COVID-19 morbidity in an ethnic minority: changes during the first year of the pandemic.

OBJECTIVES: During the COVID-19 pandemic, ethnic minorities have been more susceptible to infection and demonstrated poorer outcomes. This study describes COVID-19 morbidity and mortality by ethnic group, represented by Arab and Jewish localities in Israel, during the different waves of the outbreak and addresses sociocultural aspects of the pandemic. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective national archive study was conducted in Israel. METHODS: Data were obtained from the Ministry of Health's database, including daily information on Arab, Jewish or mixed localities, from February 2020 to February 2021. RESULTS: During the first wave of the pandemic, the incidence of COVID-19 in Arab compared with Jewish localities was 67% lower and mortality was 85% lower, in addition to lower rates of severe disease requiring hospitalisation. During the second and third waves, these trends reversed, with the proportion of positive tests, incidence and mortality in Arab localities reaching and then surpassing rates in Jewish localities. By September 2020, COVID-19 mortality was twice as high in Arab compared with Jewish localities. CONCLUSIONS: After low morbidity during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, a surge in infections occurred in the Arab population during subsequent waves, to match and surpass the high incidence seen in the Jewish population. This unique pattern highlights the changing experiences of a minority group as the pandemic progressed and demonstrates how COVID-19 exacerbates existing disparities.

Molecular cytogenetic parameters in fibroblasts from patients and carriers of xeroderma pigmentosum.

Xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) is a rare autosomal recessive syndrome. Laboratory investigations have failed to detect any consistent anomaly in cells from XP heterozygotic subjects, although examples of behavior intermediate between normal and XP cells have been reported. To estimate random aneuploidy we applied fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with alpha-satellite probes for chromosomes 8 and 9 and replication pattern for TP53 (p53), ERBB2 (HER-2/neu), and MYCN (N-MYC) loci and for the imprinted SNRPN locus. A significantly higher rate of aneuploidy rate was observed in XP patients and carriers than in controls. The asynchrony pattern was significantly higher in XP carriers and patients with all three coding loci analyzed and significantly lower in XP patients and carriers with the imprinted locus SNRPN than in the control group. Molecular cytogenetic parameters such as random aneuploidy and replication pattern, which are known to reflect chromosomal instability, may be part of the tumorigenesis process. In XP patients and carriers, this genetic instability may represent a potential for developing malignancies.

Study of a prevention programme for caprine arthritis-encephalitis.

A prevention programme for caprine viral arthritis-encephalitis was monitored in 363 goat herds between 1988 and 1990. The level of contamination in the female kids fell from 49.5 to 25% by the end of the 2-yr period during which the programme was applied. Some 19% of the female kids that had been substitute colostrum (cow colostrum or goat colostrum heated to 56 degrees C for 1 h) were contaminated compared with 45% of those that had been given raw colostrum. The segregation between the animals submitted to prevention measures and those that were not are presented to illustrate the efficiency of prevention of horizontal transmission.

Chemotherapy for small cell lung cancer: induction and reinduction with VOCA.

Sixty-five patients with small cell lung cancer were treated with VP16, vincristine, cyclophosphamide, and doxorubicin (VOCA) intravenously at three-week intervals. Patients with limited disease received four cycles with responders receiving radiation to the primary site and prophylactic cranial irradiation. Patients with extensive disease received chemotherapy only. Of 59 patients evaluable for chemotherapy response, eight (14%) achieved complete remission and 30 (51%) partial remission. Major side-effects included myelosuppression, alopecia, nausea, and vomiting. Reinduction with VOCA at relapse yielded objective or subjective response in four of seven patients. This regimen is active in small cell lung cancer and was well tolerated by patients. Reinduction of response was possible in a small number of patients retreated and may provide useful palliation for those who relapse when treatment is discontinued.

Distinguishing neuroblastoma from Wilms tumor by computed tomography.

The CT appearances of 18 clinically proven cases of abdominal neuroblastoma were reviewed retrospectively with the aim of characterizing those features that best distinguish them from Wilms tumors. The study found that the most common characteristics of neuroblastoma on CT are usually a suprarenal mass displacing the kidney and either growing down into the hilum or actually infiltrating the kidney; extension of the tumor across the midline to displace the major vessels; presence of calcification in the tumor.

New chemotherapeutic agent for root canal treatment. A preliminary electron microscopic study on an in vivo and in vitro endodontically treated tooth.

A preliminary in vivo and in vitro electron microscopic study of root canals treated endodontically with EDTA-C and Salvizol proved the latter to be superior as a chemomechanical and irrigation solution, especially in the apical third of the roots. A further virtue of Salvizol, as has been demonstrated, is its capability to dissolve the organic matrix of dentin, thus exposing the mineralizing front and the patent tubules even in the apical third of the canal. The combined properties of Salvizol which introduce it as a chemotherapeutic agent for endodontics are: (1) broad spectrum of bactericidal activity, (2) ability to dissolve calcium, (3) neutral pH, (4) cleansing potency, and (5) biologic compatibility.