A cross-sectional analysis of post-acute COVID-19 symptoms.

Objectives: The severe acute respiratory syndrome (COVID-19) due to SARS-CoV-2 was first reported in China in December 2019 and has generated a worldwide pandemic. The objective of the research is to examine and describe (a) the symptoms that persist after the end of the acute stage and (b) their relationship with the severity of the disease. Study Design: This study is a cross-sectional study conducted in the Kingdom of Bahrain on COVID-19 infected patients using an online survey questionnaire with a total number of 52 patient responses (29 females and 23 males). Method: A scale (0 no symptoms to 10 very high symptoms intensity) was assessed in patients after 3 months to detect the relevance of specific symptoms post-COVID-19 such as emotional and physical health, headache, dyspnoea, pain (muscles/joints/chest), anosmia, vertigo, neurologic symptoms, sarcopenia, delirium. Results: The most common COVID-19 symptoms were reported to be fever (69.2%), headache (59.6%), and cough (50.0%). Data analysis showed that BMI was not correlated with any post-acute COVID-19 symptoms. Regarding the post-acute COVID-19 symptoms, this study showed that an increase of intensity of headache was associated with an increase of delirium; an increase of intensity of dyspnoea was associated with an increase of pulmonary dysfunction. The increase of anosmia and dysgeusia was associated with an increase in delirium. In addition, the increase of neurological symptoms and delirium were associated with the increase of sarcopenia. The most common persistent post-COVID-19 symptoms observed in this study were emotional stress, followed by loss of smell and taste, and neurological symptoms. Conclusions: Therefore, follow-up and rehabilitation care for COVID-19 patients must be focused on addressing the needs of these people in the longer term.

Innovative strategies for university students during COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on the educational landscape. Approaches of teachers have had to shift as a result of this transformation since they have been forced to use a variety of technological resources to improve their teaching. This pandemic compelled educators to devise the most effective plan for resolving the educational crisis. This study described innovative teaching practices and responses of students to adapt these strategies during the lockdown period. We adjusted courses to make them virtual comprehensible so that we could continue to deliver effective instruction. Hands-on training is essential for good learning of applied courses;thus we established a virtual lab where students were given online instructions via digital platforms such as Microsoft Teams and Blackboard. Later, students were asked to make videos of their lab performances. Furthermore, breakout rooms were created in which students explored various themes in small groups before having a representative from each group convey the main points of their conversation. Another essential tactic was to increase one-on-one interaction with students, giving them feedback on their assignments and other class duties. Importantly, using Microsoft Teams and Blackboard for live invigilation made conducting online exams a lot easier. Finally, these tactics were extremely effective in maintaining a competitive learning environment for diverse students during the COVID-19 crisis. © 2021 IEEE.

COVID-19 Knowledge, Attitudes, and Preventive Measures of University Students in Bahrain.

Background: The severe, acute respiratory syndrome COVID-19 that was first reported in China in December 2019 quickly became a global pandemic that has resulted in over 100 million infections and more than 2 million deaths. Study Design: This study aimed to assess the awareness level of university students regarding the possibility of becoming infected with COVID-19. In order to achieve this objective, we assessed the students' knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors using an online survey questionnaire offered to a total of 300 students. Results: A positive response regarding awareness of COVID-19 symptoms was registered by more than 70% of the students, whereas 62% felt that wearing a mask did not give full protection against infection, approximately 30% agreed that antibiotics and antivirals did not treat COVID-19, and 62% agreed that vitamin C was helpful in treating common symptoms of COVID-19. Moreover, around 31% of the students believed that COVID-19 is a man-made virus. Students who had gotten infected with SARS-CoV-2 believed that wearing a mask gives full protection (p=0.018). In response to survey questions related to attitude, 80% of students cancelled and postponed meetings with friends, and 90% agreed that mask-wearing is the most precautionary measure used to prevent the infection. In addition, 82% avoided coughing in public, 82% avoided contact if they felt flu-like symptoms and 80% washed their hands far more often due to the pandemic. Interestingly, 76% carried hand sanitizer, 66.5% avoided shaking hands, and 42.7% were taking vitamin C supplements. Conclusions: This study showed that the participants had a positive awareness of COVID-19 transmission, symptoms, and treatments misconceptions and mistaken beliefs related to treatments and the origin of the virus were also common and should be addressed. This study thus provides a baseline for a population-based surveillance program that could help local authorities to improve pandemic preparation plans, particularly with regard to governmental education and media campaigns.

A review on COVID-19 vaccines: stages of clinical trials, mode of actions and efficacy

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a communicable disease caused by a recently discovered coronavirus. The disease was first reported in Wuhan, China at the end of 2019 and has resulted in 1.71 million global deaths and over 77 million infections. Common symptoms of the disease include fever, dry cough, and fatigue. This literature review aims to summarize the following topics: review the clinical trials conducted on nine COVID-19 vaccines and follow their efficacy and modes of action through the three stages of the vaccine clinical development process. The analysis follows the individual vaccines through the three trials, examining and analysing drawn results to identify their capacity to contain severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV-2). Four COVID-19 vaccines have been approved for use in different parts of the world and many other vaccines are under clinical trials 1, 2 and 3. In conclusion, these vaccines which are under clinical trials provide a great hope to fight against COVID-19 in near future. © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group on behalf of the University of Bahrain.

A review on clinical, pathological characteristics and drug designing for COVID-19

In late 2019, a novel strain of coronavirus (2019-nCoV) named as severe respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) emerged in Wuhan, a city in China, through some zoonotic reservoir, most probably a bat, and spread throughout the world. There have been around 22,213,869 reported cases of COVID-19 and almost 781,677 deaths worldwide according to the data updated by World Health Organization till 20 August 2020. It transmitted via droplets from an infected person to a healthy person in a very short duration of time. After the completion of the incubation period, which ranges from 2 to 14 days, the person experiences pneumonia-like symptoms such as fever, sore throat, cough, breathlessness, malaise, fatigue, and multi-organ dysfunction, etc. The main receptor of SARS-CoV-2 is angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 which binds with the spike (S) protein of the virus and helps it in attachment and entry to the host cells. COVID-19 is diagnosed by molecular testing of respiratory secretions and CT scan analysis. Because of the absence of any approved treatment options for COVID-19, a number of research studies are being carried out to find out any combination of already approved drugs or new lead compounds using in silico docking and screening strategies. © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group on behalf of the University of Bahrain.