The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, resulting from infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has caused severe and widespread illness. The COVID-19 has affected the medical system, including perinatal care. Physiological, mechanical, and immunological alterations during pregnancy could potentially affect the susceptibility to and severity of COVID-19 during pregnancy. Owing to the lack of an incomplete understanding of the disease pathogenesis, a registry study was conducted to clarify the impact of COVID-19 on pregnant women and newborns in Japan. The risk factors for severe COVID-19 in pregnant women included maternal age, gestational age, body mass index and respiratory disease. Newborns born within two weeks after pregnant women infection with SARS-CoV-2 were more likely to be separated from their mothers and fed using an adapted formula. After recognizing the possibility of emerging infectious diseases, like that due to SARS-CoV-2, it is necessary to establish stronger infection control systems, including the training of infectious disease experts.

This is an overview of changes in mental health during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic over five years ago, changes in mental health have been observed among infected individuals, non-infected individuals, those with mental disorders, women, young people, those at risk of suicide, elderly persons, and healthcare workers. Furthermore, as we enter the endemic phase, this review emphasizes the importance of managing post-COVID-19 symptoms and implementing long-term strategies. It discusses the characteristics of post-COVID-19 symptoms, risk and protective factors, pathophysiological hypotheses, mechanisms of chronicity, and finally, approaches to managing and caring for post-COVID-19 symptoms. Despite many unresolved issues, considering the potential for an increasing number of patients facing difficulties associated with post-infection symptoms and the possibility of prolonged challenges, sustained efforts to address these issues are indispensable. Further insights are anticipated to be accumulated, and effective interventions and support to be enhanced in the future.

Background: Cervical lymphadenopathy has a number of causes, including malignancies such as lymphoma and metastatic tumors. Accurate differentiation between patients with benign or malignant disease is crucial for appropriate management.

Methods: Forty patients who underwent cervical lymph node biopsy were included. Patients were classified into malignant (n = 19) or non-malignant (n = 21) groups based on the histopathological diagnosis. The clinical course, blood test results, imaging findings, and fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) classifications were compared.

Results: Patients in the malignant group were significantly older (median, 72 years vs. 50 years, p < 0.01) and had shorter duration of symptoms (median, 30 days vs. 90 days, p = 0.02). Serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and soluble interleukin 2 receptor (sIL-2R) levels were higher in the malignant group, with cutoff values of 217 IU/L and 589 U/mL, respectively. Imaging findings alone were insufficient for accurate diagnosis. All patients with Class IV and V FNAC results were diagnosed with malignancy, and Class III and higher were significantly associated with malignancy.

Conclusions: Age, duration of symptoms, LDH and sIL-2R levels, and FNAC classification are useful indicators for differentiating malignant cervical lymphadenopathy. A comprehensive evaluation combining these factors is essential for an accurate diagnosis, as imaging alone is unreliable.