Articles: pandemics.
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The "Russian flu", which raged from 1889 to 1894, is considered as the first pandemic of the industrial era for which statistics have been collected. This planetary event started in Turkestan and hit the Russian Empire, before reaching all European countries, the United States of America, and the whole world. Contemporaries were surprised by its high contagiousness as evidenced by attack rates averaging 60% in urban populations, its rapid spread in successive waves circling the globe in a few months by rail and sea, and the tendency of the disease to relapse. ⋯ All of these viruses are of animal origin. Recently, phylogenetic studies have revealed the genetic proximity between a bovine coronavirus BCoV and the human virus HCoV-OC43, indicating that the latter emerged around 1890, at the time of the Russian flu, when an epizootic was raging among cattle throughout Europe. Could the current human virus be the attenuated remnant that appeared after the Russian flu in 1894? Was there a coronavirus pandemic before Covid-19 ?
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A substantial drop in emergency department (ED) visit volume was previously demonstrated at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. ⋯ A substantial decline in non-COVID ED visits and excess mortality at the beginning of the pandemic, are probably the results of social distancing restrictions alongside patients' fear of exposure to COVID-19, which gradually moderated thereafter, until near normalization was reached after 14 months. Gradual return to pre-pandemic ED utilization patterns were noticed as the population and the healthcare system acclimatize to life alongside COVID.
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Multicenter Study
Neurosurgery subspecialty practice during a pandemic: a multicenter analysis of operative practice in 7 U.S. neurosurgery departments during COVID-19.
Changes to neurosurgical practices during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic have not been thoroughly analyzed. We report the effects of operative restrictions imposed under variable local COVID-19 infection rates and health care policies using a retrospective multicenter cohort study and highlight shifts in operative volumes and subspecialty practice. ⋯ Operative restrictions during the COVID-19 surge led to distinct shifts in neurosurgical practice, and local infective burden played a significant role in operative volume and patient acuity.
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COVID-19 quarantine measures have created new challenges in the delivery of medical care, especially in the realm of medical and interventional chronic pain management. This study evaluated the effect of COVID-19 social distancing and quarantine measures on symptoms of pain and anxiety, as well as substance abuse and health care engagement in patients with chronic pain and the role of the clinic's virtual assessment initiatives in managing these patients. ⋯ The survey conducted among high-utilizers demonstrated that patients who remained engaged with their health care team reported minimal concerns regarding chronic pain and associated symptoms during the COVID-19 quarantine period. In addition, the early implementation of virtual consults in the pain clinic may have contributed to mitigating patient concerns. Finally, the study also identified the importance of outreach and patient education on the availability and utilization of telemedicine services. Consequently, it is reasonable to implement virtual assessments and visits alongside other education outreach methods to engage patients with chronic pain who frequently utilize chronic pain health care resources.
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Multicenter Study Observational Study
COVID-19 disease in children presenting to the pediatric emergency department: A multicenter study with 8886 cases from Turkey.
The aim was to evaluate the epidemiological, clinical, laboratory, and radiologic data of children with SARS-CoV-2 positivity by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) together with treatment strategies and clinical outcomes and to evaluate cases of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) in this population. ⋯ Most SARS-CoV-2 PCR-positive patients presented with a mild clinical course. Although rare, MIS-C emerges as a serious consequence with frequent PICU admission. Further understanding of the characteristics of COVID-19 disease could provide insights and guide the development of therapeutic strategies for target groups.