ABSTRACT
Annualy, SARS occupy a leading position in terms of morbidity and the magnitude of the economic damage caused both in the world and in the Russian Federation. Currently, the most widespread pandemics are caused by the influenza A (H1N1) pdm09 virus and the new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, which occupy a common ecological niche and require studying the manifestations of the epidemic process of ARVI for further development of measures to improve epidemiological surveillance of this group of infections. Aim of the study was to investigate the current manifestations of the epidemic process of ARVI and influenza, including in the context of a new coronavirus infection (COVID–19) pandemic, on the territory of Russia and in Moscow. Materials and methods. The assessment of the long-term dynamics of the incidence of ARVI and influenza (from 1999 to 2021), as well as its age structure in the territory of the Russian Federation and in Moscow, was carried out. The main sources of information were: WHO: «The situation with COVID-19 in the European region», the domestic information portal Stopkoronavirus.rf, as well as data from Federal State Statistical Observation forms No. 2 and No. 6. Results. During the period 2013–2019, a strong positive correlation was revealed between the incidence rates of ARVI in the Russian Federation and Moscow (p = 0.8, with p < 0.05), which became negative with the spread of SARS-CoV-2: in the country, the incidence rate of ARVI increased by 11.5% in 2020 and 15.6% in 2021., in Moscow there was a decrease of 45.1% than the average in Russia, which could be due to the quality of differential diagnosis of ARVI and COVID-19. In 2021 the incidence rate of influenza decreased by more than 2 times in all Federal Districts of the country, with the exception of the capital region, where it became the maximum-65.9 per 100 thousand population in 2021 (against 14.1 in 2019). In the age structure of influenza incidence, as well as ARVI, for the period from 2019 to 2021. the child population prevailed with the highest rates in the age groups of 1–2 years and 3–6 years. As the circulation of SARS-Cov-2 decreased to 15–19%, the activity of influenza viruses and other pathogens of the ARVI group increased (from 0.7–3.0% during the developed pandemic to 5.6–6.6% at the stage of its decline), which indicates a pronounced interference of pathogens detected at the global level in the system of Global Hospital Surveillance for flu. Conclusion. The forecast for the upcoming epidemic season 2022–2023 largely depends on the spread of the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, as well as its variability and the emergence of new variants. Nevertheless, there may be a significant increase in the incidence caused by the influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 virus, whose high activity was recorded in the current epidemic season in a number of countries in the Southern hemisphere. © 2022, Numikom. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
SARS-CoV-2 is the cause of COVID-19, which has a serious effect on the lower respiratory system. COVID-19 causes bilateral pneumonia and acute respiratory syndrome. Smell disorders are important diagnostic symptoms of COVID-19. This symptom is detected in about 90 % of cases. Anosmia may be the first or even the only symptom and may appear before other symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 infection. In the context of the COVID-19 epidemic, anosmia can be considered a clinical diagnostic criterion when laboratory tests are not available. The sense of smell is one of the most important senses needed to gain information about the environment. Anosmia can occur in both COVID-19 and allergic rhinitis (AR), which can make it difficult to detect the origin of these symptoms and make a diagnosis in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Research results indicate AR is not an aggravating factor for COVID-19. Comorbidity of AR does not affect the reduction of the sense of smell in patients with COVID-19. Patients with AR are recommended to use antihistamines and intranasal corticosteroids for relief of symptoms. Control of AR symptoms can help prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2 infection. It can be assumed that both local and oral corticosteroids at COVID-19 can be regarded as effective in the treatment of olfactory dysfunction. To restore the sense of smell in patients with AR and COVID-19, experts recommend regular olfactory training, which, at the moment, is the only modern scientifically based therapy for restoring post-viral loss of smell. The use of face masks and respirators during a pandemic aims to minimize exposure to allergens and the SARS-CoV-2 virus. However, prolonged wearing of masks and respirators makes breathing even more difficult with rhinitis caused by AR or COVID-19, which reduces the quality of life and worsens the clinical picture.
ABSTRACT
Infectious diseases caused by fungi (mycoses) are one of the significant problems of modern medicine Worldwide, more than 300 million people suffer from severe and chronic mycoses, 25 million patients are at risk of disability or death. Due to changes in treatment strategies and the wider use of antifungal prevention in recent years, the epidemiology of fungal infections has changed and has become particularly relevant due to a significant increase in cases of invasive mycoses. Deep, visceral mycoses, sometimes associated with HIV infection, oncohematological pathology, organ transplantation, nursing of newborns, have become more frequent, while the role of fungi that were previously considered apatogenic increases. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, risk factors for these infections continue to increase, and therefore it is likely that the incidence of fungal infections, including those associated as nosocomial, will increase in the coming years. The increasing role of fungi in the etiology of hospital infections, the introduction into clinical practice of a significant number of new drugs was inevitably accompanied by the formation of resistance of fungi to antimycotics. According to literature data, the rate of emergence of pathogenic fungi resistant to a limited number of widely used antifungal agents is unprecedented. Thus, in modern conditions associated with the increase in resistance of pathogenic fungi, the key measures should be aimed at developing optimal strategies for containing resistance to antifungal drugs.
ABSTRACT
In this article, we analyzed the problems associated with increasing antibiotic resistance, irrational use of antibiotics, and inadequate demand for them during the COVID-19 pandemic. Objective. Using the method of digital epidemiology, we analyzed the dynamics of the frequency of a specific request for antibiotics in pharmacies and hospitals. We used open data from Yandex (Wordstat.Yandex) and Google (Google Trends) collected on weekly basis for the Russian Federation. Results. The World Health Organization reports a growing problem of antibiotic misuse by some individuals and healthcare institutions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Extensive irrational use of antibiotics causes the development of antibiotic resistance by many microorganisms, including those circulating in hospitals (for example, ESKAPE group). Moreover, COVID-19 has led to an exponential increase in the use of biocides worldwide, potentially resulting in additional indirect pressure promoting the selection of antibiotic-resistant strains. The pandemic in Russia was marked by a significant increase in antibiotic sales in pharmacies (including systemic antibacterial agents) and purchases by healthcare institutions. Conclusion. Our findings demonstrate that the rapid spread of COVID-19 was associated with extensive consumption of antibiotics, which resulted in growing antibacterial resistance (number of circulating drug-resistant strains) and posed a threat to the national security. The COVID-19 necessitates the discovery of new effective treatments for this infection, as well as rational use of antimicrobial drugs. The implementation of surveillance of antibiotic consumption will help to identify changing trends in their use, combine efforts to solve problems related to antibiotics and drug resistance, and to ensure rational use of antimicrobials. © 2021, Dynasty Publishing House. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
The search for sensitive and specific markers enabling timely identification of patients with a life-threat-ening novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) is important for a successful treatment. The aim of the study was to examine the association of molecular biomarkers of air-blood barrier damage, surfactant proteins SP-A and SP-D and Club cell protein CC16, with the outcome of patients with COVID-19. Materials and methods. A cohort of 109 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 was retrospectively divided into two groups. Group 1 comprised survivor patients discharged from the ICU (n=90). Group 2 included the patients who did not survive (n=19). Association of disease outcome and SP-A, SP-D, and CC16 levels in blood serum, clinical, and laboratory data were examined taking into account the day of illness at the time of bio-material collection. Results. The non-survivors had higher SP-A (from days 1 to 10 of symptoms onset) and lower CC16 (from days 11 to 20 of symptoms onset) levels vs survivors discharged from ICU. No significant differences in SP-D levels between the groups were found. Conclusion. According to the study results, the surfactant protein SP-A and Club cell protein CC16 are associated with increased COVID-19 mortality.
ABSTRACT
Relevance. During the pandemic of the new coronavirus infection (COVID-19), one of the most vulnerable and actively involved in the epidemic process categories of the population were medical workers. The study of the incidence of COVID-19 among medical workers, risk factors for infection and safety measures is an important area of research in modern conditions. The aim of the study is to assess the prevalence of COVID-19 among employees of medical organizations and occupational risk factors for infection in order to develop proposals for corrective measures. Materials and methods. To study the incidence of COVID-19 among employees of medical organizations, an anonymous online questionnaire developed by the authors was used, which was posted on the Google platform and distributed during the first wave of the pandemic among employees of medical organizations in several regions of the Russian Federation through corporate e-mail or specialized online resources adapted for health workers. The survey involved 1,872 medical workers of different genders, ages, positions and work experience. Results and discussion. Among the survey participants, 161 employees have already had a new coronavirus infection. In the majority (64.0%) of them, the disease occurred in the form of acute respiratory infection, in 28.6%-interstitial pneumonia, in 7.4% only the fact of isolation of the SARS-CoV-2 antigen without clinical manifestations of infection was documented. The most affected contingents were secondary and junior medical personnel, mainly hospital staff. The likelihood of infection in the workplace was increased by factors such as providing care to patients with confirmed COVID-19, participating in procedures related to aerosol generation, working with biomaterials of patients with COVID-19, contact with surfaces in the environment of a COVID-19 patient, ignorance of infectious safety issues due to lack of instruction before admission to work. When assessing the efficiency of personal protective equipment (PPE) when they are used in the process, it was found that the highest value for the prevention of infection COVID-19 had a PPE for face protection, respiratory and eye, and hand hygiene. At the same time, many employees are faced with the problem of an insufficient number of protective equipment in the workplace. When assessing the availability of SARS-CoV-2 testing to employees, it was found that only 77.4% of survey participants had the opportunity to be tested for coronavirus infection in a timely manner. Conclusion. Thus, for more effective protection of employees of medical organizations, it is necessary to have a sufficient number of personal protective equipment, especially for the face, respiratory organs and vision, the availability of hygienic hand treatment during work, regular instruction on infectious safety, using interactive forms of training, and the organization of screening examinations of previously unvaccinated and unvaccinated employees. © 2021, Numikom. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
Respiratory tract infections (influenza, acute respiratory infections (ARIs), community-acquired pneumonia, etc.) pose a serious threat to organized groups (including military personnel, cadets, students of military universities, and schools). The most common complication of ARI is community-acquired pneumonia, severe forms of which may result in an unfavorable outcome. The use of some drugs, such as Carmolis ensures a 2.0–3.8 times reduction in the incidence of ARIs in organized groups and a 2.3–3.0 times reduction in the incidence of community-acquired pneumonia. Carmolis has a pronounced non-specific protective effect and increases resistance to respiratory tract infections by promoting nonspecific resistance of the organism. This prevents significant economic damage and reduces the number of complications and poor outcomes. © 2020, Dynasty Publishing House. All rights reserved.