Safety of COVID-19 Vaccines;Frequency of Side Effects and Association with Sociodemographic Characteristics among Medical Students

Objective: To find out the side effects of vaccines of COVID-19 and its association with sociodemographic factors among students of medical colleges of Rawalpindi. Study Design: Cross sectional analytic study. Place and Duration of Study: A cross-sectional analytical study was carried out from May to Aug 2022 among medical students of three Medical Colleges (AMC, FUMC, RMC) in Rawalpindi Pakistan. Methodology: There were 200 participants that were conveniently selected with the Rao soft sample size calculator. A validated questionnaire was used to collect data. SPSS (v:26) was used to analyze the data. Chi square analysis was used to assess the relationship between side effects and demographic characteristics and a p-value of 0.05 was taken as significant. Results: Majority of the participants were male 126(63%) and unmarried 182(94%). The mean age of the participants was 20 years (SD=1.4). Almost all were vaccinated 197(98.5%) with two doses 195(97.5%). The side effects after the first dose were more profound as compared to the second dose, like normal pain 133(66.5%), tenderness at injection site 69(34.5%), fever 65(32.5%) and fatigue 80(40%). Muscular pains were also documented to be pronounced after the administration of first dose 58(29%). Association analysis showed significant association between first dose side effects, normal pain(p=0.001), tenderness (p=0.004), redness (p=0.02) and fatigue (p=0.02) with gender variable. Whereas age and degree socio demographic variables reported significant association with first dose side effects, normal pain (p=0.04) and muscle pain (p=0.01), respectively. Conclusion: It was conclusive that adverse effects were more common and more severe after the first dose than after the second. The most frequent side effect was normal pain at the injection site, found more frequently in men, with muscular pain being noticeably worse after the first dosage and surprisingly minimal following the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccination. © 2022, Army Medical College. All rights reserved.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Among Healthcare Workers of Tertiary Care Hospitals of Rawalpindi;Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic

Objective: To determine the prevalence of PTSD symptoms and its severity among HCWs, amid the COVID pandemic in a tertiary care setting. Study Design: Cross sectional analytic study. Place and Duration of Study: Pakistan Emirates Military Hospital, Rawalpindi Pakistan, from May to Aug 22. Methodology: The study was conducted on 173 healthcare workers of a tertiary care hospital. The sample size was calculated using the Rao-soft calculator. Validated questionnaires such as the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) and PTSD Checklist Civilian Version (PCL-C) were used to collect the data. Data was entered and analyzed by using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26. Results: Out of 173 participants, majority of participants 90(52%) were male and single 103(63%). Mean age of the participating HCWs was 27(SD= 2.3). HCWs performing duties the in COVID-19 ward for one year were 66(38.2%) and majority were from Emergency medicine 61(35.3). Almost 150(86.71%) of HCWs did not experiencing any PTSD symptoms and those exhibiting a higher severity of symptoms were only 5(2.9%). There was no statistically significant difference in total and sub scales mean scores of IES-R among males and females (p=0.28). Conclusions: Our study concluded that prevalence of symptoms of PTSD was significantly low in Health Care Workers despite of the fact, majority of doctor participants were working in COVID-19 ward for one year. The symptoms were evident among healthcare professionals, however there was modest severity. © 2022, Army Medical College. All rights reserved.

Effect of Information Channels on Covid-19 Vaccine Acceptance among University Students of Rawalpindi/Islamabad: A Cross Sectional Study

Objectives: To find the effect of information channels on Covid-19 acceptance among university students of Rawalpindi/ Islamabad. Study Design: Cross sectional analytic study. Place and Duration of Study: Study was conducted in four imminent Universities in Rawalpindi/Islamabad, Air University, Rawalpindi Medical University, Riphah University and Quaid-e-Azam University, Rawalpindi, from May to Aug 2022. Methodology: Participants from four universities in Rawalpindi/Islamabad Pakistan, were recruited for this current research from May to August 2022. A sample size of 377±14 was computed using the Rao soft sample size calculator, maintaining a 5% margin of error and a 95% confidence interval a population proportion (50%). Non-probability convenient sampling was used. Data was analysed using SPSS version 26. Results: There were 377 students recruited, out of which majority 207(55%) were female. Most of the students were in the Medicine and allied fields 227(60.2%). Almost, half of the respondents (44.56%) received information about the COVID-19 vaccine from mobile networks. The level of trust in vaccine information was also highest for Mobile Networks (31.30%). Participants' perceptions of the covid 19 risk, 156(41%) revealed high concerns for infecting family and friends with the virus. There was a significant association of female gender (p<0.05) and being from the Medicine and allied fields (p=p<0.05) with vaccine acceptance. Conclusion: In our study the mobile and traditional media were reported as the main sources of information about the COVID-19 vaccination however they were not significantly associated with vaccine acceptance. Female gender, education level and being from the Medicine and allied fields was associated with intention to be vaccinated. © 2022, Army Medical College. All rights reserved.

Early Treatment with Pegylated Interferon Lambda for Covid-19.

BACKGROUND: The efficacy of a single dose of pegylated interferon lambda in preventing clinical events among outpatients with acute symptomatic coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) is unclear. METHODS: We conducted a randomized, controlled, adaptive platform trial involving predominantly vaccinated adults with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in Brazil and Canada. Outpatients who presented with an acute clinical condition consistent with Covid-19 within 7 days after the onset of symptoms received either pegylated interferon lambda (single subcutaneous injection, 180 µg) or placebo (single injection or oral). The primary composite outcome was hospitalization (or transfer to a tertiary hospital) or an emergency department visit (observation for >6 hours) due to Covid-19 within 28 days after randomization. RESULTS: A total of 933 patients were assigned to receive pegylated interferon lambda (2 were subsequently excluded owing to protocol deviations) and 1018 were assigned to receive placebo. Overall, 83% of the patients had been vaccinated, and during the trial, multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants had emerged. A total of 25 of 931 patients (2.7%) in the interferon group had a primary-outcome event, as compared with 57 of 1018 (5.6%) in the placebo group, a difference of 51% (relative risk, 0.49; 95% Bayesian credible interval, 0.30 to 0.76; posterior probability of superiority to placebo, >99.9%). Results were generally consistent in analyses of secondary outcomes, including time to hospitalization for Covid-19 (hazard ratio, 0.57; 95% Bayesian credible interval, 0.33 to 0.95) and Covid-19-related hospitalization or death (hazard ratio, 0.59; 95% Bayesian credible interval, 0.35 to 0.97). The effects were consistent across dominant variants and independent of vaccination status. Among patients with a high viral load at baseline, those who received pegylated interferon lambda had lower viral loads by day 7 than those who received placebo. The incidence of adverse events was similar in the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Among predominantly vaccinated outpatients with Covid-19, the incidence of hospitalization or an emergency department visit (observation for >6 hours) was significantly lower among those who received a single dose of pegylated interferon lambda than among those who received placebo. (Funded by FastGrants and others; TOGETHER ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT04727424.).

COVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2: Everything we know so far - A comprehensive review

Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) emerged as a unique type of pneumonia outbreak in the Wuhan city of China in 2019 and spread to all its provinces in a matter of days and then to every continent of the world except Antarctica within 3-4 month. This paper aims to comprehensively consolidate the available information about COVID-19 and present all the possible information about this disease in form of a single paper to readers. Unparalleled research and exhaustive studies of everything about the disease and its causative virus, i.e., severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), are underway since its emergence. The genome sequence of the virus was made available within a record short time by China, making possible immediate study of its structure and characteristics. The routes of transmission of the disease, signs and symptoms, incubation period, pathogenesis, and pathophysiology have been extensively studied and presented in an organized way in this review paper. The number of confirmed cases and case fatality and mortality rates are updated regularly. The different diagnostic mechanisms have been characterized. Testing and management criteria and protocols have been adopted. Extensive efforts are underway for finding a treatment of the disease and developing a vaccine against it. A number of vaccines are available even in markets in different countries. More and more ways of personal protection, prevention, and mitigation of the disease are being explored and shared. While the outbreak has been declared as pandemic, the response of scientists was timely and enormous;thousands of publications about various aspects and impact of the diseases and its causative virus are there on the World Health Organization database and many more studies are underway. The purpose of writing this review article is to provide a comprehensive summary of the major aspects and important scientific findings so far, about COVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2, in a single article for ready reference. © 2021 Sumaira Naz et al., published by De Gruyter.