Exploring the Prevalence of Long-Covid and its Factors among Post-Covid Survivors of Karachi

Long COVID or post-COVID problems are long-term effects of COVID-19 infection that certain people who have contracted the virus can experience. This may result in having persistent symptoms for 3 months or more, such as those who had tiredness, malaise, changed smell and taste, dyspnea, and cognitive deficits three or more months after their initial COVID-19 diagnosis. However, some people may still have inferior work performance and a lower quality of life due to the long COVID episodes. From October 2021 to April 2022, cross-sectional research was conducted in Karachi, utilizing an electronic questionnaire to record sociodemographic data, current comorbidities, and previous episodes of acute COVID-19, post-COVID symptoms, and job performance among COVID survivors. The study's findings revealed that more than 35% of individuals surveyed claimed to have had COVID symptoms for six weeks or more, with approximately 20% to 30% of those reporting frequent coughing and appetite loss. Planning prevention, rehabilitation, and clinical treatment need an awareness of long-term COVID and its related components in order to maximize recovery and long-term COVID-19 outcomes.   DOI: https: //doi. Org/10.59564/amrj/01.01/007

Genotoxicity of Cadmium and Alleviation of Cd Toxicity by Certain Hormones and Chemicals on Mungbean Vigna Radiata Genotypes

Continuous exposure of cadmium (Cd) not only causing deleterious effects on plants but also it is the major issue concerning human health through its entry to food chain. Cd is naturally present in soil or anthropogenically released in the environment. It can easily be translocated to vegetative or edible parts of plants. To limit its exposure to human it is important to select tolerant genotypes that must retain most of Cd in roots and also reduces the physiological and biochemical disturbances in plants. Mungbean is second most edible leguminous crop in Pakistan, rich in proteins and other nutrients. It has the ability to fix soil nitrogen, hence increase soil fertility so widely used as rotational crop. Less research has been done regarding metal toxicity for local mungbean genotypes. In this research, mitigation strategies like application of phytohormones and proline were applied to reduce Cd toxicity in mungbean thus will be helpful in increasing its yield and will help in the screening of tolerant and sensitive genotypes of Pakistan. In the first experiment, eight local mungbean genotypes were grown in hydroponics culture, then were exposed to 0.1 µM Cd for two weeks, and saved for morpho physiological analysis. Growth parameters were decreased during Cd stress. Higher tolerance index for plant dry weight was observed in AZRI-2006 and lowest in NM-51. Xylem sap was collected to analyze Cd accumulation and translocation from roots to shoots. More Cd translocation from roots to shoots via xylem will negatively affect plants and make them sensitive. We observed more Cd translocation factor (4.26%) in NM-51 with worst plant vigor and lower TF (1.47%) in AZRI-2006 with best plant vigor. However NM 19-19 translocated more Cd (4.54%) which was even higher than NM-51 but with good vigor, hence can be used in phytoremediation at Cd contaminated fields as it will absorb more Cd from soil however it is not advised to consume any of NM 19-19 part as food. Second experiment was performed in Petri dishes for the evaluation of eight mungbean genotypes under Cd stress (0.3 mM and 0.5 mM) and its alleviation by pretreatment with phytohormones (100 µM GA3 and 50 µM SA) and proline (5 mM) prior to Cd. Inhibition xxiii in growth, chlorophyll content and total protein in a dose dependent manner, along with increase in antioxidant enzymes (APX, CAT, GPX and SOD) activities were observed in Cd stress. Hydrolytic enzymes (α-amylase and alkaline invertase) activities were decreased under Cd stress with increased activity of acid phosphatase. On the other hand free proline, tannin, H2O2 and MDA content of untreated samples were lower in comparison to Cd treated samples. However, pretreatment with phytohormones and proline prior to Cd stress was found to improve all morphological parameters, alteration in antioxidant and hydrolytic enzymes activities along with decrease in tannin, H2O2 and MDA content. Furthermore, cytogenetic analysis exhibited decrease in mitotic index (MI %) of root cells under Cd stress with various chromosomal aberrations like C-mitosis, laggard, stickiness and fragmentation. Pretreatments before applying Cd were able to decrease the frequencies of chromosomal aberrations. On the basis of above analyzed parameters, it can be concluded that AZRI-2006 was tolerant and NM-51 was sensitive genotype for Cd stress. Tolerant genotype can give better yield with no or less Cd accumulation in plant parts when grown in Cd contaminated area, hence advised to grow AZRI-2006 in such soils. NM 19-19 is such a genotype that absorb Cd in plants with good vigor, therefore it can be grown in Cd contaminated areas to reduce Cd amount in soil and this land can later be used for the cultivation of other crops. Furthermore, priming with phytohormones and proline can be environmental friendly, economical and simple mitigation strategy for Cd stress.