Your browser doesn't support javascript.
Show: 20 | 50 | 100
Results 1 - 20 de 29
Filter
1.
J Autoimmun ; 138: 103054, 2023 07.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2320287

ABSTRACT

Severe allergic reactions following SARS-COV-2 vaccination are generally rare, but the reactions are increasingly reported. Some patients may develop prolonged urticarial reactions following SARS-COV-2 vaccination. Herein, we investigated the risk factors and immune mechanisms for patients with SARS-COV-2 vaccines-induced immediate allergy and chronic urticaria (CU). We prospectively recruited and analyzed 129 patients with SARS-COV-2 vaccine-induced immediate allergic and urticarial reactions as well as 115 SARS-COV-2 vaccines-tolerant individuals from multiple medical centers during 2021-2022. The clinical manifestations included acute urticaria, anaphylaxis, and delayed to chronic urticaria developed after SARS-COV-2 vaccinations. The serum levels of histamine, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-17 A, TARC, and PARC were significantly elevated in allergic patients comparing to tolerant subjects (P-values = 4.5 × 10-5-0.039). Ex vivo basophil revealed that basophils from allergic patients could be significantly activated by SARS-COV-2 vaccine excipients (polyethylene glycol 2000 and polysorbate 80) or spike protein (P-values from 3.5 × 10-4 to 0.043). Further BAT study stimulated by patients' autoserum showed positive in 81.3% of patients with CU induced by SARS-COV-2 vaccination (P = 4.2 × 10-13), and the reactions could be attenuated by anti-IgE antibody. Autoantibodies screening also identified the significantly increased of IgE-anti-IL-24, IgG-anti-FcεRI, IgG-anti-thyroid peroxidase (TPO), and IgG-anti-thyroid-related proteins in SARS-COV-2 vaccines-induced CU patients comparing to SARS-COV-2 vaccines-tolerant controls (P-values = 4.6 × 10-10-0.048). Some patients with SARS-COV-2 vaccines-induced recalcitrant CU patients could be successfully treated with anti-IgE therapy. In conclusion, our results revealed that multiple vaccine components, inflammatory cytokines, and autoreactive IgG/IgE antibodies contribute to SARS-COV-2 vaccine-induced immediate allergic and autoimmune urticarial reactions.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Chronic Urticaria , Urticaria , Humans , COVID-19 Vaccines/adverse effects , SARS-CoV-2 , Urticaria/diagnosis , Chronic Urticaria/metabolism , Immunoglobulin G , Vaccination , Immunity
2.
Psychol Med ; : 1-10, 2020 Dec 10.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2277703

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to explore the impacts of COVID-19 outbreak on mental health status in general population in different affected areas in China. METHODS: This was a comparative study including two groups of participants: (1) general population in an online survey in Ya'an and Jingzhou cities during the COVID-19 outbreak from 10-20 February 2020; and (2) matching general population selected from the mental health survey in Ya'an in 2019 (from January to May 2019). General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), and Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS) were used. RESULTS: There were 1775 participants (Ya'an in 2019 and 2020: 537 respectively; Jingzhou in 2020: 701). Participants in Ya'an had a significantly higher rate of general health problems (GHQ scores ⩾3) in 2020 (14.7%) than in 2019 (5.2%) (p < 0.001). Compared with Ya'an (8.0%), participants in Jingzhou in 2020 had a significantly higher rate of anxiety (SAS scores ⩾50, 24.1%) (p < 0.001). Participants in Ya'an in 2020 had a significantly higher rate of depression (SDS scores ⩾53, 55.3%) than in Jingzhou (16.3%) (p < 0.001). The risk factors of anxiety symptoms included female, number of family members (⩾6 persons), and frequent outdoor activities. The risk factors of depression symptoms included participants in Ya'an and uptake self-protective measures. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of psychological symptoms has increased sharply in general population during the COVID-19 outbreak. People in COVID-19 severely affected areas may have higher scores of GHQ and anxiety symptoms. Culture-specific and individual-based psychosocial interventions should be developed for those in need during the COVID-19 outbreak.

3.
Int J Mol Sci ; 24(4)2023 Feb 07.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2232630

ABSTRACT

Acute pancreatitis is a common gastrointestinal disease with increasing incidence worldwide. COVID-19 is a potentially life-threatening contagious disease spread throughout the world, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. More severe forms of both diseases exhibit commonalities with dysregulated immune responses resulting in amplified inflammation and susceptibility to infection. Human leucocyte antigen (HLA)-DR, expressed on antigen-presenting cells, acts as an indicator of immune function. Research advances have highlighted the predictive values of monocytic HLA-DR (mHLA-DR) expression for disease severity and infectious complications in both acute pancreatitis and COVID-19 patients. While the regulatory mechanism of altered mHLA-DR expression remains unclear, HLA-DR-/low monocytic myeloid-derived suppressor cells are potent drivers of immunosuppression and poor outcomes in these diseases. Future studies with mHLA-DR-guided enrollment or targeted immunotherapy are warranted in more severe cases of patients with acute pancreatitis and COVID-19.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Pancreatitis , Humans , Acute Disease , HLA-DR Antigens , Monocytes , Immunity
4.
Protein Cell ; 14(1): 37-50, 2023 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2222720

ABSTRACT

The twenty-first century has already recorded more than ten major epidemics or pandemics of viral disease, including the devastating COVID-19. Novel effective antivirals with broad-spectrum coverage are urgently needed. Herein, we reported a novel broad-spectrum antiviral compound PAC5. Oral administration of PAC5 eliminated HBV cccDNA and reduced the large antigen load in distinct mouse models of HBV infection. Strikingly, oral administration of PAC5 in a hamster model of SARS-CoV-2 omicron (BA.1) infection significantly decreases viral loads and attenuates lung inflammation. Mechanistically, PAC5 binds to a pocket near Asp49 in the RNA recognition motif of hnRNPA2B1. PAC5-bound hnRNPA2B1 is extensively activated and translocated to the cytoplasm where it initiates the TBK1-IRF3 pathway, leading to the production of type I IFNs with antiviral activity. Our results indicate that PAC5 is a novel small-molecule agonist of hnRNPA2B1, which may have a role in dealing with emerging infectious diseases now and in the future.


Subject(s)
Antiviral Agents , Hepatitis B virus , Heterogeneous-Nuclear Ribonucleoprotein Group A-B , SARS-CoV-2 , Animals , Mice , Antiviral Agents/pharmacology , COVID-19 , Interferon Type I/metabolism , SARS-CoV-2/drug effects , Heterogeneous-Nuclear Ribonucleoprotein Group A-B/antagonists & inhibitors
5.
Int J Sci Math Educ ; : 1-11, 2022 Dec 12.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2174577

ABSTRACT

Science teachers in many countries were required to shift from face-to-face (F2F) instruction to distance learning (DL) during the COVID-19 pandemic. With the aim of helping science teachers learn how to support their students in negotiating such shifts in the future, we used an online motivation survey based on achievement goal theory to investigate the shifts to over two thousand 8th grade students' perceptions of their science teachers' motivational practices and their own goal orientations towards science that occurred during the transition from F2F instruction to DL in two very different countries, China and Israel. We hoped to identify issues common to both countries, assuming that these issues might be relevant to other countries as well. Factor analysis, t-tests, and multiple regression were used to identify key teacher motivational practices, changes to these practices and to students' goal orientations, and relations between teacher practices and student goal orientations. The major predictor of students' mastery orientation towards science in both F2F instruction and DL, teachers' attentiveness to their students' need to understand, declined for students in both countries during the shift from F2F to DL, and was associated with a decline in students' mastery orientation, engagement, and enjoyment.

6.
Front Microbiol ; 13: 1086627, 2022.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2199027

ABSTRACT

Currently, it is believed that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is an airborne virus, and virus-containing aerosol particles have been found concurrent with the onset of COVID-19, which may contribute to the noncontact transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Exploring agents to block SARS-CoV-2 transmission is of great importance to prevent the COVID-19 pandemic. In this study, we found that inactivated Parapoxvirus ovis (iORFV), a kind of immunomodulator, could compress the proportion of small particle aerosols exhaled by Syrian golden hamsters. Notably, the concentration of SARS-CoV-2 RNA-containing aerosol particles was significantly reduced by iORFV in the early stages after viral inoculation. Importantly, smaller aerosol particles (<4.7 µm) that carry infectious viruses were completely cleared by iORFV. Consistently, iORFV treatment completely blocked viral noncontact (aerosol) transmission. In summary, iORFV may become a repurposed agent for the prevention and control of COVID-19 by affecting viral aerosol exhalation and subsequent viral transmission.

7.
Journal of Hainan Medical University ; 26(20):1521-1526, 2020.
Article in Chinese | GIM | ID: covidwho-2145374

ABSTRACT

Objective: To investigate the relationship between clinical manifestations, blood testing, chest CT, treatment and fever of 457 mild cases of COVID-19.

8.
Materials (Basel) ; 15(22)2022 Nov 09.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2127148

ABSTRACT

This study explored the ideal period for wearing masks to prevent the physiological and psychological problems associated with long-term face mask use during respiratory infections by healthcare workers. Breathing simulators, surgical masks (SM) and medical respirators (PM) were prepared for two to eight hours. Changes in the comfort of masks (facial skin temperature, breathing resistance, and moisture permeability) and protection (filtration efficiency, resistance to blood penetration, and colony count) were assessed. The results demonstrated that the masks offered efficient liquid-particle filtering even after eight hours of use. However, the number of bacterial colonies using PM and SM grew significantly after two and four hours, respectively. Concerning comfort, the inspiratory resistance of masks rose dramatically after two hours, whereas the moisture permeability declined considerably after four hours. In addition, skin temperature had a significant increase within two hours, which may result in facial discomfort. When conditions permitted, the hospital staff was instructed to replace their masks every two hours.

9.
Chinese Journal of Nosocomiology ; 32(12):1875-1879, 2022.
Article in English, Chinese | GIM | ID: covidwho-2034001

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To study the relationship between the comfort and protection of masks under different simulated wearing methods, so as to provide reasonable suggestions for medical staff on how to wear masks. METHODS: The N95 mask and disposable mask commonly used by medical staff were choose to design five wearing methods are designed: Single layer disposable mask(Single-D), Double layer disposable mask(Double-DD), Single layer N95 mask(Single-N), N95 mask inside + Disposable mask outside(Double-ND), Disposable mask inside + N95 mask outside(Double-DN). According to the mask standard GB 19083-2010, the filter efficiency, moisture permeability, respiratory resistance, resistance to synthetic blood penetration and moisture resistance of masks under different wearing modes were tested. RESULTS: Compared with Single-N methods, the filtration efficiency, moisture resistance and anti-synthetic blood penetration of the Double-ND and Double-DN methods had no significant difference, the moisture permeability was significantly lower than that of Single-N mode(P<0.05), and the respiratory resistance was significantly higher than that of Single-N mode(P<0.05). Compared with Single-D modes, the moisture resistance and synthetic blood penetration of Double-DD had no significant difference, the filtration efficiency was significantly higher than that of Single-D mode(P<0.05), the moisture permeability was significantly lower than that of Single-D mode(P<0.05), and the respiratory resistance was significantly higher than that of Single-D mode(P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The Single-layer N95 wearing mode(Single-N) is sufficient to meet the protection requirements. The double-layer wearing mode(Double-ND, Double-DN, Double-DD) seriously affects the wearing comfort and increases the risk of infection and leakage, which is not recommended for use.

10.
Laryngoscope Investig Otolaryngol ; 7(4): 1033-1041, 2022 Aug.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1925957

ABSTRACT

Objective: Airborne spread of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) remains a significant risk for healthcare workers. Understanding transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in the hospital could help minimize nosocomial infection. The objective of this pilot study was to measure aerosolization of SARS-CoV-2 in the hospital rooms of COVID-19 patients. Methods: Two air samplers (Inspirotec) were placed 1 and 4 m away from adults with SARS-CoV-2 infection hospitalized at an urban, academic tertiary care center from June to October 2020. Airborne SARS-CoV-2 concentration was measured by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and analyzed by clinical parameters and patient demographics. Results: Thirteen patients with COVID-19 (eight females [61.5%], median age: 57 years old, range 25-82) presented with shortness of breath (100%), cough (38.5%) and fever (15.4%). Respiratory therapy during air sampling varied: mechanical ventilation via endotracheal tube (n = 3), high flow nasal cannula (n = 4), nasal cannula (n = 4), respiratory helmet (n = 1), and room air (n = 1). SARS-CoV-2 RNA was identified in rooms of three out of three intubated patients compared with one out of 10 of the non-intubated patients (p = .014). Airborne SARS-CoV-2 tended to decrease with distance (1 vs. 4 m) in rooms of intubated patients. Conclusions: Hospital rooms of intubated patients had higher levels of aerosolized SARS-CoV-2, consistent with increased aerosolization of virus in patients with severe disease or treatment with positive pressure ventilation through an endotracheal tube. While preliminary, these data have safety implications for health care workers and design of protective measures in the hospital. Level of Evidence: 2.

11.
Religions ; 13(5):403, 2022.
Article in English | ProQuest Central | ID: covidwho-1871280

ABSTRACT

The biggest crisis that we are in nowadays is existential, which is the state of not knowing our true natures or our true selves;hence, we suffer from deep anxiety and we fail to find safety and a way to ground ourselves. In this article, we share our practical experiences of encountering and practicing the teachings of two important Buddhist scriptures: the Heart Sutra and the Diamond Sutra. We show how both sutras, and especially their teachings on emptiness, allow us to remove our attachment to a sense of a separate self, which deepens our understanding about life, and transforms suffering toward peace and love. We further demonstrate the importance of meditation, contemplative chanting and reading, and experimentation with Buddhist teachings as pathways towards understanding our true natures. In sum, both sutras help us to go beyond the materialistic, capitalistic, narrow vision of who we are and to access the higher dimension of our existence, which allows us to discover our cosmic selves in the ultimate reality. It is through experiencing one’s true self that one gains a greater capacity to seek social transformation in times of crisis.

12.
Front Immunol ; 12: 769442, 2021.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1686473

ABSTRACT

The prevention of the COVID-19 pandemic is highly complicated by the prevalence of asymptomatic and recurrent infection. Many previous immunological studies have focused on symptomatic and convalescent patients, while the immune responses in asymptomatic patients and re-detectable positive cases remain unclear. Here we comprehensively analyzed the peripheral T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoire of 54 COVID-19 patients in different courses, including asymptomatic, symptomatic, convalescent, and re-detectable positive cases. We identified a set of V-J gene combinations characterizing the upward immune responses through asymptomatic and symptomatic courses. Furthermore, some of these V-J combinations could be awakened in the re-detectable positive cases, which may help predict the risk of recurrent infection. Therefore, TCR repertoire examination has the potential to strengthen the clinical surveillance and the immunotherapy development for COVID-19.


Subject(s)
COVID-19/pathology , Immunoglobulin J-Chains/genetics , Immunoglobulin Variable Region/genetics , Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell/genetics , SARS-CoV-2/immunology , T-Lymphocytes/immunology , Adaptive Immunity/genetics , Adaptive Immunity/immunology , Adult , Aged , Asymptomatic Infections , COVID-19/immunology , Female , Gene Expression/genetics , Histocompatibility Antigens Class I/genetics , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell/immunology , Severity of Illness Index , Young Adult
13.
Healthcare (Basel) ; 9(8)2021 Aug 08.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1367814

ABSTRACT

(1) Background: The governance measures that governments deploy vary substantially across countries and even within countries; there is, however, limited knowledge of the responses of local governments or from different areas in the same country. (2) Methods: By using grounded theory and an automatic text processing method, this study analyses the pandemic governance measures, the pandemic governance pattern, and possible factors across 28 provinces in mainland China based on the text of 28 official provincial government Sina microblogs dating from 20 January to 1 July 2020. (3) Results and discussion: The provincial pandemic governance patterns in China are divided into a pathogen-control pattern, a diagnosis and treatment consolidation pattern, a balanced promotion pattern, a quick-adjustment response pattern, and a recovery-oriented pattern. The pandemic severity, economic development, public health service, and population structure may all have an impact on pandemic governance measures. (4) Conclusions: The conclusions of this study may help us to reconstruct governance systems related to global public health emergencies from the perspective of normalisation, as well as providing important clarification for management and a reference for countries seeking to curb the global spread of a pandemic.

14.
Front Immunol ; 12: 716075, 2021.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1359192

ABSTRACT

The existence of asymptomatic and re-detectable positive coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients presents the disease control challenges of COVID-19. Most studies on immune responses in COVID-19 have focused on moderately or severely symptomatic patients; however, little is known about the immune response in asymptomatic and re-detectable positive (RP) patients. Here we performed a comprehensive analysis of the transcriptomic profiles of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 48 COVID-19 patients which included 8 asymptomatic, 13 symptomatic, 15 recovered and 12 RP patients. The weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) identified six co-expression modules, of which the turquoise module was positively correlated with the asymptomatic, symptomatic, and recovered COVID-19 patients. The red module positively correlated with symptomatic patients only and the blue and brown modules positively correlated with the RP patients. The analysis by single sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) revealed a lower level of IFN response and complement activation in the asymptomatic patients compared with the symptomatic, indicating a weaker immune response of the PBMCs in the asymptomatic patients. In addition, gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) analysis showed the enrichment of TNFα/NF-κB and influenza infection in the RP patients compared with the recovered patients, indicating a hyper-inflammatory immune response in the PBMC of RP patients. Thus our findings could extend our understanding of host immune response during the progression of COVID-19 disease and assist clinical management and the immunotherapy development for COVID-19.


Subject(s)
Asymptomatic Diseases , COVID-19/immunology , Carrier State/immunology , Leukocytes, Mononuclear/immunology , SARS-CoV-2/immunology , Transcriptome/genetics , Adult , Carrier State/virology , Complement Activation/immunology , Female , Gene Expression Profiling , Humans , Inflammation/immunology , Influenza, Human/complications , Interferons/blood , Interferons/immunology , Male , Middle Aged , NF-kappa B/metabolism , Transcriptome/immunology , Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/metabolism , Young Adult
15.
PLoS One ; 16(8): e0255251, 2021.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1339410

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has alarming implications for individual and population level mental health. Although the future of COVID-19 is unknown at present, more countries or regions start to ease restrictions. The findings from this study have provided the empirical evidence of prevalence and patterns of mental disorders in Chinese general population before and after easing most COVID-19 restrictions, and information of the factors associated with these patterns. METHODS: A cross-sectional population-based online survey was carried out from February to March 2020 in the general population across all provinces in China. The 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) was incorporated in the survey. Latent class analyses were performed to investigate the patterns of mental disorders and multinomial logistic regressions were used to examine how individual and regional risk factors can predict mental disorder patterns. RESULTS: Four distinctive patterns of mental health were revealed in the general population. After the ease of most COVID-19 restrictions, the prevalence of high risk of mental disorders decreased from 25.8% to 20.9% and prevalence of being high risk of unhappiness and loss of confidence decreased from 10.1% to 8.1%. However, the prevalence of stressed, social dysfunction and unhappy were consistently high before and after easing restrictions. Several regional factors, such as case mortality rate and healthcare resources, were associated with mental health status. Of note, healthcare workers were less likely to have mental disorders, compared to other professionals and students. CONCLUSIONS: The dynamic management of mental health and psychosocial well-being is as important as that of physical health both before and after the ease of COVID-19 restrictions. Our findings may help in mental health interventions in other countries and regions while easing COVID-19 restrictions.


Subject(s)
COVID-19/pathology , Mental Disorders/epidemiology , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , COVID-19/virology , Child , China/epidemiology , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Humans , Logistic Models , Male , Middle Aged , Prevalence , Risk Factors , SARS-CoV-2/isolation & purification , Sadness , Stress, Psychological , Young Adult
16.
Signal Transduct Target Ther ; 6(1): 289, 2021 07 29.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1333903

ABSTRACT

Pregnant women are generally more susceptible to viral infection. Although the impact of SARS-CoV-2 in pregnancy remains to be determined, evidence indicates that the risk factors for severe COVID-19 are similar in pregnancy to the general population. Here we systemically analyzed the clinical characteristics of pregnant and non-pregnant female COVID-19 patients who were hospitalized during the same period and found that pregnant patients developed marked lymphopenia and higher inflammation evident by higher C-reactive protein and IL-6. To elucidate the pathways that might contribute to immunopathology or protective immunity against COVID-19 during pregnancy, we applied single-cell mRNA sequencing to profile peripheral blood mononuclear cells from four pregnant and six non-pregnant female patients after recovery along with four pregnant and three non-pregnant healthy donors. We found normal clonal expansion of T cells in the pregnant patients, heightened activation and chemotaxis in NK, NKT, and MAIT cells, and differential interferon responses in the monocyte compartment. Our data present a unique feature in both innate and adaptive immune responses in pregnant patients recovered from COVID-19.


Subject(s)
Adaptive Immunity , COVID-19/immunology , Immunity, Innate , Lymphocytes/immunology , Pregnancy Complications, Infectious/immunology , SARS-CoV-2/immunology , Adult , C-Reactive Protein/immunology , Female , Humans , Interleukin-6/immunology , Pregnancy , Retrospective Studies , Sequence Analysis, RNA , Single-Cell Analysis
17.
BMJ Open ; 11(7): e044236, 2021 07 05.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1297972

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the prevalence of depression in college students and determine how social support and healthy lifestyle factors are associated with depression in this population. DESIGN: A cross-sectional design. SETTING: A comprehensive university in Changsha, Hunan, South China. The study was conducted from May to June 2019. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 541 students at the comprehensive university. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: The Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale, Social Support Rating Scale and Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile-II (HPLP-II) were used to evaluate depression, social support and lifestyles, respectively, and analyse the mutual relationships among them. RESULTS: Among the 541 participants, 161 (29.8%) experienced depressive symptoms, and there were significant gender-related and academic discipline-related differences in self-rated depression. The average social support score was 38.06 (38.06±7.52). The average HPLP-II score was 71.09 (71.09±11.47). A monofactor analysis showed that depression was correlated with social support and a healthy lifestyle. As demonstrated by logistic regression analysis, being a woman (OR=2.613, 95% CI: 1.541 to 4.43), inadequate social support (OR=0.912, 95% CI: 0.877 to 0.948), poor nutrition (OR=0.87, 95% CI: 0.775 to 0.977) and lack of self-actualisation (OR=0.644, 95% CI: 0.572 to 0.724) were significantly correlated with depression. CONCLUSIONS: Owing to the high prevalence of depression among Chinese university students, educational institutions must take measures such as providing compulsory mental health education courses and improving the psychological counselling services available to students.


Subject(s)
Depression , Universities , China/epidemiology , Cross-Sectional Studies , Depression/epidemiology , Female , Healthy Lifestyle , Humans , Life Style , Prevalence , Social Support , Students , Surveys and Questionnaires
18.
BMC Public Health ; 21(1): 1312, 2021 07 05.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1296589

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Although existing studies have described patterns of social media use in healthcare, most are focused on health professionals in one discipline. Population health requires a multi-disciplinary approach to ensure diversity and to include diverse stakeholders. To date, what is known about using social media in population health is focused on its potential as a communication tool. This study aims to investigate patterns of use and perceived value of social media usage among stakeholders in population health practice, policy, or research. METHODS: We conducted a web-based survey of delegates attending the Singapore Population Health Conversations and Workshop. We designed a 24-item questionnaire to assess 1) social media use in terms of type of platform and frequency of use; 2) perceptions of social media relevance and impact on population health; and 3) top three areas in population health that would benefit from social media. We used descriptive and logistic regression analyses to assess the relationships between variables. RESULTS: Of the 308 survey respondents, 97.7% reported that they use social media in some form. Messaging (96.8%) was the most dominant activity when using social media. Challenges in implementing social media for population health were time investment by health care professionals (56.2%) and patient adoption (52.9%). The top three population health areas that would benefit most from using social media were the promotion of healthy behaviors (60.7%), community engagement (47.7%), and preventive care (40.6%). Older respondents (> = 40 years) were less likely to view social media as useful for the promotion of healthy behaviors (OR = 0.34; 95% CI: 0.19-0.60). Non-social/healthcare professionals were more likely to consider social media to be useful for community engagement (OR = 1.74; 95% CI: 1.10-2.76). For preventive care, older respondents (OR = 0.51; 95% CI: 0.32-0.82) and non-social/healthcare professionals were less likely to view social media as useful (OR = 0.61; 95% CI: 0.38-0.97). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that it may be important to select the specific care areas that would benefit most from using social media. The time investment needed by population health professionals should be fully addressed in planning to maximize the application and potential value of social media.


Subject(s)
Population Health , Social Media , Cross-Sectional Studies , Health Personnel , Humans , Singapore , Surveys and Questionnaires
19.
Sci Rep ; 11(1): 12425, 2021 06 14.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1268002

ABSTRACT

Saliva has significant advantages as a test medium for detection of SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients, such as ease of collection, minimal requirement of supplies and trained personnel, and safety. Comprehensive validation in a large cohort of prospectively collected specimens with unknown SARS-CoV-2 status should be performed to evaluate the potential and limitations of saliva-based testing. We developed a saliva-based testing pipeline for detection of SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acids using real-time reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) and droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) readouts, and measured samples from 137 outpatients tested at a curbside testing facility and 29 inpatients hospitalized for COVID-19. These measurements were compared to the nasal swab results for each patient performed by a certified microbiology laboratory. We found that our saliva testing positively detects 100% (RT-PCR) and 93.75% (ddPCR) of curbside patients that were identified as SARS-CoV-2 positive by the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) certified nasal swab testing assay. Quantification of viral loads by ddPCR revealed an extremely wide range, with 1 million-fold difference between individual patients. Our results demonstrate for both community screening and hospital settings that saliva testing reliability is on par with that of the nasal swabs in detecting infected cases, and has potential for higher sensitivity when combined with ddPCR in detecting low-abundance viral loads that evade traditional testing methods.


Subject(s)
COVID-19/diagnosis , SARS-CoV-2/genetics , Saliva/virology , Adult , COVID-19/virology , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , RNA, Viral/analysis , RNA, Viral/genetics , RNA, Viral/metabolism , Reagent Kits, Diagnostic , Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction , Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction , SARS-CoV-2/isolation & purification , Viral Load
20.
J Med Virol ; 93(2): 934-944, 2021 02.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1196422

ABSTRACT

The outbreak of 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has posed a grave threat to the global public health. The COVID-19-induced infection is closely related to coagulation dysfunction in the affected patients. This paper attempts to conduct a meta-analysis and systematically review the blood coagulation indicators in patients with severe COVID-19. A meta-analysis of eligible studies was performed to compare the blood coagulation indicators in patients with severe and nonsevere COVID-19. PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library were searched for studies published between 1 December 2019 and 7 May 2020. A total of 13 studies with 1341 adult patients were enrolled in this analysis. Platelet (weighted mean difference [WMD] = -24.83, 95% confidence interval [CI]: -34.12 to -15.54; P < .001), d-dimer (WMD = 0.19, 95% CI: 0.09-0.29; P < .001), and fibrinogen (WMD = 1.02, 95% CI: 0.50-1.54; P < .001) were significantly associated with the severity in patients with COVID-19. The meta-analysis revealed that no correlation was evident between an increased severity risk of COVID-19 and activated partial thromboplastin time (WMD = -1.56, 95% CI: -5.77 to 2.64; P = .468) or prothrombin time (WMD = 0.19, 95% CI: -0.13 to 0.51; P = .243). The single arm meta-analysis showed that compared with the nonsevere group, the severe group had a lower pooled platelet (165.12 [95% CI: 157.38-172.85] vs 190.09 [95% CI: 179.45-200.74]), higher d-dimer (0.49 [95% CI: 0.33-0.64] vs 0.27 [95% CI: 0.20-0.34]), and higher fibrinogen (4.34 [95% CI: 1.98-6.70] vs 3.19 [95% CI: 1.13-5.24]). Coagulation dysfunction is closely related to the severity of patients with COVID-19, in which low platelet, high d-dimer, and fibrinogen upon admission may serve as risk indicators for increased aggression of the disease. These findings are of great clinical value for timely and effective treatment of the COVID-19 cases.


Subject(s)
Blood Coagulation Disorders/virology , COVID-19/complications , Blood Platelets , Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products/analysis , Fibrinogen/analysis , Hospitalization , Humans , Partial Thromboplastin Time , Prognosis , Risk Factors , Severity of Illness Index
SELECTION OF CITATIONS
SEARCH DETAIL