Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications for COVID-19 pandemic

Background and aimsHealthcare delivery requires the support of new technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data and Machine Learning to fight and look ahead against the new diseases. We aim to review the role of AI as a decisive technology to analyze, prepare us for prevention and fight with COVID-19 (Coronavirus) and other pandemics.MethodsThe rapid review of the literature is done on the database of Pubmed, Scopus and Google Scholar using the keyword of COVID-19 or Coronavirus and Artificial Intelligence or AI. Collected the latest information regarding AI for COVID-19, then analyzed the same to identify its possible application for this disease.ResultsWe have identified seven significant applications of AI for COVID-19 pandemic. This technology plays an important role to detect the cluster of cases and to predict where this virus will affect in future by collecting and analyzing all previous data.ConclusionsHealthcare organizations are in an urgent need for decision-making technologies to handle this virus and help them in getting proper suggestions in real-time to avoid its spread. AI works in a proficient way to mimic like human intelligence. It may also play a vital role in understanding and suggesting the development of a vaccine for COVID-19. This result-driven technology is used for proper screening, analyzing, prediction and tracking of current patients and likely future patients. The significant applications are applied to tracks data of confirmed, recovered and death cases.     

COVID-19 and applications of smartphone technology in the current pandemic

BackgroundWith restrictions on face to face clinical consultations in the COVID-19 pandemic and the challenges faced by health care systems in delivering patient care, alternative information technologies like telemedicine and smartphone are playing a key role.AimsWe assess the role and applications of smartphone technology as an extension of telemedicine in provide continuity of care to our patients and surveillance during the current COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsWe have done a comprehensive review of the literature using suitable keywords on the search engines of PubMed, SCOPUS, Google Scholar and Research Gate in the first week of May 2020.ResultsThrough the published literature on this topic, we discuss role, common applications and its support in extended role of telemedicine technology in several aspects of current COVID-19 pandemic.ConclusionSmartphone technology on its own and as extension of telemedicine has significant applications in the current COVID-19 pandemic. As the smartphone technology further evolves with fifth generation cellular network expansion, it is going to play a key role in future of health medicine, patient referral, consultation, ergonomics and many other extended applications of health care.     

Internet of things (IoT) applications to fight against COVID-19 pandemic

Background and aimThe current global challenge of COVID-19 pandemic has surpassed the provincial, radical, conceptual, spiritual, social, and pedagogical boundaries. Internet of Things (IoT) enabled healthcare system is useful for proper monitoring of COVID-19 patients, by employing an interconnected network. This technology helps to increase patient satisfaction and reduces readmission rate in the hospital.MethodsSearched the databases of Google Scholar, PubMed, SCOPUS and ResearchGate using the keywords “Internet of things” or “IoT” and “COVID-19”. Further inputs are also taken from blogs and relevant reports.ResultsIoT implementation impacts on reducing healthcare cost and improve treatment outcome of the infected patient. Therefore, this present study based research is attempted to explore, discuss, and highlight the overall applications of the well-proven IoT philosophy by offering a perspective roadmap to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic. Finally, twelve significant applications of IoT are identified and discussed. It has ultimately forced the researchers, academicians, and scientists to propose some productive solutions to overcome or confront this pandemic.ConclusionsIoT is helpful for an infected patient of COVID-19 to identify symptoms and provides better treatment rapidly. It is useful for patient, physician, surgeon and hospital management system.     

Teledentistry during COVID-19 pandemic

Background and aimsDentistry involves close face-to-face interaction with patients, hence during the COVID-19 pandemic, it has mostly been suspended. Teledentistry can offer an innovative solution to resume dental practice during this pandemic. In this review, we provide a brief overview of applications of teledentistry.MethodsArticles on teledentistry, relevant to this review, were searched and consulted from PubMed, Google Scholar, and Cochrane database.ResultsTeledentistry is the remote facilitating of dental treatment, guidance, and education via the use of information technology instead of direct face-to-face contact with patients. Teleconsultation, telediagnosis, teletriage, and telemonitoring are subunits of teledentistry that have important functions relevant to dental practice. There are many challenges for acceptance of teledentistry by the dentists as well as patients, which need to be addressed urgently.ConclusionTeledentistry can offer a novel solution to resume dental practice during the current pandemic, hence, the need of the hour is to incorporate teledentistry into routine dental practice. If not fully replace, at least teledentistry can complement the existing compromised dental system during the current pandemic.     

Industry 4.0 technologies and their applications in fighting COVID-19 pandemic

Background and aimsCOVID 19 (Coronavirus) pandemic has created surge demand for essential healthcare equipment, medicines along with the requirement for advance information technologies applications. Industry 4.0 is known as the fourth industrial revolution, which has the potential to fulfil customised requirement during COVID-19 crisis. This revolution has started with the applications of advance manufacturing and digital information technologies.MethodsA detailed review of the literature is done on the technologies of Industry 4.0 and their applications in the COVID-19 pandemic, using appropriate search words on the databases of PubMed, SCOPUS, Google Scholar and Research Gate.ResultsWe found several useful technologies of Industry 4.0 which help for proper control and management of COVID-19 pandemic and these have been discussed in this paper. The available technologies of Industry 4.0 could also help the detection and diagnosis of COVID-19 and other related problems and symptoms.ConclusionsIndustry 4.0 can fulfil the requirements of customised face masks, gloves, and collect information for healthcare systems for proper controlling and treating of COVID-19 patients. We have discussed ten major technologies of Industry 4.0 which help to solve the problems of this virus. It is useful to provide day to day update of an infected patient, area-wise, age-wise and state-wise with proper surveillance systems. We also believe that the proper implementation of these technologies would help to enhance education and communication regarding public health. These Industry 4.0 technologies could provide a lot of innovative ideas and solution for fighting local and global medical emergencies.     

Challenges and solutions in meeting up the urgent requirement of ventilators for COVID-19 patients

BackgroundSeverely affected patients in the COVID-19 pandemic need Ventilators, we chart the challenges faced by the health care systems in procuring these machines and the role of 3-D printing technology in building ventilators.AimsWe tried to find the current role, availability and need of ventilators in the COVID-19 pandemic and the role of applied innovative technologies is assessed.MethodsWe have done a comprehensive review of the literature using suitable keywords on the search engines of PubMed, SCOPUS, Google Scholar and Research Gate in the second week of April 2020.ResultsWe found in our review that there is an acute shortage of the ventilators and the manpower to operate these sophisticated machines. There is significant deficiency in the production and supply chain of the ventilators. Many of the seriously ill patients who require hospitalization may need ventilator support. Non-invasive ventilation is not recommended in these patients.ConclusionAs the respiratory illness due to COVID-19 pandemic spreads worldwide, health care systems are facing the tough challenges of acquiring ventilators to support patients. All steps involved in the supply chain management of ventilators are being escalated to produce more ventilators for the coronavirus frontline. Innovative applications of Additive medicine like 3-D printer technology may play key role in delivering sufficient ventilators.     

Redefining diabetic foot disease management service during COVID-19 pandemic

Background & aimsDiabetic Foot Disease (DFD) management had to be redefined during COVID-19. We aim to evaluate the impact of this on diabetic foot care services and the strategies adopted to mitigate them.MethodsWe have performed a comprehensive review of the literature using suitable keywords on the Search engines of PubMed, SCOPUS, Google Scholar and Research Gate in the first two weeks of May 2020. We have reviewed how the diabetic foot service in the hospital and community setting has been affected by the current Coronavirus outbreak.ResultsWe found considerable disruption in diabetic foot service provisions both in the primary care and in the hospital settings. Social distancing and shielding public health guidelines have impacted the delivery of diabetic foot services.ConclusionAs the COVID-19 pandemic spreads worldwide, health care systems are facing the tough challenges in delivering diabetic foot service to patients. Public health guidelines and the risk of virus transmission have resulted in reconfiguration of methods to support and manage diabetic foot patients including remote consultations.     

Projections for COVID-19 pandemic in India and effect of temperature and humidity

Background and aimsAs, the COVID-19 has been deemed a pandemic by World Health Organization (WHO), and since it spreads everywhere throughout the world, investigation in relation to this disease is very much essential. Investigation of pattern in the occurrence of COVID-19, to check the influence of different meteorological factors on the incidence of COVID-19 and prediction of incidence of COVID-19 are the objectives of this paper.MethodsFor trend analysis, Sen’s Slope and Man-Kendall test have been used, Generalized Additive Model (GAM) of regression has been used to check the influence of different meteorological factors on the incidence and to predict the frequency of COVID-19, and Verhulst (Logistic) Population Model has been used.ResultsStatistically significant linear trend found for the daily-confirmed cases of COVID-19. The regression analysis indicates that there is some influence of the interaction of average temperature (AT) and average relative humidity (ARH) on the incidence of COVID-19. However, this result is not consistent throughout the study area. The projections have been made up to 21st May, 2020.ConclusionsTrend and regression analysis give an idea of the incidence of COVID-19 in India while projection made by Verhulst (Logistic) Population Model for the confirmed cases of the study area are encouraging as the sample prediction is as same as the actual number of confirmed COVID-19 cases.     

Precautionary behaviours of individuals with multimorbidity during the COVID-19 pandemic

Studies show that older individuals with multimorbidity are more susceptible to develop a more severe case of COVID-19 when infected by the virus. These individuals are more likely to be admitted to Intensive Care Units and to die from COVID-19-related conditions than younger individuals or those without multimorbidity. This research aimed to assess whether there are differences in terms of precautionary behaviours between individuals aged 50 + with multimorbidity and their counterparts without multimorbidity residing in 25 European countries plus Israel. We used data from the SHARE-COVID19 questionnaire on the socio-demographic and economic characteristics, multimorbidity, and precautionary behaviours of individuals. SHARE wave 8 and 7 databases were also used to fully identify individuals with multimorbidity. Our results showed that individuals with multimorbidity were more likely to exhibit precautionary behaviours than their counterparts without multimorbidity when gender, age, education, financial distress and countries were included as controls. Additionally, we found that women, more educated individuals and those experiencing more financial distress adopt more protective behaviours than their counterparts. Our results also indicate that the prevalence of precautionary behaviours is higher in Spain and Italy and lower in Denmark, Finland and Sweden. To guarantee the adoption of preventive actions against COVID-19, public health messaging and actions must continue to be disseminated among middle and older aged persons with multimorbidity, and more awareness campaigns should be targeted at men and less educated individuals but also at persons experiencing less financial distress, particularly in countries where people engaged in fewer precautionary behaviours.     

Decentralized COVID-19 measures in Brazil were ineffective to protect people with diabetes

Background and aimsCOVID-19 severity and mortality are elevated in individuals with diabetes. During the pandemic, interventions recommended globally for people with diabetes were to keep blood glucose on target whilst staying at home to curb the spread of the virus. In Brazil, similar measures were proposed. The aim of our observational study was to assess whether these measures achieved their objectives. Methods: An anonymous and untraceable survey was shared from April 22nd to May 4th. States with more than 30 respondents were included in the analysis and Fisher’s exact test was performed to identify associations, with p < 0.05 considered significant. Results: Type 1 diabetes and female participants were prevalent, 60.76% and 76.12% respectively. 10 out of 26 states were included, in addition to the Federal District (1562 responses). Only in three states (Bahia, Goiás and Pernambuco) less than 50% of the respondents experienced higher glycemia or higher variability during the pandemic. Goiás state, where almost half of the respondents (49.12%) have private insurance, presented the highest percentage of individuals receiving medicines for three months (35.48%) and one of the lowest percentages of blood glucose deterioration (47.17%). In the large states of Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, consultations and/or lab exams were postponed by 37.14%, 34.33% and 40.88%, respectively. Conclusions: The decentralized measures implemented by states in Brazil left most people with diabetes unprotected. Many were forced to venture outside to collect or to purchase their medical supplies monthly and reported increased glycemic levels and/or variability.     

Application of cognitive Internet of Medical Things for COVID-19 pandemic

Background and aimIn the age of advanced digital technology, smart healthcare based on the Internet of Things (IoT) is gaining importance to deal with the current COVID-19 pandemic. In this paper, the novel application of cognitive radio (CR) based IoT specific for the medical domain referred to as Cognitive Internet of Medical Things (CIoMT) is explored to tackle the global challenge. This concept of CIoT is best suited to this pandemic as every person is to be connected and monitored through a massive network that requires efficient spectrum management.MethodsAn extensive literature survey is conducted in the Google Scholar, Scopus, PubMed, Research Gate, and IEEE Xplore databases using the terms “COVID-19” and “Cognitive IoT” or “Corona virus” and “IoMT”. The latest data and inputs from official websites and reports are used for further investigation and analysis of the application areas.ResultsThis review encompasses different novel applications of CIoMT for fighting the ongoing COVID-19 health crisis. The CR based dynamic spectrum allocation technique is the solution for accommodating a massive number of devices and a wide number of applications. The CIoMT platform enables real-time tracking, remote health monitoring, rapid diagnosis of the cases, contact tracking, clustering, screening, and surveillance thus, reducing the workload on the medical industry for prevention and control of the infection. The challenges and future research directions are also identified.ConclusionsCIoMT is a promising technology for rapid diagnosis, dynamic monitoring and tracking, better treatment and control without spreading the virus to others.     

Acute bronchiolitis during the COVID-19 pandemic

IntroductionThe autumn and winter bronchiolitis epidemics have virtually disappeared in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.Our objectives were characterised bronchiolitis during fourth quarter of 2020 and the role played by SARS-CoV-2.MethodsProspective multi-centre study performed in Madrid (Spain) between October and December 2020 including all children admitted with acute bronchiolitis. Clinical data were collected and multiplex PCR for respiratory viruses were performed.ResultsThirty-three patients were hospitalised with bronchiolitis during the study period: 28 corresponded to rhinovirus (RV), 4 to SARS-CoV-2, and 1 had both types of infection. SAR-CoV-2 bronchiolitis were comparable to RV bronchiolitis except for a shorter hospital stay. A significant decrease in the admission rate for bronchiolitis was found and no RSV was isolated.ConclusionSARS-CoV-2 infection rarely causes acute bronchiolitis and it is not associated with a severe clinical course. During COVID-19 pandemic period there was a marked decrease in bronchiolitis cases.     

Influence of the COVID-19 pandemic in the gastrointestinal oncology setting: An overview

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection has been impacting healthcare in various ways worldwide and cancer patients are greatly affected by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The reorganization of the health facilities in order to supply the high demand resulting from the aforementioned infection as well as the social isolation measures led to impairments for the diagnosis and follow-up of patients with gastrointestinal cancers, which has had an impact on the prognosis of the oncologic patients. In that context, health authorities and organizations have elaborated new guidelines with specific recommendations for the management of individuals with gastrointestinal neoplasms during the pandemic. Of note, oncologic populations seem to be more susceptible to unfavorable outcomes when exposed to SARS-CoV-2 infection and some interactions involving virus, tumor, host immune system and anticancer therapies are probably related to the poorer prognosis observed in those COVID-19 patients. Moreover, vaccination stands out as the main prevention method against severe SARS-CoV-2 infection and some particularities have been observed regarding the seroconversion of vaccinated oncologic patients including those with gastrointestinal malignancies. In this minireview, we gather updated information regarding the influence of the pandemic in the diagnosis of gastrointestinal neoplasms, new recommendations for the management of gastrointestinal cancer patients, the occurrence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in those individuals and the scenario of the vaccination against the virus in that population.     

Impact of lockdown on bed occupancy rate in a referral hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic in northeast Brazil

Coronaviruses are known to be responsible for infections in humans since the 1960s and have accounted for epidemics in recent human history. More recently, in 2019, a disease caused by a new coronavirus appeared in China, in the province of Wuhan, with a characteristic of greater infectivity, called COVID-19, which has caused a new world pandemic. Considering the need to contain the advance in the number of cases, based on the high rate of transmissibility, several countries have adopted extreme social distancing measures, including the so-called ‘lockdown’. Despite the socioeconomic side effects, the aforementioned measure reduced the progression of the pandemic in countries that adopted it. In Brazil, the state of Ceará was one of the first epicenters of the disease in the country and the state capital city of Fortaleza, on May 8, implemented the lockdown measure to contain the increase in the number of cases. It was then observed, in a tertiary hospital, which is a referral for COVID-19 cases, a decrease in the daily occupancy rate of beds reserved for the pandemic after the lockdown onset, evidencing that this measure leads to a sustainable reduction in bed occupation rates, thus preventing the collapse and overload in health services.     

Liver transplantation in the era of COVID-19

Liver transplantation is considered the ultimate solution for patients with end-stage chronic liver disease or acute liver failure. Patients with liver transplant need special care starting from preoperative preparation, surgical intervention ending with postoperative care. Transplanted patients have to receive immunosuppressive therapy to prevent rejection. Such a state of immune suppression could predispose to different types of infections in liver transplant recipients. Currently, the world is suffering a pandemic caused by a new strain of the coronavirus family called COVID-19. Certain infection control precautions are needed to protect immunocompromised and vulnerable patients, including liver transplant candidates and recipients from acquiring COVID-19 infection. Restricting non-transplant elective surgical procedures, managing transplant patients in separate outpatient clinics, and in-patient wards can prevent transmission of infection both to patients and healthcare workers. Telemedicine can help in the triage of patients to screen for symptoms of COVID-19 before their regular appointment. Management of immunosuppressive therapy and drug-drug interactions in liver transplant recipients infected with COVID-19 should be cautiously practiced to prevent rejection and effectively treat the underlying infection. In this report, we are trying to summarize available evidence about different aspects of the management of liver transplant candidates and recipients in the era of COVID-19.     

Analyzing COVID-19 pandemic for unequal distribution of tests,identified cases,deaths, and fatality rates in the top 18 countries

Background and aimsCOVID-19 pandemic has affected various countries differently due to variance in demographics, income level, health infrastructure, government response, control and enforcement, and cultural traits of different populations. This study aims to identify significant factors behind the unequal distribution of identified cases and deaths in different countries. Our study’s objective is comparative analysis and identification of relations between the spread of COVID-19 pandemic, population characteristics, and government response.MethodsThe top 18 countries worst hit by COVID-19 cases were identified. The data metrics, such as the number of cases, deaths, fatality rates, tests, average life expectancy, and population, were collected and consolidated.ResultsCountries with significant percentage of the older population are vulnerable to a high number of deaths due to COVID-19. Developed countries have higher per capita testing, whereas testing is less intensive in developing/underdeveloped countries. There is a consensus among health experts that COVID-19 has higher fatality rates for people above 60, however, with further age, this increases exponentially. Countries with higher life expectancy are also high-income countries, and the best course of action would be to provide specialized support to self-isolate for people of ages 75 and above.ConclusionThe behaviour of disease occurring at a large scale and interaction with different populations is studied to understand and differentiate the factors and measures that successfully inhibited the pandemic. The study benchmarks different countries based on their performance and efforts against the pandemic and provides some useful insights on the efficiency of their governance and potential to improve & ramp up their programs. The economic status and existing healthcare infrastructure as they are the key factors in determining the country’s ability to contain and minimize the losses from this pandemic.