ABSTRACT
Manufacturing small- and medium- sized enterprises (SMEs), which play a decisive role in the Spanish and European economy, have been particularly affected by the disruption generated by the COVID-19 crisis, being their strategic decisions key to maintain their competitiveness. This article explores the strategic priorities defined by managers of manufacturing SMEs to face COVID-19 related challenges. Data were collected from 167 manufacturing companies through an online questionnaire and exploited with factorial and cluster analysis. The results highlight the strategic importance of developing more advanced business models, boosting customer responsiveness and developing the innovative value propositions in developing a proactive response to the Covid-19 crisis. The value of this ongoing study lies in its contribution to quantitative research on the impact of the Covid-19 crisis on the strategic management of manufacturing SMEs. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.
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Objective: A longitudinal study (NeuCovid) was created at UC San Diego to compare the long-term neurological outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 infection in two cohorts, patients with and without prior neurologic disease. Background: While cross-sectional analyses have demonstrated the prevalence of neurological symptoms in the Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC), the evolution of these symptoms over time has not yet been well-described. Design/Methods: Participants with neurological symptoms post-acute infection with SARS-CoV-2 were recruited. Team members conducted assessments including a detailed SARS-CoV-2 infection history, neurologic review of systems (scored on 10-point severity scale), neurologic exam, MoCA exam, and self-reported neuropsychiatric questionnaires, at baseline (conducted after acute infection resolved) and at 3-,6-, and 12-month follow-ups. As appropriate, participants were referred for imaging and neuropsychological testing. We report 6-month data, but 12-month data will be available in 2022. Results: 61 participants (69% female, mean age 50.2 years) were enrolled, 18 with prior known neurological disease. Acute COVID-19 disease severity was largely described as mild (44.4%) or moderate (48.1%). To date, 27 participants (74% female, mean age 52.6 years) completed baseline and 6-month follow-up visits. At baseline, the most common symptoms included fatigue (85.2%), headaches (74.1%), memory impairment (59.3%), insomnia (55.6%), and decreased concentration (48.1%). Complete symptom resolution was reported in 33.3% at 6-month follow-up. In the remaining participants at 6 months, persistent memory impairment (68.8%), decreased concentration (61.5%), fatigue (52.2%), insomnia (46.7%), and headache (45.0%) were reported. Average severity score decreased for fatigue (69.4%), headache (64.3%), insomnia (51.3%), decreased concentration (47.6%), and memory impairment (38.6%). Average MoCA scores improved from baseline (n=19, 26.4 to 28.0). Conclusions: Early in neuro-PASC, fatigue and headache were the most common reported symptoms. At 6-month follow-up, memory impairment and decreased concentration were most prominent. Only a third of participants had complete resolution of neuro-PASC symptoms at 6 months.
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Background: This study aimed to estimate the increase in sedentary time during the lockdowns compared to the situation before the COVID-19 outbreak in adult population samples from different countries worldwide.
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OBJECTIVE: Las estrategias restrictivas de movilidad derivadas de la pandemia por COVID-19 podrian afectar negativamente al estado de salud de la poblacion debido a la disminucion de los niveles de actividad fisica. El objetivo de este estudio es estimar el aumento del tiempo de sedentarismo durante los confinamientos en comparacion con la situacion anterior al brote de COVID-19 en muestras de poblacion adulta de diferentes paises del mundo. METHODS: Se realizo una busqueda sistematica en tres bases de datos electronicas, hasta el 27 de febrero de 2021, de estudios que informaran sobre el tiempo total de sedentarismo antes y durante los confinamientos por COVID-19 utilizando una herramienta validada. Se realizo un metanalisis utilizando modelos de efectos aleatorios para calcular las diferencias de medias ponderadas en el tiempo sedentario diario total antes y durante los confinamientos. El analisis se repitio estratificado y comparando por sexo. RESULTS: Se incluyeron 20 estudios, con una calidad metodologica buena (n=15) y regular (n=5). Para el metanalisis se agruparon los datos de 18 estudios, con 47.245 participantes. Los confinamientos por COVID-19 en todo el mundo condujeron a un aumento medio ponderado de 2,40 horas diarias en el tiempo total de comportamiento sedentario (intervalo de confianza del 95%: 1,95;2,85). El analisis estratificado y comparativo por sexo en 8 estudios indico un aumento similar para mujeres (n=20.455) y hombres (n=11.825). CONCLUSIONS: El tiempo total de sedentarismo diario aumento en 2,40 horas en todo el mundo durante los confinamientos en comparacion con la situacion anterior al brote de COVID-19, sin diferencias significativas entre sexos.
ABSTRACT
The impact of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in intervened patients seems to cause large postoperative mortality, although its incidence varies among centres. Primary aim was to evaluate the incidence of COVID-19 on the patients intervened in our General and Digestive Surgery Department, during the maximum impact of the pandemia in Spain. Secondary outcomes were evaluating perioperative mortality, and determining the risk factors for COVID-19 infection. Materials and Method: Retrospective single centre study of consecutive patients undergoing general and gastrointestinal surgical procedures with more than 24 hours of in-hospital stay, from February 1, 2020 to April 30, 2020 in a tertiary referral centre in Madrid, Spain. Results: A total of 441 patients were analysed: 423 were non-COVID-19 patients while 18 of them had COVID-19. Preoperative and operative characteristics were similar for both groups, unless for the American Society of Anesthesiologists grade. The incidence of COVID-19 in our intervened patients was 4.1%. Postoperative mortality was high among surgical patients with COVID-19, with a mortality rate of 22.2% compared to a 2.8% in non COVID-19 patients. The risk factors for COVID-19 infection were a prolonged postoperative stay (OR: 1.035 [95% CI: 1.007-1.065]) and the need of a reintervention (OR: 5.025 [95% CI: 1.650-15.311]). Conclusion: Surgical interventions during the COVID-19 pandemia resulted in a low infection rate but a high postoperative COVID-19 mortality. The decision to intervene must be carefully balanced against the additional risk for patients in a high transmission setting. © 2021, Sociedad de Cirujanos de Chile. All rights reserved.