Perceptions of COVID-19 Vaccines Side Effects

BACKGROUND: Vaccines are one of the best interventions developed for eradicating COVID-19. In Albania, COVID-19 vaccination uses different types of vaccines: Pfizer, AstraZeneca, CoronaVac, and Sputnik V. Like any other vaccine, these have side effects too. AIM: This study was carried out to identify the perception of the side effects of vaccines. METHOD(S): A quantitative study using a cross-sectional survey was conducted between April and September 2021 to collect data on the effects of the COVID-19 vaccine among individuals in Shkodra region. Data were collected online through a self-administered survey created on Google Forms which had been randomly delivered to individuals (aged >=18 years) using social media sites (Email and WhatsApp). All data collected were analyzed with Microsoft Office Excel 2010, using the exact Fisher's test and x2 test. RESULT(S): This study included 292 citizens, out of which 200 were female and 92 were male;62% were from urban areas and 38% from rural areas of Shkodra region. The random sample of the citizens who took part in this study is 44.5% (18-30 years old). A massive percentage of the participants, 66.4%, had received the second dose of the vaccine. Our study shows that 55.8% of these citizens have had side effects after the first vaccination dose, and only 43.8% have had side effects after the second dose. About 80.6% of the participants were well informed about the type of vaccine they got. CONCLUSION(S): Side effects from vaccines were reported. Injection site pain and fatigue were the most common first dose side effects (55.8%). The same side effects were reported for the second dose. The side effects were presented during the first 12 h after the vaccination in most cases. Side effects were more prevalent in people >50 years old. Older people have a higher probability to have more side effects from the COVID vaccine. There is no statistically significant relationship between gender and the presence of the side effect from the COVID vaccine. People living in urban areas have a higher probability to have side effect from COVID vaccine comparing with people living in rural areas. People being vaccinated with Pfizer vaccine have a higher probability to admit the presence of side effects.Copyright: © 2022 Zamira Shabani, Arketa Guli, Julian Kraja, Arlinda Ramaj, Nertila Podgorica.

Coagulation Parameters Changes Associated with Covid-19 Vaccination

A global spreading corona virus at 2019 (COVID-19) declared as emergent worldwide, due to its quick spreading and high rates of mortality that serious disruptions. The objective of this research is to explore further into effect of different types of covid-19 vaccinations (Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Sinopharm) on some coagulation parameters from random samples of students in college of pharmacy/ university of Ker-bala. A case-control study was carried out with Iraqis living in Kerbala city particularly college students in Kerbala University/ College of Pharmacy from 2021/1/16 to 2022/4/16. This study was done to encompass quantitative and qualitative analysis of covid 19 vaccination types and possible thrombosis that occur after vaccination. The enrolled sixty participants of male and female were aged 18years and above. A questionnaire was made questions pertaining age were inquired to make sure participants fulfilled the criteria for in-clusion, past medical history, previous infection with covid 19 were incorporated into the survey. The scien-tific and ethical committee provided their ethical approval in college of pharmacy at University of Kerbala. Our results in this study indicate significant differences in coagulation parameters readings of (Pt, Ptt) between vaccination groups and control by using ANOVA statistical analysis of SPSS. Our study showed that the difference between the vaccinated and unvaccinated groups was considerable (Pfizer, AstraZeneca & Sinopharm Covid 19 vaccines) and control group in thrombotic measurements time and platelet mean value. The most effective and economical method of preventing COVID-19 infection is still vaccination. A number of COVID-19 vaccines have been developed quickly, but more research needs to be done on any side effects that may appear.Copyright © 2023, Colegio de Farmaceuticos de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. All rights reserved.

Utilization and effect of telehealth for the treatment of haemangioma before and after COVID

Many patients treated at Stanford for haemangiomas must travel from the rural Central Valley or Central Coast to receive care. Because of COVID-19, there was an increased use of telehealth which shifted the management of haemangiomas. Our study aimed to identify the implications of this change and its impact on access to care for patients who live far away. Using the Stanford Research Repository, we established two cohorts of patients seen at Stanford dermatology clinics with a haemangioma diagnosis: one from 2018 and one from 2022. We took a random sample of 50 patients from each and collected data on haemangioma treatment prescriptions, age at diagnosis, age at dermatology encounters, and distance travelled to clinic. We subdivided the 2022 cohort into in-person visits and telehealth appointments. While no patients utilized telehealth in the 2018 cohort, 69% of patients in the 2022 cohort utilized telehealth for their first Dermatology visit. In the 2022 cohort, 52% of patients utilized telehealth for at least one dermatology appointment. The average age at presentation for the 2018, 2022 in-person, 2022 telehealth groups were 121 , 208 , and 116 days, respectively. Average age at diagnosis was significantly younger for the telehealth cohort compared to the 2022 in-person cohort, and there was an increase in prescriptions for treatment in the telehealth cohort. These results show that increased telehealth utilization as a result of the pandemic has allowed patients to be seen by a dermatologist at an earlier age and receive a prescription for treatment for haemangiomas.

The Association Between Nutritional Status and Outcomes in Patients Infected With COVID-19

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic continues to pose challenges for healthcare systems across the world. Many patients infected with the virus, whether mild or severe, have nutritional complications ranging from poor appetite to the need for nutrition support. Limited research has shown that nutritional status plays a significant role in disease outcomes for COVID-19 patients. Although the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition set guidelines for the nutritional management of COVID-19 patients, to date there are few major studies investigating the association between nutritional risk and outcomes in these patients. Thus, the purpose of this study is to assess the association between nutritional status and outcomes in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 and to identify the most common feeding practices among these patients. Method(s): A descriptive research design was used. Researchers reviewed the medical records of a random sample of 300 adult patients diagnosed with COVID-19 admitted to an academic metropolitan healthcare system between March 2020 to March 2021. Nutritional status was obtained from the admission screening and assessment documentation by a clinical dietitian (RD). Patients were then stratified based on admission nutritional status as malnourished or not. Differences in hospital length of stay (LOS), ICU LOS, ventilator dependence (in hours), and mortality were compared between groups using Mann-Whitney U, independent t-test, and chi-square tests. Result(s): Malnourished patients had a longer median (IQR) length of stay compared to non-malnourished patients (8 days (3,16) vs 4 days (3,8), p = 0.001). More patients who were malnourished expired (10/43, 23.3%) compared to patients who were not malnourished (17/ 257, 6.6%) (p = 0.002). No significant differences were observed in ICU length of stay or hours on a ventilator between groups. Most patients in the study were fed orally (87.3%), while 12.7% were fed enterally, and none of the patients were fed through use of parenteral nutrition. Conclusion(s): Results suggest that malnourished patients with COVID-19 experienced several worse outcomes compared to patients with COVID-19 who were not malnourished during hospitalization. Other known factors that influence outcomes of patients with COVID-19 were not considered in this descriptive study. Subsequent analysis to account for race, obesity, and other comorbidities is needed.

Changes in Sars-Cov-2 Antibody Prevalence in Primary and Secondary Schools Students during the Emergence of the Omicron Variant: The Uk Schools Infection Surveys

Intro: Children and Young people were the last group in England be offered COVID-19 vaccination (from September 2021), thus were the largest susceptible group when SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variants emerged. We monitored vaccine and naturally-derived antibodies in schools between November 2021 and March 2022. Method(s): We conducted three large surveys (November 2021, January and March 2022) in a nationally representative random sample of primary and secondary schools, stratified by regions. Oral fluid samples were tested for IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid (anti-NP) and spike (anti-S1) proteins using novel validated ELISAs;vaccines used in England elicit anti-S1 antibodies only. We calculated weighted prevalences for each survey, and used multilevel logistic regression to investigate associations with socio-demographic factors. Finding(s): Overall 11311 students contributed 22478 biological samples (respectively 4840, 7549 and 10089 in rounds 1, 2 and 3, with similar socio- demographic characteristics). In 4-11 year olds, not eligible for vaccination, anti- S1 and anti-NP antibody prevalences were 31.3% and 26.6%, 46.2% and 43.8%, and 53.4% and 58.7% respectively over the three rounds. The corresponding estimates in 12 to 18 year olds) were 70.7% and 34.6%, 85.6% and 45.9%, 89.0 and 53.9%. In November 2021 (before Omicron dominance), higher anti-S1 antibody positivity was associated with older age and Black ethnicity, and non- eligibility for free school meals in 4-11 year olds. In 12-18 years it was associated with non-eligibility for free school meals. In March 2022 when Omicron dominated, these associations remained, together with urban location in 4-11 years old. Conclusion(s): The steep increase in 4-11 year olds in both sets of antibodies reflected the emergence and spread of highly infectious Omicron variants whilst high and increasing anti-S1 prevalence in secondary students was consistent with greater vaccine uptake. Socioeconomically deprived 12-18 year olds had lower odds of anti-S1, suggesting lower vaccine uptake or access.Copyright © 2023

Reliability of Cardiovascular Disease Surveillance in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health

Background: Young to middle-aged U.S. adults are burdened by the obesity, opioid, and COVID-19 epidemics. However, the ability to detect cardiovascular disease (CVD) manifestations of population-wide changes in risk factors within contemporary cohorts in young to middle adulthood is unknown. Objective(s): To assess inter-rater reliability of death certificate (DC), obituary, coroner/medical examiner (CME) autopsy report, and hospital record ion in young to middle adulthood. Setting(s): The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), a nationally representative school-based sample of 20,745 U.S. adolescents in grades 7-12 (1994-1995) followed for the last 26 years and aged 37-45 years in 2020. Method(s): We traced all participants, identified decedents, then collected DCs, obituaries, CME autopsy reports, and hospital records = 1 month before death dates. Among a random sample of 28 decedents and an oversample of 28 hospitalized decedents enriched 3:1 for CVD, two trained and certified staff used an electronic data entry system to data needed for outcome classification from the four information sources following standardized, item-by-item instructions. We measured item-specific reliability of categorical data ion as the agreement between ors (%) and prevalence- and bias-adjusted kappa coefficient (PABAK). We measured reliability of interval-scale data (e.g. creatinine;troponin;creatinine kinase;CK-MB;pro-BNP concentrations) as an intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC). Result(s): We identified 578 (2.8%) participants who were deceased through December 2020. Of those, 577 (99.8%) had high scoring National Death Index matches uniquely identifying decedents in 44 U.S. states. We collected and ed 531 (92%), 445 (77%), 178 (66%), and 95 (39%) of their DCs, obituaries, CME autopsy reports, and hospital records. CVD was the underlying cause of death in 10% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 8%-13%) of decedents. Mean, item-specific agreement (95% CI) was 0.86 (0.84-0.89), 0.90 (0.87-0.93), 0.93 (0.92-0.95), and 0.94 (0.92-0.95) for each source. The corresponding mean, item-specific PABAK (95% CI) was 0.83 (0.80-0.86), 0.86 (0.83-0.90), 0.92 (0.90-0.94) and 0.91 (0.89-0.93). The mean, biomarker-specific ICC (95% CI) was 0.96 (0.95-0.98). Conclusion(s): Overall, CVD was a major cause of mortality and reliability of ion was excellent across a range of measures. Ongoing investigation of deaths, and as needed, targeted staff retraining and improvement of ion protocol will enable high quality studies of CVD emergence within this large, nationally representative U.S. cohort. Such studies will provide generalizable insight into the biological mechanisms underlying cardiovascular manifestations and thereby inform understanding of changing CVD burden in the U.S. population.

Seroprevalence and Cumulative Incidence of COVID-19 in Ravansar Cohort Study Participants 2020: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background and Objectives: Serological studies are based on the detection of antibodies. However, the produced antibodies decrease over time;therefore, such methods cannot provide a valid estimate of prevalence and incidence. The present study aimed to determine the serum prevalence and cumulative incidence in the Ravansar cohort population (Youth and RaNCD Cohort) in October 2020. Method(s): A random sample of 716 people aged > 18 years old were selected from the participants in the Ravansar cohort study in October 2020. Euroimmun anti-SARS COV-2 IgG ELISA kits (Lubeck, Germany) were used to measure antibody levels. Seroprevalence was estimated with considering of cut-off = 1, and cumulative incidence (modified and modified based on test specificity) was determined using modeling. Result(s): In the present study, the serum prevalence of COVID-19 viral infection in the Ravansar cohort population from 22 October 2020 to 18 November 2020 was estimated to be %35.16 (95%CI: %31.64, %38.79). Modified Cumulative incidence and modified based on test characteristics from 20 February to 18 November 2020 were estimated to be %68.85 and %67.71, respectively. Conclusion(s): Although very high cumulative incidence may be a sign of approaching herd immunity, adherence to health protocols is still recommended due to the potential role of asymptomatic cases in transmitting the disease to other members of the community;and the presence of new variants of the virus and reduced antibody levels should be considered.Copyright © 2022 The Authors.

A Quantitative Study to Examine the Comprehensiveness of Palliative Care Consultations During COVID-19 (Sch406)

Outcomes: 1. Evaluate the comprehensiveness of palliative care consultations in different clinical settings and time periods quantitatively by utilizing national consensus project guidelines. 2. Analyze patient sociodemographic and administrative data and palliative care consultation charts to infer variables that predict the comprehensiveness of consultations. Background(s): COVID-19 has caused unprecedented suffering, strained healthcare systems, and jeopardized the well-being of healthcare providers. Few studies exist to characterize how inpatient specialist palliative care (PC) teams managed an increase in demand for consultations while maintaining the quality of their service. Objective(s): This quantitative study aims to: (1) examine the comprehensiveness of inpatient PC consultations conducted from 2019 through 2022 at a tertiary academic hospital in Toronto, Canada, and (2) assess the predictors of comprehensiveness of PC consultations. Method(s): We are conducting a retrospective cohort study examining a 33% random sample of inpatient palliative care consultation notes (n=600) completed for adult (>18 years old) inpatients at Mount Sinai Hospital between January 1, 2019, and July 1, 2022. Our definition of comprehensiveness is informed by a recent publication addressing necessary clinical domains (eg, performing a spiritual history, code status discussion) in a palliative care assessment. We will code each inpatient palliative care consult note for the completion of individual clinical domains using template analysis. We will dual code a random selection of 10% of the transcripts to evaluate interrater reliability. Informed by Andersen's behavioral model for health services utilization, we will sociodemographic (age, gender, rurality, English language proficiency) and clinical pathophysiological variables (primary diagnosis, referral service, reason for referral, disposition, etc.) from the consult notes and linked administrative data. We will calculate frequencies and distributions of all study variables and use multiple linear regressions to examine predictors of comprehensiveness of PC consultations. Conclusion(s): This study will provide novel data on the clinical work completed by inpatient palliative care clinicians during the COVID-19 pandemic. The data will offer critical insights into how palliative care clinicians prioritize clinical domains during initial assessments of inpatients with varying sociodemographic and clinical backgrounds.Copyright © 2023

Characteristics of Inpatient Deaths During the COVID-19 Pandemic at a Comprehensive Cancer Center (Sci214)

Outcomes: 1. Apply the knowledge about how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the care of patients with serious illness into daily practice. 2. Summarize current research findings in hospice and palliative care and describe its relevance to the care and treatment of patients with serious illness. Context: The urgency of the COVID-19 pandemic has brought forth an increased focus on palliative care involvement and advance care planning discussions around end-of-life preferences;however, few outcomes have been reported to date. The objective of this study was to compare characteristics of patients with advanced cancer during their terminal admission at a tertiary care comprehensive cancer center before and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Method(s): A random sample of 250 inpatient deaths from April 1, 2019 to July 31, 2019 was compared to a random sample of 250 inpatient deaths from April 1, 2020 to July 31. Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, timing of palliative care referral, timing of DNR order, location of death, and pre-admission Out-of-Hospital DNR documentation were included. Result(s): Timing of DNR orders occurred earlier (2.9 days vs. 1.7 days prior to death, p=0.024), while the frequency of DNR orders before death did not change (94% vs. 90%, p=0.25). Palliative care referrals increased (68% vs. 60%, p=0.062) and occurred earlier (3.5 days vs. 2.5 days prior to death, p=0.037). Overall length of stay increased (9.4 days vs. 7 days, p=0.048). 36% of inpatient deaths occurred in ICU and 36% in the PCU, compared to 48% and 29% prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, respectively (p=0.01). Conclusion(s): DNR orders occurred significantly earlier after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, indicating a shift in early and intentional conversations with patients with advanced cancer at the time of their terminal admission. Earlier palliative care referrals and significantly fewer ICU deaths also suggest an improvement in quality end-of-life care. These findings highlight encouraging changes that have occurred as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic and may have future implications for timely integration of palliative care. Further research is needed to understand how to maintain and expand on such progress.Copyright © 2023

Iranian college students' intention towards social distancing in COVID-19 pandemic: An application of the extended theory of planned behavior

Social distancing as a health-related behavior during epidemics and pandemics, can significantly influence their control. In this regard, the identification of the factors influencing behavior change can play a remarkable role in assessing for how behaviors form. This paper is an attempt to show that the extended theory of planned behavior can provide a useful theoretical framework for explaining social distancing in the face of a contagion disease. The results showed that the constructs of attitude, descriptive norms, perceived behavioral control, and self-efficacy significantly influenced the students' intention to adhere to social distancing in the form of university closure. Among these constructs, self-efficacy was found to be the main predictor of the students' intention. Interestingly, the research revealed that injunctive norms were not a significant predictor of the students' intention. Practically, this study is a justification for the use of attitude, descriptive norms, perceived behavioral control, and self-efficacy in planning and decision-making for encouraging students to adhere to social distancing during epidemics and pandemics, like the COVID-19 pandemic. The extended theory of planned behavior is useful in understanding Iranian College Students' Intention toward Social Distancing in COVID-19 Pandemic.

Seroprevalence and Cumulative Incidence of COVID-19 in Ravansar Cohort Study Participants 2020: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background and Objectives: Serological studies are based on the detection of antibodies. However, the produced antibodies decrease over time;therefore, such methods cannot provide a valid estimate of prevalence and incidence. The present study aimed to determine the serum prevalence and cumulative incidence in the Ravansar cohort population (Youth and RaNCD Cohort) in October 2020. Method(s): A random sample of 716 people aged > 18 years old were selected from the participants in the Ravansar cohort study in October 2020. Euroimmun anti-SARS COV-2 IgG ELISA kits (Lubeck, Germany) were used to measure antibody levels. Seroprevalence was estimated with considering of cut-off = 1, and cumulative incidence (modified and modified based on test specificity) was determined using modeling. Result(s): In the present study, the serum prevalence of COVID-19 viral infection in the Ravansar cohort population from 22 October 2020 to 18 November 2020 was estimated to be %35.16 (95%CI: %31.64, %38.79). Modified Cumulative incidence and modified based on test characteristics from 20 February to 18 November 2020 were estimated to be %68.85 and %67.71, respectively. Conclusion(s): Although very high cumulative incidence may be a sign of approaching herd immunity, adherence to health protocols is still recommended due to the potential role of asymptomatic cases in transmitting the disease to other members of the community;and the presence of new variants of the virus and reduced antibody levels should be considered.Copyright © 2022 The Authors.

School counselors' perceived school climate, leadership practice, psychological empowerment, and multicultural competence before and during COVID‐19

Following a population‐based randomized design, we investigated changes of school counselors' psychological empowerment, multicultural competence, and leadership practice, as well as their perception of school climate from before to during COVID‐19. Specifically, school counselors were randomized into two conditions: (a) the pre‐COVID‐19 condition (n = 506) and (b) the current‐COVID‐19 condition (n = 542). Participants in the pre‐COVID condition responded to survey items following a retrospective manner based on their experiences between September 2019 and March 2020. We found that participants in the current COVID‐19 condition scored significantly higher in psychological empowerment and perceived school climate and lower in multicultural competence and leadership practices compared to the participants in the pre‐COVID‐19 condition. Regardless of directionality of changes, results supported the significant impacts that the pandemic had on school counselors' roles related to addressing systemic issues. We discussed implications of the results to school counseling practice and school counselor training.

Differences between Forms of Intra-and Extra-Domiciliary Contagion in Three Epidemic Outbreaks of COVID-19 in Santiago de Cuba.

Introduction: In the transmission of COVID-19 in Santiago de Cuba province, three epidemic outbreaks were observed between 2020 and 2021. Objective(s): To identify the differences between intra-and extra-domiciliary infections in three epidemic outbreaks of COVID-19 in Santiago de Cuba between March 2020 and May 2021. Method(s): A cross-sectional descriptive study of COVID-19 cases in the territory and period above mentioned was carried out, using the usual bivariate techniques of statistics and implicative statistical analysis, to a sample of 6408 cass that was chosen by simple random sampling from the database of confirmed cases. Result(s): Extra-domiciliary contagion was significantly higher than intra-domiciliary contagion without differences by sex, but according to age groups and municipalities within and between both groups. The predominance of older adults in intra-domiciliary contagion and of young adults in extra-domiciliary contagion was significant. Symptomatic patients prevailed in the intra-domiciliary;and, the asymptomatic, in the extra-domiciliary, without significant differences between both forms. Children under 20 years of age, older adults, asymptomatic and Mella municipality were the characteristics that were associated with intra-domiciliary contagion, while, with the extra-domiciliary were related symptomatic young adults. Conclusion(s): The forms of intra-and extra-domiciliary contagion were modulated according to the behavior of the people and the isolation of each age group. Extra-domiciliary predominated in intermediate ages of life, as an expression of the behavior mediated by their economic responsibility at home, while extreme ages, who remained at home to comply with isolation measures, were more prone to intra-domiciliary contagion. Copyright © 2022, Editorial Ciencias Medicas. All rights reserved.

Disparities in pediatric patients receiving proton therapy during the COVID-19 pandemic - A single institutional experience

Introduction: Our institution cares for a largely underserved urban population, treating about 120 children annually with radiation therapy;roughly 10% are referred for proton therapy elsewhere. COVID-19 led to some decreases in medical care due to uncertainties regarding the state of public health. The purpose of this study is to evaluate existing socioeconomic disparities using the University of Wisconsin Area Deprivation Index (ADI) and whether the pandemic impacted this referral pattern. Method(s): Over the last twenty years, approximately 2,275 children have presented to our institution for radiation treatment. A retrospective chart review was conducted and a patient database of demographic and clinical information was created. We used demographic data to obtain the ADI, and compared relative disparity rankings between proton therapy recipients and a random sample of patients from the 25 most common zip codes (representative of over 20% of the total cohort). We compared the number of patients treated only at the closest proton facility before and after the onset of the pandemic. Result(s): The demographic make-up of our patient population is approximately 53.7% Latino, 22.6% White, 9.5% African American, 9.2% Asian, and 5% Other. Of these patients, about 500 had diagnoses typically referred for proton therapy (such as brain tumors, neuroblastoma, sarcomas, and Hodgkin lymphoma). At baseline, we found a statistically significant difference in the median state ADI decile of 3 and 7 for protons and photons, respectively, reflecting lower socioeconomic disadvantage in the proton group. There was a difference in the median household income (based on zip code) of $102,028 and $70,479 between the proton and photon groups (p < 0.0001). There was also a difference in median household income of $57,871 and $76,808 between Latino and Non-Latino patients (p < 0.0001). Demographic data for the proton therapy cohort showed that 46.2% of these patients were White, 15.4% were Latino, 15.4% were African American, 7.7% were Asian, and 15.4% were Other. At the closest proton facility, between 2014-2019, 16 of our patients received radiation therapy. Since the beginning of pandemic associated restrictions in March 2020, 19 patients have received proton therapy at this center. Conclusion(s): Disparities preventing patients from receiving proton therapy have been described. Our work adds granular census block data and uses the ADI which takes into account median family income, unemployment rate, households without access to a vehicle, English language proficiency and more. Those with lower ADI risk rankings were overrepresented in the proton therapy group. Despite the pandemic and added referral challenges, the number of patients able to receive proton therapy did not decrease which we hypothesize may be due to many factors, including the unanticipated flexibility of remote work amongst those with lower ADI rankings. Latinos were least likely to have proton therapy, and further research is needed to ameliorate the disparities and barriers to care which they face.

Psychometric Examination of the Freshman Stress Questionnaire Using a Sample of Social Work Students in Spain during the Covid-19 Pandemic

The teaching–learning model implemented in Spanish universities as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic has generated a scenario of academic uncertainty amongst Spanish students. In the case of the Social Work degree, this apprehension appears to be linked to the heavy emotional load related to the theoretical–practical curricular contents of the degree. In this sense, the Freshman Stress Questionnaire (FSQ) has presented adequate levels of reliability and validity for its use on a population of Spanish university students;however, there is as yet no psychometric studies for its use on social work students. This study sought to analyse the psychometric properties of the FSQ using a sample of social work students. The sample comprised 732 students at three Spanish universities doing a social work degree (88.3 per cent women, 11.7 per cent men) with an average age of 21.51 years (standard deviation (SD) = 3.58). The results obtained from the exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the FSQ maintained the structure of four correlated factors and suitable reliability values for each dimension. The results of the factor invariance analysis indicate that the FSQ remains stable up to the level of metric invariance for the variable age. Results are discussed with available theory.

The Influence of Obesity on the Evolution of SARS-COV2 Infection

Aim: The issue of body weight has left a deep mark on the COVID-19 pandemic, where this category of patients has been linked to significant increases in morbidity and mortality due to infection. Conversely, due to the restrictions imposed, the pandemic has worsened the situation of overweight people. Our study conducted over a period of one year and five months aims to assess the prevalence of obesity among patients with SARS-COV2 infection in Constanta County. Material(s) and Method(s): This retrospective study included a number of 177 patients hospitalized with the diagnosis of SARS-COV2 infection in the Clinical Hospital of Pneumoftiziology Constanta. Result(s): 2483 of patients confirmed with SARS-COV2 infection were identified in our Department, out of which 302 had a body mass index over 30 kg/m2. We included a random sample of 95 men and 82 women in a database. The average age was 55 years. The most common comorbidities were hypertension (48%), diabetes (13%), and cardiovascular disease (12%). The most common symptoms were fever (67%), cough (58%), dyspnea (37%), and asthenia (29%). The radiological appearance showed the predominance of the moderate form (49%) and the severe form (22%). Antibiotic treatment was based on third-generation cephalosporins (53%), and the evolution was for improvement with a survival rate of 86%. Only one death was reported in our study. Conclusion(s): The body mass index influences the evolution of infected cases. Old age, male gender and associated comorbidities are risk factors for a poorer prognosis and greater complications in patients with SARS-COV2. Copyright © 2021 Andrei Denisa-Gabriela et al., published by Sciendo.

Anosmia and COVID-19

Introduction: Anosmia has been described as one of the characteristic symptoms of COVID-19 disease. It is even considered as a key marker for COVID-19 diagnosis. The aim of the study is to evaluate anosmia as prognostic factor in moderate and severe cases of COVID-19 patients. Method(s): Our study is a multicenter prospective study;300 patients were recruited and confirmed COVID-19 infection and admitted into 3 tertiary referral quarantine hospitals to receive medical treatment in Minia, Egypt. The study was conducted between April and October 2021. The selected random sample met the following inclusion criteria: adults older than 18 years, rhinopharyngeal swab positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection, and moderate and severe cases of COVID-19. The patients were subjected to the following protocol: full clinical history, general medical examination, otorhinolaryngological evaluation, mandatory swab for COVID-19, and recording of laboratory data. Patients underwent olfactory assessment and follow-up for 3 months. Olfactory assessment was done subjectively by odor recognition thresholds using L-butanol;after evaluation, the patients were divided into anosmic and nonanosmic groups. Collected data were compared and statistically analyzed. Result(s): Olfactory impairment was seen in 35% of moderate cases and 13% in severe cases. Our study revealed that patients with anosmia were younger and mostly female. Hospitalized patients with anosmia had a better prognosis. Our results showed no significant differences between the 2 groups regarding temperature, heart rate, and respiratory rate. Of patients with anosmia, 70% were associated with dysgeusia, and 50% recovered within 13 days while 85% recovered within 28 days. There was significant relationship (parallel relationship) between progress of anosmia and level of D-dimer, C-reactive protein, and serum ferritin. This indicateds that the prognosis of anosmia is highly related to the inflammatory process of COVID-19 pathophysiology. Conclusion(s): Anosmic patients with COVID-19 have more favorable prognosis and recovery than nonanosmic patients do, and anosmia improves with treatment of the disease.