Alcohol-based hand sanitizer-induced burns: A harsh reality in current times

Due to the recent coronavirus pandemic, there is a steep rise in the use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers (ABHSs) over the past few months. For them to be effective against microorganisms, the minimum recommended concentration of alcohol is 60%. This high alcohol content makes the sanitizers easily flammable. Although, they are extremely convenient to use, they can also prove to be a hazard if used in an improper manner. Guidelines have been published for safe manufacturing and distribution of these sanitizers. There are recommendations for storage and use, which should be adhered to in a strict manner. Their use by children should always be supervised. We report four cases of burn injuries caused by injudicious use of alcohol-based sanitizers. The flammable nature of ABHSs can also be exploited as witnessed in one of our cases. With this report, we wish to emphasize that judicious and correct use of these seemingly benign products is essential.

Renal mucormycosis following COVID-19 treatment with immune modulators: a case report

Mucormycosis is an opportunistic fungal infection that occurs primarily in immunocompromised individuals, usually affecting the rhino-orbital areas followed by the lungs. This case report presents renal mucormycosis in a young man after COVID-19 pneumonia that escalates the need for regular follow-up of COVID-19 patients. Post-COVID-19 fungal infections are on a steep rise, and the increased use of steroids and immune modulators for COVID-19-associated immune dysregulation and cytokine syndrome increases the risk among patients treated for COVID-19.

CONCEPT OF ’YAMDANSHTRA’ IN AYURVED AND RISE IN CASES OF COVID 19 PANDEMIC

Upon observation of the steep rise in Covid cases patients all over the world, it seems to be clear that along with conventional methods for prevention and cure of this unpredictable disease, something more requires employment. This paper proposes that the concept of ’Yamdanshtra’ (described in Sharangdhar Samhita)1/ ”Ritusandhi”(described in Charak Samhita)2 is a viable solution. A specific ’diet modification pattern’(Padanshik Tyag vidhi) is recommended for better immunity. Detailed graphical studies have been shown about rela- tionship of the number of cases of Covid and the periods of Yamdanshtra or Ritusandhi(cusp between two seasons) in Bharat and three more countries viz. USA,UK and Russia. It was concluded in the study that a positive relation between Covid cases and transition periods can be established. In countries other than Bharat, the rise in Covid cases was present but not significant. It is hypothesized that that may be because the seasons do not show much differ- ence in climatic conditions or in other parameters. For Bharat, the Padanshik Tyag3 method of diet modification during transition periods may work,while other countries may prefer taking a lighter diet during them.

Seropositivity in blood donors and pregnant women during 9-months of SARS-CoV-2 transmission in Stockholm, Sweden

Structured abstractObjectivesAs Sweden did not enforce social lockdown in response to the pandemic, it is critical to establish seropositivity to SARS-CoV-2 in healthy, active adults – here represented by blood donors and pregnant women. Random sampling was carried out in Stockholm, the country’s most populous region, and the study ran from virus emergence (March 2020) until the end of 2020, shortly prior to the first round of vaccinations, allowing for an estimate of population seropositivity in response to natural infection.DesignIn this cross-sectional prospective study, otherwise-healthy blood donors (n=2,100) and pregnant women (n=2,000) were sampled at random for consecutive weeks (at three intervals) between 14th March and 11th December 2020. Sera from all participants and a large cohort of historical controls (n=595) were screened for IgG responses against the SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) trimer and the receptor-binding domain (RBD). As a complement to standard approaches to analyze the data, a probabilistic Bayesian approach that assigns likelihood of past infection was used to analyze the population data. The study was carried out in accordance with Swedish Ethical Review Authority registration no. 2020-01807.SettingHealthy participant samples were selected from their respective pools at random through the Karolinska University Hospital.ParticipantsNone of the participants were symptomatic at the time of sampling and none had previously been hospitalized for COVID-19. No additional metadata was available from the samples.ResultsBlood donors and pregnant women showed a similar seroprevalence. After a steep rise at the start of the pandemic, the seroprevalence trajectory increased steadily in approach to the winter second-wave of infections, approaching 15% of all individuals surveyed by 11th December 2020. Importantly, 96% of antibody-positive healthy donors screened (n=56) developed neutralizing antibody responses at titers comparable to or higher than those observed in clinical trials of SARS-CoV-2 spike mRNA vaccination, supporting that mild infection engenders a competent B cell response.ConclusionsIn agreement with currently rising COVID-19 cases and ICU occupancy during a second winter wave of infections, these data demonstrate that the metropolitan Stockholm area was far from herd immunity nine months after the outbreak, with approximately one-in-six persons in the examined cohort seropositive for SARS-CoV-2.General abstractPublic health strategies to contain the pandemic continue to vary markedly across the world. In Sweden, compared to most advanced economies, social restrictions have primarily relied upon voluntary adherence to a set of recommendations and strict lockdowns have not been enforced. To better understand the development of humoral immunity to SARS-CoV-2 in the Stockholm population before the start of mass vaccinations, healthy blood donors and pregnant women (n=4,100) were sampled at random between 14th March-11th December 2020. All individuals (n=200/sampling week) were screened for anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) trimer- and RBD-specific IgG responses with highly sensitive and specific ELISA assays, and the results were compared with those from historical controls (n=595). Data were modelled using a probabilistic Bayesian framework that considered individual responses to both antigens. We found that after a steep rise at the start of the pandemic, the seroprevalence trajectory increased steadily in approach to the winter second-wave of infections, approaching 15% of all individuals surveyed by 11th December. In agreement with the high transmission rate observed in the Stockholm area, seroprevalence in this cohort of active adults increased during the 9 months from the start of the outbreak, but was far from that required for herd immunity at the end of 2020.

Benchmarking Bitcoin Adoption in Canada: Awareness, Ownership and Usage in 2018

The Bank of Canada commissioned the Bitcoin Omnibus Survey in 2016 to monitor trends in the adoption and use of Bitcoin and other cryptoassets. This report presents findings from the latest iteration of the survey, which was conducted in 2018. We find that between 2016 and 2018 the share of Canadians who were aware of Bitcoin increased from 62 percent to 89 percent and those that owned Bitcoin increased from 3 percent to 5 percent. However, the share of past owners also increased, suggesting an influx of Bitcoin owners who subsequently divested after the steep rise of prices in 2017. The main reason for owning Bitcoin remains speculation, though this share decreased slightly since 2017. On the other hand, the share of Canadians who reported using Bitcoin for transactions a few times a month or more increased. Finally, we discuss how Bitcoin adopters differ from overall Canadians with respect to their financial literacy and cash holdings.

Non-farm Diversification and Agrarian Change: The Story of a Semi- arid Village in Rajasthan

The paper, a study of Baspur village in Rajasthan, spans a period of five years. It argues that changes in the village economy of Baspur have been guided by a greater integration of the village with the outside world, facilitated by improved modes of communication and transport. Over the years, the increase in non-farm employment, mostly casual and informal in nature in nearby towns, has emerged as a major driver of growth and distribution of income in the village economy. This, coupled with already existing migration streams, considered essential to support livelihood, has greatly reduced the dependence of rural households on agriculture. This is evident in the reluctance of male workers towards preforming farming tasks, a decline in the incidence of land-leasing in the village and a steep rise in farm wages over the years.