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Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was a recent global pandemic of the era which posed a great challenge for the health care in terms of preventive, diagnostic and treatment dimensions. The seroprevalence rate of COVID IgG antibodies is very crucial in estimating the susceptibility of a particular area to the viral disease. In our study, we estimated the seroprevalence of COVID-19 in a rural area. Aims and Objectives: We aimed to estimate the seroprevalence of COVID-19 in a rural district of Tamil Nadu, 6 months after the index case. Materials and Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 509 adults aged more than 18 years. From all the seven Taluks, two gram panchayats (administrative cluster of 8-10 villages) were randomly selected followed by one village through convenience. The participants were invited for the study to the community-based study kiosk set up in all the eight villages through village health committees. We collected sociodemographic characteristics and symptoms using a mobile application-based questionnaire, and we tested samples for the presence of IgG antibodies for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 using an electro chemiluminescent immunoassay. We calculated age-gender adjusted and test performance adjusted seroprevalence. Results: The age-and gender-adjusted seroprevalence was 8.5% (95% confidence interval [CI] 6.9-10.8%). The unadjusted seroprevalence among participants with hypertension and diabetes was 16.3% (95% CI: 9.2-25.8) and 10.7% (95% CI: 5.5-18.3), respectively. When we adjusted for the test performance, the seroprevalence was 6.1% (95% CI 4.02-8.17). The study estimated 7 (95% CI 1:4.5-1:9) undetected infected individuals for every reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction confirmed case. Infection fatality rate (IFR) was calculated as 12.38/10,000 infections as on October 22, 2020. History of self-reported symptoms and education were significantly associated with positive status (P<0.05). Conclusion: A significant proportion of the rural population in a district of Tamil Nadu remains susceptible to COVID-19. A higher proportion of susceptible, relatively higher IFR, and a poor tertiary health-care network stress the importance of sustaining the public health measures and promoting early access to the vaccine are crucial to preserving the health of this population. Low population density, good housing, adequate ventilation, limited urbanization combined with public, private, and local health leadership are critical components of curbing future respiratory pandemics. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Asian Journal of Medical Sciences is the property of Manipal Colleges of Medical Sciences 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.)
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COVID-19 is a severe acute respiratory disease caused by coronavirus 2. While many biochemical alterations have been studied in patients with COVID-19, only a few studies were available to explore the relationship between serum lipid profile values and the severity of SARS COVID-19 infection. A cross-sectional study was conducted at Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute on 128 patients infected with SARS COVID-19 from March 2020 to September 2020. It was an age and sex-matched study. Patients were categorized into mild and severe based on the signs and symptoms. A fasting serum lipid profile and IL-6 levels were measured and Pearson's correlation analysis was done. There was a highly significant decrease in the median and IQR levels of TC, HDL, and LDL in severe cases as compared to mild cases [TC - mild: (256,64), severe (125,44), HDL - mild (46,11), severe (25,13), and LDL - mild (170,48), severe (76,36)]. TGL showed a significant decrease [mild: (170,67), severe:(110,69)]. IL-6 showed a significant increase in severe cases when compared to mild cases [mild:(20,37), severe:(62,105)]. Pearson's correlation analysis showed a significant inverse relationship between the levels of TC, HDL, and IL-6. However, TGL and LDL showed inverse but no significant relationship with IL-6. As the severity of COVID-19 increases, lipid profile levels start decreasing. Hypolipidemia is a pathognomic finding in severe SARS COVID-19 infection.
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Hospitality is a hugely influential industry in the world whose revenue generation is mainly driven by service quality and the customer experience. After the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, which shattered many sectors, the hospitality industry is resuming its business but it faces a major hurdle in servicing its customers whose current concern is safety and a contactless experience. This case presents the challenges faced by a budget hotel, the 'Hotel Dream', located in the heart of Madurai city which is known for its tourism in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. The hotel offers a wide range of amenities and caters primarily for transient customers. However, to match the demand post-pandemic the managing director of the hotel must choose the most appropriate segmentation, targeting and positioning (STP) strategy in order to improve the prospects of the hotel in terms of its service product, target customers and positioning in the market.
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Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a single-stranded RNA virus that causes SARS. The virus was originally called SARS-CoV-2 named officially by the World Health Organization as COVID-19 and a global health emergency. Aim: The aim of this article is to assess various clinical findings, comorbidities, and outcomes including periods of hospital stay of asymptomatic/symptomatic COVID-19 patients admitted at the Government Medical College, Omandurar, Chennai District of Tamil Nadu state and those who were under Integrated Medical care of hydroxychloroquine and Kabasura Kudineer. Materials and Methods: This study is a retrospective cross-sectional study on 162 asymptomatic/symptomatic laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2-infected patients from both sexes and all age groups, admitted to the Government Medical College, Omandurar, Chennai District of Tamil Nadu state, India from March 30, 2020 to April 30, 2020. Results: SARS-CoV-2 confirmed 162 patients: 114 (70.4%) males and 48 (29.6%) females participated in the study. About 37.7% of the participants belonged to the age group of 26–40 years, 32.7% belonged to the age group 41–60 years, 16% belonged to the age group 13–25 years, 9.9% belonged to the age group greater than 60 years, and 3.7% belonged to the age group of 0–12 years. Around 16.7% have comorbidities, whereas the remaining 83.3% were free from comorbid conditions. All participants were given Kabasura Kudineer, but the treatment of allopathy medicine intake varies from person to person depending on their health status and disease severity. Abdominal computed tomography scan or chest X-rays of 24 (14.8%) patients were done during the study period. Two patients died and two were referred to another hospital, remaining 97.5% completely recovered from the viral infection. Admission days varied from 1 to 23 days. The overall median length of stay was 16 days based on this study. Conclusion: This study reveals that 97.5% of the patients were completely recovered from the viral infection and both average and median hospital stay is 16 days.
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[...]in a small proportion of cases like immune deficient patients or those with comorbid conditions, the disease can progress to a more severe stage characterized by a dysregulated immune response with hyperinflammation with subsequent development of acute respiratory distress syndrome. Real-time polymerase chain reaction test of the oropharyngeal/ nasal swab was the confirmatory laboratory evidence to identify COVID-19 infection. [5] In India, a wide range of repurposed drugs including azithromycin, remdesivir, dexamethasone, and even multivitamins such as zinc and Vitamin C was recommended for the management of hospitalized patients with COVID-19. The demographic and prescription characteristics such as age, sex, SPO2 at the time of admission, CT - chest score if available, duration of stay in the hospital, details of treatment received with the number of days of treatment for each drug, route of administration, presence of comorbid conditions, and adverse reactions if any, until the occurrence of a clinical endpoint, namely, inpatient death or non-fatal discharge were all collected.
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There are, however, other mechanisms at play in long COVID, such as persistent (intracellular) viral infection, genetic alterations, maladaptive healing and tissue damage that cause organ dysfunction in various body systems and auto immune responses similar to rheumatoid arthritis, Lupus erythematosus and anticardiolipin and Sjogren syndrome12,15. Some of the simultaneous effects included absorption of building blocks for optimal health, stimulating self-healing internal processes, restoring weakened systems, and symptom relief in addition to specific anti-inflammatories. [...]we present a RCT demonstrating efficacy for a traditional Iranian medicine in the management of blood glucose in people with type 2 diabetes. When you look at the photos you can't help but recognise the incidental benefits in the use of the traditional herbal medicine -the connection to the earth, physical activity, exposure to UV light and earth microbiota, and the social benefits of working together - benefits that sit outside of the chemical composition of the herbal medicine.
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The false smut disease of rice incited by Ustilaginoidea virens is a major constraint on rice production. The main aim of the present study was to ascertain the false smut disease severity in both delta and non-delta districts of Tamil Nadu through survey and surveillance and assess the correlation between the disease severity and wind velocity for the past three years, 2019, 2020 and 2021. Moreover, the present study addressed the disease distribution pattern of false smut diseases under field conditions. The results obtained from survey results revealed that the maximum disease severity was recorded in Nagapattinam district (Nagapattinam block) with 27.45% and the minimum disease severity was recorded in the district Theni (Bodinayakanur block) with 8% in 2021. Similarly in 2019 and 2020 maximum disease severity was recorded in the following districts Thanjavur district (Orathanadu block) with 19.91% and Thanjavur district (Peravurani block) with 18.54% and the minimum disease severity was recorded in the following districts Madurai district (Madurai north block) with 4.78% and Madurai district (Usilampatti block) with 4.78% respectively. The obtained R2 values through regression analysis were 0.70, 0.79 and 0.76 in the following years, 2019, 2020 and 2021, respectively. Besides the relationship between the false smut disease development, the pattern wind direction was also assessed. By assessing the false smut disease distribution pattern under field conditions, more disease distribution was observed around the surrounding area of the paddy field as well as the diagonal path of the field which clearly revealed that wind direction influences the disease development. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Journal of Applied & Natural Science is the property of Applied & Natural Science Foundation 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.)
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Researchers collected data from households in urban and rural areas of the state of Karnataka on antibodies for recent and past COVID-19 infection using a test that targets the RBD spike protein and better identifies exposure to the COVID-19 virus rather than other coronaviruses. Manoj Mohanan, co-author of the study and associate professor of global health at the Sanford School of Public Policy, Duke University, North Carolina, says that 44.1 per cent of the population in Karnataka’s rural areas and 53.8 per cent in the urban areas tested positive for antibodies to COVID-19 by the end of August 2020. ” “The study estimates that infection was about 10 percentage points higher in urban areas (54 per cent) as compared to rural areas (44 per cent),” Sircar adds.
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Purpose>This literature review paper aims to discuss the impacts and measures taken on Covid-19 with respect to architecture, built form and its allied fields along with observations from around the world with the end results of its implementation.Design/methodology/approach>Various research journals from Science Direct and Taylor and Francis among others were referred and reviewed to learn more on Covid-19 along with its impacts on people and their built environment. Keywords that aligned with the topic of interest like pandemic, Covid-19, coronavirus, urban spaces, built environment and built-up space were identified. Research papers that aligned with the scope of the paper and its keywords were found. An excel sheet with the basic data of these papers was written down. The essence of each of these articles were understood and linked with the topic in hand. A review of all these papers was written coherently to the topic. Future scope in this field of study was also identified.Findings>It discusses the various measures taken around the world in built-up spaces along with the various measures given by researchers, architects and urban planners to mitigate and reduce the transmission of Covid-19 in the built environment and urban spaces. The discussed measures along with observations from around the world have also been discussed with its end results. Discussions and conclusions on these design strategies and recommendations are made with the anticipation of a paradigm shift due to post-pandemic changes. Current scenarios of public spaces in densely populated countries are discussed. Future scope in this ongoing field of study includes measures that can be taken in specific to some particular built-up typologies like markets, theaters, parks, bazaars, etc.Research limitations/implications>The limitation of this study is the restricting of the study of Covid-19 to only architectural, urban and public realm scales. The study does not facilitate the involvement of other fields and their influence with Covid-19.Originality/value>This paper has been completely written by the author and the co-authors and has not been copied from any other sources.
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Background: According to the data from the World Health Organization (2011), over three million people die worldwide from diabetes and its related complications every year because of non-compliance. Aim: The present study aimed to assess the compliance with the therapeutic regimen and risk for diabetic foot ulcers during the COVID-19 pandemic among patients with diabetes mellitus. Method: The research approach was quantitative and descriptive research design was used. The study was conducted among 100 patients with diabetes mellitus in selected hospitals, Chennai. The samples were selected by the non-probability purposive sampling technique. A structured 3-point rating scale was used to assess the compliance with the therapeutic regimen and a checklist was used to assess the risk for diabetic foot ulcers. Results: The study findings revealed that 60% of the patients were in poor compliance and 39% of them were in fair compliance with the therapeutic regimen during the COVID-19 pandemic. The majority of the patients were at low risk for diabetic foot ulcers in both right foot (93%) and left foot (92%). There was a low negative correlation found between compliance with the therapeutic regimen and risk for diabetic foot ulcers during the COVID-19 pandemic at a 5% level of significance. Conclusion: Most of the patients were in poor compliance with the therapeutic regimen during the COVID-19 pandemic and the risk for diabetic foot ulcers was low in both feet among the patients. Compliance with the therapeutic regimen during the COVID-19 pandemic can be challenging to patients due to restrictive measures that compromise the health care delivery system. Nurses play a pivotal role in creating awareness among patients with diabetes about the importance of compliance with the therapeutic regimen in maintaining glycaemic control and in preventing complications.
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The COVID-19 pandemic in India is a part of a worldwide pandemic, on 24 March 2020, the Government of India has announced a nationwide lockdown. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the day-to-day activities particularly has created the largest disruption of education systems in India. This study has examined the impact of COVID-19 lockdown on the reading habit of Law Students in Tamil Nadu. A descriptive survey method was adopted and an online web-based questionnaire was used to collect data for the study. The total response collected for the study is 464 and 65.52% of respondents are female. It was found that there was a significant development in the reading habit of Law Students in Tamilnadu during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. It was revealed that most Law Students in Tamandu used a mobile phone (96.8%) to read during the lockdown. It was shown the challenges in reading during the lockdown, which include Heavy use of social media, Laziness, Work/home burden, lack of motivation, and non-availability of resources. It was concluded that COVID-19 lockdown has a positive influence on the reading habits of most Law Students in Tamailnadu and the findings of this study will provide understanding into the reading habits of these law students and necessary recommendations will be made.
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Purpose>The objective of this paper was twofold-revisiting the in-kind public distribution system (PDS) – India's flagship food security intervention and seeking beneficiary perspectives on its efficacy. The feasibility of cash transfers as an alternative mechanism is also examined, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.Design/methodology/approach>Primary and secondary data from the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu were used. In-depth interviews with beneficiaries using phenomenology were conducted to evaluate their perception and willingness to shift to a cash-based PDS in the pre and post-pandemic periods. Secondary district-level data were also used to ascertain institutional preparedness for this shift.Findings>In-depth interviews of 105 beneficiaries revealed valuable insights, which seem to have significantly changed post-pandemic. Beneficiaries in the post-pandemic period seem much more inclined toward cash transfers, though a combination of cash plus in-kind benefits seems to be strongly preferred. Secondary results pointed out to the lack of institutional preparedness in financial inclusion. The research suggested that while the existing PDS needs to be overhauled, policymakers should look at a model of cash plus in-kind transfers as a probable alternative to pure cash transfers.Originality/value>There is a dearth of in-depth state-specific studies on beneficiary perception of PDS, and this is important since the economic and sociocultural milieu in each region is unique. Being the only state with universal food security, its experience could yield important insights for other states or even middle or low-income countries similar to India.
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[...]experience of online education, like google class room, as an alternative to class room interaction during lockdown, would very likely to influence the future educational technology in teaching learning process. Before effective remedies are found they do their jobs, killing human beings and diverting the resource gained from participation in the process of globalisation to fight against its inevitable accomplices of different times and forms. Previous to COVID-19, the model of development is held responsible for climate change, and an inverse relationship exists between environment quality and economic progress. Present COVID-19 along with frequent floods, cyclones, tsunami, etc. has added immense strength to their arguments. [...]COVID-19 has exposed weakness of our policies, model of centralised development, growth oriented economy, our attitude;our weakness and strength;and is apparently all set to define inter community relations which snarl ugly teeth, and to interface between community and national priorities.