To what extent do young chinese elites comply with COVID-19 prevention and control measures?

BACKGROUND: During the COVID-19 pandemic, it is vital for individuals to comply with the government's prevention and control measures. This study aims to explore determinants of college students' compliance behaviour during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: This study conducted an online survey among 3,122 individuals aged 18 and above from March to November 2022 in China. Individuals' compliance behaviour was divided into protective behaviour (that includes wearing a mask, maintaining a physical distance, and getting vaccinated) and restrictive behaviour (that includes offering health codes and a nucleic acid test certificate). Individuals' compliance motivation was divided into calculated motivation (including the fear of being infected, the fear of being published, and previous experience of pandemic prevention) and normative motivation (including the sense of social responsibility and trust in government). We defined young people aged between 18 and 24 with a college degree as young elites, and constructed ordinary least squares linear regression to compare their compliance behaviour with young people without a college degree (young non-elites), and non-young people with a college degree (non-young elites). RESULTS: Almost three years after the outbreak of the pandemic, Chinese individuals retained a high degree of compliance with COVID-19 prevention and control policies, particularly with respect to the provision of health codes. Young elites were more compliant with getting vaccinated, wearing a mask, providing health codes and testing results than their counterparts. The sense of social responsibility and trust in government were the major drivers of young elites' compliance behaviour during the pandemic. Young elites who were male, had a rural "hukou", and were not a member of the China Communist Party were more compliant with COVID-19 prevention and control measures. CONCLUSION: This study found that young elites in China had high policy compliance during the COVID-19 pandemic. These young elites' compliance behaviour was driven by their sense of social responsibility and trust in government rather than the fear of being infected and the fear of being punished as a result of violating the regulations. We suggest that in the context of managing health crises, in stead of introducing punitive measures to enforce citizens to comply with the management measures, promoting citizens' sense of social responsibility and building a trusting relationship with citizens contrite to the enhancement of citizens' policy compliance.

The Relationship Between Symptoms of Anxiety and Somatic Symptoms in Health Professionals During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic.

BACKGROUND: The pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has posed a threat to global health. Increasing studies have shown that the mental health status of health professionals is very poor during the COVID-19 epidemic. At present, the relationship between somatic symptoms and symptoms of anxiety of health professionals during the COVID-19 has not been reported. The purpose of this study was to explore the frequency of somatic symptoms and its related factors in health professionals with symptoms of anxiety during COVID-19 in China. METHODS: A total of 606 health professionals were assessed online with the Chinese version of the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) scale, 7-item Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) and the somatization subscale of Symptom Checklist 90 (SCL-90). RESULTS: The percentage of symptoms of anxiety, somatic symptoms and insomnia in all health professionals was 45.4%, 12.0%, and 32%, respectively. The frequency of somatic symptoms in health professionals with symptoms of anxiety was 22.9%. The SCL-90 somatization subscale score was significantly positively correlated with history of somatic diseases, GAD-7 score and ISI score in participants with symptoms of anxiety. CONCLUSION: During the COVID-19, symptoms of anxiety, insomnia, and somatic symptoms are commonly observed in health professionals. Insomnia and symptoms of anxiety are independently associated with somatic symptoms of health professionals with symptoms of anxiety.

Reducing the Effectiveness of Ward Particulate Matter, Bacteria and Influenza Virus by Combining Two Complementary Air Purifiers.

Air purifiers should pay much attention to hospital-associated infections, but the role of a single air purifier is limited. The goal of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the combined application of the nonequilibrium positive and negative oxygen ion purifier (PNOI) and the high-efficiency particulate air filter (HEPA) on a complex, polluted environment. Two of the better performing purifiers were selected before the study. The efficacy of their use alone and in combination for purification of cigarette particulate matter (PM), Staphylococcus albicans, and influenza virus were then evaluated under a simulated contaminated ward. PNAI and HEPA alone are deficient. However, when they were combined, they achieved 98.44%, 99.75%, and 100% 30 min purification rates for cigarette PM, S. albus, and influenza virus, respectively. The purification of pollution of various particle sizes and positions was optimized and reduced differentials, and a subset of airborne influenza viruses is inactivated. Furthermore, they were superior to ultraviolet disinfection for microbial purification in air. This work demonstrates the strong purification capability of the combined application of these two air purifiers for complex air pollution, which provides a new idea for infection control in medical institutions.

Bacterial Epidemiology and Antimicrobial Resistance Profiles in Children Reported by the ISPED Program in China, 2016 to 2020.

The Infectious Disease Surveillance of Pediatrics (ISPED) program was established in 2015 to monitor and analyze the trends of bacterial epidemiology and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in children. Clinical bacterial isolates were collected from 11 tertiary care children's hospitals in China in 2016 to 2020. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was carried out using the Kirby-Bauer method or automated systems, with interpretation according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute 2019 breakpoints. A total of 288,377 isolates were collected, and the top 10 predominant bacteria were Escherichia coli, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, Haemophilus influenzae, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Moraxella catarrhalis, Streptococcus pyogenes, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Acinetobacter baumannii. In 2020, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic year, we observed a significant reduction in the proportion of respiratory tract samples (from 56.9% to 44.0%). A comparable reduction was also seen in the primary bacteria mainly isolated from respiratory tract samples, including S. pneumoniae, H. influenzae, and S. pyogenes. Multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) in children were commonly observed and presented higher rates of drug resistance than sensitive strains. The proportions of carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae (CRKP), carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii (CRAB), carbapenem-resistant P. aeruginosa (CRPA), and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) strains were 19.7%, 46.4%%, 12.8%, and 35.0%, respectively. The proportions of CRKP, CRAB, and CRPA strains all showed decreasing trends between 2015 and 2020. Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) and CRPA gradually decreased with age, while CRAB showed the opposite trend with age. Both CRE and CRPA pose potential threats to neonates. MDROs show very high levels of AMR and have become an urgent threat to children, suggesting that effective monitoring of AMR and antimicrobial stewardship among children in China are required. IMPORTANCE AMR, especially that involving multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs), is recognized as a global threat to human health; AMR renders infections increasingly difficult to treat, constituting an enormous economic burden and producing tremendous negative impacts on patient morbidity and mortality rates. There are many surveillance programs in the world to address AMR profiles and MDRO prevalence in humans. However, published studies evaluating the overall AMR rates or MDRO distributions in children are very limited or are of mixed quality. In this study, we showed the bacterial epidemiology and resistance profiles of primary pathogens in Chinese children from 2016 to 2020 for the first time, analyzed MDRO distributions with time and with age, and described MDROs' potential threats to children, especially low-immunity neonates. Our study will be very useful to guide antiinfection therapy in Chinese children, as well as worldwide pediatric patients.

Analysis of the comprehensive non-pharmaceutical interventions and measures in containing the COVID-19 epidemic in Shenzhen: a retrospective study.

OBJECTIVE: To analyse the epidemiological characteristics of family clusters of COVID-19 and the three stages of the comprehensive non-pharmaceutical interventions and measures implemented in Shenzhen. METHODS: The epidemic curve of COVID-19 was drawn and the impact of the comprehensive non-pharmaceutical interventions and measures was analysed by the different periods of the epidemic. RESULTS: A total of 427 cases (417 confirmed cases and 10 asymptomatic infectious cases) were reported in Shenzhen, of which 259 (60.7%) were clustered cases. 97 cluster events were drawn and most cluster events (97.3%) occurred in families. There were three stages of the COVID-19 epidemic in Shenzhen. The epidemic increased rapidly, but the peak lasted for a short time, while the decline in incidence was rapid and large. CONCLUSIONS: Family clusters were the main feature of the COVID-19 outbreak in Shenzhen in 2020, and the Shenzhen government rolled out a quick response to the epidemic. Non-pharmaceutical interventions and measures were proven to have effectively contained community transmission, limit the transmission to aggregation and reduce the scale of transmission within a household.

Pediatric Asthma Situation in Chengdu, China, During the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Observational Study.

BACKGROUND: To tackle the COVID-19 pandemic and mitigate viral transmission, mainland China has implemented various disease prevention measures and arrangements. We hypothesize that these measures may be pose challenges to the management of pediatric asthma. Here, we studied the situation of pediatric asthma in Chengdu during the COVID-19 pandemic and compared the pediatric asthma situation before so as to provide a reference for designing effective management plan for pediatric asthma patients in the future facing the outbreak of epidemic. METHODS: An observational study was done to compare the pediatric asthma situation in Chengdu from 2017 to 2019 to the situation under COVID-19 pandemic. Asthma incidence, severe asthma attack, air quality, temperature, and patient follow-up were examined. RESULTS: The number of monthly asthma cases decreased significantly in February 2020. The number of asthma cases in 2017-2019 positively correlated with levels of particulate matter PM 2.5 (p = 0.006) and PM10 (p = 0.005), while it negatively correlated with temperature (p = 0.048). No correlation was identified in 2020. A higher rate of severe asthma attack cases (9.69%) was observed among asthma patients in 2020 (p = 0.014). Differences were identified between the monthly severe asthma attack during the period 2017-2020 (p<0.001). The rate of severe asthma attack cases peaked in June and September 2020. The percentage of patients who failed to undergo pulmonary function tests was 34.5% in 2020, remarkably higher than in the previous 3 years (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: The situation and management of pediatric asthma during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic differed from those in previous years, with more emphasis placed on disease prevention practices and facilities. To design future pediatric asthma management practice, the environmental and psychological impact on asthma management should also be considered. Local areas should make good use of telemedicine to manage pediatric asthma effectively.

Differences in the Association of Anxiety, Insomnia and Somatic Symptoms between Medical Staff and the General Population During the Outbreak of COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: During the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), occupational differences were recognized with respect to psychological issues, but there are no reports regarding the insomnia and anxiety comorbidities and their related factors among the general public and medical staff. Our study aimed to compare the prevalence of anxiety and anxiety with insomnia, as well as the relationship between different psychological symptoms between the two groups. METHODS: A total of 605 medical staff and 1091 public respondents were assessed through an online questionnaire survey, including the 7-item Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), the somatization subscale of Symptom Checklist 90-Revised (SCL-90-R), and the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7). RESULTS: Compared with the general public, medical staff had a higher incidence of anxiety (45.5% vs 32.4%). The incidence of insomnia in anxious participants was 52.7% in medical staff and 44.6% in the general public, and the difference was significant (p < 0.05). The GAD-7 score and somatization subscore of the SCI-90 were independently associated with insomnia among anxiety participants in both groups (all p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that during the epidemic period of COVID-19, medical staff experienced more anxiety and anxiety with insomnia. Somatization, anxiety and insomnia are highly correlated among medical staff and the general public.

Prevalence and Correlation of Anxiety, Insomnia and Somatic Symptoms in a Chinese Population During the COVID-19 Epidemic.

BACKGROUND: Anxiety has been a common mental state during the epidemic of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and is usually closely related to somatization. However, no study on somatization in anxiety and its relationship with insomnia has been conducted. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the prevalence of anxiety, somatization and insomnia and explore the relationships between different psychological states in the general population during the COVID-19 outbreak. METHODS: A total of 1,172 respondents were recruited from 125 cities in mainland China by an online questionnaire survey. All subjects were evaluated with the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) scale, the somatization subscale of the Symptom Checklist 90-Revised (SCL-90-R), and the 7-item Insomnia Severity Index (ISI). RESULTS: The percentages of anxiety, somatization, and insomnia were 33.02%, 7.59%, and 24.66%, respectively. The prevalence of somatization was 19.38% in participants with anxiety. Compared to the anxiety without somatization group, the anxiety with somatization group had a significantly higher percentage of patients with a history of physical disease and insomnia, as well as higher GAD-7 scores and SCL-90 somatization subscores (all p < 0.001). The SCL-90 somatization subscores were positively correlated with age, history of physical disease, GAD-7 scores, and ISI scores (all p < 0.001). Furthermore, multivariate logistic regression showed that GAD-7 score, ISI score, and age were risk factors for somatization in the anxious population. CONCLUSIONS: Somatic and psychological symptoms were common in the general population during the COVID-19 outbreak. Somatic symptoms, anxiety, and insomnia are closely related, and improving anxiety and sleep quality may help relieve somatic symptoms.