Investigation of an acute surge of COVID-19 associated mucormycosis (CAM) cases reported to a tertiary health care institution in Bihar, India.

Introduction: Acute surge in coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID)-associated mucormycosis (CAM) cases was reported during mid-May 2021, which was later declared an epidemic in various states of India including Bihar.

Objective: We carried out a rapid investigation of CAM cases to describe the epidemiological and clinical profiles and find plausible predictors to guide the initiation of public health actions.

Methods: A team of public health specialists contacted all the CAM cases reported to our hospital to collect relevant information using a case-investigation-form.

Sero-epidemiological survey of SARS-Cov2 in urban slums of a capital city: A cross- sectional study.

Introduction: Slums are the most vulnerable settlements for COVID-19 infection due to overcrowding and unsanitary conditions. Thus, this study was undertaken to determine the level of seroprevalence for SARS-CoV-2 infection among slum dwellers.

Material And Methods: A community-based cross-sectional seroepidemiological survey was conducted at several slums of Patna over four weeks, that is, January 20-February 20, 2021.

Clinico-Epidemiological Profile of Breakthrough COVID-19 Infection among Vaccinated Beneficiaries from a COVID-19 Vaccination Centre in Bihar, India.

Background: When the whole world is fighting in an unprecedented pace against COVID-19 pandemic, the breakthrough COVID infections poise to dampen the rapid control of the same. We carried out this project with two objectives; first, to estimate the proportion of breakthrough COVID-19 infection among completely vaccinated individuals and second, to study the clinico-epidemiological profile of breakthrough COVID-19 infections among them.

Methods: This cross-sectional analytical study was conducted among 2703 fully vaccinated individuals from AIIMS, Patna COVID Vaccination Centre (CVC), Bihar, India.

Persistent positivity of SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid in asymptomatic healthcare worker: infective virion or inactive nucleic acid?

Asymptomatic individuals positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA constitute a significant proportion of the infected population and play a role in the transmission of the virus. We describe a healthcare worker who presented with fever and malaise and was diagnosed with mild COVID-19. The symptoms resolved within 4 days but there was persistent positivity of viral RNA in the upper respiratory tract for more than 58 days, which is the longest reported duration of persistence of SARS-CoV-2 in a healthcare worker.

Prevalence of Hypertension and its Risk Factors Among School Going Adolescents of Patna, India.

Introduction: Hypertension (HT) has its origin in childhood and adolescent period but it goes undetected due to absence of sign and symptoms, unless specifically looked for during this period. It has been seen that one with raised blood pressure level in this period will also have raised Blood Pressure (BP) level in their adulthood and elderly period.

Aim: The present study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of HT and its risk factor among apparently healthy school going adolescents of Patna district.