Management of centralized transition ward in a large general hospital in Shanghai during the epidemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 omicron variant infection.

The epidemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has seriously affected people's normal work, life, and medical treatment. Since Mar. 2022, there has been a pandemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) omicron variant in Shanghai. In order to meet the needs of hospitalization for patients, and at the same time for better control of epidemic and nosocomial infections, a large hospital in Shanghai innovatively set up a centralized transition ward in the hospital, and established scientific rules of medical work, regulations for prevention of nosocomial infections and efficient norms for patient admission. During the operation of the ward, a total of 211 patients were treated and one of the patients was confirmed of COVID-19 recurrence. All work was carried out methodically, and neither hospitalized patients nor medical staff had nosocomial infection of COVID-19. The preparation, operation and management of the central transition ward in our hospital are summarized here to provide guidance and reference for general hospitals to carry out similar work under the epidemic.Copyright © 2022, Second Military Medical University Press. All rights reserved.

Traditional Chinese Medicine Syndrome Differentiation of Delta and Omicron Variants of SARS-CoV-2 Carriers in Changsha,Hunan.

Objective: To summarize and compare the main traditional Chinese medicineTCMsyndromes of Delta and Omicron variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2SARS-CoV-2 carriers to provide references for the syndrome evolution and syndrome differentiation of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Method(s):The TCM medical records of imported and local cases of infection with Delta and Omicron variants of SARS-CoV-2 in Changsha since September 23,2021 to March 27,2022 were collected,including 18 Delta variant cases and 36 Omicron variant cases. Their TCM diagnosis information and TCM pathogenesis were analyzed and compared. Result(s): The common manifestations in Delta variant cases were cough,fever,chest distress/shortness of breath,sore muscles,nausea,dry mouth,dry or sore throat,thick and greasy tongue coating,and rapid and slippery pulse. The predominant pathogenesis was dampness-heat in the upper-energizer and heat stagnation in the lesser Yang combined with dampness. The occurrence of chest distress/shortness of breath,greasy tongue coating,slippery pulse,and the proportion of dampness-heat in the upper-energizer syndrome were higher in Delta variant cases than in Omicron variant cases P<0.05. The common manifestations in Omicron variant cases were itchy and sore throat,nasal congestion,running nose,fever,mild aversion to cold,dry mouth,dizziness,slightly reddish tongue with thin white coating,and rapid or wiry pulse. The predominant pathogenesis was wind-dryness invading defensive exterior,and heat stagnation in the lesser Yang. The occurrence of white-coated tongue and the proportion of wind-dryness invading defensive exterior syndrome were higher in Omicron variant cases than in Delta variant casesP<0.05. Conclusion(s): There are certain differences in TCM syndromes and the corresponding pathogenesis between Delta variant and Omicron variant cases in Changsha,Hunan. The Delta variant of SARS-COV-2 tends to induce dampness-heat syndrome, whereas Omicron variant infection tends to elicit wind-dampness syndrome,which is expected to provide a reference for the pathogenesis evolution of SARS-COV-2 infection.Copyright © 2022, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences Institute of Chinese Materia Medica. All rights reserved.

Thoughts on diagnosis and treatment plan of patients infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 omicron variant in large shelter hospitals in Shanghai.

The epidemic caused by the infection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 omicron variant broke out in Shanghai in Mar. 2022. Omicron variant has characteristics such as strong concealment and rapid transmission, resulting in significant differences between the current round of epidemic and that in Wuhan. The number of infected patients (mainly asymptomatic infected patients) increased rapidly in a short term. Based on dynamic zero policy, shelter hospitals were set up in time in Shanghai to treat the patients. It is suggested that medical resources and patient characteristics should be taken into account in the independent cabin of a shelter hospital with more than 10 000 beds, and the clinical medical practice should be divided to 5 modes (universal education and management, community outpatient clinic, ward duty, emergency rescue, and temporary observation and transport) to optimize the allocation of medical resources, so as to further enhance the treatment capacity and efficiency of shelter hospitals.Copyright © 2022, Second Military Medical University Press. All rights reserved.

Myocardium damage and electrocardiogram characteristics of patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in Zhuhai

Aim To explore the myocardial damage, abnormal electrocardiogram characteristics of patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in Zhuhai. Methods 84 patients with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant (Omicron variant group) admitted to the Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from January 13 to March 20, 2022 were included, and 88 patients with non SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant (non-Omicron variant group) from January 17 to February 17, 2020 were included. A retrospective study was conducted to compare myocardial damage, abnormal electrocardiogram and clinical characteristics between the two groups. Results The mean age of patients in Omicron variant group was smaller than that in non-Omicron variant group [(36. 6±15. 6) years vs. (49. 8±14. 3) years, P<0. 01], and the proportion of patients with body temperature, systolic blood pressure and fever at admission was lower than that of non-Omicron variant group (P<0. 05). The neutrophil / lymphocyte ratio [(2. 93 (3. 03, 5. 81) vs. 7. 06 (2. 32, 11. 27), P<0. 001], interleukin-2 (IL-2) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels in Omicron variant group were significantly lower than those in non-Omicron variant group (P<0. 01). Cardiac troponin I (cTnI) was negative in Omicron variant group, and the concentrations of cTnI, creatine kinase-MB isozyme (CK-MB) and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proB-NP) and the proportion of patients with elevated levels were significantly lower than those of non-Omicron variant group (P<0. 01). The incidence of abnormal electrocardiogram in Omicron variant group was also significantly lower than that in non-Omicron variant group (25. 0% vs. 42. 0%, P = 0. 001), sinus tachycardia, atrial premature beats and T wave changes were the main symptoms. Atrial premature beats, T wave changes, ST segment depression and bundle branch block were the main symptoms in non-Omicron variant group. Conclusions The patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in Zhuhai may not have obvious myocardial damage because most of the patients have been vaccinated with COVID-19 vaccine. The incidence of abnormal electrocardiogram is also significantly lower than that of non-Omicron variant group, mainly sinus tachycardia, atrial premature beats and T wave changes. © 2022, Editorial Office of Chinese Journal of Arteriosclerosis. All rights reserved.

Predicting Student's Satisfaction towards Hybrid Learning in Informatics

This paper used regression and moderation approaches to evaluate the student's satisfaction with informatics towards the hybrid learning in their study. Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) identified student satisfaction based on hybrid learning difficulty and benefit ($p < 0.001$). Linear Regression (LR) found hybrid learning benefits impacted the student's satis-faction significantly $(p < 0.001$). Student's $t$-test also revealed that Overall Satisfaction (OS) significantly affected hybrid learning's satisfaction ($p < 0.001$). Analysis of Co-variants (ANCOVA) also proved that hybrid learning's benefit ($p < 0.001$) and OS ($p < 0.05$) significantly influenced student satisfaction. The paper also proved that hybrid learning's benefits positively correlate with student satisfaction (0.596). The slopes of 'Yes' and 'No' are substantially different from one another when the probability value of 0.22 $(p > 0.05$). Hence, no moderator (OS) affects the relationship's strength between the benefit and satisfaction of hybrid learning. The paper also revealed that hybrid learning's difficulty has a negative correlation (-.18), and the benefit of hybrid learning is positively associated with student satisfaction (.66). Implementing a hybrid learning mode during Covid-19 periods significantly impacted student satisfaction and the decision taken by the administration was also meaningful. © 2023 IEEE.

Analysis of the Solution of a Model of SARS-CoV-2 Variants and Its Approximation Using Two-Step Lagrange Polynomial and Euler Techniques

In this paper, a vaccination model for SARS-CoV-2 variants is proposed and is studied using fractional differential operators involving a non-singular kernel. It is worth mentioning that variability in transmission rates occurs because of the particular population that is vaccinated, and hence, the asymptomatic infected classes are classified on the basis of their vaccination history. Using the Banach contraction principle and the Arzela–Ascoli theorem, existence and uniqueness results for the proposed model are presented. Two different numerical approaches, the fractional Euler and Lagrange polynomial methods, are employed to approximate the model's solution. The model is then fitted to data associated with COVID-19 deaths in Pakistan between 1 January 2022 and 10 April 2022. It is concluded that our model is much aligned with the data when the order of the fractional derivative (Formula presented.). The two different approaches are then compared with different step sizes. It is observed that they behave alike for small step sizes and exhibit different behaviour for larger step sizes. Based on the numerical assessment of the model presented herein, the impact of vaccination and the fractional order are highlighted. It is also noted that vaccination could remarkably decrease the spikes of different emerging variants of SARS-CoV-2 within the population. © 2023 by the authors.

A Case of a Relapsing Remitting Macrophage Activating Syndrome After Covid-19 Vaccine In a Teenager with UNC13D Heterozygous Variant of Uncertain Significance

Introduction: Macrophage activation syndrome (MAS) is a severe hyper inflammatory condition caused by the over-activation and proliferation of T cells, NK cells and macrophages. It is often associated with complications of rheumatic/immune diseases. We present a case of a 15-year-old female who experiences recurrent episodes of MAS without any known definitive underlying etiology. Case Presentation: A 15-year-old previously healthy female developed fatigue, fevers, myalgia, chest pain, splenomegaly and lymphadenopathy 10 days after receiving her first Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. Her symptoms recurred 10 days after receiving the second dose. Her myocarditis, MIS-C, and infectious work up was negative except for positive EBV IgG. Laboratory studies revealed anemia, hypertriglyceridemia, hypofibrinogenemia, and hyperferritinemia. She initially responded to decadron;however, her symptoms recurred with steroid taper. Bone marrow biopsy revealed hemophagocytosis. Whole exome sequencing (WES) revealed a heterozygous variant of uncertain significance in UNC13D c.962C>A (p.Thr321Asn). She had multiple re-admissions with significantly elevated inflammatory markers, including extremely high IL2-R, IL-18 and CXCL9. Each episode was complicated by an acute viral infection. She responds to high dose steroids, anti-IL-1, and JAK inhibitors. Nonetheless, it has been difficult to wean decadron without triggering a flare. She continues to require increasing doses of baricitinib. Discussion(s): MAS may be seen as a complication of rheumatic diseases, as well as inborn errors of immunity. However, none of these conditions have been diagnosed in this patient despite extensive testing, including WES. The degree of her immune dysregulation has been very severe making her disease process unpredictable and extremely difficult to control. She has frequent flares precipitated by viral infections or attempts at adjusting her immunomodulators. Weaning her medications has been challenging as she continues to require increasing doses of baricitinib and corticosteroids. The UNC13D gene is associated with autosomal recessive familial hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis type 3 (FHL3). Our patient is heterozygous for an UNC13D variant of uncertain significance. Additional genetic inquiries with whole genome sequencing to help elucidate the underlying etiology of her severe condition is being conducted. We hypothesize she developed MAS due to a combination of genetic predisposition, prior EBV infection, and immune stress associated with the COVID-19 vaccine. [Formula presented] [Formula presented] [Formula presented]Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc.

Surveillance of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in plasma pools and in immunoglobulin medicinal products manufactured since 2020 has shown high neutralizing activity against SARS-CoV-2 and current variants

Background: Patients with primary and secondary immunodeficiencies have shown an impaired humoral immune response to COVID-19 vaccination. It is therefore of paramount importance to investigate anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody levels in plasma pools and in immunoglobulin (IgG) products used to treat these patients. AIM: To assess the evolution of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies (S protein) in plasma pools and IgG products and its neutralizing activity to original-type virus (Wuhan) and the variants of concern (VOC), including Omicron. Method(s): Healthy donors plasma pools collected in the US and Europe, and the subsequent intravenous (Flebogamma DIFand Gamunex-C, Grifols) and subcutaneous (Xembify, Grifols) IgG manufactured batches were followed from March 2020. Anti-SARS-CoV-2 S protein IgG titers were determined in plasma pools and in IgG batches by ELISA. Neutralization assays analyzed the capacity of IgG products to neutralize original-type virus and VOC (Alpha, Beta, Delta, Omicron BA.1 and BA.5), using pseudo viruses expressing S protein. Results were expressed as the dilution producing 50% neutralization (ID50). Result(s): In plasma pools, anti-SARS-CoV-2 S antibodies continuously increased throughout the study period regardless of the geographic origin. In the US, the first positive plasma pools were collected at the end of 2020. Since July 2021, an exponential increase over 30-fold of anti-SARS-CoV-2 S antibodies was reported. This trend continued increasing until the end of study period. Similarly, IgG products showed a similar evolution of anti-SARS-CoV-2 S antibodies. As expected, IgG batches released at the end of 2020 presented low SARS-CoV-2 neutralization activity. However, IgG products manufactured since August 2021 showed high neutralization activity against original-type virus and the rest of VOC. Regarding Omicron BA.5, a 5 to 10-fold increase was observed over time. Conclusion(s): This study reported the onset of elevated anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody titers in plasma pools and IgG products since mid-2021, reflecting the evolution of the pandemic and vaccine campaigns. Intravenous and subcutaneous IgG products efficiently neutralized the current circulating VOC, Omicron BA.5. Further research is warranted to assess whether a clinical protective titer against SARS-CoV-2 and passive immunization is achieved in patients with immunodeficiencies treated with IgG products.Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc.

Design of a cost-effective diagnosis tool for SARSCov-2 variant detection through a next generation sequencing (NGS) based strategy

Background/Objectives: Current pandemic situation, together with the continuous emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 variants reveal the need to develop a more versatile tool than PCR-based methods that allows both high throughput COVID-19 diagnostic and specific variant detection at reduced cost and fast turnaround times. Thus, with the aim of overcoming current test limitations and providing a strategy with these characteristics arises our novel next generation sequencing based approach. Method(s): The developed strategy works with RNA samples obtained from nasopharyngeal swabs. RNA samples are processed with our custom laboratory protocol and can be sequenced with any Illumina platform to generate results within a 24h timeframe. A tailored bioinformatic pipeline analyzes the data and generates a clinical-level report. Result(s): Clinical validation results have shown that the designed solution, sensitively and specifically identifies negative and positive samples that display a broad range in viral loads and readily identifies the following major SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VoC): Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Lambda and Omicron (BA.1 and BA.2). Conclusion(s): The versatility of our solution allows the capability of identifying the presence of other common respiratory viruses as well as identifying patients at risk through the identification of susceptibility human variants in the host. This, together with the possibility of easily adding new VoC as they emerge, will make VoC monitoring in entire populations feasible, providing a new perspective on the application of NGS methods in the field of clinical microbiology.

Survival Analysis of Delta versus Omicron Variants in COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU)

Objective: COVID-19 has presented numerous epidemiological and clinical pictures from its beginning and much effort has been paid to detect the behavior of disease and its new types. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to compare the in-hospital survival time of Delta and Omicron variant patients admitted to the intensive care unit. Methods: This was a secondary data analysis of the QCOVICU data registry of 200 COVID-19 patients admitted to the ICU of Shahid Beheshti-Amir Al-Momenin Hospital of Qom City, in 2021. Likewise, time to event data, demographics, and baseline laboratory data was collected. Time of transfer to ICU, survivals, and possible predictors of hazards of death was compared within the variants of Omicron and delta. Results: Two hundred patients (62.98±19.94 years old, 94 females/106 males;100 Delta and 100 Omicron variant) participated in this study. Fifty percent of the population had died. Cross-tabulation showed comparable death rates among variants of delta and omicron (50.5% vs. 51%;p=0.999). There was a statistically significant higher time to ICU admission in Delta variant victims than in Omicron variant victims. The mean survival time of delta variant patients was 21.52 days (95% CI: 17.96 – 25.09) which was statistically higher than the mean survival of omicron patients (17.15 days, 95% CI: 13.65-20.64, p=0.018). The mean survival time of delta variant patients was statistically higher than omicron patients (21.52 vs. 17.15 days, p=0.018). Gender, age (years), and lymphocyte count were significant predictors of mortality based on the Cox regression analysis (P>0.05). There was a 5.9 times higher risk of mortality in females compared with males' gender after adjusting for other variables and a 5.6% increase in death risk with a 1-year increase in age, and a 31.8% decrease in death risk with a 1% lymphocyte percentage increase. Conclusion: Critically patients with Delta variant are getting ICU admitted later and withstand more days at ICU than Omicron patients. It seems that Omicron variant causes sudden deterioration of the patient's condition. © 2023 by SPC (Sami Publishing Company).

Presence of rare potential pathogenic variants in subjects under 60 years old with very severe or fatal COVID-19

Background/Objectives: Genetic variants affecting host defense against pathogens may help explain COVID-19 fatal outcomes. Our aim was to identify rare genetic variants related to COVID-19 severity in a selected group of patients under 60 years who required intubation or resulting in death. Method(s): Forty-four very severe COVID-19 patients were selected from the Spanish STOP-Coronavirus cohort, which comprises more than 3,500 COVID-19 patients. Genotype was performed by whole exome sequencing and variants were selected by using a gene panel of 867 candidate genes (immune response, primary immunodeficiencies or coagulation, among other). Variants were filtered, priorized and their potential pathogenicity was assessed following ACGM criteria. Result(s): We detected 44 different variants of interest, in 29 different patients (66%). Some of these variants were previously described as pathogenic (26%). Mostly, the candidate variants were located in genes related to immune response (38%), congenital disorders of glycosylation (14%) or damaged DNA binding genes (9%). A network analysis, showed three main components, consisting of 25 highly interconnected genes related to immune response and two additional networks enriched in carbohydrate metabolism and in DNA metabolism and repair processes. Conclusion(s): The variants identified affect different, but interrelated, functional pathways such as immune response and glycosylation. Further studies are needed for confirming the ultimate role of the new candidate genes described in the present study on COVID-19 severity.

Emergence of COVID-19 Variants and Its Global Impact

COVID-19 pandemic caused by a novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2 has led to an unprecedented impact in terms of disease morbidity as well as mortality. Mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 have led to the emergence of viral variants throughout the globe after the first wave of the pandemic in early 2020. Multiple variants of SARS-CoV-2 have been reported with the B.1.1.7 (Alpha), B.1.351 (Beta), P.1 (Gamma), and B1.167.2 (Delta) being the major "variants of concern” owing to its increased transmission rates and greater virulence. These variants seem to spread more easily and quickly than other variants leading to higher number of cases of COVID-19, greater hospitalizations and potentially more deaths. These newer and more lethal variants have a survival advantage in terms of higher affinity for the host receptors, faster replication rates and immune escape. Emergence of these novel variants have led to multiple issues such as diagnostic difficulties, varied presentation, rapid spread with severe disease with worse outcomes. Another issue with these emerging variants is the ability of immune escape leading to breakthrough infections following vaccination or after a prior infection with SARS CoV-2. Genomic sequencing plays an important role in identification of novel variants which evolve over a period of time. Variants such as B.1.1.7 and B.1.617.2 due to their higher transmissibility can easily overrun the existing public health infrastructure leading to a catastrophe as experienced in the deadly second wave of the pandemic in UK and India. Emergence of these novel variants has to be tackled through global efforts which would include greater genomic sequencing and reducing the disease transmission thus decreasing chances of viral mutation. This has to be complemented by rapid large-scale vaccinations especially in high-risk individuals. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022.

Management and standardization of hemodialysis centers in lockdown areas under the epidemic of coronavirus disease 2019.

Maintenance hemodialysis patients need to return to hospital 3 times a week for routine hemodialysis treatment. In the case of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and regional lockdown, a set of management systems and standardizations has been established in our hemodialysis center, including forward movement of the critical nodes of treatment, specialists pooling program for hemodialysis technology, and dynamic bubble personnel management, to implement dynamic prevention and control strategies, precise management of inpatient wards and closed-loop management of outbreaks. While improving the management of our own hemodialysis center, it is recommended to strengthen multi-center collaboration to build a municipal grid management system for hemodialysis and explore different dialysis strategies for end-stage renal disease to meet the treatment needs and safety management of maintenance hemodialysis patients in lockdown areas under the epidemic.Copyright © 2022, Second Military Medical University Press. All rights reserved.

Medical Perspective on COVID-19

In December 2019, a series of acute respiratory illnesses were first reported in central China. Investigations have led to the identification of a novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), subsequently designated as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), as the causative agent of the so-called coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Since its emergence, SARS-CoV-2 has spread rapidly across the globe, resulting in the current ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which has claimed the lives of millions of people throughout the world and continues to do so. Beginning with a brief overview of different historical and contemporary theories of infectious diseases, this chapter moves on to review the most recent literature on the origin, structure, pathogenesis, host immune responses, viral evasion of the host immunity, and mutated variants of SARS-CoV-2. In addition, patients' clinical characteristics and risk factors, clinical trials, preventative measures, and the COVID-19 death toll among different countries are discussed. We also overview the utilization of various technologies in the battle against the pandemic, the impact of the pandemic on clinical research and trials, medical insurance, biomedical waste (BMW) generation and management, and the clinical lessons learned. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Integration of neural network and distance relay to improve the fault localization on transmission lines

Power transmission lines are integral and very important components of power systems. Because of the length of these lines and the complexity of the power grids, the lines may encounter various incidents such as lightning strike, shortage, and breakage. When an incident or a fault occurs, a fast process of identification, localization, and isolation of the fault is desired. An accurate fault localization would have a great impact in reducing the restoration time of the system. One of the most popular solutions for fault detection and localization is the distance relays using the impedance-based algorithms. However, these relays are still not perfect with nonzero errors of the fault locations. This paper will present a new approach using the neural networks in addition to a distance relays to correct the fault location estimation of the relay. The solution will be based only on the voltage and current signals measured at the beginning of the lines. The training samples' signals of the transient states on the lines are generated using ATP/EMTP, and then regenerated into the relay tester Omicron CMC-356 to test with the real Siemens 7SA522 relay to improve its fault location results. The numerical results will show that the solution had helped to reduce the average fault location error from 0.92% to 0.42% for 4 types of shortage faults on the lines. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Turkish Journal of Electrical Engineering & Computer Sciences is the property of Scientific and Technical Research Council of Turkey and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Population-Based Model of the Fraction of Incidental COVID-19 Hospitalizations during the Omicron BA.1 Wave in the United States

1. Background: Some reports have suggested that as many as one-half of all hospital inpatients identified as COVID-19-positive during the Omicron BA.1 variant-driven wave were incidental cases admitted primarily for reasons other than their viral infections. To date, however, there are no prospective longitudinal studies of a representative panel of hospitals based on pre-established criteria for determining whether a patient was, in fact, admitted as a result of the disease. 2. Materials and Methods: To fill this gap, we developed a formula to estimate the fraction of incidental COVID-19 hospitalizations that relies on measurable, population-based parameters. We applied our approach to a longitudinal panel of 164 counties throughout the United States, covering a 4-week interval ending in the first week of January 2022. 3. Results: Within this panel, we estimated that COVID-19 incidence was rising exponentially at a rate of 9.34% per day (95% CI, 8.93–9.87). Assuming that only one-quarter of all Omicron BA.1 infections had been reported by public authorities, we further estimated the aggregate prevalence of active SARS-CoV-2 infection during the first week of January to be 3.45%. During the same week, among 250 high-COVID-volume hospitals within our 164-county panel, an estimated one in four inpatients was COVID-positive. Based upon these estimates, we computed that 10.6% of such COVID-19-positive hospitalized patients were incidental infections. Across individual counties, the median fraction of incidental COVID-19 hospitalizations was 9.5%, with an interquartile range of 6.7 to 12.7%. 4. Conclusion: Incidental COVID-19 infections appear to have been a nontrivial fraction of all COVID-19-positive hospitalized patients during the Omicron BA.1 wave. In the aggregate, however, the burden of patients admitted for complications of their viral infections was far greater. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of COVID is the property of MDPI and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Clinical significance of serum interleukin 6 in elderly patients infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 omicron variant and its correlation with underlying diseases.

Objective To investigate the clinical significance of serum interleukin 6 (IL-6) in elderly patients infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) omicron variant and its correlation with underlying diseases. Methods A total of 22 elderly patients (80 years old) infected with omicron variant, who were admitted to Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University (Second Military Medical University) from Apr. to Jun. 2022 and tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA, were included. The level of serum IL-6 was measured by flow cytometry, and the level of serum C reactive protein (CRP) was measured by immunonephelometry. Patients were divided into pneumonia group (16 cases) and non-pneumonia group (6 cases) according to the imaging examination results, and were divided into severe group (severe and critical type, 5 cases) and non-severe group (mild and normal type, 17 cases) according to the condition. Binary logistic regression model and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve were used to analyze the correlation between serum IL-6 and CRP levels and the severity of the disease and whether it would progress to pneumonia. Meanwhile, the relationships between underlying diseases and serum IL-6 level were explored. Results Among the 22 patients, 6 were mild, 11 were normal, 3 were severe, and 2 were critical. The baseline serum IL-6 level in the pneumonia group was significantly higher than that in the non-pneumonia group (20.16+/-12.36pg/mL vs 5.42+/-1.57 pg/mL, P=0.009), and there was no significant difference in baseline serum CRP level between the 2 groups (P0.05). There were no significant differences in baseline serum IL-6 or CRP levels between the severe group and the non-severe group (both P0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that the baseline serum IL-6 and CRP might be related to pneumonia after infection with omicron variant (odds ratio OR=2.407, 95% confidence interval CI0.915-6.328;OR=1.030, 95% CI 0.952-1.114). ROC curve analysis showed that the area under curve values of serum IL-6 and CRP in predicting the progression to pneumonia were 0.969 (95% CI 0.900-1.000) and 0.656 (95% CI 0.380-0.932), respectively, with statistical significance (Z=2.154, P=0.030). There were no significant differences in the baseline serum IL-6 level or proportions of severe patients or pneumonia patients among patients with or without hypertension, diabetes mellitus, coronary heart disease, chronic kidney disease or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (all P0.05). The baseline serum IL-6 levels of the omicron variant infected elderly patients with 1, 2, and 3 or more underlying diseases were 12.50 (9.15, 21.75), 23.55 (9.63, 50.10), and 10.90 (5.20, 18.88) pg/mL, respectively, with no statistical significance (P0.05). Conclusion For omicron variant infected patients, serum IL-6 level is significantly increased in patients with pneumonia manifestations and is correlated with disease progression. Serum IL-6 level is of great guiding significance to judge disease progression and evaluate efficacy and prognosis of elderly coronavirus disease 2019 patients.Copyright © 2022, Second Military Medical University Press. All rights reserved.

The impact of vaccination on the dynamics of the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2

In the context of vaccination, we develop a novel mathematical model to examine the Omicron type of coronavirus illness. The system's mathematical analysis based on its equilibrium points shall be obtained. The threshold quantity is used to investigate the system's local and global asymptotical analysis. The Omicron vaccination model shown to be stable locally asymptotically if R 0 v < 1 . The system is globally asymptotically stable at the disease-free equilibrium for a special case when η = 1 if R 0 v < 1 . We estimate the model parameters based on the observed data and show that the threshold is R 0 ≈ 2.4894 in the absence of vaccination. The model has the phenomenon of backward bifurcation under certain conditions. Herd immunity analysis is obtained and it turns out that the herd immunity threshold for the South African population is 74%. The impact of vaccination on disease dynamics is also shown and discussed. Further, we have given some graphical results showing the community's disease reduction. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Waves in Random & Complex Media is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Mental health status of military healthcare workers in shelter hospitals in Shanghai during the epidemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 omicron variant and its influencing factors.

Objective To investigate the mental health status of military healthcare workers in shelter hospitals in Shanghai during the epidemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 omicron variant and its influencing factors. Methods A total of 540 military healthcare workers in shelter hospitals in Shanghai were investigated with patient health questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), generalized anxiety disorder-7 (GAD-7) and Athens insomnia scale (AIS) to explore their mental health status, and logistic regression was used to analyze the influencing factors. Results A total of 536 valid questionnaires were collected, with an effective rate of 99.3% (536/540). The incidence of depression, anxiety and insomnia among military healthcare workers in shelter hospitals in Shanghai was 45.5% (244/536), 26.1% (140/536) and 59.5% (319/536), respectively. Logistic regression analysis showed that whether people resided in Shanghai, the proportion of negative information in daily browsing information and diet status in shelter hospitals were the influencing factors of depression, anxiety and insomnia (all P<0.05);age and confidence in the future of Shanghai were the influencing factors of depression and insomnia (all P<0.05);and the time spent daily on epidemic-related information was an influencing factor of insomnia (P=0.021). Conclusion The incidence of depressive, anxiety and insomnia among military healthcare workers in shelter hospitals in Shanghai is high during the epidemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 omicron variant. Psychological consequences of the epidemic should be monitored regularly and continuously to promote the mental health of military healthcare workers.Copyright © 2022, Second Military Medical University Press. All rights reserved.