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BACKGROUND: The risk factors for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) among healthcare workers (HCWs) might have changed since the emergence of the highly immune evasive Omicron variant. AIM: To compare the risk factors for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection among HCWs during the Delta- and Omicron-predominant periods. METHODS: Using data from repeated serosurveys among the staff of a medical research centre in Tokyo, two cohorts were established: Delta period cohort (N = 858) and Omicron period cohort (N = 652). The potential risk factors were assessed using a questionnaire. Acute/current or past SARS-CoV-2 infection was identified by polymerase chain reaction or anti-nucleocapsid antibody tests, respectively. Poisson regression was used to calculate the risk ratio (RR) of infection risk. FINDINGS: The risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection during the early Omicron-predominant period was 3.4-fold higher than during the Delta-predominant period. Neither working in a COVID-19-related department nor having a higher degree of occupational exposure to SARS-CoV-2 was associated with an increased infection risk during both periods. During the Omicron-predominant period, infection risk was higher among those who spent ≥30 min in closed spaces, crowded spaces, and close-contact settings without wearing mask (≥3 times versus never: RR: 6.62; 95% confidence interval: 3.01-14.58), whereas no such association was found during the Delta period. CONCLUSION: Occupational exposure to COVID-19-related work was not associated with the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the Delta or Omicron period, whereas high-risk behaviours were associated with an increased infection risk during the Omicron period.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Humans , COVID-19/epidemiology , Japan/epidemiology , SARS-CoV-2 , Risk Factors , Health PersonnelABSTRACT
Introduction: The coexistence of heart failure (HF) and frailty leads to a worse prognosis. Frailty is generally diagnosed using the Fried criteria. To assess whether patients are frail according to the Fried scale, faceto-face physical examinations are required. However, with the COVID-19 pandemic, to avoid the spread of the virus in hospitals, it is important to screen hospitalized patients for frailty without contact. Therefore, noncontact measurement methods, such as questionnaires, should be used to screen for frailty in clinical practice. The FRAIL scale is a questionnaire used to screen for frailty. There are no studies regarding the consistency of the FRAIL scale with the Fried criteria, the impact on mortality, and physical dysfunction in elderly patients with HF. Purpose: We investigated whether the FRAIL scale questionnaire is consistent with the Fried criteria, predicts all-cause mortality, and reflects physical dysfunction in patients with HF. Methods: The present study was secondary analysis of FRAGILE-HF, a cohort study that enrolled participants from 2016 to 2018 and followed up for 1-year of discharge. A prospective multicenter cohort study in which 15 hospitals in Japan (8 university hospitals and 7 non-university teaching hospitals) participated. We prospectively enrolled 1332 consecutive hospitalized patients with HF ≥65 years old and analyzed 1028 patients after excluding 304 patients with missing data on the FRAIL scale. The FRAIL scale, the Fried model, and physical function were measured before discharge. The endpoint was all-cause mortality. Results: According to the FRAIL scale, 459 (44.6%) and 491 (47.8%) were classified as frail and pre-frail, respectively. The Kappa coefficient between the FRAIL scale and the Fried criteria were 0.39 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.34-0.44;P value: <0.001). The area under the receiver-operating characteristic curves for frailty diagnosed by the Fried criteria of the FRAIL scale was 0.74 (95% CI: 0.71-0.76;P value: <0.001). A total of 118 deaths occurred during 1 year of follow-up. After adjusting for the MAGGIC score and log-BNP, The FRAIL scale predicted all-cause mortality (hazard ratio: 1.17;95% CI: 1.01-1.36;P value = 0.035). The FRAIL scale was also associated with various physical dysfunction that correlated with poor prognosis. Conclusions: The FRAIL scale had moderate consistency with the Fried criteria, predicted all-cause mortality, and reflected clinically important physical dysfunction.
ABSTRACT
Institute of Astronomy, Graduate School of Science, the University of Tokyo is promoting the University of Tokyo Atacama Observatory Project, which is to construct an infrared-optimized 6.5m telescope at the summit of Co. Chajnantor (5640m altitude) in northern Chile. The high altitude and dry climate (PWV-0.5mm) realize transparent atmosphere in the infrared wavelength. The project is now approaching the final phase of the construction. Production of major components are almost completed: Production and preassembly test of a telescope mount and dome enclosure have been completed in Japan, and they are being transported to Chile. Three mirrors, the 6.5m primary, 0.9m secondary, and 1.1m-0.75m tertiary mirrors and their support systems have been all completed and tested in the USA. An aluminizing chamber have been fabricated in China, and its tests have been carried out in Japan. Development of two facility instruments, SWIMS and MIMIZUKU, are also completed. They were transported to the Subaru telescope, successfully saw the first light in 2018, and are confirmed to have the performance as designed. On-site construction work at the summit is now underway. Expansion of a summit access road from the ALMA concession was completed in 2019. Installation of foundation will follow, and then erection of the dome enclosure and a control building. The construction works are delayed by COVID-19, and we expect to complete the dome enclosure by Q3 of 2021. The telescope will be installed inside the dome and see the engineering first light by early 2022. © COPYRIGHT SPIE. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.