Monkeypox is a zoonotic viral disease endemic to the tropical rainforest regions of Central and West Africa. The 1st virus isolation was done from a group of research monkeys in 1958 and the 1st human case was detected in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in 1970. Outbreaks outside Africa by 2021 were always small-scale and associated with travel to endemic regions or the importation of infected animals. But in 2022, more than 2000 cases were reported from 1st January to 3rd August from more than 80 countries worldwide, and the majority of them had no travel or contact history. Neighboring country India has also detected four monkeypox cases for the first time with one death which is a concern for Bangladesh. This review article gives a brief overview of the monkeypox virus, the disease, and most importantly, the preventive measures in the context of the current global outbreak.
The phytochemical and antimicrobial activity of the petroleum ether and crude methanol extracts, chloroform and ethyl acetate fractions of the leaves of Lannea kerstingii were investigated. Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of steroids and triterpenes in the petroleum ether extract, steroid, triterpene, flavonoids and tannins in both crude methanol extract and chloroform fraction while the ethyl acetate fraction contained only flavonoids and tannins. The extracts exhibited antimicrobial activities with zones of inhibition ranging from 17.00 to 21.03, 20.10 to 25.24, 25.32 to 34.02 and 22.28 to 27.20 mm for petroleum ether extract, methanol extract, chloroform and ethyl acetate fractions respectively. The minimum inhibitory concentration was between 5 and 10mg/ml, 5mg/ml for the petroleum ether and methanol extract respectively, and between 2.5 and 5 mg/ml, 5mg/ml for the acetate fractions. The minimum bactericidal concentration for all the extracts was 40mg/ml respectively except for chloroform fraction which ranged from 20 to 40mg/ml. The minimum fungicidal concentration for all the extracts was found to be 40mg/ml respectively. This result indicates the broad spectrum antimicrobial potential of L. Kerstingii and justifies the use of this plant in traditional medicine.
Background: Since the detection of the first case of the novel SARS-CoV-2 virus in Wuhan, China, on December 31, 2019, the world stepped into an era of the pandemic as declared by WHO on March 11, 2020. With no prior knowledge regarding this new pandemic, the evidence-based practice of medical management was at stake. Experience sharing from different corners of the world played an essential role in building knowledge to save the world. Methods: The researchers collected data for this retrospective study, from hospital records of the COVID-19 dedicated unit of Sylhet Women’s Medical College, Sylhet, Bangladesh, that was formed temporarily in July 2020, in response to the pandemic situation in the country. This article includes data on 3408 admitted COVID-19 patients with moderate to severe symptoms, managed in the isolation unit including its intensive care unit (ICU) up to November 2021. Results: The mean age of the patients was 57.21±12.58 years and male to female ratio was 1:1.8. Fever (44.4%), cough (38.9), and fatigability (33.3%) were the common symptoms. Diabetes mellitus (67.7%), systemic hypertension (63.7%), asthma (8.65%), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (21.94%), and, ischemic heart disease (31.2%) were the top co-morbid conditions. Of the study subjects, 68.2% were RT-PCR positive for COVID-19, 67.3% had an abnormal baseline chest X-ray, and 91.1% had a ground glass shadow on a high-resolution CT scan of chest. Average C-reactive protein, D-dimer, and serum ferritin values were 71.68±60.38, 1.16±2.11, and 839±748.57 respectively. Hypoxemia, which was a common problem among them, was managed with oxygen therapy with an appropriate delivery device, with or without supplementation by dexamethasone (78.3%), or methylprednisolone (18.8%). Eighteen (18) patients refused to receive any antiviral therapy, 61 received oral Favipiravir and the rest of them received injectable Remdesevir. Standard care was augmented with Baricitinib in 60 patients. Thirty-six (36) patients in the ICU, with poor response to standard care, were treated with Tocilizumab. Death rates were 9.46% in the non-ICU block, but they were 6-10 times higher in the ICU. Conclusion: Every medical professional learned from the initial two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. Lessons learnt from experience helped building up the knowledge pool necessary for generating effective protocols for COVID-19 pneumonia management.
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