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COVID-19 and Global Chronic Disease 2023
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COVID-19 and Global Chronic Disease 2023

A special issue of Diseases (ISSN 2079-9721).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 February 2024) | Viewed by 18868

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Ludovico Abenavoli

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Health Sciences, University “Magna Græcia”, Campus Germaneto, I-88100 Catanzaro, Italy
Interests: nonalcoholic fatty liver disease; alcoholic liver disease; gut microbiota; Mediterranean diet; nutrition; COVID-19; probiotic
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Christian Zanza

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Ospedale Alba-Bra Onlus, Department of Emergency Medicine, Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine, Michele and Pietro Ferrero Hospital, 12060 Verduno (CN), Italy
Interests: anesthesiology; emergency medicine; intensive care; COVID-19
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is the condition caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Since 2020, the pandemic has influenced our lives in nearly every corner of the world, causing more than 500 million cases and over 6.2 million deaths globally. The rapid spread of the disease and several waves and peaks have imposed strong pressure on the health systems worldwide. This global scenario also changes the ways to perform research. In fact, for the first time, the scholars working on COVID-19-related issues have been consulted ahead of political decisions to manage the impact of the pandemic on society and to deliver in a few months medical solutions, such as vaccines and new therapies. Furthermore, the COVID-19 crisis emphasizes the connections between research, clinical practice and health policies. However, despite these extraordinary results in human history, some points on COVID-19 need to be clarified.

Aim and Scope:

This Special Issue, titled “COVID-19 and Global Chronic Disease II”, aims to report the state of the art and the new findings on COVID-19. In particular, we want to discuss the recent novel therapies, vaccines and public health policies related to this pandemic. In this way, we invite eminent scholars and emerging researchers to submit high scientific level articles, as indicated in the keywords below.

Prof. Dr. Ludovico Abenavoli
Dr. Christian Zanza
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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. Diseases is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 1800 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
  • virus
  • disease
  • pandemic
  • inflammation
  • therapy
  • immunity
  • vaccine
  • antiviral
  • public health
  • prophylaxis

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Editorial

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2 pages, 143 KiB  
Editorial
The COVID-19 Pandemic Is Over, but the Virus Still Lingers
by Ludovico Abenavoli
Diseases 2024, 12(3), 57; https://doi.org/10.3390/diseases12030057 - 19 Mar 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1432
Abstract
The global health emergency caused by the Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic officially ended on 11 May 2023 [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue COVID-19 and Global Chronic Disease 2023)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

10 pages, 741 KiB  
Article
Papillary Thyroid Cancer Trends in the Wake of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Is There a Shift toward a More Aggressive Entity?
by Iyad Hassan, Lina Hassan, Farooq Bacha, Mohammad Al Salameh, Omran Gatee and Wiam Hassan
Diseases 2024, 12(3), 62; https://doi.org/10.3390/diseases12030062 - 20 Mar 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3993
Abstract
Background: Globally, the incidence of papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) has been increasing over the last few decades and it has become the second most common cancer in women in the UAE. There is some evidence to suggest that COVID-19 infection might be directly [...] Read more.
Background: Globally, the incidence of papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) has been increasing over the last few decades and it has become the second most common cancer in women in the UAE. There is some evidence to suggest that COVID-19 infection might be directly linked to the development of aggressive variants of PTC. The primary goal of this study was to compare the clinical and pathologic characteristics of thyroid cancer patients treated at the largest endocrine surgery center in Abu Dhabi before and after the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. Methods: This retrospective cohort analysis included patients who underwent elective thyroid surgery at Burjeel Hospital between January 2018 and December 2022. Patients were divided into two groups based on when the COVID-19 outbreak started: group one, comprising patients who had surgery between January 2018 and December 2019 (the “pre-pandemic group”), and group two, comprising patients who had surgery between January 2021 and December 2022 (the “post-pandemic group”). In addition to demographic data, clinicopathological factors, such as aggressive cell type, multifocality, tumor size and location, laterality, lympho-vascular invasion, and extrathyroidal extension, were assessed. We utilized the t-paired test for parametric variables and the Chi-square test for the cross-table analysis. Results: During the study, 1141 people had thyroid surgery, with an annual average of 285 procedures. PTC cases recorded in the final histopathological samples rose from 111 in the pre-pandemic era to 182 in the post-pandemic era. Neither the female-to-male gender ratio, which was 90:21 in the pre-pandemic group and 142:40 in the post-pandemic group (p = 0.532), nor the median age, which was 39.1 and 40.1 years, respectively, varied significantly between the two groups. However, there was a significant increase between pre-pandemic and post-pandemic in the aggressive PTC variants (3% vs. 11.5%, p = 0.001), increased poor prognostic factors such as bilateral multifocality (10.8% vs. 32.4%, p = 0.000), as well as increased capsule–vascular tumor invasion (19.8% vs. 27%); on the other hand, the size of the single foci was 17 mm in the pre-pandemic group compared to 13 mm in the post-pandemic group (p = 0.001). Conclusions: A significant rise in unfavorable prognostic markers and aggressive subtypes of PTC was seen post-pandemic in thyroidectomy patients operated on at a leading endocrine surgery center in the United Arab Emirates. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue COVID-19 and Global Chronic Disease 2023)
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13 pages, 2616 KiB  
Article
Effectiveness of Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplementation in Improving the Metabolic and Inflammatory Profiles of Mexican Adults Hospitalized with COVID-19
by Diana Rodríguez-Vera, Juan Rodrigo Salazar, Marvin A. Soriano-Ursúa, Jessica Guzmán-Pérez, Arely Vergara-Castañeda, Horacio Muñoz-Durán, Gabriela L. Ramírez-Velez, Alonso Vivar-Sierra, Carlos Rogelio Naranjo-Navarro, Patricia A. Meza-Meneses, Marco A. Loza-Mejía and Rodolfo Pinto-Almazán
Diseases 2024, 12(1), 28; https://doi.org/10.3390/diseases12010028 - 17 Jan 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 4755
Abstract
Background and Objectives: The development of severe COVID-19 is related to the preexistence of comorbidities and an inadequate nutritional status. The latter is a critical factor for the development of infection and the progression of the disease. Notably, optimal nutrition impacts immune system [...] Read more.
Background and Objectives: The development of severe COVID-19 is related to the preexistence of comorbidities and an inadequate nutritional status. The latter is a critical factor for the development of infection and the progression of the disease. Notably, optimal nutrition impacts immune system function, as malnutrition is related to high cytokine levels in the late phase of the disease, correlating with a poor prognosis. In this sense, omega-3 fatty acids (O3FAs) have anti-inflammatory properties that may reduce morbidity and mortality from COVID-19 infection. O3FAs are linked to a better prognosis in COVID-19 patients. Materials and Methods: In this randomized, double-blind clinical trial, we evaluate the administration of O3FAs to unvaccinated Mexican patients for two weeks starting after the first two hours of hospitalization. Results: The findings support the notion that O3FAs (in a dose high enough to satisfy human physiological requirements in a short time, one capsule of 1.4 g O3FAs daily) exert a comprehensive multi-systemic modulatory influence, affecting inflammatory and metabolic pathways. Significant perturbations in biomarkers, including absolute neutrophil count, hematocrit, and platelet indices, underscore the compound’s anti-inflammatory effect. Concurrently, the intervention modulates pivotal metabolic and hepatic parameters, attenuating cardiovascular risk profiles and expediting patient convalescence. These multifarious effects are likely orchestrated through intricate biochemical mechanisms and are subject to individual variations predicated on metabolic factors. Conclusions: The results of this trial support the notion that O3FA supplementation has beneficial effects on COVID-19 patients with moderate presentation by regulating metabolism and limiting inflammation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue COVID-19 and Global Chronic Disease 2023)
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12 pages, 805 KiB  
Article
Impact of Comorbidity on the Duration from Symptom Onset to Death in Patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019: A Retrospective Study of 104,753 Cases in Pakistan
by Haoqi Zhou, Jingyuan Wang, Naseem Asghar, Baosheng Liang, Qianqian Song and Xiaohua Zhou
Diseases 2023, 11(4), 176; https://doi.org/10.3390/diseases11040176 - 1 Dec 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1778
Abstract
(1) Background: The evidence indicates that comorbidities are associated with an increase in the risk of death from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). It is unclear whether such an association is different for various combinations of chronic disease comorbidities. (2) Methods: From 16 March [...] Read more.
(1) Background: The evidence indicates that comorbidities are associated with an increase in the risk of death from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). It is unclear whether such an association is different for various combinations of chronic disease comorbidities. (2) Methods: From 16 March 2020 to 30 November 2021, 104,753 patients with confirmed COVID-19 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan, were studied to determine the association between comorbidities and the duration from symptom onset to death in patients with COVID-19 by stratifying their comorbidity status. (3) Results: The patients with comorbidities had an 84% (OR, 0.16; 95% CI, 0.14 to 0.17) decrease in the duration from symptom onset to death, as opposed to patients without a comorbidity. Among the patients with only one comorbidity, chronic lung disease (OR, 0.06; 95% CI, 0.03 to 0.09) had a greater impact on the duration from symptom onset to death than hypertension (OR, 0.15; 95% CI, 0.13 to 0.18) or diabetes (OR, 0.15; 95% CI, 0.12 to 0.18). The patients with both hypertension and diabetes had the shortest duration (OR, 0.17; 95% CI, 0.14 to 0.20) among the patients with two comorbidities. (4) Conclusions: Comorbidity yielded significant adverse impacts on the duration from symptom onset to death in COVID-19 patients in Pakistan. The impact varied with different combinations of chronic disease comorbidities in terms of the number and type of comorbidities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue COVID-19 and Global Chronic Disease 2023)
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11 pages, 738 KiB  
Article
Liver Damage and Impaired Coagulation in COVID-19 Patients: A Case Series
by Ludovico Abenavoli, Isabella Aquila, Matteo Antonio Sacco, Giuseppe Guido Maria Scarlata, Anna Caterina Procopio, Luigi Boccuto, Emidio Scarpellini, Marta Greco, Daniela Patrizia Foti, Pietrantonio Ricci and Francesco Luzza
Diseases 2023, 11(4), 141; https://doi.org/10.3390/diseases11040141 - 13 Oct 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1828
Abstract
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has generated an unprecedented challenge for healthcare systems worldwide. Currently, the scientific community wonders if liver injury in patients suffering from severe forms is a direct consequence of the virus or secondary manifestations of [...] Read more.
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has generated an unprecedented challenge for healthcare systems worldwide. Currently, the scientific community wonders if liver injury in patients suffering from severe forms is a direct consequence of the virus or secondary manifestations of systemic inflammation. The liver plays an essential role in the development of the inflammatory storm typical of this disease, and its involvement is associated with worse clinical outcomes and a higher risk of morbidity and mortality from Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Methods: Ten patients suffering from severe COVID-19 disease who died between January 2020 and December 2021 were included in the present analysis. These subjects underwent a post mortem examination with a focused evaluation of the hepatic injury. Also, several laboratory parameters have been evaluated, with a primary focus on prothrombin time, partial thromboplastin time, fibrinogen, antithrombin III, and D-dimers to detect coagulative changes. Results: The main cause of death was represented by pulmonary thromboembolism events (50%). The analysis of coagulation laboratory parameters and liver biomarkers revealed a statistically significant rise in aPTT and ALP, and a decrease in albumin, when comparing the blood value at admission and death. We also found high levels of D-dimers in most of the subjects at the time of hospitalization. Interestingly, the post mortem analysis of the liver showed ample morphologic variability, with several disease features. In detail, the liver histology revealed the following: the presence of a variable degree of micro- and macrovacuolar steatosis, inflammation (also, hepato-cholangitis), and variable fibrosis. Of mention, we were also able to detect organized fibrinous material. Conclusions: Our results indicate that in subjects with a severe form of COVID-19, liver disease is related to changes in coagulative and fibrinolytic pathways. In particular, we noted low fibrinogen levels and high D-dimer levels with histological liver findings. Our data suggest that fibrinogen and D-dimers may be used as prognostic markers to detect the severity of liver disease in patients with COVID-19. Finally, we underline the crucial role of coagulation balance in subjects with severe forms of COVID-19. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue COVID-19 and Global Chronic Disease 2023)
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12 pages, 299 KiB  
Article
Tixagevimab/Cilgavimab as Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis against COVID-19 for Multiple Myeloma Patients: A Prospective Study in the Omicron Era
by Ioannis Ntanasis-Stathopoulos, Charalampos Filippatos, Maria Gavriatopoulou, Panagiotis Malandrakis, Evangelos Eleutherakis-Papaiakovou, Vassiliki Spiliopoulou, Rodanthi-Eleni Syrigou, Foteini Theodorakakou, Despina Fotiou, Magdalini Migkou, Maria Roussou, Efstathios Kastritis, Meletios Athanasios Dimopoulos and Evangelos Terpos
Diseases 2023, 11(3), 123; https://doi.org/10.3390/diseases11030123 - 18 Sep 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1942
Abstract
Background: tixagevimab/cilgavimab, distributed under the name “Evusheld”, was the first available pre-exposure prophylaxis for COVID-19 other than vaccination. It received an EUA from the FDA after sufficient trial data showed efficacy in preventing SARS-CoV-2 infections and subsequent severe disease. Its potential benefits for [...] Read more.
Background: tixagevimab/cilgavimab, distributed under the name “Evusheld”, was the first available pre-exposure prophylaxis for COVID-19 other than vaccination. It received an EUA from the FDA after sufficient trial data showed efficacy in preventing SARS-CoV-2 infections and subsequent severe disease. Its potential benefits for high-risk immunocompromised patients generated a lot of interest. Individuals with multiple myeloma fall into this category, as they are characterized by attenuated immune responses and, in some cases, vaccines have limited efficacy. Methods: this single-center, prospective study included consecutive patients with multiple myeloma. All individuals were considered high-risk for COVID-19 due to their underlying disease. Baseline demographic and clinical characteristics, as well as data regarding COVID-19 infection and antibodies, were collected. Patients were administered two intramuscular 150 mg doses of Evusheld and were monitored during the follow-up period. Results: one hundred and eleven multiple myeloma patients were included in this analysis, with a median age of 64 years (range 58–69) and fifty-three were females (47.7%). Fourteen patients (12.6%) had a prior history of COVID-19 and all patients were vaccinated with either three or four doses of mRNA-based vaccines. An increase was observed in the median neutralizing-antibody levels before and after tixagevimab/cilgavimab administration, from 92.6% to 97.3%. The high levels were sustainable, with a median neutralizing-antibody level of 95.4% at 3 months post Evusheld administration. Overall, nine patients (8.1%) were diagnosed with COVID-19 during the follow-up period, at a median of 31 days. There were no SARS-CoV-2- infection-related hospitalizations or deaths. The monoclonal antibody combination was well tolerated, with no infusion-related reactions or major adverse events, and pain at the injection site only was reported by 33 patients (30%). Conclusions: tixagevimab/cilgavimab (Evusheld) seemed beneficial for patients with multiple myeloma, who presented high neutralizing-antibody levels and a low incidence of COVID-19 during the initial Omicron wave. No new safety concerns emerged. However, novel combinations of monoclonal antibodies against the new circulating variants of SARS-CoV-2 are deemed necessary in view of the emergence of immune tolerance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue COVID-19 and Global Chronic Disease 2023)
11 pages, 3701 KiB  
Article
Radiological and Functional Pulmonary Evolution in Post-COVID-19 Patients: An Observational Study
by Virgínia Maria Cavallari Strozze Catharin, Tereza Laís Menegucci Zutin, Elen Landgraf Guiguer, Adriano Cressoni Araújo, Lucas Fornari Laurindo, Eduardo F. Baisi Chagas, Cássia Fernanda Gasparotti Zorzetto, Patrícia C. dos Santos Bueno, Manoela dos Santos Bueno, Yandra Cervelim Nunes, Vitor Cavallari Strozze Catharin, Heron Fernando Gonzaga and Sandra Maria Barbalho
Diseases 2023, 11(3), 113; https://doi.org/10.3390/diseases11030113 - 30 Aug 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1613
Abstract
COVID-19 has generated a scenario for global health with multiple systemic impairments. This retrospective study evaluated the clinical, radiological, and pulmonary functional evolution in 302 post-COVID-19 patients. Regarding post-COVID-19 pulmonary symptoms, dry cough, dyspnea, and chest pain were the most frequent. Of the [...] Read more.
COVID-19 has generated a scenario for global health with multiple systemic impairments. This retrospective study evaluated the clinical, radiological, and pulmonary functional evolution in 302 post-COVID-19 patients. Regarding post-COVID-19 pulmonary symptoms, dry cough, dyspnea, and chest pain were the most frequent. Of the associated comorbidities, asthma was more frequent (23.5%). Chest tomography (CT) initially showed a mean pulmonary involvement of 69.7%, and evaluation in the subsequent months showed improvement in the evolutionary image. With less than six months post-pathology, there was a commitment of 37.7% from six to twelve months it was 20%, and after 12 months it was 9.9%. As for most of the sample, 50.3% of the patients presented CT normalization less than six months after infection, 23% were normalized between six and twelve months, and 5.2% presented with normalized images after twelve months, with one remaining. A percentage of 17.3% maintained post-COVID-19 pulmonary residual sequelae. Regarding spirometry, less than six months after pathology, 59.3% of the patients presented regular exam results, 12.3% had their function normalized within six to twelve months, and 6.3% had normal exam results twelve months after their post-pathology evaluation. Only 3.6% of the patients still showed some alteration during this period. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue COVID-19 and Global Chronic Disease 2023)
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