Prevalence Rates Of COVID-19 Research Articles

The Prevalence of COVID-19 Infection in Patients Presented with Acute Exacerbation of Asthma, COPD and Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis at the Emergency Department of Al-Shaab Teaching Hospital from July 2021 to November 2021

Background: The ongoing global pandemic of COVID-19 has raised concerns about its impact on patients with pre-existing respiratory conditions. Understanding the association between COVID-19 and chronic lung diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is crucial for early detection and appropriate management. Studying the prevalence rates of COVID-19 in this specific patient population will contribute to the existing knowledge and inform healthcare strategies for better patient care. The objective of this study is to assess the prevalence of COVID-19 infection in patients who presented with acute exacerbation of asthma, COPD and IPF. Method: This cross-sectional descriptive hospital-based study was conducted at Al-Shaab Teaching Hospital in Sudan and included adult Sudanese patients with exacerbation of asthma, COPD, or IPF who presented in the ER from February 2021 to July 2021. A representative sample of 345 patients was selected using a convenience, non-randomized sampling technique. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS version 26. Ethical clearance and approval were obtained for the study. Results: The study included 175 (50.7%) patients with asthma, 116 (33.6%) with IPF and 54 (15.7%) with COPD. The overall prevalence of COVID-19 among the patients was 58 (16.8%). Among the three groups, the highest prevalence of COVID-19 was observed in 22 (40.7%) patients with COPD, followed by 16 (13.8%) patients with IPF and 20 (11.4%) asthmatic patients (p value < 0.05). In the asthmatic patients, the most common age groups affected were 25-34 years and 35-44 years, while in COPD and IPF patients, the prevalence was higher among patients aged 55 years and above (p value < 0.05). Additionally, the prevalence of COVID-19 in COPD and IPF patients was significantly higher among males than females (p value < 0.05). Conclusion: The prevalence of COVID-19 among patients with pre-existing respiratory conditions, such as asthma, COPD and IPF, is considerable, with the highest prevalence observed in patients with COPD. Furthermore, this study found that age and gender are associated factors with the prevalence of COVID-19 in these patient populations. These findings contribute to our understanding of the association between COVID-19 and chronic lung diseases, providing valuable information for early detection and appropriate management. The results of this study can inform healthcare strategies and contribute to better patient care in this specific patient population.

Challenges detecting SARS-CoV-2 in Costa Rican domestic wastewater and river water

This study presents the development of a SARS-CoV-2 detection method for domestic wastewater and river water in Costa Rica, a middle-income country in Central America. Over a three-year period (November to December 2020, July to November 2021, and June to October 2022), 80 composite wastewater samples (43 influent and 37 effluent) were collected from a Wastewater Treatment Plant (SJ-WWTP) located in San José, Costa Rica. Additionally, 36 river water samples were collected from the Torres River near the SJ-WWTP discharge site. A total of three protocols for SARS-CoV-2 viral concentration and RNA detection and quantification were analyzed. Two protocols using adsorption-elution with PEG precipitation (Protocol A and B, differing in the RNA extraction kit; n = 82) were used on wastewater samples frozen prior to concentration, while wastewater (n = 34) collected in 2022 were immediately concentrated using PEG precipitation. The percent recovery of Bovine coronavirus (BCoV) was highest using the Zymo Environ Water RNA (ZEW) kit with PEG precipitation executed on the same day as collection (mean 6.06 % ± 1.37 %). It was lowest when samples were frozen and thawed, and viruses were concentrated using adsorption-elution and PEG concentration methods using the PureLink™ Viral RNA/DNA Mini (PLV) kit (protocol A; mean 0.48 % ± 0.23 %). Pepper mild mottle virus and Bovine coronavirus were used as process controls to understand the suitability and potential impact of viral recovery on the detection/quantification of SARS-CoV-2 RNA. Overall, SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in influent and effluent wastewater samples collected in 2022 but not in earlier years when the method was not optimized. The burden of SARS-CoV-2 at the SJ-WWTP decreased from week 36 to week 43 of 2022, coinciding with a decline in the national COVID-19 prevalence rate. Developing comprehensive nationwide surveillance programs for wastewater-based epidemiology in low-middle-income countries involves significant technical and logistical challenges.

Assessing the risk and costs of COVID-19 in immunocompromised populations in a large United States commercial insurance health plan: the EPOCH-US Study

Objective To estimate the prevalence of patients with an immunocompromising condition at risk for COVID-19, estimate COVID-19 prevalence rate (PR) and incidence rate (IR) by immunocompromising condition, and describe COVID-19-related healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) and costs. Methods Using the Healthcare Integrated Research Database (HIRD)®, patients with ≥1 claim for an immunocompromising condition of interest or ≥2 claims for an immunosuppressive (IS) treatment and COVID-19 diagnosis during the infection period (April 1, 2020–March 31, 2022) and had ≥12 months baseline data were included. Cohorts (other than the composite cohort) were not mutually exclusive and were defined by each immunocompromising condition. Analyses were descriptive in nature. Results Of the 16,873,161 patients in the source population, 2.7% (n = 458,049) were immunocompromised (IC). The COVID-19 IR for the composite IC cohort during the study period was 101.3 per 1,000 person-years and the PR was 13.5%. The highest IR (195.0 per 1,000 person-years) and PR (20.1%) was seen in the end-stage renal disease (ESRD) cohort; the lowest IR (68.3 per 1,000 person-years) and PR (9.4%) was seen in the hematologic or solid tumor malignancy cohort. Mean costs for hospitalizations associated with first COVID-19 diagnosis were estimated at nearly $1 billion (2021 United States dollars [USD]) for 14,516 IC patients, with a mean cost of $64,029 per patient. Conclusions Immunocompromised populations appear to be at substantial risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes, leading to increased costs and HCRU. Effective prophylactic options are still needed for these high-risk populations as the COVID-19 landscape evolves.

COVID-19 EM TRABALHADORES DA SAÚDE: UM ESTUDO ECOLÓGICO A PARTIR DE DADOS DO SINAN, 2020-2021

ABSTRACT Objective: to analyze the epidemiological and occupational profile of health workers notified for COVID-19 in Brazil, in the years 2020 and 2021. Method: this is an ecological study, which used data from the Information System of Notifiable Diseases (SINAN) and the Annual Social Information List (RAIS), from the years 2020 and 2021. Sociodemographic and occupational variables were analyzed. The prevalence rates of COVID-19 in health workers were calculated, modeled by Poisson regression in the Stata 14 software. Results: in 2020 and 2021, 35,545 health workers were affected by COVID-19. A higher prevalence of the disease was observed in females (79.0%), between 30 and 49 years (65.5%) and in blacks and browns (41.4%). Higher rates were observed in women (793.9/100,000 in 2020), young workers (839.9/100,000 in 2020), non-whites (1,497.4/100,000 in 2020) and in northern Brazil, with 1,688.1 cases per 100,000 workers in 2020. Nursing professionals, physicians and physical therapists had the highest rates of the disease in 2020 and 2021. Conclusion: there was a difference between the sexes, as well as social, racial and occupational inequities that reflect the need to expand health surveillance measures in order to ensure greater prevention, protection and assistance to health workers.

Social preferences before and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in China

Abstract This study compares Chinese people’s trust and trustworthiness, risk attitude, and time preference before and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in China. We compare the preferences of subjects in two online experiments with samples drawn from 31 provinces across mainland China before and after the onset of the pandemic. We test two competing hypotheses regarding trust and trustworthiness. On the one hand, the outbreak as a collective threat could enhance in-group cohesion and cooperation and thus increase trust and trustworthiness. On the other hand, to the extent that people expect their future income to decline, they may become more self-protective and self-controlled, and thus less trusting and trustworthy and more risk averse and patient. Comparing before and after the onset, we found that the subjects increased in trustworthiness. After the onset, trust and trustworthiness (and risk aversion and present bias too) were positively correlated with the COVID-19 prevalence rate in the provinces. Subjects with more pessimistic expectations about income change showed more risk aversion and lower discount rates, supporting the speculation concerning self-control.

COVID-19 Incidence and Mortality in Long-Term Care Facilities in Tennessee.

Coronavirus Disease 2019, COVID-19, a viral infection, responsible for the latest pandemic has been shown to particularly affect the older population. Older adults, those aged 65 years and older, and individuals with serious underlying medical conditions are at a higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19 with a greater likelihood for hospitalization, admittance to the intensive care unit (ICU), and mortality. In this article, we describe the incidence and mortality rate found in Long Term Care facilities (LTCFs) and delineate any variations observed across varying types of LTCFs in the state of Tennessee (TN). Using aggregated data from the Tennessee (TN) Department of Health on COVID-19 Cases and Deaths from June 2020 to November 2021, we compare and contrast the incidence and fatality of COVID-19 among Long Term Care Facilities (LTCFs) in TN and describe the trends observed in these settings. Our study indicates that there were major variations in COVID-19 prevalence rates in Nursing Homes (NHs) - 49% versus Assisted Care Living Facilities (ACLFs) in TN -16%. Although COVID-19 prevalence rates differed for NH and ACLFs, 12% of infected residents died in NHs while 13% of infected residents died in ACLFs. (Odds Ratio [OR]: 1.08 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 0.93 -1.3, z-score: 1.37, p value: 0.085). Cases were more prevalent in five counties namely Davidson, Shelby, Hamilton, Knox, and Rutherford, majority of which were Metropolitan. As new variants continue to appear, counties with higher prevalence of COVID-19 should take continued effort to protect both resident and staff members especially in NHs settings and Metropolitan cities, where prevalence rate of the illness is higher.

Sparse Spatial Autoregressive and Spatio-temporal Models for COVID-19 Incidence in the Philippines

Philippine COVID-19 data have so many gaps resulting from lack of mass testing, late reporting of test results, and unreported cases – leading to too much noise and sparsity. A sparse spatial autoregressive model linking COVID-19 incidence and mortality rates to the healthcare system, demographic and economic indicators, disease prevalence, vaccination, urbanity, and environmental factors is proposed. The model allows for irregular spatial units accounting for temporal dependencies within a neighborhood was estimated using the Cochranne-Orcutt procedure embedded into the backfitting algorithm. Daily COVID-19 cases and deaths across provinces and cities in the National Capital Region (NCR) from 01 April 2020–15 September 2021 show a significant association of COVID-19 prevalence rate with the number of health workers, revenue of the local government unit (LGU), and prevalence of tuberculosis (TB). On the other hand, COVID-19 mortality rates are associated with the number of health workers, number of licensed COVID-19 testing laboratories, number of cities in an LGU, revenue of the LGU, prevalence rate of cancer, and prevalence rate of TB. The models emphasize the importance of resources available in the LGU that can boost the capabilities of the health care system. Pre-existing health conditions (co-morbidities) in the communities also determine the prevalence and mortality rates of COVID-19 in the Philippines.

Preadmission testing for COVID-19 as a screening strategy: a retrospective chart review from a tertiary hospital in Kenya

BackgroundSince COVID-19 was declared a pandemic in March 2020, hospitals and patient care facilities have faced challenges in protecting healthcare workers and patients from being exposed to the infection. The main challenge has been how exposure to COVID-19 can be controlled when asymptomatic patientscan transmit the infection. This study aims to evaluate pre-admission testing of COVID-19 in patients at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi as a screening strategy for understanding, preventing and controlling exposure to COVID-19. MethodsThis was a descriptive retrospective chart review study that analysed the incidence of COVID-19, incidental detection of laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 and effects on plan of care in patients prior to admission at the Aga Khan University Hospital from April to December 31, 2020. Demographic data, clinical characteristics, COVID-19 test report and plan of care were retrieved from patients medical records review. ResultsA total of 8837 pre-admission tests were done between April 2020 and December 2020, with a COVID-19 prevalence rate of 10.9% (961/8837). Among the positive pre-admission tests, 14.3% were incidental positive results (138/961). Among the 138 incidental positive tests 21% (30) had their plan of care affected, 14.5% [20] had their care interventions delayed, 4.3% [6] had their hospital stay shortened, 1.4% [2] their hospital stay prolonged and 0.7% [1] had their care diagnostics delayed. ConclusionWhile community spread of COVID-19 fluctuated during this period; depending on the level of compliance to infection control measures, pre-admission prevalence rates were increasing as the year progressed. Mandatory testing of COVID-19 in hospital facilities remains an important admission requirement in controlling asymptomatic transmission of the virus. COVID-19 health burden justifies resource allocation for universal screening of all patients before hospital admission.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on delays in surgical procedures in Germany: a multi-center analysis of an administrative registry of 176,783 patients

BackgroundWhile extensive data are available on the postponement of elective surgical procedures due to the COVID-19 pandemic for Germany, data on the impact on emergency procedures is limited.MethodsIn this retrospective case–control study, anonymized case-related routine data of a Germany-wide voluntary hospital association (CLINOTEL association) of 66 hospitals was analyzed. Operation volumes, in-hospital mortality, and COVID-19 prevalence rates in digestive surgery procedure groups and selected single surgical procedures in the one-year periods before and after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic were analyzed. The analysis was stratified by admitting department (direct admission or transfer to the general surgical department, i.e., primary or secondary surgical patients) and type of admission (elective/emergent).ResultsThe total number of primary and secondary surgical patients decreased by 22.7% and 11.7%, respectively. Among primary surgical patients more pronounced reductions were observed in elective (-25.6%) than emergency cases (-18.8%). Most affected procedures were thyroidectomies (-30.2%), operations on the anus (-24.2%), and closure of abdominal hernias (-23.9%; all P’s < 0.001). Declines were also observed in colorectal (-9.0%, P = 0.002), but not in rectal cancer surgery (-3.9%, n.s.). Mortality was slightly increased in primary (1.3 vs. 1.5%, P < 0.001), but not in secondary surgical cases. The one-year prevalence of COVID-19 in general surgical patients was low (0.6%), but a significant driver of mortality (OR = 9.63, P < 0.001).ConclusionsCompared to the previous year period, the number of patients in general and visceral surgery decreased by 22.7% in the first pandemic year. At the procedure level, a decrease of 14.8% was observed for elective procedures and 6.0% for emergency procedures. COVID-19 infections in general surgical patients are rare (0.6% prevalence), but associated with high mortality (21.8%).Trial registrationThe present study does not meet the ICMJE definition of a clinical trial and was therefore not registered.

Economic fundamentals, policy responses, and state-level municipal bond sensitivity to COVID-19 prevalence

This paper conducts a state-by-state analysis of the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the U.S. municipal bond market. Using panel regressions and state-by-state regressions, we find that the prevalence rates of the COVID-19 virus negatively impacted the aggregate performance of municipal bonds. The study also explored whether the disparities in the economic fundamentals of U.S. states, as well as the COVID-19 mitigation policies employed by each state, can explain the sensitivity of the state’s municipal bond to its COVID-19 prevalence rates. States with more desirable economic fundamentals and robust COVID-19 mitigation policies appeared to have higher COVID-19 sensitivities than states that do not. This finding may be due to a baseline effect, in which the higher levels of economic activities in these states also make them more susceptible to the deleterious effects of the stronger mitigation policies enacted by them.

Clinical Factors and Characteristics that Affect Prognosis of COVID-19 Patients

Background: COVID-19 disease has been linked to severe and deadly respiratory disease in various age groups. In team of COVID-19 disease prognosis and mortality, age is a key factor. The chance of mortality climbs from 0.66 percent to 7.8 percent in those over the age of 80. Males have a greater COVID-19 prevalence rate than females. Furthermore, even in the absence of additional comorbidities, sex was an essential biological determinant in prognosis and death risk among COVID-19 positive people. Another factor that influences the prognosis of COVID-19 illness is comorbidity. It's critical to comprehend the clinical characteristics and variables that influence the prognosis of COVID-19 illness patients. Objective: To describe the clinical factors and characteristics that affect COVID-19 patients’ prognosis. Methods: Retrospective research performed at Queen Alia Military Hospital by examining clinical characteristics of hospitalized individuals with a verified diagnosis of COVID-19 disease, as confirmed by polymerase-chain-reaction (PCR) assay. The research comprised laboratory outcomes, demographic features, chest imaging, and clinical data. Participants were categorized into the progression category and the improvement/stabilization group. Results: A total of 51 participants with a mean age of 33.6 years were involved in the research. Forty-six participants (90.2%) were categorized as an improvement/stabilization group, and five patients were classified as a progression group (9.8%). Fever, diarrhea, breath shortness, and cough were the most common signs and symptoms. Significant differences were detected between groups concerning age, comorbid diseases (diabetes and hypertension), disease severity, length of stay in the hospital, WBCs, creatinine, total bilirubin, ALP, LDH, CRP, albumin, oxygen saturation, and pulmonary consolidation (P &lt; 0.05). Moreover, multivariate logistic regression determined age (OR, 1.79; CI: .950 3.28; P = 0.035), diabetes (OR, 1.62; CI: 1.02 - 4.19; P 0.012), hypertension (OR, 1.13; CI: 1.04 - 3.62; P =0.023), increased creatinine (OR, 3.57; CI: 2.30 - 6.71; P = 0.01), and increased total bilirubin (OR, 2.82; CI: 1.72 - 3.28; P = 0.031) as risk factors for disease progression. Conclusion: Chronic disease and abnormal creatinine and bilirubin level including other factors contribute to poor prognosis of COVID-19 patients. This study shows that the clinical characteristics of the patient should be prioritized in disease management.

Decline in Mental Health in the Beginning of the COVID-19 Outbreak Among European Older Adults-Associations With Social Factors, Infection Rates, and Government Response.

ObjectiveGovernments across the world have deployed a wide range of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPI) to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Certain NPIs, like limiting social contacts or lockdowns, had negative consequences for mental health in the population. Especially elder people are prone to mental illnesses during the current pandemic. This article investigates how social factors, infections rates, and stringency of NPIs are associated with a decline in mental health in different European countries.MethodsData stem from the eighth wave of the SHARE survey. Additional data sources were used to build macro indicators for infection rates and NPIs. Two subsamples of persons with mental health problems were selected (people who reported being depressed, n = 9.240 or nervous/anxious, n = 10.551). Decline in mental health was assessed by asking whether depressive symptoms or nervousness/anxiety have become worse since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak. For each outcome, logistic regression models with survey-design were used to estimate odds ratios (OR), using social factors (age, gender, education, living alone, and personal contacts) and macro indicators (stringency of NPIs and infection rates) as predictors.ResultsHigher age was associated with a lower likelihood of becoming more depressed (OR 0.87) or nervous/anxious (OR 0.88), while female gender increased the odds of a decline in mental health (OR 1.53 for being more depressed; OR 1.57 for being more nervous/anxious). Higher education was only associated with becoming more nervous/anxious (OR 1.59), while living alone or rare personal contacts were not statistically significant. People from countries with higher infection rates were more likely to become more depressed (OR 3.31) or nervous/anxious (OR 4.12), while stringency of NPIs showed inconsistent associations.ConclusionA majority of European older adults showed a decline in mental health since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak. This is especially true in countries with high prevalence rates of COVID-19. Among older European adults, age seems to be a protective factor for a decline in mental health while female gender apparently is a risk factor. Moreover, although NPIs are an essential preventative mechanism to reduce the pandemic spread, they might influence the vulnerability for elderly people suffering from mental health problems.

Roles of Economic Development Level and Other Human System Factors in COVID-19 Spread in the Early Stage of the Pandemic

We identified four distinct clusters of 151 countries based on COVID-19 prevalence rate from 1 February 2020 to 29 May 2021 by performing nonparametric K-means cluster analysis (KmL). We forecasted future development of the clusters by using a nonlinear 3-parameter logistic (3PL) model, and found that peak points of development are the latest for Cluster I and earliest for Cluster IV. Based on partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) for the first twenty weeks after 1 February 2020, we found that the prevalence rate of COVID-19 has been significantly influenced by major elements of human systems. Better health infrastructure, more restriction of human mobility, higher urban population density, and less urban environmental degradation are associated with lower levels of prevalence rate (PR) of COVID-19. The most striking discovery of this study is that economic development hindered the control of COVID-19 spread among countries in the early stage of the pandemic. Highlights: While richer countries have advantages in health and other urban infrastructures that may alleviate the prevalence rate of COVID-19, the combination of high economic development level and low restriction on human mobility has led to faster spread of the virus in the first 20 weeks after 1 February 2020.

The COVID-19 pandemic, associated mental health issues and music educational therapy; An international and Chinese approach

COVID-19 dynamics and measures to control the pandemic have worldwide caused a high amount of mental and affective disturbances. Particularly children and adolescents have been confronted with home-schooling, domestic violence, social isolation and loneliness, existential issues, as well as the experience of multifaceted panicmongering and related pathological reactions. Although estimated prevalence rates of COVID-19 associated mental disorders vary across studies, there is a statistical tendency suggesting that about one third of the younger population exhibits serious psychiatric issues. As this quantity goes beyond the capacity of institutionalised psychiatric care, new models combining education and therapy are needed and are challenging today’s school systems. In Germany the COPSY study provided differential diagnostic data, and a music educational study used meta-synthetic methods to construct robust hypotheses which are considered stronger than usual hypotheses, but still need follow-up studies to explore underlying mechanisms and to estimate effect sizes. The related music-health-educational framework covers six key areas: (i) creative interaction to treat ‘coronanxiety’, (ii) focal listening to reduce symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorders, (iii) vocal immersion to improve psychosomatic self-regulation, (iv) sound scene improvisation to enhance self-actualisation and relieve learned helplessness, (v) artistic expression to support coping processes and communication skills and (vi) the ‘Beloved Augustin phenomenon’ concerning the positive impact of arts and joy on the immune system. Actually these approaches are being examined for application in China, alongside socio-cultural adaptations, qualitative research and neuroscientific studies on underlying mechanisms.

Symptomatic survey of COVID-19 in the rural health and demographic surveillance site of Maharashtra, India.

The COVID-19 epidemic is fast-evolving and restrictions to contain it changes quickly. The secondary attack rate (SAR) indicates the infectiousness at the household level, and it provides a clue of load of infections in the community. Rapid implementation of a large scale, but brief survey provides a nationally representative view of the pandemic's progression and impact as well as the effect of the measures taken to control the spread. This cross-sectional study was done for a period of 2 months July-August 2020, in one of the rural health and demographic surveillance system (HDSS) site in India among 11,507 households having 46,571 individuals with the objective to determine the prevalence of the COVID-19 infection and to estimate the family SAR. The data were collected using the mobile phone by calling the head of the households registered under the HDSS. The research tool was created using questions based on the guidelines provided by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, India. The interviewers were first trained in data collection. The households of 33,780 individuals were contacted and 33 patients were diagnosed as COVID positive, prevalence rate of 0.1% was thus documented through telephonic survey. The mean age of COVID patients was found to be 37 ± 16 years, and 63% of the diagnosed patients were males, majority of them belonged to above poverty line households. During the survey, 46 individuals reported to have the symptoms suggestive of COVID, fever and cough were the most commonly reported symptoms. The family SAR of 17.2% was documented. Thus to conclude a low COVID-19 prevalence rate of 0.1%, a higher family SAR of 17.2% was reported in the current study. Timely diagnosis and quarantine of close contacts should be continued to be implemented rigorously to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus. These efforts will be useful to contain the epidemic before it reaches an alarming level in the rural areas.

Diversity of COVID-19 News Media Coverage across 17 Countries: The Influence of Cultural Values, Government Stringency and Pandemic Severity.

The current media studies of COVID-19 devote asymmetrical attention to social media; in contrast, newspapers have received comparatively less attention. Newspapers are an integral source of current information that are syndicated and amplified by social media to a wide global audience. This is one of the first known studies to operationalize news media diversity and examine its association with cultural values during the pandemic. We tracked the global diversity of COVID-19 coverage in a news media database of 12 billion words, collated from 28 million articles over 7000 news websites, across 8 months. Media diversity was measured weekly by the number of unique descriptors of 10 target terms of the pandemic (e.g., COVID-19, coronavirus) and normalized by the corpus size for the respective countries per week. Government Stringency was taken from the Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker and cultural scores were taken from Hofstede’s Cultural Values global database. Results showed that Media Diversity Rate increased 6.7 times over 8 months, from the baseline period (October–December 2019) to during the pandemic (January–May 2020). Mixed effects modelling revealed that higher COVID-19 prevalence rates and governmental stringency predicted this increase. Interestingly, collectivist cultures are linked to more diverse media coverage during COVID-19. It is possible that news outlets in collectivist societies are motivated to present a diverse array of topics given the impact of COVID-19 on every segment of society. Of broader significance, we provided a framework to design targeted public health communications that are culturally nuanced.

COVID-19 Surveillance in the Primary Health Care Population of Qatar: Experience of Prioritizing Timeliness Over Representativeness When Sampling the Population.

SARS-CoV2 a new emerging Corona Virus Disease in humans, which called for containment measures by many countries. The current paper aims to discuss the impact of two different sampling methodologies when executing a drive through COVID-19 survey on the quality of estimated disease burden measures. Secondary data analysis of a pilot cross-sectional survey targeting Qatar's primary health care registered population was done. Two groups with different sampling methods were compared for estimating COVID-19 point prevalence using molecular testing for nasopharyngeal swabs. The first group is a stratified random sample non-proportional to size (N = 260). A total of 16 population strata based on age group, gender, and nationality were sampled. The second group is the Open invitation group (N = 841). The results showed that the two groups were obviously and significantly different in age and nationality. Besides, reporting of COVID-19 symptoms was more frequent in the open invitation group (28.2%) than the random sample (16.2%). The open invitation group overestimated the symptomatic COVID-19 prevalence rate by more than four times, while it overestimated the asymptomatic COVID-19 cases by a small margin. The overall prevalence rate of active COVID-19 cases in the open invitation sample (13.3%) was almost double that of the random sample (6.9%). Furthermore, using population sampling weights reduced the prevalence rate to 0.8%. The lesson learned here is that it is wise to consider the magnitude of bias introduced in a surveillance system when relying on convenient sampling approaches in response to time constraints.

Correction: Impact of PD-1 Blockade on Severity of COVID-19 in Patients with Lung Cancers

In the original version of this article (1), the prevalence rates of COVID-19 in patients with COPD baseline were incorrectly stated in both the “No prior PD-1 blockade (n = 28)” and “Prior PD-1 blockade (n = 41)” columns in Table 2. We have corrected these errors by replacing “9%” with “11%” in the column titled “No prior PD-1 blockade (n = 28)” and “36%” with “22%” in the column titled “Prior PD-1 blockade (n = 41)” in latest online HTML and PDF versions of the article. The authors regret the error.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of SARS-CoV-2 infection prevention strategies including pre-endoscopic virus testing and use of high risk personal protective equipment.

Background Infection prevention strategies to protect healthcare workers in endoscopy units during the post-peak phase of the COVID-19 pandemic are currently under intense discussion. In this paper, the cost-effectiveness of routine pre-endoscopy testing and high risk personal protective equipment (PPE) is addressed. Method A model based on theoretical assumptions of 10 000 asymptomatic patients presenting to a high volume center was created. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) and absolute costs per endoscopy were calculated using a Monte Carlo simulation. Results ICER values for universal testing decreased with increasing prevalence rates. For higher prevalence rates (≥ 1 %), ICER values were lowest for routine pre-endoscopy testing coupled with use of high risk PPE, while cost per endoscopy was lowest for routine use of high risk PPE without universal testing. Conclusion In general, routine pre-endoscopy testing combined with high risk PPE becomes more cost-effective with rising prevalence rates of COVID-19.

COVID-19 and intellectual disability/autism spectrum disorder with high and very high support needs: issues of physical and mental vulnerability

Purpose The COVID-19 outbreak has profoundly plagued the world, and current health efforts are focused on providing prevention and ensuring access to intensive services for people with the most severe symptomatology. Many reports have already described substantial psychological distress in the general population. Nevertheless, disasters tend to affect vulnerable subjects disproportionately, and individuals with intellectual disabilities/autism spectrum disorder with high and very high support needs (PwID/ASD-HSN) seem to be counted among the hardest hit populations. The present paper aims to provide a comprehensive discussion and evaluation of COVID-19 related issues specific to PwID/ASD-HSN. Design/methodology/approach Commentary on available literature and analysis of new preliminary data on PwID/ASD-HSN’s physical and psychic vulnerability factors. This knowledge is fundamental to provide families and caregivers special advice to counteract the risks associated with the current pandemic. Findings PwID/ASD-HSN represent one of the most vulnerable population to the COVID-19 outbreak and the associated factors of mental distress for several reasons, including multimorbidity, low levels of health literacy, difficulties to understand and communicate, reliance on other people for care, low compliance with complex hygiene rules, the strong need of routine/sameness and low adaptive skills. Originality/value In the present work, the authors analyze the specific factors of physical and mental vulnerability in PwID/ASD-HSN, corroborating the dissertation with a discussion on the first data published worldwide and with preliminary data collected on the Italian territory for what concerns prevalence rates of COVID-19 and complications in persons with PwID/ASD-HSN and signs and symptoms of psychic distress during the mass quarantine period.