[Pollution Characteristics and Risk Assessment of DBPs in Typical Drinking Water Sources in Wuhan Under the COVID-19 Pandemic]

In order to reveal the pollution characteristics and risk levels of DBPs in typical drinking water sources in Wuhan under the COVID-19 pandemic, 26 sampling sites were selected in typical drinking water sources in Wuhan. N,N-diethyl-1,4-phenylenediamine spectrophotometry and gas chromatograph-micro-cell electron capture detector (GC-μECD) methods were used to detect residual chlorine disinfectants and DBPs in water, respectively, and their health and ecology risks were assessed. The results showed that free chlorine or total residual chlorine were detected in 16 of the 26 water samples, and the maximum concentration was 0.04 mg·L^-1, which exceeded the limit of the surface water standard in China. The concentration of residual chlorine was higher in sampling sites near the outfall of a municipal sewage plant. There were 34 types of DBPs measured in 10 sampling sites, and 24 types of substances were detected with the detection rate of 10.00%-100.00%. The ρ (total DBPs) was in the range of 0.11-104.73 μg·L^-1, with an average value of 7.26 μg·L^-1. The concentration of chloroform was the highest among all the DBPs, ranging from 9.98 μg·L^-1 to 11.15 μg·L^-1, with an average value of 10.47 μg·L^-1. The concentration of 2-bromo-2-iodoacetamide was the lowest, ranging from ND-0.11 μg·L^-1, with an average value of 0.01 μg·L^-1. The overall detection level of the DBPs area was low in this study area, and the result of the health risk assessment showed that the DBPs had no carcinogenic or non-carcinogenic health risks to human body. However, the results of the ecological risk assessment showed that chloroform presented a high ecological risk to aquatic organisms.

Impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 lockdown on Schistosoma host Oncomelania hupensis density in Wuhan

BACKGROUND

Snails that host the parasitic worm Schistosoma were once controlled or eliminated in Wuhan, China. However, safety measures associated with the outbreak of novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) halted snail detection and extermination efforts. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on urban schistosomiasis transmission remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate snail density and the associated risk of a schistosomiasis outbreak in Wuhan.

METHODS

The density and infection status of snails were monitored by global positioning system satellites, and outbreak risk was calculated by adjusting the Kaiser model. SigmaPlot was used to create a three-dimensional risk matrix.

RESULTS

The living snail frame occurrence rate was 1.48%, and the average living snail density was 0.054/0.11 m² in 2020, indicating an increase relative to the respective 2019 values (0.019/0.11 m²). No infectious snails were observed in the survey area. The possibility, harmfulness, and uncontrollability indicator values were 0.842, 0.870, and 0.866, respectively. The areas at greatest risk were the northern bank of Tianxingzhou and the Tianxingzhou and Hongshan districts overall. The existing snail sites in the northern bank of Tianxingzhou exhibited the highest risk scores, followed by those in Pak Sha Chau, with the highest risk score found in Yangsiji Village. The events likely to occur in Hongshan District were also likely to have high severity.

CONCLUSIONS

During the COVID-19 outbreak, the risk of schistosomiasis increased due to snail colonies returning to their sites of origin in Wuhan, suggesting a need for strengthened infection control and prevention measures.

Environmental surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater systems and related environments in Wuhan: April to May of 2020

Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) has emerged as an effective environmental surveillance tool in monitoring fecal-oral pathogen infections within a community. Congruently, SARS-CoV-2, the etiologic agent of COVID-19, has been demonstrated to infect the gastrointestinal tissues, and be shed in feces. In the present study, SARS-CoV-2 RNA was concentrated from wastewater, sludge, surface water, ground water, sediment, and soil samples of municipal and hospital wastewater systems and related environments in Wuhan during the COVID-19 middle and low risk periods, and the viral RNA copies quantified using reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). From the findings of this study, during the middle risk period, one influent sample and three secondary effluents collected from waste water treatment plant 2, as well as two samples from Jinyintan Hospital wastewater system influent were SARS-CoV-2 RNA positive. One sludge sample collected from Guanggu Branch of Tongji Hospital, which was obtained during the low risk period, was also positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA. These study findings demonstrate the significance of WBE in continuous surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 at the community level, even when the COVID-19 prevalence is low. Overall, this study can be used as an important reference for contingency management of wastewater treatment plants and COVID-19 prevention and control departments of Wuhan.

The impacts of urban land expansion on ecosystem services in Wuhan, China

A clear understanding of the impacts of urban land expansion on ecosystem services is crucial for sustainable urban planning. Although various studies have shown that urban land expansion caused a degradation of ecosystem services, the relationship between the spatial variation of urban land expansion and ecosystem services still remains unclear. This study quantified the ecosystem services and urban land expansion indicators of Wuhan for 1990-2015 and analyzed the spatial and temporal variation characteristics of ecosystem service values (ESVs) and urban land expansion indicators. Using spatial autocorrelation analysis and linear regression, the quantitative and qualitative correlations between ecosystem services and urban land expansion indicators were explored. The total ESV of Wuhan decreased by 16.47%, representing a loss of 1636.19 million yuan. Areas with extremely low ESVs continuously expanded outward from the urban center. During 2010-2015, the urban land expansion area, intensity, damage weight, and distance peaked, which caused an enormous decrease of the total ESV. Negative correlations were found between urban land expansion and all ecosystem services; the correlation with food production was most significant, indicating that urban land expansion had the strongest impact on food production. The expansion area is the main factor causing the decline of each ecosystem service among urban land expansion indicators. This study presents the impact characteristics of urban land expansion on ecosystem services, and the results provide a reference for reasonable decision making in urban planning.

Environmental surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater systems and related environments in Wuhan: April to May of 2020

Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) has emerged as an effective environmental surveillance tool in monitoring fecal-oral pathogen infections within a community. Congruently, SARS-CoV-2, the etiologic agent of COVID-19, has been demonstrated to infect the gastrointestinal tissues, and be shed in feces. In the present study, SARS-CoV-2 RNA was concentrated from wastewater, sludge, surface water, ground water, sediment, and soil samples of municipal and hospital wastewater systems and related environments in Wuhan during the COVID-19 middle and low risk periods, and the viral RNA copies quantified using reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). From the findings of this study, during the middle risk period, one influent sample and three secondary effluents collected from waste water treatment plant 2, as well as two samples from Jinyintan Hospital wastewater system influent were SARS-CoV-2 RNA positive. One sludge sample collected from Guanggu Branch of Tongji Hospital, which was obtained during the low risk period, was also positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA. These study findings demonstrate the significance of WBE in continuous surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 at the community level, even when the COVID-19 prevalence is low. Overall, this study can be used as an important reference for contingency management of wastewater treatment plants and COVID-19 prevention and control departments of Wuhan.

Wuhan College Students' Self-Directed Learning and Academic Performance: Chain-Mediating Roles of Optimism and Mental Health

This study explored the chain-mediating roles of optimism and mental health in the relation of self-directed learning with academic performance among college students in Wuhan during long-term online teaching. In total, 473 valid responses were obtained from students at three Wuhan universities. Self-directed learning, optimism, mental health, and academic performance scales were used as measurement instruments; a 5-point Likert scale was employed for all items. To examine the instruments' reliability and validity, a measurement model was constructed; moreover, structural models were employed for assessing the chain mediation model. This study confirmed that self-directed learning was a positive predictor of academic performance in Wuhan college students. Optimism and mental health were two mediators and partially jointly mediated the relation of self-directed learning with academic performance. The results revealed that self-directed learning only partially positively predicted academic performance. The aforementioned relationship was partially mediated by optimism and mental health, highlighting the essential roles of optimism and mental health in the learning and learning outcomes of Wuhan college students.

[Real-time Source Apportionment of PM2.5 and Potential Geographic Origins of Each Source During Winter in Wuhan]

China has always suffered from serious atmospheric fine particle (PM_2.5) pollution in winter, and PM_2.5 in Wuhan is particularly affected by regional transportation. Based on the hourly monitoring dataset of chemical components during the winter period, this study identified the real-time sources of PM_2.5 in Wuhan using a positive matrix factorization (PMF) model. A cluster analysis of backward trajectories and the concentration weighted trajectory were applied to obtain the potential source regions and transportation routes. During the observation period, ρ(PM_2.5) was (75.1±29.2) μg·m^-3, and there were two pollution episodes, one of which was mainly affected by the air masses coming from the northwest direction. In the first pollution episode, the increasing concentration of water-soluble ions was the main reason for the high PM_2.5 value, and the concentrations of NH₄⁺, NO₃^-, and SO₄^2- were 1.6, 1.7, and 2.1 times those during the cleaning period, respectively. The other episode was affected by the air masses coming from the east direction, and the secondary organic components were clearly formed. Secondary inorganic aerosol contributed the most (34.1%) to PM_2.5, followed by vehicular exhaust (23.7%), coal combustion (11.5%), road dust (10.9%), iron- and steel-producing processes (8.7%), and firework displays (5.7%). Biomass burning contributed the least (5.3%). Our examination of the diurnal variation revealed that the maximum contribution of iron- and steel-producing processes appeared at 08:00[(17.5±18.8) μg·m^-3], and the lowest was at 01:00[(10.4±10.9) μg·m^-3], which stayed high in the daytime and low at night. The contribution of vehicular exhaust showed a double peak at 09:00[(42.1±24.8) μg·m^-3] and 20:00[(41.6±19.5) μg·m^-3]. In the first pollution period, the contribution rate of secondary inorganic aerosol increased significantly, indicating that the long-distance transport under the northwest air mass promoted the generation of secondary components. In the second pollution period, the contribution rates of vehicular exhaust, coal combustion, iron- and steel-producing processes, and road dust increased, mainly located in the local area, the northwest of Jiangxi and the south of Anhui province. This reflected the influence of industrial processes, road transportation, and dust contribution along the Yangtze River on PM_2.5. Biomass burning had a relatively high contribution for air masses from the northern regions, including Henan, Anhui, the south of Hebei, and the southwest of Shanxi provinces. The regional transport of pollutants from biomass combustion in the North China Plain during the winter would have an impact on Wuhan. This study can provide scientific and technological support for identifying the causes of atmospheric haze pollution in Wuhan during the winter and for the joint prevention and control of atmospheric particulate matter.

High-Temperature Disaster Risk Assessment for Urban Communities: A Case Study in Wuhan, China

High-temperature risk disaster, a common meteorological disaster, seriously affects people's productivity, life, and health. However, insufficient attention has been paid to this disaster in urban communities. To assess the risk of high-temperature disasters, this study, using remote sensing data and geographic information data, analyzes 973 communities in downtown Wuhan with the geography-weighted regression method. First, the study evaluates the distribution characteristics of high temperatures in communities and explores the spatial differences of risks. Second, a metrics and weight system is constructed, from which the main factors are determined. Third, a risk assessment model of high-temperature disasters is established from disaster-causing danger, disaster-generating sensitivity, and disaster-bearing vulnerability. The results show that: (a) the significance of the impact of the built environment on high-temperature disasters is obviously different from its coefficient space differentiation; (b) the risk in the old city is high, whereas that in the area around the river is low; and (c) different risk areas should design built environment optimization strategies aimed specifically at the area. The significance of this study is that it develops a high-temperature disaster assessment framework for risk identification, impact differentiation, and difference optimization, and provides theoretical support for urban high-temperature disaster prevention and mitigation.

Post-sequelae one year after hospital discharge among older COVID-19 patients: a multi-center prospective cohort study

Background

To systematically evaluate the prevalence of post-sequelae and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease assessment test (CAT) scoring one year after hospital discharge among older COVID-19 patients, as well as potential risk factors.

Methods

A multi-center prospective cohort study involving 1,233 eligible older COVID-19 patients was conducted. All patients were followed-up between Mar 1, 2021 and Mar 20, 2021. CAT scoring was adopted to measure symptom burden in COVID-19 patients.

Results

Of the 1233 eligible cases, 630 (51.1%) reported at least one sequelae. The top six post-sequelae included fatigue (32.4%), sweating (20.0%), chest tightness (15.8%), anxiety (11.4%), myalgia (9.0%), and cough (5.8%). Severe patients had significantly higher percentage of fatigue, sweating, chest tightness, myalgia, and cough (P<0.05), while anxiety was universal in all subjects. Sweating, anxiety, palpitation, edema of lower limbs, smell reduction, and taste change were emerging sequelae. Disease severity during hospitalization (OR: 1.46, 95% CI: 1.15–1.84, P = 0.002), and follow-up time (OR: 0.71, 95% CI: 0.50–0.99, P = 0.043) were independently associated with risk of post-sequelae, while disease severity during hospitalization was significantly associated with increased risk of emerging sequelae (OR: 1.33, 95% CI: 1.03–1.71, P = 0.029). The median of CAT score was 2 (0–5) in all patients, and a total of 120 patients (9.7%) had CAT scores ≥10. Disease severity during hospitalization (OR: 1.81, 95% CI: 1.23–2.67, P = 0.003) and age (OR: 1.07, 95% CI: 1.04–1.09, P<0.001) were significantly associated with increased risk of CAT scores ≥10.

Conclusions

While the dramatic decline in the prevalence rate of persistent symptoms is reassuring, new sequelae among older COVID-19 patients cannot be ignored. Disease severity during hospitalization, age, and follow-up time contributed to the risk of post-sequelae and CAT scoring one year after hospital discharge among older COVID-19 patients. Our study provides valuable clues for long-term post-sequelae of the older COVID-19 patients, as well as their risk factors.

Detecting ecological spatial-temporal changes by Remote Sensing Ecological Index with local adaptability

Ecological environmental assessment is an indispensable part of the eco-environment protection system. As researchers have increasingly focused on ecological environment protection, the ecological environment evaluation system has been gradually improved. The enhancement of the ecological environment evaluation system provides more scientific and effective data support for ecological environment monitoring and governance. This article examines the Wuhan Urban Development Zone as an example, selects Landsat 8 (Operational Land Imager/Thermal Infrared Sensor (OLI/TIRS)) images of the study area from 2013 to 2019 at two-year intervals, and applies a new type of ecological environment evaluation index named the remote sensing ecological index with local adaptability (RSEI_LA) to assess the eco-environment. The RSEI_LA represents an improvement of the remote sensing ecological index (RSEI) proposed in 2013. The RSEI_LA enhancement is mainly reflected in the correlation and spatial distribution characteristics between geographical elements. The results reveal that 1) the overall urban ecological environment in the Wuhan Urban Development Zone demonstrates a downward trend from 2013 to 2019, and the rate of decline during the period varies. 2) RSEI_LA decline is mainly found in the far suburbs, and ecological environment degradation mainly occurs due to the change in land-use type caused by the suburbanization process of urban expansion. 3) Because of the implementation of urban greening projects, the phenomenon of ecological environment optimization (green recovery) is observed in the central urban area of Wuhan. 4) Land use exhibits a notable correlation with the ecological environment, and different land-use types exhibit distinct degrees of ecological environment deterioration. The order of deterioration is: bare soil/sand > building > cropland > forests.

Acute Effects of Air Pollution on Ischemic Heart Disease Hospitalizations: A Population-Based Time-Series Study in Wuhan, China, 2017-2018

Evidence of the acute effects of air pollutants on ischemic heart disease (IHD) hospitalizations based on the entire population of a megacity in central China is lacking. All IHD hospitalization records from 2017 to 2018 were obtained from the Wuhan Information Center of Health and Family Planning. Daily air pollutant concentrations and meteorological data were synchronously collected from the Wuhan Environmental Protection Bureau. A time-series study using generalized additive models was conducted to systematically examine the associations between air pollutants and IHD hospitalizations. Stratified analyses by gender, age, season, hypertension, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia were performed. In total, 139,616 IHD hospitalizations were included. Short-term exposure to air pollutants was positively associated with IHD hospitalizations. The age group ≥76 was at higher exposure risk, and the associations appeared to be more evident in cold seasons. PM2.5 and PM10 appeared to have greater effects on males and those without hypertension or diabetes, whereas NO2 and SO2 had greater effects on females and those with hypertension or diabetes. The risk of IHD hospitalization due to air pollutants was greater in people without hyperlipidemia. Our study provides new evidence of the effects of air pollution on the increased incidence of IHD in central China.

Identifying unmet non-COVID-19 health needs during the COVID-19 outbreak based on social media data: a proof-of-concept study in Wuhan city

Background

The occupancy of healthcare resources by the COVID-19 outbreak had led to the unmet health needs of non-COVID-19 diseases. We aimed to explore whether the social media information could help surveil and understand the characteristics of unmet non-COVID-19 health needs during the COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan city.

Methods

This was an observational study based on social media data. The study period was set during the 3 months of the COVID-19 outbreak. Non-COVID-19 urgent and emergent health needs in Wuhan city were derived from Sina Weibo—one of China’s largest social media platforms. Lag Spearman correlation was used to investigate the epidemiological relationship between the COVID-19 outbreak and non-COVID-19 health needs. Patient’s primary diseases and needed care were annotated and categorized according to the International Classification of Diseases 11th Revision. The delay time in seeking help was calculated and compared.

Results

After screening 114,795 Weibo posts, a total of 229 patients with non-COVID-19 health needs were included in our study. There were significant correlations between the daily number of COVID-19 cases at a 10-day lag, deaths at a 5-day lag, and non-COVID-19 Weibo. The actual number of non-COVID-19 patients with urgent and emergent health needs was estimated to be about 6,966. Patients with non-COVID-19 health needs were skewed to those aged 50 to 70 years. The non-COVID-19 diseases were diverse, with 46.3% as non-neoplastic diseases and 53.7% as neoplasms. The most needed cares were palliative cancer care (22.7%), chemotherapy (18.8%), and critical care (17.0%). The median delay in seeking help was 3 days [interquartile range (IQR), 1 to 15 days] for acute care, and 18.5 days (IQR, 6 to 30 days) for cancer care.

Conclusions

Our preliminary findings in Wuhan city indicated that the social media data might provide a viable option to surveil and understand the unmet health needs during an outbreak. Those heterogeneous health needs derived from the social media data might inspire a more resilient healthcare system to address the unmet needs promptly.

External Communication Barriers among Elderly Deaf and Hard of Hearing People in China during the COVID-19 Pandemic Emergency Isolation: A Qualitative Study

The COVID-19 pandemic poses a great risk to older people with hearing impairment, who face a higher threshold of external communication after the implementation of the emergency isolation policy. As part of a study on the optimization of external communication among the deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) population in central China, this study employed a qualitative research method based on in-depth interviews to explore the needs and difficulties faced by the older DHH group in external communication during public health emergencies in Wuhan, China, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The results showed that older DHH people had weak reception of critical information about the epidemic, and had suboptimal access to medical care during emergency quarantine, which increased interpersonal communication barriers to this group. The current findings highlight the urgent need for targeted strengthening of the original emergency communication and coordination mechanisms in public health emergencies, and for improving policy inclusiveness for older DHH individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic and emergencies alike.

Identification of recurrent mutations in exonuclease (nsp14); a potential drug target in SARS-CoV-2

Context

The rapid outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 has become a significant global health concern, highlighting the dire need for antiviral therapeutic agents. RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) of coronavirus plays crucial roles in RNA synthesis, and hence remains the druggable target for the treatment of this disease. The most potent broad-spectrum inhibitors of viral RdRp are members of nucleoside analogs (NAs). However, SARS-CoV-2 proved to be a challenging one for the novel NA drug designing strategy because coronavirus possesses an exonuclease (ExoN) domain that is capable of excising NAs, thus showing resistance to existing antiviral drugs.

Aim

The objective of our study was to compare the SARS-CoV-2 exonuclease (nsp14) protein sequence of Wuhan-type virus with those of Indian SARS-Cov-2 isolates and to study the effect of multiple mutations on the secondary structure alterations of proteins.

Subjects and Methods

Multiple-sequence alignment of exonuclease amino-acid sequences followed by phylogenetic analysis and prediction of its secondary structure of the protein was performed.

Results

Altogether, seven mutations were detected in the nsp14 of Indian SARS-CoV-2 isolates. Subsequently, prediction of their secondary structures revealed that mutations altered the structural stability of exonuclease proteins.

Conclusions

Present findings, therefore, further suggest that evolvability of SARS-CoV-2 is primarily associated with the onset of multiple novel mutations that rapidly spread at several new locations of the viral genome and also provides important insight to develop specific control strategies to fight against COVID-19 infections.

Coupling Cellular Automata and a Genetic Algorithm to Generate a Vibrant Urban Form-A Case Study of Wuhan, China

Enhancing urban vitality is a key goal for both the government and ordinary urban residents, and creating this vitality is emphasized in China's urban development strategy. Enhancing urban vitality through the rational design of urban forms is a leading topic of Western urban research. An urban growth pattern (UGP) reflects the dual characteristics of a static pattern and the dynamic evolution of the external urban form. It affects urban vitality by influencing the spatial allocation of internal structural elements and patterns in the adjacent location. The cellular automata (CA) mode can effectively simulate the aggregation process of urban growth (infilling expansion or edge expansion). However, it does not simulate the diffusion of urban growth, specifically the evolution of outlying expansion. In addition, CA focuses on learning, simulating, and building knowledge about geographic processes, but does not spatially optimize collaborative land use against multiple objectives or model multi-scale land use. As such, this paper applies a coupling model called the "promoting urban vitality model," based on cellular automata (CA) and genetic algorithm (GA) (abbreviated as UV-CAGA). UV-CAGA optimally allocates cells with different UGPs, creating a city form that promotes urban vitality. Wuhan, the largest city in Central China, was selected as a case study to simulate and optimize its urban morphology for 2025. The main findings were as follows. (1) The urban vitality of the optimized urban form scheme was 4.8% higher than the simulated natural expansion scheme. (2) Compared to 2015, after optimization, the simulated sizes of the newly increased outlying, edge, and infilling areas in 2025 were 6.51 km2, 102.69 km2, and 23.48 km2, respectively; these increases accounted for 4.90%, 77.32%, and 17.68%, respectively, of the newly increased construction land area. This indicated that Wuhan is expected to have a very compact urban form. (3) The infilling expansion type resulted in the highest average urban vitality level (0.215); the edge expansion type had the second highest level (0.206); outlying growth achieved the lowest vitality level (0.199). The UV-CAGA model proposed in this paper improves on existing geographical process simulation and spatial optimization models. The study successfully couples the "bottom-up" CA model and "top-down" genetic algorithm to generate dynamic urban form optimization simulations. This significantly improves upon traditional CA models, which do not simulate the "diffusion" process. At the same time, the spatial optimization framework of the genetic algorithm in the model also provides insights related to other effects related to urban form optimization, such as urban environmental security, commuting, and air pollution. The integration of related research is expected to enrich and improve urban planning tools and improve the topic's scientific foundation.

The reproductive number of the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 is far higher compared to the ancestral SARS-CoV-2 virus

The Delta variant is now replacing all other SARS-CoV-2 variants. We found a mean R0 of 5.08, which is much higher than the R0 of the ancestral strain of 2.79. Rapidly ramping up vaccine coverage rates while enhancing public health and social measures is now even more urgent and important.

Network Analysis of Depressive Symptoms Among Residents of Wuhan in the Later Stage of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: Depression has been a common mental health problem during the COVID-19 epidemic. From a network perspective, depression can be conceptualized as the result of mutual interactions among individual symptoms, an approach that may elucidate the structure and mechanisms underlying this disorder. This study aimed to examine the structure of depression among residents in Wuhan, the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak in China, in the later stage of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A total of 2,515 participants were recruited from the community via snowball sampling. The Patient Health Questionnaire was used to assess self-reported depressive symptoms with the QuestionnaireStar program. The network structure and relevant centrality indices of depression were examined in this sample. Results: Network analysis revealed Fatigue, Sad mood, Guilt and Motor disturbances as the most central symptoms, while Suicide and Sleep problems had the lowest centrality. No significant differences were found between women and men regarding network structure (maximum difference = 0.11, p = 0.44) and global strength (global strength difference = 0.04; female vs. male: 3.78 vs. 3.83, p = 0.51), a finding that suggests there are no gender differences in the structure or centrality of depressive symptoms. Limitations: Due to the cross-sectional study design, causal relationships between these depressive symptoms or dynamic changes in networks over time could not be established. Conclusions: Fatigue, Sad mood, Guilt, and Motor disturbances should be prioritized as targets in interventions and prevention efforts to reduce depression among residents in Wuhan, in the later stage of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Community-Level Urban Green Space Equity Evaluation Based on Spatial Design Network Analysis (sDNA): A Case Study of Central Wuhan, China

Urban green spaces (UGSs) provide numerous irreplaceable environmental and social benefits to humankind, but the lack of baseline information makes it difficult to propose a reasonable greening strategy so as to achieve an equitable allocation of community green spaces. This paper divides UGSs into three classes using the spatial design network analysis (sDNA) and quantifies the UGS accessibility of communities in central Wuhan. Based on these results and the Gini coefficient, we analyze the UGS equity of the spatial distribution at the community level, then propose future greening strategies both at the city and community levels. The results show that the railway station and old Wuhan city are the core areas of traffic network strength (TNS). UGSs are evenly distributed in the core areas of TNS, but the number of UGSs in non-core areas is small, and their distribution is relatively uneven, and the number of communities with medium UGS accessibility is the largest, carrying the densest residential population. Most communities perform well in terms of UGS equity, but the UGS equity of 163 communities, covering a population of more than one million, remains to be improved. The method and conclusions of this study will contribute to the future greening policy making of 965 communities in central Wuhan, thus promoting the orderly planning and high-quality construction of community living circles.

Climate indicators and COVID-19 recovery: A case of Wuhan during the lockdown

The world needs to get out of the COVID-19 pandemic smoothly through a thorough socio-economic recovery. The first and the foremost step forward in this direction is the health recovery of the people infected. Our empirical study addresses this neglected point in the recent research on COVID-19 and specifically aims at exploring the impact of the environment on health recovery from COVID-19. The sample data are taken during the lockdown period in Wuhan, i.e., from 23rd January 2020 to 8th April 2020. The recently developed econometric technique of Quantile-on-Quantile regression, proposed by Shin and Zhu (2016) is employed to capture the asymmetric association between environmental factors (TEMP, HUM, PM2.5, PM10, CO, SO2, NO2, and O3) and the number of recovered patients from COVID-19. We observe significant heterogeneity in the association among variables across various quantiles. The findings suggest that TEMP, PM2.5, PM10, CO, NO2, and O3 are negatively related to the COVID-19 recovery, while HUM and SO2 show a positive association at most quantiles. The study recommends that maintaining a safe and comfortable environment for the patients may increase the chances of recovery from COVID-19. The success story of Wuhan, the initial epicenter of the novel coronavirus in China, can serve as an important case study for other countries to bring the outbreak under control. The current study could be conducive for the policymakers of those countries where the COVID-19 pandemic is still unrestrained.

Effects of Land Use on Land Surface Temperature: A Case Study of Wuhan, China

In this study, we aim to understand the impact of land use on the urban heat island (UHI) effect across an urban area. Considering the case study of Wuhan, China, land use factors and land surface temperatures (LSTs) of 589 planning management units were quantified in order to identify the spatial autocorrelation of LST, which indicated that a traditional regression would be invalid. By investigating the relationships between land use factors and the LST in summer, based on spatial regression models including the spatial lag model and the spatial error model, four conclusions were derived. First, the spatial error model effectively explains the relationships between LST and land use factors. Second, the impact on LST of the percentage of industrial areas is significant even though the impacts of land cover and building-group morphology indicators are combined, indicating that anthropogenic heat emission of industrial production contributes to high LSTs. Third, the relationship between the percentage of commercial area and LST is significant in the Pearson correlation analysis and traditional regression models, while not significant in spatial error model, suggesting that the urban heat environment of a commercial area is determined by the land use factors of the surrounding area. Fourth, the UHI effect in industrial and commercial areas could be precisely mitigated by not locating industrial areas beside residential areas, and setting up buffer zones between commercial areas and surrounding traditional residential areas. Overall, the results of this study innovatively deepen the understanding of the impact of the percentage of different urban land use types on the urban heat environment at the scale of planning management units, which is conducive to formulating precise regulation measures for mitigating UHI effects and improving public health.

Research on the Impact of the Built Environment on the Characteristics of Metropolis Rail Transit School Commuting-Take Wuhan as an Example

The long-distance commute to school caused by urban sprawl and the car-oriented urban construction model are key factors leading to primary/middle school students being picked up by their parents in cars. Encouraging those students to take rail transit can reduce their dependence on cars. This paper uses a stepwise regression based on rail-transit swipe data to explore the influence of the built environment on rail-transit commuting characteristics in Wuhan, and uses a geographically weighted regression (GWR) model to analyze the spatial heterogeneity of significant influencing variables. The study found that: (1) 60% of students are one-way commuters; (2) 88.6% of students travel less than 10 km; (3) the floor area ratio, bus station density and whether the station is a transfer station have an obvious positive effect on the flow of commuters; (4) whether the station is a departure station has a positive effect on the commuting distance, but the mixed degree of land use and road density have a negative effect on the commuting distance. This research can assist cities in formulating built environment optimization measures and related policies to improve school-age children’s use of rail transit. This is important in the development of child-friendly cities.

Comparative study of predicted miRNA between Indonesia and China (Wuhan) SARS-CoV-2: a bioinformatics analysis

BACKGROUND

Several reports on the discovery of SARS-CoV-2 mutations and variations in Indonesia COVID-19 cases led to genomic dysregulation with the first pandemic cases in Wuhan, China. MicroRNA (miRNA) plays an important role in this genetic regulation and contributes to the enhancement of viral RNA binding through the host mRNA.

OBJECTIVE

This research is aimed to detect miRNA targets of SARS-CoV-2 and examines their role in Indonesia cases against Wuhan cases.

METHODS

SARS-CoV-2 sequences were obtained from GISAID ( https://www.gisaid.org/ ), NCBI ( https://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ), and National Genomics Data Center ( https://bigd.big.ac.cn/gwh/ ) databases. MiRDB ( https://github.com/gbnegrini/mirdb-custom-target-search ) was used to annotate and predict target human mature miRNAs. For statistical analysis, we utilized a series chi-square test to obtain significant miRNA. DIANA-miRPath v3.0 ( http://www.microrna.gr/miRPathv3 ) analyzed the Gene Ontology of mature miRNAs.

RESULT

The statistical results detected five significant miRNAs. Two miRNAs: hsa-miR-4778-5p and hsa-miR-4531 were consistently found in the majority of Wuhan samples, while they were only found in less than half of the Indonesia samples. The other three miRNA, hsa-miR-6844, hsa-miR-627-5p, and hsa-miR-3674, were discovered in most samples in both groups but with a significant difference ratio. Among these five significant miRNA targets, hsa-miR-6844 is the only miRNA that has an association with the ORF1ab gene of SARS-CoV-2.

CONCLUSION

The Gene Ontology analysis of five significant miRNA targets indicates a significant role in inflammation and the immune system. The specific detection of host miRNAs in this study shows that there are differences in the characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 between Indonesia and Wuhan.

Coordinated Management of COVID-19 Response: Lessons From Whole-of-Society and Whole-of-Health Strategies in Wuhan, China

Background: The outbreak of novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been challenging globally following the scarcity of medical resources after a surge in demand. As the pandemic continues, the question remains on how to accomplish more with the existing resources and improve the efficiency of existing health care delivery systems worldwide. In this study, we reviewed the experience from Wuhan - the first city to experience a COVID-19 outbreak – that has presently shown evidence for efficient and effective local control of the epidemic.

Material and Methods: We performed a retrospective qualitative study based on the document analysis of COVID-19-related materials and interviews with first-line people in Wuhan.

Results: We extracted two themes (the evolution of Wuhan's prevention and control strategies on COVID-19 and corresponding effectiveness) and four sub-themes (routine prevention and control period, exploration period of targeted prevention and control strategies, mature period of prevention and control strategies, and recovery period). How Wuhan combatted COVID-19 through multi-tiered and multi-sectoral collaboration, overcoming its fragmented, hospital-centered, and treatment-dominated healthcare system, was illustrated and summarized.

Conclusion: Four lessons for COVID-19 prevention and control were summarized: (a) Engage the communities and primary care not only in supporting but also in screening and controlling, and retain community and primary care as among the first line of COVID-19 defense; (b) Extend and stratify the existing health care delivery system; (c) Integrate person-centered integrated care into the whole coordination; and (d) Delink the revenue relationship between doctors and patients and safeguard the free-will of physicians when treating patients.