Importance of Eosinopenia in COVID-19 Infection

Objective: Dynamic changes in the number of eosinophils are observed during the diagnosis and follow-up in coronavirus disease-2019(COVID-19). Our aim was to show the role of the absolute eosinophil count in the diagnosis of COVID-19 and the relationship with diseaseseverity and prognosis.Methods: In this study, 191 patients (130 inpatients, 61 outpatients) diagnosed with COVID-19 pneumonia with the polymerase chain reactiontest and lung computed tomography; and 22 patients with positive influenza test were included as the control group. All demographic,biochemical data, clinical and radiological characteristics were recorded.Results: The mean eosinophils on first day of the inpatient COVID-19 group were found to be statistically lower than the influenza group andthe ambulatory groups (p=0.001, p=0.0001).Conclusion: A low eosinophil count in complete blood count, can aid in the early diagnosis of infection. Persistent eosinopenia progresseswith disease severity and may help determine the prognosis of the disease

Local Stellar Kinematics from RAVE data-VII. Metallicity Gradients from Red Clump Stars

We investigate the Milky Way Galaxy's radial and vertical metallicity gradients using a sample of 47 406 red clump stars from the RAdial Velocity Experiment Data Release 4. Distances are calculated by adopting K-s-band absolute magnitude as -1.54 +/- 0.04 mag for the sample. The metallicity gradients are calculated with their current orbital positions (R-gc and Z) and with their orbital properties (R-m and z(max)): d[Fe/H]/ dR(gc) = -0.047 +/- 0.003 dex kpc(-1) for vertical bar Z vertical bar <= 0.5 kpc and d[Fe/H]/dR(m) = -0.025 +/- 0.002 dex kpc(-1) for z(max) <= 0.5 kpc. This reaffirms the radial metallicity gradient in the thin disc but highlights that gradients are sensitive to the selection effects caused by the difference between R-gc and R-m. The radial gradient is flat in the distance interval 0.5-1 kpc from the plane and then becomes positive greater than 1 kpc from the plane. The radial metallicity gradients are also eccentricity dependent. We showed that d[Fe/H]/dR(m) = -0.089 +/- 0.010, -0.073 +/- 0.007, -0.053 +/- 0.004 and -0.044 +/- 0.002 dex kpc(-1) for e(p) <= 0.05, e(p) <= 0.07, e(p) <= 0.10 and e(p) <= 0.20 sub-samples, respectively, in the distance interval z(max) <= 0.5 kpc. Similar trend is found for vertical metallicity gradients. Both the radial and vertical metallicity gradients are found to become shallower as the eccentricity of the sample increases. These findings can be used to constrain different formation scenarios of the thick and thin discs

The epidemiology and economic impact of varicella-related hospitalizations in Turkey from 2008 to 2010: a nationwide survey during the pre-vaccine era (VARICOMP study)

Varicella can cause complications that are potentially serious and require hospitalization. Our current understanding of the causes and incidence of varicella-related hospitalization in Turkey is limited and sufficiently accurate epidemiological and economical information is lacking. The aim of this study was to estimate the annual incidence of varicella-related hospitalizations, describe the complications, and estimate the annual mortality and cost of varicella in children. VARICOMP is a multi-center study that was performed to provide epidemiological and economic data on hospitalization for varicella in children between 0 and 15 years of age from October 2008 to September 2010 in Turkey. According to medical records from 27 health care centers in 14 cities (representing 49.3% of the childhood population in Turkey), 824 children (73% previously healthy) were hospitalized for varicella over the 2-year period. Most cases occurred in the spring and early summer months. Most cases were in children under 5 years of age, and 29.5% were in children under 1 year of age. The estimated incidence of varicella-related hospitalization was 5.29-6.89 per 100,000 in all children between 0-15 years of age in Turkey, 21.7 to 28 per 100,000 children under 1 year of age, 9.8-13.8 per 100,000 children under 5 years of age, 3.96-6.52 per 100,000 children between 5 and 10 years of age and 0.42 to 0.71 per 100,000 children between 10 and 15 years of age. Among the 824 children, 212 (25.7%) were hospitalized because of primary varicella infection. The most common complications in children were secondary bacterial infection (23%), neurological (19.1%), and respiratory (17.5%) complications. Secondary bacterial infections (p < 0.001) and neurological complications (p < 0.001) were significantly more common in previously healthy children, whereas hematological complications (p < 0.001) were more commonly observed in children with underlying conditions. The median length of the hospital stay was 6 days, and it was longer in children with underlying conditions (< 0.001). The median cost of hospitalization per patient was $338 and was significantly higher in children with underlying conditions (p < 0.001). The estimated direct annual cost (not including the loss of parental work time and school absence) of varicella-related hospitalization in children under the age of 15 years in Turkey was$856,190 to $1,407,006. According to our estimates, 882 to 1,450 children are hospitalized for varicella each year, reflecting a population-wide occurrence of 466-768 varicella cases per 100,000 children. In conclusion, this study confirms that varicella-related hospitalizations are not uncommon in children, and two thirds of these children are otherwise healthy. The annual cost of hospitalization for varicella reflects only a small part of the overall cost of this disease, as only a very few cases require hospital admission. The incidence of this disease was higher in children < 1 year of age, and there are no prevention strategies for these children other than population-wide vaccination. Universal vaccination is therefore the only realistic option for the prevention of severe complications and deaths. The surveillance of varicella-associated complications is essential for monitoring of the impact of varicella immunization