ABSTRACT
Background: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) including Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), is associated with higher thrombotic risk and enhanced thrombin generation (TG) in adults. IBD patients were underrepresented in SARS-CoV- 2 mRNA vaccine trials. Case reports indicated that adverse events post-vaccination, including IBD flare, were more common among children, and those with prior COVID-19. Aim(s): To find out whether TG is increased in children with IBD as compared to healthy controls and whether TG parameters show significant changes following SARS-CoV- 2 mRNA vaccination. Method(s): In this observational case-control study, 37 children with IBD (CD:16, UC: 21) aged 12-18 years and 55 healthy age-matched children were enrolled. Blood was collected before and 2-4 weeks after the second dose of BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech) vaccine dose. Whole blood count, fibrinogen, inflammatory markers (CRP, ferritin), anti-SARS- CoV- 2 antibody levels were investigated, TG assay was carried-out using platelet-poor plasma. Lag time, endogen thrombin potential (ETP), peak thrombin, time-to- peak were calculated. Detailed clinical parameters including post-vaccination symptoms, COVID-19 history, disease activity scores (PUCAI, Mayo score, PCDAI) were registered. Result(s): CRP was significantly elevated in children with IBD and showed a positive correlation with ETP (CD: R = 0.700;p = 0.003 and CU: R = 0.501;p = 0.020). TG parameters did not differ between patients and controls pre-or post-vaccination. TG parameters remained unaltered post-vaccination in both groups. IBD disease flare was not observed post-vaccination, but reduced anti-SARS- CoV- 2 antibody titers were found in 4 patients receiving immunosuppressive therapies. Previous COVID-19 infection had no effect on TG levels. Conclusion(s): Although TG parameters correlated with the level of inflammation in children with IBD, the extent of TG was not significantly different from healthy controls. TG parameters and IBD disease activity scores did not increase significantly following mRNA vaccination. Our results support the safety of SARS-CoV- 2 mRNA vaccination in children with IBD, highlighting observations of lower antibody titers in immunosuppressed children.
ABSTRACT
For years our research goal is how to integrate ICT in teaching process to activate and involve our students and get better and better results. We implemented a Classroom Response System which fitted perfectly to our university requirements. During the emergency situation caused by COVID-19 most of the education changed to remote teaching choosing between hybrid, online synchron or online mode. In the time of writing the paper we already started the third semester of emergency situation. Now we got to know thoroughly different IT tools and experiences how to enhance our education quality which key factor is activity. In this paper we should like to focus on interaction possibilities in virtual classroom systems and present some benefits of E-Lection system implemented by us. Online synchron teaching period with students’ feedbacks lead us to plan new additional features to our system. This newness will produce a more useable, complex, and integrated system to support both students and professors’ requirements. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
ABSTRACT
This paper examines the spatial dynamics and regional distribution of the novel coronavirus epidemic in Hungary in an effort to obtain a deeper understanding of the connection between space and health. The paper also presents comprehensive epidemiologic data on the spatiotemporal spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of the epidemic waves. Following a comparison of the growth rates of infection numbers, the current study explores the geographical dimension of the three pandemic waves. The partial transformation of spatial characteristics during the three epidemic waves is among the most important results found. While geographical hotspots influenced the first wave, newly confirmed coronavirus cases in the second and third waves were due to community-based epidemic spreading. Furthermore, the western-eastern spatial relation and the core-periphery model also affected the regional distribution of new cases and deaths in the initial two waves. However, a new spatial pattern – realised by the northern-southern spatial orientation – appeared during the third wave. The outputs of this paper offer feasible suggestions for evidence-based policymaking in pandemic prevention, mitigation, and preparedness. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee: REGION – The Journal of ERSA, European Regional Science Association, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
ABSTRACT
Specific antibody and cellular response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccines has not been sufficiently mapped yet. Hungarian healthcare workers are largely exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Our aim was to investigate the specific immune response to mRNA vaccine (Pfizer) and its change over time in a sample of health care workers. We also aimed to examine the role of age in this process. For implementation 55 volunteer health workers were included in the study. Specific antibody tests were used to examine immunogenicity at 10 days and 2 months after the second dose of mRNA vaccine. Generic Assay IgG + test measures specific IgG against Spike1 and 2 proteins and nucleocapsid specific antibodies. The Roche Elecsys® Anti-SARS-CoV-2 S is an immunoassay for the quantitative determination of antibodies to the receptor binding domain. Ten days after the second dose all subjects showed a significant antibody production by both tests. The older age group responded with lower antibody levels (geometric means were 1915 and 1205 BAU/mL measured by Roche test in age groups below 55 years and after 55 years of age, respectively). Two months after the second dose, there was a significant decrease in antibody levels in both age groups. The decline is expected to continue, therefore the measurement will be repeated for another 3 months. Furthermore, we consider it necessary to supplement the study with cellular immunoassays. Preliminary results on these additional measurements will also be discussed in the presentation.
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 epidemic first appeared at the end of 2019, and it became a worldwide pandemic in the first quarter of 2020. The new coronavirus pandemic made it clear that infectious diseases are able to significantly influence morbidity and mortality data of countries in the 21st century, too. There are many complex and profound socio-economic consequences of the restrictions in relation to the coronavirus pandemic. This epidemic also resulted in an economic crisis with multiple effects on the economy and society. It is said that spatiality has a determinative role in the geographical spreading of the pandemic and on regional differences of the economic crisis. The scope of this paper is to compare the most important features and regional inequalities of the epidemic waves in Hungary based on epidemiological data. Besides statistical analysis, the study examines short-, medium- and long-term effects of the pandemic on health and health care, too. The literature review presents some regional features of the coronavirus epidemic, and it also defines the role of this pandemic on non-communicable diseases for the future. The used content-analysis investigates the Hungarian restrictions and their regional relevance. The main results of our research show that there are marked differences between the three epidemic waves in Hungary based on the number of confirmed cases and regional inequalities regarding restrictions. There was a longer interim period during the summer between the two epidemic waves of spring and autumn of 2020. On the other hand, the longer improving tendency of the second wave suddenly stopped in mid-February 2021 resulting in a third epidemic wave in Hungary. The first wave was a ‘flat curve’ while the second wave resulted in an epidemic plateau. The third wave started during the decreasing process of the second wave. The first wave was more linked to geographical (Budapest capital city and Pest county) and institutional (hospitals, nursing homes) hotspots, however in the second and third wave nation-wide infection ranges became more determinative. The results of our research call the attention to the regional relevance of restrictions regarding the pandemic. When this paper was finished, on the 4th of March 2021, the pandemic did not end yet in Hungary, so its evaluation can not be complete at this time. The ascending trend of the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic is due to the spreading of new coronavirus variants and mutations. © 2021