Pulmonary & Respiratory Medicine

Background: Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers have focused on repurposing of existing antibiotics, antivirals and anti-inflammatory drugs to find an effective therapy. Fluoroquinolones are broad spectrum synthetic antimicrobial agents, being chemical derivatives of quinoline, the prodrome of chloroquine.

Objectives: This study to determine if respiratory fluoroquinolones as Levofloxacin have a beneficial as an adjunct treatment in COVID-19 and their impact on COVID-19 morbidity and mortality.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective study on patients ≥ 18 years with acute pneumonic (COVID-19) positive PCR with their radiological findings at Ain Shams university isolation hospitals. We compared between HRCT chest severity score at time of diagnosis of COVID-19 and post COVID-19 by 3 months as follow up HRCT severity Score in two different groups (group of azithromycin and group of levofloxacin), We also conducted a comparison of respiratory morbidity of both groups as result of COVID-19 infection in form ICU admission and needing O₂ therapy.

Results: This study included n=101 patients in each group of two antibiotics, in first group of azithromycin where there was 48 cases were male and 53 cases were female, the second group of quinolone as levofloxacin where there was 43 cases were male and 58 were female, there was also highly significant correlation between two groups according age and its mean and standard deviation p value=0.001. We found highly significant results when we comparied between HRCT chest severity score at time of diagnosis of COVID-19 and post COVID-19 by 3 months as follow up HRCT severity score in both groups but there was a highly significant results in group of levofloxacin than the group of azithromycin p value=0.001. We also found that the baseline HRCT severity score at levofloxacin gp was higher than baseline HRCT severity score at azithromycin gp and after treatment there is significant decrease at follow up HRCT severity score between the two groups. We also conducted a comparison of respiratory morbidity of both group as result of COVID-19 infection in form ICU admission and needing O₂ therapy and there was no significant value in both groups in this study results.

Conclusion: Respiratory Fluoroquinolones (Levofloxacin ) prove to be beneficial as an adjunct treatment in COVID-19.

Introduction: Lack of participation of asthmatic children in physical activity negatively impacts these children’s mental and physical health. Asthmatic children are more likely to be obese, have higher levels of emotional difficulties and struggle with low self-esteem. Lack of physical activity leads also to aerobic deconditioning which further exacerbates the asthma. Meanwhile, studies have shown that a significant proportion of the general population hold the notion that asthmatic children cannot exercise or play hard.

Objectives: This study aimed at determining the perceptions of parents and teachers on the participation of primary school children with asthma in physical education in Ndola. It is necessary to highlight the perceptions that parents and teachers have on this matter as they are most likely the adults in whose care children with asthma will be.

Methods: The study was conducted as a cross-sectional survey among parents and teachers of children attending selected primary schools in Ndola Urban. Self-administered questionnaires assessing the knowledge, practices and factors affecting practices of parents and teachers with regards to participation of asthmatic children in physical activity were distributed to the participants. The data were analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, version 26.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, III., USA).

Results: Data were collected from 205 participants (91 teachers and 114 parents). 63.5% were female and average age range was between 26-35 years. Among the parents, 49.1% had moderate knowledge and 40.4% had poor knowledge. Knowledge was not significantly associated with socio-demographic factors. Among the teachers 64.8% were moderately knowledgeable, 26.4% had good knowledge and 8.8% had poor knowledge. Having asthma or knowing someone with asthma were found to be significantly associated with knowledge levels among the teachers (P<0.05). Teachers who were themselves asthmatics or knew someone with asthma had better knowledge levels than those that did not. Most of the parents (45.6%) had poor practices while almost half (49.5%) of the teachers had average practices. The practices of parents were significantly associated with marital status (P<0.05). Married parents had a better practice score than those that were single or divorced. No significant associations were noted between practices of teachers and their socio-demographic factors

Conclusion: It has been concluded that perceptions of both parents and teachers on the participation of primary school children with asthma in PE is quite poor in Ndola. Efforts should be directed towards correctly informing these two groups of caretakers on the management of childhood asthma and allowance of physical activity in asthmatic children.