COVID-19 was caused by the original coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome associated coronavirus-2 (SARS CoV2), which originated in Wuhan, China. COVID-19 had a large breakout of cases in early 2020, resulting in an epidemic that turned into a pandemic. This quickly enveloped the global healthcare system. The principal testing method for COVID-19 detection, according to the WHO, is reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Isolation of patients, quarantine, masking, social distancing, sanitizer use, and complete lockdown were all vital health-care procedures for everyone. With the ‘new normal’ and vaccination programmes, the number of cases and recovered patients began to rise months later. The easing of restrictions during the plateau phase resulted in a rebound of instances, which hit the people with more ferocity and vengeance towards the start of April 2021. Coronaviruses have evolved to cause respiratory, enteric, hepatic, and neurologic diseases, resulting in a wide range of diseases and symptoms such as fever, cough, myalgia or fatigue, shortness of breath, muscle ache, headache, sore throat, rhinorrhea, hemoptysis, chest pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, anosmia, and ageusia. Coronavirus infections can be mild, moderate, or severe in intensity. COVID-19 pulmonary dysfunction includes lung edoema, ground-glass opacities, surfactant depletion, and alveolar collapse. Patients who presented with gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms such as anorexia, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhoea had a higher risk of negative outcomes. COVID-19’s influence on cognitive function is one of COVID-19’s long-term effects. More clinical situations need to be reviewed by healthcare professionals so that an appropriate management protocol may be developed to reduce morbidity and death in future coming third/fourth wave cases.

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Sickle cell disease is a major concern of public health significance in Africa. Nearly 2/3 rd of the global burden of sickle cell disease (SCD) is found to be in sub-Saharan Africa. There is increased mortality risk in sickle cell disease patients in Africa due to associated complications such as acute chest syndrome, asthma, pulmonary emboli and sepsis. Sickle cell disease management is the major contributor of financial burden on the government. Moreover, there is a shortage of medical specialists in Africa. COVID-19 pandemic has further led to devastating impact on economy and health globally. The chances of SCD patient contracting COVID-19 infections are higher as these patients are immunocompromised and may be at a higher risk of mortality. Practicing preventive measures including isolation and social distancing by these patients will prevent mortality rates as well as economic burden on government in the present unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: Cytological smear and cell block are commonly used to diagnose pleural fluid effusion. However, there is a paucity of information in the literature where a comparison between a cytological smear and a cell block with corresponding pleural biopsy has been done. This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of cytological smears, cell blocks, and pleural biopsy for the diagnosis of malignant tumors. Material and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, analysis of successive pleural fluid samples received by the department was done. The sample was divided into equal halves of 5 ml each. One was used for conventional smear and the second was used for the preparation of cell block. The cell block was prepared by centrifuging the specimen of fluid at 2500 rpm for 15 min. A pleural biopsy was obtained by using Cope's pleural biopsy needle. Results: A total of n = 50 cases were included in the study. A total of n = 8 cases were diagnosed as malignant by cell smear and n = 4 cases were suspicious for malignancy. By cell block, n = 10 cases of malignancy were diagnosed and n = 1 case was suspicious for malignancy. By biopsy, n = 11 cases were diagnosed as malignant and n = 1 case was suspicious for malignancy. Out of the total, n = 2 cases were diagnosed as squamous cell carcinoma by biopsy; one case was diagnosed by cell block; and the other was reported as suspicious for malignancy. Conclusion: The study shows that cell blocks are complementary to the cell smear technique in over diagnosis and categorization of benign as well as malignant cells. The cell blocks were more useful in the diagnosis of malignancy because of better preserved architectural patterns as seen in corresponding histopathology sections. It, therefore, appears that the cell blocks are a perfect fit to bridge the cytology and histopathology.

COVID-19 emerged in Wuhan, China, but was caused by the original coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome associated coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV2). In early 2020, there was a widespread breakout of cases well over world, resulting in an epidemic that rapidly escalated to become a pandemic. This abruptly shook the global healthcare system. The emergence of the alpha, beta, and delta SARS-CoV-2 were associated with new waves of infections, sometimes across the entire world but until this month i.e., between Nov-Dec, 2021, Delta variant reigned supreme until the emergence of a newer variant i.e., Omicron (B.1.1.529) of SARS-CoV-2. Delta had 13 mutations. Of these, nine are in the spike protein, the protrusion on the surface of the virus that helps it latch onto human cells. Specifically, two are in a molecular hook, called the “receptor-binding domain”. Omicron, a creation caused by monstrous mutations. At least 32 mutations are in the spike protein and 10 in the receptor-binding domain. was designated a COVID-19 variant of concern (VoC) by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 26th November 2021. Structurally, the omicron variant has shown too mutated at antibody binding sites which would leverage them for escaping the possible immune response by the body. We don’t yet know much about the other alterations and how they might affect the virus’s behavior. Omicron COVID-19 strain after identifying individuals with symptoms that were not the same as those seen in the Delta form. People with night sweats have also been reported. The new omicron variant has more mutations than the prevailing rampant delta virus. This makes the newer variant more transmissible, better able to evade itself from various vaccines readily available in the current scenario. These overall increases in the percentage changes in a single day cases of COVID-19 reported cases can be attributed to the beginning of third wave or can be speculated as newer surge of omicron variant cases. Yet another new variant has been detected in France with 46 mutations and 37 deletions in its genetic code, many affecting the spike protein. ‘B.1.640.2’ is the current nomenclature for this variation.