Preisolation measures and clinical features for pediatric patients with suspicious COVID-19.

Background: In December 2019, many cases of COVID-19 were reported in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China. In the following 3 months, the disease out broke in China. Preisolation measures was used to screen out COVID-19 patients in the pediatric respiratory ward of our hospital. Aims: To investigate the new measures for screening COVID-19 patients and to analyze the clinical features of children with suspicious COVID-19. Methods: A total of 50 preisolated children with suspicious COVID-19 who were admitted to our hospital in Mianyang, China, between January 28 and March 5, 2020, were included. Patients presented with fever and cough or fever accompanied by vomiting and diarrhea. A detailed epidemiological history screening was performed. A real-time reverse-transcriptase-polymerase-chain-reaction (RT-PCR) was used to detect SARS-COV-2 nucleic acid. Low-dose chest computed tomography (CT) was applied when pneumonia was suspicious. Routine blood tests were performed to rule out COVID-19. Patients' data were collected, and the basic clinical features, epidemiological history, clinical manifestations, auxiliary examination results, and outcomes were analyzed and summarized. Results: No definite cases were detected, while two patients were suspected of having COVID-19. The pathogenic results of the 50 patients mainly included Mycoplasma pneumoniae, followed by Epstein-Barr virus, and rotavirus. Thirty-five patients suffered from bronchopneumonia. The preisolated patients had similar clinical and epidemiological characteristics as patients with fever, cough, vomiting, and diarrhea. Conclusions: Preisolation measures combined with pathogen screening can minimize the risk of hospital-acquired infections by preventing patients with suspicious COVID-19 from contacting other patients before they are explicitly excluded. Clinical analysis of the patients was helpful for clinical nursing management.

Establishment and application of a triplex RT-PCR method for detection of PDCoV, SADS-CoV, and SVA

[Background] Porcine delta coronavirus（PDCoV）, swine acute diarrhea syndrome coronavirus（SADS-CoV）, and Seneca virus A（SVA） are new pathogens which seriously endanger the development of pig industry. The clinical symptoms of pigs infected with the three pathogens are difficult to distinguish. Therefore, it is urgent to establish a multiplex RT-PCR detection method for rapid diagnosis of suspected pigs and reduce economic losses. [Objective] To establish a triplex RT-PCR method for simultaneous detection of single or mixed infection of PDCoV, SADS-CoV, and SVA. [Methods] Three pairs of specific primers were designed according to the conserved regions of the N genes of PDCoV and SADS-CoV and the L/P1 genes of SVA registered in GenBank, and the optimal annealing temperature（Tm） was determined by temperature gradient PCR method. The primer concentration was optimized by array method. The recombinant plasmids PMD-PDCoV, PMD-SADS-CoV,and PMD-SVA were constructed as standards to determine the limits of detection（LOD）. The specificity of the triplex RT-PCR method was determined with the nucleic acid samples of 6 common pig viruses including porcine transmissible gastroenteritis virus, porcine epidemic diarrhea virus, and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus. The repeatability of the established method was verified by inter-batch and intra-batch tests. Finally, we employed the triplex RT-PCR method to detect the clinical samples suspected of infection and compared the results with those obtained with the reported detection methods, thus evaluating the clinical application performance of the method. [Results] The optimal Tm was 58.3 ℃, and the optimal primer concentrations were 0.5 μmol/L, 0.25 μmol/L, and 0.25 μmol/L,respectively. The established method had high sensitivity, with the LODs of 1 copy/μL, 1 copy/μL, and 10 copies/μL for PMD-PDCoV, PMD-SADS-CoV, and PMD-SVA, respectively. It had strong specificity, with specific bands only for PDCoV, SADS-CoV, and SVA and no bands for other viruses.Moreover, the method had good repeatability as the test results were consistent between and within batches. The positive rates of PDCoV, SADS-CoV, and SVA in the clinical samples detected by the established method were 65.85%, 30.49%, and 57.32%, respectively, which were consistent with the results obtained with the reported detection methods. Finally, 5 samples were randomly selected from 13 positive samples of PDCoV, SADS-CoV, and SVA for sequencing, and the phylogenetic tree indicated that the PCR amplification sequences of the five positive samples had high homology（above 96%） between each other and also with the reference sequences. [Conclusion] The triplex RT-PCR method established in this study is accurate and reliable for the simultaneous detection of PDCoV,SADS-CoV, and SVA in clinical samples.

Trends of myopia development among primary and junior school students in the post-COVID-19 epidemic period.

Purpose: To investigate the trends of myopia among primary and junior school students in the post-COVID-19 epidemic period. Method: A prospective of cross-sectional study using spot photoscreenings in 123,538 children among primary and junior school students from 2019 to 2021 was conducted to evaluate the development of myopia in Xuzhou, China in the post-COVID-19 epidemic period. Equivalent refraction and the prevalence of myopia were recorded. Results: The spherical equivalent refraction of myopia decreased across all grades except grade 1 (0.23 ± 0.56 D in 2019, 0.24 ± 0.63 D in 2020) from 2019 to 2020. However, refraction exhibited a hyperopic shift in 2021 compared to 2020 for grades 1-5 (no significant decreased for grade 4). The prevalence of myopia in all grades increased in 2020 compared to 2019, and the most dramatic changes were observed from grades 2-5 and grades 7-8 (P < 0.05). The changes in myopia prevalence in grades 1-4 were mild, and the reduction in myopia for Grade 5 is significant from 2020 to 2021. Nevertheless, students in grades 6 and 9 exhibited the greatest growth in myopia prevalence (P < 0.01). All grades had higher myopia prevalence in 2021 compared with 2019, except grade 1 (P = 0.25). The prevalence of myopia in girls was higher compared with boys, and the urban myopia prevalence was higher than in rural areas over the 3 years except in 2019 (P = 0.18). Conclusions: The prevalence of myopia increased during the COVID-19 epidemic. However, the spherical equivalent refraction of lower grade children drifted to hyperopia and the trends of myopia development remained stable in the post-COVID-19 epidemic period. We should be more concerned about the prevalence of myopia in graduating for the primary or junior grades in the future.

Trends of myopia development among primary and junior school students in the post-COVID-19 epidemic period

Purpose To investigate the trends of myopia among primary and junior school students in the post-COVID-19 epidemic period. Method A prospective of cross-sectional study using spot photoscreenings in 123,538 children among primary and junior school students from 2019 to 2021 was conducted to evaluate the development of myopia in Xuzhou, China in the post-COVID-19 epidemic period. Equivalent refraction and the prevalence of myopia were recorded. Results The spherical equivalent refraction of myopia decreased across all grades except grade 1 (0.23 ± 0.56 D in 2019, 0.24 ± 0.63 D in 2020) from 2019 to 2020. However, refraction exhibited a hyperopic shift in 2021 compared to 2020 for grades 1–5 (no significant decreased for grade 4). The prevalence of myopia in all grades increased in 2020 compared to 2019, and the most dramatic changes were observed from grades 2–5 and grades 7–8 (P < 0.05). The changes in myopia prevalence in grades 1–4 were mild, and the reduction in myopia for Grade 5 is significant from 2020 to 2021. Nevertheless, students in grades 6 and 9 exhibited the greatest growth in myopia prevalence (P < 0.01). All grades had higher myopia prevalence in 2021 compared with 2019, except grade 1 (P = 0.25). The prevalence of myopia in girls was higher compared with boys, and the urban myopia prevalence was higher than in rural areas over the 3 years except in 2019 (P = 0.18). Conclusions The prevalence of myopia increased during the COVID-19 epidemic. However, the spherical equivalent refraction of lower grade children drifted to hyperopia and the trends of myopia development remained stable in the post-COVID-19 epidemic period. We should be more concerned about the prevalence of myopia in graduating for the primary or junior grades in the future.

Students’ perception of academic databases as recognition of learning and research during the COVID-19 pandemic

Consistent with their goal of becoming a centre for educational excellence in teaching, learning and research, the authorities of Chinese higher education introduced their academic database system as one of their e-library services. However, the existing literature exhibits inadequate empirical measurements of academic databases in all aspects of higher education throughout the world during the COVID-19 pandemic. To address this gap, this study aims to validate the technology satisfaction model (TSM) for measuring students’ satisfaction in using academic databases for their learning and research purposes. This study also analysed local and international academic databases to explore whether these databases could play a moderating role in shaping learners’ satisfaction. The data were collected through a survey of 500 respondents studying at a research university in Shanghai. The results, which were analysed by structural equation modelling and the Rasch model, showed that students’ satisfaction is determined by three valid predictors: computer self-efficacy, perceived usefulness and ease of use, and causal direct and indirect relationships among these variables in the use of local and international academic databases. Our new findings on the moderating effect of local (i.e. Chinese) and international (e.g. English) academic databases highlighted that the TSM has successfully estimated dual databases and produced insignificant, dissimilar results. This study could aid local and international educators, researchers, information science professionals and others in measuring the perception of academic databases for learning and research. This research could also serve as a guideline for researchers and psychometricians in measuring innovative learning technologies using structural equation modelling and the Rasch model. This is the unique contribution of this study, which concludes that local and international academic databases are almost equally important for postgraduate students at a research university in China. Moreover, these students are satisfied in using these academic databases to learn and do research. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Journal of Information Science is the property of Sage Publications, Ltd. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Patient Toward Physician Occupational Stigma Scale: Development of the Chinese Version.

Background/Objective: Physicians' occupational stigma could eradicate physician-patient trust, threatening physicians' social status and occupational reputation. Hitherto, there has been no scale obtaining good psychometric properties to assess patients' stigma toward physicians. The present study aimed to develop the Patient toward Physician Occupational Stigma Scale (PPOSS) and examine its reliability and validity. Methods: The questionnaire comprising sociodemographic information and the PPOSS were employed to survey 645 Chinese patients in two phases. In Sample 2, the Wake Forest Physician Trust Scale (WFOTS), the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale-12 (IUS-12), and the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (BIPQ) were tested. Results: The PPOSS includes 19 items subsumed into three dimensions of stereotype, discrimination, and prejudice. According to the results of confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), the three-factor model fitted well (χ2/df=2.065, RMSEA=0.057, SRMR=0.045, RFI=0.904, CFI=0.956, IFI=0.956, PNFI=0.779, PCFI=0.811). The PPOSS was significantly negatively correlated with the WFOTS, and significantly positively correlated with the IUS-12 and the BIPQ. The Cronbach's alpha coefficients for the total scale and each dimension were between 0.87 and 0.94, and the split-half reliability coefficients were between 0.84 and 0.93. Besides, the PPOSS had the measurement invariance across gender. Conclusion: With its satisfactory psychometric properties, the PPOSS can be used as an effective instrument to assess patients' stigma toward physicians.

Development of a Multiplex RT-PCR Assay for Simultaneous Detection of Four Potential Zoonotic Swine RNA Viruses.

Swine viruses like porcine sapovirus (SaV), porcine encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV), porcine rotavirus A (RVA) and porcine astroviruses (AstV) are potentially zoonotic viruses or suspected of potential zoonosis. These viruses have been detected in pigs with or without clinical signs and often occur as coinfections. Despite the potential public health risks, no assay for detecting them all at once has been developed. Hence, in this study, a multiplex RT-PCR (mRT-PCR) assay was developed for the simultaneous detection of SaV, EMCV, RVA and AstV from swine fecal samples. The PCR parameters were optimized using specific primers for each target virus. The assay's sensitivity, specificity, reproducibility, and application to field samples have been evaluated. Using a pool of plasmids containing the respective viral target fragments as a template, the developed mRT-PCR successfully detected 2.5 × 103 copies of each target virus. The assay's specificity was tested using six other swine viruses as a template and did not show any cross-reactivity. A total of 280 field samples were tested with the developed mRT-PCR assay. Positive rates for SaV, EMCV, RVA, and AstV were found to be 24.6% (69/280), 5% (14/280), 4.3% (12/280), and 17.5% (49/280), respectively. Compared to performing separate assays for each virus, this mRT-PCR assay is a simple, rapid, and cost-effective method for detecting mixed or single infections of SaV, EMCV, RVA, and AstV.

The change of myopic prevalence in children and adolescents before and after COVID-19 pandemic in Suqian, China.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate the change of myopic prevalence in students with different demographic characteristics before and after the COVID-19 pandemic in Suqian, China. METHODS: A retrospective, cross-sectional study was conducted. Student data from 52 schools in 2019 and 2020 were collected from the electronic medical records database through cluster sampling. Ophthalmic examinations were conducted on students from September to December in 2019 and 2020. Measurements of uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA) and noncycloplegic autorefraction were included to obtain the spherical equivalent refraction (SER) and prevalence of myopia. The difference in the rate of myopia and SER of students ages 6 to 18 with various demographic characteristics was compared between the two years. RESULTS: Records from 118,479 students in 2019 and the 121,881 students in 2020 were obtained. In 2019 and 2020, the prevalence of overall myopia increased from 43.1% to 48.9% (5.8 percentage point), and a substantial shift in myopic rate occurred in grades 4 to 6 (6.9 percentage point). The change in the prevalence of myopia in girls (5.9 percentage point) was approximately equal to that in boys (5.8 percentage point) and it was more common in rural students (5.9 percentage point) than in urban students (5.1 percentage point). The prevalence of low myopia increased more in children, and the prevalence of moderate myopia increased more in adolescents. The mean spherical equivalent refraction (SER) (-1.34±2.03 D) was lower in 2020 than in 2019 (-1.16±1.92 D), while SER decreased mainly at ages 7 to 15. The SER presented myopic status at the age of 9 (-0.55±1.26 D in 2019, -0.71±1.42 D in 2020), and attained moderate myopia at the age of 15 (-3.06±2.41 D in 2019, -3.22±2.40 D in 2020). CONCLUSIONS: After the COVID-19 pandemic, myopia increased in this population with variable rates of increase in different demographic groups. The change of myopia in children was comparatively greater than that in adolescents. Therefore, we should take measures to prevent and control the development of myopia after the COVID-19 pandemic, especially for younger students.

Myopia of primary school students in Suqian before and after COVID-19 epidemic

Objective: To compare myopia prevalence among primary school students in Suqian before and after COVID-19 epidemic, so as to provide a reference for prevention and scientific propaganda of myopia.

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Mechanical Ventilation Research Theme Analysis: Co-word Cluster Analysis.

The objective of this analysis was to explore the research hotspot of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) mechanical ventilation. The literature related to COVID-19 mechanical ventilation on PubMed and CNKI database of core journals was retrieved with the keyword of COVID-19 mechanical ventilation. The visualisation software of VOS (visualisation of similarities) viewer performed by the authors and high-frequency keywords. A total of 524 English language articles from PubMed and 81 Chinese literature from China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) of core journals are included in this paper. The two databases produced six research fields, among which much attention was paid to the prevention of nosocomial infection and antiviral agents in the treatment of mechanical ventilation. The literature yeilded by PubMed paid attention to the factors affecting the poor prognosis of mechanically ventilated patients, the management and research and development of medical data during COVID-19's pandemic, the mechanical ventilation treatment of COVID-19 pregnant women, the mechanical ventilation treatment and nursing in the field of CNKI literature research, and the nutritional treatment of severe pneumonia patients with mechanical ventilation. The current COVID-19 researches, focused on the prevention of nosocomial infection and antiviral drugs in the process of mechanical ventilation, are a new hotspot in the world. Key Words: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), Mechanical ventilation, Research hotspot, VOSviewer, Visual analysis.

Sleep of preschoolers during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has resulted in a significantly large number of psychological consequences, including sleep health. The present study evaluated sleep patterns, sleep disturbances, and associated factors in Chinese preschoolers confined at home during the COVID-19 outbreak. Caregivers of 1619 preschoolers (aged 4-6 years) recruited from 11 preschools in Zunyi, Guizhou province completed the Children's Sleep Habit Questionnaire (CSHQ) between 17th and 19th February 2020. Data were compared to a sociodemographically similar sample of preschoolers (included in the 11 preschools) in 2018. Compared to the 2018 sample, the confined preschoolers demonstrated changes in sleep patterns characterized by later bedtimes and wake times, longer nocturnal and shorter nap sleep durations, comparable 24-hr sleep duration, and fewer caregiver-reported sleep disturbances. Moreover, behavioural practices (sleeping arrangement, reduced electronic device use, regular diet) and parenting practices (harmonious family atmosphere and increased parent-child communication) were associated with less sleep disturbances in the confined sample. The present study provides the first description of the impact of prolonged home confinement during the COVID-19 outbreak on sleep patterns and sleep disturbances in preschoolers, as well as highlighting the importance of the link between sleep health and family factors. Given that disrupted and insufficient sleep has been linked to immune system dysfunction, our findings also have potential implications for resilience to infection in young children during the COVID-19 pandemic. Future studies should further explore deficient sleep as a risk factor for coronavirus infection.

[Analysis of research hotspot and frontier of severe coronavirus disease 2019: visual analysis based on CiteSpace].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the research hotspot and frontier of severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in China and abroad. METHODS: The CiteSpace software was used to visually analyze the relevant research of severe COVID-19 published by CNKI and Web of Science databases from January 30th to April 20th in 2020. The analysis content included the author of the literature, the publishing institutions, and high-frequency keywords. RESULTS: There were 389 Chinese literatures and 59 English literatures included. Analysis using CiteSpace software showed that there were four large teams in China currently concerning about the research on severe COVID-19. The co-authoring of each team was relatively close, but the teams were lack of cooperation. The main issuing institutions were affiliated hospitals of colleges and universities, but colleges and enterprises had less participation. The authors of English-language publications mainly had five research teams, some of whom had co-authored relationships. The country with the most enormous volume of English-language publications was China, followed by the United States and Canada. The Chinese keyword co-occurrence, clustering and highlighted words analysis showed that the main research areas of severe COVID-19 included clinical features, traditional Chinese medicine treatment, medical imaging, integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine treatment and so on; nucleic acid detection, clinical features and diagnosis, plague theory and etiology mechanism, traditional Chinese medicine and integrated Chinese and Western medicine treatment, severe COVID-19 combined with diabetes and prognosis research will become future research trends; keyword cluster analysis showed that severe COVID-19, combined chronic underlying diseases, CT imaging characteristics will also become new trends in the field of research. Co-occurrence analysis of keywords in English literatures showed that the main research areas of severe COVID-19 included the names of novel coronavirus, pandemic diseases, infectious diseases, medical supplies distribution, and indicators related to myocardial damage. CONCLUSIONS: Researchers in China and abroad have different concerns about severe COVID-19. Domestic research focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of severe cases, while foreign countries attach importance to epidemic response and prevention.

Clinical Analysis of 25 COVID-19 Infections in Children.

BACKGROUND: To describe the characteristics of clinical manifestations of children with 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) infection in Chongqing. METHODS: All 25 children with laboratory-confirmed 2019-nCoV infection by real-time reverse transcription-PCR (RNA-PCR) were admitted from the 4 designated treatment hospitals of 2019-nCoV in Chongqing from January 19 to March 12, 2020. Clinical data and epidemiologic history of these patients were retrospectively collected and analyzed. RESULTS: The diagnosis was confirmed through RNA-PCR testing. Among the 25 cases, 14 were males and 11 were females. The median age was 11.0 (6.3-14.5) years (range 0.6-17.0 years). All children were related to a family cluster outbreak, and 7 children (28%) with a travel or residence history in Hubei Province. These patients could be categorized into different clinical types, including 8 (32%) asymptomatic, 4 (16%) very mild cases and 13 (52%) common cases. No severe or critical cases were identified. The most common symptoms were cough (13 cases, 52%) and fever (6 cases, 24%). The duration time of clinical symptoms was 13.0 (8.0-25.0) days. In the 25 cases, on admission, 21 cases (84%) had normal white blood cell counts, while only 2 cases (8%) more than 10 × 10/L and 2 cases (8%) less than 4 × 10/L, respectively; 22 cases(88%) had normal CD4+ T lymphocyte counts, while in the remaining 3 cases(8%) this increased mildly; 23 cases had normal CD8+ T lymphocyte counts, while in the remaining 2 cases (8%) CD8+ T lymphocyte counts were mildly increased as well. All Lymphocyte counts were normal. There were no statistical differences of lab results between the groups of asymptomatic cases, mild cases and common cases. There were only 13 cases with abnormal CT imaging, most of which were located in the subpleural area of the bottom of the lung. All patients were treated with interferon, 6 cases combined with Ribavirin, and 12 cases combined with lopinavir or ritonavir. The days from onset to RNA turning negative was 15.20 ± 6.54 days. There was no significant difference of RNA turning negative between the groups of interferon, interferon plus ribavirin and interferon plus lopinavir or ritonavir treatment. All the cases recovered and were discharged from hospital. CONCLUSIONS: The morbidity of 2019-nCoV infection in children is lower than in adults and the clinical manifestations and inflammatory biomarkers in children are nonspecific and milder than that in adults. RNA-PCR test is still the most reliable diagnostic method, especially for asymptomatic patients.