Aims In the UK, deaths associated with COVID-19 have occurred in two waves. Evidence has shown an increase in 30-day mortality for hip fracture patients co-infected with COVID-19. However, there are no studies analysing mortality trends between the first two waves of the UK pandemic. Additionally, hospital versus community acquired COVID-19 infection between the two waves has not been analysed. Furthermore, predictive factors of 30-day mortality have not been fully evaluated. Methods Data from two audits conducted by the CHIP collaborative group were used: a published regional audit in England of nine hospitals providing the COVID-19 negative cases and an unpublished UK national audit of 43 hospitals, which provided the COVID-19 positive cases. Data collection for the COVID-19 positive cases was from 23 March to 31 December 2020. September 1, 2020 was used to define the transition between the two waves. Results There were 517 COVID-19 positive hip fracture patients and 1445 COVID-19 negative hip fracture patients. Overall, 30-day mortality rates were 5.7% in the COVID-19 negative group and 22.4% in the COVID-19 positive patients ( p < 0.001). A difference in survival function between the first and second waves was found ( p = 0.038). To allow for significant demographic differences, a matched analysis of 185 patients found a 26.5% 30-day mortality in the first wave compared to 21.1% in the second wave ( p = 0.222). Within the COVID-19 positive groups, the virus was hospital acquired in 66.7% of cases in the first wave and 72.8% of cases in the second wave ( p = 0.130). Independent predictors of mortality were found to include COVID-19 positive status, AMTS ≤ 6, male gender and age. Conclusion There was a reduction in 30-day mortality for hip fracture patients co-infected with COVID-19 between the two UK pandemic waves but this was not statistically significant. There was no reduction in hospital acquired COVID-19 infection between the two waves.

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On the ferroan gahnite of Mamandur, Madras State, IndiaGAHNITE occurs as segregations in quartz veins and quartzo-feldspathic gneisses in the base metal prospect in Mamandur area, South Arcot Dt., Madras State, India (Sheet No. 57 P/4; I2~ oo' N, 79 ~ or' E). The occurrence of gahnite is restricted to the area of base metal mineralization, which could mean that the two are related in some way. The base metal mineralization is mainly localized in the biotitized amphibolite and is structurally controlled by a north-south trending vertical fault. The economic minerals in this area include sphalerite, chalcopyrite, galena, covelline, chalcosine, pyrrhotine, anglesite, etc. Along the strike of the lode towards the north-east, where gahnite occurs in the quartzo-feldspathic rock, the latter shows kaolinization up to a depth of three feet. The resistant nature of this mineral is evident from its occurrence as crystals (placer), while the associated rocks have been altered either wholly or partly and are -highly friable. The soil samples collected from places as FIG. i. Crystal of ferroan far as 5OO ft from the main mineralized area (for detailed gahnite; • I5. geochemical studies) contain fines of this mineral, the presence of which gives rise to anomalous zinc values in the soils of the area.The mineral is dark greyish-green to greenish-black in colour, with a specific gravity of 4"5o. The individual crystals, which vary in size from I m m -I . 5 cm, are mostly octahedral with well-developed faces of the octahedron and dodecahedron ( fig. 1).