The Omicron variant of concern has a high level of mutations in different genes that has raised awareness about the performance of immunological products such as vaccines and antigen detection kits. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we investigated whether Omicron had a significant influence on rapid antigen test (RAT) performance in comparison to PCR. We registered this systematic review and meta-analysis in PROSPERO with the registration number CRD42022355510. We searched PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science databases systematically to 1 August 2022. After article screening, we assessed the quality of the included studies based on the JBI checklist. Following data extraction, we performed a metaanalysis using R software. We included 18 qualified articles presenting sufficient data about RATs performance in comparison to RT-PCR in Omicron infections. The pooled specificity and sensitivity of RATs were 1.000 (0.997-1.000) and 0.671 (0.595-0.721), respectively. The FDA-approved kits showed a better performance than WHO-approved ones with a sensitivity of 0.728 (0.620-0.815). The use of RATs with nasal swabs showed a higher sensitivity compared with nasopharyngeal swabs. The sensitivity for samples with a CT-value >25 was 0.108 (0.048-0.227). Rapid antigen tests show impaired performance for COVID-19 diagnosis when theOmicron variant is circulating, particularly in samples with low viral loads.

Objective Mucormycosis is a rare yet devastating fungal disease with a frequently fatal outcome. The purpose of this study was to compare the prevalence of mucormycosis, evaluate its risk factors, and assess the patients' outcomes in pre‐COVID‐19 and COVID‐19 era. Methods In this retrospective observational study, clinical data of 158 patients with confirmed histopathological diagnosis of mucormycosis were collected from the medical records departments of Imam Reza and Ghaem hospitals, Mashhad, Iran during 2018–2021. The collected data were risk factors associated with mucormycosis including age, gender, underlying diseases, details of corticosteroid administration, and complications such as blindness and mortality. Results Of 158 studied patients, 48 patients were diagnosed in the pre‐pandemic period whereas 110 cases were admitted during the pandemic era. COVID‐19 associated mucormycosis (CAM) was observed in 58.1% of the pandemic cases. In the pre‐pandemic period, cancer (89.5% vs. 39%, p < .001) was significantly more prevalent while during the pandemic era, the prevalence of diabetes mellitus (16.7% vs. 51%, p < .001) was remarkably higher. Moreover, the mortality rate of mucormycosis was considerably reduced after the pandemic (64.6%–45.4%), especially in CAM patients (35.9%). Conclusion The COVID‐19 pandemic has led to an increased prevalence of mucormycosis, due to the convergence of interlinked risk factors such as diabetes mellitus, corticosteroid therapy, and COVID‐19. Therefore, clinicians must be aware of the probable occurrence of mucormycosis in the first or second week of COVID‐19 infection in vulnerable patients and use the steroids cautiously. Level of evidence 4 Laryngoscope Investigative Otolaryngology, 2022.

Background and aims: Cancer is the cause of many deaths and is the second most prevalent cause of death worldwide. Besides its high mortality, cancer can cause emotional and economic burdens on patients and society. Hypericum is known as herbal medicine that has many species. Its anticancer effects have been proven in various articles. It has many active compounds, including flavonoids, phloroglucinols, and phenylpropanoids. The current review aimed to collect data on the anti-cancer potential of Hypericum on different types of cancer cell lines and their chief mechanisms. Method: A search was conducted on PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, ResearchGate, and Google Scholar databases to find relevant studies on the anti-cancer potential of Hypericum perforatum and its underlying mechanisms of action in different cancers. The relevant English language articles published up to March 2022 were collected, screened, and reviewed. Results: The anti-cancer effects of Hypericum perforatum were shown against glioblastoma, neuroblastoma, leukemia, and liver, breast, prostate, lung, bladder, colon, skin, and pancreatic cancers. It can induce apoptosis by activating caspase enzymes and inhibit cell growth in different cancer cell lines. Also, the cytotoxic effects of Hypericum perforatum extract on cancer cell lines were shown in in vitro studies. Results: The anti-cancer effects of Hypericum perforatum were shown against glioblastoma, neuroblastoma, leukemia, and liver, breast, prostate, lung, bladder, colon, skin, and pancreatic cancers. It can induce apoptosis by activating caspase enzymes and inhibit cell growth in different cancer cell lines. Also, the cytotoxic effects of Hypericum perforatum extract on cancer cell lines were shown in in vitro studies. Conclusion: Hypericum perforatum can be proposed as a strong herbal remedy for the treatment of cancer since it is an available and cheap treatment for cancer compared to other treatments, but further clinical trial studies should be performed to confirm these properties.