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Data availabilitySummary statistics generated by COVID-19 Host Genetics Initiative are available online (https://www.covid19hg.org/results/r6/). The analyses described here use the freeze 6 data. The COVID-19 Host Genetics Initiative continues to regularly release new data freezes. Summary statistics for samples from individuals of non-European ancestry are not currently available owing to the small individual sample sizes of these groups, but the results for 23 loci lead variants are reported in Supplementary Table 3. Individual-level data can be requested directly from the authors of the contributing studies, listed in Supplementary Table 1.

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Aim: The aim of this work is to study the prognostic impact of mutations in the myeloid transcription factor gene CEBPA (for CCAAT/en-

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The coronavirus pandemic is a worldwide hazard that poses a threat to millions of individuals throughout the world. This pandemic is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which was initially identified in Wuhan, China's Hubei provincial capital, and has since spread throughout the world. According to the World Health Organization's Weekly Epidemiological Update, there were more than 250 million documented cases of coronavirus infections globally, with five million fatalities. Early detection of coronavirus does not only reduce the spread of the virus, but it also increases the chance of curing the infection. Spectroscopic techniques have been widely used in the early detection and diagnosis of COVID-19 using Raman, Infrared, mass spectrometry and fluorescence spectroscopy. In this review, the reported spectroscopic methods for COVID-19 detection were discussed with emphasis on the practical aspects, limitations and applications.

Introduction: Vascular calcification is a risk factor for cardiovascular mortality in the general population. It is highly prevalent in end stage renal disease (ESRD) patients. Low magnesium (Mg) levels have been reported to have a strong association with vascular calcification in hemodialysis (HD) patients. The aims of this study were to evaluate the prevalence of vascular calcification and its relation to serum Mg concentration in a group of Egyptian HD patients. Methods:We studied 65 stable patients undergoing maintenance HD for more than 6 months. Vascular calcification was evaluated using hand roentgenography. Serum Mg, phosphorus, corrected calcium and intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) levels were compared between patients with and without vascular calcification. Results:The study included 41 male and 24 female patients, aged 43-70 years. Vascular calcification was present in 38.5% of the patients. Mean serum Mg level was 2.88 ± 0.51 mg/dl. Male gender was more common in patients with vascular calcification, and they had significantly longer HD duration and significantly higher serum phosphorus and iPTH levels. Serum Mg level was significantly lower in patients with vascular calcification (2.36 ± 0.26 mg/dl vs.3.21 ± 0.32 mg/dl, p = 0.001). Serum Mg concentration remained as independent negative predictor of hand-artery vascular calcification after adjustment for age, gender, duration of HD, serum phosphorus and iPTH levels. Conclusion:Vascular calcification is common in the study population and is associated with a lower serum Mg level. High or sustained-normal Mg levels may have a protective role against the development of vascular calcification in HD patients.