Expanding Protection Motivation Theory to explain vaccine uptake among United Kingdom and Taiwan populations.

Vaccination can sufficiently ameliorate the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). Investigating what factors influence vaccine uptake may benefit ongoing vaccination efforts (e.g. booster injections, annual vaccination). The present study expanded Protection Motivation Theory with possible factors including perceived knowledge, adaptive responses, and maladaptive responses to develop a proposed model investigating vaccine uptake among United Kingdom (UK) and Taiwan (TW) populations. An online survey collected responses from UK (n = 751) and TW (n = 1052) participants (August to September, 2022). The results of structural equation modeling (SEM) showed that perceived knowledge was significantly associated with coping appraisal in both samples (standardized coefficient [ß] = 0.941 and 0.898; p < .001). Coping appraisal was correlated with vaccine uptake only in the TW sample (ß = 0.319, p < .05). Multigroup analysis showed there were significant differences between the path coefficients of perceived knowledge to coping and threat appraisals (p < .001), coping appraisal to adaptive and maladaptive responses (p < .001), as well as threat appraisal to adaptive response (p < .001). Such knowledge may improve vaccine uptake in Taiwan. The potential factors for the UK population require further investigation.

Branding in the eye of the storm: the impact of brand ethical behavior on brand commitment during the COVID-19 crisis in a South American country

The purpose of this study is to determine how consumer perceptions of brand ethical behavior can affect their commitment to brands during turbulent times. A study of the effects of perceived ethical behavior of brands in Colombia during the initial months of the COVID-19 outbreak was conducted in May 2020 in Bogota, Colombia, to ascertain customer perception of brand ethical actions during the first 2 months of the COVID-19 outbreak. A Bayesian model was developed to assess the impact of brands' ethical behavior on brand recognition benefits, brand image, and brand commitment. The selection of the initial months of the outbreak for this project was important because the COVID-19 pandemic had the potential to augment consumer perception of brands' ethical actions at a pivotal moment in consumers' lives. Our findings demonstrate that customers expressed a positive perception of brands' ethical actions during the early months of the pandemic, which resulted in high commitment intention to these brands in the model examined. The findings highlight the critical nature of the perception of ethical behavior in the eyes of customers during a major global health crisis. More than ever, organizations must commit their brands to fully live out their publicly expressed ethical principles and continuously monitor consumer perceptions of brand attributes and behaviors associated with ethical actions regardless of market conditions. Commitment to living the brand's stated ethical principles can be demonstrated via branding activities in ways that can be especially welcomed by customers during turbulent times. The insights mentioned in this article are crucial for brands already present in South America or exploring expansion into these regions. The findings provide compelling evidence of the impact of ethical actions on consumer commitment to brands, suggesting that brands must now, more than ever, stay in touch with their customers and truthfully live the ethical values they transmit to customers.

Clinical and epidemiological aspects of severe acute respiratory infection: before and during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil.

BACKGROUND: Widespread respiratory infections with high morbidity rates caused by respiratory viruses represent a significant global public health problem. Our objective was to describe cases and deaths from severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) in Brazil over the past 8 y as well as changes in the distribution and risk of illness and death from SARI before and in the first year of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic (FYP). METHODS: We performed a descriptive epidemiological study of hospitalized SARI cases and deaths between 2013 and 2020 in Brazil, separated into pre-pandemic (2013 to 2019) and FYP (2020). We estimate the increase in SARI cases and deaths in the FYP as well as the mortality and infection risks attributable to the FYP (MRAP and IRAP, respectively). RESULTS: In 2020, an excess of 425 054 cases and 109 682 deaths was observed, with a significant increase in the risk of falling ill and dying from SARI, with an IRAP of 200.06 and an MRAP of 51.68 cases per 100 000 inhabitants. The increase in SARI cases and deaths was particularly prominent among patients with COVID-19, the elderly, males, those self-identifying as mixed race and patients with heart disease and diabetes. We conclude that an important increase in morbidity and mortality due to SARI was observed in the FYP. More vulnerable groups and those living in the Southeast, North and Center-West regions of the country suffered the most.

Endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal approach during COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil

Background: Endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal approach (EETA) is a well-established technique for sellar tumor resection. However, this route causes aerosol dispersion from the nasal cavity. In the context of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, new measures were taken aiming at the safety and protection of patients and health-care professionals. Herein, we present a Brazilian experience with EETA during COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This study was based on the review of medical records and observation in the operating room of the patients undergoing endoscopic surgery in the period from May 2020 to July 2022. All patients were tested by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) COVID-19 before and after surgery. Since September 2021, it has been mandatory to present vaccination cards for adults (over 18 years old). Results: This case series included 28 patients and 35 surgical procedures using the EETA, who presented of nonfunctioning macroadenomas (19 cases − 67.8%), GH-secreting tumor (three cases − 10.8%), ACTH-secreting tumor (three cases − 10.8%), meningiomas (two cases − 7.1%), and Rathke’s cleft cyst (one case – 3.5%). There were eight cases of diabetes insipidus (28.5%), five cases of cerebrospinal fluid leak (17.8%), and one case of meningitis (3.5%). Three patients died due to meningitis (one case), carotid occlusion (one case), and COVID-19 complications (one case). Conclusion: A simple protocol was established to perform EETA during the COVID-19 pandemic. The pituitary surgeries were maintained to treat critical cases. To date, the protocol should be continually updated to improve the procedure’s safety.

Branding in the eye of the storm: the impact of brand ethical behavior on brand commitment during the COVID-19 crisis in a South American country

The purpose of this study is to determine how consumer perceptions of brand ethical behavior can affect their commitment to brands during turbulent times. A study of the effects of perceived ethical behavior of brands in Colombia during the initial months of the COVID-19 outbreak was conducted in May 2020 in Bogota, Colombia, to ascertain customer perception of brand ethical actions during the first 2 months of the COVID-19 outbreak. A Bayesian model was developed to assess the impact of brands' ethical behavior on brand recognition benefits, brand image, and brand commitment. The selection of the initial months of the outbreak for this project was important because the COVID-19 pandemic had the potential to augment consumer perception of brands' ethical actions at a pivotal moment in consumers' lives. Our findings demonstrate that customers expressed a positive perception of brands' ethical actions during the early months of the pandemic, which resulted in high commitment intention to these brands in the model examined. The findings highlight the critical nature of the perception of ethical behavior in the eyes of customers during a major global health crisis. More than ever, organizations must commit their brands to fully live out their publicly expressed ethical principles and continuously monitor consumer perceptions of brand attributes and behaviors associated with ethical actions regardless of market conditions. Commitment to living the brand's stated ethical principles can be demonstrated via branding activities in ways that can be especially welcomed by customers during turbulent times. The insights mentioned in this article are crucial for brands already present in South America or exploring expansion into these regions. The findings provide compelling evidence of the impact of ethical actions on consumer commitment to brands, suggesting that brands must now, more than ever, stay in touch with their customers and truthfully live the ethical values they transmit to customers.

Impact of rhinovirus on hospitalization during the COVID-19 pandemic: A prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Although the clinical course of the COVID-19 in adults has been extensively described, the impact of the co-detection of SARS-CoV-2 and rhinovirus on severity outcomes is not understood. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to compare the risk of hospitalization of outpatients with COVID-19 with and without the co-detection of rhinovirus in southern Brazil. Secondarily, such risk was also compared between all individuals with COVID-19 and those with single rhinovirus infection. STUDY DESIGN: Outpatients (>18 years) with acute signs of cough, fever, or sore throat were prospectively enrolled at two emergency departments from May to September 2020. Sample collection was performed to detect SARS-CoV-2 and other 20 respiratory pathogens. Participants were followed for 28 days through telephone interviews. RESULTS: 1,047 participants were screened and 1,044 were included. Of these, 4.9% were lost during follow-up, and 993/1,044 (95.1%) were included in severity-related analysis. Rhinovirus was the most prevalent pathogen (25.0%, 248/993), followed by SARS-CoV-2 (22.6%, 224/993), with coinfection of these two viruses occurring in 91/993 (9.2%) participants. The risk of COVID-19-related hospitalizations were not different between individuals with and without co-detection of rhinovirus (9.9% vs. 7.6%, respectively, P = 0.655). Conversely, subjects with COVID-19 had a higher hospitalization risk than single rhinovirus infection (8.3 vs 0.4%, respectively, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The co-detection of SARS-CoV-2 and rhinovirus did not change the risk of hospitalizations in adults. Furthermore, COVID-19 was more severe than single rhinovirus infection.

Long-Term Symptoms among COVID-19 Survivors in Prospective Cohort Study, Brazil.

We conducted a prospective cohort study in a population with diverse ethnic backgrounds from Brazil to assess clinically meaningful symptoms after surviving coronavirus disease. For most of the 175 patients in the study, clinically meaningful symptoms, including fatigue, dyspnea, cough, headache, and muscle weakness, persisted for >120 days after disease onset.

Retrospective cohort of children and adolescents hospitalized by COVID-19 in Brazil from the beginning of the pandemic to August 1st, 2020. / Coorte retrospectiva de crianças e adolescentes hospitalizados por COVID-19 no Brasil do início da pandemia a 1º de agosto de 2020.

OBJECTIVES: To characterize the study population, estimating the in-hospital lethality rate by state and analysing associated factors with COVID-19-related deaths. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was carried out of hospitalised children and adolescents diagnosed with COVID-19, confirmed by RT-PCR, whose outcome was death by COVID-19 or recovery, from 2020 March 1 to August 1. The data source was the Influenza Epidemiological Surveillance Information System (SIVEP-Gripe in Brazilian acronym), where patients with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) are notified. Children were defined as those between the ages of 0 and 11, and adolescents those between 12 and 18. A bi and multivariate analysis were performed using Poisson Regression with robust variance, with adjusted Relative Risk as the final association measure. RESULTS: A total of 4,930 cases were analysed; 2,553 (51.8%) were males, 2,335 (47.4%) were brown-skinned. The Federative Unit of Roraima presented the highest in-hospital case-fatality rate, with 68.8% (11/16). Multivariate analysis showed that belonging to the age group adolescent (RR = 1.59; 95%CI 1.12 - 2.25; p = 0.009), SARS-critical patient (RR = 4.56; 95%CI 2, 77 - 7.51; p < 0.001) and presenting immunological disorders (RR = 2.24; 95%CI 1.58 - 3.17; p < 0.001) as comorbidities were statistically associated factors with death by COVID-19. CONCLUSION: It was observed that adolescents, SARS-critical patients, and presence of immunological disorders were important factors associated with death. Active surveillance and differentiated care are recommended for patients with chronic diseases and special immunological conditions.

OBJETIVOS: Caracterizar a população do estudo, estimar a taxa de letalidade intra-hospitalar por estado e analisar fatores associados aos óbitos por COVID-19. MÉTODOS: Foi realizado estudo de coorte retrospectiva de crianças e adolescentes hospitalizados com diagnóstico de COVID-19 confirmado por transcrição reversa seguida de reação em cadeia da polimerase (RT-PCR), tendo como desfecho óbito por COVID-19 ou recuperação, entre 1º de março e 1º de agosto de 2020. A fonte de dados foi o Sistema de Informação de Vigilância Epidemiológica da Gripe (SIVEP-Gripe), ao qual são notificados pacientes internados com Síndrome Respiratória Aguda Grave (SRAG). Consideraram-se crianças os pacientes com idade entre 0 e 11 anos completos e adolescentes aqueles com idade entre 12 e 18 anos completos. Realizou-se análise bi e multivariável por meio de Regressão de Poisson com variância robusta, utilizando-se como medida de associação final o Risco Relativo ajustado (RRa). RESULTADOS: Dos 4.930 casos analisados, 2.553 (51,8%) eram do sexo masculino. A raça/cor autodeclarada parda foi a mais frequente, com 2.335 (47,4%). A unidade federativa de Roraima apresentou a maior taxa de letalidade intra-hospitalar, com 68,8% (n = 11/16). A análise multivariada mostrou que pertencer ao grupo etário adolescente (RR = 1,59; IC95% 1,12 - 2,25; p = 0,009), ter sido classificado como SRAG-crítico (RR = 4,56; IC95% 2,77 - 7,51; p < 0,001) e apresentar imunopatia (RR = 2,24; IC95% 1,58 - 3,17; p < 0,001) como comorbidade configuraram-se como fatores associados ao óbito pela COVID-19. CONCLUSÃO: Observou-se que ser adolescente, ter classificação de SRAG-crítico e imunopatia como comorbidade foram importantes fatores associados ao óbito. Recomenda-se vigilância ativa e cuidados diferenciados a portadores de doenças crônicas e condições imunológicas especiais.