Objective: The study the association of procalcitonin (PCT) and c-reactive protein (CRP) levels in COVID-19 patients and it's role as a guide in progress and management of those patients. Methodology: This cross-sectional study analyzed 200 CIOVID-19 patients in a single privet center in Baghdad, Iraq from January 1, 2021 to January 1, 2022. Demographic data like age, sex, and clinical symptoms were recorded. High sensitivity CRP and PCT in the serum were measured via dry fluorescence immunoassay (Lansionbio-China). Results: Out of 200 patients, 50 had moderate Covid and 150 had severe disease. Mean serum PCT levels was 0.039±0.05 ng/mL in the moderate group (range 0.011-0.067) and 0.43±0.21 ng/mL in the severe group (range 0.211±0.513). Mean serum PCT and CRP levels were higher in severe patients than in moderate patients. Conclusions: PCT and CRP may be an indicator of disease severity in COVID-19.
Background: The most widely used vaccination against SARS-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) is the Pfizer vaccine, which provides protection against this virus. However, its ability to safeguard the oral cavity is unclear, and neither are the exact immunological biomarker levels it activates.
Aim of the study: To investigate the possibility that Pfizer vaccination protects the oral cavity against Covid-19.
Patients and Methods: The study group consisted of a total of 70 subjects (30 as the control group They were followed up before being vaccinated as non-vaccinated (maybe previously infected or non-infected or recovered) and 40 participants followed up three weeks after
... Show MoreThis study discusses risk management strategies caused by pandemic-related (Covid-19) suspensions in thirty-six engineering projects of different types and sizes selected from countries in the middle east and especially Iraq. The primary data collection method was a survey and questionnaire completed by selected project crew and laborers. Data were processed using Microsoft Excel to construct models to help decision-makers find solutions to the scheduling problems that may be expected to occur during a pandemic. A theoretical and practical concept for project risk management that addresses a range of global and local issues that affect schedule and cost is presented and results indicate that the most significant delays are due to a
... Show MoreThis study discusses risk management strategies caused by pandemic-related (Covid-19) suspensions in thirty-six engineering projects of different types and sizes selected from countries in the middle east and especially Iraq. The primary data collection method was a survey and questionnaire completed by selected project crew and laborers. Data were processed using Microsoft Excel to construct models to help decision-makers find solutions to the scheduling problems that may be expected to occur during a pandemic. A theoretical and practical concept for project risk management that addresses a range of global and local issues that affect schedule and cost is presented and results indicate that the most significant delays are due to a
... Show MoreParasitic diseases can affect infection with COVID-19 obviously, as protective agents, or by reducing severity of this viral infection. This current review mentions the common symptoms between human parasites and symptoms of COVID-19, and explains the mechanism actions of parasites, which may prevent or reduce severity of this viral infection. Pre-existing parasitic infections provide prohibition against pathogenicity of COVID-19, by altering the balance of gut microbiota that can vary the immune response to this virus infection.
Widespread COVID-19 infections have sparked global attempts to contain the virus and eradicate it. Most researchers utilize machine learning (ML) algorithms to predict this virus. However, researchers face challenges, such as selecting the appropriate parameters and the best algorithm to achieve an accurate prediction. Therefore, an expert data scientist is needed. To overcome the need for data scientists and because some researchers have limited professionalism in data analysis, this study concerns developing a COVID-19 detection system using automated ML (AutoML) tools to detect infected patients. A blood test dataset that has 111 variables and 5644 cases was used. The model is built with three experiments using Python's Auto-
... Show MoreToday, the world is living in a time of epidemic diseases that spread unnaturally and infect and kill millions of people worldwide. The COVID-19 virus, which is one of the most well-known epidemic diseases currently spreading, has killed more than six million people as of May 2022. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) after an outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 infection. COVID-19 is a severe and potentially fatal respiratory disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which was first noticed at the end of 2019 in Wuhan city. Artificial intelligence plays a meaningful role in analyzing medical images and giving accurate results that serve healthcare workers, especially X-ray images, which are co
... Show MoreThe COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly affected the healthcare sector and the productivity of medical staff and doctors. This study employs machine learning to analyze the post-COVID-19 impact on the productivity of medical staff and doctors across various specialties. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 960 participants from different specialties between June 1, 2022, and April 5, 2023. The study collected demographic data, including age, gender, and socioeconomic status, as well as information on participants' sleeping habits and any COVID-19 complications they experienced. The findings indicate a significant decline in the productivity of medical staff and doctors, with an average reduction of 23% during the post-COVID-19 period. T
... Show MoreEducation around the world has been negatively affected by the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Many institutions had to transition to distance learning in compliance with the enforced safety measures. Distance learning might work well for settings with stable internet connections, professional technical teams, and basic implementation of technology in education. In contrast, distance learning faces serious challenges in less fortunate settings with inferior infrastructure. This report aims to shed light on the immediate action steps taken at a leading pharmacy school in Iraq to accommodate for the enforced changes in pharmacy education. The University of Baghdad College of Pharmacy went from less than minimal technology impl
... Show MoreBackground: Fifteen percent of small for gestational age are small as a result of fetal growth restriction, which could be due to maternal, placental or fetal factors. It is an important clinical problem associated with increase perinatal mortality and morbidity. Leptin is a protein that produced by many tissues including the placenta (syncytiotropholoast). Dysregulation of leptin metabolism may be implicated in preeclampsia and IUGR pathogenesis.
Aim of the study: To study the trend of leptin level alteration in maternal serum and cord blood in pregnancies complicated by fetal growth restriction and its relation with fetal outcome.
Methods: An Analytic, cross- sectional study conducted in Al-Elwyia Maternity Teaching Hospital and