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  1. Post-COVID-19 Condition Characterization: Insights From a Cross-Sectional Study in a Malaysian Rehabilitation Center
    Zamli AH, Misnan NA, Lim SY, Zohdi WNWM, Baharum N, Andiappan K
    Asia Pac J Public Health, 2023 Nov;35(8):516-523.
    PMID: 37798930 DOI: 10.1177/10105395231203118
    Although post-COVID-19 condition (PCC) is a major public health concern, studies on PCC in Southeast Asia are lacking. This study aimed to describe PCC symptoms and its functional impact among COVID-19 survivors undergoing outpatient rehabilitation in Malaysia. We evaluated 3037 patients with confirmed COVID-19, referred between November 2020 and September 2022, 3 to 6 months after infection. PCC was diagnosed in 71.1%. Fatigue and dyspnea were the most common symptoms. The PCC patients had reduced respiratory, ambulatory, and musculoskeletal function, and higher fatigue and pain scores, and were less likely to return to work (odds ratio [OR] = 0.55) compared with non-PCC patients. Recognition of PCC symptoms and its functional impact can guide early, tailored, rehabilitation interventions.
  2. Fulltext Self-reported symptom study of COVID-19 chemosensory dysfunction in Malaysia
    Lee SH, Yeoh ZX, Sachlin IS, Gazali N, Soelar SA, Foo CY, et al.
    Sci Rep, 2022 02 08;12(1):2111.
    PMID: 35136124 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-06029-6
    Alterations in the three chemosensory modalities-smell, taste, and chemesthesis-have been implicated in Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), yet emerging data suggest a wide geographic and ethnic variation in the prevalence of these symptoms. Studies on chemosensory disorders in COVID-19 have predominantly focused on Caucasian populations whereas Asians remain understudied. We conducted a nationwide, multicentre cross-sectional study using an online questionnaire on a cohort of RT-PCR-confirmed adult COVID-19 patients in Malaysia between 6 June and 30 November 2020. The aim of our study was to investigate their presenting symptoms and assess their chemosensory function using self-ratings of perceived smell, taste, chemesthesis, and nasal blockage. In this cohort of 498 patients, 41.4% reported smell and/or taste loss when diagnosed with COVID-19, which was the commonest symptom. Blocked nose, loss of appetite, and gastrointestinal disturbances were independent predictors of smell and/or taste loss on multivariate analysis. Self-ratings of chemosensory function revealed a reduction in smell, taste, and chemesthesis across the entire cohort of patients that was more profound among those reporting smell and/or taste loss as their presenting symptom. Perceived nasal obstruction accounted for only a small proportion of changes in smell and taste, but not for chemesthesis, supporting viral disruption of sensorineural mechanisms as the dominant aetiology of chemosensory dysfunction. Our study suggests that chemosensory dysfunction in COVID-19 is more widespread than previously reported among Asians and may be related to the infectivity of viral strains.Study Registration: NMRR-20-934-54803 and NCT04390165.
  3. Fulltext Association Between Administration of IL-6 Antagonists and Mortality Among Patients Hospitalized for COVID-19: A Meta-analysis
    WHO Rapid Evidence Appraisal for COVID-19 Therapies (REACT) Working Group, Shankar-Hari M, Vale CL, Godolphin PJ, Fisher D, Higgins JPT, et al.
    JAMA, 2021 Aug 10;326(6):499-518.
    PMID: 34228774 DOI: 10.1001/jama.2021.11330
    IMPORTANCE: Clinical trials assessing the efficacy of IL-6 antagonists in patients hospitalized for COVID-19 have variously reported benefit, no effect, and harm.

    OBJECTIVE: To estimate the association between administration of IL-6 antagonists compared with usual care or placebo and 28-day all-cause mortality and other outcomes.

    DATA SOURCES: Trials were identified through systematic searches of electronic databases between October 2020 and January 2021. Searches were not restricted by trial status or language. Additional trials were identified through contact with experts.

    STUDY SELECTION: Eligible trials randomly assigned patients hospitalized for COVID-19 to a group in whom IL-6 antagonists were administered and to a group in whom neither IL-6 antagonists nor any other immunomodulators except corticosteroids were administered. Among 72 potentially eligible trials, 27 (37.5%) met study selection criteria.

    DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: In this prospective meta-analysis, risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Assessment Tool. Inconsistency among trial results was assessed using the I2 statistic. The primary analysis was an inverse variance-weighted fixed-effects meta-analysis of odds ratios (ORs) for 28-day all-cause mortality.

    MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The primary outcome measure was all-cause mortality at 28 days after randomization. There were 9 secondary outcomes including progression to invasive mechanical ventilation or death and risk of secondary infection by 28 days.

    RESULTS: A total of 10 930 patients (median age, 61 years [range of medians, 52-68 years]; 3560 [33%] were women) participating in 27 trials were included. By 28 days, there were 1407 deaths among 6449 patients randomized to IL-6 antagonists and 1158 deaths among 4481 patients randomized to usual care or placebo (summary OR, 0.86 [95% CI, 0.79-0.95]; P = .003 based on a fixed-effects meta-analysis). This corresponds to an absolute mortality risk of 22% for IL-6 antagonists compared with an assumed mortality risk of 25% for usual care or placebo. The corresponding summary ORs were 0.83 (95% CI, 0.74-0.92; P 

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