Occurrence Of COVID-19 Research Articles

Clinical profile, risk factors, disease severity, and outcome for COVID-19 disease in patients with tuberculosis on treatment under the National Tuberculosis Elimination Program: a cohort of 1400 patients.

COVID-19 affected millions of people worldwide, and tuberculosis (TB) continues to affect millions of people each year. The combined pandemic of COVID-19 and TB had a catastrophic effect on healthcare policies and healthcare setups around the globe. The clinical profile and factors affecting the outcome of COVID-19 disease in TB patients on treatment in field conditions have not been studied in detail. The present study attempted to study the occurrence of COVID-19 among patients on TB treatment in terms of severity of COVID-19 disease and outcome of both COVID-19 and TB in patients at National Tuberculosis Elimination Program treatment centers over a period of one year during peak COVID-19 times. Out of 1400 TB patients enrolled, 65 (5%) suffered from COVID-19 disease. Of the 65 TB patients with COVID-19 disease, 37 (57%) were male and under 45 years old, 33 (51%) had a TB diagnosis after first receiving a COVID-19 diagnosis, 29 (45%) had a TB diagnosis first, and received anti-TB treatment before receiving a COVID-19 diagnosis, and only 3 patients (5%) had a COVID-19 and TB diagnosis concurrently. The majority of 59 (91%) patients had mild COVID-19 disease. The outcome of TB treatment was available in 25 patients out of these 65 COVID-19-positive patients, with 21 (84%) patients having a favorable outcome. Out of the 65 COVID-19-positive patients, 4/25 (16%) had unfavorable outcomes, with one patient (4%) failing TB treatment and two patients (8%) dying. This is the first study from India that studied the occurrence and course of COVID-19 among a large number of TB patients taking anti-TB treatment under programmatic conditions. Due to the similarity in symptoms of TB and certain viral respiratory illnesses, a protocol should be established for health care to check patients for both illnesses.

Analysis of the incidence of influenza before and after the COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea.

Influenza outbreaks of varying size occur every year, but during the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries experienced influenza at lower levels. However, following the relaxation of COVID-19 prevention measures in 2022, the incidence of influenza began to increase gradually. Thus, this study compared the occurrence of influenza from week 36 of 2017, before the COVID-19 outbreak, until 2023. The analysis was conducted using influenza-like illness occurrence data available from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency infectious disease website. Additionally, to examine the changes in COVID-19 and influenza occurrence during the pandemic, COVID-19 incidence data from 20 January 2020 to 31 August 2023 were obtained from the KDCA Coronavirus Disease 19 homepage. During the COVID-19 pandemic, which corresponds to the 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 influenza seasons, there was no seasonal influenza epidemic, and the incidence rates were below the usual outbreak levels. However, in the 2022/2023 season, when the spread of COVID-19 had eased, a seasonal pattern similar to that observed before the COVID-19 pandemic was noted. Furthermore, correlation analysis between the rates of influenza-like illness and COVID-19 incidence showed no significant correlation during the entire period. However, a significant correlation emerged in 2023 (r = 0.393, p <0.05). These results suggest that influenza was suppressed during the COVID-19 pandemic but returned to typical seasonal patterns after the COVID-19 prevention policies were eased. The positive correlation observed between the incidences of COVID-19 and influenza in 2023 indicates that COVID-19, no longer a novel pandemic-causing infectious disease, may have transitioned to an endemic pattern similar to seasonal influenza.

Forecasting of oil and gas stock market in major US

Abstract. Oil and gas are two crucial resources in modern life and the development of technology. Investors are not only concerned about their own price, but their stock price is also an important part of formulating investment plans. This article will focus on the adjusted closing price since it consists of adjustments for splits, dividends, and capital gain distributions, which can demonstrate the situation of oil and gas in the stock market better. After the occurrence of COVID-19, the economic market of the whole world including the US. encountered great changes in many aspects. Thus, this article considered applying the model with the best performance from ARIMA, exponential smoothing, and Holt-Winters method to forecast the future adjusted closing prices of two large and representative companies in oil and gas from the US. According to the predicted results, the US oil and gas market is likely to experience a small but steady increase.

Prevalence of anxiety, depression, stress and insomnia among healthcare professionals during COVID-19 in Africa: umbrella review of existing meta-analyses.

In Africa, healthcare professionals experienced various mental health problems during COVID-19. However, very little was done on the extensive evidence regarding mental disorders. The purpose of this umbrella review is to provide comprehensive data on the prevalence of anxiety, depression, stress, and insomnia among healthcare professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa. Systematic searches of databases African Journals Online, MedRxiv, PubMed, and Google Scholar were used to identify studies from the occurrence of COVID-19 from December 2019 to March 2023 were included. To pool the gathered data for results with a 95% confidence interval (CI), DerSimonian-Laird random effects meta-analysis was used. For heterogeneity examination, I2 was used. The quality assessment was evaluated by using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal checklist. A total of five studies reported the prevalence of depression, the pooled prevalence was 53.75% (95% CI [40.80-66.70], I2 = 63.6%, p=0.027). In a total of four studies, the pooled prevalence of anxiety was 49.97% (95% CI [34.71-65.23], I2 = 71.26%, p=0.014). From a total of two studies, the pooled prevalence of stress was 57.27% (95% CI [42.28-72.25], I2 = 58.9%, p=0.119). From a total of four studies, the pooled prevalence of insomnia was 45.16% (95% CI [32.94-57.39], I2 = 50.8%, p=0.107). The COVID-19 pandemic highly affects the mental health of healthcare professionals in Africa. Stress, depression, anxiety, and insomnia symptoms were representing the most common based on evidences from existing meta-analyses. This evidence can help experts when executing specific interventions that address mental health problems among healthcare professionals during future public health crises.

Impact of post-COVID-19 changes in outpatient chronic patients’ healthcare-seeking behaviors on medical utilization and health outcomes

IntroductionThis study comprehensively investigates the changes in healthcare utilization among chronic patients with regular outpatient visits to hospitals after the occurrence of Covid-19. The research examines whether patients altered their originally regular medical attendance frequencies due to the pandemic and explores potential negative impacts on the health conditions of those irregular attendees post-pandemic.MethodsData for this study were sourced from a database at a medical center in Taiwan. The subjects were chronic patients with regular hospital outpatient visits before the Covid-19 outbreak. The study tracked medical utilization patterns from 2017 to 2022 for different patient characteristics and outpatient behaviors, employing statistical methods such as Repeated Measures ANOVA and Generalized Estimating Equation to analyze changes in healthcare utilization and health status during the post-pandemic period.ResultsThe results reveal that, compared to the regular group, chronic patients with irregular outpatient visits during the post-pandemic period exhibited a decrease of 5.85 annual outpatient visits, a reduction of NT$20,290.1 in annual medical expenses, and a significantly higher abnormality rate in average biochemical test results by 0.9%.ConclusionsThe findings contribute to understanding the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on healthcare utilization and health conditions among outpatient chronic disease populations. In response to the new medical landscape in the post-pandemic era, proactive suggestions are made, including providing telemedicine outpatient services and referral-based medical care to meet the needs of the target population, ensuring a continuous and reassuring healthcare model for chronic patients, and mitigating the operational impacts of public health emergencies on hospitals.

Does The Declaration of The Covid-19 Occurrence in Indonesia Affect Abnormal Return and Trading Volume Activity? Research on Jakarta Islamic Index

The Coronavirus, which causes the disease outbreak known as Covid-19, spreads rapidly over the world and attacks the human respiratory system. The Covid-19 in Indonesia on March 2, 2020 has been confirmed by the Indonesian government. The financial market has been impacted by this situation, and stock markets worldwide have declined. The aim of this investigation is to ascertain whether a noticeable discrepancy exists between abnormal return and trading volume activity on the Jakarta Islamic Index (JII) both prior to and subsequent to the declaration of Covid-19 in Indonesia. The results derived from this examination demonstrate that the statistical significance of the Difference Test, which examines the abnormal return on the Jakarta Islamic Index (JII) both prior to and subsequent the Covid-19 announcement in Indonesia, is observed to be 0.024, which is less than the conventional alpha level of 0.05. Furthermore, The statistical significance level of the Difference Test in relation to the trading volume activity on the Jakarta Islamic Index (JII) prior to and following the Covid-19 announcement in Indonesia has been determined to be 0.009, which is less than the commonly accepted threshold of 0.05. The inference that can be drawn from this investigation is that there exist notable discrepancies in the abnormal return and trading volume activity on the Jakarta Islamic Index (JII) prior to and subsequent to the disclosure of Covid-19 in Indonesia.

Male sexual disorder in coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic

Background At the end of 2019, a new coronavirus infection disease, named COVID-19, emerged in China. In this context, couples’ sexual lives could have been significantly altered. Fear of the COVID-19 pandemic implications affects their lives, or the lives of friends and relatives might produce feelings of anxiety and panic. Sometimes, these feelings can degenerate into further negative psychological reactions, including adjustment disorder and depression. Aim To find the relation between COVID-19 pandemic and occurrence of male sexual disorders. Patients and methods In this retrospective study 300 cases with past history of COVID-19 virus infection were included in this study. They were recruited from the Dermatology Outpatient Clinic of Al-Azhar University (Assiut) Hospital. Results There was a statistically significant difference between the prepandemic and postpandemic erectile dysfunction scores (P=0.043). There was a statistically significant difference between prepandemic and postpandemic scores according to premature ejaculation (P=0.022). There was a significant difference among erectile dysfunction and both depression degree (χ 2=90.706, P&lt;0.001) and anxiety degree (χ 2=263.652, P&lt;0.001) likewise, it has been found that there was a significant difference among premature ejaculation and both depression degree (χ 2=109.542, P&lt;0.001) and anxiety degree (χ 2=165.382, P&lt;0.001). Conclusion Significant difference between prepandemic and postpandemic scores according to erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation. Among erectile dysfunction and both depression degree and anxiety degree likewise, it has been found that there was a significant difference among premature ejaculation and both depression degree and anxiety degree.

Research on Walmart's E-commerce Transformation Strategy under the Impact of the Epidemic

The development of the global digital economy era and the occurrence of COVID-19 have impacted the global economy. Traditional supermarkets have also encountered many challenges and development opportunities, of which Walmart is a representative. This paper analyzes Walmart's e-commerce in this context and evaluates its financial performance. It is found that the e-commerce transformation of Walmart has effectively improved the financial performance of enterprises, reduced the impact of special periods, brought new profit sources to the company, and reflected that the digital transformation of traditional supermarkets is the trend of the times.

Exploring Patterns of Sensory Processing Behavior in Adults With &amp; Without COVID-19 Experience in Taiwan

Abstract Date Presented 03/23/24 This research poster will discuss (1) the occurrence of COVID-19–related sensory changes in adults with prior COVID-19 experience and (2) compare the sensory processing patterns between adults with and without prior COVID-19 experience in Taiwan. Primary Author and Speaker: Ying-Chia Kao Additional Authors and Speakers: Yun-An Tsai, Chia-Ying Liao, Chiao Yin Lin, Yong-Xin Liang, Megan C. C. Chang

Stress, Depression, and Anxiety Symptoms in Older Adults: Temporal Trend and Relationship with COVID-19

Introduction. Although studies have demonstrated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health, those correlating COVID-19 statistics with the psychosocial repercussions in older adults are as yet incipient. Objective. Evaluate the screening of stress, depression, and anxiety symptoms in older adults throughout the pandemic and their relationship with the occurrence and severity metrics of COVID-19. Method. An ecological, time-series, web-based survey study was conducted in the population aged 60 and over who use digital media. Data collection was undertaken between July 2020 and January 2021 in eight Brazilian cities and included 2,712 older adults. Results. There was an upward trend in anxiety and depression symptoms in Brasília-DF, and a downward trend in these symptoms in Divinópolis-MG. It was also possible to identify correlations between mental disorder symptom scores and COVID-19 occurrence and severity metrics in two of the cities evaluated. Discussion and conclusion. This study is one of the first to explore the relationship between COVID-19 indicators and mental health variables in older adults, showing that changes in the occurrence and severity metrics of the Novel Coronavirus may be followed by changes in the frequency of mental health problems in this population.

Risk of COVID­-19 Infection among Employees of a Large Anti­tuberculosis Institution in Moscow: Survey Results

Relevance. Studying the experience of working under the conditions of COVID-19 allows us to more effectively assess the functioning of anti-epidemic measures in the event of the occurrence or threat of new pandemics, including those caused by new pathogens. The risk of contracting COVID-19 among employees of medical organizations is higher compared to the rest of the population of the metropolis, which determines the need to develop additional measures in medical organizations to protect workers. Timely assessment of risks and preventive measures during a pandemic allow building a system to protect medical institutions from various biological threats when providing medical care. Aim. Assessment of the risks of contracting COVID-19 among employees of a large anti-tuberculosis medical organization in a metropolis. Materials &amp; Methods. A survey of employees of a large anti-tuberculosis medical organization in Moscow was conducted. The survey was conducted on 46 key questions of epidemiological history, compliance with the requirements of the sanitary and anti-epidemic regime, alleged sources of infection, prognostic risks of the occurrence and course of COVID-19. During the period from August 1 to October 1, 2022, 1225 employees of the institution were surveyed (43.8% of the total number). The survey was conducted on a voluntary basis and was anonymous. When answering questions, participants provided information about demographic factors (age, gender), place of actual residence, the fact of contracting a new coronavirus infection, frequency of laboratory testing for SARS-CoV-2, immunization against COVID-19, possible places of contact with patients with COVID-19, the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) at home and at work, the regular use of skin antiseptics, as well as other information that allowed us to establish the risks of infection of workers at home and at work. To assess the risks of infection, respondents were divided into two groups depending on the presence of a positive test for SARS-CoV-2 (group I) or its absence (group II) as of October 1, 2022. The material for testing was nasal/oropharyngeal swabs. The research of employees was carried out on the basis of the laboratory of the anti-tuberculosis medical organization, as well as in other accredited laboratories of the metropolis using the molecular genetic method, and since February 2022 also using the express method that determines the SARS-CoV-2 antigen. Results. Among the survey participants and according to the questionnaire data, 797 employees suffered from the new coronavirus infection COVID-19, and 138 (17.3%) of them had repeated cases of the disease. Factors that increase the risk of COVID-19 among personnel of anti-tuberculosis medical organizations directly involved in the fight against the new coronavirus infection have been identified. The results of the study demonstrated that important factors influencing the incidence of workers were the frequency of examination for COVID-19, the regular use of skin antiseptics, contact with sources of infection, the use of glasses for vision correction, the use of public transport and eating at work. Conclusion. The need to study the risks of contracting COVID-19 among employees of medical organization and, based on them, develop a set of additional anti-epidemic protection measures was confirmed.

Influence of easing COVID-19 strategies following downgrading of the national infectious disease category on COVID-19 occurrence among hospitalized patients in Japan

PurposeWe aimed to evaluate the influence of easing COVID-19 preventive measures following its downgrading to a common infectious disease on COVID-19 occurrence among hospitalized patients. MethodsNosocomial occurrence of COVID-19 was compared between periods with national infectious disease category 5 versus the preceding category 2 equivalent. Changes in the revised manual included a shorter duration of work restrictions for infected health care practitioners (HCPs); no work restriction for HCPs exposed to SARS-CoV-2 with a negative test on days 1, 3 and 5; discontinuation of universal pre-admission screening; and pre-emptive isolation of patients without screening. Wearing an N95 mask and face shield was required in procedure/care with moderate-to high-risk contact. ResultsAlthough the mean monthly number of infected HCPs increased from 8.1 to 12.7 in the category 5 period (p = 0.034) and that of pre-admission screening decreased to one-fourth, the COVID-19 incidence in hospitalized patients remained similar between the two study periods (1.60 ± 5.59/month versus 1.40 ± 2.63/month, p = 0.358). Clusters, defined as ≥3 COVID-19 patients on the ward, were experienced twice in the preceding period and only once in the category 5 period. The index cases causing nosocomial SARS-CoV-2 transmission mostly involved rehabilitation therapists in the preceding period; five of six index cases were patients in the category 5 period. Following the expanded indication for N95 masks, neither SARS-CoV-2 transmission to patients nor transmission from infected patients was observed in HCPs for 1 year. ConclusionWith sustained, enhanced standard precautions, easing prevention strategies could limit nosocomial SARS-CoV-2 infections.

경영 효율성 측정 및 영향요인 분석

The purpose of this study is to measure the management efficiency using SFA, and to examine the determinants using fixed and random effects model, panel tobit model in the 34 regional public hospitals. In the first-stage, management efficiency was evaluated based on total revenue, the number of licensed hospital beds, capital stock, and the number of doctors. The overall average efficiency was 0.402, and the highest efficiency was 0.558 and the lowest efficiency was 0.226, confirming that there are many things that can improve efficiency. In the second-stage, estimated management efficiency was used as the dependent variable, and the ratio of the elderly aged 65 or older, the total number of beds in the region, the urban size, and the management characteristics were analyzed using subsidies, labor cost expenditures, total debt, and whether training institutions were designated as independent variables. In addition, dummy variables were included to control the impact of the occurrence of COVID-19. As a result of the analysis, the ratio of the elderly aged 65 or older, labor expenditure, subsidies, urban size, and variables of COVID-19 were positive (+) relationships with management efficiency, and the total debt had a negative (-) relationship with management efficiency and satisfied the significance level.

The Association Between Obesity, Mediterranean Diet Adherence, Zinc, Depression and COVID-19 Susceptibility: An observational Study

Objective: Unhealthy lifestyle factors have been associated with COVID-19 susceptibility, but data for diet and related lifestyle factors are conflicting. The objective of this study was to identify whether obesity, Mediterranean diet, Zn or depression could be associated to the risk of COVID-19 occurrence. Methods: This observational case-control study was conducted in Türkiye (between December 2020- September 2021) with face-to-face interview. A total of 100 former COVID-19 subjects as case group and 100 healthy control group, aged 20-54 were included in the study. By semi-structured questionnaire; demographic characteristics and anthropometric measurements was collected. Adherence to the Mediterranean diet was assessed using the Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener and Mediterranean Diet Score. Daily dietary zinc intake was calculated using a 25-item food frequency questionnaire and blood samples for zinc levels was obtained from each participant. The level of depression was evaluated by Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Results: No differences were found between the anthropometric characteristics of two groups (p.05). Average adherence to the Mediterranean diet were lower in the case groups compared to controls (p

COVID-19 in patients with thymic epithelial tumors with or without Good’s syndrome: a single-center retrospective study

IntroductionThymic epithelial tumors (TETs) are rare neoplasms often associated with immune-related disorders. Patients with Good’s syndrome (GS), an adult-acquired TET-related immunodeficiency, are at a high risk of mortality due to infectious diseases. This study aims to examine COVID-19 occurrence and severity in TET patients, with or without GS.MethodsClinical records of TET patients referred to the Regional Coordinating Center for Rare Tumors of Campania Region were retrospectively collected. During the observation period, elapsing from March 2020 to April 2023, the following data were collected: occurrence of SARS-CoV-2 infection; COVID-19 severity, according to the National Institute of Health (NIH) illness categories; COVID-19 treatment. COVID-19 occurrence and severity were assessed in the overall population and correlated with the presence of GS and/or other immune-related dysregulations.ResultsOverall, 47 TET patients were included in the study; 27 of these (57.4%) had GS. All participants had received a full cycle of mRNA vaccine for SARS-CoV2., Thirty-one patients (66.0%) experienced COVID-19, of whom 18 (58.0%) had previously received a diagnosis of GS. No significant association of GS and/or other immune-related dysregulations with SARS-CoV-2 infection occurrence was detected (Fisher’s exact test p = 1 and p = 0.3587, respectively). Among patients with GS, 8 (45.0%) reported a COVID-19 severity score of ≥ 3; whereas, only 1 of the 13 patients without GS (7.7%) had a severity score of ≥ 3. The correlation between presence of GS and COVID-19 severity (score 1 or 2 vs. ≥ 3) was statistically significant (p = 0.0448). No statistically significant association between COVID-19 severity and other immune-related syndromes were found (p = 1). Of note, all the hospitalized patients for NIH 4 and 5 COVID-19 had GS.ConclusionsOur data suggest that TET patients, especially those with GS, require a careful multidisciplinary monitoring for SARS-CoV-2 infection, in order to establish tailored treatments and prophylactic protocols.

Modelling COVID-19 transmission dynamics in Laos under non-pharmaceutical interventions, vaccination, and replacement of SARS-CoV-2 variants

BackgroundUnderstanding how the COVID-19 pandemic evolved under control measures is crucial to tackle the SARS-CoV-2 virus spread. Laos, a country bordering China but with late occurrence and low burden of COVID-19 compared to its neighbouring countries, was used for a case study.MethodsA transmission model with disease reporting was proposed to investigate the impact of control measures on the SARS-CoV-2 virus spread in Laos from April 2021 to May 2022. It was assumed that the transmission rate changed with people’s behaviours, control measures and emerging variants; susceptibility decreased with vaccination and infection. Bayesian inference was used for model calibration to data of confirmed cases, deaths, and recoveries, and the deviance information criterion was used to select the best model variant.ResultsOur model including Non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs), behaviour change, vaccination, and changing variants well explained the three waves in Laos. The Alpha variant was estimated to have a basic reproduction number of 1.55 (95% CrI: 1.47–1.64) and was replaced by the Delta variant from September 2021 which was 1.88 (95% CrI: 1.77–2.01) times more transmissible; the Delta variant was replaced by Omicron variant from March 2022 which was 3.33 (95% CrI: 2.84–3.74) times more transmissible. The Delta variant was the most severe with a case fatality rate of 1.05% (95% CrI: 0.96–1.15%) while the Alpha variant and Omicron variant were much milder. The ascertainment rate was low and variable: first decreasing from 13.2 to 1.8% by 23 May 2021, and then increasing to 23.4% by 15 March 2022. Counterfactual simulations indicated that vaccination played strong roles in reducing infections even under the emergence of immune escape variants while behaviour change delayed but might not flatten the peak of outbreaks.ConclusionsThe three waves of Laos’ epidemics were due to the invasion of more transmissible and immune escape variants that affected the herd immunity built via vaccination and infection. Even with immunity waning and the escape of new variants, vaccination was still the major contributor to control COVID-19 and combining behaviour changes and vaccination would best suppress future outbreaks of COVID-19.

Effects of Hypoxia and Inflammation on Hepcidin Concentration in Non-Anaemic COVID-19 Patients.

Background/Objectives: This study aimed to explore the influence of hypoxia, inflammation, and erythropoiesis on hepcidin and other iron status parameters in non-anaemic COVID-19 patients admitted to the emergency unit before the introduction of therapeutic interventions. Methods: Ninety-six COVID-19 patients and 47 healthy subjects were recruited. Patients were subdivided into hypoxic or normoxic groups and, after follow-up, into mild and moderate, severe or critical disease severity groups. Iron, unsaturated iron-binding capacity (UIBC), ferritin, C-reactive protein (CRP), and interleukin 6 (IL-6) were measured on automatic analysers. ELISA kits were used for hepcidin and erythropoietin (EPO) determination. We calculated total iron-binding capacity (TIBC) and ratios of hepcidin with parameters of iron metabolism (ferritin/hepcidin, hepcidin/iron), inflammation (hepcidin/CRP, hepcidin/IL-6), and erythropoietic activity (hepcidin/EPO). Results: Hepcidin, ferritin, EPO, CRP, IL-6, ferritin/hepcidin, and hepcidin/iron were increased, while UIBC, TIBC, hepcidin/CRP, and hepcidin/IL-6 were decreased in hypoxic compared to normoxic patients as well as in patients with severe or critical disease compared to those with mild and moderate COVID-19. Regarding predictive parameters of critical COVID-19 occurrence, in multivariable logistic regression analysis, a combination of EPO and ferritin/hepcidin showed very good diagnostic performances and correctly classified 88% of cases, with an AUC of 0.838 (0.749-0.906). Conclusions: The hypoxic signal in our group of patients was not strong enough to overcome the stimulating effect of inflammation on hepcidin expression. EPO and ferritin/hepcidin might help to identify on-admission COVID-19 patients at risk of developing a critical form of the disease.

Choosing a COVID-19 vaccination site might be driven by anxiety and body vigilance.

The occurrence of COVID-19 led to the rapid development of several vaccines which were distributed around the world. Even though there had been a vast amount of information about both virus and vaccination, this process was potentially related to increased anxiety and thus affected the vaccination process. The present study examined anxiety levels and body vigilance in subjects reporting for COVID-19 vaccination at different vaccination sites. Instruments used included general socio-demographic questionnaires and specifically constructed ones such as generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), body vigilance scale (BVS), and coronavirus anxiety scale (CAS). A total of 227 subjects enrolled in the study reported mild GAD and CAS scores and relatively low scores on BVS. When the subjects were divided according to a vaccination site (under supervision and non-supervised), it turned out that subjects vaccinated under supervision were more anxious (higher GAD and CAS) and had their body vigilance increased. In conclusion, there is a need for highlighting the importance of efficient planning and organization of vaccination process, since to a certain extent it is driven by both anxiety and body vigilance.

Exploration of the Challenges in Adopting Smart Farming Among Smallholder Farmers: A Qualitative Study

Applications of smart farming have been introduced as a way out of various production issues in the agriculture sector, especially during the occurrence of COVID-19. Several technical studies have also been done to develop the modules that meet the operational requirements in Malaysia and determine their benefits and impacts on farmers. Despite the availability of smart farming technologies and their benefits to farmers’ productivity and profitability, adoption of smart farming among Malaysian farmers, especially in rural areas, remains a challenge. Therefore, a qualitative study among farmers in Sarawak and Sabah was conducted to determine the challenges that arise with the adoption of smart farming technologies. The results highlighted that farmer faced challenges in regard to the high startup cost of technology, lack of expertise and knowledge on technologies, connectivity and access in rural areas, farm size, and governmental support. In practice, this study also discussed the challenges of adopting smart farming mentioned by participants and some possible solutions for future attention.

FURIN, IFNL4, and TLR2 gene polymorphisms in relation to COVID-19 severity: a case-control study in Egyptian patients.

A wide range of clinical manifestations and outcomes, including liver injury, have been reported in COVID-19 patients. We investigated the association of three substantial gene polymorphisms (FURIN, IFNL4, and TLR2) with COVID-19 disease susceptibility and severity to help predict prognosis. 150 adult COVID-19-assured cases were categorized as follows: 78 patients with a non-severe presentation, 39 patients with severe disease, and 33 critically ill patients. In addition, 74 healthy controls were included. Clinical and laboratory evaluations were carried out, including complete and differential blood counts, D-dimer, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin, ferritin, interleukin-6 (Il-6), and liver and kidney functions. FURIN (rs6226), IFNL4 (rs12979860), and TLR2 (rs3804099) genotyping allelic discrimination assays were conducted using real-time PCR. The FURIN, IFNL4, and TLR2 genotypes and their alleles differed significantly between COVID-19 patients and controls, as well as between patients with severe or critical illness and those with a non-severe presentation. According to a multivariable regression analysis, FURIN (C/T + T/T) and TLR2 (T/C + C/C) mutants were associated with COVID-19 susceptibility, with odds ratios of 3.293 and 2.839, respectively. FURIN C/C and IFNL4 T/T mutants were significantly linked to severe and critical illnesses. Multivariate regression analysis showed that FURIN (G/C + C/C) genotypes and IFNL4 T/T homozygosity were independent risk factors associated with increased mortality. FURIN, IFNL4, and TLR2 gene variants are associated with the risk of COVID-19 occurrence as well as increased severity and poor outcomes in Egyptian patients.