Impact of COVID-19-related lifestyle changes on diabetic macular edema

AIM:To assess diabetic macular edema(DME)progression during the early phases of the COVID-19 pandemic,when severe societal restrictions raised the concern of possible deterioration of health in patients with systemic conditions,particularly those requiring frequent office visits.METHODS:This is a multicenter retrospective chart review of 370 patients(724 eyes)with an established diagnosis of DME seen on 3 separate visits between January 2019 and July 2021.Period 1 was January 2019 to February 2020(considered pre-COVID-19),period 2 was March 2020 to December 2020(considered the height of the pandemic;highest level of pandemic-related clinical and societal regulations)and period 3 was January 2021 to July 2021(re-adjustment to the new“pandemic norms”).Main outcome measures included visual acuity,body mass index(BMI),blood pressure(BP),hemoglobin A1c(HbA1c),macular thickness,patient adherence to scheduled ophthalmology visits,and DME treatment(s)received at each visit.To facilitate measurement of macular thickness,each macula was divided into 9 Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study(ETDRS)-defined macular sectors as measured by OCT imaging.RESULTS:There was no change of BMI,systolic BP,and diastolic BP between any of the time periods.HbA1c showed a very small increase from period 1(7.6%)to period 2(7.8%,P=0.015)and decreased back to 7.6%at period 3(P=0.12).Macular thickness decreased for 100%of macular regions.The central macular thickness decreased across all 3 periods from 329.5 to 316.6μm(P=0.0045).After analysis of multiple variables including HbA1c,BMI,adherence to scheduled appointments,different clinic centers,and treatment interventions,there was no easily identifiable subgroup of patients that experienced the increase in DME.CONCLUSION:DME doesn’t worsen during the COVID-19 pandemic,instead sustaining a very small but statistically significant improvement.While identifying a mechanism behind our findings is beyond the scope of this study,potential explanations may include a delay in retinal changes beyond our study period,an unexpected increase in treatment frequency despite pandemic restrictions,and an unanticipated pandemic-related improvement in some lifestyle factors that may have had a positive impact on DME.

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on routine childhood vaccinations

Routine pediatric vaccination is one of the most effective public health inter-ventions for the control of a number of fatal diseases.However,during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic,routine pediatric vaccination rates were severely affected by disruptions of health services and vaccine confidence issues.Governments and the United Nations have taken measures to re-establish routine pediatric vaccination,while additional efforts are needed to catch up and develop plans to ensure routine vaccination services for the future pandemics.

The Impact of COVID-19 on the Mental-Emotional Wellbeing of Primary Healthcare Professionals: A Descriptive Correlational Study

The present study aimed to examine work environment related factors and frontline primary healthcare profes-sionals’mental-emotional wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic in school communities of Hong Kong.A total of 61(20%)school health nurses(frontline primary healthcare professionals)participated in a cross-sec-tional online survey from March to June 2020.Outcomes of mental-emotional health were measured using the Mental Health Continuum-Short Form(14-item scale with three subscales related to emotional,social and psychological wellbeing);the Perceived Stress Scale(10-item scale with two subscales related to perceived help-lessness and lack of self-efficacy);and the Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced Inventory(Brief COPE),a 28-item inventory with two subscales related to adaptive and maladaptive strategies.Almost half(42.6%)of par-ticipants experienced mental health problems.Those employed in government subsidized schools had signifi-cantly lower scores in mental health wellbeing than those who worked in private schools.Factors relating to increased mental health problems included lack of emotional support,inadequate training relating to infection prevention and control measures,disengagement and self-blame.A variety of factors influencing school health nurses’social,emotional and psychological wellbeing in their work environment during the COVID-19 pandemic were also reported.The mental-emotional wellbeing of school nurses may relate to their subjective feeling of lone-liness as participants were the sole frontline primary healthcare professional working in the school community during the COVID-19 pandemic.Studyfindings provide relevant evidence for management teams to build a cul-ture of psychological and social support into workplace policies and procedures.Continuous staff development and adequate social support are important to promote the mental-emotional wellbeing of primary healthcare pro-fessionals in school communities as they play a significant role in safeguarding resources during pandemics.

Impact of COVID-19 on Biological Diagnosis of Malaria: Case of the Thierno Mouhamadoul Mansour Barro Hospital in Mbour, Senegal

Background: In Africa, malaria-endemic regions have not been spared from COVID-19 outbreak which emerged in the first quarter of 2020. This pandemic has shown clinical and therapeutic similarities with malaria. This following study sought to determine the impact of COVID-19 on the malaria diagnosis. Method: A review of laboratory registers and an exploitation of the District Health Information Software 2 (DHIS2) to collect information on the diagnosis of malaria by microscopy and by rapid diagnostic test (RDT), but also that of COVID-19 was done from 2017 to 2021 at the Thierno Mouhamadoul Mansour Hospital in Mbour, Senegal. Results: In 2017, 199 Thick drops (TDs) and 1852 RDTs were performed for malaria diagnosis. In 2018, it was 2352 malaria tests with 2138 RDTs and 214 TDs, before reaching a peak of 3943 tests in 2019 including 3742 RDTs and 201 TDs. By 2020, 2263 tests were performed with 2097 malaria RDTs, 158 TDs and 8 COVID RDTs. The latter increased significantly in 2021, reaching 444 COVID RDTs, while TDs and malaria RDT kept decreasing to 147 and 1036 respectively. Positive TDs were higher in 2020 (11.4%) compared to 2017 (3.5%), 2018 (1.4%), 2019 (6.5%) and 2021 (6.8%). For malaria RDTs, a decrease in the number of positive tests was noted between 2017 (4.5%) and 2021 (1.3%). The COVID RDTs were all negative in 2020, 29.5% were positive and 4.1% were undetermined in 2021. Conclusion: COVID-19 has led to changes in efforts to diagnose malaria as well as an increase in malaria prevalence directed towards children under 5 years of age.

Impact of COVID-19 in individuals with and without pre-existent digestive disorders with a particular focus on elderly patients

Coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)has several extrapulmonary symptoms.Gastrointestinal(GI)symptoms are among the most frequent clinical manifestations of COVID-19,with severe consequences reported in elderly patients.Furthermore,the impact of COVID-19 on patients with pre-existing digestive diseases still needs to be fully elucidated,particularly in the older population.This review aimed to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on the GI tract,liver,and pancreas in individuals with and without previous digestive diseases,with a particular focus on the elderly,highlighting the distinctive characteristics observed in this population.Finally,the effectiveness and adverse events of the anti-COVID-19 vaccination in patients with digestive disorders and the peculiarities found in the elderly are discussed.

Impact of COVID-19 on mortality trends and patterns in a tertiary care hospital of Central India:A retrospective study

Objective:To investigate the impact of COVID-19 on the mortality trends and patterns in a tertiary teaching hospital in Raipur,Chhattisgarh,India.Methods:A hospital-based retrospective study was conducted to analyze the case reports of all deaths from January 2016 to December 2021 in a tertiary teaching hospital in Raipur,Chhattisgarh,India.The socio-demographic profile and the pattern of causes of death were recorded.The deaths were classified according to the 10th revision of the International Classification of Diseases.Results:A total of 6128 deaths were registered from 2016 to 2021 and the maximum death number was observed in 2021(38.2%)followed by 2020(32.5%)when the country was hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.The highest number of deaths was observed in the age group of 51 to 65 years i.e.,31.1%of the total deaths.In all five years,male deaths were more than female deaths,and more than 50%occurred within three days of hospitalization during the study period.Conclusions:Even though there is a rise in the death rate due to the sudden hit of COVID-19,the burden of both communicable and non-communicable diseases remains gradually increasing over the five years.There is a need for health awareness in the community about changing lifestyles and their harmful effects on health.

Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Mental Health of Healthcare Workers–A Perception of Indian Hospital Administrators

Since the coronavirus pandemic,many factors led to the change in the mental well-being of hospital administrators and their staff.The pandemic negatively impacted the availability and capability of health professionals to deliver essential services and meet rising demand.Therefore,this study aimed to understand the perspective of hospital administrators about issues and challenges that negatively impacted their staff’s mental health and hospital administrators’coping response to mitigate those challenges and issues.An exploratory qualitative study was conducted with 17 hospital administrators(superintendents,deputy superintendents,nursing in charge and hospital in charge)working in a government district hospital of Rajasthan state during September 2022 and October 2022.This study revealed various emerging themes on mental health-related issues,challenges and coping strategies reported by the administrators.Themes and sub-themes that emerged from this study were 1)Perceived mental health of HCWs-perceived importance of mental health,2)Impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of HCWs–common mental health issues,changes in mental health pre and post-pandemic,3)Impact of COVID-19 on health behavior of HCWs-increased self-care and awareness,4)Challenges responsible for poor mental health of HCWs-organizational,ethical and societal challenges and 5)Strategies to retain mental health of HCWs-effective coping strategies.The most common problems were increased levels of stress,feeling fatigued,tiredness,weak and anxiety among the HCWs.Keeping their staff motivated was the biggest challenge reported.Social support,counseling through professionals and demystifying myths were the most effective coping strategies adopted by the participants.In conclusion,this study reported poor mental health-related issues,challenges faced by the HCWs and effective strategies adopted by hospital administrators during tough situations.This study will assist hospital administrators in developing interventions such as regular training programs and workshops to teach effective coping skills to address poor mental health during crises.

Impact of COVID-19 on College Students’Non-intellectual Factors and Corresponding Countermeasures

The outbreak of COVID-19 in December 2019 has exerted a wide and everlasting impact on the world,which has also influenced education enormously.The adjustment of objective learning environment during the COVID-19 pandemic makes the influence of non-intellectual factors on college students worthy of investigation,research and analysis.Based on this,we have launched a questionnaire survey on 500 college students who have witnessed the pandemic,and referred to related literature,network documents,news reports,contrast and analysis of college students’non-intelligence factors before and after the outbreak of the different levels of change,summing up some new measures to promote the development of college students’non-intelligence factors under the COVID-19 outbreak for online learning and autonomous learning.

Diabetes Treatment-Related Myths and the Impact of COVID-19 on Diabetes Knowledge—An Indian Survey-Based Study

Objective: The main aim of the survey was to assess diabetes treatment-related myths prevalent in the Indian population and if COVID-19 pandemic improved their knowledge about diabetes. Results: The survey was completed by 309 participants;66% did not have diabetes. The responses of people with diabetes and those without diabetes were similar. Survey results of the total population showed that the majority believed that diabetes treatment should start early (92.6%);87.4% believed that the treatment should start within three months of diagnosis with modern medicines;67.3% of the participants felt that allopathic medicines for diabetes were safe, 69.6% believed that if started these medications continue lifelong, and 40.5% thought they damaged all major organs. Insulin was thought to be safe by 65% of the surveyed population;60.8% believed that if they started insulin, they would need it life-long;51.5% thought that insulin was started at the last stage of diabetes;and 58.6% believed that insulin caused kidney damage. A total of 58.6% believed that herbal medicines for diabetes were safer than allopathic;76.4% did not believe that the “diabetic cure” shown through television/newspapers was safe and effective;67.3% did not believe that ayurvedic medicines cured diabetes. Of the surveyed population, 67% felt that their knowledge about diabetes improved during the pandemic and 89.3% knew that PWDs have more serious problems with covid infection. Conclusions: Our survey shows that many diabetes treatment-related myths are prevalent in the Indian population even though the COVID-19 pandemic improved their knowledge about diabetes.

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on health-promoting lifestyle behaviors:A cross-sectional study

Objective:To explore health-improving behaviors during COVID-19 pandemic and to reveal the impact of the risk perception of COVID-19 on these behaviors.Methods:We recruited a total of 510 participants for this cross-sectional study.The data were collected online using a questionnaire booklet covering a form inquiring about the participants’demographic,physical,and mental characteristics,the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 Scale,and the COVID-19 Perceived Risk Scale.Results:The mean age of the participants was(28.7±10.1)years,and 76.1%were females.Of the participants,31.8%were overweight and obese.While 35.1%experienced negative alterations in their dietary patterns,23.9%reported positive changes to their diet during the pandemic.Besides,47.8%reported their sleep to be negatively affected during the pandemic.While the rate of those with extended screen time was 72.5%,it was 44.3%for the participants engaging in regular exercise.More than one-third of the participants(35.9%)had high and severe anxiety.We also found increased risk perception of COVID-19 among females,obese,those with disturbed eating and sleep quality,healthcare workers,and those with severe anxiety.Conclusions:Overall,the pandemic has appeared to have brought both positive and negative impacts on maintaining and improving eating,sleep,physical activity,and mental health.

Impact of COVID-19 lockdown on hospital admissions for epistaxis in Germany

BACKGROUND Reports of a decrease in hospital admissions during the coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)lockdown period have raised concerns about delayed or missed diagnoses and treatments for non-COVID-19-related illnesses.AIM To investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic-induced lockdown and its end on hospital admissions of patients with epistaxis in Germany.METHODS A retrospective analysis based on the national database of the Hospital Remuneration System was used to compare hospital admissions during defined time periods between 2019 and 2022 with the lockdown period as the reference period.This was done on a weekly basis before,during,and after the lockdown.An Interrupted Time Series was used as the analysis method.RESULTS In our analysis,we included 26183 patients.The implementation of the lockdown led to a substantial reduction in the overall occurrence of epistaxis among patients(P<0.05).This effect was most pronounced in the age group of 0-39 years,where the decrease was highly significant(P<0.001).However,there was no change observed in patients aged 80 years and older(not significant).With the end of the lockdown period,the overall number of patients,especially in the youngest age group,increased abruptly and significantly(P<0.01).CONCLUSION During the lockdown period,there was a decrease in hospital admissions for younger patients with epistaxis,possibly due to the fear of COVID-19 exposure.We also conclude that the severity of epistaxis was not underestimated in the elderly during the pandemic.

The impact of COVID-19 on the birth rate in Nigeria:a report from population-based registries

Background and objectives:Coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)is a pandemic that has become a major source of morbidity and mortality worldwide,affecting the physical and mental health of individuals influencing reproduction.Despite the threat,it poses to maternal health in sub-Saharan Africa and Nigeria,there is little or no data on the impact it has on fertility,conception,gestation and birth.To compare the birth rate between pre-COVID and COVID times using selected months of the year.Materials and methods:This was a secondary analysis of cross-sectional analytical study data from the birth registries of three tertiary hospitals,comparing two years[2019(Pre-COVID)]versus[2020(COVID era)]using three months of the year(October to December).The data relied upon was obtained from birth registries in three busy maternity clinics all within tertiary hospitals in South-East Nigeria and we aimed at discussing the potential impacts of COVID-19 on fertility in Nigeria.The secondary outcome measures were;mode of delivery,booking status of the participants,maternal age and occupation.Results:There was a significant decrease in tertiary-hospital based birth rate by 92 births(P=0.0009;95%CI:-16.0519 to-4.1481)among mothers in all the three hospitals in 2020 during the COVID period(post lockdown months)of October to December.There was a significant difference in the mode of delivery for mothers(P=0.0096)with a 95%confidence interval of 1.0664 to 1.5916,as more gave birth through vaginal delivery during the 2020 COVID-19 period than pre-COVID-19.Conclusion:Tertiary-hospital based birth rates were reduced during the pandemic.Our multi-centre study extrapolated on possible factors that may have played a role in this decline in their birth rate,which includes but is not limited to;decreased access to hospital care due to the total lockdowns/curfews and worsening inflation and economic recession in the country.

A Review of the Impact of Covid-19 on the Male Genito-Urinary Tract

Introduction and Objectives: Since its advent in 2019, Corona Virus Disease 19 (Covid-19) has changed everyday life in many unprecedented ways. With the availability of Covid-19 vaccines, clinical practice has stepped gradually towards its everyday routine. The clinician, however, needs to address such concerns as “Can Covid-19 present with urinary tract symptoms predominantly?”, “Can the urinary tract develop long-term Covid-19 symptoms?”, “Can Covid-19 vaccines/drug therapy cause male infertility?” Methods: This mini-review of the current literature has been carried out by searching the Pubmed database. Results and Conclusions: Our literature review suggests that there is insufficient evidence to conclude a significant impact on the urinary tract from Covid-19 infection. There is supporting evidence that mRNA anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccines are safe for male gonads. Research to further support these conclusions is required.

Estimating the Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on the Research Community in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Ever since its outbreak inWuhan,COVID-19 has cloaked the entireworld in a pall of despondency and uncertainty.The present study describes the exploratory analysis of all COVID cases in Saudi Arabia.Besides,the study has executed the forecastingmodel for predicting the possible number of COVID-19 cases in Saudi Arabia till a defined period.Towards this intent,the study analyzed different age groups of patients(child,adult,elderly)who were affected by COVID-19.The analysis was done city-wise and also included the number of recoveries recorded in different cities.Furthermore,the study also discusses the impact of COVID-19 on the economy.For conducting the stated analysis,the authors have created a list of factors that are known to cause the spread of COVID-19.As an effective countermeasure to contain the spread of Coronavirus in Saudi Arabia,this study also proposes to identify the most effective Computer Science technique that can be used by healthcare professionals.For this,the study employs the Fuzzy-Analytic Hierarchy Process integrated with the Technique for Order Performance by Similar to Ideal Solution(F.AHP.TOPSIS).After prioritizing the various Computer Science techniques,the ranking order that was obtained for the different techniques/tools to contain COVID-19 was:A4>A1>A2>A5>A3.Since the Blockchain technique obtained the highest priority,the study recommends that it must be used extensively as an efficacious and accurate means to combat COVID-19.

Impact of COVID-19 lockdown on the optical properties and radiative effects of urban brown carbon aerosol

Intensive measurements were conducted in Xi’an,China before and during a COVID-19 lockdown period to investigate how changes in anthropogenic emissions affected the optical properties and radiative effects of brown carbon(BrC)aerosol.The contribution of BrC to total aerosol light absorption during the lockdown(13%-49%)was higher compared with the normal period(4%-29%).Mass absorption cross-sections(MACs)of specific organic aerosol(OA)factors were calculated from a ridge regression model.Of the primary OA(POA),coal combustion OA(CCOA)had the largest MACs at all tested wave-lengths during both periods due to high molecular-weight BrC chromophores;that was followed by biomass burning OA(BBOA)and hydrocarbon-like OA(HOA).For secondary OA(SOA),the MACs of the lessoxidized oxygenated OA(OOA)species(LO-OOA)atλ=370-590 nm were higher than those of more-oxidized OOA(MO-OOA)during both periods,presumably due to chromophore bleaching.The largest contributor to BrC absorption at the short wavelengths was CCOA during both periods,but BrC absorption by LO-OOA and MO-OOA became dominant at longer wavelengths during the lockdown.The estimated radiation forcing efficiency of BrC over 370-600 nm increased from 37.5 W·gduring the normal period to 50.2 W·gduring the lockdown,and that enhancement was mainly caused by higher MACs for both LO-OOA and MO-OOA.This study provides insights into the optical properties and radiative effects of source-specific BrC aerosol when pollution emissions are reduced.

Cardiovascular impact of COVID-19 with a focus on children: A systematic review

BACKGROUND Since the beginning of the pandemic,coronavirus disease-2019(COVID-19)in children has shown milder cases and a better prognosis than adults.Although the respiratory tract is the primary target for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2),cardiovascular involvement is emerging as one of the most significant and life-threatening complications of SARS-CoV-2 infection in adults.AIM To summarize the current knowledge about the potential cardiovascular involvement in pediatric COVID-19 in order to give a perspective on how to take care of them during the current pandemic emergency.METHODS Multiple searches in MEDLINE,PubMed were performed using the search terms“COVID-19”or“SARS-CoV-2"were used in combination with“myocardial injury”or"arrhythmia"or“cardiovascular involvement”or"heart disease"or"congenital heart disease"or“pulmonary hypertension”or"long QT"or“cardiomyopathies”or“channelopathies”or"Multisystem inflammatory system"or"PMIS"or“MIS-C”or”Pediatric multisystem inflammatory syndrome"or"myocarditis"or"thromboembolism to identify articles published in English language from January 1st,2020 until July 31st,2020.The websites of World Health Organization,Centers for Disease control and Prevention,and the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center were reviewed to provide up to date numbers and infection control recommendations.Reference lists from the articles were reviewed to identify additional pertinent articles.Retrieved manuscripts concerning the subject were reviewed by the authors,and the data were extracted using a standardized collection tool.Data were subsequently analyzed with descriptive statistics.For Pediatric multisystemic inflammatory syndrome temporally associated with COVID-19(PMIS),multiple meta-analyses were conducted to summarize the pooled mean proportion of different cardiovascular variables in this population in pseudo-cohorts of observed patients.RESULTS A total of 193 articles were included.Most publications used in this review were single case reports,small case series,and observational small-sized studies or literature reviews.The meta-analysis of 16 studies with size>10 patients and with complete data about cardiovascular involvement in children with PMIS showed that PMIS affects mostly previously healthy school-aged children and adolescents presenting with Kawasaki disease-like features and multiple organ failure with a focus on the heart,accounting for most cases of pediatric COVID-19 mortality.They frequently presented cardiogenic shock(53%),ECG alterations(27%),myocardial dysfunction(52%),and coronary artery dilation(15%).Most cases required PICU admission(75%)and inotropic support(57%),with the rare need for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation(4%).Almost all of these children wholly recovered in a few days,although rare deaths have been reported(2%).Out of PMIS cases we identified 10 articles reporting sporadic cases of myocarditis,pulmonary hypertension and cardiac arrythmias in previously healthy children.We also found another 10 studies reporting patients with preexisting heart diseases.Most cases consisted in children with severe COVID-19 infection with full recovery after intensive care support,but cases of death were also identified.The management of different cardiac conditions are provided based on current guidelines and expert panel recommendations.CONCLUSION There is still scarce data about the role of cardiovascular involvement in COVID-19 in children.Based on our review,children(previously healthy or with preexisting heart disease)with acute COVID-19 requiring hospital admission should undergo a cardiac workup and close cardiovascular monitoring to identify and treat timely life-threatening cardiac complications.

Impact of COVID-19 effective reproductive rate on cryptocurrency

The importance of cryptocurrency to the global economy is increasing steadily,which is evidenced by a total market capitalization of over$2.18T as of December 17,2021,according to coinmarketcap.com(Coin,2021).Cryptocurrencies are too confusing for laymen and require more investigation.In this study,we analyze the impact that the effective reproductive rate,an epidemiological indicator of the spread of COVID-19,has on both the price and trading volume of eight of the largest digital currencies—Bitcoin,Ethereum,Tether,Ripple,Litecoin,Bitcoin Cash,Cardano,and Binance.We hypothesize that as the rate of spread decreases,the trading price of the digital currency increases.Using Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroskedasticity models,we find that the impact of the spread of COVID-19 on the price and trading volume of cryptocurrencies varies by currency and region.These findings offer novel insight into the cryptocurrency market and the impact that the viral spread of COVID-19 has on the value of the major cryptocurrencies.

Impact of COVID-19 in patients with lymphoid malignancies

The first cases of coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)were detected in Wuhan,China,in December 2019.Since this time a concerted global effort of research and observational data gathering has meant that a great deal has been learnt about the impact of COVID-19 in patients with lymphoid malignancies.Approximately onethird of patients with lymphoid malignancies who acquire COVID-19 and have it severely enough to require hospital assessment will die from this infection.Major risk factors for a poor outcome are age and co-morbidities,but when these are taken into account lymphoma patients have a slightly greater than 2-fold increased risk compared to the general population.Notably,despite early concerns regarding the particular vulnerability of lymphoma patients due to the immunosuppressive effects of therapy,active treatment,including B-cell depleting agents such as rituximab,do not appear to be associated with an increased risk of a poorer outcome.Indeed,some treatments such as ibrutinib may be beneficial due to their modulation of the potential fatal hyperinflammatory phase of infection.There are risks associated with hemopoietic stem cell transplantation,but the collective experience is that these can be minimized by preventive strategies and that the majority of transplant recipients with COVID-19 infection will survive.Many questions remain including those regarding the outcome of COVID-19 infection in the rarer lymphoid malignancies and the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines in lymphoma patients.This review aims to discuss these issues and present a summary of the current knowledge of the impact of COVID-19 in lymphoid malignancies.

Current understanding of the impact of COVID-19 on gastrointestinal disease:Challenges and openings

The novel coronavirus disease-2019(COVID-19)is caused by a positive-sense single-stranded RNA virus which belongs to the Coronaviridae family.In March 2019 the World Health Organization declared that COVID-19 was a pandemic.COVID-19 patients typically have a fever,dry cough,dyspnea,fatigue,and anosmia.Some patients also report gastrointestinal(GI)symptoms,including diarrhea,nausea,vomiting,and abdominal pain,as well as liver enzyme abnormalities.Surprisingly,many studies have found severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2)viral RNA in rectal swabs and stool specimens of asymptomatic COVID-19 patients.In addition,viral receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 and transmembrane protease serine-type 2,were also found to be highly expressed in gastrointestinal epithelial cells of the intestinal mucosa.Furthermore,SARS-CoV-2 can dynamically infect and replicate in both GI and liver cells.Taken together these results indicate that the GI tract is a potential target of SARS-CoV-2.Therefore,the present review summarizes the vital information available to date on COVID-19 and its impact on GI aspects.

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on liver,liver diseases,and liver transplantation programs in intensive care units

Emerging worldwide data have been suggesting that coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic consequences are not limited to the respiratory and cardiovascular systems but encompass adverse gastrointestinal manifestations including acute liver injury as well.Severe cases of liver injury associated with higher fatality rates were observed in critically ill patients with COVID-19.Intensive care units(ICU)have been the center of disposition of severe cases of COVID-19.This review discusses the pathogenesis of acute liver injury in ICU patients with COVID-19,and analyzes its prevalence,consequences,possible drug-induced liver injury,and the impact of the pandemic on liver diseases and transplantation programs.