The Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant of the severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) had an increased rate of spreading among the general population. Although this virus mutation resulted in milder symptoms, those on the vulnerable side of the population are still in danger of developing severe symptoms. Thus, this systematic review focused on identifying the clinical outcomes of older age patients (>65) that are hospitalized with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. The research was conducted using four electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and ProQuest Central), with a search query in December 2022 that comprised the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic. The inclusion criteria comprised (1) a population of patients older than 65 years, (2) a history of hospitalization for SARS-CoV-2 infection, and (3) infection with Omicron B.1.1.529 variant. The initial search generated 295 articles, out of which six were included in the systematic review, and a total of 7398 patients. The main findings were that when looking at the elderly population, the mortality and hospitalization rates remained high. This is because older people are more vulnerable and have more comorbidities that interfere with the virus’s progress. However, there is inconsistency in mortality rates, since the data reported by the included studies had different selection criteria based on the severity of the COVID-19 infection. Although no statistically significant differences were found between the unvaccinated and vaccinated groups, patients who got booster doses of vaccination had a lower likelihood of developing severe symptoms, serving as a protective factor for this population.
It is hypothesized that the COVID-19 pandemic had a major impact on the epidemiology of malignant melanoma owing to diminished screening, diagnostic, and treatment capacities, resulting in a more advanced stage at initial presentation. The goal of this study is to undertake a systematic analysis of all epidemiological and clinical data on the trends and patient outcomes with malignant melanoma during the ongoing pandemic. Records were identified from PubMed, Cochrane, and Web of Science, selecting a total of 39 articles, narrative reviews, and editorial letters, following the PRISMA guidelines. The vast majority of the studies were published in Europe (28/39), and North America (7/39). A total of 99,860 patients were analyzed during 2020 and 2021 of the COVID-19 pandemic, and it was observed that malignant melanoma TNM staging increased significantly compared to the pre-pandemic period. Before the pandemic, 25.88% of patients had TNM stage II or above, compared to 36.25% during 2020–2021. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the malignant melanoma Breslow depth index grew from 1.59 mm before 2020 to 1.86 mm in 2020 and 2021. Patients decreased by 19.58% in 2020 and 2021 compared to pre-pandemic numbers. The patient–loss ratio indicated lower screening activity and patient addressability to dermatology and plastic surgery departments with skin cancer concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic. This systematic study shows that the identification and management of malignant melanoma during the COVID-19 pandemic faced major challenges which should alert medical systems to the high number of patients with advanced disease stages who may need emergency treatment and become incurable.
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