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1.
BJS Open ; 7(3)2023 05 05.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-20233205

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: A major shift in treatment of appendicitis occurred early in the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic with non-operative management used commonly outside research protocols and in units with limited previous experience. This study aims to compare real-world outcomes of surgery versus non-operative management of uncomplicated appendicitis in children with 1-year follow-up. METHOD: A prospective multicentre observational study of children treated for uncomplicated appendicitis at 74 hospitals in the UK and Ireland from 1 April to 31 July 2020 was performed. Propensity-score matched analysis was conducted using age, sex, C-reactive protein at diagnosis and duration of symptoms as covariates. Primary outcomes were success of non-operative management defined as achieving 1-year follow-up without undergoing appendicectomy due to recurrent appendicitis or ongoing symptoms, and occurrence of any predefined complication (intra-abdominal collection, wound infection, bowel obstruction or reintervention). RESULTS: Of 1464 children with presumed uncomplicated appendicitis, 1027 (70.2 per cent) underwent surgery and 437 (29.9 per cent) underwent non-operative management. Ninety-four children (21.5 per cent) treated by initial non-operative management required appendicectomy during the index hospital admission while recurrent appendicitis after discharge occurred in 25 (10.4 per cent) children within 1 year. The overall success rate of non-operative management at 1 year was 63.1 per cent (95 per cent c.i. 58.0 to 68.3 per cent). For propensity-score matched analyses, 688 children undergoing surgery and 307 undergoing non-operative management were included. Any predefined complication occurred in 50 (7.3 per cent) children undergoing surgery and in four (1.3 per cent) children undergoing non-operative management (OR 5.9 (95 per cent c.i. 2.1 to 16.6)) in the propensity-score matched cohort. There was no mortality or stoma formation. CONCLUSION: Non-operative management is a safe and valid alternative to appendicectomy in children with uncomplicated appendicitis.


Subject(s)
Appendicitis , COVID-19 , Child , Humans , Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use , Appendicitis/surgery , Appendicitis/complications , Pandemics , Prospective Studies , SARS-CoV-2 , Treatment Outcome , Male , Female
2.
European Respiratory Journal Conference: European Respiratory Society International Congress, ERS ; 60(Supplement 66), 2022.
Article in English | EMBASE | ID: covidwho-2273001

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Face to Face (FTF) PR is a gold standard treatment for chronic respiratory diseases. However low uptake is reported (Sing, S. et al. NACAP 2020). Evaluating virtual alternatives is important when considering methods to improve uptake. Aim(s): To determine the feasibility, and efficacy of virtual PR (VPR). Method(s): Covid-19 led to VPR replacing FTF in 3 London boroughs from March 2020-May 2021. VPR included videoconferencing supported group aerobic and resistance training. The 1 minute sit to stand (1MSTS), CRQ, CAT, HAD and Lung Information Needs Questionnaire (LINQ) were completed pre and post VPR. Result(s): 695 patients were referred with 181 (26%) enrolled into VPR (mean age 67.5+/-11.8;%predicted FEV1 62+/-23.1). 138 completed (76% of enrolled). Reasons for non-enrolment were digital access (n=125), clinical reasons (n=138), declined/non-contactable (n=251). There were significant improvements in 1MSTS (3.3+/-5.3;p<0.001);CRQ-dyspnoea (0.56+/-1.1;p<0.001);emotional functioning (0.32+/-0.9;p<0.001);mastery (0.53+/-1.1;P<0.001);fatigue (0.39+/-1.0;p<0.0001), total (0.43+/-0.8;p<0.001);CAT (-2.2+/-5.4;P<0.001);LINQ (-2.8+/-2.6 P<0.001) and HAD-D (-1.2+/-2.8;P<0.001). 1MSTS, CAT, LINQ, CRQ dyspnoea and mastery exceeded the minimal clinically important differences (MCID). 86% of patients met the MCID for health status and 54% for exercise tolerance (ET). Conclusion(s): VPR was feasible and efficacious in some patients. Our data shows higher completion rates in those enrolled than national F2F data with more patients meeting the health status MCID but less for exercise tolerance. Further work is needed to improve digital access for VPR.

3.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A ; 120(11): e2220272120, 2023 03 14.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2259802

ABSTRACT

T cells are present in early stages of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and play a major role in disease outcome and long-lasting immunity. Nasal administration of a fully human anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody (Foralumab) reduced lung inflammation as well as serum IL-6 and C-reactive protein in moderate cases of COVID-19. Using serum proteomics and RNA-sequencing, we investigated the immune changes in patients treated with nasal Foralumab. In a randomized trial, mild to moderate COVID-19 outpatients received nasal Foralumab (100 µg/d) given for 10 consecutive days and were compared to patients that did not receive Foralumab. We found that naïve-like T cells were increased in Foralumab-treated subjects and NGK7+ effector T cells were reduced. CCL5, IL32, CST7, GZMH, GZMB, GZMA, PRF1, and CCL4 gene expression were downregulated in T cells and CASP1 was downregulated in T cells, monocytes, and B cells in subjects treated with Foralumab. In addition to the downregulation of effector features, an increase in TGFB1 gene expression in cell types with known effector function was observed in Foralumab-treated subjects. We also found increased expression of GTP-binding gene GIMAP7 in subjects treated with Foralumab. Rho/ROCK1, a downstream pathway of GTPases signaling was downregulated in Foralumab-treated individuals. TGFB1, GIMAP7, and NKG7 transcriptomic changes observed in Foralumab-treated COVID-19 subjects were also observed in healthy volunteers, MS subjects, and mice treated with nasal anti-CD3. Our findings demonstrate that nasal Foralumab modulates the inflammatory response in COVID-19 and provides a novel avenue to treat the disease.


Subject(s)
Antibodies, Monoclonal , COVID-19 , Animals , Humans , Mice , Administration, Intranasal , Antibodies, Monoclonal/therapeutic use , GTP-Binding Proteins , Membrane Proteins , rho-Associated Kinases , SARS-CoV-2 , T-Lymphocytes , Transforming Growth Factor beta1/genetics
4.
Mol Syst Biol ; 19(5): e11361, 2023 05 09.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2270759

ABSTRACT

DNA methylation comprises a cumulative record of lifetime exposures superimposed on genetically determined markers. Little is known about methylation dynamics in humans following an acute perturbation, such as infection. We characterized the temporal trajectory of blood epigenetic remodeling in 133 participants in a prospective study of young adults before, during, and after asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection. The differential methylation caused by asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic infections was indistinguishable. While differential gene expression largely returned to baseline levels after the virus became undetectable, some differentially methylated sites persisted for months of follow-up, with a pattern resembling autoimmune or inflammatory disease. We leveraged these responses to construct methylation-based machine learning models that distinguished samples from pre-, during-, and postinfection time periods, and quantitatively predicted the time since infection. The clinical trajectory in the young adults and in a diverse cohort with more severe outcomes was predicted by the similarity of methylation before or early after SARS-CoV-2 infection to the model-defined postinfection state. Unlike the phenomenon of trained immunity, the postacute SARS-CoV-2 epigenetic landscape we identify is antiprotective.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Young Adult , Humans , COVID-19/genetics , SARS-CoV-2/genetics , Prospective Studies , DNA Methylation/genetics , Protein Processing, Post-Translational
5.
Epidemiology ; 33(6): 797-807, 2022 Nov 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2190880

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Marine recruits training at Parris Island experienced an unexpectedly high rate of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, despite preventive measures including a supervised, 2-week, pre-entry quarantine. We characterize SARS-CoV-2 transmission in this cohort. METHODS: Between May and November 2020, we monitored 2,469 unvaccinated, mostly male, Marine recruits prospectively during basic training. If participants tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) at the end of quarantine, they were transferred to the training site in segregated companies and underwent biweekly testing for 6 weeks. We assessed the effects of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) prevention measures on other respiratory infections with passive surveillance data, performed phylogenetic analysis, and modeled transmission dynamics and testing regimens. RESULTS: Preventive measures were associated with drastically lower rates of other respiratory illnesses. However, among the trainees, 1,107 (44.8%) tested SARS-CoV-2-positive, with either mild or no symptoms. Phylogenetic analysis of viral genomes from 580 participants revealed that all cases but one were linked to five independent introductions, each characterized by accumulation of mutations across and within companies, and similar viral isolates in individuals from the same company. Variation in company transmission rates (mean reproduction number R 0 ; 5.5 [95% confidence interval [CI], 5.0, 6.1]) could be accounted for by multiple initial cases within a company and superspreader events. Simulations indicate that frequent rapid-report testing with case isolation may minimize outbreaks. CONCLUSIONS: Transmission of wild-type SARS-CoV-2 among Marine recruits was approximately twice that seen in the community. Insights from SARS-CoV-2 outbreak dynamics and mutations spread in a remote, congregate setting may inform effective mitigation strategies.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Disease Outbreaks , Military Personnel , COVID-19/epidemiology , COVID-19/prevention & control , Disease Outbreaks/prevention & control , Female , Humans , Male , Military Personnel/statistics & numerical data , Phylogeny , SARS-CoV-2/genetics , SARS-CoV-2/isolation & purification , United States/epidemiology
6.
medrxiv; 2022.
Preprint in English | medRxiv | ID: ppzbmed-10.1101.2022.12.06.22282077

ABSTRACT

Resolving chromatin remodeling-linked gene expression changes at cell type resolution is important for understanding disease states. We describe MAGICAL, a hierarchical Bayesian approach that leverages paired scRNA-seq and scATAC-seq data from different conditions to map disease-associated transcription factors, chromatin sites, and genes as regulatory circuits. By simultaneously modeling signal variation across cells and conditions in both omics data types, MAGICAL achieved high accuracy on circuit inference. We applied MAGICAL to study Staphylococcus aureus sepsis from peripheral blood mononuclear single-cell data that we generated from infected subjects with bloodstream infection and from uninfected controls. MAGICAL identified sepsis-associated regulatory circuits predominantly in CD14 monocytes, known to be activated by bacterial sepsis. We addressed the challenging problem of distinguishing host regulatory circuit responses to methicillin-resistant- (MRSA) and methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) infections. While differential expression analysis failed to show predictive value, MAGICAL identified epigenetic circuit biomarkers that distinguished MRSA from MSSA.


Subject(s)
Sepsis
7.
biorxiv; 2022.
Preprint in English | bioRxiv | ID: ppzbmed-10.1101.2022.12.02.518847

ABSTRACT

In this study, we evaluated the impact of viral variant, in addition to other variables, on within-host viral burdens, by analysing cycle threshold (Ct) values derived from nose and throat swabs, collected as part of the UK COVID-19 Infection Survey. Because viral burden distributions determined from community survey data can be biased due to the impact of variant epidemiology on the time-since-infection of samples, we developed a method to explicitly adjust observed Ct value distributions to account for the expected bias. Analysing the adjusted Ct values using partial least squares regression, we found that among unvaccinated individuals with no known prior infection, the average Ct value was 0.94 lower among Alpha variant infections, compared those with the predecessor strain, B.1.177. However, among vaccinated individuals, it was 0.34 lower among Delta variant infections, compared to those with the Alpha variant. In addition, the average Ct value decreased by 0.20 for every 10 year age increment of the infected individual. In summary, within-host viral burdens are associated with age, in addition to the interplay of vaccination status and viral variant.


Subject(s)
COVID-19
8.
Cell Syst ; 13(11): 924-931.e4, 2022 Nov 16.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2095148

ABSTRACT

Male sex is a major risk factor for SARS-CoV-2 infection severity. To understand the basis for this sex difference, we studied SARS-CoV-2 infection in a young adult cohort of United States Marine recruits. Among 2,641 male and 244 female unvaccinated and seronegative recruits studied longitudinally, SARS-CoV-2 infections occurred in 1,033 males and 137 females. We identified sex differences in symptoms, viral load, blood transcriptome, RNA splicing, and proteomic signatures. Females had higher pre-infection expression of antiviral interferon-stimulated gene (ISG) programs. Causal mediation analysis implicated ISG differences in number of symptoms, levels of ISGs, and differential splicing of CD45 lymphocyte phosphatase during infection. Our results indicate that the antiviral innate immunity set point causally contributes to sex differences in response to SARS-CoV-2 infection. A record of this paper's transparent peer review process is included in the supplemental information.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Immunity, Innate , Sex Characteristics , Female , Humans , Male , Young Adult , COVID-19/immunology , Interferons , Proteomics , SARS-CoV-2
10.
Sci Signal ; 15(757): eabm0808, 2022 Oct 25.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2088392

ABSTRACT

Multiple coronaviruses have emerged independently in the past 20 years that cause lethal human diseases. Although vaccine development targeting these viruses has been accelerated substantially, there remain patients requiring treatment who cannot be vaccinated or who experience breakthrough infections. Understanding the common host factors necessary for the life cycles of coronaviruses may reveal conserved therapeutic targets. Here, we used the known substrate specificities of mammalian protein kinases to deconvolute the sequence of phosphorylation events mediated by three host protein kinase families (SRPK, GSK-3, and CK1) that coordinately phosphorylate a cluster of serine and threonine residues in the viral N protein, which is required for viral replication. We also showed that loss or inhibition of SRPK1/2, which we propose initiates the N protein phosphorylation cascade, compromised the viral replication cycle. Because these phosphorylation sites are highly conserved across coronaviruses, inhibitors of these protein kinases not only may have therapeutic potential against COVID-19 but also may be broadly useful against coronavirus-mediated diseases.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 , SARS-CoV-2 , Animals , Humans , SARS-CoV-2/genetics , Phosphorylation , Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3/metabolism , Virus Replication , Nucleocapsid Proteins/metabolism , Nucleocapsid/metabolism , Serine/metabolism , Threonine/metabolism , Mammals/metabolism , Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases
11.
Mucosal Immunol ; 15(5): 952-963, 2022 05.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1937414

ABSTRACT

Children are less likely than adults to suffer severe symptoms when infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), while influenza A H1N1 severity is comparable across ages except for the very young or elderly. Airway epithelial cells play a vital role in the early defence against viruses via their barrier and immune functions. We investigated viral replication and immune responses in SARS-CoV-2-infected bronchial epithelial cells from healthy paediatric (n = 6; 2.5-5.6 years old) and adult (n = 4; 47-63 years old) subjects and compared cellular responses following infection with SARS-CoV-2 or Influenza A H1N1. While infection with either virus triggered robust transcriptional interferon responses, including induction of type I (IFNB1) and type III (IFNL1) interferons, markedly lower levels of interferons and inflammatory proteins (IL-6, IL-8) were released following SARS-CoV-2 compared to H1N1 infection. Only H1N1 infection caused disruption of the epithelial layer. Interestingly, H1N1 infection resulted in sustained upregulation of SARS-CoV-2 entry factors FURIN and NRP1. We did not find any differences in the epithelial response to SARS-CoV-2 infection between paediatric and adult cells. Overall, SARS-CoV-2 had diminished potential to replicate, affect morphology and evoke immune responses in bronchial epithelial cells compared to H1N1.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype , Influenza, Human , Child, Preschool , Epithelial Cells , Humans , Immunity , Influenza, Human/metabolism , Interferons/metabolism , Middle Aged , SARS-CoV-2 , Virus Replication/physiology
14.
JMIRx Med ; 2(4): e30708, 2021.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1834137

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Lockdowns imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic have impacted the living and working habits of millions of people, with potentially important implications for their physical, mental, and social well-being. OBJECTIVE: The primary objective of this study was to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on remote workers who were not directly affected by COVID-19. METHODS: This was a correlational cross-sectional study (with an additional qualitative component) of 184 remote workers surveyed during the first COVID-19 lockdown in the United Kingdom. Standard measures of mental health (Kessler-6 Distress Scale), productivity (Brief Instrument to Assess Workers' Productivity During a Working Day), and physical activity (International Physical Activity Questionnaire) were used, and respondents were further surveyed on changes to their dietary, exercise, smoking, drinking, and socialization habits to produce a well-being change index. RESULTS: The results revealed associations between sedentary behavior and poorer mental health (τ b=0.14) and between poorer mental health and low work productivity (τ b=-0.39). However, both positive and negative lifestyle changes were reported; a self-reported increase in well-being (with respect to diet, exercise, smoking, alcohol consumption, and socialization) since the start of the pandemic was associated with both better mental health (τ b=-0.14) and better work productivity (τ b=0.14). Of note, among respondents without a mental health diagnosis (137/184, 74.4%), we observed rates of moderate (76/137, 55.5%) and severe (17/137, 12.4%) psychological distress, which were markedly higher than those reported in large prepandemic studies; moreover, 70.1% (129/184) of our respondents reported more sedentary behavior, 41% (69/168) increased their alcohol consumption, and 38.6% (71/184) increased their overall food intake. However, 46% (75/163), 44.8% (39/87) and 51.8% (57/110) of respondents reported spending more time walking and engaging in more moderate and vigorous exercise, respectively. Qualitative analysis revealed many positive adaptations to lockdowns (eg, decreased commuting expenses, flexibility) but also a number of structural obstacles to remote working (eg, lack of support and high expectations from employers, childcare duties). CONCLUSIONS: These findings may be of practical importance for policy makers and employers in a world in which work involves long-term remote or hybrid employment arrangements; strategies to promote more sustainable remote working are discussed.

15.
Front Immunol ; 13: 821730, 2022.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1817940

ABSTRACT

Young adults infected with SARS-CoV-2 are frequently asymptomatic or develop only mild disease. Because capturing representative mild and asymptomatic cases require active surveillance, they are less characterized than moderate or severe cases of COVID-19. However, a better understanding of SARS-CoV-2 asymptomatic infections might shed light into the immune mechanisms associated with the control of symptoms and protection. To this aim, we have determined the temporal dynamics of the humoral immune response, as well as the serum inflammatory profile, of mild and asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infections in a cohort of 172 initially seronegative prospectively studied United States Marine recruits, 149 of whom were subsequently found to be SARS-CoV-2 infected. The participants had blood samples taken, symptoms surveyed and PCR tests for SARS-CoV-2 performed periodically for up to 105 days. We found similar dynamics in the profiles of viral load and in the generation of specific antibody responses in asymptomatic and mild symptomatic participants. A proteomic analysis using an inflammatory panel including 92 analytes revealed a pattern of three temporal waves of inflammatory and immunoregulatory mediators, and a return to baseline for most of the inflammatory markers by 35 days post-infection. We found that 23 analytes were significantly higher in those participants that reported symptoms at the time of the first positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR compared with asymptomatic participants, including mostly chemokines and cytokines associated with inflammatory response or immune activation (i.e., TNF-α, TNF-ß, CXCL10, IL-8). Notably, we detected 7 analytes (IL-17C, MMP-10, FGF-19, FGF-21, FGF-23, CXCL5 and CCL23) that were higher in asymptomatic participants than in participants with symptoms; these are known to be involved in tissue repair and may be related to the control of symptoms. Overall, we found a serum proteomic signature that differentiates asymptomatic and mild symptomatic infections in young adults, including potential targets for developing new therapies and prognostic tests.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Fibroblast Growth Factors , Humans , Interleukin-17 , Matrix Metalloproteinase 10 , Proteomics , SARS-CoV-2
16.
J Pediatr Surg ; 57(10): 380-385, 2022 Oct.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1768357

ABSTRACT

AIM: To report the impact of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on management and outcomes of paediatric appendicitis in the UK and Ireland. METHODS: Prospective, multicentre observational cohort study at general surgical and specialist paediatric surgical centres in the United Kingdom and Ireland from 1st April to 31st July 2020. Primary outcome was treatment strategy used for acute appendicitis. RESULTS: This study includes 2002 children treated for acute appendicitis of a median age of 10 (range 1-15) years and 605 children from a similar data set pre pandemic from 2017. In the pandemic cohort 560/2002(28%) were initially treated non operatively of whom 125/560(22%) proceeded to appendicectomy within initial hospital admission. Non operative treatment wasn't used in the pre pandemic cohort. Diagnostic imaging use was greater during the pandemic compared to pre pandemic (54vs31%; p < 0.00001) but overall use of laparoscopy was similar during both time periods (62.4vs66.6%). Hospital readmission rate was lower (8.7vs13.9%; p = 0.0002) during the pandemic than pre pandemic and Re-intervention rate was similar (2.9vs2.6%;p = 0.42). In cases treated operatively negative appendicectomy rate was lower during the pandemic than pre pandemic (4.4vs15.4%; p =0.0001), and during the pandemic was amongst the lowest ever reported in the UK. CONCLUSION: COVID-19 has had a significant impact on the management of children with appendicitis in the UK and Ireland. The rate of imaging and the use of non operative management increased, whilst the negative appendicectomy rate reduced. Overall, patient outcomes have not been adversely impacted by change in management during the pandemic. CONCLUSION: Level I. TYPE OF STUDY: Prognosis study.


Subject(s)
Appendicitis , COVID-19 , Adolescent , Appendectomy/methods , Appendicitis/epidemiology , Appendicitis/surgery , COVID-19/epidemiology , Child , Child, Preschool , Humans , Infant , Pandemics , Prospective Studies , SARS-CoV-2
17.
Immunity ; 55(3): 542-556.e5, 2022 03 08.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1768197

ABSTRACT

Some patients hospitalized with acute COVID-19 suffer respiratory symptoms that persist for many months. We delineated the immune-proteomic landscape in the airways and peripheral blood of healthy controls and post-COVID-19 patients 3 to 6 months after hospital discharge. Post-COVID-19 patients showed abnormal airway (but not plasma) proteomes, with an elevated concentration of proteins associated with apoptosis, tissue repair, and epithelial injury versus healthy individuals. Increased numbers of cytotoxic lymphocytes were observed in individuals with greater airway dysfunction, while increased B cell numbers and altered monocyte subsets were associated with more widespread lung abnormalities. A one-year follow-up of some post-COVID-19 patients indicated that these abnormalities resolved over time. In summary, COVID-19 causes a prolonged change to the airway immune landscape in those with persistent lung disease, with evidence of cell death and tissue repair linked to the ongoing activation of cytotoxic T cells.


Subject(s)
B-Lymphocytes/immunology , COVID-19/immunology , Monocytes/immunology , Respiration Disorders/immunology , Respiratory System/immunology , SARS-CoV-2/physiology , T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic/immunology , Adult , Aged , COVID-19/complications , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Immunity, Cellular , Immunoproteins , Male , Middle Aged , Proteome , Respiration Disorders/etiology , Respiratory System/pathology
18.
Clin Transl Immunology ; 11(3): e1381, 2022.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1763220

ABSTRACT

Group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2) are a relatively new class of innate immune cells. Lung ILC2 are early responders that secrete type 2 cytokines in response to danger 'alarmin' signals such as interleukin (IL)-33 and thymic stromal lymphopoietin. Being an early source of type 2 cytokines, ILC2 are a critical regulator of type 2 immune cells of both innate and adaptive immune responses. The immune regulatory functions of ILC2 were mostly investigated in diseases where T helper 2 inflammation predominates. However, in recent years, it has been appreciated that the role of ILC2 extends to other pathological conditions such as cancer and viral infections. In this review, we will focus on the potential role of lung ILC2 in the induction of mucosal immunity against influenza virus infection and discuss the potential utility of ILC2 as a target for mucosal vaccination.

19.
Int J Environ Res Public Health ; 19(5)2022 03 03.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1732010

ABSTRACT

This study investigated the physical activity experiences of people living with and beyond cancer (PLWBC) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants attended the cancer and rehabilitation exercise (CARE) programme delivered by a football community trust. Staff (n = 2) and participants (n = 9) attended semi-structured interviews investigating the PA participation and experiences of attending/delivering different modes of CARE, including exercise classes delivered outdoors and delivered online. Interviews also investigated participant aspirations for returning to CARE sessions delivered in person indoors. The findings show that the COVID-19 pandemic and government restrictions impacted on PA participation, yet exercise sessions provided via CARE offered participants an important opportunity to arrest their inactivity, keep active and maintain their fitness and functionality. Barriers to participation of CARE online included access to IT infrastructure, internet connectivity and IT skills and comfort using IT. Regarding CARE outdoors, the weather, range of equipment, variety of exercises and the lack of toilets and seats were barriers. In the different CARE modes, the skills of delivery staff who were sensitive to the needs of participants, social support, and the need for participants to maintain good mental and social health were important facilitators for engagement and are considerations for programme delivery. CARE helped PLWBC to keep physically active.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Neoplasms , COVID-19/epidemiology , Exercise , Humans , Neoplasms/epidemiology , Neoplasms/therapy , Pandemics , Qualitative Research , SARS-CoV-2
20.
Front Immunol ; 12: 744696, 2021.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1485054

ABSTRACT

Background: Little is known about the mortality of hospital-acquired (nosocomial) COVID-19 infection globally. We investigated the risk of mortality and critical care admission in hospitalised adults with nosocomial COVID-19, relative to adults requiring hospitalisation due to community-acquired infection. Methods: We systematically reviewed the peer-reviewed and pre-print literature from 1/1/2020 to 9/2/2021 without language restriction for studies reporting outcomes of nosocomial and community-acquired COVID-19. We performed a random effects meta-analysis (MA) to estimate the 1) relative risk of death and 2) critical care admission, stratifying studies by patient cohort characteristics and nosocomial case definition. Results: 21 studies were included in the primary MA, describing 8,251 admissions across 8 countries during the first wave, comprising 1513 probable or definite nosocomial COVID-19, and 6738 community-acquired cases. Across all studies, the risk of mortality was 1.3 times greater in patients with nosocomial infection, compared to community-acquired (95% CI: 1.005 to 1.683). Rates of critical care admission were similar between groups (Relative Risk, RR=0.74, 95% CI: 0.50 to 1.08). Immunosuppressed patients diagnosed with nosocomial COVID-19 were twice as likely to die in hospital as those admitted with community-acquired infection (RR=2.14, 95% CI: 1.76 to 2.61). Conclusions: Adults who acquire SARS-CoV-2 whilst already hospitalised are at greater risk of mortality compared to patients admitted following community-acquired infection; this finding is largely driven by a substantially increased risk of death in individuals with malignancy or who had undergone transplantation. These findings inform public health and infection control policy and argue for individualised clinical interventions to combat the threat of nosocomial COVID-19, particularly for immunosuppressed groups. Systematic Review Registration: PROSPERO CRD42021249023.


Subject(s)
COVID-19/immunology , COVID-19/mortality , Hospitalization , Immunocompromised Host , Inpatients , SARS-CoV-2 , Adult , COVID-19/therapy , Disease-Free Survival , Humans , Risk Factors , Survival Rate
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