Browsing by Author "Botan Yildirim, Berna"

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    Influenza viruses and SARS-CoV-2 in adult: 'Similarities and differences'
    (2021) Torun, Serife; Kesim, Cagri; Suner, Aynur; Botan Yildirim, Berna; Ozen, Ozgur; Akcay, Sule; 0000-0002-8964-291X; 0000-0001-7122-4130; 0000-0001-7730-1379; 34957739; AAD-5996-2021; AAN-1681-2021
    Introduction: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), causing a global pandemic starting from December 2019, showed a course that resulted in serious mortality in the world. In order to understand SARSCoV-2 better, here we aimed to compare the similar and different characteristics of Influenza viruses occurring in the same season with SARS-CoV-2. Materials and Methods: A total of 144 patients (31 patients with COVID-19, 62 patients with H1N1 influenza, and 51 patients with influenza B) were included in the study. Demographic findings, chronic diseases, laboratory values, chest x-ray, and chest CT findings of the patients were evaluated retrospectively. Results: Median age of the COVID-19 patients and rate of male patients were higher than other patient groups (55 years; p< 0.001) (61% male; p< 0.001). The most common chronic medical conditions were hypertension and diabetes. Platelet numbers and alanine aminotransferase values were significantly higher in COVID-19 patients. Radiologically, bilateral (74.2%) and nonspecific distribution (58.1%), ground-glass opacities with consolidation (51.6%), patchy image (25.8%), ground-glass opacities with interstitial changes (22.6%) and halo sign (22.6%) were quite evident than other groups in COVID-19 patients (p< 0.05). Conclusion: We suggest that due to the higher PLT values observed in COVID-19 patients, initiation of anticoagulant therapy should be considered in the early stage and routine follow-up with d-dimer and fibrinogen should be applied for suspected patients. Moreover, attention should be paid in terms of possible liver toxicity of the drugs to be used in treatment due the higher ALT values observed in COVID-19 patients. Since we did not detect SARS-CoV-2 and influenza viruses concurrently in the same patient, it may be helpful to focus on only one virus in a patient with symptoms, and radiographic differences can be used to differentiate COVID-19 from influenza.
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    The Relationship Between COVID-19 Severity and Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG)/ Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Exposure History in Healthcare Workers: A Multi-Center Study
    (2021) Torun, Serife; Ozkaya, Sevket; Sen, Nazan; Kanat, Fikret; Karaman, Irem; Yosunkaya, Sebnem; Sengoren Dikis, Ozlem; Asan, Ali; Aydogan Eroglu, Selma; Semih Atal, Sefa; Ayten, Omer; Aksel, Nimet; Ermis, Hilal; Ozcelik, Neslihan; Demirelli, Meryem; Kara, Iskender; Sumer, Sua; Marakoglu, Kamile; Uzer, Fatih; Uyar, Yasin; Cicek, Tuba; Unsal, Zuhal E.; Vatansev, Husamettin; Botan Yildirim, Berna; Kuruoglu, Tuba; Atilla, Aynur; Ersoy, Yasemin; Kandemir, Bahar; Durduran, Yasemin; Goksin Cihan, Fatma; Demirbas, Nur; Yildirim, Fatma; Tatar, Dursun; Akcay, M. Sule; 0000-0002-6530-6153; 0000-0002-8697-4919; 34014806; ABF-1652-2021
    The COVID-19 pandemic has brought countries' health services into sharp focus. It was drawn to our group's attention that healthcare workers (HCWs) had a lower mortality rate against higher COVID-19 incidence compared to the general population in Turkey. Since risk of exposure to tuberculosis bacillus among healthcare workers are higher than the population, we aimed to investigate if there is a relationship between BCG and Mycobacterium tuberculosis exposure history with COVID-19 severity in infected HCWs. This study was conducted with 465 infected HCWs from thirty-three hospitals to assess the relationship between COVID-19 severity (according to their hospitalization status and the presence of radiological pneumonia) and BCG and Mycobacterium tuberculosis exposure history. HCWs who required hospital admission had significantly higher rates of chronic diseases, radiological pneumonia, and longer working hours in the clinics. Higher rates of history of contact and care to tuberculosis patients, history of tuberculosis, and BCG vaccine were observed in hospitalized HCWs. HCWs who had radiological pneumonia had a significantly increased ratio of history of care to tuberculosis patients and a higher family history of tuberculosis. The findings from our study suggest that the lower mortality rate despite the more severe disease course seen in infected HCWs might be due to frequent exposure to tuberculosis bacillus and the mortality-reducing effects of the BCG vaccine.