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COVID-19 has made working from home (WFH) a widely prevalent mode of work, resulting in highly complex changes of energy and water consumption in buildings. To understand these changes, this study applies the concept of water-energy nexus (WEN) in the analysis of energy and water data in residential and non-residential buildings in Ontario, Canada, before and during the pandemic. The study found the overall energy and water consumption of buildings exhibited a decreasing trend, with the most significant change found in water consumption. Energy and water consumption increased in residential buildings but decreased in non-residential buildings;the changes in energy and water consumption were synchronized over the WFH period. This study also elucidated that changes were related to the demographic and job attributes. When dealing with the peak load of residential consumption with a high consumption benchmark, due consideration should be given to the stronger synchronization of the two types of resources to improve the resilience of residences to cope with the uncertainty of unexpected large-scale public health crisis. Applying WEN to building resource consumption during WFH for the first time, the findings shed light on the need to enhance integrated water and energy management. © 2023 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
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Objective To investigate the dynamic changes and clinical significance of specific antibodies in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Methods A retrospective study was conducted to collect 141 adult COVID-19 survivors who were followed up in the Eighth Hospital affiliated to Guangzhou Medical University from February 6, 2020, to March 24, 2021. The patients were divided into severe group (severe and critical) and non-severe group (light and ordinary) according to the diagnosis at discharge. The antibody changes of the two groups were compared and analyzed at 1 week, 2 weeks, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months and 1 year after discharge. Results After discharge from hospital, the positive rate of IgG in the severe group was 95.00% after 1 week and 100.00% in the following year, in the positive rate of IgG in the non-severe group was 59.50% after 1 week, 90.08% in 6 months and 76.03% in one year. The level of serum IgG in the severe group was significantly higher than that in non-severe group (Z=-2.441, P=0.015). One-year follow-up: the serum IgG in the severe group was significantly higher than that in the non-severe group (Z=-3.410, P=0.001). The serum IgM level of the severe group after one year follow-up was lower than that of the six months follow-up, the difference was statistically significant (Z=-2.259, P=0.024). The serum IgG and IgM level of the non-severe group after one year follow-up was lower than that of the six months follow-up, the difference was statistically significant (Z=-7.37, P<0.01;Z=3.850, P<0.01). Conclusion The level of serum protective antibody in COVID-19 patients remained high within 6 months after discharge, and remained stable within 1 year after discharge. The antibody titers in the severe group were significantly higher than those in the non-severe group and lasted for at least one year. COVID-19 survivors receive 1 year of natural immune protection, and patients with critical conditions receive immunity for longer periods of time. © 2022 The authors.
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Chemistry is often seen as an and content-heavy subject. Many students struggle with chemistry because they attempt to memorize the content without understanding the concepts. As a result, students often have misconceptions. COVID-19 has driven teaching and learning online, and an escape room teaching method, which is a way to enhance student engagement, has gained popularity among educators in higher education. This study examines the effectiveness of teaching through a digital escape room as compared to a typical online lesson with a collaborative learning method to address misconceptions in stoichiometry. A Harry Potter themed digital escape room is created to spark the students' interest in chemistry and address misconceptions. Thirty-eight students from the Nanyang Polytechnic Foundation Program participated in this study. The students completed a pretest, a post-test, and a survey, in addition to participating in the digital escape room and a typical online lesson. Four topics were covered in this study: balancing chemical equations, calculating empirical formulas, identifying the type of chemical bonding, and interpreting element symbols. Out of these four topics, it was discovered that students tended to have difficulty calculating empirical formulas. It was found that, on average, students showed a 10% improvement in test scores after being taught through the digital escape room. This result is similar to results obtained from a typical online lesson with a collaborative learning method (9% improvement). This implies that a digital escape room is equally as effective as a typical online lesson with a collaborative learning method at addressing misconceptions. Teaching through a digital escape room has shown potential additional benefits of enhancing soft skills, promoting teamwork, the ability to work under time pressure, communication skills, innovation competency, and increasing student motivation. The researcher recommends the use of a digital escape room to complement typical lessons for these additional benefits.
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COVID-19 has impacted international cooperative education among universities, and posed multiple challenges such as global public health security, visa restrictions for the movement of people, and bottlenecks in education quality system. In face of the impact of the epidemic and challenges, international cooperative education is still in the demand to explore effective development path and practice mode, including to explore new ways of Sino-foreign cooperative education, establish new model of foreign-related talents cultivation, and open-up a new way of thought on Sino-foreign cooperative education. In the background of economic globalization and the "Belt & Road" initiative, efforts should be made to promote international exchanges and cooperation among universities to go through gradual and steady recovery and development. © 2021 Kriedt Enterprises Ltd. All right reserved.
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Objective To summarize the clinical characteristics of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infected with Delta variant, so as to provide further references for clinical diagnosis and treatment. Methods A real-world study was conducted to analyze the characteristics of 166 COVID-19 patients infected with Delta variant at Guangzhou Eighth People’s Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University. Results The study enrolled 5 asymptomatic cases, 123 non-severe cases (mild and moderate type), and 38 severe cases (severe and critical type). Among these patients, 69 (41.6%) were male and 97 (58.4%) were female, with a mean age of 47.0±23.5 years. Thirty-nine cases (23.5%) had received 1 or 2 doses of inactivated vaccine. The incidence of severe COVID-19 cases was 7.7% in 2-doses vaccinated patients, which was lower than that of 11.5% in 1-dose and 26.8% in unvaccinated patients. The proportion of severe cases in 2 dose-vaccinated patients was 7.7%, which was lower than that of 11.5% in 1-dose vaccinated patients and 26.8% in unvaccinated patients, but the difference was not significant (P>0.05). The most common clinical symptom was fever (134 cases, 83.2%), and 39.1% of cases presented with high-grade fever (≥ 39 °C);other symptoms were cough, sputum, fatigue, and xerostomia. The proportion of fever in severe cases was significantly higher than that of non-severe cases (97.4% vs. 76.4%, P<0.01). Similarly, the proportion of severe cases with high peak temperature (≥ 39 ℃) () was also higher than that of non-severe cases (65.8% vs. 30.9%, P<0.01). The median minimal Cycle threshold (Ct) values of viral nucleic acid N gene and ORFlab gene were 20.3 and 21.5, respectively, and the minimum Ct values were 11.9 and 13.5, respectively. Within 48 h of admission, 9.0% of cases presented with decreased white blood cell counts, and 52.4% with decreased lymphocyte counts. The proportions of increased C-reactive protein, serum amyloid A, interleukin 6, and interleukin 10 were 32.5%, 57.4%, 65.3%, and 35.7%, respectively. The proportions of elevated C-reactive protein, serum amyloid A and interleukin-6 in severe cases were significantly higher than those in non-severe cases (P<0.01). Logistic regression analysis showed that older age and higher peak temperature were associated with a higher likelihood of severe cases (OR>3, 95% CI: 2-7, P<0.01). In terms of treatment, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) was used in 97.6% of non-severe cases and 100% in severe cases. Other treatments included respiratory and nutritional support, immunotherapy (such as neutralizing antibodies and plasma of recovered patients). The median times from admission to progression to severe cases, of fever clearance, and of nucleic acid conversion were 5 days, 6 days and 19 days, respectively. No deaths were reported within 28 days. Conclusions The symptoms of Delta variant infection in Guangzhou are characterized by a high proportion of fever, high peak temperature, long duration of fever, high viral load, a long time to nucleic acid conversion, and a high incidence of severe cases. The severe cases exhibit a higher percentage of elderly patients, a longer duration of fever and have a higher fever rate and a higher hyperthermia rate than non-severe cases. Age and hyperthermia are independent risk factors for progression to severe disease. The combination of TCM and Western medicine can control the progression of the disease effectively. © 2021 Chinese Medical Association. All rights reserved.
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This study aims to use a grounded theory approach to explore the relationship among coping strategies, psychological resilience, and anxiety for college students during the COVID-19. The investigators conducted in-depth semi-structured interviews with eight college students in Wuhan city who reported negative emotions, such as tension, anxiety, and depression during the COVID-19 outbreak. MAXQDA 2020 was used to store, transcribe, code, and analyze the data. An open coding process generalized thirty- eight concepts and nine categories such as "self-regulation,""threat to Survival,"and "positive emotions."Three core themes have emerged through axial and selective coding, and a theoretical framework was constructed. The theory that emerged from participants' experiences demonstrates that a) most college students chose positive coping strategies to relieve their anxiety, b) different causes of anxiety may lead to different types of coping strategies, and c) college students' psychological resilience is related to positive coping strategies during the COVID-19 epidemic. © 2021 IEEE.
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OBJECTIVE: Public health control measures at borders have long been central to national strategies for the prevention and containment of infectious diseases. Travel was inevitably associated with the rapid global transmission of COVID-19. In the UK, public health authorities tried to reduce the risks of travel-associated spread by providing public health information at ports of entry. This study investigates risk assessment processes, decision-making and adherence to official advice among international travellers, to provide evidence for future policy on the provision of public health information to facilitate safer international travel. STUDY DESIGN: This study is a qualitative study evaluation. METHOD: International air passengers arriving at the London Heathrow Airport on scheduled flights from China and Singapore were approached for interview after consenting to contact in completed surveys. Semi-structured interviews were conducted by telephone, using two topic guides to explore views of official public health information and self-isolation. Interview transcripts were coded and analysed thematically. RESULTS: Participants regarded official advice from Public Health England as adequate at the time, despite observing differences with intervention measures implemented in their countries of departure. Most participants also described adopting precautionary measures, including self-isolation and the use of face coverings that went beyond official advice, but reported adherence to guidance on contacting health authorities was more variable. Adherence to the official guidance was informed by the perceived salience of specific transmission possibilities and containment measures assessed in relation to participants' local social and institutional environments. CONCLUSION: Analysis of study findings demonstrates that international air travellers' responses to public health advice constitute a proactive process of risk assessment and rationalised decision-making to guide preventive action. This process incorporates consideration of the current living situation, trust in information sources, correspondence with cultural logics and willingness to accept potential risk to self and significant others. Our findings concerning international passengers' understanding of, and compliance with, official advice and mitigation measures provide valuable evidence to inform future policy and generate recommendations on the presentation of public health information to facilitate safer international travel. Access to a central source of regularly updated official information would help minimise confusion between different national guidelines. Greater attention to the differentiated information needs of diverse groups in creating future public-facing guidance would help to minimise the uncertainties generated by the receipt of generic information.
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COVID-19 , Humans , Public Health , SARS-CoV-2 , Travel , United KingdomABSTRACT
Objective To systematically review the efficacy of treatments for β-coronaviruses. Methods PubMed, EMbase, Web of Science, The Cochrane Library, SinoMed, CNKI and WanFang Data databases were electronically searched to collect randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and non-randomized controlled trials (non-RCTs) of treatments for β-coronaviruses from inception to June 17th, 2020. Two reviewers independently screened literature, extracted data and assessed the risk of bias of included studies. Meta-analysis was then performed using Stata 14.0 software. Results A total of 109 studies invoving 23 210 patients were included. The results of the systematic review showed that compared with standard of care, corticosteroids could reduce mortality and increase cure rate for COVID-19. However, chloroquine could decrease cure rate. In severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) patients, corticosteroids could decrease the cure rate. In Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) patients, ribavirin/interferon/both drugs showed higher mortality. Conclusions The currently limited evidence shows that corticosteroids may be effective to COVID-19 patients while having limited effects on SARS patients. Hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine may have negative effects on COVID-19 patients. Ribavirin/interferon may be harmful to MERS patients. Due to limited quality and quantity of the included studies, more high quality studies are needed to verify the above conclusions.
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If conservative ideology encourages resistance to social distancing orders meant to mitigate a pandemic's spread, then under what conditions could this ideology cause people to obey such orders? We posit that community logic (i.e., community commitment, collective belief, and reciprocity) promotes compliance with public health policies in conservative communities. We analyzed residents’ compliance with social distancing orders in 3053 U.S. counties during the period between a governor issuing stay-at-home orders and April 24th, 2020. Our findings show that the interaction between regional political logic (i.e., political behavioral commitment and ideology) and community logic affects compliance with public health policies. Specifically, conservative ideology and political behavioral commitment lead to non-compliance with social distancing only in communities with weak community logic. Our insights contribute to the literature by highlighting the importance of community logic in promoting compliance with public health policies. Thus, policymakers should consider the joint effect of political logic and community logic when creating and implementing public health edicts. © 2021 Elsevier Ltd
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Due to COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease - 19), most schools have adopted remote or mixed methods to teach;therefore, students need new types of educational products to achieve a high-quality learning experience. There are many difficulties and obstacles to taking classes online. More interactions and formats need to be explored for students to absorb as much classroom knowledge as possible. The research team conducted a design workshop. Thirty-eight psychology and applied psychology students participated in this workshop using different user research methods, such as user journey maps and how-to methods. They explored educational products in five scenarios: taking physical education classes, giving online learning feedback, conducting teamwork, taking an online examination, and studying in the dormitory. Each group proposed design solutions to solve design problems in a particular context. For the 56 design problems, the participants identified 548 design solutions. The facilitator helped the group select six or seven design challenges with higher priorities. All the research data were collected, and the jobs-to-be-done (JTBD) theory was used to analyze users’ needs for future educational products. The users’ needs were summarized into user need clusters. This study has identified seven primary user needs and 20 sub-needs in five scenarios. The insights gained from this study may be of assistance to UX designers and UX researchers to obtain a new perspective on scenarios. © 2021, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.
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Objectives: The clinical implications of different blood indices in patients with coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) were analyzed at different stages. Methods: We compared blood test results of 17 COVID-19 patients treated in Jinhua Central Hospital between January 1 and March 5, 2020 at different stages. We also compared the initial blood results of 17 COVID-19 patients with 115 influenza virus A/B (Flu A/B)-positive patients, 19 Mycoplasma pneumonia (MP)-positive patients and 50 healthy subjects (HSs). Results: (1) The white blood cell count (WBC) and absolute neutrophil count (NEU#) were lower in the SARS-CoV-2 group than in the MP and Flu A/B groups;the eosinophil percentage (EO%) and absolute eosinophil count (EO#) were lower in the severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) group than in the MP group (p<0.05). (2) Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels were significantly lower when patients were discharged from the hospital (p<0.05), EO% and EO# recovered at discharge, and returned to normal levels during follow-up (p<0.05). (3) When the throat swab was nucleic acid-negative but the stool was still positive, lymphocyte percentage (LY%) and absolute lymphocyte count (LY#) decreased (p<0.05). (4) As the cycle threshold (Ct) value of the nucleic acid increased or decreased, EO# showed a consistent trend. Conclusions: Blood cell count indices upon hospital admission could be helpful to give some tips of diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2-infection, Flu A/B-infection and MP-infection;AST and EO# could be used to predict the outcome of patients. Feces turned negative for nucleic acid more slowly than throat swabs;LY# was lower during the fecal-positive period and low Ct values of fecal nucleic acid were negatively associated with the patient’s recovery level. © 2021 Xiaoping Xu et al., published by De Gruyter.
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OBJECTIVES: In the containment phase of the response to the COVID-19 outbreak, Public Health England (PHE) delivered advice to travellers arriving at major UK ports. We aimed to rapidly evaluate the impact and effectiveness of these communication materials for passengers in the early stages of the pandemic. STUDY DESIGN: The study design used is the mixed-methods evaluation. METHODS: A questionnaire survey and follow-up interviews with passengers arriving at London Heathrow Airport on scheduled flights from China and Singapore. The survey assessed passengers' knowledge of symptoms, actions to take, and attitudes towards PHE COVID-19 public health information; interviews explored their views of official public health information and self-isolation. RESULTS: One hundred and twenty-one passengers participated in the survey and 15 in follow-up interviews. Eighty three percentage of surveyed passengers correctly identified all three COVID-19 associated symptoms listed in PHE information at that time. Most could identify the recommended actions and found the advice understandable and trustworthy. Interviews revealed that passengers shared concerns about the lack of wider official action, and that passengers' knowledge had been acquired elsewhere as much from PHE. Respondents also noted their own agency in choosing to self-isolate, partially as a self-protective measure. CONCLUSION: PHE COVID-19 public health information was perceived as clear and acceptable, but we found that passengers acquired knowledge from various sources and they saw the provision of information alone on arrival as an insufficient official response. Our study provides fresh insights into the importance of taking greater account of diverse information sources and of the need for public assurance in creating public health information materials to address global health threats.
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Air Travel , COVID-19/prevention & control , Consumer Health Information , Internationality , Public Health , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Airports , COVID-19/epidemiology , Female , Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Qualitative Research , Surveys and Questionnaires , United Kingdom/epidemiology , Young AdultABSTRACT
Objective: To explore the correlation between initial chest CT signs and onset time in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outside Wuhan area and to identify the early changes in chest CT signs. Methods: We made a retrospective analysis of the clinical features and CT signs of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Shaanxi Province from January 22 to February 10, 2020. The CT signs were mainly analyzed for ground glass opacities (GGO), consolidation and GGO combined with consolidation in the lung, and the degree of lung injury in each patient was scored at the same time. The correlation of CT signs and lung injury score with onset time was analyzed, and the data were non-linearly fitted (quadratic fitting curve) to judge the changes of CT signs and scores with time. Results: A total of 293 lesions were detected in 91 patients with COVID-19, including 143 (48.8%) GGO, 116 (39.6%) GGO with consolidation and 34 (11.6%) simple consolidation. The nonlinear fitting analysis revealed that the GGO had a downward trend with the onset time, the quadratic fitting curve of GGO combined with consolidation showed a positive "U" shape, and the solid change showed an inverted "U" shape;and the three signs had a turning point on the 7th day. At the same time, the lung injury score of the patients peaked on the 7th day. Conclusion: The main CT manifestations of patients with COVID-19 are GGO and GGO combined with consolidation, and the 7th day of onset may be the key time point for the change of CT signs. © 2020, Editorial Board of Journal of Xi'an Jiaotong University (Medical Sciences). All right reserved.
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Objectives: To describe the characteristics of CT in patients with 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pneumonia and their changes during disease progression. Patients and Methods: A total of 96 chest CT scans of 61 pneumonia patients associated with COVID-19 were reviewed to identify CT features associated with the time of symptom onset and the evolution of disease. Results: The initial CTs of 61 patients were obtained during 1 to 11 days after the onset. The main CT pattern of initial CT obtained during 1-3 days after the symptom onset was single (7/23, 35%) or multiple ground-glass opacity (GGO, 8/23, 35%). At 4-7 days after the symptom onset, the main imaging features were crazy paving GGO mixed with partial consolidation pattern (15/32, 47%). At 8-11 days after the symptom onset, the CT images showed consolidation pattern (3/6, 50%). A total of 35 follow up CTs were collected. The mean interval time between each follow up CT was 3 ± 2 days. The CT patterns also changed with the evolution of the disease: the features of GGO manifested at the early stage (1-3d). The crazy paving GGO pattern, consolidation pattern and mixed with partial consolidation pattern were found 4 to 14 days after the onset. In the absorption stage (15-24d), both density and extent of lesions were reduced. Conclusion: The CT imaging features are associated with the time of symptom onset and evolution of disease. Understanding the imaging characteristics of each stage is very helpful for understanding the development of disease.
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Severe patients with coronaviras disease 2019 (COVID-19) are characterized by persistent lung damage, causing respiratory failure, secondary circulatory changes and multiple organ dysfunction after virus invasion. Because of its dynamic, real-time, non-invasive, repeatable and other advantages, critical ultrasonography can be widely used in the diagnosis, assessment and guidance of treatment for severe patients. Based on the recommendations of critical care experts from all over the country who fight against the epidemic in Wuhan, this article summarizes the guidelines for the treatment of COVID-19 based on critical ultrasonography, hoping to provide help for the treatment of severe patients. The recommendations mainly cover the following aspects: (1) lung ultrasound in patients with COVID-19 is mainly manifested by thickened and irregular pleural lines, different types of B-lines, shred signs, and other consolidation like dynamic air bronchogram; (2) Echocardiography may show right heart dysfunction, diffuse cardiac function enhancement, stress cardiomyopathy, diffuse cardiac depression and other multiple abnormalities; (3) Critical ultrasonography helps with initiating early treatment in the suspect patient, screening confirmed patients after intensive care unit admission, early assessment of sudden critical events, rapid grading assessment and treatment based on it; (4) Critical ultrasonography helps to quickly screen for the etiology of respiratory failure in patients with COVID-19, make oxygen therapeutic strategy, guide the implementation of lung protective ventilation, graded management and precise off-ventilator; (5) Critical ultrasonography is helpful for assessing the circulatory status of patients with COVID-19, finding chronic cardiopulmonary diseases and guiding extracorporeal membrane oxygenation management; (6) Critical ultrasonography contributes to the management of organs besides based on cardiopulmonary oxygen transport; (7) Critical ultrasonography can help to improve the success of operation; (8) Critical ultrasonography can help to improve the safety and quality of nursing; (9) When performing critical ultrasonography for patients with COVID-19, it needs to implement three-level protection standard, pay attention to disinfect the machine and strictly obey the rules from nosocomial infection. (10) Telemedicine and artificial intelligence centered on critical ultrasonography may help to improve the efficiency of treatment for the patients with COVID-19. In the face of the global spread of the epidemic, all we can do is to share experience, build a defense line, We hope this recommendations can help COVID-19 patients therapy.
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Coronavirus Infections/therapy , Coronavirus , Critical Care/methods , Practice Guidelines as Topic , Telemedicine , Ultrasonography/methods , Artificial Intelligence , Betacoronavirus , COVID-19 , Coronavirus Infections/diagnosis , Humans , Pandemics , Pneumonia, Viral , SARS-CoV-2ABSTRACT
Endotracheal intubation is an independent risk factor for respiratory infectious diseases. We conducted a retrospective study in 12 cases with COVID-19 who underwent endotracheal intubation at ICU of the Guangzhou eighth hospital from January 20 to February 10, 2020. The intubation procedure, anesthetic regimen, and complication were collected and analyzed. The 9 healthcare workers who involved in intubation received virus nucleic acid test and 14 days temperature monitoring. All 12 patients were successfully intubated under the guidance of bronchoscope, without any complications. Midazolam, Propofol and Morphine or fentanyl were used for sedation and analgesia, avoiding patients cough and agitated during the procedure. The 9 healthcare workers were protected under the Personal Protective Equipment(PPE) with positive pressure protective hood. The detection of oropharyngeal swab virus nucleic acid were negative in all 9 healthcare workers, none of them had fever or any respiratory symptoms. The PPE with positive pressure protective hood should be needed to perform bronchoscope-guided endotracheal intubation in patients with COVID-19, it could strengthen to protect healthcare workers from virus exposure.