Aim. To study the clinical course specifics of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and comorbid conditions in COVID-19 survivors 3, 6, 12 months after recovery in the Eurasian region according to the AKTIV register. Material and methods.The AKTIV register was created at the initiative of the Eurasian Association of Therapists. The AKTIV register is divided into 2 parts: AKTIV 1 and AKTIV 2. The AKTIV 1 register currently includes 6300 patients, while in AKTIV 2 — 2770. Patients diagnosed with COVID-19 receiving in- and outpatient treatment have been anonymously included on the registry. The following 7 countries participated in the register: Russian Federation, Republic of Armenia, Republic of Belarus, Republic of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Republic of Moldova, Republic of Uzbekistan. This closed multicenter register with two nonoverlapping branches (in- and outpatient branch) provides 6 visits: 3 in-person visits during the acute period and 3 telephone calls after 3, 6, 12 months. Subject recruitment lasted from June 29, 2020 to October 29, 2020. Register will end on October 29, 2022. A total of 9 fragmentary analyzes of the registry data are planned. This fragment of the study presents the results of the post-hospitalization period in COVID-19 survivors after 3 and 6 months. Results. According to the AKTIV register, patients after COVID-19 are characterized by long-term persistent symptoms and frequent seeking for unscheduled medical care, including rehospitalizations. The most common causes of unplanned medical care are uncontrolled hypertension (HTN) and chronic coronary artery disease (CAD) and/or decompensated type 2 diabetes (T2D). During 3- and 6-month follow-up after hospitalization, 5,6% and 6,4% of patients were diagnosed with other diseases, which were more often presented by HTN, T2D, and CAD. The mortality rate of patients in the post-hospitalization period was 1,9% in the first 3 months and 0,2% for 4-6 months. The highest mortality rate was observed in the first 3 months in the group of patients with class II-IV heart failure, as well as in patients with cardiovascular diseases and cancer. In the pattern of death causes in the post-hospitalization period, following cardiovascular causes prevailed (31,8%): acute coronary syndrome, stroke, acute heart failure. Conclusion. According to the AKTIV register, the health status of patients after COVID-19 in a serious challenge for healthcare system, which requires planning adequate health system capacity to provide care to patients with COVID-19 in both acute and post-hospitalization period.

The article demonstrates a clinical case of a disease that occurs mainly in older age groups — ankylosing spinal hyperostosis (AHP) or Forestier disease. The rarity and lack of knowledge of AHP and the associated lack of alertness in relation to this disease makes its diagnostic a difficult task. The disease is more common in older people, which requires differential diagnosis with degenerative changes of the vertebrae. AHP is a low-symptom disease. Clinical symptoms are determined not so much by hyperostosis of the ligaments and tendons by themselves, but by the development of reactive inflammation of these structures during the process of ossification, overloading of still moving segments of the spine adjacent to ankylosed vertebrae. Of particular importance for this disease is the defeat of the anterior longitudinal ligament, the continuity of its ossification for at least four vertebrae (in contrast to trauma, tumors). Important is absence or low severity of ankylosis of the arched joints, sacroiliitis, characteristic of ankylosing spondylitis. The absence or weak severity of degenerative changes in the intervertebral discs detected in osteochondrosis matters. The presence of laboratory and clinical signs of inflammation, damage to other organs and systems is not typical to this pathology. At present time we have no treatment standards for AHP, which also makes the choice of patient management tactics complicated.The insufficient amount of information about this disease makes wider coverage of the pathology necessary in order to improve diagnostic skills, prescribing timely and complete treatment.

BACKGROUND. There is enough evidence of the negative impact of excess weight on the formation and progression of res piratory pathology. Given the continuing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, it is relevant to determine the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and the clinical features of the novel coronavirus infection (NCI).AIM. To study the effect of BMI on the course of the acute SARS-COV-2 infection and the post-covid period.MATERIALS AND METHODS. AKTIV and AKTIV 2 are multicenter non-interventional real-world registers. The АКТИВ registry (n=6396) includes non-overlapping outpatient and inpatient arms with 6 visits in each. The АКТИВ 2 registry (n=2968) collected  the  data  of  hospitalized  patients  and  included  3  visits.  All  subjects  were  divided  into  3  groups:  not  overweight  (n=2139), overweight (n=2931) and obese (n=2666).RESULTS. A higher BMI was significantly associated with a more severe course of the infection in the form of acute kidney injury (p=0.018), cytokine storm (p<0.001), serum C-reactive protein over 100 mg/l (p<0.001), and the need for targeted therapy (p<0.001) in the hospitalized patients. Obesity increased the odds of myocarditis by 1,84 times (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1,13–3,00) and the need for anticytokine therapy by 1,7 times (95% CI: 1,30–2,30).The  patients  with  the  1st  and  2nd  degree  obesity,  undergoing  the  inpatient  treatment,  tended  to  have  a  higher  probability  of  a  mortality  rate.  While  in  case  of  morbid  obesity  patients  this  tendency  is  the  most  significant  (odds  ratio  —  1,78; 95% CI: 1,13-2,70). At the same time, the patients whose chronical diseases first appeared after the convalescence period, and those who had certain complaints missing before SARS-CoV-2 infection, more often had BMI of more than 30 kg/m2 (p<0,001).Additionally, the odds of death increased by 2,23 times (95% CI: 1,05-4,72) within 3 months after recovery in obese people over the age of 60 yearsCONCLUSION.  Overweight  and/or  obesity  is  a  significant  risk  factor  for severe  course  of  the  new  coronavirus  infection  and  the associated cardiovascular and kidney damage Overweight people and patients with the 1st and 2nd degree obesity tend to have a high risk of death of SARS-CoV-2 infection in both acute and post-covid periods. On top of that, in case of morbid obesity patients this tendency is statistically significant. Normalization of body weight is a strategic objective of modern medicine and can contribute to prevention of respiratory conditions, severe course and complications of the new coronavirus infection.

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Although antibiotics (ABs) are ineffective against COVID-19, they are often prescribed to patients with the new coronavirus infection. Many of these prescriptions are uncalled for.The aim of the work is to assess the frequency of prescribing antibiotics to hospitalized patients with confirmed COVID-19, identify the most commonly prescribed ABs, and determine the significance of various biomarkers for the diagnosis of bacterial infection.Methods. A retrospective analysis of 190 inpatient cases with confirmed COVID-19 was carried out. The records of COVID-19 patients who were admitted to the intensive care unit were excluded from the analysis. Two groups were formed: 30 patients (group 1) with COVID-19, emergency or elective surgery, and exacerbation of chronic infectious diseases, and 160 patients (group 2) with manifestations of COVID-19 only.Results. ABs were prescribed to 189 patients upon admission to the hospital. The most frequently prescribed ABs included macrolides (63.5%), respiratory fluoroquinolones (49.7%), and third or fourth-generation cephalosporins (57.1%). ABs were administered starting from the first day of admission and until the discharge. The patients in group 2 were more often prescribed respiratory fluoroquinolones and, less often, III - IV generation cephalosporins. Moreover, macrolides were used in the treatment regimens of both groups. Longer administration of respiratory fluoroquinolones to patients in group 2 than patients in group 1 (p < 0,05) was noted. Group 2 also tended to receive longer therapy with macrolides. On admission, the patients with signs of bacterial infection had more significant leukocytosis with a neutrophilic shift, a more common increase in ESR of more than 20 mm/h and an increase in the level of procalcitonin > 0,5 ng/ml.Conclusion. ABs were administered to the overwhelming majority of hospitalized patients in the absence of clear therapeutic indications. The ABs are likely to have a minimal benefit as empirical treatment of COVID-19 and are associated with unintended consequences, including adverse effects and increased antibiotic resistance. According to our data, the most informative markers of a secondary bacterial infection in patients with COVID-19 are leukocytosis with a neutrophilic shift, an increase in ESR of more than 20 mm/h, and a procalcitonin level of more than 0,5 ng/ml.