ABSTRACT
Background: Since 1990, the maternal mortality significantly decreased at global scale as well as the North Africa and Middle East. However, estimates for mortality and morbidity by cause and age at national scale in this region are not available. Method(s): This study is part of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors study (GBD) 2019. Here we report maternal mortality and morbidity by age and cause across 21 countries in the region from 1990 to 2019. Result(s): Between 1990 and 2019, maternal mortality ratio (MMR) dropped from 148.8 (129.6-171.2) to 94.3 (73.4-121.1) per 100 000 live births in North Africa and Middle East. In 1990, MMR ranged from 6.0 (5.3-6.8) in Kuwait to 502.9 (375.2-655.3) per 100 000 live births in Afghanistan. Respective figures for 2019 were 5.1 (4.0-6.4) in Kuwait to 269.9 (195.8-368.6) in Afghanistan. Percentages of deaths under 25 years was 26.0% in 1990 and 23.8% in 2019. Maternal hemorrhage, indirect maternal deaths, and other maternal disorders rank 1st to 3rd in the entire region. Ultimately, there was an evident decrease in MMR along with increase in socio-demographic index from 1990 to 2019 in all countries in the region and an evident convergence across nations. Conclusion(s): MMR has significantly declined in the region since 1990 and only five countries (Afghanistan, Sudan, Yemen, Morocco, and Algeria) out of 21 nations didn't achieve the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target of 70 deaths per 100 000 live births in 2019. Despite the convergence in trends, there are still disparities across countries.Copyright © 2022 Academy of Medical Sciences of I.R. Iran. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
SARS-CoV-2 is a human-infecting coronavirus, is the causative agent of COVID-19 disease. The World Health Organization declared this disease as a pandemic on 11 March 2020. The genome of SARS-CoV-2 is ~30kb in length which encodes sixteen nonstructural and four main structural proteins. The structural spike protein enables SARS-CoV-2 to bind to the host cell receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), which leads to viral infection. COVID-19 is considered as a respiratory disease that affects just the lungs in most cases. Consequently, the principal approach to prevent this disease is supportive care. Efficient SARS-CoV-2 vaccines and altering treatments such as dexamethasone, tocilizumab and antibody cocktails have been developed in several countries. Due to their potential to increase drug bioavailability, a number of approaches in pharmaceutical nanotechnology are currently being tested against SARS-CoV-2. This includes nano-based products designed for detection, prevention and treatment of COVID-19. Such approaches may help to control this current pandemic and pave the way for prevention and treatment of future coronavirus outbreaks. © 2021 Isfahan University of Medical Sciences(IUMS). All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
COVID-19, which is caused by the SARS-Cov-2, begins with early symptoms of fever, cough, shortness of breath, myalgia, and fatigue, affecting the lungs with pneumonia and causing acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Also, the onset of the disease may with rapid progression, lead to organ dysfunction, such as acute kidney or liver damage, and even death in severe cases. Many scientific efforts are underway around the world to identify the appropriate treatment for this disease. Curcumin is a natural polyphenolic compound, which could be a potential treatment option for patients with Covid-19. In this study, we review some of the possible effects of curcumin, such as inhibiting virus entry into the cell, inhibiting virus replication and viral protease, as well as modulating some intracellular messenger pathways. To comprehensive literature review, information from an internet search of English language databases PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and ScienceDirect as well as Persian language databases such as SID using related keywords based on MESH such as COVID-19, SARS-COV-2, Curcumin and curcuminoid between January 2020 and January 2021 were collected. This review provides some possible effects of curcumin and its mechanisms for the treatment of COVID-19.