Evaluating the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 IgG in five different districts of Bangladesh. A seroepidemiological study

Background We aimed to measure the seroprevalences and levels of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG in children, unvaccinated and vaccinated adults in five districts of Bangladesh and thus, investigate the association of seroprevalence and anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG level with respect to different attributes of study participants. Methods In the present study, the seroprevalence of serum anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG was measured in children (n= 202), unvaccinated adults (n= 112), and vaccinated adults (n= 439) using quantitative ELISA. Results The overall seroprevalence in the three groups of the study participants were 58.3% (90%CrI: 52.3-64.2%), 62.2% (90%CrI: 54.4-70.0%) and 90.7% (90%CrI: 88.3-92.9%), respectively. Multivariate logistic and linear regression revealed no significant association of seropositivity and levels of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG with the baseline characteristics of the children. AB blood group (vs A;aOR=0.21, 95% CI: 0.04-0.92, p=0.04) and O blood group (vs A;aOR=0.09, 95% CI: 0.02-0.32, p=0.0004) were significantly associated with seropositivity in unvaccinated adults after adjusting for confounders. Age (p=0.002) was significantly associated with anti-SARS-CoV-2 level in vaccinated adults after adjusting for confounders. Most of the children and unvaccinated adults belonged to the lower antibody response class which implicates the necessity of vaccination. Conclusion This study portrays a better way of evaluating transmission of virus and gain a better understanding of the true extent of infection as illustrated by the high rates of seroprevalences in children and unvaccinated adults. The findings of this study depicted from the antibody response also suggest the importance of vaccination.

COVID-19 knowledge, attitude, practices, and associated factors among Bangladeshi food handlers from various food industries

Background and objectives It is believed that preventive safety measures are the most effective way to avoid the COVID-19. The adherence of workers to these measures is largely determined by their knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP). Because they are in close proximity to consumable items, workers in the food industry must be especially vigilant during this period. The purpose of this present study was to evaluate the COVID-19 knowledge, attitudes, and practices of food handlers in different food industries of Bangladesh. Study design This was a cross-sectional study. Methods This included the participation of 400 food handlers from 15 food industries. The information was collected from the participants through a questionnaire prepared in Google form. Different nonparametric tests and a linear regression model were performed for statistical analysis. Results With a correct response rate of about 90% on average (knowledge 89.7%, attitude 93%, practices 88.2%), the participants showed an acceptable KAP (>80% correct response) regarding COVID-19. Education (p = 0.00) and working experiences (p = 0.01) had a significant association with the total KAP scores. Conclusion Food handlers in the food industries of Bangladesh have adequate knowledge, a positive attitude, and the desired practices regarding the COVID-19 issue. Graphical Image 1

COVID-19 knowledge, attitude, practices, and associated factors among Bangladeshi food handlers from various food industries.

Background and objectives: It is believed that preventive safety measures are the most effective way to avoid the COVID-19. The adherence of workers to these measures is largely determined by their knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP). Because they are in close proximity to consumable items, workers in the food industry must be especially vigilant during this period. The purpose of this present study was to evaluate the COVID-19 knowledge, attitudes, and practices of food handlers in different food industries of Bangladesh. Study design: This was a cross-sectional study. Methods: This included the participation of 400 food handlers from 15 food industries. The information was collected from the participants through a questionnaire prepared in Google form. Different nonparametric tests and a linear regression model were performed for statistical analysis. Results: With a correct response rate of about 90% on average (knowledge 89.7%, attitude 93%, practices 88.2%), the participants showed an acceptable KAP (>80% correct response) regarding COVID-19. Education (p = 0.00) and working experiences (p = 0.01) had a significant association with the total KAP scores. Conclusion: Food handlers in the food industries of Bangladesh have adequate knowledge, a positive attitude, and the desired practices regarding the COVID-19 issue.

MonkeyNet: A robust deep convolutional neural network for monkeypox disease detection and classification.

The monkeypox virus poses a new pandemic threat while we are still recovering from COVID-19. Despite the fact that monkeypox is not as lethal and contagious as COVID-19, new patient cases are recorded every day. If preparations are not made, a global pandemic is likely. Deep learning (DL) techniques are now showing promise in medical imaging for figuring out what diseases a person has. The monkeypox virus-infected human skin and the region of the skin can be used to diagnose the monkeypox early because an image has been used to learn more about the disease. But there is still no reliable Monkeypox database that is available to the public that can be used to train and test DL models. As a result, it is essential to collect images of monkeypox patients. The "MSID" dataset, short form of "Monkeypox Skin Images Dataset", which was developed for this research, is free to use and can be downloaded from the Mendeley Data database by anyone who wants to use it. DL models can be built and used with more confidence using the images in this dataset. These images come from a variety of open-source and online sources and can be used for research purposes without any restrictions. Furthermore, we proposed and evaluated a modified DenseNet-201 deep learning-based CNN model named MonkeyNet. Using the original and augmented datasets, this study suggested a deep convolutional neural network that was able to correctly identify monkeypox disease with an accuracy of 93.19% and 98.91% respectively. This implementation also shows the Grad-CAM which indicates the level of the model's effectiveness and identifies the infected regions in each class image, which will help the clinicians. The proposed model will also help doctors make accurate early diagnoses of monkeypox disease and protect against the spread of the disease.

Reduced IFN-γ levels along with changes in hematologic and immunologic parameters are key to COVID-19 severity in Bangladeshi patients.

The manifestation of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) severity and mortality has been associated with dysregulation of the immune response, often influenced by racial disparities and conferred by changes in hematologic and immunologic parameters. These biological and hematologic parameters as well as cytokine profiles were investigated in a cohort of 61 COVID-19-positive patients (categorized into mild, moderate, and severe groups) from Bangladesh using standard analytical methods. The data reported that the interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-6 levels were significantly increased, whereas the levels of interferon (IFN)-γ were significantly reduced in patients with severe COVID-19 (p < 0.05) compared with those in patients with mild and/or moderate COVID-19. The extent of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR); neutrophil count; and levels of ferritin, C-reactive protein (CRP), and D-dimer (p < 0.05) were found to be significantly increased, whereas the white blood cell (WBC), lymphocyte, eosinophil, and platelet counts (p < 0.05) were observed to be significantly reduced in patients with severe COVID-19 compared with those in the patients in other 2 groups. Our study exhibited a significantly higher IL-6-to-lymphocyte ratio in patients with severe COVID-19 than in those with mild and moderate COVID-19. The calculated neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR), and ferritin-to-ESR ratio were significantly increased in patients with severe COVID-19. The increase in the IL-4 and IL-6 levels along with CRP and D-dimer levels may envisage a hyperinflammatory environment and immune dysregulation, which contribute to prolonged viral persistence, leading to severe disease. However, the reduced level of IFN-γ can be attributed to a less fatality toll in Bangladesh compared with that in the rest of the world.

Genomic and evolutionary study from SARS-CoV-2 virus isolates from Bangladesh during the early stage of pandemic strongly correlate with European origin and not with China.

The goal of this study was to identify the genomic variants and determine molecular epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 virus during the early pandemic stage in Bangladesh. Viral RNA was extracted, converted to cDNA, and amplified using Ion AmpliSeq™ SARS-CoV-2 Research Panel. 413 unique mutants from 151 viral isolates were identified. 80% of cases belongs to 8 mutants: 241C toT, 1163A toT, 3037C toT, 14408C toT, 23403A toG, 28881G toA, 28,882 G toA, and 28883G toC. Observed dominance of GR clade variants that have strong presence in Europe, suggesting European channel a possible entry route. Among 37 genomic mutants significantly associated with clinical symptoms, 3916CtoT (associated with sore-throat), 14408C to T (associated with cough-protection), 28881G to A, 28882G to A, and 28883G to C (associated with chest pain) were notable. These findings may inform future research platforms for disease management and epidemiological study.

Antibody dynamics post-Comirnaty and CoronaVac vaccination in Malaysia.

Several vaccines have been fast-tracked through clinical trials to mitigate the progression of the SARS­CoV­2 pandemic. We analyzed sequential blood samples from 314 recipients of Comirnaty and CoronaVac in East Malaysia for the spike-binding IgG (IgG-S), nucleocapsid-binding IgG (IgG-N), spike-binding IgM (IgM-S) and serum vitamin D (VitD). A subset of samples was analyzed for the neutralizing antibodies (Ig-RBD). Results showed that IgG-S due to Comirnaty was significantly higher than CoronaVac. IgM-S was detected in 80.0% Comirnaty and 69.5% CoronaVac recipients, while IgG-N was detected in 58.1% CoronaVac but not in Comirnaty recipients. All IgG-S-positive vaccines possessed detectable Ig-RBD after the second dose but with a weak to moderate correlation. The serum VitD levels did not influence the antibody magnitude in both vaccines. In essence, SARS-CoV-2 vaccination is an IgG-S-dominant event, Comirnaty was more effective than CoronaVac in mounting IgG-S and Ig-RBD responses, independent of the patient's VitD level.

COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance among Low- and Lower-Middle-Income Countries: A Rapid Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Widespread vaccination against COVID-19 is critical for controlling the pandemic. Despite the development of safe and efficacious vaccinations, low-and lower-middle income countries (LMICs) continue to encounter barriers to care owing to inequitable access and vaccine apprehension. This study aimed to summarize the available data on COVID-19 vaccine acceptance rates and factors associated with acceptance in LMICs. A comprehensive search was performed in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science from inception through August 2021. Quality assessments of the included studies were carried out using the eight-item Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal tool for cross-sectional studies. We performed a meta-analysis to estimate pooled acceptance rates with 95% confidence intervals (CI). A total of 36 studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review. A total of 83,867 respondents from 33 countries were studied. Most of the studies were conducted in India (n = 9), Egypt (n = 6), Bangladesh (n = 4), or Nigeria (n = 4). The pooled-effect size of the COVID-19 vaccine acceptance rate was 58.5% (95% CI: 46.9, 69.7, I2 = 100%, 33 studies) and the pooled vaccine hesitancy rate was 38.2% (95% CI: 27.2-49.7, I2 = 100%, 32 studies). In country-specific sub-group analyses, India showed the highest rates of vaccine acceptancy (76.7%, 95% CI: 65.8-84.9%, I2= 98%), while Egypt showed the lowest rates of vaccine acceptancy (42.6%, 95% CI: 16.6-73.5%, I2= 98%). Being male and perceiving risk of COVID-19 infection were predictors for willingness to accept the vaccine. Increasing vaccine acceptance rates in the global south should be prioritized to advance global vaccination coverage.

Thank you, COVID‐19: Positive social psychology towards the new normal

During the time being, while everybody else is busy conversing about the adverse effects of COVID‐19, researchers solemnly look forward to intensifying the positive effects of COVID‐19 on political, economic, social, technological, environmental, and ethical (PESTEL) aspects, as it was unrevealed. The FGD (Focus Group Discussion) and Delphi methods were conducted from April 2020 to January 2021 through the online platform to collect the data. In this research, 40 graduates from 40 families were taken as our sample size who carried out the opinions of their family members. The average duration of the interview was 30–40 min. This article highlighted that COVID‐19 has some positive effects on social‐psychological aspects (PESTEL) and, people are trying to adapt to new practices (New Normal) to improve their lifestyles against the deadly virus. COVID‐19 would pass, but life will never be the same;thus, researchers conduct the research based on a country, which may not be similar to the other cultures and countries' perceptions. This is the first and foremost study on the positive effects of covid‐19 and a guideline to cope with any pandemic in the near future. The study's findings are intended to assist the community in developing positive social psychology to call the covid‐19 into question and look forward to a new standard.

Psychological status of mass people in the capital city of Bangladesh during COVID-19: Do home quarantine challenges matter?

This study aimed to identify the impact of home quarantine challenges on the psychological status of mass people during Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) in the capital city (Dhaka) of Bangladesh. A highly organized questionnaire was created in "Google Form" and given to respondents at random via multiple social media sites, including WhatsApp, LinkedIn, and Messenger. However, a sample size of 208 people was taken and analysis was carried out using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences and Analysis of a Moment Structures software. Analysis showed that home quarantine challenges are positively related to the psychological status and home quarantine challenges have a significant impact on psychological status during COVID-19. In Bangladesh, the major challenges to home quarantine are lack of consciousness, lack of medical support, and the possibility of losing their current jobs. This study provides insight into the challenges of home quarantine and the psychological status of Bangladeshi people. The findings may be helpful for policymakers in identifying necessary measures to overcome these challenges. Only Dhaka division was taken out of seven divisions in Bangladesh to conduct this study, which might be difficult to generalize the findings of this study. Thus, in the future, it is suggested that more respondents from other divisions need to be covered.

Natural Bioactive Molecules: An Alternative Approach to the Treatment and Control of COVID-19.

Several coronaviruses (CoVs) have been associated with serious health hazards in recent decades, resulting in the deaths of thousands around the globe. The recent coronavirus pandemic has emphasized the importance of discovering novel and effective antiviral medicines as quickly as possible to prevent more loss of human lives. Positive-sense RNA viruses with group spikes protruding from their surfaces and an abnormally large RNA genome enclose CoVs. CoVs have already been related to a range of respiratory infectious diseases possibly fatal to humans, such as MERS, SARS, and the current COVID-19 outbreak. As a result, effective prevention, treatment, and medications against human coronavirus (HCoV) is urgently needed. In recent years, many natural substances have been discovered with a variety of biological significance, including antiviral properties. Throughout this work, we reviewed a wide range of natural substances that interrupt the life cycles for MERS and SARS, as well as their potential application in the treatment of COVID-19.

Vaccine efficacy and SARS-CoV-2 control in California and U.S. during the session 2020-2026: A modeling study.

BACKGROUND: Besides maintaining health precautions, vaccination has been the only prevention from SARS-CoV-2, though no clinically proved 100% effective vaccine has been developed till date. At this stage, to withhold the debris of this pandemic-experts need to know the impact of the vaccine efficacy rates, the threshold level of vaccine effectiveness and how long this pandemic may extent with vaccines that have different efficacy rates. In this article, a mathematical model study has been done on the importance of vaccination and vaccine efficiency rate during an ongoing pandemic. METHODS: We simulated a five compartment mathematical model to analyze the pandemic scenario in both California, and whole U.S. We considered four vaccines, Pfizer (95%), Moderna (94%), AstraZeneca (79%), and Johnson & Johnson (72%), which are being used rigorously to control the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, in addition with two special cases: a vaccine with 100% efficacy rate and no vaccine under use. SARS-CoV-2 related data of California, and U.S. were used in this study. FINDINGS: Both the infection and death rates are very high in California. Our model suggests that the pandemic situation in California will be under control in the last quartile of the year 2023 if vaccination program is continued with the Pfizer vaccine. During this time, six waves may happen from the beginning of the immunization where the case fatality and recovery rates will be 1.697% and 98.30%, respectively. However, according to the considered model, this period might be extended to the mid of 2024 when vaccines with lower efficacy rates are used. On the other hand, the daily cases and deaths in the U.S. will be under control at the end of 2026 with multiple waves. Although the number of susceptible people will fall down to none in the beginning of 2027, there is less chance to stop the vaccination program if vaccinated with a vaccine other than a 100% effective vaccine or Pfizer, and at that case vaccination program must run till the mid of 2028. According to this study, the unconfirmed-infectious and infected cases will be under control at the end of 2027 and at the mid of 2028, respectively. INTERPRETATION: The more effective a vaccine is, the less people suffer from this malign infection. Vaccines which are less than 90% effective do not have notable contribution to control the pandemic besides hard immunity. Furthermore, specific groups of people are getting prioritized initially, mass vaccination and quick responses are required to control the spread of this disease.

Equity and determinants in universal health coverage indicators in Iraq, 2000-2030: a national and subnational study.

BACKGROUND: Equity is one of three dimensions of universal health coverage (UHC). However, Iraq has had capital-focused health services and successive conflicts and political turmoil have hampered health services around the country. Iraq has embarked on a new reconstruction process since 2018 and it could be time to aim for equitable healthcare access to realise UHC. We aimed to examine inequality and determinants associated with Iraq's progress towards UHC targets. METHODS: We assessed the progress toward UHC in the context of equity using six nationally representative population-based household surveys in Iraq in 2000-2018. We included 14 health service indicators and two financial risk protection indicators in our UHC progress assessment. Bayesian hierarchical regression model was used to estimate the trend, projection, and determinant analyses. Slope and relative index of inequality were used to assess wealth-based inequality. RESULTS: In the national-level health service indicators, inequality indices decreased substantially from 2000 to 2030. However, the wide inequalities are projected to remain in DTP3, measles, full immunisations, and antenatal care in 2030. The pro-rich inequality gap in catastrophic health expenditure increased significantly in all governorates except Sulaimaniya from 2007 to 2012. The higher increases in pro-rich inequality were found in Missan, Karbala, Erbil, and Diala. Mothers' higher education and more antenatal care visits were possible factors for increased coverage of health service indicators. The higher number of children and elderly population in the households were potential risk factors for an increased risk of catastrophic and impoverishing health payment in Iraq. CONCLUSIONS: To reduce inequality in Iraq, urgent health-system reform is needed, with consideration for vulnerable households having female-heads, less educated mothers, and more children and/or elderly people. Considering varying inequity between and within governorates in Iraq, reconstruction of primary healthcare across the country and cross-sectoral targeted interventions for women should be prioritised.