Clinical features and outcomes of COVID-19 patients with concomitant herpesvirus co-infection or reactivation: A systematic review.

Background: Since the first case of COVID-19 was diagnosed in Wuhan, China in late 2019, concomitant infections with Herpesviridae were documented that were presented from simple skin manifestations to severe life-threatening conditions that may lead to mortality. In this systematic review, we have included studies conducted in different parts of the world to find out the association of clinical features and outcomes of COVID-19 infection and concomitant Herpesviridae infection.

Methods: A comprehensive search was conducted in electronic databases including Medline through PubMed, Cochrane database, Scopus and Web of science (core collection).

Birth and Death Notifications for Improving Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in Bangladesh: Pilot Exploratory Study.

Background: Effective health policy formulation requires sound information of the numerical data and causes of deaths in a population. Currently, in Bangladesh, neither births nor deaths are fully and promptly registered. Birth registration in Bangladesh is around 54% nationally.

Antibiotic Prescribing Patterns at COVID-19 Dedicated Wards in Bangladesh: Findings from a Single Center Study.

Background: As evidence is mounting regarding irrational and often unnecessary use of antibiotics during the COVID-19 pandemic a cross-sectional Point Prevalence Survey (PPS) (in accordance with WHO guideline) was conducted across COVID-19 dedicated wards in Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH).

Methodology: Antibiotic usage data were collected from 193 patients at different COVID-19 dedicated wards at DMCH on 11 June 2020. Comparisons in antibiotic usage were made between different groups using Pearson chi-square and Fisher's exact test.

Effect of fortified complementary food supplementation on child growth in rural Bangladesh: a cluster-randomized trial.

Background: Growth faltering in the first 2 years of life is high in South Asia where prevalence of stunting is estimated at 40-50%. Although nutrition counselling has shown modest benefits, few intervention trials of food supplementation exist showing improvements in growth and prevention of stunting.

Methods: A cluster-randomized controlled trial was conducted in rural Bangladesh to test the effect of two local, ready-to-use foods (chickpea and rice-lentil based) and a fortified blended food (wheat-soy-blend++, WSB++) compared with Plumpy'doz, all with nutrition counselling vs nutrition counselling alone (control) on outcomes of linear growth (length and length-for-age z-score, LAZ), stunting (LAZ < -2), weight-for-length z-score (WLZ) and wasting (WLZ < -2) in children 6-18 months of age.

Preferred delivery method and acceptability of Wheat-Soy Blend (WSB++) as a daily complementary food supplement in northwest Bangladesh.

Fortified blended foods (FBFs) are widely used to prevent undernutrition in early childhood in food-insecure settings. We field tested enhanced Wheat Soy Blend (WSB++)-a FBF fortified with micronutrients, milk powder, sugar, and oil-in preparation for a complementary food supplement (CFS) trial in rural northwestern Bangladesh. Formative work was conducted to determine the optimal delivery method (cooked vs.

Development and acceptability testing of ready-to-use supplementary food made from locally available food ingredients in Bangladesh.

Background: Inadequate energy and micronutrient intake during childhood is a major public health problem in developing countries. Ready-to-use supplementary food (RUSF) made of locally available food ingredients can improve micronutrient status and growth of children. The objective of this study was to develop RUSF using locally available food ingredients and test their acceptability.

Provision of micronutrient powder in response to the Cyclone Sidr emergency in Bangladesh: cross-sectional assessment at the end of the intervention.

Background: Micronutrient powder has been endorsed as an effective means to improve the micronutrient status of emergency-affected populations.

Objective: To document the experience and findings of a cross-sectional assessment of the micronutrient powder program implemented as part of the emergency response to Cyclone Sidr.

Methods: Micronutrient powder was distributed to 100,714 children under 5 years of age and 59,439 pregnant or lactating women severely affected by Cyclone Sidr in Bangladesh.

Iron-containing micronutrient powder provided to children with moderate-to-severe malnutrition increases hemoglobin concentrations but not the risk of infectious morbidity: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, noninferiority safety trial.

Background: A link between the provision of iron and infectious morbidity has been suggested, particularly in children with malnutrition. Two meta-analyses concluded that iron is not harmful, but malnourished children were underrepresented in most available studies.

Objective: This study evaluated the effect of iron-containing micronutrient powder (iron MNP) on infectious morbidities when provided to children with moderate-to-severe malnutrition and anemia.