Clinico-epidemiological profile and outcome of infected health care workers during the three consecutive waves of COVID-19 pandemic: a longitudinal cohort study.

Background: Health care workers are considered as high-risk population, who deal with many unknown, undiagnosed, and subclinical infectious diseases in their daily life. Currently, the COVID-19 pandemic posed as an add-on burden for these frontline workers in all aspects. Although, many adverse physical and mental effects of pandemic among health care workers (HCWs) were discussed worldwide, a long-term study for delayed complications needed to be explored. Aim: The study evaluates and compares three waves of the pandemic in various aspects such as the incidence, prevalence, severity, risk factors, and variations in the pattern of COVID-19 infection, impact of vaccination, and post-infection complications among the HCWs. Methodology: A longitudinal observational study was carried out over a period of 2 years and another 6 months for follow-up. The study included all HCWs who tested positive in any one wave of COVID-19 pandemic with any one of the confirmed COVID-19 test. Each COVID-19-affected HCW was followed up through telephone calls and direct interviews conducted at the study site. Admission details and other background details of the study population were collected from the hospital records. Results: A total of 968 HCWs were COVID-19 positive in any of the three waves, and highest incidence (53.00%) was caused by the Omicron variant. High severity and hospitalization was observed in the first wave (no vaccination) and fully immunized personnel were found to be out of danger of being hospitalized during all succeeding waves (chi-square value: 87.04, p < 0.05). Predictors such as female gender, occupational exposure, and comorbid status were identified as possible risk factors for infection. A total of 70 HCWs reported with 104 complications, of which chronic diseases such as new onset of diabetes (n = 3), cardiovascular events (n = 8), worsening of preexisting comorbidities (n = 8), etc. were found out. Conclusions: This study proves the benefit of being immunized rather than the risk of being infected. This study documents that immunization impacted complication and hospitalization rates of COVID-19 infection. This evidence may help in tackling vaccine hesitancy across the nations.

A pediatric case report of fixed drug eruption related to carmoisine colorant present in paracetamol syrup.

Various adverse drug reactions, including hypersensitivity skin reaction after the exposure to carmoisine colorant, have already been reported in the literature. This case report gives the details of a 5-year-old male child with a recurrent fixed drug eruption (FDE) over the neck and trunk after the use of paracetamol syrup containing carmoisine as a colorant. Patch test to the carmoisine colorant in the paracetamol syrup was positive. This case report adds an increased awareness of the probability of allergic skin reaction to carmoisine in a previously sensitized person. The report also emphasizes the necessity to consider artificial dyes in pharmaceutical products as a potential cause for FDE.

Factors associated with intention-to-recommend human papillomavirus vaccination among physicians in Mysore, India.

PURPOSE: This qualitative study investigated physician intention-to-recommend the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to parents of adolescent girls in India. There are currently no data on attitudes to HPV vaccination among healthcare providers in India. METHODS: Between June and August 2008, 20 semistructured qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted among physicians from a range of specialties and practice settings in Mysore District, India. Physicians were interviewed about their specialty and the types of patients they saw in their practice, attitudes toward recommending HPV vaccination to parents of adolescent girls, perceived subjective norms surrounding the promotion of vaccines in their work settings, and their perceptions regarding self-efficacy in recommending the HPV vaccine. RESULTS: The study found that knowledge about HPV infection and its relationship to cervical cancer was low among physicians across specialties. While most physicians expressed positive attitudes toward vaccination in general, and HPV vaccination in particular, the overwhelming majority believed that few of their patients would react positively to a vaccine recommendation. Physicians were concerned about talking to parents about their adolescent daughters' reproductive lives. Certain specialties, particularly obstetrician/gynecologists, suggested that recommending immunization was not appropriate in their work setting. CONCLUSION: With the HPV vaccine recently being approved in India, there is a strong need to provide more education for physicians about the relationship of HPV infection and cervical cancer and the benefits of vaccinating adolescent girls to prevent cervical cancer in the future.

Missense mutation G296S in GATA4 is not responsible for cardiac septal defects.

BACKGROUND: The most common type of congenital heart disease is the cardiac septal defects, which has reported to be caused by a missense mutation (G296S) in exon 3 of the GATA4 gene. AIMS: The present study was undertaken to find out whether GATA4 gene is the prime cause of the septal defects in Mysore population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: GATA4 gene analyses were undertaken on 21 confirmed CHD cases by PCR and DNA sequencing. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Analysis of this particular mutation in 21 septal defect patients revealed that none of the patients had the mutation, indicating that this mutation is population specific or septal defect in Mysore population is caused due to mutations in other regions of the GATA4 gene.