We are reporting a COVID-19 positive patient who developed diplopia and was found to have an isolated abducens palsy. We reviewed the available English literature of cranial mononeuropathy as a possible manifestation of COVID-19 infection.It is a rare presentation of COVID-19.

We described eleven patients positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. The younger age and female gender seem to contribute to poor outcomes possibly. Furthermore, the left ventricle ejection fraction and pro-BNP improvement within the first week of treatment might indicate a good prognosis.

The global pandemic caused by a single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) virus known as the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is still at its peak, with new cases being reported daily. Though the vaccinations are done on a massive scale, the frequent mutations in the viral gene and resilience of the future strains could be more problematic. Therefore, there is always a need for new compounds to be available for therapeutic studies. We carried out the present research to discover potential drug compounds against the SARS-CoV-2 main protease. A total of 16,000 drug-like small molecules from the ChemBridge database were virtually screened to obtain the top hits. As a result, 1032 hits were selected based on their docking scores. Next, these structures were prepared for molecular docking, and each small molecule was docked into the active site of the Mpro. Only those compounds with strong interactions with the active site residues and had the highest docking score were subjected to molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. The post-simulation analyses were carried out using the in-built GROMACS commands to gauge the stability, flexibility, and compactness. Principal component analysis (PCA) and hydrogen bonding were also calculated to observe trends and affinity of the drugs towards the target. Among the five top compounds, C1, C3, and C4 revealed strong interaction with the target’s active site and remained highly stable throughout the simulation. We believe the predicted compounds in this study could be potential inhibitors in the natural system and must be considered for further practice.

COVID-19 Vaccines Tolerated in Patients with Paclitaxel and Docetaxel Allergy

Background: Delirium is an acute disorder of attention, perception, memory, thought, mood, psychomotor activity and sleep-wake cycle that develops intermittently during the day. It is commonly seen in hospitalized elderly patients. Delirium is also a common clinical picture in patients hospitalized in intensive care units due to COVID-19 pneumonia. In this study, we reviewed clinical features and predisposing factors of delirium according to psychomotor subtypes in patients hospitalized in the ICU due to COVID-19 pneumonia. Methods: 64 patients who were hospitalized in the ICU due to COVID-19 pneumonia were included. Delirium status and psychomotor subtypes were determined by applying the CAM-ICU scale to the patients daily. The gender, age, comorbidity, treatments, intubation and mortality rates of the patients were recorded. Multivariate analyzes were performed by examining predisposing factors, arterial blood gases, hemogram, biochemistry and brain MRI imaging. A value of p<0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. Results: It was found that, the need for intensive care, male gender, advanced age, hypertension, dementia, coronary artery disease were significant risk factors for delirium, in COVID-19 pneumonia. In particular, it was found that the mortality rate was significantly higher in patients with hypokinetic delirium compared to those with hyperkinetic delirium (p=0.035). Conclusion: In this study, it was found that advanced age, male gender, the presence of additional diseases such as hypertension, coronary artery disease, and dementia, and hypoxia are factors that increase the frequency of delirium. It was observed that mortality was higher in male gender and patients with hypokinetic delirium. Keywords: COVID-19, pneumonia, delirium, mortality

Background Lack of definitive cure for COVID-19 and the late introduction of a vaccine were responsible to push the general public to look for a remedy to treat or prevent COVID-19. The objective of this study was to evaluate patterns and factors that affect self-medication practices in Jordan during the pandemic. Methods This was a cross-sectional study using an online questionnaire that was developed, piloted and distributed to the general public via various social media platforms. The questionnaire assessed the type of drugs and treatments used to self -medicate, the reasons behind their self- medication, and the factors affecting their practices. Results A total of 1179 participants (females 46.4%) with a mean age of 32 (SD=12.5) completed the questionnaire. The overall prevalence of the use of at least one product to treat or prevent COVID-19 was 80.4 %. The most commonly used products to self-medicate were vitamin C (57.6%), followed by paracetamol (51.9%), zinc (44.8%) and vitamin D (32.5%). Female gender (odds ratio [OR]) = 1.603, working in the medical field (OR =1.697), and history of COVID-19 infection (OR =2.026) were variables associated with self-medication. The most common sources of participants’ information about drugs to prevent or treat COVID-19 were newspapers (n=519, 44.0%), followed by pharmacists (43.4%), friends (33.8%) and internet searching such as Google (30.7%). Conclusion This study identified the main drugs and supplements used during COVID-19 and the motives behind their use. It also identified the most influential source of information on the public during the pandemic. Self-medication can lead to worsening of the patient’s health and delay seeking medical advice from healthcare professionals. Efforts should be done to help mitigate risks of self-medications by active involvement of pharmacists and other members of healthcare team to refute false claims about drug, especially in the media.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to unprecedented economic and health vulnerability and inequities globally. This study aims to determine the out-of-pocket (OOP) expenditure of families of children with cancer in Peru before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 235 parents and caregivers of children diagnosed with cancer in Peru. Our study suggests that OOP expenses in these families constitute a catastrophic expense for health. This situation was aggravated due to a decrease in the economic income for most families due to the disruption in formal and informal employment.

COVID-19 has introduced a monumental challenge to the routine delivery of healthcare and protection of healthcare professionals. Conditions that are life threatening and need urgent intervention add another layer of complexity. This brief report reviews the management of a large cardiac fibroma found in the setting of COVID-19.

We report a 60-year-old lady known to have a stable MS disease. Who presented with right-hand weakness on the same day of COVID 19 vaccine administration. MRI showed a relapse, and she was treated with steroids with improvement in her symptoms. neurological side effects can occur following COVID 19 vaccines

Pandemic Covid-19 pneumonia, of SARS-CoV-2 aetiology, is of global importance to health systems, national economies, and individual civil liberties. Multiple therapeutic and prophylactic agents are currently undergoing clinical trial and, while progress towards a curative agent is promising, the principal limiting factor in public health emergency is time. A pre-existing licensed therapeutic would offer reprieve to international citizens currently enduring the adverse consequences of lockdown policies. The current review advances the author's original hypothesis and advocates direct testing of the hypothesis by urinalysis of light-protected samples from critical Covid-19 patients to check for elevated aminolevulinic acid and porphobilinogen.

Subacute thyroiditis (SAT) is an inflammatory thyroid disease of post-viral origin; linked with many viruses such as SARS-COVID-2. The objective of this work is to report a case of SAT associated with COVID-19 vaccination, in a healthy patient with no history of previous COVID-19 or upper respiratory tract infection.

The SARS-CoV-2 virus was detected for the first time in December 2019 in Wuhan, China. Currently, this virus has spread around the world, and new variants have emerged. This new pandemic virus provoked the rapid development of diagnostic tools, therapies and vaccines to control this new disease called COVID-19. Antibody detection by ELISA has been broadly used to recognize the number of persons infected with this virus or to evaluate the response of vaccinated individuals. As the pandemic spread, new questions arose, such as the prevalence of antibodies after natural infection and the response induced by the different vaccines. In Mexico, as in other countries, mRNA and viral-vectored vaccines have been widely used among the population. In this work, we developed an indirect ELISA test to evaluate S1 antibodies in convalescent and vaccinated individuals. By using this test, we showed that IgG antibodies against the S1 protein of SARS-CoV-2 were detected up to 42 weeks after the onset of the symptoms, in contrast to IgA and IgM, which decreased 14 weeks after the onset of symptoms. The evaluation of the antibody response in individuals vaccinated with Pfizer-BioNTech and CanSinoBio vaccines showed no differences two weeks after vaccination. However, after completing the two doses of Pfizer-BioNTech and the one dose of CanSinoBio, a significantly higher response of IgG antibodies was observed in persons vaccinated with Pfizer-BioNTech than in those vaccinated with CanSinoBio. In conclusion, these results confirm that after natural infection with SARS-CoV-2, it is possible to detect antibodies for up to ten months. Additionally, our results showed that one dose of the CanSinoBio vaccine induces a lower response of IgG antibodies than that induced by the complete scheme of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is commonly complicated with coagulopathy presented with venous thromboembolism and arterial thromboses. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of routine thromboprophylaxis with low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) on clinical outcomes including mortality and need for intensive care unit (ICU) admission in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Methods: All confirmed patients with COVID-19 hospitalized to COVID-19 dedicated wards, from March 15 to May 15, 2020, were included in this retrospective cohort study. Two groups of patients were established, according to the non-routine and routine application of LMWH with therapeutic, weight-based, anticoagulation dosing. Clinical, laboratory and treatment data were collected, analyzed and compared between the two groups. A logistic regression model was developed to assess the factors related to in-hospital adverse outcomes. Results: A total of 1511 patients (797 men, median age 59.0 years) were retrospectively analyzed (Group non-routine LMWH (n=828); group routine LMWH (n=683)). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed routine use of LMWH, favipiravir administration, extreme values of WBC count, NLR, and troponin I as factors independently associated with in-hospital adverse outcomes (OR=0.25, 95% CI: 0.83-0.91; p<0.001 for routine use of LMWH). Conclusion: Routine thromboprophylaxis with LMWH reduced mortality and ICU admission in patients admitted with COVID-19 infection.

Objective: Dexmedetomidine (DEX) is a highly selective α2-adrenoceptor agonist that is increasingly used in the daily practice of intensive care units (ICUs) with its sedative, analgesic, anxiolytic, and immunoprotective effects. In this study, we aimed to analyze whether Dexmedetomidine improves the outcomes in patients treated in ICU. Design: A retrospective study Place and Duration of Study: Intensive care units (ICU) of Sakarya University Training and Research Hospital, Sakarya, Turkey, from October 2020 to February 2021 Methodology: The medical records of the patients were analyzed retrospectively. We included 134 patients in the study, in 45 of whom the treatment regimen included dexmedetomidine and 89 of whom were not treated with dexmedetomidine. Patients treated with DEX were defined as the “patient group”, whereas patients not treated with DEX were defined as “control group” and the parameters were compared between these groups. Obtained data were analyzed in the biostatistical program. Results: The median age of all patients was 64 and 62.7% of them were male. No significant difference was found between the groups in terms of median ages (p>0.05). The patients with diabetes mellitus (DM), congestive heart failure (CHF), and undergoing insulin treatment were significantly less treated with DEX (p=0.04, p=0.03, and p=0.016 respectively) whereas intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) therapy was found to be more frequently applied to the patient group (p=0.043). The median duration between ICU admission and the time of intubation was 4 days for the control group whereas it was 1 day for the patient group and the difference was strongly significant (p=0.000, p<0.001). The other analyses concerning lab parameters, mortality rates, intubation rates and durations, applied treatments, and comorbidities revealed no significant difference between the groups. Conclusion: Our study revealed that DEX therapy can help us to gain time before intubation however can not reduce mortality rates in severe COVID-19.

Mustafa Çalışkan, MDa; Ömer Faruk Baycan, MDa; Fatma Betül Çelik, MDa; Tolga Sinan Güvenç, MDb; Adem Atıcı, MDa; Yasemin Çağ, MDa; Oğuz Konal, MDa; Tuğçe İrgi, MDa; Ümmühan Zeynep Bilgili, MDa; Mehmet Ali Ağırbaşlı, MDaa Medeniyet University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Internal Medical Sciences, Division of Cardiology, Istanbul, Turkeyb Istinye University School of Medicine, Department of Internal Medical Sciences, Division of Cardiology, Istanbul, TurkeyCorresponding Author: Tolga Sinan GüvençAddress for correspondence: Maltepe, İstinye Üniversitesi Topkapı Kampüsü, Teyyareci Sami Str. No.3, 34010 Zeytinburnu/İstanbulTel: 0850 283 6000Declarations of interest: none

Introduction: Today, whereas hypoxemia and respiratory failure is the major challenging problem in the course of severe COVID-19 pneumonia, to control the disease at a mild-moderate stage or to stop the inflammation by recognizing the cytokine storm early should be the most prominent goal. We aimed to reveal the clinical efficacy and safety of short-term high-dose corticosteroids in severe COVID-19. Material and Methods: This retrospective observational study consisted of 54 patients who were given high-dose steroid (HDS (>250 mg/day methylprednisolone, 3 days.). Low-dose steroid (LDS) therapy (dexamethasone 8 mg ) was applied to all patients. HDS group was reviewed in terms of decreasing hospital mortality and preventing fibrosis development in follow-up. Results: During the observation period, out of 317 severe COVID-19 pneumonia hospitalized, HDS and LDS were administered to 54 and 216 patients, respectively. Higher body mass index, younger age, more oxygen need of patients at admission, and more need for advanced oxygen therapy during hospitalization were found in the HDS group (p<0.001). Furthermore, 18.5% of patients in the HDS group had need transfer to the intensive care unit whereas it was 3.8% in LDS (p<0.001). Additionally, the mortality rate was determined higher in the HDS group (25. 9% vs 9.9%, p<0.001). The HDS group had lower saturated O2 [IQR, 85% (76-89), p <0.001], and higher ferritin at admission. It was found that HDS was given simultaneously with the increased ferritin with deepening lymphopenia on the third and fifth days. There was no difference in fibrosis development between HDS patients receive and not (15.4% vs 26.2%, p=0.11) Conclusion: The use of HDS in hospitalized COVID-19 patients remains unclear. Along with this, our study demonstrated the use of high-dose corticosteroids might not be associated with a lower mortality rate among hospitalized severe COVID-19 patients.

Background: During the current ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, studies had reported that patients with asthma would experience increased asthma-associated morbidity because of the respiratory virus SARS-CoV-2 infection, based on experience with other respiratory viral infections. However, some studies suggested that there was no apparent increase in asthma related morbidity in children with asthma, it is even possible that due to reduced exposures due to confinement, such children may have improved outcomes. In order to understand the impact of Covid-19 on asthma control in children, we performed this systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods: We searched PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library to find literature from December 2019 to June 2021 related to Covid-19 and children’s asthma control, among which results such as abstracts, comments, letters, reviews and case reports were excluded. The level of asthma control during the COVID-19 pandemic was synthesized and discussed. Results: A total of 20456 subjects were included in 7 studies. Random effect model is used to account for the data. Compared to the same period before the COVID-19 pandemic, asthma exacerbation, asthma admission, emergency room visit reduced a lot. The outcome of use of inhaled corticosteroids and Beta-2 agonists shows no significant difference. Conclusion: Compared to the same period before the COVID-19 pandemic and the measures in response to it, the level of asthma control has been significantly improved. We need to understand the exact factors leading to these improvements and find methods to sustain it.

Background: Various variants of the covid-19 have started to attract attention recently. The clinical course of these variants and possible predictive parameters are being investigated. This study aimed to examine the relationship between thiol levels, which are indicators of oxidative stress, and variant covid-19 types. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, patients with a diagnosis of classic covid-19 and patients with a diagnosis of variant covid-19 with mild and moderate symptoms followed in the clinical observatory of Ankara city hospital were included in the study group. The patients were divided into two groups according to the covid-19 type as variant and classic covid-19, and a healthy control group is added for comparison. A complete blood count and thiol analysis are performed from the venous blood samples. Obtained results were compared between groups, and the ROC analysis is performed. Results: Thiol levels were significantly lower in patients with a diagnosis of Covid-19 compared to the control group. In terms of WBC, lymphocyte, neutrophil, NLR, ferritin and thiol parameters, patients with variant covid-19 differed significantly from patients with a classic covid-19 diagnosis. Thiol levels’ cut-off values to distinguish between variant covid-19 patients and control group from classical covid-19 patients were almost identical (423 and 422 µmol/L, respectively). Conclusions: It seems possible to use thiol as a sensitive, specific and cost-effective marker to suspect variant covid-19 cases. Since this study is probably the first example in this subject, it would form a basis for further studies. Keywords: Covid-19, SARS-CoV-2, variant covid-19, thiol, oxidative stress.

The recent COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated again the global threat posed by emerging zoonotic coronaviruses. During the past two decades alone, humans have experienced the emergence of several coronaviruses, such as SARS-CoV in 2003, MERS-CoV in 2012, and SARS-CoV-2 in 2019. To date, MERS-CoV has been detected in 27 countries, with a case fatality ratio of approximately 34.5 %. Similar to other coronaviruses, MERS-CoV presumably originated from bats; however, the main reservoir and primary source of human infections are dromedary camels. Other species within the Camelidae family, such as Bactrian camels, alpacas, and llamas, seem to be susceptible to the infection as well, although to a lesser extent. In contrast, susceptibility studies on sheep, goats, cattle, pigs, chickens, and horses obtained divergent results. In the present study, we tested nasal swabs and/or sera from 55 sheep, 45 goats, and 52 cattle, collected at the largest livestock market in the United Arab Emirates, where dromedaries are also traded, for the presence of MERS-CoV nucleic acid by RT-qPCR, and for specific antibodies by immunofluorescence assay (IFA). All sera were negative for MERS-CoV-reactive antibodies, but the nasal swab of one sheep (1.8 %) was positive for MERS-CoV nucleic acid. Next generation sequencing (NGS) of the complete N gene of the sheep-derived MERS-CoV revealed >99 % nucleotide identity to MERS-CoV sequences of five dromedaries in nearby pens and to three reference sequences. The NGS sequence of the sheep-derived MERS-CoV was confirmed by conventional RT-PCR of a part of the N gene and subsequent Sanger sequencing. All MERS-CoV sequences clustered within clade B, lineage 5. In conclusion, our study shows that non-camelid livestock, such as sheep, goats, and cattle do not play a major role in MERS-CoV epidemiology. The one sheep that tested positive most likely reflects an accidental viral spillover event from infected dromedaries in nearby pens.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the move towards home spirometry monitoring, including in children. Our aim was to determine whether the remote supervision of spirometry by a physiologist improves the technical quality and failure rate of the manoeuvres. Method: Children with cystic fibrosis who had been provided with NuvoAir home spirometers were randomly allocated to either supervised or unsupervised home spirometry following a detailed training session. Home spirometry was performed every 2 weeks for 12 weeks. Tests were assigned a quality factor (QF) using our laboratory grading system as per ATS/ERS standards, with tests marked from A to D, or Fail. In our laboratory we aim for QF A in all spirometry tests, but report results of QF B or C with a cautionary note. QF A was therefore the primary outcome, and QF A-C the secondary outcome. Results: 61 patients were enrolled; 166 measurements were obtained in the supervised group, and 153 in the unsupervised group. Significantly more measurements achieved QF A in the supervised compared to unsupervised group (89% vs 74%; p= <0.001) whilst proportions reaching grade A-C were similar (99% vs 95%; p=0.1). All significant declines in spirometry results had a clinical rather than technical reason. Family/patient feedback for both arms was very positive. Conclusion: These results suggest that home spirometry in children should ideally be remotely supervised by a physiologist, but acceptable results can be obtained if resources do not allow this, provided that training is delivered and results monitored according to our protocol.

RAAS could play a substantial role in the pathophysiology of COVID-19. Also, the dynamics of the HPA axis may have changed in COVID-19. So, we aimed to assess RAAS and the HPA axis in COVID-19 suspicious outpatients referred to 16-hour comprehensive health centers in Abadan. Demographic and clinical data were collected. Serum cortisol and aldosterone measurements and blood grouping were done. Clinical symptoms of the positive PCR group were followed up on for four weeks. SPO2 was significantly lower in the positive PCR group, but the respiratory rate was significantly higher (P= 0.03 and P=0.001, respectively). Outpatients with the O blood group showed higher levels of cortisol in comparison to those with A and AB blood groups (P= 0.003 and P= 0.03 respectively) in the positive PCR group. Negative PCR individuals with the AB blood type had significantly higher levels of cortisol compared with those who had A (P= 0.02) and O (P=0.03) blood types. We saw significantly higher levels of aldosterone in males of the negative PCR group in comparison with females (P= 0.05). Cortisol (OR= 0.937, P= 0.033) and aldosterone (OR= 1.005, P= 0.020) levels had a decreasing and increasing effect on the chances of respiratory symptoms occurring over time, respectively. Also, over time, women were twice as likely as men to develop neurologic symptoms (OR= 0.530, P= 0.015). Cortisol and aldosterone are associated with the chance of respiratory symptoms occurring over time. However, the levels of these two markers do not seem to be related to the lower grades of COVID-19.

Background: After the detection of the first case of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in South Korea on January 20, 2019, it has triggered three major outbreaks. To decrease the disease burden of COVID-19, social distancing and active mask wearing were encouraged, reducing the number of patients with influenza-like illness and altering the detection rate of influenza and respiratory viruses in the Korea Influenza and Respiratory Viruses Surveillance System (KINRESS). We examined the changes in respiratory viruses due to COVID-19 in South Korea and virological causes of the high detection rate of human rhinovirus (hRV) in 2020. Methods: We collected 52,684 oropharyngeal or nasopharyngeal swab samples from patients with influenza-like illness in cooperation with KINRESS from 2016 to 2020. Influenza virus and other respiratory viruses were confirmed using real-time RT-PCR. The weekly detection rate was used to compare virus detection patterns. Results: Non-enveloped virus (hRV, human bocavirus, and human adenovirus) detection rates during the COVID-19 pandemic were maintained. The detection rate of hRV significantly increased in 2020 compared with that in 2019 and was negatively correlated with number of COVID-19-confirmed cases in 2020. The distribution of strains and genetic characteristics in hRV did not differ between 2019 and 2020. Conclusions: The extremely low detection rate of enveloped viruses resulted from efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in South Korea. The high detection rate of hRV may be related to resistance against environmental conditions as a non-enveloped virus and the long period of viral shedding from patients.

ACE 2 is the functional receptor that SARS-Cov-2 virus requires to enter cells and cause dysregulated inflammatory conditions that contribute towards acute lung injuries. The RAAS with its physiological surveillance and regulation system can be implicated in both harm and therapeutic benefit. The initial observational studies suggesting the discontinuation of ACE-I and ARBs have been firmly rebutted by international societies. On the contrary, these therapeutics may confer a survival benefit in Covid 19 infections. Understanding the biological plausibility of this pathway alongside the emerging therapeutic evidence may yield new modes of treatment. Such developments appear fundamentally important in the battle against the inevitable emergence of new variants and their potential to drive future waves of Covid 19 pandemics.

Objective: To review the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the presentation of Cervical cancer. Design/ Setting: Retrospective study involving the Regional Cancer Centres in the M62 Group. Methods: Data was collected for two equal time periods. All cervical cancers were included and FIGO 2018 staging was used for the data collection. P values were calculated using binomial hypothesis test for the difference in staging. Time from symptoms to diagnosis was assessed using a normal distribution test. All other calculations were performed using chi-squared test. Statistical significance was considered if p values were <0.05. Main outcome measures: Histology, stage at diagnosis, date of onset of symptoms, investigation and type of treatment. Results: A total of 406 cases of cervical cancer were reviewed; 233 from May – October 2019 (pre-COVID) and 173 between May – October 2020 (post COVID); representing a significant reduction in new cervical cancer diagnoses of 25% post COVID (p<0.001) There was a 42% increase in the delay from start of symptoms to diagnosis Post COVID. Pre COVID, 27% of patients presented with Stage 3 or 4 disease, whilst during COVID this was 38%; statistically significant (p <0.001). When we evaluated the treatments received between the two time periods, this was also statistically significant (chi-squared, p=0.0005). Conclusions: This study has demonstrated a statistically significant increase in the stage of cervical cancer at diagnosis and a change in treatment for cervical cancer following the onset of COVID-19. The implications of this are discussed.