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A Descriptive Review of Epidemiology of COVID–19 in Smokers
Get PDFCoronavirus disease 2019 caused by SARS Cov 2, gains entry to bronchial epithelial cells by binding of the viral spike protein to angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE-2) receptors. We conducted a non - systematic review of databases with (English articles only), PubMed, Google Scholar using keywords like “COVID-19,” “SARS-CoV-2,” “novel coronavirus,” smoking,” “smokers,” “nicotine.” A total of 33 articles were reviewed. Smokers were 1.4 times more likely to have severe COVID-19 (RR=1.4 95% CI: 0.98-2.00), and 2.4 times more likely to require an ICU admission (RR= 2.4 CI: 1.43-4.04) when compared to non-smokers (n=926). Current smokers were less likely to experience an adverse outcome (OR: 0.42, 95% CI: 0.24–0.74), compared to former smokers. 22% of current smokers and 46% of former smokers had more severe complications. Current smokers had a case fatality rate of 38.5% (n=1790) and higher odds of mortality (OR= 1.25) especially males >65 years (OR=2.51). Public education about smoking cessation should be implemented along with standard guidelines to prevent disease progression
N-acetylcysteine - A Convenient Rationale for COVID-19: Consideration of Antiviral H2S for Inclusion in one of the ANTICOV or WHO Master Protocols
Get PDFWith the emerging mutations and new pandemic waves, there remains a need for an effective antiviral, administered safely and easily in the early treatment phase of SARS-CoV-2, despite the current roll-out of vaccines. For antiviral options in COVID-19 two studies deserve our attention:
1--Ten consecutive severe COVID-19 cases, on the ventilator as well ECMO support, all recovered completely and fairly rapidly by high doses of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) without any mortality.
2--Another study found that serum H2S level is a prognostic marker in COVID-19 pneumonia. A low serum level H2S at admission or a decrease during infection significantly increased the risk of death in COVID-19 patients (n = 74).
Combining these two findings may give us even more options. Stepwise we explore how H2S works in viral respiratory diseases and we focus on the targets in COVID-19: the cell entry (ACE2 receptor), the virus replication (RdRp, nsp12), and the escalation of inflammation to a lethal cytokine storm (NLRP3 inflammasome). Finally, consider the question: How to administer H2S? Dissecting the degradation of NAC shows how the endogenous H2S level can be generated and with which drugs. Already 13 well-documented human cases have successfully supported this approach. The antiviral application of the endogenous H2S provides a pathway to reactivate the collapsed innate immunity as a treatment regimen for COVID-19, in early out-patient as well as later clinical situations. Further randomized controlled trials are warranted, with consideration of antiviral H2S for inclusion in one of the ANTICOV or WHO protocols
Pandemic India and Gandhi: Probing Gandhi’s Ideas in Times of Pandemic
Get PDFThe Corona pandemic has changed everything unexpectedly. This unexpected change needs a special attention for a permanent form of solution or an alternative. Gandhi’s aphorisms and his various activities remains a vital matter of concern to face the present challenge. His idea of good health through good food habit, good sanitation, self-discipline (Brahmacharya), physical exercise by doing our own work for ourselves, idea of the amelioration of villages through agricultural improvement, idea of the development of village industries to down unemployment retains much significance against this pandemic situation and its various manifested problems. All his ideas again bring our attention back for an alternative against the problem of unemployment, problem of sanitation and problem of all-round development including health problem in this pandemic period
Elderly Care with Unani Medicine
Get PDFAgeing is a normal, inevitable and universal phenomenon which is result of progressive deterioration in the body. A person is said elderly or old when he reaches to an age of 60 years. United Nations also defined a person elderly whose age is 60 years and above. Better health status of elderly people can help to protect them from communicable and non-communicable diseases, physical dependencies and psychological problems like depression, loneliness etc. It will also make them socially active and economically productive. Tad?bir-i-mashaikh are a set of advisory guidelines based on the asbab-i-sittah zaruriyah (six essential factors) which are described in Unani medicine for the maintenance of good health in old age. In general, it is advisable that the tadabir for old people should be Mura??ib (moist, to compensate for the loss of ratubat-i-ghariziyah), and Musakhkhin (calorific, to compensate for the loss of ?ararat-i-ghariziyah). Emblica officinalis, Zingiber officinale, Myristica fragrans, and Cinnamomum zeylanicum are some of the drugs described in unani medicine for health maintenance in old age
Testing Methodology and Clinical Advantages of a Newborn Screening Protocol for Severe Combined Immunodeficiency
Get PDFSevere combined immunodeficiency (SCID) is a genetic disorder defined by a disruption in the development of functional T cells and B cells that circulate in the body (1). This immunodeficiency is the most severe form of primary immunodeficiencies, exposing its victims to extreme vulnerability to infectious diseases, resulting in the more common name “the bubble boy disease”. Due to the severity of this immunodeficiency disorder, an early diagnosis would be ideal in order to prevent infant fatally in SCID patients. Advanced screening protocols immediately after birth are crucial in providing prompt treatment to infants, determining their quality life and ultimately preventing death. This paper will discuss the etiology of SCID, the clinical presentation and diagnosis of SCID, and will proceed to highlight the advantages and disadvantages of a newborn screening protocol
Vaccine containing immunologic adjuvants with a wide range of activity to provide protection against COVID-19
Get PDFThis paper proposes a wide spectrum immunologic adjuvant for vaccine development against COVID-19 which is the current global problem. It has been reported that a wide range of immune cells are involved in the body’s response to SARS CoV2 infection. Therefore, vaccine with a wide-spectrum immunologic adjuvant can be used to provide protection against COVID-19. Lack of adjuvants that can induce the required immune responses is a serious impediment to vaccine development against this devastating virus. The approved adjuvants such as aluminum salts and MF59 exhibit a narrow range of activity. In an attempt to solve this problem, it is crucial to develop new adjuvants which can trigger a wide range of immune cells
Analysis of COVID-19 and Inflammatory Bowel Disease: An in-depth literature review
Get PDFIntroduction: The world is experiencing some of the most complex consequences of the pandemic, with an accelerated growth of cases and deaths and a huge burden for the health systems, especially in immunocompromised individuals. In the healthcare system, the extent of impact of COVID-19 in patients with chronic diseases like inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) need its scientific attention.
Methods: An extensive literature search was done using ‘COVID – 19’, ‘SARS-CoV-2’, ‘IBD’ using google scholar, clinical trials.gov, and PubMed indexed journals.
Results: SARS-CoV-2 has been isolated in the duodenum and rectum, and a higher concentration of fecal calprotectin, a known inflammatory marker, has been found in infected patients with diarrhea compared with those without diarrhea (123.2 vs 17.3 ?g/g; P < .001), suggesting that viral gut tropism could worsen inflammatory status and symptoms of IBD patient. In gist, symptoms experienced by IBD patients with COVID-19 are similar to those occurring in the general population, except for a higher percentage of diarrhea.
Conclusions: The aim of our study is to compare the incidence and clinical outcomes of COVID-19 in patients with IBD to the general population by using literature review. With increased risk of acquisition of COVID-19 in IBD patients, these patients can be asymptomatic or can present with typical symptoms of sore throat, fever, cough, dyspnea, sputum production, myalgia, fatigue, and headache
The Genetics of Acute Hepatic Porphyria and Emerging Molecular Therapies for Clinical Management
Get PDFAcute hepatic porphyria (AHP) is a disease process resulting from a defect in the heme production pathway in the liver. Symptoms are due to the buildup of porphyrin precursors, which contributes to the damage of a variety of organ systems. There are different types of AHP depending on which enzymatic gene is affected and to what extent. The disease typically presents with nonspecific symptoms, so a high degree of suspicion is usually required to make the diagnosis of AHP. The current standard of management typically involves the avoidance of precipitating factors and acute attacks are mainly managed with supportive treatment and administration of intravenous hemin. However, new molecular therapies are emerging, which are demonstrating efficacy in decreasing the frequency and severity of symptomatic attacks by downregulating inappropriately expressed genes using siRNA or replacing deficient proteins by introducing mRNA. This paper explores the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management of AHP and highlights emerging therapies designed to combat this disease process
A Comparative Analysis of Activated Carbons from African Teak (IROKO) Wood and Coconut Shell in Palm Oil Bleaching
Get PDFThis study compares the effectiveness of activated carbons from the African Teak/Iroko wood (Milicia excelsia) and coconut shell as adsorbents in Crude Palm Oil (CPO) bleaching. This was done to source for local agro-waste substitutes for the imported Fuller’s earth. The materials were activated using analytical grade CaCl2 in 25% solution at a temperature of 109OC in a laboratory hot air oven. The obtained activated carbon samples were subjected to proximate analysis to ascertain their percentage ash, moisture, volatile matter and fixed carbon contents. The CPO to be analyzed was degummed, neutralized and further bleached using 2g, 4g, 6g, 8g, 10g, 12g, and 14g of the adsorbent samples at a temperature of 130OC after which the obtained oils were analyzed and results plotted. It was observed that the bleached oil samples generally had reduced specific gravity, opacity, colour, and free fatty acid (FFA) compared to the CPO. It was also observed that while the opacity, colour, and FFA reduced as the adsorbent dosage increased, the specific gravity variation was irregular. Conversely, the percentage colour reduction and the percentage FFA reduction increased with adsorbent dosage. Overall, the oil samples bleached with activated carbon from the African Teak/Iroko wood exhibited more desirable properties than the oil samples bleached with the coconut shell activated carbon
Effects of COVID-19 on Global Research in STEM
Get PDFA global public health emergency like the Coronavirus Infectious Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic requires accurate and timely data collection in the research community. High impact research in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) has been prioritized in the fight against COVID-19. The present study investigated the impact of COVID-19 on STEM research and the collaboration between global research institutions and industries. It was noted that COVID-19 had caused significant delays in non-COVID-19-related research projects and the onset of several remote studies. Most importantly, researchers in the STEM fields directed their attention and expertise to help mitigate virus transmission, treat patients, and implement appropriate public health interventions. Innovations are being integrated in several fields of technological and engineering research to provide optimal patient care and enhance physical distancing measures. Global research platforms are also designed to encourage accelerated research, especially in potential medicinal treatment. Collaboration amongst different disciplines and countries has enabled remarkable progress in the dissemination of scientific knowledge and appropriate responses to address the consequences of this pandemic on worldwide research in STEM