Nippur in the Age of COVID-19

mSphere

Nipah disease is listed as one of the WHO priority diseases that pose the greatest public health risk due to their epidemic potential. More than 200 experts from around the world convened in Singapore last year to mark the 20th anniversary of the first Nipah virus outbreaks in Malaysia and Singapore. Most of these experts are now involved in responding to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Here, members of the Organizing Committee of the 2019 Nipah Virus International Conference review highlights from the Nipah@20 Conference and reflect on key lessons learned from Nipah that could be applied to the understanding of the COVID-19 pandemic and to preparedness against future emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) of pandemic potential.

The main objective of the study is to analyse the knowledge and attitude of Pakistan's nurses towards COVID-19 during the current outbreak. Material and methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Lahore during June 2020 to November 2020. An online semi-structured questionnaire was developed by using google forms, with a consent form appended to it. The link of the questionnaire was sent through e-mails, WhatsApp and other social media to the contacts of the investigators. Results: All the participants were above 18 years of age. The study included only those participants who understood English and had access to the internet. Hence, by default individuals with a higher level of education were included in the study. The highest qualification of more than 90 % of the population was graduation and above. Approximately, all of the population were healthcare professionals. Conclusion: It is concluded that during this coronavirus pandemic, most of the educated people and health professionals are aware of this infection, possible preventive measures, the importance of social distancing and government initiatives were taken to limit the spread of infection.

2020

NM restrictions loosen. NM case count. Navajo Nation case count. 9 state parks open. Sunport revenue loss. Trump projects vaccine delivery. Wisconsin court case. Smokers quit. Ireland reopening. Danish schools open. Philippine typhoon evacuation. PPE-induced pressure injuries and facial dermatoses. U.S. mask stockpile. PPE for surgeons. Intubation time with aerosol box. Consumer spending with social restrictions. Suicide increase expected. Undetected virus homeless. Chinese infection control. 5% Spain infected. Sanitizing booth. Healthcare worker infection routes. Kawasaki disease France. CDC Kawaski guidance. Italian deaths characterized. CDC reopening school guidance. COVID-19 and epistemology. Monitoring misleading claims. UN mental health policy brief. CDC vaccination schedules. Guidelines on managing endoscopy units. COVID-19 lab testing (for lab professionals). Cancer surgery triage. Operating room practices. Orthodontic treatment. 3D printed NP swabs effective. Saltwater irrigation reduces duration. Corticosteroids ineffectual. Vaccines require biomanufacturing infrastructure. French pharm giant promises fair vaccine distribution. 26 new trials registered. LDH, lymphocytes and hs-CRP predict mortality. Fibrinogen higher in SARS. Insulin resistance. Glycemic monitoring. Hemostasis abnormalities. New phobia scale. OR global consensus. Inpatient cognitive assessments are challenging. Loud speech increases transmission. Monkeys present similarly. Human-to-dog transmission. Cat transmission. All of our past briefings are maintained in a UNM library repository here. Our continuously curated practice guidelines in the context of COVID-19 can be found here. Our continuously curated therapeutic evidence is maintained here. You may submit content for future briefings here. NM Highlights  Governor extends public health order through May 31 and lifts numerous restrictions On Saturday (5/16), a lot more businesses throughout New Mexico can reopen except for Cibola, San Juan and McKinley Counties. Dining in restaurants, malls, salons, and gyms will have to wait until early June for reopening. All retailers and nonessential businesses can operate at no more than 25% of capacity. Churches can operate at 10% occupancy. Programs and sports camps will be restricted to a 5-to-1 child to adult rations. There will be no contact or competitive play. Face coverings will be required in all public places, with exceptions to eating, drinking, exercising, and medical requirements.  NM reports 11 more COVID-19 deaths and 143 additional cases on May 14 As of today (5/14), the total positive cases and total deaths in the state are 5,503 and 242, respectively. The state has performed 119,601 tests, there are 209 individuals currently hospitalized for COVID-19, and 1,576 COVID-19 cases have recovered. NMDOH portal featuring epidemiologic breakdown of cases.  COVID-19 cases rise to 3,392 on Navajo Nation and 119 total reported deaths The Navajo Department of Health reported 147 new COVID-19 cases and 16 additional deaths Wednesday (5/13), bringing the Navajo Nation to a total of 3,392 cases with 119 confirmed deaths. 1414 of the cases are in NM counties.

medRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory), 2021

Background: We report here a Nipah virus (NiV) outbreak in Kozhikode district of Kerala state, India which had caused fatal encephalitis in an adolescent male and the outbreak response which led to the successful containment of the disease and the related investigations. Methods: Quantitative real-time RT-PCR, ELISA based antibody detection and whole genome sequencing were performed to confirm the Nipah virus infection. Contacts of the index case were traced and isolated based on risk categorization. Bats from the areas near the epicenter of the outbreak were sampled for throat swabs, rectal swabs and blood samples for Nipah virus screening by real time RT-PCR and anti-Nipah virus bat IgG ELISA. Plaque reduction neutralization test was performed for the detection of neutralizing antibodies. Results: Nipah viral RNA and anti-NiV IgG antibodies were detected in the serum of the index case. Rapid establishment of an onsite NiV diagnostic facility and contact tracing helped in quick containment of the outbreak. NiV sequences retrieved from the clinical specimen of the index case formed a sub-cluster with the earlier reported Nipah I genotype sequences from India with more than 95% similarity. Anti-NiV IgG positivity could be detected in 21% of Pteropus medius and 37.73% of Rousettus leschenaultia. Neutralizing antibodies against NiV could be detected in P.medius. Conclusions: Stringent surveillance and awareness campaigns needs to be implemented in the area to reduce human-bat interactions and minimize spill over events which can lead to sporadic outbreaks of NiV.

2020

NM case counts. Navajo Nation documentary. Medicaid reimbursement increase. Excess NYC mortality. German R0>1. Chile COVID-19 certificates. High female incidence in Quebec. Swab 3D printing. Evidence lacking school reopening. Cloth mask review. WHO 2 nd wave warning. Higher mortality in minorities. Environmental transmission controls. Behavior change. Correctional environment guidelines. Wuhan hospital transformation. Maximizing GI training. Threat and conformity. Recommendations on managing COVID-19 (first Italian SARS patients), and obesity and metabolic syndrome. Guidelines for neurologists. Ethics of offlabel drugs use. Abbott antibody test approval. CRISPR test FDA approval. Viral sample inactivation. HCQ+azithromycin no benefit. Public-Private partnership for clinical trials. Drug repurposing. Cancer patient considerations. 35 new COVID-19 trials. Hyperinflammatory shock in children. Symptom app. All of our past briefings are maintained in a UNM library repository here. Our continuously curated practice guidelines in the context of COVID-19 can be found here. Our continuously curated therapeutic evidence is maintained here. You may submit content for future briefings here. NM Highlights  NM reports 8 more COVID-19 deaths and 207 additional cases on May 11 As of today (5/11), the total positive cases and total deaths in the state are 5,069 and 208, respectively. The state has performed 106,721 tests, there are 207 individuals currently hospitalized for COVID-19, and 1,300 COVID-19 cases have recovered. New NMDOH portal featuring epidemiologic breakdown of cases.  New documentary focuses on coronavirus on the Navajo Nation CBS Originals created a new series called "Coronavirus in the Navajo Nation", which highlights the impact of the virus through interviews with doctors and community members. The Navajo Nation has one of the highest infection rates per capita in the U.S., and about 30% of the population does not have running water in their homes. The documentary is available on the CBS News Website.  Self-report of symptoms shows loss of taste and smell more common in positive cases This self-report study (n=2,618,862) of potential symptoms collected data on a smartphone app. Of the 18,401 who had got tested, the proportion of participants who reported loss of smell and taste was higher in those with a positive test result (65.03%) than in those with a negative test result (21.71%) (odds ratio = 6.74; 95% CI). A model was applied to the data from all app users who reported symptoms (805,753) and predicted that 17.42% participants are likely to have COVID-19. Researchers suggest that loss of smell and taste should be included in routine screening.

Journal of Infection, 2019

2020

NM daily cases. McKinley surpasses Bernalillo cases. NM personal stories. Pushes for earlier reopening: Grants, Roosevelt, Lea, Albuquerque. Bus route reopening. Unpaid substitute teachers. Union nurse protest. Georgia reopening. CVS Walgreens LabCorp testing. WHO endorses federal plan. Australians embrace tracing. Brazil overwhelmed. Kawasaki disease elevated. Contamination simulations. Rice cooker mask steaming. Novel eye mask. 3 million worldwide cases. Contact tracing pitfalls. Malaria inverse relationship. Wastewater surveillance. Homeless testing. Predicting death rates. Urban informal settlements. Global health guide. Improving quarantine adherence. Practice guidelines: multiple myeloma, pediatric management, pediatric dialysis, PPE in oro/nasopharyngeal conditions. Recombinant ACE2 blocks virus. Viral life cycle targets. Addressing HCQ+azithromycin long QT. 43 clinical trials. Diabetes risk meta-analysis. Pancreatic damage risk. Nicotine protective hypothesis. High elevation lower risk. All of our past briefings are maintained in a UNM library repository here. Our continuously curated practice guidelines in the context of COVID-19 can be found here. Our continuously curated therapeutic evidence is maintained here. You may submit content for future briefings here. Healthcare Policy Recommendations  Recommendations for improving well-being in urban informal settlements during COVID-19 A global research group outlines a set of practice and policy suggestions to minimize the virus spread; provide economic, social, and physical improvements; and increase accessibility of healthcare to the urban informal settlements.  Global Health guide This is a general guide on Global Health, which now includes a box for major resources (CDC, JHU, WHO) on Covid-19. The guide (use TOC on left bar) was created in the support of student research, especially in the fields of COPH, Economics, Sociology, among other disciplines.

2020

Daily NM recap. NM Hospital financial challenges. NM absentee voting. NM dairy farmers impact. 19-20 states open May 1? USA halts WHO funding. More NYC deaths. 250K tests AZ first responders. Global pandemic updates. Imported cases China. Masked South Korea elections. Danish children school return. PPE angiography. NYC cancels healthcare workers. GI shedding endoscopes. Blockade reduces transmission. Fever screening. Viral shedding post seroconversion. Radiology mitigations. Endoscopy units. Tracheostomy reduced transmission. Survivors plasma. Medical Imaging. Useful CTs. Electrophysiology procedures. Renin angiotensin blockers. Hemostasis. Dermatologic surgery. Pediatric gastroenterology. Autoimmune liver disease. Orthopedic surgical care. Updated treatment evidence. Asymptomatic detection. CVD pharmacology. Bleach disinfection. Arbidol beats lopinavir/ritonavir. IV immunoglobulin therapy. No HCQ clinical efficacy. Cepharantine inhibition pangolins. Machine learning antivirals. Eat bitter substances. 59 new trials. Combining RNA and antibody tests. No SARS-CoV-2 in patient ward air. Influenza impact prevention. Encephalitis. Low CD4+ and CD8+ severe. G6PD-deficient issues. Cytokine storm. Biosensor detection. Immunopathogenesis. Our continuously curated practice guidelines in the context of COVID-19 can be found here. NM Highlights • Daily recap of New Mexico COVID-19 news Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center is putting 300 employees on leave for up to 90 days due to low patient volumes. Two hospitals in Las Cruces are also putting employees on temporary leave. UNM gets $500,000 grant from the U.S. Air Force to make PPE for health care workers via 3D printers. US Highlights • 19-20 U.S.A states may be ready to reopen by May 1 CDC director says 19-20 U.S. states may be ready to reopen May 1 st. • USA to halt funding to WHO over coronavirus, says Trump US President Trump directed Federal authorities to halt funding to the World Health Organization (WHO) because it has "failed in its basic duty" in its response to the coronavirus outbreak. He accused the UN agency of mismanaging and covering up the spread of the virus after it emerged in China and said it must be held accountable. Worldwide criticism followed. • New York City posts sharp spike in coronavirus deaths after untested victims added New York City, the hardest hit U.S. city in the coronavirus pandemic, revised its official COVID-19 death toll sharply higher to more than 10,000 on Tuesday, to include victims presumed to have perished from the lung disease but never tested. • Arizona to test 250,000 first responders, healthcare workers for COVID-19 Arizona on Tuesday (4/14) said it would provide coronavirus antibody tests for 250,000 health-care workers and first responders in the largest such testing in the United States to date. International Highlights • Latest updates on the spread of the coronavirus around the world Some of the latest updates related to COVID-19 around the world are here: interactive graphic tracking the global spread, U.S.-focused tracker with state-by-state and county maps. • Returning Chinese cause new imported COVID-19 cases Journal of Infection editorial: As a result of Chinese returning home from the oversees, imported cases from outside of China appeared in early March and began to increase sharply in mid-March. China is now facing increasing pressure in the face of imported cases from overseas, especially in cities that are international travel hubs such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.

Oriental Institute Annual Report, 2018

This is the report of the 2019 excavations at Nippur after three decades of hiatus.

Frontiers in Public Health, 2021

Unprecedented and unforeseen highly infectious Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a significant public health concern for most of the countries worldwide, including Nepal, and it is spreading rapidly. Undoubtedly, every nation has taken maximum initiative measures to break the transmission chain of the virus. This review presents a retrospective analysis of the COVID-19 pandemic in Nepal, analyzing the actions taken by the Government of Nepal (GoN) to inform future decisions. Data used in this article were extracted from relevant reports and websites of the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) of Nepal and the WHO. As of January 22, 2021, the highest numbers of cases were reported in the megacity of the hilly region, Kathmandu district (population = 1,744,240), and Bagmati province. The cured and death rates of the disease among the tested population are ∼98.00 and ∼0.74%, respectively. Higher numbers of infected cases were observed in the age group 21-30, with an overall male to female death ratio of 2.33. With suggestions and recommendations from high-level coordination committees and experts, GoN has enacted several measures: promoting universal personal protection, physical distancing, localized lockdowns, travel restrictions, isolation, and selective quarantine. In addition, GoN formulated and distributed several guidelines/protocols for managing COVID-19 patients and vaccination programs. Despite robust preventive efforts by GoN, pandemic scenario in Nepal is, yet, to be controlled completely. This review could be helpful for the current and future effective outbreak preparedness, responses, and management of the pandemic situations and prepare necessary strategies, especially in countries with similar socio-cultural and economic status.