Flu Symptoms Research Articles

Psychological Distress, Adaptation, And Well-Being in COVID-19 Recovered Patients: A Correlational Descriptive Study

The novel SARS-CoV-2 virus was reported in the province of Wuhan china and spread to more than 220 countries in no time. The patient who diagnosed corona virus has symptoms of flu, fever, sore throat and respiratory tract infection. In Pakistan the cases of covid-19 were also higher (305,671) and deaths (6416) due to six biggest populations in the world. Objective: The aim of the study was to explore the psychological distress, adaptation and well-being of patients diagnosed with covid-19 in Pakistan. Methods: A descriptive correlational study was conducted from May 2021 to September 2021 having a sample size of 173 having a consecutive sampling technique in Khyber teaching hospital and Hayat Abad medical complex Peshawar. Data was collected through valid and reliable instruments that are: Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (k-10), psychological adaptation scale (PSA), and The Warwick-Edinburgh mental well-being scale (WEMWBS) were used for data collection. Microsoft Excel and SPSS were used for analysis of mean, standard deviation, independent t-test and Pearson correlation. Results: In this study the number of male participants was higher (56.6%) than female participants (43.4%). The k-10 means score were (34.42), PSA (80.86) and Well-being was (59). Independent t-test findings were (k-10) p-value=0.713, (PSA) p-value= 1.501 and well-being p-value (0,795). The Pearson correlation shows that psychological distress was strongly correlated with PSA (p-value=0.002), and well-being (p-value=0.001). Conclusions: The study concluded that patient were physically, psychological, and emotionally affected after covid-19, so hospitalized patients received only physical treatment regimens and the other aspects of holistic care, especially psychological care, were ignored by the healthcare professionals.

Factors influencing the use of herbal medications during pregnancy at Public Health Center, Indonesia.

There has been an increase in the usage of herbal remedies, particularly among pregnant women, across the globe. The prevalence of herbal medicine use during pregnancy ranged from 54.3% to 96.6% in the region studied, indicating a rising trend in the use of herbal medicine during pregnancy. Cold and flu symptoms and stomach problems were the most prevalent reasons people turned to this drug. This study's samples were pregnant women in the working area of Ciwaruga Public Health Center, which has eight villages. The samples were taken using a proportional simple random sampling technique until 96 respondents were obtained. The percentage of moms who took herbal medication was the primary outcome variable, and participants were chosen for the research using a systematic sampling procedure. A digital database was used to store quantitative data that had been coded. The factors significantly associated with the use of herbal medicines during pregnancy were perception (OR 2.18; CI 1.02-4.66), having ever used herbal medicines during a previous pregnancy (OR 3.87; CI 1.46-10.25), and healthy reproductive is other reasons (OR 7.98; CI 4.45-14.30). Pregnant women in the Ciwaruga Public Health Center area often turn to herbal remedies, which may indicate a lack of access to mainstream medical treatment. They believe that herbal medications are useful and that using them during a prior pregnancy is linked.

The Impact of COVID-19 on Subjective Well-Being: Evidence from Twitter Data

This study analyzes the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on subjective well-being as measured through Twitter for the countries of Japan and Italy. In the first nine months of 2020, the Twitter indicators dropped by 11.7% for Italy and 8.3% for Japan compared to the last two months of 2019, and even more compared to their historical means. To understand what affected the Twitter mood so strongly, the study considers a pool of potential factors including: climate and air quality data, number of COVID-19 cases and deaths, Facebook COVID-19 and flu-like symptoms global survey data, coronavirus-related Google search data, policy intervention measures, human mobility data, macro economic variables, as well as health and stress proxy variables. This study proposes a framework to analyse and assess the relative impact of these external factors on the dynamic of Twitter mood and further implements a structural model to describe the underlying concept of subjective well-being. It turns out that prolonged mobility restrictions, flu and Covid-like symptoms, economic uncertainty and low levels of quality in social interactions have a negative impact on well-being.

Attitudes, attributions, and usage patterns of primary care patients with regard to over-the-counter drugs-asurvey in Germany.

Studies show that over-the-counter drugs are widely used by consumers. Moreover, there is ahuge selection available and they are prominently featured in advertising. To date, there exist only afew studies that shed light on the attitudes, attributions, and usage patterns of patients with regard to use of over-the-counter drugs. An anonymized explorative waiting room survey was conducted among 900 patients in 60GP practices in the German states of North Rhine-Westphalia, Hesse, and Rhineland-Palatinate. As well as the descriptive analysis, at test was applied to independent random samples, in order to identify significant differences between two groups. 65% of respondents reported using over-the-counter drugs frequently or occasionally. With regard to effects, risks, and side effects, 54% state that they usually take advice from their GP and/or pharmacist before purchasing or taking over-the-counter preparations. For 56%, the package information leaflet is afrequent source of information about the over-the-counter drugs used. The respondents consider over-the-counter preparations to be particularly suitable for (preventive) treatment of colds, flu symptoms, and pain management. The widespread perception of over-the-counter drugs as simple to use (62%), low-dose (69%), and low-efficacy (73%) products does not always correspond to the actual capabilities and risks of over-the-counter self-medication. Given the easy availability of over-the-counter drugs and their strong presence in advertising, it is important that patients have arealistic idea of the capabilities and risks of over-the-counter products. In addition to the advice provided by pharmacists, the trusting, long-standing support provided by GPs and their ongoing information and advice services play acentral role in this. It would be advisable to give more attention to this public health concern and to promote initiatives to make patients more aware of the risks regarding consumption of drugs without medical consultation.

Discovering Long COVID Symptom Patterns: Association Rule Mining and Sentiment Analysis in Social Media Tweets.

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic is a substantial public health crisis that negatively affects human health and well-being. As a result of being infected with the coronavirus, patients can experience long-term health effects called long COVID syndrome. Multiple symptoms characterize this syndrome, and it is crucial to identify these symptoms as they may negatively impact patients’ day-to-day lives. Breathlessness, fatigue, and brain fog are the 3 most common continuing and debilitating symptoms that patients with long COVID have reported, often months after the onset of COVID-19.ObjectiveThis study aimed to understand the patterns and behavior of long COVID symptoms reported by patients on the Twitter social media platform, which is vital to improving our understanding of long COVID.MethodsLong COVID–related Twitter data were collected from May 1, 2020, to December 31, 2021. We used association rule mining techniques to identify frequent symptoms and establish relationships between symptoms among patients with long COVID in Twitter social media discussions. The highest confidence level–based detection was used to determine the most significant rules with 10% minimum confidence and 0.01% minimum support with a positive lift.ResultsAmong the 30,327 tweets included in our study, the most frequent symptoms were brain fog (n=7812, 25.8%), fatigue (n=5284, 17.4%), breathing/lung issues (n=4750, 15.7%), heart issues (n=2900, 9.6%), flu symptoms (n=2824, 9.3%), depression (n=2256, 7.4%) and general pains (n=1786, 5.9%). Loss of smell and taste, cold, cough, chest pain, fever, headache, and arm pain emerged in 1.6% (n=474) to 5.3% (n=1616) of patients with long COVID. Furthermore, the highest confidence level–based detection successfully demonstrates the potential of association analysis and the Apriori algorithm to establish patterns to explore 57 meaningful relationship rules among long COVID symptoms. The strongest relationship revealed that patients with lung/breathing problems and loss of taste are likely to have a loss of smell with 77% confidence.ConclusionsThere are very active social media discussions that could support the growing understanding of COVID-19 and its long-term impact. These discussions enable a potential field of research to analyze the behavior of long COVID syndrome. Exploratory data analysis using natural language processing methods revealed the symptoms and medical conditions related to long COVID discussions on the Twitter social media platform. Using Apriori algorithm–based association rules, we determined interesting and meaningful relationships between symptoms.

Prevalence of Otorhinolaryngological Manifestations of COVID-19 Infection during Third Wave and Comparison from Seasonal Flu and Allergic Rhinitis in a Tertiary Care Hospital

Background: Ever since the cluster of COVID-19 cases seen in Wuhan, China, the animal-origin virus has created havoc. These changes in clinical manifestations have been tracked in different waves, in different countries, also the virus behaving differently according to race and culture. To assess the prevalence of symptoms of COVID-19 infection during the third wave and compare it with seasonal flu and allergic rhinitis. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional, comparative study was conducted at a tertiary hospital in Bareilly. A close-ended questionnaire was prepared to assess the otorhinolaryngological symptoms of COVID-19, seasonal flu, and allergic rhinitis. ENT findings were further confirmed by a suitable test. Results: A total of 145 tested positive for COVID-19 infection, 121 patients were diagnosed with seasonal flu, and 124 patients were diagnosed as cases of allergic rhinitis. Fever was the most common symptom in seasonal flu (100%) and COVID (93.8%) patients. Rhinorrhea (100%), lacrimation (100%), and sneezing (100%) were common symptoms in the allergic rhinitis group. A Chi-square test with Bonferroni correction showed a significant difference in the prevalence of symptoms in all three groups (P < 0.0001). Vaccination also contributed to less severity of COVID-19 disease. Conclusion: Involvement of otorhinolaryngology is considered a biomarker in all three groups with less frequent pulmonary features. It becomes necessary to correctly differentiate COVID-19 from the other two diseases for the proper treatment of patients.

Reply to Bauer


 “I don’t care if it’s horse piss. It works!”
 
 President John F. Kennedy
 
 I don’t know whom or what Dr. Bauer consults for his own medical care, but most of us rely on well-intentioned individuals, doing the best they can, with the tools they have on hand. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR), which can identify viruses and bacteria by their DNA or RNA within a few hours using a multiplication (amplification) technique, is such a tool. Identifying bacteria by culture takes several days, and viruses, which require living cells to reproduce, are difficult to culture at all. We use PCR to diagnose respiratory viruses such as influenza and Covid, as well as herpes viruses, bacteria that cause meningitis, sexually transmitted diseases, hepatitis B and C, and HIV. In the case of hepatitis and HIV, we measure “viral loads”—a quantification of virus particles using PCR. We can watch viral loads rise or fall as people become infected and then respond to treatment. This always correlates clinically: On becoming infected with HIV, the viral load rises rapidly coincident with flu or mononucleosis-like symptoms in at least 40% of people. The load reaches a peak at 6 months and plateaus (this is called the viral set point, and varies with individuals). HIV’s target, the CD4 immunoactive cell, starts to decrease in number as soon as infection begins, and continues to decline as long as the viral loads are high. The higher the viral set point, the faster the decline. It may take 8–10 years until the CD4 count is low enough to cause symptoms, and then people become quite ill. Before antiviral therapy, more than 90% died. When I did hospital rotations in the late 1980s, an adult medical service of 12–15 patients always included at least one dying of AIDS, and usually younger than myself.

Role of Computed Tomography Scan Chest for Management of COVID-19

Aim: To assess the role of chest computed tomography for management of Covid-19. Study design: Prospective study Place and duration of study: Department of Radiology, Peoples University of Medical & Health Sciences for Women, Nawabshah, Shaheed Benazirabad from 1st August 2020 to 30th September 2021. Methodology: Two hundred patients were enrolled within the age range of 18-70 years. The clinical/medical record of all those patients who were moderately to critically ill assessed in detail. These patients visited the hospital with symptoms of cough, fever, hypoxia, dyspnea, diarrhoea, flu, headache and other related symptoms. All patients underwent chest reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction as well as chest computed tomography scan. The reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction was performed through nasopharyngeal swab. Results: The mean age of the patients was 64.5±5.6 years with 120 (60%) males and 80 (40%) females. The specificity was 75%, sensitivity 100%, positive predictive value 79%, negative predictive value 66.67% and diagnostic accuracy 75%. Conclusion: Computed tomography scan imaging is a most reliable with high sensitivity and non-predictive value Key words: Role, Computed tomography imaging, Management, Covid-19

Facile Electrochemical Sensor for Sensitive and Selective Determination of Guaifenesin, Phenylephrine and Paracetamol on Electrochemically Pretreated Pencil Graphite Electrode.

Guaifenesin (GFS), phenylephrine (PHE) and paracetamol (PAR), drugs used in combination for the relief of cold and flu symptoms, were determined at electrochemically pretreated pencil graphite electrode. Differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) was used for the first time for the concomitant determination of the target compounds based on the electro-oxidation of PAR at 0.43 V, PHE at 0.74 V and GFS at 1.14 V in Britton–Robinson buffer pH 6.0. Under optimized experimental conditions, two linear ranges were obtained for PAR (2.50 × 10−6 M–1.00 × 10−5 M and 1.00 × 10−5 M–1.00 × 10−4 M) and for PHE and GFS linearity was proved between 5.00 × 10−6 M–2.00 × 10−4 M and 2.50 × 10−6 M–2.00 × 10−4 M, respectively. The detection limits were 8.12 × 10−7 M for PAR, 1.80 × 10−6 M for PHE and 8.29 × 10−7 M for GFS. The selective and sensitive DPV method and the electrochemically treated electrode were employed for simultaneous analysis of the analytes in pharmaceutical samples with good recoveries.

KORELASI GEJALA PENYAKIT FLU PADA ANAK BALITA DENGAN MENGGUNAKAN ALGORITMA SEMUT

Influenza is one of the most common illnesses suffered by toddlers. Knowing the symptoms that appear most quickly, parents can provide appropriate first aid to their toddlers. A graph is a field of mathematics used to find the fastest pathways in a path based on the starting point to the endpoint. The graph used is a weighted graph with weights taken from the moderate pain suffered by toddlers, in which the range of a pain scale is 0 – 10. Then, using the ant algorithm to determine the distance from symptoms that often appear. The results obtained from pheromone evaporation of the ant algorithm are Fever (P1), Headache (P2), Weakness (P7), Vomiting (P8), and Diarrhea (P9). The pheromones taken as pathways were high pheromone values P1–P2 (0.0905), P2–P7 (0.0874), P7–P8 (0.0811), and P8–P9 (0.0810). Ant algorithm can identify flu symptoms in children under five and explain the relationship between the symptoms.

COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) in Patients Treated in The Unified Health System (SUS) with Flu and Respiratory Symptoms from Three Brazilian Municipalities in the Border Region.

The objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence and carry out epidemiology using sociodemographic data from patients with symptoms suggestive of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) (SARS-CoV-2) in 3 bordering Brazilian municipalities. An epidemiological survey of positive cases of COVID-19 through reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was carried out in 1874 patients, seen in the Unified Health System (SUS), ages between 0 and 99 years, who had symptoms suggestive of COVID-19, from the cities of Assis Chateaubriand, Tupãssi, and Formosa do Oeste. It was possible to observe that of the 1874 patients seen in the public health network of the 3 municipalities, 354 were diagnosed as positive. The predominance of cases was in female patients (51.97%) and in patients who lived in urban areas (93.50%), and the predominant age group was 20-29 years (19.78%). The result of this study demonstrated the epidemiological profile of patients with respiratory and flu-like symptoms, positive for COVID-19, in 3 municipalities bordering Paraguay and Argentina. It was evident that the age group has its specificities regarding the susceptibility of the infection. Although the borders are closed, there was probably a spread of the virus in this region, due to the diversion, which showed an increase during the pandemic period.

Impact of probiotic supplementation on exercise endurance among non-elite athletes: study protocol for a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, clinical trial

BackgroundSome probiotics appear to improve athletic performance, endurance, and recovery after intense exercise. Other formulations may provide performance-related benefits via immune and gastrointestinal functions in athletic individuals. However, few formulations have been studied for both types of effects among non-elite athletes. The primary objective of this study is to assess the ergogenic effects of a probiotic on high-intensity endurance running performance in non-elite runners. Secondary objectives include assessment of perceived exertion, blood chemistry, immune and stress biomarkers, cold and flu symptoms, and gastrointestinal health after the probiotic intervention.MethodsThis 9-week randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, parallel trial will assess the ergogenic effects of a probiotic (5 billion colony-forming units/day, for 6 weeks) in healthy, non-elite runners (N=32; 18–45 years). Participants will be monitored via daily and weekly questionnaires during the 2-week pre-baseline, 6-week intervention, and 1-week washout. Questionnaires will inquire about activity, muscle soreness, gastrointestinal symptoms, cold and flu symptoms, stool form and frequency, and adverse events. During the pre-baseline visit, maximal oxygen uptake (V̇O2 max) is assessed to set appropriate individualized workload settings for the treadmill time-to-exhaustion endurance tests. These time-to-exhaustion endurance running tests will be completed at an intensity of 85% VO2max at baseline and final visits. During these tests, self-perceived exercise effort will be rated via the Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion scale and finger sticks assessing capillary blood glucose and lactate concentrations will be collected every 3 min. Additional questionnaires will assess diet and motivation to exercise. Body composition will be assessed using air displacement plethysmography at the baseline and final visits. Hypotheses will be tested using two-sided tests, and a linear model and with a type I error rate of α=0.05. Primary and secondary outcomes will be tested by comparing results between the intervention groups, adjusting for baseline values.DiscussionThese results will build evidence documenting the role of probiotics on running endurance performance and physiological responses to exercise in non-elite athletes. Understanding the potential mechanisms of probiotic effects and how they mitigate the intestinal or immune discomforts caused by running could provide additional strategy means to help runners improve their performance.Trial registration numberClinicalTrials.govNCT04588142. Posted on October 19, 2020.Protocol version: July 2, 2021, version 1.2

Mask-wearing behavior during COVID-19 in China and its correlation with e-health literacy

BackgroundDuring the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, wearing masks became crucial for preventing infection risk and maintaining basic health. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the behavioral characteristics of the mask-wearing public to provide theoretical reference for the prevention and control of COVID-19.MethodsWe conducted a nationwide survey on the mask-wearing behavior of the public and their health literacy levels by distributing electronic questionnaires. Univariate and logistic regression analyses were performed to determine the factors influencing mask-wearing behavior. Pearson's correlation was used to analyze the correlation between mask-wearing behaviors and e-health literacy.ResultsA total of 1,972 valid questionnaires were collected; 99.8% of the public wore masks when going out and 59.2% showed good mask-wearing behavior. Most people choose to wear disposable medical masks (61.3%), followed by medical surgical masks (52.9%). All participants indicated that they had understood the information on how to use masks, and most obtained it through social media (61.8%). The average of the e-health literacy scores of those with good mask-wearing behavior was significantly higher than those with poor mask-wearing behavior (P < 0.05), and each item score of the former's e-health literacy was significantly higher than the latter (P < 0.05). Further, there was a positive correlation between mask-wearing behavior and e-health literacy (R = 0.550, P < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that seven factors are related to mask-wearing behavior, including gender, place of residence, educational level, work or living environment, marital status, flu symptoms, and whether living with people in home quarantine (P < 0.01).ConclusionThe overall compliance of the public's mask-wearing behavior in China during COVID-19 is good. However, there are shortcomings regarding the selection, use, and precautions. The differences in mask-wearing behavior are related to factors including gender, place of residence, educational level, work or living environment, marital status, presence of flu symptoms, and whether living with people in home quarantine. Higher levels of e-health literacy indicated better mask-wearing behavior. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen the public's popularization and education regarding the prevention and control of COVID-19.

Traditional Chinese Medicine Injections Combined With Oseltamivir for Influenza: Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis

Background: As a cause of respiratory tract infections in humans, influenza remains with high morbidity and mortality, with associated significant healthcare burden and increased financial burden. Traditional Chinese medicine injections (TCMIs) combined with oseltamivir (TCMIs + oseltamivir) are the representative therapeutic strategies for influenza, which is a compliant with clinical applications in China. The aim of this study was to describe the comparative efficacy and safety of TCMIs + oseltamivir in patients with influenza, based on the current evidence. Methods: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Data Knowledge Service Platform, VIP information resource integration service platform databases, and the Chinese biomedical literature service system were searched to find randomized controlled trials where TCMIs + oseltamivir are the representative therapeutic strategies for influenza, from inception until October 2021, without language restriction. Two investigators independently screened eligibility criteria, extracted data, and appraised the risk of bias with the same criteria. We conducted a network meta-analysis using the Bayesian random method for each outcome and performed the sensitivity analysis, meta-regression, and Egger’s and Begg’s tests for the reliability and robustness of our results. Results: Thirty-one trials including 2,893 participants proved eligible and reported on four TCMIs + oseltamivir versus oseltamivir. Network meta-analysis showed Yanhuning (YHN) +oseltamivir (MD = −1.7, 95% CrI: −2.5 to −0.88; SUCRA = 0.89; low certainty of evidence) in fever disappearance time, Tanreqing (TRQ) +oseltamivir (MD = −1.9, 95% CrI: −2.8 to −1; SUCRA = 0.97; low certainty of evidence) in cough disappearance time, and Xiyanping (XYP) +oseltamivir (OR = 5.9, 95% CrI: 3.1 to 11; SUCRA = 0.82; very low certainty of evidence) in the response rate to be more efficacious than oseltamivir alone with the best SUCRA. Based on the combined SUCRA value for primary outcomes, TRQ + oseltamivir is probably better in cough disappearance time, and XYP + oseltamivir and YHN + oseltamivir may be better in fever disappearance time than others. No significant difference in safety between the treatments. Conclusion: In patients with influenza, TCMIs + oseltamivir only partially improve flu symptoms. Overall therapeutic efficacy and safety are inconclusive, based on low to very low certainty of evidence. However, the safety remains uncertain, and TCMI treatments for influenza should be considered with caution. More high-quality studies examining the efficacy and safety of TCMIs are needed. Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/, identifier CRD42021286994

Deep Neural Networks for Optimal Selection of Features Related to Flu.

In recent times, humans who have been exposed to influenza A viruses (IAV) may not become hostile. Despite the fact that KLRD1 has been discovered as an influenza susceptibility biomarker, it remains to be seen if pre-exposure host gene expression can predict flu symptoms. In this paper, we enable the examination of flu using deep neural networks from input human gene expression datasets with various subtype viruses. This study enables the utilization of these datasets to forecast the spread of flu and can provide the necessary steps to eradicate the flu. The simulation is conducted to test the efficiency of the model in predicting the spread against various input datasets. The results of the simulation show that the proposed method offers a better prediction ability of 2.98% more than other existing methods in finding the spread of flu.

Rational and Safe Use of the Top Two Botanical Dietary Supplements to Enhance the Immune System.

The recent COVID-19 pandemic has sparked great interest in strengthening the immune system, especially by the consumption of widely available natural dietary supplements. Because of this popularity, it was suggested that the sales of these products would grow significantly in the year 2021, especially for those who are unable or unwilling to receive COVID-19 vaccines. Among the many botanicals, Sambucus nigra L. (Elderberry) and Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench (Echinacea) have especially shown great popularity. Various in vivo and in vitro tests of S. nigra and E. purpurea extracts and constituents have confirmed the botanicals' influence on proinflammatory cytokines, viral infections, and flu symptoms, proving their immunomodulatory and antiviral effects. Although there have been promising results with S. nigra and E. purpurea containing supplements, thorough monitoring of the sanitary production, demand, and related side effects after consumption is required. Further research and development of the supplements in accordance with the pandemic are also advised.

Intrest in influenza and influenza like illnesses in Poland 2016-2021 based on Google Trend's data analysis.

Influenza and Influenza Like Illness (ILI) are viral diseases that show seasonality in incidence. Influenza can be effectively prevented with immunization. Vaccination is recommended for risk groups, especially for the elderly, immunocompromised population, with chronic diseases and pregnant women. The purpose of the study was to assess interest in influenza and influenza vaccine in Poland by users of the Google search engine over the last five years using the Google Trends (GT) tool. Data collected from Google Trends (GT) over a five-year period beginning on 11/9/2016 was analyzed. The time trend analysis focused at four phrases in Polish "grypa", "grypa objawy", "szczepionka przeciw grypie" and "szczepionka na grypę", which can be translated into English, as; "flu", "flu symptoms", "flu vaccine", and a colloquial phrase meaning "against the flu vaccine". Before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, a seasonal increase in inquiries is evident, mimicking the increase in influenza and ILI cases or an increase in interest in the topic during the season in which prophylaxis is carried out using available vaccines. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the seasonal interest in the above topic was disrupted. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there were changes in the search terms in Polish. This included the timing and amount of queries related to influenza-themed expressions. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an increase in influenza and ILI queries during the period of increased incidence of COVID-19.

Would Illness Representations of COVID-19 and COVID-19 Fears During Clinic Visits Promote or Reduce Behavioral Intention to Seek Medical Consultations for Flu Symptoms? A Random Telephone Survey in Hong Kong, China.

BackgroundThe study investigated the level of behavioral intention to consult doctors for flu symptoms (BICDFS) during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and examined its associations with illness representations of COVID-19 and fear of COVID-19 during clinic visits in a general Chinese adult population.MethodsA random telephone survey was conducted among 300 residents in Hong Kong, China in April 2020 when the second wave of COVID-19 was just ended in the region. The participants were asked about their intention to consult doctors if they had mild or severe flu symptoms in the next week (from 1 = definitely no to 5 = definitely yes). Illness representations of COVID-19 were measured by the Chinese version of the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (BIPQ). The fear of COVID-19 during clinic visits were assessed by two single items. Linear regression adjusted for background variables and hierarchical strategies were employed.ResultsOf the participants, 52.3 and 92.0% showed an intention to consult doctors for mild and severe flu symptoms, respectively. Adjusted for background factors, COVID-19-related cognitive representations (consequences: standardized b = 0.15, p = 0.010; understanding: standardized b = 0.21, p = 0.001) and emotional representations (concern: standardized b = 0.17, p = 0.001; negative emotions: standardized b = 0.19, p = 0.001) were positively associated with BICDFS. In the hierarchical model, independent significant factors of BICDFS included understanding (standardized b = 0.16, p = 0.013) and negative emotions (standardized b = 0.17, p = 0.008). The fear-related variables showed non-significant associations with the BICDFS.ConclusionsPromotion of care-seeking behaviors for flu symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic should consider improving people's understanding of COVID-19 and providing advice on related coping strategies for emotional responses to COVID-19.

Perspectives of the rural communities of Impendle, Bulwer, and Kokstad in South Africa using ethnomedicinal plants to cure flu and associated symptoms in the advent of COVID-19

The contribution of ethnomedical research in the advent of infectious illness is not new. Ethnomedicinal plants have historically embodiment of wisdom from the ancestors and play a significant role in treating various human disorders. This study embodies qualitative research methods as well as the Social Constructivist Theory to understand how the rural communities (Impendle, Bulwer and Kokstad), located within the geographical landscape of South Africa use ethnomedicinal plants to cure flu and other associated symptoms in the advent of COVID-19. Through telephonic interviews, twenty (20) research participants were recruited using the snowballing-chain referral sampling technique. Research participants contributed by noting that rural communities/cultures have a rich knowledge of ethnomedicinal plants that they have used for decades to treat flu symptoms and even cure people suffering from flu. This paper strongly recognises that people’s voices in rural communities are important in understanding their illness or disease experience and how they ethnomedical respond to them. Data analysis revealed African activism towards the COVID-19 impact on rural communities. This paper thus recognises indigenous knowledge as ancestral learning, as the source of social, domestic wisdom as well as a guide on the use of ethnomedicinal plants/ethnomedicine. Ethnomedicinal plants remain the wealth of rural communities as they are able to demonstrate their agency and resilience when confronted by different illnesses. This is their contribution to the decolonial agenda which seeks to recognize the wealth of ethnomedical plants against the hegemonic pragmatism of biomedicine. This paper then proposes that discussed ethnomedicinal plants should be acknowledged in South Africa as well as in Southern Africa as their indigenous wealth and should be vetted as traditional remedies that people have used to cure flu and associated symptoms. This recognition will thus achieve decolonial thinking of African indigenous/ethnomedicinal plants.

Retrospective observation and analysis of autoimmune-related indicators in 317 patients with acute Omicron variant infection

To compare the changes of clinical characteristics and immune-related indicators of patients with mild and moderate acute Omicron variant infection, and to evaluate the protective effect of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination. The study retrospectively analyzed the clinical characteristics of 317 adult patients diagnosed with COVID-19 Omicron variant (B1.1.529) infection admitted to Tianjin First Central Hospital (Shuixi District) from January 22, 2022 to February 24, 2022. Demographic characteristics, vaccination status, underlying diseases, epidemiological characteristics, baseline data, and relevant laboratory test results on admission were collected, and the differences in clinical characteristics, especially the changes in immune-related indicators, between mild and moderate patients were compared and analyzed. Among the 317 adult patients with acute Omicron variant infection, the proportion of elderly, hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular or cerebrovascular diseases were significantly higher in moderate group (203 cases) than those of mild group (114 cases) [age ≥ 60 years old: 27.58% (56/203) vs. 9.65% (11/114), hypertension: 31.03% (63/203) vs. 19.30% (22/114), diabetes: 15.76% (32/203) vs. 7.89% (9/114), cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases: 11.33% (23/203) vs 0.88% (1/114), all P < 0.05]. The route of transmission was mainly through gatherings and the first symptoms were fever, dry cough, fatigue, sore throat, nasal congestion, runny nose and other flu symptoms; 19.30% (22/114) and 24.63% (50/203) of patients in mild and moderate groups were positive for the new coronavirus nucleic acid test, respectively, but the difference was not significant difference (P > 0.05). Inflammatory indicators in most mild and moderate patients were within normal range, such as white blood cell count (WBC), neutrophil ratio (NEU%), lymphocyte count (LYM), C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), and interleukin-6 (IL-6), etc., suggesting that the acute phase of Omicron variant infection had not yet caused severe inflammatory storm, which might be related to the weakening of pathogenicity after vaccination and virus mutation. The proportion of patients with IL-6 > 7 ng/L in the mild group was significantly lower than that in the normal group [1.75% (2/114) vs. 6.40% (13/203), P < 0.05], suggesting that elevated IL-6 might be an important factor in evaluating indicators of disease severity. There was no significant difference in lymphocyte subsets between the two groups, but there were 12.90% (12/93) and 11.04% (17/154) of the patients in two groups, respectively, decreased in the proportion of helper T cells, and 18.28% (17/93) and 14.28% (22/154) of the patients had elevated CD4+/CD8+ ratio, suggesting that patients with Omicron variant infection had autoimmune system dysfunction, which might be related to disease progression and the occurrence of long-term autoimmune disease. Serum IL-6 level may be used as a predictor for evaluating the severity of disease in patients with Omicron variant infection; after vaccination, inflammatory indicators in patients with acute Omicron variant infection were significantly reduced, but the long-term effects still require long-term follow-up observation.