Integrated transportation and land use regression modelling for nitrogen dioxide mitigation

The transport sector has been identified as one of the main contributors to nitrogen dioxide (NO2) pollution in Ireland. This research develops an enhanced Wind Sector Land Use Regression (WS-LUR) model to estimate NO2 concentrations across Ireland, in areas where air pollution monitoring is not available. The model incorporates details of the vehicle fleet breakdown to weight vehicle type flows based on the emission rates of the vehicle type, differentiating routes with varying proportions of heavier emitting vehicles. In 2008, car taxation underwent a significant change from an engine size based system to a carbon dioxide (CO2) emission rate based system resulting in a significant transition towards diesel fuelled vehicles. A mitigation strategy to remove diesel fuelled vehicles from the public service vehicle fleet was tested achieving predicted NO2 reductions in the range of 0.3 μg/m3 to 1.9 μg/m3. The impact of COVID-19 on NO2 concentration levels was also investigated. © 2022 Elsevier Ltd

SMART materials & systems: has embracing uncertainty become vital to commercialisation?

As humans we have a tendency to seek to confirm data and to avoid disconfirming data. COVID-19 that has thrown plans large and small into disarray, but well before then, the pace of change was already challenging the ability of SMART materials and systems to achieve full scalable commercialisation. While plans may not be feasible, what is possible and indeed necessary is planning. In this presentation I will present a toolkit that takes account of and even embraces uncertainty as a planning method directed at a more effective route for commercialisation and market growth.

A large outbreak of the Kappa mutation of COVID-19 in Cork, Ireland, April-May 2021.

BACKGROUND: In May 2021, the B.1.617 variant of SARS-CoV-2 emerged in Ireland, and both Delta and Kappa sub-lineages were initially deemed variants of concern (VOCs) on a precautionary basis. We describe a large outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 B.1.617.1 (Kappa mutation) linked to a private gathering among third level students in Cork, Ireland. METHODS: Surveillance data were available from the Health Service Executive COVID Care Tracker. The epidemiological sequence of infection for each new case in this outbreak was tracked and whole genome sequencing was requested on all linked cases. Enhanced public health control measures were implemented by the Department of Public Health HSE-South to contain onward spread of VOCs, including retrospective contact tracing, lengthy isolation and quarantine periods for cases and close contacts. Extensive surveillance efforts were used to describe and control onward transmission. RESULTS: There were 146 confirmed SARS-CoV-2 cases linked to the outbreak. All sequenced cases (53/146; 36%) confirmed Kappa mutation. The median age was 21 years (range 17-65). The majority (88%) had symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 infection. There were 407 close contacts; the median was 3 per case (range 0-14). There were no known hospitalisations, ICU admissions or deaths. Vaccination data was unavailable, but the outbreak pre-dated routine availability of COVID-19 vaccines among younger adults in Ireland. CONCLUSION: Enhanced public health control measures for new and emerging variants of SARS-CoV-2 may be burdensome for cases and close contacts. The overall public health benefit of enhanced controls may only become apparent when evidence on disease transmissibility and severity becomes more complete.

COVID-19: the first 100 days in the south of Ireland

This study reviewed the epidemiology of confirmed cases of coronavirus disease 2019 notified in the department from 5 March-13 June 2020. The first case of COVID-19 in our region was notified on 05/03/2020;by 13/06/2020 a total of 1,842 confirmed cases had been notified, representing 7.3% of cases nationally for that period. Epidemiological curves (epi-curves) were constructed using 'epidemiological date' (epi-date) and 'notification date'. These epi-curves are more closely aligned from May 2020 onwards, which likely reflects expedited testing/reporting processes. Of note the HSE South 'epi-date' curve diverges downwards from the national pattern in late-March 2020, which is early in the overall evolution of the pandemic in Ireland. In our study 1,115 cases (60.5%) occurred through 'local transmission', 482 (26.2%) in a healthcare setting;471 (25%) occurred via 'community transmission';137 (7.4%) were imported. Contact tracing was conducted for >4000 'close contacts' of confirmed cases. One-hundred-and-twenty-eight outbreaks were recorded, with 1,259 outbreak-associated cases, occurring in various settings including;private house(56), nursing home (11), residential institution (21), hospital (9), workplace (8), community hospital/long-stay unit (6), unknown (0) and other (17). Outbreaks occurred most commonly in private houses (56, 43.8%). The highest number of outbreak-associated cases was related to workplace-based outbreaks (324, 25.7%).

Low prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 detected in symptomatic children admitted to hospital

Aims Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) originated in Wuhan, China in 2019 and is responsible for the condition known as COVID-19. COVID-19 was first reported in Ireland in February 2020 with University Hospital Limerick’s (UHL) first paediatric case reported on 4th March 2020. Studies have shown clinical manifestations of children’s cases are generally less severe than those of adults. UHL serves a catchment population of approximately 100,000 children. We aimed to describe the clinical presentation, and prevalence of SARS-CoV-2, in children requiring inpatient hospitalization during the initial phase of the pandemic in Ireland. Methods Data were examined relating to all inpatients aged 0 – 16 years admitted with a queried or confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 from 8th February 2020 to 8th June 2020. Emergency Department notes and inpatient records along with laboratory and radiology records were reviewed. Results 220 paediatric inpatients were tested by PCR for SARS-CoV-2 during this period;101 (45.9%) were female. Ninety-five (43.2%) were diagnosed with ‘viral illnesses’. Seven (3.2%) had laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2, with an average age of 8.1 years (range: 0.59 years to 13.77 years). There were two Kawasaki-like illnesses admitted;both tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 on PCR. In our SARS-CoV-2 positive cohort, there was no associated significant morbidity and no associated mortality. Conclusion During the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, prevalence of confirmed SARS-CoV-2 in symptomatic hospitalised children was low at 3.2%.