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Salivary glands are considered important targets of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Recent evidence suggests that along with angiotensin converting enzyme 2, certain cell surface sialic acids (Sia) may function as receptors for binding SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Over 50 forms of Sia have been identified in nature, with N-acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5Ac) being the most abundant. We explored the Human Protein Atlas repository to analyze important enzymes in Neu5Ac biosynthesis and propose a hypothesis that further highlights the significance of salivary glands in coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19). This work may facilitate research into targeted drug therapies for COVID-19., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest The authors declare that there are no competing interests., (Copyright © 2021 Japanese Association for Oral Biology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.) more...

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) received surveillance data on how many people tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, but there was little information about what individuals did to mitigate transmission. To fill the information gap, we conducted an online, probability-based survey among a nationally representative panel of adults living in the United States to better understand the behaviors of individuals following a positive SARS-CoV-2 test result. Given the low response rates commonly associated with panel surveys, we assessed how well the survey data aligned with CDC surveillance data from March, 2020 to March, 2022. We used CDC surveillance data to calculate monthly aggregated COVID-19 case counts and compared these to monthly COVID-19 case counts captured by our survey during the same period. We found high correlation between our overall survey data estimates and monthly case counts reported to the CDC during the analytic period (r: +0.94; p more...

Using a nationally representative panel survey, we examined isolation behaviors among persons in the United States who had positive SARS-CoV-2 test results during January 2021–March 2022. Compared with persons who received provider-administered results, persons with home-based results had 29% (95% CI 5%–47%) lower odds of following isolation recommendations. more...

Abstract Background COVID-19 is well known to result in pulmonary and multiple extra-pulmonary manifestations. Among them, head and neck manifestations were commonly recognized in the 2nd wave of the pandemic. With the growing global COVID-19 burden, imaging is of utmost importance in diagnosing the disease and its related complications. The study aims to enumerate the various head and neck manifestations and their complications in COVID-19. Additionally, in sinusitis patients, the invasion was correlated with the neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio (NLR). Results A cross-sectional observational study in which total of 78 COVID-19 cases that underwent head and neck imaging were retrospectively evaluated. The cohort included 52 males (66.7%) and 26 females (33.3%) with a mean age of 46.19 years (median = 49.0, SD = 16.47). The various head and neck manifestations included non invasive rhinosinusitis (n = 48), invasive sinusitis and its complications (n = 25), nasal septal abscess (n = 1), dacryoadenitis (n = 1), pre-septal and post-septal orbital cellulitis and its complications (n = 13), otitis media, mastoiditis and its complications (n = 6), parotitis (n = 2), neck vessel thrombosis (n = 2) and cervical lymphadenopathy (n = 3). An increase in the invasive nature of sinusitis was demonstrated among patients with comorbidities and elevated NLR. Conclusions Early diagnosis and management of head and neck manifestations of COVID-19 are aided by prompt imaging. It is imperative that we are armed with the knowledge of various head and neck manifestations and how they may bear semblance to other pathologies for us to ensure COVID as a differential, especially in the background of known infection. more...

Case investigation and contact tracing (CI/CT) is a critical part of the public health response to COVID-19. Individuals’ experiences with CI/CT for COVID-19 varied based on geographic location, changes in knowledge and guidelines, access to testing and vaccination, as well as demographic characteristics including age, race, ethnicity, income, and political ideology. In this paper, we explore the experiences and behaviors of adults with positive SARS-CoV-2 test results, or who were exposed to a person with COVID-19, to understand their knowledge, motivations, and facilitators and barriers to their actions. We conducted focus groups and one-on-one interviews with 94 cases and 90 contacts from across the United States. We found that participants were concerned about infecting or exposing others, which motivated them to isolate or quarantine, notify contacts, and get tested. Although most cases and contacts were not contacted by CI/CT professionals, those who were reported a positive experience and received helpful information. Many cases and contacts reported seeking information from family, friends, health care providers, as well as television news and Internet sources. Although participants reported similar perspectives and experiences across demographic characteristics, some highlighted inequities in receiving COVID-19 information and resources. more...

High-risk patients over the age of 65, who had chronic medical conditions, and had not yet had a primary care visit within 2020 were identified. A subgroup of patients participated in a survey to assess social determinants of health (SDOH) in the setting of a pandemic. Outcomes of those who participated in the survey, and those who did not participate were compared. Notably, those who were surveyed and lived within zip codes with low socioeconomic status had significantly decreased emergency department visits, which we defined as a discharge from the emergency department without hospitalization, as compared to those who did not receive outreach. Rates of inpatient hospitalization did not differ significantly. These findings suggest that patient outreach to evaluate SDOH during a pandemic leads to more appropriate emergency department and hospital resource utilization. This finding is particularly impactful given the current pandemic, which may place a strain on emergency department, and healthcare resources. more...

Le monde entier a été touché par la pandémie de maladie à coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19), et de nombreux chercheurs se lancent dans une course pour comprendre l’évolution de la maladie et entreprendre des analyses de risque afin de formuler des stratégies de traitement efficaces. Le coronavirus du syndrome respiratoire aigu sévère 2 (SRAS-CoV-2) est très transmissible par la toux et les éternuements, ainsi que par la respiration et en parlant, ce qui peut expliquer la transmission virale à partir de porteurs asymptomatiques. Les bioaérosols produits pendant la respiration buccale, un processus expiratoire chez les personnes qui respirent habituellement par la bouche, doivent être considérés, en plus des bioparticules nasales, comme un mode de transmission potentiel de la COVID-19. Les professionnels de la santé buccodentaire craignent, à juste titre, le risque d’exposition dû à la proximité du contact direct et au mode de transmission. L’objectif de ce commentaire est de résumer les recherches menées dans ce domaine et de proposer des stratégies pour limiter la propagation de la COVID-19, notamment dans les cabinets dentaires. more...

The whole world has been affected by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, and many researchers are racing to understand the disease course and to undertake risk analyses to formulate effective treatment strategies. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is highly transmissible through coughing and sneezing, and through breathing and talking which may account for viral transmission from asymptomatic carriers. Bioaerosols produced during mouth-breathing, an expiratory process in habitual mouth breathers, should be considered in addition to nasal bioparticles as a potential transmissible mode in COVID-19. Oral health professionals are justifiably apprehensive about the exposure risk due to close face-to-face contact and the mode of transmission. The aim of this commentary is to summarize the research conducted in this area and suggested strategies to limit the spread of COVID-19, especially in dental offices. more...

BACKGROUND: Covid-19 lockdown had caused lifestyle changes especially in sleep, physical activity, and body weight. Thus, this study aimed to determine the weight changes before and after the lockdown period and further assessed the association between sleep quality, physical activity, and body mass index (BMI). MATERIAL AND METHODS: This was a retrospective cross-sectional study involving 107 undergraduate students in Universiti Sains Malaysia. Subjects recalled information during the first lockdown implemented in Malaysia from early March 2020 to July 2020. The questionnaire consisted of socio-demography, anthropometry, and physical activity using International Physical Activity Questionnaire and sleep quality using Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Chi-square analysis was used to determine the association between the variables using Statistical Package for Social Sciences software version 26.0. RESULTS: There was a significant increase of 1.8 kg in weight before and after the lockdown period. The majority of respondents had poor sleep quality (80.4%) and low physical activity (60.2%), respectively. Almost 29% of the subjects had sleep latency of more than 30 min while 69.1% of them had sleep duration of more...

Background: Suicide is a serious global burden of disease. Recent COVID-19 pandemic has been associated with increased psychological distress among general population in UK and suicide is one of them. This research aimed to look into the suicide metrics in UK by analyzing the online news portals, retrospectively. Methods: Six UK online news portals were selected purposively to include in the study and news of suicides were searched retrospectively. Search was conducted by the term “suicide news”. News portals were initially searched with the search term retrospectively. After removal of the repetitions data is inputted into software. Results: Since 2020 January to November 2020, eighty-nine reports were scrutinized. Mean age was 37.91 (± 19.940) years ranging from 10 to 95 years. About 57.3% of the reported cases were less than 40 years of age, 58.4% were male, 41.6% were female, 40.4% of the respondents had mental health issues, covid-19 lockdown and restrictions accounts for 26.96% of suicides, 14.6% had health issues and 3.4% ongoing family issues. Previous suicide attempts were reported in 12.4% reports. Multiple number of persons involved in the suicidal acts in about 13.4% of the respondents. Highest suicide rate was reported in November 2020 with 21.34% of suicides. Conclusions: Early adult and male gender are more vulnerable. Mental health issues, covid-19 lockdown and restrictions, and health issues drew attention as risk factors. Suicide rate was higher in November 2020. more...

Objective: This study assessed the intention and predictors of accepting the corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine in Jordan. Method: A national-level online survey was conducted among adults (≥18 years) in Jordan between June and September 2021. Descriptive analyses were performed to report vaccination intent. In addition, bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were done to evaluate the association between vaccination intent and its predictors. Results: A total of 2307 adults participated. Most of them (83.7%) expressed an intention to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Their vaccination intention was significantly (p < 0.001) associated with male gender (aOR: 2.6), residence in the Amman region (aOR: 51.8), and no history of COVID-19 infection (aOR: 6.0). In contrast, individuals aged 50-64 years (aOR: 0.2, p < 0.001), Jordanians (aOR: 0.7, p = 0.038), and those with an occupation designated as “other” (unemployed, general workers, housewives) (aOR: 0.2, p < 0.001) were less likely to have a positive vaccination intent. Among the health belief model constructs, perceived future (aOR: 2.8) and present (aOR: 5.0) susceptibility to COVID-19 infection; severity of complications (aOR: 9.9); and benefits (aOR: 100.8) were significantly (p < 0.001) associated with a higher likelihood of having a vaccination intent. On the other hand, individuals who are concerned about the efficacy (aOR: 0.2) and side effects (aOR: 0.2) of the vaccine were less likely to have a positive vaccination intent (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Despite having high rates of intention to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, Jordanians, older adults and housewives, general workers and unemployed individuals were less likely to be vaccinated. These findings highlight that need-based public health campaigns are necessary to ensure maximum COVID-19 vaccination uptake in Jordan. more...

We examined the intention and predictors of accepting the COVID-19 vaccine in Saudi Arabia. We conducted a nation-wide, cross-sectional online survey between February and March 2021. A total of 1387 people (≥18 years) participated. Only 27.3% adults had a definite and 30.2% had a probable vaccination intent; 26.8% and 15.6% had a probable and definite negative vaccination intent. Older people (≥50 years) (p < 0.01), healthcare workers/professionals (p < 0.001), and those who received flu vaccine (p < 0.001) were more likely to have a positive intent. People from Riyadh were less likely to receive the vaccine (p < 0.05). Among the health belief model constructs, perceived susceptibility to and severity of COVID-19 (p < 0.001), and perceived benefit of the vaccine (p < 0.001) were positively associated with vaccination intent, whereas perceived barriers had a negative association (p < 0.001). Individuals were more likely to receive the vaccine after obtaining complete information (p < 0.001) and when the vaccine uptake would be more common amongst the public (p < 0.001). more...

BACKGROUND: Online platforms are the most popular mode of entertainment, simultaneously imparting knowledge and education. During COVID pandemic, there was a sudden influx of educational videos on social media/websites with a purpose of spreading the information about hand hygiene (HH) practices. The aim of this study was to explore and assess the HH videos based on its content and technical quality to promote the learning experience of videos. MATERIALS AND METHODS: HH videos from the official sites of five international health organizations and 42 national health institutes were assessed based on their availability of the HH videos. Verified YouTube videos on HH since January 2020 were further screened and assessed using the author's designed validated checklist. Each video was systematically evaluated and scored against the seven categories, namely introduction, audio, visuals/background, speaker/demonstrator, content, timing, and appeal. RESULTS: A total of 50 videos were assessed for analysis. Of these, 82% of videos scored >50%, i.e., 14. Among low scorer, seven videos were from YouTube channel. Majority of the videos were technically sound, 44% aroused interest, 82% had a simple, understandable message; in around 46% of the videos, the presenter was a healthcare worker; and in 24%, the information was accurate as per the World Health Organization guidelines. CONCLUSIONS: This study concluded that most of the HH videos were found to be just above average in their content quality and technicality. more...