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In the era of COVID pandemic, it is highly desirable to improve body's immune responses. Many of the diseases including COVID impact the immune system and make it defenseless. There is a growing interest of herbal medicine around the world owing to effective pharmacological actions attributed by its unique phytocompounds. Majority of the immunomodulatory drugs including both immunosuppressor and immuno-stimulators are synthetic organic compounds having side effects. Therefore, there is a growing interest to use plant-based products to regulate immune responses. The present chapter deals with the recognition of members of the family Solanaceae for their use as potential immunomodulators. There are quite a few reports of active phytocompounds isolated from different solanaceous plants that have a myriad of medicinal properties. Various phytochemicals such as phenolic compounds, flavonoids, alkaloids, terpenes, lactones, and glycosides have been shown to have various therapeutic effects on human body owing to their ability to influence body's immune system. The present chapter will give a comprehensive overview of plant-based therapeutics of solanaceous plants including withanolides isolated from Withania somnifera and Physalis sps, capsaicinoids isolated from Capsicum, and lycopene from tomato. Solanaceae is one of the superfamily having huge repertoire of plants belonging to major food crops utilized throughout the world (tomato, potato, capsicum etc.) as well as in medicine category. Besides several members of the Solanaceae family such as Physalis sps, Atropa sps, Datura stramonium, and Solanum xanthocarpum have potential phytomolecules belonging to alkaloids, terpenoids, and steroid category, which are recognized as medicines. This chapter will also give a critical overview of the possibilities, facts, and prospects of the use of members of Solanaceae family as potential future immunomodulatory drugs. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2022.
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The outbreak of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) has impacted the health and welfare of people globally. Given the fundamental role of sleep in health and wellbeing, it is important to study the impact of Covid-19 on sleep quality, dream content and emotionality. This has not been studied among Indian population. The present study was carried out to understand the state of sleep quality, dream contents and the relation between sleep quality and emotionality in people during the Covid-19. Based on previous studies, we expected to find differences among individuals based on how much they were affected by Covid-19, which may be because of pandemic-related stressors (like altered family dynamics, economic stability, etc.). We used Mannheim Dream questionnaire (MADRE), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Positive Affect Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS). We used robust statistics and resampling-based estimates to quantify differences and associations for hypothesis testing. The findings indicate that during pandemic, sleep quality deteriorated with increase in negative affect and improved with increase in positive affect. Sleep quality also deteriorates with an increase in the intensity of emotionally charged dreams. Furthermore, correlation analysis revealed a negative relationship between age and negative affect (NA) suggesting that the younger the age, higher the negative affective state. Subjects who reported to be Covid-19 affected had an increased frequency of nightmares and were more distressed by nightmares, compared to those reporting not affected. This supports the notion that sleep, dreams, and affective states were disrupted during the pandemic. Subjects infected with Covid-19 had dreams of relatives or friends suffering from coronavirus and this shows the strong effect of the pandemic on the dream contents. Our study highlights the impact of psychological stress on human sleep, and emotionality. According to the study findings, we suggest that monitoring sleep, dreams, and emotions may help in developing effective interventions to restore sleep quality, prevent sleep disorders, and manage affective behaviour in pandemic like situations. © 2023, International Journal of Dream Research. All Rights Reserved.
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Purpose: The paper investigated the short-term impact of the lockdown announcement due to COVID-19 on various industries in India using firms' stock returns and credit ratings. Design/Methodology: The paper used event study methodology to analyze abnormal returns on stocks and credit rating changes of firms following the lockdown to understand the impact on the debt servicing of firms. Findings: The paper found a heterogeneous impact of lockdown on various industries. Pharmaceuticals, chemicals, FMCGs, and telecom sectors saw positive abnormal returns, while textiles, financial services, construction, services, cement, and automobile sectors were the worst affected. The paper also found that smaller companies were more susceptible to the effects of such lockdowns. Indian subsidiaries of foreign MNCs and Central Government-owned firms fared better than privately-owned domestic firms. The debt servicing ability of firms was unimpacted due to the debt relief package announced to mitigate the impact of the lockdown. Practical Implications: The paper's findings have implications for investors and managers who can make informed decisions in advance to reduce the risk to their investment if such a black swan event is expected. The paper's findings could help policymakers identify sectors that require immediate support due to the disruption from such an event. Originality: The paper is unique in investigating the impact of the lockdown due to COVID-19 on companies across different industries, with different ownership groups and sizes. We have not come across such a detailed study investigating the impact of COVID-19 on various industries in India. © 2023, Associated Management Consultants Pvt. Ltd.. All rights reserved.
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Background: Confirmed COVID-19 case counts underestimate SARS-CoV-2 infections, particularly in countries with limited testing capacity. Pregnant women attending antenatal care (ANC) clinics have served as healthy population surrogates to monitor diseases like HIV and malaria. We measured SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence among women attending ANC clinics to assess infection trends over time in Zambia. Method(s): We conducted repeated cross-sectional surveys among pregnant women aged 15-49 years attending their first ANC visits in 3 districts of Zambia during September 2021-September 2022. Up to 200 women per district were enrolled each month, completing a standardized questionnaire. Dried blood spot samples were collected for serologic testing for prior infection using the Tetracore FlexImmArrayTM SARS-CoV-2 Human IgG Antibody Test and HIV testing according to national guidelines. We calculated odds ratios (ORs) for SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence by demographic characteristics, adjusting for the district. Result(s): A total of 5,351 women were enrolled at 29 study sites between September 2021 and September 2022. Participants' median age was 25 years (interquartile range: 21-30), 530 (9.9%) tested positive for HIV, and 101 (1.9%) reported a prior positive COVID-19 test. Overall, SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence was 67%, and rose from 49% in September 2021 to 85% in September 2022 (Figure 1). The greatest increase in seroprevalence occurred during the 4th wave caused by the Omicron variant (48% in December 2021 to 63% in January 2022). Seroprevalence was significantly higher among women living in urban districts (Chipata and Lusaka) compared to rural Chongwe District (Chipata OR: 1.2, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.1-1.4;Lusaka OR: 1.7, 95% CI: 1.5-2.0). The age group was not significantly associated with seroprevalence after adjusting for the district (aOR: 1.1, 95% CI: 1.0-1.2). Seroprevalence was significantly lower among women living with HIV than women living without HIV (aOR: 0.8, 95% CI: 0.6-0.9). Conclusion(s): Overall, two-thirds of women in the three surveyed districts in Zambia had evidence of SARS-CoV-2 exposure, rising to 85% after the Omicron variant spread throughout the country. ANC clinics have a potential role in ongoing SARS-CoV-2 serosurveillance and can continue to provide insights into SARS-CoV-2 infection dynamics. Furthermore, they provide a platform for focused SARS-CoV-2 prevention messaging and COVID-19 management in pregnant women at higher risk of severe disease. (Figure Presented).
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Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate the psychiatric distress, including stress, anxiety, and depression levels, among COVID-19 positive patients who were admitted between 01 July 2020 to 31 August 2020 to the COVID-19 isolation ward of the Uttar Pradesh University of Medical Sciences, Saifai, Etawah India. Participants included 100 patients, with 55 males and 45 females. The majority of admitted patients (81%) were illiterate. Out of 100 patients, 83 were married, 16 were unmarried, and only 1 was a widow. Method(s): Levels of anxiety, depression, and stress level were noted in admitted patients using Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) depression assessment, and Perceived Stress Scale 4 (PSS-4) assessment techniques, respectively. Result(s): Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) depression assessment results showed minimal, mild, and moderate depression in 9, 25, and 66 patients, respectively, with a 10.6 median score of PHQ-9. Mild, moderate, and severe anxiety (GAD-7 score) was present in 22, 28, and 50 of the patients surveyed. The mean Perceived Stress Scale 4 (PSS-4) was also analyzed, and it reported 6.1 values. The results of the study demonstrated that the patients had a high label of psychiatric distress, but still, admitted patients believe that they will come out from this pandemic condition. Conclusion(s): Although patients claimed psychiatric distress and mental health illness, they still denied the requirement of any mental health professionals to minimize stress levels and were satisfied with the medical facilities available in a hospital located in a rural area.Copyright © 2022 Bentham Science Publishers.
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Waste generation has steadily increased over the last few decades, owing to rising population and rapid industrial development. By 2050, the world is expected to generate 3.40 billion tons of waste per year, up from 2.01 billion tons today. Waste mismanagement has negative consequences for human health and the environment, while also contributing to climate change. To reduce waste generation, resources must be used and reused in a sustainable manner so that they do not end up in landfills. Waste-to-economy (WTE) is a feasible approach with enormous potential to contribute to waste management sustainability while also generating economic benefits. The transition from a linear to a circular economy, in which waste is recycled, reused, and used as a resource, may provide a significant opportunity to generate significant wealth or economic benefits, as well as positive environmental and health implications, particularly in the urban water sector. Long-term direct and indirect economic, ecological, and human health benefits may result if global environmental pollution is reduced, resulting in a corresponding reduction in morbidity and mortality at endpoint impacts. The importance and implications of waste to economy practices in the urban water sector have been discussed in this chapter. This approach could be extremely beneficial in countries dealing with a water crisis. The 6R principle of reduce, recycle, reclaim, recover, reuse, and restore can be used to reduce water stress. As a result, water demands could be met with some considerations, as well as the generation and recovery of value-added products from wastewaters. The transition from a linear economy to a WTE approach, however, carries the risk of negative environmental and human health consequences associated with the production and reuse of recycled materials. Aside from that, the effects of WTE applications on ecosystems, the environment, and human health are mostly positive. This chapter discussed the need for and application of WTE principles in the urban water sector, as well as the associated positive and negative environmental, economic, and health implications, as well as some recommendations. © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) presents clinically a variety of pathological and clinical organ dysfunctions, ranging in severity from asymptomatic to fatal. The care and monitoring of COVID-19 patients may benefit from the use of biochemical and hematological markers. Objective To observe the alteration of serum biochemical and hematological parameters in COVID-19 positive patients, attending a Tertiary Care Hospital. Method A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on all COVID-19 positive patients attending Nobel Medical College Teaching Hospital, Biratnagar, Nepal from 15th December 2021 to 15th February 2022. The test results of different serum biochemical and hematological parameters done for these patients were recorded in clinical laboratory services and obtained retrospectively for the analysis. The data were entered in MS excel and analyzed by SPSS version 20. Result Out of 1537 COVID-11699 declared positive patients, 712 (46.32%) were male and 825 (53.68%) female. Mean age of COVID positive patients was 40.03±20.08 years. The level of serum SGOT, SGPT, ALP and GGT was significantly elevated in 39.9%, 42.8%, 32.3% and 47.2% of COVID positive patients respectively. Blood Urea, creatinine, uric acid and sugar level were significantly elevated in 63%, 56.1%, 33.1% and 47.6% patients respectively. The serum level of LDH, D-dimer, CRP and procalcitonin (PCT) were significantly increased in 52.1%, 75.9%, 71.6% and 61.2% of patients respectively. The serum value of total cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL and LDL were significantly lowered in 52.2%, 43.8%, 70.1% and 60.3% of patients respectively. RBC concentration and level of hemoglobin was reduced in 56.6% and 53.6% of COVID positive patients respectively whereas total leukocyte count was elevated in 80.7% with increase in neutrophil in 87.9% and decrease in lymphocyte in 79.4%. Conclusion A portion of COVID-19 positive patients showed drastically altered test results for various serum biochemical and hematological markers, although many of them had normal findings.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Humans , Male , Female , Young Adult , Adult , Middle Aged , SARS-CoV-2 , Tertiary Care Centers , Retrospective Studies , Cross-Sectional StudiesABSTRACT
The novel coronavirus severe acute respiratory syndrome Corona Virus-2 (SARS-CoV--2) has become a pandemic, as declared by WHO in March 2020 producing deleterious effects on patients worldwide. The angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE-2) has been recognized as the co-receptor for SARS-CoV-2 infections and may act as a therapeutic step in blocking the enzyme to re-duce SARS-CoV-2 expression and further cellular entry. Presently, the role of ACE-2 in coron-avirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection has been known and the experts have started working on the enzyme ACE-2 for the management and treatment of this pandemic disease. The binding of spike (S) protein of SARS-CoV-2 to these receptors is the most important step and plays a key role in viral replication, thus this enzyme is becoming the doorway for the entry and spread in the human body causing asymptomatic pneumonia and severe of which is leading to death. As no specific method to prevent and treat this disease is available, the use of ACE-2 as a targeting ligand with COVID-19 virus spike protein could be helpful in the proper management of SARS-CoV-2 pneu-monia.Copyright © 2021 Bentham Science Publishers.
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Pakistan is one of the two endemic countries for polio, reporting co-circulation of WPV1 and cVDPV2. Pakistan is classified by the International Health Regulations (IHR) as a state infected with Wild Poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) and circulating Vaccine derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) with potential risk of international spread. We describe an ongoing outbreak of WPV1 in North Waziristan district of southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province in Pakistan and the last documented outbreak of cVDPV2. The first case of the WPV1 outbreak was documented in the month of April 2022, after more than a year of polio free status. Since then, 20 cases in total have been reported, of which 87 percent had never received OPV through essential immunization. Major reasons which might be responsible for Pakistan's failure in the eradication of polio including governance issues, lack of health facilities, low routine immunization, or refusal of immunization, security threat to immunization staff, extensive public movement, and presence of polio reservoirs/zones in border regions with Afghanistan. Pakistan's struggle against polio eradication was further fuelled by the COVID-19 pandemic which brought a standstill to the routine immunizations. The threat to the Global Polio Eradication stems from reintroduction of the poliovirus and emergence of circulating vaccine derived poliovirus (cVDPV) in the polio-free countries. Hence, control of the WPV1 and cVDPV2 transmission in Pakistan is an international concern. © Global Biosecurity. All Rights Reserved.
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Microbial nanotechnology is a novel approach towards developmental nanomanufacturing. The chief organisms involved in the biosynthesis of microbial nanomaterials are bacteria and microalgae that synthesize novel nanostructures such as nanocellulose and exopolysaccharides. Current approaches to microbial nanotechnology indicate their novel applications and future recommendations in various sectors. Microbial nanotechnology has revealed promising capacities in the food industry in promoting nanodelivery of food, nanobiofarming (sustainable agriculture practices), and innovative shelf life-extending approaches for fruits and vegetables. Nanobiosensor is a next-generation approach needed in early detection and high crop yield. Nanocatalyst marks the future to the diminished pesticide and insecticide level in crops. Besides the food sector, microbial nanotechnology shows its importance in other sectors such as global infectious diseases like COVID19, reveals the current nanomedicine based development and its increasing action against CoV determining the prospects of future regional or worldwide situations through anti-viral surfaces, anti-viral PPE kits, nanomaterial-based masks, and gloves to improve performance. This chapter is based on the future research recommendations and innovative prospects of nanomaterials with microbial origin and their various applications in sectors like food, global infectious diseases (COVID19), stem cell therapy, innovative approaches of antimicrobial surface coatings, and some new areas such as dentistry. © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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This research explores the use of simulation technology in supporting and preparing social work students (n = 336) for core professional skills needed for practice. This study utilized a randomized experimental design using a 3 × 3 between-subjects design to assess the impact of the type of simulation (e.g. traditional written case studies, video-based simulations, and live actor simulations) and type of scenario (e.g. family/domestic violence, suicide/mental health and hospital/medical) on social work student's ability to undertake a psychosocial assessment. Results showed that students developed more comprehensive psychosocial assessments when presented with video simulations compared to traditional methods, using actors or written case studies. This research builds evidence for social work to embrace the use of simulation to develop these skills for students in a practice setting that removes not only the fear of doing harm but also the real possibility of harm in complex scenarios. Social work field education is under increasing pressure to meet professional standards, especially with the impact of the COVID pandemic. Thus, the profession must consider alternatives for training students including utilizing technology. While many other professional disciplines incorporated the use of simulation in training, social work has been slow to embrace this trend while favoring traditional teaching methods. © 2023 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
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Secondary infections are known complication of viral respiratory infections, often leads to deterioration of the patient. Secondary infections are commonly seen in severe respiratory viral infections.Critically ill novel coronavirus diseased 19 (COVID-19) patients need hospitalization which increases their risk of acquiring secondaryinfections. The practice of empiric antibiotics due to limited diagnostic capabilities of many hospitals has the potential to escalate an already worrisome antimicrobial resistance (AMR) situation. This study is undertaken to find out most effective antibiotic for empirical treatment. We aimed to define the impact of secondary microbial infections on the clinical course inCOVID-19 patients. A retrospective study was carried out for a period of one year at RMCH& RC, Kanpur, and U.P. India. The patients admitted in intensive care units (ICUs) and wards of the hospitals were undertaken. In our study a total of 262SARS CoV-2 positive patient's pulmonary culture were assessed. Out of 262 cases,53 (20.2%) were culture positive.Prevalence of bacterial culture positive was 46(86.8%) and fungal positive culture was 7 (13.2%). The most common bacterial isolate was Klebsiella pneumoniae 18 (39.1%)followed by Acinetobacter baumannii 12(26.1%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (17.4%), Escherichia coli 6(13.0%), andStaphylococcusaureus2(4.4%).The overall mortality was high among culture positive patients.The antimicrobial susceptibility pattern in K. pneumoniaeshowed highest resistanceagainst commonly used cephalosporins. Predominance of Gram-negative bacteria (GNB) in COVID-19 patients coupled with high rates of resistance to higher generation antimicrobials is an alarming finding. A high rate of mortality in patients with secondary infections warns to improve the infection control practices andantimicrobial stewardship interventions, not only to save patient lives but also prevent drug-resistant, to which the current situation is very conducive. Copyright © 2022 Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications. All rights reserved.
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Objectives: Mucormycosis is an aggressive, life-threatening infection caused by fungi in the order Mucorales. There was an explosion of new cases of rhino-sino-orbital mucormycosis following the COVID pandemic in India, and the need for easy and rapid diagnostics was felt. The current diagnosis of mucormycosis relies on mycological cultures, radiology, and histopathology. These methods lack sensitivity and are most definitive later in the course of infection, resulting in the failure of timely intervention. A real-time multiplex PCR platform is commercially available for the detection of Rhizopus spp., Mucor spp.Rhizomucor spp., Lichtheimia spp., and Cunninghamella spp. (PN-700, MucorGenius , PathoNostics , Maastricht, The Netherlands) This real-time PCR has been validated to identify these fungal pathogens from bronchoalveolar lavage, tissue, and serum samples. This study aimed to validate this PCR-based system to detect Mucorales from nasal swab samples and evaluate its utility in the detection of Mucorales from nasal cavities of high-risk patients developing signs and symptoms of mucormycosis. Method(s): A single-center cross-sectional observational study was conducted on 50 hospitalized adult patients with signs and symptoms of mucormycosis. Nasal swabs were taken for PCR analysis once there was a clinical suspicion and were com-pared with the results of the gold standard.The gold standard for the diagnosis of mucormycosis was the conventional method (KOHmountedmicroscopy/HPE).Demographicdetails andrisk factorsfor thesepatients wererecorded, andthe RTPCR-based test was run on the nasal swab samples of all these 50 patients. The workflow is depicted graphically in Fig. 1 (Created with BioRender.com). Result(s): The study population mean (SD) age was 50 (16) years and consisted of 32 (64%) males. A total of 39 (78%) patients were known cases of diabetes mellitus, 48 (96%) patients had amphotericin B intake, and 20 (40%) had posaconazole intake. In all, 21 (42%) patients had a past history of COVID-19 infection;14 patients had received steroids and 10 patients received oxygen support. PCR for Mucorales was positive in 15 (30%) patients while the KOH mount was positive in 4 (8%) patients. Conclusion(s): These results are not encouraging for the use of nasal swabs as the sample for diagnosis of mucormyco-sis. Though the PCR performed better on the swab samples than KOH preparation and culture techniques, it highlights the importance of using standard sampling methods.
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Covid-19 which is a SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome) has caused the new overall pandemic moreover is an arising virus profoundly contagious namely coronavirus. The unavailability of a particular antiviral treatment had led to the utmost destruction of life because of this virus. During this time, impressive efforts were placed into creating safe medications and immunizations against SARS-CoV-2. Just 56 vaccines made it at the different clinical stages from more than 80 clinical trials which had started including 23 antibody candidates got looked at moreover had affirmed for the use. Various types of variables are utilized for the production of such vaccines to start the immune reaction to produce antibodies in a person for killing the virus. The countries which are top of the race for producing vaccines are Russia, India, U.S.A., China as well U.K. Among the vaccines produced by these countries are Covaxin (India), Sputnik V (Russia), CoronaVac (China), AZD1222 (United Kingdom), BNT162b2 (Germany), and mRNA-1273(United States of America). We bring forth the certain potential factors that are required when creating vaccines as well as a comparative analysis of data obtained from SARS-CoV-2 vaccine trials for different vaccines as well as environmental impacts of its preparation. © The Authors, published by EDP Sciences. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
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Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) presents clinically a variety of pathological and clinical organ dysfunctions, ranging in severity from asymptomatic to fatal. The care and monitoring of COVID-19 patients may benefit from the use of biochemical and hematological markers. Objective To observe the alteration of serum biochemical and hematological parameters in COVID-19 positive patients, attending a Tertiary Care Hospital. Method A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on all COVID-19 positive patients attending Nobel Medical College Teaching Hospital, Biratnagar, Nepal from 15th December 2021 to 15th February 2022. The test results of different serum biochemical and hematological parameters done for these patients were recorded in clinical laboratory services and obtained retrospectively for the analysis. The data were entered in MS excel and analyzed by SPSS version 20. Result Out of 1537 COVID-11699 declared positive patients, 712 (46.32%) were male and 825 (53.68%) female. Mean age of COVID positive patients was 40.03+/-20.08 years. The level of serum SGOT, SGPT, ALP and GGT was significantly elevated in 39.9%, 42.8%, 32.3% and 47.2% of COVID positive patients respectively. Blood Urea, creatinine, uric acid and sugar level were significantly elevated in 63%, 56.1%, 33.1% and 47.6% patients respectively. The serum level of LDH, D-dimer, CRP and procalcitonin (PCT) were significantly increased in 52.1%, 75.9%, 71.6% and 61.2% of patients respectively. The serum value of total cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL and LDL were significantly lowered in 52.2%, 43.8%, 70.1% and 60.3% of patients respectively. RBC concentration and level of hemoglobin was reduced in 56.6% and 53.6% of COVID positive patients respectively whereas total leukocyte count was elevated in 80.7% with increase in neutrophil in 87.9% and decrease in lymphocyte in 79.4%. Conclusion A portion of COVID-19 positive patients showed drastically altered test results for various serum biochemical and hematological markers, although many of them had normal findings. Copyright © 2022, Kathmandu University. All rights reserved.
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Community psychiatry has come a long way from when patients would be ‘shackled’ to developed countries now focusing on deinstitutionalisation of the mentally ill patients. Low- to middle-income countries, like India, need to focus on strengthening existing mental healthcare facilities and developing new mental health services as well as making these services easily accessible. This chapter provides an overview of the challenges faced and the attempts at finding possible solutions to these challenges. The global pandemic of COVID-19 has caused a significant increase in stress, anxiety and depression. Earlier, distance was a barrier, but due to the pandemic, accessing healthcare has become even more difficult. Telemedicine has been of invaluable help during this crisis. In the era of digital India, smart phone apps can be innovatively used for diagnosis or at least screening for mental illness and identifying persons who should seek professional help. GMHAT PC is one such tool that enables paramedical workers to screen patients using handheld devices. © 2023 Taylor and Francis.
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The deadly COVID-19 coupled with other diseases has proven to be the biggest challenge humans have seen in ages. Healthcare systems, even in the most developed countries, have completely shattered during the peak of waves. Thus, leaving millions rendered helpless and alone around the globe. This proves the importance of self-care and immunity to being the best possible way for being healthy. Solutions specific to strengthening immunity are available in the Indian sciences of Yoga and Ayurveda and has been scientifically proven. These have been around in India for ages but there is an immense lack of awareness in India and around the globe regarding that. This review paper aims at filling the lack of awareness by proposing a model and validating it further by collecting and comparing the pre and post-implementation data. © 2022 IEEE.
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The concentration of reactive trace gases in the atmosphere affects the human health differently. This study presents the changes of aerosol and reactive gases load in the atmosphere from the recent past with the help of Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) data in Indian domain. The EAC4 (ECMWF Atmospheric Composition Reanalysis 4) data sets were used to examine spatially the load of ambient trace gases (NO2, O3, SO2 & CO) and aerosol present in the atmosphere as aerosol optical depth(AOD). The four weekly phases of the study are for April, 2020 (01-07, 08-14, 15-21 & 22-30). It has been observed during the above said phases that the concentration of aerosols, chemically reactive gases and greenhouse gases shows appreciable reduction up to ~60-70 % from CAMS Long Period Average (LPA) 17 years (2003-2019) data over the entire Indian sub-continent, except few pockets of Central (Durg, Indore, Bilaspuretc.) and South West (Kolhapur, Gujaratetc.) India. These slightly higher values in 2nd and 3rd week of April-2020 are due to pre-monsoon dust storm activity and well captured in vertical air flow Omega at 850/NCAR reanalysis. Concentrations of reactive gases from 12 different Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) stations of India with CAMS, LPA data of April-2019 & 2020 has been compared and show that aerosol load in terms of PM-2.5 & PM-10 is appreciably drop down (60-70 %) over IGP and 25-30 % in other parts of India. The concentration of other reactive gases (NO2, SO2 & CO) with actual data from the month of April, 2019 &2020 also decreases ~ 32 %, 7 %, 17 % over IGP and 16 %, 8 %, 9 % in other parts of India respectively. The concentration of Ozone shows slightly positive behaviour over IGP and negative at other parts of India. This study is further brought out a message for future that we should use the natural resources judiciously as their long term exposure can cause severe health problems and a psychological burden or stress globally during this COVID-19 spread period. © 2022, India Meteorological Department. All rights reserved.
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Poster session 3, September 23, 2022, 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM: Objectives: To assess the diagnostic utility of MucorGenius® real-time PCR in tissue samples for the diagnosis of mucormycosis in patients suspected of having invasive mucormycosis (IM) during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A total of 193 clinically suspected cases of IM presenting at our tertiary care center from May to July 2021 were included and defined as proven, probable, possible, or negative for invasive fungal disease (IFD) according to EORTC/MSGERC guidelines. One sample from each patient (nasal/sinus biopsy, nasal crust, or orbital tissue) was subjected to conventional methods for diagnosis of IM and MucorGenius® real-time PCR (hereafter called ‘the assay’). Results: A total of 5 (1.92%), 124 (47.6%), and 44 (16.9%) cases respectively were classified as having proven, probable, and possible IM. The remaining 20 (7.69%) were classified as not having invasive fungal infections and were used as controls to calculate the specificity of the test. The majority of cases were classified as ‘probable’ because specimens received included biopsy from the nasal or sinus cavity.According to radiological findings, sino-nasal involvement was seen in 26/173 (15.02%), sino-orbital involvement in 122/173 (70.5%), and additional intracranial extension in 25/173 (14.4%) of the 173 cases of IM.Among 129 proven and probable cases, direct microscopy of samples showed only aseptate hyphae in 70 cases, and both aseptate and septate hyphae in 36 cases;the assay was positive in 53 and 13 of these cases respectively. In the remaining 23 cases, direct microscopy of samples showed only septate hyphae and the assay was negative.Additionally, the assay was able to detect the presence of Mucorales among 44 possible cases of IM in which direct microscopy of samples showed no fungal elements, but the patients displayed clinical and radiological features of IM and improved with antifungal therapy.The overall sensitivity and specificity of the assay were 63.21% and 90.48% respectively.The sensitivity of the assay in proven and probable cases of IM was 60% and 66.7% respectively, while specificity was 90% for both, using the presence of aseptate hyphae in direct microscopy as a gold standard. Sensitivity and specificity in possible cases were 27.27% and 90% respectively, using the presence of clinical and radiological features of IM and response to antifungal treatment as a reference.When sensitivity and specificity were determined independently in cases of mucormycosis and mixed infection (mucormycosis + aspergillosis), they increased to 75.71% and 90.48% respectively in the former, and both decreased to 38% in the latter. Conclusion: The MucorGenius® real-time PCR performs well in detecting IM as a single infection, especially in cases of possible IM which are not detected by conventional methods. However, it is inefficient in detecting co-infections of invasive mucormycosis and aspergillosis, possibly because Aspergillus can suppress the growth of Mucorales. With further studies using the results to guide clinical intervention and measuring the impact on the outcome, it can be a useful tool to make an early diagnosis of mucormycosis in patients with a high index of clinical suspicion.