Effect of determining location and time of remote work on mental health through work-life balance

The present research examined the process of how determining the location and time of remote work, which was introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic, affects workers’ work-life balance, as well as their mental health. We also examined gender differences in the mediating effect of work-life balance. 1,692 employees of an IT company participated in our research by answering questionnaires with an online training system during November 2019 (Time 1) and May 2020 (Time 2). Participants’ mental health were measured at both Time 1 and Time 2, while work-life balance and whether the location and time of their remote work was determined were measured at Time 2. Results of multi-group mediation analysis showed that setting the time of remote work led to better worklife balance and in turn, improved mental health. However, flexibility in the location of remote work led to better work-life balance and improved mental health. Moreover, a gender difference was found on the effect of work-life balance on mental health in that it had a stronger influence on female workers’ mental health than male workers.

Immunogenicity of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in adolescents with cardiac disease.

BACKGROUND: Although widely reported to affect older adults more, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) also affects adolescents, especially those with co-morbidities, including heart diseases. The safety and efficacy of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) mRNA vaccines has been established in healthy adolescents, yet there are few data for humoral and cellular immunogenicity in adolescents with cardiac diseases. METHODS: We evaluated anti-spike antibodies, neutralizing activities, and interferon-gamma production prior to and after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in adolescents with cardiac diseases and healthy controls. RESULTS: Five healthy adolescents and 26 patients with cardiac diseases, including congenital heart disease (CHD, n = 10), dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM, n = 4), idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH, n = 4), and those post-heart transplantation (post-HTx, n = 8) were enrolled. No severe adverse events, including myocarditis and pericarditis, were noted, even in patients with severe heart failure. Febrile events were noted after 21 of 62 injections (34%). All the healthy adolescents and 21 of the 26 patients (81%) showed sufficient elevation of neutralizing antibodies after the second dose of vaccination. Neutralizing antibodies and cellular immunity were absent in four of the eight post-HTx patients and one with single ventricle CHD. There was no correlation between the anti-spike and neutralizing antibody titers and interferon-gamma levels. When comparing the clinical characteristics of the patients post-HTx who did or did not acquire antibodies, there was no significant difference in the immunosuppressant types and trough levels. CONCLUSIONS: SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine has efficient immunogenicity for adolescents with CHD, IPAH, and DCM. Half of post-HTx patients could not acquire sufficient humoral immunity.

Immunogenicity of SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccination in adolescents with cardiac disease

Background Although widely reported to affect older adults more, coronavirus disease 2019 also affects adolescents especially with co‐morbidities, including heart diseases. The safety and efficacy of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) mRNA vaccines was established in healthy adolescents, yet there were few data for humoral and cellular immunogenicity in adolescents with cardiac diseases. Methods We evaluated anti‐spike antibodies, neutralizing activities, and interferon‐gamma production prior to and post SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccination in adolescents with cardiac diseases and healthy controls. Results Five healthy adolescents and 26 patients cardiac diseases including congenital heart disease (CHD, n=10), dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM, n=4), idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH, n=4), and post‐heart transplantation (HTx, n=8) were enrolled. No severe adverse events including myocarditis and pericarditis were noted, even in patients with severe heart failure. Febrile events were noted in 21 of 62 injections (34%). All the healthy adolescents and 21 of the 26 patients (81%) showed sufficient elevation of neutralizing antibodies after the second dose of vaccination. Neutralizing antibodies and cellular immunity were absent in four of the eight post‐HTx patients and one with CHD of single ventricle. There was no correlation between the anti‐spike and neutralizing antibody titers and interferon‐gamma levels. When comparing the clinical characteristics of the patients post‐HTx who did or did not acquire antibodies, there were no significant differences in the immunosuppressant types and trough levels. Conclusion SARS‐CoV‐2 mRNA vaccine has efficient immunogenicity for adolescents with CHD, IPAH, and DCM. Half of post‐HTx patients could not acquire sufficient humoral immunity.