Monitoring of Thermal Comfort and Air Quality for Sustainable Energy Management inside Hospitals Based on Online Analytical Processing and the Internet of Things.

There is a need to ensure comfortable conditions for hospital staff and patients from the point of view of thermal comfort and air quality so that they do not affect their performance. We consider the need for hospital employees and patients to enjoy conditions of greater well-being during their stay. This is understood as a comfortable thermal sensation and adequate air quality, depending on the task they are performing. The contribution of this article is the formulation of the fundamentals of a system and platform for monitoring thermal comfort and Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) in hospitals, based on an Internet of Things platform composed of a low-cost sensor node network that is capable of measuring critical variables such as humidity, temperature, and Carbon Dioxide (CO2). As part of the platform, a multidimensional data model with an On-Line Analytical Processing (OLAP) approach is presented that offers query flexibility, data volume reduction, as well as a significant reduction in query response times. The experimental results confirm the suitability of the platform's data model, which facilitates operational and strategic decision making in complex hospitals.

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic waves on changes in surgical urgency volumes and severity in the regional hospital network of Trento (Northern Italy): a descriptive epidemiological analysis.

OBJECTIVES: to analyse both direct and indirect impacts on surgical admissions, surgical rates, and clinical picture severity of the two COVID-19 pandemic waves in a hospital network covering an entire province (Trento, located in Trentino-Alto Adige Region, Northern Italy). DESIGN: retrospective epidemiological study. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: data regarding the patient load of the Surgical Urgencies/Emergencies flows (SUEs) of the Local Health Authority of the Autonomous Province of Trento derived from the Hospital Discharge Record (HDR) information flow. The population in study was that of patients hospitalized in the entire Province of Trento. This study compares the volume and characteristics of urgent/emergency surgery during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic with the homologous period in 2019, subdividing the analysed pandemic period in 3 separated groups: • phase I (March-May 2020); • phase II (June-August 2020); • phase III (October-December 2020). The 3 groups represent, respectively: the 1st pandemic wave proclamation of national lockdown from 9 March to 18 May; the summer pandemic remission; the 2nd pandemic wave with partial restrictions on circulation and commercial activities. Clinical and surgical records of SUE population among these 3 periods (March-May; June-August; October-December) of both 2020 and 2019 were analyzed and compared. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: the overall number of admissions and surgical rates for SUEs in the study periods were chosen as primary outcomes. The same outcomes were analysed for the most represented diagnoses in the SUEs population: diverticulitis, intestinal obstruction, appendicitis, cholecystitis, gastrointestinal (GI) perforations, pancreatitis, traumas. To assess the degree of clinical picture severity, variables coming from the hospital discharging charts, commonly associated to worst outcomes in term of mortality and morbidity, such as age, length of hospital stay, DRG weight, and patients not discharged at home were extrapolated from the electronic database. A numerical weight was then assigned to each variable, obtaining a scoring system from 0 to 15 (severity index). RESULTS: the number of admissions for SUEs in the studied period showed a sinusoidal trend, with a dramatic decrease in phase I and III (-46.6% and -31.6%, respectively). This trend was also observed even by stratifying admissions for the most frequent pathologies, except for gastrointestinal perforations and pancreatitis. The surgical rate among hospitalised patients for SUEs was 35.2% in phase, significantly higher than that of 2019 (25.6%). Considering the most frequent diagnoses individually, some had a progressive increase in the surgical rate in phases I and II (diverticulitis, bowel obstructions, cholecystitis), others showed an initial decrease and then settled on values ​​not far from those of 2019 (GI perforations and appendicitis), others again had an initial significant increase and then gradually returned to values ​​similar to those of 2019 in phase III (traumas). The mean patients age was significantly higher in phase I than in 2019 (p-value <0.001) and in phase II (p-value <0.05). Consistently with the trend of the number of urgent admissions, even the severity index calculated on the SUEs population showed a sinusoidal trend with and evident increase during the two pandemic waves. CONCLUSIONS: the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on SUEs was mainly indirect, manifesting itself with a significant reduction in surgical admissions, particularly in phases I and III. Conversely, in the same phases, the surgical rate showed a significant increase compared to 2019. The stratified analysis confirmed these findings for the most frequent diagnoses except for GI perforations and pancreatitis. The clinical pictures were more severe in the two pandemic waves than in the reference period of 2019. Although with a slight numerical attenuation, in general, the second pandemic wave confirmed the first one findings.

Post-Traumatic Growth of Nurses in COVID-19 Designated Hospitals in Korea.

BACKGROUND: This descriptive survey aimed to identify the factors affecting the post-traumatic growth (PTG) of nurses in COVID-19 designated hospitals on the basis of a PTG model. METHODS: A survey of 250 nurses working at three COVID-19 hospitals in Seoul, South Korea, was conducted from May to July 2021. The collected data were analyzed using the IBM SPSS 25 (IBM Inc., Armonk, NY, USA). RESULTS: The participants in this study were mostly women (92.7%), and the average age and career duration were 32.08 and 7.88 years, respectively. The factors that significantly influenced the participants' PTG were identified as marriage, religion, self-disclosure, deliberate rumination, meaning in life, and resilience. CONCLUSIONS: As new infectious diseases emerge, it is necessary to develop a program that can encourage self-disclosure and deliberate rumination, help nurses discover and pursue meaning in life, and enhance their ability to overcome trauma and promote PTG.

Evaluation of Medical Staff Satisfaction for Workplace Architecture in Temporary COVID-19 Hospital: A Case Study in Gdansk, Poland.

This article analyses the architecture that was used in the temporary AmberExpo hospital in Gdansk, Poland which was installed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The construction of this type of facility is often based on experimental approaches, aimed at caring for patients suffering from an infectious disease in emergency conditions. In order to assess the level of employee satisfaction with the architectural and technical elements used in the first period of the hospital's activity, medical staff were asked to fill out a questionnaire. The analysis of the survey's results indicated that the majority of employees expressed satisfaction with the architectural and technical elements, with the design of the spatial layout of the individual medical zones receiving the most positive feedback. However, frequently selected drawbacks in the design included the lack of natural daylight, the artificial light that was used and the acoustics of the facility. This detailed examination of the satisfaction and feedback from medical employees working in this type of emergency facility enables the development of solutions that in the future will allow for the improved adaptive reuse and implementation of such structures, with enhanced time and economic efficiency, and most importantly, the ability to provide a safer workplace.

Major depressive episode in hospital workers during the Covid-19 pandemic in Brazil.

OBJECTIVES: To estimate prevalence and factors associated with major depressive episode (MDE), emphasizing occupational aspects, in workers of a public teaching hospital that is a reference for Covid-19 treatment. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out between October and December 2020, after the first peak of the pandemic, interviewing 1,155 workers. The prevalence of MDE was estimated using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) algorithm. Multivariate hierarchical analysis was conducted using Poisson regression to assess associated factors. RESULTS: MDE prevalence was 15.3% (95%CI: 13.3-17.5) and was higher among young, white and female workers, those with a family history of depression, resident professionals, nursing professionals, workers who were exposed to three or more situations of moral dilemma, and those who had to put off a physiological need until later. Having a risk factor for Covid-19, being a smoker and being physically inactive were also positively associated with MDE. CONCLUSIONS: The study points to the considerable prevalence of MDE among tertiary health care workers; reviewing work processes is essential to reduce occupational stress and minimize the effects of the pandemic on mental health, preventing those problems from becoming chronic.

Cost-Benefit of Real-Time Multiplex PCR Testing of SARS-CoV-2 in German Hospitals.

BACKGROUND: The current Omicron COVID-19 pandemic has significant morbidity worldwide. OBJECTIVE: Assess the cost-benefit relation of implementing PCR point-of-care (POCT) COVID-19 testing in the emergency rooms (ERs) of German hospitals and in the case of inpatient admission due to other acute illnesses. METHODS: A deterministic decision-analytic model simulated the incremental costs of using the Savanna® Multiplex RT-PCR test compared to using clinical judgement alone to confirm or exclude COVID-19 in adult patients in German ERs prior to hospitalization or just prior to discharge. Direct and indirect costs were evaluated from the hospital perspective. Nasal or nasopharyngeal swabs of patients suspected to have COVID-19 by clinical judgement, but without POCT, were sent to external labs for RT-PCR testing. RESULTS: In probabilistic sensitivity analysis, assuming a COVID-19 prevalence ranging between 15.6-41.2% and a hospitalization rate between 4.3-64.3%, implementing the Savanna® test saved, on average, €107 as compared to applying the clinical-judgement-only strategy. A revenue loss of €735 can be avoided when SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients coming unplanned to the hospital due to other acute illnesses are excluded immediately by POCT. CONCLUSIONS: Using highly sensitive and specific PCR-POCT in patients suspected of COVID-19 infection at German ERs may significantly reduce hospital expenditures.

COVID-19 Vaccines in Children.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has transformed the world. It has highlighted health inequities, the lack of social safety nets, and the limitations of health care systems. But it has also paved the way for medical ingenuity and technological advances in the face of these extreme challenges. One such medical marvel is the COVID-19 vaccine. The ability to rapidly create and mass produce a safe and effective vaccine for both adults and children has been essential to minimizing the harm of COVID-19, reducing the burden on hospitals and ushering in some semblance of return to pre-COVID times. Although vaccine hesitancy and long-standing health inequities have limited the number of children who have received the COVID-19 vaccine, the recommended vaccines remain a vital tool in ensuring healthy growth and development of children. [Pediatr Ann. 2023;52(1):e4-e7.].

Fast Air-to-Liquid Sampler Detects Surges in SARS-CoV-2 Aerosol Levels in Hospital Rooms.

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the dangers of airborne pathogen transmission. SARS-CoV-2 is known to be transmitted through aerosols; however, little is known about the dynamics of these aerosols in real environments, the conditions, and the minimum viral load required for infection. Efficiently measuring and capturing pathogens present in the air would help to understand the infection process. Air samplers usually take several hours to obtain an air sample. In this work a fast (1-2 min) method for capturing bioaerosols into a liquid medium has been tested in hospital rooms with COVID-19 patients. This fast sampling allows detecting transient levels of aerosols in the air. SARS-CoV-2 RNA is detected in aerosols from several hospital rooms at different levels. Interestingly, there are sudden boosts of the SARS-CoV-2 load in the air, suggesting that SARS-CoV-2 could be released abundantly at certain moments. These results show that the distribution of SARS-CoV-2-containing aerosols is not homogeneous in the hospital room. This technology is a fast and effective tool for capturing airborne matter in a very short time, which allows for fast decision-making any kind of hazard in the air is detected. It is also useful for a better understanding of aerosols dynamics.

Assessment of Hospital Readiness to Respond to COVID-19 Pandemic in Jordan-A Cross Sectional Study.

During the global COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals faced tremendous pressure to cope with the emergency preparedness situations needed to cater for the influx of patients while maintaining their essential services. This study aimed to assess the level of readiness of hospitals in Jordan to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic using the WHO hospital readiness checklist. A cross-sectional survey using the modified and validated checklist was conducted in Jordan between 15 May and 15 June 2021. The checklist entailed ten key response functions with a total of 60 activities. Data from 22 hospitals were collected through a structured survey process by two surveyors for each hospital. The overall readiness score of hospitals was 1.77 ± 0.20, with a lower overall score in the northern region (1.65 ± 0.24) than the middle (1.86 ± 0.07) or southern (1.84 ± 0.14) regions. The diagnosis response function scored highest (1.95); but despite efforts, contingency plan development was not met by most hospitals, with a total score ≤ 1.45. Provision of psychological support and occupational health support to ensure the wellbeing of staff scored below average. Outcomes from this survey exposed gaps while offering a framework for upcoming endeavors to improve hospital readiness for any potential pandemic.

Exposure to psychotropic medications and COVID-19 course after hospital admission: Results from a prospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: There is evidence of a bidirectional association between COVID-19 disease and psychiatric disorders. We aimed to assess whether exposure to psychotropic medications prior to hospitalization was associated with mortality or discharge within 30 days after hospital admission. METHODS: In this prospective study, we included all individuals with a laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 infection who were admitted to the Bologna University Hospital between 1st March 2020 and 31st January 2021. We collected data about pre-existing psychiatric disorders and the use of psychotropic medications at the admission. As univariate analyses, we estimated cumulative incidence functions for 30-day mortality and discharge stratifying by exposure to each of the psychotropic medication classes. Finally, we fitted Cox regression models to estimate cause-specific Hazard Ratios (HR) of 30-day mortality and discharge. Results were adjusted for sociodemographic (age, sex), clinically relevant variables (comorbidity, c-reactive protein levels, severity of disease at presentation, history of smoking, study period), and psychiatric variables (psychiatric disorder diagnosis, number of psychotropic medications). RESULTS: Out of a total of 1238 hospitalized patients, 316 were prescribed psychotropic medications at the time of admission. Among these, 45 (3.6%) were taking a first-generation antipsychotics (FGA) and 66 (5.3%) a second generation antipsychotic (SGA). Exposure to SGA was associated with increased rates of 30-day mortality (HR = 2.01, 95%CI = 1.02-3.97) and exposure to FGA was associated with decreased rates of 30-day discharge (HR = 0.55, 95%CI = 0.33-0.90). CONCLUSION: Patients with COVID-19 infection exposed to FGA and SGA may have worse COVID-19 infection outcomes.

La visita ai propri cari ricoverati: un diritto dei familiari e dei pazienti.

. Visiting hospitalized loved ones: a right of family members and patients. In hospitals and nursing homes, regulations apply different limitations to family visits: from a total ban even for critical and/or terminal patients, or in the delivery room (new mothers give birth alone), to limiting the number of visitors (one at a time) or the type (immediate family members only), to the time for the visit (a maximum of 10 to 45 minutes); other facilities allow access for critical and/or end-of-life patients. It is time to return to pre-covid normality. The patient has the right to be accompanied, by the people who matter to her/him; the presence of family members next to the patient is not a concession but a concrete expression of the respect and attention due to the patient and his/her dignity as a human being. To continue the debate on family visits to hospitalised loved ones, we publish two letters/appeals. One, from the relatives of nursing home residents, hospitalised and dead during the pandemics, without any contact with their relatives (edited by Anchise Comitato Nazionale Famiglie RSA RSD Sanità), which in sometimes very harsh, but hardly contestable tones, at the end of August 22 launched an appeal (which is still little heeded) to the future government, to reopen the doors of hospitals and nursing homes. The other, a press release of December 2022, from the Nursing College of Trento, reaffirms the importance of family visits as a right and responsibility to guarantee the care and caring of the person being cared for, recalling the attention and responsibility of nurses, who should consider a fundamental care to be able to care for patients with the closeness of the family.

The Healthcare Relationship during the Second Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study in the Emergency Department of an Italian Hospital.

The COVID-19 pandemic had an impact not only on people's lives but also on the healthcare system. This study aimed to investigate the healthcare relationship in the Emergency Department (ED) of a hospital in northern Italy, during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The participants (N = 43) consisted of 16 nurses, 6 doctors from the hospital ED, and 21 patients who accessed this department. Semi-structured interviews were carried out and a thematic analysis was conducted. The findings suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic brought both positive and negative changes to the healthcare relationship that are linked to changes in the organization of the ED and to participants' various experiences of the pandemic. The changes in this relationship should be monitored because they could have long-term effects on healthcare professionals' wellbeing, treatment outcomes, and the healthcare system. The findings from this study could be used to understand these changes and inform intervention strategies to improve the healthcare relationship.

Towards hospital-on-chip supported by 2D MXenes-based 5th generation intelligent biosensors.

Existing public health emergencies due to fatal/infectious diseases such as coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and monkeypox have raised the paradigm of 5th generation portable intelligent and multifunctional biosensors embedded on a single chip. The state-of-the-art 5th generation biosensors are concerned with integrating advanced functional materials with controllable physicochemical attributes and optimal machine processability. In this direction, 2D metal carbides and nitrides (MXenes), owing to their enhanced effective surface area, tunable physicochemical properties, and rich surface functionalities, have shown promising performances in biosensing flatlands. Moreover, their hybridization with diversified nanomaterials caters to their associated challenges for the commercialization of stability due to restacking and oxidation. MXenes and its hybrid biosensors have demonstrated intelligent and lab-on-chip prospects for determining diverse biomarkers/pathogens related to fatal and infectious diseases. Recently, on-site detection has been clubbed with solution-on-chip MXenes by interfacing biosensors with modern-age technologies, including 5G communication, internet-of-medical-things (IoMT), artificial intelligence (AI), and data clouding to progress toward hospital-on-chip (HOC) modules. This review comprehensively summarizes the state-of-the-art MXene fabrication, advancements in physicochemical properties to architect biosensors, and the progress of MXene-based lab-on-chip biosensors toward HOC solutions. Besides, it discusses sustainable aspects, practical challenges and alternative solutions associated with these modules to develop personalized and remote healthcare solutions for every individual in the world.

Adaptation and Response of a Major Parisian Referral Hospital to the COVID-19 Surge: A Qualitative Study.

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, few studies have focused on crisis management of multiple services within one hospital over several waves of the pandemic. The purpose of this study was to provide an overview of the COVID-19 crisis response of a Parisian referral hospital which managed the first three COVID cases in France and to analyze its resilience capacities. Between March 2020 and June 2021, we conducted observations, semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and lessons learned workshops. Data analysis was supported by an original framework on health system resilience. Three configurations emerged from the empirical data: 1) reorganization of services and spaces; 2) management of professionals' and patients' contamination risk; and 3) mobilization of human resources and work adaptation. The hospital and its staff mitigated the effects of the pandemic by implementing multiple and varied strategies, which the staff perceived as having positive and/or negative consequences. We observed an unprecedented mobilization of the hospital and its staff to absorb the crisis. Often the mobilization fell on the shoulders of the professionals, adding to their exhaustion. Our study demonstrates the capacity of the hospital and its staff to absorb the COVID-19 shock by putting in place mechanisms for continuous adaptation. More time and insight will be needed to observe whether these strategies and adaptations will be sustainable over the coming months and years and to assess the overall transformative capacities of the hospital.

Association Between Unmet Nonmedication Needs After Hospital Discharge and Readmission or Death Among Acute Respiratory Failure Survivors: A Multicenter Prospective Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVES: To characterize early unmet nonmedication discharge needs (UDNs), classified as durable medical equipment (DME), home health services (HHS), and follow-up medical appointments (FUAs) and explore their association with 90-day readmission and mortality among survivors of acute respiratory failure (ARF) who were discharged home. DESIGN: Prospective multicenter cohort study. SETTING: Six academic medical centers across United States. PARTICIPANTS: Adult survivors of ARF who required an ICU stay and were discharged home from hospital. INTERVENTIONS: None. Exposure of interest was the proportion of UDN for the following categories: DME, HHS, and FUA ascertained within 7-28 days after hospital discharge. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Two hundred eligible patients were recruited between January 2019 and August 2020. One-hundred ninety-five patients were included in the analytic cohort: 118 were prescribed DME, 134 were prescribed HHS, and 189 needed at least one FUA according to discharge plans. 98.4% (192/195) had at least one identified nonmedication need at hospital discharge. Median (interquartile range) proportion of unmet needs across three categories were 0 (0-15%) for DME, 0 (0-50%) for HHS, and 0 (0-25%) for FUA, and overall was 0 (0-20%). Fifty-six patients (29%) had 90-day death or readmission. After adjusting for prespecified covariates, having greater than the median level of unmet needs was not associated with an increased risk of readmission or death within 90 days of discharge (risk ratio, 0.89; 0.51-1.57; p = 0.690). Age, hospital length of stay, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II severity of illness score, and Multidimensional Scale Perceived Social Support score were associated with UDN. CONCLUSIONS: UDN were common among survivors of ARF but not significantly associated a composite outcome of 90-day readmission or death. Our results highlight the substantial magnitude of UDN and identifies areas especially vulnerable to lapses in healthcare coordination.

A Qualitative Study of Hospital Interior Environments during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Human beings have encountered different infectious diseases. However, there is not much validated data available on the physical environments of hospitals when responding to highly contagious viruses, such as COVID-19. This study was conducted to assess the physical environments of hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic. There exists a need to analyze whether the physical environments of hospitals were conducive or obstructive to medical practice during the pandemic. A total of forty-six staff working in intensive care units, progressive care units, and emergency rooms were invited to participate in a semi-structured interview. Out of this group, fifteen staff members participated in the interview. They were asked to list the changes made to the hospital's physical environment during the pandemic, which included equipping the hospital environment for medical practice and protecting staff from becoming infected. They were also asked about desirable improvements that they believe could increase their productivity and ensure safety. The results indicated the difficulty in isolating COVID-19 patients and converting a single occupancy room into a double occupancy room. Isolating COVID-19 patients made it easier for staff to care for the patients, but it made them feel isolated and at the same time increased the walking distance. Signs indicating a COVID area helped them to prepare for medical practices ahead of time. Glass doors provided greater visibility and enabled them to monitor the patients. However, the dividers installed at nursing stations were obstructive. This study suggests that further research should be conducted once the pandemic is over.

Clinical and pharmacological factors associated with mortality in patients with COVID-19 in a high complexity hospital in Manaus: A retrospective study.

COVID-19 is a contagious infection caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, responsible for more than 5 million deaths worldwide, and has been a significant challenge for healthcare systems worldwide. Characterized by multiple manifestations, the most common symptoms are fever, cough, anosmia, ageusia, and myalgia. However, several organs can be affected in more severe cases, causing encephalitis, myocarditis, respiratory distress, hypercoagulable state, pulmonary embolism, and stroke. Despite efforts to identify appropriate clinical protocols for its management, there are still no fully effective therapies to prevent patient death. The objective of this study was to describe the demographic, clinical, and pharmacotherapeutic management characteristics employed in patients hospitalized for diagnosis of COVID-19, in addition to identifying predictive factors for mortality. This is a single-center, retrospective cohort study carried out in a reference hospital belonging to the Brazilian public health system, in Manaus, from March 2020 to July 2021. Data were obtained from analyzing medical records, physical and electronic forms, medical prescriptions, and antimicrobial use authorization forms. During the study period, 530 patients were included, 51.70% male, with a mean age of 58.74 ± 15.91 years. The overall mortality rate was 23.58%. The variables age, number of comorbidities, admission to the ICU, length of stay, oxygen saturation, serum aspartate transaminase, and use of mechanical ventilation showed a positive correlation with the mortality rate. Regarding pharmacological management, 88.49% of patients used corticosteroids, 86.79% used antimicrobials, 94.15% used anticoagulant therapy, and 3.77% used immunotherapy. Interestingly, two specific classes of antibiotics showed a positive correlation with the mortality rate: penicillins and glycopeptides. After multivariate logistic regression analysis, age, number of comorbidities, need for mechanical ventilation, length of hospital stay, and penicillin or glycopeptide antibiotics use were associated with mortality (AUC = 0.958).

[The impact of BMI on the course of the acute SARS-COV-2 infection and the risks that emerge during the first year after the hospital discharge. Subanalysis evidence of the AKTIV and AKTIV 2 registries].

BACKGROUND: There is enough evidence of the negative impact of excess weight on the formation and progression of res piratory pathology. Given the continuing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, it is relevant to determine the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and the clinical features of the novel coronavirus infection (NCI). AIM: To study the effect of BMI on the course of the acute SARS-COV-2 infection and the post-covid period. MATERIALS AND METHODS: AKTIV and AKTIV 2 are multicenter non-interventional real-world registers. The АКТИВ registry (n=6396) includes non-overlapping outpatient and inpatient arms with 6 visits in each. The АКТИВ 2 registry (n=2968) collected  the  data  of  hospitalized  patients  and  included  3  visits.  All  subjects  were  divided  into  3  groups:  not  overweight  (n=2139), overweight (n=2931) and obese (n=2666). RESULTS: A higher BMI was significantly associated with a more severe course of the infection in the form of acute kidney injury (p=0.018), cytokine storm (p<0.001), serum C-reactive protein over 100 mg/l (p<0.001), and the need for targeted therapy (p<0.001) in the hospitalized patients. Obesity increased the odds of myocarditis by 1,84 times (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1,13-3,00) and the need for anticytokine therapy by 1,7 times (95% CI: 1,30-2,30).The  patients  with  the  1st  and  2nd  degree  obesity,  undergoing  the  inpatient  treatment,  tended  to  have  a  higher  probability  of  a  mortality  rate.  While  in  case  of  morbid  obesity  patients  this  tendency  is  the  most  significant  (odds  ratio  -  1,78; 95% CI: 1,13-2,70). At the same time, the patients whose chronical diseases first appeared after the convalescence period, and those who had certain complaints missing before SARS-CoV-2 infection, more often had BMI of more than 30 kg/m2 (p<0,001).Additionally, the odds of death increased by 2,23 times (95% CI: 1,05-4,72) within 3 months after recovery in obese people over the age of 60 yearsCONCLUSION.  Overweight  and/or  obesity  is  a  significant  risk  factor  for severe  course  of  the  new  coronavirus  infection  and  the associated cardiovascular and kidney damage Overweight people and patients with the 1st and 2nd degree obesity tend to have a high risk of death of SARS-CoV-2 infection in both acute and post-covid periods. On top of that, in case of morbid obesity patients this tendency is statistically significant. Normalization of body weight is a strategic objective of modern medicine and can contribute to prevention of respiratory conditions, severe course and complications of the new coronavirus infection.