COVID-19: An Opinion of Prevention and Dietary Based Management Hypothesis

Mentions the pandemic as starting in China, with a subsequent worldwide spread. The viral infection can seriously affect multiple organs, mainly lungs, kidneys, heart, liver, and brain, and may lead to respiratory, renal, cardiac, or hepatic failure. Vascular thrombosis of unexplained mechanism may lead to widespread blood clots in multiple organs and cytokine storms that are a result of over-stimulation of the immune system subsequent to lung damage, may lead to sudden decompensation due to hypotension and cause more damage to liver, kidney, brain or lungs. Until now, no drug has proved to be efficient in getting rid of the problem and controlling the pandemic mainly depends on preventive measures. Many measures can be considered to prevent the worldwide spread of the viral transmission. Polyunsaturated long chain fatty acids (PUFAs), medium chain saturated fatty acids (MCSFAs), and their corresponding monoglycerides have high antiviral activities against the enveloped viruses, which reached more than 10,000-fold reduction in the viral titers in vitro and in vivo after testing for gastric aspirate, and can contribute to the systemic immunity against the enveloped viruses.Copyright © 2021 Bentham Science Publishers.

No Salvation from Trackers: Privacy Analysis of Religious Websites and Mobile Apps

Many religious communities are going online to save costs and reach a large audience to spread their religious beliefs. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, such online transitions have accelerated, primarily to maintain the existence and continuity of religious communities. However, online religious services (e.g., websites and mobile apps) open the door to privacy and security issues that result from tracking and leakage of personal/sensitive information. While web privacy in popular sites (e.g., commercial and social media sites) is widely studied, privacy and security issues of religious online services have not been systematically studied. In this paper, we perform privacy and security measurements in religious websites and Android apps: 62,373 unique websites and 1454 Android apps, pertaining to major religions (e.g., Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism). We identified the use of commercial trackers on religious websites—e.g., 32% of religious websites and 78% of religious Android apps host Google trackers. Session replay services (FullStory, Yandex, Inspectlet, Lucky Orange) on 198 religious sites sent sensitive information to third parties. Religious sites (14) and apps (7) sent sensitive information in clear text. Besides privacy issues, we also identify sites with potential security issues: 19 religious sites were vulnerable to various security issues;and 69 religious websites and 29 Android apps were flagged by VirusTotal as malicious. We hope our findings will raise awareness of privacy and security issues in online religious services. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Topical niacinamide (Nicotinamide) treatment for discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE): A prospective pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Cutaneous lupus erythematosus is an umbrella term for a group of autoimmune connective tissue disorders affecting the skin. Discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) is the chronic condition and most common form of cutaneous lupus erythematosus. AIMS: Current therapies of DLE are challenging and not completely satisfactory, highly expensive, off-label, or poorly available (like antimalarials due to COVID-19 outbreaks). Nicotinamide, also called niacinamide, is a water-soluble form of vitamin B3 (niacin). Its multiple effects let us think that nicotinamide could be a therapy for lupus-associated skin lesions. METHODS: We performed a prospective randomized double-blind clinical trial on 60 subjects diagnosed with Discoid lupus erythematosus using topical Nicotinamide 2% and 4% preparations in form of cream and gel on skin and scalp lesions. Control group was included using only cream/gel base as placebo control. RESULTS: Obtained data showed that topical Nicotinamide can be used for the treatment of DLE as adjuvant to other treatment regimens with good cosmetic results and minimal side effects. Topical 4% Nicotinamide is superior to 2% preparation in response but associated with a higher incidence of irritation. CONCLUSION: Topical Nicotinamide can be used for the treatment of DLE as an adjuvant to other treatment regimens with good cosmetic results and minimal side effects. Further trials with long-term therapy, follow-up period, and bigger sample sizes are required.

Menstrual cycle changes: A cross-sectional study of Saudi females following SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Temporary changes in the menstrual cycle have recently been reported following SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. In the current study, we aimed to screen menstrual cycle changes following SARS-CoV-2 infection in Saudi Arabia. The type and duration of these changes have been screened in relation to the severity of coronavirus disease symptoms and vaccination status. In total, 956 individuals responded: sixty-nine did not get the COVID-19 vaccine, while the remaining were vaccinated with either a single dose of ChAdOx1 vaccine (n:45) or BNT162b2 vaccine (n: 142) or two doses of the vaccine (n:700) using BNT162b2 (n:477), ChAdOx1 (n:89) or ChAdOx1/ BNT162b2 (n:134). Approximately 26.1% (18/69) of the subjects who did not receive the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine and 15.3% (29/188) and 26.4% (185/700) of the subjects who received single and double doses of the vaccines, respectively, reported menstrual cycle changes. The persistence of menstrual cycle changes for more than six months was reported by 6.4% (61/956) of the participants. These changes were significantly correlated with the severity of COVID-19 infection. We concluded that menstrual cycle changes, associated with COVID-19 infection, increase due to the severity of COVID-19 infection. Thus, menstrual cycle changes are among the long-term effects associated with COVID-19 infection.

Community Perception and Attitude towards COVID-19 Vaccination for Children in Saudi Arabia.

INTRODUCTION: Vaccines are an important part of the COVID-19 pandemic response plan. This study was undertaken to find out the percentage of supporters in the Saudi population for COVID-19 vaccination among children, and to assess the study population's perceptions towards COVID-19 vaccination among children. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This nationwide study adopted a cross-sectional survey of adult participants, conducted by trained medical students. The anonymous questionnaire was published on social media tools. Statistical analysis was conducted using two-tailed tests. RESULTS: Six hundred and twenty (620) participants were recruited for this study. Nearly 17.0% of participants had a chronic health problem/comorbidity. About 28.7% of the study participants reported having COVID-19 infection. The COVID-19 vaccine was received among 94.7% of the study respondents. The majority of the vaccination supporters (89.0%) wanted to get the third dose. There was a statistically significant association between the participant's attitudes towards getting vaccinated themselves, and their attitude towards children's vaccination. Vaccine newness, as a reason for hesitating to get vaccinated, was most reported among non-vaccine supporters. False religious beliefs were found to significantly influence the opposing attitude towards children's vaccination. CONCLUSION: Health professionals and policy makers should implement and support strategies to ensure children are vaccinated against COVID-19. They also need to educate parents and families regarding the importance of vaccination against COVID-19.

When Two Coincidences are a Clue: A Retrospective Cohort Study Regarding the Incidence of Ruptured Tubal Pregnancies in a Northern Italy Hospital During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: Undiagnosed ectopic pregnancies are among the main gynecological emergencies, and hemorrhage from an ectopic pregnancy is still the leading cause of maternal mortality in the first trimester. During the first lockdown period in Italy (March-April 2020) and in March 2021 restrictive measures were issued by the Italian government, but their impact on the incidence of ruptured tubal pregnancies remains unknown. Method(s): The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of restrictive measures for the COVID-19 outbreak on the incidence of ruptured tubal pregnancies at our referral center for endoscopic gynecologic surgery. In particular, the primary outcome was the comparison of the incidence of ruptured tubal pregnancies between the lockdown phases and the other months of the pandemic. For this retrospective cohort study we considered all women examined for tubal ectopic pregnancy at our emergency unit from 1 January 2019 to 30 April 2021. We divided patients into three groups according to the period they were referred to our center: 10 March 2019-10 March 2020 (Pre-Covid period);11 March-4 May 2020 and 6 March-30 April 2021 (Lockdown periods);5 May 2020-5 March 2021 (COVID-19 pandemic period without restrictive policies). We compared data acquired during the lockdown phases with data collected both before the COVID-19 pandemic and during the restriction-free COVID-19 period. Result(s): 31 of 85 women were diagnosed with a ruptured tubal pregnancy. The proportion of ruptured ectopic pregnancies was higher during the lockdown period than the other two periods combined (62.5% vs 30.4%, p = 0.016). Mean gestational age and beta-HCG levels showed the same tendency (7.31 +/- 1.25 weeks vs 5.99 +/- 1.28 weeks, p < 0.0001;7392.56 +/- 4337.50 mUI/mL vs 4188.36 +/- 3235.95 mUI/mL, p = 0.001). There were no differences between the proportion of ruptured pregnancies during the whole COVID-19 pandemic and the months preceding it (45.7% vs 25.6%, p = 0.07). Conclusion(s): Our study demonstrated that restrictive lockdown policies for the containment of the COVID-19 outbreak are associated with an increased rate of ruptured extrauterine tubal pregnancies. Copyright: © 2022 The Author(s).

Influence of COVID-19 on the sustainability of livestock performance and welfare on a global scale.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is currently spreading worldwide. The pandemic has already had significant adverse effects on human civilization, the environment, and the ecosystem at national and global levels. Moreover, the various sectors of the food production chain, particularly agriculture and livestock, have also been significantly affected in terms of production sustainability and economic losses. The global pandemic has already resulted in a sharp drop in meat, milk, and egg production. Restrictions of movement at national and international levels, implemented as a part of control strategies by public health sectors, have negatively impacted business related to the supply of raw materials for livestock farmers and farm outputs, veterinary services, farmworkers, and animal welfare. This review highlights the significant impacts of COVID-19 on the sustainability of livestock performance, welfare on a global scale, and strategies for mitigating these adverse effects.

The impact of COVID-19 on the sustainability of the environment, animal health and food security, and safety.

COVID-19 pandemic influenced the environment, animal health, and food security. Due to reduced human mobility, the air and water quality increased. Other environmental consequences were the personal protective types of equipment and their haphazard disposal. Atmospheric pollution could be a cofactor leading to an increased COVID-19 mortality rate. Lockdown, however, caused a reduction in air and water pollution. Noise pollution affects the health of individuals and communities in terms of cardiovascular disorders and sleeping problems. Meanwhile, the COVID-19 lockdown controls human activities that reduce noise pollution. Municipal waste affects the environment. Recycling has been reduced in some countries but not in Saudi Arabia. COVID-19 had a drastic effect on livestock production on national, regional, and global levels, affecting countries' capacities to prevent and control diseases of animals and increasing global poverty, becoming a threat to the sustainability of global food security and safety. Many lessons have been learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, so it is wise to study and analyze the previous lessons and shed some light on past pandemics such as the Spanish flu to understand the readings and earn experiences. This paper is focused on the interaction between the pandemic and environmental health from the public health concern rather than other health classifications.

Students' adoption of e-learning: evidence from a Moroccan business school in the COVID-19 era

Purpose: This article aims to study the determinants of e-learning acceptability by university students based on their experiences with distance learning during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Design/methodology/approach: A questionnaire was used to collect data from 448 students enrolled in a Moroccan business school's fourth and fifth years. The technology acceptance model (TAM) was the primary framework used for this analysis, into which variables from the expectation confirmation model were injected, namely facilitating conditions, social influence, expectation confirmation and satisfaction. The proposed conceptual model was tested and evaluated using the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) technique. Then the authors have offered an in-depth analysis by employing the importance-performance map analysis (IPMA) approach. Findings: The investigation suggested that the proposed measurement scale effectively assesses the factors impacting students' decision to continue using e-learning in the future. This study’s results show that e-learning acceptance depends significantly on the students' satisfaction, perceived ease of use (PEU) and perceived usefulness (PU). In contrast, the facilitating conditions are not a valid measurement scale to determine students' attitudes toward e-learning. Originality/value: This is one of the first studies in the Moroccan context to evaluate e-learning acceptability by management students after COVID-19 using a unique research model. © 2022, Alami Youssef and El Idrissi Issam.

Perceptions of Parents towards COVID-19 Vaccination in Children, Aseer Region, Southwestern Saudi Arabia.

Vaccines are an important part of the COVID-19 pandemic response plan. This cross-sectional study aims to assess the attitude and perception levels of parents toward COVID-19 vaccines for children aged 0-18 years in the Aseer region of Saudi Arabia. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 16.0. Out of a total of 1463 parents, 30.6% assumed that COVID-19 vaccination may be more dangerous for children than adults. Nearly 36.5% parents don't have any concern about children's vaccination. About 12.8% of children have not received the vaccination, 55% of parents have some sort of hesitation and 32.2% of parents did not hesitate before vaccinating their children against COVID-19. Only 15.4% of parents expect that the COVID-19 vaccine affects their child's genes. About 23.4% parents strongly agreed and 35.1% agreed about the importance of getting their children vaccinated. About 22.1% of parents strongly agreed and 33.3% agreed regarding their willingness to get their children vaccinated to prevent Coronavirus disease. More than 80% of parents recommended rushing to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Health professionals and policymakers should implement and support strategies to ensure children are vaccinated for COVID-19. They also need to educate parents and families regarding childhood vaccination.

Early CT and MRI signs of invasive fungal sinusitis complicating COVID-19 infection: case report

Background: Corticosteroids are usually prescribed for severe cases with SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19). Despite their importance to decrease patients’ mortality, they can cause serious side effects like fulminant fungal infection that can damage lungs or invade the sinuses then rapidly spread to the orbit and even intra-cranially. Unless early diagnosed and properly managed, patients can lose their vision or die from cavernous sinus thrombosis or other intracranial complications. Case presentation: A 71-year-old diabetic male patient presented with dry cough, fever, and dyspnea for 6 days. PCR test for COVID-19 was ordered and declared positive. The oxygen saturation on day 7 started to decline to reach 90%. Eight ampules of intra-muscular dexamethasone were prescribed. The patient’s dyspnea improved, and the oxygen saturation reached 94% by day 13. Oral prednisone was prescribed in a withdrawal protocol. Unfortunately, on day 15, the patient complained of mild left-sided cheek swelling and noticeably dropped left angle of mouth. Neurological consultation suspected facial palsy and asked for brain MRI examination. Limited lower cuts of the MRI study that covered the left maxillary antrum revealed mild fullness of the pre-maxillary fat planes with mucosal thickening. Complimentary dedicated MRI and CT cuts over the left maxillary sinus showed localized signs of invasive fungal sinusitis without orbital or intracranial complications. The patient received antifungal therapy even before evident endoscopic findings appeared. He underwent endoscopic debridement few days after and he had an excellent outcome without any progression or significant morbidities. Conclusion: Early CT/MRI radiological signs of invasive fungal sinusitis that complicated COVID-19 infection aid in the diagnosis and proper timely management of this fatal disease. © 2022, The Author(s).

The key changes to the hospitality business model under COVID-19

The rapid spread of new digital technologies has brought fundamental changes in the hospitality industry. The digital transformation of the hospitality industry was accelerated during COVID-19 pandemic. The impacts of the crisis have led to rethinking hospitality business models. In order to survive during the crisis, hospitality businesses has tried to find innovative solutions and transform their businesses. Therefore, this paper aims to investigate the key changes to hospitality industry business models induced by the COVID-19 crisis. A systematic literature review is provided to analyse three main business model components: value proposition, value chain, and revenue. The paper has the following findings. First, four major changes to the value proposition in the hospitality business model are identified: use of hotels as rooms/offices during lockdowns, offer of new innovative products and services, offer of digital services, and use of hotels for quarantining. Second, value chain changes include new safety measures, and changes to capacities and numbers of workers (amount of work). Third, the changes to the revenue model include fewer foreign tourist offers and more domestic offers, last-minute cancellations or postponements, and better quality and more individualized services. Policies like innovation and digital technologies, customized and flexible services, qualitative services and virtual experiences should be priorities for the future of hospitality business models. The paper has some limitations and future research should be focused on a specific hospitality business model, specific group of countries or country and showing what will happen in post-COVID-19 period.

Automatic Identification of Student's Cognitive Style from Online Laboratory Experimentation using Machine Learning Techniques

Online learning has emerged as powerful learning methods for the transformation from traditional education to open learning through smart learning platforms due to Covid-19 pandemic. Despite its effectiveness, many studies have indicated the necessity of linking online learning methods with the cognitive learning styles of students. The level of students always improves if the teaching methods and educational interventions are appropriate to the cognitive style of each student individually. Currently, psychological measures are used to assess students' cognitive styles, but about the application in virtual environment, the matter becomes complicated. The main goal of this study is to provide an efficient solution based on machine learning techniques to automatically identify the students' cognitive styles by analyzing their mouse interaction behaviors while carrying out online laboratory experiments. This will help in the design of an effective online laboratory experimentation system that is able to individualize the experiment instructions and feedback according to the identified cognitive style of each student. The results reveal that the KNN and SVM classifiers have a good accuracy in predicting most cognitive learning styles. In comparison to KNN, the enlarged studies ensemble the KNN, linear regression, neural network, and SVM reveal a 13% increase in overall total RMS error. We believe that this finding will enable educators and policy makers to predict distinct cognitive types in the assessment of students when they interact with online experiments. We believe that integrating deep learning algorithms with a greater emphasis on mouse location traces will improve the accuracy of our classifiers' predictions.

Early CT and MRI Signs of Invasive Fungal Sinusitis Complicating COVID-19 Infection Managed by Corticosteroids

Objective: Corticosteroids are usually prescribed for severe cases with SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19). Despite their importance to decrease patients' mortality, they can cause serious side effects like fulminant fungal infection that can damage lungs or invades the sinuses then rapidly spreads to the orbit and even intracranially. Unless early diagnosed and properly managed;patients can lose their vision or die from cavernous sinus thrombosis or other intracranial complications. We are presenting a case that had been scanned with MRI followed by CT for facial drop and cheek swelling issues. The scan demonstrated early subtle signs that raised the suspicion of diagnosis of mucormycosis before the appearance of other clinical signs. This helped in early proper management that did not cost the patient any morbidity and saved his life. Conclusion: Early CT/MRI radiological signs of invasive fungal sinusitis that complicated COVID-19 infection aid in diagnosis and proper timely management of this fatal disease.

Prevalence, Clinical Course and Etiology of Viral Myocarditis in the COVID-19 Era

Background: Myocarditis is one of the most suspected etiologies in patients with unexplained heart failure (HF). We studied the in-hospital prevalence of viral myocarditis and recognize the etiologic cardiotropic viruses in patients admitted with unexplained HF during the COVID era. Method: This is a prospective observational study. We recruited patients with unexplained HF presenting at a university hospital from 1st October 2020 till 31st March 2021 (Fig.1). Patients were included if they present with unexplained acute HF associated with normal coronary angiography (CA). All patients were subjected to full history and examination, ECG, echocardiography, cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) and CA. Sera were obtained from all suspected patients for detection of antibodies against the viruses by using ELISA and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results: Fifty-one patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria. 72.5% were males with mean age 39±16 years. We classified patients into 2 categories based on CMR results: Group A (CMR positive myocarditis) 12 patient (23.5%) and group B (CMR negative myocarditis) 35 (68.6%) patients. 51% of the patients presented with dyspnea, 27.5% with chest pain, 33.3% had LVEF >50%,19.6% with cardiogenic shock. 65.9% of patients (n=31/47) were associated with antibodies against the common cardiotropic viruses. Parvovirus B19 22 (46.8%) and Coxackie 16 (34%) were observed. 3 patients died at 6 months clinical follow up;91.5% from patients had recovered left ventricular ejection fraction. Conclusion: The in-hospital prevalence of myocarditis was 5 times higher in the COVID era. CMR is a good positive test for the diagnose acute myocarditis. Parvovirus B19 and Coxackie viruses represent most common pathogens in our locality. (Clinical trial registration no=NCT04312490, STDF grant no=26393 ) [Formula presented]

Poultry Production and Sustainability in Developing Countries under the COVID-19 Crisis: Lessons Learned.

Poultry farming is a significant source of revenue generation for small farmers in developing countries. It plays a vital role in fulfilling the daily protein requirements of humans through meat and eggs consumption. The recently emerged pandemic Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19) impacts the poultry production sector. Although the whole world is affected, these impacts may be more severe in developing countries due to their dependency on exporting necessary supplies such as feed, vaccines, drugs, and utensils. In this review, we have discussed poultry production in developing countries under the COVID-19 crisis and measures to regain the loss in the poultry industries. Generally, due to the lockdown, trade limitations have negatively impacted poultry industries, which might exacerbate global poverty. Coordinated activities have to be taken at the private and government levels to arrange soft loans so that these farms can restore their production and marketing to normal levels. In addition, here, we have focused on the supply of farm input, feed, other raw materials, management system, improved breeding efficiency, veterinary services, and marketing of egg and meat, which have to be ensured to secure a sustainable poultry production chain.

Diversity of Coronaviruses with Particular Attention to the Interspecies Transmission of SARS-CoV-2.

In December 2019, the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was reported in China with serious impacts on global health and economy that is still ongoing. Although interspecies transmission of coronaviruses is common and well documented, each coronavirus has a narrowly restricted host range. Coronaviruses utilize different receptors to mediate membrane fusion and replication in the cell cytoplasm. The interplay between the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of coronaviruses and their coevolution are determinants for host susceptibility. The recently emerged SARS-CoV-2 caused the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and has also been reported in domestic and wild animals, raising the question about the responsibility of animals in virus evolution. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic might also substantially have an impact on animal production for a long time. In the present review, we discussed the diversity of coronaviruses in animals and thus the diversity of their receptors. Moreover, the determinants of the susceptibility of SARS-CoV-2 in several animals, with special reference to the current evidence of SARS-CoV-2 in animals, were highlighted. Finally, we shed light on the urgent demand for the implementation of the One Health concept as a collaborative global approach to mitigate the threat for both humans and animals.

COVID-19 pandemic: impacts on bees, beekeeping, and potential role of bee products as antiviral agents and immune enhancers.

COVID-19 pandemic has passed to the front all the contradictions of the beekeeping sector: the valuable role of bee products as immune enhancers and antiviral agents and the impact that unsustainability of human activities has on bees' health and survival. The COVID-19 emergency led several countries to adopt severe restriction measures to contrast the infection. The lowering of industrial and commercial activities, transports, and the general lockdown had immediate consequences on the air quality, significantly improving environmental conditions. This had a positive impact on honeybees' life's quality. On the other hand, the bee and beehive transportation limitations threaten to hit food production by affecting the pollinator service, and this is particularly true in large, food-exporting countries like the USA and China where due to the few numbers of local bees, beekeepers import them by other countries and convey by truck hives for thousands of kilometers to pollinate crops. Furthermore, honeybee products, focusing on their natural pharmacological properties, can play an essential role as a potential natural contrast to the virus by enhancing the immunity defenses of both humans and animals, and their demand by consumers is expected to increase. Several researchers in the last months focused their attention on bee products to evaluate their effect in the cure of COVID-19 patients to ameliorate the symptoms or to contrast the coronavirus directly. This review reports these preliminary results.

The Strategy of Boosting the Immune System Under the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) infection (COVID-19) has raised considerable concern on the entire planet. On March 11, 2020, COVID-19 was categorized by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a pandemic infection, and by March 18, 2020, it has spread to 146 countries. The first internal defense line against numerous diseases is personalized immunity. Although it cannot be claimed that personalized nutrition will have an immediate impact on a global pandemic, as the nutritional interventions required a long time to induce beneficial outcomes on immunity development, nutritional strategies are still able to clarify and have a beneficial influence on the interplay between physiology and diet, which could make a positive contribution to the condition in the next period. As such, a specific goal for every practitioner is to evaluate different tests to perceive the status of the patient, such as markers of inflammation, insulin regulation, and nutrient status, and to detect possible imbalances or deficiencies. During the process of disease development, the supplementation and addition of different nutrients and nutraceuticals can influence not only the viral replication but also the cellular mechanisms. It is essential to understand that every patient has its individual needs. Even though many nutrients, nutraceuticals, and drugs have beneficial effects on the immune response and can prevent or ameliorate viral infections, it is essential to detect at what stage in COVID-19 progression the patient is at the moment and decide what kind of nutrition intervention is necessary. Furthermore, understanding the pathogenesis of coronavirus infection is critical to make proper recommendations.