Clinical Presentation, Management and In-Hospital Outcome of COVID-19 among Non-Healthcare Personnel and Healthcare Personnel in a Tertiary Cardiac Care Hospital.

The huge numbers of non-healthcare personnel (non-HCP) who get infected by corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) not only paralyze health care systems but also put health care personnel (HCP) at potential risk globally. Objective of the study was to compare the Healthcare personnel (HCP) and non-HCP COVID-19 cases. This prospective observational study was carried out in National Heart Foundation Hospital and Research Institute of Bangladesh from March 08, 2020 to July 20, 2020. During this study period all admitted non-HCP who subsequently was diagnosed as COVID-19 positive by rRT-PCR and HCP of this hospital, who experienced fever or respiratory symptoms or came in close contact with COVID-19 patients at home or their workplace and become COVID-19 positive, were included. Out of 320 infected patients, 181(56.6%) patients were non-HCP and 139(43.4%) were HCP. Non-HCP were older than HCP (Mean age: 52.95±13.82 years vs. 34.08±11.11 years; p=0.001). Non-HCP were predominantly male and HCP were predominantly female (73.5% vs. 41% & 26.5% vs. 59%; p=0.001). Non-HCP had more risk factors and co-morbidities than HCP (p=0.001). Typical symptoms of COVID-19 such as fever and cough were prevalent in HCP. More aggressive treatment was required for non-HCP. Non-HCP had more severe disease and higher case fatality rate (9.4% vs. 0.7%; p=0.001) than HCP. Disease severity (OR 0.03, 95% CI 0.01-0.15) and DM (OR 0.09, 95% CI 0.01-0.94) were the independent predictor of mortality. Non-HCP was older in age, predominantly male and had more co-morbidities than HCP. Typical symptoms of COVID-19 were prevalent in HCP. Non-HCP had more severe disease and higher case fatality rate than HCP.

Serological evidence of Japanese encephalitis virus activity in Bihar.

Serum samples from 404 pigs originating from eight districts of Bihar were examined for haemagglutination-inhibiting and complement fixing antibodies of Japanese Encephalitis, Dengue-2, West Nile and Chikungunya viruses. Japanese Encephalitis viral infection was found to be widely prevalent compared to other arboviruses tested. RElatively large number of pigs had antibodies to JEV only (i.e. monoconverters). High geometric mean titre to JEV was observed. These observations appear to be of epidemiologic significance to the 1978 epidemic of encephalitis in Bihar. Epidemic of encephalitis was reported in 1978 from several states of India including Bihar. The only evidence of the activity of Japanese Encephalitis in Bihar came from Khan and Banerjee who found neutralizing antibodies in ardeid birds from Asansol - Dhanbad regions. Evidences are presented in this paper on the prevalence of Japanese Encephalitis in eight districts including Dhanbad of Bihar.