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47 ud af 47 tidsskrifter valgt, søgeord (covid-19) valgt, emner højest 180 dage gamle, sorteret efter nyeste først.
1126 emner vises.
Lan Li, Ava Sullivan, Anwar Musah, Katerina Stavrianaki, Caroline E. Wood, Philip Baker, Patty Kostkova
PLoS One Infectious Diseases, 7.02.2024
Tilføjet 7.02.2024
by Lan Li, Ava Sullivan, Anwar Musah, Katerina Stavrianaki, Caroline E. Wood, Philip Baker, Patty Kostkova The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on society; it changed the way we work, learn, socialise, and move throughout the world. In the United Kingdom, policies such as business closures, travel restrictions, and social distance mandates were implemented to slow the spread of COVID-19 and implemented and relaxed intermittently throughout the response period. While negative emotions and feelings such as distress and anxiety during this time of crisis were to be expected, we also see the signs of human resilience, including positive feelings like determination, pride, and strength. A longitudinal study using online survey tools was conducted to assess people’s changing moods during the pandemic in the UK. The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) was used to measure self-reported feelings and emotions throughout six periods (phases) of the study from March 2020 to July 2021. A total of 4,222 respondents participated in the survey, while a sub-group participated in each of the six study phases (n = 167). The results were analysed using a cross-sectional study design for the full group across each study phase, while prospective cohort analysis was used to assess the subset of participants who voluntarily answered the survey in each of the six study phases (n = 167). Gender, age and employment status were found to be most significant to PANAS score, with older people, retirees, and women generally reporting more positive moods, while young people and unemployed people generally reported lower positive scores and higher negative scores, indicating more negative emotions. Additionally, it was found that people generally reported higher positive feelings in the summer of 2021, which may be related to the relaxation of COVID-19-related policies in the UK as well as the introduction of vaccines for the general population. This study is an important investigation into what allows for positivity during a crisis and gives insights into periods or groups that may be vulnerable to increased negative states of emotions and feelings.
Læs mere Tjek på PubMedAli A. Asadi-Pooya, Meshkat Nemati, Mina Shahisavandi, Hamid Nemati, Afrooz Karimi, Anahita Jafari, Sara Nasiri, Seyyed Saeed Mohammadi, Zahra Rahimian, Hossein Bayat, Ali Akbari, Amir Emami, Owrang Eilami
PLoS One Infectious Diseases, 7.02.2024
Tilføjet 7.02.2024
by Ali A. Asadi-Pooya, Meshkat Nemati, Mina Shahisavandi, Hamid Nemati, Afrooz Karimi, Anahita Jafari, Sara Nasiri, Seyyed Saeed Mohammadi, Zahra Rahimian, Hossein Bayat, Ali Akbari, Amir Emami, Owrang Eilami Objective The current study aimed to identify the association between COVID-19 vaccination and prolonged post-COVID symptoms (long-COVID) in adults who reported suffering from this condition. Methods This was a retrospective follow-up study of adults with long-COVID syndrome. The data were collected during a phone call to the participants in January-February 2022. We inquired about their current health status and also their vaccination status if they agreed to participate. Results In total, 1236 people were studied; 543 individuals reported suffering from long long- COVID (43.9%). Chi square test showed that 15 out of 51 people (29.4%) with no vaccination and 528 out of 1185 participants (44.6%) who received at least one dose of any vaccine had long long- COVID symptoms (p = 0.032). Conclusions In people who have already contracted COVID-19 and now suffer from long-COVID, receiving a COVID vaccination has a significant association with prolonged symptoms of long-COVID for more than one year after the initial infection. However, vaccines reduce the risk of severe COVID-19 (including reinfections) and its catastrophic consequences (e.g., death). Therefore, it is strongly recommended that all people, even those with a history of COVID-19, receive vaccines to protect themselves against this fatal viral infection.
Læs mere Tjek på PubMedJournal of Infectious Diseases, 7.02.2024
Tilføjet 7.02.2024
Abstract Background The 2022-2023 global mpox outbreak disproportionately affected gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBM). In Canada, almost all cases occurred among GBM and >70% of them were from the country’s three largest cities: Montréal, Toronto, and Vancouver. We examined how the distributions of sexual partners 1) varied by city and over time (2017-2023) and 2) were associated with mpox transmission.Methods The Engage Cohort Study (2017-2023) recruited GBM via respondent-driven sampling in Montréal, Toronto, and Vancouver (n=2,449). We compared reported numbers of sexual partners in the past 6 months across cities and three time periods: pre-COVID-19 pandemic (2017-2019), pandemic (2020-2021), and post-restrictions (2021-2023). We modeled the distribution of sexual partners using Bayesian negative binomial regressions and post-stratification, adjusting for sampling design and attrition. We estimated mpox’s basic reproduction number (ℛ0) using a risk-stratified compartmental model.Results The pre-COVID-19 pandemic distributions of sexual partner numbers were similar across cities: participants’ mean number of partners over the last 6 months was 10.4 (95%CrI: 9.4-11.5) in Montréal, 13.1 (11.3-15.1) in Toronto, and 10.7 (9.5-12.1) in Vancouver. Partner numbers decreased during the pandemic in all cities. Post-restrictions, sexual activity increased but remained below pre-pandemic levels. Based on reported cases and post-restrictions distributions of sexual partners, the estimated ℛ0 for mpox varied from 2.4-2.7 between cities. The estimated mpox per-partnership transmission probability was 84% (uncertainty ranging from 51-98%). Cumulative incidences (0.7-0.9%) were similar across cities.Conclusion GBM sexual activity after restrictions were lifted remained below pre-pandemic levels. Comparable sexual partner distributions may explain similarities in mpox ℛ0 and cumulative incidence across cities. With potential for further recovery in sexual activity, mpox vaccination and surveillance strategies should be maintained.
Læs mere Tjek på PubMedBorgonovo, F., Lovaglio, P. G., Mariani, C., Berta, P., Cossu, M. V., Rizzardini, G., Vittadini, G., Capetti, A. F.
BMJ Open, 7.02.2024
Tilføjet 7.02.2024
ObjectiveTo define macro symptoms of long COVID and to identify predictive factors, with the aim of preventing the development of the long COVID syndrome. DesignA single-centre longitudinal prospective cohort study conducted from May 2020 to October 2022. SettingThe study was conducted at Luigi Sacco University Hospital in Milan (Italy). In May 2020, we activated the ARCOVID (Ambulatorio Rivalutazione COVID) outpatient service for the follow-up of long COVID. ParticipantsHospitalised and non-hospitalised patients previously affected by COVID-19 were either referred by specialists or general practitioners or self-referred. InterventionDuring the first visit, a set of questions investigated the presence and the duration of 11 symptoms (palpitations, amnesia, headache, anxiety/panic, insomnia, loss of smell, loss of taste, dyspnoea, asthenia, myalgia and telogen effluvium). The follow-up has continued until the present time, by sending email questionnaires every 3 months to monitor symptoms and health-related quality of life. Primary and secondary outcome measuresMeasurement of synthetic scores (aggregation of symptoms based on occurrence and duration) that may reveal the presence of long COVID in different clinical macro symptoms. To this end, a mixed supervised and empirical strategy was adopted. Moreover, we aimed to identify predictive factors for post-COVID-19 macro symptoms. ResultsIn the first and second waves of COVID-19, 575 and 793 patients (respectively) were enrolled. Three different post-COVID-19 macro symptoms (neurological, sensorial and physical) were identified. We found significant associations between post-COVID-19 symptoms and (1) the patients’ comorbidities, and (2) the medications used during the COVID-19 acute phase. ACE inhibitors (OR=2.039, 95% CI: 1.095 to 3.892), inhaled steroids (OR=4.08, 95% CI: 1.17 to 19.19) and COVID therapies were associated with increased incidence of the neurological macro symptoms. Age (OR=1.02, 95% CI: 1.01 to 1.04), COVID-19 severity (OR=0.42, 95% CI: 0.21 to 0.82), number of comorbidities (OR=1.22, 95% CI: 1.01 to 1.5), metabolic (OR=2.52, 95% CI: 1.25 to 5.27), pulmonary (OR=1.87, 95% CI: 1.10 to 3.32) and autoimmune diseases (OR=4.57, 95% CI: 1.57 to 19.41) increased the risk of the physical macro symptoms. ConclusionsBeing male was the unique protective factor in both waves. Other factors reflected different medical behaviours and the impact of comorbidities. Evidence of the effect of therapies adds valuable information that may drive future medical choices.
Læs mere Tjek på PubMedDuggal, A., Scheraga, R., Sacha, G. L., Wang, X., Huang, S., Krishnan, S., Siuba, M. T., Torbic, H., Dugar, S., Mucha, S., Veith, J., Mireles-Cabodevila, E., Bauer, S. R., Kethireddy, S., Vachharajani, V., Dalton, J. E.
BMJ Open, 7.02.2024
Tilføjet 7.02.2024
ObjectiveConventional prediction models fail to integrate the constantly evolving nature of critical illness. Alternative modelling approaches to study dynamic changes in critical illness progression are needed. We compare static risk prediction models to dynamic probabilistic models in early critical illness. DesignWe developed models to simulate disease trajectories of critically ill COVID-19 patients across different disease states. Eighty per cent of cases were randomly assigned to a training and 20% of the cases were used as a validation cohort. Conventional risk prediction models were developed to analyse different disease states for critically ill patients for the first 7 days of intensive care unit (ICU) stay. Daily disease state transitions were modelled using a series of multivariable, multinomial logistic regression models. A probabilistic dynamic systems modelling approach was used to predict disease trajectory over the first 7 days of an ICU admission. Forecast accuracy was assessed and simulated patient clinical trajectories were developed through our algorithm. Setting and participantsWe retrospectively studied patients admitted to a Cleveland Clinic Healthcare System in Ohio, for the treatment of COVID-19 from March 2020 to December 2022. Results5241 patients were included in the analysis. For ICU days 2–7, the static (conventional) modelling approach, the accuracy of the models steadily decreased as a function of time, with area under the curve (AUC) for each health state below 0.8. But the dynamic forecasting approach improved its ability to predict as a function of time. AUC for the dynamic forecasting approach were all above 0.90 for ICU days 4–7 for all states. ConclusionWe demonstrated that modelling critical care outcomes as a dynamic system improved the forecasting accuracy of the disease state. Our model accurately identified different disease conditions and trajectories, with a
Læs mere Tjek på PubMedEugenio PaglinoDielle J. LundbergElizabeth Wrigley-FieldZhenwei ZhouJoe A. WassermanRafeya RaquibYea-Hung ChenKatherine HempsteadSamuel H. PrestonIrma T. EloM. Maria GlymourAndrew C. StokesaDepartment of Sociology and Population Studies Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104bDepartment of Global Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02118cDepartment of Health Systems and Population Health, University of Washington School of Public Health, Seattle, WA 98195dDepartment of Sociology and Minnesota Population Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455eDepartment of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02118fResearch Triangle Institute, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709gDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158hRobert Wood Johnson Foundation, Princeton, NJ 08540iDepartment of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02118
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 7.02.2024
Tilføjet 7.02.2024
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 121, Issue 6, February 2024.
Læs mere Tjek på PubMedClinical Infectious Diseases, 7.02.2024
Tilføjet 7.02.2024
Abstract Background Vaccine hesitancy persists alongside concerns about the safety of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines. We aimed to examine the effect of COVID-19 vaccination on risk of death among US veterans.Methods We conducted a target trial emulation to estimate and compare risk of death up to 60 days under two COVID-19 vaccination strategies: vaccination within 7 days of enrollment versus no vaccination through follow-up. The study cohort included individuals aged ≥18 years enrolled in the Veterans Health Administration system and eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccination according to guideline recommendations from 1 March 2021 through 1 July 2021. The outcomes of interest included deaths from any cause and excluding a COVID-19 diagnosis. Observations were cloned to both treatment strategies, censored, and weighted to estimate per-protocol effects.Results We included 3 158 507 veterans. Under the vaccination strategy, 364 993 received vaccine within 7 days. At 60 days, there were 156 deaths per 100 000 veterans under the vaccination strategy versus 185 deaths under the no vaccination strategy, corresponding to an absolute risk difference of −25.9 (95% confidence limit [CL], −59.5 to 2.7) and relative risk of 0.86 (95% CL, .7 to 1.0). When those with a COVID-19 infection in the first 60 days were censored, the absolute risk difference was −20.6 (95% CL, −53.4 to 16.0) with a relative risk of 0.88 (95% CL, .7 to 1.1).Conclusions Vaccination against COVID-19 was associated with a lower but not statistically significantly different risk of death in the first 60 days. These results agree with prior scientific knowledge suggesting vaccination is safe with the potential for substantial health benefits.
Læs mere Tjek på PubMedAaron E. Cozen, Thomas Carton, Rita Hamad, John Kornak, Madelaine Faulkner Modrow, Noah D. Peyser, Soo Park, Jaime H. Orozco, Matthew Brandner, Emily C. O’Brien, Djeneba Audrey Djibo, Cheryl N. McMahill-Walraven, Carmen R. Isasi, Alexis L. Beatty, Jeffrey E. Olgin, Gregory M. Marcus, Mark J. Pletcher
PLoS One Infectious Diseases, 6.02.2024
Tilføjet 6.02.2024
by Aaron E. Cozen, Thomas Carton, Rita Hamad, John Kornak, Madelaine Faulkner Modrow, Noah D. Peyser, Soo Park, Jaime H. Orozco, Matthew Brandner, Emily C. O’Brien, Djeneba Audrey Djibo, Cheryl N. McMahill-Walraven, Carmen R. Isasi, Alexis L. Beatty, Jeffrey E. Olgin, Gregory M. Marcus, Mark J. Pletcher COVID-19 increased the prevalence of clinically significant anxiety in the United States. To investigate contributing factors we analyzed anxiety, reported online via monthly Generalized Anxiety Disorders-7 (GAD-7) surveys between April 2020 and May 2022, in association with self-reported worry about the health effects of COVID-19, economic difficulty, personal COVID-19 experience, and subjective social status. 333,292 anxiety surveys from 50,172 participants (82% non-Hispanic white; 73% female; median age 55, IQR 42–66) showed high levels of anxiety, especially early in the pandemic. Anxiety scores showed strong independent associations with worry about the health effects of COVID-19 for oneself or family members (GAD-7 score +3.28 for highest vs. lowest category; 95% confidence interval: 3.24, 3.33; p
Læs mere Tjek på PubMedThirumaaran Gopalan, Mohd Ridha Muhamad, Victor Chee Wai Hoe, Pouya Hassandarvish
PLoS One Infectious Diseases, 6.02.2024
Tilføjet 6.02.2024
by Thirumaaran Gopalan, Mohd Ridha Muhamad, Victor Chee Wai Hoe, Pouya Hassandarvish The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has induced a critical supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) especially N95 respirators. Utilizing respirator decontamination procedures to reduce the pathogen load of a contaminated N95 respirator can be a viable solution for reuse purposes. In this study, the efficiency of a novel hybrid respirator decontamination method of ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) which utilizes ultraviolet-C (UV-C) rays coupled with microwave-generated steam (MGS) against feline coronavirus (FCoV) was evaluated. The contaminated 3M 1860 respirator pieces were treated with three treatments (UVGI-only, MGS-only, and Hybrid—UVGI + MGS) with variable time. The virucidal activity was evaluated using the TCID50 method. The comparison of decontamination efficiency of the treatments indicated that the hybrid method achieved at least a pathogen log reduction of 4 logs, faster than MGS and UVGI. These data recommend that the proposed hybrid decontamination system is more effective comparatively in achieving pathogen log reduction of 4 logs.
Læs mere Tjek på PubMedInfection, 6.02.2024
Tilføjet 6.02.2024
Abstract Purpose This study assessed the clinical and immunological outcomes of SARS-CoV-2-infected patients with risk factors for severe disease depending on their immunological status. Methods In this retrospective study with single follow-up visit, clinical outcome and humoral immunity was monitored in SARS-CoV-2 infected patients at risk. The results were compared based on the patients’ initial immunological status: unvaccinated (UV), patients who did not develop neutralizing antibodies after vaccination (vaccine non-responders, VNR), and patients who expressed neutralizing antibodies after vaccination (vaccine responders, VR). Patients who lacked neutralizing antibodies (VNR and UV) were treated with nMABs. Results In total, 113 patients at risk of severe COVID-19 consented to participate in the study. VR and UV were not admitted to the hospital. During the observation period, UVs had the highest rate of SARS-CoV-2 re-infections. Three of 41 VNRs (7.3%) were hospitalized due to severe COVID-19, with two of them having undergone iatrogenic B-cell depletion. The humoral immune response after infection was significantly lower in the VNR group than in the VR group in terms of anti-N, anti-receptor-binding domain (RBD), anti-S antibody titers, and anti-S antibody avidity. In a sub-analysis of VNR, B cell-deficient non-responders had significantly lower levels of anti-N antibodies and anti-S avidity after infection than other VNRs. Conclusion VNR, particularly B-cell-depleted VNR, remained at risk of hospitalization due to COVID-19. In the VR group, however, no clinical complications or severe disease were observed, despite not receiving nMAbs. Tailoring the administration of nMABs according to patient vaccination and immunological status may be advisable.
Læs mere Tjek på PubMedDavid Shasha
Clinical Microbiology and Infection, 6.02.2024
Tilføjet 6.02.2024
The 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic spurred the rapid development and implementation of novel vaccine technologies, which had either occasional or no prior use in humans. Within only one year into the pandemic two mRNA- and one Adenovirus vector vaccines received conditional approval after interim analysis of results of phase III clinical trials.
Læs mere Tjek på PubMedHernández-Mitre María Patricia, Morpeth Susan, Venkatesh Balasubramanian, Hills Thomas, Davis Joshua, Mahar Robert, McPhee Grace, Jones Mark, Totterdell James, Tong Steven, Roberts Jason
Clinical Microbiology and Infection, 6.02.2024
Tilføjet 6.02.2024
Synthetic serine protease inhibitors block the cellular enzyme transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2) preventing SARS-CoV-2 cell entry. There are two relevant drugs in this class, nafamostat (intravenous formulation) and camostat (oral formulation).
Læs mere Tjek på PubMedKyungmin Huh, Young-Eun Kim, Gi Hwan Bae, Jong Youn Moon, Ji-Man Kang, Jacob Lee, Jang-Whan Bae, Kyong Ran Peck, Jaehun Jung
Clinical Microbiology and Infection, 6.02.2024
Tilføjet 6.02.2024
To assess the association of primary and third doses of vaccination with the risk of post-acute sequelae of COVID-19.
Læs mere Tjek på PubMedPollock, B. D., Devkaran, S., Dowdy, S. C.
BMJ Open, 6.02.2024
Tilføjet 6.02.2024
ObjectivesIn the USA and UK, pandemic-era outcome data have been excluded from hospital rankings and pay-for-performance programmes. We assessed the relationship between US hospitals’ pre-pandemic Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Overall Hospital Star ratings and early pandemic 30-day mortality among both patients with COVID and non-COVID to understand whether pre-existing structures, processes and outcomes related to quality enabled greater pandemic resiliency. Design and data sourceA retrospective, claim-based data study using the 100% Inpatient Standard Analytic File and Medicare Beneficiary Summary File including all US Medicare Fee-for-Service inpatient encounters from 1 April 2020 to 30 November 2020 linked with the CMS Hospital Star Ratings using six-digit CMS provider IDs. Outcome measureThe outcome was risk-adjusted 30-day mortality. We used multivariate logistic regression adjusting for age, sex, Elixhauser mortality index, US Census Region, month, hospital-specific January 2020 CMS Star rating (1–5 stars), COVID diagnosis (U07.1) and COVID diagnosisxCMS Star Rating interaction. ResultsWe included 4 473 390 Medicare encounters from 2533 hospitals, with 92 896 (28.2%) mortalities among COVID-19 encounters and 387 029 (9.3%) mortalities among non-COVID encounters. There was significantly greater odds of mortality as CMS Star Ratings decreased, with 18% (95% CI 15% to 22%; p
Læs mere Tjek på PubMedEline Mennis, Michelle Hobus, Maria van den Muijsenbergh, Tessa van Loenen
PLoS One Infectious Diseases, 6.02.2024
Tilføjet 6.02.2024
by Eline Mennis, Michelle Hobus, Maria van den Muijsenbergh, Tessa van Loenen Introduction People who are homeless might be more at risk for getting infected by the SARS-COV-2 virus or for experiencing severe course of the infection due to their often more fragile health, unmet health needs, and poorer living conditions. This study aims to gain insight into the morbidity and mortality of the SARS-COV-2 virus among the homeless population in the Netherlands. Methods In this observational retrospective study, anonymized data about patients experiencing homelessness who contacted a street doctor were gathered in nine cities in the Netherlands from March 2020 until March 2021. Data included patient characteristics, COVID-19 -related symptoms, diagnosis, and disease course of a SARS-COV-2 infection. Results Of the total 1419 patients in whom 1544 COVID-19 related consults were registered, 16% tested positive for a SARS-COV-2 infection, and an additional 12% were clinically suspected of having a SARS-COV-2 infection but were seen before there were any COVID-19 tests available in General Practice or for some other reason not tested. Significantly more (p =
Læs mere Tjek på PubMedZhang, Y., Chinchilli, V. M., Ssentongo, P., Ba, D. M.
BMJ Open, 3.02.2024
Tilføjet 3.02.2024
ObjectivesMental health disorders (MHD) rank third for US adult hospitalisations. Given the substantial prevalence of ‘Long COVID’ in SARS-CoV-2 survivors, this study aims to assess its association with increased MHD risk using extensive real-world data. DesignA retrospective cohort study with propensity score matching was conducted. We used the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision codes to identify individuals with Long COVID status and COVID-19 histories. Multivariable stratified Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was conducted to determine the association of Long COVID status with MHD. SettingData were sourced from the TriNetX database, spanning records from 1 October 2021 to 16 April 2023. ParticipantsTwo distinct cohorts were established: one comprising individuals diagnosed with Long COVID and another comprising individuals with no history of Long COVID or COVID-19. At the start of the study, none of the participants had a recorded MHD. Primary and secondary outcome measuresThe main outcome of interest was a composite diagnosis of MHD. Secondary outcomes were individual mental health conditions. ResultsThe study included 43 060 control participants without Long COVID and 4306 Long COVID participants, demonstrating well-balanced distribution across all covariates. After adjusting for 4 demographic factors and 10 comorbidities, Long COVID was associated with MHD (adjusted HR, aHR 2.60; 95% CI 2.37 to 2.85). In subgroup analysis, Long COVID was associated with major depression disorder (aHR 3.36; 95% CI 2.82 to 4.00) and generalised anxiety disorder (aHR 3.44; 95% CI 2.99 to 3.96). ConclusionsIn this retrospective large real-world cohort study, Long COVID was associated with an increased risk of incident MHD. The MHD impact is significant considering the vast number of patients with Long COVID. Enhanced MHD screening among COVID-19 survivors should be a priority.
Læs mere Tjek på PubMedInfectious Disease Modelling, 3.02.2024
Tilføjet 3.02.2024
Publication date: Available online 2 February 2024 Source: Infectious Disease Modelling Author(s): Mohamed Ladib, Aziz Ouhinou, Abdul-Aziz Yakubu
Læs mere Tjek på PubMedBMJ Open, 3.02.2024
Tilføjet 3.02.2024
Silva C, Fonseca C, Ferreira R, et al Depression in older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review protocol BMJ Open 2022;12:e065610. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-065610. Above mentioned article is revised since it was published as Funding statement is now updated as given below: The present publication was funded by Fundacão Ciência e Tecnologia, IP national support through CHRC (UIDP/04923/2020)\'.
Læs mere Tjek på PubMedBMJ Open, 3.02.2024
Tilføjet 3.02.2024
Silva C, Fonseca C, Ferreira R, et al Depression in older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review protocol BMJ Open 2022;12:e065610. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-065610. Above mentioned article is revised since it was published as Funding statement is now updated as given below: The present publication was funded by Fundacão Ciência e Tecnologia, IP national support through CHRC (UIDP/04923/2020)\'.
Læs mere Tjek på PubMedLeonie Richardson, Emily Long, Claire Goodfellow, Jelena Milicev, Maria Gardani
PLoS One Infectious Diseases, 3.02.2024
Tilføjet 3.02.2024
by Leonie Richardson, Emily Long, Claire Goodfellow, Jelena Milicev, Maria Gardani Students who began their undergraduate university studies in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic (the ‘COVID cohort’), may have been particularly at risk for experiencing increased loneliness. This study employed an exploratory egocentric network and mixed-methods approach to investigate the links between social networks and loneliness in the COVID cohort. Of sixty-one respondents meeting inclusion criteria for the study, fifty-eight first-year undergraduate students from the September 2020 intake at a large Scottish University provided egocentric network data via an online survey, as well as responses to three open-ended questions which were aimed at generating qualitative data about participants’ experiences of starting university in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Bivariate analyses suggest that having a larger social network, and higher satisfaction with that network, was associated with reduced loneliness. We additionally explored these associations in subsamples of students living on-campus and living off-campus. Our qualitative data adds valuable insight into the impact that pandemic-related social-distancing restrictions had on limiting students’ opportunities for meeting their peers and forging meaningful social connections at university. Limitations of this study include a small sample size and an exploratory approach requiring further investigation and replication. However, in the context of universities continuing to use hybrid teaching models, this study provides useful initial insights, highlighting potential avenues for institutions to support students in developing social connections in the transition to higher education.
Læs mere Tjek på PubMedFu Feifei
PLoS One Infectious Diseases, 3.02.2024
Tilføjet 3.02.2024
by Fu Feifei Drawing on Critical Metaphor Analysis, this study investigates major metaphors of the COVID-19 pandemic used by the Chinese government in the specific genre of news picture. It examines patterns of metaphor use in the first year of the pandemic in China and explains how and why the government employs the identified metaphors in the Chinese political context. Results reveal that pandemic metaphors (45%) are not as widely used in news pictures as presumed, the vast majority (95%) are rendered in verbal mode, and the most salient metaphors used in news pictures are the UP/DOWN (spatial), WAR, FAMILY, and COMPETITION metaphors. This study then addresses how COVID-19 metaphors are used in the Chinese political context and claims that the Chinese government uses specific metaphors with persuasive and ideological functions. The WAR metaphor aids comprehension of abstract concepts of the pandemic treatment, the FAMILY metaphor fosters empathy among Chinese individuals to counter blame and discrimination in society, UP/DOWN (spatial) and COMPETITION metaphors stimulate action to overcome the common “enemy.” WAR and FAMILY metaphors also contribute to the construction of a greater sense of collectivism and play a crucial role in fostering a positive national identity. Implications, limitations and some directions for future research are suggested.
Læs mere Tjek på PubMedInfection, 3.02.2024
Tilføjet 3.02.2024
Abstract Purpose This study assessed the clinical and immunological outcomes of SARS-CoV-2-infected patients with risk factors for severe disease depending on their immunological status. Methods In this retrospective study with single follow-up visit, clinical outcome and humoral immunity was monitored in SARS-CoV-2 infected patients at risk. The results were compared based on the patients’ initial immunological status: unvaccinated (UV), patients who did not develop neutralizing antibodies after vaccination (vaccine non-responders, VNR), and patients who expressed neutralizing antibodies after vaccination (vaccine responders, VR). Patients who lacked neutralizing antibodies (VNR and UV) were treated with nMABs. Results In total, 113 patients at risk of severe COVID-19 consented to participate in the study. VR and UV were not admitted to the hospital. During the observation period, UVs had the highest rate of SARS-CoV-2 re-infections. Three of 41 VNRs (7.3%) were hospitalized due to severe COVID-19, with two of them having undergone iatrogenic B-cell depletion. The humoral immune response after infection was significantly lower in the VNR group than in the VR group in terms of anti-N, anti-receptor-binding domain (RBD), anti-S antibody titers, and anti-S antibody avidity. In a sub-analysis of VNR, B cell-deficient non-responders had significantly lower levels of anti-N antibodies and anti-S avidity after infection than other VNRs. Conclusion VNR, particularly B-cell-depleted VNR, remained at risk of hospitalization due to COVID-19. In the VR group, however, no clinical complications or severe disease were observed, despite not receiving nMAbs. Tailoring the administration of nMABs according to patient vaccination and immunological status may be advisable.
Læs mere Tjek på PubMedAmanda de la Fuente, Tamara Postigo, Francisco Sanus Ferri, Marta Domínguez-Gil, Jesús Álvarez-Manzanares, Jose María Eiros, Virginia Carbajosa Rodríguez, Susana Sanchez Ramon, Alicia Ortega, Laura N. Fadrique Millán, Luis Mario Vaquero-Roncero, Carmen Esteban-Velasco, Elena Navarro-Matías, Ferran Barbé, Jesús F Bermejo-Martin, Raul Lopez-Izquierdo
International Journal of Infectious Diseases, 3.02.2024
Tilføjet 3.02.2024
Even in the current pandemic scenario, frail patients with COVID-19 are still at increased risk for hospitalization and severe outcomes [1]. Early identification of these patients could help to allocate the appropriate level of care. Profiling the presence of viral antigens in the blood or antibody levels could be useful to this regard. SARS-CoV-2 induces antigenemia, which could help to differentiate between the acute and the convalescent phase [2]. While several ELISA or chemiluminescence immunoassays have been developed to profile antigenemia, they are not currently available in clinical settings.
Læs mere Tjek på PubMedJournal of Infectious Diseases, 2.02.2024
Tilføjet 2.02.2024
Abstract SARS-CoV-2 infection causes a variety of clinical manifestations, many of which originate from altered immune responses, either locally or systemically. Immune cell crosstalk occurs mainly in lymphoid organs. However, systemic cell interaction specific to COVID-19 has not been well characterized. Here, by employing single cell RNA sequencing and imaging flow cytometry analysis, we unraveled, in peripheral blood, a heterogeneous group of cell complexes formed by the adherence of CD14+ monocytes to different cytotoxic lymphocytes, including SARS-CoV-2-specific CD8+ T cells, γδT and NKT cells. These lymphocytes attached to CD14+ monocytes that showing enhanced inflammasome activation and pyroptosis-induced cell death in progression stage, whereas in convalescent phase, CD14+ monocytes with elevated antigen presentation potential were targeted by cytotoxic lymphocytes, thereby restricting the excessive immune activation. Collectively, our study reports previously unrecognized cell-cell interplay in SARS-CoV-2 specific immune response, providing new insight into the intricacy of dynamic immune cell interaction representing anti-viral defense.
Læs mere Tjek på PubMedJournal of Infectious Diseases, 2.02.2024
Tilføjet 2.02.2024
Abstract Background Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is a hyperinflammatory condition caused by recent SARS-CoV-2 infection, but the underlying immunological mechanisms driving this distinct syndrome are unknown.Methods We utilized high dimensional flow cytometry, cell-free (cf) DNA, and cytokine and chemokine profiling to identify mechanisms of critical illness distinguishing MIS-C from severe acute COVID-19 (SAC).Results Compared to SAC, MIS-C patients demonstrated profound innate immune cell death and features of emergency myelopoiesis (EM), an understudied phenomenon observed in severe inflammation. EM signatures were characterized by fewer mature myeloid cells in the periphery and decreased expression of HLA-DR and CD86 on antigen presenting cells. IL-27, a cytokine known to drive hematopoietic stem cells towards EM, was increased in MIS-C, and correlated with immature cell signatures in MIS-C. Upon recovery, EM signatures decreased, and IL-27 plasma levels returned to normal levels. Despite profound lymphopenia, we report a lack of cfDNA released by adaptive immune cells and increased CCR7 expression on T cells indicative of egress out of peripheral blood.Conclusions Immune cell signatures of EM combined with elevated innate immune cell-derived cfDNA levels distinguish MIS-C from SAC in children and provide mechanistic insight into dysregulated immunity contributing towards MIS-C, offering potential diagnostic and therapeutic targets.
Læs mere Tjek på PubMedPowelson, J., Kalepa, J., Kachule, H., Nkhonjera, K., Matemba, C., Chisema, M., Chumachapera, T., Lawrence, E.
BMJ Open, 2.02.2024
Tilføjet 2.02.2024
ObjectiveIn recent years, full childhood routine immunisation coverage has fallen by 5% to levels not seen since 2008; between 2019 and 2021, 67 million children were undervaccinated. We aimed to identify and describe the determinants of vaccination drop-out from the perspectives of caregivers and health workers in Malawi. DesignWe used a community-based participatory research approach to collect data through photo elicitation, short message service exchanges, in-depth interviews and observations. We used a team-based approach for thematic analysis, guided by the Behavioural and Social Drivers of Vaccination framework. SettingThe study was conducted in Lilongwe and Mzimba North Districts in Malawi, representing urban and rural settings, respectively. ParticipantsParticipants included caregivers of partially vaccinated (n=38) and fully vaccinated (n=12) children between 25 and 34 months and Community Health Workers (n=20) who deliver vaccines. Caregiver participants were identified through health facility vaccination registers and with the assistance of community health volunteers. ResultsWe identified five principal drivers of routine vaccination drop-out: (1) poor caregiver knowledge of the vaccine schedule and how many vaccines are needed for full vaccination; (2) caregivers’ fear of repercussions after not following vaccination guidelines; (3) rumours and concerns if vaccines are repeated or new ones are introduced; (4) high opportunity cost of health facility visits, exacerbated by wait times, stockouts and missed opportunities and (5) limited family support and vaccination burden placed largely on mothers. Key differences between rural and urban settings related to practices around health cards and vaccine wastage, wait times, migrant and tenant communities, and social support systems. ConclusionsImmunisation interventions should be tailored to address drivers of drop-out in the community, the health facility and beyond. Service quality, timeliness and reliability need to be improved, and tailored messaging and education are needed, especially in response to COVID-19-related misinformation and introductions of new, routine vaccines.
Læs mere Tjek på PubMedBrian McCloskey, Tomoya Saito, Satoshi Shimada, Chiaki Ikenoue, Tina Endericks, Lucia Mullen, Pau Mota, Chirag K Kumar, Ramanan Laxminarayan, Richard Budgett, David Heymann, Alimuddin Zumla
Lancet, 2.02.2024
Tilføjet 2.02.2024
The COVID-19 pandemic profoundly affected all mass gatherings for sporting and religious events, causing cancellation, postponement, or downsizing. On March 24, 2020, the Japanese Government, the Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, and the International Olympic Committee decided to postpone the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games until the summer of 2021. With the emergence of SARS-CoV-2, the potential creation of a superspreading event that would overwhelm the Tokyo health system was perceived as a risk.
Læs mere Tjek på PubMedZi-Hao Gao, Jun Li
PLoS One Infectious Diseases, 1.02.2024
Tilføjet 1.02.2024
by Zi-Hao Gao, Jun Li The Chinese government adjusted its national epidemic prevention and control policy in December 2022 after the worldwide declaration of COVID-19 as a common influenza. After the policy adjustment, there has been widespread infection in China, which has brought a lot of uncertainty to the lives and studies of Chinese university students. This study focused on the impact of the intolerance of uncertainty for COVID-19 (IUC) on the emotional and mental health of college students in China “Post-pandemic” age. This study examined the mediating role of difficulties in emotion regulation (DER) between IUC and mental health (MH). 1,281 university students in China were surveyed using the intolerance of uncertainty for COVID-19 scale, the difficulties in emotion regulation scale and the mental health scale. A structural equation model was used to test the hypothesis model, and it was shown that IUC had a significant negative effect on the MH of college students and a significant positive effect on the DER. DER had a significant negative effect on the MH, and DER had a complete mediation effect between IUC and MH. The findings of this study enrich our understanding of the influencing factors of mental health of university students under the background of post-epidemic in China, and provide practical reference for universities on how to prevent mental health problems under the current uncertain environment in China.
Læs mere Tjek på PubMedManuel Ribeiro, Leonardo Azevedo, André Peralta Santos, Pedro Pinto Leite, Maria João Pereira
PLoS One Infectious Diseases, 1.02.2024
Tilføjet 1.02.2024
by Manuel Ribeiro, Leonardo Azevedo, André Peralta Santos, Pedro Pinto Leite, Maria João Pereira During the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, governments and public health authorities collected massive amounts of data on daily confirmed positive cases and incidence rates. These data sets provide relevant information to develop a scientific understanding of the pandemic’s spatiotemporal dynamics. At the same time, there is a lack of comprehensive approaches to describe and classify patterns underlying the dynamics of COVID-19 incidence across regions over time. This seriously constrains the potential benefits for public health authorities to understand spatiotemporal patterns of disease incidence that would allow for better risk communication strategies and improved assessment of mitigation policies efficacy. Within this context, we propose an exploratory statistical tool that combines functional data analysis with unsupervised learning algorithms to extract meaningful information about the main spatiotemporal patterns underlying COVID-19 incidence on mainland Portugal. We focus on the timeframe spanning from August 2020 to March 2022, considering data at the municipality level. First, we describe the temporal evolution of confirmed daily COVID-19 cases by municipality as a function of time, and outline the main temporal patterns of variability using a functional principal component analysis. Then, municipalities are classified according to their spatiotemporal similarities through hierarchical clustering adapted to spatially correlated functional data. Our findings reveal disparities in disease dynamics between northern and coastal municipalities versus those in the southern and hinterland. We also distinguish effects occurring during the 2020–2021 period from those in the 2021–2022 autumn-winter seasons. The results provide proof-of-concept that the proposed approach can be used to detect the main spatiotemporal patterns of disease incidence. The novel approach expands and enhances existing exploratory tools for spatiotemporal analysis of public health data.
Læs mere Tjek på PubMedHong Duo, Mengying Jin, Yanwei Yang, Rewaan Baheti, Yujia Feng, Zirui Fu, Yuyue Jiang, Lanzhuoying Zheng, Jing Wan, Huaqin Pan
PLoS One Infectious Diseases, 1.02.2024
Tilføjet 1.02.2024
by Hong Duo, Mengying Jin, Yanwei Yang, Rewaan Baheti, Yujia Feng, Zirui Fu, Yuyue Jiang, Lanzhuoying Zheng, Jing Wan, Huaqin Pan Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may predispose patients to thrombotic disease in the venous and arterial circulations. Methods Based on the current debate on antiplatelet therapy in COVID-19 patients, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the effect of antiplatelet treatments. We searched PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Web of Science on February 1, 2023, and only included Randomized clinical trials. The study followed PRISMA guidelines and used Random-effects models to estimate the pooled percentage and its 95% CI. Results Five unique eligible studies were included, covering 17,950 patients with COVID-19. The result showed no statistically significant difference in the relative risk of all-cause death in antiplatelet therapy versus non-antiplatelet therapy (RR 0.94, 95% CI, 0.83–1.05, P = 0.26, I2 = 32%). Compared to no antiplatelet therapy, patients who received antiplatelet therapy had a significantly increased relative risk of major bleeding (RR 1.81, 95%CI 1.09–3.00, P = 0.02, I2 = 16%). The sequential analysis suggests that more RCTs are needed to draw more accurate conclusions. This systematic review and meta-analysis revealed that the use of antiplatelet agents exhibited no significant benefit on all-cause death, and the upper bound of the confidence interval on all-cause death (RR 95% CI, 0.83–1.05) suggested that it was unlikely to be a substantiated harm risk associated with this treatment. However, evidence from all RCTs suggested a high risk of major bleeding in antiplatelet agent treatments. Conclusion According to the results of our sequential analysis, there is not enough evidence available to support or negate the use of antiplatelet agents in COVID-19 cases. The results of ongoing and future well-designed, large, randomized clinical trials are needed.
Læs mere Tjek på PubMedYue Yang, Bo Liu, Ya-Jun Wen, Zhan-Jie Li, Yong-Xiang Zhang, Gen-Ming Zhao, Bi-Jie Hu, Wen-Sen Chen, Wei-Hong Zhang
PLoS One Infectious Diseases, 1.02.2024
Tilføjet 1.02.2024
by Yue Yang, Bo Liu, Ya-Jun Wen, Zhan-Jie Li, Yong-Xiang Zhang, Gen-Ming Zhao, Bi-Jie Hu, Wen-Sen Chen, Wei-Hong Zhang To analyze the post-COVID-19 construction and management of fever clinics targeted to prevention and control of healthcare-associated respiratory viral infections in medical institutions at all levels in China, and to provide a basis for promoting their standardized construction, we conducted this survey on the construction of fever clinics in 429 medical institutions of Jiangsu Province from July to December 2020. Contents of the questionnaire included the general situation of medical institutions, the construction status and future construction plans of fever clinics. We find the construction rate of fever clinic in medical institutions of Jiangsu province was 75.3%. All construction indicators, quality management systems and processes fail to fully meet the requirements of documents and standards. Jiangsu province actively promotes the construction of fever clinic layout, but there is still a gap with the construction standard. As a result, it is necessary to further promote standardized construction of fever clinic, and necessary financial input should be increased to expand all constructions of fever clinic in primary medical institutions.
Læs mere Tjek på PubMedQiang Wang, Hailing Gu, Jianjun Ren, Yu Zhao, Zhaoli Meng
PLoS One Infectious Diseases, 1.02.2024
Tilføjet 1.02.2024
by Qiang Wang, Hailing Gu, Jianjun Ren, Yu Zhao, Zhaoli Meng The purpose of this study was to explore the characteristics of and risk factors for otological symptoms after contracting COVID-19. We invited 468 participants who had been infected with COVID-19 to participate in a survey. 310 (66.2%) were women and 158 (33.8%) were men. The mean age is 38.73 (12.21) years. The questionnaire included their basic information, symptoms and symptom duration after SARS-CoV-2 infection, number of vaccine doses received, and details regarding otological symptoms. In total, 106/468 (22.6%) participants experienced tinnitus, 66/468 (14.1%) hearing loss, 103/468 (22.0%) aural fullness, and 71/468 (15.2%) dizziness. Women were more prone to experience tinnitus (P = 0.022) and dizziness (P = 0.001) than men. The group with hearing loss were older (P = 0.025), and their initial COVID-19 symptoms lasted longer (P = 0.028) than those of patients without. Patients with aural fullness were more likely to experience fatigue than patients without (P = 0.002). Patients experiencing dizziness were more likely to experience pharyngalgia (P = 0.040) and fatigue (P = 0.005) than those without. The number of vaccine doses was positively associated with the resolution of otological symptoms (P = 0.035). Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that sex was an independent risk factor for tinnitus (odds ratio [OR], 1.802; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.099–2.953; P = 0.020), the duration of initial COVID-19 symptoms for hearing loss (OR, 1.055; 95% CI, 1.008–1.105; P = 0.023), and sex for dizziness (OR, 2.870; 95% CI, 1.489–5.535; P = 0.002). Sex, age, COVID-19-related fatigue, and the duration of initial COVID-19 symptoms may affect the occurrence of otological symptoms, and vaccines may aid their resolution.
Læs mere Tjek på PubMedQianhang Xia, Yujie Yang, Fengling Wang, Zhongyue Huang, Wuqi Qiu, Ayan Mao
International Journal of Infectious Diseases, 1.02.2024
Tilføjet 1.02.2024
The COVID-19 pandemic has severely strained global healthcare systems, marking the most critical public health emergency since World War II [1]. The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) underwent continuous mutations, giving rise to diverse variants [2]. While most mutations have minimal impact, certain ones significantly affect SARS-CoV-2′s clinical and epidemiological characteristics, including increased transmissibility, pathogenicity, and reduced vaccine effectiveness [3].
Læs mere Tjek på PubMedJournal of the American Medical Association, 1.02.2024
Tilføjet 1.02.2024
This Viewpoint discusses declining vaccination rates in the US, specifically against COVID-19, and the ways in which clinicians and the Food and Drug Administration can counter the current large volume of vaccine misinformation.
Læs mere Tjek på PubMedBMC Infectious Diseases, 1.02.2024
Tilføjet 1.02.2024
Abstract Background Northern Italy was the first European country affected by the spread of the SARS-CoV-2, with the epicenter in the province of Bergamo. Aim This study aims to analyze the characteristics of patients who experienced more severe symptoms during the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and methods We retrospectively collected epidemiological and clinical data on patients with laboratory-confirmed wild-type SARS-CoV-2 infection who were admitted to the “ASST Bergamo Ovest” hospital between February 21 and May 31, 2020. Results A total of seven hundred twenty-three inpatients met the eligible criteria and were included in the study cohort. Among the inpatients who survived, the average hospital length of stay was more than two weeks, with some lasting up to three months. Among the 281 non-survivors, death occurred in 50% within five days. Survivors were those whose first aid operators recorded higher oxygen saturation levels at home. The request for first aid assistance came more than one week after symptom onset, within three days in 10% of cases. Conclusion In similar future scenarios, based on our data, if we aim to enhance the survival rate, we need to improve the territorial healthcare assistance and admit to hospitals only those patients who are at risk of severe illness requiring specialized and urgent interventions within two, three, or, at most, five days from the onset of symptoms. This implies that the crucial factor is, has been, and will be the ability of a healthcare system to react promptly in its entirety within a few days.
Læs mere Tjek på PubMedYu-Yu Chang, An-Chi Wei
PLoS One Infectious Diseases, 31.01.2024
Tilføjet 31.01.2024
by Yu-Yu Chang, An-Chi Wei The effects of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) primarily concern the respiratory tract and lungs; however, studies have shown that all organs are susceptible to infection by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). COVID-19 may involve multiorgan damage from direct viral invasion through angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), through inflammatory cytokine storms, or through other secondary pathways. This study involved the analysis of publicly accessible transcriptome data from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database for identifying significant differentially expressed genes related to COVID-19 and an investigation relating to the pathways associated with mitochondrial, cardiac, hepatic, and renal toxicity in COVID-19. Significant differentially expressed genes were identified and ranked by statistical approaches, and the genes derived by biological meaning were ranked by feature importance; both were utilized as machine learning features for verification. Sample set selection for machine learning was based on the performance, sample size, imbalanced data state, and overfitting assessment. Machine learning served as a verification tool by facilitating the testing of biological hypotheses by incorporating gene list adjustment. A subsequent in-depth study for gene and pathway network analysis was conducted to explore whether COVID-19 is associated with cardiac, hepatic, and renal impairments via mitochondrial infection. The analysis showed that potential cardiac, hepatic, and renal impairments in COVID-19 are associated with ACE2, inflammatory cytokine storms, and mitochondrial pathways, suggesting potential medical interventions for COVID-19-induced multiorgan damage.
Læs mere Tjek på PubMedRichard Gebler, Martin Lehmann, Maik Löwe, Mirko Gruhl, Markus Wolfien, Miriam Goldammer, Franziska Bathelt, Jens Karschau, Andreas Hasselberg, Veronika Bierbaum, Toni Lange, Katja Polotzek, Hanns-Christoph Held, Michael Albrecht, Jochen Schmitt, Martin Sedlmayr
PLoS One Infectious Diseases, 31.01.2024
Tilføjet 31.01.2024
by Richard Gebler, Martin Lehmann, Maik Löwe, Mirko Gruhl, Markus Wolfien, Miriam Goldammer, Franziska Bathelt, Jens Karschau, Andreas Hasselberg, Veronika Bierbaum, Toni Lange, Katja Polotzek, Hanns-Christoph Held, Michael Albrecht, Jochen Schmitt, Martin Sedlmayr Background The COVID-19 pandemic revealed a need for better collaboration among research, care, and management in Germany as well as globally. Initially, there was a high demand for broad data collection across Germany, but as the pandemic evolved, localized data became increasingly necessary. Customized dashboards and tools were rapidly developed to provide timely and accurate information. In Saxony, the DISPENSE project was created to predict short-term hospital bed capacity demands, and while it was successful, continuous adjustments and the initial monolithic system architecture of the application made it difficult to customize and scale. Methods To analyze the current state of the DISPENSE tool, we conducted an in-depth analysis of the data processing steps and identified data flows underlying users’ metrics and dashboards. We also conducted a workshop to understand the different views and constraints of specific user groups, and brought together and clustered the information according to content-related service areas to determine functionality-related service groups. Based on this analysis, we developed a concept for the system architecture, modularized the main services by assigning specialized applications and integrated them into the existing system, allowing for self-service reporting and evaluation of the expert groups’ needs. Results We analyzed the applications’ dataflow and identified specific user groups. The functionalities of the monolithic application were divided into specific service groups for data processing, data storage, predictions, content visualization, and user management. After composition and implementation, we evaluated the new system architecture against the initial requirements by enabling self-service reporting to the users. Discussion By modularizing the monolithic application and creating a more flexible system, the challenges of rapidly changing requirements, growing need for information, and high administrative efforts were addressed. Conclusion We demonstrated an improved adaptation towards the needs of various user groups, increased efficiency, and reduced burden on administrators, while also enabling self-service functionalities and specialization of single applications on individual service groups.
Læs mere Tjek på PubMedMüge Ayhan, Belgin Coşkun, Bircan Kayaaslan, İmran Hasanoğlu, Ayşe Kaya Kalem, Fatma Eser, Yeşim Aybar Bilir, Serpil Ünlü, Rahmet Güner
PLoS One Infectious Diseases, 31.01.2024
Tilføjet 31.01.2024
by Müge Ayhan, Belgin Coşkun, Bircan Kayaaslan, İmran Hasanoğlu, Ayşe Kaya Kalem, Fatma Eser, Yeşim Aybar Bilir, Serpil Ünlü, Rahmet Güner Introduction The most important and undesirable consequence of inappropriate antibiotic use is the spread of antibiotic resistance, increased adverse effects, increased mortality and healthcare costs. We aimed to assess antibiotic usage characteristics in inpatient setting in our center. Materials and methods A one-day, single center point-prevalence study was carried out on June 9th 2021, in Ankara City Hospital in Turkey. Data of antibiotic consumption, appropriateness of usage and predictors of inappropriate use in adult patients were evaluated. Results Out of 2640 adult patients, 893 (33.8%) were receiving at least one antibiotic. A total of 1212 antibiotic prescriptions with an average of 1.44±0.64 were found. Antibiotics were most commonly used for therapeutic purpose (84.7%), followed by surgical prophylaxis (11.6%). Majority of therapeutically used antibiotics were empirical (67.9%). Infectious diseases consultation was present in 68.3% with a compliance rate of 95.7%. Rate of inappropriate use was 20%. The most frequent cause of inappropriateness was unnecessary use (52.5%). Most commonly and most inappropriately used antibiotics were carbapenems (17.5%) and first generation cephalosporins (38.7%), respectively. Most of the inappropriateness observed in first-generation cephalosporins was due to inappropriate longer surgical prophylaxis. While age is an independent risk factor for inappropriate antibiotic use (p = 0.042), COVID-19 unit admission, use for therapeutic purpose and infectious diseases consultation were protective factors (p
Læs mere Tjek på PubMedInfectious Disease Modelling, 31.01.2024
Tilføjet 31.01.2024
Publication date: Available online 30 January 2024 Source: Infectious Disease Modelling Author(s): Adriane S. Reis, Laurita dos Santos, Américo Cunha Jr, Thaís C.R.O. Konstantyner, Elbert E.N. Macau
Læs mere Tjek på PubMedInfectious Disease Modelling, 31.01.2024
Tilføjet 31.01.2024
Publication date: Available online 30 January 2024 Source: Infectious Disease Modelling Author(s): Ruth McCabe, Gabriel Danelian, Jasmina Panovska-Griffiths, Christl A. Donnelly
Læs mere Tjek på PubMedJ. Sunil Rao, Tianhao Liu, Daniel Andrés Díaz-Pachón
PLoS One Infectious Diseases, 31.01.2024
Tilføjet 31.01.2024
by J. Sunil Rao, Tianhao Liu, Daniel Andrés Díaz-Pachón We argue that information from countries who had earlier COVID-19 surges can be used to inform another country’s current model, then generating what we call back-to-the-future (BTF) projections. We show that these projections can be used to accurately predict future COVID-19 surges prior to an inflection point of the daily infection curve. We show, across 12 different countries from all populated continents around the world, that our method can often predict future surges in scenarios where the traditional approaches would always predict no future surges. However, as expected, BTF projections cannot accurately predict a surge due to the emergence of a new variant. To generate BTF projections, we make use of a matching scheme for asynchronous time series combined with a response coaching SIR model.
Læs mere Tjek på PubMedWang Xiang, Zezhi Wang, Xin Pan, Xiaobing Liu, Xuedong Yan, Li Chen
PLoS One Infectious Diseases, 31.01.2024
Tilføjet 31.01.2024
by Wang Xiang, Zezhi Wang, Xin Pan, Xiaobing Liu, Xuedong Yan, Li Chen Selecting an appropriate intensity of epidemic prevention and control measures is of vital significance to promoting the two-way dynamic coordination of epidemic prevention and control and economic development. In order to balance epidemic control and economic development and suggest scientific and reasonable traffic control measures, this paper proposes a SEIQR model considering population migration and the propagation characteristics of the exposed and the asymptomatic, based on the data of COVID-19 cases, Baidu Migration, and the tourist economy. Further, the factor traffic control intensity is included in the model. After determining the functional relationship between the control intensity and the number of tourists and the cumulative number of confirmed cases, the NSGA-II algorithm is employed to perform multi-objective optimization with consideration of the requirements for epidemic prevention and control and for economic development to get an appropriate traffic control intensity and suggest scientific traffic control measures. With Xi’an City as an example. The results show that the Pearson correlation coefficient between the predicted data of this improved model and the actual data is 0.996, the R-square in the regression analysis is 0.993, with a significance level of below 0.001, suggesting that the predicted data of the model are more accurate. With the continuous rise of traffic control intensity in different simulation scenarios, the cumulative number of cases decreases by a significant amplitude. While balancing the requirements for epidemic prevention and control and for tourist economy development, the model works out the control intensity to be 0.68, under which some traffic control measures are suggested. The model presented in this paper can be used to analyze the impacts of different traffic control intensities on epidemic transmission. The research results in this paper reveal the traffic control measures balancing the requirements for epidemic prevention and control and for economic development.
Læs mere Tjek på PubMedStephan Gehring, Frank Kowalzik, Omar Okasha, Tobias Engelmann, Daniel Schreiner, Christian Jensen, Aline Mähringer-Kunz, Wendy Hartig-Merkel, Thao Mai Phuong Tran, Cornelia Oostvogels, Thomas Verstraeten
PLoS One Infectious Diseases, 31.01.2024
Tilføjet 31.01.2024
by Stephan Gehring, Frank Kowalzik, Omar Okasha, Tobias Engelmann, Daniel Schreiner, Christian Jensen, Aline Mähringer-Kunz, Wendy Hartig-Merkel, Thao Mai Phuong Tran, Cornelia Oostvogels, Thomas Verstraeten We assessed the seroepidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 infection and the incidence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) before and during the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, in a prospective observational cohort study on healthcare workers (HCWs) in a large tertiary hospital in Mainz, Germany. Antibody status was assessed during six visits between September 2020 and February 2022. Self-reported symptoms were collected using a smartphone application; symptomatic HCWs were tested using real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assays for SARS-CoV-2. Rates of virologically confirmed and severe COVID-19 were estimated using the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) case definitions, respectively, and were contrasted to background community transmission and circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants. A total of 3665 HCWs were enrolled (mean follow-up time: 18 months); 97 met the FDA definition of virologically confirmed COVID-19 (incidence rate (IR) 2.3/1000 person-months (PMs), one severe case). Most cases reported ≥2 symptoms, commonly, cough and anosmia or ageusia. Overall, 263 individuals seroconverted (IR 6.6/1000 PMs—2.9 times the estimated IR of COVID-19), indicating many cases were missed, either due to asymptomatic infections or to an atypical presentation of symptoms. A triphasic trend in anti-SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence and seroconversion was observed, with an initial increase following the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, a two-fold decline six months later, and finally a six-fold increase by the end of the study when Omicron was the dominant circulating variant. Despite the increase in infection rates at the end of the study due to the circulation of the Omicron variant, the infection and disease rates observed were lower than the published estimates in HCWs and rates in the general local population. Preferential vaccination of HCWs and the strict monitoring program for SARS-CoV-2 infection are the most likely reasons for the successful control of COVID-19 in this high-risk population.
Læs mere Tjek på PubMedHui YangXin YuWenjing HouXiangduan LiuJiaojiao ChenYing ZhangYing WangYing ZhuQing QianKuifen MaZhuoling An1Department of Pharmacy, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China2National Alliance of Transplant Pharmacists, Zhejiang, China3Department of Pharmacy, Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China4Department of Pharmacy, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China5Department of Pharmacy, Fifth Clinical College of Henan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (Zhengzhou People’s Hospital), Zhengzhou, China6Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital, Yantai, China7The First People’s Hospital of Changzhou, Changzhou, Jiangsu, China8Department of Clinical Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China, James E. Leggett
Antimicrobial Agents And Chemotherapy, 30.01.2024
Tilføjet 30.01.2024
BMC Infectious Diseases, 30.01.2024
Tilføjet 30.01.2024
Abstract Background Bivalent COVID-19 vaccines have been implemented worldwide since the booster vaccination campaigns of autumn of 2022, but little is known about their effectiveness. Thus, this study holistically evaluated the effectiveness of bivalent vaccines against infection in older adults in Japan. Methods We adopted the test-negative design using COVID-19 test data of individuals, aged ≥ 65 years, residing in three municipalities in Japan, who underwent tests in medical institutions between October 1 and December 30, 2022. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to estimate the odds of testing positive according to vaccination status. Vaccine effectiveness was defined as (1 − odds ratio) × 100%. Results A total of 3,908 positive and 16,090 negative results were included in the analyses. Receiving a bivalent dose in addition to ≥ 2 monovalent doses was 33.6% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 20.8, 44.3%) more effective than receiving no vaccination, and 18.2% (95% CI: 9.4, 26.0%) more effective than receiving ≥ 2 monovalent doses but not receiving a bivalent vaccination. In addition, the effectiveness peaked at 14–20 days after administration and then gradually declined over time. Furthermore, a bivalent booster dose provided 18.6% (95% CI: 9.9, 26.5%) additional protection among those vaccinated with ≥ 2 monovalent doses, in the absence of a previous infection history. However, we did not find sufficient evidence of effectiveness of bivalent vaccines among previously infected older adults. Conclusions Bivalent vaccines are effective against COVID-19 infections among older adults without a history of infection.
Læs mere Tjek på PubMedAnthony K. Nkyi, Bridgette Baaba
PLoS One Infectious Diseases, 30.01.2024
Tilføjet 30.01.2024
by Anthony K. Nkyi, Bridgette Baaba The aim of this study is to investigate coping strategies, health anxiety and stress among healthcare professionals in selected hospitals in the Cape Coast Metropolis during the Covid 19 pandemic. This study adopted the Descriptive survey design. The Multistage sampling technique was used to select 322 health professionals. The health professionals included Medical Officers, Physician Assistants and Nurses. Data were gathered using the Health Anxiety Inventory (HAI-SF), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and the Brief-COPE Inventory. Analyses were conducted using mean and standard deviation, ANOVA as well as Independent Samples t-test. Results indicate that Health professionals adopted diverse coping strategies ranging from positive to negative coping style to overcome the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results also indicate that coping strategies significantly influenced health anxiety levels of health professionals, and that Active Coping is a significant determinant of stress among health professionals. Male health professionals had significantly more health anxiety than females. However, gender was not a significant factor in the experiences of stress. Lastly, age of health professionals does not determine the type of coping strategy they adopted during the pandemic.
Læs mere Tjek på PubMedMohak Gupta, Giridara G. Parameswaran, Manraj S. Sra, Rishika Mohanta, Devarsh Patel, Amulya Gupta, Bhavik Bansal, Vardhmaan Jain, Archisman Mazumder, Mehak Arora, Nishant Aggarwal, Tarun Bhatnagar, Jawaid Akhtar, Pankaj Pandey, Vasanthapuram Ravi, Giridhara R Babu
PLoS One Infectious Diseases, 27.01.2024
Tilføjet 27.01.2024
by Mohak Gupta, Giridara G. Parameswaran, Manraj S. Sra, Rishika Mohanta, Devarsh Patel, Amulya Gupta, Bhavik Bansal, Vardhmaan Jain, Archisman Mazumder, Mehak Arora, Nishant Aggarwal, Tarun Bhatnagar, Jawaid Akhtar, Pankaj Pandey, Vasanthapuram Ravi, Giridhara R Babu
Læs mere Tjek på PubMedHaruka Shida, Maki Komamine, Kazuhiro Kajiyama, Takashi Waki, Hotaka Maruyama, Yoshiaki Uyama
PLoS One Infectious Diseases, 27.01.2024
Tilføjet 27.01.2024
by Haruka Shida, Maki Komamine, Kazuhiro Kajiyama, Takashi Waki, Hotaka Maruyama, Yoshiaki Uyama Objective Prescription trends and patterns of anti-COVID-19 drugs in hospitalized patients were examined based on real world data to understand the use of anti-COVID-19 drugs in clinical practice in Japan. Design The longitudinal and cross-sectional study was conducted utilizing data from January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2021 of the MID-NET® medical information database, which stored the electronic medical records, administrative claim data, and diagnosis procedure combination data of patients in Japan. Participants Hospitalized patients with a COVID-19-related diagnosis who received at least one anti-COVID-19 drug between April 1, 2020 and December 31, 2021. Exposures The following 14 drugs were included in this study: remdesivir, baricitinib, combination product of casirivimab and imdevimab, favipiravir, dexamethasone, ivermectin, azithromycin, nafamostat mesylate, camostat mesylate, ciclesonide, tocilizumab, sarilumab, combination product of lopinavir and ritonavir, and hydroxychloroquine. Results We identified 5,717 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 and prescribed at least one anti-COVID-19 drug. The entire cohort generally included patients over 41–50 years and more males. The most common prescription pattern was dexamethasone monotherapy (22.9%), followed by the concomitant use of remdesivir and dexamethasone (15.0%), azithromycin monotherapy (15.0%), remdesivir monotherapy (10.2%), and nafamostat mesylate monotherapy (8.5%). However, an often prescribed anti-COVID-19 drug differed depending on the period. Conclusions and relevance This study revealed the real-world situation of anti-COVID-19 drug prescriptions in hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Japan. A prescribed drug would depend on the latest scientific evidence, such as efficacy, safety, and approval status, at the time of prescription. Understanding the prescription of anti-COVID-19 drugs will be important for providing the most up-to-date treatments to patients and evaluating the benefit and/or risk of anti-COVID-19 drugs based on the utilization of an electronic medical record database.
Læs mere Tjek på PubMedTristan A. Moxley, Jennifer Johnson-Leung, Erich Seamon, Christopher Williams, Benjamin J. Ridenhour
PLoS One Infectious Diseases, 27.01.2024
Tilføjet 27.01.2024
by Tristan A. Moxley, Jennifer Johnson-Leung, Erich Seamon, Christopher Williams, Benjamin J. Ridenhour Objectives COVID-19 has been at the forefront of global concern since its emergence in December of 2019. Determining the social factors that drive case incidence is paramount to mitigating disease spread. We gathered data from the Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) along with Democratic voting percentage to attempt to understand which county-level sociodemographic metrics had a significant correlation with case rate for COVID-19. Methods We used elastic net regression due to issues with variable collinearity and model overfitting. Our modelling framework included using the ten Health and Human Services regions as submodels for the two time periods 22 March 2020 to 15 June 2021 (prior to the Delta time period) and 15 June 2021 to 1 November 2021 (the Delta time period). Results Statistically, elastic net improved prediction when compared to multiple regression, as almost every HHS model consistently had a lower root mean square error (RMSE) and satisfactory R2 coefficients. These analyses show that the percentage of minorities, disabled individuals, individuals living in group quarters, and individuals who voted Democratic correlated significantly with COVID-19 attack rate as determined by Variable Importance Plots (VIPs). Conclusions The percentage of minorities per county correlated positively with cases in the earlier time period and negatively in the later time period, which complements previous research. In contrast, higher percentages of disabled individuals per county correlated negatively in the earlier time period. Counties with an above average percentage of group quarters experienced a high attack rate early which then diminished in significance after the primary vaccine rollout. Higher Democratic voting consistently correlated negatively with cases, coinciding with previous findings regarding a partisan divide in COVID-19 cases at the county level. Our findings can assist regional policymakers in distributing resources to more vulnerable counties in future pandemics based on SVI.
Læs mere Tjek på PubMedInfection, 27.01.2024
Tilføjet 27.01.2024
Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic brought diagnostics into the spotlight in an unprecedented way not only for case management but also for population health, surveillance, and monitoring. The industry saw notable levels of investment and accelerated research which sparked a wave of innovation. Simple non-invasive sampling methods such as nasal swabs have become widely used in settings ranging from tertiary hospitals to the community. Self-testing has also been adopted as standard practice using not only conventional lateral flow tests but novel and affordable point-of-care molecular diagnostics. The use of new technologies, including artificial intelligence-based diagnostics, have rapidly expanded in the clinical setting. The capacity for next-generation sequencing and acceptance of digital health has significantly increased. However, 4 years after the pandemic started, the market for SARS-CoV-2 tests is saturated, and developers may benefit from leveraging their innovations for other diseases; tuberculosis (TB) is a worthwhile portfolio expansion for diagnostics developers given the extremely high disease burden, supportive environment from not-for-profit initiatives and governments, and the urgent need to overcome the long-standing dearth of innovation in the TB diagnostics field. In exchange, the current challenges in TB detection may be resolved by adopting enhanced swab-based molecular methods, instrument-based, higher sensitivity antigen detection technologies, and/or artificial intelligence-based digital health technologies developed for COVID-19. The aim of this article is to review how such innovative approaches for COVID-19 diagnosis can be applied to TB to have a comparable impact.
Læs mere Tjek på PubMed