Assessment of farm constraints and income losses during COVID-19 lockdown in India

A telephonic survey was conducted during May 2020 among 675 farmers across 28 districts of 11 states of India to assess farm constraints and income losses of lockdown 1.0 and 2.0. The results indicate that labour availability and input accessibility were hurdles, but manageable to some extent. However, marketing constraints inflicted 48 and 19% losses in total expected income of perishable and non-perishable commodities and average loss per farm household was 0.93 lakh (28%). Although, income support was given through PM-KISAN, it was not adequate to compensate losses. Therefore, farm income support needs to be enhanced to cope with lockdown losses.

COVID-19 associated mucormycosis: A Descriptive Multisite Study from India.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Mucormycosis is an invasive fungal infection and carries a significant morbidity and mortality. A number of cases of mucormycosis have been reported in association with COVID-19. In this study, a consortium of clinicians from various parts of India studied clinical profile of COVID-19 associated mucormycosis (CAM) and this analysis is presented here. METHODS: Investigators from multiple sites in India were involved in this study. Clinical details included the treatment and severity of COVID-19, associated morbidities, as well as the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of mucormycosis. These data were collected using google spreadsheet at one centre. Descriptive analysis was done. RESULTS: There were 115 patients with CAM. Importantly, all patients had received corticosteroids. Diabetes was present in 85.2% of patients and 13.9% of patients had newly detected diabetes. The most common site of involvement was rhino-orbital. Mortality occurred in 25 (21.7%) patients. On logistic regression analysis, CT scan-based score for severity of lung involvement was associated with mortality. CONCLUSION: Universal administration of corticosteroids in our patients is notable. A large majority of patients had diabetes, while mortality was seen in ∼1/5th of patients, lower as compared to recently published data.

Glycemic parameters in patients with new-onset diabetes during COVID-19 pandemic are more severe than in patients with new-onset diabetes before the pandemic: NOD COVID India Study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: It is not known if new onset diabetes during Coronavirus-19 disease (COVID-19; NOD COVID) is phenotypically or biochemically different than new onset diabetes before COVID-19 (NOD). METHODS: All adults diagnosed with new onset diabetes from during the time of COVID-19 were compared with new onset diabetes prior to COVID-19 from two tertiary care hospitals in Chennai and Delhi. RTPCR test for SARS-CoV-2 virus was done as appropriate, and COVID-19 antibody test was done in all other NOD COVID patients. RESULT: A total of 555 patients with new onset diabetes were included in the study (282 NOD and 273 NOD COVID patients). Patients with NOD COVID had higher fasting and post prandial blood glucose and glycated hemoglobin levels vs. NOD patients. Both the groups had high average body mass index; ∼28 kg/m2. Interestingly, fasting C-peptide levels were significantly higher in the NOD COVID group vs. NOD group. There was no difference in C-peptide levels or glycemic parameters between the COVID-19 antibody positive and negative NOD COVID cases. CONCLUSION: Individuals who were diagnosed with diabetes during COVID-19 epidemic (NOD COVID) do not significantly differ from those diagnosed before COVID-19 in symptomatology, phenotype, and C-peptide levels but they had more severe glycemia.