Eating habits and lifestyle changes during COVID-19 lockdown: an Italian survey

Recent studies found that a city confinement as a result to Covid-19 outbreak resulted on eating and lifestyle behavior changes. This study investigated the influence of lockdown on eating and life style changes. A cross-sectional study was done from December 18, 2021, to February 20, 2022. The research composed of three parts. Part I (6 questions) contained socio-demographic statues; section two (11 questions) studied dietary behavior through that included) a Mediterranean diet (MD) adherence using 14-scaled items with an MD screener tool ranging from 0 to 13; and section three (12 questions) studying lifestyle habit changes such as physical activity, sleeping habits, and smoking habits. The results showed that, 17% (63) of individuals that believed their lifestyle had improved, while 38.6% (143) stated it had worsened. Specifically, during lockdown, the physical activity frequency seems reduced from 50% (185) to 33% (127), and sleeping hours for those sleeping more than 9 hours were dramatically raised from 17% to 31.4%. In terms of eating habits, 36.8% of participants stated appetite improvement, whereas 22.7% reported a decrease. The appetite change during confinement was not connected with body mass index, although it was significantly associated with weight change (p =0.0001). Similarly, 47% of participant said they had gained weight. The data also showed that 67% (248) medium adhered to MD diet. Thus, the Covid-19 lockdown has negatively affected both lifestyle and eating behavior of the students.

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has inundated the whole world by causing severe acute respiratory syndrome in humans, thus posing serious public health concerns. The oral and olfactory systems are significantly impacted by the COVID-19 condition, in addition to the respiratory and digestive systems. Oral symptoms of COVID-19 can be caused by a loss in oral hygiene, immune system suppression, a decline in general health, and candidiasis due to prolonged antibiotic use. Because many aerosols and droplets are produced during various dental operations, dental professionals and dentists are at a significant risk of contracting the COVID-19 infection. Few precautionary measures include performing a pre-appointment health screening for all patients, performing aerosol-producing procedures in a designated space or operatory, using proper personal protective equipment and disinfecting the operatory between patients, and limiting the number of dental procedures at one time. Against this background, the purposes of this article are to explore the oral presentations of COVID-19 infection and to emphasize the hazards to dental professionals during COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, few preventive measures are also highlighted.

Health organizations operate in a changing socio-economic environment, with the constant demand for upgraded medical care. This upgrade is achieved through the harmonization of services and structures with international quality standards. The need for quality assurance in a global market has demonstrated the need to establish common standards. The demand for the orientation of the organization of Health Services to quality is mainly due to the efficiency crisis, the ever-increasing cost, as well as the ever-increasing demand of the citizens for better treatment, information and management of their health problems. Inspection, quality assurance, quality management systems (through national and international standards) and Total Quality Management (TQM) are organizational structures that contribute to the overall operational capacity of each organization. The way the management perceives the quality of the services and the way it supports the staff of the organization are decisive factors for the formation of positive results and a long-term perspective in the implementation of TQM. COVID-19 is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, a RNA coronavirus that can cause acute respiratory syndrome in humans. On 30/1/2020, WHO due to the extent of the spread of the virus declared the infection as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. The COVID-19 pandemic is a major disruptive factor in global health systems. It forced the redefinition of quality goals and priorities and the creation of a quality system with a flexible and adaptable form to new challenges. The aim of this paper is to analyze the main quality problems caused by the COVID-19 pandemic at the level of health quality systems, to identify gaps in the quality systems that led to these key problems as well as to approach the change of its quality systems. to ensure their return to normal operation and preparedness for a similar crisis in the future.

A new coronavirus has arisen, causing a pandemic of serious respiratory syndrome in humans. The COVID-19 pandemic has a major effect on human health, resulting in abrupt lifestyle changes, social distances and loneliness at home. The goal of this study was to examine the immediate effect of the pandemic on eating behavior and physical activity among the elderly population aged 60 years and older. Data on the features of the senior citizens' profile, eating habits and physical activity during the lock-up were evaluated and analyzed in this report. In addition, the correlation, key and interaction effects of some of the essential variables in the analysis were also evaluated. The findings of the study revealed a need to promote eating habits that may help to minimize the health inequalities created by eating disorders. Moreover, the synergies between the various determinants of eating habits were found to be deficient. Home restrictions and confinement of the participants also reduced the overall physical activty level of the participants. Income class appeared as a factor on the interaction between eating behavior and physical activity. Recognizing these findings may be significant in developing health promotion programs for older people during the remaining period of quarantine or future ones. There is a need for health education as a response scheme to COVID-19 in low-income settings, and it is essential that approaches are contextually suitable with the vulnerable age group.

Rise in oral cancer risk factors associated with the COVID-19 pandemic mandates a more diligent approach to oral cancer screening and treatment

Evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection and co-infections in stray cats in Brazil

Citation:Li Y, Qin Q, Sun Q, Sanford LD, Vgontzas AN, Tang X. Insomnia and psychological reactions during the COVID-19 outbreak in China. J Clin Sleep Med. 2020;16(8):1417–1418.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the accompanying circumstances (lockdown and social distancing) have been found to cause lifestyle habit changes. While negative changes (adopting risky behaviors) are known to be associated with high psychological distress, the effect of positive changes (adopting health-enhancing behaviors) has yet to be investigated. This study examined the association between the nature of changes and psychological distress, in addition to the moderating effect of “COVID-related stressors”. Online questionnaires, completed by 1969 participants, assessed the following: lifestyle changes due to COVID-19 with regard to cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, sleep quality, and eating habits; COVID-related stressors; Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale. Positive and negative changes were associated with higher psychological distress compared to no lifestyle change, and there was a moderating effect of COVID-related stressors in the association between COVID-related lifestyle changes and distress. In conclusion, to reduce psychological distress in overwhelming circumstances such as the COVID-19 pandemic, people should carefully consider whether to make changes in their lifestyle habits before doing so, even if these changes are perceived as positive and health-enhancing. Furthermore, efforts should be focused on reducing the perception of stress from COVID-19 by working on personal and mental perceptions of the situation.

Emotional eating poses health risks. It is associated with adverse weight gain and a higher body mass index and is frequently triggered by stressful situations such as pandemics. The COVID-19 pandemic was found to cause stress as well as lifestyle changes of different magnitudes. This study examined the relationship between lifestyle changes and emotional eating by focusing on the moderating effect of gender and COVID-19-related stressors. A total of 1969 respondents completed online questionnaires during the first COVID-19 lockdown in Israel. The questionnaires assessed COVID-19-related lifestyle changes concerning eating habits, alcohol consumption, sleep quality, physical activity, and cigarette smoking, COVID-19-related stressors, and emotional eating (Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire). People with positive and negative COVID-19-related lifestyle changes demonstrated higher emotional eating compared to people with no lifestyle changes. The relationship between lifestyle changes and emotional eating was moderated by gender and COVID-19-related stressors. In conclusion, health officials should consider recommendations about lifestyle changes given to the public in times of unpredictable changes, with special attention to populations at risk of emotional eating. As emotional eating is related to poor emotional regulation skills, public nutrition recommendations should focus on improving these skills rather than adopting better diets.

As the COVID-19 pandemic has progressed, new variants of the virus SARS-CoV-2 have emerged that are more infectious than the original form. The variants known as Alpha, Beta and Gamma have mutations in a protein on the virus’s surface that is vital for attaching to cells and infecting them. This protein, called Spike, carries out its role by binding to ACE2, a protein on the surface of human cells. Mutations on Spike are found on the region where it binds to ACE2. The interaction between these two proteins appears to be important to the behaviour of SARS-CoV-2, but the impact of individual mutations in Spike is unknown. In addition, some people have different variants of ACE2 with mutations in the region that interacts with Spike, but it is not known whether this affects these people’s risk of contracting COVID-19. To answer these questions, Barton et al. measured the precise effect of mutations in Spike and ACE2 on the strength of the interaction between the two proteins. The experiments showed that three of the five common Spike mutations in the Alpha, Beta and Gamma SARS-CoV-2 variants strengthened binding to ACE2. The two mutations that weakened binding were only found together with other mutations that strengthened binding. This meant that the Spike proteins in all three of these SARS-CoV-2 variants bind to ACE2 more strongly than the original form. The experiments also showed that two common variants of ACE2 also increased the strength of binding to Spike. Interestingly, one of these ACE2 variants reversed the effect of a specific SARS-CoV-2 mutation, suggesting that carriers would be resistant to SARS-CoV-2 variants with this mutation. Identifying the precise effects of Spike mutations on ACE2 binding helps understand why new variants of SARS-CoV-2 spread more rapidly. This could help to identify concerning new variants before they spread widely and inform the response by health authorities. The finding that two common ACE2 variants bind more strongly to Spike suggests that people with these mutations could be more susceptible to SARS-CoV-2.

The interaction between the SARS-CoV-2 virus Spike protein receptor binding domain (RBD) and the ACE2 cell surface protein is required for viral infection of cells. Mutations in the RBD are present in SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern that have emerged independently worldwide. For example, the B.1.1.7 lineage has a mutation (N501Y) in its Spike RBD that enhances binding to ACE2. There are also ACE2 alleles in humans with mutations in the RBD binding site. Here we perform a detailed affinity and kinetics analysis of the effect of five common RBD mutations (K417N, K417T, N501Y, E484K, and S477N) and two common ACE2 mutations (S19P and K26R) on the RBD/ACE2 interaction. We analysed the effects of individual RBD mutations and combinations found in new SARS-CoV-2 Alpha (B.1.1.7), Beta (B.1.351), and Gamma (P1) variants. Most of these mutations increased the affinity of the RBD/ACE2 interaction. The exceptions were mutations K417N/T, which decreased the affinity. Taken together with other studies, our results suggest that the N501Y and S477N mutations enhance transmission primarily by enhancing binding, the K417N/T mutations facilitate immune escape, and the E484K mutation enhances binding and immune escape.

Chapter 6 - Animated line, bar, and bubble plots for better COVID case analysis: Using R programming

A novel coronavirus (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus [SARS-CoV-2]), has been causing a COVID-19 pandemic of acute respiratory syndrome in humans since December 2019. It appears to be similar in structure to the virus that caused the SARS-CoV outbreak of 18 years ago. However, in addition to the respiratory disorders, the COVID-19 patients might suffer extra-pulmonary disorders, including gut dysfunction or liver dysfunction complications, which show as gut–lung crosstalk. Fecal specimens should be considered as a source of detection of SARS-CoV-2 as one of the routine diagnostic tests in order to guide hospital’s liberation and release of quarantine of patients.

Delivering Systemic Anti-Cancer Treatment Via Another Route of Administration As an Option to Reduce Exposure to COVID-19 in Patients with Multiple Myeloma in the UK

On December 12, 2019 a new coronavirus (SARS-CoV2) emerged in Wuhan, China, triggering a pandemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome in humans (COVID19). 1 Although, the pandemic has affected all the groups, severe pathology and mortality is disproportionately highest in the elderly, underrepresented minorities (blacks/African Americans and Latinos), and/or in those with underlying comorbidities. 2 Thus, the scientific community across the world is putting uni-directional efforts to develop therapy and prevention strategies from the available resources to defeat COVID-19. In this regards, these communities have unanimous view that immune-nutrition can play a pivotal role in improving immune responses against viral infections.