Showing 140 results for Covid-19
Seyed Mohammad Hashemi-Shahri, Mohammad Khammarnia, Alireza Ansari-Moghaddam, Fatemeh Setoodehzadeh, Hassan Okati-Aliabad, Mostafa Peyvand,
Volume 34, Issue 1 (2-2020)
Abstract
Background: In the 21st century, the world has become a global village and a disease outbreak in one part of the world can spread rapidly to other countries far away.
Methods: The emergence of the new Coronavirus (COVID-19) in China in January 2020 and its growing level of spread and severity between and within other countries as well as different continents has become a global emergency. Moreover, low health literacy results in more problems and continuation of the outbreak. Consequently, COVID-19 pandemic may produce new debates, discussions, and disturbing developments every day. In the meantime, cyberspace plays an important role in this case.
Results: Improving people's health literacy can lead to increased potential of patients to make informed decisions, reduce health risks, increase disease prevention, and improve quality of life.
Conclusion: The experience during COVID-19 pandemic has shown that health literacy plays an important role in preventing and controlling diseases and pandemic.
Fatima Jawed, Sana Manazir, Arhama Zehra, Ramsha Riaz,
Volume 34, Issue 1 (2-2020)
Abstract
Background: The Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has created chaos across the globe. Health care workers having close contact with infected individuals play a decisive role in infection control. This study assessed the level of knowledge, attitude, practice (KAP) and perceived stress among health care workers of Karachi, Pakistan.
Methods: A cross sectional study was performed between March 11, 2020 and March 25, 2020 among health care workers of Karachi, Pakistan. Data were collected through an online, self-administered questionnaire. The level of KAP was categorized using modified Bloom’s cut off point. Chi-square test, independent sample t test, and one-way ANOVA were used to analyze the data with Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 24.0.
Results: A total of 304 health care workers responded to the survey. The most popular source of information was found to be TV/radio/newspaper. Although 54.3%, 75%, and 58.9% respondents had good knowledge, good attitude, and good practice, respectively, more than 40% of respondents did not use gloves during patient interaction. Most of participants rated their level of knowledge as moderate and were inclined towards the need for more training. Around 80% of participants had either moderate stress or severe perceived stress.
Conclusion: Our study revealed a relatively good level of KAP among respondents, but there is a need for further training programs. This study yielded high stress levels among respondents, with personal and family safety being the main concerns. The government should, therefore, take proper measures to alleviate the stress levels to provide a strong frontline force.
Ali Ahmadi, Yassin Fadai, Majid Shirani, Fereydoon Rahmani,
Volume 34, Issue 1 (2-2020)
Abstract
Background: COVID-19 is a new disease and precise data are not available about this illness in Iran and in the world. Thus, this study aimed to determine the epidemic trend and prediction of COVID-19 in Iran.
Methods: This was a secondary data analysis and modeling study. The daily reports of definitive COVID-19 patients released by Iran Ministry of Health and Medical Education were used in this study. Epidemic projection models of Gompertz, von Bertalanffy, and least squared error (LSE) with percentage error were used to predict the number of hospitalization cases from April 3, 2020 until May 13, 2020.
Results: The prediction of the number of patients on April 3, 2020 by von Bertalanffy, Gompertz, and LSE, with 95% confidence interval (CI), were estimated at 44 200 (39 208-53 809), 47 500 (38 907-52 640), and 48 000 (40 000-57 560), respectively. The number of deceased COVID-19 patients was also estimated to be 3100 (2633-3717) individuals by the von Bertalanffy model, 3700 (2900-4310) by Gompertz's model, and 3850 (3200-4580) by LSE. Making predictions about the flat epidemic curve and number of patients based on Gompertz model, will project 67 000 (61 500-87 000) cases. Based on Gompertz and von models, 7900 (6200- 9300) and 4620 (3930- 5550) deaths will occur from May 13 to June 1, 2020, respectively, and then the curve will flatten.
Conclusion: In this study, estimations were made based on severely ill patients who were in need of hospitalization. If enforcement and public behavior interventions continue with current trends, the COVID-19 epidemic will be flat from May 13 until July, 2020 in Iran.
Seyed Hamid Reza Faiz, Taghi Riahi, Poupak Rahimzadeh, Nasim Nikoubakht,
Volume 34, Issue 1 (2-2020)
Abstract
Azad Shokri, Ghobad Moradi, Bakhtiar Piroozi, Sonia Darvishi, Shina Amirhosseini, Arshad Veysi, Fatemeh Manafi, Amjad Mohamadi Bolbanabad,
Volume 34, Issue 1 (2-2020)
Abstract
Ghobad Moradi, Bakhtiar Piroozi, Amjad Mohamadi-Bolbanabad, Hossein Safari, Azad Shokri, Ramyar Rahimi,
Volume 34, Issue 1 (2-2020)
Abstract
Background: The new Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was first identified in China in 2019. Case fatality rate (CFR) indicator of the disease is one of the most important indices noticed by experts, policymakers, and managers, based on which daily evaluations and many judgments are made. CFR can change during epidemics. This study aimed to estimate the actual number of COVID-19 cases in Iran and to calculate the early CFR for the disease based on official statistics.
Methods: This was a descriptive study whose data were obtained from the website of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education of Iran from February 20, 2020 until March 26, 2020. CFR has been obtained by dividing the total number of deaths by the total number of confirmed cases at one point in time. In this study, the actual number of COVID-19 cases in Iran was estimated based on the mortality model in 4 scenarios. Excel 2013 software was used to analyze the data.
Results: According to the findings of this study, In Iran, until March 26, 2020, a total of 27 017 people have been infected by COVID-19 and 2077 died of it. However, CFR indicator had a descending trend in Iran: 100%, 18.6%, 8.8%, 3.3%, 6.9%, and 7.7% on days 1, 5, 10, 20, 30, and 35, respectively. The actual number of COVID-19 cases in Iran was estimated to be 4 789 454, 2 873 673, 1 436 836, and 718418 as of March 26, 2020 according to the 4 scenarios, respectively.
Conclusion: In emerging epidemics, CFR indicator must not be used as a basis to judge the performance of a health system unless that epidemic condition has been clarified. Moreover, it is suggested that in the outbreak of an epidemic, specifically emerging diseases, CFR must not be the base of judgment. Making judgments, specifically in the outbreak of emerging epidemics, based on fatality rate can lead to information bias. It is also possible to estimate the total number of patients based on the CFR in circumstances where little information is available on the disease.
Jude Okoye,
Volume 34, Issue 1 (2-2020)
Abstract
Background: In Nigeria, the policies and interventions due to the COVID-19 pandemic are majorly directed at businesses and relief. There are no clear plans to identify individuals with comorbidities associated with high morbidity and fatality rates. This paper identifies comorbidities associated with high morbidity and fatalities of COVID-19 across countries and vulnerable groups in Nigeria.
Methods: Peer-reviewed articles published between 2010 and 2020 retrieved from Google scholar, African Journal Online, EMBASE, Scopus, and MEDLINE/PubMed (central) were systematically reviewed.
Results: The pooled prevalence of hypertension is the lowest in North Central Nigeria (22.0%) and the highest in South-Eastern Nigeria (33.6%) while the pooled prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) is lowest in North-Western Nigeria (3.0%) and highest in South-Southern Nigeria (9.8%). Significant differences in the frequency of comorbidities (hypertension, DM, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and chronic kidney disease; CKD) and complications (cardiac injury and acute respiratory disease syndrome; ARDS) were observed between fatal and non-fatal cases of COVID-19 (p<0.0001). There were significant correlations between hypertension and ARDS (p=0.002), DM and ARDS (p=0.010), hypertension and (p<0.0001), DM and CKD (p=0.033), and hypertension and DM (p=0.001).
Conclusion: High prevalence of comorbidity may be predictive of high COVID-19 morbidity and mortality. Thus, to flatten the curve early intervention funds should be appropriately allocated based on the prevalence of comorbidities in the geopolitical zones. Such high-risk groups should be identified, stratified and actively monitored during treatment to prevent the development or progression of complications such as cardiac injury and ARDS.
Hojat Dehghanbanadaki, Farhad Seif, Yasmin Vahidi, Farideh Razi, Ehsan Hashemi, Majid Khoshmirsafa, Hossein Aazami,
Volume 34, Issue 1 (2-2020)
Abstract
Background: Since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease from Wuhan, China, in early December 2019, many scientists focused on this infection to find a way to deal with it. Due to the dramatic scientific growth in this field, we conducted a scientometric study to gain a better understanding of the scientific literature on COVID-19.
Methods: We extracted all COVID-19 documents indexed in the Scopus from December 1, 2019, to April 1, 2020, without any language limitation and determined their bibliometric characteristics, including document type, open accessibility status, citation counting, H-index, top cited documents, the most productive countries, institutions and journals, international collaboration, the most frequent terms and keywords, journal bibliographic coupling and cocitations.
Results: A total of 923 documents on COVID-19 were retrieved, of which 418 were original articles. All documents had received 2551 citations with an average citation of 2.76 per document and an h-index of 23. China ranked first with 348 documents, followed by the United States (n = 160). The Lancet and BMJ Clinical Research Ed published the most documents (each with 74 documents) and 2 institutions (University of Hong Kong and Huazhong University of Science and Technology) ranked first in this regard. In addition, the present study analyzed the top 25 highly-cited documents (those that had received 70% of all citations).
Conclusion: This study highlighted the focused subjects on various aspects of COVID-19 literature such as pathogenesis, epidemiology, transmission, diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and its complications.
Seyyedeh Sara Azimi, Fatemeh Koohi, Mohammad Aghaali, Roya Nikbakht, Maryam Mahdavi, Yaser Mokhayeri, Rasool Mohammadi, Niloufar Taherpour, Mehran Nakhaeizadeh, Davood Khalili, Hamid Sharifi, Seyed Saeed Hashemi Nazari,
Volume 34, Issue 1 (2-2020)
Abstract
Background: Estimation of the basic reproduction number of an infectious disease is an important issue for controlling the infection. Here, we aimed to estimate the basic reproduction number (𝑅0) of COVID-19 in Iran.
Methods: To estimate 𝑅0 in Iran and Tehran, the capital, we used 3 different methods: exponential growth rate, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian time-dependent. Daily number of confirmed cases and serial intervals with a mean of 4.27 days and a standard deviation of 3.44 days with gamma distribution were used. Sensitivity analysis was performed to show the importance of generation time in estimating 𝑅0.
Results: The epidemic was in its exponential growth 11 days after the beginning of the epidemic (Feb 19, 2020) with doubling time of 1.74 (CI: 1.58-1.93) days in Iran and 1.83 (CI: 1.39-2.71) in Tehran. Nationwide, the value of 𝑅0 from February 19 to 29 using exponential growth method, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian time-dependent methods was 4.70 (95% CI: 4.23-5.23), 3.90 (95% CI: 3.47- 4.36), and 3.23 (95% CI: 2.94-3.51), respectively. In addition, in Tehran, 𝑅0 was 5.14 (95% CI: 4.15-6.37), 4.20 (95% CI: 3.38-5.14), and 3.94 (95% CI: 3.45-4.40) for exponential growth, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian time-dependent methods, respectively. Bayesian time dependent methods usually provide less biased estimates. The results of sensitivity analyses demonstrated that changes in the mean generation time affect estimates of 𝑅0.
Conclusion: The estimate of 𝑅0 for the COVID-19 ranged from 3.94 to 5.14 in Tehran and from 3.23 to 4.70 in nationwide using different methods, which were significantly larger than 1, indicating the potential of COVID-19 to cause an outbreak.
Hadi Kazemi-Arpanahi, Khadijeh Moulaei, Mostafa Shanbehzadeh,
Volume 34, Issue 1 (2-2020)
Abstract
Background: The 2019 coronavirus (COVID-19) is a highly contagious disease associated with a high morbidity and mortality worldwide. The accumulation of data through a prospective clinical registry enables public health authorities to make informed decisions based on real evidence obtained from surveillance of COVID-19. This registry is also fundamental to providing robust infrastructure for future research surveys. The purpose of this study was to design a registry and its minimum data set (MDS), as a valid and reliable data source for reporting and benchmarking COVID-19.
Methods: This cross sectional and descriptive study provides a template for the required MDS to be included in COVID-19 registry. This was done by an extensive literature review and 2 round Delphi survey to validate the content, which resulted in a web-based registry created by Visual Studio 2019 and a database designed by Structured Query Language (SQL).
Results: The MDS of COVID-19 registry was categorized into the administrative part with 3 sections, including 30 data elements, and the clinical part with 4 sections, including 26 data elements. Furthermore, a web-based registry with modular and layered architecture was designed based on final data classes and elements.
Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, COVID-19 registry is the first designed instrument from information management perspectives in Iran and can become a homogenous and reliable infrastructure for collecting data on COVID-19. We hope this approach will facilitate epidemiological surveys and support policymakers to better plan for monitoring patients with COVID-19.
Farid Khorrami, Mehraban Shahi, Nasrin Davaridolatabadi, Nader Alishan Karami, Mehdi Hasaniazad, Fereshteh Jafarian, Abbas Sheikhtaheri,
Volume 34, Issue 1 (2-2020)
Abstract
Background: The rapid outbreak of COVID-19 has resulted in a global pandemic in 2020. Information sources such as disease registries through accessing quality, valid, accurate, and timely data empower researchers and health authorities to study and develop appropriate actions. Our study describes the protocol for implementation of regional COVID-19 registry in Hormozgan province (RCovidRH).
Methods: We followed approved phases for the development of RCovidRH to cover the population in Hormozgan. Missioned to develop and implement the protocol, the registry’s steering committee was made up of 10 members from subject fields of the registry at the core and 5 subgroups. The main purpose of the registry is to provide a comprehensive information profile of demographic, clinical, laboratory, imaging, and treatment data of confirmed and probable COVID-19 patients in Hormozgan. The data is retrospectively and prospectively collected. Case report form (CRF) was mainly based on International Severe Acute Respiratory and Emerging Infection Consortium (ISARIC) CRF. A web-based, 2-language software was also developed to facilitate data collection and storage. Data analysis is to be conducted with collaboration of clinical physicians, data-mining specialists, and epidemiologists after reaching appropriate sample size.
Results: We included data related to demographic and identification, onset and admission, signs and symptoms at hospital admission, admission signs and symptoms, comorbidities, pathogen testing, assessment, laboratory, imaging, complications, treatment and medication, and outcomes. We found this registry was limited by incomplete clinical data for small fraction of outpatients, incomplete or inaccurate address by referred people due to fear of social rejection, delay in data entry at the facilities due to workload.
Conclusion: This registry via organizing clinical and epidemiological COVID-19 data increases the potentiality of joint studies. Recognition and coordination of a registry is highly important to solve its limitations to collect data. Other universities and provinces can apply our model to develop COVID-19 registries or data sets for this disease.
Leila Janani, Ahmad Hajebi, Hajar Nazari, Neda Esmailzadehha, Leila Molaeipour, Fatemeh Varse, Mehrdad Eftekhar, Cornelia Betsch, Seyed Abbas Motevalian,
Volume 34, Issue 1 (2-2020)
Abstract
Background: The worldwide emergence and rapid expansion of COVID-19 emphasizes the need to assess the knowledge gap and to predict the disease-related behaviors and reactions during this epidemic.
Methods and design: COVID19 Population Survey of Iran (COPSIR) is a repeated cross sectional survey that will be conducted in 8 waves. In each wave, 515 Iranian adults aged 18 years or older will be randomly selected and interviewed by phone. The study waves will be performed at approximately weekly intervals. The survey tool is adapted from COSMO (COVID-19 Snapshot MOnitoring) study. This study will provide information on trends of knowledge, risk perception, preventive behaviors, psychological problems, essential needs, and public trust among Iranian adults during COVID-19 epidemic.
Discussion: The key findings of each wave will be immediately reported to the National Headquarters for Coronavirus Control to set better policies for disease control and prevention. Moreover, if a message is extracted from the results of this study that needs to be communicated to the public, it will be done through the mass media.
Seyed Hamidreza Bagheri, Alimohamad Asghari, Mohammad Farhadi, Ahmad Reza Shamshiri, Ali Kabir, Seyed Kamran Kamrava, Maryam Jalessi, Alireza Mohebbi, Rafieh Alizadeh, Ali Asghar Honarmand, Babak Ghalehbaghi, Alireza Salimi, Fatemeh Dehghani Firouzabadi,
Volume 34, Issue 1 (2-2020)
Abstract
Background: The occurrence of anosmia/hyposmia during novel Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may indicate a relationship between coincidence of olfactory dysfunction and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This study aimed to assess the frequency of self-reported anosmia/hyposmia during COVID-19 epidemic in Iran.
Methods: This population-based cross sectional study was performed through an online questionnaire from March 12 to 17, 2020. Cases from all provinces of Iran voluntarily participated in this study. Patients completed a 33-item patient-reported online questionnaire, including smell and taste dysfunction and their comorbidities, along with their basic characteristics and past medical histories. The inclusion criteria were self-reported anosmia/hyposmia during the past 4 weeks, from the start of COVID-19 epidemic in Iran.
Results: A total of 10 069 participants aged 32.5±8.6 (7-78) years took part in this study, of them 71.13% women and 81.68% nonsmokers completed the online questionnaire. The correlation between the number of olfactory disorders and reported COVID-19 patients in all provinces up to March 17, 2020 was highly significant (Spearman correlation coefficient = 0.87, P< 0.001). A sudden onset of olfactory dysfunction was reported in 76.24% of the participations and persistent anosmia in 60.90% from the start of COVID-19 epidemic. In addition, 80.38% of participants reported concomitant olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions.
Conclusion: An outbreak of olfactory dysfunction occurred in Iran during the COVID-19 epidemic. The exact mechanisms by which anosmia/hyposmia occurred in patients with COVID-19 call for further investigations.
Vasna Joshua, Satish Sivaprakasam,
Volume 34, Issue 1 (2-2020)
Abstract
Background: The World Health Organization declared the outbreak of COVID-19as a public health emergency of international concern on January 30, 2020. Therefore, relevant research metrics would be an added value for understanding the virus for researchers.
Methods: Research outputs related to the Coronavirus were retrieved from the Web of Science database from January 1968 to March 2020 and were analyzed using MS-office, Word Cloud generator, VOS viewer, and ArcGIS software. The analysis was based on the number of research publications per year, contributing author’s clustering pattern, most preferred journals, leading publication, document type, broad research areas, commonly used keywords, the geographical distribution of publications, commonly used languages, and productive institutes.
Results: The search retrieved 6424 Coronavirus research publications. The number of articles found in the year 1968 was 1, but it was 275 in 2019. A total of 33 clusters of authors contributed to studies on COVID-19 across the globe. The Journal of Virology had the most productivityon Coronavirus publications (n=810). An article published by Ksiazek TG et al in the New England Journal of Medicine had the maximum citation (n=2175); 90% of the research outputs were articles, broadly classified under Infectious diseases (n=5341); and the most commonly used keyword was ‘Coronavirus’. The higher number of publications was from the USA (n=2345) and the commonly used language was English (n=5948), and the most productive institute was the University of Hong Kong (n=506).
Conclusion: The results of the study showed that the growth pattern was not uniform, the United States, and the University of Hong Kong have played a major role in the contribution of Coronavirus research. Even though this depicts a higher scientific growth, it is an alarming sign to the community for preparedness. Under the prevailing situation of seeking better prevention, treatment and vaccination for COVID-19, in-depth research in the above portrayed metrics would be an added knowledge for the researchers.
Azadeh Lak, Shideh Shakouri Asl, Ali Maher,
Volume 34, Issue 1 (2-2020)
Abstract
Background: The worldwide emergence of future pandemics emphasizes the need to assess the pandemic resilient urban form to prevent infectious disease transmission during this epidemic. According to the lessons of the COVID-19 outbreak, this study aimed to review the current strategies of responding to pandemics through disaster risk management (DRM) to develop a pandemic-resilient urban form in phases of response, mitigation, and preparedness.
Methods: The research method is developed through desk study was used to explore the current literature of urban form responded to COVID-19 pandemic and for the text analysis; qualitative content analysis was applied developing a conceptual framework.
Results: To create pandemic resilient urban form, this study proposes principles to enhance the urban form resiliency in 3 scales of housing, neighborhoods/public spaces, and cities. These principles focus on the concept of resilient urban form from new perspectives focusing on the physical and nonphysical aspects of resilient urban form, which develops a new understanding of pandemics as a disaster and health-related emergency risks. The physical aspect of resiliency to epidemic outbreaks includes urban form, access, infrastructure, land use, and natural environment factors. Moreover, the nonphysical aspect can be defined by the sociocultural, economic, and political (including good governance) factors. By providing and enhancing the physical and nonphysical prerequisites, several benefits can be gained and the effectiveness of all response, mitigation, and preparedness activities can be supported.
Conclusion: As the pandemic’s disruptions influence the citizens’ lifestyle dramatically, the prominent role of place characteristics in the outbreak of pandemics, policymakers, urban planners, and urban designers should be pulled together to make urban areas more resilient places for epidemics and pandemics.
Ali Montazeri,
Volume 34, Issue 1 (2-2020)
Abstract
Although there are many important concerns related to coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19), ethical issues should remain the top priority since the humanistic dimension of the recent pandemic is of prime importance. This short commentary highlights some ethical concerns related to (COVID-19). Political misuse, caring for older adults, and spread of harmful information are the 3 main issues that are addressed. It is hoped that those who can influence communities at large consider these issues for better public’s health.
Mostafa Shanbehzadeh, Hadi Kazemi-Arpanahi,
Volume 34, Issue 1 (2-2020)
Abstract
Background: Effective surveillance of COVID-19 highlights the importance of rapid, valid, and standardized information to crisis monitoring and prompts clinical interventions. Minimal basic data set (MBDS) is a set of metrics to be collated in a standard approach to allow aggregated use of data for clinical purposes and research. Data standardization enables accurate comparability of collected data, and accordingly, enhanced generalization of findings. The aim of this study is to establish a core set of data to characterize COVID-19 to consolidate clinical practice.
Methods: A 3-step sequential approach was used in this study: (1) an elementary list of data were collected from the existing information systems and data sets; (2) a systematic literature review was conducted to extract evidence supporting the development of MBDS; and (3) a 2-round Delphi survey was done for reaching consensus on data elements to include in COVID-19 MBDS and for its robust validation.
Results: In total, 643 studies were identified, of which 38 met the inclusion criteria, where a total of 149 items were identified in the data sources. The data elements were classified by 3 experts and validated via a 2-round Delphi procedure. Finally, 125 data elements were confirmed as the MBDS.
Conclusion: The development of COVID-19 MBDS could provide a basis for meaningful evaluations, reporting, and benchmarking COVID-19 disease across regions and countries. It could also provide scientific collaboration for care providers in the field, which may lead to improved quality of documentation, clinical care, and research outcomes.
Babak Eshrati, Hamid Reza Baradaran, Saeed Erfanpoor, Arash Mohazzab, Yousef Moradi,
Volume 34, Issue 1 (2-2020)
Abstract
Background: As hospitalized patients with COVID-19, especially those who are admitted to ICU or die afterwards, generally have comorbidities, the aim of this study was to determine the factors affecting the survival rate of COVID-19 patients in Iran using a retrospective cohort.
Methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted on patients with COVID-19 who referred to medical centers under the supervision of Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, from February 22 to March 25, 2020. The final date of follow-up was April 19, 2020. All consecutive inpatients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 were included in this study. Clinical laboratory, radiological, treatment, and demographic data were collected and analyzed. The associations among gender, immune disease, diabetes, liver disease, cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, chronic pulmonary disease, cancer, chronic nervous disease, type of treatment, and risk of death were analyzed. The Kaplan-Meier and Log-rank tests were used to estimate survival rate and compare survival rates, respectively.
Results: The total number of deaths or desired event in the study was 329 (10.3%).The risk of death in the age groups of 50-60 years, 60-70 years, and >70 years compared to the 30-40 age group was 2.17 (95% CI: 1.03, 4.55; p: 0.040); 3.72 (95 % CI: 1.80, 7.68; p: 0.001) and 5.09 (95 % CI: 2.49, 10.40; p: 0.001), respectively. The results showed men had 11.5% more risk of deaths than women (HR: 1.11; 95 % CI: 0.89, 1.39; p: 0.341). Kidney disease increased the risk of death by 52.3% in these patients, which was not statistically significant (HR: 1.78; 95 % CI: 1.04, 3.04; p: 0.035). Also, chronic pulmonary diseases and diabetes increased the risk of death in COVID-19 patients by 89.5% and 41.3% compared to COVID-19 patients without chronic pulmonary diseases and diabetes [(HR: 1.89; 95 % CI: 1.17, 3.04; p: 0.008), (HR: 1.41; 95 % CI: 1.01, 1.96; p: 0.038)].
Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, more attention and care should be paid to COVID-19 patients with underlying diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, and kidney disease to reduce the number of deaths.
Masoumeh Mohamadi, Azadeh Goodarzi, Armin Aryannejad, Nima Fattahi, Mahtab Alizadeh-Khoei, Shahnaz Miri, Hamidreza Hekmat, Moloud Payab, Mohammad Bodaghabadi,
Volume 34, Issue 1 (2-2020)
Abstract
Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, elderly individuals (with the chronological age of 65 years and above) are more susceptible to the SARS-CoV-2 infection complications due to altered immune system response and the higher rate of underlying comorbidities. A vast majority of mortalities are reported in elderly patients; thus, this study aimed to evaluate complications of COVID-19 in elderly patients.
Methods: A systematic review was conducted according to MOOSE guidelines. Science Direct, Google Scholar, Scopus, PubMed databases were searched for published articles related to COVID-19 in the elderly up to March 26, 2020. Search MeSh terms included "Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2", "2019-nCoV", "SARS-CoV-2", "comorbidity", "elderly", and "geriatrics".
Results: In total 1360 potentially relevant articles were screened, of which 35 were relevant and their full texts were considered for the review. Organ damages to the pulmonary system, cardiovascular, liver, and renal system are more prevalent in the elderly with SARS-CoV-2 infection. As the chance of multiorgan involvement is more common among elderly patients, preventive, multidisciplinary, and holistic evaluations are essential to reduce disease consequences.
Conclusion: More attention needs to be paid to elderly individuals in the quarantine. Social contact should be made and maintained through online facilities, media, and phone calls to ensure patients’ mental health during this stressful situation. Also, they should be provided with enough food and medications by their families or friends. Also, providing social and volunteer services might play an important role in the mental health of those patients who have no social network.
Hesam Seyedin, Ali-Mohamad Zanganeh, Mohammadbagher Mojtabaei, Rafat Bagherzadeh, Hushyar Faghihi,
Volume 34, Issue 1 (2-2020)
Abstract
Background: OVID-19 is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The closure of governmental and nongovernmental centers as well as social, cultural, and economic activities are other major negative impacts of the virus. The present paper aimed to develop a model of economic and health-related factors which affect the reopening of businesses and the proper management of the effect of virus on different aspects, particularly on people’s health and economy.
Methods: In order to facilitate decision-making and model risk analysis of guilds and occupations, an expert panel, including eight 8 experts, was convened by the Ministry of Health in Iran to prepare a strategic framework for the national taskforce of COVID-19 management. The panel spent many hours to prepare a simple model of reopening businesses and prioritize them from low to high risks.
Results: The experts identified and weighed seven health and three economic-related factors. The businesses and jobs were classified into 69 categories based on their similarities; they were also graded according to a predefined five- point Likert scale and categorized into three levels of low, medium, and high risk. The policymakers recommended to reopen businesses stratified by risk levels at least two weeks’ intervals.
Conclusion: The relaunch strategy in Iran put health and safety first while gradually reopening businesses, resuming activities, and getting people back to work. At the same time, attempts were made to slow the spread of the virus through following public health measures, social distancing, good hygiene, and continued acting responsibly. As many countries may have to deal with the same issue, this model can help them adopt appropriate policies and strategies for disease containment.
