Study of the sensitivity and specificity of smell and taste disorders as a predictive factor of SARS-CoV-2 infection among primary care healthcare professionals

Backgroundamong the manifestations of COVID-19 are Taste and Smell Disorders (TSDs).AimThe aim of the study is to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of TSDs and other associated symptoms to estimate predictive values for determining SARS-CoV-2 infection.Design and settingRetrospective observational study.Methodsa study of the sensitivity and specificity of TSDs has been carried out using the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test for the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 as the Gold Standard value. Logistic regressions adjusted for age and sex were performed to identify additional symptoms that might be associated with COVID-19.Resultsthe results are based on 226 healthcare workers with clinical symptoms suggestive of COVID-19, 116 with positive PCR and 111 with negative PCR. TSDs had an OR of 12.43 (CI 0.95 6.33–26.19), sensitivity 60.34% and specificity 89.09%. In the logistic regression model, the association of TSD, fever or low-grade fever, shivering, dyspnoea, arthralgia and myalgia obtained an area under the curve of 85.7% (CI 0.95: 80.7 % - 90.7 %), sensitivity 82.8 %, specificity 80% and positive predictive values 81.4% and negative 81.5%.ConclusionsTSDs are a strong predictor of COVID-19. The association of TSD, fever, low-grade fever or shivering, dyspnoea, arthralgia and myalgia correctly predicts 85.7% of the results of the COVID-19 test.

Fortifying wheat bread with whey proteins: impact on nutritional value and technological properties

Wheat bread is a widely consumed commodity around the world. It is poor and imbalanced in some essential amino acids. The aim of this study is to fortify wheat bread with whey proteins (WP), in order to inhence its nutri-tional value and to improve the balance of its essential amino acids. The composition of the different flours and breads enriched with WP was deter-mined by standard methods. The alveograph’s results show that the tenacity increases and the deformation energy decreases with increasing incorpora-tion of WP. The addition of WP leads to a dough that is resistant to defor-mation, extensible for incorporation rates of 2.5% and 3% and less extensible for 10% and 20%. The results on the composition of the different breads show that the addition of WP contributes to the improvement of the amino acid profiles of the breads, especially for P10 and P20. It corrects, especially, the deficit and imbalance of the bread in essential amino acids. The assess-ments of the organoleptic characteristics show that the majority of the tast-ers find the P2.5 and P3 breads are very close to the commercial breads and sometimes better. These loaves have a nice external appearance, regular shape, crispy golden crust, light texture, good taste and smell. The develop-ment of the breads during vacuum storage is very satisfactory. They keep their crispness and a good crumbliness after 7 days.

Taste and Smell Functions in Long-term Survivors after Childhood Medulloblastoma/CNS-PNET

Purpose Our aim was to investigate taste and smell functions in survivors, with a minimum of 2 years follow-up time, after treatment of childhood medulloblastoma/CNS-PNET. Methods This cross-sectional study included 40 survivors treated ≤ 20 years of age. Taste strips with four concentrations of sweet, sour, salt, and bitter were used to assess taste function in all participants. Score from 0-16; ≥ 9 normogeusia, < 9 hypogeusia, and complete ageusia which equals no sensation. No sensation of a specific taste quality equals ageusia of that quality. Thirty-two participants conducted smell testing using three subtests of Sniffin’ sticks; threshold, discrimination, and identification. Together they yield a TDI-score from 1-48; functional anosmia ≤ 16.00, hyposmia >16.00 - < 30.75, normosmia ≥ 30.75 - < 41.50, and ≥ 41.50 super smeller. Results were compared with normative data. Survivors subjectively rated their taste and smell functions using a numerical rating scale (NRS) score 0-10. Results Forty survivors with a mean follow-up of 20.5 years, 13 (32.5 %) were diagnosed with hypogeusia, nine (22.5 %) of these being ageusic of one or more taste qualities. Seventeen (53 %) of 32 participants were diagnosed with hyposmia. Comparing survivors with hyposmia to those with normosmia, a significant difference (p<0.05) was found in TDI-score and in all the subtests. The mean NRS score of subjective ratings of functions were high.Conclusion Our study showed impaired taste and smell functions in long-term survivors of childhood MB/CNS-PNET using objective measurements. However, subjective ratings did not reflect objective findings.

Infection by SARS CoV-2 in healthcare workers of a second level hospital

Background: From the first Covid-19 case in Playa del Carmen, 370 cases of infection have been reported in our staff until December 31, 2020. Material and Methods: Study in workers of the General Hospital who developed SARCOV-2 infection during the pandemic. A sample of 30 cases of both sexes with laboratory-confirmed infection was obtained. Descriptive statistics were used with measures of central tendency, dispersion and percentages. Results: In a sample of 30 workers there were 13 doctors, 6 nurses and 11 support workers. The age was obtained as a mean of 38.8 years and SD = 10.4. Only four risk factors were found. Of the 30 infected health workers, 27 were treated on an outpatient basis and three required hospitalization. Discussion: The main symptoms in health workers are alterations in the sensation of taste and smell, but unlike our study, was headache, fever and myalgia. Likewise, it has been observed that medical are the most affected, but in this study, it was support and the least affected was nursing personnel. There is no doubt that asymptomatic carriers are a serious disease transmission problem such that transmission between health workers by asymptomatic carriers is possible as was observed in this analysis. Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; Healthcare Workers; Nosocomial Transmission; Asymptomatic Carriers; Diagnostic Testing

Synonyms and Symptoms of COVID-19 and Individual and Official Actions against the Disease—A Brief Online Survey 6 Months into the Pandemic and on the Threshold of the Second Wave in Germany

To control the ongoing global pandemic due to SARS-CoV-2, we need to influence people’s behavior. To do so, we require information on people’s knowledge and perception of the disease and their opinions about the importance of containment measures. Therefore, in August 2020, we conducted an anonymous cross-sectional online survey on these topics in 913 participants in Germany. Participants completed a questionnaire on various synonyms and symptoms of corona virus and specified the importance they attributed to individual and regulatory measures. The virus was linked more closely with most synonyms and the discovery in China than with the places of the first larger European outbreaks. General (cold-like) symptoms, such as “cough” and “fever,” were more widely known than COVID-19-specific ones, e.g., “loss of taste and smell.” The widely promoted individual measures “distancing,” “hygiene,” and “(facial) mask wearing” were rated as highly important, as were the corresponding official measures, e.g., the “distancing rule” and “mask mandate.” However, the “corona warning app” and a “vaccine mandate” were rated as less important. A subgroup analysis showed broad agreement between the subgroups on nearly all issues. In conclusion, the survey provided information about the German population’s perception and knowledge of the coronavirus five months into the pandemic; however, participants were younger and more educated than a representative sample. To learn from the beginning and still ongoing pandemic and develop concepts for the future, we need more conclusive studies, especially on the acceptance of further specified lockdowns, the population’s willingness to be vaccinated, and the influence of misinformation on public opinion.

COVID 19: Sharing Experience of Health and Treatment Diagnosis in India

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, discovered in the year 2019. It originated in Wuhan, Hubei Province in China. It became the 5th documented Pandemic after the Spanish Flu in 1918. The symptoms are typical of Influenza like Illness, which includes fever, cough, cold, sore throat, headache, generalised body pain, loss of taste and smell sensations. It ranges in severity causing Pneumonia – all caused by the virus known as Corona virus. The pandemic did indeed cause a havoc as it was declared as a Public Health Emergency. It not only had an impact on lives of people but had a worldwide impact on varied sections of society, not limited only to healthcare but also the economy, psychology, travel and tourism, to just name a few. There was even a certain stigma associated with contracting the virus and having to stay in complete Home Isolation from the World. It not only had pronounced effects on the physical well-being of an individual, but also on one’s mental make-up. It has been a constant learning curve across different walks of life, that placed Hand Hygiene, Mask Wearing and Social Distancing at the epicentre of the prevention of such a Communicable Disease. This article is a reflection of my experience, battling with Corona Virus. – a deadly Pandemic of the 21st Century.

A Systemic Review of Pathological Findings in COVID-19 and Its Mechanism of Disease

The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) has spread worldwide at a rapidly alarming pace and has resulted in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The virus has more intensive and prolonged standing effects in the host body post-infection than the other related groups of viruses. The disease has caused an unforeseen need for the availability of intensive support because of the resulting critical respiratory distress and consequent multi-organ failure. What starts as an elegant fever with cough and headache, with body pain, runny nose, sore throat, quickly develops into loss of perception of taste and smell, with nausea, diarrhea, troubled breathing, chills; and finally results into grievous damage to the vital organs of the body, such as heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, blood vessels, and even brain, necessitating the need of urgent and competent availability of critical care infrastructure. It is now the disease with the highest number of affected individuals recorded in the modern era. And, not only does the infection of Covid inflict highly significant morbidity and mortality rates amongst the population, but there have also been multiple and significant strains to the overburdened health care system and also, massively on the economy. Here in this article, our focus will primarily be upon the systemic pathology in the various organ systems and how the coronavirus has been affected. We shall discuss the Respiratory System, the Cardio-Vascular System, the Renal System, Central Nervous System, and the pathophysiology involved herewith after covid infection.

Impact of COVID-19 on Taste and Smell Sensation among Population in Western Region of Saudi Arabia

Background: COVID-19 is pandemic disease caused by (SARS-CoV-2) first discovered in China in December 2019. It affects smell and taste sensation among large proportion of patients with COVID-19. The aims of this study is to asses impact of COVID-19 on smell and taste sensation among COVID-19 patients in western region of Saudi Arabia. Methods: The study design was descriptive cross sectional and our sample was be is 500 patients with COVID-19. The data was collected by using structured questionnaire which was distributed electronically and contain (sociodemographic data, diagnosed with COVID-19, status of smell and taste sensation…). The data was analyzed using SPSS program version 22. Results: We were able to collect 404 responses to our questionnaire with response rate of 80.8 %. The mean age of total sample was 32.1 years with standard deviation of 14.34 years and 56.1 % of participants were females. Prevalence of weak or loss of smell or taste after infection with the emerging corona virus was 74.4%. Moreover, we found that patients who had weak or loss of smell or taste because of COVID-19 were older than those whose sense did not be affected. Moreover, non- Saudi Arabian were more affected by losing of smell and taste with significant difference (P=0.026). Considering medical conditions of patients, we found that patients with any medical conditions were associated with significantly higher incidence of losing smell and taste. Conclusion: The prevalence of losing smell and taste among patients with COVID-19 in our sample were high and was higher in older patients, male, Saudi arabian and those with other medical conditions. More investigations should be conducted to assess the same variables using retrospective study design.

COVID-19–Associated Pulmonary Aspergillosis in the Critical Care Setting

The first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the United States was reported on January 20, 2020. Most infected individuals experience a mild illness with loss of taste and smell, body aches, fatigue, cough, and fever. However, about 5% of patients become critically ill and experience more serious symptoms such as respiratory distress, pulmonary emboli, or even multisystem organ failure. Those who become critically ill with COVID-19 are at high risk for superinfections, including pulmonary, bloodstream, and urinary tract infections. Invasive aspergillosis is emerging as a serious secondary pulmonary infection in patients with COVID-19 who experience respiratory distress syndrome. If these patients are not accurately diagnosed and subsequently treated, the infection can be fatal. This case study describes COVID-19–associated pulmonary aspergillosis in the critically ill patient.