scholarly journals Epidemiological and clinical characteristics of COVID-19 in Indian children in the initial phase of the pandemic: A cross-sectional study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bhakti Sarangi ◽  
Venkat Sandeep Reddy ◽  
Jitendra S. Oswal ◽  
Nandini Malshe ◽  
Ajinkya Patil ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Initial Phase ◽  
Clinical Characteristics ◽  
Indian Subcontinent ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Nasopharyngeal Swab ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Indian Children ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Consistent Finding ◽  
Neutrophil Lymphocyte Ratio

Abstract Background: India saw the largest and the most stringent lockdown in the world when the number of COVID-19 cases reached around 550. With some early benefits in containing the surge and restricting the R0 of the virus, the current relaxation of lockdown norms has witnessed an exponential rise in positive cases. With scarcity of Pediatric data from the Indian subcontinent, early observations in the pandemic are pivotal in improving the understanding of physiologic behaviors, identifying risks, and guiding clinicians in assessing time-tested interventions and augmenting the awareness in the masses about the manifold clinical profiles of an evolving disease.Objective: To assess the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of children admitted with COVID-19 infection early in the pandemic.Study Design: A cross-sectional studyParticipants: Fifty children between one month and 18 years of age whose nasopharyngeal swab tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 by RT- PCR. Results: 28 (56%) children were male. 41 (82%) came from government declared containment zones with only one child having history of travel to affected area. Home overcrowding was observed in 33 (66%). Of the 50 children, 29 (58%) were asymptomatic while 20 (40%) and one (2%) had mild and moderate symptoms respectively. Fever, cough, and sore throat were the most common symptoms. 49 (98%) children had BCG scar. Leucopenia was seen in three (6%) only. Mean (SD) Neutrophil-Lymphocyte-Ratio (NLR) was 0.78 (0.48) while mean (SD) CRP was 10.98 (23.90). All 50 (100%) were cured. Conclusion: Our study reasserts the increasing pediatric burden of COVID-19 with all age groups affected and overcrowding as a risk factor for continued community transmission, thus beckoning that public health policies be directed to ensuring further preventive measures. It also re-iterates the milder disease pattern in children with COVID-19 in the initial phase of the pandemic with a high proportion of asymptomatic and mild illness. Though abnormal CRP values are synonymous with the illness in children; leucopenia may not be a consistent finding.

scholarly journals SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence and asymptomatic viral carriage in healthcare workers: a cross-sectional study

Thorax ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 75 (12) ◽  
pp. 1089-1094 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrian Shields ◽  
Sian E Faustini ◽  
Marisol Perez-Toledo ◽  
Sian Jossi ◽  
Erin Aldera ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Venous Blood ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Nasopharyngeal Swab ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
University Hospitals ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
General Internal ◽  
Increased Risk

ObjectiveTo determine the rates of asymptomatic viral carriage and seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in healthcare workers.DesignA cross-sectional study of asymptomatic healthcare workers undertaken on 24/25 April 2020.SettingUniversity Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHBFT), UK.Participants545 asymptomatic healthcare workers were recruited while at work. Participants were invited to participate via the UHBFT social media. Exclusion criteria included current symptoms consistent with COVID-19. No potential participants were excluded.InterventionParticipants volunteered a nasopharyngeal swab and a venous blood sample that were tested for SARS-CoV-2 RNA and anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein antibodies, respectively. Results were interpreted in the context of prior illnesses and the hospital departments in which participants worked.Main outcome measureProportion of participants demonstrating infection and positive SARS-CoV-2 serology.ResultsThe point prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 viral carriage was 2.4% (n=13/545). The overall seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies was 24.4% (n=126/516). Participants who reported prior symptomatic illness had higher seroprevalence (37.5% vs 17.1%, χ2=21.1034, p<0.0001) and quantitatively greater antibody responses than those who had remained asymptomatic. Seroprevalence was greatest among those working in housekeeping (34.5%), acute medicine (33.3%) and general internal medicine (30.3%), with lower rates observed in participants working in intensive care (14.8%). BAME (Black, Asian and minority ethnic) ethnicity was associated with a significantly increased risk of seropositivity (OR: 1.92, 95% CI 1.14 to 3.23, p=0.01). Working on the intensive care unit was associated with a significantly lower risk of seropositivity compared with working in other areas of the hospital (OR: 0.28, 95% CI 0.09 to 0.78, p=0.02).Conclusions and relevanceWe identify differences in the occupational risk of exposure to SARS-CoV-2 between hospital departments and confirm asymptomatic seroconversion occurs in healthcare workers. Further investigation of these observations is required to inform future infection control and occupational health practices.

scholarly journals Clinical Characteristics of Pigment Dispersion Syndrome and Pigmentary Glaucoma Patients: A Cross-sectional Study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vijay Pratap Singh Tomar ◽  
Sandeep Sharma ◽  
Rahul Bhardwaj ◽  
Sindhuja Singh ◽  
Virendra Kumar Pal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Visual Field ◽  
Optic Disc ◽  
Clinical Characteristics ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Pigment Dispersion ◽  
Pigmentary Glaucoma ◽  
Spherical Equivalent ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Pigment Dispersion Syndrome

Introduction: Pigmentary Glaucoma (PG) and Pigment Dispersion Syndrome (PDS) are two different spectrums of a single disease. Since the disease is seen in younger population and is rapidly progressive blinding disease, therefore early diagnosis and treatment will reduce the burden of the disease and improve the quality of life. Aim: To evaluate clinical characteristics of PDS and PG patients in eastern part of Uttar Pradesh. Materials and Methods: This was a two years (1st January 2018 to 31st December 2019) hospital‑based retrospective cross‑sectional study of patients who attended the glaucoma clinic. Diagnosis of PDS was made when they had normal optic disc, normal visual field {with or without increased Intra Ocular Pressure (IOP)} and at least two of the following three signs were found clinically: Krukenberg spindle, homogenous moderate‑to‑heavy (≥Spaeth 2+) Trabecular Meshwork (TM) pigmentation, and any degree of zonular and/or lenticular pigment granule dusting. Patients with PDS were diagnosed with PG, if they had two or more of the following findings: initial IOP >21 mmHg, glaucomatous optic nerve damage or glaucomatous visual field loss. Various parameters such as influence of demographics, IOP, Best‑Corrected Visual Acuity (BCVA), Central Corneal Thickness (CCT), Mean Deviation (MD), Visual Field Index (VFI %), spherical equivalent and clinical finding of anterior segment of study patients were analysed. Mean, standard deviation and percentage were calculated using GraphPad Instat version 3.0. Results: Among 40 patients, nine eyes of the six patients had myopia of ‑0.5D or greater, with mean refractive error of ‑3.55±4.72 spherical equivalent. The average baseline IOP in study patients (PDS+PG), was 30.21±11.42 mmHg. Twenty four (60%) patients, either in one or both eyes had glaucoma, secondary to PDS at the initial diagnosis. Thirty three (82.5%) patients had Krukenberg spindles. Homogeneous TM pigmentation was seen in all patients. Typical spoke‑like radial Iris Transillumination Defects (ITDs) were not observed in any of the patients except in one patient, who had isolated short slit‑like trans‑illumination defects in iris crypts. Conclusion: PDS patients with normal optic disc and visual field and raised IOP, should be started prophylactic treatment and needs to be monitored more closely. Thus, the finding of PDS in Indians should alert the ophthalmologist to look for glaucoma during the initial examination.

scholarly journals The association between serum uric acid and diabetic complications in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus by gender: a cross-sectional study

PeerJ ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. e10691
Author(s):  
Yimeng Hu ◽  
Qinge Li ◽  
Rui Min ◽  
Yingfeng Deng ◽  
Yancheng Xu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Diabetes Mellitus ◽  
Type 2 Diabetes ◽  
Risk Factor ◽  
Clinical Characteristics ◽  
Independent Risk Factor ◽  
Binary Logistic Regression ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional

Background The relationship between serum uric acid (SUA) and several diabetic complications or co-morbidities remains a matter of debate. The study aims to explore the association between SUA levels and the prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), diabetic retinopathy (DR), diabetic nephropathy (DN) and diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods A total of 2,809 participants (1,784 males and 1,025 females) were included in this cross-sectional study. Clinical characteristics and the prevalence of each of the four diseases were analyzed based on gender-specific quartiles of SUA levels. The Pearson correlation analysis and linear-regression analysis were used to access the correlation between SUA levels and clinical characteristics. Furthermore, a binary logistic regression analysis was carried out to determine whether SUA was an independent risk factor for each of the four complications. Results SUA levels were positively correlated to BMI, BUN, Scr and TG, but negatively associated with eGFR, HDL, FBG, 2h-PG and HbA1c% for the patients with T2DM. The prevalence of NAFLD and DN, but not DR or DPN, were increased with SUA levels from the first to the fourth quartile. Binary logistic regression further disclosed that SUA was an independent risk factor for NAFLD (ORs Male = 1.002, ∗P = 0.0013; ORs Female = 1.002, ∗P = 0.015) and DN (ORs Male = 1.006, ∗P < 0.001; ORs Female = 1.005, ∗P < 0.001), but not for DR and DPN. After adjustment for the confounders, SUA levels were significantly associated with NAFLD within the 3rd (ORs = 1.829, P = 0.004) and 4th quartile (ORs = 2.064, P = 0.001) for women, but not independently associated with SUA for man. On the other hand, our results revealed increased prevalence of DN for SUA quartile 2 (ORs = 3.643, P = 0.039), quartile 3 (ORs = 3.967, P = 0.024) and quartile 4 (ORs = 9.133, P < 0.001) in men; however, SUA quartiles were significantly associated with DN only for quartile 4 (ORs = 4.083, P = 0.042) in women Conclusion For patients with T2DM, elevated SUA concentration is an independent risk factor for the prevalence of NAFLD and DN after adjustment for other indicators, but not DR or DPN.

scholarly journals Fever without source as the first manifestation of SARS-CoV-2 infection in infants less than 90 days old.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Blázquez-Gamero ◽  
Cristina Epalza ◽  
José Antonio Alonso Cadenas ◽  
Lourdes Calleja Gero ◽  
Cristina Calvo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bacterial Infections ◽  
Urine Culture ◽  
Pediatric Intensive Care ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Nasopharyngeal Swab ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Bacterial Coinfection ◽  
Growth Of Bacteria ◽  
Rule Out

Abstract Fever without source (FWS) in infants is a frequent cause of consultation at the emergency department and the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 could affect the approach to those infants. The aim of this study is to define the clinical characteristics and rates of bacterial coinfections of infants < 90 days with FWS as the first manifestation of SARS-CoV-2 infection. This is a cross-sectional study of infants under 90 days of age with FWS and positive SARS-CoV2 PCR in nasopharyngeal swab/aspirate, attended at the emergency departments of 49 Spanish hospitals (EPICO-AEP cohort) from March 1st to June 26th, 2020. Three hundred and thirty-three children with COVID-19 were included in EPICO-AEP. A total of 67/336 (20%) were infants less than 90 days old, and 27/67(40%) presented with FWS. Blood cultures were performed in 24/27(89%) and were negative in all but one (4%) who presented a Streptococcus mitis bacteremia. Urine culture was performed in 26/27(97%) children and was negative in all, except in two (7%) patients. Lumbar puncture was performed in 6/27(22%) cases, with no growth of bacteria. Two children had bacterial coinfections: 1 had UTI and bacteremia, and 1 had UTI. C-reactive was protein over 20 mg/L in two children (one with bacterial coinfection), and procalcitonin was normal in all. One child was admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit because of apnea episodes. No patients died. Conclusion: FWS was frequent in infants under 90 days of age with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Standardized markers to rule out bacterial infections remain useful in this population, and the outcome is generally good.

scholarly journals Demographic and Clinical Characteristics of Epilepsy in Childhood: A Prospective Cross Sectional Study from Sudan

2021 ◽  
pp. 6
Author(s):  
Keyword(s):  
Low Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Clinical Characteristics ◽  
Genetic Disorders ◽  
Positive Family History ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Idiopathic Epilepsy ◽  
Cns Infection ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional

Background: Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder affecting around 1% of children. The incidence in Sudan is likely to be higher given the high rate of genetic disorders related to consanguity and acquired disorders caused by CNS infection and birth injury. Epilepsy can be idiopathic or non-idiopathic, symptomatic epilepsy indicates a known cause while cryptogenic epilepsy implies a presumed unknown cause. Objective: To understand the demographic and clinical characteristics of epilepsy in children in the setting of a tertiary epilepsy clinic in Khartoum, Sudan. Methods: This is a hospital-based cross sectional study recruiting patients with epilepsy attending a tertiary pediatric neurology clinic. All patients attending the clinic in the 6 month period were included. Data was collected by medical students and was analyzed on IBM SPSS Version 20.0 in a descriptive fashion. Results: 284 Children were recruited. The mean age for children with epilepsy was 5.74 (range 0-12 Years). Females constituted 59.9%; while 94.7% of patients were of low socioeconomic status. The most common type of seizures found were generalized tonic clinic at 51.8% (147/284), followed by focal seizures at 21.1% (60/284). 71% of our patients (201/284) had no identifiable cause (idiopathic), while 29% were non-idiopathic. Of the non-idiopathic group; 41% were due to congenital anomalies, followed by HIE at 24.1%, infections at 16.9% trauma at 10.8% and tumors at 7.2%. Only 18.3% (52/284) had a positive family history of epilepsy. Conclusions: There appears to be a higher incidence of epilepsy in Children with low socio – economic status with a slight female predominance. The incidence of idiopathic epilepsy appears to be similar to inter-national figures. We recommend broader community based and long-term studies for better understanding of epilepsy in Sudan.

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