In addition to being a public physical health emergency, Coronavirus disease 2019 affected global mental health, as evidenced by panic-buying worldwide as cases soared.Little is known about changes in levels of psychological impact, stress, anxiety and depression during this pandemic. This longitudinal study surveyed the general population twice -during the initial outbreak, and the epidemic's peak four weeks later, surveying demographics, symptoms, knowledge, concerns, and precautionary measures against COVID-19. There were 1738 respondents from 190 Chinese cities (1210 first-survey respondents, 861 second-survey respondents; 333 respondents participated in both). Psychological impact and mental health status were assessed by the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21), respectively. IES-R measures PTSD symptoms in survivorship after an event. DASS -21 is based on tripartite model of psychopathology that comprise a general distress construct with distinct characteristics. This study found that there was a statistically significant longitudinal reduction in mean IES-R scores (from 32.98 to 30.76, p<0.01) after 4 weeks. Nevertheless, the mean IES-R score of the first-and secondsurvey respondents were above the cut-off scores (>24) for PTSD symptoms, suggesting that the reduction in scores was not clinically significant. During the initial evaluation, moderateto-severe stress, anxiety and depression were noted in 8.1%, 28.8% and 16.5%, respectively and there were no significant longitudinal changes in stress, anxiety and depression levels (p>0.05). Protective factors included high level of confidence in doctors, perceived survival likelihood and low risk of contracting COVID-19, satisfaction with health information, personal precautionary measures. As countries around the world brace for an escalation in cases, Governments should focus on effective methods of disseminating unbiased COVID-19 knowledge, teaching correct containment methods, ensuring availability of essential services/commodities, and providing sufficient financial support. 4

Background Differences in physical and mental health impact across continents during the COVID-19 pandemic are unknown. Objective This study compared the levels of impact of COVID-19 on mental health among people from Spain and China and correlated mental health parameters with variables relating to symptoms similar to COVID-19, COVID-19 knowledge, and precautionary measures. Methods We collected information on demographic data, physical symptoms, contact history with persons with a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis, COVID-19 knowledge, and precautionary measures. Participants completed the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale–21 Items (DASS-21). To analyze the differences in the mental health parameters, the mean scores between Chinese and Spanish respondents were compared using the independent samples t test. The differences in categorical variables between the two samples were analyzed by the chi-square test. Linear regression was used to calculate the univariate associations between the independent variables and mental health parameters for both groups separately, with adjustments made for age, gender, and education. Results A total of 1528 participants (Spain: n=687; China: n=841) were recruited. The mean age of the Chinese respondents was 24.73 years (SD 7.60; range 18-65 years), and the mean age of the Spanish respondents was 43.06 years (SD 11.95; range 18-76 years). Spanish participants reported significantly more symptoms similar to COVID-19 infection (eg, fever, sore throat, and breathing difficulties), contact history with COVID-19, higher perceived risk of contracting COVID-19, frequent use of medical services, and less confidence in medical services compared with their Chinese counterparts (P<.001). Spanish participants reported significantly higher DASS-21 stress and depression scores, while Chinese participants reported significantly higher IES-R scores (P<.001). Chinese participants encountered more discrimination from other countries (P<.001). Significantly more Chinese participants reported using face masks than Spanish ones (P<.001). More exposure to health information was associated with adverse mental health in Spain (depression: P=.02; anxiety: P=.02; stress: P=.001). Conclusions Our study found that Spanish respondents reported higher levels of stress and depression as well as more symptoms and use of medical services. In preparation for the next pandemic, Spain needs to establish a prompt policy to implement rapid response and enhance medical services to safeguard physical and mental health.

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BACKGROUND The differences between physical and mental health across continents during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic was unknown. OBJECTIVE This study compared the levels of impact of COVID-19 and mental health between people from Spain and China, and to correlate mental health parameters with variables relating to symptoms similar to COVID-19, COVID-19 knowledge and precautionary measures. METHODS We collected information on demographic data, physical symptoms, contact history, COVID-19 knowledge and precautionary measures. Participants filled the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21). To analyze the differences in the mental health parameters, the mean score between the Chinese and Spanish respondents was compared by the independent sample t-test. The differences in categorical variables between the two samples was analyzed by the chi-squared test. Linear regressions was used to calculate the univariate associations between independent variables and mental health parameters for the Chinese and Spanish respondents separately RESULTS A total of 1539 participants (678 from Spain; 861 from China) were recruited. Spanish participants reported significantly more symptoms similar to COVID-19 infection, contact history with COVID-19, higher perceived risk of contracting COVID-19, frequent use of medical services and less confidence in medical services as compared with Chinese (p<0.001). Spanish participants reported significantly higher stress and depression scores while the Chinese participants reported significantly higher IES-R scores (p<0.001). Chinese participants encountered more discrimination from other countries (p<0.001). Significantly fewer Spanish participants preferred to use face masks as well as obtained health information related to COVID-19 (p<0.001). Significantly more Chinese participants reported the use of face masks was associated with less depression but more health information was associated with adverse mental health in Spanish (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Our study found that Spanish respondents reported higher levels of stress and depression as well as more symptoms and medical services. Before the next pandemic, Spain needs to establish a prompt policy to implement rapid response and enhanced medical services to safeguard physical and mental health.

Patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are at risk of developing thrombosis and are 8 to 10 times more likely to develop thrombosis than the general population. Moreover, if they have hypercoagulable state they can have severe thrombosis and life-threatening thrombotic events. The purpose of this retrospective study is to analyze hypercoagulable state in HIV-seropositive patients who have been diagnosed with venous thromboembolism (VTE). This study is a subgroup study of a larger cohort group of HIV-seropositive patients with VTE followed up with our vascular medicine outpatient clinic. The patients included for this study were HIV-seropositive patients with hypercoagulable state, analyzed over the past 3 years, and followed prospectively. HIV-seropositive patients with arterial thrombosis were excluded. These patients had minimum, regular follow-up of 3 months, with a Doppler scan in the beginning and last follow-up. All the patients were analyzed for hypercoagulable state and the patients selected in this study were those who were tested positive for hypercoagulable state. All patients were analyzed for age, gender, race, site of thrombosis, coagulation factors, lipid panel, type of antiretroviral treatment, past or present history of infections or malignancy, CD4 absolute and helper cell counts at the beginning of thrombosis, and response to treatment and outcome. Patients with HIV with arterial thrombosis were excluded. The study was approved by the ethics committee. Five patients were included in this study. The mean age was 47.8 years (range 38 to 58 years). All were male patients with lower limb thrombosis. Most common venous thrombosis was popliteal vein thrombosis, followed by common femoral, superficial femoral, and external iliac thrombosis. Two patients had deficiency of protein S, two had high homocysteine levels, one had deficiency of antithrombin 3, and one had increase in anticardiolipin immunoglobulin G antibody. All the patients were taking nucleoside and nonnucleoside inhibitors but only one patient was taking protease inhibitors. There was no history of malignancy but two patients had past history of tuberculosis. The mean absolute CD4 counts were 244 cells/UL (range 103 to 392 cells/UL) and helper CD4 counts were 19.6 cells/UL (range 15 to 30 cells/UL). All were anticoagulated with warfarin or enoxaparin. There was complete resolution of deep vein thrombosis only in one patient on long-term anticoagulation but there was no resolution of thrombosis in the other four patients despite of therapeutic anticoagulation for more than 6 months. All the patients are alive and on regular follow-up. Thrombosis in HIV patients is seen more commonly in middle aged, community ambulant male patients. The most common hypercoagulable state was noted as deficiency of protein S and hyperhomocysteinemia. Eighty percent of the patients did not respond to therapeutic anticoagulation.