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Background and objective Since being declared a global pandemic, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has led to millions of cases and deaths worldwide. Although severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) continues to wreak havoc on individuals, healthcare systems, and economies, the intensive vaccination strategies adopted by several countries have significantly slowed the progress and the severity of the disease. In this study, we aimed to determine the COVID-19 vaccination status among healthcare workers (HCWs) and examine the effects of vaccination on disease manifestations. Materials and methods This cross-sectional study was conducted at a teaching hospital in Northeast India from April 2021 to September 2021, during the second phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. HCWs employed in the hospital who were laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 based on semiquantitative real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) or cartridge-based nucleic acid amplification test (CBNAAT) on oropharyngeal samples were included in the study. Data analysis was performed using Microsoft Excel (Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2019, Microsoft Corp., Redmond, WA) Results A total of 178 HCWs reported positive for COVID-19 infection during the study period. Of these, 42 (23.59%) were males and 136 were females (76.40%). Among them, 86 (48.32%) HCWs were fully vaccinated, 58 (32.58%) were partially vaccinated, and 34 (19.10%) were not vaccinated. Most of the HCWs experienced mild disease (145, 81.46%), and only four (2.24%) reported moderate to severe disease. Compared with unvaccinated HCWs, individuals who have had either one or two doses of vaccines were less likely to have moderate to severe disease or seek treatment at the hospital. On symptoms analysis, shortness of breath was found to be more common in unvaccinated individuals than in vaccinated patients, and anosmia and loss of taste were more common in vaccinated than in unvaccinated individuals. No deaths were reported among the participants included in this study. Conclusions Following the first and second waves of the COVID-19 pandemic, a substantial proportion of HCWs were infected with SARS-CoV-2, likely as a result of the acquisition of the virus in the community during the early phase of local spread. Fully vaccinated individuals with COVID-19 were more likely to be completely asymptomatic or only mildly symptomatic compared to unvaccinated HCWs., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2022, Jamil et al.)

Introduction The stature of an individual is an important parameter for establishing identification. The height of an individual can be indirectly estimated from different parts of the skeleton and such measurements are of great use in forensic science, anatomy, and anthropometry. This study was an attempt to formulate a linear regression equation for estimation of stature by measuring the ulnar length in the living adult Khasi population. Methods The study population consists of 164 subjects (Male: 118; Female: 46) between 25 and 45 years of age. The left and right ulnar lengths were measured from the tip of the olecranon process to the tip of the styloid process with the elbow flexed and palm spread over the opposite shoulder by a spreading caliper. The measurements of the stature of the volunteers were done in the standard anatomical standing position with a bared foot with the head in the Frankfort plane. The documented data were calculated by the standard statistical software. Results The height and ulnar length in males (160.85 ± 6.34 cm and 24.41 ± 1.10 cm, respectively) were found to be significantly (p < 0.001) higher than females (149.56 ± 2.95 cm and 22.58 ± 0.47 cm, respectively). Significant positive correlation coefficient (r) between height (cm) and ulnar length (cm) were observed in both males (r = 0.955, P < 0.001) and females (r = 0.915, P < 0.001), respectively. Conclusion The length of the ulna provides an accurate and reliable means in estimating the height of an individual; being almost a percutaneous bone, its length can be measured easily. The regression formulae that were derived in this study will be useful for clinicians, human anatomists, archeologists, anthropologists, and forensic experts., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2022, Sarma et al.)

Background and objective Chronic kidney disease (CKD) comprises a spectrum of pathophysiologic processes with increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk mediated mostly by endothelial dysfunction other than traditional risk factors. The present study is carried out to see the cardiovascular risk in CKD patients with special reference to the determinants of endothelial dysfunction. Materials and methods We enrolled 60 CKD patients along with 120 healthy controls in the age group 18-50 years belonging to the same ethnicity and localities. Demographic and clinico-laboratory information including markers of endothelial dysfunction were recorded followed by univariate and multivariate analyses to assess the relationship between CKD and CVD risk. Results Cases comprised of 60 CKD patients (mean age = 38.47±8.56 years) including 35 (58%) females and 25 (42%) males. Etiology in 43% of cases was idiopathically followed by diabetes and hypertension (42%) and obstructive uropathy (13%). On comparing the means of inflammatory markers between cases and controls, calcium phosphate product, c-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and neutrophil: lymphocyte (N:L) ratio was found to be significantly higher (p < 0.05) in cases as compared to controls but carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and low-density cholesterol (LDL) did not show a significant difference (p < 0.05). Conclusion Our study showed uniformly higher levels of inflammatory markers in cases irrespective of age and gender except for LDL and CIMT which uniquely showed a positive correlation with age. CKD patients require appropriate treatment and preventive measures for CVD with a high index of suspicion as endothelial dysfunction cannot be adequately gauged by traditional risk scoring methods., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2022, Das et al.)

Background and objective The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, which was first detected in Wuhan, China, has turned into a rapidly spreading global healthcare crisis. The clinical and laboratory features of COVID-19 are associated with significant regional variations. In this study, we aimed to describe the clinical and demographic profile of COVID-19 patients from a tertiary care hospital in Northeast India. Materials and methods This was a hospital-based cross-sectional study that included all laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases admitted to the institution from 1st July to 31st October 2020. The information was collected on a predesigned proforma, which included patients' demographic profiles, clinical presentations, and outcomes as per treatment by trained doctors. Results The study included 180 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases. A history of contact with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19-affected individuals was found in 92 (51.1%) patients. The median age of the patients was 37.17 years (range: 18-80 years), and there were 104 (57.78%) males in the cohort. Of the total enrolled patients, 102 (56.67%) were asymptomatic from the time of exposure till their admission. The common presenting complaints were fever (n=55, 70.51%), cough (n=42, 53.85%), and shortness of breath (n=32, 42.02%). The case fatality rate among the admitted cases was 15%. Comorbidities were found in 84 (46.67%) patients with the most common one being diabetes mellitus (n=31, 36.9%) followed by hypertension (n=29, 34.52%). Patients with advanced age (more than 60 years) and coexisting comorbidities were at higher risk of progression of disease and death. Conclusion The COVID-19 pandemic is not only a huge burden on healthcare facilities but also a significant cause of disruption in societies globally. The majority of the patients with COVID-19 infection presenting to our hospital were young and asymptomatic. Patients of advanced age with comorbidities were found to have more complications. An analysis of the trends related to COVID-19 in different hospital and institutional settings will help to achieve better preparedness and lead to improved patient care to combat the COVID-19 pandemic in a more efficient manner., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2021, Jamil et al.)

Introduction Coexistence of diabetes mellitus and thyroid diseases is common. One of the main microvascular complications of diabetes is diabetic nephropathy (DN) and it is found to be the leading cause of chronic kidney disease. The aim of the present study was to assess the association between hypothyroidism and serum potassium levels in diabetic nephropathy patients. Materials and methods A cross-sectional study was conducted from March 2020 to January 2021. We enrolled 100 patients with DN along with 50 healthy controls belonging to the same localities. Serum potassium, creatinine, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and total triiodothyronine (T3) levels of all the cases were measured to establish the correlation of serum potassium along with each parameter separately. Results Serum potassium, creatinine, TSH levels were increased in all the cases of diabetic nephropathy showing positive correlations of serum potassium with serum TSH and serum creatinine levels with correlation coefficient values 0.71 and 0.7 respectively and serum T3 levels were decreased in all the cases significantly showing negative correlation with serum potassium levels with correlation coefficient value -0.34. Conclusion Estimation of serum TSH and T3 levels along with serum potassium levels is important and helpful in patients with diabetic renal disease. Changes in thyroid parameters like decreased TSH or increased T3 are significantly associated with deterioration in the severity of renal function in diabetic patients., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2021, Boruah et al.)

Introduction Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) enzyme deficiency is the most common enzymopathy in humans, and its distribution has been historically described to be closely associated with that of malaria. North East India provides optimal conditions for transmission of malaria and bears a considerable burden of Plasmodium vivax ( P. vivax ) malaria. Primaquine, a mainstay in the treatment of vivax malaria, may trigger episodes of acute hemolysis in patients with G6PD deficiency. The present study sought to delineate the frequency and genotypes of G6PD deficiency among patients suffering from vivax malaria infections.  Methods Blood specimens from 80 individuals diagnosed with vivax malaria underwent enzyme assay for G6PD deficiency. Samples with deficient phenotype underwent isolation of DNA using a genomic DNA isolation kit (Qiagen India Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi, India). The genomic DNA underwent amplification, serial denaturation, annealing, extension, final extension followed by digestion with restriction endonucleases Nla III and Fok I. The digested products were subjected to horizontal agarose electrophoresis for the separation of digested fragments. Samples without nucleotide 376 adenine→guanine (A→G) mutation were classified as G6PD B. Those with the mutation were further classified into G6PD A(+) and G6PD A(-) based on the presence of Nla III site. Results Twenty-seven out of 80 individuals (33.75%) with P. vivax malaria were found to have G6PD deficiency, of which a majority (n=24) had G6PD B genotype. Three individuals had Asparagine→Aspartic Acid mutation at position 376 (A→G), of which G6PD A(+) and G6PD A(-) were present in two and one cases, respectively. Conclusion G6PD deficiency was noted in about a third of patients with vivax malaria. Since primaquine therapy is contraindicated in this group of patients, there is a rationale for looking into screening patients with vivax malaria from the region prior to primaquine therapy. Further large scale studies may substantiate this and help in better genotypic and geographic characterization of G6PD deficiency in the region., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2020, Rajkhowa et al.)

Background Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the most common infectious diseases and is commonly associated with comorbidities. However, data regarding TB and comorbidities are lacking from northeast India. The aim of the study is to see the clinical spectrum of TB and the frequency of comorbidities. Methods This was a prospective observational study of all hospitalized TB patients between January 2016 and June 2017 who were selected by consecutive sampling. Data were analyzed using SPSS v. 17.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY), and a p-value of <0.05 was considered significant. Results Of the 173 patients selected, the mean age was 41.05±17.04 years with a male:female ratio of 4.27:1. Pulmonary TB (PTB) was found in 43.94%, extra-pulmonary TB (EPTB) in 52.02%, and disseminated TB in 4.04%. Fever (61.27%) was the most common presentation, followed by cough (54.33%) and breathlessness (32.94%). Of the 76 patients with PTB and seven with disseminated TB, making a total of 83 patients, 56 (67.4%) were sputum positive. Out of 90 patients suffering from EPTB, pleural effusion (53.33%) was the commonest type of EPTB, followed by central nervous system (CNS) tuberculosis (26.66%) and abdominal tuberculosis (8.88%). Comorbidities were present in 53.17% of the patients, of which diabetes mellitus (DM) (26.58%) and hypertension (17.34%) were the most common. Comorbid conditions were significantly higher in PTB than EPTB (51 of 83 vs. 41 of 90, p<0.05). Mean glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) was significantly higher in PTB as compared to EPTB (8.74±2.04 vs. 7.58±0.29, p<0.05). Conclusion Comorbidities, particularly DM, were present in half of the patients, mostly in PTB than EPTB, with glycemic control being significantly poorer in PTB patients., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2020, Bhattacharya et al.)

Introduction Hydatid disease is an immense health problem in developing countries. The diagnosis of hydatid cyst is often difficult because of its protean manifestations. Our objective was to evaluate the various clinical and laboratory presentations of hydatid disease and various modalities of treatment from a tertiary care center. Materials and methods We reviewed the clinical and laboratory features of patients presenting with hydatid cyst through retrospective analysis from January 2018 to December 2019 from a tertiary care hospital in northeast India. Results Of the 26 adult patients with hydatid cysts who were part of the study, 14 (53.8%) were males and 12 (46.2%) were females. The mean age was 34.6 years. The most common site of involvement was the liver (69%) followed by lung (19.2%) and brain (7.7%). Palpable mass in the right upper quadrant of the abdomen was the most common symptom (88.3%) for liver hydatid cyst followed by pain abdomen (66.6%). Systemic symptoms like fever and weakness were present in most of the patients. The majority of patients (80%) were from rural areas. Conclusion Hydatid cysts present with varied symptomatology. History of exposure to infected animals may not be present. A high degree of clinical suspicion combined with meticulous history and clinical examination supported by laboratory investigations are required for its diagnosis., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2020, Baruah et al.)

Introduction The current coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) outbreak has been declared to be a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO). It is evolving daily and has jeopardized life globally across social and economic fronts. One of the six key strategic objectives identified by the WHO to manage COVID-19 is to communicate critical information to all communities and prevent the spread of misinformation. We analyzed content on YouTube.com, a widely used web-based platform for medical and epidemiological information. Methods YouTube search results using two keywords were analyzed each in six languages - English, Arabic, Bengali, Dutch, Hindi, and Nigerian Pidgin on April 8, 2020. Forty videos in each of the six languages (i.e., a total of 240 videos) were included for analysis in the study. Two reviewers conducted independent analyses for each language. The inter-observer agreement was evaluated with the kappa coefficient (κ). Modified DISCERN index and Medical Information and Content Index (MICI) scores were used for the reliability of content presented in the videos and information quality assessment, respectively. Analysis of variance, Kruskal-Wallis, Mann-Whitney test, and chi-square tests were done appropriately for data analysis. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. All calculations were performed using SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 21.0 (IBM Corp, Armonk, NY). Results The videos cumulatively attracted 364,080,193 views. Altogether, 52.5% of videos were Informative, 23.75% were News Updates, and 8.33% were Personal Experiences. Ten percent of videos were found to present medically misleading information. Independent Users contributed 75% of the misleading content. The overall Mean DISCERN score, an index of content reliability, was 2.62/5. The overall Mean MICI Score was 5.68/25. Videos had better scores in the Transmission component of the MICI scale and scored low on the Screening/Testing component. Conclusion The reliability and quality of the content of most videos about COVID-19 and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) were found to be unsatisfactory. Videos with misleading content were found across all six languages, and sometimes garnered a higher percentage of views than those from credible sources. The share of videos contributed by Government and Health Agencies was low. Medical institutions and health agencies should produce content on widely used platforms like YouTube for quality medical and epidemiological information dissemination., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2020, Dutta et al.)