Covid-19 Articles

In this report, we describe a case of a small bowel obstruction in the immediate postoperative period following an abdominal myomectomy. After failing conservative management, the patient underwent diagnostic laparoscopy, and the exposed tail of an absorbable barbed V-loc™ (Covidien™, Mansfield, MA, USA) suture used during the myomectomy was identified as the nidus of the small bowel obstruction. While barbed-suture-related bowel obstruction is a known rare complication that is well described in the general surgery literature, it is less documented in gynecological surgery literature. We anticipate the risk to be higher after multiple myomectomy, as postoperative contracture of the uterus can cause protrusion and exposure of the barbed suture tail. Though barbed suture can be safely used for hysterotomy closure during myomectomy, surgeons who opt to use barbed suture during myomectomy should be aware of this potential complication, take intra-operative measures to reduce the risk of postoperative tail protrusion and maintain a high index of suspicion for bowel obstruction in the immediate postoperative period.

Worldwide, statistical data of people infected by COVID-19 has been taken until March 29, 2023, which, when correlated, showed a predictive logistic  model. The purpose was to determine the predictive model, which was acceptable, in such a way that the proportionality constant and the correlation and determination coefficients are of great importance to estimating epidemiological and pandemic data; coinciding with what was reported by other authors. Bearing in mind that a mathematical model is a mathematical description through a function or equation of a phenomenon in the real world; whose purpose is to understand infections and make predictions for the future. The stages were: to model the number of people infected as a function of time, formulate, and choose the logistic model, determine the model and obtain mathematical conclusions, and make predictions (estimates) about the number of people infected by COVID-19 worldwide. The logistic model was derived to predict the speed of people infected by COVID-19 and the critical time (tc = 733 days) for which the speed was maximum (1694,7209 infected/day). The Pearson correlation coefficient for the time elapsed (t) and the number of people infected (N) worldwide, based on 32 cases, was r = -0.88; the relationship between time and those infected is real, there is a “very strong correlation” between the time elapsed (t) and the number of people infected (N) and 77.03% of the variance in N is explained by t. 

Objective: To identify risk factors among pregnant with COVID-19 for adverse outcomes related to disease severity, maternal mortality, and morbidity.Materials and methods: In this retrospective study, 45 pregnant patients with COVID-19 pneumonia were confirmed by RT-PCR. The inclusion criteria were pregnant patients diagnosed with COVID-19 confirmed by RT-PCR and hospitalized in the gynecology-obstetrics and intensive care unit. Exclusion criteria were non-pregnant patients and pneumonia cases with unconfirmed COVID-19 causes. The study used SPSS software to analyze the data. Results: Our study recorded 45 cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnant women over 2.5 years. The age group most affected was 20-35 years, with 75% of cases. 57% of patients had no known comorbidities. 88.8% of patients were symptomatic at diagnosis. Almost 30% of patients required admission to the ICU, with 60% requiring oxygen supplementation. The study recorded 36 live births (80%), of which 26 cases (72.2%) required no further care and had a favorable outcome.Conclusion: Pregnant women with medical conditions are at higher risk of severe COVID-19, which can cause respiratory distress syndrome and impact delivery and neonatal outcomes. Preventive measures are important.

The global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health and substance use behaviors has sparked extensive research efforts. The COMET-G international study, organized by the Department of Medicine and the Rectorate of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in collaboration with the World Psychiatric Association, delved into these issues. Running from March 2020 to April 2021, the study collected responses from 55,589 individuals across 40 countries. Through a comprehensive questionnaire, participants provided insights into their mental state, attitudes toward the pandemic, and the resultant changes in their personal and daily lives. Findings revealed, among other things, significant patterns of change in substance use, with notable correlations between reduced usage and the severity of lockdown measures among non-binary individuals. Mental health history emerged as a strong predictor of substance use changes, with influences from anxiety disorders, depression, and self-harm. Additionally, family and social dynamics, including economic expectations and household composition, significantly shaped substance use behaviors during lockdowns. Given these findings, the development of comprehensive approaches targeting the adverse effects of the pandemic on individual behaviors and general welfare is crucial.

Background: Maternal mortality is a very sensitive indicator of our health system and services. Epidemiological data about maternal mortality is a vital requirement in every setting not only to design interventional programs but also to identify gaps in the existing structures, to reduce the ratio favorably. This study was an attempt to shed light on the mortality rate in our hospital, to analyze the epidemiological aspects, causes of maternal mortality, and types of delay, and to suggest recommendations for improvement. Methods: A retrospective study was done at a tertiary care center at the district level from January 2022 to December 2022. Demographic data and details of selected parameters were obtained from maternal death review forms and case records. Data analyzed and presented.Results: The majority of the maternal deaths could be attributed to direct obstetric causes like Eclampsia (29.41%), Pre-eclampsia (20.59%), and anemia (20.59%) followed by hemorrhage (14.71%), and septicemia (11.76%). Medical conditions contributing to death included liver disorders (5.8%), COVID-19 infection (5.8%), and cardiac disorders (2.9%). Conclusion: It is evident that the maternal mortality ratio is significantly high, with a majority of the deaths occurring due to avoidable causes. Leading contributory factors were due to delay in seeking help or delay in referral. High-risk cases must be identified at the earliest and referred to higher centers for management from the first trimester itself. Generating awareness among the common public and counseling the gravidas and their caretakers throughout pregnancy is equally important to prevent maternal mortality and near-miss cases.

The outbreak of COVID-19 has created an unprecedented situation that has accelerated online education in areas like nephrology, which are traditionally served by onsite training. Efforts to educate clinicians remotely provide convenience and flexibility but may leave many open questions when it comes to how well-trained professionals maybe after completing their programs online. This review paper has emphasized the deleterious effects of online nephrology education and identified a number of ways in which it can be problematic such as lack of hands-on training, less patient interface, lack of proper supervision, and inconsistent quality of programs. The ability to make a difference, however, is further restricted by technological barriers and resource constraints. Whilst these programs tend to focus on creating knowledgeable graduates, they often fail to provide the clinical exposure necessary for preparedness. Hybrid programs - which combine online courses with clinical training in person are required to deliver high-quality nephrology care.

The psychological burden of physicians has been the focus of many researchers since the 1950s, and some papers have found a high prevalence of anxiety and depressive disorders among medical staff. Recent studies have shown that the coronavirus pandemic didn’t go easy on healthcare workers. The fact that it has been three years since the outbreak, has motivated our study. Which aims to evaluate the intensity of anxiety among medical personnel and the risk factors that could be incriminated post-COVID pandemic and if the level of anxiety is back to normal. This is a cross-sectional study, carried out with a survey split into 2 parts sociodemographic and work-related data, and the French version of the Hamilton anxiety scale, Statistical analysis was performed using Jamovi et Microsoft Excel. About half of the 116 physicians in our study had no anxiety (55.2%), while 21.6% had mild anxiety, 10.3% had moderate anxiety, and 12.9% had severe anxiety. The identified risk factors for anxiety were female gender, personal and family history of anxiety disorder, doing night shifts, and being a general practitioner. The anxiety rate of physicians is back to normal post-COVID pandemic. But we shouldn’t stop there. The mental health status of medical personnel depends on several of the factors listed above. Determining them would imply a call for the implementation of preventive measures for anxiety and depressive disorders among physicians. Because taking care of physicians is taking care of patients.

This research centered on the transition from sustainability to the post-COVID-19 era, significantly altered and transformed cities, city plans, and housing models holistically approach. Although the academic world concentrating on sustainable urban and housing design since the 1990s, the pandemic has emerged as a critical paradigm shift in context since 2019. During the COVID-19 period the Paris city 15 minutes concept, first introduced by Paris Mayor A. Hidalgo initially sparked controversy as temporary now considered permanent in Paris recently, Oxford. In the post-pandemic era, sustainability has become significant on the global agenda, shaping cities, city models, and residences through profound and radical changes. Some efforts are supported by Climate-change conferences in the world and subsequently some determinations like the Paris Agreement and UN declarations that guide more livable environments and houses. Due to COVID-19 the newly emerged conditions and compulsory changes that have taken place in the cities the social isolation, distance living, and remote working led to radical changes in the living style, environment, city plans, housing models, and typologies holistically. Although many publications have been published in the last few years about the pandemic and the Paris City 15 minutes concept, they only address the city and urban scale solutions. There is no research with a holistic approach that relates the subject from the urban scale to the architectural scale, housing, and blocks. Within the 15-minute concept, searched, developed, innovative, and sustainable urban and housing-oriented suggestions for cities in the future are presented at the end of the research. In conclusion, it is revealed that the issue of sustainability has gained importance with an increasing momentum in the world agenda, witnessed the radical changes in cities and residences, in the post-COVID-19 period in the last 2-3 years.

Introduction: Extracellular Traps (ETs) are fibers composed of chromatin and cytoplasmic proteins, which can trap and kill pathogens by the phenomenon called ETosis. They are released by neutrophils, macrophages, and monocytes, and can be found in semen. The aim of this presentation is to evidence of the indirect effect of SARS-CoV-2 in semen by ETs.Patients and methods: Experimental design: retrospective descriptive observational study.Semen samples from two groups were studied following WHO guidelines: 1) SARS-CoV-2 infected donors (n: 5; at 7, 15, 30, 60, and 90 days after PCR diagnosis); 2) COVID-19 positive patients assisted in our laboratory between 2021 and 2022 (n: 70). They were observed in fresh and in Papanicolaou-stained smears by CASA and light microscopy; the presence of macrophages, spermiophages, ETs and hyperviscosity were recorded while neutrophilic concentration was calculated. Two control groups were designed: a) Patients belonging to group 2, studied before de pandemia (n: 13); b) Culture-negative semen samples (n: 28).Results: In the first group, ETs were observed in all the samples, while only 18% had leucospermia. Macrophages, spermiophages, and hyperviscosity were recorded in 68%, 27%, and 36% of the studied cases respectively.In the second group, ETs were present 100% in the acute phase (< 90 days after diagnosis) and decreased to 71% in the later stage (90 to 270 days). The trapped sperm were non-progressive motile or immotile alive or dead.No traps were found in either control group.Conclusion: In our study ETs were the most sensitive seminal marker of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Background: The impact of COVID-19 and long-term COVID-19 on gastrointestinal neoplasms remains underexplored. The current review investigates the potential link between these conditions and the role of gut microbiota in mediating oncogenic processes. Dysbiosis, characterized by alterations in gut microbial composition, may exacerbate inflammation and immune dysregulation, contributing to cancer development.Methods: A comprehensive literature review was conducted using databases including PubMed, Scopus, Embase, SciELO, and Web of Science. Inclusion criteria encompassed studies published between 2020 and 2024 that explored the intersection of COVID-19, long-term COVID-19, and gastrointestinal cancers. The articles were critically appraised for quality and relevance, and data were synthesized to elucidate common mechanisms and outcomes.Results: The review identifies several mechanisms by which gut microbiota may influence cancer risk in COVID-19 patients. Persistent inflammation, oxidative stress, and immune dysfunction observed in Long COVID were associated with dysbiosis. Specific microbial metabolites, such as secondary bile and short-chain fatty acids, were implicated in promoting tumorigenesis. Comparative analysis of studies suggests that SARS-CoV-2-induced dysbiosis may heighten susceptibility to gastrointestinal cancers, particularly in patients with prolonged post-infection symptoms.Conclusion: The findings underscore the need for further research to clarify the role of gut microbiota in cancer development among COVID-19 patients. These mechanisms could inform preventative strategies and therapeutic interventions, particularly for those experiencing COVID. The review highlights gaps in current knowledge and advocates for longitudinal studies to assess the long-term effects of COVID-19 on gastrointestinal health.