Talk or something more? COVID-19 and youth discourses of participation

PurposePolitical participation of young people has been examined, but there is a lack of research about how these participation forms are interpreted and what counts as participation for young people. The study aims to identify discourses of political participation in Hungary, where the COVID-19 restrictions during 2020-2021 have confined young people's everyday interactions and political activism to the online space for an extended period. The authors' asteroid-effect hypothesis suggests that new discourses of political participation have become more widespread, which may have reinterpreted the previous dynamics between online and offline participation.Design/methodology/approachThe authors analyse the results of six focus groups and eight interviews with young people conducted between 2021-2022 through discourse analysis.FindingsThe qualitative results show that to intellectualise the everyday discourses of youth political participation, extending its classical theories is worthwhile. While online participation has not emerged as a paramount, positive interpretational framework, a new discourse of political participation has emerged, making conversation a fundamental act.Originality/valueWhile the results are limited to Hungarian youth, the strong appearance of participation as a communicative action can have consequences to theoretical approaches of political participation. The authors believe that COVID-19 restrictions had a significant role in this change, because family talks became more politicised.

Identifying Optimal Surgical Timing Relative to SARS-CoV-2 Infection Using COVID-19 Severity in Cancer Patients

INTRODUCTION: Prior literature suggests a need to delay elective surgery up to 8 weeks in patients with a previous SARS-CoV-2 infection to mitigate the risk of adverse postoperative events. However, these recommendations are broad without specific consideration of surgical procedures or factors related to the SARS-CoV-2 infection. The objective of this study was to identify optimal surgical timing in cancer patients with a prior history of COVID-19. METHOD(S): This study was a retrospective cross-sectional study using the National COVID Cohort Collaborative (N3C) centralized data resource. Patients who underwent select major surgeries after January 2020 were assessed for 30-day surgical outcomes. Cancer diagnoses, procedures, and outcomes were identified using standard SNOMED concepts. Patients with a history of COVID-19 prior to surgery were grouped by severity: non-hospitalized vs. hospitalized. Surgical timing relative to previous COVID-19 diagnosis was separated into three groups: 0-4 weeks, 4-8 weeks, and 8+ weeks. All analyses were performed using the N3C Data Enclave. RESULT(S): The study included 133,469 cancer patients with 7,757 (5.8%) who had a history of COVID-19 prior to surgery. Patients with prior COVID-19 did not have significantly increased rates of 30-day mortality (1.1% vs. 0.9%, P=.11) or non-fatal adverse events (23% vs. 22%, P=.33). Of the patients with a history of COVID-19, 1,630 (16%) were hospitalized due to a prior infection. Patients hospitalized for COVID-19 had significantly increased rates of postoperative 30-day mortality (2.9% vs. 0.5%, P< .001) and non-fatal adverse events (38% vs. 20%, P< .001) when compared to patients with a history of non-hospitalized COVID-19. Multivariable regression examining risk for any adverse event in patients with non-hospitalized COVID-19 demonstrated patients to be at baseline risk at 0-4 weeks (aOR 1.02 [0.68-1.50]), 4-8 weeks (aOR 0.98 [0.65-1.43]) and 8+ weeks (aOR 0.97 [0.80-1.17]) when compared to patients without a history of COVID-19. Conversely, patients previously hospitalized for COVID-19 were at increased odds of adverse postoperative events at all assessed time points (Figure). CONCLUSION(S): These data suggest prolonged delays from COVID-19 diagnosis to surgery are unnecessary among cancer patients not hospitalized for SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, there is a persistently elevated postoperative risk in patients who were hospitalized for treatment of COVID-19 prior to undergoing cancer surgery. Additional risk mitigation strategies beyond delaying surgery must be investigated.

Real-time experiences of Hungarian youth in digital education as an example of the impact of pandemia. "I've never had better grades on average: I got straight all the time”

In this paper, we attempted to find an answer to the perceptions and experiences related to online education, with the help of the stories told, which can adequately indicate the epidemic's effects on the 15–29-year-old age group. The global pandemic events of 2020, 2021 and partly 2022, associated with digital education, may have profound and long-lasting effects on young people as a social group. However, we have only a few scientific findings contributing to assessing the COVID-19 pandemic's long-term effects on young people. The social listening analysis used during the research, precisely the so-called social listening method, the experiences and opinions of 15–29-year-olds related to online education were explored, and the perceived differences in competence in terms of infrastructural, educational organisation, and tool use. Young people's assessment of digital education is two-fold: positive attitudes are primarily related to the measurement/evaluation of student performance, negative ones to the effectiveness of the learning process, which has increased the value of face-to-face education, as well as the eroding effect of online school on social relations, and the difficulties related to the epidemiological regulations (mask-wearing, vaccination) or non-compliance (keeping a distance) were also reflected on. © 2023 Elsevier Ltd

The impact of the pandemic on the fitness sector-The general international situation and a Hungarian example

Before the Coronavirus pandemic, the fitness industry was a growing sector globally, both in terms of the number of members and clubs;even prior to the global pandemic there were online workouts and technological innovations. With COVID-19, revenues plummeted, and many gyms went out of business. Consumers bought equipment for home use and switched to different types of online or outdoor workouts. This paper aims to investigate how the pandemic affected the fitness sector, and the consumer behavior of former gym members. Our assumption was that the preferences of gym-members had changed, and gyms would have prospered if they had changed their business models and moved to a hybrid model. We conducted in depth-interviews with Hungarian club owners and used an online questionnaire survey to collect data from members of gyms in Hungary. We asked them about exercise habits, home exercise methods, planned future exercise locations, the expectations of customers, safety measures, and service quality. Our assumptions were confirmed. The results may represent useful input for Hungarian fitness centers. © 2022 The Author(s).

Esport and simracing markets-The effects of COVID-19, difficulties and opportunities

The esport industry is emerging and constantly changing. The pandemic has had a significant impact on esport and its markets and has affected the whole ecosystem. The focus of this paper, besides esport, is simracing: due to the limitations on physical events, motorsports have had to convert their races to the digital world. The aims of the article are: (1) to identify the changes in the esport and simracing world and markets caused by the pandemic, (2) to examine the difficulties and challenges that the industry is facing, and (3) to explore the opportunities for the further development of the business. Our research methodology involved in-depth interviews with industry professionals from different backgrounds. The results show that esport and simracing need to become more economically sustainable, and changes are required in all related markets. This article identifies such opportunities. Despite the difficulties, esport will continue to be a major player in the digital world and in the world of sports. © 2022 The Author(s).

Asteroid-Effect in Society: The Formation of a Mannheim-type Historical Generation Post-COVID-19

Our conceptual paper argues that the COVID-19 pandemic has created conditions for the constitution of a new historical generation in Mannheimian terms. Current attempts in the sociology of youth to reconcile structure and agency with the concept of generation provide good starting points for interpreting a historical event such as the COVID-19 pandemic. While generations are not to be understood as homogeneous groups, constituting events can be compared to an asteroid that changes the trajectory of each social group. Thus, the concept of asteroid-effect helps us to overcome oversimplifying generational interpretations and to examine the effects of generation-forming events with an eye on structural inequalities. Our study provides an overview of the classical generational theory of Mannheim in light of some contemporary approaches. Based upon existing information, we illustrate how the generation-forming events can be interpreted and how structural inequalities can be considered. © 2022, Polish Sociological Association. All rights reserved.

Characterization, Contributing Factors, And Outcomes Of Bleeding Complication In Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation for SARS-CoV-2 Pneumonia: A Single-Institution Experience

Background: SARS-CoV-2 (i.e., COVID-19) has brought extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) into the forefront of critical care. Its unique pathophysiology has added a level of complexity to ECMO therapy, particularly, the hematologic manifestations. Here we detail the spectrum and outcomes of bleeding complications in ECMO for COVID-19 and identify potential contributing factors. Methods: All patients who received ECMO for SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia severe acute respiratory distress syndrome at our institution between March 1, 2020 and April 12, 2021 were reviewed. Patient characteristics, laboratory results, and overall outcomes were recorded. Bleeding events were reviewed with regard to the type/location and intervention required. Severity was graded according to the degree of intervention for treatment (1 [conservative or minor] - 3 [major, life-threatening, or operative]). Laboratory results and patient characteristics were compared between patients with bleeding events and those without to identify factors associated with bleeding risk. Results: Fifty-four patients (mean age 53.2 years, 61.1% female, 51.9% Caucasian) underwent ECMO cannulation for SARSCoV-2 pneumonia at our institution. Thirty-eight (70.4%) received veno-pulmonary artery ECMO. The mean duration of support was 33.2 days with an in-hospital mortality of 42.6%. 68.5% of patients experienced at least one bleeding event during their ECMO course with 92 bleeding events (n=23 [grade 1], n=31 [grade 2], n=38 [grade 3]) over 1804 cannulation days. The most common types of bleeding types were nasal/oropharyngeal (n=30, 32.6%), pulmonary (n=18, 19.6%), and gastrointestinal (n=11, 12.0%). Eight (16.0%) patients required operative intervention and 11 (20.3%) died as a result of a bleeding event, mainly due to intracranial hemorrhages (n=5, 9.3%). There was no difference in the mean cumulative function for bleeding events between different ECMO support modalities (p=0.85) which demonstrated a linear pattern over time. Factors that increased the risk of bleeding included patient cumulative volume balance (OR 1.22 per 1000 mL increase from admission, p<0.001) while higher platelet count (OR 0.83 per 50x103/uL increase, p=0.03) was protective. Conclusion: ECMO for SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia is associated with a diverse and unique profile of bleeding complications. The incidence of bleeding complications is linearly related to cannulation duration. Certain patient factors may affect the risk of bleeding while on ECMO.

Kinetics of humoral immunodeficiency with bispecific antibody therapy in multiple myeloma

Background: Bispecific antibodies (bsAb) are a promising class of therapeutics in RRMM. While hypogammaglobinemia (HGG) is anticipated due to plasma cell depletion, there is a lack of information about the degree of secondary immunodeficiency and resultant infectious complications. We investigated the kinetics of HGG in patients with RRMM on bsAb therapy. Methods: We identified and followed 42 patients treated on early clinical trials of bsAb at our institution between 2019 and 2021. Serial immunoglobulin levels and infections were obtained from the start of therapy until last follow up or 3 months after study exit. Results: 49 treatment courses were included from 42 individual patients. All patients were triple class exposed with a median of 5 prior lines of therapy. The median age was 67 (44-85) years, with 49% females. African Americans accounted for 18% of patients. 96% of patients had at least one prior ASCT. 90% of patients received bsAb targeting BCMA including 7 patients who received more than one line of BCMA targeting therapies. At a median follow up 9.5 (0.9-28.6) months, 40.8% of patients remained on bsAb therapy. At the start of therapy, the median IgG, IgA, and IgM levels were 560 (44-9436), 15 (5-3886) and 6 (5-64) mg/dL, respectively and 50% of patients had severe HGG (≤400mg/dl). Serum IgG levels reached a nadir at 3 months while, IgA and IgM at 1 month, from the start of therapy. The median nadir levels of IgG were 159 (40-2996) mg/dL, while it was < 5 mg/dL for both IgA and IgM. IgG levels were below the detectable range (< 40 mg/dl) in 28% of patients at some point during therapy. IgA and IgM were also below the detectable range (< 5 mg/dl) in 50% and 60% of patients, respectively. At last follow-up, the median IgG levels were 444 (40-1860) mg/dL and IgA 5 (5-254) mg/dL and IgM 5 (5-44) mg/dL. Additionally, 38% of patients remained severely hypogammaglobinemic. 57% (24/42) of patients received IVIG supplements in the current series. About 71% of patients had at least one infectious event and the cumulative incidence of infections progressively increased with increasing duration of therapy with risk at 3, 6, 9 12, 15 months being 41%, 57%, 64%, 67% and 70%, respectively. Among these, 54% of infection were bacterial. Viral infection accounted for 41% of infections. A third of patients had new infectious events during the first 90 days following stopping bsAb treatment. 57% (8/14) of patients did not mount a response to the primary COVID19 immunization series. Among the five patients with repeat antibody titers after the booster dose, 50% were still not able to mount an antibody response. Conclusions: bsAb therapy in RRMM can be associated with profound and prolonged HGG. The cumulative risk of infection correlated with the degree of HGG and progressively increases with treatment and persisted months after being off therapy. Additionally, an impaired antibody response to the COVID-19 immunization series was also noted.

When Ideology Matters More - Science and Vaccine Scepticism in Light of Political Ideologies and Partisanship during the Third COVID-19 Wave in Hungary1

As for the mitigation of the negative consequences of the coronavirus pandemic and the related crisis, governments should inter alia facilitate the willingness to vaccinate. However, related discussions became politicised, especially in countries with an extremely high level of partisan polarisation in opinions and media discourses, like in Hungary, which is the selected case of our study. As previous research about the United States shows, general trust in science is also influenced by the ideological alignment of individuals - people with conservative identification are more likely to question scientific results and recommendations, considering global warming, or the characteristics of the pandemic and the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines. In our study we examine two main questions: first, whether the ideological orientation and partisan alignment of Hungarian citizens influence their general trust in science, and second, whether the same factors influence their opinion on scientists' ability to develop effective vaccines against the coronavirus. Furthermore, we also investigate whether media consumption habits might influence these interrelations. According to the results of the representative online survey, the more conservative someone in Hungary identifies, the more likely they will be sceptical in terms of both questions. However, support of government or opposition parties does not determine whether they believe in the ability of scientists to develop effective vaccines, and it is influenced by their media consumption habits. We showed that (1) opposition supporters are much more different along their preferred media source than government supporters, (2) television watchers are of the same opinion independent of their party preference and (3) social media consumers are generally more likely to reject scientific results. The phenomenon that supporters of the conservative government and of the alliance of opposition parties are different in terms of their media consumption is a surprising finding in the polarised Hungarian context. We provide two main explanations for this. First, it is most probably the consequence of the government's intensive campaign that encouraged vaccination. Second, the government used the issue of vaccination as a source of legitimacy regarding the effectiveness of their crisis management. © 2022 Eszter Farkas et al., published by Sciendo.

Examining inequities related to inpatient hospital length of stay for breast cancer patients: A retrospective study during the COVID-19 pandemic

Purpose: In the state of Wisconsin, breast cancer patients from African American (AAs) communities have lower survival rates compared to their Caucasian counterparts. Multiple inequities related to sociodemographic factors, delays in diagnosis, advanced disease stage at presentation and presence of comorbidities including higher body mass index (BMI) contribute to these disparities, many of which have only widened during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study examined specific factors related to prolonged hospital length of stay (LOS) for breast cancer patients admitted to inpatient units during the pandemic. Methods: This analysis includes initial CY20 LOS medical record data for hospitalized patients 18 years and older with a diagnosis of breast cancer from 1/1/2020-12/31/2020. Supplemental data included disease registry and diagnostic data, and SES data determined by patient zip code. Poisson regression models with robust standard errors were used to compare the LOS index (LOSi) between groups of patients based on race, SES group, primary payer, and BMI. Results: A total of 272 patients with breast cancer that were admitted to inpatient oncology units were identified. Demographics included White (72.4%), Black (22.4%), and others (5.1%). Other characteristics included: low SES (8.8%), medium-low (9.5%), medium (15.4%), medium-high (11.0%), high SES (4.4%), and others (non-SMilwaukee county) (50.7%), Medicaid (8.8%), Medicare (61.3%), Managed care (29.0%), and others (0.73%). Body mass varied among the patients;underweight (0.36%), overweight (30.8%), obese (41.5%). There were significant differences in LOSi: Black (LOSi=1.24, p=0.01), medium-low SES (LOSi=1.46, p=0.02), Medicaid (LOSi=1.40, p=0.00), underweight (LOSi=1.66, p=0.00), and overweight (LOSi=1.23, p = 0.01) patients had slightly longer LOSi, with LOSi ratio above 1. Conclusion: This study shows how patient-specific factors such as race, SES, primary payer, and BMI contribute to inpatient LOS for breast cancer patients. Healthcare systems may benefit by addressing indicators and patients' factors to reduce hospital LOS, and ultimately healthcare costs.

Matched case control analysis of breast cancer specific factors impacting risk of developing SARSCov-2 infection

Background: Patients with cancer have increased risk of developing SARS-Cov-2 (COVID-19) infection. It is unknown if characteristics related to breast cancer increase the risk of COVID-19 infection. In this retrospective matched case control study, we aim to identify breast cancer related risk factors associated with developing COVID-19 and describe outcomes of patients with breast cancer diagnosed with COVID-19. Methods: Women with breast cancer treated at the Medical College of Wisconsin and diagnosed with COVID-19 between March and December 2020 served as cases. Women with breast cancer without COVID-19 diagnosis within the same time frame were identified as potential controls. Controls were chosen by matching for age (≥60 vs <60), obesity (BMI <30 vs ≥30), county (Milwaukee vs suburban), race (white vs non-white) and diabetes mellitus (DM) with 3:1 matching planned. Univariate comparisons between cases and controls were done via RaoScott stratified chi-square test for categorical outcomes and stratified t-test for continuous variables. Conditional logistic regression was done to evaluate the joint effect of multiple characteristics on the odds of being a COVID-19 case. Results: Twenty-five cases and 77 controls were identified. All cases were fully matched by age, obesity, county, and race with 3 cases not able to be matched for DM. Mean age was 54.6 vs 54.9 (p=0.88), BMI 31.0 vs 31.6 (p=0.69), 48% lived in Milwaukee county and 68% were white (cases 24% black & 8% American Indian;controls 32% black). Regarding COVID outcomes, 24.0% (n=6) of cases were hospitalized, median length of stay was 2 days, 8% (n=2) needed oxygen, 4% (n=1) were intubated and 4% (n=1) died due to COVID-19. COVID-19 led to treatment delays in 40% of cases. On univariate analysis of cases vs controls, 64 vs 75% were ER/PR+ (p=0.31), 6.5 vs 5.2% HER2+ (p=0.34), and 9.0 vs 4.2% triple negative (p=0.10). There were no significant differences in breast cancer stage. At time of COVID diagnosis (or last clinic contact if control), 16 vs 14% had active disease (p=0.81), 72 vs 74% were on active treatment (p=0.85), with 21 vs 4% being on chemotherapy (p=0.007), and 44 vs 52% on endocrine therapy (p=0.49). On conditional logistic regression, being on active chemotherapy (OR 5.8, p=0.043) significantly increased the likelihood of developing COVID with a trend seen for triple negative disease (OR 2.8, p=0.12). Conclusions: In this matched case control study of patients with breast cancer, active chemotherapy was significantly associated with an increased likelihood of developing COVID-19 with a trend seen for triple negative disease. Rates of death due to COVID-19 were overall low. Our analysis was limited by small numbers and an inability to fully match patients for DM. These findings support continued strict precautions for those on active chemotherapy and warrants further analysis in those with triple negative disease.