Enrichment of antibiotic resistant genes and pathogens in face masks from coastal environments.

Face masks (FMs) are essential to limit the spread of the coronavirus during pandemic, a considerable of which are accumulated on the coast. However, limited is known about the microbial profile in the biofilm of the face masks (so-called plastisphere) and the impacts of face masks on the surrounding environments. We herein performed face mask exposures to coastal sediments and characterized the microbial community and the antibiotic resistome. We detected 64 antibiotic-resistance genes (ARGs) and 12 mobile gene elements (MGEs) in the plastisphere. Significant enrichments were found in the relative abundance of total ARGs in the plastisphere compared to the sediments. In detail, the relative abundance of tetracycline, multidrug, macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin B (MLSB), and phenicol-resistant genes had increased by 5-10 times. Moreover, the relative abundance of specific hydrocarbonoclastic bacteria (e.g., Polycyclovorans sp.), pathogens (e.g., Pseudomonas oleovorans), and total MGEs significantly increased in the sediments after face mask exposure, which was congruent with the alteration of pH value and metal concentrations in the microcosms. Our study demonstrated the negative impacts of FMs on coastal environments regardless of the profiles of ARGs or pathogens. These findings improved the understanding of the ecological risks of face masks and underlined the importance of beach cleaning.

Trends of injury mortality during the COVID-19 period in Guangdong, China: a population-based retrospective analysis.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to ascertain the trends of injury mortality during the COVID-19 period in southern China. METHODS: We conducted a population-based retrospective analysis to compare the mortality changes of all-cause injury and transport injuries, poisoning, falls, fire/heat/hot substances, drowning, self-harm and interpersonal violence, which were further stratified by sex and age. Comparisons were made between the COVID-19 period (between January 2020 and June 2020) and control period (between January 2019 and June 2019) in Guangdong province. We used the negative binomial models to explore the associations of deaths during the COVID-19 period, according to the different sex and age strata. RESULTS: The all-cause injury mortality in Guangdong province decreased significantly from 28.65 per 100 000 population during the control period to 23.24 per 100 000 population during COVID-19 pandemic period. Similar results were found in specific injury categories. Mortality of self-harm increased by 139.26% in the 10-14 year group during the COVID-19 period as compared with the control period. Although mortality changes in some groups were not statistically significant, some increases were noteworthy during the COVID-19 period (ie, self-harm, transport injury and falls) in the 70-79 year group. The corresponding increase in mortality rate was 16.83%, 3.32% and 4.92%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The mortality of all-cause injury, transport injury and drowning during the COVID-19 pandemic was consistently decreased. However, the increase in mortality associated with falls, fire/heat/hot substance injury and self-harm in specific age populations warrant the targeted control and prevention measures for the population at risk.

The Psychological Impact of the COVID-19 Epidemic on Guangdong College Students: The Difference Between Seeking and Not Seeking Psychological Help.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has considerably psychologically impacted Chinese college students. Several types of online mental health services were widely implemented for college students during the outbreak. This study investigated the relationship between college students' mental health status and psychological help-seeking behavior to test the phases-decision-making model (PDM). METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among college students in Guangdong Province using an online platform. In total, 4,164 students were assigned to the "counseling group" or "non-counseling group" according to whether they had sought psychological help because of the COVID-19 outbreak; the groups were matched based on age, sex, and grade. Demographics, perceived mental health, and experience with seeking psychological help were recorded. Fear, depression, and trauma were assessed by the COVID-19 Fear Screening Scale, Patient Health Questionnaire, and Impact of Event Scale-6. RESULTS: The fear, depression, and trauma scores were significantly higher in the counseling group than in the non-counseling group (P s < 0.001). Fear (OR = 1.27, p < 0.001), depression (OR = 1.02, p = 0.032), trauma (OR = 1.08, p < 0.001), poor perceived mental health status (OR = 3.61, p = 0.001), and experience with seeking psychological help (OR = 7.06, p < 0.001) increased the odds of seeking psychological help. CONCLUSION: During the COVID-19 epidemic, the rate of psychological help-seeking was still low, and college students in poor psychological condition sought psychological counseling more. Fear, depression, trauma, experience with seeking psychological help, and perceived mental health can effectively predict psychological help-seeking behavior. These findings emphasized the importance of closely monitoring college students' psychological status, providing psychological intervention, and improving the probability of seeking psychological help.

Endoscopy during COVID-19 pandemic: An overview of infection control measures and practical application.

The novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has resulted in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) which has affected more than 4.5 million people in 213 countries, and has been declared a pandemic by World Health Organization on March 11, 2020. The transmission of SARS-CoV-2 has been reported to occur primarily through direct contact or droplets. There have also been reports that SARS-CoV-2 can be detected in biopsy and stool specimens, and it has been postulated that there is potential for fecal-oral transmission as well. Gastrointestinal symptoms have been reported in 17.6% of COVID-19 patients and transmission can potentially occur through gastrointestinal secretions in this group of patients. Furthermore, transmission can also occur in asymptomatic carriers or patients with viral shedding during the incubation period. Endoscopic procedures hence may pose significant risks of transmission (even for those not directly involving confirmed COVID-19 cases) as endoscopists and endoscopy staff are in close contact with patients during these aerosol generating procedures. This could result in inadvertent transmission of infection at time of endoscopy.