COVID-19 vaccination coverage in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease - A cross-sectional study in Hungary

COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and its association with knowledge and attitude among patients with chronic diseases in Ethiopia

COVID-19 vaccine acceptance is crucial for patients with chronic diseases, but previous studies in Ethiopia have yielded inconsistent and inconclusive findings. To fill this gap, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis following established guidelines. Our search included relevant articles published between 2019 and 2023 from various sources. We assessed study heterogeneity and publication bias, and performed subgroup and sensitivity analyses. Our findings indicate that the COVID-19 vaccine acceptance rate among patients with chronic diseases in Ethiopia was 55.4%. We also found that good knowledge and a favorable attitude toward the vaccine were positively associated with the acceptance rate. Based on these results, we recommend that healthcare professionals, policymakers, and healthcare guide developers should work more to address the relatively low acceptance rate. Improving the knowledge and attitude further about the COVID-19 vaccines is crucial. Future research should include community-based and qualitative studies to enhance our understanding of vaccines acceptance.

COVID-19: Post infection implications in different age groups, mechanism, diagnosis, effective prevention, treatment, and recommendations

SARS-CoV-2 is a highly contagious pathogen that predominantly caused the COVID-19 pandemic. The persistent effects of COVID-19 are defined as an inflammatory or host response to the virus that begins four weeks after initial infection and persists for an undetermined length of time. Chronic effects are more harmful than acute ones thus, this review explored the long-term effects of the virus on various human organs, including the pulmonary, cardiovascular, and neurological, reproductive, gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal, endocrine, and lymphoid systems and found that SARS-CoV-2 adversely affects these organs of older adults. Regarding diagnosis, the RT-PCR is a gold standard method of diagnosing COVID-19; however, it requires specialized equipment and personnel for performing assays and a long time for results production. Therefore, to overcome these limitations, artificial intelligence employed in imaging and microfluidics technologies is the most promising in diagnosing COVID-19. Pharmacological and non-pharmacological strategies are the most effective treatment for reducing the persistent impacts of COVID-19 by providing immunity to post-COVID-19 patients by reducing cytokine release syndrome, improving the T cell response, and increasing the circulation of activated natural killer and CD8 T cells in blood and tissues, which ultimately reduces fever, nausea, fatigue, and muscle weakness and pain. Vaccines such as inactivated viral, live attenuated viral, protein subunit, viral vectored, mRNA, DNA, or nanoparticle vaccines significantly reduce the adverse long-term virus effects in post-COVID-19 patients; however, no vaccine was reported to provide lifetime protection against COVID-19; consequently, protective measures such as physical separation, mask use, and hand cleansing are promising strategies. This review provides a comprehensive knowledge of the persistent effects of COVID-19 on people of varying ages, as well as diagnosis, treatment, vaccination, and future preventative measures against the spread of SARS-CoV-2.

The Prevalence and Determinants of Hesitancy for Regular COVID-19 Vaccination among Primary Healthcare Patients with Asthma or COPD in Greece: A Cross-Sectional Study

The emergence of novel coronavirus mutations and signs of the waning immunity provided by COVID-19 vaccines underscore the importance of regular vaccination. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of regular COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy and the factors that influence it among patients with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who visited primary care centers. The cross-sectional study was conducted in six primary healthcare centers in Crete, Greece (October-December 2023). Participants completed a questionnaire, which included questions about socio-demographic characteristics, health status, previous COVID-19 booster vaccination, attitudes, and beliefs about COVID-19 vaccination. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify the factors that influenced vaccine hesitancy. Of the 264 participants, 65% exhibited hesitancy towards COVID-19 booster vaccination. Female gender, middle age, lower educational attainment, depression diagnosis, concerns about vaccine side effects, lack of confidence in vaccine efficacy, and reliance on media information were positively associated to vaccine hesitancy. Conversely, those having a cardiovascular disease or type 2 diabetes, those generally adhering to the recommendations of the treating physician, and those having previously received the flu vaccine or more than three COVID-19 vaccine doses were positively associated with regular COVID-19 vaccinations. Consequently, our findings could help develop strategies that could potentially reduce regular vaccination hesitancy among patients with asthma or COPD.

COVID-19 Vaccination Rates and Predictors of Vaccine Uptake Among Adults With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Insights From the 2022 National Health Interview Survey

Background and objective The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination rates and predictors of vaccine uptake among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in the United States are unknown. In light of this, we assessed COVID-19 vaccination rates in this population and evaluated predictors of vaccine uptake. Methods Using 2022 survey data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), 1486 adults with COPD who responded with "yes/no" to whether they had received the COVID-19 vaccine were identified, including those who had received booster doses. A chi-square test was used to ascertain differences between those who had received the vaccine and those who had not, as well as between those who had received booster doses and those who had not. A logistic regression was used to evaluate predictors of COVID-19 vaccination uptake. Results A total of 1195 individuals among 1486 respondents with chronic pulmonary disease (78.4%) had been vaccinated against COVID-19, and 789/1195 (62.5%) had received booster shots. The majority of individuals were aged 65 years and above, exceeded the 1+ threshold for the ratio of family income to poverty (RFIP), and were covered by insurance. Positive predictors of COVID-19 vaccination were as follows: age 40 - 64 years (OR: 2.34, 95% CI: 1.31 - 4.19; p=0.004) and 65 years and above (OR: 1.93, 95% CI: 1.36 - 2.72; p<0.001), RFIP threshold of ≥1 (OR: 2.02, 95% CI: 1.42 - 2.88; p<0.001), having a college degree (OR: 1.92, 95% CI: 1.92 - 3.26, p=0.016), and being insured (OR: 3.12, 95% CI: 1.46 - 6.66, p=0.003). The current smoking habit negatively predicted the uptake (OR: 0.54, 95% CI: 0.33 - 0.87, p=0.012). The positive predictors of COVID-19 vaccination boosters were as follows: age 40 - 64 years (OR: 2.72, 95% CI: 1.39 - 5.30, p=0.003) and 65 years and above (OR: 4.85, 95% CI: 2.45 - 9.58, p<0.001). Being from the non-Hispanic (NH) black ethnicity negatively predicted receiving the COVID-19 booster (OR: 0.55, 95% CI: 0.36 - 0.85, p=0.007). Conclusions While COVID-19 vaccination rates are fairly satisfactory in COPD patients, the uptake of booster vaccines is relatively lower in this population. Socioeconomic and behavioral factors are associated with poor vaccine uptake, and targeted interventions should be implemented to address these factors.

Awareness of and attitude toward COVID-19 vaccination among individuals with COPD and the strategies to overcome vaccine hesitation: A mini review

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines have a protective effect on individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), preventing them from developing severe illnesses and reducing the risk of hospitalization and mortality. However, the coverage rate of COVID-19 vaccination among this population is not satisfactory, which is associated with their lack of awareness of and negative attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccination, that is, vaccine hesitancy. We reviewed recent literatures on the vaccination status of COPD patients and vaccine hesitancy, described the factors related to vaccine hesitancy among COPD patients, and proposed strategies to improve the vaccine coverage, such as providing accurate and consistent vaccine information to the public, patient health education program, improving self-management capabilities, easy access to vaccination service, etc., which can hopefully help to improve patients' ability to cope with SARS-CoV-2 infection and reduce the COVID-19 related mortality.

The Impact of Comorbidities and Obesity on the Severity and Outcome of COVID-19 in Hospitalized Patients-A Retrospective Study in a Hungarian Hospital

Patients with comorbidities and obesity are more likely to be hospitalized with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), to have a higher incidence of severe pneumonia and to also show higher mortality rates. Between 15 March 2020 and 31 December 2021, a retrospective, single-center, observational study was conducted among patients requiring hospitalization for COVID-19 infection. Our aim was to investigate the impact of comorbidities and lifestyle risk factors on mortality, the need for intensive care unit (ICU) admission and the severity of the disease among these patients. Our results demonstrated that comorbidities and obesity increased the risk for all investigated endpoints. Age over 65 years and male sex were identified as independent risk factors, and cardiovascular diseases, cancer, endocrine and metabolic diseases, chronic kidney disease and obesity were identified as significant risk factors. Obesity was found to be the most significant risk factor, associated with considerable odds of COVID-19 mortality and the need for ICU admission in the under-65 age group (aOR: 2.95; p < 0.001 and aOR: 3.49, p < 0.001). In our study, risk factors that increased mortality and morbidity among hospitalized patients were identified. Detailed information on such factors may support therapeutic decision making, the proper targeting of vaccination campaigns and the effective overall management of the COVID-19 epidemic, hence reducing the burden on the healthcare system.