Safety-related Measures Research Articles

Global sensitivity analysis of stochastic re-entry trajectory using explainable surrogate models

The assessment of casualty risks associated with re-entry necessitates a comprehensive analysis of trajectories and the examination of pertinent safety-related quantities such as the ground impact area and ground reaching velocity. In practical scenarios, the presence of uncertainty in input conditions introduces variability in safety-related quantities. Consequently, employing stochastic re-entry trajectory analysis becomes crucial in overcoming the limitations of conventional deterministic analyses. Conducting sensitivity assessments during the break-up phase is imperative to gain more insights into how to manage the variability of safety-related measures. Therefore, this paper conducted a surrogate-based global sensitivity analysis and employed explainability machine learning techniques to unveil the complexities of the relationship between input uncertainty conditions and three key measures: ground-reaching velocity, falling range, and falling time, with the object of interest being the Apollo-type capsule. A three-step polynomial chaos expansion-based strategy was devised to efficiently approximate the discontinuous relationships. The results show that the relationship is characterized by severe discontinuity that separates two modes: low- and high-ground reaching velocity caused by the presence of two distinct trim points, with precautionary measures that should be taken to prevent the occurrence of the latter. From this set of procedures, three key input conditions that significantly affect the safety-related measures were identified, namely, the altitude, pitch rate, and path angle of the capsule during the breakup. Subsequently, explainability techniques were utilized to give suggestions on how to control the input variability and avoid the high ground reaching velocity mode, aiming to achieve more dependable predictions for the three safety parameters mentioned earlier.

Evaluating dynamics, security, and performance metrics for smart manufacturing

The role of the Internet of Things (IoT) in Smart Manufacturing, aimed to illuminate its transformative impact on operational efficiency, responsiveness, and environmental sustainability. The aim of the investigation was to explore IoT's pivotal significance in reshaping manufacturing processes towards heightened efficiency, responsiveness, and environmental consciousness. The study presents results from performance metric assessments, visualizations, and data simulations. It contains information about way IoT data is shown in manufacturing environments, the clear relationship between temperature and pressure, the distribution of security risks and related safety measures, and the dynamic behaviour of important IoT components. The importance of IoT in real-time environmental management, process optimization, and security enhancement within paradigms of smart manufacturing are the key points of observation. The comparative analysis of Conventional Analytical Models and Composite Models highlights the choice between stability and adaptability, providing crucial insights for modeling approaches tailored to distinct manufacturing requirements. IoT's transformative potential within Smart Manufacturing, emphasizing data integrity, security, sensor dynamics, analytics, and sustainability.

Role of mu opioid receptor (MOR) agonist efficacy as a determinant of opioid antinociception in a novel assay of pain-depressed behavior in female and male mice.

Intermediate efficacy mu opioid receptor (MOR) agonists have potential to retain analgesic effectiveness while improving safety, but the optimal MOR efficacy for effective and safe opioid analgesia is unknown. Preclinical assays of pain-depressed behavior can assess effects of opioids and other candidate analgesics on pain-related behavioral depression, which is a common manifestation of clinically relevant pain and target of pain treatment. Accordingly, the present study goal was to validate a novel assay of pain-depressed locomotor behavior in mice and evaluate the role of MOR efficacy as a determinant of opioid analgesic effects and related safety measures. Male and female ICR mice were tested in a locomotor chamber consisting of 2 compartments connected by a doorway that contained a 1-inch-tall barrier. Dependent measures during 15-min behavioral sessions included crosses between compartments (which required vertical activity to surmount the barrier) and total movement counts (which required horizontal activity to break photobeams in each compartment). Intraperitoneal injection of lactic acid (IP acid) produced a concentration- and time-dependent depression of both endpoints. Optimal blockade of IP acid-induced behavioral depression with minimal motor impairment was achieved with intermediate-efficacy MOR treatments that also produced less gastrointestinal-transit inhibition and respiratory depression than the high-efficacy MOR agonist fentanyl. Sex differences in treatment effects were rare. Overall, these findings validate a novel procedure for evaluating opioids and other candidate analgesic effects on pain-related behavioral depression in mice and support continued research with intermediate-efficacy MOR agonists as a strategy to retain opioid analgesic effectiveness with improved safety.

DEVELOPMENT OF A STRUCTURAL AND FUNCTIONAL MODEL OF AN AUTOMATED SYSTEM FOR DESIGNING ASPIRATION NETWORKS

Currently, the situation with the sale of grain products of the Russian Federation by an external consumer is quite complicated. A large amount of grain products remains unclaimed and requires processing in the domestic market.
 In this regard, the capacities of existing enterprises are not sufficient for storage and processing. To increase the processing of grain products, it is necessary to build new processing enterprises.
 The technology of processing grain products requires the implementation of a number of safety-related measures, in particular with dust removal and dust protection. For the implementation of safety measures, the installation and installation of aspiration networks is carried out. The set of aspiration networks includes a large number of equipment and components. Aspiration networks of enterprises are a complex and responsible economy, on which the technological processes of functioning of the entire milling enterprise depend.
 The calculation of aspiration networks, a rather laborious process currently carried out mainly manually, takes a long time. Automation of the design of aspiration networks, an urgent and in-demand necessity, both for Russia and all the countries of the Eurasian Economic Community.
 The presented article shows the methodology for the development of a structural and functional model (SPM) of an automated aspiration network design system using the SADT, IDEF0 methodology. SFM is used in the development of an information logic model (IFM) and a program algorithm for calculating the aspiration network.

Expanding scope of Kirkpatrick model from training effectiveness review to evidence-informed prioritization management for cricothyroidotomy simulation

Modified Kirkpatrick model has been adopted to evaluate training effectiveness by 6 categories, including activity accounting (training objectives/success in organization change) at Level-0, reaction (satisfaction) at Level-1, learning (acquisition of surgical airway skills) at Level-2, behavior (post-training change in personal strengths) at Level-3, result (organizational or clinical outcomes) at Level-4, and Return on Investment (ROI) or Expectation (ROE) (monetary and societal values following training and other quality and safety related measures) at Level-5. The purpose of this hospital-based prospective observational study was twofold: i) To evaluate potential impacts on monetary and societal values and successful organization change following implementation of advanced Cricothyroidotomy simulator and standardized curriculum in healthcare simulation training, ii) To inform decisions of resource allocation by reviewing overall values and prioritization strategies for i) general surgeon/emergency physician ii) with seniority >5 years and iii) prior porcine training experience based on findings at Kirkpatrick Level-0, Level-4, and Level-5. Seventy doctors and 10 nurses completed Cricothyroidotomy training and follow-up questionnaires within 2021/22. All training usability scoring measured by Scales of Emergency Surgical Airway Simulator (SESAS-17) achieved over 4 out of 5 (Level-4) with effects in favor of emergency physicians or general surgeons (p < .5), regardless of seniority and prior training experience. Success in organization change (Level-0) and cost-effectiveness (Level-5) were hypothetically established using theoretical framework of Gleicher's formula and Roger's Diffusion of Innovation Theory. Overall training effectiveness, in terms of advantage in usability, cost-benefits and successful organizational changes, provided sound evidence to support continuous investment of new curriculum and innovative simulator and “Surgeon-and-emergency-physician-first” policy when it comes to resources allocation strategies for Cricothyroidotomy training. [ACGME competencies: Practice Based Learning and Improvement, Systems Based Practice.]

Gender Gaps in Improvements to Shared-Ride Services: Insights from a Shared Mobility Survey

This study analyzed data from a 2022 shared mobility survey to investigate the impact of gender on the potential improvements to on-demand transportation services, particularly shared-ride services such as ridesharing through transportation network companies (TNCs) and microtransit. Results revealed that male respondents were more inclined to opt for financial incentives such as pretax benefits, direct subsidies, and subsidizing certain trips. Employer-related programs such as parking cash-out programs and flexible working hours were also found to be more appealing to male respondents. In contrast, female respondents placed a greater emphasis on safety-related measures, indicating that safety concerns may be too significant for them to overlook, even when presented with financial incentives.

Experience of the patient regarding their safety in the hospital environment.

to analyze the factors that can impact patients' experience concerning safety-related measures in the hospital setting. this qualitative, descriptive, and exploratory study was conducted with patients and their family members at a hospital in southern Brazil. Semi-structured interviews were carried out using the Critical Incident Technique between January and February 2022. The collected data underwent content analysis with the assistance of IRaMuTeQ software. five patients, four family members, and three patient-family units participated in the study. The following categories emerged: "Patientprofessional interaction as a component of safe care," "Recognition of safety protocols in the patient's experience," and "Safe care and the challenges in hospital care." patient-professional interaction, communication, awareness of safety protocols, and the availability of the nursing team are factors that influence patients' experience regarding the safety of their care during hospitalization.

Needle stick injuries and their safety measures among nurses in Erbil Hospitals

Background: Needle stick injuries are serious professional hazards in the transfer of certain types of blood borne diseases such as hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, and human immunodeficiency virus among healthcare workers. Objective: Firstly, to determine the prevalence and factors related to needle stick injuries. Secondly, to assess related safety measures among nurses in Erbil hospitals. Patients and Methods: A hospital based cross sectional study including a sample of 452 nurses. A representative supple sample size was calculated by using Epi info version 7.The sample was proportional to the population of nurses in each hospital. A convenient sampling technique was adopted in selection of studied sample from different teaching hospitals in Erbil city. Data were collected by using self-administered questionnaire, which included socio-demographic characteristics of participants and questions regarding needle stick injuries and preventive measures. (SPSS, Chicago, IL, USA), version 26) was applied for data entry and analysis. P value of ≤ 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: Out of a total (452) study population, 56.9% were females and 43.1% were males. The mean ± SD of age was 36.2 ± 5.41, ranging from 21 to 54 year. The prevalence of needle stick injuries was 87.4% among nurses, and the widespread activity leading to NSIs was recapping of needles (81%). The average of non-reporting to supervisor of infection control was 77.2%. The majority of NSIs took place in the morning (70.5%). There was a statistically significant association between NSIs and use of PPE, secure disposal of needle in the safety box, and use of auto-disable syringe during injection, in which NSIs were highest among those who not use or sometimes use the above mentioned safety measures, (P&lt;0.001, P=0.002, and P=0.003 in respectively). Conclusion:This study showed that transverse needle stick injuries among nurses are very high and pose a rise in hazards for professional exposure to diseases transmitted by blood. The majority of nurses are not reporting the needle stick injuries to the supervisor of the infection control unit.

Perceived risks of transit use during COVID-19: Correlates and strategies from a case study in El Paso, Texas

IntroductionCOVID-19 has led to public transportation ridership plummeting and thus created fiscal crises and operational difficulties for transit operators. Although transit services remain essential for people with limited access to alternative transportation modes, the unfavorable public view keeps potential riders from transit. The public transportation industry is in dire need of restoring trust and recovering ridership. MethodsIn July 2020, we conducted an online survey in El Paso, Texas, to investigate COVID-19 risk perceptions related to transit use. A total of 712 valid responses, consisting of 613 English and 99 Spanish responses, were included in the analyses. Results and conclusionsDescriptive and bivariate analyses showed many choice transit riders changed their mobility patterns by abandoning public transportation. Survey participants reported that social distancing and cleaning services were very important in encouraging them to return to transit. The free fare policy was also a stimulus for the existing riders to continue their transit use during the pandemic. The multivariable analysis results highlighted that public knowledge plays a vital role in COVID-19 risk perceptions and transit use decisions. Major opportunities exist in terms of public awareness campaigns that inform the public about the COVID-19 related safety measures transit operators are implementing. We further suggest some practical strategies to enhance public communication and help transit operators recover from COVID-19. This study offers timely insights for public policy stakeholders, including transit agencies, to better utilize their resources to protect public health, regain public confidence, and bring passengers back.

Impact of ventilation and avoidance measures on SARS-CoV-2 risk of infection in public indoor environments

BackgroundThe literature includes many studies which individually assess the efficacy of protective measures against the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. This study considers the high infection risk in public buildings and models the quality of the indoor environment, related safety measures, and their efficacy in preventing the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. MethodsSimulations are created that consider protective factors such as hand hygiene, face covering and engagement with Covid-19 vaccination programs in reducing the risk of infection in a university foyer. Furthermore, a computational fluid dynamics model is developed to simulate and analyse the university foyer under three ventilation regimes. The probability of transmission was measured across different scenarios. FindingsEstimates suggest that the Delta variant requires the air change rate to be increased >1000 times compared to the original strain, which is practically not feasible. Consequently, appropriate hygiene practices, such as wearing masks, are essential to reducing secondary infections. A comparison of different protective factors in simulations found the overall burden of infections resulting from indoor contact depends on (i) face mask adherence, (ii) quality of the ventilation system, and (iii) other hygiene practices. InterpretationRelying on ventilation, whether natural, mechanical, or mixed, is not sufficient alone to mitigate the risk of aerosol infections. This is due to the internal configuration of the indoor space in terms of (i) size and number of windows, their location and opening frequency, as well as the position of the air extraction and supply inlets, which often induce hotspots with stagnating air, (ii) the excessive required air change rate. Hence, strict reliance on proper hygiene practices, namely adherence to face coverings and hand sanitising, are essential. Consequently, face mask adherence should be emphasized and promoted by policymakers for public health applications. Similar research may need to be conducted using a similar approach on the Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant.

Do we know why the number of traffic fatalities is declining? If not, can we find out?

The number of traffic fatalities has declined by 80-90 % from the all-time peak number in many highly motorized countries. It would be of great interest to identify factors that explain this decline. Unfortunately, this is difficult, and an ideal method does not exist. This paper discusses some less-than-ideal methods. Multivariate statistical analyses are unlikely to be informative because they are likely to be affected by both multicollinearity and omitted variable bias. This implies that they will always include both too many and too few predictor variables, a problem that is impossible to solve. Historical reconstruction is another possible method. It explains fatality reductions over time by known factors that are related to fatalities and for which sufficient information about their presence or uptake is available. Studies based on historical reconstructions show consistently that safer road user behavior is a major contributor to reducing fatalities, followed by infrastructure and vehicle related safety measures. However, there is no way of establishing causality. The relative importance of different types of factors is highly dependent on the amount of information available. In a strict sense, there is therefore no prospect of providing a scientific explanation of the decline in traffic fatalities. In a less strict sense, historical reconstructions still may give an impression of relative contributions of some known factors. For example, the most recent Norwegian study identified factors that may explain more than half of the reduction of road traffic fatalities after 2000.

Safety challenges experienced by driver license examiners and related safety measures

Driver license examiners serve as the “gatekeepers” to the world of driving. These examiners administer driving tests and issue driver licenses to prospective drivers that demonstrate driving competency. Unfortunately, this community of workers is vulnerable to experiencing safety incidents as they test prospective drivers with limited driving proficiency. Understanding the safety challenges these workers experience professionally is fundamental to identifying and adopting relevant safety measures. Towards achieving this goal, interviews were conducted with driver license examiners in North Carolina to compile the safety challenges they professionally experience. Additionally, safety management measures that they adopt regularly and others that they recommend for possible future adoption were gathered. The reported safety challenges include prospective drivers reporting for testing and retesting without sufficient training, the existence of communication and language barriers, prospective drivers adopting driving customs learned in other countries, and experiences of entering unclean vehicles. Safety measures that the driver license examiners adopt regularly include the use of widely adopted terms and hand gestures to overcome communication challenges, being prepared to take control over the vehicle steering, encouraging prospective drivers to hold the learner’s permit and gain additional experience, and others. Suggested safety measures for possible future adoption include empowering examiners to terminate the test when appropriate, enforcing a limited wait time following the issuance of a learner’s permit prior to attempting the driving test, and the regular adoption of contactless testing methods popularized during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study findings can be leveraged to enhance the safety of driver license examiners.

Assessment of Knowledge towards Radiation Protection Measures among Newly Graduated Dentists from Egypt and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: A Questionnaire-Based Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: It is hypothesized that knowledge towards ionizing radiation (IR) protection measures is lacking among newly graduated dentists from Egypt and Saudi Arabia. The purpose of the present questionnaire-based study was to compare the IR protection knowledge among newly graduated dentists from Egypt and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Methods: The present investigation was a questionnaire-based study and had a cross-sectional observational analytical design. Newly graduated dentists were defined as individuals who had graduated from a credentialed dental institution within the past 36-months. The questionnaire was related to knowledge about radiation safety, awareness and practices. The questionnaire comprised of 17 multiple choice questions. Questionnaires in which all the 17 questions were not answered or had missing pages were excluded. Odds ratios were computed for the number of correct and incorrect responses and 95% confidence intervals were determined. Individuals that provided up to 40%, 41% to 70% and >70% correct answers were categorized as having “low competence”; “moderate competence” and “high competence” in IR knowledge. p-values less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: The mean percentage of correct answers provided by dentists from Egypt and KSA were 56.9% and 67.4%, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in the percentages of correct responses for the 17 questions submitted by respondents from Egypt and KSA. The overall percentage of correct responses ranged between 40.2–71.2% and 45.4–81.4% for respondents from Egypt and KSA, respectively. The odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals showed no statistically significant correlation in the responses from respondents from Egypt and KSA for each of the 17 questions addressed. Conclusion: Newly graduated dentists from Egypt and KSA are moderately competent regarding IR doses and related safety measures. It is recommended that modifications in the undergraduate dental education curriculum with emphasis on IR safety and practice would help enhance the knowledge and competence of students and newly graduated dentists. Moreover, routine continuing dental education seminars/programs may help enhance the IR knowledge of dental students and dentists.

County-level crash prediction models for Pennsylvania accounting for income characteristics

The majority of current safety prediction models utilize roadway and traffic data as independent variables to describe safety performance at a microscopic level. Recent work moves toward predicting these measures within some region as a function of roadway and traffic data, as well as non-traditional variables, such as socioeconomic measures. This paper aims to provide a holistic view of the intersection of socioeconomics and safety in Pennsylvania by investigating possible relationships between wealth and various aspects of safety performance, including crash frequency, severity, and cost. The analyses presented in this paper serve as case studies with intentions to promote the development of more robust, wealth-inclusive safety analyses in the future. The study reveals relationships between socioeconomic-related measures and crash frequency, severity, and cost estimations. These relationships indicate counties with increased levels of socioeconomic distress (quantified by multiple socioeconomic-related variables) are estimated to experience more crashes – particularlyrelated to alcohol usage – and higher total crash costs, and crashes that occur in counties with increased levels of socioeconomic distress are estimated to be more likely to result in an increased injury severity level compared to crashes that occur elsewhere. These resultssupport previous work andexpand on that work by considering multiple socioeconomic-related variables and their impacts on three unique safety-related measures. The existence of a relationship between crash frequency, severity, and cost and wealth-related variables opens the door to further exploration of including wealth in traditional safety analyses. This paper discusses these relationships and offers recommendations for future work.

Effects of traditional Chinese medicine collaborative model (TCMCM) combined with adjuvant chemotherapy on IIIb and IIIc gastric cancer: a protocol for a randomized controlled trial

BackgroundMetastasis and/or recurrence can decrease the survival time of gastric cancer patients undergoing radical operation. Among them, those with stage IIIb and IIIc are especially at a high risk of metastasis and recurrence. The traditional Chinese medicine collaborative model (TCMCM) has been used in the treatment of cancer; however, its effects have not been systematically evaluated. This study is designed to evaluate whether TCMCM can decrease adverse effects after chemotherapy and reduce the recurrence and metastasis of stage IIIb and IIIc gastric cancer.Methods/designThis prospective, multicenter, randomized, open-label trial will recruit 260 patients with stage IIIb and IIIc gastric cancer who undergo radical surgery for D2 lymphadenectomy. The patients will be randomly assigned to receive usual adjuvant chemotherapy and TCMCM (intervention group) in a 1:1 ratio. Patients in the intervention group will receive an oral traditional Chinese formula, auricular acupressure, and acupoint therapy. All participants will receive usual adjuvant chemotherapy. The primary outcome is a 3-year disease-free survival rate. Secondary outcomes include quality of life, side effects caused by chemotherapy, and safety-related measures. Assessments will be performed during the screening period, at 4 and 8 cycles after adjuvant chemotherapy, and 9, 12, 18, 24, 30, and 36 months after randomization. Adverse events will be recorded. In addition, biological samples will be collected for mechanism analysis.DiscussionThis will be the first clinical trial to evaluate the effects of TCMCM on disease-free survival (DFS) and quality of life in patients with stage IIIb and IIIc gastric cancer. Our results may be used to standardize TCMCM. We will also perform a larger-scale clinical trial in the future.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.govNCT03607656. Registered on 1 July 2018. The final protocol version is V1.1.

Isometric push and pull strengths of agricultural workers from Northeast India.

In agricultural farming operations, the incompatibility between operators' physical capability and labor demands in the operation of tools and equipment results in a decreased performance, productivity, and safety related measures. The aim of this study was to collect a biomechanical database of push/pull strengths for initiating the development of a human-centered design of equipment that is not available for the intended user group, i.e. Nagaland. The sample consisted of 399 male and 271 female agricultural workers from the five districts of Nagaland, aged 18 to 65 years, classified into three age groups. In the process of push and pull force measurements, the elbow angle of the participants were set to 30-120°, 120-130°, and 130-180°. All tests were performed in triplicates with a resting period of two minutes between every consequent recording. The results showed that isometric push and pull strength values (Mean±SD) for males were 18.91±4.67 kg and 17.98±3.97 kg respectively and 13.07±4.06 kg and 11.98±3.33 kg for females respectively. The results of independent samples from student's t-test demonstrate that there was a substantial variance in the isometric push and pull strength values (p < 0.05) between the genders across the various age spectrum. With ageing, muscular strength for push-pull strength in males and females reduce. The study reports that the recommended value of male and female isometric push-pull strength for agricultural workers of Nagaland should be 5th percentile of female data i.e. 6.40 and 1.71 kg respectively.

Study on drug profile used in common pregnancy influenced issues and its complications

Background: Pregnancy influenced issues are common among pregnant women treated by medications that causes complication in mother and fetus. The study aims to identify patients with pregnancy influenced issues like gestational diabetes mellitus, gestational hypertension, gastroesophageal reflux disease and anaemia. To assess the drug used pattern along with antibiotic therapy and to observe the above disease related complications.Methods: A hospital based prospective observational study was conducted at department of obstetrics and gynecology in Rajah Muthiah Medical College and Hospital. Totally 100 patients enrolled and data was collected using data collection form.Results: Out of 100 patients, high prevalence occurred in 26-30 years of age. Primarily gestational hypertension (39%), treated with Tab. Labetatol and complications were premature delivery, low birth weight. Anaemia (25%) cases treated with Tab. Ferrous sulphate, Iron sucrose and Folic Acid, Preterm delivery as complication. Gestational diabetes mellitus (18%) treated with Metformin and Human Insulin and complications were preterm delivery, maternal obesity, increased child weight. GERD (8%) treated with Pantoprazole, Ondansetron, Bifilac and complications were weight loss, dehydration, low birth weight. In pre-operative cases, 79% received antibiotics as monotherapy and 21% as dual therapy. In post-operative cases, 41% received antibiotics as monotherapy and 59% as dual therapy. Metronidazole (95%) given in both post and pre- operative conditions.Conclusions: The present study provides valuable insight about the overall drugs used in pregnancy related diseases and complications arise. We hope our data will make necessary recommendations to all health care professionals and pregnant women to ensure all pregnancy related safety measures were taken.

Effects of COVID-19 protective measures on the ophthalmological patient examination with an emphasis on gender-specific differences

ObjectiveIn response to the COVID-19 pandemic, strict hygiene and containment measures have been instituted in the clinical ophthalmological examination to prevent virus transmission. The aim of this study is to...

Experiences of people with opioid use disorder during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study.

To capture pandemic experiences of people with opioid use disorder (OUD) to better inform the programs that serve them. We designed, conducted, and analyzed semi-structured qualitative interviews using grounded theory. We conducted interviews until theme saturation was reached and we iteratively developed a codebook of emerging themes. Individuals with lived experience of substance use provided feedback at all steps of the study. We conducted phone or in-person interviews in compliance with physical distancing and public health regulations in outdoor Vancouver parks or well-ventilated indoor spaces between June to September 2020. Using purposive sampling, we recruited participants (n = 19) who were individuals with OUD enrolled in an intensive community outreach program, had visited one of two emergency departments, were over 18, lived within catchment, and were not already receiving opioid agonist therapy. We audio-recorded interviews, which were later transcribed verbatim and checked for accuracy while removing all identifiers. Interviews explored participants' knowledge of COVID-19 and related safety measures, changes to drug use and healthcare services, and community impacts of COVID-19. One third of participants were women, approximately two thirds had stable housing, and ages ranged between 23 and 59 years old. Participants were knowledgeable on COVID-19 public health measures. Some participants noted that fear decreased social connection and reluctance to help reverse overdoses; others expressed pride in community cohesion during crisis. Several participants mentioned decreased access to housing, harm reduction, and medical care services. Several participants reported using drugs alone more frequently, consuming different or fewer drugs because of supply shortages, or using more drugs to replace lost activities. COVID-19 had profound effects on the social lives, access to services, and risk-taking behaviour of people with opioid use disorder. Pandemic public health measures must include risk mitigation strategies to maintain access to critical opioid-related services.

Emotional symptoms and their related factors in adolescents during the acute phase of Covid-19 outbreak in South Italy

BackgroundSeveral studies have shown that during COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, emotional symptoms increased in the general population. Less is known about youths.MethodsWe surveyed a sample of Italian adolescents during the strictest quarantine period and assessed the effects of socio-demographic and psychological factors on current emotional symptoms. A convenient sample of 326 adolescents (age range 14–19 years) participated in a web-based survey. We collected data on several socio-demographic and psychological variables (summarized into three indexes: environmental context, changes in lifestyle, and worries about infection) and psychopathological symptoms (previous psychopathological status, current anxiety and depressive symptoms).ResultsDescriptive analysis showed that adolescents have experienced quarantine under very different conditions; they reported 47.5 and 14.1% of anxiety and depressive symptoms, respectively. Regression analyses indicated that previous psychopathological status and worries about infection are linked to anxiety and that female gender, previous psychopathological status (moderated by change in lifestyle), worse environmental context are linked to depression.ConclusionThis study indicates that, facing the COVID-19 pandemic and its related safety measures, adolescents show relevant emotional symptoms and therefore should be monitored, assessed and supported.