title: Automatic classification between COVID-19 pneumonia, non-COVID-19 pneumonia, and the healthy on chest X-ray image: combination of data augmentation methods

text: Purpose: This study aimed to develop and validate computer-aided diagnosis (CXDx) system for classification between COVID-19 pneumonia, non-COVID-19 pneumonia, and the healthy on chest X-ray (CXR) images. Materials and Methods: From two public datasets, 1248 CXR images were obtained, which included 215, 533, and 500 CXR images of COVID-19 pneumonia patients, non-COVID-19 pneumonia patients, and the healthy samples. The proposed CADx system utilized VGG16 as a pre-trained model and combination of conventional method and mixup as data augmentation methods. Other types of pre-trained models were compared with the VGG16-based model. Single type or no data augmentation methods were also evaluated. Splitting of training/validation/test sets was used when building and evaluating the CADx system. Three-category accuracy was evaluated for test set with 125 CXR images. Results: The three-category accuracy of the CAD system was 83.6% between COVID-19 pneumonia, non-COVID-19 pneumonia, and the healthy. Sensitivity for COVID-19 pneumonia was more than 90%. The combination of conventional method and mixup was more useful than single type or no data augmentation method. Conclusion: This study was able to create an accurate CADx system for the 3-category classification. Source code of our CADx system is available as open source for COVID-19 research.


title: Clinical characteristics and short-term outcomes of patients with coronavirus disease 2019: a retrospective single-center experience of a designated hospital in Poland

text: INTRODUCTION: Since the first reported case of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID19) in Poland, the worldwide pandemic has spread throughout the country, leading to many hospital admissions. There has been an urgent need to determine clinical characteristics of Polish patients with laboratoryconfirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARSCoV 2) infection in the clinical setting. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this retrospective study was to outline characteristics and short term outcomes of SARSCoV2-positive patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively assessed 169 consecutive patients with laboratory confirmed COVID 19 with regard to their clinical manifestations, radiological findings, treatment, complications, and outcomes. RESULTS: Of the 169 patients, more than half was aged 65 years or older (88; 52.1%), 51.5% were male, and 78.3% had comorbidities. The majority of patients (106; 62.7%) were transferred from outbreak locations in medical facilities. The most common symptoms on admission were fever (42%), shortness of breath (35%), and fatigue (33%). Twenty seven (15.4%) patients required intensive care unit admission. Overall mortality was 26.3% (n = 46) and was significantly higher in patients transferred from other facilities (38 out of 106; 35.8%), than in patients admitted directly to the hospital (8 out of 63; 12.69%; P <0.001). Seventeen out of 29 patients admitted to the intensive care unit died (mortality, 58.6%), including 30 out of 41 patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (73.2% mortality rate). CONCLUSIONS: Polish patients with COVID19 have similar characteristics and risk factors for adverse outcomes to those observed in countries in which outbreaks occurred earlier. Significantly higher mortality in patients transferred from other centers warrants special attention and transfer policy should be verified.


COVID-19 in Libya: Fewer Cases So Far. Any Speculations?


title: Modeling of Contact Tracing in Epidemic Populations Structured by Disease Age

text: We consider an age-structured epidemic model with two basic public health interventions: (i) identifying and isolating symptomatic cases, and (ii) tracing and quarantine of the contacts of identified infectives. The dynamics of the infected population are modeled by a nonlinear infection-age-dependent partial differential equation, which is coupled with an ordinary differential equation that describes the dynamics of the susceptible population. Theoretical results about global existence and uniqueness of positive solutions are proved. We also present two practical applications of our model: (1) we assess public health guidelines about emergency preparedness and response in the event of a smallpox bioterrorist attack; (2) we simulate the 2003 SARS outbreak in Taiwan and estimate the number of cases avoided by contact tracing. Our model can be applied as a rational basis for decision makers to guide interventions and deploy public health resources in future epidemics.


title: Correlation between climate indicators and COVID-19 pandemic in New York, USA

text: This study analyzed the association between COVID-19 and climate indicators in New York City, USA. We used secondary published data from New York city health services and National weather service, USA. The climate indicators included in the study are average temperature, minimum temperature, maximum temperature, rainfall, average humidity, wind speed, and air quality. Kendall and Spearman rank correlation tests were chosen for data analysis. We find that average temperature, minimum temperature, and air quality were significantly associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings of this study will help World Health Organization and health regulators such as Center for Disease Control (CDC) to combat COVID-19 in New York and the rest of the world.


Rehabilitering etter covid-19


Genetic Roadmap for Kidney Involvement of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Infection


title: Clinical analysis of ten pregnant women with COVID-19 in Wuhan, China: A retrospective study

text: BACKGROUND: COVID-19 is spreading globally. This study aims to evaluate the clinical characteristics and outcomes of pregnant women confirmed with COVID-19 to provide reference for clinical work. METHODS: The clinical features and outcomes of 10 pregnant women confirmed with COVID-19 at Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Hubei Province, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, a tertiary- care teaching hospital in Hubei province, Wuhan, China from January 23 to February 23, 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: All the 10 observed pregnant women including 9 singletons and 1 twin were native people in Wuhan. All of them were diagnosed mild COVID-19, and none of the patients developed severe COVID-19 or died. Among the 10 patients, two patients underwent vaginal delivery, two patients underwent intrapartum cesarean section, and the remaining six patients underwent elective cesarean section. All of 10 patients showed lung abnormalities by pulmonary CT images after delivery. Their eleven newborns were recorded and no neonatal asphyxia was observed. CONCLUSIONS: Pulmonary CT screening on admission may be necessary to reduce the risk of nosocomial transmission of COVID-19 during the outbreak period. And COVID-19 is not an indication of cesarean section.


On the Necessity of Trademark Portfolio Planning: Transitioning into an Epidemic-Resilient Industry in the Face of COVID-19's Global Outbreak


Presidential Powers and Response to COVID-19


title: Evaluation of Transport Media and Specimen Transport Conditions for the Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Using Real Time Reverse Transcription PCR

text: The global COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a worldwide shortage of viral transport media and raised questions about specimen stability. The objective of this study was to determine the stability of SARS-CoV-2 virus RNA in specimen transport media under various storage conditions. Transport medium tested included: VCM, UTM®-RT, ESwab™, M4 and saline (0.9% NaCl). Specimen types tested included Nasopharyngeal/Oropharyngeal (NP/OP) swabs in the above transport media, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and Sputum. A high-titer SARS-CoV-2 remnant patient specimen was spiked into pooled SARS-CoV-2 RNA-negative specimen remnants for the various media types. Aliquots of samples were stored at 18°C to 25°C, 2°C to 8°C and -10°C to -30°C and then tested at time points up to 14 days. Specimens consistently yielded amplifiable RNA with mean Ct differences of <3 over the various conditions assayed, thus supporting the use and transport of alternative collection media and specimen types under a variety of temperature storage conditions.


title: Coronaviruses and SARS-CoV-2: A Brief Overview

text: In late December 2019, several cases of pneumonia of unknown origin were reported from China, which in early January 2020 were announced to be caused by a novel coronavirus. The virus was later denominated severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and defined as the causal agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Despite massive attempts to contain the disease in China, the virus has spread globally, and COVID-19 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) in March 2020. Here we provide a short background on coronaviruses, and describe in more detail the novel SARS-CoV-2 and attempts to identify effective therapies against COVID-19.


Comment on "Generalized pustular figurate erythema: A newly delineated severe cutaneous drug reaction linked with hydroxychloroquine": Report of a COVID-19 patient with particular findings


Midwifery education in COVID-19- time: Challenges and opportunities


Persistent Symptoms in Patients After Acute COVID-19


title: The genetic landscape of COVID-19: A South Asian perspective

text: COVID-19 has taken the world by storm in the ongoing pandemic. The virus responsible for COVID-19 disease is 'severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2' SARS-CoV-2, an enveloped RNA beta-coronavirus from the family Coronaviridae. There have been similar beta-coronavirus disease outbreaks previously: Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS - 2002) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS - 2012) epidemics. SARS-CoV-2 origins have been traced to bat reservoirs. A virus with a high capacity for mutation, SARS-CoV-2 poses unique challenges both in the current form of disease control and management, while also leaving the door open for future novel diseases and pandemics. An understanding of the virion structure and genomic organisation will help us in understanding their origins and likely course of future evolution. Moreover, novel cost-effective methodologies for genetic surveillance may help in mitigating the emergence of these viral infections in future. In this manuscript, the authors have detailed the unique aspects of the SARS-CoV-2 virus genome and its clinical implications.


Video consultations for covid-19


Editorial: Stay safe during this coronavirus crisis


title: Fragment Molecular Orbital Based Interaction Analyses on COVID-19 Main Protease - Inhibitor N3 Complex (PDB ID: 6LU7)

text: The worldwide spread of COVID-19 (new coronavirus found in 2019) is an emergent issue to be tackled. In fact, a great amount of works in various fields have been made in a rather short period. Here, we report a fragment molecular orbital (FMO) based interaction analysis on a complex between the SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro) and its peptide-like inhibitor N3 (PDB ID: 6LU7). The target inhibitor molecule was segmented into five fragments in order to capture site specific interactions with amino acid residues of the protease. The interaction energies were decomposed into several contributions, and then the characteristics of hydrogen bonding and dispersion stabilization were made clear. Furthermore, the hydration effect was incorporated by the Poisson-Boltzmann (PB) scheme. From the present FMO study, His41, His163, His164, and Glu166 were found to be the most important amino acid residues of Mpro in interacting with the inhibitor, mainly due to hydrogen bonding. A guideline for optimizations of the inhibitor molecule was suggested as well based on the FMO analysis.


docid: apyqcbmc

title: Virtual Surgical Training During COVID-19: Operating Room Simulation Platforms Accessible from Home


title: Infections and Identified Cases of COVID-19 from Random Testing Data

text: There are many hard-to-reconcile numbers circulating concerning Covid-19. Using reports from random testing, the fatality ratio per infection is evaluated and used to extract further information on the actual fraction of infections and the success of their identification for different countries.


title: Correlation between weather and Covid-19 pandemic in Jakarta, Indonesia

text: This study aims to analyze the correlation between weather and covid-19 pandemic in Jakarta Indonesia. This study employed a secondary data analysis of surveillance data of covid-19 from the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia and weather from the Meteorological Department of the Republic of Indonesia. The components of weather include minimum temperature (°C), maximum temperature (°C), temperature average (°C), humidity (%), and amount of rainfall (mm). Spearman-rank correlation test was used for data analysis. Among the components of the weather, only temperature average (°C) was significantly correlated with covid-19 pandemic (r = 0.392; p < .01). The finding serves as an input to reduce the incidence rate of covid-19 in Indonesia.


title: Supply and demand shocks in the COVID-19 pandemic: An industry and occupation perspective

text: We provide quantitative predictions of first order supply and demand shocks for the U.S. economy associated with the COVID-19 pandemic at the level of individual occupations and industries. To analyze the supply shock, we classify industries as essential or non-essential and construct a Remote Labor Index, which measures the ability of different occupations to work from home. Demand shocks are based on a study of the likely effect of a severe influenza epidemic developed by the US Congressional Budget Office. Compared to the pre-COVID period, these shocks would threaten around 22% of the US economy's GDP, jeopardise 24% of jobs and reduce total wage income by 17%. At the industry level, sectors such as transport are likely to have output constrained by demand shocks, while sectors relating to manufacturing, mining and services are more likely to be constrained by supply shocks. Entertainment, restaurants and tourism face large supply and demand shocks. At the occupation level, we show that high-wage occupations are relatively immune from adverse supply and demand-side shocks, while low-wage occupations are much more vulnerable. We should emphasize that our results are only first-order shocks -- we expect them to be substantially amplified by feedback effects in the production network.


title: [Thoughts on the outbreak phases of the COVID-19 changed from emergency response to the combination of emergent response and regular prevention and control activities]

text: Given the scope and speed of the spread, the COVID-19 pandemic is not only complex but dangerous. Complicated objective factors such as the long-term existence of source of infection, difficulty in completely blocking the transmission route and a large susceptible population suggested that the COVID-19 pandemic might stay with us for long term. Therefore, we should be ready for a tough and long-term battle against the COVID-19 epidemic. The strategy should adhere to the principle of combining emergency response with regular prevention and control measures, and all efforts should be well harnessed in a coordinated way to keep the epidemic under control.


title: COVID-19 Clinical Trial Oversight at a Major Academic Medical Center: Approach of the Michigan Medicine COVID-19 Clinical Trial Committees

text: Clinicians - eager to offer the best care in the absence of guiding data - have provided patients with COVID-19 diverse clinical interventions. This usage has led to perceptions of efficacy of some interventions that, while receiving media coverage, lack robust evidence. Moving forward, randomized controlled clinical trials (RCTs) are necessary to ensure that clinicians can treat patients effectively during this outbreak and the next. To do so, academic medical centers must address two key research issues: (1) how to effectively and efficiently determine which trials have the best chance of benefiting current and future patients, and (2) how to establish a transparent and ethical process for subject recruitment while maintaining research integrity and without overburdening patients or staff. We share here the current methods used by the University of Michigan to address these issues.


Audio Interview: A Look at SARS-CoV-2 Transmission


GATA3 and stemness of high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma: novel hope for the deadliest type of ovarian cancer


title: ß-Glucan extracts from the same edible shiitake mushroom Lentinus edodes produce differential in-vitro immunomodulatory and pulmonary cytoprotective effects - Implications for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) immunotherapies

text: Coronavirus pneumonia is accompanied by rapid virus replication, where a large number of inflammatory cell infiltration and cytokine storm may lead to acute lung injury, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and death. The uncontrolled release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin (IL)-1ß and IL-6, is associated with ARDS. This constituted the first study to report on the variability in physicochemical properties of ß-glucans extracts from the same edible mushroom Lentinus edodes on the reduction of these pro-inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress. Specifically, the impact on the immunomodulatory and cytoprotective properties of our novel in 'house' (IH-Lentinan, IHL) and a commercial (Carbosynth-Lentinan, CL) Lentinan extract were investigated using in vitro models of lung injury and macrophage phagocytosis. CL comprised higher amounts of α-glucans and correspondingly less ß-glucans. The two lentinan extracts demonstrated varying immunomodulatory activities. Both Lentinan extracts reduced cytokine-induced NF-κB activation in human alveolar epithelial A549 cells, with the IHL extract proving more effective at lower doses. In contrast, in activated THP-1 derived macrophages, the CL extract more effectively attenuated pro-inflammatory cytokine production (TNF-α, IL-8, IL-2, IL-6, IL-22) as well as TGF-ß and IL-10. The CL extract attenuated oxidative stress-induced early apoptosis, while the IHL extract attenuated late apoptosis. Our findings demonstrate significant physicochemical differences between Lentinan extracts, which produce differential in vitro immunomodulatory and pulmonary cytoprotective effects that may also have positive relevance to candidate COVID-19 therapeutics targeting cytokine storm.


title: Impact of Cardiovascular Disease on Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

text: BACKGROUND: To investigate the effect of cardiovascular disease (CVD) on the global pandemic, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), we analyzed the cases of laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 patients in Wuhan.MethodsâandâResults:Data were extracted from the medical records. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was confirmed by RT-PCR. A total of 33 (53.2%) of 62 cases with CVD, who had higher prevalence of severe COVID-19 compared with non-CVD patients (P=0.027). The median age of all patients was 66.0 (53.3, 73.0) years old. Coronary artery disease (11.3%) and hypertension (38.7%) were the common coexisting CVDs in COVID-19 patients. High-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI), creatinine, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, interleukin-6, C-reactive protein, prothrombin time, and D-dimer levels in the severe COVID-19 with CVD group were higher than in the non-severe COVID-19 with CVD group (P<0.05). For all patients, chest computed tomography (CT) showed ground-glass opacity (66.1%), local (21.0%), bilateral (77.4%), and interstitial abnormalities (4.8%). In COVID-19 patients with CVD, 27 (81.8%) were cured and discharged. 6 (18.2%) remained in hospital, including 2 (3.2%) patients requiring intubation and mechanical ventilation. The hs-cTnI levels in the remaining hospitalized patients were higher than in the discharged patients (P=0.047). CONCLUSIONS: CVDs play a vital role in the disease severity of COVID-19. COVID-19 could result in myocardial injury, which affects the prognosis of COVID-19.


Management of Patients With Severe Mental Illness During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic


title: Review of safety and minimum pricing of nitazoxanide for potential treatment of COVID-19

text: Background: Many treatments are being assessed for repurposing to treat coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) One drug that has shown promising results in vitro is nitazoxanide Unlike other postulated drugs, nitazoxanide shows a high ratio of maximum plasma concentration (Cmax), after 1 day of 500 mg twice daily (BD), to the concentration required to inhibit 50% replication (EC50) of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) (Cmax : EC50 roughly equal to 14:1) As such, it is important to investigate the safety of nitazoxanide for further trials Furthermore, treatments for COVID-19 should be cheap to promote global access, but prices of many drugs are far higher than the costs of production We aimed to conduct a review of the safety of nitazoxanide for any prior indication and calculate its minimum costs of production Methods: A review of nitazoxanide clinical research was conducted using EMBASE and MEDLINE databases, supplemented by ClinicalTrials gov We searched for phase 2 or 3 randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing nitazoxanide with placebo or active control for 5-14 days in participants experiencing acute infections of any kind Data extracted were grade 1-4 and serious adverse events (AEs) Data were also extracted on gastrointestinal (GI) AEs, as well as hepatorenal and cardiovascular effects Active pharmaceutical ingredient cost data from 2016 to 2019 were extracted from the Panjiva database and adjusted for 5% loss during production, costs of excipients, formulation, a 10% profit margin and tax Two dosages, at 500 mg BD and a higher dose of 1100 mg three times daily (TDS), were considered Our estimated costs were compared with publicly available list prices from a selection of countries Results: Nine RCTs of nitazoxanide were identified for inclusion These RCTs accounted for 1514 participants and an estimated 95 3 person-years-of-follow-up No significant differences were found in any of the AE endpoints assessed, across all trials or on subgroup analyses of active- or placebo-controlled trials Mild GI AEs increased with dose No hepatorenal or cardiovascular concerns were raised, but few appropriate metrics were reported There were no teratogenic concerns, but the evidence base was very limited Based on a weighted-mean cost of US $61/kg, a 14-day course of treatment with nitazoxanide 500 mg BD would cost $1 41 The daily cost would therefore be $0 10 The same 14-day course could cost $3944 in US commercial pharmacies, and $3 per course in Pakistan, India and Bangladesh At a higher dose of 1100 mg TDS, our estimated cost was $4 08 per 14-day course, equivalent to $0 29 per day Conclusion: Nitazoxanide demonstrates a good safety profile at approved doses However, further evidence is required regarding hepatorenal and cardiovascular effects, as well as teratogenicity We estimate that it would be possible to manufacture nitazoxanide as generic for $1 41 for a 14-day treatment course at 500 mg BD, up to $4 08 at 1100 mg TDS Further trials in COVID-19 patients should be initiated If efficacy against SARS-CoV-2 is demonstrated in clinical studies, nitazoxanide may represent a safe and affordable treatment in the ongoing pandemic


docid: wropticr

title: Social inequalities and collateral damages of the COVID-19 pandemic: when basic needs challenge mental health care


The SARS-CoV-2 receptor, ACE-2, is expressed on many different cell types: implications for ACE-inhibitor- and angiotensin II receptor blocker-based cardiovascular therapies: comment


title: Correction to: Clinical predictors of mortality due to COVID-19 based on an analysis of data of 150 patients from Wuhan, China

text: Clinical predictors of mortality due to COVID-19 based on an analysis of data of 150 patients from Wuhan, China.


Emergency front-of-neck airway in the COVID-19 patient: cannula or surgical cricothyroidotomy?


title: Efficacy and safety of Lian-Hua Qing-Wen granule for COVID-2019: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

text: BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a global pandemic caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). Since the outbreak, the disease has caused more than 60,502 deaths worldwide. Lian-Hua Qing-Wen Granule (LHQWG) is widely used in treating COVID-19 in China. However, there is no evidence that LHQWG is effective for COVID-19. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: A comprehensive literature search will be conducted. Two methodological trained researchers will read the title, abstract and full texts and independently select the qualified literature according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. After assessment of the risk of bias and data extraction, we will conduct meta-analyses for outcomes related to COVID-19. The heterogeneity of data will be investigated by Cochrane X and I tests. Publication bias assessment will be conducted by funnel plot analysis and Egger test. RESULTS: The results of our research will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. CONCLUSION: Our study aims to systematically present the clinical evidence of LHQWG in treating COVID-19, which will be of significant meaning for further research and clinical practice. OSF REGISTRATION NUMBER: 10.17605/OSF.IO/27SBU.


Reflections from an emergency department junior doctor: the Covid legacy


title: Molecular and serological assays for SARS-CoV-2: insights from genome and clinical characteristics

text: BACKGROUND: The ongoing outbreak of the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has posed a challenge for worldwide public health. A reliable laboratory assay is essential both to confirm suspected patients and to exclude patients infected with other respiratory viruses, thereby facilitating the control of global outbreak scenarios. CONTENT: In this review, we focus on the genomic, transmission and clinical characteristics of SARS-CoV-2, and comprehensively summarize the principles and related details of assays for SARS-CoV-2. We also explore the quality assurance measures for these assays. SUMMARY: SARS-CoV-2 has some unique gene sequences and specific transmission and clinical features that can inform the conduct of molecular and serological assays in many aspects, including the design of primers, the selection of specimens and testing strategies at different disease stages. Appropriate quality assurance measures for molecular and serological assays are needed to maintain testing proficiency. Because serological assays have the potential to identify later stages of the infection and to confirm highly suspected cases with negative molecular assay results, a combination of these two assays is needed to achieve a reliable capacity to detect SARS-CoV-2.


Universal use of face masks for success against COVID-19: evidence and implications for prevention policies


title: Chest CT Findings in Patients With Coronavirus Disease 2019 and Its Relationship With Clinical Features

text: OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate the chest computed tomography (CT) findings in patients with confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and to evaluate its relationship with clinical features. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Study sample consisted of 80 patients diagnosed as COVID-19 from January to February 2020. The chest CT images and clinical data were reviewed, and the relationship between them was analyzed. RESULTS: Totally, 80 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 were included. With regards to the clinical manifestations, 58 (73%) of the 80 patients had cough, and 61 (76%) of the 80 patients had high temperature levels. The most frequent CT abnormalities observed were ground glass opacity (73/80 cases, 91%), consolidation (50/80 cases, 63%), and interlobular septal thickening (47/80, 59%). Most of the lesions were multiple, with an average of 12 ± 6 lung segments involved. The most common involved lung segments were the dorsal segment of the right lower lobe (69/80, 86%), the posterior basal segment of the right lower lobe (68/80, 85%), the lateral basal segment of the right lower lobe (64/80, 80%), the dorsal segment of the left lower lobe (61/80, 76%), and the posterior basal segment of the left lower lobe (65/80, 81%). The average pulmonary inflammation index value was (34% ± 20%) for all the patients. Correlation analysis showed that the pulmonary inflammation index value was significantly correlated with the values of lymphocyte count, monocyte count, C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, days from illness onset, and body temperature (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The common chest CT findings of COVID-19 are multiple ground glass opacity, consolidation, and interlobular septal thickening in both lungs, which are mostly distributed under the pleura. There are significant correlations between the degree of pulmonary inflammation and the main clinical symptoms and laboratory results. Computed tomography plays an important role in the diagnosis and evaluation of this emerging global health emergency.


Comparisons between countries are essential for the control of COVID-19


title: CAR T-cell treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic: Management strategies and challenges

text: The pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is spreading rapidly across the world. Currently, the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the continuity of essential routine healthcare services and procedures, including chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy, a life-saving option for patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) hematologic malignancies. Due to the rapid disease progression of hematological malignancies, there is an urgent need to manufacture and utilize CAR T-cells. However, CAR-T treatment has become extraordinarily challenging during this COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, many medical and technical factors must now be taken into consideration before, during, and after CAR-T therapy. The purpose of this review is to provide brief suggestions for rational decision-making strategies in evaluating and selecting CAR T-cell treatment and appropriate CAR T-cell products, and protective strategies for medical staff and patients to prevent infection in the midst of the current COVID-19 pandemic.


title: Composite Monte Carlo decision making under high uncertainty of novel coronavirus epidemic using hybridized deep learning and fuzzy rule induction

text: In the advent of the novel coronavirus epidemic since December 2019, governments and authorities have been struggling to make critical decisions under high uncertainty at their best efforts. In computer science, this represents a typical problem of machine learning over incomplete or limited data in early epidemic Composite Monte-Carlo (CMC) simulation is a forecasting method which extrapolates available data which are broken down from multiple correlated/casual micro-data sources into many possible future outcomes by drawing random samples from some probability distributions. For instance, the overall trend and propagation of the infested cases in China are influenced by the temporal-spatial data of the nearby cities around the Wuhan city (where the virus is originated from), in terms of the population density, travel mobility, medical resources such as hospital beds and the timeliness of quarantine control in each city etc. Hence a CMC is reliable only up to the closeness of the underlying statistical distribution of a CMC, that is supposed to represent the behaviour of the future events, and the correctness of the composite data relationships. In this paper, a case study of using CMC that is enhanced by deep learning network and fuzzy rule induction for gaining better stochastic insights about the epidemic development is experimented. Instead of applying simplistic and uniform assumptions for a MC which is a common practice, a deep learning-based CMC is used in conjunction of fuzzy rule induction techniques. As a result, decision makers are benefited from a better fitted MC outputs complemented by min-max rules that foretell about the extreme ranges of future possibilities with respect to the epidemic.


title: Composite Monte Carlo Decision Making under High Uncertainty of Novel Coronavirus Epidemic Using Hybridized Deep Learning and Fuzzy Rule Induction

text: In the advent of the novel coronavirus epidemic since December 2019, governments and authorities have been struggling to make critical decisions under high uncertainty at their best efforts. Composite Monte-Carlo (CMC) simulation is a forecasting method which extrapolates available data which are broken down from multiple correlated/casual micro-data sources into many possible future outcomes by drawing random samples from some probability distributions. For instance, the overall trend and propagation of the infested cases in China are influenced by the temporal-spatial data of the nearby cities around the Wuhan city (where the virus is originated from), in terms of the population density, travel mobility, medical resources such as hospital beds and the timeliness of quarantine control in each city etc. Hence a CMC is reliable only up to the closeness of the underlying statistical distribution of a CMC, that is supposed to represent the behaviour of the future events, and the correctness of the composite data relationships. In this paper, a case study of using CMC that is enhanced by deep learning network and fuzzy rule induction for gaining better stochastic insights about the epidemic development is experimented. Instead of applying simplistic and uniform assumptions for a MC which is a common practice, a deep learning-based CMC is used in conjunction of fuzzy rule induction techniques. As a result, decision makers are benefited from a better fitted MC outputs complemented by min-max rules that foretell about the extreme ranges of future possibilities with respect to the epidemic.


title: SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 et Åil : le point sur les données publiées./ [SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 and the eye: An update on publis>hed data]

text: The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically changed our daily lives as ophthalmologists. This general review firstly provides a better understanding of the virus responsible for the pandemic: the SARS-CoV-2, and the clinical manifestations of the COVID-19 disease. The second part is detailing the pathophysiology, clinical signs and challenges of ocular involvement, which seems rare and not functionally severe, but which may be a potential source of contamination. Finally, we discuss the preventive measures that need to be implemented in our daily practice to avoid any viral dissemination.


title: How the Law of Excluded Middle Pertains to the Second Incompleteness Theorem and its Boundary-Case Exceptions

text: Our earlier publications showed semantic tableau admits partial exceptions to the Second Incompleteness Theorem where a formalism recognizes its self consistency and views multiplication as a 3-way relation (rather than as a total function). We now show these boundary-case evasions will collapse if the Law of the Excluded Middle is treated by tableau as a schema of logical axioms (instead of as derived theorems).


title: Geographic access to United States SARS-CoV-2 testing sites highlights healthcare disparities and may bias transmission estimates

text: We paired high-resolution travel-time metrics with a SARS-CoV-2 testing location database in the United States. Median travel time to testing sites is longer in counties with lower population density, and a higher percent of minority and uninsured individuals. Differential geographic accessibility to testing can recapitulate healthcare disparities and bias transmission estimates.


title: Essential Case Management Practices Amidst the Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Crisis: Part 1: Tele-Case Management, Surge Capacity, Discharge Planning, and Transitions of Care

text: OBJECTIVES: This is the first of a 2-part article that discusses essential case management practices and strategies amidst the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The series showcases the potential professional case managers have in support of managing during a crisis such as this global pandemic. Part I discusses reenvisioned roles and responsibilities of case managers and leaders known to address patients' needs during a crisis, with a special focus on telehealth, tele-case management, surge capacity, redeployment, discharge planning, and transitions of care. PRIMARY PRACTICE SETTINGS: Applicable to the various case management practice settings across the continuum of health and human services, especially acute care. FINDINGS CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 global pandemic crisis has brought an unprecedented challenge to professional case managers and health care professionals. It also has provided opportunities for innovation and partnerships within and across health care organizations and the various care settings where patients/support systems access necessary services. Most importantly, it created a renewed interest in telehealth and facilitated a wider adoption of such approach to care delivery than ever before. This pandemic has also increased the use of nontraditional sites of care, most importantly those that operate virtually on electronic networks and health information system technologies such as remote visits, e-visits, virtual care, and tele-monitoring. Undoubtedly, these have provided new opportunities for tele-case management services and roles for professional case managers in the virtual world of health and human service delivery. IMPLICATIONS FOR CASE MANAGEMENT PRACTICE: Professional case managers are integral members of interprofessional health care teams. Their roles are even more necessary during a global pandemic such as COVID-19. The practice of case management will forever change-for the better. The experience of this crisis in health care has brought about ever-lasting implications for case management professionals. It has raised awareness to sites of care never were as popular before, resulting in an increased need and recognition for tele-case management practice and virtual case managers. It has also forced partnerships and collaborations among the diverse contexts of health care organizations (public, private, or both) and other industries, regardless of whether directly involved in the delivery of care or having a support service role. These new and innovative approaches in the provision of care and case management services will without a doubt become routine expectations beyond the current pandemic period. Of special note are the enhanced roles of case managers in discharge planning and transitions of care.


Solving the global challenge of adolescent mental ill-health


Dementia in the COVID-19 Period


Athletes as community; athletes in community: covid-19, sporting mega-events and athlete health protection


Covid-19: Cancer Research urges mass testing to enable care to continue during pandemic


title: Urgent and Emergent Eye Care Strategies to Protect Against COVID-19

text: Objective: This article presents additional strategies to the medical professional and support tactics to keep both the health care provider and patient as safe as possible during the COVID-19 pandemic Observations: Follicular conjunctivitis has been reported as an early sign of infection or during hospitalization for severe COVID-19 disease It has been confirmed that COVID-19 is transmitted through both respiratory droplets and direct contact Another possible route of viral transmission is entry through aerosolized droplets into the tears, which then pass through the nasolacrimal ducts and into the respiratory tract For nonemergent care, eye care providers should use telehealth Eye care providers should prioritize patient care in order of absolute necessity, such as sudden vision loss, sudden onset flashes and floaters, and eye trauma In those cases, exposure should be minimized The close proximity between eye care providers and their patients during slit-lamp examination may require further precautions, such as shields, barriers, and mask use to lower the risk of transmission via droplets or through hand to eye contact Conclusions: All nonemergent eye care appointments should be delayed or conducted remotely For emergent in-person appointments, careful and appropriate adherence to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations may minimize exposure for both the health care provider and patient


title: Surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic: operating room suggestions from an international Delphi process

text: BACKGROUND: Operating room (OR) practice during the COVID-19 pandemic is driven by basic principles, shared experience and nascent literature. This study aimed to identify the knowledge needs of the global OR workforce, and characterize supportive evidence to establish consensus. METHODS: A rapid, modified Delphi exercise was performed, open to all stakeholders, informed via an online international collaborative evaluation. RESULTS: The consensus exercise was completed by 339 individuals from 41 countries (64·3 per cent UK). Consensus was reached on 71 of 100 statements, predominantly standardization of OR pathways, OR staffing and preoperative screening or diagnosis. The highest levels of consensus were observed in statements relating to appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) and risk distribution (96-99 per cent), clear consent processes (96 per cent), multidisciplinary decision-making and working (97 per cent). Statements yielding equivocal responses predominantly related to technical and procedure choices, including: decontamination (40-68 per cent), laminar flow systems (13-61 per cent), PPE reuse (58 per cent), risk stratification of patients (21-48 per cent), open versus laparoscopic surgery (63 per cent), preferential cholecystostomy in biliary disease (48 per cent), and definition of aerosol-generating procedures (19 per cent). CONCLUSION: High levels of consensus existed for many statements within each domain, supporting much of the initial guidance issued by professional bodies. However, there were several contentious areas, which represent urgent targets for investigation to delineate safe COVID-19-related OR practice.


Obesity and risk of COVID-19: analysis of UK biobank


COVID19 and Breastfeeding: Not That Simple


"You Have to Wait a Little Longer": Transgender (Mental) Health at Risk as a Consequence of Deferring Gender-Affirming Treatments During COVID-19


docid: yhaawaxm

title: An Invited Commentary on "World Health Organization declares global emergency: A review of the 2019 novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)": Emergency or new reality?


title: Radiographic findings in 240 patients with COVID-19 pneumonia: time-dependence after the onset of symptoms

text: OBJECTIVE: To analyze the most frequent radiographic features of COVID-19 pneumonia and assess the effectiveness of chest X-ray (CXR) in detecting pulmonary alterations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: CXR of 240 symptomatic patients (70% male, mean age 65 ± 16 years), with SARS-CoV-2 infection confirmed by RT-PCR, was retrospectively evaluated. Patients were clustered in four groups based on the number of days between symptom onset and CXR: group A (0-2 days), 49 patients; group B (3-5), 75 patients; group C (6-9), 85 patients; and group D (> 9), 31 patients. Alteration's type (reticular/ground-glass opacity (GGO)/consolidation) and distribution (bilateral/unilateral, upper/middle/lower fields, peripheral/central) were noted. Statistical significance was tested using chi-square test. RESULTS: Among 240 patients who underwent CXR, 180 (75%) showed alterations (group A, 63.3%; group B, 72%; group C, 81.2%; group D, 83.9%). GGO was observed in 124/180 patients (68.8%), reticular alteration in 113/180 (62.7%), and consolidation in 71/180 (39.4%). Consolidation was significantly less frequent (p < 0.01). Distribution among groups was as follows: reticular alteration (group A, 70.9%; group B, 72.2%; group C, 57.9%; group D, 46.1%), GGO (group A, 67.7%; group B, 62.9%; group C, 71%; group D, 76.9%), and consolidation (group A, 35.5%; group B, 31.4%; group C, 47.8%; group D, 38.5%). Alterations were bilateral in 73.3%. Upper, middle, and lower fields were involved in 36.7%, 79.4%, and 87.8%, respectively. Lesions were peripheral in 49.4%, central in 11.1%, or both in 39.4%. Upper fields and central zones were significantly less involved (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The most frequent lesions in COVID-19 patients were GGO (intermediate/late phase) and reticular alteration (early phase) while consolidation gradually increased over time. The most frequent distribution was bilateral, peripheral, and with middle/lower predominance. Overall rate of negative CXR was 25%, which progressively decreased over time. KEY POINTS: â¢ The predominant lung changes were GGO and reticular alteration, while consolidation was less frequent. â¢ The typical distribution pattern was bilateral, peripheral, or both peripheral and central and involved predominantly the lower and middle fields. â¢ Chest radiography showed lung abnormalities in 75% of patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, range varied from 63.3 to 83.9%, respectively, at 0-2 days and > 9 days from the onset of symptoms.


La protección de los sanitarios frente a COVID-19 importa demasiado


title: Availability of COVID-19 Information From National Plastic Surgery Society Web Sites

text: BACKGROUND: National plastic surgery society web sites are an important source of information for patients, family members, and healthcare professionals. There are currently no standardized recommendations for the information provided on web sites. The aim of this study was to assess the information available on each national plastic surgery society web site on the current pandemic of COVID-19. METHODS: A Google search was performed of United Nations member sovereign states to determine whether they had a national plastic surgery society web site and to assess its contents. The presence of COVID-19 information was recorded. Access to contact information, Facebook page, Twitter, and Instagram handles were noted. RESULTS: Thirty-five percent of sovereign states had plastic surgery society web sites. Twenty-two percent of national society web sites had a specific COVID-19 section. Fourteen (93%) of these 15 web sites had COVID-19-specific guidelines available for health care professionals. CONCLUSIONS: COVID-19 information provided by national plastic surgery society web sites is sparse. Two-thirds of national plastic surgery societies do not have a web presence. The availability of COVID-19 clinical guidelines and patient information sheets on national plastic surgery society web sites is limited. This study suggests that improvement and increase in COVID-19 information provided by many national plastic surgery society web sites are needed.


docid: vpowumff

title: Availability of COVID-19 information from national plastic surgery society websites

text: BACKGROUND: National plastic surgery society websites are an important source of information for patients, family members and healthcare professionals. There are currently no standardized recommendations for the information provided on websites. The aim of this study was to assess the information available on each national plastic surgery society websites on the current pandemic of COVID-19. METHODS: A Google search was performed of United Nations member sovereign states to determine whether they had a national plastic surgery society website and to assess its contents. The presence of COVID-19 information was recorded. Access to contact information, Facebook page, Twitter and Instagram handles were noted. RESULTS: 35% of sovereign states had plastic surgery society websites. 22% of national society websites had a specific COVID-19 section. 14/15 (93%) of these websites had COVID-19-specific guidelines available for health care professionals. CONCLUSION: COVID-19 information provided by national plastic surgery society websites is sparse. Two-thirds of national plastic surgery societies do not have a web presence. The availability of COVID-19 clinical guidelines and patient information sheets on national plastic surgery society websites is limited. This study suggests that improvement and increase in COVID-19 information provided by many national plastic surgery society websites is needed.


Faecal calprotectin indicates intestinal inflammation in COVID-19


COVID-19 puts societies to the test


Respiratory Mechanics of COVID-19 vs. Non-COVID-19 Associated Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome


New Data and the Covid-19 Pandemic Mandate a Rethink of Antiplatelet Strategies in Patients With TIA or Minor Stroke Associated With Atherosclerotic Carotid Stenosis


title: COVID-19 in otolaryngologist practice: a review of current knowledge

text: PURPOSE: Otorhinolaryngological manifestations are common symptoms of COVID-19. This study provides a brief and precise review of the current knowledge regarding COVID-19, including disease transmission, clinical characteristics, diagnosis, and potential treatment. The article focused on COVID-19-related information useful in otolaryngologist practice. METHODS: The Medline and Web of Science databases were searched without a time limit using terms "COVID-19", "SARS-CoV-2" in conjunction with "otorhinolaryngological manifestation", "ENT", and "olfaction". RESULTS: The most common otolaryngological dysfunctions of COVID-19 were cough, sore throat, and dyspnea. Rhinorrhea, nasal congestion and dizziness were also present. COVID-19 could manifest as an isolated sudden hyposmia/anosmia. Upper respiratory tract (URT) symptoms were commonly observed in younger patients and usually appeared initially. They could be present even before the molecular confirmation of SARS-CoV-2. Otolaryngologists are of great risk of becoming infected with SARS-CoV-2 as they cope with URT. ENT surgeons could be easily infected by SARS-CoV-2 during performing surgery in COVID-19 patients. CONCLUSION: Ear, nose and throat (ENT) symptoms may precede the development of severe COVID-19. During COVID-19 pandemic, patients with cough, sore throat, dyspnea, hyposmia/anosmia and a history of travel to the region with confirmed COVID-19 patients, should be considered as potential COVID-19 cases. An otolaryngologist should wear FFP3/N95 mask, glasses, disposable and fluid resistant gloves and gown while examining such individuals. Not urgent ENT surgeries should be postponed. Additional studies analyzing why some patients develop ENT symptoms during COVID-19 and others do not are needed. Further research is needed to determine the mechanism leading to anosmia.


docid: ljirnamg

title: COVID-19 and emergency planning


Training and Fit Testing of Health Care Personnel for Reusable Elastomeric Half-Mask Respirators Compared With Disposable N95 Respirators


title: Safe and informed prescribing of psychotropic medication during the COVID-19 pandemic

text: Treatment with psychotropic medication may sometimes be jeopardised because of the COVID-19 pandemic. One underlying reason is the lack of COVID-19-specific psychopharmacology guidelines. Here, we discuss five considerations arising from our clinical experience and pharmacological background knowledge to enable safe and well-informed psychopharmacotherapy during the COVID-19 pandemic.


title: A Smartphone enabled Approach to Manage COVID-19 Lockdown and Economic Crisis

text: The emergence of novel COVID-19 causing an overload in health system and high mortality rate. The key priority is to contain the epidemic and prevent the infection rate. In this context, many countries are now in some degree of lockdown to ensure extreme social distancing of entire population and hence slowing down the epidemic spread. Further, authorities use case quarantine strategy and manual second/third contact-tracing to contain the COVID-19 disease. However, manual contact tracing is time consuming and labor-intensive task which tremendously overload public health systems. In this paper, we developed a smartphone-based approach to automatically and widely trace the contacts for confirmed COVID-19 cases. Particularly, contact-tracing approach creates a list of individuals in the vicinity and notifying contacts or officials of confirmed COVID-19 cases. This approach is not only providing awareness to individuals they are in the proximity to the infected area, but also tracks the incidental contacts that the COVID-19 carrier might not recall. Thereafter, we developed a dashboard to provide a plan for government officials on how lockdown/mass quarantine can be safely lifted, and hence tackling the economic crisis. The dashboard used to predict the level of lockdown area based on collected positions and distance measurements of the registered users in the vicinity. The prediction model uses K-means algorithm as an unsupervised machine learning technique for lockdown management.


The Covid-19 Pandemic and the Incidence of Acute Myocardial Infarction


The big challenge for neurologists in treating patients with multiple sclerosis in the post-COVID-19 era


title: The experience of women infected by the COVID-19 during pregnancy in Brazil: a qualitative study protocol

text: BACKGROUND: The Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is highly infectious, with the recent World Health Organization decree confirming a global public health emergency. The outcomes related to maternal and fetal health among pregnant women infected with the virus are still poorly understood. The world population has been waiting for answers and remains constantly alert about the pandemic's progress. It is not yet known what impact this pandemic experience will have on the population's mental health, especially pregnant women. METHOD: We aim to understand and discuss the experiences of women who were infected by COVID-19 during pregnancy, in relation to the illness process, community relations, and social media influences. This is a qualitative study in which we will interview women who were infected by COVID-19 during pregnancy and received medical care from a tertiary university hospital specializing in women's health in Brazil. We will use the techniques of Semi-Directed Interviews of Open and In-depth Questions, socio-demographic and health data sheets, and Field Diaries. We will use purposive sampling and the criterion of theoretical saturation for its construction. The interviews will be conducted by phone or video call, with audio recorded for later transcription. The treatment of the data will be completed through Thematic Analysis and discussed in light of the Health Psychology framework, with the production of categories that answer the proposed research questions. DISCUSSION: It is expected that the results contribute to the understanding about the demands that come to the health professional of women infected by COVID-19 during pregnancy in a pandemic situation. INTRODUçãO: A doença causada pelo coronavírus (COVID-19) é altamente infecciosa, com a recente declaração da Organização Mundial de Saúde confirmando emergência global de saúde pública. Os desfechos relacionados a saúde materno-fetal entre gestantes infectadas pelo vírus ainda são pouco conhecidos. A população mundial tem aguardado respostas e se mantém constantemente em alerta sobre o progresso da pandemia. Ainda não se sabe qual será o impacto da experiência da pandemia sobre a saúde mental da população, especialmente entre mulheres grávidas. MéTODO: O objetivo deste estudo é compreender e discutir as experiências de mulheres infectadas pelo COVID-19 durante a gravidez, em relação ao processo de adoecimento, às relações comunitárias e a influência de mídias sociais. Este é um estudo qualitativo em que serão entrevistadas mulheres infectadas pelo COVID-19 durante a gestação, atendidas em um hospital universitário terciário especializado em saúde da mulher no Brasil. Serão usadas as técnicas de Entrevistas Semi-Dirigidas de Perguntas Abertas em Profundidade, ficha de dados sociodemográficos e de saúde e diários de campo. A amostra será selecionada intencionalmente, usando o critério de saturação teórica para a sua construção. As entrevistas serão conduzidas por telefone ou videoconferência, com áudio gravado para posterior transcrição. O tratamento dos dados seguirá a Análise Temática e os resultados serão discutidos sob conceitos de Psicologia da Saúde, com a produção de categorias que respondam as questões de pesquisa propostas. DISCUSSãO: Espera-se que os resultados contribuam para a compreensão de demandas emergentes entre profissionais de saúde para mulheres infectadas pelo COVID-19 durante a gestação em situação de pandemia.


Reply to "Subcutaneous terbutaline as an alternative to aerosolized albuterol"


title: Intracranial hemorrhage complicating anticoagulant prophylactic therapy in three hospitalized COVID-19 patients

text: SARS-CoV2 has led to a global pandemic affecting almost 3 million people in almost over 3 months. Various clinical presentations have been reported so far and no definite therapy is established. Anticoagulation is recommended by several experts to address the potential prothrombotic complications from COVID-19, but its safety and regimen need further clinical trials and safety and efficacy profile. Here, we present three cases of intracranial hemorrhage in three critically ill patients with COVID-19 and discuss their course in relation to various regimens of anticoagulation used.


COVID-19 pneumonia in a dual heart-kidney recipient


The 2019 novel cornoavirus pneumonia with onset of oculomotor nerve palsy: a case study


title: Differential diagnosis of illness in patients under investigation for the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), Italy, February 2020

text: A novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has been identified as the causative pathogen of an ongoing outbreak of respiratory disease, now named COVID-19. Most cases and sustained transmission occurred in China, but travel-associated cases have been reported in other countries, including Europe and Italy. Since the symptoms are similar to other respiratory infections, differential diagnosis in travellers arriving from countries with wide-spread COVID-19 must include other more common infections such as influenza and other respiratory tract diseases.


docid: mbfbfttt

title: WHO International Health Regulations (IHR) vs COVID-19 Uncertainty

text: One of WHO primary function is to control and monitor internationally the spread of infectious diseases of the common killers. After SARS-COV, the International Health Regulations (IHR) was adopted in 2005 by all 194 member states to set up national preparedness for an efficient "early alert and response system". COVID-19 is a novel virus with an unpredictable course and many uncertainties about its biological, clinical and epidemiological characteristics. COVID-19 is a game changer and calls for a revision of IHR as well as a more biological, clinical and community-cantered preparedness strategy.


Health care and mental health challenges for transgender individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic


Will COVID-19 be a litmus test for post-Ebola sub-Saharan Africa?


title: Coronavirus conspiracy beliefs, mistrust, and compliance with government guidelines in England

text: BACKGROUND: An invisible threat has visibly altered the world. Governments and key institutions have had to implement decisive responses to the danger posed by the coronavirus pandemic. Imposed change will increase the likelihood that alternative explanations take hold. In a proportion of the general population there may be strong scepticism, fear of being misled, and false conspiracy theories. Our objectives were to estimate the prevalence of conspiracy thinking about the pandemic and test associations with reduced adherence to government guidelines. METHODS: A non-probability online survey with 2501 adults in England, quota sampled to match the population for age, gender, income, and region. RESULTS: Approximately 50% of this population showed little evidence of conspiracy thinking, 25% showed a degree of endorsement, 15% showed a consistent pattern of endorsement, and 10% had very high levels of endorsement. Higher levels of coronavirus conspiracy thinking were associated with less adherence to all government guidelines and less willingness to take diagnostic or antibody tests or to be vaccinated. Such ideas were also associated with paranoia, general vaccination conspiracy beliefs, climate change conspiracy belief, a conspiracy mentality, and distrust in institutions and professions. Holding coronavirus conspiracy beliefs was also associated with being more likely to share opinions. CONCLUSIONS: In England there is appreciable endorsement of conspiracy beliefs about coronavirus. Such ideas do not appear confined to the fringes. The conspiracy beliefs connect to other forms of mistrust and are associated with less compliance with government guidelines and greater unwillingness to take up future tests and treatment.


title: COVID 19 in INDIA: Strategies to combat from combination threat of life and livelihood

text: INDIA- As for reported in 360 COVID-19 cases (till March 22, 2020), seven people were died, and 23 people were treated successfully.1 This virus can easily affect who having respiratory problem and especially who all have been aged older than sixty. Most of the affected peoples had reached India from different part of the world, as like of carrier. Owing to this, India made several precautionary measures to mitigate/neglect the disease in beginning stage, however, the denser population of country will not be simple to control the same for long time (community spread), if government will not incorporate the visionary strategies. Since attacked several nations have been worried mostly for their people life (health), despite that developing country like India with huge population should consider about the livelihood (for Below Poverty Line (BPL) people), equally with the life. This article will give insights to make effective strategy to culminate the world threat COVID-19 in India.


Tackling COVID-19: Can the African continent play the long game?


Healthcare information for all


Nosocomial SARS-CoV-2 infection among nurses in Wuhan at a single centre


Presumptive asymptomatic COVID-19 carriers' estimation and expected person-to-person spreading among repatriated passengers returning from China


title: Fluorescence lifetime imaging reveals regulation of presynaptic Ca2+ by glutamate uptake and mGluRs, but not somatic voltage in cortical neurons

text: Brain function relies on vesicular release of neurotransmitters at chemical synapses. The release probability depends on action potential-evoked presynaptic Ca2+ entry, but also on the resting Ca2+ level. Whether these basic aspects of presynaptic calcium homeostasis show any consistent trend along the axonal path, and how they are controlled by local network activity, remains poorly understood. Here, we take advantage of the recently advanced FLIM-based method to monitor presynaptic Ca2+ with nanomolar sensitivity. We find that, in cortical pyramidal neurons, action potential- evoked calcium entry (range 10-300 nM), but not the resting Ca2+ level (range 10-100 nM), tends to increase with higher order of axonal branches. Blocking astroglial glutamate uptake reduces evoked Ca2+ entry but has little effect on resting Ca2+ whereas both appear boosted by the constitutive activation of group 1/2 metabotropic glutamate receptors. We find no consistent effect of transient somatic depolarisation or hyperpolarisation on presynaptic Ca2+ entry or its basal level. The results unveil some key aspects of presynaptic machinery in cortical circuits, shedding light on basic principles of synaptic connectivity in the brain.


Elevated level of C-reactive protein may be an early marker to predict risk for severity of COVID-19


Letter: intestinal inflammation, COVID-19 and gastrointestinal ACE2-exploring RAS inhibitors. Authors' reply


Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus using hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine develop severe COVID-19 at similar frequency as patients not on antimalarials: need to explore antithrombotic benefits for COVID-19 coagulopathy. Response to: 'Clinical course of COVID-19 in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus under long-term treatment with hydroxychloroquine' by Carbillon et al


title: Sniffing out Covid-19

text: Georgina Mills reports on how dogs are being trained to detect coronavirus.


title: The Architecture of SARS-CoV-2 Transcriptome

text: SARS-CoV-2 is a betacoronavirus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the SARS-CoV-2 genome was reported recently, its transcriptomic architecture is unknown. Utilizing two complementary sequencing techniques, we present a high-resolution map of the SARS-CoV-2 transcriptome and epitranscriptome. DNA nanoball sequencing shows that the transcriptome is highly complex owing to numerous discontinuous transcription events. In addition to the canonical genomic and 9 subgenomic RNAs, SARS-CoV-2 produces transcripts encoding unknown ORFs with fusion, deletion, and/or frameshift. Using nanopore direct RNA sequencing, we further find at least 41 RNA modification sites on viral transcripts, with the most frequent motif, AAGAA. Modified RNAs have shorter poly(A) tails than unmodified RNAs, suggesting a link between the modification and the 3' tail. Functional investigation of the unknown transcripts and RNA modifications discovered in this study will open new directions to our understanding of the life cycle and pathogenicity of SARS-CoV-2.


title: Heterogeneous social interactions and the COVID-19 lockdown outcome in a multi-group SEIR model

text: We study variants of the SEIR model for interpreting some qualitative features of the statistics of the Covid-19 epidemic in France. Standard SEIR models distinguish essentially two regimes: either the disease is controlled and the number of infected people rapidly decreases, or the disease spreads and contaminates a significant fraction of the population until herd immunity is achieved. After lockdown, at first sight it seems that social distancing is not enough to control the outbreak. We discuss here a possible explanation, namely that the lockdown is creating social heterogeneity: even if a large majority of the population complies with the lockdown rules, a small fraction of the population still has to maintain a normal or high level of social interactions, such as health workers, providers of essential services, etc. This results in an apparent high level of epidemic propagation as measured through re-estimations of the basic reproduction ratio. However, these measures are limited to averages, while variance inside the population plays an essential role on the peak and the size of the epidemic outbreak and tends to lower these two indicators. We provide theoretical and numerical results to sustain such a view.


docid: bhhhslsr

title: Mining Coronavirus (COVID-19) Posts in Social Media

text: World Health Organization (WHO) characterized the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) as a global pandemic on March 11th, 2020. Before this and in late January, more specifically on January 27th, while the majority of the infection cases were still reported in China and a few cruise ships, we began crawling social media user postings using the Twitter search API. Our goal was to leverage machine learning and linguistic tools to better understand the impact of the outbreak in China. Unlike our initial expectation to monitor a local outbreak, COVID-19 rapidly spread across the globe. In this short article we report the preliminary results of our study on automatically detecting the positive reports of COVID-19 from social media user postings using state-of-the-art machine learning models.


Misleading Numbers: Is the Risk of Acute Kidney Injury with COVID-19 Truly This Low?


title: Managing care for patients with sinonasal and anterior skull base cancers during the COVID-19 pandemic

text: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has rapidly transformed health care delivery around the globe. Because of the heavy impact of COVID-19 spread, cancer treatments have necessarily been de-prioritized, thus exposing patients to increased risk of morbidity and mortality due to delayed care. In this scenario, cancer specialists need to assess critical oncology patients case by case to carefully balance risk vs benefit in treating tumors and preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection. Here, we report early insights into how the management of patients with sinonasal and anterior skull base cancer might be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. We provide recommendations for preoperative tests, indications for immediate care vs possible delayed treatment, and warnings relating to dural resection and intracranial dissection, given the potential neurotropism of SARS-CoV2 and practical suggestions for managing cancer care in a period of limited resources. We also postulate some thoughts on the promising role of telemedicine in multidisciplinary case discussions and posttreatment surveillance.


Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 and treatment with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin II type 1 receptor blockers


title: Tocilizumab for the treatment of severe coronavirus disease 2019

text: Tocilizumab, an interleukin-6 inhibitor, may ameliorate the inflammatory manifestations associated with severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and thus improve clinical outcomes. This was a retrospective review of patients with laboratory-confirmed severe COVID-19 who received tocilizumab and completed 14 days of follow up. Twenty-five patients were included, median age was 58 years (interquartile range, 50-63) and the majority were males (92%). Co-morbidities included diabetes mellitus (48%), chronic kidney disease (16%), and cardiovascular disease (12%). Fever (92%), cough (84%), and dyspnea (72%) were the commonest presenting symptoms. All patients received at least two concomitant investigational antiviral agents. Median oral temperature was on day 1, 3, and 7 was 38.0°C, 37.3°C (P = .043), and 37.0°C (P = .064), respectively. Corresponding median C-reactive protein was 193 and 7.9 mg/L (P < .0001) and <6 mg/L (P = .0001). Radiological improvement was noted in 44% of patients by day 7% and 68% by day 14. Nine patients (36%) were discharged alive from intensive care unit and three (12%) died. The proportion of patients on invasive ventilation declined from (84%) at the time of tocilizumab initiation to 60% on day 7 (P = .031) and 28% on day 14 (P = .001). The majority (92%) of patients experienced at least one adverse event. However, it is not possible to ascertain which adverse events were directly related to tocilizumab therapy. In patients with severe COVID-19, tocilizumab was associated with dramatic decline in inflammatory markers, radiological improvement and reduced ventilatory support requirements. Given the study's limitations, the results require assessment in adequately powered randomized controlled trials.


Comment on "COVID-19 and psoriasis: Is it time to limit treatment with immunosuppressants? A call for action"


Pernicious anaemia: self-administration of hydroxocobalamin in the covid-19 crisis


title: Frequency of lupus anticoagulant in Covid-19 patients

text: We have recently published in the Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis the presence of lupus anticoagulant (LAC) at high frequency in Covid-19 patients (Harzallah et al.1 ). Bowles et al.2 and Helms et al.3 have confirmed these results in new publications. Tang4 has reported discordant data. He has found that very few tested covid-19 patients had positive LAC in a small series (n=12). Bowles et al. have found that LAC were positive in 91% of patients (n=34) with high activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT).


title: The HEV Ventilator Proposal

text: We propose the design of a ventilator which can be easily manufactured and integrated into the hospital environment to support COVID-19 patients. The unit is designed to support standard ventilator modes of operation, most importantly PRVC (Pressure Regulated Volume Control) and SIMV-PC (Synchronised Intermittent Mandatory Ventilation) modes. The unit is not yet an approved medical device and is in the concept and prototyping stage. It is presented here to invite fast feedback for development and deployment in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.


docid: yyophlpl

title: View from Portsmouth during COVID-19 pandemic ward work


title: Forensic Psychiatry and Covid-19: Accelerating Transformation in Forensic Psychiatry

text: Swift medically led scientifically informed responses to the Covid-19 epidemic nationally have been demonstrably superior to other, non-scientific approaches. In forensic psychiatry and across all psychiatric services, urgent and clinically led responses have underlined redundancies and confusions in the governance of mental health services and a vacuum in policy makers. For the future, a greater emphasis on services for patients with schizophrenia and other severe, enduring mental disorders must aim at reducing standardised mortality ratios, managing risk of violence and improving hard outcomes such as symptomatic remission, functional recovery and forensic recovery of autonomy. This will require more use of information technology at service level and at national level where Scandinavian-style population based data linkage research must now become legally sanctioned and necessary. A national research and development centre for medical excellence in forensic psychiatry is urgently required and is complimentary to and different from quality management.


title: 2020 Reflections from a Mid-Career Academic Psychologist: Select Tips for Prospective Graduate Psychology Students

text: This paper provides some personal and academic reflections from a mid-career academic psychologist. In doing so, several select tips and suggestions are offered to prospective graduate psychology students, in particular. This paper strikes to encourage such students to seriously and thoughtfully consider why they wish to attend graduate school and some of the realistic possible negative consequences of doing so. Several select additional suggestions are noted for those students who ultimately decide to attend graduate school with a particular emphasis on the value and importance of forging a productive and collegial relationship with one's graduate mentor. Keywords: graduate school; mid-career; academia; psychology; mentorship.


title: [Impact of COVID-19 during de-escalation in pediatric urology.]

text: Medical and surgical priorities have changed dramatically following the COVID-19 pandemic declaration The rapid spread of the virus and the high number of cases has saturated the health system in our country and has forced many hospitals to redistribute resources to care for infected patients This has led to asignificant reduction in surgical activity, in some cases reaching the point of delaying all elective interventions by performing only urgent interventions The decrease in the number of infections with the progressive desaturation of hospitals has currently allowed us to enter a new phase of "de-escalation" or transition in order to recover our surgical activity in pediatric urology, which was practically canceled It is proposed how surgical care activities such as outpatient care should be deal twith, in addition to the different circuits that patients must maintain and, above all, their and professional safety


title: COVID 19 can spread through breathing, talking, study estimates

text: The COVID 19 pandemic has become a major threat to humankind infecting millions world-wide. This virus can be spread through breathing, talking. During sneezing, breathing and loud conservation, it releases about 1000 micro droplets which drift in the air. These micro droplets carry many viruses and it might act as a third route of infection for COVID 19 infection. The type of infection is known as micro droplets infection.


title: Non-COVID-19 emergencies: where have all the patients gone?

text: KEY POINTS: â¢ Early in the pandemic, numbers of patients undergoing non-COVID-19 emergent CTs dropped sharply but diagnostic yield did not increase, suggesting potentially undiagnosed emergencies in patients not seen in healthcare institutions.


docid: ldjtepgf

title: The Frankfurt COVid aErosol pRotEction Dome-COVERED-a consideration for personal protective equipment improvement and technical note


docid: utypmmye

title: Clinical study of mesenchymal stem cell treating acute respiratory distress syndrome induced by epidemic Influenza A (H7N9) infection, a hint for COVID-19 treatment

text: H7N9 viruses quickly spread between mammalian hosts, and it carried out the risk of human-to-human transmission after outbreak in 2013. Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), lung failure, and fulminant pneumonia are major lung diseases in H7N9 patients. Transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is a promising choice for treating virus-induced pneumonia, and was needed to treat H7N9 induced ARDS at the time. MSCs transplant into patients with H7N9 induced ARDS were conducted in a single center and open-label clinical trial. Based on the principle of voluntariness and informed consent, 44 patients with H7N9 induced ARDS were included as a control group while 17 patients with H7N9 induced ARDS were served as an experimental group with allogeneic menstrual blood-derived MSC. Notably, MSC transplantation significantly lower the mortality compared with in control group (17.6% died in MSC group vs 54.5% died in control group). Furthermore, MSC transplantation did not result in harmful effects in human body within the 5 year follow up period with 4 patients. Collectively, these results suggest that MSCs significantly improve survival rate of H7N9 induced ARDS and provide a theoretical basis for the treatment of H7N9 induced ARDS in both preclinical research and clinical studies. Because H7N9 and the corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) share similar complications (such as ARDS and lung failure) and corresponding multi-organ dysfunction, MSC-based therapy could be a possible alternative for treating COVID-19.


title: Oleoylethanolamide, A Bioactive Lipid Amide, as A Promising Treatment Strategy for Coronavirus/COVID-19

text: The current outbreak of COVID-19 (coronavirus) has been identified by World Health Organization (WHO) as a global pandemic. With the emergence of the COVID-19 virus and considering the lack of effective pharmaceutical treatment for it, there is an urgent need to identify safe and effective drugs or potential adjuvant therapy in this regard. Bioactive lipids with an array of known health-promoting properties can be suggested as effective agents in alleviating acute respiratory stress induced by virus. The bioactive lipid amide, oleoylethanolamide (OEA), due to several distinctive homeostatic properties, including anti-inflammatory activities, modulation of immune response, and anti-oxidant effects can be considered as a novel potential pharmacological alternative for the management of COVID-19.


SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and Vitamin D deficiency-A double trouble


title: Safe distance, safe patients! Therapeutic management of oncological patients affected by cutaneous and mucosal adverse events during the COVID-19 pandemic: an Italian experience

text: Stringent measures have been taken to contain COVID-19 spread, limiting access only for urgent visits, surgery procedures, or hospitalizations and using teledermatology services for non-urgent cases. Management of oncological patients affected by chemo-, immune-, and radiotherapy-related cutaneous and mucosal adverse events is a challenge. Firstly because of the differential diagnosis of cutaneous rash (e.g., drug-related rash or paraviral exanthema). Secondly, oncological patients can suffer from xerosis, pruritus, and mucositis that contribute to cutaneous and mucosal barrier lesions, thus becoming vulnerable site for viral or bacterial colonization. These lesions can also be aggravated by the use of protective mask and gloves. Here, we report also our results of a teledermatological survey on 87 oncological patients, where the health status of oncological patients referred to our dedicated clinic was assessed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, it is fundamental that oncological patients are followed up by their dermatologists even if the clinics are closed. Teledermatology represents a crucial means of communication. Patients can contact the dermatological staff by emails and telephone, 24 h a day, 7 days a week, for video calls and dermatological consultations.


title: Similarity of symbolic sequences

text: A new numerical characterization of symbolic sequences is proposed. The partition of sequence based on Ke and Tong algorithm is a starting point. Algorithm decomposes original sequence into set of distinct subsequences - a patterns. The set of subsequences common for two symbolic sequences (their intersection) is proposed as a measure of similarity between them. The new similarity measure works well for short (of tens letters) sequences and the very long (of hundred thousand letters) as well. When applied to nucleotide or protein sequences may help to trace possible evolutionary of species. As an illustration, similarity of several sets of nucleotide and amino acid sequences is examined.


title: Analysis of 92 deceased patients with COVID-19

text: OBJECTIVE: This retrospective study aimed to analysis the clinical characteristics and complications in death cases with novel coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19). METHOD: We collected the medical records of 92 patients with COVID-19 in Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University who died during January 6th to February 25th, 2020, summarized the clinical characteristics of complications. RESULTS: There were 91 death cases who developed different complications including acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) (73/91), myocardial injury (31/91), liver injury (15/91), renal insufficiency (14/91), multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) (14/91) and pneumothorax (1/91). Among these patients, 83 patients had at least one complication. While 1 patient who died of recurrent gastrointestinal bleeding was not directly linked to COVID-19. CONCLUSION: The main complications of deceased patients with COVID-19 were ARDS, myocardial injury, liver injury, renal insufficiency and MODS. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.


title: Tracking, exploring and analyzing recent developments in German-language online press in the face of the coronavirus crisis: cOWIDplus Analysis and cOWIDplus Viewer

text: The coronavirus pandemic may be the largest crisis the world has had to face since World War II. It does not come as a surprise that it is also having an impact on language as our primary communication tool. We present three inter-connected resources that are designed to capture and illustrate these effects on a subset of the German language: An RSS corpus of German-language newsfeeds (with freely available untruncated unigram frequency lists), a static but continuously updated HTML page tracking the diversity of the used vocabulary and a web application that enables other researchers and the broader public to explore these effects without any or with little knowledge of corpus representation/exploration or statistical analyses.


title: A novel approach to medical school examinations during the COVID-19 pandemic

text: Online teaching for medical students is not an unusual tool used in medical education. Alongside clinical placements, medical students are familiar with online teaching platforms from various members of the faculty. However, the new and necessary method of examining medical students from their own home during the Covid-19 Pandemic is a novel approach. It is vital that medical students continue to be examined, as this establishes the attainment of the curriculum learning outcomes.


title: Laboratory Biomarkers Predicting COVID-19 Severity in the Emergency Room

text: Infection of novel Coronavirus has been declared pandemic by the WHO and now is a world public health crisis. Laboratory activity becames essential for the timely diagnosis. Few parameters, such Lymphocytes count, SaO2 and CRP serum level can be used to assess the severity of COVID-19 in emergency room.


title: Burnout and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic: Intersection, Impact, and Interventions

text: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID 2019) pandemic has presented myriad challenges to an underprepared health care system. Health care providers are facing unprecedented acute workplace stress compounded by a high baseline rate of physician burnout. This article discusses the relationship between acute stress disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, and burnout through a literature review focusing on the mental health impact on health care providers after prior epidemics and natural disasters. We offer both a framework for understanding the mental health impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on physicians while proposing a systems based model to respond to these challenges.


title: A Collaborative Multidisciplinary Approach to the Management of Coronavirus Disease 2019 in the Hospital Setting

text: The novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which presents an unprecedented challenge to medical providers worldwide. Although most SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals manifest with a self-limited mild disease that resolves with supportive care in the outpatient setting, patients with moderate to severe COVID-19 will require a multidisciplinary collaborative management approach for optimal care in the hospital setting. Laboratory and radiologic studies provide critical information on disease severity, management options, and overall prognosis. Medical management is mostly supportive with antipyretics, hydration, oxygen supplementation, and other measures as dictated by clinical need. Among its medical complications is a characteristic proinflammatory cytokine storm often associated with end-organ dysfunction, including respiratory failure, liver and renal insufficiency, cardiac injury, and coagulopathy. Specific recommendations for the management of these medical complications are discussed. Despite the issuance of emergency use authorization for remdesivir, there are still no proven effective antiviral and immunomodulatory therapies, and their use in COVID-19 management should be guided by clinical trial protocols or treatment registries. The medical care of patients with COVID-19 extends beyond their hospitalization. Postdischarge follow-up and monitoring should be performed, preferably using telemedicine, until the patients have fully recovered from their illness and are released from home quarantine protocols.


COVID-19 and dengue fever: A dangerous combination for the health system in Brazil


Unlocking UK COVID-19 policy


title: Imbalanced Host Response to SARS-CoV-2 Drives Development of COVID-19

text: Viral pandemics, such as the one caused by SARS-CoV-2, pose an imminent threat to humanity. Because of its recent emergence, there is a paucity of information regarding viral behavior and host response following SARS-CoV-2 infection. Here we offer an in-depth analysis of the transcriptional response to SARS-CoV-2 compared with other respiratory viruses. Cell and animal models of SARS-CoV-2 infection, in addition to transcriptional and serum profiling of COVID-19 patients, consistently revealed a unique and inappropriate inflammatory response. This response is defined by low levels of type I and III interferons juxtaposed to elevated chemokines and high expression of IL-6. We propose that reduced innate antiviral defenses coupled with exuberant inflammatory cytokine production are the defining and driving features of COVID-19.


title: Generalized SHAP: Generating multiple types of explanations in machine learning

text: Many important questions about a model cannot be answered just by explaining how much each feature contributes to its output. To answer a broader set of questions, we generalize a popular, mathematically well-grounded explanation technique, Shapley Additive Explanations (SHAP). Our new method - Generalized Shapley Additive Explanations (G-SHAP) - produces many additional types of explanations, including: 1) General classification explanations; Why is this sample more likely to belong to one class rather than another? 2) Intergroup differences; Why do our model's predictions differ between groups of observations? 3) Model failure; Why does our model perform poorly on a given sample? We formally define these types of explanations and illustrate their practical use on real data.


title: An Evaluation of Publicly Available Deep Learning Based Commercial Information Retrieval Systems to search Biomedical Articles related to COVID-19

text: The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a tremendous need for access to the latest scientific information, primarily through the use of text mining and search tools. This has led to both corpora for biomedical articles related to COVID-19 (such as the CORD-19 corpus (Wang et al., 2020)) as well as search engines to query such data. While most research in search engines is performed in the academic field of information retrieval (IR), most academic search engines--though rigorously evaluated--are sparsely utilized, while major commercial web search engines (e.g., Google, Bing) dominate. This relates to COVID-19 because it can be expected that commercial search engines deployed for the pandemic will gain much higher traction than those produced in academic labs, and thus leads to questions about the empirical performance of these search tools. This paper seeks to empirically evaluate two such commercial search engines for COVID-19, produced by Google and Amazon, in comparison to the more academic prototypes evaluated in the context of the TREC-COVID track (Roberts et al., 2020). To ensure a fair comparison, we limit the number of documents in the retrieved runs and also annotate additional documents. We find that the top-performing system from TREC-COVID on bpref metric performed the best among the different systems evaluated in this study on all the metrics.


Why obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and ethnicities are common risk factors for COVID-19 and H1N1 influenza infections


Re: a British Society of Thoracic Imaging statement: considerations in designing local imaging diagnostic algorithms for the COVID-19 pandemic


Coronavirus: share lessons on lifting lockdowns


COVID-19 pandemic and home-based physical activity


title: Use of game fauna by Fulni-ô people in Northeastern Brazil: implications for conservation

text: BACKGROUND: Due to the influence of several factors on the hunting of game meat, we investigated how the seasonality of the environment, the abundance, and the biomass of wild animals, as well as the proximity to these resources, can affect the hunting. METHODS: The research was developed with the Fulni-ô people in the municipality of Águas Belas, Agreste of Pernambuco, Northeast of Brazil. In order to do this, we applied snowball sampling to select the participants. Data from potentially useful game species were obtained from lists and semi-structured interviews to register their particular kind of uses, capture periods (daytime, night, or both), preferences, and perceived abundance. The hunters who allowed their game meat captured to be weighed and identified were followed for 1 year. RESULTS: Our records pointed to a vast repertoire of potentially hunting animals. However, we did not verify relationships between the abundance, seasonality, and biomass of the animals that were hunted by the Fulni-ô. We observed a total of 209,866 (kg) of game meat hunted in the studied group, belonging to 23 species, distributed in three taxonomic groups, the birds being the most representative group with 59% of total reported. CONCLUSION: Such consumption by the group is well below in terms of biomass when compared to other ethnic or local groups in other regions of Brazil, or in Caatinga areas, characterizing an activity much more of cultural character than subsistence. Also, the use of game meat among the Fulni-ô seems to be actively directed to the preferred species, suggesting that in the case of an urbanized indigenous community, where other sources of income are available, the demand for game meat is lower when compared to other ethnic groups.


title: Estado da arte sobre o ensino de enfermagem e os desafios do uso de tecnologias remotas em época de pandemia do Corona Vírus/ State of the art of nursing education and the challenges to use remote technologies in the time of Corona Virus pandemic

text: Introdução: A pandemia do Corona vírus (COVID-19) provocou em caráter emergencial a necessidade dos gestores das faculdades e universidades de todo mundo de reinventar novas formas de prover o ensino preservando a qualidade dele. Com as novas portarias do Ministério da Educação e Saúde, houve uma abertura para que todos os cursos utilizassem de metodologias remotas para continuidade do ano letivo, surgindo novos desafios e paradigmas com essa proposta metodológica: prover para o usuário, a sensação de imersão, de estar dentro do ambiente, a partir da navegação e interação nesse meio virtual, ao mesmo tempo que o educador, respeitando os princípios educacionais e a abordagem pedagógica que acredita, não transformar esse momento em uma simples educação à distância. Objetivo: Descrever o estado da arte sobre o ensino de enfermagem e os desafios do uso de tecnologias remotas em época de pandemia do Corona vírus. Método: Trata-se de estudo reflexivo consubstanciado por fontes secundárias da literatura pertinente à temática, considerando artigos de periódicos nacionais e internacionais e produções recentes sobre educação, formação em saúde, tecnologias remotas, o COVId-19 e saúde pública. Resultados:Evidencia-se que vivenciar os efeitos da pandemia de corona vírus (COVID-19) no setor educacional na formação em saúde, em especial no campo da enfermagem, vai além de uma reorganização estrutural dos cursos, pois implica em mudança atitudinal dos gestores, docentes e discentes para que reformulem as práticas de ensino (por vezes com ferramentas tradicionais), em práticas inovadoras preservando um ensino que propicie ao estudante a criticidade, reflexão, diálogo, vínculo e interação; elementos que fazem parte de uma formação que visa a transformação, o empoderamento e não apenas a transmissão do conhecimento. Nesse contexto, a pandemia do COVID-19 provocou mudanças de paradigmas talvez ainda não superados pelas instituições na área da saúde, pois ao se perceberem dentro de uma realidade em que gerou mudanças nos aspectos políticos, econômicos, culturais e sociais em nível mundial, estas tiveram que se reinventar e inserir no seu processo de trabalho as novas formas de ensinar; tiveram que discutir sobre as diferentes abordagens educacionais e diante das necessidades do readequar os métodos de ensino em saúde, inseriram as tecnologias remotas como ferramentas essenciais para atender a real necessidade da continuidade das aulas no formato não presencial. Para muitos um desafio, pois permeia atualmente uma reflexão sobre o cuidado do ensino à distância no campo da enfermagem e demais cursos da área da saúde. Entretanto, à medida que se abriu para discussões sobre novas formas de ensinar mediadas pela inovação, pode-se dizer que esse será o maior impacto da pandemia para o ensino: a contribuição das novas tecnologias de informação e comunicação no processo ensino aprendizagem para formação em saúde, assim como a reflexão sobre a educação à distância e seus conceitos, diferenciando-a dos conceitos de metodologia remota e o uso das tecnologias. Conclusão: No ensino da enfermagem, a discussão relacionada ao uso de tecnologias remotas em sala de aula sempre foi um ponto de debate. Entretanto, com a necessidade da inclusão dessas ferramentas para a continuidade de aulas no formato não presencial decorrente da estratégia do isolamento social motivada pela pandemia do COVID-19, pode oportunizar a se ter um novo olhar sobre o assunto e que talvez com esse momento vivido se haja oportunidade de ampliar o debate sobre uso dessas metodologias remotas no ensino em saúde, buscando uma reflexão sobre a interação destas com os demais métodos de ensino já implementados.(AU)


title: The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on surgical residency programmes in Italy: a nationwide analysis on behalf of the Italian Polyspecialistic Young Surgeons Society (SPIGC)

text: INTRODUCTION: Recently, Italy has been heavily hit by COVID-19 pandemic and today it is still one of the most affected countries in the world. The subsequent necessary lockdown decreed by the Italian Government had an outstanding impact on the daily life of the entire population, including that of Italian surgical residents' activity. Our survey aims to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on the training programme of Italian surgical residents. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We designed a 12-item-electronic anonymous questionnaire on SurveyMonkey© web application. The survey was composed of different sections concerning demographic characteristics and impacts of COVID-19 on the concrete participation in clinical, surgical and research activities. Future perspectives of responders after the pandemic were also investigated. RESULTS: Eighty hundred responses were collected, and 756 questionnaires were considered eligible to be included in the study analysis. Almost 35 and 27% of respondents experienced, respectively, complete interruption of surgical and clinical activities. A subgroup analysis, comparing the COVID-19 impact on clinical activities with demographics data, showed a statistically significant difference related to specialties (p = 0.0062) and Italian regions (p < 0.0001). Moreover, 112 residents have been moved to non-surgical units dealing with COVID-19 or, in some case, they voluntarily decided to interrupt their residency programme to support the ongoing emergency. CONCLUSION: Our survey demonstrated that COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted the educational programme of Italian surgical residents. Despite many regional differences, this survey highlighted the overall shortage of planning in the re-allocation of resources facing this unexpected health emergency.