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Objectives: Stigmatization was reported throughout the COVID pandemic for COVID-19 patients and close contacts. The aim of this systematic review was to comprehensively examine the prevalence and impact of stigmatization during COVID-19 pandemic., Methods: English articles were searched using online databases that included PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science up to 24 August 2022. A two-step screening and selection process was followed utilizing an inclusion and exclusion criteria and then data was extracted from eligible articles. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses checklist was followed, and the risk of bias was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale., Results: Seventy-six studies were eligible for inclusion. Twenty-two studies reported the prevalence of social stigma due to COVID-19 infection with social isolation being the most commonly reported stigma. There were 20 studies that reported the majority of participants experienced stigma due to COVID-19 infection, which was as high as 100% of participants in two studies. Participants in 16 studies reported blaming from others as the second most common type of stigma, with various other types reported such as psychological pressure, verbal violence, avoidance, and labeling. The most common effect of the stigma was anxiety followed by depression, and then reduction of socialization., Conclusion: Findings from the present review have identified that COVID-19-related stigma studies have generally focused on its prevalence, type, and outcome. Greater awareness of this topic may assist with improving public education during pandemics such as COVID-19 as well as access to support services for individuals impacted by stigmatization., Competing Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© The Author(s) 2023.)

Introduction: Telemedicine services saw substantial surges in their use during the COVID-19 pandemic due to the lockdowns and characteristics of the pandemic. Therefore, the authors aimed to systematically review the telemedicine services provided during the COVID-19 pandemic and their potential applications., Methods: The authors searched PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane databases on September 14, 2021. Then, the retrieved records underwent two-step title/abstract and full-text screening processes, and the eligible articles were included for qualitative synthesis., Results: The review of studies demonstrated that the telephone is listed 38 times, making it the most common technology used in telemedicine. Video conferencing is also mentioned in 29 articles, as well as other technologies: Mobile-health ( n = 15), Virtual reality ( n = 7). According to the findings of the present study, Tele-follow-up ( n = 24), Tele-consulting ( n = 20), Virtual visits (20), and Tele-monitoring ( n = 18) were the most widely used telemedicine applications., Conclusion: Telemedicine has been an effective approach to COVID-19 management. Telemedicine technology is going to play a key role in the future of health medicine, patient consultation, and many other extended applications of health care in remote rural locations.

Objective: Understanding the minimum infective dose is significant for risk assessment in the performance of suitable infection control strategies in healthcare centers. However, the literature lacks strong evidence regarding this value for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the minimum infectious dose of coronavirus disease 2019., Methods: We searched the databases of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane and retrieved all the relevant literature by 25 July 2021. The records were downloaded into the EndNote software and underwent title/abstract and full-text screenings. A summary of included studies was organized into tables for further analysis, interpretation, and drafting of the results., Results: Nineteen studies including the laboratory data on human and animal hosts were selected based on the eligibility criteria. All the literature reported on the infective dose, particularly in humans. The main methods for measurement of infection were through tissue culture infectious dose (TCID50) and counting plaque-forming units. The range of minimum infective was 1.26-7 × 10 6.25 PFU., Conclusion: In this study, we have presented a range of minimum infective doses in humans and various animal species. Such numbers can possibly vary between the individuals based on numerous demographic, immunologic, or other factors., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© The Author(s) 2022.)

Objective: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a global pandemic. Timely and effective predictors of survival and death rates are crucial for improving the management of COVID-19 patients. In this study, we evaluated the predictors of mortality based on the demographics, comorbidities, clinical characteristics, laboratory findings, and vital signs of 500 patients with COVID-19 admitted at Imam Khomeini Hospital Complex, the biggest hospital in Tehran, Iran., Methods: Five hundred hospitalized laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 patients were included in this study. Subsequently, electronic medical records, including patient demographics, clinical manifestation, comorbidities, and laboratory test results were collected and analyzed. They were divided into two groups: expired and discharged. Demographics, clinical, and laboratory data were compared among the two groups. The related factors with death in the patients were determined using univariate and multivariate logistic regression approaches., Results: Among the 500 hospitalized patients, most patients were male (66.4% versus 33.6%). The expired group had more patients ⩾70 years of age compared with the discharged group (32.9% versus 16.3%, respectively). Almost 66% of the expired patients were hospitalized for ⩾5 days which was higher than the discharge group (26.9%). Patients with a history of opium use in the expired group were significantly higher compared to the discharged group (14.8% versus 8.6%, p = 0.04) as well as a history of cancer (15.5% versus 4.7%, p < 0.001). Out of the 500 patients with COVID-19, four patients (2.6%) were HIV positive, all of whom expired. Dyspnea (76.4%), fever (56.6%), myalgia (59.9%), and dry cough (67%) were the most common chief complaints of hospitalized patients. Age ⩾70 years (adjusted odds ratio = 2.49; 95% confidence interval, 1.02-6.04), being female (adjusted odds ratio = 2.06; 95% confidence interval, 1.25-3.41), days of hospitalization (adjusted odds ratio = 5.73; 95% confidence interval, 3.49-9.41), and having cancer (adjusted odds ratio = 3.23; 95% confidence interval, 1.42-7.39) were identified as independent predictors of mortality among COVID-19 patients., Conclusion: Discharged and expired COVID-19 patients had distinct clinical and laboratory characteristics, which were separated by principal component analysis. The mortality risk factors for severe patients identified in this study using a multivariate logistic regression model included elderly age (⩾70 years), being female, days of hospitalization, and having cancer., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© The Author(s) 2021.)

Mobile Health applications have shown different usages in the COVID-19 pandemic, which consisted of empowering patient's awareness, promoting patient's self-care, and self-monitor behaviors. The purpose of this study is to identify key features and capabilities of a mobile-based application for self-care and self-management of people with COVID-19 disease. This study was a descriptive-analytical study that was conducted in two main phases in 2020. In the first phase, a literature review study was performed. In the second phase, using the information obtained from the review of similar articles, a questionnaire was designed to validate identified requirements. Based on the results of the first phase, 53 data elements and technical key features for mobile-based self-care application for people with COVID-19 were identified. According to the statistical population, 11 data elements for demographic requirements, 11 data elements for clinical requirements, 15 data elements for self-care specifications, and 16 features for the technical capability of this app were determined. Most of the items were selected by infectious and internal medicine specialists (94%). This study supports that the use of mobile-based applications can play an important role in the management of this disease. Software design and development could help manage and improve patients' health status.