Don't let corona become our only story

This chapter is about, what impact can the corona crisis have on our mental health? Besides the relational tensions that can arise from living on top of each other, many of us are also stuck in one negative story. The chapter is about the importance making room for stories that are not about corona. It discusses about work that consisting of broadening people's horizon by letting participants discover that they consist of multiple stories. This will have an enormous impact on the mental well-being of a large part of the population, which will have lots of consequences. That is why it is important to actively make room for other stories right now, in the middle of the pandemic. Memories from the past and dreams for the future. This is a responsibility one has to take towards one's own mental health (and resilience), just as we have to do for others. Sharing other stories and making sure people don't get stuck in that one difficult story is just as much part of caring about each other and will help us get through this crisis healthier. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Isopp 2023

The proceedings contain 109 papers. The topics discussed include: dose intensity of palbociclib and initial body weight dosage: implications on progression free survival in 220 patients with ER+/HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer;characteristics of Nirmatrelvir/Ritonavir (Paxlovid) recipients and clinical interventions by oncology pharmacists at a tertiary outpatient cancer center;safe handling of non-carcinogenic drugs in the Ghent University Hospital: development, implementation and communication of hospital-specific guidelines;case series: use of olaparib in uncommon locations in patients with impaired homologous recombination;real-world data evaluation of medicines used in special situations in oncohematology: a retrospective study from a comprehensive cancer institution;Dostarlimab in the treatment of recurrent endometrial cancer: real life experience;medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaws and CDK4/6 inhibitors in breast cancer;and efficacy and safety outcomes of generic imatinib in adults with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) following the switch from branded imatinib.

EXERCISES FOCUSED ON HARMONIZATION MERIDIAN PATHS IN PREVENTION BACK PAIN.

Back pain is one of the most common ailments that have plagued mankind since time immemorial. The frequency of spinal diseases is second only to seasonal viral upper respiratory infections. The period of the Covid 19 pandemic has expanded mandatory work from home - home office, limiting the mobility of the population and thereby increasing back pain due to muscle imbalance in the back area. Muscle imbalance can originate from incorrect, one-sided or long-term loading of the axial organ - the spine. If one adds to this the forcing of the position of the head and upper limbs, which is part of the work with the imaging unit, then it is not surprising that the prevalence of non-specific back pain is high and shifts to the lower age groups. Physiotherapy has a large number of special methods and procedures that can prevent back pain with regular exercises. It was during the Covid 19 pandemic that there was a massive increase in the use of distance methods aimed at practicing physical activity for back pain in the sense of pain therapy or its prevention. The paper describes meridian pathwas and exercises aimed at their harmonization and presents the partial results of the authors'pilot study, which determines the effect of exercises aimed at harmonizing meridian pathways on the perception of pain in non-specific back pain in a distance form.Copyright © 2022 TIGIS Spol. s.r.o.. All rights reserved.

Umifenovir in COVID-19 therapy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

SARS-CoV-2 has infected more than 600 million people worldwide over the last 2.5 years. So far, there efficacy of many antiviral drugs against COVID-19 has been evaluated only in small studies conducted in different countries. Objective. To assess the efficacy of umifenovir in patients with COVID-19. Materials and methods. We performed systematic search of publications in the PubMed and Google Scholar databases. Sixteen studies with a total of 1,843 patients were included in the analysis. The following endpoints were evaluated: frequencies of negative PCR test on days 7 and 14;mortality in patients with mild, moderate, and severe disease;and frequency of fever resolution on day 7. Results. We found that patients receiving umifenovir demonstrated a significantly higher frequency of negative PCR test on day 7 than patients who received no causal therapy or other antiviral drugs (odds ratio (OR) 1.69, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.09-2.62, p = 0.02, I2 = 13%). This difference was even more significant among patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 (OR: 2.03, 95% CI: 1.24-3.32, p = 0.005, I2 = 0%), as well as on day 14 (OR: 2.02, 95% CI: 1.35-3.94, p = 0.0007, I2 = 50%). We also observed a reduced risk of death in the studies that included only patients with mild and moderate disease (JR: 0.53, 95% CI: 0.33-0.83, p = 0.006, I2 = 0). Umifenovir therapy did not affect the frequency of fever resolution by day 7 (OR: 0.87, 95% CI: 0.49-1.56, p = 0.64, I2 = 0%). Conclusion. Umifenovir significantly accelerated virus elimination by days 7 and 14 among patients with mild to moderate COVID-19. Umifenovir also reduced the risk of death compared to other antiviral drugs.Copyright © 2022, Dynasty Publishing House. All rights reserved.

Role of noscomial infection informatics surveillance system in the prevention and control of multidrug-resistant organisms infections

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the role of nosocomial infection informatics surveillance system in the prevention and control of multidrug-resistant organisms(MDROs) infections. METHODS: The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University was selected as the study subjects, which had adopted the nosocomial infection informatics surveillance system since Jan.2020. The period of Jan.to Dec.2020 were regarded as the study period, and Jan.to Dec.2019 were regarded as the control period. The situation of nosocomial infection and MDROs infections in the two periods were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: The incidence of nosocomial infections and underreporting of nosocomial infection cases in this hospital during the study period were 2.52%(1 325/52 624) and 1.74%(23/1 325), respectively, and the incidences of ventilator associated pneumonia(VAP), catheter related bloodstream infection(CRBSI), catheter related urinary tract infection(CAUTI)were 4.10(31/7 568), 2.11(14/6 634), and 2.50(25/9 993) respectively, which were lower than those during the control period(P< 0.05). The positive rate of pathogenic examination in the hospital during the study period was 77.95%(1 269/1 628), which was higher than that during the control period(P<0.05), the overall detection rate of MDROs was 15.77%(206/1 306), the detection rates of MDROs in Escherichia coli, Acinetobacter baumannii, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus were lower than those during the control period(P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The development and application of the informatics technology-based surveillance system of nosocomial infection could effectively reduce the incidence of nosocomial infections and device related infections, decrease the under-reporting of infection cases, and also reduce the detection rate of MDROs as well as the proportion of MDROs detected in common pathogenic species.

Analysis of social and psychological factors influencing the treatment of patients with chronic kidney disease under the regular epidemic prevention and control of coronavirus disease 2019.

Objective To explore the sociodemographic and psychological factors influencing the continuity of treatment of patients with chronic kidney disease under the regular epidemic prevention and control of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Methods A total of 277 patients with chronic kidney disease who were admitted to Department of Nephrology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University (Second Military Medical University) from Apr. 2020 to Mar. 2021 were enrolled and divided into 3 groups: non-dialysis group (n=102), hemodialysis (HD) group (n=108), and peritoneal dialysis (PD) group (n=67). All patients were investigated by online and offline questionnaires, including self-designed basic situation questionnaire, self-rating anxiety scale (SAS), and self-rating depression scale (SDS). The general sociodemographic data, anxiety and depression of the 3 groups were compared, and the influence of sociodemographic and psychological factors on the interruption or delay of treatment was analyzed by binary logistic regression model. Results There were significant differences in age distribution, marital status, occupation, medical insurance type, caregiver type, whether there was an urgent need for hospitalization and whether treatment was delayed or interrupted among the 3 groups (all P0.05). The average SAS score of 65 PD patients was 38.15+/-15.83, including 53 (81.5%) patients without anxiety, 7 (10.8%) patients with mild anxiety, and 5 (7.7%) patients with moderate to severe anxiety. The average SAS score of 104 patients in the HD group was 36.86+/-14.03, including 81 (77.9%) patients without anxiety, 18 (17.3%) patients with mild anxiety, and 5 (4.8%) patients with moderate to severe anxiety. There were no significant differences in the mean score of SAS or anxiety severity grading between the 2 groups (both P0.05). The mean SDS scores of 65 PD patients were 53.42+/-13.30, including 22 (33.8%) patients without depression, 21 (32.3%) patients with mild depression, and 22 (33.8%) patients with moderate to severe depression. The mean SDS scores of 104 patients in the HD group were 50.79+/-10.76, including 36 (34.6%) patients without depression, 56 (53.8%) patients with mild depression, and 12 (11.6%) patients with moderate to severe depression. There were no significant differences in mean SDS scores or depression severity grading between the 2 groups (both P0.05). The results of intra-group comparison showed that the incidence and severity of depression were higher than those of anxiety in both groups. Multivariate binary logistic regression analysis showed that high school education level (odds ratio OR=5.618, 95% confidence interval CI) 2.136-14.776, P0.01), and unmarried (OR=6.916, 95% CI 1.441-33.185, P=0.016), divorced (OR= 5.588, 95% CI 1.442-21.664, P=0.013), urgent need for hospitalization (OR=8.655, 95% CI 3.847-19.476, P0.01) could positively promote the continuity of treatment in maintenance dialysis patients under the regular epidemic prevention and control of COVID-19. In the non-dialysis group, no sociodemographic and psychological factors were found to be associated with the interruption or delay of treatment (P0.05). Conclusion Education, marital status, and urgent need for hospitalization are correlated with the continuity of treatment in patients with chronic kidney disease on maintenance dialysis.Copyright © 2022, Second Military Medical University Press. All rights reserved.

Clinical analysis of liver dysfunction in pregnant patients with mild SARS CoV-2 infection

Objective: The current study aimed to describe the clinical characteristics of mild SARS-CoV-2 infected pregnant women with abnormal liver function (ALF), explore the association between ALF with maternal and fetal outcomes. Method(s): This retrospective analysis included 87 pregnant patients with mild SARS-CoV-2 infection admitted and treated from December 1, 2022, to 31, 2022 in the department of Obestircs at Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital. We evaluated patients for demographic and clinical features, laboratory parameters and pregnancy complications. Result(s): 27 Patients in this cohort had clinical presentations of ALF. Compared with the control group, the peripheral blood platelet (PLT), D-dimer quantitative determination (D-Dimer), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), total protein (TP), albumin (ALB), indirect bilirubin (DBIL), gamma- glutamyltranspeptidase (GGT) and total bile acid (TBA) showed significantly differences (p<0.05). 12 cases (44.44%) complicated with pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH), 14 cases (51.85%) complicated with intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP), 2 cases (7.4%) complicated with acute fatty liver during pregnancy (AFLP) and 5 cases (14.81%) complicated with postpartum hemorrhage in patients with abnormal LFT were significantly higher than those in the control group (p<0.05). Compared with the control group, the incidence of premature delivery (22.22%) and fetal distress (37.04%) in the experiment group were significantly higher (p<0.05), and the incidence of neonatal asphyxia was not significantly different (p>0.05). Conclusion(s): Pregnant women are generally susceptible to mild SARS-CoV-2 and may induce ALF. ALF is associated with increased risk of mother and infant. The maternal and infant outcomes of those who terminated pregnancy in time are acceptable. Therefore, pregnant women with COVID-19 who received antiviral treatment should be closely monitored for evaluating liver function and relevant indicators. The long-term outcomes in the future are worth to further study.Copyright © 2023

Application and mechanism of histamine receptor antagonists in treatment of coronavirus disease 2019: research progress.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a global pandemic. It is urgent to find treatments to control the infection and improve symptoms. Homologous modeling and clinical analyses suggest that histamine receptor antagonists have broad prospects in the treatment of COVID-19. This article introduces the research progress of histamine H1 receptor antagonist combined with azithromycin, histamine H2 receptor antagonist famotidine alone or combined with aspirin, and histamine H1 and H2 receptor antagonists used in combination in the treatment of COVID-19. Finally, the possible mechanism of histamine receptor antagonists in the treatment of COVID-19 was introduced and the application prospect of histamine receptor antagonists in the treatment of COVID-19 was analyzed.Copyright © 2022, Second Military Medical University Press. All rights reserved.

Immunotherapy: ALLOGENEIC UMBILICAL CORD BLOOD REGULATORY T CELLS DECREASE INFLAMMATION AND PRESERVE ANTI-TUMOR ACTIVITY OF CAR T CELLS

Background & Aim: With larger accessibility and increased number of patients being treated with CART cell therapy, real-world toxicity continues to remain a significant challenge to its widespread adoption. We have previously shown that allogeneic umbilical cord blood derived (UCB) regulatory T cells (Tregs) can resolve uncontrolled inflammation and can treat acute and immune mediated lung injury in a xenogenic model as well as in patients suffering from COVID-19 acute respiratory distress syndrome. The unique properties of UCB Tregs including: i) lack of plasticity when exposed to inflammatory micro-environments;ii) no requirement for HLA matching;iii) long shelf life of cryopreserved Tregs;and iv) immediate product availability for on demand treatment, makes them an attractive source for treating acute inflammatory syndromes. Therefore, we hypothesized that add-on therapy with UCB derived Tregs may resolve uncontrolled inflammation responsible for CART cell therapy associated toxicity. Methods, Results & Conclusion(s): UCB Tregs were added in 1:1 ratio to CART cells, where no interference in their ability to kill CD19+ Raji cells, was detected at different ratios : 8:1 (80.4% vs. 81.5%);4:1 (62.0% vs. 66.2%);2:1 (50.1% vs. 54.7%);1:1 (35.4% vs. 44.1%) (Fig 1A). In a xenogenic B cell lymphoma model, multiple injections of Tregs were administered after CART injection (Fig 1B), which did not impact distribution of CD8+ T effector cells (Fig 1C) or CART cells cells (Fig 1D) in different organs. No decline in the CAR T levels was observed in the Tregs recipients (Fig 1E). Specifically, no difference in tumor burden was detected between the two arms (Fig 2A). No tumor was detected in CART+Tregs in liver (Fig 2B) or bone marrow (Fig 2C). A corresponding decrease in multiple inflammatory cytokines in peripheral blood was observed in CART+Tregs when compared to CART alone (Fig 2D). Here we show "proof of concept" for add-on therapy with Tregs to mitigate hyper-inflammatory state induced by CART cells without interference in their on-target anti-tumor activity. The timing of Tregs administration after CART cells have had sufficient time for forming synapse with tumor cells allows for preservation of their anti-tumor cytotoxicity, such that the infused Tregs home to the areas of tissue damage to bind to the resident antigen presenting cells which in turn collaborate with Tregs to resolve inflammation. Such differential distribution of cells allow for a Treg "cooling blanket" and lays ground for clinical study. [Figure presented]Copyright © 2023 International Society for Cell & Gene Therapy

A "new" role of amantadines in COVID-19 in patients with Parkinson's disease: results of own comparative study.

Amantadine has begun to be used as a possible alternative in COVID-19 therapy to mitigate its effects. There is anecdotal evidence that patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) treated with amantadine and who test positive for COVID-19 often do not develop clinical manifestations of COVID-19. Objective(s): to compare the clinical course of COVID-19 in patients with PD who took or did not take amantadine sulfate. Patients and methods. A prospective continuous study included 142 patients with PD who were treated in Republican Clinical Diagnostic Center for Extrapyramidal Pathology and Botulinum Therapy in Kazan from October 2021 to January 2022. Patients filled out a proprietary internally developed questionnaire. Results and discussion. Out of 142 individuals with PD COVID-19 occurred in 77 (54.2%), of which 52.0% had a mild course, 39.0% had a moderate course, 2.6% had a severe course, and in 6.5% the severity of the disease has not been established. Deterioration after COVID-19 infection was noted by 36% of patients: the appearance or increase in motor fluctuations (41%), increased tremor, stiffness or slowness (31%), the appearance of "exhaustion" of the effect of a single dose of levodopa (13%), the appearance or increased dyskinesia (21%), hallucinations (3.5%). Patients taking amantadine sulfate had PD much longer (11.5+/-5.62 years versus 5.12+/-3.24 years) and had a more pronounced (III-IV) stage of the disease. These patients were more likely to experience mild COVID-19 (in 60.87% of cases), in contrast to patients not receiving amantadine sulfate (only in 48.15% of cases). There was no correlation between the severity of COVID-19 and levodopa intake. Conclusion. The results of the study showed that patients with PD taking amantadine sulfate are more likely to have a mild course of COVID-19.Copyright © 2022 Ima-Press Publishing House. All rights reserved.

Study of Pharmacists' Awareness Regarding Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) in Ukraine

Objectives: Data showed that during the SOVID-19 pandemic the pharmacy is the first place for patient care. The purpose was to study the awareness of pharmacists about the COVID-19 for 2021-2022 in Ukraine to provide complete and quality care. Method(s): Survey was developed to determine the level of knowledge of pharmacists regarding the main symptoms, methods of diagnosis, treatment and prevention of uncomplicated forms of the COVID-19 by using Google form. The heads of pharmacies, pharmacists in eight regions of Ukraine were involved. The research period was December 2021 - December 2022. Result(s): We received, 725 completed questionnaires from 8 regions of Ukraine, of which 69.7% were pharmacy managers, 12.0% were pharmacists, and 18.3% were intern- pharmacists. Of the surveyed pharmacists, 95% called the method of airborne transmission, but 4.7% believe that the coronavirus is transmitted by the contact-household method, and 0.3% - transmissible. We found that 100% of respondents correctly named the main indicators of the condition of a patient with the COVID-19. However, only 95.4% of pharmacists correctly defined the concept of saturation, which requires improvement of information support. For the symptomatic treatment of uncomplicated forms, 91.7% of respondents correctly determined that Paracetamol, Ibuprofen are for the symptomatic treatment of uncomplicated forms, but 8.3% of pharmacists named other drugs. Assessing the need to take antibiotics, 88.5% of pharmacists gave the correct answer, but 5.5% believe that the reason for prescribing antibiotics is an increase in body temperature, and 5.4% named a decrease in saturation, 0.6% - dry a cough, that does not meet the requirements of thee national guideleines Covid-19. Conclusion(s): We found that pharmacists are 100% well-informed with the symptoms and causes of the Covid-19. However, it is necessary to improve the provision of information about the requirements for the treatment of uncomplicated forms of Covid-19 and the dispensing of antibiotics from pharmacies.Copyright © 2023

Assessment of Jordanian physicians' knowledge about venous thromboembolism risk and management among COVID-19 patients

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess Jordanian physicians' awareness about venous thromboembolism (VTE) risk among COVID-19 patients and its treatment protocol. Method(s): This was a cross-sectional-based survey that was conducted in Jordan in 2020. During the study period, a convenience sample of physicians working in various Jordanian hospitals were invited to participate in this study. Physicians' knowledge was evaluated and physicians gained one point for each correct answer. Then, a knowledge score out of 23 was calculated for each. Key Findings: In this study, 102 physicians were recruited. Results from this study showed that most of the physicians realize that all COVID-19 patients need VTE risk assessment (n = 69, 67.6%). Regarding VTE prophylaxis, the majority of physicians (n = 91, 89.2%) agreed that low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) is the best prophylactic option for mild-moderate COVID-19 patients with high VTE risk. Regarding severe/critically ill COVID-19 patients, 75.5% of physicians (n = 77) recognized that LMWH is the correct prophylactic option in this case, while 80.4% of them (n = 82) knew that mechanical prevention is the preferred prophylactic option for severe/critically ill COVID-19 patients with high bleeding risk. Moreover, 77.5% of physicians (n = 79) knew that LMWH is the treatment of choice for COVID-19 patients diagnosed with VTE. Finally, linear regression analysis showed that consultants had an overall higher knowledge score about VTE prevention and treatment in COVID-19 patients compared with residents (P = 0.009). Conclusion(s): All physicians knew about VTE risk factors for COVID-19 patients. However, consultants showed better awareness of VTE prophylaxis and treatment compared with residents. We recommend educational workshops be conducted to enhance physicians' knowledge and awareness about VTE thromboprophylaxis and management in COVID-19 patients.Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. All rights reserved.

A case series of diabetic ketoacidosis associated with SGLT2 inhibitors

Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) are increasingly initiated as treatment for type 2 diabetes due to favourable cardiorenal characteristics. However, studies have identified an increased risk of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). We carried out a retrospective, case-based study at East and North Herts NHS Trust between February 2018 and December 2020. Fifteen cases of SGLT2i associated DKA were identified in people with presumed type 2 diabetes;33.3% were classed as euglycaemic DKA with a blood glucose of <11mmol/L. All cases were associated with a significant precipitating factor including diarrhoea, vomiting, reduced oral intake and sepsis. One case was related to COVID-19. Two people were subsequently found to have raised islet autoantibodies suggesting type 1 diabetes or latent autoimmune diabetes in adults. It is important that awareness of SGLT2i associated DKA is raised among users and health care practitioners, including the recognition of euglycaemic DKA. Sick day rules should be emphasised and reiterated at clinical encounters. Non-specialists in primary care, oncology and in perioperative settings should be empowered to advocate for temporary withdrawal and there should be readier access to blood ketone monitoring when required. When SGLT2i associated DKA occurs, due consideration should be given to evaluate the diabetes classification and investigate the circumstances of the event. Copyright © 2023 John Wiley & Sons.Copyright © 2023 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A Case of X-Linked Moesin-Associated Immune Deficiency in a Pediatric Patient

Background: X-Linked Moesin-Associated Immune Deficiency (X-MAID) is a rare severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) subtype that can present at any age due to its variability. Depending on severity, patients demonstrate failure to thrive, recurrent bacterial and viral infections, and increased susceptibility to varicella zoster. It has been characterized by marked lymphopenia with hypogammaglobulinemia and impaired T-cell migration and proliferation. Case Presentation: This is a report of a Cuban 7-year-old male with poor weight gain and facial dysmorphia. He had a history of recurrent bacterial gastrointestinal infections and pneumonia beginning at 4 months of age. He additionally had 4-6 upper respiratory tract and ear infections annually. While still living in Cuba, he was admitted for a profound EBV infection in the setting of significant leukopenia. A bone marrow biopsy confirmed no malignancy. After he moved to the United States, his laboratory work-up revealed marked leukopenia with low absolute neutrophil and lymphocyte count with low T and B cells, very low immunoglobulin levels IgG, IgA, and IgM, and poor vaccination responses to streptococcus pneumonia, varicella zoster, and SARS-CoV-2. Genetic testing revealed a missense pathogenic variant c.511C>T (p.Arg171Trp) in the moesin (MSN) gene associated with X-MAID. He was managed with Bactrim and acyclovir prophylaxis, and immunoglobulin replacement therapy, and considered for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Discussion(s): Diagnosis of X-MAID should be considered in patients with recurrent infections and profound lymphopenia. As with SCID, early diagnosis and intervention is of utmost importance to prevent morbidity and mortality. This case demonstrates the importance of genetic testing in identifying this disease as it may prompt an immunologist to consider HSCT if conservative management is suboptimal. In the current literature, HSCT appears promising, but the long-term outcomes have yet to be described.Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc.

Certolizumab

Certolizumab is a Fab fragment of a humanized monoclonal antibody against tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). Differing from the other TNF-alpha inhibitors due to the absence of Fc fragment and pegylation, it binds to both the soluble and transmembrane forms of TNF-alpha, creating a strong TNF-alpha blockage. Previously approved for psoriatic arthritis, certolizumab received another approval from FDA in 2018 for the treatment of moderate to severe chronic plaque psoriasis that does not respond to conventional systemic treatments or for which these treatments are contraindicated. Administered via subcutaneous injections, certolizumab also has a low-dose option for patients weighing less than 90 kg. Certolizumab is considered a safe biological drug that can be preferred during pregnancy and lactation.Copyright © 2022 by Turkish Society of Dermatology and Venereology.

The opportunity for massage therapy development for relieving long COVID symptoms: a literature review

The COVID-19 pandemic situation affected population health and lifestyle not only for a short period but also long period. Long COVID symptoms is a long-term illness after COVID condition. Long COVID symptoms greatly affected to quality of life of patients. Massage is a unique treatment form of alternative medicine that can promote health in various dimensions. From the previous studies, massage has affected to Long COVID mechanism via anti-inflammatory process, immune system enhancing process, and hormone level balancing that related to Long COVID symptoms as well as being able to reduce the symptoms of the long COVID symptoms. The study about the efficacy and safety of massage against Long COVID symptoms is the essential approach to increase the value of massage and develop health services in the future.

Evaluation of COVID-19 Vaccines in Primary Prevention Against Infections and Reduction in Severity of Illness Following the Outbreak of Sars-Cov-2 Omicron Variant in Shanghai

Objectives: To evaluate COVID-19 vaccines in primary prevention against infections and lessening the severity of illness following the most recent outbreak of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in Shanghai. Method(s): To investigate whether inactivated vaccines were effective in protecting against COVID-19 infections, we estimated the odds ratio (OR) of the vaccination in COVID-19 cases vs. matched community-based healthy controls. To evaluate the potential benefits of vaccination in lowering the risk of symptomatic infection (vs. asymptomatic), we estimated the relative risk (RR) of symptomatic infections among diagnosed patients. We also applied the multivariate stepwise Logistic regression analyses to measure the risk of disease severity (symptomatic vs. asymptomatic and moderate/severe vs. mild) in COVID-19 patient cohort with vaccination status as an independent variable while controlling for potential confounding factors. Result(s): Out of the 153,544 COVID-19 patients included in the analysis, 118,124 (76.9%) patients had been vaccinated and 143,225(93.3%) were asymptomatic patients. Of the 10,319 symptomatic patients, 10,031(97.2%), 281(2.7%) and 7(0.1%) experienced mild, moderate, and severe infections, respectively. There is no evidence that the vaccination helped protect from infections (OR=0.82, p=0.613). The vaccination, however, offered a small but significant protection against symptomatic infections (RR=0.92, p < 0.001) and halved the risk of moderate/severe infections (OR=0.48, 95% CI: 0.37 - 0.61). Older age (> 60 years) and malignant tumors were significantly associated with moderate/severe infections. Gender also appeared to be a risk factor for symptomatic infections, with females being associated with a lower risk for moderate/severe illness. Conclusion(s): Inactivated COVID-19 vaccines helped provide a small but significant protection against symptomatic infections and halved risk of moderate/severe illness among symptomatic patients. The vaccination was not effective in blocking COVID-19 Omicron variant community spread.Copyright © 2023

Characteristics of liver injury in cases of COVID-19.

In novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), liver injury was found at a high rate, and reports from outside Japan revealed that such injury was related to severity. We examined the characteristics of liver injury in 15 cases of COVID-19. Thirteen of these patients received antiviral therapy, such as favipiravir, remdesivir, and hydroxychloroquine. Liver injury was observed in eight cases at admission for COVID-19. The hepatic CT attenuation values at admission were significantly lower in nine patients who developed liver damage or showed its exacerbation during the treatment than in the remaining patients. Drug-induced liver injury due to antiviral drug was suspected in six cases. Liver injury due to COVID-19 may be related to low hepatic CT attenuation values and be modified by antiviral drugs.Copyright © 2021 The Japan Society of Hepatology.

Emergencies in dental surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic

Introduction: Patients' negligence and difficult access to healthcare have an impact on the worsening of emergency conditions, which require immediate treatment due to the possibility of exacerbation in a short period of time. Untreated intra- and extraoral abscesses can have serious consequences on the patient's health and in many cases are life-threatening conditions increasing risk of respiratory obstruction, thrombophlebitis, meningitis, mediastinitis and septicemia. Background: The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of the pandemic and the resulting impediments to accessing medical care on the incidence and type of emergencies in the Oral Surgery Department. Material and methods: This was a retrospective study of 85375 patients aged 2 months to 90 years old with diagnosed intra- and extraoral abscesses before COVID-19 pandemic (2018,2019), and during pandemic (2020, 2021) in the Department of Oral Surgery of the Medical University in Lublin. The obtained results were statistically analyzed with the use of a computer program. Conclusions: The fewest patients were admitted in 2020, and the most in 2021, where we can already see the effects of the pandemic. Emergencies occurred most frequently in people aged 21-30, then 31-40. In 365 cases, tooth extraction was performed, and only in 28 cases, root canal treatment was attempted. Conclusions. Oral health service provision has been significantly affected by COVID-19. Patients came to their appointments too late, which in most cases resulted in the necessity of tooth extraction without attempting root canal treatment.