Introduction: Understanding of how SARS-CoV-2 manifests itself in older adults was unknown at the outset of the pandemic. We undertook a retrospective observational analysis of all patients admitted to older people’s services with confirmed COVID-19 in one of the largest hospitals in Europe. We detail presenting symptoms, prognostic features and vulnerability to nosocomial spread. Methods: We retrospectively collected data for each patient with a positive SARSCoV-2 RT PCR between 18th March and the 20th April 2020 in a department of medicine for the elderly in Glasgow. Results: 222 patients were included in our analysis. Age ranged from 56 to 99 years (mean = 82) and 148 were female (67%). 119 patients had a positive swab for SARS-CoV-2 within the first 14 days of admission, only 32% of these patients presented with primarily a respiratory type illness. 103 patients (46%) tested positive after 14 days of admission – this was felt to represent likely nosocomial infection. 95 patients (43%) died by day 30 after diagnosis. Discussion: This data indicates that older people were more likely to present with non-respiratory symptoms. High clinical frailty scores, severe lymphopenia and cumulative comorbidities were associated with higher mortality rates. Several contributing factors will have led to nosocomial transmission.

Cow live weight is of economic importance in dairy production; however, it is not included in the selection objective for South African dairy cattle. Variance components estimates are a prerequisite to incorporating a trait in the breeding objective. Variance components were estimated for live weight of lactating Holstein cows on two South African dairy herds. Live weight records on 9843 lactating cows, collected over a period of three years, were used. An analysis of variance was carried out to determine fixed effects to include in the model by the least squares method, using the Generalised Linear Models procedure of the Statistical Analysis System. Variance components were estimated by the Restricted Maximum Likelihood procedure using the ASREML programme. A high heritability estimate of 0.74 ± 0.19 is found, which suggests that there is scope for significant response to selection on live weight in the South African Holstein cattle population. A repeatability estimate of 0.86 was obtained. These results form the basis for incorporating live weight in the breeding objective for South African Holstein cattle. Further work, however, needs to be done to develop estimates based on a representative sample of the whole population, as the current study is based on data from only two herds.

We present a 20-year review of juvenile angiofibroma in the relatively static population of Northern Ireland. Seventeen cases were identified and new slides were prepared from the stored paraffin blocks of all their original biopsy material, and re-examined. Five females, a 36-year-old and an 18-year-old male had their diagnoses revised. We suggest clinical criteria, which in conjunction with radiological investigations, should be strictly applied in all cases. Such application would, in retrospect, have identified those cases excluded by pathological re-examination, thus avoiding unnecessary surgery and radiotherapy. Atypical cases which do not satisfy the clinical criteria may be subjected to repeat biopsy but routine initial biopsy is not recommended.

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