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Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Global Diseases and Human Well-Being

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A special issue of Journal of Clinical Medicine (ISSN 2077-0383). This special issue belongs to the section "Nephrology & Urology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 November 2021) | Viewed by 41325

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Prof. Dr. Giorgio I. Russo

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Urology Section, Department of Surgery, University of Catania, 95124 Catania CT, Italy
Interests: prostate cancer; bladder cancer; erectile dysfunction; andrology; benign prostatic hyperplasia
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Dear Colleagues,

The wide spread of COVID-19 has had significant and negative effects on human well-being, but it has also had a negative impact on many important diseases. It has necessitated a major reorganisation of emergency care facilities to accommodate the additional workload anticipated with the rapid surge in critically ill patients with COVID-19. Previous reports have demonstrated a reduction in admissions for different conditions like acute coronary syndrome or decreased use of coronary procedures in various countries affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to an increase in out-of-hospital deaths and long-term complications of myocardial infarction and missed opportunities to offer secondary prevention treatment for patients with coronary heart disease.

In this context, we do not know what impacts these events may have had in psychology and sexuality. It is well-recognized that clinical depression is associated with a reduction in sexual interest and response, an association that may be more marked in women than in men. In fact, the global pandemic of COVID-19 has significantly impacted people’s sexual desire and behaviours.

Besides these events, the daily activities of many departments have been drastically reduced and limited to non‐deferrable procedures, and the entire organogram has been reorganised following a rigorous flowchart. In order to limit the impact of the COVID‐19 emergency on residents’ learning curves, which can further affect surgical and scientific learning, new alternative teaching methods should be introduced.

In this Special Issue, we invite researchers and clinicians to submit their works, including original clinical research studies, meta-analyses, and systematic reviews, that will provide additional knowledge on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on global diseases and human well-being.

Prof. Giorgio I. Russo
Guest Editor

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Clinical Medicine is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

COVID-19
training
surgery
cancer
oncology
disease
coronavirus

Published Papers (11 papers)

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Editorial

Jump to: Research, Review

6 pages, 215 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Global Diseases and Human Well-Being

by Arturo Lo Giudice, Maria Giovanna Asmundo, Sebastiano Cimino and Giorgio Ivan Russo

J. Clin. Med. 2022, 11(15), 4489; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm11154489 - 01 Aug 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 941

Abstract

This editorial of the Special Issue “Impact of SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic on Global Diseases and Human Well-Being” aims to portray the repercussions of the novel COVID-19 emergency on a wide range of health issues [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Global Diseases and Human Well-Being)

Research

Jump to: Editorial, Review

9 pages, 262 KiB

Open AccessArticle

How COVID-19 Has Affected Caregivers’ Burden of Patients with Dementia: An Exploratory Study Focusing on Coping Strategies and Quality of Life during the Lockdown

by Maria Grazia Maggio, Gianluca La Rosa, Patrizia Calatozzo, Adriana Andaloro, Marilena Foti Cuzzola, Antonino Cannavò, David Militi, Alfredo Manuli, Valentina Oddo, Giovanni Pioggia and Rocco Salvatore Calabrò

J. Clin. Med. 2021, 10(24), 5953; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm10245953 - 18 Dec 2021

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2224

Abstract

COVID-19 has caused a public and international health emergency, leading to isolation and social distancing. These restrictions have had a significant impact on the caregivers of people with dementia, increasing the burden of patient management. The purpose of this study was to investigate the stress perceived by caregivers of patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) during the pandemic. We used a cross-sectional survey design to evaluate the caregivers’ psychological responses and coping strategies. Eighty-four caregivers of patients with a diagnosis of AD were involved in this study by completing an online questionnaire. They presented a high perception of stress (the Perceived Stress Scale mean ± DS: 33.5 ± 4.5), and their high burden in caring was mainly related to physical difficulties (Caregiver Burden Inventory–Physical Burden mean ± DS: 15.0 ± 2.1) and perception of loss of time (Caregiver Burden Inventory–Time-dependence Burden mean ± DS: 16.5 ± 1.4). Moreover, caregivers perceived their quality of life as very low (Short Form-12 Health Survey Physical mean ± DS: 13.5 ± 2.7; Short Form-12 Health Survey Mental Health mean ± DS: 16.4 ± 4.2). Finally, we found that participants mostly used dysfunctional coping strategies, such as avoidance strategies (Coping Orientation to Problem Experiences–Avoidance Strategies mean ± DS: 39.5 ± 7.1), but these strategies did not affect the stress level of caregivers. Given that caregivers present a high burden and stress, innovative tools could be a valuable solution to investigate and support their emotional and behavioral status during difficult periods, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Global Diseases and Human Well-Being)

21 pages, 4119 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Determining What Changed Japanese Suicide Mortality in 2020 Using Governmental Database

by Ryusuke Matsumoto, Eishi Motomura, Kouji Fukuyama, Takashi Shiroyama and Motohiro Okada

J. Clin. Med. 2021, 10(21), 5199; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm10215199 - 07 Nov 2021

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 2570

Abstract

The pandemic of 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caused both COVID-19-related health hazards and the deterioration of socioeconomic and sociopsychological status due to governmental restrictions. There were concerns that suicide mortality would increase during the COVID-19 pandemic; however, a recent study reported that suicide mortality did not increase in 21 countries during the early pandemic period. In Japan, suicide mortality was reduced from 2009 to 2019, but both the annual number of suicide victims and the national suicide mortality rates in 2020 increased compared to that in 2019. To clarify the discrepancy of suicide mortality between the first and second half of 2020 in Japan, the present study determines annual and monthly suicide mortality disaggregated by prefectures, gender, age, means, motive, and household factors during the COVID-19 pandemic and pre-pandemic periods using a linear mixed-effects model. Furthermore, the relationship between suicide mortality and COVID-19 data (the infection rate, mortality, and duration of the pandemic) was analysed using hierarchal linear regression with a robust standard error. The average of monthly suicide mortality of both males and females in all 47 prefectures decreased during the first stay-home order (April–May) (females: from 10.1–10.2 to 7.8–7.9; males: from 24.0–24.9 to 21.6 per 100,000 people), but increased after the end of the first stay-home order (July–December) (females: from 7.5–9.5 to 10.3–14.5; males: from 19.9–23.0 to 21.1–26.7 per 100,000 people). Increasing COVID-19-infected patients and victims indicated a tendency of suppression, but the prolongation of the pandemic indicated a tendency of increasing female suicide mortality without affecting that of males. Contrary to the national pattern, in metropolitan regions, decreasing suicide mortality during the first stay-home order was not observed. Decreasing suicide mortality during the first stay-home order was not observed in populations younger than 30 years old, whereas increasing suicide mortality of populations younger than 30 years old after the end of the first stay-home order was predominant. A decrease in suicide mortality of one-person household residents during the first stay-home order was not observed. The hanging suicide mortality of males and females was decreased and increased during and after the end of the first stay-home orders, respectively; however, there was no decrease in metropolitan regions. These results suggest that the suicide mortality in 2020 of females, younger populations, urban residents, and one-person household residents increased compared to those of males, the elderly, rural residents, and multiple-person household residents. Therefore, the unexpected drastic fluctuations of suicide mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan were probably composed of complicated reasons among various identified factors in this study, and other unknown factors. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Global Diseases and Human Well-Being)

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10 pages, 977 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Effects of Income Level on Susceptibility to COVID-19 and COVID-19 Morbidity/Mortality: A Nationwide Cohort Study in South Korea

by So Young Kim, Dae Myoung Yoo, Chanyang Min and Hyo Geun Choi

J. Clin. Med. 2021, 10(20), 4733; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm10204733 - 15 Oct 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1647

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the association of income level with susceptibility to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and COVID-19 morbidity and mortality. Using the Korean National Health Insurance COVID-19 Database cohort, medical claim data from 2015 through 2020 were collected. A total of 7943 patients who were diagnosed with COVID-19 from 1 January 2020 to 4 June 2020 were included. A total of 118,914 participants had negative COVID-19 PCR tests. Income levels were classified by 20th percentiles based on 2019 Korean National Health Insurance premiums. The 20th percentile income levels were categorized into three groups (low, middle, and high). The relationship of income level with susceptibility to COVID-19 and COVID-19 morbidity and mortality was analyzed using logistic regression analysis. A high income level was related to lower odds of COVID-19 infection (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 0.79, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.75–0.83, p < 0.001). The negative association between income level and COVID-19 infection was maintained in all subgroups. Patients with low income levels were susceptible to COVID-19 infection; however, there was no relation of COVID-19 morbidity and mortality with income level in the Korean population. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Global Diseases and Human Well-Being)

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9 pages, 541 KiB

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Direct and Indirect Effects of SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic in Subjects with Familial Hypercholesterolemia: A Single Lipid-Center Real-World Evaluation

by Roberto Scicali, Salvatore Piro, Viviana Ferrara, Stefania Di Mauro, Agnese Filippello, Alessandra Scamporrino, Marcello Romano, Francesco Purrello and Antonino Di Pino

J. Clin. Med. 2021, 10(19), 4363; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm10194363 - 24 Sep 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1253

Abstract

We evaluated the impact of direct and indirect effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection in subjects with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH). In this observational, retrospective study, 260 FH subjects participated in a telephone survey concerning lipid profile values, lipidologist and cardiologist consultations and vascular imaging evaluation during the 12 months before and after the Italian lockdown. The direct effect was defined as SARS-CoV-2 infection; the indirect effect was defined as the difference in one of the parameters evaluated by the telephone survey before and after lockdown. Among FH subjects, the percentage of the lipid profile evaluation was lower after lockdown than before lockdown (56.5% vs. 100.0%, p < 0.01), HDL-C was significantly reduced (47.78 ± 10.12 vs. 53.2 ± 10.38 mg/dL, p < 0.05) and a significant increase in non-HDL-C was found (117.24 ± 18.83 vs. 133.09 ± 19.01 mg/dL, p < 0.05). The proportions of lipidologist and/or cardiologist consultations and/or vascular imaging were lower after lockdown than before lockdown (for lipidologist consultation 33.5% vs. 100.0%, p < 0.001; for cardiologist consultation 22.3% vs. 60.8%, p < 0.01; for vascular imaging 19.6% vs. 100.0%, p < 0.001); the main cause of missed lipid profile analysis and/or healthcare consultation was the fear of SARS-CoV-2 contagion. The percentage of FH subjects affected by SARS-CoV-2 was 7.3%. In conclusion, a lower percentage of FH subjects underwent a lipid profile analysis, lipidologist and cardiologist consultations and vascular imaging evaluation after SARS-CoV-2 Italian lockdown. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Global Diseases and Human Well-Being)

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15 pages, 232 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sexual Behaviour and Fantasies in a Group of Young Italian Cohort

by Marina Di Mauro, Giorgio Ivan Russo, Gaia Polloni, Camilla Tonioni, Daniel Giunti, Gianmartin Cito, Bruno Giammusso, Girolamo Morelli, Lorenzo Masieri and Andrea Cocci

J. Clin. Med. 2021, 10(19), 4327; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm10194327 - 23 Sep 2021

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2417

Abstract

Over the years, sexual behaviour has changed due to the growing interest in everything related to the sexual sphere. The purpose of the study was to collect information on the sexual habits and behaviours of Italian people of all ages, sexes and sexual orientations and to describe the patterns of sexual behaviour, with the aim of gaining a representative picture of sexuality in Italy, before the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants completed a survey with 99 questions about their sexual habits. In our group first sexual experiences occurred on average around the age of 15, whilst the median age of the first sexual intercourse was 17. The fantasies that most stimulated and excited our group (Likert scale ≥ 3) was having sex in public (63.9%), having sex with more than one person at the same time (59.4%), blindfolded sex (64.9%), being tied up (56.3%) and observing a naked person (48.6%). As for pornography, we have shown that 80% of our group watched porn at home, alone or from their smartphones. Our results have several practical implications for the areas of sex education and sexual health. It is necessary to safeguard the health of young people and support them increasing their sexual well-being. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Global Diseases and Human Well-Being)

14 pages, 281 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Impact of Lockdown on Couples’ Sex Lives

by Elisabetta Costantini, Francesco Trama, Donata Villari, Serena Maruccia, Vincenzo Li Marzi, Franca Natale, Matteo Balzarro, Vito Mancini, Raffaele Balsamo, Francesco Marson, Marianna Bevacqua, Antonio Luigi Pastore, Enrico Ammirati, Marilena Gubbiotti, Maria Teresa Filocamo, Gaetano De Rienzo, Enrico Finazzi Agrò, Pietro Spatafora, Claudio Bisegna, Luca Gemma, Alessandro Giammò, Alessandro Zucchi, Stefano Brancorsini, Gennaro Ruggiero and Ester Illiano Show full author list Hide full author list

J. Clin. Med. 2021, 10(7), 1414; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm10071414 - 01 Apr 2021

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 3713

Abstract

Background: the aim of this study was to perform an Italian telematics survey analysis on the changes in couples’ sex lives during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdown. Methods: a multicenter cross sectional study was conducted on people sexually active and in stable relationships for at least 6 months. To evaluate male and female sexual dysfunctions, we used the international index of erectile function (IIEF-15) and the female sexual function index (FSFI), respectively; marital quality and stability were evaluated by the marital adjustment test (items 10–15); to evaluate the severity of anxiety symptoms, we used the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale. The effects of the quarantine on couples’ relationships was assessed with questions created in-house. Results: we included 2149 participants. The sex lives improved for 49% of participants, particularly those in cohabitation; for 29% it deteriorated, while for 22% of participants it did not change. Women who responded that their sex lives deteriorated had no sexual dysfunction, but they had anxiety, tension, fear, and insomnia. Contrarily, men who reported deteriorating sex lives had erectile dysfunctions and orgasmic disorders. In both genders, being unemployed or smart working, or having sons were risk factors for worsening the couples’ sex lives. Conclusion: this study should encourage evaluation of the long-term effects of COVID-19 on the sex lives of couples. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Global Diseases and Human Well-Being)

10 pages, 1302 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Triage of Patients Suspected of COVID-19 in Chronic Hemodialysis: Eosinophil Count Differentiates Low and High Suspicion of COVID-19

by Romain Vial, Marion Gully, Mickael Bobot, Violaine Scarfoglière, Philippe Brunet, Dammar Bouchouareb, Ariane Duval, He-oh Zino, Julien Faraut, Océane Jehel, Yaël Berdad-Haddad, Stéphane Burtey, Pierre-André Jarrot, Guillaume Lano and Thomas Robert

J. Clin. Med. 2021, 10(1), 4; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm10010004 - 22 Dec 2020

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1881

Abstract

Background: Daily management to shield chronic dialysis patients from SARS-CoV-2 contamination makes patient care cumbersome. There are no screening methods to date and a molecular biology platform is essential to perform RT-PCR for SARS-CoV-2; however, accessibility remains poor. Our goal was to assess whether the tools routinely used to monitor our hemodialysis patients could represent reliable and quickly accessible diagnostic indicators to improve the management of our hemodialysis patients in this pandemic environment. Methods: In this prospective observational diagnostic study, we recruited patients from La Conception hospital. Patients were eligible for inclusion if suspected of SARS-CoV-2 infection when arriving at our center for a dialysis session between March 12th and April 24th 2020. They were included if both RT-PCR result for SARS-CoV-2 and cell blood count on the day that infection was suspected were available. We calculated the area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic curve. Results: 37 patients were included in the final analysis, of which 16 (43.2%) were COVID-19 positive. For the day of suspected COVID-19, total leukocytes were significantly lower in the COVID-19 positive group (4.1 vs. 7.4 G/L, p = 0.0072) and were characterized by lower neutrophils (2.7 vs. 5.1 G/L, p = 0.021) and eosinophils (0.01 vs. 0.15 G/L, p = 0.0003). Eosinophil count below 0.045 G/L identified SARS-CoV-2 infection with AUC of 0.9 [95% CI 0.81—1] (p < 0.0001), sensitivity of 82%, specificity of 86%, a positive predictive value of 82%, a negative predictive value of 86% and a likelihood ratio of 6.04. Conclusions: Eosinophil count enables rapid routine screening of symptomatic chronic hemodialysis patients suspected of being COVID-19 within a range of low or high probability. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Global Diseases and Human Well-Being)

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Review

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17 pages, 940 KiB

Open AccessReview

Autopsy Findings and Causality Relationship between Death and COVID-19 Vaccination: A Systematic Review

by Francesco Sessa, Monica Salerno, Massimiliano Esposito, Nunzio Di Nunno, Paolo Zamboni and Cristoforo Pomara

J. Clin. Med. 2021, 10(24), 5876; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm10245876 - 15 Dec 2021

Cited by 36 | Viewed by 18024

Abstract

The current challenge worldwide is the administration of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccine. Considering that the COVID-19 vaccination represents the best possibility to resolve this pandemic, this systematic review aims to clarify the major aspects of fatal adverse effects related to COVID-19 vaccines, with the goal of advancing our knowledge, supporting decisions, or suggesting changes in policies at local, regional, and global levels. Moreover, this review aims to provide key recommendations to improve awareness of vaccine safety. All studies published up to 2 December 2021 were searched using the following keywords: “COVID-19 Vaccine”, “SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine”, “COVID-19 Vaccination”, “SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination”, and “Autopsy” or “Post-mortem”. We included 17 papers published with fatal cases with post-mortem investigations. A total of 38 cases were analyzed: 22 cases were related to ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 administration, 10 cases to BNT162b2, 4 cases to mRNA-1273, and 2 cases to Ad26.COV2.S. Based on these data, autopsy is very useful to define the main characteristics of the so-called vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT) after ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccination: recurrent findings were intracranial hemorrhage and diffused microthrombi located in multiple areas. Moreover, it is fundamental to provide evidence about myocarditis related to the BNT162B2 vaccine. Finally, based on the discussed data, we suggest several key recommendations to improve awareness of vaccine safety. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Global Diseases and Human Well-Being)

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16 pages, 2388 KiB

Open AccessReview

Incidence of Mortality, Acute Kidney Injury and Graft Loss in Adult Kidney Transplant Recipients with Coronavirus Disease 2019: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

by Jia-Jin Chen, George Kuo, Tao Han Lee, Huang-Yu Yang, Hsin Hsu Wu, Kun-Hua Tu and Ya-Chung Tian

J. Clin. Med. 2021, 10(21), 5162; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm10215162 - 04 Nov 2021

Cited by 20 | Viewed by 2578

Abstract

The adverse impact of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on kidney function has been reported since the global pandemic. The burden of COVID-19 on kidney transplant recipients, however, has not been systematically analyzed. A systematic review and meta-analysis with a random-effect model was conducted to explore the rate of mortality, intensive care unit admission, invasive mechanical ventilation, acute kidney injury, kidney replacement therapy and graft loss in the adult kidney transplant population with COVID-19. Sensitivity analysis, subgroup analysis and meta-regression were also performed. Results: we demonstrated a pooled mortality rate of 21% (95% CI: 19−23%), an intensive care unit admission rate of 26% (95% CI: 22–31%), an invasive ventilation rate among those who required intensive care unit care of 72% (95% CI: 62–81%), an acute kidney injury rate of 44% (95% CI: 39–49%), a kidney replacement therapy rate of 12% (95% CI: 9–15%), and a graft loss rate of 8% (95% CI: 5–15%) in kidney transplant recipients with COVID-19. The meta-regression indicated that advancing age is associated with higher mortality; every increase in age by 10 years was associated with an increased mortality rate of 3.7%. Regional differences in outcome were also detected. Further studies focused on treatments and risk factor identification are needed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Global Diseases and Human Well-Being)

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12 pages, 1060 KiB

Open AccessReview

Analysis of the Clinical and Epidemiological Meaning of Screening Test for SARS-CoV-2: Considerations in the Chronic Kidney Disease Patients during the COVID-19 Pandemic

by Francesca Martino, Gianpaolo Amici, Stefano Grandesso, Rosella Ferraro Mortellaro, Antonina Lo Cicero and Giacomo Novara

J. Clin. Med. 2021, 10(5), 1139; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm10051139 - 09 Mar 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2323

Abstract

The COronaVIrus Disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic is an emerging reality in nephrology. In a continuously changing scenario, we need to assess our patients’ additional risk in terms of attending hemodialysis treatments, follow-up peritoneal dialysis, and kidney transplant visits. The prevalence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-20 infection in the general population plays a pivotal role in estimating the additional COVID-19 risk in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. Unfortunately, local prevalence is often obscure, and when we have an estimation, we neglect the number of asymptomatic subjects in the same area and, consequently, the risk of infection in CKD patients. Furthermore, we still have the problem of managing COVID-19 diagnosis and the test’s accuracy. Currently, the gold standard for SARS-CoV-2 detection is a real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) on respiratory tract samples. rRT-PCR presents some vulnerability related to pre-analytic and analytic problems and could impact strongly on its diagnostic accuracy. Specifically, the operative proceedings to obtain the samples and the different types of diagnostic assay could affect the results of the test. In this scenario, knowing the local prevalence and the local screening test accuracy helps the clinician to perform preventive measures to limit the diffusion of COVID-19 in the CKD population. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Global Diseases and Human Well-Being)

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