The Long-Term Impact of COVID-19 Lockdowns in Istanbul

Premarital hemoglobinopathy screening program results of a province in the Black Sea region of Turkey: three years' experience

OBJECTIVES

Hemoglobinopathies are a global public health problem with high mortality and morbidity and very expensive treatment. Disease can be reduced and prevented with hemoglobinopathy screening tests. It is possible to identify carriers with the hemoglobinopathy screening program applied in many countries of the world and in Turkey. This study aims to evaluate the results of the national premarital hemoglobinopathy screening program carried out in primary healthcare institutions.

METHODS

The research is of epidemiological and cross-sectional type. Electrophoresis results examined within the scope of the premarital hemoglobinopathy screening program in Samsun between 1 January 2019 and 31 December 2021 were evaluated retrospectively. Age, gender, year of screening, and hemoglobinopathy screening results were obtained from the records. In the statistical analysis of the data, p < 0.05 was accepted.

RESULTS

The median age of 52,338 people screened under the hemoglobinopathy screening program was 29.0 (16.0-86.0) years. About 54.1% (n = 28,309) of those who were screened were female, and it was found that the least screening was done in 2020 (n = 15,765 (30.1%)). As a result of the screening, the frequency of the β-thalassemia (β-thal) trait was 1.37% (n = 676), the frequency of the abnormal HbS was 0.04% (n = 20). The frequency of β-thal trait was statistically significantly higher in 2020 (1.5%) compared to other years (p = 0.029). When the results were analyzed by gender, the rate of women with abnormal HbS (3.7%) was significantly higher than the others (p = 0.017).

CONCLUSIONS

This study presents the results of the national hemoglobinopathy screening program in Northern Turkey and the β-thal and the abnormal HbS rates were found to be low. The data obtained will be useful in monitoring hemoglobinopathy disorders and evaluating the current program's effectiveness in the future. It will allow decision-makers to implement policy changes and prioritize new programs.

Investigating the relationship between COVID-19 shutdown and land surface temperature on the Anatolian side of Istanbul using large architectural impermeable surfaces

Artificial impermeable surfaces are becoming more prevalent, especially in urban areas, as a result of shifting land use and cover, roads, roofs, etc. The modification of land surface temperature (LST) can also be accomplished through artificially impermeable surfaces. Large artificial impermeable surfaces, such as rooftops, parking lots, and other areas of use, can be found in industrial zones, shopping malls, industrial airports, and other locations. For the Anatolian side of Istanbul, 14 Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS imagery images over the years 2016-2022 were investigated. To evaluate how well the study's images could be utilized, correlation and cosine similarity approaches were employed. A total of 12 images may be employed for research LST studies, it was discovered. We looked at closure dates during the COVID-19 epidemic to find out how human migration affected the LST. In addition, the LST value was estimated using the ordinary least squares (OLS) method employing LST and other biophysical indices. A decrease in LST values was seen as a result of the investigation. High levels of similarity and correlation were found between the images used. Results from the Google Mobility Index also provide support to the study. All of these facts provide support to Istanbul's Anatolian side experiencing lower surface temperature values, which consequently affects the city's massive structures.

Analysis of Factors Influencing Air Quality in Different Periods during COVID-19: A Case Study of Tangshan, China

This study aimed to analyze the main factors influencing air quality in Tangshan during COVID-19, covering three different periods: the COVID-19 period, the Level I response period, and the Spring Festival period. Comparative analysis and the difference-in-differences (DID) method were used to explore differences in air quality between different stages of the epidemic and different years. During the COVID-19 period, the air quality index (AQI) and the concentrations of six conventional air pollutants (PM_2.5, PM₁₀, SO₂, NO₂, CO, and O₃-8h) decreased significantly compared to 2017-2019. For the Level I response period, the reduction in AQI caused by COVID-19 control measures were 29.07%, 31.43%, and 20.04% in February, March, and April of 2020, respectively. During the Spring Festival, the concentrations of the six pollutants were significantly higher than those in 2019 and 2021, which may be related to heavy pollution events caused by unfavorable meteorological conditions and regional transport. As for the further improvement in air quality, it is necessary to take strict measures to prevent and control air pollution while paying attention to meteorological factors.