ABSTRACT
The aim of this paper is to analyse the variations in the habits and the modes of transport of travellers departing from airports and ports during the COVID-19 outbreak. In the second year of the pandemic (i.e., from August to October 2021), travellers were invited to take part in an anonymous online survey at the terminal buildings of nine Italian and Croatian airports and ports located in the Adriatic region. Around 73% of respondents used public transport when travelling in the pre-COVID-19 period, whereas the corresponding share of respondents in the COVID-19 period was less than 50% and approximately 56% in the post-COVID-19 future. The main reason for not travelling by public transport was related to personal or sanitary reasons in the time of COVID-19. During the pandemic, around 39% of travellers preferred their own vehicle to public transport for moving to/from the airports and ports because of safety and sanitary reasons. With the pandemic, health was the main reason behind daily choices for up to 49% of the respondents. Moreover, a similar share of travellers considered health when choosing the transportation mode during and after the pandemic.
ABSTRACT
Background The potential benefit of a combination therapy with lopinavir/ritonavir (LPV/r) and hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) on COVID-19 has been speculated. We explored the effect of the timing of LPV/r + HCQ initiation on the outcome of patients with COVID-19. Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted on patients with COVID-19 who started treatment with LPV/r plus HCQ between February 21 and March 20, 2020, at Luigi Sacco Hospital in Milan, Italy. Over time cumulative incidence of clinical improvement was compared between patients who started treatment less than 5 days from the onset of symptoms [early treatment group (ET)] and those who initiated it later [delayed treatment group (DT)]. The association of LPV/r plus HCQ initiation timing on 30-day mortality was also assessed by univariate and multivariate logistic models. Results The study included 172 patients, prevalently males (72%) in their sixties, with a moderate (53.4%) or severe (34.9%) disease. Fourty-three (25%) patients were included in the ET group and and 129 (75%) in the DT group. Severity of disease did not significantly differ between the two groups. Conclusion Timing of LPV/r + HCQ initiation seems to have no impact on COVID-19 clinical course in terms of improvement and 30-day mortality. These findings rise doubts on the clincial efficacy of this regimen.