Estimating the Size of the Hidden Population of COVID-19.

INTRODUCTION: An asymptomatic population has the same infection as symptomatic individuals, so these individuals can unknowingly spread the virus. It is not possible to predict the rate of epidemic growth by considering only the identified isolated or hospitalized population. In this study, we want to estimate the size of the COVID-19 population, based on information derived from patients visiting medical centers. So, individuals who do not receive a formal diagnosis in those medical centers can be considered as hidden. METHODOLOGY: To estimate the Bayesian size of the hidden population of COVID-19 a respondentdriven sampling (RDS) method was used. Twenty-three people infected with COVID-19 seeds and who had positive PCR test results were selected as seeds. These participants were asked whether any of their friends and acquaintances who had COVID-19 did not visit a medical center or hid their illness. Access to other patients was gained through friendship and kinship, hence allowing the sampling process to proceed. RESULTS: Out of 23 selected seeds, only 15 seeds remained in the sample and the rest were excluded due to not participating in the further sampling process. After 5 waves, 50 people with COVID-19 who had hidden their disease and were not registered in the official statistics were included in the sample. It was estimated that 12,198 people were infected with COVID-19 in Khalkhal city in 2022. This estimate was much higher than recorded in the official COVID-19 statistics. CONCLUSIONS: The study findings indicate that the estimated 'true' numbers of COVID-19 patients in one town in Iran were significantly higher compared to the official numbers. The RDS method can help capture the potential size of infections in further pandemics or outbreaks globally.

The effect of macronutrient and micronutrient supplements on COVID-19: an umbrella review.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: A healthy diet play an important role in the prevention and even treatment of various diseases. Proper nutrition plays an important role in boosting of immune system. These include the consumption of macronutrients such as proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, and also micronutrients including vitamins. Here, we aimed to systematically review the effects of macronutrients and micronutrients on the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. METHODS: We searched the databases of PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science on December 23, 2023. The records were downloaded into an EndNote file, the duplicates were removed, and the studies underwent a two-phase screening process based on their title/abstracts and full texts. The included articles were screened and underwent inclusion and exclusion criteria. We included the English systematic reviews and meta-analyses that concurred with the aim of our study. The selected articles were assessed by Cochrane's Risk of Bias in Systematic Reviews for the quality check. The data of the eligible studies were extracted in a pre-designed word table and were used for the qualitative synthesis. RESULTS: A total of 28 reviews were included in this study. Most studies have shown that micronutrients are effective in morbidity and mortality controlling in viral respiratory infections such as COVID-19 but some studies have shown that micronutrients are sometimes not effective in controlling severity. On the other hand, calcifediol was by far the most successful agent in reducing intensive care needs and mortality between studies. CONCLUSION: Individuals without malnutrition had a reduced risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe disease. The administration of Vitamin D is effective in reducing the morbidity and mortality of COVID-19 patients. Patients with vitamin D deficiency were more prone to experience severe infection, and they were at higher risk of morbidities and mortality. Other micronutrients such as Vitamin A, Vitamin B, and Zinc also showed some benefits in patients with COVID-19. Vitamin C showed no efficacy in COVID-19 management even in intravenous form or in high doses.

Prognostic Significance of Microvessel Density in Invasive Ductal Carcinoma of Breast.

Background: Breast cancer is the most common malignant tumor and cause of death in women. Factors that play role in tumor metastasis are lymph node involvement, lack of tumor differentiation and hormone receptor expression, high proliferation rate, and angiogenesis. In the present study, we tried to evaluate the microvessel density (MVD) using Immunohistochemistry for the CD34 marker to investigate the amount of angiogenesis in breast cancer and its relationship with other histopathological parameters and compare it with normal tissue. Materials and Methods: 58 paraffin-embedded samples of breast cancer were enrolled. All blocks were sectioned and stained for estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), human epidermal growth factor 2(HER 2/neu), ki67, and CD34 by immunohistochemistry (IHC) method. Results: The mean age of patients in this study was 49.6 ± 10.6 years. Statistically, there was a significant relationship between the grade of the tumor (P = 0.01), absence of expression of estrogen receptor (P = 0.008), and progesterone receptor (P = 0.003) with MVD. Conclusion: Due to the association between MVD, tumor grade, and absence of ER and PR expression, this valuable marker can play an important role in the prediction of prognosis in breast cancer patients and can lead to new-targeted therapy in the future.

Evaluating the effects of air disinfectants in decontamination of COVID-19 aerosols.

Introduction: Airborne transmission is the most  crucial mode of COVID-19 transmission. Therefore, disinfecting the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) aerosols float can have important implications in limiting COVID-19 transmission. Herein, we aimed to review the studies that utilized various disinfectants to decontaminate and inactivate the SARS-CoV-2 aerosols. Methods: This study was a review that studied related articles published between December 1, 2019 and August 23, 2022. We searched the online databases of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane, on August 23, 2021. The studies were downloaded into the EndNote software, duplicates were removed, and then the studies were screened based on the inclusion/exclusion criteria. The screening process involved two steps; first, the studies were screened based on their title and abstract and then their full texts. The included studies were used for the qualitative analysis. Results: From 664 retrieved records, only 31 met the inclusion criteria and were included in the final qualitative analysis. Various materials like Ozone, H2O2, alcohol, and TiO2 and methods like heating and using Ultraviolet were described in these studies to disinfect places contaminated by COVID-19. It appeared that the efficacy of these disinfectants varies considerably depending on the situation, time, and ultimately their mode of application. Conclusion: Following reliable protocols in combination with the proper selection of disinfectant agents for each purpose would serve to achieve desired elimination of the SARS-CoV-2 transmission.

Gut microbiota and COVID-19: A systematic review.

Background and Aims: Alteration in humans' gut microbiota was reported in patients infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). The gut and upper respiratory tract (URT) microbiota harbor a dynamic and complex population of microorganisms and have strong interaction with host immune system homeostasis. However, our knowledge about microbiota and its association with SARS-CoV-2 is still limited. We aimed to systematically review the effects of gut microbiota on the SARS-CoV-2 infection and its severity and the impact that SARS-CoV-2 could have on the gut microbiota. Methods: We searched the keywords in the online databases of Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, and Cochrane on December 31, 2021. After duplicate removal, we performed the screening process in two stages; title/abstract and then full-text screening. The data of the eligible studies were extracted into a pre-designed word table. This study adhered to the PRISMA checklist and Newcastle-Ottawa Scale Bias Assessment tool. Results: Sixty-three publications were included in this review. Our study shows that among COVID-19 patients, particularly moderate to severe cases, the gut and lung microbiota was different compared to healthy individuals. In addition, the severity, and viral load of COVID-19 disease would probably also be influenced by the gut, and lung microbiota's composition. Conclusion: Our study concludes that there was a significant difference in the composition of the URT, and gut microbiota in COVID-19 patients compared to the general healthy individuals, with an increase in opportunistic pathogens. Further, research is needed to investigate the probable bidirectional association of COVID-19 and human microbiome.

SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Severity in Patients with Hematologic Malignancies: A Systematic Review.

INTRODUCTION: Earlier reports described the possibility of higher SARS-CoV-2 infection and severity in patients with hematological malignancies. Given the importance and incidence of these malignancies, we aimed to systematically review SARS-CoV-2 infection and severity in patients with hematologic cancers. METHODS: We retrieved the relevant records by searching the keywords in online databases of PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane, and Scopus on December 31st, 2021. A two-step screening; title/abstract and full-text screening, was employed to select the eligible studies. These eligible studies entered the final qualitative analysis. The study is adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) checklist to ensure the reliability and validity of the results. RESULTS: Forty studies concerning different hematologic malignancies and the effect of COVID-19 infection on them were included in the final analysis. The findings showed that in general, the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection and the severity of the disease are often higher in hematologic malignancies and the patients could experience higher morbidity and mortality compared to general populations. CONCLUSION: It appeared that individuals with hematologic malignancies are more vulnerable to COVID-19 infection and they experience more severe disease with higher mortality rates. The presence of other comorbidities could also deteriorate this situation. Further investigation is recommended to evaluate the outcome of COVID-19 infection in different subtypes of hematologic malignancies.

The Effectiveness of Face Masks in Preventing COVID-19 Transmission: A Systematic Review.

INTRODUCTION: Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, face masks have been among the cornerstones of COVID-19 prevention. Therefore, evaluating their preventive effects against COVID-19 is crucial. This review aimed to systematically search for the systematic review articles that explored the role of various types of face masks in preventing COVID-19. METHODS: We browsed the keywords of this study in the online databases of Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, and Cochrane on 10th January 2023 and retrieved all the relevant systematic review articles. The records were downloaded into an Endnote file, and the duplicates were removed. A two-step screening process consisting of title/abstract and full-text screenings was conducted to select the most relevant articles. To ensure the validity and reliability of the results, this study adhered to the PRISMA protocol. RESULTS: A total of 28 systematic reviews were included in this review. Most studies found that face masks are beneficial against viral respiratory infections, such as COVID-19. Different types of masks were evaluated in included studies. It appeared that mask efficacy depends on the material, layers, fitting on the face and user compliance. N 95 respirator had maximum efficacy, especially when used continuously. CONCLUSION: Face masks have a beneficial effect against COVID-19. Home masks are less protective than surgical masks or N95 personal breathing masks. Besides, the use of masks may elicit a false sense of security in people, which may lead to poor hand hygiene and violation of social distancing. Therefore, the necessary training should be provided to the public to increase awareness and encourage the right practice of using the mask, emphasizing the preventive effects of washing hands, social distancing, and using a face mask against COVID-19.

Effects of Smoking on COVID-19 Management and Mortality: An Umbrella Review.

Introduction: Smoking status appears to lead to a poor prognosis in COVID-19 patients. However, findings from the studies conducted on this topic have not been consistent, and further exploration is required. Methods: The objective of this umbrella review was to examine the effects of smoking on COVID-19 management and mortality. Online databases that included PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched using relevant keywords up to July 27, 2022. Articles were restricted to the English language, and the PRISMA protocol was followed. Results: A total of 27 systematic reviews, published from 2020 to 2022, were included. Individual studies included in the systematic reviews ranged from 8 to 186, with various population sizes. The consensus from the majority of systematic reviews was that COVID-19 smoker patients experience greater disease severity, disease progression, hospitalization rate, hospital admission duration, mechanical ventilation, ICU admission, and mortality rate. Conclusions: COVID-19 patients with a history of smoking (current and former) are vulnerable to adverse hospital outcomes and worse COVID-19 progression. Effective preventive and supportive approaches are required to decrease the risk of COVID-19 morbidity and mortality in patients with a history of smoking.

Late Complications of COVID-19; An Umbrella Review on Current Systematic Reviews.

Introduction: Several clinical manifestations have been discovered for COVID-19 since the emergence of SARS-CoV-2, which can be classified into early, medium, and long-term complications. However, late complications can be present after recovery from acute COVID-19 illness. The present study aims to comprehensively review the available evidence of late complications related to COVID-19. Method: A search was conducted, using keywords, through electronic databases, which included Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, and Embase up to August 29, 2022. Study selection was performed according to a strict inclusion and exclusion criteria. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) checklist was followed, and studies were appraised using the National Institute of Health (NIH) quality assessment and risk of bias tool. Results: In total, 50 studies were included, and nine distinct COVID-19 late complication categories were identified. A review of these studies revealed that neurologic and psychiatric (n=41), respiratory (n=27), musculoskeletal and rheumatologic (n=22), cardiovascular (n=9), and hepatic and gastrointestinal (n=6) complications were the most prevalent complications of long COVID-19. Conclusion: Almost all human body systems are affected by late complications of COVID-19 with different severity and prevalence. Fatigue and some other neuropsychiatric symptoms are the most common late complications among long COVID-19 patients. Respiratory symptoms including dyspnea (during exercise), cough, and chest tightness were the next most prevalent long-term complications of COVID-19. Since these complications are persistent and late, being aware of the signs and symptoms is essential for the healthcare providers and patients.

COVID-19 Vaccines' Protection Over Time and the Need for Booster Doses; a Systematic Review.

Introduction: Controversies existed regarding the duration of COVID-19 vaccines' protection and whether receiving the usual vaccine doses would be sufficient for long-term immunity. Therefore, we aimed to systematically review the studies regarding the COVID-19 vaccines' protection three months after getting fully vaccinated and assess the need for vaccine booster doses. Methods: The relevant literature was searched using a combination of keywords on the online databases of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane on September 17th, 2021. The records were downloaded and the duplicates were removed. Then, the records were evaluated in a two-step process, consisting of title/abstract and full-text screening processes, and the eligible records were selected for the qualitative synthesis. We only included original studies that evaluated the efficacy and immunity of COVID-19 vaccines three months after full vaccination. This review adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) statement to ensure the reliability of results. Results: Out of the 797 retrieved records, 12 studies were included, 10 on mRNA-based vaccines and two on inactivated vaccines. The majority of included studies observed acceptable antibody titers in most of the participants even after 6 months; however,it appeared that the titers could also decrease in a considerable portion of people. Due to the reduction in antibody titers and vaccine protection, several studies suggested administering the booster dose, especially for older patients and those with underlying conditions, such as patients with immunodeficiencies. Conclusion: Studies indicated that vaccine immunity decreases over time, making people more susceptible to contracting the disease. Besides, new variants are emerging, and the omicron variant is continuing to spread and escape from the immune system, indicating the importance of a booster dose.

Safety and Adverse Events Related to Inactivated COVID-19 Vaccines and Novavax;a Systematic Review.

Introduction: Knowledge of the safety of vaccines is crucial, both to prevent and cure them and to decrease the public hesitation in receiving vaccines. Therefore, this study aimed to systematically review the adverse events reported for inactivated vaccines and Novavax. Methods: In this systematic review, the databases of PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane, and Web of Science were searched on September 15, 2021. Then we identified the eligible studies using a two-step title/abstract and full-text screening process. Data on the subjects, studies, and types of adverse events were extracted and entered in a word table, including serious, mild, local, and systemic adverse events as well as the timing of side effects' appearance. Results: Adverse effects of inactivated coronavirus vaccines side effects were reported from phases 1, 2, and 3 of the vaccine trials. The most common local side effects included injection site pain and swelling, redness, and pruritus. Meanwhile, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, fever, and gastrointestinal symptoms including abdominal pain and diarrhea were among the most common systemic adverse effects. Conclusion: This systematic review indicates that inactivated COVID-19 vaccines, including Sinovac, Sinopharm, and Bharat Biotech, as well as the protein subunit vaccines (Novavax) can be considered as safe choices due to having milder side effects and fewer severe life-threatening adverse events.

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on routine vaccination coverage of children and adolescents: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Scientists and healthcare workers have expressed their concerns on the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on vaccination coverage in children and adolescents. Therefore, we aimed to systematically review the studies addressing this issue worldwide. METHODS: We conducted a systematic search of relevant studies using the keywords on databases of PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane on May 22, 2021. The identified records were imported into EndNote software and underwent a two-phase screening process consisting of title/abstract and full-text screenings against inclusion criteria. The data of the included studies were summarized into a table and the findings were analyzed in a systematic approach. RESULTS: From 26 eligible studies, 21 studies demonstrated decreased vaccination rates in the children during the COVID-19 pandemic, while three studies found increased or no significant changes only in influenza vaccination. The two remaining studies from Brazil and Sweden also showed no significant changes in vaccination rates in the children during the pandemic. CONCLUSION: Most of the reports worldwide reported a decline or delay in vaccination at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. A sustained catch-up program seems to be necessary, especially in low-income countries, to avoid any vaccine dose missing. Facilitating the vaccination process is recommended, such as decreasing the waiting time for vaccination at the health center, addressing the fear and concerns related to COVID infection for parents, and enhancing vaccine availability, and promoting access in remote areas. Countries should ensure proper vaccination to prevent future pandemics related to vaccine-preventable diseases.

COVID-19 mortality in patients with immunodeficiency and its predictors: a systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: Patients with immunodeficiency are usually more prone to worse outcomes of infectious diseases. However, there are some disagreements in the context of COVID-19, for example, in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Herein, we aimed to systematically review the risk and predictors of COVID-19 mortality in people with primary or secondary immunodeficiency. METHODS: PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Science Direct were searched. We followed a two-step screening process to identify eligible results. We first reviewed the title and abstract of the records and the unqualified studies were removed. Then, their full texts were evaluated based on their coherence with the purpose and inclusion/exclusion criteria, and those eligible for qualitative synthesis were included. RESULTS: Twenty-two articles were included, which investigated a total of 109,326 with primary or secondary immunodeficiencies. Three studies investigated the pediatric and infant population, while other studies were conducted on the adult population. Overall, studies on both primary and secondary immunodeficiency conflicted as some reported higher and some mentioned lower mortality rates in patients with immunodeficiency. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, there were two points of view in both types of immunodeficiencies. The first is the classical viewpoint that all immunodeficient patients are at a higher risk of infection leading to a higher mortality rate. The second types of studies found that immunodeficiency might play a less important or even an inverse role in mortality rates by lowering the severity of the inflammatory response. However, it is important to take note to comorbidities, such as DM, HTN, CAD, ESRD, history of lower respiratory infection, etc., and demographic factors, such as obesity and age > 70 years, as they appear to influence the mortality rate, especially in patients with secondary immunodeficiency.

Minimum infective dose of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 based on the current evidence: A systematic review.

Objective: Understanding the minimum infective dose is significant for risk assessment in the performance of suitable infection control strategies in healthcare centers. However, the literature lacks strong evidence regarding this value for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the minimum infectious dose of coronavirus disease 2019. Methods: We searched the databases of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane and retrieved all the relevant literature by 25 July 2021. The records were downloaded into the EndNote software and underwent title/abstract and full-text screenings. A summary of included studies was organized into tables for further analysis, interpretation, and drafting of the results. Results: Nineteen studies including the laboratory data on human and animal hosts were selected based on the eligibility criteria. All the literature reported on the infective dose, particularly in humans. The main methods for measurement of infection were through tissue culture infectious dose (TCID50) and counting plaque-forming units. The range of minimum infective was 1.26-7 × 106.25 PFU. Conclusion: In this study, we have presented a range of minimum infective doses in humans and various animal species. Such numbers can possibly vary between the individuals based on numerous demographic, immunologic, or other factors.

Design, development, and evaluation of a registry system for hyperbaric oxygen therapy: A methodological study.

Background and Aims: Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), utilizes 100% oxygen at pressures greater than sea-level atmospheric pressure, for the treatment of conditions in which the tissues starve for oxygen. The Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society (UHMS) has granted HBOT approval for the treatment of various conditions. On the other hand, applying informatics registry systems can improve care delivery, ameliorate outcomes, and reduce the costs and medical errors for the patients receiving HBOT treatment. Therefore, we aimed to design, develop, and evaluate a registry system for patients undergoing HBOT. Methods: In the first phase, the conceptual and logical models were designed after conducting symposiums with experts and having other experts review the models. In the second phase, the system was developed on the web using ASP.NET  and C# programming languages frameworks. The last phase involved Nielsen's heuristic evaluation method for the system's usability. Five experts evaluated the system, including three health information management specialists and two medical informatics specialists. Results: The hyperbaric patient information registry system (HPIRS) interacts with three types of users-a specialist physician, a nurse, and a system administrator. A scenario for each predefined activity was designed, and all the information was stored in the SQL servers. The five experts independently found 152 issues, of which 84 were duplicates. The 68 distinct issues of the system were then resolved. Conclusions: The design and development of such registry systems can make data available and stored carefully to improve clinical care and medical research and decrease costs and errors. These registries can provide the healthcare systems with E-health applications, improved data management, more secure data transfer, and support for statistical reporting. The implemented heuristic evaluation method can also provide a low-cost and readily available system to fix the issues of the designed systems.

The relationship between COVID-19 viral load and disease severity: A systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: Patients with COVID-19 may present different viral loads levels. However, the relationship between viral load and disease severity in COVID-19 is still unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to systematically review the association between SARS-CoV-2 viral load and COVID-19 severity. METHODS: The relevant studies using the keywords of "COVID-19" and "viral load" were searched in the databases of PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Web of Science. A two-step title/abstract screening process was carried out and the eligible studies were included in the study. RESULTS: Thirty-four studies were included from the initial 1015 records. The vast majority of studies have utilized real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction of the nasopharyngeal/respiratory swabs to report viral load. Viral loads were commonly reported either as cycle threshold (Ct ) or log10 RNA copies/ml. CONCLUSION: The results were inconclusive about the relationship between COVID-19 severity and viral load, as a similar number of studies either approved or opposed this hypothesis. However, the studies denote the direct relationship between older age and higher SARS-CoV-2 viral load, which is a known risk factor for COVID-19 mortality. The higher viral load in older patients may serve as a mechanism for any possible relationships between COVID-19 viral load and disease severity. There was a positive correlation between SARS-CoV-2 viral load and its transmissibility. Nonetheless, further studies are recommended to precisely characterize this matter.

Complications of COVID-19 Vaccines during Pregnancy; a Systematic Review.

Introduction: Rare serious complications have been documented after COVID-19 vaccination as clinical research proceeded and new target populations, such as children and pregnant women, were included. In this study, we attempted to review the literature relevant to pregnancy complications and maternal outcomes of COVID-19 immunization in pregnant women. . Methods: We searched the databases of PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane, and Web of Science on 31 August 2022. The records were downloaded and underwent a two-step screening; 1) title/abstract and then 2) full-text screening to identify the eligible studies. We included English original studies that evaluated the adverse effects of COVID-19 vaccines during pregnancy. Information such as the type of study, geographical location, type of vaccine injected, gestational age, maternal underlying diseases, and complications following the vaccination were extracted into pre-designed tables. Results: According to the findings of included studies, in most of them vaccination had a positive impact and no negative effects were observed. Also, no medical history was reported in 11 articles, and pregnant women had no underlying diseases. Some serious adverse events were reported after vaccination, including miscarriage, paresthesia, uterine contraction, vaginal bleeding, preterm birth, major congenital anomalies, intrauterine growth restriction, and seizure. . Conclusion: Because of limited data availability and the cross-sectional design of most studies, we could neither infer causation between vaccines and incidence of adverse effects nor comment with certainty about any possible adverse outcome of COVID-19 vaccines in vaccinated pregnant women. Consequently, more longitudinal and experimental studies are needed to define the exact adverse effects of COVID-19 vaccines in pregnant women.

High grade breast ductal carcinomas have high density of tumor-associated macrophages.

BACKGROUND: The role of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) is double-natured and still controversial. Depending on different settings, macrophages may suppress or promote tumor growth. TAM density may be one of the predictive factors of treatment outcome in cancer patients. AIM: To evaluate the density of tumor-associated macrophages in breast cancer and its relationship with various histopathologic findings. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 55 patients with invasive ductal carcinoma of breast who underwent mastectomy were enrolled. Sections of tumor samples were stained and the density of CD68+ cells was evaluated. RESULTS: There was an association between estrogen receptor (ER) expression and CD68 density (p = 0.010) as the higher densities of CD68 were seen in ER negative tumors. Moreover, there was a significant relationship between histological grade and CD68 density (p = 0.006). CONCLUSION: The higher TAM density is associated with higher tumor grade and negative ER expression in breast cancer tissues. These findings revealed that inflammation could have an important role in malignancies.

The clinical outcomes of COVID-19 in HIV-positive patients: A systematic review of current evidence.

INTRODUCTION: Patients with chronic underlying diseases are more susceptible to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) complications. Recent studies showed people living with HIV (PLWH) are not at greater risk than the general population. Few studies have reviewed the impacts of COVID-19 on PLWH. The purpose of this systematic review was to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on patients infected with HIV. METHODS: We executed a systematic search using four databases of PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, and Web of Science and screened the records in two steps based on their title/abstract and full text. This study follows the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) checklist to elevate the validity and reliability of its results. RESULTS: We reviewed 36 studies. The patients' age was above 20 years in all studies. In almost all studies, the inflammatory parameters were reported high. In most of the studies, all HIV patients completely recovered from the COVID 19 infection. Although CD4 count was not recorded in all studies, the minimum level was reported as 12 cells/µl. CONCLUSION: Based on the current review, we concluded that HIV patients at advanced stages (3 or 4) of the disease, whose CD4 counts are low, may show less severe COVID-19 infection symptoms. Similarly, Interference can reduce the severity of immune reactions and subsequent cytokine storms and consequently mitigate the symptoms. Therefore, in most of the studies, the majority of HIV patients showed no severe symptoms and completely recovered from COVID 19 infection.

Effects of COVID-19 prevention procedures on other common infections: a systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: Since the outbreak of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) began, necessary measures to prevent virus transmission and reduce mortality have been implemented, including mandatory public use of masks, regular hand-sanitizing and hand-washing, social distancing, avoidance of crowds, remote work, and cancellation of public events. During and after the introduction of COVID-19 lockout, we performed a systematic review of available published literature to investigate the incidence of seasonal influenza and other respiratory viral infections. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, Science Direct, Google Scholar, Research Gate, and the World Health Organization databases and websites were systematically searched for original studies concerning the impact of COVID-19 prevention means and measures on other common respiratory infectious diseases during the pandemic published by March 2021. RESULTS: The findings showed that the adherence to health protocols to prevent COVID-19 could help to reduce the incidence of other infectious diseases such as influenza, pneumonia, and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. CONCLUSION: The implemented prevention measures and protocols might have reduced the incidence of influenza and some other common respiratory infections. However, controversies exist on this matter and future large population-based studies might provide further information to address these controversies.