Deviation from standard cancer treatment during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in India: A cross-sectional study

Background: During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, established best practices in cancer care were modified to diminish the risk of COVID-19 infection among patients and health-care workers. Objective(s): We aimed to study the modifications in cancer-directed therapy during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Material(s) and Method(s): A cross-sectional study of patients with cancers of the head and neck, thoracic, urologic, and central nervous systems who visited the medical oncology department of the Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, India, between April 22, 2020 and June 01, 2020, was conducted. Data were prospectively collected in an online pro forma and supplemented from the electronic medical records. Result(s): Of a total of 514 patients, 363 (71%) were men. The most common malignancy was lung cancer in 234 patients (46%). Cancer-directed therapy was modified in 83 patients (16%). Deviations consisted of modification of the chemotherapy regimen (48%), temporary discontinuation of chemotherapy in 37%, and interim chemotherapy to delay surgery in 5%. Changes in the chemotherapy regimen included a shift to a less intensive regimen in 45%, changing from intravenous to oral in 40%, and less frequent dosing of immunotherapy in 7%. Considering missed appointments as a deviation from planned cancer therapy, 68% of patients had a deviation in the standard planned cancer care. Conclusion(s): Almost two-thirds of the patients could not reach the hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in India. Of those who could reach the hospital, one of out every six patients with cancer had a change in their cancer-directed treatment, half of which consisted of a modification in the standard chemotherapy regimens. The effects of these therapy deviations are likely to be long-lasting. (Clinical Trials Registry-India, CTRI/2020/07/026533).Copyright © 2023 Neurology India, Neurological Society of India Published by Wolters Kluwer - Medknow.

COVID-19 vaccine uptake and vaccine hesitancy in Indian patients with cancer: A questionnaire-based survey

Background: Patients with cancer are at a higher risk of severe forms of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and mortality. Therefore, widespread COVID-19 vaccination is required to attain herd immunity. Objective(s): We aimed to evaluate the uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine in Indian patients with cancer and to collect information regarding vaccine hesitancy and factors that contributed to vaccine hesitancy. Material(s) and Method(s): This was a questionnaire-based survey conducted between May 7, 2021 and June 10, 2021 in patients aged 45 years and over, with solid tumors. The primary end points of the study were the proportion of Indian patients with cancer aged 45 years and older who had not received the COVID-19 vaccine, and the reasons why these patients had not received the COVID-19 vaccine. Our secondary end points were the proportion of patients with a history of COVID-19 infection, and the proportion of the patients who had vaccine hesitancy. Additionally, we attempted to assess the factors that could impact vaccine hesitancy. Result(s): A total of 435 patients were included in the study. Of these, 348 (80%) patients had not received even a single dose of the COVID-19 vaccine;66 (15.2%) patients had received the first dose, and 21 (4.8%) had received both the doses. Approximately half (47.1%) of the patients reported that they took the COVID-19 vaccine based on the advice from a doctor. The reasons for not taking the COVID-19 vaccine could be considered as vaccine hesitancy in 259 (77%) patients. The two most common reasons were fear in 124 (38%) patients (fear of side-effects and of the impact of the vaccine on the cancer/therapy) and lack of information in 87 (26.7%) patients. On the multivariate analysis, the two factors found to be significantly associated with vaccine hesitancy were a lower educational level (OR, 1.78;95% CI, 1-3.17;P = 0.048) and a lack of prior advice regarding the COVID-19 vaccine (OR, 2.80;95% CI, 1.73-4.53;P < 0.001). Conclusion(s): Vaccine hesitancy is present in over half of our patients, and the most common reasons are a fear of the vaccine impacting the cancer therapy, fear of side-effects, and lack of information. Widespread vaccination can only be attained if systematic programs for education and dissemination of information regarding the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine are given as much importance as fortification of the vaccination supply and distribution system.Copyright © 2021 Cancer Research, Statistics, and Treatment Published by Wolters Kluwer - Medknow.

Outcomes of cancer patients with Covid-19 admitted to the Intensive Care Unit: A retrospective study

Introduction: Active cancer increases the odds of death among patients with COVID-19.1 Cancer patients may be at increased risk of complications and mortality from COVID-19 owing to the systemic effects of malignancy, immune suppression after chemotherapy, treatment-related complications and presence of co-morbidities.2 They may develop serious complications necessitating ICU admission. In a meta-analysis, the pooled mortality in cancer patients with COVID-19 admitted to an ICU was 60.2%.3 Our hospital is a tertiary referral cancer centre, and the ICU admitted cancer patients with Covid-19 throughout the pandemic. Objective(s): To determine the 30-day in-hospital mortality of adult cancer patients with Covid-19 admitted to the ICU. We also aimed to determine the factors associated with mortality in cancer patients with Covid-19. Method(s): After approval from the Institutional Ethics Committee, data of all cancer patients (age = 16 years) with Covid-19 admitted to the ICU between March 2020 and March 2021 were retrieved from the hospital records. In case of multiple ICU admissions, data from the first admission was recorded. Data recorded included demographic details, type of cancer (solid, haematological), surgical status, APACHE-II and SOFA scores, C-reactive protein, and interventions in ICU. The primary outcome was 30-day in-hospital mortality. Data were analysed using Man-Whitney test and chi-square test. A multivariable regression analysis was carried out to determine factors associated with mortality. Result(s): Data of 127 cancer patients with Covid-19 was analysed. The median [interquartile range, IQR] age was 55 (43-62) years, and there were 50 females (39.3%). Comorbidities were present in 46 (36%) patients, the commonest being diabetes (29 patients) and hypertension (31 patients). The median [IQR] APACHE-II and SOFA scores were 15[8-20] and 4[2-7], respectively. Overall, 62/127 patients died, and 30-day hospital mortality was 49%. There were 30 patients with haematological malignancy and 97 with solid tumours with 30-day in-hospital mortality rates of 46.7% and 49.5%, respectively;p = 0.84). Amongst patients with solid tumours, there was no difference in mortality in surgical patients compared to non-surgical patients (43.3% vs. 52.2%;p = 0.42). Table 1 summarises the parameters and interventions in survivors and non-survivors. On multivariable analysis, only the change in SOFA score from Day 1 to Day 3 was independently associated with outcome (Odds ratio 1.36 (95% confidence interval 1.01-1.84, p-0.04). Conclusion(s): In patients with cancer and Covid-19 and age =16 years admitted to our ICU, the crude 30-day hospital mortality was 47%. There was no association of mortality with cancer type or surgical status. The only independent predictor of mortality was progression of organ failure. Cancer patients with Covid-19 have a reasonable outcome and should be given a trial of intensive care.

Six months follow-up study on health care workers on persistence of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 after covishield vaccination

BACKGROUND: Efficacy of COVID vaccines has been evaluated in various studies. The interim analysis from four randomized controlled trials in UK, Brazil, and south Africa regarding efficacy of two doses of the vaccine was found to be 70.4% (95.8% CI 54.8-80.6). There is a limited data on follow-up Ab titer post vaccination. Hence, the current study is first of its kind with the objective to determine vaccine long term efficacy and its determinants. METHODS: Health Care Workers (HCW) from Apollo Multispeciality Hospitals, Kolkata who underwent Covishield vaccination from January 2021 to April 2021 were included in the study. Serological testing was done prior to first and second dose of vaccinations, and additionally around six months post second dose. RESULTS: Between January 2021 to April 2021, 2032 HCW, with predominant age of less than 30 years (44.83%) and male gender (61.96%) undergoing Covishield vaccination were enrolled. Antibodies were detected in 953 (46.9%) individuals prior to first dose, 1449 out of 1495 (96.9%) remained positive prior to second dose and 465 out of 504 (92.3%) HCW after 6 months and remaining 39 (7.7%) either had lost or never had antibodies in their blood. The mean +or- SD value of first, second and third antibodies were 2.35 +or- 3.10, 10.46 +or- 4.84 and 8.75 +or- 4.88 respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides long observation period, covering the complete progress of the pandemic which provides a "real-life" picture of the antibody level dynamics over time, and after vaccination.

Molecular Insights into Resveratrol and Its Analogs as SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) Protease Inhibitors

Introduction: The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic is plaguing the entire world. Amidst the pandemic, research and development efforts are fo-cused on the challenges associated with the SARS-CoV-2 structure. Material(s) and Method(s): Efficient computational methodologies are applied to screen the available FDA-approved drugs/datasets/libraries to identify potent molecules. In the present study, we have carried out ab initio quantum chemical studies, including relativistic effects followed by molecular docking with the SARS-CoV-2 protease target by employing a tailor-made library consisting of molecular analogs of Resveratrol, a natural bioflavonoid. Result(s): The derived docking results were validated with ab initio quantum computations that in-cluded both density functional level (DFT) and Moller-Plesset second order perturbation theories (MP2). We found to be that Resveratrol and its analogs (R8 and R17) bind to the SARS-CoV-2 protease target. In addition to this, the computed IR spectrum is found in agreement with the report-ed experimental spectra for Resveratrol complexes and thus validates the modeling and reliability of proposed geometries. The solvation energies in the aqueous phase obtained using enhanced aug-cc-pVTZ basis sets confirm enhancement of bioavailability for Resveratrol through piperine, a natural alkaloid. Conclusion(s): The potential of the natural bioflavonoid Resveratrol and its analogs to be investigated through in vivo and in vitro SARS-CoV-2 protease models is concluded. The study investigated the potential of natural polyphenols as promising anti-viral therapeutics.Copyright © 2021 Bentham Science Publishers.

Molecular identification and characterization of SARS-Co V-2 from the clinical stool and sewage samples to study waste water-based epidemiology and monitoring circulating virus

The Coronaviridae family's severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2 (SARS-Co V-2) outbreak has infected a large number of the population during the COVID- 19 pandemic. The most prominent mode of virus transmission is considered through respiratory droplets of the infected person. Virus-mediated respiratory infection depends upon the binding between spike protein and the Angiotensinconverting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor expressed in lung alveolar type 2 cells. But some studies reported that gastrointestinal infection is also one of the prominent symptoms of COVID-19 because of the high expression of the ACE2 receptor in absorptive enterocytes of the small intestine. In a country like India, with high population density and due to unhygienic sanitation, it is crucial to understand the potential fecal-oral transmission route of SARS-CoV-2 during infection because of presence of ACE2 in small intestine. Therefore in our study, we aim to trace the potential fecal-oral transmission route of SARS-Co V-2 by examining human stool (collected from hospital settings) and nearby sewage water systems, followed by molecular characterization and viral load kinetics evaluation of SARSCOV- 2. qRT-PCR and NGS sequencing methods were used. The presence of SARS-COV-2 was reported in around 70% of samples (both clinical and environmental), this will help us to establish the epidemiological link between clinical and environmental samples after genomic analysis to alter the circulation of silent SARS Co V2 in the community.

Structure Based Drug Design Approach to Identify Potential SARS-CoV-2 Polymerase Inhibitors

Aims: The research work aims to apply the current virtual screening approaches for rapid screening of available compounds as inhibitors of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Background(s): The worldwide pandemic, uncontrolled spread, and lack of effective therapeutics demand novel SARS-CoV-2 inhibitory anti-viral agents. Objective(s): The major objectives of the present work are - i) effective utilization of open-source com-puter-aided drug design (CADD) tools;ii) to prepare a database according to chemical structure similarity to the reported anti-viral drug, Favipiravir;and iii) to investigate potential inhibitors of the novel coronavirus. Method(s): The dataset was prepared based on the chemical structure similarity feature of ChemSpider. The virtual screening was carried out using molecular docking and ADMET properties. For performing molecular docking studies, the standard docking protocol of iGEMDOCK was used. Result(s): Based on chemical structure similarity search to Favipiravir, a small library of 40 compounds was designed. The docking score and ADMET properties were analyzed to prioritize the compounds. Conclusion(s): The virtual screening resulted in the identification of potential anti-viral compounds. Among the designed library of compounds based on structural similarity to Favipiravir, 70% of compounds were found to possess docking scores more than that of Favipiravir. The amino acid residues involved in binding at the RNA dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) were identified. The compounds have shown acceptable ADME properties and are potentially non-toxic. Other: The study has successfully applied the open-source CADD tools to investigate the novel SARS-CoV-2 polymerase inhibitors.Copyright © 2021 Bentham Science Publishers.

COVID-19: A Review on Epidemiology, Clinical Features and Possible Potential Drugs Based on Available Case Studies

The emerging novel coronavirus disease 2019 has caused a global outbreak and significant public health concern. The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced a coronavirus disease outbreak a pandemic with a global public health emergency of international concern. As of now, 12th April 2020 almost 18,37,404 cases have been confirmed globally (in 209 countries) with almost 1,13,274 fatalities. This increasing number has created anxiety throughout the world, which has severely affected the whole world's culture, societies, behavioral patterns, peace and economics. At present, research on novel coronavirus is in the preliminary stage. There is no vaccine or specific antiviral to treat coronavirus disease. Also, very few case studies are available;hence it has become difficult to treat and to control this pandemic situation. In view of this, the present systematic review is done to highlight clinical epidemiology features, radiographic characteristics, and potential drugs based on available clinical case reports. Biomarkers for early diagnosis and impact of age, sex, pre-existing comorbidity on COVID-19 is also discussed. Further, this paper also outlines various possible antiviral chemical drug agents that can be potential and promising to treat this coronavirus disease in 2019. This review may be helpful for the medical practitioner, public health workers and government authorities to manage and deal with novel coronavirus disease 2019.Copyright © 2021 Bentham Science Publishers.

FACTORS AFFECTING HOME BLOOD PRESSURE AND HEART RATE VARIABILITY POST-COVID INFECTION

Objective: There is a scarcity of data on the factors that influence home blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) variability. This study was undertaken to determine the factors that influence home BP and HR fluctuation post COVID infection in the urban Indian population. Designs and Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study among 1000 patients between the ages of 30 and 80 who were previously infected with COVID- 19 infection, but not hospitalized. These patients were guided and trained to measure BP at home. BP and HR readings were taken at home twice a day, in the morning and evening, for seven days (28 measurements). The SD of morning minus evening, and first minus second readings was used to calculate BP and HR variability. Results: Old age, cardiovascular illness, diabetes, and high home blood pressure were all found to be independent predictors of an increased morning than evening home blood pressure variability. Old age, and high home blood pressure were all independent determinants of greater day-to-day home blood pressure variability, while old age, female sex, cardiovascular disease, and high home blood pressure were all independent determinants of greater first versus second home blood pressure variability. Young age, and high home HR, on the other hand, were all independent drivers of increased morning vs evening variability. Young age, female sex, and a high home HR were also independent predictors of first versus second home HR variability. Conclusion: Considering home BP and HR fluctuation have prognostic value, it is critical for clinicians to understand the underlying reasons for these variables. Doctors should focus on alcohol, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease prevention counseling for their high-risk patients. (Table Presented).

Intrapreneurship Way Forward for Keeping Entrepreneurial Spirit Intact Post-COVID-19

COVID-19 pandemic is far more than just the health crisis. After the Great Depression, the dot-com bubble, and the 2008 financial crash, we are staring at the biggest challenge for the economy. No industry has been spared from the brunt of this pandemic. The start-up sector is bleeding and has undoubtedly taken the hardest hit. With nine in ten start-ups registering decline, over third halting operations temporarily or permanently, this is an unprecedented downturn in the global economy. The aftermath of this crisis will be a long-term impact on the mindsets, attitudes, perceptions, and behaviors of entrepreneurs and those who want to leap into entrepreneurship. We should look at this situation as the new playing field and bounce back with renewed hope of recovery. Industry analysts suggest adopting intrapreneurial traits to instill the confidence back and keep the entrepreneurial spirit intact. Intrapreneurship is one of the ways of catalyzing recovery with sustained innovation and a competitive edge. This analysis aims to correlate the key attributes such as risk-taking, proactiveness, and autonomy in intrapreneurship with sustainable environmental, economic, and social innovation.

Role of Dietary Flavonoids in Preventing COVID-19 Infection and Other Infectious Diseases: A Mini Review

Flavonoids are a large group of naturally occurring polyphenolic compounds that are almost universally present in various plant parts such as fruits, berries, leaves, and tubers. These compounds are synthesized in plants in reaction to environmental stressors such as microbial infections. The antioxidant properties in these flavonoids provide us with numerous health benefits. They can be extracted from said natural sources via methods such as maceration and boiling all the way to advanced methods such as microwaves and ultrasounds.Numerous studies have been conducted to research the protective role that flavonoids can play in preventing infectious diseases in humans. The present modalities of treating such infectious diseases rely solely on chemotherapeutic agents and adjunctive therapies such as palliative and supportive care. These chemotherapeutic agents, primarily antibiotics, cause a degeneration of our immunity and an increased susceptibly to several other diseases. Thus, it is crucial that our methods in dealing with infections focus on prevention. This can be achieved by strengthening our immune system, which is the primary line of defense against such diseases. Flavonoids can help boost our immunity, fight infections, and decrease the incidence of antibiotic resistance.Hence, these natural compounds are being largely studied and used as nutraceuticals to supplement our daily diet and successfully reduce the occurrence of major infectious diseases in our body. © 2022. The Author(s).

Clinical Spectrum and Outcome of Neonatal Multi-System Inflammatory Syndrome (MIS-N) - A Prospective Cohort Study. (preprint)

AIMS: To analyze the clinical spectrum in Neonates with MIS-N based on the time of presentation and also to assess the use of immunomodulator therapy in MIS-N. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We studied 100 neonates, delivered at BLDE (DU) Shri B M Patil Medical College Hospital admitted to Level III-A NICU from JULY 2020 to MAY 2021. 98 neonates had high titers of Ig G antibodies and negative for COVID Antigen. We categorized the cohorts into EARLY MIS-N (<72 hrs) and LATE MIS-N (>72 hrs). RESULTS: 58 presented as EARLY MIS-N with Respiratory Distress in 40 (70%), cardiac dysfunction 34 (60%), PPHN 12(20%), Fever 12(20%), seizures 12(20%), encephalopathy in 6(10%), sepsis-like features 6(10%), had elevated inflammatory markers like CRP (30%), D-Dimer (70%), Ferritin (30%), cardiac biomarkers like BNP (60%), LDH (30%) and ECHO showing LV dysfunction in 50%. LATE MIS-N presented mostly with fever 28(70%), sepsis-like features 24(60%), Respiratory Distress in 16(40%), cardiac dysfunction 12 (30%), hypoglycemia 4(10%) parotitis 4(10%), had significantly elevated inflammatory markers like CRP (70%), D-Dimer (50%), Ferritin (70%), cardiac biomarkers like BNP (40%), LDH (20%) and ECHO showing LV dysfunction in 20%, dilated coronaries in 20 %, PPHN in 10%. Oxygen and respiratory support requirement was more in EARLY presenters and IVIG and steroid requirement was more in LATE presenters. CONCLUSION: We observed that maternal SARS COV2 antibodies transferred transplacentally and neonatal antibodies acquired after COVID 19 infection can cause MIS-N in neonates. The immunomodulator therapy is required in severe cases of MIS-N only.

Outcome Prediction and Severity of Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) on the Basis of Clinical and Laboratory Parameters

Background: Laboratory parameters play a key role in triaging, predicting disease course, severity and may determine prognosis COVID-19 patients. Material and methods: Aim and Objectives: To study the relation of clinical and laboratory parameters (total WBC count, neutrophil: lymphocyte ratio, serum ferritin, serum D-dimer, serum LDH, CRP, ESR) with severity and outcome of Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) confirmed by real-time RT-PCR. Sample size: It was a time-bound study conducted over 3 months (1st April to 30th June, 2020). A total of 206 patients will be included in this study satisfying the inclusion criteria. Study design: This was a prospective, observational and non-interventional study conducted on patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 admitted in a tertiary care teaching hospital. Statistical Analysis: Data will be analyzed for mean, percentage, standard deviation, and chi-square test for quantitative data by using appropriate statistical tests using INSTAT software version 8.0 (trial version) and p-value < 0.05 will be considered statistically significant. Results: Total of 206 patients of both genders were included in the present study. Total 141 (68.44%) patients were males and 65 (31.55%) patients were females (Chi Sq. 56.07;DF:1;p < 0.001). Among all the groups according to the severity of illness, 'D' group was the most common group (n = 99;45.06%). Age > 60 years (17.48%), obesity (13.11%), hypertension (10.19%), COPD (5.83%), and diabetes mellitus (5.83%) were the most frequent risk factors or comorbidities associated with COVID-19 disease. Many patients had multiple risk factors in the present study. The majority (3/4th) of the patients were in C and D group (moderate) with co-morbidities and about 1/4th were in the severe group. Total 5 (2.43%) patients with COVID-19 patients succumbed to death with an overall case fatality rate of 2.43%. The case fatality rate was significantly higher among the patients with risk factors or comorbidities (p = 0.0124). Late presentation, associated comorbidity, advancing age, High level of ferritin, D-dimer, CRP, PaO2/FiO(2) ratio less than 100 at the time of admission were associated with mortality. The terminal event in patients who have succumbed was bradycardia followed by cardiorespiratory arrest. The cause of death was ARDS with bilateral extensive pneumonia. Conclusions: Late presentation, associated comorbidity like diabetes mellitus, advancing age, High level of ferritin, D-dimer, CRP, PaO2/FiO(2) ratio less than 100 at the time of admission were associated with mortality. The terminal event in patients who have succumbed was bradycardia followed by cardiorespiratory arrest. The cause of death was ARDS with bilateral extensive pneumonia.

Sentimental Analysis of Twitter Data on Online Learning During Unlock Phase of COVID-19

The coronavirus-induced lockdown has brought everyone’s life to a standstill and negatively impacted sentiments worldwide. It has also made online learning a compulsion for most students. The world is now following work from home and the e-learning boom. Almost all the schools and colleges have leveraged distance learning, thus continuing education from home and learning processes. Thus, online learning has a significant effect on education and has become a viable option for offline classes. The new norm has opened doors for blended learning, which will likely stay in the future. Our study analyses the sentiments of students on online learning. The proposed technique has been used to analyze tweets are subjectivity and polarity and later performed statistical analysis on cleaned tweets to know students’ sentiments on online learning. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

Attention Span Detection for Online Lectures

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, more than 1.2 billion students around the world were out of the classrooms in the year 2020. Nevertheless, in this age of technological innovation, schools and pedagogical institutions have resorted to online teaching through various video conferencing applications to maintain continuity in the crucial impartation of knowledge in the leaders of the upcoming generations. However, online teaching is a difficult medium for the teachers as well as students to adapt to. Due to its shortcomings, students fail to pay attention during the lecture which results in teacher's teaching in vain. Therefore, it is the need of the hour to implement an effective teaching system that can quantify the attention of an individual student as well as of the entire class during the online lecture. This will not only encourage the students to pay attention during the lecture but also assist the teacher with a powerful tool of determining the effectiveness of their teaching and thereby make changes to it to increase the attention of the entire class. © 2021 IEEE.

Laboratory Parameters in Patients with Moderate and Severe COVID-19 in 2020 and 2021: A Comparative Study

Background: Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) is caused by the SARS-CoV 2 virus. Understanding the common laboratory features of COVID-19 in more severe cases versus non-severe patients and its variability over time could be quite useful for clinicians to predict the model of disease progression. Aim and Objectives: To assess the laboratory parameters in patients with COVID-19 and to compare the laboratory parameters of patients presenting in 2020 to 2021. Material and Methods: This was be a single centre, observational, comparative study done on patients with COVID-19 in 571 patients presenting with moderate to severe severity in a tertiary care hospital. This study was conducted over period of one year from July 2020 to June 2021. All enrolled patients underwent inflammation markers C-reactive protein (CRP), D-Dimer, Sr. Ferritin, Interleukin-6 (1L-6), haematological markers (neutrophil, lymphocyte count) Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) and High-resolution Computed Tomography (I-IRCT) scan of the thorax. Data were analysed for mean, percentage, standard deviation and chi square test for quantitative data by using SPSS software version 21 (trial version) for analysis and 'p' value < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: The present study was conducted on 571 patients presenting with moderate to severe COVID-19 infection. A total 279 moderate to severe COVID-19 patients of year 2020 and 292 of 2021 were included and compared in the present study. The IIRCT score, IL-6 level, D-Dimer, serum ferritin, neutrophil lymphocyte ratio, total leucocyte count and age had a positive correlation with the severity of the disease in both the year 2020 and 2021. CRP and Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) had a positive correlation in 2021. Except NLR, all other parameters had a positive correlation with severity of disease. Conclusion: In the year 2021 there was a trend of relatively younger population being infected often. The correlation of various inflammatory markers with the severity of disease was positive with majority of them demonstrated significant correlation, further supporting their use for disease progression monitoring.

Study of ABO Blood Group Susceptibility to Coronavirus Disease - COVID-19.

Background: The pandemic outbreak of COVID-19 highlighting the zoonotic cross-over link in the present century has provoked an emergency worldwide. Recent experimental evidence supporting the proposition of ABO blood grouping and its susceptibility in certain blood group individuals has created interest among researchers to explore more. Aim: The aim of this study is to find the susceptibility of "ABO" blood group in COVID-19-positive cases. Objectives: Association of ABO blood group patterns with COVID-19-positive cases. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional, observational study design was conducted among 728 confirmed positive COVID-19 admitted to the tertiary health care center in Maharashtra from June 01, 2020 to August 31, 2020. The inclusion criteria were COVID-19-positive cases confirmed by positive real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction test of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. We collected the demographic details, associated clinical symptoms and ABO blood groups from all the patients. The data collected were subjected to statistical analysis. Results: The most common blood group affected was B + (35.5%) followed by A + (26.10%), AB + (20.60%) and O + (11.18%) and the least common was AB- (0.96%), O- (1.51%), A- (1.65%) and B- (1.79%). Conclusions: ABO blood grouping can be used as one of the simplest yet efficient markers for COVID-19. Blood group B Rh-positive and A Rh-positive were the most prevalent blood group types in patients with COVID-19.

Vaccination practices, efficacy, and safety in adults with cancer: A narrative review

Patients with cancer are at a high risk of morbidity and mortality from infections, due to immune alterations resulting from the underlying malignancy as well as from therapy directed towards it. We aim to review the existing literature on the burden of vaccine-preventable disease, current practices and the efficacy and safety of these vaccines in patients with cancer. We performed a PubMed search for studies on the efficacy and safety of vaccines in patients with cancer, published in English, on or after 2011 to July 2021. Searches were also made in Embase, MEDLINE, Cochrane CENTRAL, and Google Scholar. Articles for which the full text was not available, non-human studies, and those that were not in English were excluded. We screened 92 studies, and excluded 49 as they were focused on children, articles about therapeutic cancer vaccines, and vaccination in healthy populations or patients with non-malignant conditions. Finally, 43 studies were included. Most studies have shown commonly administered vaccines to be safe, with some diminution of antibody response and efficacy but with overall benefit, including mortality benefit in some cases. The key point in the vaccination of patients with cancer was found to be appropriate timing, which according to most of the existing literature appears to be before the initiation of chemotherapy or in between cycles. There is however a dearth of good literature, opening up a new area for potential research. © 2021 Cancer Research, Statistics, and Treatment. All rights reserved.

Understanding the dynamics of covid-19 outbreak: Structure, diagno-sis, prevention and treatment

Currently, mankind is fighting against an invisible enemy. The novel Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has been spreading at a rapid rate across the world, which made the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare it as pandemic disease. COVID-19 is an acute respiratory tract infection that was first reported in December 2019, initially presented as pneumonia of un-known etiology in a group of patients in Wuhan, a city in the Hubei Province of China. Sometimes, animals infected with coronavirus infect humans and spread further via human-to-human transmission similar to the case of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus (SARS-CoV), and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), previously referred to as 2019-nCoV (COVID-19). SARS--CoV-2 is an extremely pathogenic virus and is crushing the well-equipped health systems of devel-oped countries. According to the WHO situation report updated on October 25, 2020 over 42 million cases and 1.1 million deaths have been reported globally. Since the figure of cases continues to increase, these viruses create a threat to global public health. This review summarizes an overview of the study of the novel coronavirus, including origin, epidemiology, etiology, targets for viral en-try, and describes the clinical manifestation, diagnosis, and therapeutics used in clinical settings. Furthermore, our review focuses on the most up-to-date clinical information for the effective man-agement, prevention, and counseling to control COVID-19 worldwide. © 2021 Bentham Science Publishers.