SUMMARY. The objectives of the present study were to assess the possible predictors of COVID-19 severity and duration of hospitalization and to identify the possible correlation between patient parameters, disease severity and duration of hospitalization. The study included retrospective medical record extraction of previous coron avirus COVID-19 patients in Basra hospitals, Iraq from March 1st and May 31st, 2020. The information of the participants was investigated anonymously. All the patients’ characteristics, treatments, vital signs and laboratory tests (hematological, renal and liver function tests) were collected. The analysis was conducted using the SPSS (version 22, USA). Spearman correlation was used to measure the relationships between different blood lab data predictors, the disease severity and the duration of hospitalization. The Kruskal Wallis Test was used to measure the difference in the severity of the disease according to the serum ferritin level. Overall, 499 patients were includ ed in the current study: 58.4% were female and 41.6% were male. Nearly half of the patients had chronic disease particularly diabetes mellitus (20.8%) and hypertension (23.6%). With regards to hematological tests, there was a significant correlation between lymphocyte level and disease severity, duration of hospitalization, ferritin, platelets and neutrophil level. In addition, serum urea and creatinine have significant (p-value < 0.05) positive correlation with the disease (COVID-19) severity. Similarly, there is a significant difference in the severity of the disease ac cording to the ferritin level. Thus, patients with more severe symptoms had higher level of blood ferritin. Further more, patients with co-existing diseases have experienced more severe COVID-19 symptoms. This indicates that, lymphocyte and ferritin levels are good predictors of COVID-19 severity. This study finding indicated that evalua tion of blood laboratory indices (CBC including lymphocytes and ferritin) and renal/liver function parameters in the beginning of the COVID-19 could predict the severity and duration of hospitalization. In addition, patients with multiple comorbidities are at higher risk of longer days of hospitalization. An early attention to the patient parameter and lab data may help in tailoring treatments and promote possible interventions to triage hospitaliza tion and save more lives particularly Iraqi might experience a second wave of the pandemic.
Because the Coronavirus epidemic spread in Iraq, the COVID-19 epidemic of people quarantined due to infection is our application in this work. The numerical simulation methods used in this research are more suitable than other analytical and numerical methods because they solve random systems. Since the Covid-19 epidemic system has random variables coefficients, these methods are used. Suitable numerical simulation methods have been applied to solve the COVID-19 epidemic model in Iraq. The analytical results of the Variation iteration method (VIM) are executed to compare the results. One numerical method which is the Finite difference method (FD) has been used to solve the Coronavirus model and for comparison purposes. The numerical simulat
... Show MoreCompelling evidence proved that coronavirus disease (COVID-19) disproportionately affects minorities. The goal of the present study was to explore the effects of intersected discrimination and discrimination types on COVID-19, mental health, and cognition. A sample of 542 Iraqis, 55.7% females, age ranged from 18 to 73, with (M = 31.16, SD = 9.77). 48.7% were Muslims, and 51.3% were Christians (N = 278). We used measures for COVID-19 stressors, executive functions, intersected discrimination (gender discrimination, social groups-based discrimination, sexual orientation discrimination, and genocidal discrimination), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, status and death, existential anxieties, and health. We conducted in
... Show MoreDuring infection, T. gondii disseminates by the circulatory system and establishes chronic infection in several organs. Almost third of humans, immunosuppressed individuals such as HIV/AIDS patients, cancer patients, and organ transplant recipients are exposed to toxoplasmosis. Therefore, the study aimed to investigate the possibility that Toxoplasma infection could be a risk factor for COVID-19 patients and its possible correlation with C-reactive protein and ferritin. Overall 220 patients referred to the Al Furat General Hospital, Baghdad, Iraq were enrolled from 2020–2021. All serum samples were tested for T. gondii immunoglobulins (IgG and IgM) antibodies, C-reactive protein and ferritin levels. In patients with COVID-19, the results
... Show MoreBackground: The radiological scoring of severity and progression of lung abnormalities is of great value for clinicians to define the clinical management of COVID-19 patients.
Objectives: The purpose of this study is to implement the Brixia scoring tool to assess the pattern of lung involvement in patients with COVID-19 to help predict the severity of their clinical outcome, where the clinical outcome correlates to outpatient, inpatient and/or ICU admission.
Patients and Methods: We conducted a case series study at the Sheikh Khalifa Medical City Ajman (SKMCA), United Arab Emirates from 14 March to 30 October 2020. Patients’ medical records were reviewed and followed up f
... Show MoreThe coronavirus is a family of viruses that cause different dangerous diseases that lead to death. Two types of this virus have been previously found: SARS-CoV, which causes a severe respiratory syndrome, and MERS-CoV, which causes a respiratory syndrome in the Middle East. The latest coronavirus, originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan, is known as the COVID-19 pandemic. It is a new kind of coronavirus that can harm people and was first discovered in Dec. 2019. According to the statistics of the World Health Organization (WHO), the number of people infected with this serious disease has reached more than seven million people from all over the world. In Iraq, the number of people infected has reached more than tw
... Show MoreThe first known use of the term conspiracy theory dated back to the nineteenth century. It is defined as a theory that explains an event or set of circumstances as the result of a secret plot by usually powerful conspirators. It is commonly used, but by no means limited to, extreme political groups. Since the emergence of COVID-19 as a global pandemic in December 2019, the conspiracy theory was present at all stages of the pandemic.
The first known use of the term conspiracy theory dated back to the nineteenth century. It is defined as a theory that explains an event or set of circumstances as the result of a secret plot by usually powerful conspirators. It is commonly used, but by no means limited to, extreme political groups. Since the emergence of COVID-19 as a global pandemic in December 2019, the conspiracy theory was present at all stages of the pandemic.
Vaccination against novel Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) become highly recommended. In Iraq, three vaccines are available. They are Pfizer-Biontech, Oxford-AstraZenica, and Sino harm vaccines. A cross-sectional retrospective study was performed to a total of 2399 individual who are vaccinated with one of the available vaccines. People who are infected with Covid-19 before and/or after vaccination of either studied SARS-CoV-2 vaccines were also involved in this study (1175 case). Signs and symptoms have been reported for each of confirmed positive cases of Coronavirus disease. Statistical data analyses were applied to reveal the effect of different SARS-CoV-2 vaccines on the incidence of novel coronavirus disease among Iraqi population. Also, the
... Show MoreBackground: Prostaglandin D2 (PGD2) is a lipid mediator appeared as a powerful activator that regulates the T-helper2 (TH2) and Type-2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2), and functions as diagnostic marker and it has probable therapeutic targets for asthma.
Objectives: To define the role of Prostaglandin D2 biomarkers in disease severity, and to forecast disease risk and progression.
Patients and methods: A case control study was conducted on Forty four Iraqi asthmatic patients and 44 apparently healthy controls who were age and sex matched. Four ml of blood samples was taken from the study groups for the detection PGD2 using ELISA.
Results: The se
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