A systematic review of the effect of COVID-19 on semen parameters.

Background and objectives: Since the outbreak of COVID-19, more and more studies have proved that it has an impact on the male reproductive system. The purpose of this article is to investigate the effects of COVID-19 on male semen parameters, further analyze the incidence and risk factors of diseases related to semen parameters, and put forward to corresponding preventive measures. Methods: Retrieved from PubMed, Embase, The Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Clinicaltrails, CNKI, CBM, Wanfang Database and VIP to collect research on the effects of COVID-19 on the male reproductive system. The literature search was conducted until January 2022. In strict accordance with the inclusion and exclusion criteria, two researchers independently screened the literature and comprehensively analyzed five cohort studies on the impact of COVID-19 on male reproductive system. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) was used to evaluate the quality of the included cohort studies, and Revman 5.4.1 was applied for statistical analysis. Results: Semen volume (RR = -0.10; 95% CI: 0.45, 0.26; P = 0.60), there was no significant difference between the test group and the control group; Sperm count (RR = -45.28; 95% CI: 66.38, 24.19; P = 0.0001), the sperm count of the COVID-19 test group was lower than that of the control group, and the difference was statistically significant; Sperm concentration (RR = -15.65 × 106; 95%CI: 31.52 × 106, 0.21 × 106; P = 0.05), there was no significant difference between the test group and the control group; progressive sperm motility (RR = 4.31; 95% CI: 4.62, 13.24; P = 0.34), there was no effect on progressive sperm motility in the COVID-19 test group compared with the control group. Conclusions: COVID-19 can reduce semen quality and affect male fertility. However, due to the limitations of this study, this conclusion needs to be further verified by large-sample, high-quality prospective cohort studies on the long-term effects of COVID-19 on male reproductive function.

Impact of Divalent Metal Ions on Regulation of Trans-Cleavage Activity of CRISPR-Cas13a: A Combined Experimental and Computational Study.

CRISPR-LbuCas13a has emerged as a revolutionary tool for in vitro diagnosis. Similar to other Cas effectors, LbuCas13a requires Mg2+ to maintain its nuclease activity. However, the effect of other divalent metal ions on its trans-cleavage activity remains less explored. Herein, we addressed this issue by combining experimental and molecular dynamics simulation analysis. In vitro studies showed that both Mn2+ and Ca2+ could replace Mg2+ as cofactors of LbuCas13a. In contrast, Ni2+ , Zn2+ , Cu2+ , or Fe2+ inhibits the cis- and trans-cleavage activity, while Pb2+ does not affect it. Importantly, molecular dynamics simulations confirmed that calcium, magnesium, and manganese hydrated ions have a strong affinity to nucleotide bases, thus stabilizing the conformation of crRNA repeat region and enhancing the trans-cleavage activity. Finally, we showed that combination of Mg2+ and Mn2+ can further enhance the trans-cleavage activity to allow amplified RNA detection, revealing its potential advantage for in vitro diagnosis.

COVID-19 and liver dysfunction in children: Current views and new hypotheses.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) poses an extremely serious global impact on public healthcare for individuals of all ages, including children. Increasing evidence has shown that liver abnormalities are commonly found in children with COVID-19, and age-related features in innate and adaptive response have been demonstrated. However, there are few reports and studies on COVID-19 related liver injury in children, and the data are scattered. So that many contradictions have arose. This situation is not only due to the serious ethical issues in studying pediatric patients with COVID-19, but also because of the short duration and wide coverage of the COVID-19 epidemic, the severity and complexity of clinical cases varied, as did the inclusion criteria for case reporting and patient outcomes. Therefore, we totaled the incidences, characteristics and pathomechanism of liver injury in children since the COVID-19 outbreak. The etiology of COVID-19-related liver injury is divided into three categories: (1) The direct mechanism involves severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 binding to angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 in the liver or bile duct to exert direct toxicity; (2) the indirect mechanisms include an inflammatory immune response and hypoxia; and (3) COVID-19-related treatments, such as mechanical ventilation and antiviral drugs, may cause liver injury. In summary, this minireview provides fundamental insights into COVID-19 and liver dysfunction in children.

A systematic review of the effect of COVID-19 on semen parameters

Background and objectives Since the outbreak of COVID-19, more and more studies have proved that it has an impact on the male reproductive system. The purpose of this article is to investigate the effects of COVID-19 on male semen parameters, further analyze the incidence and risk factors of diseases related to semen parameters, and put forward to corresponding preventive measures. Methods Retrieved from PubMed, Embase, The Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Clinicaltrails, CNKI, CBM, Wanfang Database and VIP to collect research on the effects of COVID-19 on the male reproductive system. The literature search was conducted until January 2022. In strict accordance with the inclusion and exclusion criteria, two researchers independently screened the literature and comprehensively analyzed five cohort studies on the impact of COVID-19 on male reproductive system. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) was used to evaluate the quality of the included cohort studies, and Revman 5.4.1 was applied for statistical analysis. Results Semen volume (RR = −0.10;95% CI: 0.45, 0.26;P = 0.60), there was no significant difference between the test group and the control group;Sperm count (RR = −45.28;95% CI: 66.38, 24.19;P = 0.0001), the sperm count of the COVID-19 test group was lower than that of the control group, and the difference was statistically significant;Sperm concentration (RR = −15.65 × 106;95%CI: 31.52 × 106, 0.21 × 106;P = 0.05), there was no significant difference between the test group and the control group;progressive sperm motility (RR = 4.31;95% CI: 4.62, 13.24;P = 0.34), there was no effect on progressive sperm motility in the COVID-19 test group compared with the control group. Conclusions COVID-19 can reduce semen quality and affect male fertility. However, due to the limitations of this study, this conclusion needs to be further verified by large-sample, high-quality prospective cohort studies on the long-term effects of COVID-19 on male reproductive function.

COVID-19 with rheumatic diseases: a report of 5 cases.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the result of an infection with the new virus, SARS-CoV-2, is rapidly spreading worldwide. It is largely unknown whether the occurrence of COVID-19 in patients with rheumatic immune diseases has some specific manifestations, or makes them more prone to rapidly progress into severe COVID-19. In this case report, we describe the clinical features of 5 rheumatic immune disease patients with the concomitant presence of COVID-19. Amongst these patients, 4 had rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and 1 had systemic sclerosis (SSc). Two patients had a history of close contact with a COVID-19 patient. The age of the patients ranged between 51 and 79 years. Fever (80%), cough (80%), dyspnea (40%), and fatigue (20%) were the most common presenting symptoms. Laboratory investigations revealed leukopenia and lymphopenia in 2 patients. In all the patients, chest computerized tomography (CT) revealed patchy ground glass opacities in the lungs. During the hospital stay, the condition of two patients remained the same (i.e., mild COVID-19), two patients progressed to the severe COVID-19, and one patient worsened to the critically ill COVID-19. These patients were treated with antiviral agents for COVID-19, antibiotics for secondary bacterial infections, and immunomodulatory agents for rheumatic immune diseases. All the patients responded well, were cured of COVID-19, and subsequently discharged.

Transmembrane TNF-α as a Novel Biomarker for the Diagnosis of Cytokine Storms in a Mouse Model of Multiple Organ Failure.

A cytokine storm (CS) is an out-of-control inflammatory response closely associated with the progression of diseases, such as multiple organ failure (MOF), severe sepsis, and severe or critical COVID-19. However, there is currently a lack of reliable diagnostic markers to distinguish CS from normal inflammatory responses. Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) includes transmembrane TNF-α (tmTNF-α) and secreted TNF-α (sTNF-α). The MOF mouse model in this study showed that the tmTNF-α expression changes in the neutrophils differed from the serum TNF-α and serum IL-18, INF-γ, IL-4, and IL-6. Furthermore, tmTNF-α, instead of serum TNF-α, IL-18, INF-γ, IL-4, and IL-6, reflected liver and kidney tissue damage and increased with the aggravation of these injuries. Analysis of the ROC results showed that tmTNF-α effectively distinguished between inflammatory responses and CS and efficiently differentiated between surviving and dead mice. It also significantly improved the diagnostic value of the traditional CRP marker for CS. These results indicated that the tmTNF-α expressed in the neutrophils could be used to diagnose CS in MOF mice, providing an experimental basis to further develop tmTNF-α for diagnosing CS patients.

Willingness to receive the COVID-19 vaccine among HIV positive men who have sex with men in China: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: People living with HIV(PLWH) are deemed more vulnerable to the SARS-CoV-2 infection than the uninfected population. Vaccination is an effective measure for COVID-19 control, yet, little knowledge exists about the willingness of men who have sex with men (MSM) living with HIV in China to be vaccinated. METHODS: This cross-sectional study evaluated the willingness of MSM living with HIV to receive COVID-19 vaccination in six cities of Guangdong, China, from July to September 2020. Factors associated with willingness to receive COVID-19 vaccination using multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: In total, we recruited 944 HIV-positive MSM with a mean age of 29.2 ± 7.7 years. Of all participants, 92.4% of them were willing to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Participants who were separated, divorced, or widowed (adjusted OR: 5.29, 95%CI: 1.02-27.48), had an annual income higher than 9,000 USD (adjusted OR: 1.70, 95%CI: 1.01-2.86), had ever taken an HIV self-test (adjusted OR: 1.78, 95%CI: 1.07-2.95), had ever disclosed sexual orientation to a doctor/nurse (adjusted OR: 3.16, 95%CI: 1.33-7.50), had ever disclosed sexual orientation to others besides their male partners (adjusted OR: 2.18, 95%CI: 1.29-3.69) were more willing to receive the vaccine. Sex with a female partner in the past six months decreased the likelihood of willingness to receive the vaccine (adjusted OR: 0.40, 95%CI: 0.17-0.95). Economic burden, worry that my health condition could not bear the risk of receiving COVID-19 vaccines, and concern that the vaccination would affect the immune status and antiretroviral therapy were the main reasons for unwillingness to receive vaccination. CONCLUSION: Our study showed that HIV-positive MSM had a high willingness to receive the COVID-19 vaccination. Targeted interventions such as health education should be conducted among MSM with HIV infection to enhance COVID-19 vaccine uptake.

Comparison of anxiety and depressive symptoms of head and neck cancer patients in a closed-loop management system before and during the 2019 coronavirus pandemic: a comparative study.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) poses an unprecedented challenge to health and the financial system, especially the healthcare of patients with cancer. However, the research on the negative effect of the pandemic on the anxiety and depressive symptoms of cancer patients in closed-loop is rarely reported at present. In view of the limitations of previous studies. In this study, we compared the anxiety and depressive symptoms of head and neck cancer patients in the closed-loop management system before and during the 2019 coronavirus pandemic. METHODS: In this comparative study, a total of 526 head and neck cancer patients (269 and 257 patients before and during the COVID-19 pandemic) were enrolled in the present study. The two groups of patients' median age (53 years, 52 years), female distribution (70.26%, 66.15%) and male distribution (29.74%, 33.85%) were analyzed before and after the COVID-19 epidemic. They received questionnaires using the standardized data forms of Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) and the Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) to collect the relevant data of patients for retrospective investigation. For data analysis, either the chi-squared test or Fisher's exact test was employed for categorical variables, and we described the time trend of psychological states before and after the outbreak with Cochran-Armitage trend (CAT) test. RESULTS: A total of 526 head and neck cancer patients were included in the final analysis; 26.85% and 50.19% of cases experienced anxiety and depression during the COVID-19 epidemic. In contrast, 18.22% and 33.46% of cases had experienced anxiety and depression before the pandemic. According to the statistical results, the prevalence of anxiety and depression in patients during the COVID-19 epidemic was higher compared to that of patients prior to the pandemic (P=0.018). More importantly, both anxiety and depression incidence trends increased significantly before and after the outbreak of COVID-19 (P=0.000). CONCLUSIONS: The present study demonstrates the significant impact of COVID-19 on the psychological states of cancer patients in the case of closed-loop management system, effectively indicating the need for appropriate changes in treatment decisions, enhanced psychotherapy, and interventions to reduce the incidence of anxiety, depression, and even suicide during this pandemic.

Genetic diversity and epidemiology of human rhinovirus among children with severe acute respiratory tract infection in Guangzhou, China.

BACKGROUND: Human rhinovirus (HRV) is one of the major viruses of acute respiratory tract disease among infants and young children. This work aimed to understand the epidemiological and phylogenetic features of HRV in Guangzhou, China. In addition, the clinical characteristics of hospitalized children infected with different subtype of HRV was investigated. METHODS: Hospitalized children aged < 14 years old with acute respiratory tract infections were enrolled from August 2018 to December 2019. HRV was screened for by a real-time reverse-transcription PCR targeting the viral 5'UTR. RESULTS: HRV was detected in 6.41% of the 655 specimens. HRV infection was frequently observed in children under 2 years old (57.13%). HRV-A and HRV-C were detected in 18 (45%) and 22 (55%) specimens. All 40 HRV strains detected were classified into 29 genotypes. The molecular evolutionary rate of HRV-C was estimated to be 3.34 × 10-3 substitutions/site/year and was faster than HRV-A (7.79 × 10-4 substitutions/site/year). Children who experienced rhinorrhoea were more common in the HRV-C infection patients than HRV-A. The viral load was higher in HRV-C detection group than HRV-A detection group (p = 0.0148). The median peak symptom score was higher in patients with HRV-C infection as compared to HRV-A (p = 0.0543), even though the difference did not significance. CONCLUSION: This study revealed the molecular epidemiological characteristics of HRV in patients with respiratory infections in southern China. Children infected with HRV-C caused more severe disease characteristics than HRV-A, which might be connected with higher viral load in patients infected with HRV-C. These findings will provide valuable information for the pathogenic mechanism and treatment of HRV infection.

An automated COVID-19 triage pipeline using artificial intelligence based on chest radiographs and clinical data.

While COVID-19 diagnosis and prognosis artificial intelligence models exist, very few can be implemented for practical use given their high risk of bias. We aimed to develop a diagnosis model that addresses notable shortcomings of prior studies, integrating it into a fully automated triage pipeline that examines chest radiographs for the presence, severity, and progression of COVID-19 pneumonia. Scans were collected using the DICOM Image Analysis and Archive, a system that communicates with a hospital's image repository. The authors collected over 6,500 non-public chest X-rays comprising diverse COVID-19 severities, along with radiology reports and RT-PCR data. The authors provisioned one internally held-out and two external test sets to assess model generalizability and compare performance to traditional radiologist interpretation. The pipeline was evaluated on a prospective cohort of 80 radiographs, reporting a 95% diagnostic accuracy. The study mitigates bias in AI model development and demonstrates the value of an end-to-end COVID-19 triage platform.

Rice SUT and SWEET Transporters.

Sugar transporters play important or even indispensable roles in sugar translocation among adjacent cells in the plant. They are mainly composed of sucrose-proton symporter SUT family members and SWEET family members. In rice, 5 and 21 members are identified in these transporter families, and some of their physiological functions have been characterized on the basis of gene knockout or knockdown strategies. Existing evidence shows that most SUT members play indispensable roles, while many SWEET members are seemingly not so critical in plant growth and development regarding whether their mutants display an aberrant phenotype or not. Generally, the expressions of SUT and SWEET genes focus on the leaf, stem, and grain that represent the source, transport, and sink organs where carbohydrate production, allocation, and storage take place. Rice SUT and SWEET also play roles in both biotic and abiotic stress responses in addition to plant growth and development. At present, these sugar transporter gene regulation mechanisms are largely unclear. In this review, we compare the expressional profiles of these sugar transporter genes on the basis of chip data and elaborate their research advances. Some suggestions concerning future investigation are also proposed.

Government information disclosure and citizen coproduction during COVID-19 in China

Abstract While information campaigns have been widely recognized as a pillar of public health crisis management and heightened by the current COVID-19 pandemic, an insufficient number of studies have investigated the impact of information disclosure on influencing citizen cooperation crucial for emergency management. Focusing on generic information disclosure practices during the recovery period from January 19, 2020, to February 29, 2020, in China and by employing a difference-in-difference method, this study finds that information disclosure significantly enhanced citizen coproduction as measured by aggregated search queries of COVID-19-related information, and earlier disclosure yielded greater effect more quickly. Moreover, government capacity and citizens' trust in government at the local level significantly moderate the positive impact of information disclosure. This study uncovers the novel relationship between information disclosure and citizen coproduction during emergencies in the Chinese context.

Clinical characteristics and outcomes of COVID-19 long-term nucleic acid positive patients.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics and outcomes of coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) long-term nucleic acid positive patients (hereinafter referred to as CLTAPs). METHODS: Patients were recruited from the Xiaogan Central Hospital between 16 January 2020 and 28 March 2020. Among the 562 cases of patients with laboratory-identified COVID-19 infection by real-time polymerase chain reaction (qtPCR), 19 cases of COVID-19 patients with more than 41 days from the first to the last time of nucleic acid test were selected as the study group, and 76 cases of age- and gender-matched COVID-19 patients were selected as the control group (hereinafter referred to as C-CLTAPs). Demographic characteristics, clinical symptoms, laboratory examination and computed tomography (CT) imaging characteristics were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: On admission, among the 562 cases of patients with COVID-19, there were 398 cases of ordinary COVID-19 patients, 99 cases of severe COVID-19 patients and 99 cases of critical COVID-19 patients. CLTAPs had milder clinical symptoms and longer viral shedding time in comparison to C-CLTAPs. Compared to C-CLTAPs, CLTAPs had a lower infection index at admission. CLTAPs used less oxygen therapy and a higher proportion of hydroxychloroquine treatment in comparison to C-CLTAPs. In comparison to C-CLTAPs, CLTAPs showed slower pulmonary CT progression and faster pulmonary CT absorption. CONCLUSION: In this study, out of the 562 cases, we found 19 CLTAPs. The clinical differences between CLTAPs and C-CLTAPs were compared and analyzed. We hope that these finding can provide a theoretical basis for the treatment of CLTAPs.

Mental Health of Chinese People During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Associations With Infection Severity of Region of Residence and Filial Piety.

This study aims to investigate mental health among Chinese people living in areas with differing levels of infection severity during the COVID-19 outbreak. It also assesses the association between reciprocal and authoritarian filial piety and mental health in times of crises. A sample of 1,201 Chinese participants was surveyed between April and June 2020. Wuhan city (where 23.4% of participants resided), Hubei province outside Wuhan (13.4% of participants), and elsewhere in China (63.1% of participants) were categorized into high, moderate, and low infection severity areas, respectively. The Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale's severity cut-points were used to categorize participants. In the overall sample, 20.9, 34.2, and 29.0% of the participants showed elevated (mild to extremely severe) levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. Those in the highest infection severity group were significantly more likely to be categorized as having elevated levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. General linear modeling was performed on a composite mental distress variable (taking into account stress, anxiety, and depression scores). This model indicated that, even after adjusting for group differences in age, gender, education, and filial piety, the high infection severity group displayed more mental distress than the low infection severity groups. The model also found reciprocal filial piety to have a negative association with mental distress. Conversely, authoritarian filial piety was found to be unrelated to mental distress when controlling for the other variables in the model. No evidence was found for an interaction between either authoritarian or reciprocal filial piety and infection severity, which suggests that the negative association observed between reciprocal filial piety and mental distress was relatively consistent across the three infection severity groups. The findings suggest that future public health programs may integrate the promotion of filial piety as a strategy to help Chinese people maintain good mental health in the face of pandemic crises.

A new SEIAR model on small-world networks to assess the intervention measures in the COVID-19 pandemics.

A new susceptible-exposed-infected-asymptomatically infected-removed (SEIAR) model is developed to depict the COVID-19 transmission process, considering the latent period and asymptomatically infected. We verify the suppression effect of typical measures, cultivating human awareness, and reducing social contacts. As for cutting off social connections, the feasible measures encompass social distancing policy, isolating infected communities, and isolating hub nodes. Furthermore, it is found that implementing corresponding anti-epidemic measures at different pandemic stages can achieve significant results at a low cost. In the beginning, global lockdown policy is necessary, but isolating infected wards and hub nodes could be more beneficial as the situation eases. The proposed SEIAR model emphasizes the latent period and asymptomatically infected, thus providing theoretical support for subsequent research.

Cathepsin L plays a key role in SARS-CoV-2 infection in humans and humanized mice and is a promising target for new drug development.

To discover new drugs to combat COVID-19, an understanding of the molecular basis of SARS-CoV-2 infection is urgently needed. Here, for the first time, we report the crucial role of cathepsin L (CTSL) in patients with COVID-19. The circulating level of CTSL was elevated after SARS-CoV-2 infection and was positively correlated with disease course and severity. Correspondingly, SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus infection increased CTSL expression in human cells in vitro and human ACE2 transgenic mice in vivo, while CTSL overexpression, in turn, enhanced pseudovirus infection in human cells. CTSL functionally cleaved the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and enhanced virus entry, as evidenced by CTSL overexpression and knockdown in vitro and application of CTSL inhibitor drugs in vivo. Furthermore, amantadine, a licensed anti-influenza drug, significantly inhibited CTSL activity after SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus infection and prevented infection both in vitro and in vivo. Therefore, CTSL is a promising target for new anti-COVID-19 drug development.

Comparison of acute pneumonia caused by SARS-COV-2 and other respiratory viruses in children: a retrospective multi-center cohort study during COVID-19 outbreak.

BACKGROUND: Until January 18, 2021, coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) has infected more than 93 million individuals and has caused a certain degree of panic. Viral pneumonia caused by common viruses such as respiratory syncytial virus, rhinovirus, human metapneumovirus, human bocavirus, and parainfluenza viruses have been more common in children. However, the incidence of COVID-19 in children was significantly lower than that in adults. The purpose of this study was to describe the clinical manifestations, treatment and outcomes of COVID-19 in children compared with those of other sources of viral pneumonia diagnosed during the COVID-19 outbreak. METHODS: Children with COVID-19 and viral pneumonia admitted to 20 hospitals were enrolled in this retrospective multi-center cohort study. A total of 64 children with COVID-19 were defined as the COVID-19 cohort, of which 40 children who developed pneumonia were defined as the COVID-19 pneumonia cohort. Another 284 children with pneumonia caused by other viruses were defined as the viral pneumonia cohort. The epidemiologic, clinical, and laboratory findings were compared by Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, t-test, Mann-Whitney U test and Contingency table method. Drug usage, immunotherapy, blood transfusion, and need for oxygen support were collected as the treatment indexes. Mortality, intensive care needs and symptomatic duration were collected as the outcome indicators. RESULTS: Compared with the viral pneumonia cohort, children in the COVID-19 cohort were mostly exposed to family members confirmed to have COVID-19 (53/64 vs. 23/284), were of older median age (6.3 vs. 3.2 years), and had a higher proportion of ground-glass opacity (GGO) on computed tomography (18/40 vs. 0/38, P < 0.001). Children in the COVID-19 pneumonia cohort had a lower proportion of severe cases (1/40 vs. 38/284, P = 0.048), and lower cases with high fever (3/40 vs. 167/284, P < 0.001), requiring intensive care (1/40 vs. 32/284, P < 0.047) and with shorter symptomatic duration (median 5 vs. 8 d, P < 0.001). The proportion of cases with evaluated inflammatory indicators, biochemical indicators related to organ or tissue damage, D-dimer and secondary bacterial infection were lower in the COVID-19 pneumonia cohort than those in the viral pneumonia cohort (P < 0.05). No statistical differences were found in the duration of positive PCR results from pharyngeal swabs in 25 children with COVID-19 who received antiviral drugs (lopinavir-ritonavir, ribavirin, and arbidol) as compared with duration in 39 children without antiviral therapy [median 10 vs. 9 d, P = 0.885]. CONCLUSION: The symptoms and severity of COVID-19 pneumonia in children were no more severe than those in children with other viral pneumonia. Lopinavir-ritonavir, ribavirin and arbidol do not shorten the duration of positive PCR results from pharyngeal swabs in children with COVID-19. During the COVID-19 outbreak, attention also must be given to children with infection by other pathogens infection.

Novelty Seeking and Mental Health in Chinese University Students Before, During, and After the COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown: A Longitudinal Study.

COVID-19 has created significant concern surrounding the impact of pandemic lockdown on mental health. While the pandemic lockdown can be distressing, times of crisis can also provide people with the opportunity to think divergently and explore different activities. Novelty seeking, where individuals explore novel and unfamiliarly stimuli and environments, may enhance the creativity of individuals to solve problems in a way that allows them to adjust their emotional responses to stressful situations. This study employs a longitudinal design to investigate changes in novelty seeking and mental health outcomes (namely, stress, anxiety, and depression) before, during, and after COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, among a group of students (final N = 173; M age = 19.81; SD age = 0.98; 135 females and 38 males) from a university in southeast China. Participants were surveyed at three points: November, 2019 (prior to the COVID-19 pandemic); between February and March, 2020 (during the peak of the pandemic and intense lockdown in China); and between May and June, 2020 (after lockdown had been lifted in China). Cross-sectionally, correlation analysis indicated that greater novelty seeking was associated with lower levels of stress, anxiety, and depression at all three time points. Univariate latent curve modeling (LCM) indicated a growth trajectory in which novelty seeking increased over time and then remained high during the post-lockdown period. Stress, anxiety, and depression all showed V-shaped growth trajectories in which these variables decreased during lockdown, before increasing in the post-lockdown period. Multivariate LCM indicated the growth trajectory for novelty seeking was associated with the growth trajectories for stress, anxiety, and depression. This suggests that the observed decreases in stress, anxiety, and depression during the lockdown period may be attributable to the sample's observed increase in novelty seeking. These findings are valuable in that they challenge the notion that lockdown measures are inherently detrimental to mental health. The findings indicate the important role of novelty seeking in responding to crises. It may be possible for future public health measures to incorporate the promotion of novelty seeking to help individuals' respond to stressful situations and maintain good mental health in the face of crises.

A Mobile Swabbing Booth to Address Singapore GPs’ Concerns About Swabber Protection: Human-Centred Design during the COVID-19 Pandemic (preprint)

BackgroundDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ministry of Health asked Singapore’s private general practitioners (GPs) to perform swab testing in their clinics, but some GPs had concerns about swabber protection. Our aim was to develop a swabbing booth to address these concerns.MethodsWe developed a prototype with potential GP users using a human-centred design approach and piloted it with 10 GP clinics. The pilot was then extended to 170 GP clinics around Singapore. These GPs were then surveyed on user satisfaction.Results93 GPs (54%) responded. The majority (75%) practiced in public residential estates in small practices (mean 1.93 doctors). 86% requested the booth to enhance swabber protection. 74% “would recommend” or “would strongly recommend” the booth to colleagues. 79% continue to use the booth to conduct swab tests. 92% liked that it offered swabber protection. 71% liked that the booth created a separate space for swabbing and 64% liked its ease of disinfection. 47% started swabbing only after receiving the booth and 58% said the booth was “important” or “very important” to their decision to participate in swab testing. However, 34% disliked that it took up too much space and the most frequently critiqued area was the gloves.ConclusionThe human-centred design approach generated a product that had high user satisfaction, addressed GPs’ concerns of swabber protection and increased GPs’ participation in swab testing. The booth may be useful where GPs are concerned about swabber protection and space is limited.