ABSTRACT
Aim. To analyze COVID-19 comorbidities and their impact on disease course and the risk for unfavorable outcomes. Methods. This study examined a group of 110 patients aged 32 to 97 who were admitted to the intensive care unit of the Pskov Regional Infectious Diseases Hospital in the period from October 7, 2020 to March 23, 2021. The mean age of patients was 65 years, 51% (56 people) were male. The study recorded age, comorbidities on a binary scale (yes - no), course of the disease, the degree of lung injury, hospital length of stay, treatment outcome. The impact of comorbidities on the disease severity and outcomes was assessed by using logistic regression analysis. Results. It was shown that a regional sample of patients showed an increased hospital mortality rate compared with the data of the ACTIV registry (33.5 versus 7.6%). Chronic respiratory diseases in patients with COVID-19 regional cohorts affected the fatal outcome 2.7 times less than those registered in the Russian register. The presence of endocrine and thrombotic circulatory system diseases was generally close to the register. Concomitant cardiovascular diseases in patients of the regional cohort affected the mortality of COVID-19 outcomes two times less (in patients of the region, the risk of mortality increased by 2.066 times) than in the registry. The reliability of the conclusions is confirmed by testing statistical hypotheses and reliability coefficients below 5%. Conclusion. The study shows the statistically significant effect of comorbidities on the COVID-19 outcomes;the specificity of the results related to the sampling characteristics and the regional component. © Kazan Medical Journal. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
The new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 has become a global challenge to medicine and, in particular, laboratory diagnostics. The study of the antibodies' level to SARS-CoV-2 can be used as a confirmation test in the diagnosis of a disease, but it becomes of paramount importance in assessing population immunity resulting from a disease or vaccination, as well as in selection of convalescent plasma donors. The kits developed in our country and abroad for detecting antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2 virus differ both in the methods of testing and in the used coronavirus antigens to which the antibodies are directed. The aim of this study was to compare the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of five kits for the detection of IgG antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, based on different diagnostic methods. Serum samples from 137 COVID-19 convalescents and 166 donors of blood and its components were examined. The control group consisted of 50 blood sera collected at the beginning of 2019 and 19 sera collected in 2018 (before the advent of the SARS-CoV-2 virus) and stored at -70 °C. Testing was carried out in analytical systems: rapid test “COVID-19 IgM/IgG Rapid Test (Colloidal Gold)” (China), on an automatic immunochemical analyzer Abbott Architect™ i2000 and kit “SARS-CoV-2-IgG” (Abbot, Chicago, IL USA), by the chemiluminescence method using an automatic analyzer of the CL series and kits of the “Mindray” company (China) “SARS-CoV-2 IgM” and “SARS-CoV-2 IgG” and by the enzyme immunoassay method on the kits of the companies “Diagnostic Systems” Ltd (Russia, Nizhny Novgorod) “DS-IFA-ANTI-SARS-CoV-2-G”, “Xema” Ltd (Federal State Budgetary Institution “National Medical Research Center of Hematology” of the Ministry of Health of Russia) “SARS-CoV-2-IgG-IFA” and “Vector-Best” CJSC (Russia, Novosibirsk)” SARS-COV-2-IgM-IFA-BEST” and “SARS-COV-2-IgG-IFABEST”. When comparing the results of testing 137 plasma samples on the Vector-Best and Mindray kits for IgG antibodies, 127 samples were positive, 7 samples were negative on both kits, the discrepancy was 2.2%. In the study of IgM antibodies, 32.1% were positive, and 52.6% were negative in both kits. The discrepancy rate was 15.3%. Out of 166 samples, 1 serum (0.6%) was negative in 5 kits. On the Mindray kit, IgG antibodies to the antigens of the SARS-CoV-2 virus were detected in 165 samples (99.4%), on Vector-Best - in 164 sera (98.8%), on Diagnostic systems - in 151 (90.96%), on Xema - in 154 (92.8%), and on Abbott - in 155 samples (93.4%). At the same time, 135 (81.33%) samples were positive in all kits, while 30 samples had discordant results (18.07%), and in 9 sera, specific IgG was not detected in 2 or more kits. ROC analysis revealed a high diagnostic value of all tested kits (AUC from 0.908 to 0.998), which indicates a high quality of the separation model of positive and negative samples (p < 0.001). With the cut-off set by the manufacturers, the sensitivity and specificity ranged from 82.8% and 93.3% for the Diagnostic Systems kit to 99.4% and 95.8% for the Vector-Best kit. The calculated correlation coefficients were higher between kits with a similar composition of the antigen used in the kits;therefore, it is better to monitor the dynamics of antibodies by diagnostic kits from the same manufacturer. © 2021 Russian Association of Allergologists and Clinical Immunologists, St. Petersburg Regional Branch (SPb RAACI). All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
The paper regards factors affecting the perceptions of active citizens. Basing on the quantitative and qualitative data (April-May 2020) collected during the COVID-19 self-isolation period, the authors examine a relationship between the perception of actively engaged citizens and the components of human capital - educational level, professional status, and financial well-being. The study shows that the perception of active citizens correlates with social and human capital indicators. A positive view of being an actively engaged citizen is shared by those who demonstrate a high level of personal trust and feel responsible for what is happening in their community. These people are also confident that the level of trust in the country has grown over the past month, the willingness of people to help each other has increased, and volunteering in Russia is developed well enough to cope with the coronavirus pandemic. Young people and those who feel happy are more optimistic about active citizens. Representatives of older age groups and those who have relatively low indicators of human and social capital, on the contrary, believe that it is difficult to be a socially active person. The latter group is characterized by external locus control and a belief that the willingness to help in the country has decreased lately, while volunteering is still poorly developed. The study revealed the ambivalent attitude of Russians towards active citizens. On the one hand, during the pandemic, the majority believed that society approves of active people. On the other hand, Russians believe that it is difficult to be active citizen, and express negative stereotypes, suspecting activists of ambition and self-interest. The data indicate that this ambivalence arises due to the mismatch between the replicated goals of public activity and the skepticism of respondents regarding its motives. Therefore, the perception of active citizens depends on how convincingly their motivation and positive results of activity are presented to public. © 2021 Russian Public Opinion Research Center, VCIOM. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
Modern economy conditions are so-called Industry 4.0 affected all the sphere as of humans’ life. One of the main among them is retail. Retail is a last link between manufacturer and consumer which gain profit for all the supply chain. Technological development became a key factor to succeed nowadays but today global economy is slouching through the recession during COVID 19 pandemia and there are many thoughts about the future of retail. As a pioneer of digital transformation, retail already has been adapting to modern clients’ queries and transition to e-commerce or mobile commerce. But not even e-commerce is a key factor to overcome difficulties. The main goal of the study is to analyze innovative models and technologies in retail and an experience of the most efficient implementation models worldwide. © 2021, The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.