Background Bangladesh is a densely populated country with a substandard healthcare system and a mediocre economic framework. Due to the enormous number of people who have been unaware until now, the development of COVID-19’s second-wave infection has become a severe threat. The present investigation aimed to characterize the clinical and socio-demographic characteristics of COVID-19 in Bangladesh. Methods A cross-sectional analysis was carried out from all the other COVID-19 patients and confirmed by RT-PCR undergoing a specialized COVID-19 hospital. From March 1 to April 15, 2021, a total of 1326 samples were collected. Samples were only obtained from non-critical COVID-19 patients as critically ill patients required emergency intensive care medications. Then, from April 17 to May 03, 2021, SARS-CoV-2 infection and clinical assessment was performed based on interim guidelines from the WHO. The diagnosis was conducted through RT-PCR. Later, identifying the symptomatic and asymptomatic patient based on checking the Clinical Observation Form (COF). The patients filled the COF form. Finally, statistical analyses were done using the SPSS 20 statistical program. Results In this investigation, a total of 326 patients were diagnosed as COVID-19 positive. Among them, approximately 19.02% (n = 62) were asymptomatic, and 80.98% (n = 264) were symptomatic. Here, the finding shows that the occurrence of this infection was varied depending on age, sex, residence, occupation, smoking habit, comorbidities, etc. However, Males (60.12%) were more affected than females (39.88%), and, surprisingly, this pandemic infected both urban and rural residents almost equally (urban = 50.92%; rural = 49.08%). Approximately 19% of the asymptomatic and 62% of symptomatic cases had at least one comorbid disorder. Interestingly, an unexpected result was exhibited in the case of smokers, where non-smokers were more affected than smokers. The study indicates community transmission of COVID 19, where people were highly infected at their occupations (35.58%), at houses (23.93%) and by traveling (12.88%). Noteworthy, according to this report, a large number (19.33%) of individuals did not know exactly how they were contaminated with SARS-CoV-2. Patients were most commonly treated by an antibiotic 95.09%, followed in second by corticosteroid 46.01%. Anti-viral drugs, remdesivir, and oxygenation are also needed for other patients. Among those, who were being treated, approximately 69.33% were isolated at home, 27.91% were being treated at dedicated COVID-19 hospitals. Finally, 96.63% were discharged without complications, and 0.03% has died. Conclusion This investigation concludes that males became more infected than females. Interestingly, both urban and rural people became nearly equally infected. It noticed community transmission of SARS-CoV-2, where people were highly infected at their workplaces. A higher rate of silent transmissio...

Background: Acute ischemic stroke imposes substantial disability, economic, and social burdens. Prevention plays a vital role in reducing morbidity and mortality. Reduced hemoglobin concentration in ischemic stroke patients hampers oxygen delivery to neuronal tissue, leading to adverse effects on the ischemic penumbra and increasing the risk of infarct expansion. By addressing anemia and identifying other associated risk factors, we can effectively enhance stroke prevention strategies and mitigate its overall impact on individuals and society. Understanding the multifaceted nature of ischemic stroke and implementing comprehensive prevention measures is key to minimizing its devastating consequences. Objectives: The purpose of this study is to show the association of admission anaemia with the Severity of Acute Ischemic Stroke. Method and Materials: This cross-sectional study was carried out in the Department of Neurology, Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH), Dhaka for a period of two years. Two hundred and seventy- nine patients with acute ischemic stroke were selected consecutively through screening with a set of inclusion and exclusion criteria. Each patient underwent a CT of the head and/or MRI of the brain and blood tests, including hemoglobin (Hb) concentration on the first day of hospitalization. Demographic and risk factors from all subjects were collected with a structured questionnaire. The neurological state of the patients was assessed on the first day of hospitalization by the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS). After data collection analysis was done by SPSS for Windows version 26. A p-value ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The frequency of anemia in acute ischemic stroke patients was 39.1%, in males it was 35.8%, and in females 44.7%. Frequency Anemia was observed more among the older patients than younger patients but there was no significant difference. Anemia was found highest in the age group ........

BackgroundWith the proposed pathophysiologic mechanism of neurologic injury by SARS COV-2 the frequency of stroke and henceforth the related hospital admissions were expected to rise. In this paper we investigate this presumption by comparing the frequency of admissions of stroke cases in Bangladesh before and during the pandemic.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective analysis of stroke admissions in a 100-bed stroke unit at the National Institute of Neurosciences and Hospital (NINS&H) which is considerably a large stroke unit. We considered all the admitted cases from the 1st January to the 30th June, 2020. We used Poisson regressions to determine whether statistically significant changes in admission counts can be found before and after 25 March since when there is a surge in COVID-19 infections.ResultsA total of 1394 stroke patients got admitted during the study period. Half of the patients were older than 60 years, whereas only 2.6% were 30 years old or younger with a male-female ratio of 1.06:1. From January to March, 2020 the mean rate of admission was 302.3 cases per month which dropped to 162.3 cases per month from April to June with an overall reduction of 46.3% in acute stroke admission per month. In those two periods, reductions in average admission per month for ischemic stroke (IST), intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and venous stroke (VS) were 45.5%, 37.2%, 71.4% and 39.0%, respectively. Based on weekly data, results of Poisson regressions confirm that the average number of admissions per week dropped significantly during the last three months of the sample period. Further, in the first three months, a total of 22 cases of hyperacute stroke management were done whereas in the last three months there was an 86.4% reduction in the number of hyperacute stroke patients getting reperfusion treatment. Only 38 patients (2.7%) were later found to be RT- PCR for SARS Cov-2 positive based on nasal swab testing.ConclusionOur study revealed more than fifty percent reduction in acute stroke admission during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is still elusive whether the reduction is related to the fear of getting infected by COVID-19 from hospitalization or the overall restriction on public movement and stay-home measures.