ABSTRACT
The restrictive measures implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic have triggered sudden massive changes to travel behaviors of people all around the world. This study examines the individual mobility patterns for all transport modes (walk, bicycle, motorcycle, car driven alone, car driven in company, bus, subway, tram, train, airplane) before and during the restrictions adopted in ten countries on six continents: Australia, Brazil, China, Ghana, India, Iran, Italy, Norway, South Africa and the United States. This cross-country study also aims at understanding the predictors of protective behaviors related to the transport sector and COVID-19. Findings hinge upon an online survey conducted in May 2020 (N = 9,394). The empirical results quantify tremendous disruptions for both commuting and non-commuting travels, highlighting substantial reductions in the frequency of all types of trips and use of all modes. In terms of potential virus spread, airplanes and buses are perceived to be the riskiest transport modes, while avoidance of public transport is consistently found across the countries. According to the Protection Motivation Theory, the study sheds new light on the fact that two indicators, namely income inequality, expressed as Gini index, and the reported number of deaths due to COVID-19 per 100,000 inhabitants, aggravate respondents' perceptions. This research indicates that socio-economic inequality and morbidity are not only related to actual health risks, as well documented in the relevant literature, but also to the perceived risks. These findings document the global impact of the COVID-19 crisis as well as provide guidance for transportation practitioners in developing future strategies.
ABSTRACT
Objective: A systematic review and meta-analysis was carried out to examine the role of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) in the treatment of COVID-19. Methods: We performed a systematic search in PubMed, Scopus, Embase, CochraneLibrary, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and medRxiv pre-print databases using available MeSH terms for COVID-19 and hydroxychloroquine. Data from all studies that focused on the effectiveness of HCQ with or without the addition of azithromycin (AZM) in confirmed COVID-19 patients, which were published up to 12 September 2020, were collated for analysis using CMA v.2.2.064. Results: Our systematic review retrieved 41 studies. Among these, 37 studies including 45,913 participants fulfilled the criteria for subsequent meta-analysis. The data showed no significant difference in treatment efficacy between the HCQ and control groups (RR: 1.02, 95% CI, 0.81-1.27). Combination of HCQ with AZM also did not lead to improved treatment outcomes (RR: 1.26, 95% CI, 0.91-1.74). Furthermore, the mortality difference was not significant, neither in HCQ treatment group (RR: 0.86, 95% CI, 0.71-1.03) nor in HCQ plus AZM treatment group (RR: 1.28, 95% CI, 0.76-2.14) in comparison to controls. Meta-regression analysis showed that age was the factor that significantly affected mortality (P<0.00001). Conclusion: The meta-analysis found that there was no clinical benefit of using either HCQ by itself or in combination with AZM for the treatment of COVID-19 patients. Hence, it may be prudent for clinicians and researchers to focus on other therapeutic options that may show greater promise in this disease.
ABSTRACT
The relationship between ABO blood group and the incidence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection and death has been investigated in several studies. The reported results were controversial, so the objective of the present study was to assess the relationship between different blood groups and the onset and mortality of COVID-19 infection using a meta-analysis method. We searched relevant databases using appropriate MeSH terms. We screened articles on the bases of titles, abstracts and full text, and articles that met the inclusion criteria were selected. Quality assessment was done with the Newcastle-Ottawa scale checklist. The estimated frequency of COVID-19 infection and death in terms of ABO blood group and the overall estimate of the odds ratio between blood group with COVID-19 infection and death was calculated with 95% confidence interval. The pooled frequency of blood groups A, B, O and AB among COVID-19-infected individuals was estimated as 36.22%, 24.99%, 29.67% and 9.29% respectively. The frequency of blood groups A, B, O and AB among patients who died of COVID-19 infection was estimated as 40%, 23%, 29% and 8% respectively. The odds ratio of COVID-19 infection for blood group A versus the other blood groups was estimated as 1.16 (95% confidence interval (CI), 1.02-1.33). The corresponding figures for blood groups O and AB versus other blood groups were estimated as 0.73 (95% CI, 0.60-0.88) and 1.25 (95% CI, 0.84-1.86) respectively. This meta-analysis showed that individuals with blood group A are at higher risk for COVID-19 infection while those with blood group O are at lower risk. Although the odds ratio of death for AB blood group was nonsignificant, it was considerable.