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Objectives: The Panbio COVID-19 Ag Rapid Test Device (Panbio COVID-19 Ag, Abbott Rapid Diagnostics) is a lateral flow immunochromatographic assay targeting the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) nucleoprotein in nasopharyngeal specimens for the diagnosis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This study aimed to verify the performance of the Panbio COVID-19 Ag for implementation in clinical laboratories. Method(s): Sixty nasopharyngeal swab specimens (30 positive and 30 negative) dipped in transport medium, and COVID-19 was confirmed using real-time RT-PCR using Allplex SARS-CoV-2 assay (Seegene), were tested using the Panbio COVID-19 Ag. Reproducibility was evaluated using positive and negative control materials. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated based on the results of realtime RT-PCR as the standard test method. Result(s): Reproducibility was confirmed by the consistent results of repeated tests of the quality control materials. The overall sensitivity and specificity of Panbio COVID-19 Ag were 50.0% and 100.0%, respectively. Panbio COVID-19 Ag demonstrated high sensitivity (88.2%) in analyzing the detection limit cycle threshold (Ct) value of 26.67 provided by the manufacturer as a positive criterion, and the sensitivity was 100.0% for the positive criterion of Ct values <25, although it was less sensitive for Ct > 25. Conclusion(s): Considering the high sensitivity for positive samples with Ct values <25 and the rapid turnaround of results, Panbio COVID-19 Ag can be used in clinical laboratories to diagnose COVID-19 in limited settings. Copyright © 2023 Ewha Womans University College of Medicine and Ewha Medical Research Institute.
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The world has seen various diseases in different variants, numerous pandemics in the twentieth century like covid-19. Fly infections are the fundamental driver of contaminations. An epidemic known as COVID-19 has been declared, and it has had a significant impact on society and the global economy. The diagnosis of Covid19 or non-Covid-19 cases early detection at the correct separation at the lowest cost early stages of the disease is one of the major problems in the current coronavirus pandemic. To address this problem, the proposed Deep learning and Design of covid19 detection based on Relative Eccentric Feature Selection (REFS) Using Deep Vectorized Regressive Neural Network (DVRNN) for corona virus the early detection of the Covid19 virus. Initially collects the covid19 sample test dataset, then the raw dataset trained into preliminary process is used to remove unwanted noise. After that preliminary processed dataset trained into the feature selection process is done to identify the best features of covid19 using Ensemble recursive feature selection. Further, the proposed DVRNN algorithm is done to classify the accurate detection of coronavirus. The proposed model would be useful for the timely and accurate identification of the coronavirus at different stages. Therefore it can detect the accurate results of covid19 effectively and accomplish good performance compared with previous methods. © 2022 IEEE.
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Understanding of the droplet transmission of respiratory diseases is necessary to control the outbreak of COVID-19. HVAC systems considering droplet transmission are commonly used to prevent numerous respiratory diseases by reducing indoor virus concentrations. The transmission of the virus was directly related to indoor flow patterns generated by HVAC systems. Thus, a study on operating conditions such as direction or the tilt angle was required. In this study, the effective ventilation rate and probability of droplet transmission according to the tilt angle of supply air and the number of people were studied. A CO2 tracer gas method was used to validate the results of simulations. The breathing plane and personal respiratory zone were introduced for the probability of droplet transmission. The result showed that ventilation performance showed 17% of the maximum difference among tilt angles. Various turbulent kinetic energies were obtained according to the seated positions, resulting in non-uniform CO2 concentration. Numerous conditions were examined with locational analysis of individuals. As a result, the flow rates for ventilation were recommended to be higher than 250 m3/h and 350 m3/h with a tilt angle of 60degree for an occupancy of 8 and 16 people, respectively.Copyright © The Author(s) 2022.
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Background: The question arises whether coronavirus disease 2019 vaccines can elicit cross-reactive antibody responses against the SARS-CoV- 2 Omicron variant in patients with autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic diseases (AIRDs). Method(s): This observational cohort study comprised 149 patients with AIRDs and 94 healthcare workers. Blood samples were obtained at enrolment, a median of 15 weeks after the second vaccine dose or 8 weeks after the third dose. The functional cross-neutralisation capacity of sera was measured using the Omicron variant RBD-ACE2 binding inhibition assay. We assessed the incidence of breakthrough infections and the potential correlation with neutralising responses in participants after receiving third doses. Result(s): Although both the patients with AIRDs and healthcare workers showed robust neutralising responses against the wild-type virus (88.1 and 97.2%, respectively), the cross-neutralising responses against the Omicron variant were significantly lower in patients with AIRDs than in healthcare workers after the third dose (26.8 vs 50.3%, P < 0.0001). Only 39.2% of the patient sera showed functional neutralisation capacity to the Omicron variant and cross-neutralising responses were shown to be poorly correlated with the ancestral anti-spike immunoglobulin G titres. Within 6 weeks of immunologic assessments, significantly reduced Omicron-neutralising responses were detected in sera from patients with AIRDs who developed breakthrough infections compared with those who did not (P = 0.018). Additionally, a relative decline was implied in neutralising responses against the Omicron variant as a reference to the wild-type virus during 120 days since the third vaccination, with a predicted decay rate of -0.351%/day (95% confidence interval, -0.559-[- 0.144], P = 0.001). Conclusion(s): Striking antibody evasion manifested by the Omicron variant in patients with AIRDs and current vaccine-induced immunity may not confer broad protection from Omicron breakthrough infection, highlighting the need for further research on vaccine effectiveness in patients with immune dysfunctions.
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INTRODUCTION: Tocilizumab has been shown to decrease mortality when used concomitantly with steroids in COVID-19. Tocilizumab dose of 8 mg/kg (max: 800 mg), stemmed from the RECOVERY trial, has been the standard dose for COVID. Due to a drug shortage of tocilizumab, our study seeks to assess whether low dose (400 mg) shows similar benefit compared to high dose for COVID patients concurrently on same median dose of steroids. METHOD(S): This was a retrospective observational study of COVID-19 patients who received tocilizumab in conjunction with steroids. Between March 2020 and August 2021, adult patients with positive COVID-19 PCR, hypoxic respiratory failure defined as FiO2>70%, and received a dose of tocilizumab in conjunction with steroids were included. Patients were excluded if they have died within 24 hours of treatment initiation. Primary outcome was 28-day mortality and secondary outcomes included biomarker improvement and relative risk of infection. Propensity matched analysis between groups was performed. RESULT(S): A total of 407 patients met the study criteria and were analyzed. The low dose and high dose tocilizumab group had 222 and 185 patients respectively. Gender and age were similar between groups and all patients received steroids. The low dose group was significantly more ill at baseline as a higher percentage of patients received vasopressors, were admitted to the ICU and on mechanical ventilation. In the propensity-matched analysis of 56 patients in each group, with a median dose of steroid of 10 mg in both groups showed no difference in 28 day mortality (HR 0.82 [95% CI: 0.41-1.67];p=0.6138). A greater decrease to normalization of CRP (p< 0.0001) and downtrend of ferritin (p=0.503) was observed in the high dose group at day 14. The high dose group trended a higher rate of fungal and viral infections. CONCLUSION(S): Compared to low dose tocilizumab, high dose did not provide additional efficacy and mortality benefit but resulted in uptrend of fungal and viral infections. While a greater decrease in CRP was seen in the high dose group, it did not translate into lower mortality. This study illustrates that low dose tocilizumab can be an alternative to high dose during a drug shortage of tocilizumab without compensating for efficacy and safety, conserving resources for more patients.
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While gerotranscendence theories postulate that older adults tend to orient themselves toward solitude, activity theories highlight the importance of continuing social and meaningful engagement for well-being across lifespan. The distinction between loneliness and social isolation is particularly observable in older adults of advanced age who are often facing accelerated decline in physical and functional health, therefore restricting their opportunities to interact with others. This has been particularly disturbing during the previous two years under COVID. This study utilized data from the 2nd Hong Kong Centenarian Study which interviewed 120 family caregivers of older adults aged 95 or above in 2021–2022 when the city experienced almost an entire year of the outbreak. Using family or friend proxy information as well as caregiver ratings of whether older adults expressed feelings of social isolation and loneliness, we found that 10.7% of older adults reported high levels of loneliness and isolation;26.7% feeling low in both;11.5% were isolated but not lonely, and 38.2% were lonely but not isolated. Loneliness ratings were more strongly associated with psychological well-being (Patient Health Questionnaire-4), autonomy, happiness, perceived usefulness, worries, and death anxiety than did isolation, with the latter negatively correlated with optimism. Participants rated in the low isolation/loneliness group were least (death) anxious than the other three groups. Our findings underscore the divergence of isolation and loneliness for adults of advanced age and call for psychological support for oldest-old adults who continue to face social isolation, especially when society gradually recovers from COVID.
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COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2, and its chronic form, Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC), remain significant public health concerns. Transgenic mice are an effective model for acute COVID-19 research, but PASC studies are currently lacking due to the prohibitive costs of performing such studies in an Animal Biosafety Level 3 (ABSL-3) containment setting. The goal of this study was to determine the natural timing of clearance of the SARS-CoV-2 virus from mice and establish a protocol for transfer of animals from ABSL- 3 to ABSL-2 for PASC studies. We hypothesized that infected mice would clear viral infection by approximately 3 to 4 wk postinfection (WPI). Six- to 18-wk-old, B6.Cg-Tg(K18-ACE2)2Prlmn/J (hACE2) mice (N = 48/sex) were intranasally inoculated with a pre-alpha strain of SARS-CoV-2 in an ABSL-3 containment setting. Environmental samples, oral swabs, and fecal samples were collected weekly up to 8 wk postinoculation and cohorts of surviving mice were necropsied at 4, 7, and 8 WPI when lung and brain were collected. Viral loads in all samples were quantified via RT-qPCR. Survival was significantly affected by sex, with males more susceptible (P = 0.002), but not age (P = 0.005). SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA copies were present in the lungs of mice at 4, 7, and 8 WPI, indicating that the mice had not yet cleared infection by the culmination of the study and raising the possibility of persistent infection.
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Working from home is increasing worldwide due to the spread of COVID-19, and the sudden telecommuting environment in existing residential spaces has caused a lot of inconvenience. This study deals with the variable system and space developed to support working from home in existing residences. The purpose of this study is to find a way to secure a flexible independent working from home space at any time, and to design a housing model using smart wall system. To achieve this, 1) Problem analyzed and requirements were derived of residential spaces for working from home, 2) A smart wall system was built for the realization of a flexible teleworking space at any time, and a plan was sought for its utilization. 3) A variable space was designed using a smart wall that varies in various ways. The smart wall presented in this study is a system that secures variable performance, IoT communication easiness, and information display performance while including furniture and devices so that a telecommuting space can be newly constructed. By using this, it was designed on a basic floor plan of an apartment of 84㎡, the size of a national house, and 5 ways to use it were derived, designed and simulated based on the scenarios for each space. In addition, in order to realize various variable spaces, it has implications that the variable space of a columnar structure should be a base structure. © 2022 Architectural Institute of Korea.
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The risk of traumatic brain injury (TBI) is significantly higher among Veterans compared to non- Veterans. Access to treatment for TBI and post concussive symptoms is sometimes difficult, because of barriers related to distance, finances, and public safety (i.e., COVID-19 infection). Virtual reality rehabilitation (VRR) offers an opportunity to incorporate a virtual space into a rehabilitation environment. To our knowledge, VRR has not been used to assist Veterans with TBI and related health problems with Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (iADLs). The purpose of this study is to investigate the usability of a novel VRR ADL and iADL training protocols, developed by the Gaming Research Integration for Learning Laboratory (GRILL®) at the Air Force Research Laboratory, for cognitive rehabilitation for Veterans with a TBI. We deployed a prototype protocol among healthcare providers (n = 20) to obtain feedback on usability, task demand, and recommended adjustments. Our preliminary analysis shows that providers found the VRR protocol involved low physical demand and would likely recommend it to their patients. Although they had some concerns with vertigo-like symptoms from using a digital technology, they believed the protocol would improve iADL functioning and was a good addition to pre-existing rehabilitation protocols. These outcomes provide justification for more impactful studies investigating the effectiveness of this protocol among Veterans with TBI. Copyright © 2021 Greenhalgh, Fitzpatrick, Rodabaugh, Madrigal, Timmerman, Chung, Ahuja, Kennedy, Harris and Adamson.
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The present research work sought to determine the suitability of applying the Google Classroom platform to develop communicative reading skills in students in the fourth grade of secondary school at the Institucion Educativa Parroquial (I.E.P.) N degrees 3721 in Ancon. Lima. Peru, when face-to-face classes had to be substituted by the so-called virtuality in the teaching-learning process, within the protocols implemented to face Covid-19. Authorities, teachers, and students were forced to look for technological tools and develop digital skills to achieve their educational objectives. Google Classroom was the digital platform used for the virtual process of developing the reading skills of the aforementioned group of students, whose results are contrasted with those achieved by a control group, with whom identical learning content was developed, both evaluated using rubrics. The results show that the use of this platform contributed to a significant improvement in the learning and reading skills of the experimental group concerning the control group, in the school year 2020.
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BACKGROUND: During COVID-19 pandemic, low-income communities have experienced higher levels of morbidity and mortality as well as increased vaccination hesitancy and lower vaccination rates compared to high-income communities. Primary care centers in underserved communities are essential, as they serve as health promotion and prevention centers for these communities. In this study, we aimed to calculate the COVID-19 vaccination rates in an underserved primary care community center and to objectively characterize this patient population in order to provide evidence for future communitarian interventions. METHODS: Retrospective medical records review of patients that were seen by a primary care provider admitted between January 1st and December 15th, 2021 at Burgdorf clinic, Trinity Health, Hartford, CT. Demographics, baseline comorbidities, vaccination status, number of vaccines received, and last encounter date within our network were recorded. Fisher's exact test was performed to analyze differences in proportions between groups of categorical variables. A univariate logistic regression analysis was used to indicate the association between vaccination status and demographical variables in our population. RESULTS: A total of 1630 patients were admitted/seen in our clinic as part of primary care visit (Age 54.17 years [SD 15.49];60.5% females;African American 70.9%). Most of the patients had their last encounter date on the last quarter of 2021, n=1286 (78.9%). From these, 649 ( 50.5%) were unvaccinated, 136 (10.6%) partially vaccinated, and 501 (39.0%) fully vaccinated. From the fully vaccinated patients 134 (26.7%) received a booster shot. Vaccination rates differed dramatically between age categories, see Graph 1. After the adjusted logistic regression there was a positive association between age category and increased vaccination rates (25-44 years, OR=0.94, 95% CI [0.51-1.75];45-64 years, OR=2.16, 95% CI [1.18-3.95], >65 years OR=2.72, 95% CI [1.44-5.12], p< 0.001, reference 18-24 years). CONCLUSIONS: Vaccination rates are significantly lower in younger patient's compared to older patients in our primary care center. Communitarian interventions focusing on patients between 18 and 45 years old may improve vaccination rates in underserved communities.
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Korea was liberated from Japan in 1945, but the war continued when North Korea invaded South Korea in 1950. After the war until the early 1970s, many people in South Korea suffered from hunger because there was not enough food;in particular, many sick people wandered around the streets and lived as beggars and social outcasts. At that time, Dr. Herbert Codington, a medical missionary sent from the Southern Presbyterian denomination in the United States, contributed greatly to the fight against tuberculosis and other diseases in South Korea. At the heart of his Christian spirituality was a strong affirmation of Jesus’ message that a person needs to be both spiritually and physically healthy in order to lead a whole, meaningful life. To this end, he preached the Gospel, while at the same time receiving minimal medical treatment himself and offering free treatment to poor Korean patients. His ideas about medical treatment at the time shocked Korean society, yet today, the South Korean government is still following his medical practices in many ways. This study will show that his medical ideas are very efficient in helping to deal with huge epidemics, such as Covid-19. © 2022, Ecozone, OAIMDD. All rights reserved.
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Background: A growing body of scientific evidence suggests that face masks can slow the spread of COVID-19 and save lives, but mask usage remains low across many parts of the world, and strategies to increase mask usage remain untested and unclear.
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Background: Individuals with underlying cardiovascular disease (CVD) have an increased vulnerability to COVID-19 and poorer outcomes. Little is known about the impact social distancing guidelines have had on the health behaviors of this population. Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine levels of social isolation, anxiety, depression, loneliness, stress, cognitive function, alcohol use, substance use and health appointment engagement pre-pandemic and after social distancing guidelines were initiated among individuals with CVD. Methods: A secondary analysis was completed of a cross-sectional study that utilized a web-based survey. The parent sample included 184 participants recruited using social media. Forty-nine participants (27%) reported a history of CVD that included hypertension, heart failure, myocardial infarction and/or peripheral artery disease. Descriptive statistics and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests with Bonferroni correction were used to compare levels of social isolation, anxiety, depression, loneliness, stress, cognitive function, alcohol use, substance use, and delay/canceled healthcare appointments before and during social distancing recommendations. Results: The majority of participants with CVD were female (92%), white (94%), college graduates (92 %), working full-time (45%), and living with two or more people (71%). There were significant differences (p<0.001) between pre- and during COVID-19 restrictions for levels of social isolation, anxiety, cognitive function, and loneliness, while depression (p=0.006), perceived stress (p=0.108), alcohol use (p=0.056), and substance use (p=0.141) were not significantly different. About half of the participants (45%) delayed or canceled healthcare appointments because they were afraid to be exposed to COVID-19. One-third (37%) of participants had a healthcare provider delay an appointment, 27% of participants' healthcare providers canceled, and 67% of respondents had a healthcare provider change to telehealth appointments. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic has concerning repercussions on the mental health of individuals with CVD. A heightened awareness by healthcare providers regarding the psychosocial needs of patients with CVD during the COVID-19 pandemic is warranted. The sample in this study is homogenous, limiting generalization, however, telehealth appointments with the above sample emerged as a viable mechanism for providers to interact with individuals with CVD. Psychosocial and biophysical outcomes from telehealth engagements are areas for further investigation.