scholarly journals Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Acute Ischemic Stroke Presentation, Treatment, and Outcomes

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Timothy G. White ◽  
Gabriela Martinez ◽  
Jason Wang ◽  
Michele Gribko ◽  
Artem Boltyenkov ◽  
...  

Introduction. The World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic last year. While a clear impact of COVID-19 on the declining stroke volume has been reported, its overall impact on stroke presentation and clinical outcomes has not been established. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of COVID-19 on acute ischemic stroke volume, presentation, treatment, and outcomes at comprehensive stroke centers. Methods. A retrospective review of patients with a discharge diagnosis of acute ischemic stroke from the Get With The Guidelines database was performed from January 1, 2019, to July 1, 2020. The following time periods were defined: Pre-COVID (January/February), Peak-COVID (March/April), and Post-COVID (May/June). Bivariate analyses were performed comparing the 2020 and 2019 time periods to determine differences in stroke volume, presentation, treatment, and outcomes. Results. Stroke volumes were significantly lower during the Peak-COVID period in 2020 compared to that in 2019, with an absolute decline of 49.5% ( P < 0.001 ). Patients were more likely to present after 24 hours from last known well during the 2020 Peak-COVID period ( P = 0.03 ). However, there was not a significant difference in the rate of treatment with either the tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) or mechanical thrombectomy during the Peak-COVID period. Interestingly, relative treatment rates increased during the 2020 Post-COVID period to 11.4% ( P = 0.01 ). Conclusions. The overall ischemic stroke volume decreased during the pandemic, and patients had a tendency to present later, beyond eligible treatment windows. However, rates of treatment, patient demographics, and stroke outcomes did not significantly change when compared to the prior year.

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (5) ◽  
pp. 540-554 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adnan I Qureshi ◽  
Foad Abd-Allah ◽  
Fahmi Al-Senani ◽  
Emrah Aytac ◽  
Afshin Borhani-Haghighi ◽  
...  

Background and purpose On 11 March 2020, World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-19 infection a pandemic. The risk of ischemic stroke may be higher in patients with COVID-19 infection similar to those with other respiratory tract infections. We present a comprehensive set of practice implications in a single document for clinicians caring for adult patients with acute ischemic stroke with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 infection. Methods The practice implications were prepared after review of data to reach the consensus among stroke experts from 18 countries. The writers used systematic literature reviews, reference to previously published stroke guidelines, personal files, and expert opinion to summarize existing evidence, indicate gaps in current knowledge, and when appropriate, formulate practice implications. All members of the writing group had opportunities to comment in writing on the practice implications and approved the final version of this document. Results This document with consensus is divided into 18 sections. A total of 41 conclusions and practice implications have been developed. The document includes practice implications for evaluation of stroke patients with caution for stroke team members to avoid COVID-19 exposure, during clinical evaluation and performance of imaging and laboratory procedures with special considerations of intravenous thrombolysis and mechanical thrombectomy in stroke patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 infection. Conclusions These practice implications with consensus based on the currently available evidence aim to guide clinicians caring for adult patients with acute ischemic stroke who are suspected of, or confirmed, with COVID-19 infection. Under certain circumstances, however, only limited evidence is available to support these practice implications, suggesting an urgent need for establishing procedures for the management of stroke patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 infection.


Author(s):  
Kirti Sundar Sahu ◽  
Arlene Oetomo ◽  
Niloofar Jalali ◽  
Plinio P. Morita

The World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak as a pandemic on March 11, 2020. To inhibit the spread of COVID-19, governments around the globe, including Canada, have implemented physical distancing and lockdown measures, including a work-from-home policy. Canada in 2020 has developed a 24-Hour Movement Guideline for all ages laying guidance on the ideal amount of physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and sleep (PASS) for an individual in a day. The purpose of this study was to investigate changes on the household and population-level in lifestyle behaviours (PASS) and time spent indoors at the household level, following the implementation of physical distancing protocols and stay-at-home guidelines. For this study, we used 2019 and 2020 data from ecobee, a Canadian smart Wi-Fi thermostat company, through the Donate Your Data (DYD) program. Using motion sensors data, we quantified the amount of sleep by using the absence of movement, and similarly, increased sensor activation to show a longer duration of household occupancy. The key findings of this study were; during the COVID-19 pandemic, overall household-level activity increased significantly compared to pre-pandemic times, there was no significant difference between household-level behaviours between weekdays and weekends during the pandemic, average sleep duration has not changed, but the pattern of sleep behaviour significantly changed, specifically, bedtime and wake up time delayed, indoor time spent has been increased and outdoor time significantly reduced. Our data analysis shows the feasibility of using big data to monitor the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the household and population-level behaviours and patterns of change.


2021 ◽  
Vol 104 (2) ◽  
pp. 003685042110198
Author(s):  
Helen Onyeaka ◽  
Christian K Anumudu ◽  
Zainab T Al-Sharify ◽  
Esther Egele-Godswill ◽  
Paul Mbaegbu

COVID-19, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on the 11th of March 2020, leading to some form of lockdown across almost all countries of the world. The extent of the global pandemic due to COVID-19 has a significant impact on our lives that must be studied carefully to combat it. This study highlights the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown on crucial aspects of daily life globally, including; Food security, Global economy, Education, Tourism, hospitality, sports and leisure, Gender Relation, Domestic Violence/Abuse, Mental Health and Environmental air pollution through a systematic search of the literature. The COVID-19 global lockdown was initiated to stem the spread of the virus and ‘flatten the curve’ of the pandemic. However, the impact of the lockdown has had far-reaching effects in different strata of life, including; changes in the accessibility and structure of education delivery to students, food insecurity as a result of unavailability and fluctuation in prices, the depression of the global economy, increase in mental health challenges, wellbeing and quality of life amongst others. This review article highlights the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown across the globe. As the global lockdown is being lifted in a phased manner in various countries of the world, it is necessary to explore its impacts to understand its consequences comprehensively. This will guide future decisions that will be made in a possible future wave of the COVID-19 pandemic or other global disease outbreak.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu-xuan Li ◽  
Chang-zheng He ◽  
Yi-chen Liu ◽  
Peng-yue Zhao ◽  
Xiao-lei Xu ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization. Patients with cancer are more likely to incur poor clinical outcomes. Due to the prevailing pandemic, we propose some surgical strategies for gastric cancer patients. Methods: The ‘COVID-19’ period was defined as occurring between 2020-01-20 and 2020-03-20. The enrolled patients were divided into two groups, pre-COVID-19 group (PCG) and COVID-19 group (CG). A total of 109 patients with gastric cancer were enrolled in this study. Results: The waiting time before admission increased by 4 days in the CG (PCG: 4.5 [IQR: 2, 7.8] vs. CG: 8.0 [IQR: 2,20]; p=0.006). More patients had performed chest CT scans besides abdominal CT before admission during the COVID-19 period (PCG: 22 [32%] vs. CG: 30 [73%], p=0.001). After admission during the COVID period, the waiting time before surgery was longer (PCG: 3[IQR: 2,5] vs. CG: 7[IQR: 5,9]; p<0.001), more laparoscopic surgeries were performed (PCG: 51[75%] vs. CG: 38[92%], p=0.021), and hospital stay period after surgery was longer (7[IQR: 6,8] vs.9[IQR:7,11]; p<0.001). In addition, the total cost of hospitalization increased during this period, (PCG: 9.22[IQR:7.82,10.97] vs. CG: 10.42[IQR:8.99,12.57]; p=0.006). Conclusion: This study provides an opportunity for our surgical colleagues to reflect on their own services and any contingency plans they may have to tackle the COVID-19 crisis.


Author(s):  
Allakhyarov D.Z. ◽  
Petrov Yu.A. ◽  
Chernavsky V.V.

This article presents reviews of literature sources on the clinical and pathogenetic aspects of the course of a new coronovirus infection in pregnant women, in order to analyze the features of the course of COVID-19 in pregnant women and to assess the impact of infection on the body of a woman and a fetus. Pregnancy is a special physiological condition, during which a number of changes occur in the body, not only in the hormonal status, but also in the immune system. The urgency of this problem is due to the high prevalence of new coronavirus infection among the population. On March 12, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO), as a result of the dynamic development of the epidemic in many countries and continents, declared a global pandemic of the contagious disease COVID-19 caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. According to available studies, pregnant women are more susceptible to a more severe course of infectious diseases affecting the upper respiratory tract. According to various studies, a new coronavirus infection can lead to premature birth, miscarriage, and preeclampsia. Separate studies show increased mortality in pregnant women diagnosed with COVID-19. The SARS-CoV-2 virus does not have a direct teratogenic effect on the fetus, but it can indirectly lead to harmful effects on the developing organism. Special attention should be paid to the issue of vaccination of pregnant women against a new coronavirus infection, at the moment there is no accurate data on the effect of the vaccine on the body of the pregnant woman and the fetus. In this regard, the question of the impact of a new coronavirus infection on the course of pregnancy has become relevant.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (8) ◽  
pp. 251-260
Author(s):  
Maryam Adli ◽  
Amama Saleem ◽  
Tamima Saleem ◽  
Hawa Adli ◽  
Maria Adli

The World Health Organization stated COVID-19 a global pandemic, it has quickly spread all over the world, posing immense health, environmental and social challenges to the global population. The coronavirus outbreak is critically interrupting the global trade and has shattered the core sustaining pillars of the modern world economies. Concerns have been raised about policy changes, enforcement actions, immigrant detention, and deportation practices during the outbreak. The impact of COVID-19 on these trends implies new dimensions for global governance and organizations. This article seeks to highlight Azerbaijan's problems in the context of the battle against a pandemic. Because a country's economy has been impacted, a comprehensive study may give a better understanding of the results, illuminating the areas that require more assistance and growth.


Author(s):  
Samsul Alam

<p>The global smartphone brands were progressing aggressively over time. A sudden unexpected turbulent situation known as a global pandemic declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) about a century later in the history of human civilization stops this progress. It makes the industry bound to fall behind. This study aims to review and analyze the impact of the present pandemic situation due to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) on the global smartphone industry. It shows its competitive scenarios focusing on smartphone demand and supply. Thus, the study suggest a strategic approach to combat this situation. It is done by reviewing the latest literature published explicitly in 2020. The findings of this study reveal a significant negative impact of COVID-19 on global smartphone brands, primarily especially in the big markets of this industry, namely China, India, USA, Europe. Conversely, it can also positively impact the industry, especially in some developing countries. The positivity is seen due to the expanded demand for smartphones in some sectors like education, business, and entertainment media shifted online, triggering the user’s need to purchase a new smart device. Lastly, based on the understanding of the current scenario, some strategic approaches are discussed, and appropriate solutions are given for the industry to cope up with the pandemic crisis and, at the same time, how to attain success. The strategic directions given at the end can be applied to the industry’s sustainability and growth.</p>


BMC Surgery ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu-xuan Li ◽  
Chang-zheng He ◽  
Yi-chen Liu ◽  
Peng-yue Zhao ◽  
Xiao-lei Xu ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization. Patients with cancer are more likely to incur poor clinical outcomes. Due to the prevailing pandemic, we propose some surgical strategies for gastric cancer patients. Methods The ‘COVID-19’ period was defined as occurring between 2020 and 01-20 and 2020-03-20. The enrolled patients were divided into two groups, pre-COVID-19 group (PCG) and COVID-19 group (CG). A total of 109 patients with gastric cancer were enrolled in this study. Results The waiting time before admission increased by 4 days in the CG (PCG: 4.5 [IQR: 2, 7.8] vs. CG: 8.0 [IQR: 2,20]; p = 0.006). More patients had performed chest CT scans besides abdominal CT before admission during the COVID-19 period (PCG: 22 [32%] vs. CG: 30 [73%], p = 0.001). After admission during the COVID period, the waiting time before surgery was longer (PCG: 3[IQR: 2,5] vs. CG: 7[IQR: 5,9]; p < 0.001), more laparoscopic surgeries were performed (PCG: 51[75%] vs. CG: 38[92%], p = 0.021), and hospital stay period after surgery was longer (7[IQR: 6,8] vs.9[IQR:7,11]; p < 0.001). In addition, the total cost of hospitalization increased during this period, (PCG: 9.22[IQR:7.82,10.97] vs. CG: 10.42[IQR:8.99,12.57]; p = 0.006). Conclusion This study provides an opportunity for our surgical colleagues to reflect on their own services and any contingency plans they may have to tackle the COVID-19 crisis.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 79-89
Author(s):  
Lia Umi Mulyana ◽  
Muhammad Ihsan ◽  
Yuni Amelia

The global pandemic that set by the World Health Organization on January 30, 2020 as a result of the new disease of Covid-19 has made many major changes, one of them in education where learning system are done through online. Online learning policies during the Covid-19 pandemic are the main solution to keeping the learning process going.This thesis aims to find out what impact of English online learning has on students' mental health during the covid-19 pandemic at SMA Negeri 2 Sojol  and To find out what factors hindered students in the process of English online learning at SMA Negeri 2 Sojol. In this research, the researcher applied a descriptive qualitative research which were located at SMA Negeri 2 Sojol. Data sources obtained through primary and secondary data. Data collection techniques used are  questionnaire and interviews. Based on the results of the questioner showed that they tend to just felt bored, difficult to concentrate, feelings of fear or worry if they are unable to collect tasks on time as well as their difficulty in understanding the material when English online learning during the covid-19 pandemic. Where it is caused by several factors such as poor internet network, residential environment and also monotonous teaching techniques from English teachers.


Stroke ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 46 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ameer E Hassan ◽  
Christian Sanchez ◽  
Ahmed A Malik ◽  
Erlinda Abantao ◽  
Olive Sanchez ◽  
...  

Background: Hospitalist directed care has shown significant association with improved lengths of stay with improvements in outcomes in several acute conditions. The hospitalist effect has not been studied in acute ischemic stroke management. Objective: To identify acute ischemic stroke patients admitted under a hospitalist, internist, family practice physician, or a specialist and compare the length of stay, discharge outcome, and adherence to the “Get with the Guidelines” (GWTG) stroke performance measures prior to discharge. Methods: We identified consecutive acute ischemic stroke patients over a 4-year period (June 2010-June 2014) from a private Gold Plus Target Stroke Honor Roll primary stroke center. We categorized all stroke admissions according to admitting physicians - hospitalist, internist, family practice, or specialty physician directed care. We collected demographics, risk factors and discharge outcomes based on the modified Rankin Scale (mRS). We analyzed all of the GWTG stroke inpatient quality measures (venous thromboembolism prophylaxis, statin on discharge, anthithrombotic by end of day 2, antithrombotic medication on discharge, atrial fibrillation discharged on anticoagulant) and compared rate of deficiencies between the four groups of admitting physicians. Results: A total of 1584 patients [mean age (± SD) 68.6±13.7 years; 55.6% men] were admitted with acute ischemic stroke. There was no statistically significant difference in length of stay between the 4 groups (p=0.4). There was a significant difference in the GTWG inpatient quality measures with the hospitalist group having the lowest rates of deficiencies seen with 5% of their admissions (p=0.03), and the internists have the highest rate of deficiencies with 16% of their admissions (p=0.01). The most common deficiency was not prescribing a statin at discharge (56% of total fallouts). There was no difference in poor outcomes on discharge (mRS 3-6) (p=0.2). Conclusions: There is a significant improvement in adherence to the GWTG inpatient stroke measures when an acute ischemic stroke patient is admitted under the care of a hospitalist. Prospective databases are recommended to evaluate if this leads to better long term outcomes.


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