The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Population Mobility in the Czech Republic and Slovakia

In this scientific paper, the authors address the issue of mobility and the spread of COVID-19, as well as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and changes in the mobility of the population of the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 2020. The goal of the study is to determine whether the increase in the number of positive cases of COVID-19 and the associated increase in deaths influences changes in various categories of population mobility at the regional level in selected countries. The aim of the work is to empirically assess the impact of the first year of the pandemic on the mobility of the population. To achieve this, data on population mobility obtained from Google Statistics, together with information on the increase in the number of positive cases and the number of deaths caused by COVID-19 from both countries, were combined. The paper interprets and evaluates the results achieved, providing a picture of the course of the pandemic in the territories of the Czech Republic and Slovakia. © 2023 Jozef Majerčák et al.

Epidemiological and clinics characteristics of 414 cases of oral lesions and sensorial functions of COVID-19 in Brazil

Introduction: Several studies have evaluated the occurrence of oral lesions and changes in sensory functions in patients positive for COVID-19. Objective(s): To evaluate the manifestations of COVID-19, emphasizing olfactory and gustatory changes, xerostomia, and oral lesions. Material(s) and Method(s): A cross-sectional and observational study was conducted. Approved by the Institutional Ethics Committee (#46151121.6.0000.5141). All patients were diagnosed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction assay (RT-PCR) and considered to have mild symptoms, according to the latest WHO joint report. The patients were evaluated at a reference Service for COVID-19 in Minas Gerais, Brazil. The oral cavity was evaluated for each patient on the second and seventh days. Result(s): A total of 414 patients older than 18 years were evaluated. One hundred thirty-nine presented at least one of the studied conditions, oral lesions (19.08%) were the most frequently observed, followed by gustatory disorders (18.11%), xerostomia (14.25%), and olfactory dysfunction (14%). Among the oral lesions, there were various anatomical locations and clinical presentations. The occurrence involving lips and tongue represented 49 oral lesions, the most prevalent being, respectively, ulcerations (n=51), candidiasis (n=8), and erythema or red plaques (n=7). Fifty patients died. Conclusion(s): This study represents, to date, the largest case series of oral lesions in Brazilian patients with COVID-19, and oral alterations were observed in an expressive percentage of patients with COVID-19. However, it cannot be concluded that SARS-CoV-2 directly causes them.

COVID-19 and stroke: A review.

COVID-19 patients have presented with a wide range of neurological disorders, among which stroke is the most devastating. We have reviewed current studies, case series, and case reports with a focus on COVID-19 patients complicated with stroke, and presented the current understanding of stroke in this patient population. As evidenced by increased D-dimer, fibrinogen, factor VIII and von Willebrand factor, SARS-CoV-2 infection induces coagulopathy, disrupts endothelial function, and promotes hypercoagulative state. Collectively, it predisposes patients to cerebrovascular events. Additionally, due to the unprecedented strain on the healthcare system, stroke care has been inevitably compromised. The underlying mechanism between COVID-19 and stroke warrants further study, so does the development of an effective therapeutic or preventive intervention.

Executive Compensation and Corporate Governance Post COVID-19: The Nordic Perspective

COVID-19 outbreak has re-designed business activities and changed the priorities in our lives. Since the pandemic is a sign of overexploitation of our habitat, it has stressed the importance of sustainable and resilient businesses and ‘stakeholderism'. A recent survey conducted by Willis Towers Watson (WTW) revealed that 74 percent of the American companies proceed with their executive compensation frameworks widely consistent with last year's;only 12 percent stated that they will make substantive changes in their corporate governance and remuneration structures. Surprisingly, the survey result does not alter too much in the Nordic countries which are egalitarian and stakeholder-oriented. Three-fifth (57 to 61 percent) of the employers in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Finland expressed that they are not planning to change the structure of the executive schemes and that one-fourth (24 to 26 percent) are still unsure. Therefore, this book chapter, as a commentary, aims to disclose and interpret the survey results from the Nordic countries perspective and guide the practitioners and academics on how the corporate governance systems and executive compensation schemes should be modified to reach fair, resilient, and sustainable businesses based on the key takeaways from the COVID recession and stakeholder theory. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

Adherence to Mediterranean diet and dietary changes according to the fear of COVID-19 during the pandemic: a cross-sectional study.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has led to the implementation of restrictions to reduce transmission worldwide. The restrictions and measures have affected the psychological health and eating habits. The objective of the present study was to evaluate dietary habits, lifestyle changes, adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MD) and fear of COVID-19 in Turkey during the pandemic. A cross-sectional online survey of socio-demographic characteristics, anthropometric measurements, nutrition, physical activity and lifestyle habits was used for data collection. The fear of COVID-19 levels of the participants was determined by the fear of COVID-19 scale (FCV-19S). The Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener (MEDAS) was used to evaluate participants' adherence to the MD. The differences between the FCV-19S and MEDAS according to gender were compared. Eight hundred and twenty subjects (76⋅6 % women and 28⋅4 % men) were evaluated within the study. The mean of MEDAS (ranged between 0 and 12) was 6⋅4 ± 2⋅1, and almost half of the participants moderately adhered to the MD. The mean of FCV-19S (ranged between 7 and 33) was 16⋅8 ± 5⋅7, while women's FCV-19S and MEDAS were significantly higher than men's (P < 0⋅001). The consumption of sweetened cereals, grains, pasta, homemade bread and pastries of the respondents with high FCV-19S were higher than in those with low FCV-19S. High FCV-19S was also characterized by decreased take-away food and fast food consumption in approximately 40 % of the respondents (P < 0⋅01). Similarly, women's fast food and take-away food consumption decreased more than men's (P < 0⋅05). In conclusion, the respondents' food consumption and eating habits varied according to the fear of COVID-19.

Apropos of menstrual changes and abnormal uterine bleeding after COVID-19 vaccination.

It is news of 28 October 2022 that the Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee of the European Medicines Agency has recommended to add heavy menstrual bleeding among the side effects of unknown frequency inside the package insert of nucleoside-modified messenger ribonucleic acid vaccines to prevent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The decision has been made in the light of the numerous reports of unexpected menstrual changes or abnormal uterine bleeding following COVID-19 vaccination. Here we advance a possible involvement of the particular adenohypophyseal microcirculation in these strange and still unexplained events.

Increased Incidence of Ulcerative Laryngitis During Spring 2022 Omicron-Variant Wave of COVID19.

OBJECTIVES: Ulcerative laryngitis is a distinctive condition which typically follows illness with severe cough, and is characterized by dysphonia, ulcerative lesions of the vocal folds, and a prolonged clinical course. We present four patients with ulcerative laryngitis who presented in close succession amid the surge in omicron-variant COVID19 cases. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective review. METHODS: Patient records for patients with ulcerative laryngitis from April and May 2022 were reviewed and compared with patients who presented with the same diagnosis from January 2017 through March 2022. Incidence, patient demographics, occupation, vaccination status, disease history, and treatment were obtained and compared. RESULTS: Four patients presented with ulcerative laryngitis over six weeks. Compared to the previous 4 years, this represented an eight-fold increase in monthly incidence. Average time from symptom onset to presentation was 15 days. All patients presented with dysphonia, with an average VHI10 of 23 and SVHI10 of 28. Two patients were COVID positive, one negative, and one had unknown COVID status. Three patients were fully vaccinated while one patient had only received one dose. Treatments included voice rest, steroids, antibiotics, antireflux medicine, and cough suppressants. Clinical course tended to be shorter and outcomes similar to the comparison group. CONCLUSION: The incidence of ulcerative laryngitis appeared to increase markedly with the prevalence of omicron-variant COVID19. Potential explanations include the apparent upper airway focus of omicron infection in contrast with prior variants and/or change in COVID19 infection characteristics in a vaccinated population.

Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Cardiovascular Testing in Asia: The IAEA INCAPS-COVID Study.

Background: The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic significantly affected management of cardiovascular disease around the world. The effect of the pandemic on volume of cardiovascular diagnostic procedures is not known. Objectives: This study sought to evaluate the effects of the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic on cardiovascular diagnostic procedures and safety practices in Asia. Methods: The International Atomic Energy Agency conducted a worldwide survey to assess changes in cardiovascular procedure volume and safety practices caused by COVID-19. Testing volumes were reported for March 2020 and April 2020 and were compared to those from March 2019. Data from 180 centers across 33 Asian countries were grouped into 4 subregions for comparison. Results: Procedure volumes decreased by 47% from March 2019 to March 2020, showing recovery from March 2020 to April 2020 in Eastern Asia, particularly in China. The majority of centers cancelled outpatient activities and increased time per study. Practice changes included implementing physical distancing and restricting visitors. Although COVID testing was not commonly performed, it was conducted in one-third of facilities in Eastern Asia. The most severe reductions in procedure volumes were observed in lower-income countries, where volumes decreased 81% from March 2019 to April 2020. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic in Asia caused significant reductions in cardiovascular diagnostic procedures, particularly in low-income countries. Further studies on effects of COVID-19 on cardiovascular outcomes and changes in care delivery are warranted.

Sensitivity of SARS-CoV-2 antibody tests with late convalescent sera.

SARS-CoV-2-specific IgM antibodies wane during the first three months after infection and IgG antibody levels decline. This may limit the ability of antibody tests to identify previous SARS-CoV-2 infection at later time points. To examine if the diagnostic sensitivity of antibody tests falls off, we compared the sensitivity of two nucleoprotein-based antibody tests, the Roche Elecsis II Anti-SARS-CoV-2 and the Abbott SARS-CoV-2 IgG assay and three glycoprotein-based tests, the Abbott SARS-CoV-2 IgG II Quant, Siemens Atellica IM COV2T and Euroimmun SARS-CoV-2 assay with 53 sera obtained 6 months after SARS-CoV-2 infection. The sensitivity of the Roche, Abbott SARS-CoV-2 IgG II Quant and Siemens antibody assays was 94.3% (95% confidence interval (CI) 84.3-98.8%), 98.1 % (95% CI: 89.9-100%) and 100 % (95% CI: 93.3-100%). The sensitivity of the N-based Abbott SARS-CoV-2 IgG and the glycoprotein-based Euroimmun ELISA was 45.3 % (95% CI: 31.6-59.6%) and 83.3% (95% CI: 70.2-91.9%). The nucleoprotein-based Roche and the glycoprotein-based Abbott receptor binding domain (RBD) and Siemens tests were more sensitive than the N-based Abbott and the Euroimmun antibody tests (p = 0.0001 to p = 0.039). The N-based Abbott antibody test was less sensitive 6 months than 4-10 weeks after SARS-CoV-2 infection (p = 0.0001). The findings show that most SARS-CoV-2 antibody assays correctly identified previous infection 6 months after infection. The sensitivity of pan-Ig antibody tests was not reduced at 6 months when IgM antibodies have usually disappeared. However, one of the nucleoprotein-based antibody tests significantly lost diagnostic sensitivity over time.

Leveraging Research and Innovation for the Post COVID-19 Era: Lessons Learned and Future Plans Towards Economic Resilience

Since its dawn, the COVID-19 pandemic has posed new challenges in the Arab world, and across the world that have adversely inflicted unforeseen types of damage upon the traditional notion of globalization. This has, inherently, resulted in the initiation of several new pathways for research and innovation by local government agencies in various Arab nations. Spillovers from government and industry-specific research and investment to combat COVID-19 may yet prove to be beneficial to several of the sectors involved. In view of such opportunities and growing demand, research and innovation systems in the Arab world may need to rethink and reorient research priorities to align them with imminent needs. Furthermore, the Arab world is facing daunting challenges in research and innovation due to the deep scarcity in the human capital and material resources needed to shore up economic prosperity. It is therefore imperative that Arab countries start to recognize and appreciate all genuine efforts tallied by researchers in the ways of advancing the wellbeing of the communities, and along the way help the underlying economies move in progressive pursuits. To help the various sectors of the economy go about the various activities suggested in this chapter, one can readily surmise that an all-out effort would require some concerted activities involving the concerned government agencies, participating academic institutions, first-tier researchers, various components of the industrial sector, together with funding agencies that would take up much of the expenses involved in the process of research and innovation so as to keep pace with the rest of the knowledge-based societies around the world. Indeed, this would necessitate that the various sectors (medical and health, agricultural, industrial, information and communications technology, and the educational sectors) leverage existing infrastructures and embark upon new capital investments that are ready to shoulder the responsibility of effectively moving the Arab world into the post-COVID era rapidly and successfully. To do that, we must be able to identify sectors and institutions that can be potential partakers in the various activities of the processes involved. This would readily lead us to identify a few national organizations, which would offer access to their infrastructures to researchers and the various participating industries involved. Furthermore, the process must occur in piecemeal fashion, starting with the vital segments of the economy and transcending gradually to other segments, while observing health-directed practices in all phases, until the economic lifecycle would kick into a normal setting. The effects of the pandemic on these sectors and industries, as well as natural market forces and regulations are discussed in this chapter. These effects must be identified for policymakers to be guided toward more evidence-based planning to address the challenges that are inherently associated with them. This chapter also addresses ways and efforts of helping the various sectors go about the recommended research priorities in preparation for an era of reconstruction to build resilient national economies that are readily amenable for pan Arab integration in the post COVID-19. We finally recommend avenues and policies whereby the Arab world could levy some of the great benefits that have accrued because of the COVID-induced drawbacks in restricting global trade and economic integration. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022.

Psychological, Socio-Demographic, and Logistical Factors Associated With Changes in Sex Life After Over a Year Into the COVID-19 Pandemic

This study examined changes in sex life about a year into the COVID-19 pandemic for both partnered and non-partnered individuals and identified the determinants of these changes. The results of an online survey (N = 675) reflect a significant decrease in the frequency of intimate and sexual behaviors and declines in sexual desire, quality, intimacy, diversity, and satisfaction. This study also showed that socio-demographic characteristics, psychological factors, and the logistical impacts of the pandemic explain trends in people's sex lives during the pandemic. This study contributes to understanding the long(er)-term nature, scope, and determinants of changes in sex life during the pandemic. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of International Journal of Sexual Health is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

The role of e-learning in higher education during COVID 19 pandemic

Over 60 per cent of pupils in the COVID 19 epidemic created significant disruption in the educational system, and educational institutions across the globe were closed. Essential elements of e-learning during COVID-19 have been technology management, management support, improved student knowledge about the usage of e-learning systems and the need for a high standard of information technology from instructors, students, and institutions. This article aims to find key success elements for E-learning during COVID-19 by utilising the MSP and TOPSIS methods to improve the educational process. The objective of the paper was to identify crucial success factors for e-learning during COVID-19. In COVID-19, 69 E-learning managers were interviewed based on specified evaluation and e-learning methods across various channels. Mixed learning was the best appropriate training method for practical use among the five learning systems. These findings showed the readiness of E-learning to carry out instruction throughout the COVID-19 epidemic, regardless of how exceptional the technology was at a school. © 2023 Author(s).

Duration of COVID-19 PCR positivity for Omicron vs earlier variants.

There have been reports that the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 is milder and may resolve more quickly than earlier variants of SARS-CoV-2, like the Delta variant. Due to a dearth of studies on duration of PCR positivity for the Omicron variant, we studied this question in a cohort of routinely tested employees that work in a large laboratory. We found that there was no difference in duration of PCR positivity among those infected with the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 versus earlier variants of SARS-CoV-2. That suggests in a clinical study that the increased infectiousness of Omicron might likely be due to factors related to viral and host cell interactions, rather than viral load or duration of infectivity, which has been suggested in immune escape studies.

SARS-CoV-2 infection and smoking: What is the association? A brief review.

Susceptibility to severe illness from COVID-19 is anticipated to be associated with cigarette smoking as it aggravates the risk of cardiovascular and respiratory illness, including infections. This is particularly important with the advent of a new strain of coronaviruses, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) that has led to the present pandemic, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Although, the effects of smoking on COVID-19 are less described and controversial, we presume a link between smoking and COVID-19. Smoking has been shown to enhance the expression of the angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE-2) and transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRSS2) key entry genes utilized by SARS-CoV-2 to infect cells and induce a 'cytokine storm', which further increases the severity of COVID-19 clinical course. Nevertheless, the impact of smoking on ACE-2 and TMPRSS2 receptors expression remains paradoxical. Thus, further research is necessary to unravel the association between smoking and COVID-19 and to pursue the development of potential novel therapies that are able to constrain the morbidity and mortality provoked by this infectious disease. Herein we present a brief overview of the current knowledge on the correlation between smoking and the expression of SARS-CoV-2 key entry genes, clinical manifestations, and disease progression.

Biomarkers of COVID-19 and technologies to combat SARS-CoV-2.

Due to the unprecedented public health crisis caused by COVID-19, our first contribution to the newly launching journal, Advances in Biomarker Sciences and Technology, has abruptly diverted to focus on the current pandemic. As the number of new COVID-19 cases and deaths continue to rise steadily around the world, the common goal of healthcare providers, scientists, and government officials worldwide has been to identify the best way to detect the novel coronavirus, named SARS-CoV-2, and to treat the viral infection - COVID-19. Accurate detection, timely diagnosis, effective treatment, and future prevention are the vital keys to management of COVID-19, and can help curb the viral spread. Traditionally, biomarkers play a pivotal role in the early detection of disease etiology, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis. To assist myriad ongoing investigations and innovations, we developed this current article to overview known and emerging biomarkers for SARS-CoV-2 detection, COVID-19 diagnostics, treatment and prognosis, and ongoing work to identify and develop more biomarkers for new drugs and vaccines. Moreover, biomarkers of socio-psychological stress, the high-technology quest for new virtual drug screening, and digital applications are described.

A Narrative Review of Emerging Therapeutics for COVID-19.

The novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, the causal agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), quickly spread around the world, resulting in the most aggressive pandemic experienced in more than 100 years. Research on targeted therapies and vaccines has been initiated on an unprecedented scale and speed but will take months and even years to come to fruition. Meanwhile, the efficacy of emerging therapeutics for use in treating COVID-19 is feverishly being investigated to identify the best available treatment options for dealing with the current wave of disease. This review of publications with a "treatment" tag through June 29, 2020 in the National Library of Medicine's LitCovid literature hub, provides frontline clinicians with a pragmatic summary of the current state of the rapidly evolving evidence supporting emerging candidate therapeutics for COVID-19. Two main categories of pharmaceutical therapeutics are showing promise: those with antiviral activity directly addressing infection and those that counteract the inflammatory cytokine storm induced by severe disease. Preliminary results suggest that other approaches such as convalescent plasma therapy and lung radiation therapy may have some efficacy. The current clinical evidence for potential treatments is preliminary-often small retrospective series or early results of randomized trials-and the science is evolving rapidly. The long-term results from large, well-designed randomized controlled trials will provide definitive evidence for therapeutic effectiveness and are likely months away. The trial landscape for promising therapies is described.

ACE2 enhance viral infection or viral infection aggravate the underlying diseases.

ACE2 plays a critical role in SARS-CoV-2 infection to cause COVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2 spike protein binds to ACE2 and probably functionally inhibits ACE2 to aggravate the underlying diseases of COVID-19. The important factors that affect the severity and fatality of COVID-19 include patients' underlying diseases and ages. Therefore, particular care to the patients with underlying diseases is needed during the treatment of COVID-19 patients.

Insomnia during the COVID-19 pandemic in a Greek population

Insomnia is a major health issue associated with great psychological burden. Research of insomnia during a pandemic crisis is limited. The aim of the present study was to explore sleep difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic in a Greek population. The three-day online survey included questions about sociodemographic characteristics, contact with COVID-19 and COVID-19-related negative attitudes, as well as the Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS), the Intolerance to Uncertainty scale (IUS), the De Jong Gierveld Loneliness scale (JGLS) and the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2) Depression Scale. Altogether, 2,427 individuals participated in the study (with 2,363 of them providing all basic demographic data). Sleep problems were detected in 37.6% of the participants. Women and people in urban areas were more vulnerable to sleep problems, while younger age showed a non-significant trend. Those uncertain about having themselves, or someone close to them contracted the virus, also demonstrated elevated insomnia scores. Lastly, according to the regression analysis, higher levels of intolerance to uncertainty, COVID-19-related worry, loneliness, as well as more severe depressive symptoms, were all predictive of insomnia. Results may be used for the development of therapeutic strategies and implementation of social policies to support people with sleep difficulties.

Retour d'expérience sur la crise Covid-19 dans une maternité française de type 3

L'arrivée brutale de l'épidémie sanitaire liée au SARS-CoV-2 dans la région Grand Est a conduit les services de soins de cette région à s'adapter rapidement à la situation. Le Plan blanc a été déployé dans les hôpitaux de Strasbourg et Nancy dès le 13 mars 2020 afin de faire face à un afflux massif de patients. Face à cette urgence sanitaire d'un type nouveau, la maternité de Nancy s'est réorganisée forte de l'expérience des services strasbourgeois rapidement mis en tension afin d'assurer l'accueil et de dispenser les meilleurs soins possible aux parturientes dans un environnement limitant au maximum leur risque de contamination. Du fait du haut risque de transmission virale, un suivi anténatal par téléconsultations et visites à domicile par le réseau de ville (sages-femmes libérales, généralistes) a été organisé pour les grossesses à bas risque. Sur site, un triage des admissions a rapidement été mis en place ainsi que la création d'un circuit spécifique dédié aux patientes à risque ou confirmées porteuses du SARS-CoV-2. Des procédures de prise en charge gynéco-obstétricales, anesthésiques et pédiatriques ont été rédigées et révisées par les différentes équipes au fur et à mesure de l'évolution des connaissances et des recommandations émises par les sociétés savantes. L'objectif de cet article est de détailler l'ensemble de l'organisation mise en place, de décrire les difficultés de fonctionnement rencontrées lors du pic de l'épidémie et d'analyser les points d'amélioration mis en évidence.Alternate abstract: The sudden arrival of the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak conducted healthcare departments to rapidly adapt their organizations. The White Plan has been activated in Strasbourg and Nancy the March 13, 2020 to deal with a massive influx of patients. Due to this new kind of sanitary emergency, build on Strasbourg's experience, the University Maternity of Nancy has been reorganized in order to propose the best care conditions for women in an environment limiting the risk of contamination. In view of the high risk of viral transmission, antenatal follow-up by teleconsultations and home visits provided by independent midwives and general practitioners was promoted for low-risk pregnancies. A pre-admission triage system and a specific circuit for patients suspected or infected with SARS-CoV-2 have been created. Specific procedures of care in anesthesiology, obstetrics and pediatrics have been drawn up and regularly revised according to national recommendations and literature. The aim of the article is to describe our health care organization, to highlight operational difficulties and points of improvement identified.