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Background: Pulmonary tuberculosis is still a public health problem, and surveillance data analysis has not been done much. Recently a global pandemic of COVID-19 has the potential in disturbing TB elimination programs and treatment. This study aims to comprehensively analyse the incidence rate (IR) and Case Fatality Rate (CFR) of pulmonary tuberculosis in East Java from 2015–2020 and during COVID-19 and the strategies for optimizing tuberculosis disease control. Methodology: The study analyzed annual surveillance data using an analytical descriptive design. The Variables were analyzed with Spearman correlation with a level of evidence of 95% (p<0.05). Results: The prevalence of pulmonary tuberculosis in East Java fluctuated from 2015–2020. In 2020 and during the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of cases and morbidity rates increased. Statistic results confirm the presence of a significant correlation between the values of Incidence rate (IR) and Case Fatality rate (CFR) (p = 0.032), IR and Treatment Success Rate (TSR) (p = 0.020), and CFR and TSR (p = 0.002). Population density is not correlated with the number of new cases (p = 0.667). Treatment rates have increased to 51%;cure and treatment rates have decreased to 76% and 89%, respectively, and there was a 4% increase in mortality during COVID-19. Conclusions: COVID-19 has tremendously affected the treatment of pulmonary TB cases in East Java, Indonesia by increasing the incidence rate and decreasing the fatality rate. The pandemic promotes fear in the community to check their medical status and improve the quality of their health in East Java. © The Authors retain the copyrights of this article, with first publication rights granted to Medsci Publications.
ABSTRACT
Background: The global Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is superimposed on the ongoing Multidrug-Resistant Organisms (MDROs) pandemic. Bacterial co-infection, particularly those caused by MDROs, is one of the risk factors linked to higher morbidity and mortality rates in COVID-19 patients. This study aims to compare critical priority MDROs profile causing bacteremia in COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients during a pandemic. Methods: A hospital-based retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted at Dr. Soetomo General Academic Hospital from April 2020 to December 2021. This study used a consecutive sampling technique, which included and analyzed all identified microorganism isolates from blood specimens that met the inclusion criteria. The Mann-Whitney test was used to compare MDRO profiles between COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients, which is significant if p < 0.05. Results: The total proportion of critical priority MDRO isolates in COVID-19 patients was 90/390 (23.08%), while in non-COVID-19 patients were 377/1446 (26.07%) isolates (p=0.228). Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) had a higher proportion of events in COVID-19 patients (12.05% vs. 7.05%, p < 0.001). In contrast, extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL)-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae (ESBL-KP) had a higher proportion of events in non-COVID patients (7.54% vs. 2.82%, p < 0.001). Acinetobacter baumannii exhibited a high level of resistance, with 149/223 (66.82%) of the isolates being CRAB, with the COVID-19 group accounting for 47/59 (79.66%) and the non-COVID-19 group accounting for 102/164 (62.19%;z = 2.438;p = 0.015). Conclusion: The high proportion and resistance rate of critical priority MDROs, CRAB particularly, among COVID-19 patients, highlights the importance of effective AMR control practices and prevention strategies during the pandemic. © 2023, Sanglah General Hospital. All rights reserved.
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Backgrounds: Rare cases of COVID-19 vertical transmission are reported, even though abnormal findings on placenta histopathology are frequently reported on SARS-CoV-2 infected pregnancies. However, no publications report the impact of COVID-19 infection on the placental apoptotic index. Apoptosis is a physiological process of cell regeneration. SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy may disturb the respiration system, causing hypoxia, thus altering placental perfusion. COVID-19 infection also increases inflammatory mediators, producing reactive oxygen species and affecting placenta tissue in viremia cases. These processes can cause caspase cleavage, resulting in programmed cell death and apoptosis. This study aims to know whether COVID-19 infection with various degrees of symptoms affects placental apoptosis. Methods: This is a retrospective, cross sectional study. We conduct a study on 34 placenta blocks of COVID-19 pregnancy and 31 placenta blocks of non-COVID-19 pregnancy. The PCR of nasopharyngeal swabs performed on third-trimester patients in Dr. Soetomo Hospital meets the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Those placenta samples were processed into slides and painted with a TUNEL assay kit. Slides are then examined and rated for apoptotic index. Results: The majority of these patients are multiparous women. Sixty-five patients were included in the study, 2 died, and 63 others lived. Comparison between COVID-19 positive and non-COVID-19 placental apoptotic index shows a significant difference between both groups (p=0.001). Conclusion: From this study, we can conclude that there is a significant difference in the apoptotic index of the placenta between COVID-19-positive and negative pregnancies. © 2023, Sanglah General Hospital. All rights reserved.
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Background: Limiting close physical contact is key to helping reduce the spread of the coronavirus by using the portable eye examination kit (Peek Acuity), which has been recognized as a reliable and valid tool to measure visual acuity. This study is aimed to compare the effectiveness of the Peek Acuity and ETDRS (Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study) chart as the gold standard for screening in school-age students. Methods: This study used an observational research design with cross-sectional data collection methods to compare the effectiveness of the Peek Acuity application diagnostic test and ETDRS chart for screening in school-age students. Sample collection was done by total sampling technique on students aged 6-12 from one of the elementary schools in Surabaya. The study was conducted from October 2019 to November 2019. OpenEpi analyzed the validity and reliability of the results to compare the effectiveness of Peek Acuity and the ETDRS chart. Results: There were 231 students with details aged 6-9 years, as many as 150 students and aged 10-12 years, as many as 81 students. On examination of visual acuity using peek acuity and ETDRS chart, it indicated that the number of subjects with refractive errors was more than normal eyes. Peek acuity has been shown to have low sensitivity and high specificity. Higher specificity was found in children aged 10-12 years compared to 6-9 years. Conclusion: The Peek Acuity application has higher effectiveness in screening than the ETDRS chart. It is practical, fast, and easy to use. The Peek Acuity application is considered effective for screening school-age students due to its high rate of specificity. © 2022, Sanglah General Hospital. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
The Covid-19 pandemic has had an impact on change in various fields, including in higher education. This study provides an overview of the survey result of the experience of 14 lecturers of the Mathematics Education Study Program at the University of Sanata Dharma towards learning in responding to Pandemic Covid-19. The intended experience includes the strategies and technologies used in learning, learning success in terms of the achievement of objectives and student involvement, and planning for future learning. The results showed that (1) all lecturers conducted distance learning by utilizing various kinds of technology both synchronous and asynchronous as a form of learning adjustment to face a pandemic. (2) Although there was an adjustment in learning, most mathematics learning can run according to learning achievements. (3) The Mathematics Education lecturer will implement an improvement in learning that must be carried out online. The improvement is in the form of preparation and planning of learning, the use of more varied technologies, the use of more innovative methods of delivering material, adjustment of learning in terms of learning achievement and evaluation while still focusing on developing student experience.