Disease Spectrum in COVID-19 Cohort with Travel History from Iran

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), declared as a pandemic in March 2020, is an acute respiratory tract illness caused by coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) with clinical manifestations ranging from mild upper respiratory tract symptoms to severe pneumonia. Objectives: To determine the disease spectrum of Covid-19 in a cohort with a travel history from Iran. Materials & Methods: This cross-sectional study with a retrospective collection of data was conducted at Agha Khan University, Karachi from 15th March to 19th April 2020. One hundred and fifty-five laboratory-confirmed cases of Covid-19 were recruited from a government quarantine facility. Data were obtained from the Punjab Emergency Services (Rescue 1122) database where a record of SARS-CoV-2 positive cases and quarantined persons is maintained. Study subjects with a travel history to Iran were contacted by telephone to obtain information about demographics, symptoms, and co-morbid conditions.  SPSS version 24 was used to analyze the data. Frequencies and percentages were calculated. Results: Among the returning travelers, 213 had laboratory-confirmed Covid-19, out of which 155 were included in this study. 56.1% were males with a mean age of 40 years. Among the study participants, 91.6% remained asymptomatic throughout the stay, while 8.4 % became symptomatic. 77.5% of the participants had received BCG vaccination in childhood. Among symptomatic cases 15.4% had asthma and 7.7% had hypertension. The most common clinical manifestation was cough which was present in 38.5% of the study participants. None died among the study participants. Conclusion: A mild presentation of COVID-19 was seen in our study participants with 91.6% among them being asymptomatic, while 8.4% were symptomatic. There was a high positivity rate in males as compared to females.  

A Study of the Access for Girl Students to Science Group at the Secondary Level

Low enrollment of girls in science is a general concern for everyone. It seems that girls are not getting full advantage from the study of science. This study is aimed at developing a better understanding of the issue of low participation in science at the secondary school level. The qualitative study was conducted in two urban schools, a government girls' school and private co-education school. In this study twenty girls (ten from science and ten from the arts group), five parents, four teachers and two head teachers were interviewed. Participant observation and informal talks were also used for data collection. In order to crosscheck information, a triangulation approach was used. The findings of the study show that there are certain factors, which support and inhibit girls' selection in the science group. The study suggests that the number of supporting factors were less than the hindering factors. The main supporting factors include: high status of science education, inspiration from role models, preference of science graduates in the job market. The main inhibiting factors were: students' perception of science subjects as difficult, school policies regarding admission in science group, home environment/low economic status of parents and the custom of early marriage in communities. Some others factors were also noted. The study puts forward certain recommendations to deal with the issue so that the number of girls be enrolled in the science group, at the secondary school level may increase.