Wave Of COVID-19 Pandemic Research Articles

Пакистан – Международный валютный фонд: помощь или вызов экономическому суверенитету?

Pakistan has faced economic challenges in recent years amid rising global crude oil prices and hydrocarbon import bills: free fall of the rupee, high interest rates, elevated fiscal deficits, 37% inflation, falling stock market, and as a result – shrinking industrial production and elimination of social welfare spending. The borrowings from the IMF, China, and Gulf countries to restore foreign exchange reserves and lack of capability to return them convinced the military-civil authorities in 2023 to declare a threat to the country’s economic sovereignty. The 2019 IMF financial assistance program approved the allocation of 6.5 billion USD until 2023. In 2023, the Fund approved an additional Stand-By Agreement in the amount of 3 billion USD. Basic requirements of the IMF included tightening of credit and financial policy; conducting reforms to improve budgetary discipline and broaden the tax base; reducing public debt; etc. The authorities took a number of urgent measures, first of all, they increased electricity tariffs and the amount of collected taxes. Pakistani society has been critical of the IMF’s demands, especially the increases in electricity tariffs and cuts in social benefits, accusing the IMF of making Pakistan a victim of a debt trap, like many other developing countries. In 2020–2021, the five COVID-19 pandemic waves in Pakistan and then the devastating flood in the country made the situation even more complicated. Challenges in the economy were aggravated by the fierce internal struggle of political opponents. The economic reforms carried out by the three subsequent governments in 2018–2022, headed by prime ministers Imran Khan, Shehbaz Sharif, and Anwaar Haq Kakar, were inconsistent and contradictory, which provoked criticism on the part of the IMF.

Depression, Stress, Anxiety, and Family Burden in Caregivers of Patients with Preexisting Severe Mental Illness and Their Coping Strategies during Omicron Wave of COVID-19 Pandemic

Background and Aims: There is limited research on the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on caregivers of patients with severe mental illness (SMI) during its late phase when sufficient and widespread knowledge about management and preventive aspects existed. We aimed to assess the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on caregivers of patients with SMI during Omicron wave. Methodology: We assessed 100 caregivers of patients with preexisting SMI diagnosed on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5, 50 each of schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders (SCZ) and bipolar disorder (BD) from December 14, 2021, to February 9, 2022. We assessed symptoms of depression, anxiety, stress, and family burden in caregivers and their coping strategies by the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 Hindi version, Family Burden Interview Schedule (FBIS), and Brief-Coping Orientation to Problem Experienced, respectively. Results: Caregivers of SMI experienced symptoms of depression (51%), anxiety (72%), and stress (13%), with significantly more symptoms of depression (P = 0.002) and anxiety (P = 0.025) in caregivers of SCZ. High caregiver burden (score: 25.76, > half of the total score on FBIS) was found with no significant difference in the two groups. Caregivers of SCZ used a greater number of emotion-focused coping strategies, whereas those with BD used more problem-focused coping, but the difference was not significant. A significant association was seen between coping strategies of substance use and depressed symptoms (P = 0.003), substance use and anxiety symptoms (P = 0.007); anxiety symptoms with denial (P = 0.001) anxiety symptoms and venting (P = 0.008) in caregivers of BD. Conclusion: Caregivers of patients with preexisting SMI experienced depression, anxiety, and high family burden during Omicron wave. They used both emotion- and problem-focused coping strategies.

Mental Symptoms and Associated Factors in Young People Aged 18-24 in the 4th Wave of COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross Sectional Study

Mental Symptoms and Associated Factors in Young People Aged 18-24 in the 4th Wave of COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross Sectional Study

Impact of First Wave of COVID-19 Pandemic on Mortality at Emergency Department in Older Patients with COVID and Non-COVID Diagnoses

Introduction: Mortality in emergency departments (EDs) is not well known. This study aimed to assess the impact of the first-wave pandemic on deaths accounted in the ED of older patients with COVID and non-COVID diseases. Methods: We used data from the Emergency Department and Elderly Needs (EDEN) cohort (pre-COVID period) and from the EDEN-COVID cohort (COVID period) that included all patients ≥65 years seen in 52 Spanish EDs from April 1 to 7, 2019, and March 30 to April 5, 2020, respectively. We recorded patient characteristics and final destination at ED. We compared older patients in the pre-COVID period, with older patients with non-COVID and with COVID-19. ED-mortality (before discharge or hospitalization) is the prior outcome and is expressed as an adjusted odds ratio (aOR) with 95% interval confidence. Results: We included 23,338 older patients from the pre-COVID period (aged 78.3 [8.1] years), 6,715 patients with non-COVID conditions (aged 78.9 [8.2] years) and 3,055 with COVID (aged 78.3 [8.3] years) from the COVID period. Compared to the older patients, pre-COVID period, patients with non-COVID and with COVID-19 were more often male, referred by a doctor and by ambulance, with more comorbidity and disability, dementia, nursing home, and more risk according to qSOFA, respectively (p < 0.001). Compared to the pre-COVID period, patients with non-COVID and with COVID-19 were more often to be hospitalized from ED (24.8% vs. 44.3% vs. 79.1%) and were more often to die in ED (0.6% vs. 1.2% vs. 2.2%), respectively (p < 0.001). Compared to the pre-COVID period, aOR for age, sex, comorbidity and disability, ED mortality in elderly patients cared in ED during the COVID period was 2.31 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.76–3.06), and 3.75 (95% CI: 2.77–5.07) for patients with COVID. By adding the variable qSOFA to the model, such OR were 1.59 (95% CI: 1.11–2.30) and 2.16 (95% CI: 1.47–3.17), respectively. Conclusions: During the early first pandemic wave of COVID-19, more complex and life-threatening older with COVID and non-COVID diseases were seen compared to the pre-COVID period. In addition, the need for hospitalization and the ED mortality doubled in non-COVID and tripled in COVID diagnosis. This increase in ED mortality is not only explained by the complexity or severity of the elderly patients but also because of the system’s overload.

Covid-19 and Malaria Co-Infection in Imo State, Nigeria: A Descriptive Seroprevalence Study

Background: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and malaria syndemic poses colossal challenge in prompt diagnosis and effective management of both infections especially in tropical regions. Therefore, this survey was conducted in order to ascertain the seroprevalence of SARS-COV-2 antibodies and malaria parasite in a Federal University of Technology Owerri, located in the south-eastern part of Nigeria, shortly after the waves of COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The study was carried out among staff and students in the School of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Technology Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria within the age range of twenty-one (21) and above.&#x0D; Method: A total of 600 randomly selected participants (400 students and 200 staff) who had provided informed consent, were randomly selected from the School of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Technology Owerri. Questionnaires were administered to collect data on respondents’ demographics and clinical history. Then, blood samples were aseptically collected by needle prick and tested for COVID-19 and malaria using the SARS-COV-2 IgM/IgG antibody test kit and the malaria test kit (Malaria Pf (HRP2) respectively.&#x0D; Results: Malaria and COVID-19 co-infection rates observed among the staff and students in this survey were 5% and 1.8% respectively. Out of the 200 staff tested in this study, 45(22.5%) were IgG positive, 0(0%) were positive for IgM while 10(5%) tested positive to malaria parasite. Although, all IgG positives were junior staff. Then, amongst the 400 students tested, 37(9.25%) tested positive for IgG while none (0%) were IgM positive but, 62(15.5%) were positive for Plasmodium falciparum infection. The interrelated symptoms of malaria and COVID-19 mostly observed in our respondents were fever, headache and fatigue.&#x0D; Conclusion: Results from this study further explained that the level of co-infection prevalence varies directly with the level of malaria prevalence and vice versa.

Assessing the Physical and Psychological Well-being of Construction Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Prospective Study in Italy.

This prospective study aimed to assess the physical and psychological health of construction workers and examine the relationship between their well-being and the preventive measures implemented against SARS-CoV-2. During occupational visit, the workers were invited to participate the survey. Two measurements were made and compared: after the Italian lockdown and on the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic. Fifty-three workers participated in the study. The percentage of workers who considered themselves in good health increased from 66.0% to 81.1%, and there was a significant decrease in the 12-item General Health Questionnaire score (16.8 vs 14.0, P = 0.0003). This reduction was associated with a higher perception of security by preventive measures. The study highlights the importance of addressing the health and safety concerns of construction workers during the pandemic, and the positive impact of effective preventive measures.

Predicting COVID-19 pandemic waves including vaccination data with deep learning.

During the recent COVID-19 pandemics, many models were developed to predict the number of new infections. After almost a year, models had also the challenge to include information about the waning effect of vaccines and by infection, and also how this effect start to disappear. We present a deep learning-based approach to predict the number of daily COVID-19 cases in 30 countries, considering the non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) applied in those countries and including vaccination data of the most used vaccines. We empirically validate the proposed approach for 4 months between January and April 2021, once vaccination was available and applied to the population and the COVID-19 variants were closer to the one considered for developing the vaccines. With the predictions of new cases, we can prescribe NPIs plans that present the best trade-off between the expected number of COVID-19 cases and the social and economic cost of applying such interventions. Whereas, mathematical models which include the effect of vaccines in the spread of the SARS-COV-2 pandemic are available, to the best of our knowledge we are the first to propose a data driven method based on recurrent neural networks that considers the waning effect of the immunization acquired either by vaccine administration or by recovering from the illness. This work contributes with an accurate, scalable, data-driven approach to modeling the pandemic curves of cases when vaccination data is available.

Persistence of circulating CD169+monocytes and HLA-DR downregulation underline the immune response impairment in PASC individuals: the potential contribution of different COVID-19 pandemic waves

The use of CD169 as a marker of viral infection has been widely discussed in the context of COVID-19, and in particular, its crucial role in the early detection of SARS-CoV-2 infection and its association with the severity and clinical outcome of COVID-19 were demonstrated. COVID-19 patients show relevant systemic alteration and immunological dysfunction that persists in individuals with post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC). It is critical to implement the characterization of the disease, focusing also on the possible impact of the different COVID-19 waves and the consequent effects found after infection. On this basis, we evaluated by flow cytometry the expression of CD169 and HLA-DR on monocytes from COVID-19 patients and PASC individuals to better elucidate their involvement in immunological dysfunction, also evaluating the possible impact of different pandemic waves. The results confirm CD169 RMFI is a good marker of viral infection. Moreover, COVID-19 patients and PASC individuals showed high percentage of CD169+ monocytes, but low percentage of HLA-DR+ monocytes and the alteration of systemic inflammatory indices. We have also observed alterations of CD169 and HLA-DR expression and indices of inflammation upon different COVID-19 waves. The persistence of specific myeloid subpopulations suggests a role of CD169+ monocytes and HLA-DR in COVID-19 disease and chronic post-infection inflammation, opening new opportunities to evaluate the impact of specific pandemic waves on the immune response impairment and systemic alterations with the perspective to provide new tools to monitoring new variants and diseases associated to emerging respiratory viruses.

Reconstruction of incidence reporting rate for SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant of COVID-19 pandemic in the US

In recent years, advanced regularization techniques have emerged as a powerful tool aimed at stable estimation of infectious disease parameters that are crucial for future projections, prevention, and control. Unlike other system parameters, i.e., incubation and recovery rates, the case reporting rate, Ψ, and the time-dependent effective reproduction number, Re(t), are directly influenced by a large number of factors making it impossible to pre-estimate these parameters in any meaningful way. In this study, we propose a novel iteratively-regularized trust-region optimization algorithm, combined with SuSvIuIvRD compartmental model, for stable reconstruction of Ψ and Re(t) from reported epidemic data on vaccination percentages, incidence cases, and daily deaths. The innovative regularization procedure exploits (and takes full advantage of) a unique structure of the Jacobian and Hessian approximation for the nonlinear observation operator. The proposed inversion method is thoroughly tested with synthetic and real SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant data for different regions in the United States of America from July 9, 2021, to November 25, 2021. Our study shows that case reporting rate during the Delta wave of COVID-19 pandemic in the US is between 12% and 37%, with most states being in the range from 15% to 25%. This confirms earlier accounts on considerable under-reporting of COVID-19 cases due to the impact of ”silent spreaders” and the limitations of testing.

Comparison of Circulating Variants during the Beginning, Middle and the End of the 4th Wave of COVID-19 in Tehran Province, Iran in 2021.

Whole viral genome sequencing with next generation sequencing (NGS) technique is useful tool for determining the diversity of variants and mutations of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). In this study we have attempted to characterize the mutations and circulating variants of the SARSCoV-2 genome during the 4th wave of COVID-19 pandemic in Tehran, Iran in 2021. We performed complete genome sequencing of 15 SARS-CoV-2 detected from 15 COVID-19 patients during the 4th wave of COVID-19 pandemic with NGS. Three groups of the patients at the beginning, middle and the end of the 4th wave were compared together. We detected alpha and delta variants during the 4th wave of the pandemic. The results illustrated a dominance of amino acid substitution D614G in spike, and the most frequent mutants were N-R203K, G204R, S235F, nsp12-P323L, nsp6-G106del, G107del and F108del. The detection of the virus mutations is a useful procedure for identifying the virus behavior and its genetic evolution in order to improve the efficacy of the monitoring strategies and therapeutic measures.

442. Unveiling Factors Associated with Mortality in Mucormycosis Patients: Insights from Second and Third Waves of COVID-19 Pandemic in India

Abstract Background Mucormycosis is one of the most aggressive opportunistic fungal infections. Though conventionally limited to the demographics of immunocompromised and those on the diabetes spectrum. It has recently propelled to the frontline in investigations of COVID-19 complications. For patients present in varied stages and severity of Mucormycosis, it's crucial to discuss the presenting factors that impact mortality in order to provide more intensive care and treatment from the beginning to those more at risk of death. Methods All patients presenting to a tertiary care hospital in New Delhi, India with clinicopathological confirmed Mucormycosis were enrolled in the study. Detailed history and physical examination were performed, and a questionnaire of patient demographic details and comorbidities was filled out. Results There were 75 patients who met the inclusion criteria and were assessed after obtaining informed consent. Of these 75, 64 patients survived. The most common comorbidity in the study population was Diabetes spectrum(89.33%), followed by antecedent COVID-19 infection(64%) and hypertension(12%). Despite a high prevalence, none of these was significantly associated with mortality. The only comorbidity associated with mortality was Coronary Artery Disease(p-value&amp;lt; 0.05). The symptomatology at presentation was also assessed. Most commonly reported symptoms at presentation were Orbital/facial edema(45.33%), nasal discharge(29.33%), nasal block(29.33%) and diminution of vision(26.66%). The presence of proptosis at presentation in the patient was found to be significantly associated with a mortality outcome(p-value&amp;lt; .0.05). The glycemic control at presentation was also measured and compared between the survivors and non-survivors, however, no significant association was found. Mucormycosis patient with Proptosis Conclusion Mucormycosis patients with presenting symptoms of proptosis should be prognosticated early and managed in the intensive care unit from the beginning due to the increased risk of mortality. Also, patients with coronary artery disease should be similarly given special attention and care due to the association with mortality. Other factors like antecedent COVID-19, diabetes, hypertension, tobacco and alcohol use and the extent of hyperglycemia do not impact patient outcome Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

Effect of trade unions on the mental health of UK workers before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: a longitudinal analysis using Understanding Society data

BackgroundAlthough trade union membership rates have continuously decreased over the past 30 years, about 50% of UK employees are still represented by a union. Yet, studies on the association between collective bargaining and workers' mental health are sparse, especially in the pandemic context. This study examines differences on UK workers' mental health due to trade union presence and membership between pre-pandemic and pandemic periods. MethodsIn this longitudinal study, we analysed Understanding Society panel data in which the same participants are followed over time. The data concerned individuals aged 16 years and older and were collected biannually before COVID-19 pandemic (Waves 8–10: 2017–2020) and on a more frequent basis during pandemic (all COVID-19 surveys from 2020 [April, May, June, July, September, November] to 2021 [January, March, September] periods). The primary outcome was General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12) caseness (GHQ-12 score ≥4: probability of caseness). Two exposures were used separately: trade union presence and trade union membership, interacting with a binary variable splitting time periods between before and during the pandemic. Our analytical sample included 49 915 observations from 5988 individuals. 3341 (56%) individuals worked in unionised workplaces. We fitted mixed–effects logistic regression models adjusting for age, gender, ethnicity, UK residence, educational level, financial situation, workplace size, and survey interview date. We then replicated the analyses including a 3-way interaction with industry. All Understanding Society participants gave written informed consent. Ethics approval was not required. FindingsIn our sample, approximately 41% were male and 59% were female, and the mean age was 47·2 years (SD 11·4). Comparing pre-pandemic and pandemic periods, we found that the odds of GHQ-12 caseness for those in non-unionised workplaces increased by 45% (odds ratio 1·45, 95% CI 1·17–1·80), whereas in unionised workplaces odds increased by 28% (1·28, 1·05–1·57). When analysis was confined to unionised workplaces, the odds of GHQ-12 caseness for non-union members increased more (1·40, 1·07–1·83) compared with members (1·18, 0·91–1·53); however, with wide CIs. Overall, industry had no modification effect in both exposures. Sensitivity analysis using GHQ-36 as a continuous outcome demonstrated no real change in the patterns of the results. InterpretationThe mental health of workers in unionised workplaces appears to have worsened less than the mental health of those in non-unionised workplaces; however, there is insufficient evidence of effect differential by type of industrial sector. Designing policies that encourage and facilitate trade union presence in workplaces should be promoted, as they are likely to mitigate adverse mental health effects in times of extreme uncertainty. FundingMedical Research Council, Chief Scientist Office, Belgian National Scientific Fund.

Analysis of COVID-19 Pandemic Waves in Death Figures of Turkey

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a substantial number of deaths worldwide, making it crucial to conduct a periodical behavior analysis of the COVID-19 death figures. By understanding the trends and patterns in mortality rates, decision-makers can make informed choices on prioritization of interventions to pandemics.Method: Death figures due to COVID-19 between 17 March 2020 and 27 November 2022 were taken into account in this study. Mortality data were analyzed using statistical and graphical methods. Von Bertalanffy’s growth model parameters were estimated for each wave. Then the model performance measures were calculated.Discussion: In this study, the course and change of daily mortality data over time were examined. The data reveal that the COVID-19 pandemic occurred in Turkey as four waves. Von Bertalanffy’s growth model appears to be an explanatory model for all pandemic waves according to the performance measures.Conclusion: It was observed that the COVID-19 pandemic spread in Turkey in four waves. Investigating COVID-19 and similar pandemics using versatile and multidisciplinary methods is of great importance in understanding and predicting the behavior of pandemics.

Developing Bespoke High Volume Low Complexity (HVLC) Theatre Lists With a Focus on Training to Address the Impact of COVID-19: A Pilot Study.

Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on both healthcare delivery and surgical training. There have been significant efforts to manage the growing elective waiting list backlog whilst addressing the training deficit. We outline a successful pilot high volume low complexity (HVLC) program held at the Croydon Elective Centre between 2021-2022 which aimed to amalgamate training and elective recovery. Methods Two pilot HVLC training lists were carried out in June 2021 and March 2022. Three parallel theatre lists on each date were supervised by a single consultant floor trainer. All lists followed a standard pre-defined HVLC protocol. Trainees and trainers were invited to participate and encouraged to utilize these lists to sign off relevant work-based assessments. HVLC cases included hernia repairs and simple lesion excisions. Patient, theatre staff, and trainee experiences were collated via questionnaires. Results A total of one consultant supervisor, six trainers, and eight trainees participated in the pilot with a total of 34 elective procedures performed on 29 patients. The mean patient age was 52.4 years with 8 out of 29 patients being female. Of these patients 41.4% were American Society of Anaesthesiologists (ASA) Classification one, 51.72% were ASA two and 6.9% were ASA three. No patients to date werereadmitted to the hospital post-operatively or presented with post-operative complications. One hundred percent of trainees felt satisfied with the training and would recommend it to a colleague. Conclusion The training deficit that developed during the first COVID-19 pandemic wave has been compounded by the second and third waves, and trainees are concerned that further waves are anticipated. Returning to operating is vital and our approach has been shown to improve training, whilst maintaining patient safety and accelerating elective waiting list recovery.

Osteomyelitis of Jaw Bone due to Aspergillosis in Post-COVID-19 Patients: An Observational Study.

In the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an increase in number of cases with Post-COVID-19 fungal osteomyelitis of jaws. Aspergillosis was found to be one of the causes of osteomyelitis of jaw bones in these patients. To evaluate the incidence and pattern of osteomyelitis of jaw due to aspergillosis in post-COVID-19 patients and to discuss the management protocol of the same. Data were obtained at our institution from the period of January 2021 to June 2021. Patients of all age groups with Post-COVID-19 osteomyelitis of jaw due to aspergillosis and those with combined aspergillosis and mucormycosis infection were included. Patients having rhino-orbito-cerebral fungal infection were excluded. A total of 47 patients reported to our center. Demographically the average age of the patients was 49.11years with 72% being males. All 47 patients (N = 100%) had received steroids. 21 of them (N = 44.7%) had diabetes mellitus and 14 (N = 29.8%) patients had other comorbidities. Out of 47 patients, 42 (N = 89.7%) patients were diagnosed with aspergillosis and the remaining 5 (N = 10.3%) cases had a mixed fungal infection of mucormycosis and aspergillosis. On fungal culture Aspergillus flavus was the most common species detected followed by Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus fumigatus. All patients were treated with oral Voriconazole and local surgical debridement. Prompt laboratory testing such as a timely KOH mount, galactomannan test, beta-D-glucan test, histopathology of tissue specimens could help to give an early and definitive diagnosis. The mortality rate we encountered in this study was nil. Early and definitive diagnosis and immediate initiation of antifungal drug therapy and surgical intervention will significantly reduce the rate of morbidity and mortality.

Maintaining legitimacy in times of crisis for sharing economy platforms: Airbnb's relational strategies during COVID-19 and impacts on sustainability

Sharing economy platforms hold a promise of more sustainable uses of resources. However, their legitimacy remains “debated” as various ecosystem stakeholders hold different opinions, challenging platform's values and activities. One key contested aspect is their capacity to contribute to sustainability beyond a search for economic performance. Despite these criticisms, sharing economy platforms have managed to grow and spread worldwide. Nevertheless, little is known about how a sudden market crisis affects an online platform characterized by a debated legitimacy. Studying the relationships between Airbnb and its main stakeholders during the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic in New York City, our paper identifies three relational strategies - identity, professionalization, and selection - implemented by the platform to reinforce its legitimacy within its local ecosystem. Based on secondary and primary data analyses, we identify and describe the arbitrations and opportunistic choices made by Airbnb to manage various stakeholder groups, to maintain its legitimacy during the COVID-19 crisis, and their impact on sustainability.

The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: An individual patient data meta-analysis

AimPrior studies have reported increased out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCA) incidence and lower survival during the COVID-19 pandemic. We evaluated how the COVID-19 pandemic affected OHCA incidence, bystander CPR rate and patients’ outcomes, accounting for regional COVID-19 incidence and OHCA characteristics. MethodsIndividual patient data meta-analysis of studies which provided a comparison of OHCA incidence during the first pandemic wave (COVID-period) with a reference period of the previous year(s) (pre-COVID period). We computed COVID-19 incidence per 100,000 inhabitants in each of 97 regions per each week and divided it into its quartiles. ResultsWe considered a total of 49,882 patients in 10 studies. OHCA incidence increased significantly compared to previous years in regions where weekly COVID-19 incidence was in the fourth quartile (>136/100,000/week), and patients in these regions had a lower odds of bystander CPR (OR 0.49, 95%CI 0.29–0.81, p = 0.005). Overall, the COVID-period was associated with an increase in medical etiology (89.2% vs 87.5%, p < 0.001) and OHCAs at home (74.7% vs 67.4%, p < 0.001), and a decrease in shockable initial rhythm (16.5% vs 20.3%, p < 0.001). The COVID-period was independently associated with pre-hospital death (OR 1.73, 95%CI 1.55–1.93, p < 0.001) and negatively associated with survival to hospital admission (OR 0.68, 95%CI 0.64–0.72, p < 0.001) and survival to discharge (OR 0.50, 95%CI 0.46–0.54, p < 0.001). ConclusionsDuring the first COVID-19 pandemic wave, there was higher OHCA incidence and lower bystander CPR rate in regions with a high-burden of COVID-19. COVID-19 was also associated with a change in patient characteristics and lower survival independently of COVID-19 incidence in the region where OHCA occurred.

Increased rates of indeterminate results in QuantiFERON-TB gold in-tube during the COVID-19 epidemic in Hunan province, China

Increased rates of indeterminate QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube (QFT-GIT) results have been reported since the COVID-19 epidemic in Hunan Province, China. The indeterminate result (ITR) rate of QFT increased from an average of 5.2% to 12.4%, paralleling the first COVID-19 pandemic wave in the region. QFT-GIT results of 243 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 from January 2022 to April 2023 at Xiangya Hospital of Central South University were analyzed. Of the 243 patients, 71 (29.2%) had ITRs due to reduced interferon-gamma production in the positive control. Multiple factors are associated with ITRs, such as disease severity, respiratory failure incidence, immunosuppressant use, and prognosis. Additionally, interferon-gamma (Mitogen-Nil) levels differed significantly depending upon disease severity, prognosis, immunosuppressant use, sepsis symptoms, respiratory failure, or hyperlipidemia. An abnormal increase in the ITR rate in the QFT was observed after the COVID-19 pandemic, and an optimal machine learning predictive model for indeterminate QFT results was established.

Epidemiological Characteristics of COVID-19 during Seven Consecutive Epidemiological Waves (2020-2022) in the North Bačka District, Serbia.

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to pose a threat to global public health. The purpose of this research was to determine the epidemiological characteristics of COVID-19 in the North Bačka district while observing seven pandemic waves. The cross-sectional study was based on data from the COVID-19 surveillance database of the Institute for Public Health of Vojvodina during the period from March 2020 to December 2022. A total of 38,685 primary infections and 4067 reinfections caused by SARS-CoV-2 were notified. Pandemic waves caused by the Delta variant (cumulative incidence rate of 2482.37/100,000) and by the Omicron variant (cumulative incidence rate of 2994.45/100,000) emerged as significant focal points during the surveillance period. Over the course of three consecutive years (2020-2022), women were more affected (50.11%, 54.03%, and 55.68%, respectively). The highest incidence rates in age-specific categories were recorded in 2021 for the age group 40-49 (1345.32 per 10,000 inhabitants), while in 2022, they shifted towards the elderly population. Regarding vaccination status at the time of diagnosis, in 2021, around 15% of patients were vaccinated, while in 2022, the number increased to 37%. The most widely received vaccine was BBIBP-CorV (67.45%), followed by BNT162b2 (19.81%), Gam-COVID-Vac (9.31%), and ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (3.42%) vaccine. The implementation of stringent public health measures and their mitigation, together with the emergence of new variants, influenced the dynamics of COVID-19 pandemic waves in the North Bačka district. Notably, throughout the study period, the working-age population was the most affected, along with females, with a mild clinical presentation dominating. Reinfections were most frequently recorded during the latter pandemic waves. Dealing with this pandemic has provided some valuable lessons for the development of future strategies in the case of a similar public health crisis.

To Assess The Knowledge And Perceptions Regarding Novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) During The First Surge Among Healthcare Workers Of Banke District, Nepal

Background: Human Coronaviruses (HCoVs), a large family of single-stranded RNA viruses in humans causes mainly respiratory tract infections. The current outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 has emerged as pandemic causing severe public health issue of international concern. This study aims to assess the knowledge and perception regarding novel coronavirus (COVID-19) during first wave of pandemic among healthcare workers working at various Health care institutions. Method: This web-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 174 health care workers of Banke district, Nepal between May-July 2020 during first wave of COVID-19 pandemic using an online self-administered questionnaire. A 35-item self-administered survey instrument was developed using WHO course materials on emerging respiratory viruses, including COVID-19, and covered the domains of HCWs characteristics, knowledge, and perceptions of HCWs related to COVID-19. Descriptive statistics were reported as proportion and frequencies. Bivariate analysis was performed using chi-square test to assess the association of level of knowledge, and perception about COVID-19 with participants’ characteristics. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. All the statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS software, version 23. Findings: Most of the participants (94.8%) had known about the virus from news (70.1%) and social media (68.4%). Among them only 36.2% participants had the opportunities to attend lectures, discussions, and training about the virus COVID-19. Overall, 55.7%, and 52.9% of the HCWs had adequate knowledge, and positive perception about COVID-19, respectively. Bivariate analysis showed no significant association of knowledge regarding COVID-19 among health care worker with participants characteristics whereas, the variables such as gender, occupation, working department showed significant association of perception regarding COVID-19 among health care worker. Conclusion: This study revealed lower level of knowledge and positive perception regarding COVID-19 and infection control measures among HCWs. There is a need of adequate training to enhance the knowledge and perception about covid-19 and safety measures to the HCWs.