Changes in dietary, lifestyle habits and mood in college students during the COVID-19 pandemic: a survey distributed across Greek universities.

The COVID-19 pandemic had implications on students' life. This study aims to identify positive and negative effects of COVID-19 pandemic on students' life habits with the final goal to promote their general wellbeing. An online questionnaire was administered to Greek undergraduate and graduate college students during the COVID-19 quarantine.

Relationship Between Vitamin D Level and Platelet Parameters in Children With Viral Respiratory Infections.

Unlabelled: Apart from their classical roles, both platelets and vitamin D play important roles in inflammation and infectious diseases. This study evaluated the platelet response to viral respiratory tract infection in children aged 4-16 years, 32 with influenza, 27 with non-influenza viral infection tested by nasopharyngeal swab and 21 healthy children of the same age. Blood count, including platelet count (PLT), mean platelet volume (MPV) and other platelet indices, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP) and vitamin D (vit D) levels were compared.

Vitamin D Levels in Asymptomatic Children and Adolescents with Atopy during the COVID-19 Era.

This study assessed vitamin D status in asymptomatic children and adolescents in Greece, with and without atopy, and possible changes during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Serum levels of 25-hydroxy-vitamin D (25(OH)D) and total immunoglobulin E (IgE), and eosinophil count were measured in 340 asymptomatic children and adolescents (155 males, 185 females), mean age 8.6 ± 4.

The Significance of Duration of Exposure and Circulation of Fresh Air in SARS-CoV-2 Transmission Among Healthcare Workers.

The true risk of infection after exposure to SARS-CoV-2 of healthcare workers (HCWs) in the workplace has not yet been established. This descriptive study analyzes the exposure characteristics of HCWs to SARS-CoV-2. In March 2020, at the beginning of the pandemic, a total of 58 HCWs in a regional hospital in Greece were exposed to three patients with symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection.

A reduction of the number of assays and turnaround time by optimizing polymerase chain reaction (PCR) pooled testing for SARS-CoV-2.

Early detection of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection can decrease the spread of the disease and provide therapeutic options promptly in affected individuals. However, the diagnosis by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction is costly and time-consuming. Several methods of group testing have been developed to overcome this problem.

Vitamin D in Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Related Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C).

Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in children (MIS-C) is a rare but devastating complication of coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19). The development of prognostic biomarkers and more importantly the implementation of new treatment modalities would have a significant impact in clinical practice regarding the outcome of MIS-C. Vitamin D could be a potential candidate.

The clinical significance of non-malignant neutropenia in hospitalized children.

Neutropenia in non-cancer patients is often discovered in the course of an evaluation for acute infection, and it is usually secondary to the infection itself rather than a predisposing factor of the infection. Although it is not a common finding in hospitalized pediatric patients, it causes a great concern to the treating physicians. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence, the etiology, and the clinical significance of neutropenia in previously healthy children admitted in a general pediatric ward.

Thrombocytosis in pediatric patients is associated with severe lower respiratory tract inflammation.

Background: Secondary thrombocytosis is associated with a variety of clinical conditions. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence and to analyze the clinical significance and prognostic value of thrombocytosis in lower respiratory tract infection.

Methods: A total of 102 pediatric patients were hospitalized with lower respiratory tract infection during a period of 30 months.

Correlation of cerebrospinal fluid beta-glucuronidase activity with plasma methotrexate concentrations in leukemic children receiving high-dose methotrexate.

Background: The activity of lysosomal enzymes is increased in body fluids during inflammation, in which cellular malfunction and cellular death occurs. Because chemotherapy also causes cell malfunction and death, for identifying a neurologic effect, we studied the activity of beta-glucuronidase in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of leukemic children during treatment.

Procedure: The beta-glucuronidase activity in CSF was determined in 13 patients with B-precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) treated with the medium risk arm of ALL Berlin-Frankfurt-Munster (BFM) 95 protocol.