ABSTRACT
Background Elevated serum level of interleukin-6 (IL-6) in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may be a result of a cytokine storm and can be an indicator of severe and critical forms of the disease.Therefore, it is crucial to detect and control IL-6 level early in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2-infected patients;in addition to that, IL-6 may be a target for drug development. Aim In this study, we aimed to evaluate IL-6 serum levels in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2-infected patients with positive PCR result early after diagnosis to detect disease severity and mortality. Study design and methods This prospective study was done on 60 COVID-19-infected patients. Serum IL-6 levels were tested after diagnosis. Tocilizumab was given to 11 patients with severe COVID-19. Results High serum levels of IL-6 had been detected in 95% of patients and in all patients of the critical group. Its levels in the mild group were 1.87 times less than that in the moderate group, whereas 2.85 times less than that in the critical group. IL-6 median levels were 24, 44.85, and 68.4 ng/l for the mild, moderate, and critical groups, respectively. The IL-6 concentration was predictive of severity (with IL-6 cutoff value >56 ng/l) and was predictive of mortality (with a cutoff value >67 ng/l) for COVID-19-infected patients. Tocilizumab cure rate was 30% in critical cases. Conclusion Serum IL-6 is of paramount importance in detecting severity and mortality of COVID-19 disease, whereas therapeutic value of tocilizumab needs confirmation by detailed studies.Copyright © 2023 The Egyptian Journal of Chest Diseases and Tuberculosis.
ABSTRACT
The world is facing a new pandemic that affected all aspects of life and interrupted normal daily activities, which urges rethinking the ability of the urban realm to adapt to change especially when it comes to basic human needs. Urban markets play a vital part in securing daily access to food;thus, it is crucial to keep them operating safely during pandemic. The paper starts by discussing socioeconomic implications of pandemic in the urban realm in general and in markets in particular. Guidelines for designing markets are briefly reviewed, followed by guidance provided by responsible organizations for operating markets safely during pandemic. The paper demonstrates some of the solutions and ideas applied and suggested worldwide to avoid the consequences of markets’ shutting down, then it introduces the case study: Tablita market as one of the enclosed urban markets in Cairo, Egypt, the market’s situation during pandemic is studied through observation, structured and unstructured interviews with vendors. The results from market observation and interviews show some of the socioeconomic implications of COVID on the market as well as the behavioral challenges that require innovative solutions to force the adherence to protection measures. Accordingly, the paper suggests applicable short-term and long-term solutions for Tablita market redesign in the light of these implications, challenges and protection measures that can also be applied in similar cases in Cairo to help markets operate safely and avoid severe consequences of lockdown. © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
ABSTRACT
Covid-19 will aggravate the problem of child labor. The traditional policy to fight this problem has relied heavily on the role of the school. Empirical evidence shows that the benefits of basic education for poor families are very high. Yet, these high returns may be a statistical illusion when social and economic inequality prevail. In this case, while fighting inequality and enhancing social mobility, the emphasis should be put on the role of the school as provider of goods and services: on maintaining Conditional Cash Transfer programs. This is the more urgent when episodes like the Covid-19 pandemic force temporary school closures.