Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the performance of endoscopy in the Tohoku region of Japan

Objectives: The whole picture of the disturbance in endoscopy performance caused by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Japan remains to be clarified. Therefore, the Japan Gastroenterological Endoscopy Society-Tohoku conducted this questionnaire survey in Tohoku region of Japan. Methods: A questionnaire on the number of diagnostic endoscopy procedures and resulting diagnosed cancers in 2019 and 2020 was sent to all guidance/guidance cooperation hospitals in the Japan Gastroenterological Endoscopy Society who worked in the Tohoku region. The percentage change was calculated by comparing the numbers in 2020 with those in 2019 (the pre-COVID-19 period). Results: Among the applicable 89 guidance/guidance cooperation hospitals, 83 (94%) returned the questionnaire. The number of endoscopy procedures promptly decreased to the nadir in April and May 2020 (during the first state of emergency in Japan);however, it recovered relatively quickly, within a few months after the state of emergency was lifted. Consequently, the annual reduction in the number of endoscopy procedures in 2020 (in comparison to 2019) was 10.1% for esophagogastroduodenoscopy and 7.9% for colonoscopy. The reduction in the number of diagnostic endoscopy procedures led to a 5.5% reduction in esophagogastric cancer and 2.7% in colorectal cancer. Conclusions: This is the most comprehensive survey on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the performance of endoscopy and the resulting diagnosis of cancer in Japan. Understanding the magnitude of the decline in endoscopic examinations and cancer detection due to the pandemic is critical to understanding how many people will ultimately be affected and establishing a strategy for providing endoscopy during national emergencies. Copyright © 2023 The Authors. DEN Open published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Japan Gastroenterological Endoscopy Society.

Unwillingness to cooperate with COVID-19 contact tracing in Japan.

OBJECTIVES: Contact tracing for COVID-19 relies heavily on the cooperation of individuals with authorities to provide information of contact persons. However, few studies have clarified willingness to cooperate and motivation to provide information for contact tracing. This study sought to describe willingness to cooperate and motivation to report contact persons for COVID-19 contact tracing among citizens in Japan, and to assess any associated sociodemographic factors. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. METHODS: This was an online-based survey using quota sampling. Participants were asked about their willingness to cooperate in reporting contacts for COVID-19 contact tracing if they tested positive. Participants also responded to questions regarding their reasons for cooperating or not cooperating and provided sociodemographic data. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to clarify associations between sociodemographic factors and willingness to cooperate. RESULTS: This study included 2844 participants. The proportion of participants who were not willing to cooperate in reporting contacts was 27.6%, with their main reasons being concerns about causing trouble for the other person and being criticised for revealing their names. Willingness to cooperate was lower among men, young adults and those with an educational level less than a university degree. CONCLUSIONS: To improve the effectiveness of contact tracing, educational campaigns, such as reducing the fear and stigma associated with COVID-19, may be important. Furthermore, it is essential to understand that individuals may have contacts whom they do not wish to disclose to others and to be considerate when handling such situations.

NL-Beep: A Ranging System between Multiple Smartphones Using Acoustic Sensing in NLOS Environments

In this paper, we describe NL-Beep, which is a novel ranging method between multiple smartphones using acoustic sensing in non-line-of-sight (NLOS) environments. We need to know the distance between people to maintain social distancing because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Acoustic-based ranging methods that use a smartphone built-in speaker and microphone represent one approach to high-accuracy ranging methods. These methods can be used in line-of-sight (LOS) environments where there are no obstacles between the smartphones. However, in daily life, there are usually many obstacles, including pedestrians, and NLOS environments are the norm rather than the exception. Therefore, we propose the NL-Beep system for NLOS environments. To measure the distance between two smartphones without using a direct signal, NL-Beep efficiently uses a reflected signal from the ceiling in an indoor environment. It can also detect LOS and NLOS environments based on the profile of the received signal, and adapt the method used to estimate the distance between the smartphones. In our experiments, we used two smartphones in a room and estimated the distance between them for several placement configurations. In our results, we obtained 90th-percentile errors of less than 11.97 cm for the distances between the smartphones. In this paper, we also mention the effectiveness and limitations of NL-Beep.

Unexpected Aggressive Histological Component in Subsolid Lung Adenocarcinoma: Priority for Resection Without Delay

Introduction: Ground glass opacity (GGO)-containing small-sized adenocarcinoma of the lung can generally be expected to have a fair prognosis after resection. However, some of such tumors might contain a histological aggressive component that is related to poor prognosis. This study aimed to identify the predictors for the aggressive histological component in GGO-containing small-sized lung adenocarcinoma to screen the patients who should undergo resection without delay in the era of COVID-19. Methods: Of the 2,350 patients who underwent pulmonary resection for lung cancer at our institute between 2017 and 2020, we collected data of 501 patients with GGO-containing lung adenocarcinoma with a total diameter of ≤ 2 cm. Multivariable analysis was conducted to identify predictors for the presence of histological aggressive components. Results: Using a historical cohort, lymphovascular invasion and predominant micropapillary or solid patterns were identified as histological aggressive components that were related to poor prognosis in stage IA adenocarcinoma. Of the included 501 cases, 36 (7.2%) had at least one histological aggressive component. A multivariable analysis showed that consolidation/tumor ratio on high-resolution computed tomography > 0.5 (odds ratio [OR], 6.08;p < 0.01), maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) on positron emission tomography ≥ 1.5 (OR, 3.56;p < 0.01), and smoking index > 20 pack-years (OR, 2.69;p = 0.03) were predictors for the presence of histological aggressive component, with the sensitivity of 94.4%. Conclusion: Consolidation/tumor ratio > 0.5, SUVmax ≥ 1.5, and smoking history > 20 pack-years were predictors for the presence of a histological aggressive component in GGO-containing small-sized adenocarcinoma. These predictors may be useful for screening patients with a potentially high risk for poor prognosis and for setting priorities for resection in the era of COVID-19. Keywords: ground-glass opacity, consolidation/tumor ratio, prognosis

Adoption of personal protective measures by ordinary citizens during the COVID-19 outbreak in Japan. (Coronavirus (COVID-19) collection.)

Objectives: To clarify the implementation status of personal protective measures by ordinary citizens in Japan during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak.

How can chip technology realize electronic sensing of viruses?

Regrettably, COVID-19 taught us how significant the portable virus sensing technology is. Before it, the cost issues and different regulations in various countries have hindered the widespread use of the Point-of-Care Testing (POCT). Suppose we can electronically control it using Si nanotechnology, named e-POCT. Following the concept of IoT sensors, we can expect that a plenty of deployed e-POCTs may retrieve digital data about where, when, how much, and which virus is being spread. The collected digital data (to be BigData) can be analyzed by AI machines to optimize the global distribution of medical resources. The core technology for e-POCT must be an electronic biosensing. It is composed of a controlling system to selectively collect biomolecules (specific to targeted virus) in specimen solutions, oxide films (or membranes, polymers) to adhere specific biomolecules, and a sensing system to convert the adhered biomolecules to electrical signals. The efficiencies and reliabilities of the components are critical to the performance of the virus sensing. The performance can be characterized by the Limit-of-Detection (LoD) and detection time. We propose a concept of electronic sensing systems to substantially improve both LoD and detection time.

Estimates of infection and mortality from COVID-19 in care homes for older people in Brazil

OBJECTIVE: To describe infection and mortality rates associated with COVID-19 in older people living in Brazilian care homes. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted using primary and secondary data sources. Nationwide care home administrators were invited to report, via an online questionnaire, the occurrence of infection and mortality associated with COVID-19 from April to August 2020. State Public Prosecutor Offices, State Health Departments, and the Unified Social Security System were also contacted for information. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: Data were collected from 2154 care homes located in 14 states, covering 59878 older residents. The incidence rate of COVID-19 was 6.57%, and 883 deaths were recorded in the period, with a case-fatality rate of 22.44%. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence and mortality rates observed in this study were lower than those observed in other (high-income) countries. Data sources related to COVID-19 outbreaks in Brazilian care homes are currently limited to self-report. Structuring and systematizing data recording and reporting in these settings is essential to better understand the spread of the virus and to protect care home residents in Brazil.