Severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 seroprevalence study in Pimpri-Chinchwad, Maharashtra, India coinciding with falling trend - Do the results suggest imminent herd immunity?

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 is a public health concern currently demanding continuous efforts to understand its epidemiology. Pimpri-Chinchwad township with a population of over 25 lakhs is located in Maharashtra, one of the worst affected states in India. After the incidence peaked in the township in mid-September 2020, cases started declining even as lockdown restrictions were eased. OBJECTIVES: A seroprevalence study was conducted to understand the transmission dynamics of the pandemic in this region. METHODS: We carried out a population-based seroprevalence study for IgG antibodies for severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) among 5000 residents 12 years and above selected by the cluster random sampling. We selected 50 clusters in slums, 80 clusters in tenements, and 70 clusters from housing societies. The field work for collection of samples was carried out from October 07 to October 17, 2020. We used kit from Abbott (SARS-CoV-2 IgG), which employs chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay technology. The prevalence of IgG antibodies was expressed as point estimates with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). These were weighted for areas and cluster effect and further adjusted for test performance. RESULTS: The overall seropositivity for IgG was 34.04% (95% CIl 31.3%-36.8%). Slum dwellers had 40.9% positivity rate (95% CI 37.0%-44.7%), those in tenements 41.2% (95% CI 37.7%-44.8%) and people living in housing societies had 29.8% positivity (95% CI 25.8%-33.8%). CONCLUSION: A considerable proportion of population had encountered the novel coronavirus approaching partial, if not complete, herd immunity, which may partly explain the declining trend in spite of easing of lockdown restrictions.

A Cross-Sectional Study on Sedentary Lifestyle Among Budding Doctors: Silent Killer?

Background Internship is the time period when young doctors learn to balance between professional and personal lives. If they have good awareness and practice of any kind of physical activity during this period, it will help them to continue it forward. This enables them to educate and inspire people and patients around them. The main objectives of this study were to assess patterns of physical activity among medical interns and to understand the factors preventing physical activity among them. Methodology This cross-sectional survey was carried out among interns of a tertiary care hospital in western Maharashtra from July 2022 to September 2022. Ethical clearance was obtained before starting data collection. The survey was administered to those who fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The questionnaire was adopted from the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire. The data collected were entered into Microsoft Excel (Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, WA) and analysis was done using MedCalc v.18.2.1 (MedCalc Software Ltd, Ostend, Belgium). Results A total of 220 interns were enrolled in the survey, of which 13 were removed due to incomplete data and 28 interns did not participate in the study. Finally, 179 interns were included for analysis in the study. The response rate was 87.27%. The mean age of participants was 23.12 years. The study population consisted of 72 (40.22%) males and 107 (59.78%) females. Among participants, 33 interns (18.44%) were involved in vigorous activity during work, and 108 interns (60.34%) were involved in moderate physical activity during work. The median time of a sedentary lifestyle was 300 minutes per day and was more common among males. Cumulatively busy working schedules and exam preparation were the important reasons for reduced physical activity. Conclusion There is a gap in the practice of physical activity among interns. A sedentary lifestyle was more prevalent among male interns than in female interns. The main constraints were demanding working hours and the pressure of competitive exams. Medical students will become doctors in the future who can advise their patients on healthy lifestyle habits. We recommend that it is necessary to promote physical activity in medical schools and to reinforce the importance of physical exercise in the medical curriculum.

Baseline findings of a multicentric ambispective cohort study (2021-2022) among hospitalised mucormycosis patients in India.

In India, the incidence of mucormycosis reached high levels during 2021-2022, coinciding with the COVID-19 pandemic. In response to this, we established a multicentric ambispective cohort of patients hospitalised with mucormycosis across India. In this paper, we report their baseline profile, clinical characteristics and outcomes at discharge. Patients hospitalized for mucormycosis during March-July 2021 were included. Mucormycosis was diagnosed based on mycological confirmation on direct microscopy (KOH/Calcofluor white stain), culture, histopathology, or supportive evidence from endoscopy or imaging. After consent, trained data collectors used medical records and telephonic interviews to capture data in a pre-tested structured questionnaire. At baseline, we recruited 686 patients from 26 study hospitals, of whom 72.3% were males, 78% had a prior history of diabetes, 53.2% had a history of corticosteroid treatment, and 80% were associated with COVID-19. Pain, numbness or swelling of the face were the commonest symptoms (73.3%). Liposomal Amphotericin B was the commonest drug formulation used (67.1%), and endoscopic sinus surgery was the most common surgical procedure (73.6%). At discharge, the disease was stable in 43.3%, in regression for 29.9% but 9.6% died during hospitalization. Among survivors, commonly reported disabilities included facial disfigurement (18.4%) and difficulties in chewing/swallowing (17.8%). Though the risk of mortality was only 1 in 10, the disability due to the disease was very high. This cohort study could enhance our understanding of the disease's clinical progression and help frame standard treatment guidelines.

Community's perception of lockdown ascribed to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic caused a mandatory nationwide lockdown from March 24, 2020. In this difficult and unprecedented time, the requirement to adapt to lockdown and a forced stay-at-home had an impact on people's lives. Aim: Community's perception of lockdown ascribed to COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was done on individuals aged 18 and above across India, to assess their perception regarding lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The study was carried out using a semi-structured questionnaire, where the data were collected via Google Forms and analyzed via Epi info 7. The questionnaire comprised of how individuals perceived the lockdown, and how COVID-19 news circulating on various social media platforms and news channels affected their mental health. Results: The study included a total of 552 individuals. The study found that the lockdown was supported by 47% of respondents. 69.9% participants acknowledged that during lockdown, a huge amount of COVID-19 news was being disseminated, while 67.2% of individuals were overly preoccupied with thinking about preventative measures. As a result of being confined indoors, 59% of respondents thought their screen time had increased. Conclusion: Respondents perceived that the lockdown had its benefits and drawbacks. They were impacted by the flood of information from various social media platforms as well and there was an increase in screen time.

Tobacco and alcohol use among adolescents in Northern India.

Background: Alcohol and cigarette usage are major public health issues that particularly affect young people worldwide. Because most users begin using these drugs well before the age of 18, there are significant psychosocial and health consequences. This study seeks to identify the incidence of underage drinking and smoking in northern India and the multiple risk factors associated with this exposure. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on adolescents (13-18 years) from Northern India, to assess their knowledge, attitude, and practice of usage of alcohol and tobacco. The study was conducted using a semi-structured questionnaire for interview purposes and analyzed via Epi Info version 7. Results: The mean age of the participants was 16.15 (1.34) years, of which 65.74% are males and 34.26% are females. 18.25% of students stay in a hostel. Of 108 participants, about 24.07% of students have tried their first cigarette before 18 years of age. 28.70% of students have people in their homes, and 41.67% have friends who use tobacco. Among the 108 respondents, 26.85% of students have tried or used alcohol before 18 years of age. Conclusion: It is crucial to create preventive techniques to lessen tobacco use in light of the significant negative health effects that come along with tobacco addiction. Spreading awareness among at-risk children and adolescents by limiting advertising and promotional efforts, early user detection and treatment are all examples of preventive techniques.

Psychological aspect of common people during lockdown.

BACKGROUND: Lockdown was implemented to restrict the transmission of COVID-19. This brought upon many unforeseen hurdles, including mental health problems. AIM: The aim of the study is to assess the impact of lockdown on mental health. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted using Google Form, which the participants were requested to complete online. The questionnaire included sociodemographic information and general health questionnaire (GHQ)-12, which was used to screen for mental health. RESULTS: A total of 343 participants took part in the study in which 113 participants (32.9%) were having GHQ score of less than or equal to 12. The study showed that people aged less than 41 years were able to concentrate more during lockdown (75.6%) as compared to people aged more than 41 years (65%). Younger participants who were less than 41 years reported sleep disorders associated with late-night entertainment and TV viewing (24.5%). Many experienced stress during lockdown, but it was more in people over 60 years (63.7%). CONCLUSIONS: An appreciable proportion of the participants faced stress during lockdown. Elderly people were more affected. Sleeping disorders were associated with late-night entertainment and TV viewing in younger people.

Biomonitoring of metal deposition by using moss transplant method through Hypnum cupressiforme (Hedw.) in Mussoorie.

Metals Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb were surveyed at 14 sampling sites by using moss Hypnum cupressiforme through active monitoring technique. Samples were transplanted in all four directions of Mussoorie city and were harvested after exposure of four months (representing each season) to analyze metal precipitation and its trend at different sites during 2005. Bioaccumulation ability for metals was evaluated seasonally exhibiting maximum in summer followed by winter and minimum in rainy season. However, at some places Cu shows highly significant values in rainy season in comparison to winter. In case of Zn and Pb significantly different (p < or = 0.05) values were observed between summerand rainy season. Baseline concentration of Cu, Pb and Zn was significantly different at 5% in comparison to other transplant sites. Result indicates Dhanaulti as most polluted location might be due to higher tourist activity and vehicular load, whereas, same was found low at Chamba might be due to place was free from pollution sources or away from in proximity to road and have low human interference. The present study allows us to determine the extent of the area affected by metal precipitation load in different rural and urban areas and abundance of metals in order of Zn > Pb > Cu > Cd.

Role of Behavioural Risk Factors in Symptoms Related to UTI Among Nursing Students.

INTRODUCTION: UTI is a well known entity amongst young girls, and the majority of girls have recurrent infections within one year. Anything that disturbs the usual vaginal environment would result in conditions favouring the production of unwanted microorganisms leading to infections of this very sensitive area. Studies have shown that, there is an evident relation of UTI's among students and practices of personal hygiene. AIM: To determine association between the behavioural risk factors and UTI among nursing girls. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present study was undertaken amongst unmarried nursing students of a Medical College Hospital. A predesigned pretested questionnaire was used to know the personal hygiene of students and to find out its association with UTI in the last three months. Chi-square test was used to analyse the data. RESULTS: A significant association was observed between perineal hygiene and UTI. The major risk factors of UTI identified were incorrect perineal washing technique, use of synthetic/silk innerwears, not sundrying the innerwears, improper menstrual hygiene. CONCLUSION: There are still major gaps in the knowledge regarding causation of UTI among the nursing students. This calls for an urgent need for educational talks periodically addressing these gaps.