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Objectives: To combat the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the World Health Organization announced the emergency license for the usage of COVID-19 vaccinations. Various literature postulated a few cross-talks between autoimmune disease and COVID-19 vaccination. The molecular mimicry between autoimmune diseases as well as autoimmune antibodies and the antibodies against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 S proteins triggers the development of a severe form of autoimmune disease. The causal association between autoimmune disease and COVID-19 vaccinations is still under debate. Hence, in this study, we aim to analyze the impact of COVID-19 vaccination on patients with autoimmune diseases. Material and Methods: Patients were recruited from a nationwide survey throughout India from October 1, 2021, to December 30, 2021. All patients of autoimmune diseases enrolled in this study had received a diagnosis of COVID-19. A Google form was created in the English language with relevant items, including demographic variables, COVID-19 vaccination-related variables, and its impact on autoimmune disease. Association between the COVID-19 severity, vaccination status, and autoimmune disease status was analyzed. Results: Eight hundred and forty-two patients with autoimmune disease participated in the study with 86% of vaccination rate. We noted comparable infection rates among vaccinated (37.5%, n = 272) and non-vaccinated (33.3%, n = 39) respondents with autoimmune disease (P = 0.38). Although 22.5% (n = 163) of patients with autoimmune disease demonstrated deterioration following vaccination, 75.3% (n = 546) of patients did not show any change in disease profile. We noted a significant increase in the computed tomography (CT) severity score of COVID-19 infection among non-vaccinated individuals (odds ratio = 1.1,95% confidence interval [0.29, 2.29], P < 0.001). Moreover, we also noted a significant increase in the need (P = 0.01) and length of hospitalization (P < 0.001) among COVID-19 non-vaccinated individuals. We also noted vaccination significantly prevented an acute flare-up of auto-immune disease when infected with COVID-19 (P < 0.001). Conclusion: Although vaccination did not affect the incidence of disease among patients with auto-immune disease, it did significantly decrease the CT severity score, hospitalization rate, and length of stay following COVID-19 infection. Moreover, vaccination also prevented acute flare-ups of autoimmune disease following COVID-19 infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corticosteroids (CS) have been used in the management regimens for COVID-19 disease to mitigate the cytokine storm and ill effects of the pulmonary inflammatory cascade. With the rampant use of CS, clinicians started reporting the occurrence of osteonecrosis of the femoral head (OFH). In this systematic review, we aim to analyze the literature and identify the definitive cumulative dose and duration of CS needed for the development of OFH based on the SARS model and generate a risk-based screening recommendation for OFH in convalescent COVID-19 patients to facilitate early identification and management. An electronic database search was conducted until December 2022 in PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and CNKI (China Knowledge Resource Integrated Database). Studies involving CS therapy and osteonecrosis data in SARS patients were included. Three authors independently extracted the data from the included studies and a dose–response meta-analysis was performed for various doses and duration of CS utilized in the included studies. We selected 12 articles with 1728 patients in the analysis. The mean age was 33.41 (±4.93) years. The mean dosage of CS administered was 4.64 (±4.7) g which was administered for a mean duration of 29.91 (±12.3) days. The risk of osteonecrosis increases at pooled OR of 1.16 (95% CI 1.09–1.23, p < 0.001) per 2.0 g increase in the cumulative dose of CS usage. Similarly, the risk increases at pooled OR of 1.02 (95% CI 1.01–1.03, p < 0.001) per 5 days of increase in the cumulative duration of CS usage. A cumulative dosage of 4 g and a duration of 15 days were determined as the critical cut-off for the non-linear dose–response relationship observed. Appropriate and frequent screening of these individuals at regular intervals would help in the identification of the disease at an early stage in order to treat them appropriately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The virus causing monkeypox, a rare zoonotic viral disease, belongs to the Poxviridae family and the Orthopoxvirus genus. On 23 July 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the monkeypox outbreak as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). From May to July 2022, a multi-country outbreak of monkeypox was reported in both endemic and non-endemic regions. Major goals of managing monkeypox are to identify the suspected cases, detect generic orthopoxvirus DNA at a state or commercial laboratory, and establish the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention real-time polymerase chain reaction testing. Currently, there are no approved treatments for monkeypox virus infection. However, a variety of antiviral medications originally designed for the treatment of smallpox and other viral infections could be considered. Pre-exposure prophylaxis for laboratory and health care employees and post-exposure prophylaxis for individuals with high-risk or intermediate-risk exposures are to be considered. The CDC Emergency Operations Center is available for advice on the appropriate use of medical countermeasures, and can help in obtaining antiviral drugs and vaccines from the National Strategic Stockpile. This review gives an overview of the global scenario, clinical presentation, and management of monkeypox in the light of a global public health emergency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nearly 70.1 million individuals have been infected by the pandemic viral disease known as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which was first discovered in China and is caused by a novel coronavirus known as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2). This disease is responsible for the deaths of 6 million people. India ranks third in the total number of cases. The purpose of this study was to classify COVID-19 patients according to several criteria and to determine which clinical, hematological, and radiological indicators were most important in their care., Materials and Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted on a total of 70 symptomatic patients who tested positive for COVID-19 reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and were hospitalized at the Saveetha Medical College and Hospital in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, for the duration of the study. Comorbidities and oxygen reliance were taken into consideration while classifying patients into one of three categories. Initial symptoms, as well as hematological (interleukin-6 (IL-6), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), c-reactive protein (CRP), D-dimer, serum ferritin, and total cell counts) and radiographic (X-ray and computed tomography (CT) of the thorax) characteristics, were taken and analyzed among the different groups., Results: According to our research, the symptom of fever was the most common, accounting for 84.3% of all cases. This was followed by breathlessness (55.7%), myalgia (31.4%), dry cough (27.1%), sore throat (24.3%), cough with expectoration (20%), loose stools (12.9%), loss of taste (12.9%), and smell (11.4%). Although there was a large amount of variation in D-dimer, with Category C having the highest values, there was only a minor amount of variation in ESR and CRP. The X-ray and CT scans of the chest showed substantial differences between the groups, with CT findings such as COVID-19 Reporting and Data System (CO-RADS) and CT severity score, consolidation, crazy paving pattern, and vascular dilatation showing a wide range of differences between the groups., Conclusions: To facilitate easier treatment and place more attention on radiological characteristics using D-dimer, treating physicians are required to categorize COVID-19 patients into several groups. Patients who need oxygen support were included in this category., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2023, G et al.)

Social media, leveraging Web 2.0 technologies, plays a vital role in healthcare, medical education, and research by fostering collaboration and enabling research dissemination. Healthcare professionals use these platforms to improve public health literacy, but concerns about misinformation and content accuracy persist. In 2023, platforms like Facebook (Meta Platforms, Inc., Menlo Park, California, United States), YouTube (Google LLC, Mountain View, California, United States), Instagram (Meta Platforms, Inc.), TikTok (ByteDance Ltd, Beijing, China), and Twitter (X Corp., Carson City, Nevada, United States) have become essential in healthcare, offering patient communication, professional development, and knowledge-sharing opportunities. However, challenges such as breaches of patient confidentiality and unprofessional conduct remain. Social media has transformed medical education, providing unique networking and professional development opportunities. Further studies are needed to determine its educational value. Healthcare professionals must follow ethical and professional guidelines, particularly regarding patient privacy, confidentiality, disclosure rules, and copyright laws. Social media significantly impacts patient education and healthcare research. Platforms like WhatsApp (Meta Platforms, Inc.) effectively improve patient compliance and outcomes. Yet, the rapid dissemination of false news and misinformation on social media platforms presents risks. Researchers must consider potential biases and content quality when extracting data. Quality control and regulation are crucial in addressing potential dangers and misinformation in social media and healthcare. Stricter regulations and monitoring are needed due to cases of deaths resulting from social media trends and false news spread. Ethical frameworks, informed consent practices, risk assessments, and appropriate data management strategies are essential for responsible research using social media technologies. Healthcare professionals and researchers must judiciously use social media, considering its risks to maximize benefits and mitigate potential drawbacks. By striking the right balance, healthcare professionals can enhance patient outcomes, medical education, research, and the overall healthcare experience., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2023, Jeyaraman et al.)