the fear of childbirth differs according to gender, marital status, working in an income generating job and income status. It was determined that those who have fear of future birth/birth of their spouse and those who have increased fear of childbirth/birth of their spouse during the pandemic process have a significantly higher mean score of CF-PPS. Conclusion: The pandemic process has led to an increase in the fear of birth of individuals. Most of the participants stated that they do not plan to have children during the pandemic period. © 2023, Dokuz Eylul University. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of patients admitted to the emergency department after Coronavac (Sinovac) vaccination?

To evaluate the symptoms and laboratory parameters of patients admitted to the emergency department after CoronaVac (Sinovac) vaccination. Complaints, demographic characteristics, laboratory tests, interventions, and outcomes of patients admitted to the emergency department within seven days of receiving the CoronaVac (Sinovac) were all evaluated. Pain at the injection site, swelling, redness, and pain in the injected arm were expected side effects of the vaccination. In this study, a total of six people had syncope following the vaccination, one of whom developed an allergic reaction. The most common adverse events in non-geriatrics were fatigue, headache, fever, and abdominal pain, while in geriatric patients' fatigue, headache, chest pain, and dyspnea were most common, with fever falling in the last place. Rare symptoms following vaccination included syncope and urticaria. It is necessary to be prepared for the side effects that may occur during mass vaccination against COVID-19. In this study, the body's response to the vaccine in geriatric patients was atypical in vital signs and laboratory values. © 2023 Ondokuz Mayis Universitesi. All rights reserved.

How did Covid 19 pandemic effect the patients' compliance to allergen immunoterapy and biologicals in an outpatient allergy clinic?

Background: One of the most disadvantageous group of people in Covid 19 pandemic are those with chronic diseases who have been unable to reach medical services they should have. The aim of our study was to investigate if our patients receiving either subcutaneous allergen immunotherapy (SCIT) or biologicals had been effected in terms of compliance to their treatment. Method(s): All of our patients that were being followed in our outpatient clinic receiving a regular treatment -either SCIT or a biological agent -before January 2020 were included in the study. The study group consisted of a total of 223 adult patients of whom 128 were on SCIT and 95 on a biological agent. We applied a conversation based survey to each patient by means of a phone call or during an office visit to identify any disruption in their treatment. We also screened our patient files to collect demographic data and data related to the diagnosis and duration of therapy. Patients were also asked if they had past Covid -19 infection or not. Result(s): Out of 128 patients receiving SCIT for an aeroallergen or venom,124 patients (median age 38 (min-max 18-66)) could have the survey completed. Eighty one patients (63.3%) reported that they couldn't continue their treatment while 43 (37.6%) patients could. The most common reasons of noncompliance were the reluctance of patients to go to the hospital with the fear of getting Covid 19 infection (n = 36 ;44.4%) and the difficulties in supplying the allergen immunotherapy product (n = 15;18.5%). Fourteen patients (17.3%) left the treatment as they were already close to the end of the scheduled treatment duration. Ninety one patients (median age 53 (min-max 19-75)) out of 95 who were on a biological treatment-either omalizumab or mepolizumab-had completed the survey. Only nine patients (9.9%) left the treatment while 82 patients (90.1%) did not. The most common reason for noncompliance was similarly the reluctance to go to the hospital in 4 (4.4%) of the patients . Twenty one of the SCIT patients (16.9%) and 22 patients (24.2%) receiving biologicals had documented Covid 19 infection. Conclusion(s): Covid 19 pandemic had a negative effect on our patients'compliance to their treatment. This effect was apparently higher in the patients receiving SCIT who should have their shots only in an allergy clinic under close supervision while patients on biologicals may receive their treatments in other healthcare centers.

Evaluation of electrocardiographic changes in patients under COVID-19 treatment regimes

Background and Aim: Awareness of electrocardiographic (ECG) changes is crucial in patients who receive coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) treatment. In this study, we aimed to evaluate ECG parameters in patients under COVID-19 therapy and their relationship with the severity of lung involvement and the disease on the basis of thoracic computerized tomography (TCT) findings and laboratory parameters. Material(s) and Method(s): Of 350 patients hospitalized due to COVID-19 between March 2020 and June 2020, 300 patients with available data were retrospectively analyzed. Blood analysis, electrocardiographic, and clinical findings were evaluated. Six-month follow-up data were also recorded. Result(s): The patients were categorized into two groups: Survivor (n = 206, 68.7%, Group 1) and nonsurvivor patients (n = 94, 31.3%, Group 2). The mean total follow-up period was 125.39 +/- 73.09 days. The mean age was similar in both groups. In multivariate regression analysis that aimed to predict COVID-19 disease severity, it was found that besides increased C-reactive protein and D-dimer levels, and >=50% lung involvement in TCT, which are well known as bad prognostic factors, the corrected QT interval duration (QTc) prolongation >=60 miliseconds (msn) during hospitalization was associated with worse prognosis in COVID-19 patients during follow-up. Conclusion(s): Our study is the first study that demonstrated that the presence of >=60 msn QTc prolongation during hospital stay was found to be the most valuable ECG parameter to predict the prognosis and had a significant association with >=50% lung involvement in TCT in patients under anti-COVID therapy. Close monitoring of this ECG parameter is important both in terms of treatment planning and interpretation of disease progression. Copyright © 2022 Society of Cardiovascular Academy. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of the presence of reinfection in patients presenting to the emergency department with COVID-19 symptoms after recovery

This study aimed to evaluate COVID-19 reinfection in patients that presented to the emergency department with similar or different COVID-19 symptoms after recovery from the disease. This retrospective study included patients aged over 18 years presenting to the emergency department between January 1, 2021 and July 1, 2021, who had been previously diagnosed with COVID-19 and received treatment for the disease. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 22.0.A total of 199 patients, 54.3% female, were included in the study. PCR positivity was present in 2.5% of the patients, and it was statistically significantly low(p<0.001). The most common symptom was fatigue (46.2%), and the least common symptom was loss of taste (3.0%). However, there was a statistically significant correlation between the loss of taste and smell and PCR positivity (p=0.024 and p=0.043, respectively). The logistic regression analysis revealed that the loss of taste and loss of smell alone did not have an effect on PCR positivity (p=0.848, 95% confidence interval: 0.005-71.83 and p=0.287, 95% confidence interval: 0.001-9.369). In the Covid-19 management and treatment guide, it is necessary to make changes in terms of symptoms for people who have had Covid-19 disease. Copyright © 2022 Ondokuz Mayis Universitesi. All rights reserved.

The Covid-19 Pandemic and Artificial Intelligence (Ai) Applications in Health: How Much Are We Interested In?

Purpose: New viruses have emerged, causing global damage and mass deaths that can spread to international borders, the latest of which is the new coronavirus (COVID-19). After the Second International Congress on Artificial Intelligence in Health, themed "Artificial Intelligence in Health During COVID-19 Pandemic Process" organized online by Izmir Bakircay University and Izmir Provincial Health Directorate with the contributions of the International Association of Artificial Intelligence in Health, a questionnaire was conducted to evaluate the knowledge of the participants about artificial intelligence applications.Material and Methods: This study aimed to evaluate the interest of the congress participants in this field with the questions which form the questionnaire such as the duration of the interest of the participants in the field of artificial intelligence in health, their publication status, the development of studies on artificial intelligence with the COVID-19 pandemic, demographic structures such as age and gender, and educational level. 130 participants answered the questionnaire consisting of 23 questions. Questionnaire responses were analyzed in a statistical setting.Results: We found that 130 people filled out the questionnaire and the majority of the participants were female, with participation from many organizations, but university staff showed more interest. We have seen that the 30-39 age group is more interested in artificial intelligence than the other age groups, but the majority of the participants do not have academic studies in this field. We found that the technical terms related to artificial intelligence were not well known by the participants, and that the number of participants who tended to this field, especially in the recent year, was high. Another important point was that people working in this field stated that they would definitely follow up if scientific activities continued.Conclusion: We know how important congresses, symposiums, courses and other meetings are, especially for scientist candidates, which will be held to raise awareness about the usage areas of artificial intelligence-based health technologies, to develop new communication and work networks by bringing together different disciplines, to create an agenda and to lay the groundwork for new studies, and we think that there is a need for many repetitive activities in this field and that these activities should be continued.

Eccrine chromhidrosis in severe acute respiratory syndrome- coronavirus-2 virus infection treated with favipiravir

Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2, which became a pandemic, may have cutaneous findings. Eccrine chromhidrosis is a rare disorder characterized by the excretion of colored sweat via the eccrine sweat glands. We present eccrine chromhidrosis in two COVID-19 cases treated with favipiravir.

Evaluation of Newborns with Non-COVID-19 Pneumonia Hospitalized in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit during the COVID-19 Pandemic, Turkey, Izmir 2020-2021

Objective In this study, we aimed to compare the clinical, laboratory, and radiological findings of noncoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) viral agents in newborn infants hospitalized for lower respiratory tract infection during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods This prospective cross-sectional study conducted between 11 March 2020 and 31 July 2021 included neonates with lower respiratory tract infections admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit of the Dr. Behcet Uz Children's Hospital. Nasopharyngeal swab samples were taken from all hospitalized patients for multiplex respiratory polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) PCR. The detection of respiratory viral pathogens was performed by multiplex real-time PCR assay (Bosphore Respiratory Pathogens Panel Kit V4, Anatolia Geneworks, Turkey). Infants with SARS-CoV-2 PCR positivity were excluded from the study. Patients' data were obtained from the electronic medical registry system. The non-COVID-19 viruses of the cases were analyzed according to seasonal variation (in/offseason). The pulmonary findings of the cases were classified as normal, infiltration, air bronchogram, and reticulogranular appearance at the time of admission. Results A total of 80 infants were included during the study period. A multiplex PCR test was performed to identify viral agents affecting the lower respiratory tract of infants;it was determined that 31% (25 out of 80) were respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), 41% (33 out of 80) were rhinovirus (Rhino), and the remaining portion (28%, 22 out of 80) were other viral agents (enterovirus, bocavirus, adenovirus, influenza, and parainfluenza). Compared with Rhino and other viral agents, RSV was detected most frequently in seasonal hospitalizations (p < 0.05). When chest radiography and laboratory findings were evaluated, the rate of Infiltration" rlymphopenia" was significantly associated with infants with RSV lower respiratory tract infections (p < 0.05). Conclusion During the pandemic period, RSV affected the prognosis in intensive care unit admissions due to lower respiratory tract infection in newborns.

Transient otoacoustic emissions with contralateral suppression findings in COVID-19 patients

Objective: The virus called SARS-CoV-2, which is known as the first epidemic of the twenty-first century, is known to affect the central and peripheral nervous system. In the literature, complaints of sudden hearing loss, tinnitus, and vertigo have been reported in the patients. The aim of this study is to objectively reveal the effect of the coronavirus disease 2019 on the efferent auditory system. Methods: Twenty-three participants, who had the coronavirus disease 2019, were included in the study group, while 20 healthy participants were included in the control group. The test of transient otoacoustic emissions with contralateral suppression was applied to individuals who had normal audiological and immitansmetric evaluations findings. Results: In audiological evaluation, a significant difference was observed between the groups in the 125–500 Hz low frequency range and 4 kHz–12.5 kHz high frequency range. In the test of TEOAE and TEOAE with contralateral suppression, a significant difference was observed between the groups at 4 kHz. Conclusion: The effect of the coronavirus disease 2019 on the peripheral hearing system has been shown. Its effect on the efferent hearing system in the high frequency region has been revealed. © 2022, The Author(s).

Comparison of the efficacy of PSI, CURB-65, CALL and BCRSS in predicting prognosis and mortality in COVID-19 patients

This study aimed to determine whether the PSI, CURB-65, CALL and BCRSS had any superiority over each other as a prognostic determinant in patients with COVID-19. This prospective cohort study included patients over 18 years of age that presented to the emergency department between May 12 and August 12, 2020 and had a positive COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test. The PSI, CURB-65, CALL and BCRS scores were calculated. SPSS version 22 was used for all statistical analyses. A total of 213 patients with a positive COVID-19 PCR result were included in the study. The total 30-day mortality rate was determined as 14.08%. PSI, CURB-65, CALL and BCRSS had a statistically significant relationship with mortality (p<0.001). The best parameter in predicting mortality was determined as PSI (area under the curve: 0.900;95% CI: 0.972-0.828). A positive correlation was found between each scoring system, both with the length of hospital stay (PSI, CURB-65, CALL and BCRSS: r=0.696, p=0;r=0.621, p=0;r=0.75, p=0;and r=0.666, p=0, respectively). Scoring systems, which include comorbidity, vital signs as well as laboratory, imaging findings, will be more effective than other scoring systems in determining the mortality in patients with covid-19.

Analysis of laboratory parameters in patients with COVID-19: Experiences from a pandemic hospital Laboratory parameters of COVID-19

Aim: This study aimed to determine the analysis of the laboratory parameters in patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 during the early pandemic period in Turkey. Material and Methods : This retrospective descriptive study was conducted at a pandemic hospital. All hospitalized patients and outpatients with a positive RT-PCR assay for SARS-CoV-2 were included In the study. Demographics, clinical characteristics, vital parameters on admission, laboratory findings, and drugs used for SARS-CoV-2 infection were obtained from the computer-based patient data system of the hospital and analyzed. The primary outcome of the study was the laboratory parameters of patients with COVID-19. The secondary outcome was 30-day all-cause mortality following emergency department admission. Results: A total of 2,012 patients were included in study. The rates of hospitalization and 30-day mortality were 24% and 2%, respectively. The most common symptom was cough, and the most common comorbidity was hypertension. The neutrophil count, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio values were elevated in the non-survivor group compared to the survivor group (P = 0.001, P < 0.001, and P = 0.020, respectively). The lymphocyte and platelet counts were elevated in the survivor group compared to the non-survivor group (P = 0.001 and P < 0.001, respectively). As predictors of mortality, the cut-off value for the neutrophil, lymphocyte and platelet counts, and the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratios were 5.68, 1.42, 195, 3.09, and 141.8, respectively, and the AUC was determined as 0.704, 0.714, 0.727, 0.745, and 0.610, respectively (P < 0.001, P < 0.001, P < 0.001, P < 0.001, and P = 0.023, respectively). Discussion: The results of the study demonstrated that the neutrophil count, lymphocyte count, platelet count, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio are useful in determining prognosis in SARS-CoV-2 Infection.

The effect of the Coronavirus 2019 pandemic on the mental health of healthcare workers

Aim: The riskiest working group in pandemics is healthcare workers. This study sought to determine the effect of the coronavirus 2019 pandemic on the mental health of healthcare workers. Material and Methods: The study, designed as a case-control, clinical observation study, was conducted on healthcare workers working in pandemic clinics during the pandemic period. One hundred fifty-three healthcare workers included. The study form included demographic data, marital status, working hours, job, Insomnia Severity Index, Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and Beck's Depression Inventory, and clinical questions. Turkish-adapted versions of all scales were applied. Results: In our clinical observation study, 26.2% of healthcare professionals working in pandemic clinics during the pandemic period were depressed (according to Beck's Depression Inventory), 39.8% had moderate and severe depression (according to the Patient Health Questionnaire-9), and 58.6% had insomnia (according to the Insomnia Severity Index). However, there was no significant difference between the subgroups of health workers in terms of depression and insomnia. Discussion: All medical and non-medical healthcare workers working in COVID 19 clinics during the pandemic have been widely adversely affected by the process.

A single tertiary center outcomes on cannulation strategies and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in the treatment of respiratory failure during COVID-19 infection

Aim: Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is an important option for the management of severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) cases. We aimed to present our experiences of ECMO in patients with respiratory failure secondary to COVID-19. Methods: Data of 22 consecutive COVID-19 patients with severe respiratory failure whom were supported with ECMO were collected from computer-based hospital software retrospectively. Patients were treated in a single medical center between April 23, 2020 and February 14, 2021. Patients were analyzed from the points of laboratory and inflammatory markers, ventilation and ECMO features. Results: The ages of patients were between 30 and 69 years (mean age: 56.3±10.63). All patients were under maximum ventilator support, with the prone position. All patients had elevated levels of inflammatory indicators as D-dimer and ferritin. The mean level of ferritin was 1, 564±1, 611 ng/mL. D-dimer value was maximum 10.000 mg/mL (mean: 5, 215±3, 104), CRP increased to 177 mg/L (mean: 159±71). Percent of lymphocytes decreased as low as 2% (mean: 4.16±2.10). The mean duration of veno-arterial (VA) ECMO was 1.6±0.94 days whereas, for veno-venous (VV) ECMO, it was 10.05±5 days. VA ECMO was decided due to cardiovascular collapse. Four patients with VA ECMO survived a maximum of 3 days. Four of (22.22%) of 18 VV ECMO supported patient’s blood gas values were at normal ranges, 3 of them needed tracheostomy, and all of could be discharged from the hospital. Conclusion: Although, ECMO support for severe respiratory failure patients with COVID-19 is more challenging than regular ECMO applications, especially VV ECMO usage should be reminded as a remedy.

Reduced health-care utilization among people with chronic medical conditions during coronavirus disease 2019

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak may impact the health-care-seeking behaviour of people with pre-existing chronic medical conditions. We aimed to assess the extent, reasons and correlates of reduced health-care utilization among people with chronic medical conditions in Singapore during the COVID-19 pandemic. We administered a web-survey to a panel of residents between 31 March and 14 April 2020. We assessed the proportion of participants with self-reported chronic conditions that missed their health-care appointment during the outbreak either voluntarily (demand driven) or because it was cancelled by their provider (supply driven). We performed a logistic regression to examine the association of voluntarily missing the health-care appointment with participants’ age and risk perceptions. Of the 1017 surveyed participants, 349 reported at least one chronic medical condition. Of these, 40% reported missing their health-care appointment during the COVID-19 outbreak. Of these, 72% did so voluntarily, and 39% reported that it was cancelled by their provider. Younger participants, those with a greater worry of contracting COVID-19 and those with a higher perceived risk of dying due to COVID-19 were more likely to miss their health-care appointments voluntarily. These results highlight the need to ensure continuity of care for people with chronic medical conditions in order to avoid the long-term impact on their health and mortality.

Analysis of laboratory parameters in patients with covid-19: Experiences from a pandemic hospital

Aim: This study aimed to determine the analysis of the laboratory parameters in patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 during the early pandemic period in Turkey. Material and Methods: This retrospective descriptive study was conducted at a pandemic hospital. All hospitalized patients and outpatients with a positive RT-PCR assay for SARS-CoV-2 were included in the study. Demographics, clinical characteristics, vital parameters on admission, laboratory findings, and drugs used for SARS-CoV-2 infection were obtained from the computer-based patient data system of the hospital and analyzed. The primary outcome of the study was the laboratory parameters of patients with COVID-19. The secondary outcome was 30-day all-cause mortality following emergency department admis-sion. Results: A total of 2,012 patients were included in study. The rates of hospitalization and 30-day mortality were 24% and 2%, respectively. The most common symptom was cough, and the most common comorbidity was hypertension. The neutrophil count, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio values were elevated in the non-survivor group compared to the survivor group (P = 0.001, P < 0.001, and P = 0.020, respectively). The lymphocyte and platelet counts were elevated in the survivor group compared to the non-survivor group (P = 0.001 and P < 0.001, respectively). As predictors of mortality, the cut-off value for the neutrophil, lymphocyte and platelet counts, and the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratios were 5.68, 1.42, 195, 3.09, and 141.8, respectively, and the AUC was determined as 0.704, 0.714, 0.727, 0.745, and 0.610, respectively (P < 0.001, P < 0.001, P < 0.001, P < 0.001, and P = 0.023, respectively). Discussion: The results of the study demonstrated that the neutrophil count, lymphocyte count, platelet count, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio are useful in determining prognosis in SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Effectiveness of the rapid emergency medicine score and the rapid acute physiology score in prognosticating mortality in patients presenting to the emergency department with COVID-19 symptoms

Objective: We investigated the effectiveness of the Rapid Emergency Medicine Score and the Rapid Acute Physiology Score in identifying critical patients among those presenting to the emergency department with COVID-19 symptoms. Material and methods: This prospective, observational, cohort study included patients with COVID-19 symptoms presenting to the emergency department over a two-month period. Demographics, clinical characteristics, and the data of all-cause mortality within 30 days after admission were noted, and the Rapid Emergency Medicine Score and the Rapid Acute Physiology Score were calculated by the researchers. The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to determine the discriminative ability of the scores. Results: A total of 555 patients with a mean of age of 49.4 +/- 16.8 years were included in the study. The rate of 30-day mortality was 3.9% for the whole study cohort, 7.2% for the patients with a positive rt-PCR test result for SARS-CoV-2, and 1.2% for those with a negative rt-PCR test result for SARS-CoV-2. In the group of patients with COVID-19 symptoms, according to the best Youden's index, the cut-off value for the Rapid Emergency Medicine Score was determined as 3.5 (sensitivity: 81.82%, specificity: 73.08%), and the area under curve (AUC) value was 0.840 (95% confidence interval 0.768-0.913). In the same group, according to the best Youden's index, the cut-off value for the Rapid Acute Physiology Score was 2.5 (sensitivity: 90.9%, specificity: 97.38%), and the AUC value was 0.519 (95% confidence interval 0.393-0.646). Conclusion: REMS is able to predict patients with COVID-19-like symptoms without positive rt-PCR for SARS-CoV-2 that are at a high-risk of 30-day mortality. Prospective multicenter cohort studies are needed to provide best scoring system for triage in pandemic clinics. (C) 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Linking COVID-19 Perception With Socioeconomic Conditions Using Twitter Data

We, as humans, are constantly in relation with our environment. Sudden changes in our living media may alter the way we perceive ourselves and our environment in various ways. Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak is a great example of a sudden change. The outbreak influenced means of work, study, socialization, and communication in unprecedented ways. In our study, we investigate the topic dynamics of Twitter content sharing for the Republic of Turkey. We have analyzed 1.3 million tweets containing the keyword ``korona'' shared between February 24, 2020 and May 2, 2020. Our study has three key outcomes. The first one is, after the official announcement of first COVID-19 case in Turkey, rate of COVID-19-related content sharing decreases and hygiene-, lifestyle-, and anxiety-related tweets increase. Second, we see that a number of friends and followers influence content sharing dynamics where accounts sharing COVID-19 News-related content have more followers compared to accounts that share the remaining contents. Finally, motivated by the World Bank's Poverty Monitoring Technical Note, we inquired the effect of income on content sharing and found that GDP per capita of the author's city is more influential on COVID-19 News-related content sharing compared to the population and COVID-19 cases per 1,00,000 people. The lower the GDP per capita, the higher the COVID-19 News-related content sharing is. Also, our model indicates that lower income and population along with high rates of COVID-19 cases per 1,00,000 people are associated with increased COVID-19 News-related content sharing. IEEE

Analysis of ACE2 gene coding variants by direct whole exome sequencing in the Turkish Population

Objective: Due to the rapid spread of a novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) globally, the WHO declared the situation as a pandemic. ACE2 is crucial for SARS-CoV-2 attachment onto the host cells. The expression levels and variations of ACE2 may facilitate or slow down the entrance of the SARS-CoV-2 virus into host cells. This might explain the variability of infection through individuals and populations. Materials-Methods: In this study, a retrospective comparative WES analysis of the ACE2 variants was conducted to 584 individuals around Turkey. Allele frequencies of all variants were calculated and filtered to remove variants with allele frequencies lower than 0.003. Results: The variants that showed a susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 transmission in the literature were compared with our data. The most frequent variant, ACE2 N720D, and the second most frequent variant, ACE2 K26R that alters ACE2 protein and enhances its affinity for SARS-CoV-2 are not frequent in the Turkish population. Conclusion: The main ACE variants that has susceptibility effect to SARS-CoV-2 were not determined. It shows that the Turkish genetic makeup lacks any ACE2 variant that increases susceptibility for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Overall, this study will contribute to the formation of a national variation database and may also contribute to further studies of SARS-CoV-2 infection.