Gender-based violence against women during the COVID-19 pandemic: recommendations for future.

BACKGROUND: Gender-based violence (GBV) includes any physical, sexual, psychological, economic harms, and any suffering of women in the form of limiting their freedom in personal or social life. As a global crisis, COVID-19 has exposed women to more violence, which requires serious actions. This work aims to review the most critical dimensions of the GBV against women, effective factors on it, and strategies for combating it during the COVID-19 pandemic in order to provide recommendations for future pandemics. METHODS: This study was conducted based on PRISMA-ScR. First, PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, ProQuest, and Google Scholar were searched in April 2021 with no time limitation and location using the related keywords to COVID-19 and GBV. The searched keywords were COVID-19, gender-based violence, domestic violence, sexual violence, women, violence, abuse, and their synonyms in MESH and EMTREE. Duplicates were removed, titles and abstracts were screened, and then the characteristics and main results of included studies were recorded in the data collection form in terms of thematic content analysis. RESULTS: A total of 6255 records were identified, of which 3433 were duplicates. Based on inclusion criteria 2822 titles and abstracts were screened. Finally, 14 studies were eligible for inclusion in this study. Most of these studies were conducted in the United States, the Netherlands, and Iran, mostly with interventional and qualitative methods. CONCLUSIONS: Strengthening ICT infrastructure, providing comprehensive government policies and planning, government economic support, social support by national and international organizations should be considered by countries worldwide. It is suggested that countries provide sufficient ICT infrastructure, comprehensive policies and planning, economic support, social support by collaboration between national and international organizations, and healthcare supporting to manage incidence of GBV against women in future pandemics.

Effectiveness of different treatment regimens on patients with COVID-19, hospitalized in Sanandaj hospitals: a retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: Different drugs have different effects on the prognosis of patients with COVID-19. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of different drug regimens on patients with COVID-19, hospitalized in Sanandaj city. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, 660 patients with COVID-19, hospitalized in the Tohid, Kowsar and Besat hospitals located Sanandaj (Kurdistan Province, Iran) were studied from February 2020 to February 2021 with clinical symptoms and positive test results. RESULTS: The results of multivariate regression analysis showed the days of hospitalization for patients who had received the drug regimen 2 (Interferons (ReciGen/Ziphron) or Interferon Vectra (lopinavir/ritonavir)) was 1.92 times higher than those who had received the drug regimen 1 (hydroxychloroquine group or a combination of chloroquine and azithromycin) while a significant association was observed (OR = 1.92, 95% CI: 1.16-3.16, P = 0.011). Also, the hospitalization in ICU was longer in patients treated by the drug regimen 2 (Interferons (ReciGen/Ziphron) or Interferon Vectra (lopinavir/ritonavir)) (OR = 4.63, 95% CI: 1.80-11.82, P = 0.001), however, drug regimens did not show a significant effect on mortality and use of ventilator in patients (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The study results showed the drug regimens 2 and 5 increased the days of hospitalization and hospitalization in ICU, respectively, while the other drug regimens had no significant effect on mortality and use a ventilator in the studied patients and none of the drug regimens had an effect on reducing mortality compared to other ones.

How is the iceberg of COVID-19? Results from a rapid literature review.

Background: Given the various reports of the clinical spectrum of the disease, the aim of the present study was to determine possible scenarios of Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) iceberg using published articles. Methods: The present study was a rapid review of all international databases, including PubMed (Medline), Scopus, Web of Sciences, Embase, and Cochrane Library from January 1 to October 30, 2020. Results: In this review, 7 scenarios were considered for COVID-19 iceberg, in which the range of fatality percentage was estimated to be 0.5% to 7%, the range of asymptomatic cases 1% to 88.6%, the range of cases with mild symptoms 8% to 78%, no symptoms 1 % to 90 %, the range of intensive care unit (ICU) admission was 0.5% to 14.2%, and finally the intubation percentage was estimated to be 0.2% to 12.2%. The Scenarios Diamond Princess Cruise Ship and Iceland are closer to the reality of the clinical spectrum of COVID-19 around the world, which represent 0.6% and 0.5% of deaths, 0.7% and 1% of intubations, 2.5% and 9.7% of ICU admissions, 1.1% and 6% of hospitalizations, 15% and 31% of cases with mild symptoms, and finally 56.9% and 75% of asymptomatic cases of COVID-19, respectively, which should now be considered as the basis of the clinical knowledge of the disease. Conclusion: Understanding the clinical spectrum and natural knowledge of the disease and paying attention to asymptomatic or mild-symptom cases can help to make better decisions and develop more effective interventions to control COVID-19.

A Model for COVID-19 Prediction in Iran Based on China Parameters.

BACKGROUND: The rapid spread of COVID-19 virus from China to other countries and outbreaks of disease require an epidemiological analysis of the disease in the shortest time and an increased awareness of effective interventions. The purpose of this study was to estimate the COVID-19 epidemic in Iran based on the SIR model. The results of the analysis of the epidemiological data of Iran from January 22 to March 24, 2020 were investigated and prediction was made until April 15, 2020. METHODS: By estimating the three parameters of time-dependent transmission rate, time-dependent recovery rate, and timedependent death rate from Covid-19 outbreak in China, and using the number of Covid-19 infections in Iran, we predicted the number of patients for the next month in Iran. Each of these parameters was estimated using GAM models. All analyses were conducted in R software using the mgcv package. RESULTS: Based on our predictions of Iran about 29000 people will be infected from March 25 to April 15, 2020. On average, 1292 people with COVID-19 are expected to be infected daily in Iran. The epidemic peaks within 3 days (March 25 to March 27, 2020) and reaches its highest point on March 25, 2020 with 1715 infected cases. CONCLUSION: The most important point is to emphasize the timing of the epidemic peak, hospital readiness, government measures and public readiness to reduce social contact.