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Henin D, Fappani C, Carmagnola D, Gori M, Pellegrini G, Colzani D, Amendola A, Perrotta M, Tanzi E, Dellavia C. COVID-19 monitoring of school personnel through molecular salivary test and dried blood spot analysis. J Glob Health 2024; 14:05004. [PMID: 38330189 PMCID: PMC10852534 DOI: 10.7189/jogh.14.05004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Background When the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic broke out, most countries enforced school closures as a precautionary measure. Although COVID-19 is still present three years later, schools have been reopened. We aimed to test the association of molecular salivary testing (MST) and dried blood spot (DBS) analysis for community surveillance by investigating the immunological profile of a group of school staff during and following COVID-19 vaccination. Methods We conducted the study in a school in Milan from April 2021, when school staff were administered the first dose of vaccine against SARS-CoV-2, until the school year ended in June 2022. Each participant provided samples for MST and DBS one month (T1, W1) after receiving their first dose of vaccine. Subsequently, they collected weekly MST samples for five weeks (W2-W6), plus a DBS sample in the last week (T2). Both samples were collected one (T3), four (T4), and seven months (T5) after the administration of the second vaccine dose in May 2021. A final DBS sample was collected one year (T6) after T3. Results Sixty participants provided 327 MSTs and 251 DBSs. None of the MST samples tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA during the study period. A total of 201 DBS samples tested positive for the IgG semiquantitative analysis. Negative samples were found only at T1 (20.45%) and T2 (7.32%). We observed borderline results at T1 (4.55%), T2 (7.32%), and T4 (2.70%). The anti-SARS-CoV-2 average antibody ratio increased after the second dose between T2 and T3, and the trend peaked after the third dose between T4 and T6. We performed an immunoenzymatic assay of antibodies against nucleocapsid protein on samples collected at T1 from five participants who reported having been infected before the study and from four subjects with an abnormal increase in the antibody values at T4. Two samples tested positive in the first group and two in the second one. Conclusions Our findings show that MST and DBS could be effective tools in the active surveillance of school personnel and that schools could be considered safe settings in view of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Vaccines might have contributed to case and/or symptom reduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dolaji Henin
- Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Clara Fappani
- Department of Health Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
- Coordinate Research Centre EpiSoMI (Epidemiology and Molecular Surveillance of Infections), Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Daniela Carmagnola
- Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Maria Gori
- Department of Health Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
- Coordinate Research Centre EpiSoMI (Epidemiology and Molecular Surveillance of Infections), Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Gaia Pellegrini
- Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Daniela Colzani
- Department of Health Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Antonella Amendola
- Department of Health Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
- Coordinate Research Centre EpiSoMI (Epidemiology and Molecular Surveillance of Infections), Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
- Coordinate Research Centre MACH (Centre for Multidisciplinary Research in Health Sciences), Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Mariachiara Perrotta
- Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Tanzi
- Department of Health Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
- Coordinate Research Centre EpiSoMI (Epidemiology and Molecular Surveillance of Infections), Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
- Coordinate Research Centre MACH (Centre for Multidisciplinary Research in Health Sciences), Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Claudia Dellavia
- Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
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Assavanopakun P, Sirikul W, Promkutkao T, Promkutkeo S, Panumasvivat J. Focus on High School: Factors Associated with Creating Harmony between the Educational Transition and Adolescents' Well-Being. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:9261. [PMID: 35954614 PMCID: PMC9368253 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19159261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Revised: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
The transition from online to on-site education was difficult due to a lack of standardized school guidance for school reopening. Even though schools have reopened, uncertainty about the COVID-19 situation and the capacity of the school to maintain safe school operations to mitigate risks may increase hesitancy among students and parents to participate in on-site studying. Rapid-response surveys of students and parents can provide information to stakeholders on how learning and well-being can best be supported during the educational transition in each context. The aim of this study was to explore the hesitancy of high-school students and the factors that influenced their hesitancy to return to school on site. An online cross-sectional survey was distributed to high-school students in an urban district of Chiang Mai, Thailand, during the fourth wave of the pandemic from 17 November to 13 December 2021. A multivariable logistic regression was performed to explore factors related to the students' hesitancy to attend on-site education. With a response rate of 10.2% of the targeted study population, the 1266 participants revealed that 15.9% of them had very-high- and extremely high-level hesitancy to study on site, which was associated with less negative moods while studying online (aOR, 1.69; p, 0.016) and a greater fear of infection after returning to school (aOR, 2.95; p, 0.001). Increased readiness to return to school on site (aOR, 0.28; p, 0.001) and discussing COVID-19 prevention with family or friends (aOR, 0.71; p, 0.016) were also associated with a lower hesitancy of students. Only 5.6% of the students reported being hesitant to receive the COVID-19 vaccination. However, no significant associations were found between schooling hesitancy and their willingness to get vaccinated, nor the frequency of students' outside activities. High-school students who experience negative moods during online studying should be monitored and receive additional support if the reopening is postponed. More opportunities to discuss COVID-19 prevention with family or friends, as well as a higher level of readiness, may increase the willingness to return to school on site. Local authorities and schools need to strengthen communication and coordination mechanisms to reduce parents' and students' schooling hesitancy by providing explicit information about the COVID-19 situation and risk-mitigation measures, along with normalizing messages about fear and anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pheerasak Assavanopakun
- Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand; (P.A.); (T.P.); (J.P.)
| | - Wachiranun Sirikul
- Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand; (P.A.); (T.P.); (J.P.)
- Center of Data Analytics and Knowledge Synthesis for Health Care, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
| | - Tharntip Promkutkao
- Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand; (P.A.); (T.P.); (J.P.)
| | - Suchat Promkutkeo
- School of Economics, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand;
| | - Jinjuta Panumasvivat
- Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand; (P.A.); (T.P.); (J.P.)
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