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e-Employee Discipline is the electronic and remote conduction of employee discipline procedure during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study is a quantitative descriptive study that focused on assessing and analyzing the implementation of e-Employee Discipline Procedure. Convenient purposive sampling technique was assigned to 150 employees who were employed during COVID-19 pandemic in Metro Manila as the respondents in this study. Furthermore, a survey was utilized to gather quantitative data. Moreover, a one-on-one interview using the data gathered in the statistical result was utilized to gather qualitative data. The demographic profile, majority are male (60%) who age 22 to 25 years old (34%), who are college graduates (48.7%), having an entry level job position (46.7%) and working in art/media/communication industry (35.3%) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The respondents find that the implementation of the e-Employee Discipline Procedure as fair and effective in terms of proper documentation procedures, handling of confidentiality, safety and security ( = 4.64;σ = 0.68). However, the challenge is that the respondents moderately agree that the procedure of employee discipline that is conducted remotely is somehow a bit far off with what is usually done in the office (face-to-face) ( = 4.38;σ = 1.30). The absence of physical touch and non-verbal cues like tone of voice, body language and hand gesture are something that the respondents are longing for. Pandemic really detached people from the warmth of each other. Conducting employee discipline which oftentimes has dealt with emotions remotely finds the respondents longing for the physical presence of being heard. © 2023 ACM.
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Background: Different viruses employ similar pathways for replication, revealing key intracellular hotspots to target with host-directed therapies and achieve a broad-spectrum antiviral activity. Plitidepsin is a clinically approved antitumoral agent that blocks the elongation factor eEF1A required for protein translation. This drug counteracts SARS-CoV-2 replication and shows a favorable safety profile in COVID-19 patients. Yet, the precise antiviral mechanism of action of plitidepsin remains unknown. Method(s): Here we used a deep quantitative proteomic analysis to measure the impact of plitidepsin on the proteome of SARS-CoV-2-infected Vero E6 cells. This was complemented with transmission electron microscopy assays, which unraveled the subcellular and morphological changes associated to plitidepsin treatment. In addition, we performed functional in vitro assays to dissect the antiviral activity of plitidepsin against SARS-CoV-2 and other viruses. Result(s): We found that this drug inhibited the synthesis of all SARS-CoV-2 proteins in a dose-dependent manner. These included the R1AB polyproteins, which facilitate the synthesis of non-structural proteins involved in the formation of double membrane vesicles (DMV) required for viral replication. Plitidepsin reduced DMV formation and the morphogenesis of new viruses, having a greater impact on viral than on host proteins. Less than 14% of the cellular proteome was significantly affected by plitidepsin, inducing the up-regulation of key molecules associated with protein biosynthesis, such as the translation initiation factors eIF4A2 and eIF2S3. Therefore, plitidepsin induced a compensatory state that rescued protein translation. This proteostatic response explains how cells preserve the cellular proteome after treatment with a translation inhibitor such as plitidepsin. In addition, it suggests that plitidepsin could inhibit other RNA-dependent and non-integrated DNA viruses, as we confirmed in vitro using Zika virus, Hepatitis C virus replicon and Herpes simplex virus. However, the compensatory proteostasis induced by plitidespin also explains why this drug failed to inhibit the replication of integrated DNA proviruses such as HIV-1. Conclusion(s): Unraveling the mechanism of action of host-directed therapies like plitidepsin is imperative to define the indications and antiviral profile of these compounds. This knowledge will be key to develop broad-spectrum treatments and have them ready to deploy when future pandemic viruses break through.
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Introduction and objective: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a public health problem of the first order and underdiagnosis of this disease is a universal phenomenon. The objective of our study is to determine the prevalence of COPD and to analyze the clinical, radiological and functional characteristics of patients without a previous diagnosis of COPD and diagnosed with this disease in the post-COVID follow-up consultation, and to compare them with patients without COPD. Methods and materials: A study was carried out of the patients referred to the post-COVID consultation who were diagnosed with COPD in said consultation between the months of June 2020 and February 2021. The variables included were: sex, age, smoking habit, pack-year index (IPA), degree of dyspnea according to the mMRC scale, function and characteristics in chest CT. Result(s): Of the 371 patients evaluated in the post-COVID follow-up consultation, 23 of them, 11%, were diagnosed with COPD. 61% were men with a mean age of 60 +/- 11 years, 17% being active smokers, 56% ex-smokers with a mean IPA of 26 +/- 15. The rest of the variables are shown in Table 1. Significant differences were found between patients with and without COPD in terms of smoking (p<0.001) and lung function (p=0.002). No significant differences were found in the rest of the variables. 21% of COPD patients had emphysema on chest CT. Conclusion(s): The diagnosis of COPD was established in 11% of the patients evaluated in the post-COVID consultation.
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Introduction and objective: The objective of our study was to determine if the presence of interstitial involvement in the chest CT of patients infected with SARS CoV2 is related to the severity and need for oxygen therapy during the acute episode. Material(s) and Method(s): We carried out a descriptive study of patients infected with SARS CoV2 between March and June 2020 in follow-up in the postCOVID consultation from June 2020 to December 2021 and divided them into 4 groups based on the severity of the acute process. Group 1: did not require oxygen therapy, group 2: oxygen therapy up to 15lpm, group 3: high flow nasal cannula or continuous positive pressure, and group 4 orotracheal intubation. We analyzed the clinical characteristics and the evolution of the lesions on chest CT and respiratory function tests 12 months after hospital discharge. Result(s): We analyzed 388 patients, mean age 57+/-13 years, 53% male. Group 1: 68 (17.5%), group 2: 213 (54.8%), group 3: 19, (5%) group 4: 88 (23%).The most frequent radiological alterations were ground glass (70%) and bronchial dilations (30%), being present in 42% of patients in group 1, 75% in group 2, 84% in group 3 and in 97% % of patients in group 4. These differences were significant comparing patients in group 1 with group 2 (p=0.001), with group 3 p=0.012 and with group 4, (p<0.001). No significant differences were found when comparing the rest of the groups with each other. Conclusion(s): The persistence of postCOVID radiological alterations 12 months after hospital discharge is related to the need for oxygen therapy during the acute episode.
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Introduction and objectives: During the lockdown due to the pandemic caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), a decrease in the number of admissions due to acute coronary syndrome (ACS) was observed. The objective of our study was to evaluate the impact lockdown had on the incidence, morbidity and mortality, and management of ACS. Methods: A retrospective and multicenter study was conducted including patients admitted due to ACS from February 14 through June 24, 2020. Patients with acute myocardial infarction and coronary arteries without significant lesions were excluded. The following groups were established based on the period of admission: a) 1 month before lockdown;b) during lockdown;and c) 1 month after lockdown. The differences in mortality seen among the 3 groups were evaluated, as well as the temporal differences reported between symptom onset and the first medical contact (FMC). Results: a total of 634 patients were included (group a, 205;group b, 303, and group c, 126). A 41% decrease in the number of admissions due to ACS was observed during the first month of lockdown compared to the previous month, as well as diagnostic delay during this same period (group a, 66 minutes (45-180), group b, 120 minutes (60-240), and group c, 120 minutes (60-240), P =.007). However, a higher mortality rate during confinement was not reported (RR, 1.26;95%CI, 0.53-2.97;P =.60). Conclusions: During lockdown, a remarkable decrease in the number of admissions due to ACS was observed, and although there was an increase in the time elapsed from symptom onset to the FCM in this period in patients with STEMI, the mortality rate was similar in the 3 groups studied.
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Background: The confinement caused by the COVID-19 pandemic changed the lifestyles of the population affecting their levels of physical activity. Aim(s): To determine the factors associated with a low level of physical activity in adults during confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic. Material(s) and Method(s): Adults from Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru were invited through social networks to answer an online survey. Questions about sociodemographic, health status and lifestyle variables were included. The level of physical activity and sedentary behavior were determined through the short version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). Result(s): The survey was answered by 3,362 adults aged between 18 and 60 years. Respondents more likely to be inactive were women, those with less than eight years of education, those with overweight or obesity, those who smoked at least one cigarette a day, consumed alcohol four or more times a week, slept less than six hours per day and spent more than 6 hours per day in sedentary behaviors. Conclusion(s): These findings provide a sociodemographic and lifestyle profile associated with physical inactivity during the period of confinement in Latin American adults. The results confirm the need to promote healthy lifestyles in the population during periods of confinement. Copyright © 2022 Sociedad Medica de Santiago. All rights reserved.
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Objective: To evaluate the predictive variables of the quality of life in the Latin American adult population in a pandemic situation during the Covid-19 quarantine. Methods: Descriptive, cross-sectional study. The population was composed of 3,101 adult inhabitants of Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru. Factors that increased the likelihood of poor quality of life were identified using logistic regression analysis. These analyzes were adjusted for nutritional status, age, and geographic origin. Results: Being female (OR=1.73;p=0.001), physically inactive (OR=1.85;p=0.001), consuming tobacco (OR=1.29;p=0.026), alcohol (OR=1.31;p=0.002) and junk food (OR=2.04;p=0.001) increased the probability of having a decrease in the general health dimension of quality of life during a Covid-19 quarantine. Conclusions: The findings in this study confirm the need to promote healthy habits and lifestyles in the population during quarantines in a pandemic, such as a healthy diet, prac-ticing physical activity and avoiding prolonged sitting. © 2022, Universidad del Norte. All rights reserved.
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INTRODUCTION: in March 2020, lockdown was established in Spain because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this study is to assess its impact on pain and quality of life in patients with musculoskeletal pain. MATERIAL AND METHODS: prospective study including 490 individuals grouped in: 140 people without pain, 140 people with musculoskeletal pain but without any related pathology diagnosed, 140 patients diagnosed for a musculoskeletal condition and 70 patients in surgical waiting list (SWL) for a musculoskeletal condition. Data regarding pain, physical activity and quality of life (EuroQol-5D) was collected at the beginning of lockdown and one year after (March 2021). RESULTS: mean age was 53 ± 17.5 years old (18-88) and 51.3% were women. Patients in SWL referred significantly more pain than the rest of groups (p < 0.001), with a score in the visual analogue scale of 6.3 ± 1.9. Groups 3 and 4 suffered a significant increase of their pain from 2020 to 2021 (p < 0.001), while decreasing in group 2 (p < 0.001). Analgesics intake grew from 2020 to 2021 (39.9% versus 44.3%, p = 0.007). 70.2% experienced a worsening of at least one dimension of EuroQol-5D over last year, with patients in SWL being the most affected (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: lockdown has caused in patients with musculoskeletal conditions a greater aggravation of pain and deterioration of quality of life than in the general population, especially in patients in SWL, translating in an increase in analgesics intake.
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The pandemic caused by Covid-19 spread rapidly throughout the world, bringing as a consequence that, in various economic sectors of many countries, such as Mexico, a variety of practices associated with work where the strategic role of managers is fundamental, will be reconsidered. since through leadership subordinates must be guided to achieve objectives through a positive attitude of protection and care. The objective of this work was to analyze the leadership of managers in medium-sized companies in the health sector, in the context of Covid-19. The approach was quantitative and the Multifactor leadership questionnaire developed by Bass and Avolio (2004) was used, and it was applied to 32 managers. The main results show that younger leaders prefer the transformational and transactional leadership style, highlighting the participation of female managers as they are more likely to establish recurring communication with their subordinates. It is concluded that managers show an optimistic and enthusiastic attitude that allows them to infect their workers and manage to form authentic collaborative work teams. © 2022, Universidad del Zulia. All rights reserved.
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Introduction: School young who practice physical activity regularly have greater self-esteem and academic self-concept compared to those who do not practice, not knowing if this condition is maintained in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Objective: To compare self-esteem with academic self-concept in Chilean school young according to sex and physical activity habit. Secondly, to associate self-esteem with the academic self-concept of school young. Methods: Cross-sectional study that evaluated 108 schools young (50.9 % female) with a mean age of 13.96 + 2.85 years old. The instruments used were the Rosenberg scale, the academic self-concept scale, and a dichotomous question related to the habit of physical activity. Comparisons were made through Student's t-tests, Mann Whitney U, and associations with Pearson's Ji-Square. Results: Significant differences were found in favor of males in self-esteem (p= 0.007), without differences in the rest of the variables, nor between physically active school young vs. physically inactive school young. In addition, a statistically significant association was found between self-esteem with academic self-efficacy (p< 0.05), perceived performance (p< 0.001), and total score of the academic self-concept scale (p< 0.001) in male, female, physically active school young, physically inactive school young and total sample. Conclusion: There is an association between self-esteem with academic self-efficacy, perceived performance, and total score on the academic self-concept scale in Chilean schools young, regardless of sex and physical activity habit. Additionally, there is a statistically significant mean difference in favor of males for self-esteem. © 2022, Editorial Ciencias Medicas. All rights reserved.
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Background: SARS-CoV-2 vaccines efficacy and safety have been tested in phase 3 studies which did not include cancer patients. Information is scarce regarding COVID-19 vaccines safety in this population. Methods: The objective of this study is to evaluate the safety profile of the mRNA-1273 vaccine across cancer patients and its relationship to patients' demographics. This cross sectional study included patients 18-years or older with solid malignancies receiving active treatment in Hospital Clínico San Carlos (Madrid, Spain) who had received the three dose schedule of the mRNA9 1273 vaccine. Patient electronic medical records were reviewed retrospectively to collect data between April 19, 2021 and December 31, 2021. Patients with documented previous infection by SARS-Cov-2 were excluded. Results: 93 patients met inclusion criteria. 31 patients (33%) were male and 62 patients (66%) were female. Mean age was 61 [SD 8]. 33% of the study population had metastatic disease. The majority of patients (60%) had ECOG 0 whereas 32% and 8% of the population had ECOG 1 and 2 respectively. Most common tumors were breast (33%) and gastrointestinal (17%). Treatment modalities included chemotherapy (37%), targeted therapy (23%), immunotherapy (12%) and combined therapy (28%). Local adverse effects at the site of injection and systemic adverse reactions had different trends, local adverse reactions were reported more frequently after the first and second dose than after the third (42%, 50% and 36% respectively), while systemic adverse reactions were reported less frequently after the first and second dose than after the third (16%, 35% and 53% respectively). Most common systemic adverse effect was fever followed by malaise and myalgia. No grade 4 or 5 adverse events were reported. We found a statistically significant association between sex and systemic adverse reactions after the third dose with a moderate correlation assessed by Cramer's V. Cochran-Armitage test showed a statistically significant linear trend, p = 0.012, with higher ECOG score associated with a lower proportion of patients suffering from systemic side effects. A logistic regression showed that females had 5.79 times higher odds to exhibit systemic adverse events after the third dose (p = 0.01) compared to males. Increasing age was associated with a decreased likelihood of exhibiting adverse events (p = 0.016). ECOG scores didn't show a statistically significant association. Conclusions: mRNA-1273 vaccine shows a tolerable safety profile, which is similar to the non-oncologic population. The likelihood of adverse reactions appears to be associated with gender and age. Its association with ECOG scores is less evident. Further studies are needed to elucidate the safety profile of COVID-19 vaccines in cancer patients.
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Objective(s): The aim of this study was to study the humoral immune response to SARS-CoV-2 following vaccination in MS patients. Material(s) and Method(s): We performed a prospective study including all MS patients receiving one of the approved COVID-19 vaccines since January to September 2021. Demographic characteristics, MS treatments and adverse events reports after COVID-19 vaccination of vaccinated MS patients were collected. We analyzed the antibody response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccines with a chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay (CMIA) from Abbot in MS patients with different DMTs at week 3, week 6 and month 3 after the first dose. The positivity cutoff is ≥50 AU/ml (manufacturer defined). 200 Healthy healthcare professionals were the control group. Result(s): We analyzed 165 vaccinated MS patients: 106 with Pfizer, 14 with Moderna, 42 with both doses of Astra zeneca and 3 with Jannsen. The mean age of patients was 45 (range: 21-71) and 46 for the controls. The most frequent adverse events were pain at injection site, headache and fatigue for 24-48 hours. No differences between MS patients and controls. No increased risk of relapse was noted in the first six months. 120 patients have received both doses of mRNA vaccine. Overall, mean antibody titers response to SARS-CoV-2 SARS-CoV-2 at three weeks was 7910,3 AU/mL (range 0-74947), at 6 weeks 16347,9 UA/mL (range:0-52380,5) and at 3 months 8182,10 UA/ml (range:0-33752,4) in mRNA vaccinated patients. By the mRNA vaccinated control group mean antibody titers response to SARS-CoV-2 SARS-CoV-2 at three weeks was 9397 AU/mL and at 6 weeks 18120 UA/mL Performing a subanalysis of the different DMTs: Only 3 out of 20 patients treated with ocrelizumab developed antibodies. Six vaccinated patients treated with rituximab had no antibody response. Four from 16 patients treated with fingolimod failed to develop a post-vaccination humoral response (< 50 AU/ml). 4 of 5 patients treated with ofatumumab developed have an adequate humoral response. Patients treated with interferon Beta, glatiramer acetate, teriflunomide, dimethyl fumarate, vaccinated with mRNA vaccines developed a similar post vaccination humoral response than healthy controls. Conclusion(s): Most of MS treated patients developed enough antibodies to SARS-CoV-2. The adverse events on MS patients were similar to the general population. No increase of relapse activity was observed. Some patients treated with ocrelizumab, rituximab and fingolimod have no developed a humoral response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. Hence we conclude that all approved COVID-19 vaccines are safe in MS patients and effective in most patients. However vaccine strategy in patients treated with anti-CD20 and fingolimod need further studies.
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Introduction: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease characterized by chronic inflammation, causing pain and stiffness in the joints. SARS-CoV-2 increases the clinical vulnerability of the population with RA and has led to the implementation and/or development of telemedicine. Objective: To describe changes in level of therapeutic adherence, quality of life and capacity for self-care agency, during the follow-up period of a group of patients linked to a non-face-to-face multidisciplinary consultation model during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Methodology: Descriptive cohort study (July to October 2020). Description of the level of therapeutic adherence (Morisky Green Test), quality of life (EuroQOL-5-Dimensions-3-Level-version) and self-care capacity (ASA-R Scale) in the context of a telehealth model. A univariate and bivariate analysis was performed (Stata Software, Considered p-value <.05) Results: Of 71 patients treated under the telehealth model, 85.9% were women, the age range was between 33 and 86 years with a median of 63. The most prevalent comorbidity was arterial hypertension (35.2%). Quality of life did not change during follow-up nor did adherence to treatment, apart from in one item [the patients did not stop taking the medication when they were well (P=.029)]. In self-care capacity, there were significant improvements in five dimensions (P<.05), without significant differences in the global score. Conclusion: Patients with RA evaluated in the context of telehealth in a period of pandemic did not present significant changes in quality of life, adherence to treatment, or capacity for self-care, and remained close to baseline values when they attended a traditional face-to-face assessment.
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Background: COVID-19 infection caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) can cause mild symptoms to severe illness and death. Co-infections of SARS-CoV-2 with other respiratory viruses have been described. However, two SARS-CoV-2 lineage co-infection have been rarely reported. Methodology: A genotyping analysis and two different types of whole genome sequencing were performed (Illumina MiniSeq and ONT MinION). When examining the phylogenetic analysis in NextClade and Pangolin webservers, and considering the genotyping findings, conflicting results were obtained. Results: The raw data of the sequencing was analyzed, and nucleotide variants were identified between different reads of the virus genome. B.1 and P.1 lineages were identified within the same sample. Conclusions: We concluded that this is a co-infection case with two SARS-CoV-2 lineages, the first one reported in Ecuador.
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The COVID-19 pandemic led to an unusual situation in sports. Players were forced to stay at home for an undefined period of time and not allowed to use any training facilities or even exercise outdoors. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the effects of the COVID-19 lockdown on physical performance and body composition in elite female football players. During the confinement period, 19 players (n = 19, M = 27 years;SD = 4.19) volunteered to participate in the present study. Participants were confined during 5 months and performed six remotely guided sessions a week, designed and structured by a certified fitness coach. Pre-and postconfinement period, players were tested for body composition, strength in the squat exercise, vertical jump, 30-m sprint, kicking velocity, and intermittent endurance capacity (Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Level 1). Fat mass and muscle mass remained unaffected after the confinement period, while only body mass showed a significant increase between periods (1.19%;p =.014). In addition, physical performance measures postconfinement showed positive changes in kicking (p <.001;effect size = 1.02), in contrast to a reduction in mean propulsive velocity against 40-kg load and Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Level 1 total distance covered (p:.041 and.010, respectively). Present findings indicate that the implementation of home-based training programs during confinement periods could be sufficient stimulus to maintain body composition and physical performance (i.e., strength, vertical jump, and sprint), although they might not be sufficient to maintain intermittent endurance capacity in elite female football players. © 2022 University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG).
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Impact of confinement by COVID-19 on digital lending platforms: the case of GaliciaLe : E-book lending platforms became more relevant during the confinement by COVID-19, reaching out to be an alternative to the temporary closure of the face-to-face services of public libraries. The impact of this quarantine on the increase in the number of users, active readers and checkouts is analyzed from the data generated by the electronic lending platforms of GaliciaLe, as well as the effects of the measures that were implemented to facilitate citizens access to digital reading during the state of alarm. The data shows a notable increase in the indicators analyzed and allow us to conclude that digital lending services have contributed to partially supply public libraries during their temporary closure in the mission of promoting reading that these centers are entrusted with. Likewise, the capacity of electronic lending platforms to maintain their upward progression after confinement is discussed. © 2022 CSIC. All Rights Reserved.