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Emerging infectious disease preparedness and response in healthcare: perspectives from COVID-19 and the role of College-Learnt Microbiology

*1Tonui, J.,

2Chepkutto, W., and

3Rotich, J.

1Department of Biomedical Sciences-Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kabarak University, Nakuru, Kenya

2Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Kabarak University, Nakuru, Kenya

3Department of Preventive and Promotive Health, Ministry of Health, Nairobi, Kenya

*Correspondence to: josephat@kabarak.ac.ke

Abstract:

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic began in December 2019 in Wuhan City China where it is believed to have been transmitted to humans from an unknown animal species. The public health, social and economic impact of the pandemic world over is detrimental. Health care providers at the frontline in the fight against COVID-19 are at the greatest risk of infection and so far, many have been infected and some have already died from the disease. Thus, it is imperative that healthcare providers have adequate knowledge of infectious diseases and microbial pathogens to comprehend the scale of risk for better recognition and response. Microbiological concepts of infection prevention and control, hand hygiene and aseptic techniques are essential in slowing down the spread of the virus. COVID-19 has proven that infectious agents can emerge from any region in the world and can spread rapidly with ominous consequences to all humanity. This narrative review discusses the role of college-learnt microbiology in health care provider preparedness for emerging infectious diseases in light of the current pandemic. Continue reading “Emerging infectious disease preparedness and response in healthcare: perspectives from COVID-19 and the role of College-Learnt Microbiology”

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A review of the anti-viral effects of ivermectin

*1Adegboro, B., 2Lawani, O. A., 3Oriaifo, S. E., and 4Abayomi, S. A.
Departments of

1Medical Microbiology & Immunology, and

3Clinical Pharmacology, Nile University, Abuja, Nigeria

2Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ilorin, Nigeria

4Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso, Nigeria *Correspondence to: boazadegboro@gmail.com

Abstract:
Ivermectin is an avermectin which is a group of pentacyclic sixteen-membered lactone (macrocyclic lactone disaccharide) derived from the soil bacterium Streptomyces avermitilis. It is a semi-synthetic broad-spectrum anti-helminthic, anti-viral and anti-cancer agent. It has a wide safety margin with low adverse effects when it is used orally. It has, however, so far only been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a broad spectrum anti-parasitic agent. Because ivermectin also has broad activities as an anti-viral agent, we herein review its pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic activities, as well as the in vitro and in vivo studies conducted on the drug. It is hoped that this work will pave way for ivermectin being seriously considered as an addition to the drugs available for the management of patients with COVID-19. Continue reading “A review of the anti-viral effects of ivermectin”

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Clinical symptoms and outcomes among hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Ondo State, Southwestern Nigeria

*1Usman, S. O., 2Busari, I. I., 3Fagbemi, S., 2Adeniyi, M. M., 2Irabor, P., 4Usman, I. N.,
and 5Akintayo-Usman, N. O.

1APIN Public Health Initiatives, Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria
2Infectious Disease Hospital, Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria
3Ondo State Ministry of Health, Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria
4Department of Public Health, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Nigeria
5Nurse Tutors Programme, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria

*Correspondence to: senatorhopsy@yahoo.com

Abstract:
Background: The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a novel strain of coronavirus, which is the cause of the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, ravaging many countries of the world. The objective of this study is to assess the symptomatology and case management outcome of hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Ondo State, Southwestern Nigeria.

Methodology: This was a longitudinal study carried out on randomly selected patients with COVID-19, confirmed by real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR), admitted to the Infectious Disease Hospital, Akure, from March to July 2020. Clinical and outcome data obtained from the patients were analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 24.0 software, and variables were compared using the Chi square (χ²) test and Odds ratio (OR).

Results: A total of 215 hospitalized COVID-19 patients were randomly recruited, with 103 males and 112 females (M:F ratio of 1:1.1), and mean age of 37.24 ± 16.83 years. The most common symptoms were shortness of breath (22.8%), cough (18.6%), fatigue (17.2%), runny nose (16.7%), fever (16.3%), and sneezing (14.0%). Mortality rate among the patients was 4.7% (10/215). Statistical analysis showed that fever [χ² = 8.75, OR 2.17 (95% CI: 0.29-16.63), p=0.003] and sneezing [χ²=11.35, OR 2.75 (95% CI: 0.34-18.27), p=0.001] were clinical presentations with significant impact on the final outcome of the patients.

Conclusion: This study showed that the most common symptoms in hospitalized COVID-19 patients were shortness of breath, cough, running nose, fever and sneezing, which underscores the importance of monitoring of patients for these symptoms.

Keywords: COVID-19, symptoms, management, hospitalized, outcome, Nigeria
Received Mar 8, 2021; Revised Apr 24, 2021; Accepted Apr 26, 2021

Copyright 2021 AJCEM Open Access. This article is licensed and distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attrition 4.0 International License <a rel=”license” href=”http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/”, which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided credit is given to the original author(s) and the source.

Editor-in-Chief: Prof. S. S. Taiwo

Symptômes cliniques et résultats chez les patients hospitalisés COVID-19 dans l’État d’Ondo, dans le sud-ouest du Nigéria

*1Usman, S. O., 2Busari, I. I., 3Fagbemi, S., 2Adeniyi, M. M., 2Irabor, P., 4Usman, I. N., et 5Akintayo-Usman, N. O.

1Initiatives de santé publique 1APIN, Akure, État d’Ondo, Nigéria

2Hôpital des maladies infectieuses, Akure, État d’Ondo, Nigéria

3Ministère de la Santé de l’État de Ando, Akure, État d’Ondo, Nigéria

4Département de la santé publique, Université de technologie Ladoke Akintola, Ogbomoso, État d’Oyo, Nigéria

5Programme d’infirmières tuteurs, Hôpital universitaire, Ibadan, État d’Oyo, Nigéria

*Correspondance à: senatorhopsy@yahoo.com

Abstrait:

Contexte: Le coronavirus-2 du syndrome respiratoire aigu sévère (SRAS-CoV-2) est une nouvelle souche de coronavirus, qui est à l’origine de la pandémie actuelle de coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19), ravageant de nombreux pays du monde. L’objectif de cette étude est d’évaluer les résultats de la symptomatologie et de la prise en charge des cas de patients hospitalisés COVID-19 dans l’État d’Ondo, dans le sud-ouest du Nigéria.

Méthodologie: Il s’agissait d’une étude longitudinale réalisée sur des patients sélectionnés au hasard atteints de COVID-19, confirmée par réaction en chaîne par transcriptase-polymérase inverse en temps réel (rRT-PCR), admis à l’hôpital des maladies infectieuses d’Akure de mars à juillet 2020. Les données cliniques et les résultats obtenus des patients ont été analysés à l’aide du logiciel Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 24.0, et les variables ont été comparées à l’aide du test du Chi carré (χ²) et du rapport de cotes (OR). Continue reading “Clinical symptoms and outcomes among hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Ondo State, Southwestern Nigeria”

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Applying lessons learnt from Ebola for effective COVID-19 response in Africa

*1Aiyenuro, A. E., 2Onyeani, C. O., and 2Uche, N. C.

 1Team Lead and Research Analyst, Research4Knowledge, Lagos, Nigeria                                                   

1Network officer, Loving Gaze IO, SHOPS Plus Tuberculosis USAID Project                                          

2Department of Medical Laboratory Science, University of Nigeria, Nsukka

3Quality Assurance Officer, Loving Gaze IO, SHOPS Plus Tuberculosis USAID Project

*Correspondence to: aiyenuroademola@gmail.com; +2348138642956

 

Abstract:

 The Ebola virus is transmitted to people from wild animals and spreads in the human population through human-to-human transmission via direct contact with blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected people, and with surfaces and materials contaminated with these fluids. In December 2019, a novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-COV-2) emerged in Wuhan, China, attracting the notice of regional authorities and rapidly drawing global attention. In less than 4 months, COVID-19 spread through almost all countries and regions. The COVID-19 pandemic is wreaking havoc on the world economy, in addition to creating the current global public health crisis. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 28,616 cases of Ebola were detected, and 11,310 people died during the outbreak in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. As of 17th December 2020, COVID-19 has killed 1,658,062 people, and positive cases have topped 74 million globally. Africa has suffered several outbreaks of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD); learning from the past is a good way to prepare for the future. We hope to highlight some of the lessons learnt from Africa’s response to previous epidemics that can help in the fight against the ravaging coronavirus pandemic.  Continue reading “Applying lessons learnt from Ebola for effective COVID-19 response in Africa”

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Neglect of common infectious disease outbreaks during the COVID-19 pandemic: an impending crisis in Nigeria?

Soyemi, T.

Lagos State University College of Medicine, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria

Correspondence to: sogbengasoyemi16@gmail.com; +2348128388296

Abstract:

Infectious diseases are major challenges of healthcare system in Nigeria. The coronavirus disease-19 (COVID19) pandemic has disrupted many systems including healthcare at all levels by creating disparities in the treatment, prevention, resource allocation and control of diseases in Nigeria. Premised on the foundation of circulating news and fact-checking platforms, this paper provides empirical evidence on varying perceptions on COVID-19 pandemic and apparent neglect of other infectious diseases while giving a critical analysis and comparison between them. Continue reading “Neglect of common infectious disease outbreaks during the COVID-19 pandemic: an impending crisis in Nigeria?”

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A review of COVID-19 vaccines strategies and anti-vaxxers theories

*1Adesokan, A., and 2Obeid, M. A.

1PreciseMed, Glasgow, United Kingdom                                 

2Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Yarmouk University Irbid, Jordan

*Correspondence to: Ade@precisemed.co.uk; dapoadesokan@gmail.com

Abstract:

In what is a global record time of getting the COVID-19 vaccines available within 11 months, the world has equally been faced with several myths and conspiracy theories dissuading the public from accepting vaccination as an important measure in the response to the pandemic. We reviewed the leading conspiracy theories and balanced these with the scientific basis of viral transmission and replication and the broad role of vaccination in tackling this challenge. We briefly examined the design of the leading vaccines, and provided recommendations for worldwide COVID-19 distribution, acceptance and use. Continue reading “A review of COVID-19 vaccines strategies and anti-vaxxers theories”

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Prognostic implication of hypocalcaemia in COVID-19: a systematic review

1Azeez, T. A.,2Lakoh, S., 3Bamidele, O. T., 4Ekhaiyeme, E., and 5Nwosu, S. A.

1Endocrinology Unit, Department of Medicine, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria                           

2Infectious Diseases Unit, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences, Freetown, Sierra Leone

3Department of Chemical Pathology, Babcock University Teaching Hospital, Ilisan Remo, Nigeria                 

4Endocrinology Unit, Department of Medicine, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria

5College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria

*Correspondence to: adegokegalaxy@yahoo.com; +2347035728747

 

 

 

Abstract:

Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) has been declared as a pandemic affecting several millions of people worldwide. It has varied clinical manifestations ranging from asymptomatic to critical illness. It has led to the mortality of several affected individuals. However, the prognosis seems to vary from one person to the other and efforts are being made to identify the prognostic factors. Hypocalcaemia has been identified as a poor prognostic factor with a high frequency among individuals affected with COVID-19. This review aims to estimate the prevalence of hypocalcaemia among COVID-19 patients and identify the poor prognostic factors associated with the presence of hypocalcaemia in COVID-19 patients. Electronic medical databases were searched for publications on the prognostic implications of hypocalcaemia in COVID-19 infection, and relevant articles were selected for systematic review following PRISMA algorithm. The prevalence of hypocalcaemia among patients with COVID-19 was 40.0-74.4%. There was a significant association between the rate of hospital admission, intensive care unit (ICU) admission as well as septic shock and hypocalcaemia in patients with COVID-19. Hypocalcaemia is also associated with a higher mortality rate in these patients. COVID-19 patients with hypocalcaemia tend to have elevated C-reactive protein, interleukin6, alanine transaminase, procalcitonin, serum creatinine and low albumin. Hypocalcaemia is common in COVID-19 patients and is a poor prognostic factor in these patients. Presence of hypocalcaemia is associated with a severe illness and even death. Continue reading “Prognostic implication of hypocalcaemia in COVID-19: a systematic review”

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Africa’s COVID-19 story: cheap innovation technology and climate protective effect to her rescue?

*Adesokan, A., and MacLean, M.

PreciseMed 272 Bath Street, Glasgow, G2 4JR Scotland

*Correspondence to: dapoadesokan@gmail.com; Ade@precisemed.co.uk

Abstract:
As the COVID-19 pandemic sweeps the globe, causing tens of thousands of deaths in most Western countries with economies round the world in turmoil, Africa has so far been largely spared the kind of impact that has thrown the United States, South America and Europe into crisis. Most African countries remain seriously unprepared to handle the pandemic of the nature the Western world is dealing with; Africa, from Mali to Ethiopia to Libya and down to South Africa, have insufficient ventilators or intensive care beds to cope with COVID-19 should it strike with ferocity as it is doing in the Western world. As COVID-19 reaches the shores of Africa, despite poor health facilities, poor living conditions and inadequate availability of clean water across the continent, Africans are still putting up a fight taking COVID-19 head on with use of cheap technology, and help from the continent’s protective climate. However, Africa cannot afford to be complacent. African countries must continue to adopt strict social distancing measures, educate their people on the importance of intake of regular vitamin D, good exercising habit, good sleep pattern, adequate hand hygiene measures, as well as strictly enforcing the “test, trace and isolate“ model to the letter for the continent to take on the fight head on and wage a proper war against COVID-19. Continue reading “Africa’s COVID-19 story: cheap innovation technology and climate protective effect to her rescue?”

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Use of dexamethasone in the management of respiratory tract infections

*1Adegboro, B., 2Abayomi, S. A., 1Imran, J., and 3Sanni, E. O.

1Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Nile University of Nigeria, Abuja, Nigeria

2Department of Medical Microbiology, LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso, Nigeria

3Department of Haematology, Nile University of Nigeria, Abuja, Nigeria *Correspondence to: boazadegboro@gmail.com

Abstract:

Dexamethasone is a potent synthetic member of the glucocorticoid class of corticosteroid drugs that has been useful for the management of some pathological disorders because it affects a protean number of signaling pathways. It is used as adjunct therapy in the management of sepsis, arthritis, cardiac transplant, blood, hormone/immune system disorders, allergic reaction, skin, eye conditions, cancer and other pathologic disorders and as a mainstay of therapy in autoimmune hepatitis. With the advent of COVID-19, there have been investigations of its use as anti-inflammatory agent in severely ill patients. This present review elucidates the various studies on the use of dexamethasone in the management of severe respiratory tract infections, with the ultimate aim of reducing mortality amongst severely ill patients, including COVID-19. Continue reading “Use of dexamethasone in the management of respiratory tract infections”

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Demographic attributes of COVID-19 patients in an Infectious Disease Center of Nigeria

*1Arinola, G. O., 2Fashina, O. A., 3Oluyomi Ishola, O. C., 2Akinbola, O. I., 4Akinbile, S. A., 4Eegunjobi, A. O., 5Bello, M. D., 1Edem, F. V., 1Rahamon, S. K., 6Famuyiwa, O. I., 7Olaoti, A. J., 8Olaniyan, O. A., 5Oke, A. C., 10Fowotade, A., 11Abimbola, O., 5Johnson, J. O., 5Fagbemi, O. S., 9Salami, F., and 5,12Alonge, T. O.

1Department of Immunology, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan

2Department of Medical Microbiology, University College Hospital, lbadan

3National Blood Transfusion Service, Total Garden, Ibadan

4Central Diagnostic Centre, Total Garden, lbadan

5lnfectious Disease Centre, Olodo, lbadan

6Department of Chemical Pathology, University College Hospital, lbadan

7General Hospital, lgboho

8Department of Chemical Pathology, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso

9Oyo State Ministry of Health, Ibadan

10Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Ibadan

11Department of Medicine, University College Hospital, Ibadan

12Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan

*Correspondence to: drarinolaog64@yahoo.com; +234 80-23451520; ORCID number: 0000-0001-7901-1498

Abstract:
Background: As part of our contribution to the growing pool of knowledge on the prevention and control of the COVID-19 pandemic, this study describes the demographic features of patients with COVID-19 hospitalized at Infectious Disease Center (IDC), Olodo, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. Continue reading “Demographic attributes of COVID-19 patients in an Infectious Disease Center of Nigeria”