Performance & clinical utility of oropharyngeal versus nasopharyngeal swabs in COVID-19.

Background & Objectives: The oropharyngeal (OP) and nasopharyngeal (NP) swab samples are the most recommended clinical specimens for detecting SARS-CoV-2 in an individual through the quantitative real-time reverse-transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) method. The primary objective of this study was to compare the performance of NP and OP swabs for the diagnosis of COVID-19 among 2250 concomitant samples (1125 NP + 1125 OP) using rRT-PCR test.

Methods: This study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital in southern India.

A computational study on hydroxychloroquine binding to target proteins related to SARS-COV-2 infection.

COVID-19 disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection has posed a global health emergency. Repurposing of existing drugs can be a rapid and effective strategy to fight the infection. Clinical trials have reported reduction or elimination of viral load when patients were treated with the anti-malarial drug Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ).

Impact of indirect education on knowledge and perception on cervical cancer and its prevention among the parents of adolescent girls: an interventional school-based study.

Background: India has almost 225 million adolescent girls and they seem to be at a disadvantage, both economically and by their lack of knowledge on human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine, when compared to adolescent girls of other Asian countries.

Aim: To assess the prevalence of HPV vaccination and to identify the impact of education in improving the knowledge and perception about the HPV infection and vaccination among the parents of adolescent girls.

Methodology: The prospective interventional study was conducted in four schools within a South Indian City, Mysuru.