History Of Close Contact Research Articles

Epidemiology and laboratory testing of Brucella spondylitis

The average age of patients with BS was 52.29 ± 9.46 years, comprising 136 males and 31 females. Risk factors for BS include close contact with cattle and sheep and consumption of unpasteurized food. The positive detection rate using combined Rose Bengal Test (RBT) and Standard Agglutination Test (SAT) was 94.6%, whereas the positive rate for blood culture was only 7.8%. The most common clinical manifestations were fever (81.4%), back pain (88.6%), sweating (61.1%), fatigue (69.5%), and anorexia (65.3%). Hematological examinations often revealed decreased hemoglobin (18.0%), increased platelets (18.0%), elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) (88.0%), elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) (78.4%), elevated Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (18.6%), and decreased K+(23.4%). The imaging examinations revealed that the lumbar spine, particularly L4/5 (41.3%), is the most frequently affected vertebral level in BS. After treatment, the overall recurrence rate was 3.0%. In endemic areas, clinicians should be vigilant for BS in patients presenting with back pain and unexplained fever, particularly those with a history of close contact with cattle and sheep. The RBT and SAT tests show a high positivity rate of 94.6%, establishing them as the preferred diagnostic methods. This study enhances clinicians’ comprehension of BS characteristics and lays a robust theoretical groundwork for disease prevention and monitoring.

Leprosy in Post-elimination Era: A Study Conducted in Rural Tertiary Settings in North India.

Background Leprosy is an age-old disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae. The disease was declared eradicated in India in 2005. Many new cases are still being identified in the outdoor patient department. This study was undertaken to understand the epidemiological, clinical, and social aspects of leprosy among new patients, and assessthe current situation regarding caseload and presentation. Material and methods This study was designed as an observational study. It was carried out in people newly diagnosed with leprosyattending the outpatient department of Dermatology, Venereology, and Leprology in the tertiary care hospital in Uttar Pradesh University of Medical Sciences from July 2022 to January 2024. A total of 231 people afflicted with leprosy were included in the study. The data collected was statistically analyzed to identify demographic and social patterns, clinical presentations, and features associated with leprosy. Result Out of these 231 patients, 139 (60.17%) were male and 92 (39.83%) were female. Most cases belonged to the age group 40-59 years 87 (37.66%). History of close contact with an afflicted person was present in 34 (14.71%). Clinically, most patients belong to the borderline tuberculoid (BT) type. Only 24 (10.4%) patients were found positive for M. leprae by slit-skin smear examination. The ulnar nerve was the most common nerve involved in 63 (27.27%) cases. Trophic ulcers were the predominant deformity in 34 (14.7%), followed by foot drop in 13 (5.62 %). Conclusion The present study provides an overview of the prevailing trends of Leprosy within a specific region in the post-elimination era. The findings underscore the significance of the ongoing National Leprosy Eradication Program (NLEP) program and stress the importance of aligning them with the common goal of eliminating the burden and stigma of Leprosy from society.

Psychological status of residents at the onset of nationwide COVID-19 lockdown in low- and medium-risk areas of China.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a dual threat to public physical and mental health, prompted an investigation into the psychological well-being of residents in low- to medium-risk areas of China during the initial stages of the pandemic. We administered WeChat-based questionnaire surveys and employed chi-square tests and multiple logistic regression to analyze correlations between residents' age, gender, education, symptoms, COVID-19 close contact history, information sources, and anxiety, depression, and attitudes toward lockdown measures. We received 10,433 valid questionnaires, revealing 26% anxiety and 19.5% depression. Support for lockdown measures reached 98.2%. Factors such as female gender, self-diagnosed pneumonia symptoms, close contact history, and higher education levels increased anxiety risk. Having a doctorate posed a severe anxiety risk, at 4.5 times (P = .019, 95% CI 1.29-15.73). Older age acted as a protective factor, reducing severe anxiety risk to 0.98 and 0.22 times (P < .001, 95% CI 0.14-0.34). Females with a master degree or below and those receiving COVID-19 information from multiple channels faced higher depression risk. Pneumonia symptoms were a risk for all anxiety and depression degrees. Attitudes toward lockdown measures had no significant impact on psychological status, nor did any of the analyzed factors affect residents' overall attitude toward lockdown. Our findings underscore the need for increased psychological counseling, particularly for young females with lower educational backgrounds or self-suspected infection symptoms, to mitigate mild to moderate anxiety and depression in future epidemics or pandemics. The public, especially those of working age with doctorates or higher education, bears the highest risk of severe anxiety. Lockdown measures enjoy strong support in low- to medium-risk areas of China.

Analysis of Determinants of Tuberculosis in Stunted Toddlers in Rambipuji, Jember

Tuberculosis (TB) and stunting remain serious health problems in Indonesia. Stunting can impact a child's ability to resist infections, including TB. Stunted toddlers are more vulnerable to contracting TB compared to those with normal nutritional status. This research aims to explore the relationship and influence of TB risk factors on the occurrence of TB in stunted toddlers. This research is an analytical descriptive research with a cross sectional design. The research sample consisted of 183 stunted toddlers from eight villages in the Rambipuji sub-district, Jember. The research procedures included interviews, direct observations, and TB examinations in children. Interviews were conducted with the parents/guardians of the child respondents. Observations and direct measurements were performed to determine the physical characteristics of the respondents' living environments, including household density, ventilation area, natural lighting, humidity, and room temperature. The diagnosis of TB in children was established based on a scoring table for childhood TB. From the research findings, 15 children tested positive for TB (8.2%). Bivariate analysis showed a value of p &lt;0.05 for nutritional status, close contact, household density, ventilation, and natural lighting factors. Multivariate analysis revealed significant results for close contact (p=0.000; OR=39.563), household density (p=0.015; OR=9.659), and nutritional status (p=0.029; OR=6.718) as risk factors. In conclusion, it can be inferred that the risk factors associated with TB occurrence in stunted toddlers include nutritional status, close contact history, household density, ventilation, and natural lighting. The factors influencing TB occurrence in stunted toddlers are close contact history, household density, and nutritional status. Keywords: risk factor, stunted toddler, tuberculosis

Drug-resistant Tuberculosis in Pediatric

Introduction: Drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR TB) is a condition where Mycobacterium tuberculosis is resistant to isoniazid, rifampicin or resistant to isoniazid and rifampin as well as other first-line anti-tuberculosis drugs (OAT). Tuberculosis (TB) is a contagious infectious disease, caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis germs where the source of transmission is through droplets containing TB germs. Case Report: A 10 years 7 months girl, came to the MDR Polyclinic at the Haji Adam Malik Medan Central General Hospital (RSUP HAM Medan) on March 21 2023 bringing the results of the TB Molecular Rapid Test (TCM-TB) examination from the Teladan Barat Health Center with Rifampicin results were resistant and on March 24 2023 the patient was hospitalized. Currently, the patient is complaining of a cough that has been experiencing for ± 3 weeks. Cough with the impression of a dry cough and is continuous so that it interferes with daily activities. The cough does not improve even though the patient has taken cough medicine. There is no fever, there is also no history of previous fever. According to the anamnesis from the patient's parents, there has been a weight loss in the last 2 months, around ± 4 kg. There is no family history of long-term cough, but according to parents, there is a neighbor of the patient who suffers from pulmonary TB and is undergoing treatment. Discussion: After the diagnosis of drug-resistant tuberculosis is confirmed, an evaluation is carried out whether the patient meets the criteria for drug-resistant TB treatment guided by short-term or long-term oral drug-resistant tuberculosis. Patients who meet the evaluation criteria for treatment can immediately be given short-term oral drug-resistant tuberculosis therapy. If the patient does not meet the criteria for short-term treatment, long-term drug-resistant tuberculosis treatment is given. Routine evaluations are carried out during treatment and when the results of drug sensitivity tests are available, treatment is adjusted according to the examination results. Conclusion: A case of drug-resistant tuberculosis in a girl aged 10 years 7 months has been reported which was diagnosed based on anamnesis, physical examination, and supporting examinations, there was also a history of close contact with TB sufferers, and the results of TCM examination of sputum fluid showed rifampicin resistant MTB growth. Patients are treated as drug-resistant TB cases with a short-term regimen with regular monitoring of treatment response and side effects.

Epidemiological and clinical features of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant infection in Quanzhou, Fujian province: a retrospective study

Epidemiological and clinical data of patients infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron variant (BA.2) admitted to three designated hospitals in Quanzhou City, Fujian Province, China, were collected and analyzed. Overall, 2,541 patients infected with BA.2, comprising 1,060 asymptomatic, 1,287 mild, and 194 moderate infections, were enrolled. The percentage of moderate infections was higher in patients aged ≥ 60 years than in those aged < 18 years and 18–59 years. The median hospitalization duration was 17 days. Among the 2,541 patients, 43.52% had a clear history of close contact. The vaccination rate was 87.92%, and the percentage of asymptomatic infections was higher in vaccinated than in unvaccinated patients. Moreover, patients with underlying diseases, including hypertension and diabetes mellitus, had more moderate infections than those without underlying diseases. The three most common clinical manifestations were fever, dry cough, and sore throat. The albumin-to-globulin (A/G) ratio and lymphocyte count decreased in cases with mild and moderate infections, while procalcitonin, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, interleukin-6, D-dimer, and C4 levels increased. Advanced age, non-vaccination, and underlying comorbid diseases were high-risk factors for disease progression in patients. However, dynamic monitoring of blood routine parameters, A/G ratio, and inflammatory indicators facilitated the prediction of disease progression.

Comorbid Diseases and History of Close Contact Factors of Covid-19 Incidence in South Surabaya

Background: Comorbid diseases are one of the risk factors that can worsen the condition of COVID-19 patients. Patients with confirmed COVID-19 with comorbid diseases need special care, therefore, it is necessary to receive treatment in a hospital. The human-to-human transmission rate of SARS COV-2 is very fast and easy. Close contact with confirmed cases of COVID-19 is very possible for transmission to occur because this virus can be easily spread through droplet sparks. Cases and death rates from Covid-19 continue to grow over time. On March 7, 2021, the highest proportion of confirmed cases of covid-19 in Surabaya was in South Surabaya and East Surabaya, the resulting proportion was 0.82%. South Surabaya has a higher severity than East Surabaya (death rate from COVID-19 = 6%). Objectives: This study aims to analyze the magnitude of risk factors for comorbid diseases and close contact history the incidence of COVID-19 in South Surabaya. The benefit of this research is to assist the government in making policies to handle the surge in COVID-19 cases in South Surabaya. Methods: This study uses the type of observational analytical research with cross sectional design and sampling techniques used are participatory sampling. The number of samples is calculated using the formula Murti (1997). The sample size was 89. Statistical analysis used Prevalence Ratio (PR). Results: Respondents with negative PCR swab test result is 60,7% and positive result is 39,3%. Respondent with comorbid disease only as many as 17 respondents with the majority having comorbid hypertension. Respondent with close contact history is 71,9%. Comorbid diseases have a risk of covid-19 incidence in South Surabaya with PR = 2.06 while close contact history, PR = 2.34. Conclusions: Comorbid diseases have a risk of 2.06 times with the incidence of COVID-19 in South Surabaya. As for close contact history, it has a risk of 2.34 times with the incidence of COVID-19 in South Surabaya. The close contact history factor has a higher probability value in incidence of COVID-19 in South Surabaya. The Surabaya city government can pay special attention to people with comorbid diseases and increase tracing of close contacts with COVID-19 patients.

Immune escape and waning immunity of COVID-19 monovalent mRNA vaccines against symptomatic infection with BA.1/BA.2 and BA.5 in Japan

BackgroundRepeated emergence of variants with immune escape capacity and waning immunity from vaccination are major concerns for COVID-19. We examined whether the surge in Omicron subvariant BA.5 cases was due to immune escape or waning immunity through vaccine effectiveness (VE) evaluation. MethodsA test-negative case-control study was conducted in 16 clinics/hospitals during the BA.1/BA.2-dominant and BA.5-dominant periods. VE against symptomatic infection was estimated after adjusting for age, sex, comorbidity, occupation, testing frequency, prior infection, close contact history, clinic/hospital, week, and preventive measures. Absolute VE (aVE) was calculated for 2/3/4 doses, compared to the unvaccinated. Relative VE (rVE) was calculated, comparing 3 vs 2 and 4 vs 3 doses. Results13,025 individuals were tested during the BA.1/BA.2-dominant and BA.5-dominant periods with similar baseline characteristics. For BA.1/BA.2, aVE was 52 % (95 %CI:34–66) 14 days-3 months post-dose 2, 42 % (29–52) > 6 months post-dose 2, 71 % (64–77) 14 days-3 months post-dose 3, and 68 % (52–79) 3–6 months post-dose 3. rVE was 49 % (38–57) 14 days-3 months post-dose 3 and 45 % (18–63) 3–6 months post-dose 3. For BA.5, aVE was 56 % (27–73) 3–6 months post-dose 2, 32 % (12–47) > 6 months post-dose 2, 70 % (61–78) 14 days-3 months post-dose 3, 59 % (48–68) 3–6 months post-dose 3, 50 % (29–64) > 6 months post-dose 3, and 74 % (61–83) ≥ 14 days post-dose 4. rVE was 56 % (45–65) 14 days-3 months post-dose 3, 39 % (27–48) 3–6 months post-dose 3, 25 % (-2–45) > 6 months post-dose 3, and 30 % (-6–54) ≥ 14 days post-dose 4. ConclusionsBooster doses initially provided high protection against BA.5 at a level similar to that against BA.1/BA.2. However, the protection seemed shorter-lasting against BA.5, which likely contributed to the surge. Furthermore, rVE post-dose 4 was low even among recent vaccinees. These results support the introduction of variant-containing vaccines and emphasize the need for vaccines with longer duration of protection.

Detection of patients with COVID-19 by the emergency medical services in Lombardy through an operator-based interview and machine learning models

BackgroundThe regional emergency medical service (EMS) in Lombardy (Italy) developed clinical algorithms based on operator-based interviews to detect patients with COVID-19 and refer them to the most appropriate hospitals. Machine...

PEMODELAN M-ADAPTIVE GENERALIZED POISSON REGRESSION SPLINE PADA KASUS MDR-TB DI KALIMANTAN BARAT

Tuberculosis is a disease caused by the Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Multi-Drug Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is the term used to describe Mycobacterium tuberculosis that is resistant to one or more Anti-TB drugs. This study aims to determine the factors that affect the number of patients recovering from MDR-TB, by modeling the number of MDR-TB cured patients using Multivariate Adaptive Generalized Poisson Regression Spline (MAGPRS) method. The predictor variables are the average age (X1), percentage of patients who fail category 2 treatment (X2), percentage of patients who fail category 1 treatment (X3), percentage of patients relapsed (X4), percentage of patients neglecting treatment (X5), and percentage history of close contact with other patients (X6). A combination of BF (Basis function), MI (Maximum interaction), and MO (Minimum observation), the BF value is two to four times of predictor variables, MI has value of 1,2, and 3, and MO has value of 0,1,2, and 3. From the result, the best model was obtained from the combination of BF=24, MI=3, and MO=1, with GCV values of 0,3504 and R2 of 88,3%, and there are 14 BF that affect the response variable . The most influential predictors variables in a row, are X6, X3, X5, and X2.

A rare case of acute eosinophilic pneumonia induced by vaping-associated lung injury: a case report

BackgroundAcute eosinophilic pneumonia (AEP) is well-known as one of the primary eosinophilic pulmonary diseases of unknown etiology. It’s defined as a febrile illness along with acute onset respiratory failure that is commonly misdiagnosed at the initial presentation as infectious pneumonia. Despite the fact that AEP sometimes classified as idiopathic as no exact cause can be identified in most cases, it has been suggested recently to be linked with electronic cigarette or vaping products and associated with electronic cigarette or vaping associated lung injury (EVALI). Therefore, history of recent tobacco smoking or vaping exposure along with peripheral eosinophilia are crucial clinical findings suggestive of AEP.Case presentationA previously healthy 17-year-old female presented to the Emergency Room with one day history of progressively worsening shortness of breath accompanied by left sided pleuritic chest pain and fever. She wasn’t taking any medications, denied traditional cigarette smoking, exposure to pulmonary irritants, recent travel and had no history of close contact with sick patient. She recently started vaping 20 days prior to the presentation. Initially, she was admitted with a presumptive diagnosis of atypical pneumonia but was found to have AEP due to a recent vaping exposure.ConclusionVaping is a well-known health hazard that has become a growing trend among adolescents and have been promoted as a safe and effective alternative to traditional cigarettes. The etiology of AEP remains unclear, but many studies suggest a possible link with recent tobacco smoking or vaping. A key challenge for this clinical entity is to reach the diagnosis after excluding all other pulmonary eosinophilia causes, and it has an excellent prognosis if diagnosed early and treated appropriately.

Seroepidemiological and Molecular Survey for the Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Infection among Children in Iran, September 2020 to June 2021: 1-Year Cross-Sectional Study.

A population-based seroepidemiological and molecular survey on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was performed to detect induced antibodies to prior exposure and active infection of children aged 14 years or less in Tehran between 19 September 2020 and 21 June 2021. Moreover, correlations between the children's demographic data and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) symptoms with the infection status were investigated. Out of 1517 participants, cardinal symptoms of COVID-19 (fever > 38 °C and/or cough and/or diarrhea) were detected in 18%, and serological history of SARS-CoV-2 infection and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) positivity were confirmed in 33.2% and 10.7% of the weighted population, respectively. The prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection was significantly higher among 10-14-year-old children. Active infection was significantly higher in symptomatic children and during autumn 2020 and spring 2021. The quantitative reverse transcription real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) positivity was significantly higher among families with a lower socioeconomic status, whereas no association between RT-qPCR or seropositivity was determined with household size, underlying diseases, or gender. In conclusion, high SARS-CoV-2 infection prevalence and seroprevalence were detected in children in Tehran in different seasons. Infection prevalence was significantly higher in older children and in those with a positive history of close contact with infected cases and/or lower socioeconomic status.

BI04 Cutaneous cryptococcosis: a post-transplant cat among the pigeons

Abstract Cryptococcosis is an infection caused by the encapsulated yeasts Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii, which are opportunistic pathogens that mainly affect immunocompromised individuals. Infection is primarily by inhalation and causes pulmonary disease; haematogenous dissemination may affect other organs, particularly the central nervous system, with 10% of disseminated cryptococcosis affecting the skin. Primary cutaneous cryptococcosis due to direct skin inoculation is less common and rarely disseminates. We describe a kidney transplant recipient with disseminated cryptococcosis who presented with skin lesions in the early post-transplant period. As previously observed in a transplant patient with primary cutaneous cryptococcosis under our care, we propose that a history of close contact with urban pigeons was the source of infection. A 48-year-old man who had been transplanted in 2014 presented in May 2022 with a 3-cm-diameter, well-demarcated ulcer on his right shoulder which had been slowly enlarging over 6 weeks in close proximity to his recent COVID-19 vaccination site. Swab was positive for C. neoformans, serology was positive for cryptococcal antigen, chest X-ray showed a 14-mm nodule in the right lung and magnetic resonance imaging of the brain was normal. He was admitted by the transplant team and treated for presumed disseminated cryptococcal infection with intravenous AmBisome® and flucytosine for 2 weeks, and subsequently oral fluconazole. In view of his atypical presentation, we directly questioned him about previous skin disorders and possible sources of infection. It emerged that 6 months earlier, he had noticed multiple lesions on his legs but did not report this as they spontaneously resolved. Mobile phone images showed 0.5–1-cm umbilicated, red–purple nodules consistent with possible primary cutaneous cryptococcosis. We discovered that his balcony was covered in pigeons and their droppings, and he had unsuccessfully asked his local council to provide bird netting. This was the most likely source of his infection, although it is uncertain whether his skin involvement was primary, secondary or both, due to ongoing pigeon exposure. A 54-year-old female patient under our care who had previously presented 3 months post-transplant with extensive noduloulcerative umbilicated lesions confirmed on biopsy to be primary cutaneous cryptococcosis also had close contact with pigeons and their droppings in the immediate post-transplant period. The incidence of cryptococcosis in immunocompromised patients is increasing and cutaneous involvement may be the first manifestation of disseminated disease. The clinical spectrum of skin lesions is highly polymorphic, making diagnosis challenging. However, it should be considered in immunocompromised patients presenting with atypical skin lesions, particularly in the early post-transplant period.

Serological Profile of SARS-CoV-2 in Unvaccinated Blood Donors: A Nationwide Study During the Fifth Wave of the Pandemic in Iran

Background: Serological studies can demonstrate pathogen circulation in regional populations and reflect public health measures' effectiveness during different pandemic phases. By late November 2021, coinciding with the third pandemic wave, the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 spike IgG antibodies among the Iranian population was 32.63%. Objectives: This study aimed to assess the Iranian population's seroprevalence during the fifth pandemic wave by analyzing donated blood samples. Methods: This population-based cross-sectional study was conducted on Iranian blood donors referred to all 31 main provincial capitals between August 2021 and September 2021. The participants selected through quota sampling were asked to complete a questionnaire on socio-demographics and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related information. Also, SARS-CoV-2 spike IgG antibodies were measured in serum samples using SARS-CoV-2 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits. The seroprevalence was weighted based on the gender and age groups of the population and then adjusted for test performance. Results: Totally 3,339 blood donors participated in this study. The overall population-weighted seroprevalence adjusted for test performance was 52.67% (95% confidence interval (CI): 50.14 - 55.21). Seroprevalence was higher among participants with a high school diploma (55.45%, 95% CI 50.61 - 60.29), a positive history of close contact with COVID-19 patients (65.23%, 95% CI 60.83 - 69.63), and previous positive COVID-19 PCR tests (86.51%, 95% CI 82.32 - 90.7). Conclusions: More than half of the study population was exposed to SARS-CoV-2, indicating a 1.7-fold increase in the seroprevalence between late November 2020 and mid-September 2021. Our finding illuminated the pattern of Iran's fifth wave of the pandemic.

Post-COVID health-related quality of life and somatic symptoms: A national survey in Japan

BackgroundThe characteristics and risk factors of post-COVID-19 condition affecting health-related quality of life and the symptom burden are unclear. MethodsThe present, cross-sectional study used the JASTIS (Japan Society and New Tobacco Internet Survey) database. EQ-5D-5L and Somatic Symptom Scale-8 were used to assess health-related quality of life and somatic symptoms, respectively. The participants were classified into a no-COVID-19, COVID-19 not requiring oxygen therapy or COVID-19 requiring oxygen therapy group. First, the entire cohort was analyzed. Then, sensitivity analysis was performed after excluding patients in the no-COVID-19 group with a history of close contact with individuals known to have the disease. FindingsIn total, 30130 individuals (mean age: 47.8; females: 51.2%), including 539 and 805 with COVID-19 requiring and not requiring oxygen therapy, respectively, participated. The analysis of the entire cohort as well as the sensitivity analysis demonstrated that individuals with a history of COVID-19 had significantly lower EQ-5D-5L and significantly higher SSS-8 scores than those with no COVID-19 history. The group requiring oxygen therapy was associated with significantly lower EQ-5D-5L and higher SSS-8 scores than the group not requiring oxygen therapy. Propensity-score matching confirmed these results. Furthermore, two or more COVID-19 vaccinations were independently associated with high EQ-5D-5L and low SSS-8 scores (P < 0.001). ConclusionsThe participants with a COVID-19 history, especially those with severe disease, had a significantly higher somatic symptom burden. Analysis after adjusting for potential confounders found that their quality-of-life was also severely affected. Vaccination is crucial to addressing these symptoms, especially in high-risk patients.

Association between close contact history and the risk of COVID-19 in Purwakarta District, Indonesia

Background: COVID-19 pandemic is a global problem. One of the risk factors for COVID-19 is close contact, which has a greater risk of being confirmed because virus transmission generally occurs directly through droplets. Based on regional risk zoning mapping, Purwakarta District is categorized as a moderate risk zone, and most of the confirmed cases are caused by a history of close contact. Still, people with a history of close contact only sometimes become established patients. This study aimed to determine the relationship between close contact status and the incidence of COVID-19 in the Purwakarta district year 2020. Method: This study used observational analysis and a cross-sectional study design. The research data is secondary data from the Purwakarta Regency Health Office. Purposive sampling was used to select 2,650 people for the study. The data analysis method used is chi-square. Results: According to the respondents' characteristics, most are in their early adulthood (26.8 %) and male (52.3 %). According to bivariate analysis, there is a p-value = 0.002 relationship between close contact status and the incidence of COVID-19. People with close contact status are 1.040 times more likely than people who do not have close contact status to get COVID-19 (95 % CI = 1.013-1.069). Conclusion: Close contact status is a risk factor for COVID-19 transmission in Purwakarta Regency during 2020.

Human death due to H5N1 amid the COVID-19 pandemic and Mpox outbreak: A call for action.

Human death due to H5N1 amid the COVID-19 pandemic and Mpox outbreak: A call for action.

A comparison of SARS-CoV-2 rapid antigen testing with realtime RT-PCR among symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals

BackgroundIdentification of SARS-CoV-2 positive patients with rapid and cost-effective test methods is the key for isolating infected individuals, interrupting the transmission chain, and thus, containment of the CoVID-19 disease. In this regard, Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) plays an important role at point of care testing but the low sensitivity attributing towards escape of positive cases is reported as a major disadvantage of RAT which led us to evaluate a RAT kit among symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals suspected of CoVID-19.MethodsWe analyzed 329 parallel nasopharyngeal swabs for RAT (Zydus Cadila, India) at the point of collection in a hospital-based facility and RealTime RT-PCR in the laboratory. The performance parameters were analyzed by evaluating the specificity, sensitivity, Negative Predictive Value (NPV), Positive Predictive Value (PPV), and Kappa coefficient.ResultsThe sensitivity and specificity were found to be 75.17% and 98.89% respectively. Positive Predictive value was 98.25% and the negative predictive value was 82.79%. The accuracy between the two techniques was found to be 88.14% with a kappa coefficient of 0.756 (SE: 0.036 and CI at 95%: 0.686 to 0.826) with a good strength of agreement (0.61–0.80) between the two testing techniques. Among the false-negative cases, 22 (59.5%) were asymptomatic having the Cycle Threshold (Ct) range 27 to 32.9 including 12 cases with a history of close contact with the known positive cases (i.e. household contact). The remaining 15 cases (40.5%) were symptomatic having low to moderate Ct values.ConclusionIt is observed from the results that the false negative result for symptomatic individuals is a matter of concern as it was noted in 4 cases of our study subjects who required hospitalisation later. Also the positives among asymptomatic contacts are important from epidemiological point of view for isolation and curtailing the infection from spreading in a community. These results support the fact that RAT showing sensitivity below 80% can be used for mass screening purposes with provision for additional testing in case of false negative with symptomatic individuals. Also false-negative results should be interpreted cautiously considering the epidemiological link as well as the clinical condition of the patients.

DIAGNOSTIC ACCURACIES OF HRCT CHEST IN COMPARISON WITH RT-PCR IN DIAGNOSIS OF CORONAVIRUS DISEASE (COVID-19) IN A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL.

Objective:-To compare the diagnostic accuracies of HRCTchest and RT-PCR results in diagnosis of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in a tertiary care hospital in Kolar. Methodology This was a prospective study approved by Ethical Review Committee of R L JALAPPA Hospital. From Dec 2021 to May 2022, a total of 48 CT chest were performed in this hospital. Patients aged above 18 years, irrespective of gender, who were clinically suspected of COVID-19 with at least one RT-PCR test and HRCT chest done, individuals with close contact history and admitted patients were included. Patients with interval of more than seven days between HRCT chest acquisition and rst PCR sampling, patients with pulmonary and extra pulmonary lung malignancy, chest trauma, previous chest surgery were excluded. For those patients with negative rst PCR but suspicious clinical symptoms suggesting COVID-19, a second PCR was conducted within 3 days after the rst, the result of which was taken as diagnostic gold standard. For patients with only a single RT-PCR test, the test result was taken as the diagnostic gold standard Results:- Sensitivity of HRCTin diagnosing Covid 19 was 86.49%, Specicity of HRCT in diagnosing Covid 19 was 27.27%, Positive Predictive Value of HRCT in diagnosing Covid 19 was 80.00%, Negative Predictive Value of HRCT in diagnosing Covid 19 was 37.50% and Accuracy of HRCT in diagnosing Covid 19 was 72.92%

Effect of COVID-19 infection related experiences on social behaviors when a state of emergency is declared: a cohort study

BackgroundRestricting the movement of the public to gathering places and limiting close physical contact are effective measures against COVID-19 infection. In Japan, states of emergency have been declared in specific prefectures to reduce public movement and control COVID-19 transmission. We investigated how COVID-19 infection related experiences including people with a history of infection, people with a history of close contact, and people whose acquaintances have been infected, affected self-restraint from social behaviors during the second state of emergency in Japan.MethodsA prospective cohort study was conducted among workers aged 20–65 years using data from an internet survey. The baseline survey was conducted on December 22–25, 2020, and a follow-up survey was on February 18–19, 2021. There were 19,051 participants who completed both surveys and were included in the final analysis. We identified eight social behaviors: (1) eating out (4 people or fewer); (2) eating out (5 people or more); (3) gathering with friends and colleagues; (4) day trip; (5) overnight trip (excluding visiting home); (6) visiting home; (7) shopping for daily necessities; and (8) shopping for other than daily necessities. We set self-restraint regarding each social behavior after the second state of emergency was declared in January 2021 as the dependent variable, and COVID-19 infection related experiences as independent variables. Odds ratios were estimated using multilevel logistic regression analyses nested in the prefecture of residence.ResultsSignificant differences by COVID-19 infection related experiences were identified: compared to people without COVID-19 related experiences, people with a history of COVID-19 were less likely self-restraint from most social behaviors. People whose acquaintance had been diagnosed with COVID-19 were significantly more likely to refrain from most social behaviors. There was no significant difference in any social behaviors for people with a history of close contact only.ConclusionTo maximize the effect of a state of emergency, health authorities should disseminate information for each person in the target population, taking into account potential differences related to the infection related experiences.