SAUNet++: an automatic segmentation model of COVID-19 lesion from CT slices

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic has spread worldwide and the healthcare system is in crisis. Accurate, automated and rapid segmentation of COVID-19 lesion in computed tomography (CT) images can help doctors diagnose and provide prognostic information. However, the variety of lesions and small regions of early lesion complicate their segmentation. To solve these problems, we propose a new SAUNet++ model with squeeze excitation residual (SER) module and atrous spatial pyramid pooling (ASPP) module. The SER module can assign more weights to more important channels and mitigate the problem of gradient disappearance;the ASPP module can obtain context information by atrous convolution using various sampling rates. In addition, the generalized dice loss (GDL) can reduce the correlation between lesion size and dice loss, and is introduced to solve the problem of small regions segmentation of COVID-19 lesion. We collected multinational CT scan data from China, Italy and Russia and conducted extensive comparative and ablation studies. The experimental results demonstrated that our method outperforms state-of-the-art models and can effectively improve the accuracy of COVID-19 lesion segmentation on the dice similarity coefficient (our: 87.38% vs. U-Net++: 84.25%), sensitivity (our: 93.28% vs. U-Net++: 89.85%) and Hausdorff distance (our: 19.99 mm vs. U-Net++: 26.79 mm), respectively.

Myocardium damage and electrocardiogram characteristics of patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in Zhuhai

Aim To explore the myocardial damage, abnormal electrocardiogram characteristics of patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in Zhuhai. Methods 84 patients with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant (Omicron variant group) admitted to the Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from January 13 to March 20, 2022 were included, and 88 patients with non SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant (non-Omicron variant group) from January 17 to February 17, 2020 were included. A retrospective study was conducted to compare myocardial damage, abnormal electrocardiogram and clinical characteristics between the two groups. Results The mean age of patients in Omicron variant group was smaller than that in non-Omicron variant group [(36. 6±15. 6) years vs. (49. 8±14. 3) years, P<0. 01], and the proportion of patients with body temperature, systolic blood pressure and fever at admission was lower than that of non-Omicron variant group (P<0. 05). The neutrophil / lymphocyte ratio [(2. 93 (3. 03, 5. 81) vs. 7. 06 (2. 32, 11. 27), P<0. 001], interleukin-2 (IL-2) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels in Omicron variant group were significantly lower than those in non-Omicron variant group (P<0. 01). Cardiac troponin I (cTnI) was negative in Omicron variant group, and the concentrations of cTnI, creatine kinase-MB isozyme (CK-MB) and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proB-NP) and the proportion of patients with elevated levels were significantly lower than those of non-Omicron variant group (P<0. 01). The incidence of abnormal electrocardiogram in Omicron variant group was also significantly lower than that in non-Omicron variant group (25. 0% vs. 42. 0%, P = 0. 001), sinus tachycardia, atrial premature beats and T wave changes were the main symptoms. Atrial premature beats, T wave changes, ST segment depression and bundle branch block were the main symptoms in non-Omicron variant group. Conclusions The patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in Zhuhai may not have obvious myocardial damage because most of the patients have been vaccinated with COVID-19 vaccine. The incidence of abnormal electrocardiogram is also significantly lower than that of non-Omicron variant group, mainly sinus tachycardia, atrial premature beats and T wave changes. © 2022, Editorial Office of Chinese Journal of Arteriosclerosis. All rights reserved.

CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 (COVID-19): PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY

An outbreak of a respiratory sickness started in Wuhan, China in December 2019 and the causative agent was found be a novel betacoronovirus of the same subgenus as SARSCoV and named severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) quickly spread around the world, with clinical signs ranging from mild respiratory symptoms to severe pneumonia and a fatality rate estimated around 2%. Lower respiratory tract infections can occur in immunocompromised subjects and the elderly persons. Respiratory droplets are the causative agent for the person-to-person spread of the disease resembling the spread of influenza. Individual to individual spread turned into the primary mode of transmission. The transmission of the disease might be more likely in the earlier stage of infection as the viral RNA levels appear to be higher. Accurate diagnosis in the early stages of the epidemic helps control the spread of the disease. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Indian Drugs is the property of Indian Drug Manufacturers' Association (IDMA) 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.)

Research COVID-19 and its Outcomes in Multiple Sclerosis Patients

Background: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a highly contagious disease that resulted in 4533645 deaths until September first, 2021. Multiple Sclerosis (MS) patients receive immunosuppressive drugs. Thus, there is a concern that these drugs will reduce the patient's immune system resistance against COVID19. Objective(s): This study aimed to evaluate the epidemiology of COVID19 and its impact on MS patients in our university hospital in Tehran City, Iran. Material(s) and Method(s): A cross-sectional study was conducted based on hospital-based registry data from May 2020 to March 2021. Among more than 500 registered MS patients in Imam Khomeini Hospital in Tehran City, Iran, referring within our study period, 84 patients reported SARS-COV2 infection. The diagnosis of MS was confirmed by the McDonald criteria. Moreover, the diagnosis of COVID-19 in MS patients was established by the real-time-PCR technique and chest computed tomography. Result(s): Out of 84 MS patients with SARS-COV2 infection, 55(65.5%) were women, and their mean age was 37.48 years. The most commonly used medications by MS patients were Rituximab 20 (26.3%) and Dimethyl Fumarate 14(18.4%). Totally, 9(10.8%) of the patients needed to be hospitalized due to COVID-19, with a mean hospitalization duration of 5.88 days. A total of 1 (1.2%) death was reported. Conclusion(s): Compared to the healthy population, COVID-19 is not more serious in MS patients. Most MS patients with COVID-19 infection were not hospitalized and continued their medication during the infection.Copyright © 2022 The Authors. This is an open access article under the CC-By-NC license. All Rights Reserved.

Psychological Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on Mental Health Practitioners in Selangor, Malaysia

Introduction: The Coronavirus disease pandemic of 2019 (COVID-19) has had psychological implications and altered the public's well-being. In response to the pandemic, mental health practitioners play an essential role in mitigating the adverse psychological effects among the public. However, as the demand for mental health services increases, the responsibilities of mental health professionals are far stretched from what they can handle. Therefore, this research is aimed to explore the psychological impact of the pandemic on the mental health practitioners in Selangor and their coping strategies. Method: A total of 10 mental health practitioners who are clinical psychologists and counselors participated in the one-to-one interview. The collected data were analysed using thematic analysis. Result: The higher client loads, the transition to virtual therapy, burnout, and anxiety were found to have an impact on the mental health practitioners' well-being. Despite the challenging psychological impact, the mental health practitioners expressed a high level of satisfaction with their jobs, which they attributed to the supportive organisational culture and their intrinsic drive for selecting this profession. The mental health practitioners have reported that perceived organisational support, social support, and self-care approaches are effective coping mechanisms. Mindfulness skills such as breathing techniques and meditation are often practiced by the participants to calm the mind and body from a long day of work. Conclusion: The implication of the study contributes to breaking the stigmatisation of help seeking behaviour among the helping professions, as well as urging the policy makers, governments, and foundations to play a part in providing accessible and quality mental healthcare to the society. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Malaysian Journal of Medicine & Health Sciences is the property of Universiti Putra Malaysia 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.)

COVID-19 Vaccination Hesitancy Among 5-11-year-old Iranian Children's Parents: What Are Underlying Beliefs?

Background: Of all teenage deaths caused by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), 47% occurred in children aged 0-9. Like many other infectious diseases, reducing mortality in children requires widespread vaccination. Despite the availability of the COVID-19 vaccine, a large percentage of children have not received the vaccine. Objective(s): This survey aimed to study parents' reluctance to receive the COVID-19 vaccine for their children in Shiraz, Iran. Method(s): An online questionnaire was sent to parents whose 5 to 11-year-old children had received no COVID-9 vaccine through the health educators of primary schools in Shiraz, Iran. The questionnaire contained demographic questions and 16 beliefs about COVID-19 vaccination that were answered as yes/no. Result(s): We assessed 1093 respondents, including 49.5% (n = 542) male and 50.5% female students' parents. The mean number of wrong beliefs was 7.21 +/- 2.80 in parents who had boys and 7.78 +/- 2.95 in girls' parents. Also, 78.6% of participants had at least five wrong beliefs or excuses for not vaccinating their children. Notably, 82.8% of mothers and 84.3% of fathers were vaccinated with 2-3 doses against COVID-19. The most common wrong beliefs were probable vaccines' side effects in the future, the undesirable effect of vaccination on children's growth, and the awful effect of the vaccine on fertility, with a prevalence of 82.7%, 81.2%, and 76.7%, respectively. Conclusion(s): This study identified that most participants believed that COVID-19 vaccines have side effects for their children and unfavorable effects on children's growth and infertility.Copyright © 2023, Author(s).

Visualized Analysis of Advances and Hot Spots of Lianhua Qingwen in Recent 10 Years.

Objective: To analyze relevant literature on Lianhua Qingwen preparations and clarify the research advances and hot spots in this field,so as to provide references for clinical rational application and further research. Method(s): Literature related to Lianhua Qingwen preparations in the recent 10 years was retrieved from six databases,including China National Knowledge InfrastructureCNKI,VIP,Wanfang Data, PubMed,and Web of Science,followed by management and analysis by NoteExpress and CiteSpace. Result(s): Finally,344 and 76 Chinese and English research articles were included,and the number of publications increased in recent years. The research articles were published in 162 Chinese and 48 English journals. Shijiazhuang Yiling Pharmaceutical Co.,Ltd. and Guangzhou Medical University were institutions with the largest number of Chinese and English publications,respectively. LIU Minyan was the author who had published the most articles. Keywords with high frequency included clinical efficacy,Lianhua Qingwen,inflammatory factors,traditional Chinese medicine,and coronavirus disease-2019COVID-19. Nineteen clusters,including clinical efficacy,Chinese medicine,Lianhua Qingwen,COVID-19,and influenza A virus,and 47 emergent keywords,including herpes zoster,pneumonia,inflammatory factors,influenza,and gut microbiota,were generated. Conclusion(s):Cooperation and exchanges in this field are insufficient. Research focuses on the clinical efficacy of Lianhua Qingwen in the treatment of COVID-19 and other diseases,pharmacological action and mechanism of antiviral drugs,and micro-mechanism research focuses on related pathways and target proteins,as well as the combination of Chinese and western medicines.Copyright © 2023, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences Institute of Chinese Materia Medica. All rights reserved.

Research progress of ulinastatin in treatment of COVID-19.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is still spreading worldwide. At present, no specific drug has been developed for the virus. Ulinastatin plays an important role in anti-inflammatory. Clinically, it is mainly used in acute pancreatitis, shock and disseminated intravascular coagulation. It also has the effects of antioxidant stress, anticoagulation and immune regulation, which may be of great significance to reduce the severity and mortality of COVID-19. Combined with the pharmacological effect of ulinastatin and its clinical application in the treatment of COVID-19 complications such as acute respiratory distress syndrome and sepsis lung injury, this paper discusses the feasibility of its application in COVID-19, so as to provide help for the clinical treatment and new drug research and development of this disease.Copyright © 2022 Tianjin Press of Chinese Herbal Medicines. All Rights Reserved.

Virtual multidisciplinary meetings in a new COVID-19 world: how well are we doing it?

Background: As of January 16, 2022, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused over 323 million confirmed cases and over 5.5 million deaths worldwide. The pandemic necessitated a fast transition within healthcare services around the globe. The Head and Neck cancer multidisciplinary meeting (MDM) is a regular meeting involving diverse health professionals. In the heat of the pandemic, meetings were swiftly transitioned online to adhere to social distancing rules and ensure clinician compliance and safety. This qualitative paper explores the experience of an Australian Head and Neck MDM following the vital shift. In particular, the views on preparation, login, attendance, quality, patient outcomes, safety, and interpersonal relationships were considered. Methods: An online questionnaire, including Likert Scale and free text type questions, was created using Redcap. An anonymous survey link was emailed to 59 Head and Neck Unit members at the University Hospital Geelong. The questions evaluated thoughts on preparation, login, attendance, quality, clinician safety and interpersonal relationships on the current virtual MDM (vMDM) compared to face-to-face meetings. Responders included surgeons (19%), medical oncologists (4%), radiology oncologists (8%), junior medical staff (31%), allied health (8%), nursing staff (15%) and other (4%). Results: Many participants (62.3%) find it easier to attend the meeting. Concerning login, 95.9% of participants know where to find the login details for the meeting, and 100% of survey participants find the weekly invitation link adequate. Many participants felt that presentation preparation was not disrupted by moving to an online platform (72.7%). Almost half of the participants (45.9%) find it difficult to hear during meetings. Most respondents were satisfied with the quality of radiology imaging (75.0%) and pathology slides (91.2%). In addition, 65.2% of attendees feel less of an interpersonal relationship with colleagues since moving online. Regarding participant contribution, 47.8% feel it has not impacted their ability to contribute to the meeting, and 34.8% feel there has not been a change. Conclusions: The ongoing resurgence of COVID-19 will mean that virtual meetings will stay. This study demonstrates that our participants find the vMDM a positive move. We hope other units benefit from being cognisant of the identified issues and allow for the development of their own MDMs during this pandemic. © 2023 Universidad de Castilla la Mancha. All rights reserved.

Analyses of kidney biomarkers in patients with sars-cov-2 (Covid-19)

The new coronavirus was first reported in China and caused a widespread global outbreak of pneumonia that spread rapidly across this country and many other countries. Acute kidney injury is one of the important complications of COVID-19, which has been shown in some cases. Exploring the diagnostic features of biomarkers of kidney function in COVID-19 patients may lead to better patient management. We collected laboratory data from 206 people with confirmed COVID-19 disease and evaluated their renal biomarkers, Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN), and creatinine. The age range of the patients was almost 62 years old. The mean age in the dead patients and recovered patients was 71 and 54 years old, respectively. The average LDH value was 755 U/L, and creatine phosphokinase (CPK) was 267 U/L in the patients. The average BUN was 59.1 U/L, and creatinine was 1.5 U/L in COVID-2019 patients. Among all 193 patients, laboratory results revealed that 163 (85.4%) patients had an elevated BUN level. Based on creatinine levels for total patients, laboratory results revealed that 49 (25.4%) patients had an elevated value. The average BUN value in dead patients was 85 mg/dL, while in recovered patients was 40.5 mg/dL (P<0.0001). Also, the average creatinine level in dead patients was 1.86 mg/dL, while in recovered patients was 1.24 mg/dL (P=0.0004). Inflammation following COVID-19 disease causes kidney damage and elevated urea and creatinine levels, which may increase the risk of death in these patients.Copyright © 2023 Tehran University of Medical Sciences.

Attitudes and beliefs towards COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccination among rheumatology patients in a Los Angeles County safety net clinic.

BACKGROUND: The novel Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has represented an evolving global threat with high morbidity and mortality. Patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases and on immune-suppressing medications may be at increased risk to more severe disease, hospitalization, and death. Vaccines are essential to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and curb the spread of infection. Rheumatology patients may be more fearful to receive the vaccine compared to the general population. The Los Angeles County rheumatology patients are primarily Hispanic and represent a unique and possibly particularly vulnerable cohort warranting further exploration into barriers to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. We aimed to explore the willingness of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance among patients with rheumatic disease. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey to assess the perceptions and barriers to COVID-19 vaccine acceptance in our Los Angeles County rheumatology clinics between July 2021 to September 2021 and received responses from 116 patients. RESULTS: The majority of respondents were female (83.9%), 41-60 years of age (59.8%), Hispanic (89.2%), with high school or lower level of education (68.7%), and had Rheumatoid Arthritis (56.9%). We found most (88.4%) patients received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. We identified no differences in vaccine acceptance related to age, education, race, and ethnicity. Most respondents agreed that their health condition puts them at high risk of COVID-19 complications. In addition, individuals reported that they valued being engaged by their rheumatologists in discussions of the risk and benefits of the vaccine prior to receiving it. CONCLUSION: We found that the majority of patients were already vaccinated or willing to be vaccinated, at higher levels than general United States population and that a conversation initiated by a rheumatologist can have positive effect on patients' health behaviors related to COVID-19.

Trends of Mismatches in Real-Time RT-PCR Assays Developed by the National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan for Omicron Variant of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2.

The Omicron variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) emerged in late 2021 and gradually overtook the Delta variant, which was the predominant variant at that time. The Omicron variant has been consecutively replaced by related sublineages. The real-time RT-PCR assays developed by the National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIID), Japan (i.e., the NIID-N2 and NIID-S2 assays) are the reference assays that have been used in Japan since the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2. To evaluate the applicability of the NIID assays for the Omicron variants, trends in the prevalence of nucleotide mismatches in the primer/probe sequences were traced using sequences registered in the Global Initiative on Sharing Avian Influenza Data database. Approximately 99% of the deposited Omicron variant sequences did not have any mismatches in the NIID assay primer/probes from January to August 2022. This indicates that the NIID assays have been able to detect the changing SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variants.

BBIBP-CorV Vaccination against the SARS-CoV-2 Virus Affects the Gut Microbiome.

Several observational studies have confirmed that the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus2 (SARS-CoV-2) might substantially affect the gastrointestinal (GI) system by replicating in human small intestine enterocytes. Yet, so far, no study has reported the effects of inactivated SARS-CoV-2 virus vaccines on gut microbiota alterations. In this study, we examined the effects of the BBIBP-CorV vaccine (ChiCTR2000032459, sponsored by the Beijing Institute of Biological Products/Sinopharm), on gut microbiota. Fecal samples were collected from individuals whoreceived two doses of intramuscular injection of BBIBP-CorV and matched unvaccinated controls. DNA extracted from fecal samples was subjected to 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing analysis. The composition and biological functions of the microbiota between vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals were compared. Compared with unvaccinated controls, vaccinated subjects exhibited significantly reduced bacterial diversity, elevated firmicutes/bacteroidetes (F/B) ratios, a tendency towards Faecalibacterium-predominant enterotypes, and altered gut microbial compositions and functional potentials. Specifically, the intestinal microbiota in vaccine recipients was enriched with Faecalibacterium and Mollicutes and with a lower abundance of Prevotella, Enterococcus, Leuconostocaceae, and Weissella. Microbial function prediction by phylogenetic investigation of communities using reconstruction of unobserved states (PICRUSt) analysis further indicated that Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways involved in carbohydrate metabolism and transcription were positively associated with vaccine inoculation, whereas capacities in neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and cancers were negatively affected by vaccines. Vaccine inoculation was particularly associated with gut microbiota alterations, as was demonstrated by the improved composition and functional capacities of gut microbiota.

Interpretation of chest radiography in patients with known or suspected SARS-CoV-2 infection: what we learnt from comparison with computed tomography.

Differently from computed tomography (CT), well-defined terminology for chest radiography (CXR) findings and standardized reporting in the setting of known or suspected COVID-19 are still lacking. We propose a revision of CXR major imaging findings in SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia derived from the comparison of CXR and CT, suggesting a precise and standardized terminology for CXR reporting. This description will consider asymptomatic patients, symptomatic patients, and patients with SARS-CoV-2-related pulmonary complications. We suggest using terms such as ground-glass opacities, consolidation, and reticular pattern for the most common findings, and characteristic chest radiographic pattern in presence of one or more of the above-mentioned findings with peripheral and mid-to-lower lung zone distribution.

Can aerosols-generating dental, oral and maxillofacial, and orthopedic surgical procedures lead to disease transmission? An implication on the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Various dental, maxillofacial, and orthopedic surgical procedures (DMOSP) have been known to produce bioaerosols, that can lead to the transmission of various infectious diseases. Hence, a systematic review (SR) aimed at generating evidence of aerosols generating DMOSP that can result in the transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), further investigating their infectivity and assessing the role of enhanced personal protective equipment (PPE) an essential to preventing the spreading of SARS-CoV-2 during aerosol-generating procedures (AGPs). This SR was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement (PRISMA) guidelines based on a well-designed Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcomes and Study (PICOS) framework, and various databases were searched to retrieve the studies which assessed potential aerosolization during DMOSP. This SR included 80 studies (59 dental and 21 orthopedic) with 7 SR, 47 humans, 5 cadaveric, 16 experimental, and 5 animal studies that confirmed the generation of small-sized < 5 µm particles in DMOSP. One study confirmed that HIV could be transmitted by aerosolized blood generated by an electric saw and bur. There is sufficient evidence that DMOSP generates an ample amount of bioaerosols, but the infectivity of these bioaerosols to transmit diseases like SARS-CoV-2 generates very weak evidence but still, this should be considered. Confirmation through isolation and culture of viable virus in the clinical environment should be pursued. An evidence provided by the current review was gathered by extrapolation from available experimental and empirical evidence not based on SARS-CoV-2. The results of the present review, therefore, should be interpreted with great caution.

Causal associations between chronic hepatitis B and COVID-19 in East Asian populations.

BACKGROUND: The relationship between chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been inconsistent in traditional observational studies. METHODS: We explored the total causal and direct causal associations between CHB and the three COVID-19 outcomes using univariate and multivariate Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses, respectively. Genome-wide association study datasets for CHB and COVID-19 were obtained from the Japan Biobank and the COVID-19 Host Genetics Initiative, respectively. RESULTS: Univariate MR analysis showed that CHB increased the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection (OR = 1.04, 95% CI 1.01-1.07, P = 3.39E-03), hospitalized COVID-19 (OR = 1.10, 95% CI 1.06-1.13, P = 7.31E-08), and severe COVID-19 (OR = 1.16, 95%CI 1.08-1.26, P = 1.43E-04). A series of subsequent sensitivity analyses ensured the stability and reliability of these results. In multivariable MR analyses adjusting for type 2 diabetes, body mass index, basophil count, and smoking, genetically related CHB is still positively associated with increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection (OR = 1.06, 95% CI 1.02-1.11, P = 1.44E-03) and hospitalized COVID-19 (OR = 1.12, 95% CI 1.07-1.16, P = 5.13E-07). However, the causal link between CHB and severe COVID-19 was attenuated after adjustment for the above variables. In addition, the MR analysis did not support the causal effect of COVID-19 on CHB. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides evidence that CHB increases COVID-19 susceptibility and severity among individuals of East Asian ancestry.

Evolution of the newest diagnostic methods for COVID-19: a Chinese perspective. / ä¸­å›½è§†è§’ä¸‹çš„æ–°å† è‚ºç‚Žæœ€æ–°è¯Šæ–­æ–¹æ³•æ¼”è¿›.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has continued to spread globally since late 2019, representing a formidable challenge to the world's healthcare systems, wreaking havoc, and spreading rapidly through human contact. With fever, fatigue, and a persistent dry cough being the hallmark symptoms, this disease threatened to destabilize the delicate balance of our global community. Rapid and accurate diagnosis of COVID-19 is a prerequisite for understanding the number of confirmed cases in the world or a region, and an important factor in epidemic assessment and the development of control measures. It also plays a crucial role in ensuring that patients receive the appropriate medical treatment, leading to optimal patient care. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technology is currently the most mature method for detecting viral nucleic acids, but it has many drawbacks. Meanwhile, a variety of COVID-19 detection methods, including molecular biological diagnostic, immunodiagnostic, imaging, and artificial intelligence methods have been developed and applied in clinical practice to meet diverse scenarios and needs. These methods can help clinicians diagnose and treat COVID-19 patients. This review describes the variety of such methods used in China, providing an important reference in the field of the clinical diagnosis of COVID-19.

Quantitative Mutation Analysis of Genes and Proteins of Major SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Concern and Interest.

Of various SARS-CoV-2 variants, some have drawn special concern or interest because of their heightened disease threat. The mutability of individual SARS-CoV-2 genes/proteins presumably varies. The present study quantified gene/protein mutations in 13 major SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern/interest, and analyzed viral protein antigenicity using bioinformatics. The results from 187 carefully perused genome clones showed significantly higher mean percent mutations in the spike, ORF8, nucleocapsid, and NSP6 than in other viral proteins. The ORF8 and spike proteins also tolerated higher maximal percent mutations. The omicron variant presented more percent mutations in the NSP6 and structural proteins, whereas the delta featured more in the ORF7a. Omicron subvariant BA.2 exhibited more mutations in ORF6, and omicron BA.4 had more in NSP1, ORF6, and ORF7b, relative to omicron BA.1. Delta subvariants AY.4 and AY.5 bore more mutations in ORF7b and ORF8 than delta B.1.617.2. Predicted antigen ratios of SARS-CoV-2 proteins significantly vary (range: 38-88%). To overcome SARS-CoV-2 immune evasion, the relatively conserved, potentially immunogenic NSP4, NSP13, NSP14, membrane, and ORF3a viral proteins may serve as more suitable targets for molecular vaccines or therapeutics than the mutation-prone NSP6, spike, ORF8, or nucleocapsid protein. Further investigation into distinct mutations of the variants/subvariants may help understand SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis.

Factors associated with decreased physical activity levels among community-dwelling residents during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic: a long-term observational study.

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to determine the factors associated with decreased physical activity levels among community residents over a long-term observation period during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. [Participants and Methods] We conducted a cross-sectional study using a self-administered questionnaire and daily steps as an indicator of physical activity levels. The study population consisted of 704 community-dwelling residents aged 40 years and older who participated in the health program from 2019 to 2020. We compared the daily steps from March-December 2019 to March-December 2020 and performed multivariate analysis to identify the factors associated with decreased daily steps. [Results] Of all participants, 447 (63.5%) returned the questionnaire and 309 (43.9%) were included in the analysis. During the COVID-19 pandemic, 133 (43.0%) respondents had decreased physical activity levels. The multivariate analysis showed that working (odds ratio, 2.08; 95% confidence interval, 1.10-3.94) was significantly associated with decreased daily steps during the COVID-19 pandemic. [Conclusion] There was a significant association between decreased physical activity levels and working during the COVID-19 pandemic. When restrictive measures such as teleworking are implemented, it may be necessary to take measures to prevent a decline in physical activity levels.

Secreted Protein Acidic and Rich in Cysteine (SPARC) to Manage Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic and the Post-COVID-19 Health Crisis.

Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) has had and will have impacts on public health and health system expenses. Indeed, not only it has led to high numbers of confirmed COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, but its consequences will remain even after the end of the COVID-19 crisis. Therefore, therapeutic options are required to both tackle the COVID-19 crisis and manage its consequences during the post COVID-19 era. Secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC) is a biomolecule that is associated with various properties and functions that situate it as a candidate which may be used to prevent, treat and manage COVID-19 as well as the post-COVID-19-era health problems. This paper highlights how SPARC could be of such therapeutic use.