Articles: pandemics.
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It has been reported that diabetes and hypertension increase the adverse outcomes of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Aside from the inherent factors of diabetes and hypertension, it remains unclear whether antidiabetic or antihypertensive medications contribute to the increased adverse outcomes of COVID-19. The effect of commonly used antidiabetic and antihypertensive medications on COVID-19 outcomes has been inconsistently concluded in existing observational studies. Conducting a systematic study on the causal relationship between these medications and COVID-19 would be beneficial in guiding their use during the COVID-19 pandemic. ⋯ The findings from this comprehensive Mendelian randomization analysis suggest that there may be no causal relationship between the 5 commonly used antidiabetic medications (SGLT-2 inhibitors, Sulfonylureas, Insulin analogues, Thiazolidinediones, GLP-1 analogues) and the 3 commonly used antihypertensive medications (CCBs, ACE inhibitors, BBs) with COVID-19 susceptibility, hospitalization, and severity.
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Background and Objectives: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has profoundly impacted healthcare systems worldwide. To assess the effects of the pandemic on pediatric emergency department (ED) visits in Taiwan, we conducted a study to evaluate changes in pediatric ED visits during the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study included pediatric patients (age ≤ 18) who visited the ED between 21 January 2019 and 30 April 2019, at three hospitals of the Cathay Health System, and compared them with a corresponding period in 2020. ⋯ Additionally, a significantly higher proportion of patients were discharged during the pandemic period (89.36%) than during the pre-pandemic period (88.33%). The proportion of COVID-19-related complaints, such as fever and respiratory tract infections, as well as other complaints including gastrointestinal issues, trauma, and psychological problems, significantly increased during the pandemic. Conclusions: In preparation for future pandemics, we recommend increasing emergency medical service capacity, establishing a non-contagious route for obtaining chronic medication prescriptions, optimizing staff allocation in pediatric emergency departments, and increasing the number of hospital social workers for enhanced support.
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The COVID-19 pandemic profoundly affected all mass gatherings for sporting and religious events, causing cancellation, postponement, or downsizing. On March 24, 2020, the Japanese Government, the Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, and the International Olympic Committee decided to postpone the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games until the summer of 2021. With the emergence of SARS-CoV-2, the potential creation of a superspreading event that would overwhelm the Tokyo health system was perceived as a risk. ⋯ In February and March, 2022, Beijing hosted the 2022 Winter Olympic Games as scheduled, built on the lessons learnt from the Tokyo Games, and developed specific COVID-19 countermeasure plans in the context of China's national framework for the plan called Zero COVID. Results from the testing programmes at both the Tokyo and Beijing Games show that the measures put in place were effective at preventing the spread of COVID-19 within the Games, and ensured that neither event became a COVID-19-spreading event. The extensive experience from the Tokyo and Beijing Olympic Games highlights that it is possible to organise mass gatherings during a pandemic, provided that appropriate risk assessment, risk mitigation, and risk communication arrangements are in place, leaving legacies for future mass gatherings, public health, epidemic preparedness, and wider pandemic response.
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During the past 3 years of the corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, COVID-19 has been recognized to cause various neurological complications, including rare posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES). In previously reported cases of PRES associated with COVID-19, the majority of patients had severe COVID-19 infection and known predisposing factors for PRES, such as uncontrolled hypertension, renal dysfunction, and use of immunosuppressants. It remains unclear whether these risk factors or infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) contributes to the development of PRES in these patients. Here we report a special case of PRES associated with COVID-19 without any known risk factors for PRES, indicating the SARS-CoV-2's direct role in the pathogenesis of PRES associated with COVID-19. ⋯ The current case had no classical risk factors for PRES, indicating that although the cause of PRES in COVID-19 patients may be multifactorial, the infection of SARS-CoV-2 may play a direct role in the pathogenesis of PRES associated with COVID-19.