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Elnosserry S, Buliva E, Abdalla Elkholy A, Mahboob A, Fazaludeen Koya S, Abubakar A. Rapid response teams in the Eastern Mediterranean Region: Results from the baseline survey of country-level capacities, operations and outbreak response capabilities. Glob Public Health 2024; 19:2341404. [PMID: 38628111 DOI: 10.1080/17441692.2024.2341404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
The aim of this study is to assess WHO/Eastern Mediterranean region (WHO/EMR) countries capacities, operations and outbreak response capabilities. Cross-sectional study was conducted targeting 22 WHO/EMR countries from May to June 2021. The survey covers 8 domains related to 15 milstones and key performance indicators (KPIs) for RRT. Responses were received from 14 countries. RRTs are adequately organised in 9 countries (64.3%). The mean retention rate of RRT members was 85.5% ± 22.6. Eight countries (57.1%) reported having standard operating procedures, but only three countries (21.4%) reported an established mechanism of operational fund allocation. In the last 6 months, 10,462 (81.9%) alerts were verified during the first 24 h. Outbreak response was completed by the submission of final RRT response reports in 75% of analysed outbreaks. Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) activities were part of the interventional response in 59.5% of recent outbreaks. Four countries (28.6%) reported an adequate system to assess RRTs operations. The baseline data highlights four areas to focus on: developing and maintaining the multidisciplinary nature of RRTs through training, adequate financing and timely release of funds, capacity and system building for implementing interventions, for instance, RCCE, and establishing national monitoring and evaluation systems for outbreak response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sherein Elnosserry
- World Health Organization Office for the Eastern Mediterranean Region, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Evans Buliva
- World Health Organization Office for the Eastern Mediterranean Region, Cairo, Egypt
| | | | - Amira Mahboob
- World Health Organization Office for the Eastern Mediterranean Region, Cairo, Egypt
| | | | - Abdinasir Abubakar
- World Health Organization Office for the Eastern Mediterranean Region, Cairo, Egypt
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2
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Rivers P, Jovel K, Ramadan F, Barnett JJA, Ellingson KD, Burgess JL, Lutrick K. Disease and social factors associated with healthcare utilization for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infections in a longitudinal cohort of essential workers in Arizona. BMC Health Serv Res 2023; 23:1118. [PMID: 37853403 PMCID: PMC10585717 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-023-10064-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Demands on health systems due to COVID-19 are substantial, but drivers of healthcare utilization are not well defined in non-severe SARS-CoV-2 infections. Among a prospective cohort of frontline workers from July 2020 to February 2023, we assessed predictors of healthcare utilization during SARS-CoV-2 infection. METHODS Weekly specimens tested via real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction analysis. Participants reported sociodemographic, health status information, and illness experience information. Primary outcome was healthcare utilization during SARS-CoV-2 infection. Predictors included sociodemographic characteristics, baseline health status, and measures of illness severity. Multivariable logistic regression was utilized to generate odds ratios for predictors of healthcare utilization. RESULTS 1,923 SARS-CoV-2 infections (1,276 first infections and 647 reinfections from 4,208 participants): 1221 (63.5%) individuals were between 40 and 65 years old; 1115 (58.0%) were female; 449 (23.3%) were Hispanic and 1305 (67.9%) non-Hispanic White. 294 (15.3%) individuals sought medical care during first infection, 106 (5.5%) during reinfection. Sociodemographic and baseline health characteristics were not associated with healthcare utilization during infections from any variant for first infections, while age (OR 1.04, 95%CI 1.01-1.07) was during Omicron reinfection. In first infection, number of symptoms (OR 1.16, 95%CI 1.00-1.36 in Origin/Alpha, OR 1.12, 95%CI 1.00-1.49 in Delta, OR 1.09, 95%CI 1.01-1.16 in Omicron), number of days spent in bed (OR 1.13, 95%CI 1.02-1.33 in Origin/Alpha, OR 1.23, 95%CI 1.00-1.59 in Delta, OR 1.12, 95%CI 1.03-1.22 in Omicron), and illness duration (OR 1.01, 95%CI 1.00-1.04 in Origin/Alpha, OR 1.01, 95%CI 1.00-1.03 in Delta, OR 1.01, 95%CI 1.00-1.02 in Omicron) were related to healthcare utilization for all variants. Number of days in bed (OR 1.12, 95%CI 1.01-1.27), illness duration (OR 1.01, 95%CI 1.00-1.02), and hours of work missed (OR 2.24, 95%CI 1.11-4.74) were positively associated with healthcare utilization during Omicron reinfection. CONCLUSION The main factors associated with healthcare utilization for SARS-CoV-2 infection were symptom severity and duration. Practices and therapeutics aimed at decreasing these factors would be most helpful in easing the burden on health systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Rivers
- College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, USA.
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Arizona, 655 N. Alvernon Way, Tucson, AZ, 85712, USA.
| | - Krystal Jovel
- Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Tucson, USA
| | - Ferris Ramadan
- Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Tucson, USA
| | | | | | - Jefferey L Burgess
- Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Tucson, USA
| | - Karen Lutrick
- College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, USA
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Lande J, Pillay A, Chandra R. Deep learning for COVID-19 topic modelling via Twitter: Alpha, Delta and Omicron. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0288681. [PMID: 37527236 PMCID: PMC10393149 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0288681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 07/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Topic modelling with innovative deep learning methods has gained interest for a wide range of applications that includes COVID-19. It can provide, psychological, social and cultural insights for understanding human behaviour in extreme events such as the COVID-19 pandemic. In this paper, we use prominent deep learning-based language models for COVID-19 topic modelling taking into account data from the emergence (Alpha) to the Omicron variant in India. Our results show that the topics extracted for the subsequent waves had certain overlapping themes such as governance, vaccination, and pandemic management while novel issues aroused in political, social and economic situations during the COVID-19 pandemic. We also find a strong correlation between the major topics with news media prevalent during the respective time period. Hence, our framework has the potential to capture major issues arising during different phases of the COVID-19 pandemic which can be extended to other countries and regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janhavi Lande
- Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati, Assam, India
| | - Arti Pillay
- School of Sciences, Fiji National University, Suva, Fiji
| | - Rohitash Chandra
- Transitional Artificial Intelligence Research Group, School of Mathematics and Statistics, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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Moradkhani N, Benaben F, Montreuil B, Lauras M, Jeany J, Faugre L. Multi-Criteria Performance Analysis Based on Physics of Decision - Application to COVID-19 and Future Pandemics. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON SERVICES COMPUTING 2023; 16:1987-1998. [PMID: 37953982 PMCID: PMC10620957 DOI: 10.1109/tsc.2022.3187214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Revised: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to present a novel perspective on decision support based on the conventional SEIR pandemic model paradigm considering the risks and opportunities as physical forces deviating the expected performance trajectory of a system. The impact of a pandemic is measured by the deviation of the social system's performance trajectory within the geometrical framework of its Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). According to the overall premise of utilizing Ordinary Differential Equations to simulate epidemics, the deviations are connected to several alternative interventions. The model is essentially built on two sets of parameters: (i) social system parameters and (ii) pandemic parameters. The ultimate objective is to propose a multi-criteria performance framework to control pandemics that includes a combination of timely measures. On the one hand, the current study optimizes prospective strategies to manage the potential future pandemic, while on the other hand, it explores the COVID-19 epidemic in the state of Georgia (USA).
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Affiliation(s)
- Nafe Moradkhani
- Centre Gnie Industriel, IMT Mines AlbiUniversity of Toulouse81000AlbiFrance
| | - Frederick Benaben
- Centre Gnie Industriel, IMT Mines AlbiUniversity of Toulouse81000AlbiFrance
| | | | - Matthieu Lauras
- Centre Gnie Industriel, IMT Mines AlbiUniversity of Toulouse81000AlbiFrance
| | | | - Louis Faugre
- Physical Internet Center, ISyEGeorgia TechAtlantaGA30332USA
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Wang L, Zhao X, Wu P. Large-scale emergency medical services scheduling during the outbreak of epidemics. ANNALS OF OPERATIONS RESEARCH 2023:1-25. [PMID: 36820050 PMCID: PMC9930720 DOI: 10.1007/s10479-023-05218-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
This paper studies a new large-scale emergency medical services scheduling (EMSS) problem during the outbreak of epidemics like COVID-19, which aims to determine an optimal scheduling scheme of emergency medical services to minimize the completion time of nucleic acid testing to achieve rapid epidemic interruption. We first analyze the impact of the epidemic spread and assign different priorities to different emergency medical services demand points according to the degree of urgency. Then, we formulate the EMSS as a mixed-integer linear program (MILP) model and analyze its complexity. Given the NP-hardness of the problem, we develop two fast and effective improved discrete artificial bee colony algorithms (IDABC) based on problem properties. Experimental results for a real case and practical-sized instances with up to 100 demand points demonstrate that the IDABC significantly outperforms MILP solver CPLEX and two state-of-the-art metaheuristic algorithms in both solution quality and computational efficiency. In addition, we also propose some managerial implications to support emergency management decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lubing Wang
- College of Economics and Management, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, 211106 China
| | - Xufeng Zhao
- College of Economics and Management, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, 211106 China
| | - Peng Wu
- School of Economics and Management, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, 350108 China
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Sarangi MK, Padhi S, Patel LD, Rath G, Nanda SS, Yi DK. Theranostic efficiency of biosurfactants against COVID-19 and similar viruses - A review. J Drug Deliv Sci Technol 2022; 76:103764. [PMID: 36090183 PMCID: PMC9444339 DOI: 10.1016/j.jddst.2022.103764] [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: 03/18/2022] [Revised: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
The world has witnessed an extreme vulnerability of a pandemic during 2020; originated from China. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is infecting and beginning deaths in thousands to millions, creating of the global economic crisis. Biosurfactants (BSs) can carry the prevention, control and management of pandemic out through diverse approaches, such as pharmaceutical, therapeutic, hygienic and environmental. The microbiotas having virulent intrinsic properties towards starting as easily as spreading of diseases (huge morbidity and mortality) could be inhibited via BSs. Such elements could be recognised for their antimicrobial activity, capability to interact with the immune system via micelles formation and in nanoparticulate synthesis. However, they can be used for developing novel and more effective therapeutics, pharmaceuticals, non-toxic formulations, vaccines, and effective cleaning agents. Such approaches can be utilized for product development and implemented for managing and combating the pandemic conditions. This review emphasized on the potentiality of BSs as key components with several ways for protecting against unknown and known pathogens, including COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manoj Kumar Sarangi
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sardar Bhagwan Singh University, Balawala, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, Pin-248001, India
| | - Sasmita Padhi
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sardar Bhagwan Singh University, Balawala, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, Pin-248001, India
| | - L D Patel
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Parul Institute of Pharmacy, Parul University, Vadodara, Gujarat, Pin-391760, India
| | - Goutam Rath
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Siksha 'O' Anusandhan University, Bhubaneswar, 751030, Odisha, India
| | | | - Dong Kee Yi
- Department of Chemistry, Myongji University, Yongin, 03674, South Korea
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Montenegro-Hoyos AC, Muñoz-Carvajal EA, Wallberg BN, Seguel ME, Rosales SA, Viña-Trillos NA, Torres-Avilés DS, Villarroel AE, Gaymer CF, Squeo FA. Biodiversity in Times of COVID-19 and its Relationship with the Socio-Economic and Health Context: A Look from the Digital Media. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2022; 70:369-380. [PMID: 35739401 PMCID: PMC9225815 DOI: 10.1007/s00267-022-01674-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 06/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a pause in people's activities and a socio-economic crisis worldwide due to confinement. This situation is an unprecedented opportunity to understand how these changes may impact biodiversity and its conservation, as well as to study human-nature interaction. Biodiversity plays an essential role in conservation and economic activities, and in countries with greater inequality and low gross domestic product (GDP), biodiversity could have a low priority. Moreover, how biodiversity is prioritized in a society impacts how the citizens view it, and digital news tends to shape biodiversity narratives. The aim of this work was to determine the main trends in biodiversity-related news categories during the COVID-19 pandemic in countries with terrestrial and marine hotspots and relate them to the socioeconomic and public health context of each country. For this, we searched for news on biodiversity and Covid-19 in the first 6 months of the pandemic and related them to GDP, Gini-index, deaths, and infections by Covid-19. Results showed that conservation, public policies, and use of natural resources stood out as the main news categories across countries, with a positive narrative and mostly related to terrestrial rather than marine environments. On the other hand, the socio-economic and public health characteristics of each country had an influence on which aspect of the biodiversity was reflected in the media. For example, countries with greater inequality were associated with tourism news, additionally, countries with low GDP, high cases, and deaths by Covid-19 were associated with news about cultural diversity. In contrast, countries with high GDP and low inequality were associated with news about zoonosis, research and development, public policies, and alien and invasive species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angie C Montenegro-Hoyos
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de La Serena, La Serena, Chile.
- División de Ecología Vegetal-Centro de Ornitología y Biodiversidad (CORBIDI), Lima, Perú.
- Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad (IEB), La Serena, Chile.
| | - Eduardo A Muñoz-Carvajal
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de La Serena, La Serena, Chile
- Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Zonas Áridas (CEAZA), La Serena, Chile
| | - Britt N Wallberg
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de La Serena, La Serena, Chile
- Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad (IEB), La Serena, Chile
| | - Mylene E Seguel
- Departamento de Biología Marina, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar, Universidad Católica del Norte, Coquimbo, Chile
| | - Sergio A Rosales
- Departamento de Biología Marina, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar, Universidad Católica del Norte, Coquimbo, Chile
| | - Natalia A Viña-Trillos
- Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción. Casilla 297, Concepción, Chile
- Programa de Doctorado en Ciencias Mención Biodiversidad y Biorecursos, Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Denisse S Torres-Avilés
- Departamento de Biología Marina, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar, Universidad Católica del Norte, Coquimbo, Chile
- Departamento de Repoblación y Cultivo, Instituto de Fomento Pesquero, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Alejandro E Villarroel
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de La Serena, La Serena, Chile
- Instituto de Conservación, Biodiversidad y Territorio, Facultad de Ciencias Forestales y Recursos Naturales, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
| | - Carlos F Gaymer
- Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Zonas Áridas (CEAZA), La Serena, Chile
- Departamento de Biología Marina, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar, Universidad Católica del Norte, Coquimbo, Chile
- Millennium Nucleus for Ecology and Sustainable Management of Oceanic Islands (ESMOI), Coquimbo, Chile
| | - Francisco A Squeo
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de La Serena, La Serena, Chile
- Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad (IEB), La Serena, Chile
- Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Zonas Áridas (CEAZA), La Serena, Chile
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Pathirathna ML, Nandasena HMRKG, Atapattu AMMP, Weerasekara I. Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on suicidal attempts and death rates: a systematic review. BMC Psychiatry 2022; 22:506. [PMID: 35902951 PMCID: PMC9331016 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-022-04158-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the risk factors associated with suicidal behavior and thus, prioritizing its prevention is recommended. METHODS This study systematically reviewed the global evidence on the incidence of suicide/suicidal attempts and the trend in suicidal rates during the COVID-19 pandemic. Cross-sectional and cohort studies investigating the outcomes of suicidal death and suicidal attempts at any setting during the COVID-19 pandemic were searched in Medline, Embase, and PsycINFO databases for papers published from December 2019 to May 2021. RESULTS Out of 1052 studies18 studies with 12,746 suicidal attempts and 33,345 suicidal deaths were included in the final analysis. The mental health impact of social distancing, COVID-19 quarantine, and financial crises due to loss of employment were associated risk factors with suicide and/or suicidal attempts during the COVID-19 pandemic. Six common thematic recommendations for preventing suicidal deaths and suicidal attempts were identified. CONCLUSIONS Unexpected behavior changes during the COVID-19 pandemic may have contributed to the increasing trend of suicidal attempts reported. Domestic conflicts and violence, financial loss, anxiety and depression, and pre-existing mental health condition/s should be considered in preventing suicidal attempts and deaths secondary to the COVID 19 pandemic. Early detection and timely intervention for individuals with suicidal behavior is crucial and collated recommendations in the current study can be utilized for those preventive interventions. More systematic suicide risk screening process should be introduced who are at risk, along with an evidence base prevention approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malshani L. Pathirathna
- grid.11139.3b0000 0000 9816 8637Department of Nursing, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, 20400 Sri Lanka
| | | | | | - Ishanka Weerasekara
- grid.11139.3b0000 0000 9816 8637Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, 20400 Sri Lanka ,grid.266842.c0000 0000 8831 109XCollege of Health Medicine and Wellbeing, The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, Callaghan 2308 Australia
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Associations between the COVID-19 Pandemic and Hospital Infrastructure Adaptation and Planning—A Scoping Review. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19138195. [PMID: 35805855 PMCID: PMC9266736 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19138195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Revised: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has put unprecedented pressure on the hospital sector around the world. It has shown the importance of preparing and planning in the future for an outbreak that overwhelms every aspect of a hospital on a rapidly expanding scale. We conducted a scoping review to identify, map, and systemize existing knowledge about the relationships between COVID-19 and hospital infrastructure adaptation and capacity planning worldwide. We searched the Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed and hand-searched gray papers published in English between December 2019 and December 2021. A total of 106 papers were included: 102 empirical studies and four technical reports. Empirical studies entailed five reviews, 40 studies focusing on hospital infrastructure adaptation and planning during the pandemics, and 57 studies on modeling the hospital capacity needed, measured mostly by the number of beds. The majority of studies were conducted in high-income countries and published within the first year of the pandemic. The strategies adopted by hospitals can be classified into short-term (repurposing medical and non-medical buildings, remote adjustments, and establishment of de novo structures) and long-term (architectural and engineering modifications, hospital networks, and digital approaches). More research is needed, focusing on specific strategies and the quality assessment of the evidence.
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Palomar AM, Molina I, Bocanegra C, Portillo A, Salvador F, Moreno M, Oteo JA. Old zoonotic agents and novel variants of tick-borne microorganisms from Benguela (Angola), July 2017. Parasit Vectors 2022; 15:140. [PMID: 35449022 PMCID: PMC9022410 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-022-05238-2] [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: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Ticks and tick-borne diseases constitute a real threat for the livestock industry, which is increasing in Angola. In addition, ticks are vectors of zoonoses of public health concern, and scarce information is available from this country. In an effort to contribute to the prevention of zoonotic infectious diseases affecting humans and animals, the molecular screening of certain tick-related microorganisms collected on cattle in Angola was performed under a ‘One Health’ scope. Methods Ticks collected from cattle in Cubal (Benguela Province, Angola) in July 2017 were analysed in pools using specific PCR assays for bacteria (Rickettsia, Anaplasmataceae, Borrelia, Coxiella and Spiroplasma) and protozoa (Theileria and Babesia) detection. Results A total of 124 tick specimens were grouped in 25 pools (two Amblyomma variegatum, three Hyalomma truncatum, 16 Rhipicephalus decoloratus, two Rhipicephalus duttoni, one Rhipicephalus evertsi mimeticus and one Rhipicephalus sp.). The amplified microorganisms were (pools): Rickettsia africae (two A. variegatum and one R. decoloratus), Rickettsia aeschlimannii (three H. truncatum), Ehrlichia spp. (six R. decoloratus), Coxiella spp. (all but H. truncatum), Francisella sp. (one H. truncatum), Spiroplasma sp. closely related to Spiroplasma ixodetis (three R. decoloratus), Babesia bigemina (two R. decoloratus) and Babesia spp. (two A. variegatum). The obtained nucleotide sequences from Ehrlichia spp., two Coxiella genotypes (from R. duttoni and Rhipicephalus sp.), Francisella sp. and Babesia spp. (from A. variegatum) reached low identities with known genetically characterized species. Conclusions This study demonstrates the circulation in Angola of the pathogen R. aeschlimannii and potential novel tick-related microorganisms belonging to Ehrlichia, Coxiella, Francisella, Spiroplasma and Babesia spp. and corroborates the presence of R. africae and B. bigemina. Our results should be considered in developing protocols for the management of fever of unknown origin and for veterinary practices. Further studies are required to evaluate the risk of tick-borne diseases in Angola. Graphical Abstract ![]()
Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13071-022-05238-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana M Palomar
- Infectious Diseases Department, Center of Rickettsiosis and Arthropod-Borne Diseases (CRETAV), San Pedro University Hospital-Center of Biomedical Research From La Rioja (CIBIR), Piqueras, 98, 26006, Logroño, La Rioja, Spain
| | - Israel Molina
- Infectious Diseases Department, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, PROSICS Barcelona, 08035, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Cristina Bocanegra
- Infectious Diseases Department, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, PROSICS Barcelona, 08035, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Aránzazu Portillo
- Infectious Diseases Department, Center of Rickettsiosis and Arthropod-Borne Diseases (CRETAV), San Pedro University Hospital-Center of Biomedical Research From La Rioja (CIBIR), Piqueras, 98, 26006, Logroño, La Rioja, Spain
| | - Fernando Salvador
- Infectious Diseases Department, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, PROSICS Barcelona, 08035, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - José A Oteo
- Infectious Diseases Department, Center of Rickettsiosis and Arthropod-Borne Diseases (CRETAV), San Pedro University Hospital-Center of Biomedical Research From La Rioja (CIBIR), Piqueras, 98, 26006, Logroño, La Rioja, Spain.
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Jordan LN, Smith CV. Examining American Adult’s Mental Well and Ill-Being During the 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic Using a Self-Determination Theory Perspective. Int J Public Health 2022; 67:1604508. [PMID: 35496940 PMCID: PMC9047685 DOI: 10.3389/ijph.2022.1604508] [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: 10/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic is an international health crisis that has caused unprecedented shifts in people’s environments and has threatened people’s wellbeing. The current study uses self-determination theory (SDT: 10) to understand how people were handling the pandemic, which proposes three basic psychological needs (autonomy, competence, and relatedness) are vital for human growth and thriving. Furthermore, we examined how people’s wellbeing and ill-being changed over the course of the pandemic. Methods: A sample of 193 American adults from around the country reported on their need satisfaction and frustration as well as well and ill-being at three time periods during the pandemic (April 2020, late July/early August 2020, and late January/early February 2021). Results: There was much variability in how people were handling the pandemic, but on average, wellbeing increased, and ill-being decreased over time. Consistent with SDT, the basic needs significantly predicted well and ill-being even during such unprecedented times of disruption. Conclusion: Our results suggest that public health officials should help individuals to focus on autonomy, competence, and relatedness behaviors during times of upheaval.
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Murali K, Balagopalan N, Benawri J, Bairagi AK, Heggannanavar NV, Srivastava A, Mahajan S. Knowledge, attitude, and practices related to COVID-19 among poor and marginalized communities in central India: A cross-sectional study. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0264639. [PMID: 35385512 PMCID: PMC8986002 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0264639] [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: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
COVID-19 has led to unprecedented challenges and requires local and global efforts for its mitigation. Poor and marginalized populations are more vulnerable to the health, social and economic effects of the pandemic. The objective of this study was to know about the knowledge, attitude and practices towards COVID-19 among poor and marginalized communities in central India and the factors associated with them so that effective risk communication messages can be designed and community engagement needs and strategies can be identified. A cross-sectional survey was conducted using an Interactive Voice Response System as part of the NISHTHA-Swasthya Vani intervention, which is a platform for dissemination of key messages related to COVID-19, social welfare schemes, national health programs and other important information. A total of 1673 respondents participated in the survey. The mean knowledge, attitude and practice scores of the respondents was 4.06 (SD = 1.67) out of 8, 2.46 (SD = 1.18) out of 4 and 3.65 (SD = 0.73) out of 4 respectively. More than 50% respondents exhibited stigma towards recovered COVID-19 patients(n = 347) and towards health workers(n = 384) catering to COVID-19 patients. The factors associated with higher KAP scores were education, occupation, age and primary source of information on COVID-19. There was a positive correlation between knowledge and attitude (co-efficient: 0.32) and a negative correlation between knowledge and stigma (co-efficient: -0.28). The knowledge, and attitude scores related to COVID-19 were low among the poor and marginalized communities, while the prevalence of stigma was high. Therefore, there is a need for effective risk communication for these communities through alternate channels.
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13
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Castaldo A, Lusignani M, Papini M, Eleuteri S, Matarese M. Nurses' experiences of accompanying patients dying during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative descriptive study. J Adv Nurs 2022; 78:2507-2521. [PMID: 35307864 PMCID: PMC9111619 DOI: 10.1111/jan.15195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2021] [Revised: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Maura Lusignani
- Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Stefano Eleuteri
- Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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Huang BZ, Creekmur B, Yoo MS, Broder B, Subject C, Sharp AL. Healthcare Utilization Among Patients Diagnosed with COVID-19 in a Large Integrated Health System. J Gen Intern Med 2022; 37:830-837. [PMID: 34993879 PMCID: PMC8735886 DOI: 10.1007/s11606-021-07139-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Background The demands for healthcare resources following a COVID-19 diagnosis are substantial, but not currently quantified. Objective To describe trends in healthcare utilization within 180 days for patients diagnosed with COVID-19 and identify patient factors associated with increased healthcare use. Design Observational cohort study. Patients A total of 64,011 patients with a test-confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis from March to September 2020 in a large integrated healthcare system in Southern California. Main Measures Overall healthcare utilization during the 180 days following COVID-19 diagnosis, as well as encounter types and reasons for visits during the first 30 days. Poisson regression was used to identify patient factors associated with higher utilization. Analyses were performed separately for patients who were and were not hospitalized for COVID-19. Key Results Healthcare utilization was about twice as high for hospitalized patients compared to non-hospitalized patients in all time periods. The average number of visits was highest in the first 30 days (hospitalized: 12.3 visits/30 person-days; non-hospitalized: 6.6) and gradually decreased over time. In the first 30 days, the majority of healthcare visits were telehealth encounters (hospitalized: 9.0 visits; non-hospitalized: 5.6 visits), and the most prevalent reasons for visits were COVID-related diagnoses, COVID-related symptoms, and respiratory-related conditions. For hospitalized patients, older age (≥65: RR 1.27, 95% CI 1.15–1.41), female gender (RR 1.07, 95% CI 1.05–1.09), and higher BMI (≥40: RR 1.07, 95% CI 1.03–1.10) were associated with higher total utilization. For non-hospitalized patients, older age, female gender, higher BMI, non-white race/ethnicity, former smoking, and greater number of pre-existing comorbidities were all associated with increased utilization. Conclusions Patients with COVID-19 seek healthcare frequently within 30 days of diagnosis, placing high demands on health systems. Identifying ways to support patients diagnosed with COVID-19 while adequately providing the usual recommended care to our communities will be important as we recover from the pandemic. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11606-021-07139-z.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Z. Huang
- grid.280062.e0000 0000 9957 7758Department of Research and Evaluation, Kaiser Permanente Southern California, Pasadena, CA USA
- grid.42505.360000 0001 2156 6853Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine of USC, CA Los Angeles, USA
| | - Beth Creekmur
- grid.280062.e0000 0000 9957 7758Department of Research and Evaluation, Kaiser Permanente Southern California, Pasadena, CA USA
| | - Michael S. Yoo
- grid.414908.00000 0004 0445 0834The Permanente Medical Group, Kaiser Permanente Santa Rosa Medical Center, Santa Rosa, CA USA
| | - Benjamin Broder
- Southern California Permanente Medical Group, Baldwin Park Medical Center, Baldwin Park, CA USA
| | - Christopher Subject
- grid.414855.90000 0004 0445 0551Southern California Permanente Medical Group, Los Angeles Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - Adam L. Sharp
- grid.280062.e0000 0000 9957 7758Department of Research and Evaluation, Kaiser Permanente Southern California, Pasadena, CA USA
- grid.414855.90000 0004 0445 0551Southern California Permanente Medical Group, Los Angeles Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA USA
- grid.19006.3e0000 0000 9632 6718Departments of Clinical Science & Health Systems Science, Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine, Pasadena, CA USA
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15
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Romeih M, Mahrous MR, El Kassas M. Incidental radiological findings suggestive of COVID-19 in asymptomatic patients. World J Radiol 2022; 14:1-12. [PMID: 35126873 PMCID: PMC8788167 DOI: 10.4329/wjr.v14.i1.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Revised: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite routine screening of patients for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) symptoms and signs at hospital entrances, patients may slip between the cracks and be incidentally discovered to have lung findings that could indicate COVID-19 infection on imaging obtained for other reasons. Multiple case reports and case series have been published to identify the pattern of this highly infectious disease. This article addresses the radiographic findings in different imaging modalities that may be incidentally seen in asymptomatic patients who carry COVID-19. In general, findings of COVID-19 infection may appear in computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging, positron emission tomography-CT, ultrasound, or plain X-rays that show lung or only apical or basal cuts. The identification of these characteristics by radiologists and clinicians is crucial because this would help in the early recognition of cases so that a rapid treatment protocol can be established, the immediate isolation to reduce community transmission, and the organization of close monitoring. Thus, it is important to both the patient and the physician that these findings are highlighted and reported.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marwa Romeih
- Department of Radiodiagnosis, Faculty of Medicine, Helwan University, Cairo 11795, Egypt
| | - Mary R Mahrous
- Department of Radiodiagnosis, National Heart institute, Cairo 11795, Egypt
| | - Mohamed El Kassas
- Department of Endemic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Helwan University, Cairo 11795, Egypt
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Alfaleh A, Alkattan A, Radwan N, Elzohri M, Alzaher A, Ibrahim M, Alsalameen E, Alsultan A, Alhabib D, Alshelwah A, Mahmoud N, Sagor K, Alabdulkareem K. Adverse drug reactions from two COVID-19 vaccines reported in Saudi Arabia. DRUGS & THERAPY PERSPECTIVES 2022; 38:84-92. [PMID: 35095267 PMCID: PMC8783585 DOI: 10.1007/s40267-022-00893-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Background Several reports have been published about the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines on human health, and each vaccine has a different safety and efficacy profile. The aim of this study was to reveal the nature and classification of reported adverse drug reactions (ADRs) of the two COVID-19 vaccines (tozinameran and ChAdOx1) among citizens and residents living in Saudi Arabia, and show possible differences between the two vaccines and the differences between each batch on the health of populations. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in Saudi Arabia between December 2020 and March 2021. Saudi citizens and residents aged ≥ 16 years who had at least one dose of any batch of either of the two approved COVID-19 vaccines (tozinameran and ChAdOx1) and who reported at least one ADR from the vaccines were included. The study excluded people who reported ADRs after receiving tozinameran or ChAdOx1 vaccines but no information was provided about the vaccine’s batch number. Results During the study period, 12,868 vaccinated people, including a high-risk group (i.e., those with chronic illness or pregnant women), reported COVID-19 vaccine ADRs that had been documented in the General Directorate of Medical Consultations, Saudi Ministry of Health. The study reported several ADRs associated with COVID-19 vaccines, with the most common (> 25%) being fever/chills, general pain/weakness, headache, and injection site reactions. Among healthy and high-risk people, the median onset of all reported ADRs for tozinameran and ChAdOx1 vaccine batches were 1.96 and 1.64 days, respectively (p < 0.01). Furthermore, significant differences (p < 0.05) were recorded between the two studied vaccines in regard to fever/chills, gastrointestinal symptoms, headache, general pain/weakness, and neurological symptoms, with higher incidence rates of these ADRs observed with the ChAdOx1 vaccine than the tozinameran vaccine. However, the tozinameran vaccine was found to cause significantly (p < 0.05) more palpitation, blood pressure variations, upper respiratory tract symptoms, lymph node swelling, and other unspecified ADRs than the ChAdOx1 vaccine. Among patients vaccinated with seven different batches of the tozinameran vaccine, people vaccinated with the T4 and T5 batches reported the most ADRs. Conclusion There were significant differences regarding most of the reported ADRs and their onset among tozinameran and ChAdOx1 vaccines on both healthy people and high-risk individuals living in Saudi Arabia. Moreover, the study found that the frequencies of most listed ADRs were statistically different when seven batches of tozinameran vaccine were compared.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amjad Alfaleh
- Department of Research, General Directorate of Medical Consultations, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Research and Development Department, General Directorate of School Health, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdullah Alkattan
- Department of Research, General Directorate of Medical Consultations, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Research and Development Department, General Directorate of School Health, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Nashwa Radwan
- Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt
- Department of Research, Assisting Deputyship for Primary Health Care, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mona Elzohri
- Department of Research, General Directorate of Medical Consultations, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Internal Medicine, Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Asyût, Egypt
| | - Abrar Alzaher
- Research and Development Department, General Directorate of School Health, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mona Ibrahim
- Research and Development Department, General Directorate of School Health, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Community, Environmental and Occupational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt
| | - Eman Alsalameen
- Department of Pharmacy, King Khalid University Hospital, Medical City King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Amani Alsultan
- Department of Sales, Sanofi Aventis Arabia, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Dina Alhabib
- Research and Development Department, General Directorate of School Health, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Alanood Alshelwah
- Research and Development Department, General Directorate of School Health, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Nagla Mahmoud
- Department of Research, Assisting Deputyship for Primary Health Care, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Khlood Sagor
- Research and Development Department, General Directorate of School Health, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Khaled Alabdulkareem
- Department of Research, Assisting Deputyship for Primary Health Care, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Family Medicine, College of Medicine, Al-Imam Mohammad Bin Saud Islamic University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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17
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COVID-19 Impact on Disparity in Childhood Immunization in Low- and Middle-Income Countries Through the Lens of Historical Pandemics. CURRENT TROPICAL MEDICINE REPORTS 2022; 9:225-233. [PMID: 36569790 PMCID: PMC9760533 DOI: 10.1007/s40475-022-00273-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Purpose of Review The COVID-19 pandemic, since 2020, has affected health care services and access globally. Although the entire impact of COVID-19 pandemic on existing global public health is yet to be fully seen, the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on global childhood immunization programs is of particular importance. Recent Findings Disruptions to service delivery due to lockdowns, challenges in vaccination programs, vaccine misinformation and hesitancy, and political and social economic inequalities all posed a threat to existing childhood immunization programs. These potential threats were especially critical in LMIC where childhood immunization programs tend to experience suboptimal implementation. Summary This review provides an overview of childhood immunizations and discusses past pandemics particularly in LMIC, factors contributing to disparities in childhood immunizations, and reviews potential lessons to be learned from past pandemics. Vaccine hesitancy, social determinants of health, and best practices to help lessen the pandemic's influence are also further elaborated. To address current challenges that hindered the progress made in prevention of childhood illnesses through vaccination campaigns and increased vaccine availability, lessons learned through best practices explored from past pandemics must be examined to mitigate impact of COVID-19 on childhood immunization and in turn conserve health and improve economic well-being of children especially in LMIC.
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18
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Romeih M, Mahrous MR, Shalby L, Khedr R, Soliman S, Hassan R, El-Ansary MG, Ismail A, Al Halfway A, Mahmoud A, Refeat A, Zaki I, Hammad M. Prognostic impact of CT severity score in childhood cancer with SARS-CoV-2. THE EGYPTIAN JOURNAL OF RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE 2021. [PMCID: PMC8356547 DOI: 10.1186/s43055-021-00563-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background CT chest severity score (CTSS) is a semi-quantitative measure done to correlate the severity of the pulmonary involvement on the CT with the severity of the disease. The objectives of this study are to describe chest CT criteria and CTSS of the COVID-19 infection in pediatric oncology patients, to find a cut-off value of CTSS that can differentiate mild COVID-19 cases that can be managed at home and moderate to severe cases that need hospital care. A retrospective cohort study was conducted on 64 pediatric oncology patients with confirmed COVID-19 infection between 1 April and 30 November 2020. They were classified clinically into mild, moderate, and severe groups. CT findings were evaluated for lung involvement and CTSS was calculated and range from 0 (clear lung) to 20 (all lung lobes were affected). Results Overall, 89% of patients had hematological malignancies and 92% were under active oncology treatment. The main CT findings were ground-glass opacity (70%) and consolidation patches (62.5%). In total, 85% of patients had bilateral lung involvement, ROC curve showed that the area under the curve of CTSS for diagnosing severe type was 0.842 (95% CI 0.737–0.948). The CTSS cut-off of 6.5 had 90.9% sensitivity and 69% specificity, with 41.7% positive predictive value (PPV) and 96.9% negative predictive value (NPV). According to the Kaplan–Meier analysis, mortality risk was higher in patients with CT score > 7 than in those with CTSS < 7. Conclusion Pediatric oncology patients, especially those with hematological malignancies, are more vulnerable to COVID-19 infection. Chest CT severity score > 6.5 (about 35% lung involvement) can be used as a predictor of the need for hospitalization.
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Walsh K, Furey WJ, Malhi N. Narrative review: COVID-19 and pediatric anxiety. J Psychiatr Res 2021; 144:421-426. [PMID: 34741840 PMCID: PMC8525876 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Revised: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has brought focus to the effects of anxiety on children. This study aimed to review the existing literature regarding the impact of the pandemic on pediatric anxiety. This review analyzed the existing literature between the open-sourced collection on PubMed inputting "anxiety disorder in children during pandemic" and "pediatric anxiety OR child anxiety AND COVID" and that of the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry using the keywords "social anxiety AND COVID." This yielded 149 + 312 (461) entries and 68 articles were selected. Anxiety was found to have a prevalence of 18.9-23.87% in children during the COVID-19 pandemic whereas adolescent populations demonstrated a prevalence of 15.4-39.9%. Female gender was the most studied risk factor and physical activity was the most documented preventative factor. This review supported the notion that the COVID-19 pandemic is a major contributor to anxiety in the pediatric population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Walsh
- ChristianaCare Department of Behavioral Health, 501 W 14th Street, Suite 1E40, Wilmington, DE, 19801, United States.
| | | | - Narpinder Malhi
- ChristianaCare Department of Behavioral Health, 501 W 14th Street, Suite 1E40, Wilmington, DE, 19801, United States.
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20
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Yadav P, Vohra C, Gopalakrishnan M, Garg MK. Integrating health planning and primary care infrastructure for COVID-19 and tuberculosis care in India: Challenges and opportunities. Int J Health Plann Manage 2021; 37:632-642. [PMID: 34820907 PMCID: PMC9015569 DOI: 10.1002/hpm.3393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2021] [Revised: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Tuberculosis (TB) is the leading cause of death from a single infectious agent worldwide. The COVID‐19 pandemic has overburdened healthcare services around the world especially in resource constrained settings. It has shaken already unstable foundation of TB control programs in India and other high burden states. A 25% decline is expected in TB detection while estimates suggest 13% increase in TB deaths due to the impact of the pandemic. However, the significant intersections between the two diseases perhaps offer potential opportunities for consolidating the efforts to tackle both. The widespread implementation and acceptance of universal masking and social distancing in India has helped limit transmission of both diseases. Integrating the capacity building strategies for the two diseases, optimizing the existing the surveillance and monitoring systems which have been achieved over the years will result in a single vertically integrated national program addressing both, rather than multiple parallel program which utilize the already sparse primary care manpower and infrastructure. In this article, we explore the impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on tuberculosis in India and offer suggestions on how effective health planning can efficiently integrate infrastructure and manpower at primary level to provide care for both COVID‐19 and tuberculosis. Tuberculosis deaths are on the rise for the first time in more than a decade due to the COVID‐19 pandemic. There is an urgent need to evolve an integrated service delivery addressing both diseases. This article highlights the challenges that COVID‐19 has posed for TB care in India. We propose a unified inclusive primary care delivery model which integrates care for both TB and COVID‐19 at the level of surveillance, diagnosis, management, and preventive care. The challenges in implementing this model and possible solutions are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prakrati Yadav
- Department of MedicineAll India Institute of Medical SciencesJodhpurIndia
| | - Chirag Vohra
- Department of MedicineAll India Institute of Medical SciencesJodhpurIndia
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21
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Comprehensive Survey of IoT, Machine Learning, and Blockchain for Health Care Applications: A Topical Assessment for Pandemic Preparedness, Challenges, and Solutions. ELECTRONICS 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/electronics10202501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Internet of Things (IoT) communication technologies have brought immense revolutions in various domains, especially in health monitoring systems. Machine learning techniques coupled with advanced artificial intelligence techniques detect patterns associated with diseases and health conditions. Presently, the scientific community is focused on enhancing IoT-enabled applications by integrating blockchain technology with machine learning models to benefit medical report management, drug traceability, tracking infectious diseases, etc. To date, contemporary state-of-the-art techniques have presented various efforts on the adaptability of blockchain and machine learning in IoT applications; however, there exist various essential aspects that must also be incorporated to achieve more robust performance. This study presents a comprehensive survey of emerging IoT technologies, machine learning, and blockchain for healthcare applications. The reviewed articles comprise a plethora of research articles published in the web of science. The analysis is focused on research articles related to keywords such as ‘machine learning’, blockchain, ‘Internet of Things or IoT’, and keywords conjoined with ‘healthcare’ and ‘health application’ in six famous publisher databases, namely IEEEXplore, Nature, ScienceDirect, MDPI, SpringerLink, and Google Scholar. We selected and reviewed 263 articles in total. The topical survey of the contemporary IoT-based models is presented in healthcare domains in three steps. Firstly, a detailed analysis of healthcare applications of IoT, blockchain, and machine learning demonstrates the importance of the discussed fields. Secondly, the adaptation mechanism of machine learning and blockchain in IoT for healthcare applications are discussed to delineate the scope of the mentioned techniques in IoT domains. Finally, the challenges and issues of healthcare applications based on machine learning, blockchain, and IoT are discussed. The presented future directions in this domain can significantly help the scholarly community determine research gaps to address.
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22
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Zhang L, Flike KL, Gakumo CA, Shi L, Leveille SG, Thompson LS. Frontline healthcare workers' mental distress, top concerns, and assessment on hierarchy of controls in response to COVID-19: a cross-sectional survey study. HUMAN RESOURCES FOR HEALTH 2021; 19:118. [PMID: 34565407 PMCID: PMC8474834 DOI: 10.1186/s12960-021-00661-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The existing studies showed that frontline healthcare workers during an epidemic experienced unusual stressors and mental distress which even lasted for years after the crisis. It is important to learn about their concerns early to mitigate the negative impact as well as to evaluate disease control from experiences on the front lines for improving responses to the outbreak. The study aimed to provide insights on how to strengthen public health responses to protect healthcare workers both physically and mentally, and effectively control the disease in light of hierarchy of controls. METHODS A cross-sectional survey was distributed online via Qualtrics to frontline healthcare workers during the COVID-19 through a university's nursing program and received 267 valid responses from 103 certificated nursing assistants, 125 nurses, and 39 other health professionals. A descriptive data analysis with a Chi-square test at a two-sided 0.05 level of significance was performed on factors that potentially affected mental health of healthcare workers and effectiveness of disease control at workplace in five domains. The themes were summarized on open-ended questions. RESULTS About 30% of the respondents showed the symptom of depression and needed a further investigation. The influencing factors in five domains were examined. Engineering and administrative controls, as well as PPE were widely used in response to COVID-19. The respondents assessed the state and workplace responses to COVID-19 better than the federal government responses. The workplace responses were considered most effective. Multiple factors with a statistically significant correlation with effectiveness of the disease control at workplace were identified. CONCLUSIONS The study suggested that timely responses at policy level will be more effective than other measures in early prevention and control of the pandemic, mental distress should be addressed in addition to PPE, and nursing programs should consider providing a situation-specific career coaching or counseling for students. A longitudinal study at a larger scale is warranted to capture the variation of time change with the disease control evolvement and across geographic regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingling Zhang
- Department of Nursing, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Boston, 100 William T. Morrissey Blvd., Boston, MA 02125-3393 USA
| | - Kimberlee L. Flike
- Department of Nursing, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Boston, 100 William T. Morrissey Blvd., Boston, MA 02125-3393 USA
| | - C. Ann Gakumo
- Department of Nursing, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Boston, 100 William T. Morrissey Blvd., Boston, MA 02125-3393 USA
| | - Ling Shi
- Department of Nursing, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Boston, 100 William T. Morrissey Blvd., Boston, MA 02125-3393 USA
| | - Suzanne G. Leveille
- Department of Nursing, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Boston, 100 William T. Morrissey Blvd., Boston, MA 02125-3393 USA
| | - Linda S. Thompson
- Westfield State University, 577 Western Avenue, Westfield, MA 01086 USA
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23
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Werfel S, Jakob CEM, Borgmann S, Schneider J, Spinner C, Schons M, Hower M, Wille K, Haselberger M, Heuzeroth H, Rüthrich MM, Dolff S, Kessel J, Heemann U, Vehreschild JJ, Rieg S, Schmaderer C. Development and validation of a simplified risk score for the prediction of critical COVID-19 illness in newly diagnosed patients. J Med Virol 2021; 93:6703-6713. [PMID: 34331717 PMCID: PMC8426905 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.27252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2021] [Revised: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Scores to identify patients at high risk of progression of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), may become instrumental for clinical decision-making and patient management. We used patient data from the multicentre Lean European Open Survey on SARS-CoV-2-Infected Patients (LEOSS) and applied variable selection to develop a simplified scoring system to identify patients at increased risk of critical illness or death. A total of 1946 patients who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 were included in the initial analysis and assigned to derivation and validation cohorts (n = 1297 and n = 649, respectively). Stability selection from over 100 baseline predictors for the combined endpoint of progression to the critical phase or COVID-19-related death enabled the development of a simplified score consisting of five predictors: C-reactive protein (CRP), age, clinical disease phase (uncomplicated vs. complicated), serum urea, and D-dimer (abbreviated as CAPS-D score). This score yielded an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.81 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.77-0.85) in the validation cohort for predicting the combined endpoint within 7 days of diagnosis and 0.81 (95% CI: 0.77-0.85) during full follow-up. We used an additional prospective cohort of 682 patients, diagnosed largely after the "first wave" of the pandemic to validate the predictive accuracy of the score and observed similar results (AUC for the event within 7 days: 0.83 [95% CI: 0.78-0.87]; for full follow-up: 0.82 [95% CI: 0.78-0.86]). An easily applicable score to calculate the risk of COVID-19 progression to critical illness or death was thus established and validated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stanislas Werfel
- Department of Nephrology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Munich, Germany
| | - Carolin E M Jakob
- Department I for Internal Medicine, University Hospital of Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.,German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Bonn-Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Stefan Borgmann
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Infection Control, Ingolstadt Hospital, Ingolstadt, Germany
| | - Jochen Schneider
- Department of Internal Medicine II, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, University Hospital rechts der Isar, Munich, Germany.,German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Christoph Spinner
- Department of Internal Medicine II, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, University Hospital rechts der Isar, Munich, Germany.,German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Maximilian Schons
- Department I for Internal Medicine, University Hospital of Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Martin Hower
- Department of Pneumology, Infectious Diseases and Internal Medicine, Klinikum Dortmund gGmbH, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Kai Wille
- University Clinic for Haematology, Oncology, Haemostaseology and Palliative Care, Johannes Wesling Medical Centre Minden UKRUB, University of Bochum, Minden, Germany
| | | | - Hanno Heuzeroth
- Department of Emergency and Intensive Care Medicine, Klinikum Ernst von Bergmann, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Maria M Rüthrich
- Department of Internal Medicine II, Hematology and Medical Oncology, University Hospital Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Sebastian Dolff
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Johanna Kessel
- Department of Internal Medicine, Hematology and Oncology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Uwe Heemann
- Department of Nephrology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Munich, Germany
| | - Jörg J Vehreschild
- Department I for Internal Medicine, University Hospital of Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.,German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Bonn-Cologne, Cologne, Germany.,Department of Internal Medicine, Hematology and Oncology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Siegbert Rieg
- Department of Medicine II, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Christoph Schmaderer
- Department of Nephrology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Munich, Germany
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The Association Between Body Mass Index, Emotional Eating and Perceived Stress during COVID-19 Partial Quarantine in Healthy Adults. Public Health Nutr 2021; 25:43-50. [PMID: 34261563 PMCID: PMC8365042 DOI: 10.1017/s1368980021002974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Objective: We investigated emotional eating behaviours and perceived stress during COVID-19 partial quarantine according to BMI levels in healthy adults. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: An online survey including demographic variables, eating attitude-related questions, Emotional Eater Questionnaire (EEQ) and Perceived Stress Scale-14 (PSS-14) was sent via online data collection platform. Self-reported weight, height and weight changes during the quarantine were also collected. Participants: A total of 506 people aged between 20–65 years who were partially quarantined due to COVID-19 participated in this study. Results: BMI was positively correlated with EEQ (r 0 ·205, P = 0·001). However, BMI was negatively linked with PSS-14 during COVID-19 (r -0·125, P = 0·001), indicating that participants with lower BMI had higher perceived stress during COVID-19. Participants gained weight during the lockdown situation (+1·20 ± 1·70 kg in men; +0·91 ± 1·40 kg in women). EEQ and PSS-14 scores of women found to be significantly higher than men (9·39 ± 5·37 in men v. 11·17 ± 5·85 in women for EEQ; 24·67 ± 8·32 in men v. 27·99 ± 7·34 in women for PSS-14). Obese participants consumed sweetened and carbonated drinks two-fold more in those compared with other participants. Conclusion: These findings suggest that partial quarantine may be closely related to emotional eating and weight gain, and participants with higher BMI showed more emotional eating behaviours. Therefore, certain precautions should be considered beforehand in order not to cause long-term eating disorder problems.
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25
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Abstract
Background: Although many studies have addressed COVID-19, the challenges faced by nurses in their workplace after recovering from this disease have not been investigated. As the backbone of the health system and at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19, nurses are exposed to serious risks of infection and even death. They may also face numerous challenges in their workplace after recovering from COVID-19. It is therefore ethically recommended that the problems of these nurses be solved to increase their job satisfaction and encourage them to remain in their profession. Objectives: The present research was conducted to determine the workplace challenges faced by nurses who had recovered from COVID-19. Methods: This qualitative study was conducted using the interpretive phenomenological approach proposed by van Manen. The data collected through 17 in-depth semi-structured interviews with 14 eligible nurses at different occupational levels were analyzed using the six steps proposed by van Manen. These nurses had also recovered from COVID-19. Ethical considerations: This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Urmia University of Medical Sciences (IR.UMSU.REC.1399.318). Findings: Four themes and 20 subthemes extracted from analyzing the data explained the challenges faced by the nurses after their return to work. The themes included declined ethical values (four subthemes), infected nurses, forgotten patients (three subthemes), gradually leaving the job (six subthemes), and corona phobia (seven subthemes). Conclusion: The present findings can be used to lay the foundations for adopting humanitarian policies in health organizations in terms of ethical care provision during future pandemics.
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26
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Martínez-Rodríguez D, Gonzalez-Parra G, Villanueva RJ. Analysis of Key Factors of a SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination Program: A Mathematical Modeling Approach. EPIDEMIOLOGIA 2021; 2:140-161. [PMID: 35141702 PMCID: PMC8824484 DOI: 10.3390/epidemiologia2020012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The administration of vaccines against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) started in early December of 2020. Currently, there are only a few approved vaccines, each with different efficacies and mechanisms of action. Moreover, vaccination programs in different regions may vary due to differences in implementation, for instance, simply the availability of the vaccine. In this article, we study the impact of the pace of vaccination and the intrinsic efficacy of the vaccine on prevalence, hospitalizations, and deaths related to the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Then we study different potential scenarios regarding the burden of the COVID-19 pandemic in the near future. We construct a compartmental mathematical model and use computational methodologies to study these different scenarios. Thus, we are able to identify some key factors to reach the aims of the vaccination programs. We use some metrics related to the outcomes of the COVID-19 pandemic in order to assess the impact of the efficacy of the vaccine and the pace of the vaccine inoculation. We found that both factors have a high impact on the outcomes. However, the rate of vaccine administration has a higher impact in reducing the burden of the COVID-19 pandemic. This result shows that health institutions need to focus on increasing the vaccine inoculation pace and create awareness in the population about the importance of COVID-19 vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Martínez-Rodríguez
- Insituto Universitario de Matemática Multidisciplinar, Universitat Politècnica de València, 46022 Valencia, Spain; (D.M.-R.); (R.-J.V.)
| | | | - Rafael-J. Villanueva
- Insituto Universitario de Matemática Multidisciplinar, Universitat Politècnica de València, 46022 Valencia, Spain; (D.M.-R.); (R.-J.V.)
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27
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Alhazmi HA, Najmi A, Javed SA, Sultana S, Al Bratty M, Makeen HA, Meraya AM, Ahsan W, Mohan S, Taha MME, Khalid A. Medicinal Plants and Isolated Molecules Demonstrating Immunomodulation Activity as Potential Alternative Therapies for Viral Diseases Including COVID-19. Front Immunol 2021; 12:637553. [PMID: 34054806 PMCID: PMC8155592 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.637553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Plants have been extensively studied since ancient times and numerous important chemical constituents with tremendous therapeutic potential are identified. Attacks of microorganisms including viruses and bacteria can be counteracted with an efficient immune system and therefore, stimulation of body’s defense mechanism against infections has been proven to be an effective approach. Polysaccharides, terpenoids, flavonoids, alkaloids, glycosides, and lactones are the important phytochemicals, reported to be primarily responsible for immunomodulation activity of the plants. These phytochemicals may act as lead molecules for the development of safe and effective immunomodulators as potential remedies for the prevention and cure of viral diseases. Natural products are known to primarily modulate the immune system in nonspecific ways. A number of plant-based principles have been identified and isolated with potential immunomodulation activity which justify their use in traditional folklore medicine and can form the basis of further specified research. The aim of the current review is to describe and highlight the immunomodulation potential of certain plants along with their bioactive chemical constituents. Relevant literatures of recent years were searched from commonly employed scientific databases on the basis of their ethnopharmacological use. Most of the plants displaying considerable immunomodulation activity are summarized along with their possible mechanisms. These discussions shall hopefully elicit the attention of researchers and encourage further studies on these plant-based immunomodulation products as potential therapy for the management of infectious diseases, including viral ones such as COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hassan A Alhazmi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia.,Substance Abuse and Toxicology Research Centre, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia
| | - Asim Najmi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sadique A Javed
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia
| | - Shahnaz Sultana
- Department of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammed Al Bratty
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hafiz A Makeen
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdulkarim M Meraya
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia
| | - Waquar Ahsan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia
| | - Syam Mohan
- Substance Abuse and Toxicology Research Centre, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia
| | - Manal M E Taha
- Substance Abuse and Toxicology Research Centre, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia
| | - Asaad Khalid
- Substance Abuse and Toxicology Research Centre, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia
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28
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Spread of Epidemic Disease on Edge-Weighted Graphs from a Database: A Case Study of COVID-19. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18094432. [PMID: 33921934 PMCID: PMC8122399 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18094432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2021] [Revised: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The understanding of infectious diseases is a priority in the field of public health. This has generated the inclusion of several disciplines and tools that allow for analyzing the dissemination of infectious diseases. The aim of this manuscript is to model the spreading of a disease in a population that is registered in a database. From this database, we obtain an edge-weighted graph. The spreading was modeled with the classic SIR model. The model proposed with edge-weighted graph allows for identifying the most important variables in the dissemination of epidemics. Moreover, a deterministic approximation is provided. With database COVID-19 from a city in Chile, we analyzed our model with relationship variables between people. We obtained a graph with 3866 vertices and 6,841,470 edges. We fitted the curve of the real data and we have done some simulations on the obtained graph. Our model is adjusted to the spread of the disease. The model proposed with edge-weighted graph allows for identifying the most important variables in the dissemination of epidemics, in this case with real data of COVID-19. This valuable information allows us to also include/understand the networks of dissemination of epidemics diseases as well as the implementation of preventive measures of public health. These findings are important in COVID-19's pandemic context.
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29
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Impact of a New SARS-CoV-2 Variant on the Population: A Mathematical Modeling Approach. MATHEMATICAL AND COMPUTATIONAL APPLICATIONS 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/mca26020025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Several SARS-CoV-2 variants have emerged around the world, and the appearance of other variants depends on many factors. These new variants might have different characteristics that can affect the transmissibility and death rate. The administration of vaccines against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) started in early December of 2020 and in some countries the vaccines will not soon be widely available. For this article, we studied the impact of a new more transmissible SARS-CoV-2 strain on prevalence, hospitalizations, and deaths related to the SARS-CoV-2 virus. We studied different scenarios regarding the transmissibility in order to provide a scientific support for public health policies and bring awareness of potential future situations related to the COVID-19 pandemic. We constructed a compartmental mathematical model based on differential equations to study these different scenarios. In this way, we are able to understand how a new, more infectious strain of the virus can impact the dynamics of the COVID-19 pandemic. We studied several metrics related to the possible outcomes of the COVID-19 pandemic in order to assess the impact of a higher transmissibility of a new SARS-CoV-2 strain on these metrics. We found that, even if the new variant has the same death rate, its high transmissibility can increase the number of infected people, those hospitalized, and deaths. The simulation results show that health institutions need to focus on increasing non-pharmaceutical interventions and the pace of vaccine inoculation since a new variant with higher transmissibility, such as, for example, VOC-202012/01 of lineage B.1.1.7, may cause more devastating outcomes in the population.
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30
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Bowman C, Branjerdporn G, Turner K, Kamara M, Tyagi N, Reyes NJD, Stapelberg NJC. The impact of viral epidemics and pandemics on acute mental health service use: an integrative review. Health Psychol Rev 2021; 15:1-33. [PMID: 33550940 DOI: 10.1080/17437199.2021.1886864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this integrative review was to examine the impact of past viral epidemics on mental health, with a specific focus on changes in numbers of acute mental health presentations and mental health service recommendations in response to this, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Following PRISMA methodology, databases were searched for relevant publications. A total of 83 articles with a range of methodologies were included to ensure broad coverage of this rapidly emerging research area. The literature supports an initial increase in mental health concerns which generally do not reach the threshold for diagnosis with a mental illness, but present to frontline telephone services. There is a potential delay before community and hospital-based mental health services see an increase in new or relapsing mental illness presentations. However vulnerable populations, such as people with pre-existing mental illness, are at increased risk of mental health issues during such public health crises. Many of the general recommendations distilled from the literature are closely aligned with existing strategic frameworks for mental health service provision. However, in review of these frameworks, gaps in the literature become more apparent, such as a failure to include people with lived experience, peer workers, and First Nations People in the COVID-19 mental health response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Candice Bowman
- Mental Health and Specialist Services, Gold Coast Health, Southport, Australia
| | - Grace Branjerdporn
- Mental Health and Specialist Services, Gold Coast Health, Southport, Australia
| | - Kathryn Turner
- Mental Health and Specialist Services, Gold Coast Health, Southport, Australia
| | - Memunatu Kamara
- Mental Health and Specialist Services, Gold Coast Health, Southport, Australia
| | - Nischal Tyagi
- Mental Health and Specialist Services, Gold Coast Health, Southport, Australia
| | | | - Nicolas J C Stapelberg
- Mental Health and Specialist Services, Gold Coast Health, Southport, Australia.,Faculty of Health Science and Medicine, Bond University, Gold Coast, Australia
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31
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Ethical rationing of healthcare resources during COVID-19 outbreak: Review. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2021; 16:100633. [PMID: 33585668 PMCID: PMC7869626 DOI: 10.1016/j.jemep.2021.100633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
While rationing of healthcare resources is inevitable even in the most developed economies, particularly on the wake of a pandemic, ethical basis of its implementation needs to be reviewed. With sudden and huge demand for drugs and medical supplies and equipments, the need for rationing arises and thus the concept becomes unavoidable. Thus, we aimed to review and analyse on the key ethical issues in the concept of healthcare rationing. Our search in various PubMed databases resulted articles explaining on the concept of strategizing the priorities based on universal ethical principles of justice, benevolence and ensuring equality rather than wealth, power, geographical location or other personal biases. Concrete and pragmatic regulations and guidelines for systematic rationing have to be framed and followed. In addition, physicians being sensitive and empowered on deciding bedside rationing in coordination with the recommendations of ethicists and healthcare officials, will ensure fair practice.
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32
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Liu A. Letter to the Editor: Exponential Increase in COVID-19 Related Publications Compared to Other Pandemic Diseases. Rambam Maimonides Med J 2021; 12:RMMJ.10424. [PMID: 33125321 PMCID: PMC7835117 DOI: 10.5041/rmmj.10424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic is different from previous pandemic diseases in many ways. One of them relates to the literature. There is an exponential increase in the number of articles since April 2020. Also, and equally drastic, is how readily available they are to the general reader. It will be interesting to analyze (in the future) if advances in information age have played any significant role in the battle against our current pandemic.
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33
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Biosurfactants’ Potential Role in Combating COVID-19 and Similar Future Microbial Threats. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/app11010334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
During 2020, the world has experienced extreme vulnerability in the face of a disease outbreak. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic discovered in China and rapidly spread across the globe, infecting millions, causing hundreds of thousands of deaths, and severe downturns in the economies of countries worldwide. Biosurfactants can play a significant role in the prevention, control and treatment of diseases caused by these pathogenic agents through various therapeutic, pharmaceutical, environmental and hygiene approaches. Biosurfactants have the potential to inhibit microbial species with virulent intrinsic characteristics capable of developing diseases with high morbidity and mortality, as well as interrupting their spread through environmental and hygiene interventions. This is possible due to their antimicrobial activity, ability to interact with cells forming micelles and to interact with the immune system, and compatibility with relevant processes such as nanoparticle synthesis. They, therefore, can be applied in developing innovative and more effective pharmaceutical, therapeutics, sustainable and friendly environmental management approaches, less toxic formulations, and more efficient cleaning agents. These approaches can be easily integrated into relevant product development pipelines and implemented as measures for combating and managing pandemics. This review examines the potential approaches of biosurfactants as useful molecules in fighting microbial pathogens both known and previously unknown, such as COVID-19.
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34
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ACE2: from protection of liver disease to propagation of COVID-19. Clin Sci (Lond) 2020; 134:3137-3158. [PMID: 33284956 DOI: 10.1042/cs20201268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2020] [Revised: 11/19/2020] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Twenty years ago, the discovery of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) was an important breakthrough dramatically enhancing our understanding of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS). The classical RAS is driven by its key enzyme ACE and is pivotal in the regulation of blood pressure and fluid homeostasis. More recently, it has been recognised that the protective RAS regulated by ACE2 counterbalances many of the deleterious effects of the classical RAS. Studies in murine models demonstrated that manipulating the protective RAS can dramatically alter many diseases including liver disease. Liver-specific overexpression of ACE2 in mice with liver fibrosis has proved to be highly effective in antagonising liver injury and fibrosis progression. Importantly, despite its highly protective role in disease pathogenesis, ACE2 is hijacked by SARS-CoV-2 as a cellular receptor to gain entry to alveolar epithelial cells, causing COVID-19, a severe respiratory disease in humans. COVID-19 is frequently life-threatening especially in elderly or people with other medical conditions. As an unprecedented number of COVID-19 patients have been affected globally, there is an urgent need to discover novel therapeutics targeting the interaction between the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and ACE2. Understanding the role of ACE2 in physiology, pathobiology and as a cellular receptor for SARS-CoV-2 infection provides insight into potential new therapeutic strategies aiming to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection related tissue injury. This review outlines the role of the RAS with a strong focus on ACE2-driven protective RAS in liver disease and provides therapeutic approaches to develop strategies to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection in humans.
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