Epidemiology and Health System Journal
Volume:8 Issue: 3, Summer 2021

As a result of the global crisis related to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), confusion, anxiety, fear, and some psychological effects have been created among the general population in this global village. Unfortunately, these factors have provoked inappropriate behavior converting the infection to the virus to a social stigma, which can affect the dignity of people died due to COVID-19. In addition to the patient, the stigma can also affect interpersonal relationship among nurses, family members, friends, as well as social relationships. In this critical situation, we need to take care of each other with empathy, which is the key to successfully cope with the issue and prevent social stigma associated with COVID-19. This commentary evaluates the effects of social stigma related to COVID-19 and suggests some practical measures for the world communities to deal with this global public health problem.

Brucellosis is one of the most common infectious diseases in both humans and animals. It has been controlled in developed countries; however, it is still regarded as a public health problem in developing countries including Iran. The aim of this study was to investigate the epidemiology of human brucellosis in Isfahan province.  The present study is a cross-sectional descriptive study investigating the epidemiology of human brucellosis in Isfahan province from 2010 to 2015. Sampling was done using Isfahan’s disease registry database. Chi-square and t test were used for analyzing the data, and all data analyses were performed using SPSS software version 21.0.  A total of 3,245 patients were included in this study, and their mean (SD) age was 35.29 (18.00) years. The age group of 15-25 years with a frequency of 23.80% had the highest frequency of the disease. The annual incidence of the disease from 2010 to 2014 shows an increasing trend, reaching from 6.25 to 15 per 100 000 people. It was reduced in 2015 and reached 12.25 per 100 000. In addition, the highest incidence was observed in July.  This study implies that the trend of human brucellosis has been increasing over the years, so it is recommended that people be educated on how to prevent it in humans and animals. The results of this study can help health administrators in the province to more effectively control the disease at the provincial level by identifying high-risk cities and focusing on health care in these areas.

Many pathologic conditions can affect the tongue and their pattern of occurrence may differ. The objective of this study was the epidemiological survey of tongue lesions reported in a 10-year period in the Oral Pathology Department of Khorasgan Dental School.  In this cross-sectional study, 800 biopsy records were retrieved from the archives of the Oral Pathology Department of Khorasgan Dental School and examined. Moreover, the prevalence of lesions was investigated in terms of age and gender using descriptive statistics.  The prevalence of lesions analyzed in the present study was 4.37%. About 71.42% of the participants were female and 28.58% were male. Irritation fibroma had the highest frequency (20%). The most frequent lesion among women was lichen planus with a prevalence of 20% and the most frequent lesion among men was irritation fibroma with a prevalence of 30%. The highest frequency was observed in the age group of 21-30 years. Squamous papilloma, lichen planus, and irritation fibroma were the most common lesions with a prevalence of 25%. No lesion was detected in people aged 1-10 years.  In the present study, reactive lesions were the most prevalent tongue lesions. According to the findings, changing the lifestyle and observing oral hygiene seem to help prevent these lesions to a large extent.

Today, with the increasing prevalence of COVID-19 in the world, the general population with excessive worry due to media reports has a higher level of psychological distress. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the state of anxiety among Instagram users in 2020. 

This is a cross-sectional study that was conducted from June to July 2020 on 313 Instagram users. Coronavirus Anxiety Scale was used to measure anxiety caused by coronavirus in Iran. The subjects entered the study by availability sampling and filled out the questionnaire through the features of Instagram such as posts and stories. Chi-square test was used to analyze the relationship between independent and dependent variables according to the nature of the variable. The significance level was considered to be P < 0.05. 

Out of 313 participants in the study, 218 (69.6%) were in the age range of 19-35 years. Additionally, 50.5% of them were male and the majority of the participants had academic education. Overall, 21.4% of the participants had moderate to severe anxiety. There was no significant relationship between the participants’ levels of anxiety and demographic variables (age groups, gender, and level of education) (P > 0.05). 

The results of chi-square test showed that no significant relationship was observed between the dimensions of anxiety based on the demographic characteristics of individuals such as age groups (P=0.256), gender (P=0.644), and level of education (P=0.415).

Oral mucosa is prone to various lesions. Some of these lesions can be early signs of a particular disease or even malignancy in the body. The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency distribution of oral biopsies from 2009 to 2019. In this analytical descriptive cross-sectional study, 621 records of the oral cavity biopsies performed in the pathology department of Shahid Sadoughi hospital were analyzed. Age, gender, type of lesion, site of lesion, histopathological diagnosis, year of referral, and medical specialist who performed the biopsy were included in the study checklist. The data were analyzed using chi-square and Kruskal-Wallis test in SPSS version 25.0. Of 621 biopsies, 308 specimens belonged to men (49.6%) and 313 specimens belonged to women (50.4%). The mean age of patients was 46.58±21.08 years, ranging from 6 months to 95 years. The most affected areas were the tongue (33%), lower lip (29.1%) and cheeks (17.7%). squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) (27.9%), inflammatory lesions (26.1%), mucocele (14.8%), and ulcers (8.5%) were the most frequent lesions. There was a significant difference in the age of individuals with different lesions (P<0.001). The most frequent lesion diagnosed in biopsies was SCC. The most frequently affected sites were tongue and cheek. Lesions were more frequent in women and were most frequently seen in the fourth, fifth, and sixth decades of life.

Gastritis is basically caused by Campylobacter coli and jejuni, and usually occures after the consumption of raw animal products.  This study investigated the prevalence, virulence, and antimicrobial resistance of Campylobacter species isolated from slaughtered animals in Juneqan, Farrokhshahr, Saman, and Lordegan slaughterhouses in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province of Iran. From 40 camels, 5 samples of liver, neck meat, kidney, heart, and rectal contents were taken from each carcass. The obtained samples were cultured and then the PCR was performed for them and, finally, the toxin genes of virulence and resistance against antibiotics were examined.  Out of 19 Campylobacter specimens isolated, 8 specimens were coli and 11 ones were jejuni. It was also found that the infection with Campylobacter in the carcasses was the highest in warmer seasons.  The carcasses of slaughtered animals in slaughterhouses were likely a potential reservoir for coli and jejuni species, and their viscera and meat could have transmitted these bacteria to humans and animals.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread widely throughout the world and become a pandemic disease. In this study, we decided to investigate the chest computed tomography (CT) findings in COVID-19 patients in Hamadan, west of Iran. 

This cross-sectional study was conducted on 101 patients with confirmed COVID-19 infection from February to March 2020. Demographic, clinical, laboratory, and chest CT findings of identified COVID-19 patients were assessed. 

The mean age of the patients was 55.21 ± 14.08 years, and 54 (53.47%) of them were male. With regard to clinical manifestations, 82.18%, 72.28% and 54.46% of COVID-19 patients had dry cough, dyspnea, and fever, respectively. The right lower lobe was the most commonly and severely involved lope (69%), followed by left lower lobe, right middle lobe, and lingual segment; however, the anterior segment of upper lobes showed the least involvement with abnormality in the late course of the disease. The most common pattern was ground glass opacity (GGO), but atypical patterns such as round pneumonia, moderate to severe pleural effusion, and segmental lobar consolidation were seen without evidence of mediastinal adenopathy, cavitation, or nodular lesion. Chest X-ray (CXR) was not a sensitive method as the first-line imaging method because 34.65% of them were normal. 

CXR is not a sensitive method as the first-line imaging method (34.65% normal first CXR), but chest CT is a very sensitive and nonspecific modality for diagnosis of COVID-19. The lower lobe and posterior basal segments of the lungs are the most involved sites in most cases. About 12% showed atypical chest CT findings.

In late December 2019, a cluster of progressive pneumonia-like respiratory syndromes broke out in Wuhan, China. As the number of cases continued to rise, the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has been declared a global public health emergency. The causative agent, i.e., SARS-CoV-2, is a highly contagious strain, which has resulted in the rapid worldwide outbreak of COVID-19. COVID-19 is an overwhelmingly transmissible disease that requires early and accurate diagnosis for proper and timely treatment of suspected cases. 

In order to access the scientific documentation and evidence related to the subject published during 2019 to 2021, English keywords including “COVID-19”, “SARS-CoV-2”, “Diagnosis”, “Immunoglobulin G (IgG)”, “Immunoglobulin M (IgM)”, and ‘Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)” were searched in Medline, PubMed, and Google Scholar databases and Persian versions of these keywords were also looked for in Jihad-e Daneshgahi’s Scientific Information Database (SID) and Iranian Journals database (Magiran) 

With respect to diagnosis, serum antibody assays, nucleic acid sequencing, and radiologic evaluation are among the most reliable methods to rule out the disease in suspicious cases. This review is a synopsis of the pathogenesis of coronavirus, which will mainly focus on the diagnostic methods, as well as laboratory changes in immunoglobulins, polymerase chain reaction results, and computed tomography (CT) findings. 

Early diagnosis matters in that it not only contributes to the prevention of further transmission of the virus by asymptomatic carriers but also paves the way for clinicians to accurately choose the best therapeutic approach depending on the status of the patients.