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Objective: Our aim in this study was to reveal the clinical features of pediatric uveitis in the pandemic period and to compare it with the pre-pandemic era., Methods: This retrospective study included 187 children diagnosed with uveitis between the 11 th of March 2017 and the 11 th of March 2022. The patients were divided into two groups based on the date of diagnosis as follows; Group 1: Patients diagnosed in the pre-pandemic period (11 th March 2017-11 th March 2020); Group 2: Patients diagnosed in the pandemic period (12 th March 2020-11 th March 2022). Demographic data, characteristics of uveitis, underlying diseases, systemic treatment modalities, and complications were compared between the two groups., Results: A total of 187 (pre-pandemic 71, and pandemic 114) pediatric uveitis patients were recruited to the study. Fifty one percent (51%) of the patients were female. The number of patients diagnosed with uveitis increased approximately twice during the pandemic period compared to the pre-pandemic period. The frequency of anterior uveitis was found to be significantly higher in the pandemic period than in the pre-pandemic period (p = 0.037). It was mostly presented as symptomatic uveitis. There was a decrease in the diagnosis of JIA-related uveitis. ANA positivity increased in the pandemic period (p = 0.029). The response to treatment was better and the complication rate decreased in the pandemic period., Conclusion: The present study involved a large number of pediatric patients with uveitis. There are some differences in the characteristics of pediatric uveitis cases comparing the pandemic period and the pre-pandemic period. This increased frequency and changing clinical features of pediatric uveitis seems to be a result of COVID-19 infection.

Objective: COVID-19-associated pediatric vasculitis, other than Kawasaki disease (KD)-like vasculitis in multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), is very rare. This study sought to analyze the characteristics, treatment, and outcomes in patients with COVID-19-associated pediatric vasculitis (excluding KD-like vasculitis in MIS-C)., Methods: The inclusion criteria were as follows: 1) age <18 years at vasculitis onset; 2) evidence of vasculitis; 3) evidence of SARS-CoV-2 exposure; and 4) ≤3 months between SARS-CoV-2 exposure and vasculitis onset. Patients with MIS-C were excluded. The features of the subset of patients in our cohort who had COVID-19-associated pediatric IgA vasculitis/Henoch Schönlein purpura (IgAV/HSP) were compared against a pre-pandemic cohort of pediatric IgAV/HSP patients., Results: Forty-one patients (median age 8.3 years; male to female ratio 1.3) were included from 14 centers and 6 countries. The most frequent vasculitis subtype was IgAV/HSP (n = 30). The median duration between SARS-CoV-2 exposure and vasculitis onset was 13 days. Involvement of the skin (92.7%) and of the gastrointestinal system (61%) were the most common manifestations of vasculitis. Most patients (68.3%) received glucocorticoids, and 14.6% also received additional immunosuppressive drugs. Remission was achieved in all patients. All of the patients with IgAV/HSP in our cohort had skin manifestations, while 18 (60%) had gastrointestinal involvement and 13 (43.3%) had renal involvement. When we compared the features of this subset of 30 patients to those of a pre-pandemic pediatric IgAV/HSP cohort (n = 159), the clinical characteristics of fever and renal involvement were more common in our COVID-19-associated pediatric IgAV/HSP cohort (fever, 30% versus 5%, respectively [P < 0.001]; renal involvement, 43.3% versus 17.6%, respectively [P = 0.002]). Recovery without treatment and complete recovery were each less frequent among our COVID-19-associated pediatric IgAV/HSP patients compared to the pre-pandemic pediatric IgAV/HSP cohort (recovery without treatment, 10% versus 39%, respectively [P = 0.002]; complete recovery, 86.7% versus 99.4%, respectively [P = 0.002])., Conclusion: This is the largest cohort of children with COVID-19-associated vasculitis (excluding MIS-C) studied to date. Our findings suggest that children with COVID-19-associated IgAV/HSP experience a more severe disease course compared to pediatric IgAV/HSP patients before the pandemic., (© 2022 American College of Rheumatology.)

Objectives: Wide spread availability of safe and effective vaccines for COVID-19 in all countries is the best hope to end the COVID-19 pandemic. However, in developing countries, the hesitancy of the society about vaccination is an important problem in terms of public health. This study aimed to investigate the acceptability and tolerability of COVID-19 vaccines in the pediatric population diagnosed with rheumatic disease, as well as the attitudes toward these vaccines., Methods: This is an observational, cross sectional, single center study. Pediatric patients with at least one diagnosis of rheumatic disease were included in this study to investigate patient and family acceptability and safety of COVID-19 vaccines., Results: A total of 228 patients with rheumatic disease were included in this study. Ninety nine (43.4%) of the patients were juvenile idiopathic arthritis. One hundred and five (46%) of the patients were using biological agent treatment for their rheumatic disease, whereas 123 (54%) of the patients were not. No serious adverse effect related to the COVID-19 vaccine were observed in any of the patients. No disease activation was observed in any of them., Conclusion: There are only a few studies evaluating of the safety and disease flare of COVID-19 vaccines in children with rheumatic disease. Although this study has some limitations, such as the small sample size of patients with different diagnoses, it appears that there is no increase in COVID-19 vaccination-related harms in the patients with rheumatic disease.

In this study, it was aimed to determine the views of music teachers who delivered distance musical instrument education within the scope of amateur music education during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study group of the research consisted of 19 music teachers determined by the purposive sampling method, and the data were obtained with a semi-structured interview form, most of which consisted of open-ended questions. In line with the findings obtained from the study, it was determined that the musical instrument education carried out by the teachers participating in the research during the pandemic had a positive impact on the lesson process, the motivation of the student, self-confidence, study discipline, and individual responsibility. In addition, it has been determined that teachers have experienced some negativities in terms of the teaching process and technology in distance education carried out during the pandemic.

Introduction: This study aimed to evaluate the frequency and typing of viral and bacterial pathogens in patients with a preliminary diagnosis of respiratory tract infection during the epidemic period in Türkiye. Material and Method: The study included the respiratory pathogen analysis results of 215 patients aged 0-17 years admitted to the Pediatrics Department of Kütahya Health Sciences University Evliya Çelebi Training and Research Hospital between October 2022 and March 2023 with symptoms of respiratory tract infections. Twenty-three viruses and six bacteria in the respiratory panel were studied using multiplex real-time PCR. Samples were obtained from a nasopharyngeal swab in non-intubated patients and tracheal aspiration material in intubated patients. Results: While 92.1% of the patients were positive for one or more agents, no agent was detected in 7.9%. Among the positive results, the rate of the single pathogen was 27.3% (n=54), while the rate of multiple pathogens was 72.7% (n=144). Respiratory syncytial virus was the most common viral agent with a rate of 23.3% and Adenovirus with a rate of 19.1%, while Haemophilus influenzae (48.8%) and Streptococcus pneumoniae (29.3%) were the most common bacterial agents. Conclusion: In this study, viral and bacterial pathogens have been studied intensively in children. Simultaneous, rapid, and sensitive detection of these agents is essential in preventing unnecessary antibiotic use and infection control. This is also important in terms of reducing mortality and morbidity rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Vaccination is one of the most effective public health practices in preventing and controlling infectious diseases. Vaccine instability is a rapidly increasing risk for our country as well as for the whole world. There is a strong relationship between physicians' attitudes towards vaccines and their recommendations for vaccines to their patients. Determining the acceptance of the vaccine, which is at the forefront during the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic by physicians who are role models for the society with their attitudes and behaviors, will guide the vaccination studies to be carried out. In this study, it was aimed to examine the knowledge and thoughts of medical faculty students in our country about vaccination, immunization, vaccine instability and COVID-19 vaccine. Methods: In this descriptive study, between December 2020-January 2021, it is aimed to reach the medical students members of "33 Student Societies" (FMO, Faculty Member Organization) affiliated to the European Medical Students' Association (EMSA) in Turkey and students studying at medical faculties in our country through members. The data were collected through an online questionnaire. 1015 students participated in the study. Results: In the study 64.7% of the participants are women. The average age is 21.2 ± 2.5 years. 86.4% of the participants state that vaccine instability in our country has increased. It is thought that the negative statements about vaccines in the media are the most important reason for this situation. It is stated that it is important to educate parents in order to prevent / reduce vaccine instability. When 53.4% of the participants are informed that the COVID-19 vaccine is suitable for use by the Ministry of Health, they indicated "I will not do it immediately, I wait." as the answer. Conclusion: It is thought that the number of vaccine instabilities in our country is increasing and this will cause an increase in epidemics. It is important to increase the knowledge and awareness of medical faculty students, who are role models for the society, about vaccines, immunization and vaccine hesitation from the beginning of the faculty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]