Effects of mild/asymptomatic COVID-19 on semen parameters and sex-related hormone levels in men: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has yet to be proven to alter male reproductive function, particularly in the majority of mild/asymptomatic patients. The purpose of this study was to explore whether mild/asymptomatic COVID-19 affects semen quality and sex-related hormone levels. To find suitable comparative studies, a systematic review and meta-analysis was done up to January 22, 2022, by using multiple databases (Web of Science, PubMed, and Embase). Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were used to identify and choose the studies. Meta-analysis was used to examine the semen parameters and sex-related hormones of mild/asymptomatic COVID-19 patients before and after infection. The effects of semen collection time, fever, and intensity of verification on semen following infection were also investigated. A total of 13 studies (n = 770) were included in the analysis, including three case-control studies, six pre-post studies, and four single-arm studies. A meta-analysis of five pre-post studies showed that after infection with COVID-19, sperm concentration (I2 = 0; P = 0.003), total sperm count (I2 = 46.3%; P = 0.043), progressive motility (I2 = 50.0%; P < 0.001), total sperm motility (I2 = 76.1%; P = 0.047), and normal sperm morphology (I2 = 0; P = 0.001) decreased. Simultaneously, a systematic review of 13 studies found a significant relationship between semen collection time after infection, inflammation severity, and semen parameter values, with fever having only bearing on semen concentration. Furthermore, there was no significant difference in sex-related hormone levels before and after infection in mild/asymptomatic patients. Mild/asymptomatic COVID-19 infection had a significant effect on semen quality in the short term. It is recommended to avoid initiating a pregnancy during this period of time.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on semen quality of uninfected men.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread rapidly worldwide since its discovery in December 2019. Research published since the COVID-19 outbreak has focused on whether semen quality and reproductive hormone levels are affected by COVID-19. However, there is limited evidence on semen quality of uninfected men. This study aimed to compare semen parameters among uninfected Chinese sperm donors before and after the COVID-19 pandemic to determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic-related stress and lifestyle changes on uninfected men. RESULTS: All semen parameters were non-significant except semen volume. The average age of sperm donors was higher after the COVID-19 (all P < 0.05). The average age of qualified sperm donors increased from 25.9 (SD: 5.3) to 27.6 (SD: 6.0) years. Before the COVID-19, 45.0% qualified sperm donors were students, but after the COVID-19, 52.9% were physical laborers (P < 0.05). The proportion of qualified sperm donors with a college education dropped from 80.8 to 64.4% after the COVID-19 (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Although the sociodemographic characteristics of sperm donors changed after the COVID-19 pandemic, no decline in semen quality was found. There is no concern about the quality of cryopreserved semen in human sperm banks after the COVID-19 pandemic.

RéSUMé: CONTEXTE: La maladie due au Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) s'est propagée rapidement dans le monde entier depuis sa découverte en décembre 2019. Les recherches publiées depuis l'éclosion de la COVID-19 se sont concentrées sur la question de savoir si la qualité du sperme et les niveaux d'hormones reproductives étaient affectés par la COVID-19. Il existe, cependant, peu de preuves sur la qualité du sperme des hommes non infectés. Cette étude visait à comparer, avant et après la pandémie de COVID-19, les paramètres du sperme chez les donneurs de sperme Chinois non infectés, afin de déterminer l'impact du stress lié à la pandémie de COVID-19 et aux changements de mode de vie sur les hommes non infectés. RéSULTATS: Toutes les valeurs des paramètres du sperme étaient non significatives, à l'exception du volume de sperme. L'âge moyen des donneurs de sperme était plus élevé après la COVID-19 (tous p < 0,05). L'âge moyen des donneurs de sperme admissibles est passé de 25,9 ans (ET : 5,3) à 27,6 ans (ET : 6,0). Avant la COVID-19, 45 % des donneurs de sperme admissibles étaient des étudiants, mais après la COVID-19, 53 % étaient des travailleurs physiques (p < 0,05). La proportion de donneurs de sperme admissibles ayant fait des études secondaires est passée de 80,8 % à 64,4 % après la COVID-19 (p < 0,05). CONCLUSION: Bien que les caractéristiques sociodémographiques des donneurs de sperme aient changé après la pandémie de COVID-19, aucune baisse de la qualité du sperme n'a été constatée. Il n'y a aucune préoccupation quant à la qualité du sperme cryoconservé dans les banques de sperme humain après la pandémie de COVID-19. MOTS-CLéS: COVID-19, Qualité du Sperme, Donneur de Sperme, Banque de Sperme humain.

Reduced antibody response to COVID-19 vaccine composed of inactivated SARS-CoV-2 in diabetic individuals.

Background: Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are at increased risk for COVID-19 related morbidity and mortality. Antibody response to COVID-19 vaccine in T2DM patients is not very clear. The present work aims to evaluate the antibody response to the inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in this population. Methods: Two groups of subjects with no history of SARS-CoV-2 infection were included: 63 T2DM patients and 56 non-T2DM controls. Each participant received two doses of inactivated COVID-19 vaccine. IgG antibodies against the nucleocapsid (N) and spike (S) proteins of SARS-CoV-2 (anti-N/S IgG) and receptor binding domain (RBD) proteins (anti-RBD IgG) were quantitatively evaluated by the electrochemiluminescence immunoassays, respectively. Results: It was observed that the positive rates and titers of anti-N/S IgG and anti-RBD IgG in T2DM patients were significantly lower than those in controls, respectively (anti-N/S: 85.7 vs. 98.2%, P = 0.034; 25.48 vs. 33.58 AU/ml P = 0.011; anti-RBD: 85.7 vs. 96.4%, P = 0.044; 15.45 vs. 22.25 AU/ml, P = 0.019). Compared to non-T2DM subjects, T2DM patients with uncontrolled glycemia showed lower positive antibody rates and titers (anti-N/S IgG: 75% and 13.30 AU/ml; anti-RBD IgG: 75% and 11.91 AU/ml, respectively, all P < 0.05), while T2DM patients with controlled glycemia had similar positive antibody rates and titers (anti-N/S IgG: 94.3% and 33.65 AU/ml; and anti-RBD IgG: 94.3% and 19.82 AU/ml, respectively, all P > 0.05). Conclusion: In the analysis performed, the data indicate that T2DM patients with uncontrolled glycemia showed a lower level of IgG antibodies compared to non-diabetic controls and individuals with controlled glycemia when immunized with the inactivated COVID-19 vaccine.

SARS-CoV-2: Operating room management strategies and recommendations

Since the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 in Wuhan, China in 2019, it has rapidly spread to the world, and the number of infections has gradually increased. The hospitalization rate of patients has also gradually increased, which poses a huge challenge to hospitals and medical staff for patients with SARS-CoV-2 requiring surgical treatment. Therefore, avoiding cross-infection in the operating room is an important protective work. The operating room is an important department of the hospital, scientific and reasonable management is particularly important. Therefore, we have put forward corresponding suggestions and strategies for preoperative preparation and evaluation of patients, intraoperative management, postoperative terminal management, and protection of medical staff, and hope that these measures can better prevent and control the infection of SARS-CoV-2 in the operating room.

COVID-19 vaccination coverage among adolescents aged 12-17 years in three provinces of eastern China: A cross-sectional survey, 2021.

High vaccination coverage is essential to prevent and control the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic. Currently, the real-world acceptance of COVID-19 vaccines among adolescents aged 12-17 years in China has not been reported. We aimed to assess the acceptance rate of COVID-19 vaccination among adolescents in eastern China and to identify factors associated with the intention to get vaccinated against COVID-19. We conduct a cross-sectional questionnaire survey among adolescents from three provinces in the eastern part of China from 16 August to 28 October 2021. The questionnaires were distributed to 2,100 students, and 2,048 students completed the questionnaires. The results showed that 98.4% (2,016/2,048) of adolescents had received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and 1.6% (32/2,048) declined the vaccination. The participants from rural districts, or whose parents were vaccinated, were more likely to accept the vaccine. The main reason for declining vaccination was worry about vaccine safety (25%). The main adverse event after the vaccination was pain at the injection site. In conclusion, the vaccine coverage rate reached 98.4% among the adolescents in this study, which met the criteria for herd immunity to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The high vaccination rate is beneficial to the prevention and control of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Microfluidic Point-of-Care (POC) Devices in Early Diagnosis: A Review of Opportunities and Challenges.

The early diagnosis of infectious diseases is critical because it can greatly increase recovery rates and prevent the spread of diseases such as COVID-19; however, in many areas with insufficient medical facilities, the timely detection of diseases is challenging. Conventional medical testing methods require specialized laboratory equipment and well-trained operators, limiting the applicability of these tests. Microfluidic point-of-care (POC) equipment can rapidly detect diseases at low cost. This technology could be used to detect diseases in underdeveloped areas to reduce the effects of disease and improve quality of life in these areas. This review details microfluidic POC equipment and its applications. First, the concept of microfluidic POC devices is discussed. We then describe applications of microfluidic POC devices for infectious diseases, cardiovascular diseases, tumors (cancer), and chronic diseases, and discuss the future incorporation of microfluidic POC devices into applications such as wearable devices and telemedicine. Finally, the review concludes by analyzing the present state of the microfluidic field, and suggestions are made. This review is intended to call attention to the status of disease treatment in underdeveloped areas and to encourage the researchers of microfluidics to develop standards for these devices.

Interrelationship between 2019-nCov receptor DPP4 and diabetes mellitus targets based on protein interaction network.

Patients with diabetes are more likely to be infected with Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and the risk of death is significantly higher than ordinary patients. Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP4) is one of the functional receptor of human coronavirus. Exploring the relationship between diabetes mellitus targets and DPP4 is particularly important for the management of patients with diabetes and COVID-19. We intend to study the protein interaction through the protein interaction network in order to find a new clue for the management of patients with diabetes with COVID-19. Diabetes mellitus targets were obtained from GeneCards database. Targets with a relevance score exceeding 20 were included, and DPP4 protein was added manually. The initial protein interaction network was obtained through String. The targets directly related to DPP4 were selected as the final analysis targets. Importing them into String again to obtain the protein interaction network. Module identification, gene ontology (GO) analysis and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis were carried out respectively. The impact of DPP4 on the whole network was analyzed by scoring the module where it located. 43 DPP4-related proteins were finally selected from the diabetes mellitus targets and three functional modules were found by the cluster analysis. Module 1 was involved in insulin secretion and glucagon signaling pathway, module 2 and module 3 were involved in signaling receptor binding. The scoring results showed that LEP and apoB in module 1 were the highest, and the scores of INS, IL6 and ALB of cross module associated proteins of module 1 were the highest. DPP4 is widely associated with key proteins in diabetes mellitus. COVID-19 may affect DPP4 in patients with diabetes mellitus, leading to high mortality of diabetes mellitus combined with COVID-19. DPP4 inhibitors and IL-6 antagonists can be considered to reduce the effect of COVID-19 infection on patients with diabetes.

Distribution of the COVID-19 epidemic and correlation with population emigration from Wuhan, China.

BACKGROUND: The ongoing new coronavirus pneumonia (Corona Virus Disease 2019, COVID-19) outbreak is spreading in China, but it has not yet reached its peak. Five million people emigrated from Wuhan before lockdown, potentially representing a source of virus infection. Determining case distribution and its correlation with population emigration from Wuhan in the early stage of the epidemic is of great importance for early warning and for the prevention of future outbreaks. METHODS: The official case report on the COVID-19 epidemic was collected as of January 30, 2020. Time and location information on COVID-19 cases was extracted and analyzed using ArcGIS and WinBUGS software. Data on population migration from Wuhan city and Hubei province were extracted from Baidu Qianxi, and their correlation with the number of cases was analyzed. RESULTS: The COVID-19 confirmed and death cases in Hubei province accounted for 59.91% (5806/9692) and 95.77% (204/213) of the total cases in China, respectively. Hot spot provinces included Sichuan and Yunnan, which are adjacent to Hubei. The time risk of Hubei province on the following day was 1.960 times that on the previous day. The number of cases in some cities was relatively low, but the time risk appeared to be continuously rising. The correlation coefficient between the provincial number of cases and emigration from Wuhan was up to 0.943. The lockdown of 17 cities in Hubei province and the implementation of nationwide control measures efficiently prevented an exponential growth in the number of cases. CONCLUSIONS: The population that emigrated from Wuhan was the main infection source in other cities and provinces. Some cities with a low number of cases showed a rapid increase in case load. Owing to the upcoming Spring Festival return wave, understanding the risk trends in different regions is crucial to ensure preparedness at both the individual and organization levels and to prevent new outbreaks.