As the COVID-19 pandemic progresses, it comes as no surprise that interest in COVID-19-related articles continues to grow. Therefore, most of the new entries into April’s top ten are linked to COVID-19, for example, a systematic review and meta analysis protocol that aims to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on female fertility.
A study on seroprevalence of SARS-Cov-2 among healthcare workers takes the top spot this month. In this study, Shorten et al. conducted a retrospective analysis of antibody results from healthcare staff working at a large teaching hospital in north-west England. Shorten and colleagues found the seroprevalence at the teaching hospital was 17.4%, with higher rates of seroprevalence among Asian/Asian British and Black/Black British staff. They also found that staff working in clinical areas where patients with COVID-19 were treated were more likely to have detectable antibodies.
Another new entry to April’s top ten is a study that assessed multiorgan impairment in low-risk individuals with post COVID-19 syndrome, otherwise known as ‘long-COVID’. Dennis et al. analysed baseline findings from an ongoing prospective, observational cohort study in the UK. Out of this sample of patients considered to be at low-risk for COVID-19 mortality, 42% had ten or more symptoms of post COVID-19 syndrome and 60% had severe post COVID-19 syndrome. Mild organ impairment was found in multiple organs including, but not limited to, the pancreas, liver and heart. Dennis and colleagues found that 70% of their sample experienced single-organ impairment and 29% of their sample experienced multiorgan impairment.
A new entry at number ten is a study by Gadermann et al. that explores the impact of COVID-19 on family mental health. Gadermann and colleagues conducted a cross-sectional survey among 3000 adults living in Canada during the first wave of COVID-19. The study found that 44.3% of adults surveyed who had children under the age of 18 living at home reported worse mental health outcomes as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lastly, as a slight change of pace from the new COVID-19 entries in April, a study about functional-medicine based care joins the list at number seven. In this retrospective cohort study, Beidelschies et al. aimed to assess the outcomes and costs associated with functional medicine-based care delivered in a shared medical appointment compared to those delivered through individual appointments. They found that patients in shared medical appointments showed greater improvement at 3 months versus those in individual appointments. However, they do note that the study could not ascertain the specific aspect of the shared medical appointment setting that was integral to these improved outcomes.
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