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Globally, India ranks fourth in oilseed production. About 25 million hectares of land produce 32 million tons of oilseeds, including groundnut, rapeseed, and soybean. The annual per capita demand for edible oil in India is 19.5kg. Domestic production meets only 30% of this demand, and the rest is imported. Of this import, Palm oil has the maximum share (62%) from Indonesia and Malaysia, followed by soya (21%) from Argentina and Brazil, and sunflower oil (16%) from Ukraine and Argentina. Covid-19 pandemic and the ongoing war in Ukraine directly affect the price of edible oil in international and domestic markets. India can potentially increase domestic oilseeds production, thereby reducing the import burden. The Indian government has taken initiatives like the Technology Mission on Oilseeds, palm oil area expansion under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana, development of buffer stock for oilseeds, and other policies to motivate farmers to use location-specific improved varieties and quality seeds production to fulfill the domestic demands of oilseeds. © 2023 Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reseverd.
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2020 will be remembered not only for the COVID-19 pandemic but also for introducing some entirely new concepts like "lockdown” and "social distancing” which brought the entire world to a standstill. Lockdown approach can have a wide range of implications not just on the economy but also on the physical, mental and social well-being of the people. We investigated the impact of 78 days nationwide lockdown in 2020 on profile of the post-mortem cases being brought for autopsy to the mortuary of King George's Medical University, Lucknow, India. Further 78 days of post lockdown period in 2020 were also included in the study and compared with the corresponding time periods in 2019. A total of 3657 cases were included in the study, 2042 in 2019 and 1615 in 2020. Adjusted odds ratios (aOR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) from logistic regression modeling were used to compare the mortality due to different causes across the four study timeperiods. Deaths due to RTAs were significantly lower in the lockdown period (aOR = 0.59, CI 0.48, 0.73, p<0.001). An increase in deaths due to drowning (aOR = 2.27, CI 1.26, 4.11, p=0.007) and hanging (aOR = 1.56, CI 1.22, 2.18, p=0.008) was detected during the lockdown period compared to 2019 while odds of burn deaths were half (aOR=0.50, 95%CI 0.34, 0.75, p=0.001) during the lockdown period in 2020, compared to the equivalent period in 2019. We have shown significant differences in deaths due to different causes as a result of lockdown. An insight into these mortality patterns during the pandemic could be beneficial in future preparedness for the containment measures. © 2022,Journal of Indian Academy of Forensic Medicine.All Rights Reserved.
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Copper (Cu) was one of the first metals to be excavated and used by humans. Copper nanoparticles have a lot of attention due to their high electrical conductivity, high melting point, low electrochemical migration and low cost. It also demonstrated antiviral activity such as a recent study showing that the coronavirus survives for several days on glass, plate, and stain-less steel, but dies within a few hours on Cu. It is observed that controlling particle size expands the range of innumerable applications. Several methods have been employed for the synthesis of Cu nanoparticles such as Physical, Chemical, biological and green synthesis. In the present work, nanoparticles were successfully synthesized by a facile electrochemical deposition method. In which, Copper sulfate pentahydrate (CuSO4.5H2 O), is used as a pre-cursor and Sodium hydroxide (NaOH) used to maintain pH during the deposition in de-ionized water (DI) as a solvent. The structural and optical characterization of nanoparticles were performed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Field effect Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM), and UV-Vis Spectroscopy. The FCC structure of Cu nanoparticles has been analyzed by XRD and the size varies from 65 nm-30 nm by controlling pH of electrolyte solution. In the optical studies, it is observed that the bandgap is varying in the range of 2.98 eV to 4.97 eV, calculated by Tauc plot. © 2022. Lokesh et al.
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Introduction: Mass vaccination is considered one of the most crucial weapons in fighting against the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. However, the occurrence of breakthrough infections (BTIs) has questioned the vaccine effectiveness of the currently available vaccines. The present study aimed to determine the breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infections in the vaccinated population and to compare the clinic-epidemiological profile and outcomes between breakthrough cases and unvaccinated SARS-CoV-2 positive cases. Methods: This retrospective case-control study was conducted between April 15, 2021, and June 15, 2021, in a zonal military hospital in Jaipur. We evaluated individuals with BTI as cases which were SARS-CoV-2 positive after 14 days of the second dose of vaccine and unvaccinated SARS-CoV-2-positive individuals as control. The clinical and demographic data was collected from the Indian Council of Medical Research and specimen referral forms were filled out for all persons who had undergone testing for SARS-CoV-2. The outcome of positive cases in terms of discharge and deaths were collected from hospital records. Results: A total of 162 breakthrough COVID 19 infections and 925 unvaccinated positive confirmed controls were recorded within the study duration. The majority of cases presented with mild infection in both case (80.2%) and control groups (72.4%). The risk of hospitalization and occurrence of moderate to severe disease was 2.3 and 4 times more in the non-vaccinated group as compared to the vaccinated group, respectively. No mortality was reported among the breakthrough cases. Interpretation and Conclusions: Despite the occurrence of BTIs, the benefits of vaccines are far greater. Our findings suggest that vaccination is associated with a lower risk of hospital admission, severe disease, and mortality against COVID-19. © 2022 Medical Journal of Dr. D.Y. Patil Vidyapeeth ;Published by Wolters Kluwer - Medknow.
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INTRODUCTION: Previous randomized trials suggest the benefit of inhaled budesonide for COVID-19 patients in outpatient settings. We evaluated available studies on the effect of the therapeutic use of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) on mortality and pertinent clinical outcomes. METHOD(S): A comprehensive literature search was conducted across the WHO, LitCOVID, and EMBASE databases from inception until June 30th, 2022. The primary outcome was overall mortality and secondary outcomes included symptom-based clinical improvement rates at day 14, ER visits or hospitalization, and adverse events. Data analysis was performed using Review Manager Software, version 5.2, to evaluate the combined odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) using a random-effects model. RESULT(S): Nine studies (7 RCTs (3 budesonide, 3 ciclesonide, 1 fluticasone RCTs), & 2 observational studies) were included in the mortality meta-analysis. Of the 3,934 patients included, 103 patients died (44 out of 1925 in the ICS group and 59 out of 2009 in the non-ICS group). The odds of mortality in the therapeutic ICS use group were lower compared to the non-ICS therapy group (OR 0.78, 95% CI 0.48-1.28, p-value=0.33, I2=0%). The result was statistically insignificant, possibly due to the low mortality rate. But therapeutic ICS showed statistically significant clinical improvement rates at day 14 (5 RCTs;3 Ciclesonide, 2 Budesonide) (OR 1.56, 95% CI 1.31-1.86, p < 0.0001, I2=0%). The number of ED visits/Hospitalization rate, and adverse events were not statistically significant between the groups (OR 0.73, 95% CI 0.32-1.70, p= 0.47 I2=75% and OR 1.10 95% CI 0.67-1.82, p=0.70, I2=28%). CONCLUSION(S): This meta-analysis shows that the therapeutic use of ICS in COVID-19 is associated with higher symptom-based clinical improvement rates. Although the reduction in mortality odds remained insignificant, as the overall mortality rates were low which increased the confidence interval overall. Early administration of ICS showed a trend towards the reduced likelihood of urgent care needs. Well-designed trials are needed to explore ICS efficacy in patients with a high risk of disease progression and in reducing the incidence of long-term COVID-19 symptoms or post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2.
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INTRODUCTION: Studies of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 have found varying clinical outcomes associated with underlying respiratory conditions and inhaled corticosteroid use. We performed a systematic review to summarize the effect of the pre-hospital use of inhaled corticosteroids on the clinical outcomes in patients with COVID-19. METHOD(S): A comprehensive literature accrual was conducted across the WHO, CDC, and LitCovid PubMed COVID-19 databases from inception until June 30th, 2022. The Overall mortality was the primary outcome, and the secondary outcomes were the need for intensive care unit (ICU) admission and the need for invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV). All included studies were observational and reported the desired outcomes with pre-hospital use of ICS in COVID-19 patients. Data analysis was performed using Review Manager Software, version 5.2 to evaluate the combined odds ratio (OR) with respective 95% confidence intervals (CI) using a random-effects model. RESULT(S): Nineteen studies assessed mortality and were included in the meta-analysis. A total of 1,122,329 patients were included, of which 10,466 patients died (2,289 out of 824,005 in ICS arm patients and 8,177 out of 298,324 in the non-ICS arm), resulting in the unadjusted odds of death (OR 1.36, 95% CI 1.09-1.70, I2=82%). However, In the subgroups analyses of COPD patients (8 studies;598 out of 106,659 in the ICS arm and 353 out of 44,496 in the non-ICS arm) and Asthma patients (7 studies;705 out of 714,126 in the ICS arm and 179 out of 222,577 in the non-ICS arm), significantly increased risk of death was not shown (OR 1.20, 95% CI 0.93-1.57, I2=32%, OR 1.61, 95% CI 0.97-2.66, I2=82% respectively). There were no significantly increased odds in the assessed secondary outcomes;ICU admission (13 studies, OR 1.11, 95% CI 0.82-1.51, I2=84%), need for mechanical ventilation (7 studies, OR 1.21, 95% CI 1.00-1.45, I2=0%). CONCLUSION(S): Prehospital use of ICS in COVID-19 patients is associated with higher odds of overall mortality in unadjusted analysis. However, this was not shown in the subgroup of patients with a history of COPD or Asthma. Other clinical outcomes such as the need for ICU admission and mechanical ventilation show similar trends. Future research with well-designed clinical trials is needed to validate our findings.
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INTRODUCTION: The reduction of mortality in COVID-19 has been clinically established only for Dexamethasone and Tocilizumab to date, but the overall mortality in COVID-19 remains high. Baricitinib is a Janus Kinase 1/2 Inhibitor with known anti-inflammatory and anti-viral properties. The US FDA recently approved Baricitinib for the treatment of hospitalized adults with COVID-19 requiring either supplemental oxygen, non-invasive or invasive mechanical ventilation, or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). We performed a meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials (RCT) and observational studies assessing the effect of Baricitinib on mortality outcomes in hospitalized patients with COVID-19. METHOD(S): A systematic literature search was conducted on electronic databases including NIH LitCovid, WHO COVID-19 database, EMBASE, and Cochrane Central from inception until June 30th, 2022. Randomized Controlled Trials and observational studies evaluating the efficacy of Baricitinib in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 were screened for the assessment of all-cause mortality as the outcome. RESULT(S): Twenty-three studies (18 observational and 5 RCTs) were included in the mortality meta-analysis. Of the 16,390 patients (4,565 observational, 11,825 RCTs), 2,139 patients died (903 out of 7,610 in the Baricitinib arm and 1,236 out of 8,780 in the non-Baricitinib arm). Using the random-effects model, the odds of mortality in the therapeutic Baricitinib use showed a statistically significant reduction in all-cause mortality in hospitalized COVID-19 patients (OR 0.67, 95% CI 0.50-0.90;p=0.008, I2=79%). A similar trend of decreased mortality was observed in the subgroup analysis by study design (Observational OR 0.59, 95% CI 0.35-0.97, p=0.04, I2=83%;RCTs OR 0.72, 95% CI 0.56-0.93, p=0.01, I2=53%). CONCLUSION(S): Baricitinib used along with the standard of care treatments is associated with a reduction in mortality in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 disease.
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INTRODUCTION: Coagulopathy and thromboembolic events are poor prognostic indicators of COVID-19 disease. There is a discrepancy in the results of different studies regarding the effects of chronic anticoagulation on clinical outcomes. This systematic review aims to summarize the evidence on the impact of chronic anticoagulation on clinical outcomes in COVID-19. METHOD(S): A Literature search was performed on LitCovid PubMed, WHO, and Embase databases from inception (December 2019) till May 2022. Our eligibility criteria included original studies that reported the association between prior use of anticoagulants for unrelated indications at the time of COVID-19 diagnosis and the patient outcomes in adults suffering from COVID-19. The risk of thromboembolic events in COVID-19 infected patients on chronic anticoagulation is the primary outcome and severity of COVID-19 disease in terms of ICU admission or invasive mechanical ventilation/intubation requirements, and all-cause mortality were the secondary outcomes. Random effects models were used to compute crude ODDs ratios (OR) and adjusted odds ratios (aOR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULT(S): A total of 44 observational studies met our inclusion criteria. In unadjusted analysis, prior anticoagulation was not associated with reduced risk of thromboembolic events in COVID-19 patients (N=43851, 9 studies, OR 0.67 [0.22, 2.07];p= 0.49;I2= 95%). However, pre-hospital use of anticoagulants significantly increase the risk of allcause mortality in COVID-19 patients (N= 580601;37 studies, OR 1.56 [1.22, 2.01];p=0.0005;I2= 97%). There was no statistically significant association between prehospital anticoagulants usage and COVID-19 disease severity (N=186239;20 studies, OR 0.96 [0.70, 1.33];p= 0.82;I2= 88%). Pooling adjusted estimates revealed no statistically significant association between pre-hospital use of anticoagulants and risk of Thromboembolic events in COVID-19 patients (aOR= 0.85 [0.34, 2.12];p= 0.72), COVID-19 related mortality (aOR= 0.93 [0.82, 1.07];p= 0.32), and the severity of COVID-19 infection (aOR= 0.96 [0.72, 1.30];p= 0.81). CONCLUSION(S): Prehospital use of anticoagulation was not significantly associated with reduced risk of thromboembolic events, improved survival, and lower severity of disease in COVID-19 patients.
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Introduction: In December 2019, a rapid spread of highly infectious, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), was reported in Wuhan, China. The gold standard for diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection is nucleic acid amplification technology by detecting its viral Ribonucleic Acid (RNA) from respiratory swabs (oropharyngeal and nasopharyngeal) by Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) whose specificity is approximately 95%. Magnetic bead RNA extraction was benchmarked against the commercial QIAcube extraction platform. Aim(s): To compare the efficacy of nucleic acid extraction by manual method and automated magnetic bead-based method to detect SARS-CoV-2. Material(s) and Method(s): The present observational comparative study was conducted in the Department of Microbiology, Autonomous State Medical College, Firozabad, Uttar Pradesh, India. Duration of the study was from February to March 2022. A total of 470 oropharyngeal and nasopharyngeal samples were included in this study to observe the efficacy of nucleic acid extraction by manual extraction and automated extraction for SARS-CoV-2. Data were entered in Microsoft Excel software and analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26.0. Result(s): During this study period, a total of 470 individual samples were tested in 94 pools. Out of these 470 individuals, 331 were males (70.5%) and 139 were females (29.5%). All 94 pools were found negative by both automatic and manual extraction methods. Envelope (E) gene was found in one pool (1.06%) by the manual RNA extraction method. E gene was absent in 93 pools (98.94%) by manual method. Internal control was found highest in 88 pools (93.62%) by the automated extraction method. Conclusion(s): Automated workflows avoid human error from the sample processing pipeline and also ensure as well as enhance the meaningful output, diagnostic precision, and testing capacity. Automated instruments are in wide usage because of their capability of processing thousands of samples per day with the support of minimal staff. Copyright © 2022 Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research. All rights reserved.
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In today's era, the healthcare domain is highly influenced by the widespread applications of big data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI). These technologies are being used for high-level molecular research, drug development and predictive analysis of various diseases. Currently, big data and AI are being used in several aspects against corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Literature as well as the genomic studies available for various strains of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, suggest how the concepts of big data and AI are being implemented to understand COVID-19 better which can assist with its antiviral drug development as well as vaccine production. These concepts of big data and AI have effectively helped with the contact tracing, epidemiology, molecular studies, medical diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19 that can help against future pandemics. Similarly, with this computational approach, various disease patterns are being recognized in different types of cancer. AI plays a major role in biomarker identification for disease progression to recognize novel hallmarks of cancer as well as in the predictive analysis of the disease. This allows an early-stage diagnosis of cancer which leads to a better prognosis. With an interdisciplinary collaboration of big data and predictive analytics, patient risk can be analyzed and estimated concerning the new treatment options available for cancer. Such high-throughput technologies have improvised the diagnosis and treatment options available for various diseases. With the advancements in science and technology and the introduction of computational models, public health and medicine have been completely revolutionized for the betterment of society. © 2023 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston.
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This article has been withdrawn: please see Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal (https://www.elsevier.com/about/our-business/policies/article-withdrawal).This article has been withdrawn as part of the withdrawal of the Proceedings of the International Conference on Emerging Trends in Materials Science, Technology and Engineering (ICMSTE2K21). Subsequent to acceptance of these Proceedings papers by the responsible Guest Editors, Dr S. Sakthivel, Dr S. Karthikeyan and Dr I. A. Palani, several serious concerns arose regarding the integrity and veracity of the conference organisation and peer-review process. After a thorough investigation, the peer-review process was confirmed to fall beneath the high standards expected by Materials Today: Proceedings.The veracity of the conference also remains subject to serious doubt and therefore the entire Proceedings has been withdrawn in order to correct the scholarly record.
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COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2) that has rapidly spread all over the world, causing an international health crisis. Earlier, various synthetic antiviral drugs and clinical therapies have been used to control viral infections, but at present, there is no specific treatment available for COVID-19 infection. Several drugs, like ritonavir, lopinavir, hydroxychloroquine, and chloroquine, have been proposed. India is a hub of medicinal plants, so there is a chance to find effective means to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. The medicinal herbal formulations may enhance immunity and help develop a powerful antiviral drug, which is urgently needed to control the outbreak of coronavirus. In this review arti-cle, we have discussed the epidemiology, clinical outcomes, treatment, and prevention of this novel epidemic coronavirus from the medicinal herbal formulation perspective. We have also empha-sized the reported antiviral activity and immunity-boosting properties of the Indian medicinal plants. This article also suggests that the drug or formulation obtained from plant sources would have low fatal outcomes, exhibit quick response, and be safe in the management and prevention of this pandemic outbreak. Copyright © 2022 Bentham Science Publishers.
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The new normal due to COVID-19 has changed the dynamics of every aspect of on life, be it household, professional life, finances, education or the food patterns. There has been lack of a fixed routine in the lives of children because of closure of schools, therefore the routine of wake up, sleep, time food timings have gone haywire. Children are indirectly affected by the pandemic, through poor diet, mental health effects, social isolation, screen addiction, unhealthy and irregular food habits. This paper is aimed at discussing the potential effect of pandemic on nutritional status of children;especially when children are indulged in continue classes for long hours, sitting one place. Data from various research papers have been discussed in this review paper, highlighting the impact of the new normal health of covid-19 on the nutritional health of children this situation requires effective and practical measures which can be adopted at the home setting to enhance the nutritional status and overall wellbeing of the children. © 2022 Sciendo. All rights reserved.
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The COVID-19 pandemic has had an unpresidential impact of all aspect of people lives. The study was to do a survey on special needs students during the COVID in regards to their Study habits, Temperament and Academic stress level. The aim of this research was to conduct a comparative study and examine the students without special needs and special needs students that is, what is the impact of Covid 19 on their study habits, temperament and academic stress. In this study the sample consists of 100 students which includes 50 children with special needs and 50 children without having special needs (normal children) who were randomly selected from the age of 14-18years. The students selected for the survey belongs to various schools in Delhi. The questionnaires are used for data collection to identify the study habits, temperament and academic stress are “Study Habit Inventory by B.V. Patel”, “DIMENSIONS OF TEMPERAMENT SCALE (DTS) by N. K. Chadha and S. Chandna” and “Academic Stress Questionnaire by Mohammad Akram, Mohd. Ilyas Khan, Sabiha Baby”. Simple Percentage Analysis and z-test were used from a statistical perspective to analyze the study habits, temperament and academic stress of the students. This study shows there is a difference between study habits, temperament and academic stress of the children with special needs and children without having special needs. It is found that the covid 19 pandemic influence the study habits, temperament and academic stress of all the students. The review concludes with a summary of major research findings, as well as a consideration of future directions and implications for practice and policy.
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Here, the use of CNN-based technologies is provided with a new method for the detection of fraud during e-exams. This technology will assist providers in identifying any unknown situation during online tests, which are recommended by the majority of governments worldwide owing to the Covid-19 pandemic. Most colleges and students worldwide are severely impacted by their academic programmers, and the universities' role of testing using conventional approaches is a challenge. Thus, the students undergo several of their classes from various kinds of online third-party apps. The universities cannot, however, rely on these service providers for a long time to perform online examinations. Therefore, this work provides a full set-up of computing applications for students who can use them on their own laptops/personal computers with strict university guidance. © 2021
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The COVID-19 pandemic has posed a significant threat to human health due to the lack of drugs that can potentially act against SARS-CoV-2. Also, even after the emergency approval of WHO, the vaccines’ efficacy is still a question, and people are getting reinfections. Previous studies have demonstrated the efficacy of traditional medicinal plants against influenza and SARS coronavirus. The present article aims to review potential phytochemicals from Indian medicinal plants that may be used against SARS-CoV-2. Articles published in the English language between 1992 and 2021 were retrieved from Embase, PubMed, and Google scholar using relevant keywords, and the scientific literature on efficacies of Indian medicinal plants against SARS-CoV and influenza virus were analyzed. The initial search revealed 1304 studies, but, on subsequent screening, 115 eligible studies were reported. Twenty research articles investigating traditional medicinal plant extracts and metabolites against SARS-CoV and influenza A virus in in vitro and in vivo systems satisfied the search criteria. The studies reported that plant extracts and active compounds such as glycyrrhizin, 14-α-lipoyl andrographolide, and curcumin from medicinal plants such as Yashtimadhu (Glycyrrhiza glabra), Bhunimba (Andrographis paniculata), and Haridra (Curcuma longa) are effective against the various phases of the virus life cycle, viz., virus-host cell attachment, viral replication, 3CL protease activity, neuraminidase activity, adsorption and penetration of the virus. As per ancient Indian literature, plants in Ayurveda possess Rasayana (revitalizing) and Jwara hara (antipyretic, anti-inflammatory) properties. This evidence may be used to conduct experimental and clinical trials to study the underlying mechanisms and efficacy of antiviral properties of Indian medicinal plants against SARS-CoV-2.
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In this report, we present a pre-organization summary of the fourth workshop on emerging software engineering education (WESEE) held in virtual mode on February 25, 2021, co-located with the 14th Innovations in Software Engineering Conference (ISEC 2021), February 25-27, 2021. The 4th edition of WESEE, a half-day workshop, focuses on open discussions and brainstorming sessions with a theme "Software Engineering Education during COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond". The workshop consists of two invited talks of 45 minutes each, two hands-on activities, followed by an open-ended concluding discussion session (30 minutes). A total of 70-75 participants including academic faculty members, students, and industry practitioners participated virtually in the workshop. © 2021 Owner/Author.
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INTRODUCTION: Learning objective: The primary objective of this review is to examine studies reporting association of mortality in COVID-19 patients with obesity. A secondary objective is to similarly assess associations with higher severity of the disease in COVID-19 patients in regards with obesity. METHODS: We searched multiple COVID-19 databases (WHO, CDC, LIT-COVID) for randomized trials and longitudinal studies from all over the world reporting mortality and severity published before July 18th, 2020. Meta-analyses were performed using 6 studies for mortality outcome comparison and 24 for the severity outcome. Mantel-Haenszel odds ratios were generated to describe the overall effect side using random effect models. To account for between study results variations, multivariate meta-regression was performed with pre-selected covariates using maximum likelihood method for both the mortality and severity models. RESULTS: Our findings showed the presence of obesity did not significantly influence mortality (Mantel-Haenszel OR=1.16, 95% CI 0.67 to 2.007, p=0.59, I2= 96.12%). However, obese patients were likely to have severe disease (Mantel-Haenszel OR=1.56, 95% CI 1.32 to 1.84, I2=58.7%) in comparison to not being on ACEI/ARBs in COVID-19 positive patients. Multivariate meta-regression for the severity model demonstrated that 100% of between study variation could be explained by differences in proportion of diabetes, pulmonary disease, hypertension and age. CONCLUSIONS: We found that obesity leads to significantly increased severity of COVID-19 but has no association with mortality. Therefore, the inclusion of body mass index in prognostic scores and improvement of guidelines for the intensive care of patients with obesity are highly recommended.