ABSTRACT
We describe the curation, annotation methodology, and characteristics of the dataset used in an artificial intelligence challenge for detection and localization of COVID-19 on chest radiographs. The chest radiographs were annotated by an international group of radiologists into four mutually exclusive categories, including "typical," "indeterminate," and "atypical appearance" for COVID-19, or "negative for pneumonia," adapted from previously published guidelines, and bounding boxes were placed on airspace opacities. This dataset and respective annotations are available to researchers for academic and noncommercial use.
ABSTRACT
Background: Intractable COVID-19 outbreak has placed extraordinary demands on health-care systems worldwide. Increased workload, inadequate personal equipment, nosocomial transmission, and the need to make ethically difficult decisions on the rationing of care may have dramatic effects on their physical and mental well-being. Healthcare workers (HCWs) are, therefore, especially vulnerable to mental health problems. Aim and Objectives: This study was conducted to assess the quality of sleep in medical HCWs during COVID-19 pandemic and to assess its relation with demographic variables. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted using anonymized and self-reported questionnaire survey which includes sociodemographic characteristics and Pitsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) questionnaire. The questionnaire was completed by participant on their own smartphone. Chi-square tests were used to compare categorical variables. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Out of 208 respondents who served in COVID-19 pandemic, 137 were having poor sleep quality (PSQI score >5). It has been observed that 20–40 years age group was more affected than 40–60 years group. Nurses were more affected than doctors and technicians. Conclusion: During COVID-19 pandemic, medical healthcare workers had poor sleep quality due to stress of workload and social pressure. This can lead to physical or psychological health problems in the future. Further interventions should be administrated for them, aiming to maintain their health.
ABSTRACT
Background: Irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C) is a chronic disorder of gut-brain interaction (DGBI) that has a significant negative impact on patients. The objective of this study was to examine disease burden and care-seeking behavior of IBS-C patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional, on-line, general health survey collected data on US adults aged >18 from Aug – Oct 2020. IBS-C patients were defined using Rome IV criteria for IBS-C and matched 1:1 by age, sex, region, and comorbidity score to the general population. Health outcomes comparing IBS-C patients vs controls included anxiety (using Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale [GAD-7]), depression (using Patient Health Questionnaire 9 [PHQ-9]), health-related quality of life (HRQoL) (using Veterans RAND 12-item Health Survey [VR-12]), and work productivity using study-specific questions. Mean frequencies were compared with ANOVA and proportions with chi-square tests. For IBS-C patients, care-seeking behavior included healthcare visits in the past 12 months, canceled visits due to COVID-19, and medication use (prescription vs over-the-counter (OTC)). Commonly reported bothersome symptoms and the impact of COVID-19 on the worsening of IBS-C symptoms were also assessed descriptively. Results: Of 7,214 survey participants, 138 met Rome IV criteria for IBS-C. Matching resulted in a sample of 130 IBS-C patients and 130 controls. Mean age of IBS-C patients was 45.1 (SD 15.1) years, with the majority being female (79.2%) and white (82.3%). IBS-C patients had a significantly higher proportion of moderate-to-severe anxiety and depression and significantly lower HRQoL versus controls (see Table). Absenteeism and presenteeism in the past 7 days were also significantly higher among IBS-C patients vs controls. 53.4% percent of IBS-C patients sought care from a healthcare provider in the past year for their IBS symptoms and nearly a quarter of IBS-C patients reported cancelling healthcare visits due to COVID-19. 25.4% of IBS-C patients reported taking a prescription medication whereas 68.5% reported currently taking an OTC for their IBS-C symptoms. The most common bothersome symptoms in the past 7 days included abdominal discomfort, abdominal pain, straining, abdominal bloating and incomplete bowel movements. Over a third of IBS-C patients indicated their symptoms worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusions: There remains a considerable disease burden and unmet need for IBS-C patients, with patients suffering from multiple bothersome symptoms and low rates of prescription medication use. COVID-19 seems to have worsened IBS symptoms for many patients (Table Presented) (Table Presented)