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Simsekoglu N, Akyuz E, Guven R, Pasin O. Attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccines during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Front Public Health 2024; 12:1286891. [PMID: 38496391 PMCID: PMC10940332 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1286891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Although vaccination is one of the most effective means of controlling the spread of COVID-19, public concerns and indecision about vaccination still continue. Because pregnant and breastfeeding individuals are at high risk for severe outcomes in case of infections, determining their level of hesitation and attitude toward COVID-19 vaccines will guide the management of the disease. This study aimed to determine pregnant and breastfeeding women's levels of hesitation and attitude toward COVID-19 vaccines as well as their related factors. Methods The sample of this descriptive research consisted of 103 pregnant or breastfeeding individuals who were seen at the obstetrics and gynecology outpatients clinic of a state hospital in Istanbul, Turkey. The data were collected using a 'demographic data form', the 'Vaccine Hesitancy Scale in Pandemic', and the 'Attitudes toward COVID-19 Vaccine Scale'. The research data were analyzed with appropriate statistical methods. Results The mean age of the participants was 29.71 ± 4.75, 51% were pregnant, and 74.8% had received the COVID-19 vaccine. The mean score of the 'Vaccination Hesitancy Scale in Pandemic' was 30.83 ± 6.91, and the mean score for the 'Attitude Scale toward the COVID-19 Vaccine' was 25.50 ± 5.20. A significant difference was found between the total score of the 'Vaccine Hesitation Scale in the Pandemic' and the mean score of the 'Lack of Confidence' sub-dimension between the 'working status' and the 'influenza vaccination' status. In terms of the mean score of the 'Risk' sub-dimension, a significant difference was found between the 'period of vaccination' (p < 0.05). According to the mean total score of the 'Attitude Towards COVID-19 Vaccine Scale', there was a significant difference between the 'smoking' status. There was a significant difference in the 'Positive Attitude' sub-dimension in terms of the 'flu vaccination' status. There was a significant difference in the 'Negative Attitude' sub-dimension in terms of the 'chronic disease' status. A positive correlation was found between the total scores of the scales. Conclusion It was concluded that although the participants had a high level of hesitation toward the COVID-19 vaccine, they had a positive attitude. The results obtained will be guided in determining the strategies to be developed for these specific groups in future pandemics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nesibe Simsekoglu
- Department of Home Patient Care, Hamidiye Vocational School of Health Services, University of Health Sciences, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Enes Akyuz
- Department of Biophysics, Faculty of International Medicine, University of Health Sciences, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Rabia Guven
- Division of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Beykoz State Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Ozge Pasin
- Department of Biostatistics, Faculty of Medicine, Bezmialem University, Istanbul, Turkey
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2
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González-Alcaide G, Bolaños-Pizarro M, Ramos-Rincón JM, Gutiérrez-Rodero F. Bibliometric analysis of the Spanish scientific production in Infectious Diseases and Microbiology (2014-2021). ENFERMEDADES INFECCIOSAS Y MICROBIOLOGIA CLINICA (ENGLISH ED.) 2024; 42:42-50. [PMID: 37029045 DOI: 10.1016/j.eimce.2023.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Revised: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The profound impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, together with other factors such as globalisation and climate change, has emphasised the growing relevance of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology. METHODS The Spanish scientific production in both categories of the Web of Science databases over the period 2014-2021 has been analysed. RESULTS 8037 documents have been identified in Infectious Diseases and 12008 documents in Microbiology (6th most productive country worldwide in both cases, with growth rates of 41% and 46.2%, respectively). Both areas present a high degree of international collaboration (45-48% of the documents) and between 45-66% of the documents have been published in journals of excellence (first quartile) according to the rankings of the Journal Citation Reports. CONCLUSIONS Spain is in a prominent position worldwide in both areas, with an outstanding scientific production in journals of high visibility and impact.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Máxima Bolaños-Pizarro
- Departamento de Historia de la Ciencia y Documentación, Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - José-Manuel Ramos-Rincón
- Departamento de Medicina Interna, Hospital General Universitario de Alicante, Alicante, Spain; Departamento de Medicina Clínica, Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche, Sant Joan d'Alacant, Alicante, Spain
| | - Félix Gutiérrez-Rodero
- Departamento de Medicina Clínica, Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche, Sant Joan d'Alacant, Alicante, Spain; Unidad de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Hospital General Universitario de Elche, Elche, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Madrid, Spain
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3
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Rzymski P, Pokorska-Śpiewak M, Jackowska T, Kuchar E, Nitsch-Osuch A, Pawłowska M, Babicki M, Jaroszewicz J, Szenborn L, Wysocki J, Flisiak R. Key Considerations during the Transition from the Acute Phase of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Narrative Review. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:1502. [PMID: 37766178 PMCID: PMC10537111 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11091502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2023] [Revised: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has been met with an unprecedented response from the scientific community, leading to the development, investigation, and authorization of vaccines and antivirals, ultimately reducing the impact of SARS-CoV-2 on global public health. However, SARS-CoV-2 is far from being eradicated, continues to evolve, and causes substantial health and economic burdens. In this narrative review, we posit essential points on SARS-CoV-2 and its responsible management during the transition from the acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. As discussed, despite Omicron (sub)variant(s) causing clinically milder infections, SARS-CoV-2 is far from being a negligible pathogen. It requires continued genomic surveillance, particularly if one considers that its future (sub)lineages do not necessarily have to be milder. Antivirals and vaccines remain the essential elements in COVID-19 management. However, the former could benefit from further development and improvements in dosing, while the seasonal administration of the latter requires simplification to increase interest and tackle vaccine hesitancy. It is also essential to ensure the accessibility of COVID-19 pharmaceuticals and vaccines in low-income countries and improve the understanding of their use in the context of the long-term goals of SARS-CoV-2 management. Regardless of location, the primary role of COVID-19 awareness and education must be played by healthcare workers, who directly communicate with patients and serve as role models for healthy behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piotr Rzymski
- Department of Environmental Medicine, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 60-806 Poznań, Poland
| | - Maria Pokorska-Śpiewak
- Department of Children’s Infectious Diseases, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-091 Warsaw, Poland;
| | - Teresa Jackowska
- Department of Pediatrics, Centre for Postgraduate Medical Education, 01-813 Warsaw, Poland;
| | - Ernest Kuchar
- Department of Pediatrics with Clinical Assessment Unit, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-091 Warsaw, Poland;
| | - Aneta Nitsch-Osuch
- Department of Social Medicine and Public Health, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-007 Warsaw, Poland;
| | - Małgorzata Pawłowska
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology, Faculty of Medicine, Collegium Medicum, Nicolaus Copernicus University, 85-067 Bydgoszcz, Poland;
| | - Mateusz Babicki
- Department of Family Medicine, Wroclaw Medical University, 51-141 Wroclaw, Poland;
| | - Jerzy Jaroszewicz
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology, Medical University of Silesia, 41-902 Bytom, Poland;
| | - Leszek Szenborn
- Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Wrocław Medical University, 50-367 Wroclaw, Poland;
| | - Jacek Wysocki
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 61-701 Poznań, Poland;
| | - Robert Flisiak
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology, Medical University of Białystok, 15-089 Bialystok, Poland;
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Sobierajski T, Rzymski P, Wanke-Rytt M. Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Attitudes toward Vaccination: Representative Study of Polish Society. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:1069. [PMID: 37376458 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11061069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Revised: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The study explored the association between individuals' attitudes toward vaccination and their actual vaccination behavior. We also examined the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and the ongoing vaccination debate on changing attitudes towards vaccination, specifically within different demographic groups. The survey was conducted among a representative sample of Poles (N = 805) using computer-assisted web interview (CAWI) technology. As demonstrated, those who identified themselves as strong vaccine supporters were statistically significantly more frequently to be vaccinated with COVID-19 booster doses, to follow a physician's recommendation on any vaccine without hesitation, and to be strengthened in their confidence in vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic (p < 0.001 for all). However, over half of the responders declared themselves as moderate vaccine supporters/opponents, the groups whose further attitudes are likely to be affected by (mis)communication. Importantly, more than half of moderate vaccine supporters declared that their vaccine confidence was weakened during the COVID-19 pandemic, while 43% were not vaccinated against COVID-19. In addition, the study demonstrated that older and better-educated individuals were more likely to be COVID-19-vaccinated (p < 0.001 and p = 0.013, respectively). The results of this study imply that, in order to improve vaccine acceptance, it is essential to strengthen public health communication and avoid communication errors conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomasz Sobierajski
- Center of Sociomedical Research, Faculty of Applied Social Sciences and Resocialization, University of Warsaw, 26/28 Krakowskie Przedmieście Str., 00-927 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Piotr Rzymski
- Department of Environmental Medicine, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 60-806 Poznan, Poland
- Integrated Science Association (ISA), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), 60-806 Poznan, Poland
| | - Monika Wanke-Rytt
- Department of Pediatrics with Clinical Assessment Unit, Medical University of Warsaw, 63a Żwirki i Wigury Str., 02-091 Warsaw, Poland
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5
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Rzymski P. Guillain-Barré syndrome and COVID-19 vaccines: focus on adenoviral vectors. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1183258. [PMID: 37180147 PMCID: PMC10169623 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1183258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
COVID-19 vaccination is a life-saving intervention. However, it does not come up without a risk of rare adverse events, which frequency varies between vaccines developed using different technological platforms. The increased risk of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) has been reported for selected adenoviral vector vaccines but not for other vaccine types, including more widely used mRNA preparations. Therefore, it is unlikely that GBS results from the cross-reactivity of antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein generated after the COVID-19 vaccination. This paper outlines two hypotheses according to which increased risk of GBS following adenoviral vaccination is due to (1) generation of anti-vector antibodies that may cross-react with proteins involved in biological processes related to myelin and axons, or (2) neuroinvasion of selected adenovirus vectors to the peripheral nervous system, infection of neurons and subsequent inflammation and neuropathies. The rationale behind these hypotheses is outlined, advocating further epidemiological and experimental research to verify them. This is particularly important given the ongoing interest in using adenoviruses in developing vaccines against various infectious diseases and cancer immunotherapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piotr Rzymski
- Department of Environmental Medicine, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
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Dobrowolska K, Zarębska-Michaluk D, Brzdęk M, Rzymski P, Rogalska M, Moniuszko-Malinowska A, Kozielewicz D, Hawro M, Rorat M, Sikorska K, Jaroszewicz J, Kowalska J, Flisiak R. Retrospective Analysis of the Effectiveness of Remdesivir in COVID-19 Treatment during Periods Dominated by Delta and Omicron SARS-CoV-2 Variants in Clinical Settings. J Clin Med 2023; 12:jcm12062371. [PMID: 36983370 PMCID: PMC10051185 DOI: 10.3390/jcm12062371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Continuous evaluation of real-world treatment effectiveness of COVID-19 medicines is required due to the ongoing evolution of SARS-CoV-2 and the possible emergence of resistance. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze, in a retrospective manner, the outcomes in patients hospitalized with COVID-19 during the pandemic waves dominated by Delta and Omicron variants and treated with remdesivir (RDV) (n = 762) in comparison to a demographically and clinically matched group not treated with any antivirals (n = 1060). A logistic regression analysis revealed that RDV treatment was associated with a significantly lower risk of death during both Delta wave (OR = 0.42, 95%CI: 0.29-0.60; p < 0.0001) and Omicron-dominated period (OR = 0.56, 95%CI: 0.35-0.92; p = 0.02). Moreover, RDV-treated groups were characterized by a lower percentage of patients requiring mechanical ventilation, but the difference was not statistically significant. This study is the first real-world evidence that RDV remains effective during the dominance of more pathogenic SARS-CoV-2 variants and those that cause a milder course of the disease, and continues to be an essential element of COVID-19 therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dorota Zarębska-Michaluk
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Allergology, Jan Kochanowski University, 25-317 Kielce, Poland
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Provincial Hospital, 25-317 Kielce, Poland
| | - Michał Brzdęk
- Collegium Medicum, Jan Kochanowski University, 25-317 Kielce, Poland
| | - Piotr Rzymski
- Department of Environmental Medicine, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 60-806 Poznań, Poland
| | - Magdalena Rogalska
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology, Medical University of Białystok, 15-540 Białystok, Poland
| | - Anna Moniuszko-Malinowska
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Neuroinfections, Medical University of Białystok, 15-809 Białystok, Poland
| | - Dorota Kozielewicz
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology, Faculty of Medicine, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University, 87-100 Torun, Poland
| | - Marcin Hawro
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology, Medical Center in Łańcut, 37-100 Łańcut, Poland
| | - Marta Rorat
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Wrocław Medical University, 50-367 Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Sikorska
- Institute of Maritime and Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Gdansk, 81-519 Gdynia, Poland
| | - Jerzy Jaroszewicz
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology, Medical University of Silesia, 41-902 Katowice, Poland
| | - Justyna Kowalska
- Department of Adults' Infectious Diseases, Medical University of Warsaw, 01-201 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Robert Flisiak
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology, Medical University of Białystok, 15-540 Białystok, Poland
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7
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Winkie MJ, Nambudiri VE. A tale of two applications: lessons learned from national LMIC COVID applications. J Am Med Inform Assoc 2023; 30:781-786. [PMID: 36040186 PMCID: PMC9452142 DOI: 10.1093/jamia/ocac146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Mobile health (mHealth) technologies in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) have received increased attention for the significant potential benefits they can bring to underserved populations. As smartphones are becoming increasingly accessible, many stakeholders in the mHealth space have begun exploring smartphone applications as a means to impact individuals living within LMICs. With the COVID-19 pandemic straining healthcare systems around the world, many governments in LMICs turned to use smartphone applications to help support and manage their pandemic responses. By analyzing national COVID-19 applications created and launched by the Indian and Vietnamese governments, we highlight effective application functions and strategies, summarizing best practices for future LMIC application development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitchell J Winkie
- Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Vinod E Nambudiri
- Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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8
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Wen R, Zhang M, Xu R, Gao Y, Liu L, Chen H, Wang X, Zhu W, Lin H, Liu C, Zeng X. COVID-19 imaging, where do we go from here? Bibliometric analysis of medical imaging in COVID-19. Eur Radiol 2023; 33:3133-3143. [PMID: 36892649 PMCID: PMC9996554 DOI: 10.1007/s00330-023-09498-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 01/29/2023] [Indexed: 03/10/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES We conducted a systematic and comprehensive bibliometric analysis of COVID-19-related medical imaging to determine the current status and indicate possible future directions. METHODS This research provides an analysis of Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) indexed articles on COVID-19 and medical imaging published between 1 January 2020 and 30 June 2022, using the search terms "COVID-19" and medical imaging terms (such as "X-ray" or "CT"). Publications based solely on COVID-19 themes or medical image themes were excluded. CiteSpace was used to identify the predominant topics and generate a visual map of countries, institutions, authors, and keyword networks. RESULTS The search included 4444 publications. The journal with the most publications was European Radiology, and the most co-cited journal was Radiology. China was the most frequently cited country in terms of co-authorship, with the Huazhong University of Science and Technology being the institution contributing with the highest number of relevant co-authorships. Research trends and leading topics included: assessment of initial COVID-19-related clinical imaging features, differential diagnosis using artificial intelligence (AI) technology and model interpretability, diagnosis systems construction, COVID-19 vaccination, complications, and predicting prognosis. CONCLUSIONS This bibliometric analysis of COVID-19-related medical imaging helps clarify the current research situation and developmental trends. Subsequent trends in COVID-19 imaging are likely to shift from lung structure to function, from lung tissue to other related organs, and from COVID-19 to the impact of COVID-19 on the diagnosis and treatment of other diseases. Key Points • We conducted a systematic and comprehensive bibliometric analysis of COVID-19-related medical imaging from 1 January 2020 to 30 June 2022. • Research trends and leading topics included assessment of initial COVID-19-related clinical imaging features, differential diagnosis using AI technology and model interpretability, diagnosis systems construction, COVID-19 vaccination, complications, and predicting prognosis. • Future trends in COVID-19-related imaging are likely to involve a shift from lung structure to function, from lung tissue to other related organs, and from COVID-19 to the impact of COVID-19 on the diagnosis and treatment of other diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ru Wen
- Medical College, Guizhou University, Guizhou, 550000, People's Republic of China.,Department of Radiology, Southwest Hospital, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), 30 Gao Tan Yan St, 400038, Chongqing, People's Republic of China.,Department of Medical Imaging, Guizhou Provincial People Hospital, No.83, East Zhongshan Road, Nanming District, Guizhou Province, 550000, Guiyang City, People's Republic of China
| | - Mudan Zhang
- Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou Province, 550000, People's Republic of China
| | - Rui Xu
- Department of Medical Imaging, Guizhou Provincial People Hospital, No.83, East Zhongshan Road, Nanming District, Guizhou Province, 550000, Guiyang City, People's Republic of China
| | - Yingming Gao
- College of Life Science, Guizhou University, Guiyang, Guizhou Province, 550000, People's Republic of China
| | - Lin Liu
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Guizhou Provincial People Hospital, Guiyang City, Guizhou Province, 550000, People's Republic of China
| | - Hui Chen
- Department of Radiology, Southwest Hospital, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), 30 Gao Tan Yan St, 400038, Chongqing, People's Republic of China
| | - Xingang Wang
- Department of Radiology, Southwest Hospital, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), 30 Gao Tan Yan St, 400038, Chongqing, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenyan Zhu
- Medical Department, Yidu Cloud (Beijing) Technology Co., Ltd., Beijing, 100191, People's Republic of China
| | - Huafang Lin
- Medical Department, Yidu Cloud (Beijing) Technology Co., Ltd., Beijing, 100191, People's Republic of China
| | - Chen Liu
- Department of Radiology, Southwest Hospital, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), 30 Gao Tan Yan St, 400038, Chongqing, People's Republic of China.
| | - Xianchun Zeng
- Department of Medical Imaging, Guizhou Provincial People Hospital, No.83, East Zhongshan Road, Nanming District, Guizhou Province, 550000, Guiyang City, People's Republic of China.
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Hamidi A, Khosravi A, Hejazi R, FatemehTorabi, Abtin A. A scientometric approach to psychological research during the COVID-19 pandemic. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2023; 43:1-10. [PMID: 36713622 PMCID: PMC9868493 DOI: 10.1007/s12144-023-04264-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
During the COVID-19 pandemic, modern science demonstrated its ability to respond well to the health crisis by publishing useful and reliable information. This disease has also led to an increase in psychological publications in this field. However, most scientometric studies have focused on medical aspects, and social science research has been neglected. Therefore, to fill this research gap, we analyzed the research on COVID-19 in the field of psychology to provide an insight into the perspective, research fields, and international collaborations. Data were collected from the Web of Science database and analyzed using Citespace and Bibliometrix (Biblioshiny). The overall performance of the documents was described, and then keyword co-occurrence and co-authorship networks were visualized. Fifteen main clusters were formed by drawing document co-citation network. The result indicates that Anxiety, mental health, delirium, loneliness, and suicide were important topics for researchers. Considering the special conditions that COVID-19 created for human societies, perhaps one of the most important subjects in the field of health is psychological studies. Using the results of this study, psychology researchers can identify their potential colleagues and research gaps in the subject of Covid-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Hamidi
- Department of Medical Library and Information Sciences, School of Para-Medicine, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran
| | - Abdolrasoul Khosravi
- Department of Medical Library and Information Sciences, School of Para-Medicine, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran
| | | | - FatemehTorabi
- Medical Librarianship and Information Sciences, Faculty of Management and Medical Information, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Aala Abtin
- Medical Librarianship and Information Sciences, Faculty of Management and Medical Information, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
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Mazzalai E, Giannini D, Tosti ME, D’Angelo F, Declich S, Jaljaa A, Caminada S, Turatto F, De Marchi C, Gatta A, Angelozzi A, Marchetti G, Pizzarelli S, Marceca M. Risk of Covid-19 Severe Outcomes and Mortality in Migrants and Ethnic Minorities Compared to the General Population in the European WHO Region: a Systematic Review. JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION AND INTEGRATION 2023; 24:1-31. [PMID: 36647529 PMCID: PMC9833641 DOI: 10.1007/s12134-023-01007-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
The Covid-19 pandemic has had a major impact on migrants and ethnic minorities (MEMs). Socio-economic factors and legal, administrative and language barriers are among the reasons for this increased susceptibility. The aim of the study is to investigate the impact of Covid-19 on MEMs compared to the general population in terms of serious outcomes. We conducted a systematic review collecting studies on the impact of Covid-19 on MEMs compared to the general population in the WHO European Region regarding hospitalisation, intensive care unit (ICU) admission and mortality, published between 01/01/2020 and 19/03/2021. Nine researchers were involved in selection, study quality assessment and data extraction. Of the 82 studies included, 15 of the 16 regarding hospitalisation for Covid-19 reported an increased risk for MEMs compared to the white and/or native population and 22 out of the 28 studies focusing on the ICU admission rates found an increased risk for MEMs. Among the 65 studies on mortality, 43 report a higher risk for MEMs. An increased risk of adverse outcomes was reported for MEMs. Social determinants of health are among the main factors involved in the genesis of health inequalities: a disadvantaged socio-economic status, a framework of structural racism and asymmetric access to healthcare are linked to increased susceptibility to the consequences of Covid-19. These findings underline the need for policymakers to consider the socio-economic barriers when designing prevention plans. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12134-023-01007-x.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Mazzalai
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Dara Giannini
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- Italian Society of Migration Medicine (SIMM), Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Elena Tosti
- National Centre for Global Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Franca D’Angelo
- National Centre for Global Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Silvia Declich
- Italian Society of Migration Medicine (SIMM), Rome, Italy
- National Centre for Global Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Anissa Jaljaa
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Susanna Caminada
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- Italian Society of Migration Medicine (SIMM), Rome, Italy
| | - Federica Turatto
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Chiara De Marchi
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Angela Gatta
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Aurora Angelozzi
- Department for Organisational Development, Local Health Unit Roma 1, Rome, Italy
| | - Giulia Marchetti
- Italian Society of Migration Medicine (SIMM), Rome, Italy
- National Centre for Global Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Scilla Pizzarelli
- Knowledge Unit, Documentation and Library, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Maurizio Marceca
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- Italian Society of Migration Medicine (SIMM), Rome, Italy
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Mobin MA, Mahi M, Hassan MK, Habib M, Akter S, Hassan T. An analysis of COVID-19 and WHO global research roadmap: knowledge mapping and future research agenda. EURASIAN ECONOMIC REVIEW 2023; 13:35-56. [PMCID: PMC8576796 DOI: 10.1007/s40822-021-00193-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2020] [Revised: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we review the publications on the COVID-19 pandemic indexed in the Scopus database from 1st January to 15th October 2020, using bibliometric analysis. In essence, we evaluate the publications against the global research roadmap outlined by the World Health Organization (WHO). We find that academic publications are contributed by researchers worldwide, with the USA and China being the top contributors in several parameters. We show that most publications are clustered around the issues related to the outbreak, diagnosis, candidate medicine, and disease treatment by analyzing publication keywords. Besides, considerable importance is given to unravel the connection between the present viral disease with its previous strains and the anxiety and stress-related problems that arise from the COVID-19. We further visualize the knowledge structure of the publication with thematic mapping and illustrate that mental health-related research denotes a specialized research theme besides public health issues being the basic theme. Our findings aid to comprehend how the scholarly publications have developed to address the prioritized research agendas by the WHO. Thus, our study can guide researchers to explore the less studied areas. Consequently, it will assist policymakers and governments in developing integrated and effective policies to fight the pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Ashraful Mobin
- iFINTELL Business Intelligence, Cyberjaya, Malaysia
- Graduate School of Business, Universiti Sains Malaysia, George Town, Malaysia
| | - Masnun Mahi
- iFINTELL Business Intelligence, Cyberjaya, Malaysia
- Faculty of Business and Accountancy, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - M. Kabir Hassan
- Department of Economics and Finance, University of New Orleans, New Orleans, LA 70148 USA
| | - Marzia Habib
- Medical Analytics Team, iFINTELL Business Intelligence, Cyberjaya, Malaysia
| | - Shabiha Akter
- iFINTELL Business Intelligence, Cyberjaya, Malaysia
- School of Accounting and Finance, Taylor’s University, Subang Jaya, Malaysia
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12
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Alnatour D, Nassar RI, Salhi Y, Thiab S, Alsayed AR. Perception and attitudes toward COVID- 19 vaccines in Jordan: lessons for future pandemics. Pharm Pract (Granada) 2023; 21:2781. [PMID: 37090450 PMCID: PMC10117358 DOI: 10.18549/pharmpract.2023.1.2781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 04/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective This study aimed to assess Jordanians' perception and attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccines authorized for use in Jordan. Another objective was to evaluate the population's confidence in vaccine efficacy, their fears of the vaccines, and their perceptions and attitudes after vaccination. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted over four months (August 2021- December 2021) and included the general Jordanian population above 18 years old. Results A total of 398 participants were included in the study, with the majority (around 81.0%) received at least one dose of any of COVID-19 vaccines approved for use in Jordan. Most non-vaccinated participants (67.4%) were either unwilling to receive the COVID-19 vaccine or unsure. The main reasons for receiving the vaccine were: family protection, self-protection, global efforts to fight the virus and local restrictions, with some variability between vaccinated and non-vaccinated. The major reasons for fear of COVID-19 vaccines were limited research, vaccine effectiveness, and vaccine side effects. Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was the most trusted vaccine by vaccinated and non-vaccinated participants (47.8% and 57.9%, respectively), and Oxford-AstraZeneca was the most feared by them (42.2% and 57.9%, respectively). Internet websites (>85.0%), social media platforms (>70.0%), relatives and friends (>69.0%), and news applications (>60.0%) were the major sources of information about the COVID-19 vaccines among participants. Conclusion Our results revealed that hesitation in receiving the vaccine remains a challenge in Jordan, as in other countries. The findings also show that participants, regardless of their vaccination status, had many concerns about the four types of vaccines approved for use in Jordan during the study conduction period. Moreover, the participants' perceptions and attitudes towards the vaccines were variable between vaccinated and non-vaccinated participants and were variable for the four types of vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dalal Alnatour
- PharmD. Faculty of Pharmacy, Applied Science Private University, Amman, Jordan.
| | - Razan I Nassar
- MSc. Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Applied Science Private University, Amman, Jordan.
| | | | - Samar Thiab
- PhD. Assistant Professor in Pharmaceutical Analysis, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Applied Science Private University, Amman, Jordan.
| | - Ahmad R Alsayed
- PhD. Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Applied Science Private University, Amman 11931-166, Jordan.
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González-Alcaide G, Bolaños-Pizarro M, Ramos-Rincón JM, Gutiérrez-Rodero F. Análisis bibliométrico de la producción científica española en Enfermedades Infecciosas y en Microbiología (2014-2021). Enferm Infecc Microbiol Clin 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.eimc.2022.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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14
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Drzymalla E, Yu W, Khoury MJ, Gwinn M. COVID-19-Related manuscripts: lag from preprint to publication. BMC Res Notes 2022; 15:340. [PMID: 36335379 PMCID: PMC9636814 DOI: 10.1186/s13104-022-06231-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Revised: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Preprints have had a prominent role in the swift scientific response to COVID-19. Two years into the pandemic, we investigated how much preprints had contributed to timely data sharing by analyzing the lag time from preprint posting to journal publication. RESULTS To estimate the median number of days between the date a manuscript was posted as a preprint and the date of its publication in a scientific journal, we analyzed preprints posted from January 1, 2020, to December 31, 2021 in the NIH iSearch COVID-19 Portfolio database and performed a Kaplan-Meier (KM) survival analysis using a non-mixture parametric cure model. Of the 39,243 preprints in our analysis, 7712 (20%) were published in a journal, after a median lag of 178 days (95% CI: 175-181). Most of the published preprints were posted on the bioRxiv (29%) or medRxiv (65%) servers, which allow authors to choose a subject category when posting. Of the 20,698 preprints posted on these two servers, 7358 (36%) were published, including approximately half of those categorized as biochemistry, biophysics, and genomics, which became published articles within the study interval, compared with 29% categorized as epidemiology and 26% as bioinformatics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Drzymalla
- Office of Genomics and Precision Public Health, Office of Science, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States of America.
| | - Wei Yu
- Office of Genomics and Precision Public Health, Office of Science, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - Muin J Khoury
- Office of Genomics and Precision Public Health, Office of Science, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - Marta Gwinn
- Tanaq Support Services, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
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15
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Lucien MAB, Pierre K, Jean-Denis G, Rigodon J, Worrell CM, Couture A, Flynn A, Calderon MC, Codina LF, Vicari AS, Marseille S, Jean Baptiste KT, Fouche B, Joseph G, Journel I, Rendel K, Grant-Greene Y, Jean-Charles NP, Lafontant D, Amouzou S, Pierre W, Clement MGR, Juin S, Boncy J, Dely P. Epidemiology and risk factors related to severity of clinical manifestations of COVID-19 in outpatients: A retrospective study in Haiti. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0274760. [PMID: 36129879 PMCID: PMC9491605 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0274760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Haiti’s first COVID-19 cases were confirmed on March 18, 2020, and subsequently spread throughout the country. The objective of this study was to describe clinical manifestations of COVID-19 in Haitian outpatients and to identify risk factors for severity of clinical manifestations. Methods We conducted a retrospective study of COVID-19 outpatients diagnosed from March 18-August 4, 2020, using demographic, epidemiological, and clinical data reported to the Ministry of Health (MoH). We used univariate and multivariate analysis, including multivariable logistic regression, to explore the risk factors and specific symptoms related to persons with symptomatic COVID-19 and the severity of symptomatic COVID-19 disease. Results Of 5,389 cases reported to MOH during the study period, 1,754 (32.5%) were asymptomatic. Amongst symptomatic persons 2,747 (75.6%) had mild COVID-19 and 888 (24.4%) had moderate-to-severe disease; the most common symptoms were fever (69.6%), cough (51.9%), and myalgia (45.8%). The odds of having moderate-to-severe disease were highest among persons with hypertension (aOR = 1.72, 95% Confidence Interval [CI] (1.34, 2.20), chronic pulmonary disease (aOR = 3.93, 95% CI (1.93, 8.17)) and tuberculosis (aOR = 3.44, 95% CI (1.35, 9.14)) compared to persons without those conditions. The odds of having moderate-to-severe disease increased with age but was also seen among children aged 0–4 years (OR: 1.73, 95% CI (0.93, 3.08)), when using 30–39 years old as the reference group. All of the older age groups, 50–64 years, 65–74 years, 75–84 years, and 85+ years, had significantly higher odds of having moderate-to-severe COVID-19 compared with ages 30–39 years. Diabetes was associated with elevated odds of moderate-to-severe disease in bivariate analysis (OR = 2.17, 95% CI (1.58,2.98) but, this association did not hold in multivariable analyses (aOR = 1.22,95%CI (0.86,1.72)). Conclusion These findings from a resource-constrained country highlight the importance of surveillance systems to track emerging infections and their risk factors. In addition to co-morbidities described elsewhere, tuberculosis was a risk factor for moderate-to-severe COVID-19 disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mentor Ali Ber Lucien
- National Public Health Laboratory (LNSP)/ Ministry of Public Health and Population (MSPP), Port au Prince, Haiti
| | - Katilla Pierre
- Directorate of Epidemiology, Laboratories and Research (DELR)/MSPP, Port au Prince, Haiti
| | - Gladzdin Jean-Denis
- Pan American Health Organization, World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), Port-au-Prince, Haiti
| | - Jonas Rigodon
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Port-au-Prince, Haiti
- * E-mail:
| | - Caitlin M. Worrell
- Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Alexia Couture
- COVID-19 International Task Force Emergency Response Capacity Team, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Aspen Flynn
- COVID-19 International Task Force Emergency Response Capacity Team, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Mauricio Cerpa Calderon
- Pan American Health Organization, World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), Port-au-Prince, Haiti
| | - Luis Felipe Codina
- Pan American Health Organization, World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), Port-au-Prince, Haiti
| | - Andrea S. Vicari
- Pan American Health Organization, World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Samson Marseille
- Directorate of Epidemiology, Laboratories and Research (DELR)/MSPP, Port au Prince, Haiti
| | | | | | - Gerard Joseph
- National Public Health Laboratory (LNSP)/ Ministry of Public Health and Population (MSPP), Port au Prince, Haiti
| | - Ito Journel
- National Public Health Laboratory (LNSP)/ Ministry of Public Health and Population (MSPP), Port au Prince, Haiti
| | - Kenold Rendel
- Directorate of Epidemiology, Laboratories and Research (DELR)/MSPP, Port au Prince, Haiti
| | | | | | - Donald Lafontant
- Directorate of Epidemiology, Laboratories and Research (DELR)/MSPP, Port au Prince, Haiti
| | - Senou Amouzou
- Directorate of Epidemiology, Laboratories and Research (DELR)/MSPP, Port au Prince, Haiti
| | - Wilnique Pierre
- Directorate of Epidemiology, Laboratories and Research (DELR)/MSPP, Port au Prince, Haiti
| | | | - Stanley Juin
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Port-au-Prince, Haiti
| | - Jacques Boncy
- National Public Health Laboratory (LNSP)/ Ministry of Public Health and Population (MSPP), Port au Prince, Haiti
| | - Patrick Dely
- Directorate of Epidemiology, Laboratories and Research (DELR)/MSPP, Port au Prince, Haiti
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Arnaldi M, Engebretsen E, Forsdick C. Translating COVID-19: From Contagion to Containment. THE JOURNAL OF MEDICAL HUMANITIES 2022; 43:387-404. [PMID: 35713804 PMCID: PMC9204076 DOI: 10.1007/s10912-022-09742-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
This article tests the hypothesis that all pandemics are inherently translational. We argue that translation and translation theory can be fruitfully used to understand and manage epidemics, as they help us explore concepts of infectivity and immunity in terms of cultural and biological resistance. After examining the linkage between translation and coronavirus disease from three different yet interlinked perspectives-cultural, medical, and biocultural-we make a case for a translational medical humanities framework for tackling the multifactorial crisis brought about by the SARS-CoV-2 infection. This innovative entanglement of perspectives has the merit of carving out a new space for translation research at the intersection of the sciences and the humanities, providing sustainable ways to conceptualize the production of science at times of crisis, and challenging conventional views of translation as a primarily linguistic and cultural phenomenon that traditionally does not engage with science.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Arnaldi
- Faculty of Medieval and Modern Languages, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| | | | - Charles Forsdick
- Department of Modern Languages and Cultures, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
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17
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Khan AM, Patra S, Jain AK, Madhu SV, Saxena A, Aggarwal A, Suneja A, Tyagi A, Avasthi R, Singh NP, Shah D, Dhall A, Kalra R, Arora R, Gupta S, Vaney N. Development and implementation of a sustainable COVID-19 training package for healthcare workers: Experience from a teaching hospital of North India. J Family Med Prim Care 2022; 11:5345-5350. [PMID: 36505624 PMCID: PMC9730942 DOI: 10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_2196_21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2021] [Revised: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background With the impending threat of future COVID-19 waves, it is imperative that teaching hospitals develop, implement, and evaluate a systematic training program to render HCW elastic in delivering COVID-19 related services. We present our experience in developing, implementing, and evaluating a sustainable and scalable COVID-19 patient management training package for healthcare workers. Materials and Methods A mixed-methods study design was used. Rapid assessment to understand the need of the trainees and identify the available resources was done followed by planning of the training module and its implementation. The program was evaluated for effectiveness and sustainability. Data analysis was done using descriptive statistics and qualitative data generated from open-ended questions in the feedback forms and the discussions were analyzed using rapid content analysis. Results A total of 66.8% of the doctors and 18.9% of the nurses were trained by online synchronous mode while 55.0% of the nursing officers and 47.1% of the nursing orderlies and paramedical staff were trained in onsite skill development sessions. Need assessment identified that healthcare workers were ill-prepared to use medical devices such as Bipap machines, ventilators, and oxygen delivery devices. The participants mentioned that the multidisciplinary approach and video-based demonstrations facilitated their online learning while the incremental learning approach, easy-to-understand terminology and hands-on experience facilitated their onsite skill development sessions. Conclusion The COVID-19 training package developed was multidisciplinary, effective, sustainable, and scalable in a resource-limited setting. We suggest that this model can be adapted by healthcare organizations to develop and implement such training packages for their healthcare workers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amir Maroof Khan
- Department of Community Medicine, Medical Education Unit, University College of Medical Sciences and GTB Hospital, Delhi, India,Address for correspondence: Dr. Amir Maroof Khan, Department of Community Medicine, Medical Education Unit, University College of Medical Sciences and GTB Hospital, Delhi, India. Department of Community Medicine, Room No 414, Fourth Floor, UCMS and GTB Hospital, Shahdra - 110 095, Delhi, India. E-mail:
| | - Somdatta Patra
- Department of Community Medicine, University College of Medical Sciences and GTB Hospital, Delhi, India
| | - Anil K. Jain
- Department of Orthopaedics, University College of Medical Sciences and GTB Hospital, Delhi, India
| | - SV Madhu
- Department of Endocrinology, University College of Medical Sciences and GTB Hospital, Delhi, India
| | - Ashok Saxena
- Department of Anaesthesiology, University College of Medical Sciences and GTB Hospital, Delhi, India
| | - Anju Aggarwal
- Department of Pediatrics, University College of Medical Sciences and GTB Hospital, Delhi, India
| | - Amita Suneja
- Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, University College of Medical Sciences and GTB Hospital, Delhi, India
| | - Asha Tyagi
- Department of Anaesthesiology, University College of Medical Sciences and GTB Hospital, Delhi, India
| | - Rajnish Avasthi
- Department of Medicine, University College of Medical Sciences and GTB Hospital, Delhi, India
| | - Narendra P. Singh
- Department of Microbiology, University College of Medical Sciences and GTB Hospital, Delhi, India
| | - Dheeraj Shah
- Department of Pediatrics, University College of Medical Sciences and GTB Hospital, Delhi, India
| | - Anjana Dhall
- Florence Nightingale College of Nursing, Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital, Delhi, India
| | - Rajesh Kalra
- Department of Additional Medical Superintendent, GTB Hospital and UCMS, Delhi, India
| | - Rajesh Arora
- Department of Orthopaedics, University College of Medical Sciences and GTB Hospital, Delhi, India
| | - Sanjay Gupta
- Department of Surgery, University College of Medical Sciences and GTB Hospital, Delhi, India
| | - Neelam Vaney
- Department of Physiology, University College of Medical Sciences and GTB Hospital, Delhi, India
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Attitudes toward Receiving COVID-19 Booster Dose in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Region: A Cross-Sectional Study of 3041 Fully Vaccinated Participants. Vaccines (Basel) 2022; 10:vaccines10081270. [PMID: 36016158 PMCID: PMC9414713 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines10081270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Revised: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
COVID-19 vaccines are crucial to control the pandemic and avoid COVID-19 severe infections. The rapid evolution of COVID-19 variants such as B.1.1.529 is alarming, especially with the gradual decrease in serum antibody levels in vaccinated individuals. Middle Eastern countries were less likely to accept the initial doses of vaccines. This study was directed to determine COVID-19 vaccine booster acceptance and its associated factors in the general population in the MENA region to attain public herd immunity. We conducted an online survey in five countries (Egypt, Iraq, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, and Sudan) in November and December 2021. The questionnaire included self-reported information about the vaccine type, side effects, fear level, and several demographic factors. Kruskal−Wallis ANOVA was used to associate the fear level with the type of COVID-19 vaccine. Logistic regression was performed to confirm the results and reported as odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals. The final analysis included 3041 fully vaccinated participants. Overall, 60.2% of the respondents reported willingness to receive the COVID-19 booster dose, while 20.4% were hesitant. Safety uncertainties and opinions that the booster dose is not necessary were the primary reasons for refusing the booster dose. The willingness to receive the booster dose was in a triangular relationship with the side effects of first and second doses and the fear (p < 0.0001). Females, individuals with normal body mass index, history of COVID-19 infection, and influenza-unvaccinated individuals were significantly associated with declining the booster dose. Higher fear levels were observed in females, rural citizens, and chronic and immunosuppressed patients. Our results suggest that vaccine hesitancy and fear in several highlighted groups continue to be challenges for healthcare providers, necessitating public health intervention, prioritizing the need for targeted awareness campaigns, and facilitating the spread of evidence-based scientific communication.
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19
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Ruiz-Fresneda MA, Ruiz-Pérez R, Ruiz-Fresneda C, Jiménez-Contreras E. Differences in Global Scientific Production Between New mRNA and Conventional Vaccines Against COVID-19. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 29:57054-57066. [PMID: 35731431 PMCID: PMC9213638 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-21553-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The search for effective vaccines to stop the COVID-19 pandemic has led to an unprecedented amount of global scientific production and activity. This study aimed to analyze global scientific production on the different vaccine types (mRNA and conventional) that were validated for COVID-19 during the years 2020-2021. The scientific production generated on COVID-19 vaccines during the period 2020-2021 totaled the enormous amount of 20,459 studies published. New mRNA vaccines clearly showed higher production levels than conventional vaccines (viral and inactivated vectors), with 786 and 350 studies, respectively. The USA is the undisputed leader in the global production on COVID-19 vaccines, with Israel and Italy also playing an important role. Among the journals publishing works in this field, the New England Journal of Medicine, the British Medical Journal, and Vaccines stand out from the rest as the most important. The keyword 'immunogenicity' and its derivatives have been more researched for the new mRNA vaccines, while thrombosis has been more studied for conventional vaccines. The massive scientific production generated on COVID-19 vaccines in only two years has shown the enormous gravity of the pandemic and the extreme urgency to find a solution. This high scientific production and the main keywords found for the mRNA vaccines indicate the great potential that these vaccines have against COVID-19 and future infectious diseases. Moreover, this study provides valuable information for guiding future research lines and promoting international collaboration for an effective solution.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rafael Ruiz-Pérez
- Department of Information and Communication Sciences, University of Granada, 18071, Granada, Spain
| | - Carlos Ruiz-Fresneda
- Department of Information and Communication Sciences, University of Granada, 18071, Granada, Spain
- EC3metrics Spin-Off, University of Granada, 18071, Granada, Spain
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20
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Roychowdhury K, Bhanja R, Biswas S. Mapping the research landscape of Covid-19 from social sciences perspective: a bibliometric analysis. Scientometrics 2022; 127:4547-4568. [PMID: 35813408 PMCID: PMC9256903 DOI: 10.1007/s11192-022-04447-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
COVID-19 has emerged as a widely researched topic and the academia has taken interest in the effects of COVID-19 in various sectors of human life and society. Most of the bibliometric research addresses scientific contributions in medicine, health, and virology related topics, with very little emphasis on social sciences. Therefore, to address this gap, a bibliometric analysis of research related to COVID-19 in the subject area of social sciences was performed on selected publications from January 2020 to mid-2021. A total of 9289 articles were analysed to identify major emerging themes of Covid-19 and social sciences and how research collaborations between countries have helped in communicating critical issues to academia. The empirical results indicate the dominance of psychology and business economics subjects in the social sciences sphere, with the emerging themes as psychosocial problems among people, economics, the outbreak of SARS, and discussions on the quality of life in terms of surroundings and environment. The study also suggests that more collaborations between social scientists working in different nations is required to explore the less focussed themes addressing the local challenges of poor nations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koel Roychowdhury
- Department of Geography, Presidency University, Kolkata, West Bengal India
| | - Radhika Bhanja
- Department of Geography, Presidency University, Kolkata, West Bengal India
| | - Sushmita Biswas
- Department of Geography, Presidency University, Kolkata, West Bengal India
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21
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Mazzalai E, Turatto F, De Vito C. Gender Gap in Scientific Publications on COVID-19 in Italy During the First Wave of the Pandemic: An Observational Study. Front Public Health 2022; 10:818594. [PMID: 35844865 PMCID: PMC9279892 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.818594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Worldwide, concerns rise on how COVID-19 pandemic impacted heavily on women, even on those belonging to the scientific community. The Italian scientific production regarding the COVID-19 throughout the first months of the health emergency could help to understand the heft of female researchers in this unique period. Objectives This study aims to investigate the gender gap in the scientific production on COVID-19 in Italy during the first months of the pandemic. Methods A systematic search of the literature was conducted and, for each included study, first and last author's gender, type of study, number of co-authors, type of affiliation, journal's Impact Factor (IF) and specialization were extracted. Descriptive and univariate analyses were performed. Results 22.2% of the articles were signed by a woman as first author, 18.1% as last authors. Female authorship was less frequent than male authorship regardless of the type of study, number of co-authors, type of affiliation and field of specialization. Conclusion This analysis reveal a low prevalence of studies with a female first or last author and suggests that the low share of female authors publishing on COVID-19 during the considered timespan is a transversal issue throughout the Italian medical field.
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22
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Vickery J, Atkinson P, Lin L, Rubin O, Upshur R, Yeoh EK, Boyer C, Errett NA. Challenges to evidence-informed decision-making in the context of pandemics: qualitative study of COVID-19 policy advisor perspectives. BMJ Glob Health 2022; 7:e008268. [PMID: 35450862 PMCID: PMC9023846 DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2021-008268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2021] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The exceptional production of research evidence during the COVID-19 pandemic required deployment of scientists to act in advisory roles to aid policy-makers in making evidence-informed decisions. The unprecedented breadth, scale and duration of the pandemic provides an opportunity to understand how science advisors experience and mitigate challenges associated with insufficient, evolving and/or conflicting evidence to inform public health decision-making. OBJECTIVES To explore critically the challenges for advising evidence-informed decision-making (EIDM) in pandemic contexts, particularly around non-pharmaceutical control measures, from the perspective of experts advising policy-makers during COVID-19 globally. METHODS We conducted in-depth qualitative interviews with 27 scientific experts and advisors who are/were engaged in COVID-19 EIDM representing four WHO regions and 11 countries (Australia, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, Ghana, Hong Kong, Nigeria, Sweden, Uganda, UK, USA) from December 2020 to May 2021. Participants informed decision-making at various and multiple levels of governance, including local/city (n=3), state/provincial (n=8), federal or national (n=20), regional or international (n=3) and university-level advising (n=3). Following each interview, we conducted member checks with participants and thematically analysed interview data using NVivo for Mac software. RESULTS Findings from this study indicate multiple overarching challenges to pandemic EIDM specific to interpretation and translation of evidence, including the speed and influx of new, evolving, and conflicting evidence; concerns about scientific integrity and misinterpretation of evidence; the limited capacity to assess and produce evidence, and adapting evidence from other contexts; multiple forms of evidence and perspectives needed for EIDM; the need to make decisions quickly and under conditions of uncertainty; and a lack of transparency in how decisions are made and applied. CONCLUSIONS Findings suggest the urgent need for global EIDM guidance that countries can adapt for in-country decisions as well as coordinated global response to future pandemics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie Vickery
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Paul Atkinson
- Department of Public Health Policy and Systems/Institute of Infection, Veterinary & Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Leesa Lin
- Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Olivier Rubin
- Department of Social Sciences and Business, Roskilde University, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Ross Upshur
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Eng-Kiong Yeoh
- The Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, New Territories, China
| | - Chris Boyer
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Nicole A Errett
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
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23
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Public knowledge, attitude, and acceptance toward COVID-19 vaccines in Palestine: a cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health 2022; 22:529. [PMID: 35300647 PMCID: PMC8930193 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-12932-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on physical and mental health in addition to the global economy are huge. Vaccination is a pivotal measure to decrease COVID-19 morbidity and mortality and to help bring the pandemic under control. Yet, success of the vaccination process depends on the population's willingness to be vaccinated which may be determined by their level of knowledge about and trust in currently available COVID-19 vaccines. Therefore, this study aims to assess the knowledge, attitude, and acceptance of Palestinians towards COVID-19 vaccines. METHODS A national cross-sectional study was distributed in different Palestinian regions to assess the knowledge and attitude of Palestinians toward COVID-19 vaccines using an online questionnaire, it included three sections; sociodemographic characteristics, knowledge assessment questions, and attitude assessment questions. RESULTS A total of 6226 participants completed the questionnaire; among them, 41.36% believed that vaccines are safe, 69.02% agreed that vaccines are vital to protect from COVID-19; in addition, 55.1% approve administering the vaccine once available, and 37.86% do not believe their benefits outweigh the risks. The Source of information for 22.07% of participants in social media, while 11.92% rely on health care providers. Participants' attitudes and knowledge were significantly affected by gender, governorate, age, education level, and marital status (P <0.001). CONCLUSION The findings suggest that there is good knowledge and attitude toward the vaccination process against COVID-19 in Palestine, although low acceptance was detected. Awareness campaigns are required to spread reliable knowledge about COVID-19 vaccines.
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COVID-19 Vaccination and Rates of Infections, Hospitalizations, ICU Admissions, and Deaths in the European Economic Area during Autumn 2021 Wave of SARS-CoV-2. Vaccines (Basel) 2022; 10:vaccines10030437. [PMID: 35335069 PMCID: PMC8955952 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines10030437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Revised: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 vaccination campaigns were met with a varying level of vaccine hesitancy in Europe. We analyzed the potential relationships between COVID-19 vaccine coverage in different countries of the European Economic Area and rates of infection, hospitalizations, admissions to intensive care units (ICU), and deaths during the autumn 2021 SARS-CoV-2 wave (September−December). Significant negative correlations between infection rates and the percentage of fully vaccinated individuals were found during September, October, and November, but not December. The loss of this protective effect in December is likely due to the emergence of the omicron (B.1.1.529) variant, better adapted to evade vaccine-induced humoral immunity. For every considered month, the negative linear associations between the vaccine coverage and mean number of hospitalizations (r= −0.61 to −0.88), the mean number of ICU admissions (r= −0.62 to −0.81), and death rate (r= −0.64 to −0.84) were observed. The results highlight that vaccines provided significant benefits during autumn 2021. The vaccination of unvaccinated individuals should remain the primary strategy to decrease the hospital overloads, severe consequences of COVID-19, and deaths.
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25
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Gwenzi W. Wastewater, waste, and water-based epidemiology (WWW-BE): A novel hypothesis and decision-support tool to unravel COVID-19 in low-income settings? THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 806:150680. [PMID: 34599955 PMCID: PMC8481624 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Revised: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 09/26/2021] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Traditional wastewater-based epidemiology (W-BE) relying on SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection in wastewater is attractive for understanding COVID-19. Yet traditional W-BE based on centralized wastewaters excludes putative SARS-CoV-2 reservoirs such as: (i) wastewaters from shared on-site sanitation facilities, (ii) solid waste including faecal sludge from non-flushing on-site sanitation systems, and COVID-19 personal protective equipment (PPE), (iii) raw/untreated water, and (iv) drinking water supply systems in low-income countries (LICs). A novel hypothesis and decision-support tool based on Wastewater (on-site sanitation, municipal sewer systems), solid Waste, and raw/untreated and drinking Water-based epidemiology (WWW-BE) is proposed for understanding COVID-19 in LICs. The WWW-BE conceptual framework, including components and principles is presented. Evidence on the presence of SARS-CoV-2 and its proxies in wastewaters, solid materials/waste (papers, metals, fabric, plastics), and raw/untreated surface water, groundwater and drinking water is discussed. Taken together, wastewaters from municipal sewer and on-site sanitation systems, solid waste such as faecal sludge and COVID-19 PPE, raw/untreated surface water and groundwater, and drinking water systems in LICs act as potential reservoirs that receive and harbour SARS-CoV-2, and then transmit it to humans. Hence, WWW-BE could serve a dual function in estimating the prevalence and potential transmission of COVID-19. Several applications of WWW-BE as a hypothesis and decision support tool in LICs are discussed. WWW-BE aggregates data from various infected persons in a spatial unit, hence, putatively requires less resources (analytical kits, personnel) than individual diagnostic testing, making it an ideal decision-support tool for LICs. The novelty, and a critique of WWW-BE versus traditional W-BE are presented. Potential challenges of WWW-BE include: (i) biohazards and biosafety risks, (ii) lack of expertise, analytical equipment, and accredited laboratories, and (iii) high uncertainties in estimates of COVID-19 cases. Future perspectives and research directions including key knowledge gaps and the application of novel and emerging technologies in WWW-BE are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Willis Gwenzi
- Biosystems and Environmental Engineering Research Group, Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, Environment and Food Systems, University of Zimbabwe, P. O. Box MP 167, Mount Pleasant, Harare, Zimbabwe.
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26
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Ruiz-Fresneda MA, Jiménez-Contreras E, Ruiz-Fresneda C, Ruiz-Pérez R. Bibliometric Analysis of International Scientific Production on Pharmacologic Treatments for SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 During 2020. Front Public Health 2022; 9:778203. [PMID: 35127621 PMCID: PMC8811030 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.778203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Background COVID-19 is causing a grave global health and economic crisis and the fight against the pandemic has led to unprecedented scientific activity. Bibliometrics could be a useful tool for guiding future researches lines and promoting international collaboration for an effective treatment. For this purpose, we have conducted a bibliometric analysis of scientific publications on drugs and therapies used to treat COVID-19 during 2020. Methods Data source: Web of Science. We gathered data on scientific production relating to drugs used to treat COVID-19. We calculated impact factors and analyzed production by institution, country, and journal, visualizing our results in bibliometric networks. Results In 1 year, production relating to COVID-19 exceeded 100 000 publications, with over 6,500 on Drugs and COVID-19. Research into hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine, remdesivir, lopinavir and ritonavir, tocilizumab and convalescent plasma is particularly noteworthy. Mean citations/study range from 11.9 to 15.4. Producer institutions fall into three groups: one in the US and centered on Harvard Medical School; another in Europe led by INSERS; and another in China led by Huazhong University of Science and Technology. Production by journal is widespread but the Journal of Medical Virology, International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents, and American Journal of Transplantation are noteworthy. Conclusions The volume of research that is currently under way is comparable to the magnitude of the pandemic itself. Such a high volume of studies is infrequent and the impact they have achieved has no known precedent. The producing countries are those with highest incidence of the pandemic and greatest scientific potential; moreover, inter-agency and international collaboration has reached extraordinarily high levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel A. Ruiz-Fresneda
- Department of Crystallography and Structural Biology, Instituto de Química-Física Rocasolano, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid, Spain
- *Correspondence: Miguel A. Ruiz-Fresneda
| | - Evaristo Jiménez-Contreras
- EC3 Research Group, Department of Information and Communication Sciences, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Carlos Ruiz-Fresneda
- EC3 Research Group, Department of Information and Communication Sciences, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
- EC3metrics Spin-Off, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Rafael Ruiz-Pérez
- EC3 Research Group, Department of Information and Communication Sciences, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
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Discovering temporal scientometric knowledge in COVID-19 scholarly production. Scientometrics 2022; 127:1609-1642. [PMID: 35068619 PMCID: PMC8761250 DOI: 10.1007/s11192-021-04260-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The mapping and analysis of scientific knowledge makes it possible to identify the dynamics and/or growth of a particular field of research or to support strategic decisions related to different research entities, based on bibliometric and/or scientometric indicators. However, with the exponential growth of scientific production, a systematic and data-oriented approach to the analysis of this large set of productions becomes increasingly essential. Thus, in this work, a data-oriented methodology was proposed, combining Data Analysis, Machine Learning and Complex Network Analysis techniques, and Data Version Control (DVC) tool, for the extraction of implicit knowledge in scientific production bases. In addition, the approach was validated through a case study in a COVID-19 manuscripts dataset, which had 199,895 articles published on arXiv, bioRxiv, medRxiv, PubMed and Scopus databases. The results suggest the feasibility of the proposed methodology, indicating the most active countries and the most explored themes in each period of the pandemic. Therefore, this study has the potential to instrument and expand strategic decisions by the scientific community, aiming at extracting knowledge that supports the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
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28
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Rahmah L, Abarikwu SO, Arero AG, Essouma M, Jibril AT, Fal A, Flisiak R, Makuku R, Marquez L, Mohamed K, Ndow L, Zarębska-Michaluk D, Rezaei N, Rzymski P. Oral antiviral treatments for COVID-19: opportunities and challenges. Pharmacol Rep 2022; 74:1255-1278. [PMID: 35871712 PMCID: PMC9309032 DOI: 10.1007/s43440-022-00388-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
The use of antiviral COVID-19 medications can successfully inhibit SARS-CoV-2 replication and prevent disease progression to a more severe form. However, the timing of antiviral treatment plays a crucial role in this regard. Oral antiviral drugs provide an opportunity to manage SARS-CoV-2 infection without a need for hospital admission, easing the general burden that COVID-19 can have on the healthcare system. This review paper (i) presents the potential pharmaceutical antiviral targets, including various host-based targets and viral-based targets, (ii) characterizes the first-generation anti-SARS-CoV-2 oral drugs (nirmatrelvir/ritonavir and molnupiravir), (iii) summarizes the clinical progress of other oral antivirals for use in COVID-19, (iv) discusses ethical issues in such clinical trials and (v) presents challenges associated with the use of oral antivirals in clinical practice. Oral COVID-19 antivirals represent a part of the strategy to adapt to long-term co-existence with SARS-CoV-2 in a manner that prevents healthcare from being overwhelmed. It is pivotal to ensure equal and fair global access to the currently available oral antivirals and those authorized in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laila Rahmah
- School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran ,Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Jakarta, Indonesia
| | - Sunny O. Abarikwu
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Port Harcourt, Choba, Nigeria ,Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Choba, Nigeria
| | - Amanuel Godana Arero
- Cardiac Primary Prevention Research Center, Cardiovascular Diseases Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran ,Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Mickael Essouma
- Department of Internal Medicine and Specialties, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé, Cameroon ,Universal Scientific Education and Research Network, Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Aliyu Tijani Jibril
- Department of Community Nutrition, School of Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran ,Nutritional and Health Team (NHT), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran ,Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Accra, Ghana
| | - Andrzej Fal
- Department of Population Health, Division of Public Health, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland ,Collegium Medicum, Warsaw Faculty of Medicine, Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University, Warsaw, Poland ,Integrated Science Association (ISA), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Poznań, Poland
| | - Robert Flisiak
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology, Medical University of Białystok, Białystok, Poland
| | - Rangarirai Makuku
- School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran ,Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Harare, Zimbabwe
| | - Leander Marquez
- College of Social Sciences and Philosophy, University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines ,Education and Research Network (USERN), Universal Scientific, Quezon City, Philippines
| | - Kawthar Mohamed
- School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran ,Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Manama, Bahrain
| | - Lamin Ndow
- National Health Laboratory Service, Kotu, Gambia ,Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Banjul, Gambia
| | | | - Nima Rezaei
- Research Center for Immunodeficiencies, Children’s Medical Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran ,Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran ,Network of Immunity in Infection, Malignancy and Autoimmunity (NIIMA), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran
| | - Piotr Rzymski
- Integrated Science Association (ISA), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Poznań, Poland ,Department of Environmental Medicine, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznań, Poland
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29
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Nowak BM, Miedziarek C, Pełczyński S, Rzymski P. Misinformation, Fears and Adherence to Preventive Measures during the Early Phase of COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study in Poland. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:12266. [PMID: 34832021 PMCID: PMC8618240 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182212266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2021] [Revised: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 11/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The response to the pandemic requires access to accurate information and public understanding and adherence to preventive measures. This online cross-sectional study of adult Poles (n = 1337) assessed the frequency of COVID-19 preventive behaviors, fears related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and beliefs in COVID-19-related conspiracy theories during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic when the nationwide lockdown was imposed (April 2020). As shown, 22% of surveyed admitted not to wash their hands frequently, while 12% did not use disinfectants. These two behaviors were also less frequent in individuals with medical education. The highest levels of pandemic-related fears were associated with health loss in relatives, pandemic-induced economic crisis, and government using a pandemic to control citizens by the state. A significant share of surveyed individuals believed that the pandemic was intentional action to weaken non-Chinese economies (32%) or was deliberately induced for profits from selling vaccines (27%). Men, individuals with no children, and subjects with lower education were significantly less likely to adhere to sanitary measures (handwashing, disinfection, avoiding face touching, changes in greeting etiquette, face-covering when coughing or sneezing), and were less concerned over self and relatives' health. At the same time, men were less prone than women to the conspiracy theories related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The results indicate that adherence to sanitary measures during the pandemic can be a challenge also in developed countries, while misinformation campaigns (also concerning vaccines) have already affected the general public during the early phase of the epidemiological outbreak. The study provides observations that may be useful in the management of the public response to future epidemics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bartosz M. Nowak
- Student Research Club of Clinical Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 60-806 Poznań, Poland;
| | - Cezary Miedziarek
- Student Research Group of Paediatric Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 60-572 Poznań, Poland
| | - Szymon Pełczyński
- Student Research Group of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Therapy, Faculty of Medicine, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 61-861 Poznań, Poland;
| | - Piotr Rzymski
- Department of Environmental Medicine, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 60-806 Poznań, Poland
- Integrated Science Association (ISA), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), 60-806 Poznań, Poland
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30
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Rzymski P, Camargo CA, Fal A, Flisiak R, Gwenzi W, Kelishadi R, Leemans A, Nieto JJ, Ozen A, Perc M, Poniedziałek B, Sedikides C, Sellke F, Skirmuntt EC, Stashchak A, Rezaei N. COVID-19 Vaccine Boosters: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. Vaccines (Basel) 2021; 9:1299. [PMID: 34835230 PMCID: PMC8623745 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines9111299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Revised: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Pursuing vaccinations against COVID-19 brings hope to limit the spread of SARS-CoV-2 and remains the most rational decision under pandemic conditions. However, it does not come without challenges, including temporary shortages in vaccine doses, significant vaccine inequity, and questions regarding the durability of vaccine-induced immunity that remain unanswered. Moreover, SARS-CoV-2 has undergone evolution with the emergence of its novel variants, characterized by enhanced transmissibility and ability to at least partially evade neutralizing antibodies. At the same time, serum antibody levels start to wane within a few months after vaccination, ultimately increasing the risk of breakthrough infections. This article discusses whether the administration of booster doses of COVID-19 vaccines is urgently needed to control the pandemic. We conclude that, at present, optimizing the immunity level of wealthy populations cannot come at the expense of low-income regions that suffer from vaccine unavailability. Although the efficiency of vaccination in protecting from infection may decrease over time, current data show that efficacy against severe disease, hospitalization, and death remains at a high level. If vaccine coverage continues at extremely low levels in various regions, including African countries, SARS-CoV-2 may sooner or later evolve into variants better adapted to evade natural and vaccine-induced immunity, ultimately bringing a global threat that, of course, includes wealthy populations. We offer key recommendations to increase vaccination rates in low-income countries. The pandemic is, by definition, a major epidemiological event and requires looking beyond one's immediate self-interest; otherwise, efforts to contain it will be futile.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piotr Rzymski
- Department of Environmental Medicine, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 60-806 Poznań, Poland;
- Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), https://usern.tums.ac.ir, Tehran 1417614411, Iran; (C.A.C.J.); (A.F.); (R.K.); (A.L.); (J.J.N.); (A.O.); (M.P.); (C.S.); (F.S.); (A.S.)
| | - Carlos A. Camargo
- Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), https://usern.tums.ac.ir, Tehran 1417614411, Iran; (C.A.C.J.); (A.F.); (R.K.); (A.L.); (J.J.N.); (A.O.); (M.P.); (C.S.); (F.S.); (A.S.)
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Andrzej Fal
- Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), https://usern.tums.ac.ir, Tehran 1417614411, Iran; (C.A.C.J.); (A.F.); (R.K.); (A.L.); (J.J.N.); (A.O.); (M.P.); (C.S.); (F.S.); (A.S.)
- Collegium Medicum, Warsaw Faculty of Medicine, Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University, 01-938 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Robert Flisiak
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology, Medical University of Bialystok, 15-540 Białystok, Poland;
| | - Willis Gwenzi
- Biosystems and Environmental Engineering Research Group, Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, University of Zimbabwe, Mount Pleasant, Harare P.O. Box MP167, Zimbabwe;
| | - Roya Kelishadi
- Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), https://usern.tums.ac.ir, Tehran 1417614411, Iran; (C.A.C.J.); (A.F.); (R.K.); (A.L.); (J.J.N.); (A.O.); (M.P.); (C.S.); (F.S.); (A.S.)
- Department of Pediatrics, Child Growth and Development Research Center, Research Institute for Primordial Prevention of Non-Communicable Disease, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan 8174673441, Iran
| | - Alexander Leemans
- Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), https://usern.tums.ac.ir, Tehran 1417614411, Iran; (C.A.C.J.); (A.F.); (R.K.); (A.L.); (J.J.N.); (A.O.); (M.P.); (C.S.); (F.S.); (A.S.)
- PROVIDI Lab, Image Sciences Institute, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Juan J. Nieto
- Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), https://usern.tums.ac.ir, Tehran 1417614411, Iran; (C.A.C.J.); (A.F.); (R.K.); (A.L.); (J.J.N.); (A.O.); (M.P.); (C.S.); (F.S.); (A.S.)
- Instituto de Matemáticas, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Ahmet Ozen
- Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), https://usern.tums.ac.ir, Tehran 1417614411, Iran; (C.A.C.J.); (A.F.); (R.K.); (A.L.); (J.J.N.); (A.O.); (M.P.); (C.S.); (F.S.); (A.S.)
- Department of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology, Marmara University School of Medicine, 34854 Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Matjaž Perc
- Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), https://usern.tums.ac.ir, Tehran 1417614411, Iran; (C.A.C.J.); (A.F.); (R.K.); (A.L.); (J.J.N.); (A.O.); (M.P.); (C.S.); (F.S.); (A.S.)
- Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Maribor, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia
- Department of Medical Research, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung 404332, Taiwan
| | - Barbara Poniedziałek
- Department of Environmental Medicine, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 60-806 Poznań, Poland;
- Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), https://usern.tums.ac.ir, Tehran 1417614411, Iran; (C.A.C.J.); (A.F.); (R.K.); (A.L.); (J.J.N.); (A.O.); (M.P.); (C.S.); (F.S.); (A.S.)
| | - Constantine Sedikides
- Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), https://usern.tums.ac.ir, Tehran 1417614411, Iran; (C.A.C.J.); (A.F.); (R.K.); (A.L.); (J.J.N.); (A.O.); (M.P.); (C.S.); (F.S.); (A.S.)
- Center for Research on Self and Identity, School of Psychology, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - Frank Sellke
- Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), https://usern.tums.ac.ir, Tehran 1417614411, Iran; (C.A.C.J.); (A.F.); (R.K.); (A.L.); (J.J.N.); (A.O.); (M.P.); (C.S.); (F.S.); (A.S.)
- Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI 02905, USA
| | - Emilia C. Skirmuntt
- Peter Medawar Building for Pathogen Research, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3SY, UK;
| | - Anzhela Stashchak
- Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), https://usern.tums.ac.ir, Tehran 1417614411, Iran; (C.A.C.J.); (A.F.); (R.K.); (A.L.); (J.J.N.); (A.O.); (M.P.); (C.S.); (F.S.); (A.S.)
- International Relations Office, Kharkiv National Medical University, 61000 Kharkiv, Ukraine
| | - Nima Rezaei
- Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), https://usern.tums.ac.ir, Tehran 1417614411, Iran; (C.A.C.J.); (A.F.); (R.K.); (A.L.); (J.J.N.); (A.O.); (M.P.); (C.S.); (F.S.); (A.S.)
- Research Center for Immunodeficiencies, Children’s Medical Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1417614411, Iran
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1417614411, Iran
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31
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Rzymski P, Poniedziałek B, Fal A. Willingness to Receive the Booster COVID-19 Vaccine Dose in Poland. Vaccines (Basel) 2021; 9:1286. [PMID: 34835217 PMCID: PMC8624071 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines9111286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2021] [Revised: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
COVID-19 vaccinations are essential to mitigate the pandemic and prevent severe SARS-CoV-2 infections. However, the serum antibody levels in vaccinated individuals gradually decrease over time, while SARS-CoV-2 is undergoing an evolution toward more transmissible variants, such as B.1.617.2, ultimately increasing the risk of breakthrough infections and further virus spread. This cross-sectional online study of adult Poles (n = 2427) was conducted in September 2021 (before a general recommendation to administer a booster COVID-19 vaccine dose in Poland was issued) to assess the attitude of individuals who completed the current vaccination regime toward a potential booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and identify potential factors that may influence it. Overall, 71% of participants declared willingness to receive a booster COVID-19 dose, with a low median level of fear of receiving it of 1.0 (measured by the 10-point Likert-type scale), which was increased particularly in those having a worse experience (in terms of severity of side effects and associated fear) with past COVID-19 vaccination. The lowest frequency of willingness to receive a booster dose (26.7%) was seen in the group previously vaccinated with Ad26.COV2.S. The majority of individuals vaccinated previously with mRNA vaccines wished to receive the same vaccine, while in the case of AZD1222, such accordance was observed only in 9.1%. The main reasons against accepting a booster COVID-19 dose included the side effects experienced after previous doses, the opinion that further vaccination is unnecessary, and safety uncertainties. Women, older individuals (≥50 years), subjects with obesity, chronic diseases, and pre-vaccination and post-vaccination SARS-CoV-2 infections, and those with a history of vaccination against influenza were significantly more frequently willing to receive a booster COVID-19 dose. Moreover, the majority of immunosuppressed individuals (88%) were willing to receive an additional dose. The results emphasize some hesitancy toward potential further COVID-19 vaccination in the studied group of Poles and indicate the main groups to be targeted with effective science communication regarding the booster doses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piotr Rzymski
- Department of Environmental Medicine, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 60-806 Poznań, Poland;
- Integrated Science Association (ISA), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), 60-806 Poznań, Poland
| | - Barbara Poniedziałek
- Department of Environmental Medicine, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 60-806 Poznań, Poland;
| | - Andrzej Fal
- Collegium Medicum, Warsaw Faculty of Medicine, Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University, 01-938 Warsaw, Poland;
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Abstract
Purpose of Review There has been a high influx of publications on the SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 worldwide in the recent few months as very little was known about them. Nepal too had a substantial number of publications on the same, and there was a need to track the most relevant and impactful to the scientific community through bibliometric analysis. Recent Findings A total of 72 publications were analyzed. Bagmati Pradesh (88%) and its district, Kathmandu (77%), was with the most publications. There were no publications from Gandaki and Karnali Province. Most of the publications were in the international medical journals (82%), 53% chose European journals to publish, and 15.27% were related to and published in psychology journals. The majority were original articles (39%) and mostly related to public health (20.83%). 59.7% of the papers had Nepalese as the first author. Most of them were affiliated with Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital and Patan Academy of Health Sciences. Summary Our analysis suggests a need to shift the type of studies from observational studies to studies oriented more towards the therapeutic and clinical trials of available medicines and patient care management. Similarly, the bibliometric analysis gives an overall picture of Nepali medical research’s publication status around the globe.
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Squazzoni F, Bravo G, Grimaldo F, García-Costa D, Farjam M, Mehmani B. Gender gap in journal submissions and peer review during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. A study on 2329 Elsevier journals. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0257919. [PMID: 34669713 PMCID: PMC8528305 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0257919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
During the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an unusually high submission rate of scholarly articles. Given that most academics were forced to work from home, the competing demands for familial duties may have penalized the scientific productivity of women. To test this hypothesis, we looked at submitted manuscripts and peer review activities for all Elsevier journals between February and May 2018-2020, including data on over 5 million authors and referees. Results showed that during the first wave of the pandemic, women submitted proportionally fewer manuscripts than men. This deficit was especially pronounced among more junior cohorts of women academics. The rate of the peer-review invitation acceptance showed a less pronounced gender pattern with women taking on a greater service responsibility for journals, except for health & medicine, the field where the impact of COVID-19 research has been more prominent. Our findings suggest that the first wave of the pandemic has created potentially cumulative advantages for men.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flaminio Squazzoni
- Department of Social and Political Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- * E-mail:
| | - Giangiacomo Bravo
- Centre for Data Intensive Sciences and Applications, Växjö, Sweden
- Department of Social Studies, Växjö, Sweden
| | - Francisco Grimaldo
- Department of Computer Science, University of Valencia, Burjassot, Spain
| | | | - Mike Farjam
- European Studies, Centre for Languages and Literature, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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Piotrowski AP, Piotrowska AE. Differential evolution and particle swarm optimization against COVID-19. Artif Intell Rev 2021; 55:2149-2219. [PMID: 34426713 PMCID: PMC8374127 DOI: 10.1007/s10462-021-10052-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
COVID-19 disease, which highly affected global life in 2020, led to a rapid scientific response. Versatile optimization methods found their application in scientific studies related to COVID-19 pandemic. Differential Evolution (DE) and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) are two metaheuristics that for over two decades have been widely researched and used in various fields of science. In this paper a survey of DE and PSO applications for problems related with COVID-19 pandemic that were rapidly published in 2020 is presented from two different points of view: 1. practitioners seeking the appropriate method to solve particular problem, 2. experts in metaheuristics that are interested in methodological details, inter comparisons between different methods, and the ways for improvement. The effectiveness and popularity of DE and PSO is analyzed in the context of other metaheuristics used against COVID-19. It is found that in COVID-19 related studies: 1. DE and PSO are most frequently used for calibration of epidemiological models and image-based classification of patients or symptoms, but applications are versatile, even interconnecting the pandemic and humanities; 2. reporting on DE or PSO methodological details is often scarce, and the choices made are not necessarily appropriate for the particular algorithm or problem; 3. mainly the basic variants of DE and PSO that were proposed in the late XX century are applied, and research performed in recent two decades is rather ignored; 4. the number of citations and the availability of codes in various programming languages seems to be the main factors for choosing metaheuristics that are finally used.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam P. Piotrowski
- Institute of Geophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Ks. Janusza 64, 01-452 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Agnieszka E. Piotrowska
- Faculty of Polish Studies, University of Warsaw, Krakowskie Przedmiescie 26/28, 00-927 Warsaw, Poland
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Metzendorf MI, Featherstone RM. Evaluation of the comprehensiveness, accuracy and currency of the Cochrane COVID-19 Study Register for supporting rapid evidence synthesis production. Res Synth Methods 2021; 12:607-617. [PMID: 34089295 PMCID: PMC8242693 DOI: 10.1002/jrsm.1501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Revised: 05/05/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
The Cochrane COVID‐19 Study Register (CCSR) is a public, continually updated database of COVID‐19 study references. The aim of this study‐based register is to support rapid and living evidence synthesis, including an evidence ecosystem of COVID‐19 research (CEOsys). In November and December 2020, we conducted an evaluation of the CCSR for CEOsys, measured its performance and identified areas for improvement. For the evaluation we generated a purposive sample of 286 studies from 20 reviews to calculate the CCSR's comprehensiveness (sensitivity), accuracy (correctly classified and linked studies) and currency (time to publish and process references). Our sample showed that the CCSR had an overall comprehensiveness of 77.2%, with the highest coverage for interventional studies (94.4%). The study register had 100% coverage for trial registry records, 86.5% for journal articles and 52.4% for preprints. A total of 98.3% of references were correctly classified with regard to study type, and 93.4% with regard to study aim. A total of 89% of studies were correctly linked. A total of 81.4% of references were published to the register in under 30 days, with 0.5 day (median) for trial registry records, 2 days for journal articles and 56 days for preprints. The CCSR had high comprehensiveness, accurate study classifications and short publishing times for journal articles and trial registry records in the sample. We identified that coverage and publishing time for preprints needed improvement. Finally, the evaluation illustrated the value of a study‐based register for identifying additional study references for analysis in evidence synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria-Inti Metzendorf
- Cochrane Metabolic and Endocrine Disorders Group, Institute of General Practice, Medical Faculty of the Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, Germany
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Monzani A, Tagliaferri F, Bellone S, Genoni G, Rabbone I. A Global Overview of COVID-19 Research in the Pediatric Field: Bibliometric Review. JMIR Pediatr Parent 2021; 4:e24791. [PMID: 34081597 PMCID: PMC8315163 DOI: 10.2196/24791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2020] [Revised: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, a great number of papers have been published in the pediatric field. OBJECTIVE We aimed to assess research around the globe on COVID-19 in the pediatric field by bibliometric analysis, identifying publication trends and topic dissemination and showing the relevance of publishing authors, institutions, and countries. METHODS The Scopus database was comprehensively searched for all indexed documents published between January 1, 2020, and June 11, 2020, dealing with COVID-19 in the pediatric population (0-18 years). A machine learning bibliometric methodology was applied to evaluate the total number of papers and citations, journal and publication types, the top productive institutions and countries and their scientific collaboration, and core keywords. RESULTS A total of 2301 papers were retrieved, with an average of 4.8 citations per article. Of this, 1078 (46.9%) were research articles, 436 (18.9%) were reviews, 363 (15.8%) were letters, 186 (8.1%) were editorials, 7 (0.3%) were conference papers, and 231 (10%) were categorized as others. The studies were published in 969 different journals, headed by The Lancet. The retrieved papers were published by a total of 12,657 authors from 114 countries. The most productive countries were the United States, China, and Italy. The four main clusters of keywords were pathogenesis and clinical characteristics (keyword occurrences: n=2240), public health issues (n=352), mental health (n=82), and therapeutic aspects (n=70). CONCLUSIONS In the pediatric field, a large number of articles were published within a limited period on COVID-19, testifying to the rush to spread new findings on the topic in a timely manner. The leading authors, countries, and institutions evidently belonged to the most impacted geographical areas. A focus on the pediatric population was often included in general articles, and pediatric research about COVID-19 mainly focused on the clinical features, public health issues, and psychological impact of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Monzani
- Division of Pediatrics, Department of Health Sciences, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Novara, Italy
| | - Francesco Tagliaferri
- Division of Pediatrics, Department of Health Sciences, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Novara, Italy
| | - Simonetta Bellone
- Division of Pediatrics, Department of Health Sciences, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Novara, Italy
| | - Giulia Genoni
- Pediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Maggiore della Carità University Hospital, Novara, Italy
| | - Ivana Rabbone
- Division of Pediatrics, Department of Health Sciences, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Novara, Italy
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Chen Q, Leaman R, Allot A, Luo L, Wei CH, Yan S, Lu Z. Artificial Intelligence in Action: Addressing the COVID-19 Pandemic with Natural Language Processing. Annu Rev Biomed Data Sci 2021; 4:313-339. [PMID: 34465169 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-biodatasci-021821-061045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic has had a significant impact on society, both because of the serious health effects of COVID-19 and because of public health measures implemented to slow its spread. Many of these difficulties are fundamentally information needs; attempts to address these needs have caused an information overload for both researchers and the public. Natural language processing (NLP)-the branch of artificial intelligence that interprets human language-can be applied to address many of the information needs made urgent by the COVID-19 pandemic. This review surveys approximately 150 NLP studies and more than 50 systems and datasets addressing the COVID-19 pandemic. We detail work on four core NLP tasks: information retrieval, named entity recognition, literature-based discovery, and question answering. We also describe work that directly addresses aspects of the pandemic through four additional tasks: topic modeling, sentiment and emotion analysis, caseload forecasting, and misinformation detection. We conclude by discussing observable trends and remaining challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingyu Chen
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20894, USA;
| | - Robert Leaman
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20894, USA;
| | - Alexis Allot
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20894, USA;
| | - Ling Luo
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20894, USA;
| | - Chih-Hsuan Wei
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20894, USA;
| | - Shankai Yan
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20894, USA;
| | - Zhiyong Lu
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20894, USA;
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Turatto F, Mazzalai E, Pagano F, Migliara G, Villari P, De Vito C. A Systematic Review and Bibliometric Analysis of the Scientific Literature on the Early Phase of COVID-19 in Italy. Front Public Health 2021; 9:666669. [PMID: 34239853 PMCID: PMC8258167 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.666669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Studying the scientific literature about COVID-19 and Italy, one of the first countries to be hit by the pandemic, allows an investigation into how knowledge develops during a public health emergency. Methods: A systematic review of the literature was conducted to identify articles published on the topic between January and April 2020. Articles were classified according to type of study. Co-occurrence of terms, and geographic and temporal trends were analyzed. Results: Of the 238 articles included in the systematic review, the majority (37%) focused on hospital and clinical management of COVID-19, while 23.9% were commentaries. Epidemiological studies constituted 45.5% of the articles published by authors with non-Italian affiliations. Conclusion: The scientific articles on COVID-19 in Italy were varied in type of study, though with limited international impact. The lockdown and the pressure placed on hospitals during the first wave of the pandemic mainly resulted in publications on disease management and commentaries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Turatto
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Elena Mazzalai
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Federica Pagano
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Migliara
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Paolo Villari
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Corrado De Vito
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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Publishing in pandemic times: A bibliometric analysis of early medical publications on Kawasaki-like disease (MIS-C, PIMS-TS) related to SARS-CoV-2. Arch Pediatr 2021; 28:464-469. [PMID: 34140220 DOI: 10.1016/j.arcped.2021.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2020] [Revised: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION At the end of April 2020, three European pediatric societies published an alert on a new hyperinflammatory disorder linked to SARS-CoV-2. This disease has alternatively been called Kawasaki-like disease, pediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome temporally associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection (PIMS-TS), and multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). These alerts provide a clear starting point from which to study the early response of the medical and scientific community to a new disease in terms of scientific publications, and to compare the timeline of this response with levels of general public interest. To this aim, we conducted a bibliometric analysis of articles on this disease published between 1 April and 5 July 2020. METHOD A literature search was performed using PubMed and in three preprint repositories. For each article, the name used for the disease in the title, the number of authors, the number of patients, the citations according to Google Scholar, the journal impact factor, and the Altmetric score were retrieved. Google search trends for the terms "Kawasaki" and "COVID," "COVID-19," and "coronavirus" were also retrieved, as was the number of Reuters news articles published on the topic. These data were compared longitudinally on a weekly basis. The quality of the reporting of the study was evaluated using the STROBE guidelines for observational studies with more than three patients and using the CARE guidelines for case reports of three or fewer patients. RESULTS Eighty-six articles were included, among which ten were preprints (three of which were subsequently published) and 49 were clinical articles (57%). A total of 857 patients were described. The median number of authors per article was five (range, 1-45), the median number of patients was four (1-186), the median number of citations was one (0-170), the median Altmetric score was 12 (0-7242), and the median journal impact factor was 3.7 (1-74.7). For the clinical articles, the median percentage of STROBE or CARE checklist items satisfied was 70% (IQR, 56.75-79.25; range, 40-90). Guideline adherence was significantly higher for observational studies than for case reports (median percentage of checklist items satisfied, 78.5% vs 61.5%; P<0.001); however, guideline adherence did not differ significantly between peer-reviewed and preprint articles (median percentage of checklist items satisfied, 57% vs 72%; P=0.205). The only statistically significant difference between clinical articles and other types of articles was the number of authors (median, 7 vs 2; P=2.53E-9). Fifty-seven of the 86 articles were authored by researchers from just three countries (the USA, 31; France, 14; and the UK, 12). The names most frequently used in the title were Kawasaki-like disease (n=37), followed by MIS-C (n=27), PIM-TS (n=14), and other names involving the term "inflammatory" (n=12). Google searches for related terms peaked between weeks 18 and 21, following the initial alerts and decreased rapidly thereafter. The number of Reuters articles on the subject was correlated with Google search trends (ρ: 0.86, 95% CI [0.59; 0.96]; P=0.00016), but the number of medical articles published was not (ρ: -0.54, 95% CI [-0.87; 0.14]; P=0.11). The first small case series was published less than 2 weeks after the initial alert; however, if all articles had been deposited as preprints when they were submitted to journals, the cumulative number of reported cases would have been 300% higher in week 18 (3 vs 1), 400% higher in week 19 (44 vs 11), 70% higher in week 20 (124 vs 73), and 54% higher in week 21 (129 vs 84). CONCLUSION In a period of 9 weeks after the initial alerts from European pediatric societies, 85 medical articles were published, involving 856 patients (one case report was published before the alerts), allowing rapid dissemination of research information. However, general public interest followed the news cycle rather than scientific releases. The quality of the reporting, as assessed by adherence to STROBE or CARE guidelines, was adequate with more than two-thirds of checklist items satisfied. Learned societies play an important role in the early dissemination of up-to-date peer-reviewed information. Preprint deposition should be encouraged to accelerate the dissemination of research information.
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Santos LC, Low YH, Inozemtsev K, Nagrebetsky A. Clinical Research Redirection and Optimization During a Pandemic. Anesthesiol Clin 2021; 39:379-388. [PMID: 34024438 PMCID: PMC8136117 DOI: 10.1016/j.anclin.2021.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ludmilla Candido Santos
- Emergency Medicine Network, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Ying Hui Low
- Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Konstantin Inozemtsev
- Department of Anesthesiology, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, One Medical Center Drive, Lebanon, NH 03756, USA
| | - Alexander Nagrebetsky
- Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
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Thrombotic Thrombocytopenia after COVID-19 Vaccination: In Search of the Underlying Mechanism. Vaccines (Basel) 2021; 9:vaccines9060559. [PMID: 34071883 PMCID: PMC8227748 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines9060559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Revised: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The rollout of COVID-19 vaccines brings hope for successful pandemic mitigation and getting the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 under control. The vaccines authorized in Europe displayed a good safety profile in the clinical trials. However, during their post-authorization use, unusual thrombotic events associated with thrombocytopenia have rarely been reported for vector vaccines. This led to the temporary suspension of the AZD1222 vaccine (Oxford/AstraZeneca) in various European countries and the Ad26.COV2 vaccine (Janssen/Johnson&Johnson) in the United States, with regulatory bodies launching investigations into potential causal associations. The thromboembolic reactions were also rarely reported after mRNA vaccines. The exact cause of these adverse effects remains to be elucidated. The present paper outlines the hypotheses on the mechanisms behind the very rare thrombotic thrombocytopenia reported after the COVID-19 vaccination, along with currently existing evidence and future research prospects. The following are discussed: (i) the role of antibodies against platelet factor 4 (PF4), (ii) the direct interaction between adenoviral vector and platelets, (iii) the cross-reactivity of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 spike protein with PF4, (iv) cross-reactivity of anti-adenovirus antibodies and PF4, (v) interaction between spike protein and platelets, (vi) the platelet expression of spike protein and subsequent immune response, and (vii) the platelet expression of other adenoviral proteins and subsequent reactions. It is also plausible that thrombotic thrombocytopenia after the COVID-19 vaccine is multifactorial. The elucidation of the causes of these adverse events is pivotal in taking precautionary measures and managing vaccine hesitancy. It needs to be stressed, however, that the reported cases are currently sporadic and that the benefits of COVID-19 vaccines vastly outweigh their potential risks.
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De Luca P, Marra P, Bisogno A, Troisi D, Petrosino M, De Bonis E, Calvanese M, Colacurcio V. To be a head and neck surgical trainee in the COVID-19 era. Residents' perspectives after one year of residency 2.0. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2021; 41:383-384. [PMID: 33970897 PMCID: PMC8448178 DOI: 10.14639/0392-100x-n1529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Pietro De Luca
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry. University of Salerno, Italy
| | - Pasquale Marra
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry. University of Salerno, Italy
| | - Antonella Bisogno
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry. University of Salerno, Italy
| | - Donato Troisi
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry. University of Salerno, Italy
| | - Michele Petrosino
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry. University of Salerno, Italy
| | - Egidio De Bonis
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry. University of Salerno, Italy
| | - Matteo Calvanese
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry. University of Salerno, Italy
| | - Vito Colacurcio
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry. University of Salerno, Italy
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Rzymski P, Zeyland J, Poniedziałek B, Małecka I, Wysocki J. The Perception and Attitudes toward COVID-19 Vaccines: A Cross-Sectional Study in Poland. Vaccines (Basel) 2021; 9:382. [PMID: 33919672 PMCID: PMC8069794 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines9040382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Revised: 04/07/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Vaccine hesitancy is a major threat to the success of COVID-19 vaccination programs. The present cross-sectional online survey of adult Poles (n = 1020) expressing a willingness to receive the COVID-19 vaccine was conducted between February and March 2021 and aimed to assess (i) the general trust in different types of vaccines, (ii) the level of acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccines already in use in Poland (BNT162b2 by BioNTech/Pfizer, mRNA-1273 by Moderna and AZD1222 by Oxford/AstraZeneca) as well as eight vaccines approved outside European Union (EU) or in advanced stages of clinical trials, (iii) level of fear of vaccination against COVID-19, and (iv) main sources of information on COVID-19 vaccination. Among all major vaccine technology, the highest level of trust was observed for the mRNA platform, with a considerable number of surveyed (>20%) not aware of the existence of vaccines produced using the traditional approach (inactivated and live attenuated vaccines). The age of participants was the main factor differentiating the level of trust in a particular vaccine type. Both BNT162b and mRNA-1273 received a high level of acceptance, contrary to AZD1222. From eight vaccines unauthorized in the EU at the moment of study, the CVnCoV (mRNA; CureVac) was met with the highest level of trust, followed by Ad26.COV2.S (vector; Janssen/Johnson&Johnson) and NVX-CoV2373 (protein; Novavax). Sputnik V (vector; Gamaleya Research Institute) was decidedly the least trusted vaccine. The median level of fear (measured by the 10-point Likert-type scale) in the studied group was 4.0, mostly related to the risk of serious allergic reactions, other severe adverse events and unknown long-term effects of vaccination. Female, individuals with a lower level of education and those not seeking any information on the COVID-19 vaccines revealed a higher fear of vaccination. Experts' materials were the major source of information on COVID-19 vaccines in the studied group. The study shows the level of trust in COVID-19 vaccines can vary much across the producers while the mRNA vaccines are received with a high level of acceptance. It also emphasizes the need for effective and continuous science communication when fighting the pandemic as it may be an ideal time to increase the general awareness of vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piotr Rzymski
- Department of Environmental Medicine, Poznań University of Medical Sciences, 60-806 Poznań, Poland;
- Integrated Science Association (ISA), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), 60-806 Poznań, Poland
| | - Joanna Zeyland
- Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, 60-632 Poznań, Poland;
| | - Barbara Poniedziałek
- Department of Environmental Medicine, Poznań University of Medical Sciences, 60-806 Poznań, Poland;
| | - Ilona Małecka
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Poznań University of Medical Sciences, 60-179 Poznań, Poland; (I.M.); (J.W.)
| | - Jacek Wysocki
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Poznań University of Medical Sciences, 60-179 Poznań, Poland; (I.M.); (J.W.)
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Gwenzi W, Rzymski P. When silence goes viral, Africa sneezes! A perspective on Africa's subdued research response to COVID-19 and a call for local scientific evidence. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 194:110637. [PMID: 33373609 PMCID: PMC7837055 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.110637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2020] [Revised: 12/13/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
By mid-September 2020, over 1.33 million confirmed COVID-19 cases and 32 thousand deaths had been reported in Africa. Global research on COVID-19 went 'viral' with a record 3487 research contributions comprising of 2062 journal papers and 1425 preprints published within the first three months following the outbreak of COVID-19. Surprisingly, the silence of the African research community has been unprecedented - contributing a paltry 0.6% (22 contributions), a figure nearly matched by Colombia (18 publications). Until now, a comprehensive perspective on the reasons for this subdued research response, and COVID-19 themes critical to Africa has been missing. We posit that while a milieu of factors accounts for this silence, unprecedented research opportunities exist to support COVID-19 decision and policy formulation in Africa. The subdued response reflects weak research systems, characterized by deep-rooted challenges, including severe lack of research expertise, funding, and infrastructure, coupled with poor working conditions. Hence, Africa's contribution to research on infectious diseases, including COVID-19, remains weak. Perceptions and attitudes among researchers and policy-makers on COVID-19, and the role of science in decision and policy-making also exist. Moreover, COVID-19 and earlier severe acute respiratory syndromes are considered as 'imported diseases' originating from outside Africa. Thus, notions may exist that the control methods will come from outside Africa through 'technology-transfer' or 'capacity-building'. Yet local COVID-19 research is needed to address knowledge gaps, including; (1) potential novel transmission of SARS-CoV-2, (2) adaption of generic COVID-19 control measures to suit African settings, (3) occurrence and persistence of SARS-CoV-2 in solid waste, wastewaters, on-site sanitation systems, and drinking water, and (4) the 'human factor' including the role of gender, perceptions, myths, attitudes, and religious beliefs in the transmission and control of COVID-19. Therefore, there is a need to: (1) strengthen local research capacity and evaluation systems, (2) consider biosafety and ethical issues, (3) initiate cross-disciplinary research and global collaboration on COVID-19, and (4) integrate science communication in COVID-19 programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Willis Gwenzi
- Biosystems and Environmental Engineering Research Group, Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zimbabwe, P.O.Box MP 167, Mount Pleasant, Harare, Zimbabwe.
| | - Piotr Rzymski
- Department of Environmental Medicine, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Rokietnicka 8, 60-806, Poznań, Poland; Integrated Science Association (ISA), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Poznań, Poland
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45
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Halabowski D, Rzymski P. Taking a lesson from the COVID-19 pandemic: Preventing the future outbreaks of viral zoonoses through a multi-faceted approach. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 757:143723. [PMID: 33213901 PMCID: PMC7666614 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2020] [Revised: 11/06/2020] [Accepted: 11/08/2020] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
The pandemic of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused a significant burden to healthcare systems, economic crisis, and public fears. It is also a lesson to be learned and a call-to-action to minimize the risk of future viral pandemics and their associated challenges. The present paper outlines selected measures (i.e., monitoring and identification of novel viral agents in animals, limitations to wildlife trade, decreasing hunting activities, changes to mink farming and meat production), the implementation of which would decrease such a risk. The role of viral surveillance systems and research exploring the virus strains associated with different animal hosts is emphasized along with the need for stricter wild trade regulations and changes to hunting activities. Finally, the paper suggests modifications to the meat production system, particularly through the introduction of cultured meat that would not only decrease the risk of exposure to novel human viral pathogens but also strengthen food security and decrease the environmental impacts of food production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dariusz Halabowski
- Institute of Biology, Biotechnology and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Silesia in Katowice, 40-007 Katowice, Poland.
| | - Piotr Rzymski
- Department of Environmental Medicine, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 60-806 Poznań, Poland; Integrated Science Association (ISA), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), 60-806 Poznań, Poland.
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Casado-Aranda LA, Sánchez-Fernández J, Viedma-Del-Jesús MI. Analysis of the scientific production of the effect of COVID-19 on the environment: A bibliometric study. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 193:110416. [PMID: 33157104 PMCID: PMC7607265 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.110416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2020] [Revised: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
The fight against COVID-19 since January 2020 has become the top priority of more than 200 countries. In order to offer solutions to eradicate this global pandemic, the scientific community has published hundreds of articles covering a wide range of areas of knowledge. With the aim of synthesizing these publications, academics are resorting to bibliometric analyses from the perspectives of the disciplines such as biology, medicine, socioeconomics and tourism. Yet no bibliometric analysis has explored the diffuse and little-known growth of COVID-19 scientific publications in the field of environmental studies. The current study is the first of this type to fill this research gap. It has resorted to SciMAT software to evaluate the main topics, authors and journals of publications on the subject of COVID-19 combined with environmental studies spanning the period between 1 December 2019 and 6 September 2020. The search yielded a collection of 440 articles published in scientific journals indexed on by Web of Science and Scopus databases. These publications can be broken down into six main themes: (i) a sharp reduction in air pollution and an improvement of the level of water pollution; (ii) the relationship of wind speed (positive), ultraviolet radiation (positive) and humidity (negative) with the rate of infections; (iii) the effect of the pandemic on the food supply chain and waste habits; (iv) wastewater monitoring offers a great potential as an early warning sign of COVID-19 transmission; (v) artificial intelligence and smart devices can be of great use in monitoring citizen mobilization; and (vi) the lessons gleaned from the pandemic that help define actions to mitigate climate change. The results of the current study therefore offer an agenda for future research and constitute a starting point for academics in the field of environmental studies to evaluate the effects of COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis-Alberto Casado-Aranda
- Department of Marketing and Market Research, University of Granada, Campus Universitario la Cartuja, 18011, Granada, Spain.
| | - Juan Sánchez-Fernández
- Department of Marketing and Market Research, University of Granada, Campus Universitario la Cartuja, 18011, Granada, Spain.
| | - María I Viedma-Del-Jesús
- Department of Marketing and Market Research, University of Granada, Campus Universitario la Cartuja, 18011, Granada, Spain.
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Rzymski P, Borkowski L, Drąg M, Flisiak R, Jemielity J, Krajewski J, Mastalerz-Migas A, Matyja A, Pyrć K, Simon K, Sutkowski M, Wysocki J, Zajkowska J, Fal A. The Strategies to Support the COVID-19 Vaccination with Evidence-Based Communication and Tackling Misinformation. Vaccines (Basel) 2021; 9:109. [PMID: 33535716 PMCID: PMC7912910 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines9020109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2020] [Revised: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
COVID-19 vaccinations are about to begin in various countries or are already ongoing. This is an unprecedented operation that is also met with a loud response from anti-vaccine communities-currently using all available channels to manipulate public opinion. At the same time, the strategy to educate on vaccinations, explain their mechanism of action, and build trust in science is subdued in different world parts. Such actions should go much beyond campaigns promoting the COVID-19 vaccines solely on the information provided by the health institutions and national authorities. In this paper, actions provided by independent expert groups needed to counteract the anti-vaccine propaganda and provide scientific-based information to the general public are offered. These actions encompass organizing groups continuously communicating science on COVID-19 vaccines to the general public; tracking and tackling emerging and circulating fake news; and equipping celebrities and politicians with scientific information to ensure the quality of messages they communicate, as well as public letters, and statements of support for vaccination by healthcare workers, recognized scientists, VIPs, and scientific societies; and no tolerance to false and manipulated claims on vaccination spread via traditional and social media as well as by health professionals, scientists, and academics. These activities should be promptly implemented worldwide, regardless of the current status and availability of the COVID-19 vaccine in a particular region. If we are about to control the pandemic for the sake of public benefit, it is high time to collectively speak out as academic and medical societies with support from decision-makers. Otherwise, the battle will be lost to those who stand against scientific evidence while offering no feasible solution to the problem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piotr Rzymski
- Department of Environmental Medicine, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 60-806 Poznań, Poland
- Integrated Science Association (ISA), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), 60-806 Poznań, Poland
| | | | - Marcin Drąg
- Department of Chemical Biology and Bioimaging, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, 50-370 Wroclaw, Poland;
| | - Robert Flisiak
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology, Medical University of Bialystok, 15-540 Białystok, Poland;
| | - Jacek Jemielity
- Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland;
| | - Jacek Krajewski
- The Federation of Healthcare Employers’ Unions “Porozumienie Zielonogórskie”, 65-048 Zielona Góra, Poland;
| | | | - Andrzej Matyja
- Supreme Medical Council of the Polish Supreme Chamber of Physicians and Dentists, 00-764 Warsaw, Poland;
- 2nd Department of General Surgery, Jagiellonian University Medical College of Krakow, 30-688 Kraków, Poland
| | - Krzysztof Pyrć
- Virogenetics Laboratory of Virology, Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, 30-387 Krakow, Poland;
| | - Krzysztof Simon
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology, Wrocław Medical University, 51-149 Wrocław, Poland;
| | - Michał Sutkowski
- College of Family Physicians in Poland, 00-209 Warsaw, Poland;
- Faculty of Medicine, Lazarski University, 02-662 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Jacek Wysocki
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Poznań University of Medical Sciences, 60-179 Poznań, Poland;
| | - Joanna Zajkowska
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Neuroinfections, Medical University of Bialystok, 15-540 Białystok, Poland;
| | - Andrzej Fal
- Collegium Medicum, Warsaw Faculty of Medicine, Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University, 01-938 Warsaw, Poland
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Furstenau LB, Rabaioli B, Sott MK, Cossul D, Bender MS, Farina EMJDM, Filho FNB, Severo PP, Dohan MS, Bragazzi NL. A Bibliometric Network Analysis of Coronavirus during the First Eight Months of COVID-19 in 2020. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:952. [PMID: 33499127 PMCID: PMC7908247 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18030952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Revised: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all aspects of society. Researchers worldwide have been working to provide new solutions to and better understanding of this coronavirus. In this research, our goal was to perform a Bibliometric Network Analysis (BNA) to investigate the strategic themes, thematic evolution structure and trends of coronavirus during the first eight months of COVID-19 in the Web of Science (WoS) database in 2020. To do this, 14,802 articles were analyzed, with the support of the SciMAT software. This analysis highlights 24 themes, of which 11 of the more important ones were discussed in-depth. The thematic evolution structure shows how the themes are evolving over time, and the most developed and future trends of coronavirus with focus on COVID-19 were visually depicted. The results of the strategic diagram highlight 'CHLOROQUINE', 'ANXIETY', 'PREGNANCY' and 'ACUTE-RESPIRATORY-SYNDROME', among others, as the clusters with the highest number of associated citations. The thematic evolution. structure presented two thematic areas: "Damage prevention and containment of COVID-19" and "Comorbidities and diseases caused by COVID-19", which provides new perspectives and futures trends of the field. These results will form the basis for future research and guide decision-making in coronavirus focused on COVID-19 research and treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo B. Furstenau
- Graduate Program of Industrial Systems and Processes, University of Santa Cruz do Sul, Santa Cruz do Sul 96816-501, Brazil;
| | - Bruna Rabaioli
- Department of Medicine, University of Santa Cruz do Sul, Santa Cruz do Sul 96816-501, Brazil;
| | - Michele Kremer Sott
- Graduate Program of Industrial Systems and Processes, University of Santa Cruz do Sul, Santa Cruz do Sul 96816-501, Brazil;
| | - Danielli Cossul
- Department of Psychology, University of Santa Cruz do Sul, Santa Cruz do Sul 96816-501, Brazil;
| | - Mariluza Sott Bender
- Multiprofessional Residency Program in Urgency and Emergency, Santa Cruz Hospital, Santa Cruz do Sul 96810-072, Brazil;
| | - Eduardo Moreno Júdice De Mattos Farina
- Scientific Writing Office Department, Higher School of Sciences of Santa Casa de Misericórdia de Vitória, Vitória 29025-023, Brazil; (E.M.J.D.M.F.); (F.N.B.F.)
| | - Fabiano Novaes Barcellos Filho
- Scientific Writing Office Department, Higher School of Sciences of Santa Casa de Misericórdia de Vitória, Vitória 29025-023, Brazil; (E.M.J.D.M.F.); (F.N.B.F.)
| | - Priscilla Paola Severo
- Graduate Program in Law, University of Santa Cruz do Sul, Santa Cruz do Sul 96816-501, Brazil;
| | - Michael S. Dohan
- Faculty of Business Administration, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, ON P7B 5E1, Canada;
| | - Nicola Luigi Bragazzi
- Laboratory for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (LIAM), Department of Mathematics and Statistics, York University, Toronto, ON M3J 1P3, Canada
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COVID-19-related medical research: a meta-research and critical appraisal. BMC Med Res Methodol 2021; 21:1. [PMID: 33397292 PMCID: PMC7780085 DOI: 10.1186/s12874-020-01190-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 12/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, a large number of COVID-19-related papers have been published. However, concerns about the risk of expedited science have been raised. We aimed at reviewing and categorizing COVID-19-related medical research and to critically appraise peer-reviewed original articles. METHODS The data sources were Pubmed, Cochrane COVID-19 register study, arXiv, medRxiv and bioRxiv, from 01/11/2019 to 01/05/2020. Peer-reviewed and preprints publications related to COVID-19 were included, written in English or Chinese. No limitations were placed on study design. Reviewers screened and categorized studies according to i) publication type, ii) country of publication, and iii) topics covered. Original articles were critically appraised using validated quality assessment tools. RESULTS Among the 11,452 publications identified, 10,516 met the inclusion criteria, among which 7468 (71.0%) were peer-reviewed articles. Among these, 4190 publications (56.1%) did not include any data or analytics (comprising expert opinion pieces). Overall, the most represented topics were infectious disease (n = 2326, 22.1%), epidemiology (n = 1802, 17.1%), and global health (n = 1602, 15.2%). The top five publishing countries were China (25.8%), United States (22.3%), United Kingdom (8.8%), Italy (8.1%) and India (3.4%). The dynamic of publication showed that the exponential growth of COVID-19 peer-reviewed articles was mainly driven by publications without original data (mean 261.5 articles ± 51.1 per week) as compared with original articles (mean of 69.3 ± 22.3 articles per week). Original articles including patient data accounted for 713 (9.5%) of peer-reviewed studies. A total of 576 original articles (80.8%) showed intermediate to high risk of bias. Last, except for simulation studies that mainly used large-scale open data, the median number of patients enrolled was of 102 (IQR = 37-337). CONCLUSIONS Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the majority of research is composed by publications without original data. Peer-reviewed original articles with data showed a high risk of bias and included a limited number of patients. Together, these findings underscore the urgent need to strike a balance between the velocity and quality of research, and to cautiously consider medical information and clinical applicability in a pressing, pandemic context. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: https://osf.io/5zjyx/.
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50
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Othman F. Bias in early coronavirus disease 2019 research. SAUDI JOURNAL FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2021. [DOI: 10.4103/sjhs.sjhs_104_21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
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