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Background: Managing patients with cancer during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been challenging. Disruptions in cancer management have been observed due to cancellation of treatment, issues related to commuting, and dearth of health-care workers. Objective(s): This study was conducted during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and was aimed at evaluating the 30-day all-cause mortality among patients with cancer and COVID-19 infection and the factors affecting it. Material(s) and Method(s): In this retrospective study, we collected secondary data from nine tertiary care centers in South India over a period of 10 months from March to Dec 2020. Patients across all age groups with histopathologically confirmed diagnosis of cancer who were affected by COVID-19 during their evaluation or treatment were included in the study. The primary outcome variables of the present study were 30-day all-cause mortality, cancer outcomes, and COVID-19 outcomes. Result(s): A total of 206 patients were included. Median age of the cohort was 55.5 years, and the male-To-female ratio was 1:1.03. The 30-day mortality rate was 12.6%. Twenty-Two patients (10.7%) had severe COVID-19 infection at the initial presentation. Predictors for severe pneumonia at the initial presentation were incomplete remission at the time of COVID-19 diagnosis and palliative intent of treatment. Severe pneumonia at the initial presentation, diagnosis of COVID-19 on or before August 2020, and need for ventilator support were associated with increased mortality. Conclusion(s): Severity of infection at the initial presentation, cancer status, and the intent of cancer treatment impact COVID-19 outcomes in patients with cancer.Copyright © 2022 Iranian Society of Ophthalmology. All rights reserved.
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The Advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has led to the use of auditory data for detecting various diseases, including COVID-19. SARS-CoV-2 infection has claimed more than six million lives to date and therefore, needs a robust screening technique to control the disease spread. In the present study we created and validated the Swaasa AI platform, which uses the signature cough sound and symptoms presented by patients to screen and prioritize COVID-19 patients. We collected cough data from 234 COVID-19 suspects to validate our Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) architecture and Feedforward Artificial Neural Network (FFANN) (tabular features) based algorithm. The final output from both models was combined to predict the likelihood of having the disease. During the clinical validation phase, our model showed a 75.54% accuracy rate in detecting the likely presence of COVID-19, with 95.45% sensitivity and 73.46% specificity. We conducted pilot testing on 183 presumptive COVID subjects, of which 58 were truly COVID-19 positive, resulting in a Positive Predictive Value of 70.73%. Due to the high cost and technical expertise required for currently available rapid screening methods, there is a need for a cost-effective and remote monitoring tool that can serve as a preliminary screening method for potential COVID-19 subjects. Therefore, Swaasa would be highly beneficial in detecting the disease and could have a significant impact in reducing its spread.
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COVID-19ABSTRACT
Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) and Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) are transboundary diseases caused by single-stranded positive-sense RNA viruses with similarities in genome replication and viral protein synthesis. In FMD, asymptomatic infection leads to carrier status and persistently infected animals that threaten the animals vaccinated with a trivalent inactivated whole virus vaccine. Similar information on COVID-19 is not yet available. As COVID-19 vaccination is introduced in January 2021 (since 16 January 2021 in India), its outcome can be assessed by the year-end;and while doing so, the experiences gained in the control of FMD in livestock worldwide can be applied, including monitoring of vaccination response, duration of immunity, level of herd immunity developed, and antigenic matching of the vaccine virus. Antigenic divergence of the virus is a major issue in FMD, and different geographical regions in the world use different virus strains in vaccine preparations to antigenically match circulating virus strains in respective regions for control of the disease. Non-synonymous mutations in the critical antigenic determinants of SARS-CoV-2 have been observed, and there is likely the existence/development of antigenic variants. Therefore, during the post-COVID-19 vaccination regime, it will be essential to monitor the suitability of the in-use vaccine strain region-wise from time to time, as there could be an eruption of isolated outbreaks in a country arising due to antigenic variation and variants. In the context of the present scenario of COVID-19 around the Globe and multiple ongoing efforts to develop suitable vaccine(s) to control the disease, it is a must to develop NSP-antibody (that differentiate infected from vaccinated) assays to differentiate infected from vaccinated individuals(DIVI;DIVA in veterinary epidemiology). The techniques used and experiences gained in ongoing FMD control programs in the endemic countries can be applied to COVID-19 control in a country;and finally, the Globe. After achieving the control of COVID-19, the aim would be to eradicate the virus, which will be tough even with vaccination, as the disease/infection may become endemic during the time to come. To achieve this, applying the principles of Progressive Control Pathway for Foot-and-Mouth Disease (PCP-FMD;FAO/OIE) to COVID-19 control will be beneficial in its control. The present review discusses the issue of control of COVID-19. © 2021 by the authors.
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The river water quality index (RWQI) of the upper Ganga canal has been computed to assess the effect of lockdown and unlock phases lead down by COVID-19 in India. Geospatial distribution of RWQI from January 2019 to December 2021 in the study area revealed significant impacts of lockdown on water quality. However, unlock phases (post lockdown) have deteriorated water quality since August 2020 and reached to actual conditions of the river by August 2021. To evaluate the lockdown as a management strategy to clean the river, other factors were reviewed including rainfall data, migration, and other activities. The results revealed that all the monitoring stations have improved water quality index ranging from 3 to 45 between March to June 2020. The River Ganga at Haridwar showed a two-fold improvement in the water quality index making it the highest positive impact of the lockdown, and at Rishikesh, the water quality index showed the least changes. The average decrease in RWQI has been observed to be 13 units in the year 2020 as compared to 2019 between March to June. In October 2020, RWQI has been observed to be higher as compared to the years 2019 and 2021. This is possibly due to a shift in rainfall patterns and other factors such as evapotranspiration, precipitation, and atmospheric temperature involved in river water quality control. Up to 60% reduction in average total coliforms and fecal coliforms has been observed due to the nationwide lockdown and a shift in human behavior towards cleaner and sustainable approaches. © 2023, Chulalongkorn University - Environmental Research Institute. All rights reserved.
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The construction industry builds the essential infrastructure and contributes to the economic development of any nation. The productivity of the construction industry has been lagging behind manufacturing for many decades. The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the vulnerability of the industry and its severe dependencies on manual, labour-oriented practices. The industry needs to become resilient and rebound quickly to recover from the impacts of the pandemic. The 3D printing or additive manufacturing concept offers to automate the processes of construction, improve efficiencies in design & construction, reduce wastage and sustainable development. The present paper intends to summarize the developments, trends, and application areas through a scientometric review. Research articles were obtained from the Scopus database. The USA leads the research studies followed by China, Australia, the UK and Germany. 339 documents were obtained from the initial search. These were systematically filtered for review through the PRISMA framework. The screened 193 articles were quantitatively analyzed through the VOS viewer software. The study summarizes the current research trends, themes, and future research trends. The study contributes to the existing body of knowledge and intends to raise awareness of the concept and encourage researchers and practitioners to adopt the concept on a larger scale, especially in India. © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Coronavirus disease 2019 has emerged as a global pandemic causing millions of critical cases and deaths. Early identification of at-risk patients is crucial for planning triage and treatment strategies. We performed this systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the pooled prognostic significance of procalcitonin in predicting mortality and severity in patients with COVID-19 using a robust methodology and clear clinical implications.We used Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and MetaAnalyses and Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions guidelines. We included thirty-two prospective and retrospective cohort studies involving 13,154 patients. The diagnostic odds ratio of procalcitonin for predicting mortality were estimated to be 11 (95% CI: 7 to 17) with sensitivity, specificity, and summary area under the curve of 0.83 (95% CI: 0.70 to 0.91), 0.69 (95% CI: 0.58 to 0.79), and 0.83 (95% CI: 0.79 to 0.86) respectively. While for identifying severe cases of COVID-19, the odds ratio was 8.0 (95% CI 5.0 to 12.0) with sensitivity, specificity, and summary area under the curve of0.73 (95% CI 0.67 to 0.78), 0.74 (0.66 to 0.81), and 0.78 (95% CI 0.74 to 0.82) respectively.Procalcitonin has good discriminatory power for predicting mortality and disease severity in COVID-19 patients. Therefore, procalcitonin measurement may help identify potentially severe cases and thus decrease mortality by offering early aggressive treatment.
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Although it is a rare disease, the number of available therapeutic options for treating pulmonary arterial hypertension has increased since the late 1990s, with multiple drugs developed that are shown to be effective in phase 3 randomised controlled trials. Despite considerable advancements in pulmonary arterial hypertension treatment, prognosis remains poor. Existing therapies target pulmonary endothelial dysfunction with vasodilation and anti-proliferative effects. Novel therapies that target proliferative vascular remodelling and affect important outcomes are urgently needed. There is need for additional innovations in clinical trial design so that all emerging candidate therapies can be rigorously studied. Pulmonary arterial hypertension trial design has shifted from short-term submaximal exercise capacity as a primary endpoint, to larger clinical event-driven trial outcomes. Event-driven pulmonary arterial hypertension trials could face feasibility and efficiency issues in the future because increasing sample sizes and longer follow-up durations are needed, which would be problematic in such a rare disease. Enrichment strategies, innovative and alternative trial designs, and novel trial endpoints are potential solutions that could improve the efficiency of future pulmonary arterial hypertension trials while maintaining robustness and clinically meaningful evidence.Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd
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Background: Isolated tracheobronchial mucormycosis (ITBM) is an uncommonly reported entity. Herein, we report a case of ITBM following coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and perform a systematic review of the literature. Case description and systematic review: A 45-year-old gentleman with poorly controlled diabetes mellitus presented with cough, streaky haemoptysis, and hoarseness of voice 2 weeks after mild COVID-19 illness. Computed tomography and flexible bronchoscopy suggested the presence of a tracheal mass, which was spontaneously expectorated. Histopathological examination of the mass confirmed invasive ITBM. The patient had complete clinical and radiological resolution with glycaemic control, posaconazole, and inhaled amphotericin B (8 weeks). Our systematic review of the literature identified 25 additional cases of isolated airway invasive mucormycosis. The median age of the 26 subjects (58.3% men) was 46 years. Diabetes mellitus (79.2%) was the most common risk factor. Uncommon conditions such as anastomosis site mucormycosis (in two lung transplant recipients), post-viral illness (post-COVID-19 [n = 3], and influenza [n = 1]), and post-intubation mucormycosis (n = 1) were noted in a few. Three patients died before treatment initiation. Systemic antifungals were used in most patients (commonly amphotericin B). Inhalation (5/26;19.2%) or bronchoscopic instillation (1/26;3.8%) of amphotericin B and surgery (6/26;23.1%) were performed in some patients. The case-fatality rate was 50%, primarily attributed to massive haemoptysis. Conclusion: Isolated tracheobronchial mucormycosis is a rare disease. Bronchoscopy helps in early diagnosis. Management with antifungals and control of risk factors is required since surgery may not be feasible. © 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH.
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In the light of COVID-19 pandemic, a global shortage for Personnel Protective Equipment (PPE) led to the search for an alternative to fill the gap where additive manufacturing made necessary development of rapid design and adaptive filtering masks for local manufacturing using 3D printing to help the frontline workers. The review focuses on the utilization of antimicrobial materials in additive manufacturing with the use of bespoke design to facilitate and respond to the disruptions in the medical supply chain. Previous studies confirmed the age-old theory of copper as an antimicrobial material with contact killing properties. The antimicrobial properties of copper have been registered at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as the first solid antimicrobial material. Combining the properties of copper in a PLA (Polylactic Acid) filament as a nano composite, Copper-3D facilitates the antimicrobial properties to any 3D printed object. Provided this flexibility of 3D printing, the use of masks designed distinctively based on the 3D scan of an individual's facial structures as an efficient Personnel Protective Equipment is also addressed. Additive manufacturing as a support to the shortage of medical devices and a responsive method to the disruption in the supply chain is discussed.
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Suicide is an intentional act of injuring oneself, irrespective of the outcome. However, there are other forms of suicidal behaviour existing among the people. The year 2020 is a hard time due to COVID19 pandemic as it had created difficulty to many people especially the lower economic class people to meet their daily livelihood. The result is many poor victims committing suicide. The method used for committing suicide vary from region to region. However, cutting one's own throat to end their life is very rarely performed by the victims of suicide. A careful interpretation of the injury is required by the forensic pathologist to conclude the manner of the death in such deaths. Here we report one such case, and the manner is concluded after studying the injuries tediously in summation with the police investigation. © 2022, Journal of Indian Academy of Forensic Medicine. All Rights Reserved.
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BACKGROUND: The Covid-19 infection has become a pandemic now. The rapidly changing morphology of the virus is a great challenge for accurate diagnosis management and for making effective preventive strategies. Understanding the development of neutralizing antibodies after vaccination in different subgroups of the population is important to curb the disease more so in CKD-HD group which is known for blunted immune response. As of now we have limited data regarding covid vaccinated CKD patient's protection status against SARS-COV-2 Virus. The recently published COVID-FRIAT study has presented a worrisome conclusion for CKD patients. It says that the antibody levels in patients on dialysis declining more rapidly than previously reported for the general population. AIM OF THE STUDY: AIM - This study is done to assess the development of covid neutralizing antibodies their adequacy and sustainability after vaccination in CKD-HD patients. Have analyzed the immune response according to the patient'S age, sex, comorbidities, adequacy of dialysis, and types of vaccine. METHOD(S): Material and method - Stage 5 CKD Patients who were on regular hemodialysis are selected for the study. Patients and vaccines related to various factors were recorded. Antibody level was checked by VIDAS II (9COG) kit which detects IgG specific for SARS COVID 2 Receptor Binding Domain (RBD) of the spike protein by ELFA (Enzyme-linked fluorescent assay) technique. The most patient had received either COVAXIN or COVISHIELD RESULTS: Result -The study confirms that CKD-HD patients are showing good responses after vaccination. The extraneous variables like gender, comorbidities didn't significantly affect the COVID-19 IGG antibodies formation The peak antibody level is seen around an average of 125 +- 25 days (4 months). The significant declining trend is seen around 225 +- 25 days (8 months). The robust response seen when the gap is around 100 days between 2 doses. Nonresponders were 66% in the no-vaccinated group, 23% in the single dose, and 5.88% in the double-dose group. CONCLUSION(S): Conclusion-Two dose regimen is helping in mounting better antibody response, but there is no significant effect on declining trend when compared to single vaccinated cohort. Both indigenously developed vaccines, Covaxin and Covishield are showing good and comparable efficacy.
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Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has rapidly become a global pandemic taking more than 1.7 million lives. Many developed countries had started their vaccination drive, India is not far behind but still not much is known about the willingness to get vaccinated in India.1 Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the world faced a novel infectious disease, for which there currently is no treatment or herd immunity2. The pandemic poses a serious threat to our health and well-being (WHO, 2020) and researchers are racing to develop and test vaccines against COVID-19 (Callaway, 2020).3 Aim: To determine Perception of covid 19 vaccination in rural population of Maharashtra: after one year of vaccine introduction. Objective(s): 1.To study Perception of covid 19 vaccination in rural population of Maharashtra after one year of vaccine introduction. 2. To study the socio-demographic profile with comorbid status of study participants. Material(s) and Method(s): A cross-sectional study carried out among 189 peoples coming to vaccination center as per inclusion & exclusion criteria in SRTRGMC, Ambajogai city (Maharashtra) from May 2022 to June 2022. Results and Conclusion(s): Out of total 189 study participants majority of the participants in the study were from age group 30-50 years i.e. 89 (47.5%) and least were >50 years of age group i.e.36 (19.05%), Male and female participants were 96 (50.80%) and 93 (49.20%) respectively, 146 (77.25%) were Married, 174 (92.07%) were Hindu by religion, 115 (60.86%) were from Nuclear family, and 80 (42.32 %) were belonging to Class III Socioeconomic status, Least i.e. 4.24% participants were having comorbidity. Over all perception of the participants in this study towards covid 19 vaccines was positive with sound knowledge regarding the covid 19 vaccines. Copyright © 2022 Ubiquity Press. All rights reserved.
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The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the corona virus pandemic, is an ongoing phenomenon caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Older people and those with underlying comorbidities like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, or cancer are more likely to develop serious illness. India reported its first case of COVID-19 on 30thJanuary 2020. Since that lakhs of persons have been infected with COVID-19 and thousands died in India as well. Copyright © 2022 Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications. All rights reserved.
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In the present work, the time series of exchange rates of 5 dominant global currencies in terms of the Indian currency rupee is analysed. The time series of the exchange rate of EURO, GBP, JPY, SGD and USD in terms of Rupee from 2015 to 2021 are considered in present study. The Indian currency is taken as the base currency to analyse impact of various critical events on it and to identify safe heaven currencies. The technique of random matrix theory (RMT) is applied in static periods. For static period, 8 time windows of one year length starting from 2015 were considered. The static analysis identifies highly correlated and weakly correlated currencies during local critical events such as Covid-19 and Demonetisation in India. The study shows impact of such events on correlations among global currencies. Copyright © 2022 Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications. All rights reserved.
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During the COVID-19 pandemic, cloud computing & storage emerged as a viable alternative to traditional storage systems. Almost all firms are transitioning from traditional modes of operation to online modes of operation. The vast majority of businesses have the long-term goal of moving all or a significant part of their operations to an online (Work-from-Home) format. There are various advantages to cloud computing and storage, including cost savings, mobility, platform independence, accessibility, and elasticity. However, security is the primary impediment to adopting cloud storage services, particularly cloud retrieving. To address the issue of cloud storage security, this research study has proposed a method for cloud storage data security. The suggested strategy makes use of integrated cryptographic techniques to monitor, secure user as well as data that is kept in the cloud storage systems. The method that has been suggested constantly checks user data by performing the sequence of securities. The performance of proposed security is measured by downloading and uploading data iteratively and analyzed by computing time taken for cloud operations. Thus, the proposed strategy not only secures data but also increases user confidence in cloud-based storage services. The proposed approach can be further researched for dynamic data and variable data sizes. © 2022 IEEE.
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The sudden impact of Covid19 in India coincided with the NAAC assessment submission decision at Sreyas Institute of Engineering & Technology at Hyderabad, India. Institute decided to document the upgraded National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) version and submit it to the NAAC board during February 2020;Covid19 started spreading in India. By March first week, a total lockdown started, and all educational institutions were closed. Along with quickly adapting to online classes, online examinations for the benefit of student's the staff also adopted the online media to complete the NAAC documentation as per the new standards laid by NAAC. To motivate the staff, who were technically knowledgeable, a lateral thinking approach was adopted. The criteria aspects were mapped to the socio, spiritual, scientific, and management aspects to bring the group together to focus on achieving their common goal for the institute of achieving the assessment and approval of the upgraded NAAC procedures and standards. Within the Covid locked down period of about five months, the required five years of data of all aspects of all criteria were collected with co-operation among the staff, and the submission was completed in September of 2020. This report is to focus on the mind mapping used initially to bring the faculty team together for preparing the NAAC Document. All seven criteria of the NAAC system were mapped to socio, scientific and spiritual practices through which all humans were brought up. The relationship is communicated via zoom meetings to all staff and the criteria in charge. Commitment improved as they related the known imbibed knowledge they possessed. © 2022, Rajarambapu Institute Of Technology. All rights reserved.
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Introduction: Several studies have reported attenuated humoral responses following SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination in Multiple Sclerosis (MS) patients on anti-CD20 therapies and fingolimod. However, neutralising antibodies (NAbs) against the receptorbinding domain of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein were quantified in only a few reports and there is limited data in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) patients. Objectives and Aims: To measure serum NAbs levels prior to, and, at several time points after the first (V1) and second (V2) SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination in patients with neuroimmunological conditions on various immunotherapies, and, to identify the factors associated with poor humoral responses. Method(s): This was a prospective observational study performed at the National Neuroscience Institute, Singapore. Patients with MS (n=77), NMOSD (n=33), myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein- antibody associated disease (n=6), autoimmune encephalitis (n=3), other CNS inflammatory diseases (n=5), myasthenia gravis (n=9) and healthy controls (HCs, n=42) were recruited. No subjects had COVID-19 infection prior to V1, V2 and the sampling time points. NAbs were measured using the Genscript cPassTM surrogate virus neutralisation test. Result(s): No patients or HCs had detectable NAbs prior to V1. Two to 4 weeks after V1, patients on anti-CD20 therapies had lower NAbs levels (p=0.010) compared to HCs and untreated patients. Two to 6 weeks post V2, patients on disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) (p=0.010), fingolimod (p<0.0001) and anti-CD20 therapies (p<0.0001) showed decreased NAbs levels compared to HCs and untreated patients. This was also observed 8 to 16 weeks post V2 - DMARDs (p=0.046), fingolimod (p<0.0001) and anti-CD20 therapies (p<0.0001). NAbs levels decreased in both HCs and patients with increasing time interval following V2. There was no correlation between NAbs levels and the time interval from last anti-CD20 treatment to V1 (p=0.508). A multivariable logistic regression model adjusted for age, expanded disability status scale, gender, mRNA vaccine type, ethnicity and body mass index, revealed that fingolimod (p=0.026) and anti-CD20 therapies (p=0.003) were independent predictors of undetectable NAbs following V2. Conclusion(s): Fingolimod and anti-CD20 therapies are associated with attenuated NAbs levels post-vaccination. Future studies are needed to determine whether this translates to an increased risk of COVID-19 infection.
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Background: COVID-19 pandemic is a global challenge. It's just not limited to physical impact but also has serious mental, social and economic impacts all over the world. Self-harm and suicides are its extreme effects. Aim(s): To study and analyze the patterns of suicide during the COVID-19 pandemic. Material(s) and Method(s): A retrospective autopsy-based analysis of suicidal deaths occurred during March 2020 and February 2021 was conducted in the department of Forensic medicine, Sri Venkateswara Medical College, Tirupati. A total of 897 autopsies were conducted, out of which 248 were suicides. Result(s): 248 cases of suicide were studied among them 182 were male and 66 were female. Majority of the deaths were due to hanging (94, 37.90%) followed by poisoning (61,24.59%). The most important contributing factor for suicide was domestic conflict/ violence (85,34.27%) followed by financial loss or loss of income (81,32.66%). Conclusion(s): This study reemphasizes the need of proactive responses to psychological health especially during events of stressful conditions like lock down and pandemic. Social, economic and public health response is necessary to prevent suicidal behavior. Copyright © 2022, Institute of Medico-legal Publication. All rights reserved.
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Brain, the most powerful object in the universe, consumes only a few watts of energy. To replicate it, a nuclear power plant will be necessary, and this powerhouse is the sole controller of the human body. Normally, the brain is divided into two parts, with the left and right hemispheres working independently. The right half of the brain tends to cause mental tension and anxiety, exacerbating the present physiological condition like the current COVID-19 outbreak. A survey was done in the Durg district of Chhattisgarh, which is one of the hardest hit epicenters of the COVID-19 second wave in India. According to this survey, the majority of women of all ages are right brained, meaning their right hemisphere predominates over their left. They are more likely to suffer from mental illnesses than men because they are more inventive and creative thinkers. To avoid this circumstance, stress-relieving activities have been developed.