The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on perimenopausal symptoms

Aim: Menopause is the period of transition from the era of female reproduction to the period of loss of reproductive ability associated with the regression of ovarian functions. Perimenopause period is;It covers premenopausal (2 years before menopause) and menopausal (first 2 years after menopause). The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on menopause symptoms of women who contracted COVID-19 infection during the perimenopausal period when they were more sensitive psychosocially to the pandemic restrictions. Material and method: The study included 103 women aged 45-55 years, who presented at the Gynaecology and Obstetrics Clinic of Turhal State Hospital because of menopause symptoms between June 2021 and August 2021. The women were separated into 2 groups as 32 women who had contracted COVID-19 infection during the previous 6 months and recovered, and 71 women who had not had COVID-19. The groups were compared in respect of age, gravida, parity, body weight, menopause status, and not taking regular exercise using the Menopause Symptom Evaluation Scale. Results: Menopause status (p=0.002), not taking regular exercise (p<0.001), sleep problems (p=0.002), hot flashes (p<0.001), anxiety (p<0.001), and joint-muscle complaints (p=0.002) were determined at statistically significantly higher rates in the COVID-19 group compared to the non-COVID-19 group. Conclusion: The status of not taking regular exercise, thought to be associated with the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, was observed to increase menopause symptoms. Hot flashes, anxiety and sleep problems in particular were found to be significant complaints in menopausal patients who had been infected with COVID-19. It must be taken into consideration that these could be associated with previous COVID-19 infection. © 2022, Pamukkale University. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of Dentists' Anxiety Levels during the Coronavirus Pandemic

Objective: Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) is a highly contagious infection whose possible transmission routes are airborne droplets, close contact with an infected person or contaminated surface, blood, or saliva. These possible routes of transmission are closely related to the work conditions of dentists. The present study assessed the anxiety levels of dentists and related factors during the COVID-19 pandemic using the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). Material(s) and Method(s): A questionnaire consisting of 33 questions on the anxiety levels of dentists related to infection COVID-19 was used. The questionnaires were sent to dentists via online platforms. Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to compare quantitative variables. Result(s): In total, 260 dentists were included in the study. The median (minimum-maximum) BAI score of participants was 28 (19-75), which displayed moderate anxiety. There was a statistically significant difference between the genders in terms of BAI scores (p<0.001). No statistically significant difference was found between ages (p=0.79). Of the participants, 64.6% (n=168) stated that the level of income decreased, and 69.2% stated that safe working conditions decreased. Conclusion(s): During the COVID-19 pandemic, dentists were one of the most affected groups by the pandemic due to dental settings. Gender and the presence of chronic disease were the main factors that negatively affected the anxiety level of dentists. As the developments regarding the pandemic are updated daily, dentists should follow them and update their information through various platforms. Copyright ©Meandros Medical and Dental Journal, Published by Galenos Publishing House.

Evaluation of Dentists' Anxiety Levels during the Coronavirus Pandemic

Objective: Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) is a highly contagious infection whose possible transmission routes are airborne droplets, close contact with an infected person or contaminated surface, blood, or saliva. These possible routes of transmission are closely related to the work conditions of dentists. The present study assessed the anxiety levels of dentists and related factors during the COVID-19 pandemic using the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). Material(s) and Method(s): A questionnaire consisting of 33 questions on the anxiety levels of dentists related to infection COVID-19 was used. The questionnaires were sent to dentists via online platforms. Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to compare quantitative variables. Result(s): In total, 260 dentists were included in the study. The median (minimum-maximum) BAI score of participants was 28 (19-75), which displayed moderate anxiety. There was a statistically significant difference between the genders in terms of BAI scores (p<0.001). No statistically significant difference was found between ages (p=0.79). Of the participants, 64.6% (n=168) stated that the level of income decreased, and 69.2% stated that safe working conditions decreased. Conclusion(s): During the COVID-19 pandemic, dentists were one of the most affected groups by the pandemic due to dental settings. Gender and the presence of chronic disease were the main factors that negatively affected the anxiety level of dentists. As the developments regarding the pandemic are updated daily, dentists should follow them and update their information through various platforms. Copyright ©Meandros Medical and Dental Journal, Published by Galenos Publishing House.

Evaluation of pediatric patients with COVID-19 in a Turkish university hospital.

Background: Although COVID-19 has a milder course in pediatric patients than in adults, it can have a severe and fatal course in children with an underlying disease (UD). Aims: In this study, we aimed to evaluate the demographic, clinical, laboratory, and radiological characteristics, treatment methods, and prognosis of pediatric patients diagnosed with COVID-19. Patients and Methods: The files of patients aged 0-18 years diagnosed with COVID-19 were retrospectively evaluated. Clinically and radiologically suspicious cases were accepted as confirmed cases if SARS-CoV-2 PCR positivity was found in nasopharyngeal swab samples. The severity of the disease was defined as asymptomatic, mild, moderate, and severe according to clinical, laboratory, and radiological features. Results: A total of 322 pediatric patients, 51.2% male and 48.8% female, were included in the study. The median age of the patients was 12.08 years (1 month-18 years). Of the 322 patients, 81 (25.1%) were asymptomatic. Disease severity was as follows: 218 were (67.7%) mild, 14 were (4.3%) moderate, and 9 (2.7%) were severe. 35.7% of the patients were hospitalized. Six percent were admitted to the intensive care unit, and three (0.93%) patients died. The mortality rate in patients with the UD was 3.3%. Conclusion: In our study, we determined that the disease had a more severe course in patients with initial procalcitonin, D-dimer, troponin increase, and thrombocytopenia. Although COVID-19 has a mild course in children, this is unfortunately not true for children with an UD.

Evaluation of the frequency and intensity of COVID-19 in patients with ankylosing spondylitis under anti-TNF therapy

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate pregnancy frequency and evaluate the factors affecting live births in hemodialysis (HD) patients. METHODS: Female HD patients whose pregnancy was retrospectively reported between January 1, 2014, and December 31, 2019. The duration of HD, primary disease, and the information on whether the pregnancy resulted in abortion, stillbirth, or live birth, whether the HD duration was prolonged after diagnosing the pregnancy and whether it accompanied preeclampsia were recorded. RESULTS: In this study, we reached 9038 HD female patients' data in the study. A total of 235 pregnancies were detected in 145 patients. The mean age was 35.42 (35 ± 7.4) years. The mean age at first gestation was 30.8 ± 6.5 years. The average birth week was 32 (28 -36) weeks. A total of 53.8% (no = 78) of the patients had live birth, 51.7% (no = 70) had at least one abortion in the first 20 weeks, and 13.1% (no = 19) had at least one stillbirth after 20 weeks. The rate of patients' increased numbers of dialysis sessions during pregnancy was 71.7%. The abortion rate was 22.4% in those with increased HD sessions, whereas 79.3% in those not increased HD sessions (p < 0.001). Live birth frequency was 67.2% in the increased HD sessions group and 3.4% in those who did not differ in HD sessions (p < 0.001). DISCUSSION: For the first time, we reported pregnancy outcomes in HD female patients, covering all regions of Turkey. It has been observed that;increasing the number of HD sessions in dialysis patients will decrease fetal and maternal complications and increase live birth rates.

THE LONGITUDINAL EVOLUTION OF COVID-19 OUTCOMES AMONG HEMODIALYSIS PATIENTS: A NATIONWIDE MULTICENTRE CONTROLLED STUDY

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Haemodialysis (HD) patients are at increased risk for adverse short-term consequences of COVID-19. In this study, we investigated the characteristics of chronic HD patients in the post-COVID-19 period and compared them with the control group. METHOD: We conducted a national multicentre observational study involving adult chronic HD patients recovering from COVID-19. The control HD group was selected from patients with similar characteristics who did not have COVID-19 in the same center. SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR negative patients and patients in the active period of COVID-19 were not included. RESULTS: A total of 1223 patients (635 COVID-19 groups, 588 control groups) were included in the study from the data collected from 47 centres between 21 April 2021 and 11 June 2021. The patients' baseline demographics, comorbidities, medications, HD characteristics and basic laboratory tests were quite similar between the groups (Table 1). 28th-day mortality and between 28th day and 90th day mortality were higher in the COVID-19 group than in the control group [19 (3.0%) patients and 0 (0%) patients;15 (2.4%) patients and 4 (0.7%) patients, respectively]. Presence of respiratory symptoms, rehospitalization, need for home oxygen therapy, lower respiratory tract infection and A-V fistula thrombosis were significantly higher in the COVID-19 group in the first 28 days of illness and between 28 and 90 days. Mortality was significantly associated with preexisting COVID-19, age, current smoking, use of tunneled HD catheter, persistence of respiratory symptoms, rehospitalization, need for home oxygen support, presence of lower respiratory tract infection within 28 days and persistence of respiratory symptoms. CONCLUSION: In the post-COVID-19 period, mortality, rehospitalization, respiratory problems and vascular access problems are higher in maintenance HD patients who have had COVID-19 compared to control HD patients. (Table Presented).

Effects of COVID-19 pandemic on consumers' food label reading behaviours and trust in food label information

Purpose There are many studies investigating people's eating habits during the COVID-19 period, and people have been encouraged to eat healthier. Healthy nutrition is made possible by making healthy food choices and food labels are one of the tools that help consumers make healthy food choices. Therefore, the primary aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on consumers' food label reading behaviours and their level of trust in food labels. Design/methodology/approach This cross-sectional study was conducted on 1,012 adults aged 18-65 years from seven different regions of Turkey. Participants' food label reading behaviours and their trust in food label information were assessed using an online questionnaire, and COVID-19 fear scores were determined using the fear of COVID-19 scale (FCV-19S). Findings Although not statistically significant, participants' rate of reading food labels increased during the pandemic (65.6% vs 68.7%, p = 0.078). On the contrary, trust in label information decreased significantly (52.1% vs 43.9%, p < 0.001). In addition, increased COVID-19 fear was associated with an increased rate of food label reading and decreased trust in the label information (p < 0.001). Research limitations/implications Because of the study's cross-sectional nature, the authors cannot provide a causal link between COVID-19 fear and food label reading behaviours and trust in food label information. However, it is difficult to investigate this causal link due to difficulties in studies of consumer behaviour and food choice (e.g. multifactorial effects and complexity). Second, because the present study's findings were based on self-report data, there may be a risk of resource bias. Nevertheless, the authors think that this study will shed light on future studies as it is the first time that the COVID-19 pandemic has investigated consumers' food label reading habits and their trust in food labels. Practical implications Considering the pandemic as an opportunity to change consumer behaviour, it may be useful to provide food label reading education to consumers, especially during this period. In addition, the information given on the label should be clear and understandable for a better understanding of the food label information. Furthermore, it may be beneficial to conduct food inspections more frequently and share the results with the public to increase consumers' trust in food labels. Moreover, as the food system shifts towards a "new normal", it is critical for policymakers to understand the changes in consumer perceptions, preferences and trust in foods. Originality/value COVID-19 fear affected consumers' food label reading behaviours. As far as the authors know, there is no study about the effects of COVID-19 on consumers' food label reading behaviours.

Digital Customer Acquisition and Onboarding during the Pandemic

A must for telecom industry in times of social distancing: Digital customer acquisition and onboarding. Digital channels gained more importance as classical sales channels could not work with the expected performance during the pandemic. In this paper, the digital sales paperless project carried out in the telecom industry is handled. The identification scanning with OCR (Optical Character Recognition), the verification with deep learning artificial intelligence algorithms, the management of remote vendors and other stakeholders in extensive software projects is told. © 2021 IEEE.

Atypical ct findings and clinical correlation of COVID-19 pneumonia

Aim: Our study aimed to evaluate the atypical CT findings and concomitant pathologies of COVID-19 pneumonia and clinical and laboratory findings and compare them with typical CT findings. Materials and Methods: A total of 69 patients were diagnosed with COVID-19, 14 of which were atypical (20.2%), and 55 of which were typical (79%) chest computed tomography (CT) findings. CT images and clinical and laboratory data of patients with atypical findings were retrospectively analyzed. Lesions of the typical and atypical group and CT severity scores were compared.

Perioperative considerations in urgent surgical care and operating room practice and guidance during COVID-19 pandemic;our experiences

Aim: The novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) can infect healthcare workers. We developed an institutional algorithm to protect operating room team members during the COVID-19 pandemic and rationally conserve personal protective equipment (PPE). We aimed to review the latest data on the COVID-19 pandemic and essential information for practice in emergency surgery and the operating room. Materials and Methods: An interventional platform (operating room, interventional suite, and endoscopy) with our committee formed with our doctors consisting of different branches, we developed our guidelines based on potential patterns of spread, risk of exposure, and conservation of PPE. We aimed to share our experiences with 128 patients who were taken into operation in a 2-month period. Anesthetic management and infection control guidelines for emergency procedures for patients with suspected 2019-nCoV were drafted and applied in Medical Faculty of Namik Kemal University.

Serum Neopterin Levels and the Clinical Presentation of COVID-19

In Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), it is important to evaluate disease activity and investigate possible biomarkers. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the relationship between disease activity and serum levels of possible immune activation marker neopterin in patients with COVID-19. The study enrolled 45 patients (23 females, 51.1%) treated for COVID-19. The patients were divided into two groups according to their clinical presentation: those who recovered quickly (Group 1) and those who worsened progressively (Group 2). The neopterin and C-reactive protein levels were high in all patients on admission. In Group1, neopterin concentrations and serum neopterin/creatinine ratios were significantly higher on admission compared to Day 14 of the disease, whereas in Group 2, levels were significantly higher at Day 14 of the disease than on admission. Neopterin levels at admission were significantly higher in Group 1. The serum neopterin concentrations at admission were markedly higher in patients with a derived neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (dNLR) > 2.8 compared to those with a dNLR <= 2.8 (p < 0.05). Serum neopterin levels can be used as a prognostic biomarker in predicting disease activity in COVID-19.

Some inflammatory markers and chest computerized tomography in patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus infection

OBJECTIVE: We retrospectively assessed whether there was a relationship between lung complications and some easily accessible markers to predict the presence of pulmonary consolidation in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). METHODS: According to the polymerase chain reaction and chest computerized tomography results, the study was categorized into three groups. Group 1 (n=87) included the patients with polymerase chain reaction (+), group 2 (n=55) included the patients with polymerase chain reaction (-) and chest computerized tomography (+), and group 3 (n=77) included the patients with polymerase chain reaction (-) and chest computerized tomography (-), respectively. RESULTS: High-sensitivity C-reactive protein and increased age were associated with higher computerized tomography (CT) scores. CONCLUSION: Increased age and C-reactive protein (CRP) may suggest pulmonary infiltration on chest CT in patients with COVID-19.