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Introduction: One of the major challenges in hospitalized patients for Tuberculosis has been the association with the nosocomial SARS CoV2 infection. Both, viral infection and tuberculosis are affecting directly the immune response of the host with paraclinical expression - nonspecific inflammatory syndrome. Objective : Dynamic monitoring of the inflammatory syndrome in hospitalized patients with active TB that could suggest a superinfection with SARS CoV2 that requires the repeating of specific test. Method(s): We performed a comparative observational study on 45 patients, 25 diagnosed with TB and 25 with TB and co-infection with SARS CoV2, hospitalized in the Clinical Hospital of Pneumophthysiology Constanta for a 3 months period. At admission, all patients had a negative RT PCR COVID 19 test. The evolution of inflammatory tests was compared. Result(s): In the group with tuberculosis, the average values of ESR, CRP, Fibrinogen were 59.99 mm/h, 96 mcg/l, respectively 578 mg/dl. In the TB-COVID 19 group, blood tests were performed on average at 72-96 hours. We found a rapid increase in inflammatory syndrome between the first 2 sets of blood tests from the diagnosis of COVID 19 (ESR max 105mm/h, Fibrinogen-max 620mg/dl, CRP-max192mcg/l). Approximately 10 days after the diagnosis of COVID 19, after combined antiTB and antiviral treatment, there was a regression of the inflammatory syndrome to the values before co-infection(ESR=61mm/h, Fibrinogen=535mg/dl, CRP=84mcg/l). Conclusion(s): The increase in inflammatory markers during anti-tuberculosis treatment could be an alarm signal for the onset of COVID19 nosocomial infection in the event of a pandemic with OMICRON.
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Background: Evaluation of the impact of stress on glycaemic control in hospitalized type-2 diabetes (T2DM) patients with coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Methods: In this retrospective study conducted at a single centre in Maharashtra from May to July 2020 on hospitalized COVID-19 patients with T2DM who reported having stress of pandemic;they were selected using purposive sampling. DASS-12 stress sub-scale was used to estimate the severity of their stress. Fasting blood glucose (FBG) and post-prandial blood glucose (PPBG) before admission and at the time of discharge were compared. Results: One hundred and ninety-nine patients (mean age 54 years;61.30% females) were included. Mean±SD FBG before admission was 168.4±30.6 mg/dl which increased to 195.9±28.8 mg/dl at the time of discharge (P<0.001). Also, Mean±SD PPBG before admission was 312±62.3 mg/dl which increased to 351.6±61.9 mg/dl (P<0.001). A total of 73 (36.7%) participants had perceived stress. Moderate and severe/extremely severe stress was found in 44 (27.1%) and 19 (9.6%) patients, respectively. A significant difference was observed in the mean FBG before and during discharge in patients who had no stress and those with moderate stress (P<0.001). There was no difference in FBG in patients with severe/extremely severe stress (P=0.43). Similar observations were seen for PPBG (no stress P<0.001;moderate stress P<0.001;severe/extremely severe stress P=0.06). Conclusion: There was a rise in the glucose level in T2DM patients discharged after COVID-19 treatment. The increase was significant in T2DM without stress and those with moderate stress. In addition to traditional treatment, measures for psychological stress control should also be taken for such patients. © 2022 The authors.
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Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) represents a major threat to public health, especially in the hospital environment, and the massive use of disinfectants to prevent COVID-19 transmission might intensify this risk, possibly leading to future AMR pandemics. However, the control of microbial contamination is crucial in hospitals, since hospital microbiomes can cause healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), which are particularly frequent and severe in pediatric wards due to children having high susceptibility. Aim: We have previously reported that probiotic-based sanitation (PCHS) could stably decrease pathogens and their AMR in the hospital environment, reduce associated HAIs in adult hospitals, and inactivate enveloped viruses. Here, we aimed to test the effect of PCHS in the emergency room (ER) of a children's hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Conventional chemical disinfection was replaced by PCHS for 2 months during routine ER sanitation; the level of environmental bioburden was characterized before and at 2, 4, and 9 weeks after the introduction of PCHS. Microbial contamination was monitored simultaneously by conventional culture-based CFU count and molecular assays, including 16S rRNA NGS for bacteriome characterization and microarrays for the assessment of the resistome of the contaminating population. The presence of SARS-CoV-2 was also monitored by PCR. Results and conclusions: PCHS usage was associated with a stable 80% decrease in surface pathogens compared to levels detected for chemical disinfection (P < 0.01), accompanied by an up to 2 log decrease in resistance genes (Pc < 0.01). The effects were reversed when reintroducing chemical disinfection, which counteracted the action of the PCHS. SARS-CoV-2 was not detectable in both the pre-PCHS and PCHS periods. As the control of microbial contamination is a major issue, especially during pandemic emergencies, collected data suggest that PCHS may be successfully used to control virus spread without simultaneous worsening of the AMR concern.
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Introduction: The Permanent Commission for the Investigation of Health Hazards of Chemical Compounds in the Work Area of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (MAK Commission) was founded in 1955 to evaluate hazards and exposure limits (MAK values) and to counsel the German authorities of occupational health and safety prevention. Since then, tasks, evaluation concepts, communication processes and operating structure advanced continuously. Material and Methods: Today, the structure of the commission consists of four core groups (“MAK”, “BAT”, “Air monitoring”, “Biomonitoring”), accompanied by four working groups for the assessment of specific compound groups, four working groups for specific classifications, three working groups for adverse outcome pathways and epidemiology, as well as ad-hoc working groups for current issues. The mode of operation and interworking between the working groups and the changeover to online communication processes is demonstrated using the recent evaluation of lead. Results: In the period September 2020 - February 2021 the MAK commission performed a complete re-evaluation of lead. Coordinated by the core groups “MAK” and “BAT”, accompanied by the subgroups “Lead”, “Carcinogenesis”, “Developmental toxicology” and “Neurotoxicity”, the MAK Commission classified lead and its inorganic compounds as category 4 carcinogens and in pregnancy risk group A and set new BAT and MAK values. Conclusion: The extremely efficient workflow of the reevaluation of hazard classifications and exposure limits was crucially supported by the new online communication processes which was pushed by the COVID-19 restrictions.
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The proceedings contain 453 papers. The topics discussed include: effects of changes in early retirement policies on labor force participation: the differential effects for vulnerable groups;the influence of work-related factors on retirement decisions in the UK. The health and employment after fifty factors influencing retirement study (HEAF FIRST), a mixed-methods study;understanding age differences in retirement expectations using data from the Canadian longitudinal study on aging;association of perceived job security and chronic health conditions with retirement in older UK and U.S workers;the complex association of perceived workplace safety, work environment, and national factors with the mental health of aging workers in Europe during the COVID-19 pandemic;altered levels of immune markers among male rotating night shift workers in Spain - the HORMONIT study;and literature review of biological monitoring studies to assess healthcare worker's exposure to antineoplastic drugs.
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OBJECTIVES: We estimate the point seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in the frontline firefighter/paramedic workforce of a South Florida fire department located in the epicentre of a State outbreak. METHODS: A cross-sectional study design was used to estimate the point seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies using a rapid immunoglobulin (Ig)M-IgG combined point-of-care lateral flow immunoassay among frontline firefighters/paramedics collected over a 2-day period, 16-17 April 2020. Fire department personnel were emailed a survey link assessing COVID-19 symptoms and work exposures the day prior to the scheduled drive-through antibody testing at a designated fire station. Off-duty and on-duty firefighter/paramedic personnel drove through the fire station/training facility in their personal vehicles or on-duty engine/rescue trucks for SARS-CoV-2 antibody testing. RESULTS: Among the 203 firefighters/paramedics that make up the fire department workforce, 18 firefighters/paramedics (8.9%) tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, of which 8 firefighters/paramedics (3.9%) were IgG positive only, 8 (3.9%) were IgM positive only and 2 (0.1%) were IgG/IgM positive. The positive predictive value (PPV) of the serological test is estimated to be 33.2% and the negative predictive value is 99.3%. The average number of COVID-19 case contacts (ie, within 6 feet of an infected person (laboratory-confirmed or probable COVID-19 patient) for ≥15 min) experienced by firefighters/paramedics was higher for those with positive serology compared with those with negative (13.3 cases vs 7.31 cases; p=0.022). None of the antibody positive firefighters/paramedics reported receipt of the annual influenza vaccine compared with firefighters/paramedics who tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies (0.0% vs 21.0%; p=0.027). CONCLUSION: Rapid SARS-CoV-2 IgM-IgG antibody testing documented early-stage and late-stage infection in a firefighter workforce providing insight to a broader medical surveillance project on return to work for firefighters/paramedics. Given the relatively low PPV of the serological test used in this study back in April 2020, caution should be used in interpreting test results.