ABSTRACT
Introduction: The Coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) is a catastrophic emerging global health threat caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). COVID-19 has a wide range of complications and sequelae. It is devastating in developing countries, causing serious health and socioeconomic crises as a result of the increasingly overburdened healthcare system. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in Ethiopia. Methods: Electronic databases, such as PubMed, Google Scholar, Web of Science, Research Gate, Embase, and Scopus were thoroughly searched from March to April 2022 to identify relevant studies. The quality of the included studies was evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality scale for cross-sectional studies. STATA-12 was used for analysis. A random-effects model was used to compute the pooled prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The heterogeneity was quantified by using the I2 value. Subgroup analysis was done for sex, age of study subjects, population type, diagnostic methods, and publication year. Publication bias was assessed using a funnel plot and Egger's test. A sensitivity analysis was also done. Result: 11 studies consisting of 35,376 study participants (15,759 male and 19,838 female) were included in this systematic review and meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 was 8.83%. There was substantial heterogeneity, with an I2 value of 99.3%. The pooled prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 was higher in males (9.27%) than in females (8.8%). According to the publication year, a higher prevalence was obtained in 2021 (12.69%). Similarly, it was higher in the population of specific groups (16.65%) than in the general population (5.75%). Conclusion: the national pooled prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the Ethiopian population was 8.83%. This indicates that the burden of COVID-19 is still high, which urges routine screening and appropriate treatment. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of COVID is the property of MDPI and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Nowadays obesity and CoronaVIrus Disease-19 (COVID-19), for some extent, represent two major public health problems worldwide. These diseases, albeit extremely different, have a pandemic pattern of diffusion and have enormous direct and indirect effects both on health and lifestyle. AIM: Aim of our narrative review was to analyze in the pediatric population, the relationship between these two diseases using a holistic approach. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a quasi-review with a systematic literature search through the Cochrane Library and Medline/PubMed databases from 1 January 2013 to 1 October 2020. Two authors independently extracted data using predefined data fields and rated study quality. Two main key words were considered, obesity and COVID-19, pointing a particular focus on pediatric patients. We also analysed the relationship between obesity and COVID-19 in adults for comparison. CONCLUSION: Evidences showed that during quarantine due to COVID-19, children and adolescents were physically less active, have much longer screen time exposure, sleep patterns disturbances, and less favorable diets, possibly resulting in weight gain and in a loss of cardio-respiratory fitness. Such negative effects on health are likely to be much worse in subjects that are overweight or have obesity. Moreover, stressors emerging from the prolonged national lock-down around the world and from social distancing could have even more problematic and enduring effects considering that obese children are more susceptible to psychiatric disorders. Obesity represents also a risk factor for COVID-19 severity in younger adults but at the moment in pediatric population we have very limited data. Public health interventions are urgently called in order to promote an active lifestyle and engagement in social activities in children and possibly to mitigate the adverse impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in pediatric subjects that are overweight or have obesity. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Child & Adolescent Obesity (2574254X) is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)