Pre-lockdown Period Research Articles

The positive impact of the first-wave COVID-19 lockdown on urban air quality in Greece

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Following the first confirmed cases of COVID-19 during the first wave of the pandemic, the Government of Greece imposed a nationwide lockdown on March 23rd 2019, one of the first in Europe. Our study assesses the impact of this lockdown on the air quality of Greece’s two largest cities, Athens and Thessaloniki. METHODS: The average monthly concentrations of particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) and nitrogen oxides (NO and NO2) measured on a 24-hour basis were obtained from the Greek Ministry of the Environment and Energy. In order to assess the impact of the lockdown on air quality, data were divided into three periods: (a) pre-lockdown (1 September 2019 – 22 March 2020), (b) during lockdown (23 March 2020 – 3 May 2020), and (c) post-lockdown (4 May 2020 – 6 November 2020), which overlapped with the beginning of the second wave COVID-19. RESULTS:Nitrogen oxide showed the most striking decrease in Athens, ranging from 6 to 84% (during lockdown) and from 12 to 66% (post lockdown), respectively, and was most prominent at the urban traffic stations. Compared to the pre-lockdown period, Athens also experienced significant reductions in PM10 (13–38%), PM2.5 (1-40%) and NO2 (9–65%) concentrations. In Thessaloniki the most marked decrease was observed at the urban traffic stations for PM10 and PM2.5, where a 39% and 31% decrease was respectively observed when comparing the lockdown and post-lockdown periods. CONCLUSIONS:Our results indicate that there is a relationship between air pollution and lockdown measures. The time series of the 24-hour data for PM10, PM2.5, NO and NO2 concentrations showed a decrease during the six weeks of lockdown in both cities. The observed changes could be attributed to lower traffic volumes, working remotely and temporary suspension of industrial activities. KEYWORDS: air pollution, particulate matter, oxides of nitrogen

A retrospective observational study of poisoning and hanging cases during lockdown as a marker of emotional tide of COVID-19 pandemic in a tertiary care center in Northwestern India

Background: In January 2020, WHO declared the outbreak of a new coronavirus disease COVID-19 to be a public health emergency of international concern. Worldwide lockdown led to panic, mass unemployment, poverty and domestic violence. The present study was designed to observe the impact of lockdown on the spectrum of medico-legal cases being admitted with drastic events of poisoning and hanging.Methods:In this retrospective, observational and comparative study, around 131 patients were recruited from the admitted patients in the medicine wards in SMS medical college and hospital during COVID-19 lockdown period from 23 March 2020 to 31 May 2020 after applying inclusion and exclusion criterias. Their clinical profile were noted and comparatively assessed with patients admitted in medicine wards during adjoining pre-lockdown period, that is, from 12 January 2020 to 22 March 2020.Results: Out of 131 cases recruited during lockdown period, hanging cases were 10 (8%) while it was 10 cases out of 213 (5% )during pre-lockdown period. Organophosphorus poisoning was 4.5% and 1.4%, celphos poisoning was 3.8% and 2.3%, rat killer poisoning was 3.05% and 1.4% during lockdown and pre-lockdown period respectively. Cases due to ingestion of other than the major group of poisoning were lower (3.8%) during lockdown period while it was 10.3% during pre-lockdown period.Conclusions:Extreme negative behavioral changes precipitated by corona and this might be aggravated further by complete lockdown, to which people resorted to the means which were easily available to them at home like hanging and common poisonings.

Doubling Time and Its Interpretation for COVID-19 Cases: A Comparative Study in Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation, Pune, Maharashtra, India

Background: COVID-19, also known as Novel Corona Virus, causes respiratory disorder in humans and has been declared as a global pandemic in the first quarter of the year 2020 by the World Health Organization. As this pandemic persists the second, third and fourth quarters had shown variation in COVID-19 cases. In the first quarter of the year 2021 again there seems to be a rise in cases of COVID-19. So, a comparative analysis from March 2020 – April 2021 of COVID-19 cases has been studied.
 Methodology: An exponential statistical model was used to calculate the predicted value of COVID-19 using doubling time for a short duration. The cases of COVID-19 were predicted from 10th April 2021 to 10th June 2021 using doubling time and exponential regression method.
 Results: The distribution of cases showed a curve-linear trend over the last one year. We explored various models like exponential, logarithmic (lo-linear), linear, quadratic, and generalized linear model (GLM) to fit into the observed distribution of cases. Since the distribution of cases was perfectly following a linear trend in each of the four segments, we applied a linear regression model to observed distribution and then predicted the anticipated no. of cases by extending this linear trend to a future period (120 day). With the help of the exponential statistical model, doubling time/rate based on prior 9 days, the predictions of up to 2.61 lakhs cases have been done by the end of June 2021.
 Conclusion: This study will be useful for the Government of India and Maharashtra state-specific to Pimpri- Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC), Administrative Units, Frontline health workforce, researchers, and scientists. From this study it has been evident that during the pre-lockdown period, in the initial stages there seems to be rise in cases. While, during lockdown period it was observed that there was relatively decrease in the number of cases. After the government authorities imposed the unlock strategies the cases began to rise as compared to the lockdown period. Thus, it appears that only essential services should be open for the citizens of India and the state lockdown should be carried on for the next 3 months (April 2021 - June 2021).

Natural processes dominate the pollution levels during COVID-19 lockdown over India

The lockdown measures that were taken to combat the COVID-19 pandemic minimized anthropogenic activities and created natural laboratory conditions for studying air quality. Both observations and WRF-Chem simulations show a 20–50% reduction (compared to pre-lockdown and same period of previous year) in the concentrations of most aerosols and trace gases over Northwest India, the Indo Gangetic Plain (IGP), and the Northeast Indian regions. It is shown that this was mainly due to a 70–80% increase in the height of the boundary layer and the low emissions during lockdown. However, a 60–70% increase in the pollutants levels was observed over Central and South India including the Arabian sea and Bay of Bengal during this period, which is attributed to natural processes. Elevated (dust) aerosol layers are transported from the Middle East and Africa via long-range transport, and a decrease in the wind speed (20–40%) caused these aerosols to stagnate, enhancing the aerosol levels over Central and Southern India. A 40–60% increase in relative humidity further amplified aerosol concentrations. The results of this study suggest that besides emissions, natural processes including background meteorology and dynamics, play a crucial role in the pollution concentrations over the Indian sub-continent.

No increased injury incidence in the German Bundesliga after the SARS-CoV-2 virus lockdown

IntroductionThe coronavirus lockdown in 2020 resulted in a worldwide suspension of professional sports. The first major professional football league to restart after the lockdown was the German Bundesliga. This study investigates whether the injury incidence increased after the restart of the season with only 9 days of regular preparation time and without any friendly matches in comparison to three control periods.Materials and methodsIn a prospective cohort study, injury analysis (at least 1 day of absence from official football matches or training sessions) of the German Bundesliga registry was standardised according to Hägglund et al. (Br J Sports Med 39:340–346, 2005) and Fuller et al. (Clin J Sports Med 16:97–106, 2006) for data collection and to previous publications for the validated use of media sources for injury registration. The study period after the lockdown in May and June of the 2019–2020 season was compared to three control periods: the period directly before the lockdown, the beginning of the 2019–2020 season and the 2018–2019 season final.ResultsThe nine match days after the restart of the 2019–2020 season showed an overall injury incidence of 4.9 per 1000 h football. This rate was significantly lower than that of the previous season final (9 last match days, overall injury incidence: 6.9 per 1000 h football; p < 0.001) and not increased compared to the rates after the summer break (9 match days; incidence: 5.5/1000 h, p > 0.05) or the winter break (8 match days; incidence: 5.6/1000 h, p > 0.05).ConclusionThe period after the unexpected break in the 2019–2020 season due to the coronavirus lockdown and the rapid return to competition showed no increase in the injury rate compared to the pre-lockdown period and a lower injury rate than in the previous season final. The unintentional mid-season rest with its potential for physical recovery and individual fitness training seems to have had a positive effect on injury occurrence.

Co-benefits of reducing PM2.5 and improving visibility by COVID-19 lockdown in Wuhan

The less improvement of ambient visibility suspects the government’s efforts on alleviating PM2.5 pollution. The COVID-19 lockdown reduced PM2.5 and increased visibility in Wuhan. Compared to pre-lockdown period, the PM2.5 concentration decreased by 39.0 μg m−3, dominated by NH4NO3 mass reduction (24.8 μg m−3) during lockdown period. The PM2.5 threshold corresponding to visibility of 10 km (PTV10) varied in 54–175 μg m−3 and an hourly PM2.5 of 54 μg m−3 was recommended to prevent haze occurrence. The lockdown measures elevated PTV10 by 9–58 μg m−3 as the decreases in PM2.5 mass scattering efficiency and optical hygroscopicity. The visibility increased by 107%, resulted from NH4NO3 extinction reduction. The NH4NO3 mass reduction weakened its mutual promotion with aerosol water and increased PM2.5 deliquescence humidity. Controlling TNO3 (HNO3 + NO3−) was more effective to reduce PM2.5 and improve visibility than NHx (NH3 + NH4+) unless the NHx reduction exceeded 11.7–17.5 μg m−3.

Comparison of pattern of death during Pre-lockdown period and COVID 19 lockdown period in Central Kerala – An Autopsy Study

Background: The coronavirus pandemic is one of the deadliest pandemic in history. The authorities worldwide responded to this pandemic by implementing business closures, travel restrictions, lockdowns and quarantines.&#x0D; Aims and Objectives: To determine the type of cases and compare the patterns of deaths which came for autopsy to Department of Forensic Medicine, Government Medical College, Kottayam during the Pre lockdown period in 2019 and COVID-19 Lockdown Period in 2020.&#x0D; Materials and Methods: This retrospective study was conducted in the Department of Forensic Medicine, Govt. Medical College, Kottayam. The study data was collected from postmortem reports of Department of Forensic Medicine, Govt. Medical College, Kottayam. Pre-lockdown period was taken as from 21 March to 31 May 2019.There were total 424 cases in 2019,whereas in the Lockdown period taken as from 21 March 2020 to31 May 2020,no: of cases reduced to 270. All these cases were grouped according to cause of death, manner of death and modalities of natural and unnatural deaths. Details of cases were entered utilizing a proforma.&#x0D; Results: There were total 424 cases in the pre-lockdown period in the year 2019, whereas in the lockdown period in 2020, number of cases declined to 270. Among the manner of deaths, accidents accounted for most of the deaths in the year 2019, i.e. 44.6% deaths due to accidents, whereas in the year 2020, deaths due to natural diseases topped the list, 46.3%. These differences in the manner of deaths were found statisticallysignificant.&#x0D; Conclusion: Two months into lockdown, statistically significant differences were noted in patterns of deaths. Further study should be conducted in the near future, when more data will become available. Providing early warning in patterns of mortality within the community could prove to be an invaluable public health asset.

The Impact of COVID-19 Lockdown in Banks and Financial Institutions' Stock Performance: Evidence from Nepal

This paper examines the impact of COVID-19 lockdown on daily stock returns of banks and financial institutions (BFI) in Nepal. Employing the panel data regression models, this study examines the effect of daily COVID-19 positive cases to the stock returns – during pre-lockdown, lockdown, and after-lockdown period – of 74 listed firms in Nepal from 2 May 2019 to 25 April 2021. The empirical results confirm that there was no significant impact of daily increased number of COVID-19 positive cases to the stock returns of BFIs in Nepal throughout the entire study period. Furthermore, this study inquires the influence of pandemic period to the individual class of the BFIs sector in NEPSE[1]. It discloses that the commercial banks, development banks and microfinance companies’ stock returns were adversely impacted during the pre-lockdown and lockdown period. However, after-lockdown period had significantly rebounded the overall BFIs stock returns in Nepal with the highest returns earned by microfinance companies and lowest return by commercial banks. [1] Nepal Stock Exchange Limited

Changing pattern of trauma during the COVID-19 Pandemic

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic compelled the Indian government to enforce a complete nationwide lockdown on 24th March 2020. MethodsThis retrospective study was done to analyse the profile of trauma patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) from January to August 2020. Data from 69 days of lockdown and 83 days of pre-lockdown periods were used to calculate the 30-day incidence rates. ResultsDuring the 7-month study period, 5220 patients presented to our ED with trauma; 2296 in the prelockdown phase (83 days), 1205 during the lockdown phase (69 days), and 1719 during the postlockdown phase (92 days). There was a significant decrease (36.7%) in the 30-day incidence rate of trauma victims presenting to the ED during the lockdown phase (525) compared with the prelockdown phase (830). The 30-day incidence of road traffic accidents (RTA), fall from height, fall on level ground and other trauma decreased by 53.2%, 26%, 23.2% and 12.9%, respectively, while assault cases increased by 8.3% during the lockdown period as compared with the prelockdown period. During the lockdown period, the 30-day incidence of trauma victims with a positive blood alcohol content decreased by 39.6% with a significant drop in the strict lockdown month of April 2020. ConclusionsA significant reduction in the incidence rate of trauma victims, especially RTA and geriatric trauma was seen during the gruelling lockdown period of the COVID 19 pandemic.

INCOME, SAVINGS AND INVESTMENT PATTERNS OF PRIVATE SECTOR SALARIED HOUSEHOLDS IN KARNATAKA: A STUDY WITH REFERENCE TO PRE LOCKDOWN AND POST UNLOCK COVID-19 PERIOD

Purpose of the research – The unprecedented pandemic COVID -19 created a havoc across the globe. All economic activities were disturbed due to lockdown, and many people spent days without having full squares of meals. Many migrated workers, including employees who were working in private sector business undertakings had to lose their jobs, suffer without pay, or less pay. The drop in income caused depletion in the savings of individuals, since they used their savings for their consumption during pandemic. They were forced to leave their places without any type of safety and security. Hence this research is carried out to assess the pre COVID – 19 and post unlock period income, savings, and also investment patterns of those individuals serving in private sector enteprises belonging to education, automobile and telecommunication sectors. Methodology – A structured questionnaire is used as a tool for collecting the data from 180 private sectors salaried households, selected for the study as a sample respondents from three cities in Karnataka state, viz., Bengaluru, Davanagere and Hubli, and from three sectors viz., education, automobile and telecommunication. Convenient sampling technique is adopted to select the sample respondents from the study areas. Major Findings – Analysis of the data collected showed that there is a significant difference in the monthly income of the salaried households in the pre lockdown and post unlock period. But there is no significant difference exisiting in their monthly expenses during both the periods. It is proved that there is an association between monthly savings of the salaried households and both the time periods. With regard to investment, there is a shift in the investment preference of the salaried households from pre lockdown period to post unlock period. Gold, silver were the top preferred investment opportunity before lockdown, but soon after the unlock period chit fund has become the top preferred investment avenue.

The Impact of the Lockdown Caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) Air Pollution: The Greek Paradigm.

Introduction: Responding to the coronavirus pandemic, Greece implemented the largest quarantine in its history. No data exist regarding its impact on PM2.5 pollution. We aimed to assess PM2.5 levels before, during, and after lockdown (7 March 2020–16 May 2020) in Volos, one of Greece’s most polluted industrialized cities, and compare PM2.5 levels with those obtained during the same period last year. Meteorological conditions were examined as confounders. Methods: The study period was discriminated into three phases (pre-lockdown: 7 March–9 March, lockdown: 10 March–4 May, and post-lockdown period: 5 May–16 May). A wireless sensors network was used to collect PM2.5, temperature, relative humidity, rainfall, and wind speed data every 2 s. Results: The lockdown resulted in a significant drop of PM2.5 by 37.4% in 2020, compared to 2019 levels. The mean daily concentrations of PM2.5 exceeded the WHO’s guideline value for 24-h mean levels of PM2.5 35% of the study period. During the strictest lockdown (23 March to 4 May), the mean daily PM2.5 levels exceeded the standard 41% of the time. The transition from the pre-lockdown period into lockdown or post-lockdown periods was associated with lower PM2.5 concentrations. Conclusions: A reduction in the mean daily PM2.5 concentration was found compared to 2019. Lockdown was not enough to avoid severe exceedances of air pollution in Volos.

Effects of COVID-19 lockdown on ambient air pollution in Madhya Pradesh, India

ABSTRACT The paper aims to quantify the changes in the pollutants level in the ambient air of Madhya Pradesh during COVID-19 induced 21 days lockdown. The data of 16 continuous ambient air quality monitoring stations (CAAQMS) for six pollutants, namely PM2.5, PM10, SO2, NOx, CO, and Ozone for pre-lockdown (1–21 March 2020) and lockdown (25 March-14 April 2020) period was compiled and appropriate statistical analysis was done. The result showed a reduction of 13%, 20%, 37%, 39% and 25% in the ambient air level of PM2.5, PM10, SO2, NOx and CO, respectively, during the lockdown. No such declining trend was observed in the ambient air ozone level. Ambient air ozone level changed between −22 and +30% compared to pre-lockdown concentrations. The mean ambient air ozone concentration was reduced at the residential/commercial stations (−5%), but was increased at the industrial stations (+19%) concentration.

Assessing the spatial distribution of aerosols and air quality over the Ganga River basin during COVID-19 lockdown phase-1

The present study aims to analyze the variations in aerosol optical depth (AOD), black carbon (BC), organic carbon (OC), sulfate (SO4), dust, sea salt, fine mode dust and sea salt, and air quality over the Ganga River basin (GB), during the nation-wise lockdown phase-1 due to the outbreak of COVID-19. The aerosol data have been obtained from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA-2) for the lockdown phase-1 (March 25 - April 15, 2020) and its corresponding average of the reference period (2001-2019). The total PM2.5 has been modeled over the GB based on the inputs from MERRA-2. The in-situ air quality index (AQI) values from cities across the GB have been obtained during pre-lockdown (February, 29 - March 20, 2020) and lockdown phase-1 period to evaluate changes. Non-parametric pairwise comparison is performed to evaluate the significant change in the pollutants including AOD, and quantile regression is used to explore the effect of meteorology on AOD and other pollutants. The results show a significant reduction (p ≤ 0.05) in AOD, BC, OC, SO4, dust, dust particulate matter (PM2.5), sea salt, sea salt PM2.5, and estimated total PM2.5 during the lockdown phase-1 with respect to the reference period. The analysis also reveals that meteorological factors do not play a vital role in the reduction of AOD during the lockdown phase-1 period. The estimated reductions for AOD, BC, OC, SO4, dust, dust PM2.5, sea salt, and sea salt PM2.5 are 33%, 21%, 24%, 20%, 18%, 17%, 64%, and 61%, respectively due to imposition of lockdown measures. As many as 28 cities in the GB have shown substantial improvement in the air quality during the lockdown phase-1 period. The reduction in the emission quantity and subsequent improvement in AQI has opened up a new discourse for combatting the persistent air quality issues for million-plus cities in particular and for the north Indian plain in general. The findings of this study thus provide insightful views to the environmentalists and policymakers for framing better emission policy to deal with the air quality issue.

Impact of COVID-19 lockdown on routine oncology versus emergency care at a high volume cancer centre.

BackgroundWe investigated the influence of population‐wide COVID‐19 lockdown measures implemented on 16, March 2020 on routine and emergency care of cancer outpatients at a tertiary care cancer centre in Vienna, Austria.MethodsWe compared the number/visits of cancer outpatients receiving oncological therapies at the oncologic day clinic (DC) and admissions at the emergency department (ED) of our institution in time periods before (pre‐lockdown period: 1 January – 15 March 2020) and after (post‐lockdown period: 16 March– 31 May 2020) lockdown implementation with the respective reference periods of 2018 and 2019. Additionally, we analysed Emergency Severity Index (ESI) score of unplanned cancer patient presentations to the ED in the same post‐lockdown time periods. Patient outcome was described as 3‐month mortality rate (3‐MM).ResultsIn total, 16 703 visits at the DC and 2664 patient visits for the respective time periods were recorded at the ED. No decrease in patient visits was observed at the DC after lockdown implementation (P = .351), whereas a substantial decrease in patient visits at the ED was seen (P < .001). This translates into a 26%‐31% reduction of cancer‐related patient visits per half month after the lockdown at the ED (P < .001 vs. 2018 + 2019). There was no difference in the distribution of ESI scores at ED presentation (P = .805), admission rates or 3‐MM in association with lockdown implementation (P = .086).ConclusionWe demonstrate the feasibility of maintaining antineoplastic therapy administration during the COVID‐19 pandemic. However, our data underline the need for adapted management strategies for emergency presentations of cancer patients.

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic lockdown on myocardial infarction care

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown on acute myocardial infarction (AMI) care, and to identify underlying stressors in the German model region for complete AMI registration. The analysis was based on data from the population-based KORA Myocardial Infarction Registry located in the region of Augsburg, Germany. All cases of AMI (n = 210) admitted to one of four hospitals in the city of Augsburg or the county of Augsburg from February 10th, 2020, to May 19, 2020, were included. Patients were divided into three groups, namely pre-lockdown, strict lockdown, and attenuated lockdown period. An additional survey was conducted asking the patients for stress and fears in the 4 weeks prior to their AMI. The AMI rate declined by 44% in the strict lockdown period; in the attenuated lockdown period the rate was 17% lower compared to the pre-lockdown period. The downward trend in AMI rates during lockdown was seen in STEMI and NSTEMI patients, and independent of sex and age. The door-to-device time decreased by 70–80% in the lockdown-periods. In the time prior to the infarction, patients felt stressed mainly due to fear of infection with Sars-CoV-2 and less because of the restrictions and consequences of the lockdown. A strict lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic had a marked impact on AMI care even in a non-hot-spot region with relatively few cases of COVID-19. Fear of infection with the virus is presumably the main reason for the drop in hospitalizations due to AMI.

Variation and correlation between ultraviolet index and tropospheric ozone during COVID-19 lockdown over megacities of India.

Worldwide spread out of COVID-19 in a short-time has brought a significant decline of road traffic, tourist flow and industrial ventures. During this emergency period, the restricted human dealings with nature have appeared as blessing for health of the total environment. The variation of atmospheric O3 may modulate the range of UV index (UVI) at any region of the earth. The objective of the study is to examine the variation of UV index over the megacities of India with respect to tropospheric O3 level modification during COVID-19 lockdown. The meteorological or environmental data (temperature in °C, gust in km/h, wind speed km/h, relative humidity in %, air pressure in mb and cloud cover in okta) of four selective megacities of India (Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai) during and pre lockdown period have been obtained to comprehend about the variation of UV index and tropospheric O3. The descriptive statistical applications i.e. standard deviation, standard errors and K-means clustering have been done through standard statistical software. In the present study, t-test has been used to understand level of significance of surface O3 and UVI during pre-lockdown (2019) and lockdown (2020) phase. The result shows that the four major megacities in India namely New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai have experienced the vibrant diminution in terms of the concentration of UV index with slightly increasing the tropospheric O3 level during the lockdown phase. The higher accumulation of O3 during the lockdown in the lower atmosphere of four megacities does not exceed the permissible limit. The excess amount of O3 has remarkably contributed to trap the harmful UV radiation which has lowered the UVI in these worst polluted megacities of India. In the meantime, the prominent reduction of NOx during the lockdown period decreases the titration impact to O3 and this mechanism helps to revitalize the ozone concentration level. The uniqueness of the current study is highlighted the ground reality regarding reduction of UV index and amplification of tropospheric O3 concentration during lockdown phase. This study definitely assists to make new environmental policy, act and law for recover the health of the total environment.

PM2.5 Pollution Strongly Predicted COVID-19 Incidence in Four High-Polluted Urbanized Italian Cities during the Pre-Lockdown and Lockdown Periods.

Background: The coronavirus disease in 2019 (COVID-19) heavily hit Italy, one of Europe’s most polluted countries. The extent to which PM pollution contributed to COVID-19 diffusion is needing further clarification. We aimed to investigate the particular matter (PM) pollution and its correlation with COVID-19 incidence across four Italian cities: Milan, Rome, Naples, and Salerno, during the pre-lockdown and lockdown periods. Methods: We performed a comparative analysis followed by correlation and regression analyses of the daily average PM10, PM2.5 concentrations, and COVID-19 incidence across four cities from 1 January 2020 to 8 April 2020, adjusting for several factors, taking a two-week time lag into account. Results: Milan had significantly higher average daily PM10 and PM2.5 levels than Rome, Naples, and Salerno. Rome, Naples, and Salerno maintained safe PM10 levels. The daily PM2.5 levels exceeded the legislative standards in all cities during the entire period. PM2.5 pollution was related to COVID-19 incidence. The PM2.5 levels and sampling rate were strong predictors of COVID-19 incidence during the pre-lockdown period. The PM2.5 levels, population’s age, and density strongly predicted COVID-19 incidence during lockdown. Conclusions: Italy serves as a noteworthy paradigm illustrating that PM2.5 pollution impacts COVID-19 spread. Even in lockdown, PM2.5 levels negatively impacted COVID-19 incidence.

Home blood pressure during COVID-19 related lockdown in patients with hypertension

Funding AcknowledgementsType of funding sources: None.COVID-19 pandemic has induced governments to promote strict containment measures which inevitably altered patients’ lifestyle with potential effects on blood pressure (BP) control. We aimed to evaluate the changes in home BP (HBP) during the COVID-19 related lockdown in a cohort of hypertensive patients.Consecutive adult patients with arterial hypertension and stable medical treatment were recruited. HBP values were recorded before and after lockdown in March 2020. An additional set of HBP measurements, recorded one year before the pre-lockdown period, were also considered as reference because of similar environmental temperature.A total of 126 patients were included: 47% males, mean age 66 [58-72], reference HBP 124.78 (9.90)/76.19 (8.10) mmHg. In the whole group, patients during lockdown exhibited lower systolic and diastolic HBP values compared to the pre-lockdown period [123.23 vs 125.05 mmHg, p = 0.008 and 74.45 vs 75.28 mmHg, p = 0.023, respectively]. Patients with uncontrolled HBP showed the most consistent drop of systolic HBP [136.06 (8.36) and 138.0 (2.08) vs 130 (9.35) p = 0.001 and p < 0.001] and diastolic [81.30 (6.75) and 84.9 (1.85) vs 78.78 (9.25), p = 0.018 and p = 0.002] from pre-lockdown to lockdown and when considering reference values taken one year before, respectively. (Figure 1: Mean values at baseline, pre-lockdown and during lockdown in the 3 groups for systolic (A) and diastolic (B) blood pressure (dotted line = uncontrolled BP group, solid line = unstable BP control, dashed line = controlled BP group). *p<.001 (one year before lockdown vs lockdown SBP), #p = 0.001 (pre-lockdown vs lockdown SBP), $p = 0.002 (one year before lockdown vs lockdown DBP), §p = 0.018 (pre-lockdown vs lockdown DBP). Grey box refers to the lockdown period. SBP = systolic blood pressure, DBP = diastolic blood pressure.) In conclusion, this study reports for the first time the occurrence of no changes or even a reduction in home BP of treated hypertensive patients during lockdown due to COVID-19. These results may have implications for the management of patients with high blood pressure not only during the current pandemic but also in case of future lockdown conditions. Figure 1

Comparison of Prevalence Data about Digital Eye Strain (DES), Pre-Lockdown versus Post-Lockdown Period in India: A Systematic Review Study

Objective: The purpose of this review study was to identify and synthesize evidence about the prevalence of digital eye strain (DES) before and after the lockdown period in India, the factor associated with it, and also create awareness or spread knowledge about the preventive measures for eye care from digital eye strain. Methodology: This systematic review was done in order to compare the available data of factors and prevalence of digital eye strain before and after the lockdown period. Studies, included in the review was targeted interventions towards the digital eye strain conducted before and after the lockdown period in Covid-19 era related to the current research objective. Results: Prevalence scores were recorded for comparative analysis. Fifteen studies out of 104 total studies that met the inclusion criteria had positive results. 36.9% (n=80) were using digital tasks &gt;5 h in lockdown as compared to 1.8% (n =4) before lockdown in case of study-1, while in study-2, Typically, 93.6% of respondents reported an increase in their screen time since the lockdown was declared. Study-3 encompasses the prevalence of DES was 64.3% in pre-lockdown periods, while in case of study-4 among the 150 participants studied, the overall prevalence of DES (at least 1 symptom present) is 87.3%. Conclusion: This review provides evidence that Digital eye strain is a very common condition in this digital era, throughout this lockdown period, prevalence and uses of digital devices were increased. So, we should prevent from DES by utilizes the preventive measures resources and follows the few instructions/ guidelines throughout the uses of digital devices. Keywords: Digital eye strain (DES), Covid-19 pandemic, Lockdown, Asthenopia, Computer vision syndrome.

The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on nitrogen dioxide levels in Nigeria.

The Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has been transmitted worldwide over a very short time after it originated in China in December 2019. In an attempt to control its spread and reduce its health impacts, several countries including those in the African continent imposed restrictive measures that was termed “lockdown”. The outcomes of this lockdown have been reported to be beneficial to air quality worldwide. The main objective of this study is to assess the impact of lockdown due to COVID-19 on nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels over six major cities in Nigeria. Maps extracted from satellite (Sentinel-5P) were used to indicate the significant reduction in the level of NO2 in the selected cities in Nigeria during two time-intervals, pre-lockdown (December, 2019) and during lockdown (April, 2020). The results show a significant reduction in NO2 levels during the lockdown period compared with its levels during the pre-lockdown period in 2019. The reduction in NO2 concentration levels during lockdown is likely due to less traffic, social distancing and restrictions on business and human activities. There could be an element of uncertainty in the results due to seasonality, as the comparison is done with a different season. However, the magnitude of change due to lockdown is probably much higher than the seasonal variability. Although COVID-19 has negatively impacted the health and economic status of all regions worldwide, it has benefited some aspects of air quality in most countries including Nigeria. This indicates that anthropogenic activities may be managed to reduce air pollution and positively impact the health of human beings.