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Wrenn K, Blomquist PB, Manley P, Yuan JM, Gilham E, Higgins H, Curran A, Chen Y. Description of control measures, attitudes, and behaviours at a scientific conference with a confirmed COVID-19 case but no reported onward transmission, November 2021 England. PUBLIC HEALTH IN PRACTICE 2024; 8:100521. [PMID: 39027345 PMCID: PMC11255120 DOI: 10.1016/j.puhip.2024.100521] [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] [Received: 11/10/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2024] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Background COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) outbreaks in workplace settings have been investigated to understand how transmission occurred. However, there is limited data looking at COVID-19 transmission in conference settings in England, particularly where an outbreak did not occur. The aim of this work was to investigate COVID-19 infection risk factors and control measures at a large conference, with a known case but no reported onward transmission to inform prevention of future outbreaks of respiratory infections in conferences and similar settings. Methods This cross-sectional study was part of a wider COVID-19 Outbreak Investigation to Understand Transmission (COVID-OUT) study. A two-day in-person conference on SARS-CoV-2 transmission and environment was held at a university conference centre on 17-November 18, 2021, in England, with about 100 delegates. A questionnaire survey was conducted among 50 conference attendees to identify any confirmed cases and understand transmission, history of COVID-19 symptoms, testing and vaccination. Results One person met the definition of a confirmed case at the conference. This case was most likely infectious when attending the conference, however there were no known secondary cases. All respondents reported receiving at least two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine before the conference and an increased frequency of handwashing/sanitising hands during the study period in comparison to before the pandemic. Prior to the conference, a COVID-19 risk assessment including a review of the ventilation at the site was completed. All attendees were advised to take an LFD test before travelling to the conference, wear face coverings, and maintain 1-m distance during the conference. Conclusion A multipronged approach, encouraging attendee behaviours (regular hand washing, mask wearing, being vaccinated against COVID-19) and introducing control measures at the conference site (ventilation, sufficient spacing capacity, combined with prior knowledge of COVID-19 transmission, were effective in limiting the spread of COVID-19 in this setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie Wrenn
- Field Services, UK Health Security Agency, London, UK
| | | | - Petra Manley
- Field Services, UK Health Security Agency, London, UK
| | - Jin-Min Yuan
- Field Services, UK Health Security Agency, London, UK
| | - Ellie Gilham
- Field Services, UK Health Security Agency, London, UK
| | | | - Andrew Curran
- Science Division, Health and Safety Executive, Buxton, UK
| | - Yiqun Chen
- Science Division, Health and Safety Executive, Buxton, UK
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Al Sium SM, Torrejón E, Chowdhury SF, Ahmed R, Jain A, Treccani M, Veschetti L, Riaz A, Eranti P, Olguín-Orellana GJ. Adapting beyond borders: Insights from the 19th Student Council Symposium (SCS2023), the first hybrid ISCB Student Council global event. BIOINFORMATICS ADVANCES 2024; 4:vbae028. [PMID: 38606186 PMCID: PMC11007116 DOI: 10.1093/bioadv/vbae028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
Summary The 19th ISCB Student Council Symposium (SCS2023) organized by ISCB-SC adopted a hybrid format for the first time, allowing participants to engage in-person in Lyon, France, and virtually via an interactive online platform. The symposium prioritized inclusivity, featuring on-site sessions, poster presentations, and social activities for in-person attendees, while virtual participants accessed live sessions, interactive Q&A, and a virtual exhibit hall. Attendee statistics revealed a global reach, with Europe as the major contributor. SCS2023's success in bridging in-person and virtual experiences sets a precedent for future events in Computational Biology and Bioinformatics. Availability and Implementation The details of the symposium, speaker information, schedules, and accepted abstracts, are available in the program booklet (https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8173977). For organizers interested in adopting a similar hybrid model, it would be beneficial to have access to details regarding the online platform used, the types of sessions offered, and the challenges faced. Future iterations of SCS can address these aspects to further enhance accessibility and inclusivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Syed Muktadir Al Sium
- Industrial Microbiology Research Division, BCSIR Chattogram Laboratories, Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Chattogram 4220, Bangladesh
| | - Estefania Torrejón
- Metabolic Diseases Research Group, iNOVA4Health, NOVA Medical School, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, 1169-056 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Sanjana Fatema Chowdhury
- Biological Research Division, BCSIR Dhaka Laboratories, Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR), Dhaka 1205, Bangladesh
| | - Rubaiat Ahmed
- Laboratory of Population Genetics, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh
| | - Aakriti Jain
- Department of Biophysics, University of Delhi, New Delhi 110021, India
| | - Mirko Treccani
- GM Lab, Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | - Laura Veschetti
- GM Lab, Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
- Infections and Cystic Fibrosis Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Arsalan Riaz
- Precision Medicine Lab, National Center of Big Data and Cloud Computing, Peshawar 25000, Pakistan
| | - Pradeep Eranti
- Université Paris Cité, Inserm, T3S, F-75006 Paris, France
| | - Gabriel J Olguín-Orellana
- Centro de Investigación de Estudios Avanzados del Maule (CIEAM), Vicerrectoría de Investigación y Postgrado, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca 3460000, Chile
- Laboratorio de Bioinformática y Química Computacional, Departamento de Medicina Traslacional, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca 3480094, Chile
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Moghadam TT, Ochoa Morales CE, Lopez Zambrano MJ, Bruton K, O'Sullivan DTJ. Energy efficient ventilation and indoor air quality in the context of COVID-19 - A systematic review. RENEWABLE & SUSTAINABLE ENERGY REVIEWS 2023; 182:113356. [PMID: 37220488 PMCID: PMC10186986 DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2023.113356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
New COVID-19 ventilation guidelines have resulted in higher energy consumption to maintain indoor air quality (IAQ), and energy efficiency has become a secondary concern. Despite the significance of the studies conducted on COVID-19 ventilation requirements, a comprehensive investigation of the associated energy challenges has not been discussed. This study aims to present a critical systematic review of the Coronavirus viral spreading risk mitigation through ventilation systems (VS) and its relation to energy use. COVID-19 heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC)-related countermeasures proposed by industry professionals have been reviewed and their influence on operating VS and energy consumption have also been discussed. A critical review analysis was then conducted on publications from 2020 to 2022. Four research questions (RQs) have been selected for this review concerning i) maturity of the existing literature, ii) building types and occupancy profile, iii) ventilation types and effective control strategies and iv) challenges and related causes. The results reveal that employing HVAC auxiliary equipment is mostly effective and increased fresh air supply is the most significant challenge associated with increased energy consumption due to maintaining IAQ. Future studies should focus on novel approaches toward solving the apparently conflicting objectives of minimizing energy consumption and maximizing IAQ. Also, effective ventilation control strategies should be assessed in various buildings with different occupancy densities. The implications of this study can be useful for future development of this topic not only to enhance the energy efficiency of the VS but also to enable more resiliency and health in buildings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Talie T Moghadam
- Intelligent Efficiency Research Group (IERG), University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | | | | | - Ken Bruton
- Intelligent Efficiency Research Group (IERG), University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
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