Reliability and Lifetime of a Novel 222-nm KrCl Excilamp

Recent studies in the epidermis have shown that Far-UVC (200-230nm) is a promising candidate against Novel Coronavirus (SARS-Cov-2) with little DNA damage. Due to the consideration that conventional Far-UVC KrCl excilamps may emit 200-230 nm radiation (typically 222-nm peak wavelength) but with some harmful UV radiation beyond 230 to 280 nm, a novel design of Far-UVC KrCl excilamps with the filter and reflector is introduced to reduce the harmful UV radiation from 10.9% to 2.5% at the cost of 30%~40% reduction in the total irradiance. In our study, the radiant characteristics and service life of the novel Far-UVC KrCl excilamps of 40~75 Watt (electrical power) with 222-nm peak wavelength were investigated. The service life was assessed under aging at the ambient temperatures (Ta) of 25 and 85 for 500 hours, respectively. The results showed that both the ambient temperature and the root mean square of current (Irms) into the excilamps have a substantial effect on the lifetime of the KrCl excilamps. Furthermore, although no significant change of the off-nominal emission ratio existed during the lifetime test, it was observed that the high ambient temperature has a negative effect on the filtering of the harmful radiation. © 2023 IEEE.

INVENTORY MANAGEMENT OPTIMIZATION FOR CAPITAL GOODS MAINTENANCE

Spare parts play an important role in supporting capital goods maintenance, contributing to downtime reduction and lifetime extension. However, once systems are becoming more and more advanced, and their reliability has also increased, both trends enlarged the amount of components with low demand, and spare parts management are becoming more complicated. Consequently, given the mindset change about delivery times with Covid-19 pandemic and the concern related to global spending in aftersales services, together with customers demanding high uptime levels and TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) reduction, the search for more efficient methods to manage spare parts inventory has emerged. Based on the use of industry 4.0 techniques, the aim of this study is to propose a framework for spare parts provisioning, reducing both maintenance and downtime costs. Copyright, American Society for Engineering Management, 2022.

Effect of Alcohol Intoxication in the Emergency Department on Suicide Mortality

Introduction: Suicide represents a significant worldwide disease burden disproportionately affecting younger patients in their prime working years. Mortality by suicide remains within the five leading causes of death up to the age of 60. Compounding this, alcohol use disorder (AUD) is known to be a risk factor for death by suicide and has been on the rise over the last 20 years, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. The emergency department (ED) is often the first point of health care contact for those patients that have suicidal thoughts or behaviours and understanding their acute risk of death by suicide when presenting intoxicated with alcohol remains a challenge for ED physicians. While the chronic disease of AUD elevates their lifetime risk for death by suicide, it has not been established how a presentation for suicidality accompanied by acute alcohol intoxication affects this risk. Method(s): This was a retrospective cohort study using population-based linked health administrative data for adult patients aged 18 or above who presented to Alberta (ED) between 2011 and 2021 for suicidal attempt or self-harm behavior. Patients who were acutely intoxicated with alcohol were identified and analyses compared patients with and without alcohol intoxication. The primary outcome was six-month death by suicide. Categorical variables were summarized using proportions, whereas continuous variables were summarized using means and standard deviations (SD) or medians and interquartile ranges (IQR), as appropriate. Competing risk analysis was performed to explore the cumulative incidence of death by suicide within 180 days after their index ED visit and examine the association between death by suicide and alcohol intoxication. Result(s): Patients presenting to the ED for suicide attempt or self-harm behaviour were intoxicated with alcohol in 30% of cases as determined by diagnostic coding and blood alcohol measurements. Intoxicated patients were more likely to be placed under involuntary mental health hold (26% vs 16%) and had on average a longer length of stay in the ED (411 min vs 277 min) but were less frequently admitted (10.8% vs 15.4%). As a departure from previous literature, those intoxicated with alcohol were more likely to be consulted to psychiatry (15.8% vs 12.6%). Mortality due to suicide in the 6 months following the patient' index ED visit were similar between the intoxicated and non-intoxicated groups (0.3% vs 0.3%) however there was a significant increase in all-cause mortality at 6 months in the nonintoxicated group (1.5% vs 2.1%). Discussion(s): This study examined the patient and ED treatment characteristics of patients presenting to the ED with suicide attempt or self-harm behaviour. It found that the 6-month risk of death by suicide was no different in those who presented with acute alcohol intoxication vs those without. While these results differ from other studies discussing how alcohol use disorder confers a chronically increased risk of death by suicide, they provide new evidence for the emergency department providers to consider when assessing the patient who presents with suicidal behaviours while intoxicated.

A new generalization of Nadarajah-Haghighi distribution with application to cancer and COVID-19 deaths data

In this article, a new flexible distribution called shifted generalized truncated Nadarajah-Haghighi (SGeTNH) distribution is generalized from the Nadarajah-Haghighi distribution. The hazard rate function of SGeTNH distribution is very flexible and can be increasing, decreasing, bathtub-shaped, upside-down bathtub-shaped, depending on the parameter values. Estimations of parameters of the proposed distribution are derived based on the alternative maximum likelihood estimation (AMLE), least squares estimation (LSE), and Cramér-von Mises estimation (CVME) methods. Monte Carlo simulations are performed to show the accuracy of the proposed methods of estimations. Several real data sets on cancer deaths and COVID-19 daily mortality are applied to illustrate the flexibility and usefulness of SGeTNH distribution for modeling reliability data.

Lifetime prediction of non-woven face masks in ocean and contributions to microplastics and dissolved organic carbon

This study explored the degradation behavior of three types of disposable face masks in simulated seawater via the accelerated aging experiments. Microplastics (MPs) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) were monitored in UV- and thermal-treated mask suspensions and their concentrations increased slowly in the early stage at 50 ℃ and 58 ℃. Owing to the high energy supply, the release rates of MPs and DOC at 76 ℃ were much faster than the above two temperatures. The time-temperature superposition principle (TTSP) was used to superpose the MPs/DOC release kinetics from other tested temperatures to the reference temperature and its applicability was verified by the similar activation energy. Then, a release kinetics model was established and fitted well with the superposed MP data (R2 ≥ 0.96). Since less than 0.1 % of carbon was leached, the superposed DOC data was roughly modelled by the exponential function (R2 ≥ 0.90). According to the TTSP and the established kinetics models, about 15 years were estimated to decompose half of a certain marine mask waste, together with leaching 0.21 ± 0.02 mg∙g-mask−1 of DOC. If mask consumption remains the same before 2025, they would contribute 40000–230000 tonnes of MPs and 13–97 tonnes of DOC to the ocean by 2040. © 2022

Temporary reduction in VOCs associated with health risk during and after COVID-19 in Maharashtra, India.

A novel coronavirus has affected almost all countries and impacted the economy, environment, and social life. The short-term impact on the environment and human health needs attention to correlate the Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and health assessment for pre-, during, and post lockdowns. Therefore, the current study demonstrates VOC changes and their effect on air quality during the lockdown. The findings of result, the levels of the mean for total VOC concentrations were found to be 15.45 ± 21.07, 2.48 ± 1.61, 19.25 ± 28.91 µg/m3 for all monitoring stations for pre-, during, and post lockdown periods. The highest value of TVOCs was observed at Thane, considered an industrial region (petroleum refinery), and the lowest at Bandra, which was considered a residential region, respectively. The VOC levels drastically decreased by 52%, 89%, 80%, and 97% for benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and m-xylene, respectively, during the lockdown period compared to the previous year. In the present study, the T/B ratio was found lower in the lockdown period as compared to the pre-lockdown period. This can be attributed to the complete closure of non-traffic sources such as industries and factories during the lockdown. The Lifetime Cancer Risk values for all monitoring stations for benzene for pre-and-post lockdown periods were higher than the prescribed value, except during the lockdown period. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10874-022-09440-5.

Impact of infectious disease pandemics on individual lifetime consumption: An endogenous time preference approach.

This paper considers the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on long-term individual lifetime consumption profiles. The framework for the analysis is a model that extends Strulik (2021) to include the government sector, where time preference is determined by individual health damage (deficit) distinct from normal aging. Thus, the health damage caused by COVID-19 changes the rate of time preference and consequently affects the Euler equation for consumption. Our theoretical contribution is the consistent incorporation of public health investment into the existing model to understand the effect of government measures against a pandemic. Numerical analysis based on this model is used to estimate changes in health status over time, trends in the rate of time preference, and individual lifetime consumption profiles, taking into account differences in age at the time of the pandemic and the nature of the government responses. Because the long-term negative economic impact would be enormous, we should avoid advocating for "living with COVID-19" without due consideration. The reopening of the economy must be accompanied by a commitment to the containment and elimination of infections with future novel coronaviruses.

Influence of indoor environmental conditions on airborne transmission and lifetime of sneeze droplets in a confined space: a way to reduce COVID-19 spread.

Effects of indoor temperature (T∞) and relative humidity (RH∞) on the airborne transmission of sneeze droplets in a confined space were studied over the T∞ range of 15-30 °C and RH∞ of 22-62%. In addition, a theoretical evaporation model was used to estimate the droplet lifetime based on experimental data. The results showed that the body mass index (BMI) of the participants played an important role in the sneezing jet velocity, while the impact of the BMI and gender of participants was insignificant on the size distribution of droplets. At a critical relative humidity RH∞,crit of 46%, the sneezing jet velocity and droplet lifetime were roughly independent of T∞. At RH∞ < RH∞,crit, the sneezing jet velocity decreased by increasing T∞ from 15 to 30 °C, while its trend was reversed at RH∞ > RH∞,crit. The maximum spreading distance of aerosols increased by decreasing the RH∞ and increasing T∞, while the droplet lifetime increased by decreasing T∞ at RH∞ > RH∞,crit. The mean diameter of aerosolized droplets was less affected by T∞ than the large droplets at RH∞ < RH∞,crit, while the mean diameter and number fraction of aerosols were more influenced by RH∞ than the T∞ in the range of 46% ≤ RH∞ ≤ 62%. In summary, this study suggests suitable indoor environmental conditions by considering the transmission rate and lifetime of respiratory droplets to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

Environmental storage conditions influencing the filtration behavior of electret filters with repeated use

Worldwide attention has been paid to effective protection strategies against the COVID-19 pandemic. Filtering masks are generally kept for a certain period of shelf-life before being used, and frequently, they are used repeatedly with recurrent storages. This study investigates the effect of storage temperature and humidity on the structural characteristics and charges of an electret filter, associating with the filtration performance in terms of efficiency and pressure drop based on a practical use-storage scenario. For the repeated use conditions with recurrent storage, humid storage conditions significantly deteriorated the filtration efficiency as hygroscopic particles quickly wetted the surface and masked the surface charges. The high temperature rapidly deteriorated the filter charges and caused a lowered electrostatic filtration efficiency. In a heated condition, the web became fluffier, yet it did not directly affect the pressure drop or mechanical filtration efficiency. The approach of this study is progressive in that rigorous analysis was performed on examining the particle morphology and internal structure of filter media with varied storage conditions to link with the filtration performance and the effective lifetime. This study intends to provide a scientific reference guiding a desirable storage condition and replacement cycle of filtering masks considering the actual use habits and storage environment. © The Author(s) 2022.

Not All Churn Customers Are the Same: Investigating the Effect of Customer Churn Heterogeneity on Customer Value in the Financial Sector

This research suggests a way to sustain a firm’s business by focusing on the economic aspects of relationship marketing by managing the heterogeneity of churn customers. In general, firms have regarded churn customers as a homogeneous segment, for they have not been conscious that churn ego can be various. However, customer churn can be divided into voluntary and involuntary, implying that firms should reform the retention strategy by focusing on egos that seem homogenous but are heterogeneous in terms of churn behavior. Using a multiple regression model, this study analyzed customer data from an insurance company to investigate the heterogeneous impacts of churn customers. It measured the impact based on the period and revenue in the second lifetime, comprehensively representing customer satisfaction. Empirical results show that customer churn heterogeneity significantly affects customers’ second-lifetime behavior. The analysis reveals how the firm effectively performed customer regaining initiatives and successfully maintained persistency. This research also concludes that voluntary and involuntary churn occurred by intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Finally, this research implicates the retention strategy that differs from the heterogeneity to achieve a firm’s high performance and suggests an empirical method of spurious loyalty avoidance by hedging loyal customer selection risk.

Statistical Inference to the Parameter of the Inverse Power Ishita Distribution under Progressive Type-II Censored Data with Application to COVID-19 Data

The goal of the article is the inference about the parameters of the inverse power ishita distribution (IPID) using progressively type-II censored (Prog–II–C) samples. For IPID parameters, maximum likelihood and Bayesian estimates were obtained. Two bootstrap “confidence intervals” (CIs) are also proposed in addition to “approximate confidence intervals” (ACIs). In addition, Bayesian estimates for “squared error loss” (SEL) and LINEX loss functions are provided. The Gibbs within Metropolis–Hasting samplers process is used to provide Bayes estimators of unknown parameters also “credible intervals” (CRIs) of them by using the “Markov Chain Monte Carlo” (MCMC) technique. Then, an application of the suggested approaches is considered a set of real-life data this data set COVID-19 data from France of 51 days recorded from 1 January to 20 February 2021 formed of mortality rate. To evaluate the quality of the proposed estimators, a simulation study is conducted.

Effects of parental drought on offspring fitness vary among populations of a crop wild relative.

Transgenerational plasticity is a form of non-genetic inheritance that can reduce or enhance offspring fitness depending on parental stress. Yet, the adaptive value of such parental environmental effects and whether their expression varies among populations remain largely unknown. We used self-fertilized lines from climatically distinct populations of the crop wild relative Lupinus angustifolius. In the parental generation, full-siblings were grown in two contrasting watering environments. Then, to robustly separate the within-generation and transgenerational response to drought, we reciprocally assigned the offspring of parents to the same experimental treatments. We measured key functional traits and assessed lifetime reproductive fitness. Offspring of drought-stressed parents produced less reproductive biomass, but a similar number of lighter seeds, in dry soil compared to offspring of genetically identical, well-watered parents, an effect not mediated by differences in seed provisioning. Importantly, while the offspring of parents grown in the favourable environment responded to drought by slightly increasing individual seed mass, the pattern of plasticity of the offspring of drought-grown parents showed the opposite direction, and the negative effects of parental drought on seed mass were more pronounced in populations from cooler and moist habitats. Overall, our results show that parental effects may override immediate adaptive responses to drought and provide evidence of population-level variation in the expression of transgenerational plasticity.

A Novel Multiple Dependent State Sampling Plan Based on Time Truncated Life Tests Using Mean Lifetime

The design of a new adaptive version of the multiple dependent state (AMDS) sampling plan is presented based on the time truncated life test under the Weibull distribution. We achieved the proposed sampling plan by applying the concept of the double sampling plan and existing multiple dependent state sampling plans. A warning sign for acceptance number was proposed to increase the probability of current lot acceptance. The optimal plan parameters were determined simultaneously with nonlinear optimization problems under the producer’s risk and consumer’s risk. A simulation study was presented to support the proposed sampling plan. A comparison between the proposed and existing sampling plans, namely multiple dependent state (MDS) sampling plans and a modified multiple dependent state (MMDS) sampling plan, was considered under the average sampling number and operating characteristic curve values. In addition, the use of two real datasets demonstrated the practicality and usefulness of the proposed sampling plan. The results indicated that the proposed plan is more flexible and efficient in terms of the average sample number compared to the existing MDS and MMDS sampling plans.

Extending the Lifetime of Clothing through Repair and Repurpose: An Investigation of Barriers and Enablers in UK Citizens

Repairing and repurposing clothes can extend their lifetime, helping reduce the environmental impacts of the fashion industry. We aimed to investigate influences on clothing repair and repurpose using the Theoretical Domains Framework. A survey was conducted with a representative sample of 300 UK citizens. The frequency of, and influences on, clothing repair and repurpose behaviour were measured with self-report scales and a free-text item. Quantitative (logistic regression) and qualitative (thematic) analyses were used to identify barriers and enablers of behaviour. Findings showed that participants typically engaged in the behaviour every six months. The main barriers concerned a lack of skills, poor product design, unaffordability of repair services, and incongruence with identity. Key enablers concerned the ability to focus during DIY tasks, dynamic social norms, beliefs about benefits of repairing, emotional attachment to clothing, and having routines and habits of repairing. This study is the first to apply the Behaviour Change Wheel to identify intervention types and behaviour change techniques that can modify these influences, such as training workshops and the provision of free repair and repurpose services. Policy options were suggested to support implementation, such as extended producer responsibility. Awareness and skill-building campaigns, while important, are not enough to support behaviour change;structural and policy changes are needed.

Seasonal variation, sources, and risk assessment of PM2.5-bound PAHs in Nantong, China: A pre- and post-COVID-19 case study

Between 2018 and 2022, a total of 231 PM2.5 samples were collected in Nantong, China, and analyzed online for 16 US EPA PAHs utilizing a variety of analytical methodologies, including high-performance liquid chromatography data analysis, principal component analysis, and characteristic ratio analysis. The seasonal variation and pollution characteristics of 16 PAHs in PM2.5 over a long period in Nantong, China, were analyzed, and correlations and traceability changes with a variety of emission sources were established. Additionally, health assessment models for BaP equivalent concentration, daily exposure dose, lifetime excess risk of cancer, and life expectancy loss were constructed for various ages and genders. The results indicated that the total number of days with BaP concentrations less than the national limit standard of 1.0 ng/m(3) was 60.17% (139/231), with rates of 25.40%, 35.71%, and 94.05% from 2019 to 2021, respectively;the total concentration range of 16 PAHs demonstrated a downward trend, but pollution was relatively severe in winter. The seasonal variation showed winter > autumn > spring > summer. The detection rates of 4 and 5 rings were generally high and fluctuated between dropping and increasing. Principal factor analysis and characteristic ratio traceability analysis indicated that PAH pollution is primarily caused by local coal-fired sources and traffic emissions, with a new trend of biomass combustion. Furthermore, BaP remains the primary contributor to carcinogenic factors, and the health risk is higher in females than in males, and in adults than in children. A low level of PAHs in the air may have health benefits. Traffic control and flow restrictions, as well as production restrictions, are all part of Nantong's COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control policies. These policies contributed to PAH risk prevention and control, as well as pollution reduction.

LIFETIME RISK OF PELVIC ORGAN PROLAPSE AND STRESS URINARY INCONTINENCE SURGERY AND TRENDS IN TYPE OF SURGERY FROM 2010 TO 2020

Introduction: In terms of the lifetime risk of pelvic organ prolapse surgery, based on data obtained from the USA covering the years 2007 - 2011 relating to a large population of adult women (over 10 million), the cumulative risk for POP surgery was 12.6% and for SUI 13.6% [1]. In the Czech Republic all inhabitants have the same mandatory health insurance. All health insurance companies have to report all data about outpatient and inpatient procedures to the National Register of Covered Health Services from the year 2010. Objective: The aim of the study was to estimate the lifetime risk of pelvic organ prolapse surgery and stress urinary incontinence in the whole population of the Czech Republic, and to assess the overall number and type of surgery provided. Methods: The analysis is based on data provided by the Institute of Health Information and Statistics of the Czech Republic (IHIS CR);these data are collected in the context of The National Health Information System (NHIS) and national health registers;the relevant data from 2010 to 2020 are available. The methodology used to establish the lifetime risk of surgery for prolapse (or incontinence) was based on data from the Czech Statistical Office estimating the probability of the woman surviving to a particular age. Results: 60,996 women underwent surgery for pelvic organ prolapse and 44,403 for SUI between 2010-2020 (at 1 January 2020 5,421,943 women were living in the Czech Republic);the average age of women undergoing surgery for POP was 64, and for SUI the mean age was 57. The most common prolapse procedure was hysterectomy (40,082), generally in combination with traditional vaginal wall repair (20,188 procedures). Similarly, the provision of traditional vaginal wall repair remained steady (overall 25,723 procedures). In the period monitored an increase in laparoscopical procedures was evident, rising by 100% from 1180 procedures in 2010 to 2009 surgeries in 2019 (in total 18727 from 2010 to 2020). The most common procedure is laparoscopically assisted vaginal hysterectomy (15268). And increase in laparoscopical sacrocolpopexis is also apparent (total 2298). The risk of reoperation for POP in women undergoing surgery between 2010 and 2015 varied between 3.3 and 4.2%. Mean lifetime risk for POP surgery for women having surgery between the years 2015 and 2020 is 14.12% (min 13.58, max 14.37%). The Covid pandemic significantly decreased the number of procedures for POP (on average on 29%). The most common anti-incontinent procedure is tension-free vaginal tape (total 44389). In terms of risk, the risk of reoperation for SUI for women having surgery between 2010 and 2015 varied between 0.2 and 0.7%. The mean lifetime risk for SUI surgery for women undergoing surgery between the years 2015 and 2020 is 6.44 (min 5.82, max 6.71) with a declining trend of anti-incontinence surgery. Conclusions: We have unique data available which covers the whole female population of the Czech Republic, indicating trends in surgical treatment of POP and SUI and making it possible to estimate lifetime risk of such surgery and also the risk of recurrent surgery.

The Mortality Risk and Pulmonary Fibrosis Investigated by Time-Resolved Fluorescence Spectroscopy from Plasma in COVID-19 Patients.

A method of rapidly pointing out the risk of developing persistent pulmonary fibrosis from a sample of blood is extraordinarily needed for diagnosis, prediction of death, and post-infection prognosis assessment. Collagen scar formation has been found to play an important role in the lung remodeling following SARS-CoV-2 infection. For this reason, the concentration of collagen degradation products in plasma may reflect the process of lung remodeling and determine the extent of fibrosis. According to our previously published results of an in vitro study, an increase in the concentration of type III collagen degradation products in plasma resulted in a decrease in the fluorescence lifetime of plasma at a wavelength of 450 nm. The aim of this study was to use time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy to assess pulmonary fibrosis, and to find out if the lifetime of plasma fluorescence is shortened in patients with COVID-19. The presented study is thus far the only one to explore the fluorescence lifetime of plasma in patients with COVID-19 and pulmonary fibrosis. The time-resolved spectrometer Life Spec II with the sub-nanosecond pulsed 360 nm EPLED® diode was used in order to measure the fluorescence lifetime of plasma. The survival analysis showed that COVID-19 mortality was associated with a decreased mean fluorescence lifetime of plasma. The AUC of mean fluorescence lifetime in predicting death was 0.853 (95% CI 0.735-0.972, p < 0.001) with a cut-off value of 7 ns, and with 62% sensitivity and 100% specificity. We observed a significant decrease in the mean fluorescence lifetime in COVID-19 non-survivors (p < 0.001), in bacterial pneumonia patients without COVID-19 (p < 0.001), and in patients diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (p < 0.001), relative to healthy subjects. Furthermore, these results suggest that the development of pulmonary fibrosis may be a real and serious problem in former COVID-19 patients in the future. A reduction in the mean fluorescence lifetime of plasma was observed in many patients 6 months after discharge. On the basis of these data, it can be concluded that a decrease in the mean fluorescence lifetime of plasma at 450 nm may be a risk factor for mortality, and probably also for pulmonary fibrosis in hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

IDF21-0427 Gender differences in age, new onset vs established diabetes in patients with Covid in an urban healthcare centre in India

Background: Diabetes and its association with poor outcomes in patients with COVID-19 is a well established fact. In this study, we are focusing on gender differences in age of occurrence of COVID 19, gender differences in patients with newly diagnosed diabetes vs established diabetes. Through this study, we are trying to focus on gender specific diabetes care in the background of the current pandemic. Aim: 1. To compare the gender differences in age of occurrence of Covid 19. 2. To find out the gender difference in patients with newly diagnosed diabetes vs established diabetes. Method: All patients admitted to the Voluntary Health Services (VHS) hospital with confirmed COVID-19 from May 2020 - May 2021 were included. Established diabetes was determined using patients’ history and patients were considered to have newly diagnosed diabetes if the HbA1c level at admission was ≥6.5% and no known history of diabetes. Age was categorised into five groups: Group 1: Those below 25, Group 2 :25–40, Group 3: 41–60, Group 4: 61–80, Group 5: Above 80. The data was retrieved from our hospital medical records. Results: Of 497 patients who had Covid with diabetes, we could include 411 patients for the analysis of newly diagnosed vs established diabetes. The results were as follows: (See Table 1 and 2) This study has revealed that the incidence of newly diagnosed diabetes is higher in men. As for clinical outcome, mortality rate was higher in men than women. More men got admitted with COVID 19 than women in all age groups. Discussion: Our study has revealed that overall 42.8% were under the age of 60. More men had Covid at all ages and their outcomes were poorer. More men had new onset diabetes than women. Nearly 25% of the men and 15% of the women had new onset diabetes which has serious implications for future burden of diabetes. Follow up is the need of the hour especially for women who already have an increased lifetime risk of diabetes.

Computed Tomography and Patient Risk: Facts, Perceptions and Uncertainties

Aim: To assess the role of computed tomography for management of Covid-19. Study design: Prospective study Place and duration of study: Department of Radiology, Ghulam Muhammad Mahar Medical College Teaching Hospital Sukkur from 1st November 2020 to 31st December 2021. Methodology: One hundred cases within various ages 5-55 years for analyzing their risk for CT scanning on them by highlighting the facts related to CT scan, patient perceptions and uncertainties regarding it. A 50 radiologist and 50 emergency doctors were also asked questions regarding their knowledge about CT scan risks and their responses were also documented. However previous CT record of patients suffering from carcinoma was also analyzed for understanding the fact related with CT imaging. Results: The mean age of patients undergoing CT scan was 39.5±5.6 years. There were 55% males who underwent CT scans while 45% females. The usual dosage for various radiological procedure shows that highest dose deliverance was given to the patients of CT pulmonary angiogram and coronary angiography. Only 50% of radiologists knew that CT scan is associated with high risk of malignancies. There were only 10% emergency medical doctors who also knew CT imaging relation with malignancy risk. Only 54% patients considered abdomen pelvic scan to be associated with increasing lifetime risk of cancer while 23% of the patients considered chest scan to be associated with escalating the risk of cancer. Conclusion: Computed tomography scan is related with a high risk of radiation exposure. There is a dire need of perception development and risk understanding with medical professionals and general public for minimizing this risk.