Pandemic Democracy in Manipur: By Elections and Covid-19

This article provides an initial assessment of the many risks posed by the COVID-19 pandemic on the conduct of genuine and transparent elections in Manipur. It begins with explaining why elections are a vital part of democracy and then using the notion of the electoral cycle, constructs a risk matrix that assesses the relative impact and likelihood of risks to the cycle, as well as proposes a number of potential mitigations to these risks. The root cause of the by-elections in Manipur is to be the election of the Rajya Sabha which held on June 19, 2020 by indulging in cross voting in favour of BJP candidate. There is a clear that the rise of Covid-19 cases be increased during the democratic process of by-elections such as, mass rallies, congregation etc. without maintaining SOPs. The number of elections dimensions of the electoral cycle that can be disrupted and the need for solution raises significant questions about the future of democracy itself.Copyright © 2020 Ubiquity Press. All rights reserved.

Reliability and Validity of Persian Version of WHO Mass Gathering COVID-19 Risk Assessment Tool- generic Events in Iranian Population

Background: The risk of transmission of COVID-19 infection significantly increases with mass gatherings during the pandemic. According to WHO recommendations, the decision to hold, modify, postpone, or cancel gatherings of any size during the COVID-19 pandemic should rely on a risk-based approach. WHO Mass Gathering COVID-19 Risk Assessment tool-Generic Events, to the best of our knowledge, has not been translated into Persian and its reliability and validity have not been determined in the Iranian population. Objectives: The present study aimed to assess the reliability and validity of the Persian version of the WHO Mass Gathering COVID-19 risk Assessment tool-Generic Events in the Iranian population. Methods: The content and face validity of the final Persian version of the WHO Mass Gathering COVID-19 Risk Assessment tool- Generic Event, Version 2 (10 July 2020) was confirmed by five experts and the WHO office in Tehran, Iran. Then, the tool was completed by 17 Iranian adults on two occasions at least two weeks after a hypothetical mass gathering event. The participants were mainly selected from the personnel of the Iranian red crescent society. All of them had a bachelor's or higher university degree in health sciences. The data were analyzed using SPSS software and related statistical tests (Pearson correlation coefficient). Results: Risk evaluation and risk mitigation questions of the Persian version of the tool had high reliability on two occasions at least two weeks after a hypothetical mass gathering event based on the Pearson correlation coefficient (r=0.81, P-value=0.03 for risk evaluation and r=0.75, P-value=0.04 for risk mitigation questions based on their final scores). Conclusion: The Persian version of the tool can be used to classify the risk of mass gatherings for COVID-19 infection.

Prevalence of Covid 19 among Returning Pilgrims at Islamabad International Airport, Pakistan, a Retrospective Cohort Study

Intro: Mass gathering events (MGEs) are associated with the transmission of COVID-19. The world's largest mass gathering hajj pilgrimage 2022 was held after two years of major disruption caused by the COVID pandemic, with one million pilgrims of different ages, health statuses, hygiene sophistication and close contact. This study aimed to estimate the Prevalence of COVID-19 among returning Pakistani pilgrims at Islamabad International Airport, its association with these MGEs and to quantify the potential risk factors associated. Method(s): A retrospective cohort study was carried out at Islamabad International Airport from 14th July to 13th August 2022. A representative sample of 1100 people with potential exposure at Hajj 2022 was surveyed by a questionnaire to obtain information about attendance at hajj and COVID-19 disease. In addition, Rapid antigen testing (RAT) against SARS-Cov-2 was implemented. Statistical analysis was done using Epi info version 7. Finding(s): A total of 1100 subjects participated in the questionnaire survey and underwent rapid antigen testing. The mean age was 49.7+/-10.4. Almost 17.9% of the respondents experienced Covid-like symptoms with sore throat and fever as the most frequent symptoms. Three cases were detected by RAT with an attack rate (AR) of 0.3%;79.7% were female. Considering MGE exposure, AR was 0.2 %. All participants were fully vaccinated with 86.5% boosted with one dose. A dose- response relationship was found between MGE attendance and the disease, (adjusted relative risk [ARR] = 3.4- 5% confidence interval [CI] 2.25-3.5). Associated risk factors with the incidence were co-morbidity (RR=5.2) and non- use of face masks (RR=9). Conclusion(s): The study highlights the significance of MGEs in COVID-19 transmission. Vaccination and booster shots significantly reduced the risk of Covid-19 transmission among the returning pilgrims. With surveillance, screening and Rapid antigen testing at Points of entry, risk of future pandemics is significantly reduced.Copyright © 2023

- Mass gatherings and vaccines usefulness.

Introduction: Mass gatherings (MGs) are usually pre-planned large events that are known to amplify the risk of infectious disease (1). Although, the risk and pattern of diseases at mass gatherings vary depending on the features of the event such as crowding, shared accommodation, possibilities of the participants to prolonged exposure and close contact with infectious individuals, type of activities, and also the characteristics of the participants including their age & immunity to infectious agents, many of these can be prevented by appropriate vaccinations (2, 3). The aim of this article is to present a summary of the risk of vaccine-preventable diseases in MGs. Method(s): The method used to develop this article weas based on a litterature review. A summaryzing process of the documented risk of vaccine-preventable diseases in MGs was conducted to extract the most useful knowledge on this topic. It explored also available evidence on the effectiveness of vaccination policies for reducing disease transmission associated with these events and also the outstanding questions that need to be addressed for future consideration of some new and promising vaccines. Pubmed- Medline, Scopus, web of science and google Scholar were used to search over the published litterature. Result(s): The current Hajj vaccination policy includes mandatory vaccination for all pilgrims against meningococcal disease. This is in addition to mandatory vaccination against yellow fever, polio and Sarscov2 for pilgrims coming from endemic region. The Saudi Ministry of Health also strongly recommends seasonal influenza vaccination for all pilgrims, particularly those at high risk of infection complications. Data on the vaccination requirements for other mass gathering events such as Kumbh Mela and other religious, sports and entertainment events are still clearly lacking. Travelers to the FIFA 2022, Qatar, were advised to remain up-to-date with routine vaccines. Apart from the hajj settings, no data are available on the possible impact of the current vaccination policy on the control of infectious disease transmission in mass gatherings. The available data demonstrate that the current vaccination policy and health requirement for hajj is effectively contributing towards controlling the transmission of infectious diseases associated with Hajj pilgrimage (37), however evidence on effectiveness is clearly lacking. Moreover, there is no vaccination policy as part of health requirements for attendance in Kumbh Melain India. Conclusion(s): While taking into account local immunization policies of countries of origin and countries of travel, for diseases with known effective prequalified vaccines, WHO recommends that travelers at risk of developing complications, or at increased risk of acquiring and spreading infection such as those attending mass events, should consider vaccination as a preventive measure. Such policies are effective when these are driven by evidence and its effectiveness are measured through large scale studies. Mots cles: Mass Gatherings, Vaccines, Vaccination, Prevention Declaration de liens d'interets: Les auteurs n'ont pas precise leurs eventuels liens d'interets.Copyright © 2023

Transformation and communication in sports events in the context of COVID-19

Purpose: This research analyzes how the Spanish Sports Federations have adapted their communications and events during the different phases of the COVID-19 pandemic (March 2020–March 2022). Methods: The Communication Managers of these organizations have been contacted (N = 65), initially using surveys (n1= 45), and later using semi-structured interviews (n2= 9). Findings: The results show that, after the cancelation of all events in the Spring of 2020, virtual or hybrid events were adopted (39.1% in 2021). When the health situation improved, the first face-to-face events prioritized absolute and senior categories, in "bubbles” and without public attendance. 2022 has meant returning to face-to-face formats (with only 10.9% of hybrid events), limiting the virtual events to training sessions. The Federations' communication strategy also changed during the pandemic: 41.3% switched channels (more streaming, their own channels and social channels), and focused on new techniques and content including more athletes' personal stories. Practical Implications and Research Contribution: The results provide insights into how sports organizations can communicate and organize sports events in future scenarios where face-to-face interactions are not possible. © 2023 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

The relationship between hand hygiene and rates of acute respiratory infections among Umrah pilgrims: A pilot randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: There is a lack of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) investigating the role of hand hygiene in preventing and containing acute respiratory infections (ARIs) in mass gatherings. In this pilot RCT, we assessed the feasibility of establishing a large-scale trial to explore the relationship between practising hand hygiene and rates of ARI in Umrah pilgrimage amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: A parallel RCT was conducted in hotels in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, between April and July 2021. Domestic adult pilgrims who consented to participate were randomised 1:1 to the intervention group who received alcohol-based hand rub (ABHR) and instructions, or to the control group who did not receive ABHR or instructions but were free to use their own supplies. Pilgrims in both groups were then followed up for seven days for ARI symptoms. The primary outcome was the difference in the proportions of syndromic ARIs among pilgrims between the randomised groups. RESULTS: A total of 507 (control: intervention = 267: 240) participants aged between 18 and 75 (median 34) years were randomised; 61 participants were lost to follow-up or withdrew leaving 446 participants (control: intervention = 237:209) for the primary outcome analysis; of whom 10 (2.2 %) had developed at least one respiratory symptom, three (0.7 %) had 'possible ILI' and two (0.4 %) had 'possible COVID-19'. The analysis of the primary outcome found no evidence of difference in the proportions of ARIs between the randomised groups (odds ratio 1.1 [0.3-4.0] for intervention relative to control). CONCLUSION: This pilot trial suggests that conducting a future definitive RCT to assess the role of hand hygiene in the prevention of ARIs is feasible in Umrah setting amidst such a pandemic; however, outcomes from this trial are inconclusive, and such a study would need to be very large given the low rates of outcomes observed here. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This trial was registered in the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR) (ACTRN12622001287729), the full protocol can be accessed there.

Respiratory viral infections during Hajj seasons.

Respiratory viral infections pose a public health concern during mass gathering (MG) events. Sustainable and continuous surveillance of respiratory viruses remains a priority to early identify and prevent potential outbreaks. This article reviews recent literature addressed the prevalence and diversity of circulating respiratory viruses during Hajj pilgrimage, one of the largest planned religious MG events held annually in Saudi Arabia. The variation between studies with respect to study design, sample size, time of sample collection (pre-, during, and pos-Hajj), type of participants (e.g., symptomatic vs. a symptomatic pilgrims), and laboratory procedure was highlighted. The majority of these studies were conducted on the 2019 Hajj season or earlier, prior to the emergence of COVID-19 which had significant impact on the past three Hajj seasons (2020, 2021, and 2022). A summary about key aspects related to organization of Hajj during COVID-19 pandemic and the implementation of exceptional infection control strategies is provided.

The educational outcomes of an online pilot workshop in CBRNe emergencies

Background: In the past 20 years, humanity, particularly in the Middle East, has experienced three outbreaks of coronavirus disease, restricting our ordinary activities. In addition to the growing risk of chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive incidents, discussing an alternative to the usual refresher or first-time face-to-face disaster preparedness education is necessary. This study aimed to evaluate the participants' educational outcomes following their participation in the "HazMat/CBRNe in the context of mass gatherings"online pilot workshop, which used PowerPoint presentations, a remotely facilitated tabletop exercise, and videos. Methods and Analysis: This was a retrospective quantitative analysis study based on the participants' pre- and post-workshop session 1 multiple choice assessment scores and their evaluation results. Result(s): Although it was based on a small number of participants, the implemented workshop helped accomplish the participants' educational outcomes. Conclusion(s): This study demonstrated that this online workshop helped fulfil the participants' educational needs and familiarize them with the concept of readiness and preparedness for CBRNe threats in mass gatherings;hence, it should be conducted again for other participants. The increasing worldwide use of CBRN agents in industries and bioterrorism heightens the need to ensure appropriate healthcare workers' readiness through practical, innovative continuous professional development tools in times of pandemics.Copyright © 2022 Farhat, Laughton, Joseph, Abougalala, Dhiab, Alinier, licensee HBKU Press.

Deep Learning Based Face Mask Detection in Religious Mass Gathering During COVID-19 Pandemic

Notwithstanding the religious intention of billions of devotees, the religious mass gathering increased major public health concerns since it likely became a huge super spreading event for the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Most attendees ignored preventive measures, namely maintaining physical distance, practising hand hygiene, and wearing facemasks. Wearing a face mask in public areas protects people from spreading COVID-19. Artificial intelligence (AI) based on deep learning (DL) and machine learning (ML) could assist in fighting covid-19 in several ways. This study introduces a new deep learning-based Face Mask Detection in Religious Mass Gathering (DLFMD-RMG) technique during the COVID-19 pandemic. The DLFMD-RMG technique focuses mainly on detecting face masks in a religious mass gathering. To accomplish this, the presented DLFMD-RMG technique undergoes two pre-processing levels: Bilateral Filtering (BF) and Contrast Enhancement. For face detection, the DLFMD-RMG technique uses YOLOv5 with a ResNet-50 detector. In addition, the face detection performance can be improved by the seeker optimization algorithm (SOA) for tuning the hyperparameter of the ResNet-50 module, showing the novelty of the work. At last, the faces with and without masks are classified using the Fuzzy Neural Network (FNN) model. The stimulation study of the DLFMD-RMG algorithm is examined on a benchmark dataset. The results highlighted the remarkable performance of the DLFMD-RMG model algorithm in other recent approaches. © 2023 CRL Publishing. All rights reserved.

Maximum proportion of masks worn: Collaborative efforts in Japanese professional football.

Mass gathering events in Japan have gradually mitigated their novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) control regulations, along with a minimum infection risk. The Japan Professional Football League (J.League) conducted pilot surveys on holding events with chant cheers. In this commentary, we introduce the collaborative efforts based on scientific knowledge among experts, J.League, and their fans. We performed risk assessment in advance, by updating a previously developed model. We further observed the average proportion of masks worn, chant cheering time of participants, and CO2 levels in the stand. The number of new COVID-19 cases in an event with 5,000 chant cheering participants and 35,000 non-chant cheering participants was estimated to be 1.02 times of an event, with 40,000 non-chant cheering participants. The average proportion of masks worn during the game was 98.9 %, for chant cheer participants. The chant cheering participants spent 50.0-51.1 % of their time chant cheering. Monitored average CO2 levels were ≤ 540 ppm, suggesting high ventilation rates in the stand. The high proportion of masks worn represents the willingness of norm-conscious fans to cooperate in regular recovery of the sport. This has proved to be one of the successful models for future mass gathering events.

Hygiene and Health Coaching for Community Readiness to Perform the Hajj during an Ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic.

In March 2020, WHO declared Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) as a global pandemic, which had a major impact on all mass gatherings (MG), including the Hajj. This has an impact for the government, as the party organizing the pilgrimage can make more mature preparations for a more optimal implementation of the pilgrimage. This study aimed to evaluate hygiene and health coaching for community readiness to perform the Hajj during an ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia. We used a mixed qualitative and quantitative method, in which the quantitative component used an analytic cross-sectional design with a questionnaire given to 2425 pilgrims, while the qualitative component was carried out through Focus Group Discussion. During the pandemic, all hygiene and health coaching, including guidance, was carried out in three types of distance learning, called "online", "offline (face-to-face)", and "combination". This study shows that face-to-face health coaching is low (50.5%), while online coaching is high (70.0%). The total fraction of pilgrims who participated in blended coaching sessions was 55.1%, and the highest frequency of coaching was under four times (38.7%). However, in its implementation, there is still no integration between programs. There is quite a lot of health information given to pilgrims, but the material still varies between regions. Information on guidelines for preventing and transmitting COVID-19 for officers and pilgrims has not been fully socialized. There exists an urgent need to establish messages that are clear, meaningful, empathetic, consistent, and in context in order to achieve health improvement of pilgrims.

Case study of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games: Implications for global mass gathering events amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the public health countermeasures against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) that are important for organizing mass gathering events (MGEs) during a pandemic and to identify the practices suitable for application at future MGEs. Methods: This study analyzed data from the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games. The aforementioned analysis was conducted from the viewpoints of overseas stakeholders and Chinese residents. The comprehensive set of countermeasures established to prevent the transmission of the COVID-19 pandemic comprised the bubble strategy, the three-layer testing strategy (pre-departure testing, testing at the airport, and daily screening), the mandatory wearing of N95 masks, and mandatory vaccination. Findings: A total of 437 positive cases within the bubble were reported during the Games, of which 60.6% were detected through screening at the airport and 39.4% were detected through routine screening. Nearly, 92.0% of the positive cases were detected within 7 days of arrival in China, and 80.8% of the cases had already been identified before the Opening Ceremony of the Games. Outside the bubble, no Games stakeholders were infected and no spectator contracted COVID-19. The bubble strategy, the three-layer testing strategy, the mandatory wearing of N95 masks, and mandatory vaccination are promising countermeasures to prevent the transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) during MGEs. Conclusion: Public health countermeasures introduced during the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games were proven to be useful. The success in delivering and organizing the Games instills confidence and leaves a public health legacy for future MGEs amid the pandemic of COVID-19 or future emerging infectious diseases.

Contagion of coronavirus disease-the first family cluster of Pakistan: a case series.

Coronavirus Disease has resulted in public health crisis all over the world. We describe the case series of a family, who travelled together to a mass gathering in Iraq, toured Syria, Lebanon, and Doha and returned to Karachi. The data describes the demographic and clinical features of these six members. There were three males and three females. One developed severe disease and died. Incubation period was between 8-14 days. Four patients were symptomatic, had diabetes mellitus and hypertension; and presented with fever. They also had bilateral airspace opacifications on chest X-ray. Our study describes familial clustering of SARS-CoV-2 and its person-to-person transmission.

Health Care Management during a Major Planned Event in Italy.

Events involving a high number of participants should be planned and implemented with the primary objective of guaranteeing the highest possible level of safety, which is ever more essential in the recent years due to the risk of terrorism, violence, and highly transmissible pathogens like coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).The aim of this study was describing health care management of the Vasco Modena Park July 1, 2017 concert by the artist Vasco Rossi that involved 220,000 participants, more than doubling the population of Modena (Italy), the city hosting the event.Data were retrospectively collected from all health care registers used during the concert. Descriptive data regarding the event were recorded, as well as the medical records generated by the advanced medical posts.For analysis, patients were divided into two groups: the LOW-Severity (admission code green) and HIGH-Severity (admission codes yellow and red). The number of patients within the inclusion period was 1,088; there were 953 green discharge codes (97.74%), 16 yellow (1.64%), and six red (0.61%). Patients who needed a second-level assessment were 5.85% (57 events). HIGH-Severity patients needed to be further evaluated in 45.45% of the cases versus 4.93% of the LOW-Severity patient group (P value <.001).The health care management proved adequate to the number of participants and the severity of patients. Descriptive data reported add the mass-gathering database useful for further events.

Pandemic modelling: The impact of social distancing in Nordic countries

Background: Without pharmacologic interventions, the preferred strategy to combat COVID-19 is to slow the virus' spread via social distancing measures. The components of social distancing include: school closure, restrictions on gatherings, non-essential business closure, stay at home orders and limitations on travel. Most countries have implemented many of these restrictions. Conversely, Sweden has not initiated these restrictions and instead has recommended that citizens avoid mass gatherings, which presents an opportunity to examine the effects of the components of social distancing on mortality in Nordic countries. Purpose: Investigate the impact of social distancing measures on fatalities associated with COVID-19. Method: COVID-19 fatalities, as reported by the World Health Organisation, were recorded for each of the Nordic countries from 6th February 2020 to 30th April 2020. The fatalities were compared using a Cox proportional hazard regression analysis. Results: The normalised fatalities ranged significantly (1.87 to 129 deaths/population/km2) in the Nordic countries. Sweden was found to have a significantly higher risk of COVID-19 related mortality at the α=0.05 level as compared to Finland (HR=0.15;p<0.001) and Norway and Denmark (HR=0.23;p=0.002). Conclusion: The population-density normalised mortality in Sweden was significantly greater than other Nordic countries, possibly due to differences in the implementation of social distancing policies.

The Statistical Analysis to Find Correlation Between Mass Gathering Event and COVID-19 Pandemic Outbreak: The Prayagraj Magh Mela 2021 Experience

Magh mela, a smaller form of Kumbh mela, organize every year in Prayagraj. With the emergence of novel corona virus, there is worldwide discussion to find out the effective way to organize or cancel the mass gathering events. The present study assesses the challenges in organization of mass gathering events like Magh mela held at Prayagraj, India in 2021. The correlation between increased cases of COVID-19 and Magh mela-2021 has been highlighted through statistical analysis and growth curves using the available data. The study finds that there is a correlation between the Magh mela-2021 mass gathering event and increased rate of COVID-19 infections. After the Magh mela 2021, the average daily increase in the COVID-19 cases started to increase. It was found 4.25%, 6.28% and 2.73% in India, Uttar Pradesh and Prayagraj, respectively. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to The National Academy of Sciences, India.

Risk Assessment of Arbaeen Mass Gathering in the Covid-19 Pandemic.

Introduction: Arbaeen is a religious ceremony held annually with the participation of a large number of pilgrims. During the pandemic of Covid-19, a mass gathering of Arbaeen pilgrims can strengthen the transmission of this disease and put more pressure on the health care system of countries. The aim of the study is to evaluate the risk of Arbaeen ceremony in the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021. Materials and methods: A mixed method was performed to perform the study using qualitative and quantitative methods. A national risk assessment tool was used that consisted of hazard identification and assessment, scenario development, exposure assessment, vulnerability assessment and risk estimation. The national risk assessment tool was completed through a focused group discussion and the opinions of 20 representatives of the health system and the level of risks were estimated. Data were collected, analyzed, and integrated by the research team. Results: Based on the results of risk matrix analysis, factors such as the increase in the number of new cases of COVID-19, the probability of exposure to a new variant of COVID-19, the probability of arrival of a new variant of COVID-19 to the country, the probability of increasing referrals to healthcare facilities (score 16), the probability of getting respiratory diseases, and the environmental contamination (score 12) occupied the red area of the matrix and were found to have the highest risk (unbearable risk), that needs immediate action. Conclusion: Preparing for a mass gathering such as Arbaeen is very important in order to reduce the risk of communicable disease, and the first step in improving preparedness is risk assessment and its continuity in the various stages of the ceremony. Therefore, policy makers and planners of such events should conduct risk assessments with the participation of local and national public health authorities regularly.

The educational outcomes of an online pilot workshop in CBRNe emergencies

Background: In the past 20 years, humanity, particularly in the Middle East, has experienced three outbreaks of coronavirus disease, restricting our ordinary activities. In addition to the growing risk of chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive incidents, discussing an alternative to the usual refresher or first-time face-to-face disaster preparedness education is necessary. This study aimed to evaluate the participants' educational outcomes following their participation in the 'HazMat/CBRNe in the context of mass gatherings' online pilot workshop, which used PowerPoint presentations, a remotely facilitated tabletop exercise, and videos. Methods and Analysis: This was a retrospective quantitative analysis study based on the participants' pre- and post-workshop session 1 multiple choice assessment scores and their evaluation results. Result(s): Although it was based on a small number of participants, the implemented workshop helped accomplish the participants' educational outcomes. Conclusion(s): This study demonstrated that this online workshop helped fulfil the participants' educational needs and familiarize them with the concept of readiness and preparedness for CBRNe threats in mass gatherings;hence, it should be conducted again for other participants. The increasing worldwide use of CBRN agents in industries and bioterrorism heightens the need to ensure appropriate healthcare workers' readiness through practical, innovative continuous professional development tools in times of pandemics.

ABO Blood Groups and Incidence of COVID-19 in the Mass Gathering Events in Borriana (Spain), March 2020: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Our objective was to estimate the incidence of COVID-19 and the ABO blood Groups in the mass-gathering events (MGEs) during the Falles Festival in Borriana (Spain) from 6-10 March 2020. We conducted a population-based retrospective cohort study and measured anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and the ABO of participants. We performed laboratory COVID-19 tests and obtained the ABO in 775 subjects (72.8% of the original exposed cohort): O-group (45.2%), A-group (43.1%), B-group (8.5%) and AB-group (3.4%). Adjusted for confounding factors, including COVID-19 exposure during the MGEs, attack rates of COVID-19 for each ABO group were 55.4%, 59.6%, 60.2%, and 63.7%. The adjusted relative risks were for O-group 0.93 (95% Confidence Interval [CI] 0.83-1.04), for A-group 1.06 (95% CI 0.94-1.18), for B-group 1.04 (95%CI 0.88-1.24), and for AB-group 1.11 (95% CI 0.81-1.51) with no significant differences. Conclusions: Our results suggest no effect of ABO on COVID-19 incidence. We observed weak but not significant protection of the O-group and not a significantly greater infection risk for the remaining groups compared with the O-group. More studies are needed to resolve the controversies regarding the association between ABO and COVID-19.

Faith Community Engagement to Mitigate COVID-19 Transmission Associated with Mass Gathering, Uman, Ukraine, September 2021.

Annually, ≈30,000 Hasidic and Orthodox Jews travel to Uman, Ukraine, during the Jewish New Year to pray at the burial place of the founder of the Breslov Hasidic movement. Many pilgrims come from the northeastern United States. The global health implications of this event were seen in 2019 when measles outbreaks in the United States and Israel were linked to the pilgrimage. The 2020 pilgrimage was cancelled as part of the COVID-19 travel restrictions imposed by the government of Ukraine. To prepare for the 2021 event, the National Public Health Institute, the Public Health Center of Ukraine, organized mitigation measures for pilgrims arriving in Uman, and the CDC COVID-19 International Task Force assisted with mitigation measures for pilgrims coming from the United States. We describe efforts to support COVID-19 mitigation measures before, during, and after this mass gathering and lessons learned for future mass gatherings during pandemics.