Susceptibility to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and disease severity has recently been associated with inflammatory markers and genetic polymorphisms of ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) and ACE2 genes, but the evidence has been inconclusive. This case-control study (99 COVID-19 patients and 96 controls) sought to assess the significance of age, C-reactive protein (CRP), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR cycle threshold (Ct) in severity of COVID-19. Besides, two variants of ACE and ACE2 genes (rs4646994 and rs2285666, respectively) were analyzed to determine their role in COVID-19 susceptibility and/or disease severity. Results revealed that age, CRP and NLR were significantly elevated in severe cases compared to moderate cases, while RT-PCR Ct value was significantly decreased. Allele and genotypes of both variants were not associated with COVID-19 risk, with the exception of rs2285666 A allele. It showed a significantly higher frequency in female patients than in female controls (probability = 0.041 ) . In conclusion, the study indicated the role of age, CRP, NLR and SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR Ct in susceptibility to COVID-19 severity. However, analysis of the ACE and ACE2 gene variants (rs4646994 and rs2285666, respectively) showed that the two variants were not associated with the risk of developing COVID-19.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a systemic disease with a substantial impact on the hematopoietic system and hemostasis. Neutrophilia is an early indicator of SARS-CoV-2 infection, while lymphopenia acts as a biomarker of the severity of infection, and the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is the main indicator of cytokine storms. Thus, this study aimed to provide local data about hematological parameters among COVID-19 patients and estimate their correlation with viral load and other factors in severe cases. A total of 99 nasopharyngeal swabs and whole blood specimens were collected from individuals suspected with COVID-19 between October and December 2020. Samples were tested by real time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) assay, COVID-19 IgG and IgM antibody tests, beside hematological analysis. The results showed a significant increase in neutrophils count and NLR, correlated with the severity of the disease Patients at older ages who are suffering from some comorbidity like hypertension and diabetes are at elevated risk to develop more severe disease outcome. The findings demonstrated a higher neutrophils count and higher death ratio in older ages. Also, the results suggest that NLR could be employed as a useful biomarker and potential prognostic tool supporting the importance of laboratory records in assessing case severity and disease progression.

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Plastic consumption is continuously increasing due to urbanization and growing global demand. The consumption of plastic deteriorates the quality of the urban environment of most cities, especially in developing countries. To overcome this issue to some extent, this study was conducted to prevent the usage of plastic products to provide a healthy environment. The data was collected by using the closed-ended questionnaire survey and by reviewing the literature. The collected data were assessed and analyzed on SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) software. The survey observed that there is no proper plastic waste disposal system in the study area. People who reside in the area and those who visit the market face an unhygienic environment. The results highlighted that 50% to 60% of residents use plastic items which are dumped at open spaces without proper management after their consumption. This study suggests short-term, mid-term and long-term mitigation measures to reduce the production by using bio-based plastic and consumption by reducing the unnecessary packaging of plastic waste.

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