ABSTRACT
Introduction : Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) saw an overhaul in the biomedical waste management (BMWM) practices. Waste handlers were at the brunt of these changes. If the challenges pertaining to BMWM at the ground level are better understood, more effective measures to overcome them can be formulated. Objectives: 1. To identify myths and concerns regarding BMWM in the context of COVID-19 pandemic. 2. To explore the challenges faced in BMWM amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. 3.To explore opportunities and future perspectives of BMWM. Method: In-depth interviews were conducted among 17 purposively selected Class IV health care workers during August to November 2021 in a tertiary care institute in Mumbai. Data was reported using thematic analysis. Results: Three major themes - challenges and concerns faced by BMW handlers, enablers/motivators, opportunities and future practices were generated from the transcripts. Various challenges faced by waste handlers were- difficulties in segregation and transport of BMW, exhaustion from PPE usage and fear of acquiring and spreading COVID-19 from work, stigma faced from public, and handling COVID-19 deaths. Support from family and colleagues, incentives and a positive change in public perception enabled them to work. Forming redressal committees, addressing job security concerns and timely provision of good quality equipment can improve hospital waste management measures in the future. Conclusion: It is of utmost importance to address challenges faced by waste handlers in BMWM. Onus should also be on periodic training in BMWM.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: taught The most important lesson COVID-19 pandemic is basic hygiene practices. It is important to understand hygiene practices among patients during first wave, when meager knowledge about the management of COVID-19 was available. To assess the adopted behavioral practices Objective: and predictors for COVID-19 infection among screened individuals during the 1st wave. A cross- Method: sectional study included COVID-19 screened individuals attending COVID -19 screening OPD at Mumbai. Total 950 participants were interviewed telephonically using convenient sampling method. Logistic regression nanalysis was performed. A total 950 respondents participated, with median age of36 Results: years (range:18yrs to 83 years). Respondents, RTPCR positive or quarantined were 36%. Analysis concludes that practices of having seen or read about hand hygiene, face hygiene, maintaining social distancing, cough etiquettes and enforcement of strict lockdown were significantly associated with lower risk of COVID-19 infection (p value <0.05). Hygiene Practices were followed correctly by more than 50% of this Conclusion: cohort however few individuals were able to answer knowledge related questions correctly. Simple hygiene practices like face hygiene, cough etiquettes, social distancing, strict following of lockdown and having seen or read information on hand washing were predictors of COVID-19 infection. The study highlights the need for quick and rigorous attempts to educate people during a state of a health emergency.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: The emerging respiratory illness caused by SARS-CoV-2 has posed the threat to human life across the globe. Various physical measures applied to curb the spread of the virus in initial phase of pandemic but high level of immunity by vaccination is an effective strategy to reduce the morbidity and mortality. To achieve this parent's willingness is important for vaccination of children. Objectives: To study the parent's willingness and associated factors to vaccinate the children with Covid-19 vaccine. Material & Methods: The cross sectional study conducted in the month of July 2022. A confidential interview of 300 parents visited to OPD was taken. Information obtained about socio-demography, routine immunization and comorbidity in children, parents COVID-19 vaccination, COVID-19 infection and hospitalization in family members and willingness for children's covid-19 vaccination. Results: Out of 300 parents around 253(84.3%) parentswere willing, 10(3.3%) not willing and 37(12.3%) not sure about children's vaccination. hospitalization of family members, parental vaccination against Covid-19, vaccination of siblings > 12 years, parents having 1- 2 children were significantly associated with willingness. Conclusion: Counselling of parents to relieve the anxiety is needed, communicating clear information about vaccination and expected side effects of the vaccine, provision of reliable source of information like family physician, health care workers.
ABSTRACT
Background: There exists a treatment dilemma regarding the optimal and effective use of therapeutic drugs (hydroxychloroquine/chloroquine/azithromycin) for COVID-19. Furthermore, with changing guidelines, the data on drug utilization patterns across India are limited. Hence, this study was conducted to assess the prescription pattern and drug utilization trends in COVID-19 patients with the aim to study the drug utilization pattern in patients affected with COVID-19 in a dedicated COVID-19 hospital. Aims and Objectives: The objectives of the study are as follows: (1) To study drug utilization patterns according to the severity of the disease. (2) To study the prevalence of adverse drug reactions (ADRs). Materials and Methods: Data were collected retrospectively from 100 medical records of patients 18 years irrespective of sex admitted in the COVID ward and ICU of a dedicated COVID hospital from May to August 2020. Pregnant and lactating women were excluded from the study. ADRs reported were also analyzed. Results: About 71% were mild in this study, 18% were moderate, and 11% were severe COVID-19 patients. Overall, the most common drugs prescribed were multivitamins, followed by pantoprazole, paracetamol, and azithromycin. Hydroxychloroquine was prescribed in 22%, favipiravir in 7%, and remdesivir in 3% of cases. The majority of moderate COVID patients received injectables piperacillin-tazobactam, methylprednisolone, and enoxaparin. The mean number of medications, duration of admission, and number of days on oxygen were higher and significant in moderate compared to mild and severe COVID patients. Overall, ADRs were encountered in 9% of cases. Conclusion: The prescribed pattern of drugs was by the national standard guidelines. Multivitamins, followed by pantoprazole, paracetamol, and azithromycin dominated the prescription pattern. Polypharmacy was encountered, which needs to be addressed for the rational use of drugs.
ABSTRACT
This special issue contains 8 articles that explore various latest research on COVID-19, including the clinical presentation of the disease, the role of inflammation, the development of new treatments, and the long-term effects of the infection. The topics covered include the evaluation of white blood cell parameters and their significance in COVID-19 patients in Western Maharashtra, India;the association between acute phase reactants and COVID-19 severity and mortality in a tertiary care hospital in India;the clinico-hematological profile of COVID-19 patients from an Indian perspective;the correlation between C-reactive protein test results and clinical characteristics in COVID-19 patients;the effective binding affinity of an inhibitor against the SARS-CoV-2 NSP13 helicase;the assessment of absolute neutrophil count in COVID-19 patients in a tertiary care hospital;the analysis of the anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG response following the first and second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine;and a case report discussing the diagnostic dilemma of hypoplastic acute myeloid leukemia in a COVID-19 patient.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: Since the beginning of COVID 19 pandemic, more than 641 million cases and 6.63 million confirmed deaths were reported worldwide. A rapid development of COVID 19 Vaccine was the breakthrough in the prevention and control of COVID 19. India has commenced its vaccination drive from January 16, 2021 and has administered more than 219 crores vaccination to date it its people. On war foot, Reliance Industries Limited also launched its free vaccination coverage program - Mission Vaccine Suraksha for employees, family members, and community by collaborating with local authorities and governments. The organization also provided free vaccination to Kerala, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra besides various other national and regional organisations to speed up the vaccination drive. Methodology: A taskforce including stakeholders form the Medical Services, HR, Procurement, Logistics, transportation, digital systems was formed to oversee, implement, monitor, and evaluate a successful vaccine roll-out drive. The drive included Covishield and Covaxin COVID 19 vaccines. As a single point of contact, Reliance Foundation HN Hospital procured, stored, and transported vaccines to all locations. At par with Govt. protocols, Reliance developed its own workplace COVID vaccination centres (CVCs) at its corporate headquarters and 11 other manufacturing sites in Maharashtra and Gujrat. For Cold chain management, Reliance procured Ice Lined Refrigerators (ILRs), refrigerators, vaccine carriers, icepacks, etc. for each CVC. Dedicated medical and paramedical staffs were recruited and trained to carry out vaccination drive with all the COVID 19 protocols in place. Reliance tied up with multiple hospitals to carry out pan-India vaccination drive. The entire operation was digitally enabled by involving mediums such as Reliance's in-house app JioHealthHub (JHH) that included end-to-end vaccination journey, i.e., from slot booking, CoWIN registration, post-vaccination care, uploading of the certificates, etc. Vaccine inventory was monitored by Reliance's digital system named KiviHealth. A vaccination dashboard was created to track real time vaccination update. Result(s): 40 lakh vaccine doses were provided free of cost to support the nationwide vaccination programme. Till date, 31,63,870 beneficiaries were covered under R-Suraksha under which, 15,94,357 people received their 1st dosage, 13,36,613 received the 2nd dose, and 2,32,900 people have received the precautionary dose. Reliance also commenced vaccination for children aged 12 to 17 years covering 7369 children for 1st dose, 5802 children for 2nd dose. Reliance has achieved 100% compliance for 2 doses of COVID 19 vaccination for its employees and contract workers across manufacturing units. Precautionary dose was administered to 75% of employees and contract workers to date. 25 mild and 3 moderate Adverse Event Following Immunization (AEFI) cases were recorded during vaccination at workplace CVCs, which were managed and sent home. Conclusion(s): Reliance's Mission Vaccine Suraksha has reached to all corners of the country, including people with disabilities, the elderly, homeless, and those in far-flung locations. Reliance faced hurdles in procuring and storing of the vaccines at the beginning of the operation. However, this was tackled effectively with strategic approach. The initiative is still ongoing ensuring maximum precautionary dosage coverage for everyone.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: COVID-19 pandemic affected 44,696,984 people in India Geriatric (age 60 years and above) population is increasing globally. Older adults have been affected badly with COVID-19 Neutrophil lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is used in several diseases as an inflammatory marker in predicting prognosis. According to a recent study patients with severe COVID-19 are reported to have higher Neutrophil lymphocyte ratio ( NLR). In this study we aimed to assess the accuracy of Neutrophil lymphocyte ratio (NLR) as a predictor of disease severity and mortality in geriatric patients with COVID-19. Material(s) and Method(s): 200 geriatric inpatients infected with COVID-19 were included in the study. Neutrophil lymphocyte ratio (NLR) at admission was recorded. Neutrophil lymphocyte ratio (NLR) cutoff was taken 3.5. Patients were categorized into mild, moderate, severe and critical cases according to criteria given by Maharashtra Task Force. Relationship between Neutrophil lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and disease outcome was assessed. A p value < 0.05 was taken as statistically significant. Result(s): The mean age of study sample was 69.00 +/-7.09 years. A significant association was found between Neutrophil lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and disease severity (p-0.048) as well as mortality (p-0.041).Copyright © 2023, Dr Yashwant Research Labs Pvt Ltd. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
The proceedings contain 206 papers. The topics discussed include: influenza: experiences from Kashmir;outbreaks of different viral etiologies amidst COVID-19 pandemic;development of a colorimetric isothermal (LAMP) assay for rapid detection of monkeypox virus;circulation of genetically diverse non-polio enteroviruses in respiratory samples during COVID-19 pandemic period (2021-22);evolutionary analysis of all eleven genes of species C rotaviruses circulating in humans and domestic animals;molecular characterization of dengue viruses circulating in Pune district, Maharashtra from 2009-2022;isolation and genomic characterization of cell fusing agent virus from aedes aegypti mosquitoes from Assam, India;structure-based identification and evaluation of antiviral activity of potent small molecule inhibitors targeting alphavirus RNA-dependent RNA polymerase;integration of HBV receptor NTCP into hepatoma cell using grnome editing;and hepatitis B virus genome targeting using CRISPR/Cas9based gene editing tool.
ABSTRACT
For centuries, the Hijra enjoyed a special respect in the Hindu and Islamic cultures however, over the time, stigmatization took its toll and today the community is pushed to live on extreme societal margin. The present study was undertaken to assess the nutritional status of 304 transgender (Male to Female) residing in and around Mumbai using a mixed method approach. Participants were selected using a purposive sampling technique with the help of three Community Based Organisations (CBOs) working in close association with transgender. Data related to their nutritional status was collected before the pandemic using Food Frequency Questionnaire, 24-hr Recall and anthropometric measurements. Data related to impact of COVID-19 pandemic on food habits of transgender was collected from eight key informants working with CBOs using in-depth telephonic interviews. Results indicated that consumption of calorie dense junk foods was high and that of immunity building micronutrient dense foods such as fruits, vegetables and milk was notably low. Mean intake of macronutrients was adequate but that of micronutrients was lower for the majority. BMI assessment showed that 13 and 49% were underweight and overweight /obese respectively. COVID-19 pandemic further worsened nutritional status. The findings of the study may serve as basis for formulation of effective nutrition intervention programmes for transgender community.
ABSTRACT
Today world is trying to cope with the biggest pandemic caused by Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The disease is graded as mild, moderate, serious and critical illness. Very few studies are done with methemoglobin along with other parameters for the assessment of the severity of COVID-19 disease. The objectives of the study were to estimate methemoglobin (Met-Hb), hemoglobin (Hb), ferritin and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels in patients with COVID-19 disease and to investigate the interaction between these parameters and the severity of the disease. This observational study was conducted in three groups of COVID-19 patients- moderate, severe and critical, each group containing 30 patients, between June 2021 and September 2021 in the biochemistry department of a tertiary care hospital. For all patients, Met-Hb, Hb, ferritin, and LDH levels were estimated on the 2nd-3rd day of hospital admission. Patients in the critical group were older and had significantly high values of Met-Hb, ferritin and LDH and significantly low values of Hb (P<0.05). In multivariate ordinal regression analysis, older age (OR-3.08;95%CI:1.19-7.19;P-0.019), higher values of LDH (OR-8.66;95%CI:2.53-29.5;P-0.001) and ferritin (OR-3.08;95%CI:1.09-8.7;P-0.033) were independently associated with severity of the disease. A cut-off value of 410.50 U/L for LDH predicted the severity of the disease with 90% sensitivity and 88.3% specificity. In conclusion, higher levels of LDH and ferritin were related to the severity of the disease in COVID-19 cases. Although Met-Hb showed a minimal increase without any association with severity, it may be an underlying cause of hypoxia that may go unnoticed. So, monitoring of all these parameters should be done at intervals.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: Pregnant and lactating women have been included in the ongoing vaccination drive against Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) by the Government of India. Despite the fact, the vaccination rates among this particular group were fairly dismal. Aim(s): To study the Knowledge, Attitude and Practices (KAP) related to the COVID-19 vaccine in pregnant and postpartum women in a tertiary care hospital. Material(s) and Method(s): This cross-sectional study was conducted in Obstetrics and Gynaecology wards and Outpatient Department, Smt. Kashibai Navale Medical College and General Hospital (tertiary care hospital), Pune, Maharashtra, India, from August 2021 to October 2021 among 251 pregnant and postpartum patients. The data was collected using a face-to-face questionnaire. The questionnaire included demographic characteristics of study participants and a set of questions to test the KAP towards COVID-19 vaccination in pregnancy. Result(s): A total of 251 pregnant and postpartum women, with a mean age of 24.54 years, were surveyed. Among all the participants, 223 (89.92%) knew about the existence of the COVID-19 vaccine, however, only 23 (9.16%) were vaccinated. The most common reasons for refusing the vaccine were concerns for their own safety (n=39, 17.5%) or that of the foetus (n=107, 48.1%), lack of awareness (58.5%), and lack of recommendation by healthcare workers (63.5%). Only 67.8% of subjects believed in the efficacy of the vaccine. Overall, 16 (9.41%) women with no history of miscarriages or abortions had taken the vaccine, whereas, seven (9.33%) participants with a history of miscarriage or abortions had taken the vaccine. Conclusion(s): The present study reported low acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine in pregnant and postpartum women. Lack of awareness and concern for vaccine safety were the major reasons for this. Recognising the major reasons for vaccine hesitancy among this population will be useful for creating effective strategies to increase vaccine acceptance during this pandemic.Copyright © 2023 Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
Background: Among many responsibilities, the doctors from the COVID war room of our institute were assigned to take telephonic follow-up of discharged COVID patients to provide any medical assistance if needed. During this process, few relatives of the patient's informed back that the patients had died after discharge from the COVID wards. Aim and Objective: Such data of death in the COVID patients after discharged are limited in India;hence, we conducted this study so that more information is generated. Materials and Methods: Relatives of these COVID patients were asked about date and place of death. Other data including gender, age, date of admission, date of discharge, and requirement of oxygen were available with the COVID war room and were used for evaluation. Results: Out of the 892 COVID discharged patients (between August and October 2020) who could be contacted, 19 (2.13%) patients (6 females and 13 males) had died after discharge from the COVID ward. Characteristics of these 19 patients included higher age (n = 11 were 61-80 years old and n = 3 were >80 years old), hospital stay of 11-20 days (n = 12), and required oxygen support (n = 12). Most deaths occurred within 20 days (n = 16) after discharge from the COVID ward. Conclusions: The current study reports deaths occurring COVID patients after discharge. Most of these deaths occurred within 4 weeks of cure and in elderly patients. More research with long-term follow-up is needed in "cured" COVID-19 patients so that appropriate preventive measures can be undertaken in the future.
ABSTRACT
Objective: To evaluate the outcome of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection in children and adolescents with tuberculosis. Methods: We analyzed hospital records for the period May, 2020 to September, 2021 for children who were severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) positive or SARS-CoV-2 antibody positive. They were divided into two groups viz., those with tuberculosis (tuberculosis group) and those without tuberculosis (non-TB group). Demographic information, symptoms, and outcomes of COVID-19 were compared between the two groups. Results: Median (IQR) age of participants was 11 (8,14) and 4.5 (2,9) year for the tuberculosis and non-TB groups, respectively. 93.5% and 36.1% of children were asymptomatic in the tuberculosis and non-TB group, respectively. No variable in the study was significantly associated with COVID-19 positivity in children with tuberculosis. No difference was found in the outcomes of COVID-19 infection in children having tuberculosis. Conclusions: No differences were noted in the outcomes of COVID-19 infection in children having tuberculosis.
ABSTRACT
The coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) is a pathogenic and transmittable viral disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and this disease emerged in December 2019 in Wuhan, China. It was later spread across the world, including the United States, Great Britain, Brazil, Russia, Germany, Spain, Italy, Iran, Pakistan, India and other countries. The whole genome of SARS-CoV-2 shared some similarity with the SARS virus, hence bat was a suspected source of the spread of this virus in China. However, human to human transfer was reported. In India, more than 300 COVID-19 cases were reported on March 21, 2020, and these numbers were increased as 892551 on July 13, 2020. These numbers of COVID-19 cases were detected from a total of 11806256 samples according to the report given by the Government of India. On July 13, Maharashtra state of India recorded a total of 254427 cases and 10289 deaths were registered. Tamilnadu was another state that screened more number of COVID-19 cases, followed by Maharashtra. On July 6, 114978 COVID-19 cases were reported in Tamilnadu and 1571 deaths were recorded. In Tamilnadu alone, over 3000 COVID-19 cases were reported daily from July first week to the second week and total cases were 142798 on July 13, 2020. Among these cases, 78573 COVID-19 cases were detected in Chennai city alone accounted for about 62% of total COVID-19 cases. It was earlier believed that patients over aged 60 and less than 10 were highly vulnerable to this disease. However, this disease affected all age groups. To prevent COVID-19, no approved antiviral vaccine or drug has yet been discovered. COVID-19 is transmitted through droplets during coughing and sneezing by symptomatic and asymptomatic carriers. Non-pharmaceutical interventions such as washing hands and social distancing are effective measures to control COVID-19 transmission in India. The present study was designed to analyze the control measures of COVID-19 infection and ground reality to control the COVID-19 outbreak.Copyright © 2021 Bentham Science Publishers.
ABSTRACT
Background: The world is still experiencing corona virus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic. So far, we experienced a total of more than 23 crore cases and 47 lakh deaths from COVID 19 disease. Severe acute respiratory syndrome - corona virus - 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was believed to affect lipid metabolism, with many authors reporting an increase in triglycerides and a decrease in high density lipoprotein (HDL) levels. This study gave the clinical features of COVID-19 patients with various HDL-C levels and an interrelation between HDL-C levels and the risk for adverse outcome in the form of deaths. Methods: We conducted a cross sectional study on 100 COVID-19 adult patients diagnosed by reverse transcription - polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test admitted to the medicine department, from January 2020 to December 2020, who were also tested for lipid parameters. The detailed history and lab parameters of the patients were collected and the severe outcome of the same was measured in terms of deaths. Results: The mean age of study participants was 57.92 +or- 12.41 years. Majority of the participants were from the age group of 41 to 60 years with 50 patients (50%). There were 73 males (73%) and 27 females (27%) in our study. We observed that a total of 36 patients had co-morbidities (36%), such as diabetes seen in 22 cases (22%), hypertension in 18 cases (18%), ischaemic heart disease (IHD) in 8 cases (8%). A significant association was seen between the presence of co-morbidities and deaths in our study (P = 0.043). A significant association was seen between the patients who required intensive care and deaths (P < 0.001). We found a significant difference between the triglycerides and HDL parameters of lipid profiles in patients who died as compared to those who survived. (P < 0.05) The mean triglyceride level in patients who died was 223.14 +or- 56.59, significantly higher than those who survived 134.43 +or- 96.16. (P = 0.003) Conclusions: The lipid profile evaluation in our study was found to be effective in detecting the correlation of severity and outcome in COVID-19 patients. We conclude that the severity of COVID-19 cases is associated with low HDL and high triglyceride levels.
ABSTRACT
COVID 19 pandemic has gradually established itself as the worst pandemic in the last hundred years around the world after initial outbreak in China, including India. To prevent the spread of the infection the Government implemented lockdown measure initially from 24th March to 14th April, 2020 which was later extended to 3rd May, 2020. This lockdown imposed restrictions in human activities, vehicular movements and industrial functioning;resulting in reduced pollution level in the cities. This study was initiated with the objective to identify the change in the air quality of seven megacities in India and to determine any correlation between the active COVID cases with the air quality parameters. Air quality dataset of the most common parameters (PM2.5, PM10, SO2, NO2, NH3, CO and Ozone) along with air quality index for 70 stations of seven megacities (Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai and Chandigarh) were analysed. Comparison was made between AQI of pre lockdown and during lockdown periods. The results obtained indicate sufficient improvement in air quality during the period of the lockdown. For the next part of the study active COVID cases during the lockdown were compared to the air quality change of that period. A significant correlation between active COVID case and change in the air quality was observed for Delhi and Kolkata with 0.51 and 0.64 R2 values respectively. A positive correlation was also observed between air pollutant parameters and incidents of COVID cases in this study. Thus from the analysis it was identified that air quality index improved considerably as a result of the nationwide lockdown however, there was no significant impact of this improvement on the infection rate of the prevailing pandemic.
ABSTRACT
As a pandemic, COVID 19 spread worldwide in early 2020. Primarily densely populated countries had remained vulnerable due to this biological hazard. Many people were forced to stay home owing to nature of the disease and no respite. A nationwide lockdown was implemented in India for 29 days (March 24th to April 21st) of 2020 during the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. During the nationwide lockdown, industries, transport, and other commercial activities were suspended, except for necessary services. During the entire pandemic situation, an affirmative impact was observed as the air quality was reported to have improved worldwide. The complete economic lockdown to check COVID-19, brought unforeseen relief from severe condition of air quality. An apparent, reduction in level of PM2.5 and Air Quality Index (AQI) was experienced over Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Chennai. Present work explores the various metrics of air pollution in Kolkata, West Bengal, India (imposed as a result of containment measure for COVID-19). The polluting parameters (e.g., PM10, PM2.5, SO2, NO2, CO, O3, and NH3) were chosen for seven monitoring stations (Ballygunge, Fort William, Victoria, Bidhannagar, Jadavpur, Rabindra Bharati, Rabindra Sarabar), which are spread across the metropolitan area of Kolkata. National Air Quality Index (NAQI) has been used to show pre-and during-lockdown air quality spatial patterns. The findings showed major changes in air quality throughout the lockdown period. The highest reduction in pollutants emission was observed for: PM10 (- 60.82%), PM2.5 (-45.05%) and NO2 (-62.27%), followed by NH3 (- 32.12%) and SO2 (-32.00%), CO (-47.46%), O3 (15.10%). During the lockdown, the NAQI value was reduced by 52.93% in the study area. © 2022 University of Craiova, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Geography. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
Background: Surprisingly, all the developed countries across the world are reeling under death due to the Coronavirus infection cases (COVID 19), but a developing country like India with the second largest population still here, the casualty is very less and recovery rate is very high due to the strong immunity of the people, vaccination regime for other diseases and hot and humid condition of the country. Objective(s): Yet, the greatest number of cases are in the State of Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Karna-taka, Gujrat, Uttar Pradesh, and Telangana the Western, Central, and Southern part of the country surprisingly the Eastern part of the country have a less number of active cases and also the mortality except for West Bengal. Conclusion(s): In the State of Jharkhand very less number of active cases i.e., 2785 and mortality is only 49, is there any role of geographical condition or there is some strong genetic form so that the inhabi-tants have very strong immune resistance to develop the infection initiated by the virus. In this review, these questions are in focus and may be solved.Copyright © 2021 Bentham Science Publishers.
ABSTRACT
Background: The private health sector has a significant role in the delivery of health services in India. However, given fast changing COVID-19 pandemic, it is critical to understand the role of the private health sector in delivery of services going forward. The supply of COVID-19 vaccines is firmly regulated by the Government of India and the private sector received unrestricted access to vaccine supply directly from manufacturers from June 2021 onwards. Materials and Methods: PATH carried out a rapid assessment of private health facilities in the state of Maharashtra to understand the challenges faced by private facilities in providing COVID-19 vaccination. Results: During the assessment it was found that 100% of the private health facilities have a robust cold chain system which is essential for safe storage of COVID-19 vaccines and delivery of immunization services. The in-charges of the health facilities reported difficulty in estimating requirement of COVID-19 vaccines doses, as 67% of the beneficiaries in Mumbai and Nashik were direct walk-ins. During the assessment 93.3% of the facilities were observed to have adequate availability of COVID-19 vaccines doses, based on the beneficiary registration data for the day. Ministry of Health, Government of India, recommends a trained 5-member vaccination team for providing services at each vaccination site. Conclusion: The key challenges faced by private health facilities during delivery of COVID-19 immunization were associated with differential vaccine pricing, time taken to receive supply of vaccines, difficulties in accurately estimating vaccine demand, multiple record keeping at the facility level and declining vaccine demand.
ABSTRACT
Background: India launched COVID-19 mass Vaccination campaign after regulatory approval of Covishield & Covaxin vaccines. However, inspite of Vaccination, cases of COVID-19 infection are being reported. Hence, this study is aimed to assess the COVID-19 infection and/or re-infection rate, including breakthrough infections, following vaccination among Health Care Workers at a Tertiary Care Dedicated COVID Hospital. This questionnaire-based survey was initiated following Institutional Ethics Committee approval. We also looked at reasons for Vaccine hesitancy and occurrence of adverse reactions following vaccination, their management and duration amongst the Healthcare Workers. Results: Of 564 Healthcare Workers (HCWs) who consented to participate, only 503 filled in the questionnaire completely. Majority of the HCWs received Covishield vaccine (78.56%). The infection rate postvaccination was 8.28% (with a median of 22 days and IQR of 8-43 days). This infection rate was significantly higher in those who were not vaccinated as compared to the Vaccinated HCWs (OR = 0.10, 95 CI% = 0.05-0.22, p <0.0001). Breakthrough infection rate was 2.42. Although 58.39% of the participants suffered adverse reactions after vaccination, like myalgia, Fever, Headache, these were mild in nature lasting for an average of 3-4 days. The vaccine hesitancy rate at our hospital HCWs was 6.36%, the main issue being the concerns regarding safety and effectiveness of the vaccines against the COVID-19 infection. Discussion/Conclusion: The infection and Breakthrough infection rates in our study were low and severity of COVID infection post vaccination was mild, not requiring hospitalisation.