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OBJECTIVE: To analyze the role of nosocomial infection informatics surveillance system in the prevention and control of multidrug-resistant organisms(MDROs) infections. METHODS: The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University was selected as the study subjects, which had adopted the nosocomial infection informatics surveillance system since Jan.2020. The period of Jan.to Dec.2020 were regarded as the study period, and Jan.to Dec.2019 were regarded as the control period. The situation of nosocomial infection and MDROs infections in the two periods were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: The incidence of nosocomial infections and underreporting of nosocomial infection cases in this hospital during the study period were 2.52%(1 325/52 624) and 1.74%(23/1 325), respectively, and the incidences of ventilator associated pneumonia(VAP), catheter related bloodstream infection(CRBSI), catheter related urinary tract infection(CAUTI)were 4.10(31/7 568), 2.11(14/6 634), and 2.50(25/9 993) respectively, which were lower than those during the control period(P< 0.05). The positive rate of pathogenic examination in the hospital during the study period was 77.95%(1 269/1 628), which was higher than that during the control period(P<0.05), the overall detection rate of MDROs was 15.77%(206/1 306), the detection rates of MDROs in Escherichia coli, Acinetobacter baumannii, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus were lower than those during the control period(P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The development and application of the informatics technology-based surveillance system of nosocomial infection could effectively reduce the incidence of nosocomial infections and device related infections, decrease the under-reporting of infection cases, and also reduce the detection rate of MDROs as well as the proportion of MDROs detected in common pathogenic species.
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Many zoonotic diseases are found in wild animals and present a serious risk to human health, in particularly the virus carried by birds flying freely around the world is hard to control. There are three main bird migration routes which cover the most areas of China. It is important to investigate and fully understand the types of avian transmitted diseases in key areas on the bird migration routines and its impacts on both birds and human health. However, no literature is available in how about the risk of virus carried by migrating birds, and how to predict and reduce this risk of virus spreading to human being so far. In this paper, we first reviewed the main pathogen types carried by birds, including coronaviruses, influenza viruses, parasites, Newcastle disease virus (NDV), etc., and then discussed the spread risk of avian viruses to human being and animals in key areas of biosafety prevention. We also analyzed and discussed the risk of cross-spread of diseases among different bird species in nature reserves located on bird migration routes which provide sufficient food sources for migratory birds and attract numerous birds. Diseases transmitted by wild birds pose a serious threat to poultry farms, where high density of poultry may become avian influenza virus (AIV) reservoirs, cause a risk of avian influenza outbreaks. Airports are mostly built in suburban areas or remote areas with good ecological environment. There are important transit places for bird migration and densely populated areas, which have serious risk of disease transmission. Finally, this paper puts forward the following prevention suggestions from three aspects. First, establish and improve the monitoring and prediction mechanism of migratory birds, and use laser technology to prevent contact between wild birds and poultry. Second, examine and identify virus types carried by birds in their habitats and carry out vaccination. Third, protect the ecological environment of bird habitat, and keep wild birds in their natural habitat, so as to reduce the contact between wild birds and human and poultry, and thus reduce the risk of virus transmission.
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Background: Studies show that wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) for long periods of time can lead to discomfort such as headaches, which could affect the performance of healthcare workers. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and risk factors of headaches related to PPE in healthcare workers at a COVID-19 referral hospital. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 174 healthcare workers in a COVID-19 referral hospital in Bali. We conducted interviews using a questionnaire that consisted of three main parts: characteristics of the subjects, PPE usage, and PPE-associated headaches. A multiple logistic regression was used to analyze the data. Results: The analysis results showed that the PPE-associated headaches had a prevalence of 63.8% and were gradual in onset, pressure-like in quality (46%), and mild in intensity (80.1%). PPE level III-associated headache was the most common type. The majority of the participants had headaches up to 6 hours after using the protective gear, but improving within 15-30 minutes of removal and/or after pharmacotherapy. A Chi-squared analysis showed a statistically significant association between duration of PPE use, working units, and PPE levels (p<0.05). A logistic regression analysis found a significant relationship between PPE level and headache occurrence (OR=4.826;95%CI: 2.433-9.572;p<0.001). Conclusion: The frequency of PPE-associated headache was high and the PPE level was a risk factor of headache among healthcare workers. Better strategies are needed to reduce the duration of PPE exposure so that the work performance and quality of life of healthcare workers are not significantly affected.
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Introduction : Understanding the epidemiological and clinical profile of COVID-19 cases and pattern of disease is very much required for future preparedness. Objective : To assess the epidemiological and clinical profile of cases of COVID 19 Method : Cross sectional descriptive study was carried out at a Rural Health Training Centre (RHTC). All cases reported in the month of January 2022were included in the study. The information about the epidemiological and clinical profile was collected from RHTC records by conducting telephonic interview. Results : Total 83 cases were reported. Among them, 43 (54.4%) cases were in age group 20-39 years. Male: Female ratiowas 1.37:1. Therewas one death and patient had ovarian cancer as co-morbidity. Total 71 patients could be contacted for telephonic interview. Fever was most common symptom andwas presenting symptom on first day followed by cough/cold and sore throat. None had shortness of breath or chest pain. Hospitalization rate was 5.63% and none required oxygen supplementation or intensive care. Recovery period was 3-5 days. Out of total, 90% cases were fully vaccinated and 95.8% had knowledge of CAB. Diabetes and hypertension were most common comorbidities andwere statistically significantlymore in age > 40 years. Conclusions : The COVID-19 cases in the beginning of year 2022 had clinical presentation different than the earlier waves. Periodic situational analysis can guide in policymaking for handling this pandemic in future.
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Introduction and objective: Diabetes, with its medical complications and societal consequences, is one the most difficult concerns for modern society. The purpose of this narrative review is to characterize the selected public health challenges and opportunities resulting from diabetes in Poland, as well as to identify public health measures that may be adopted to lower the diabetes burden in Poland. Review methods: This narrative review is based on the literature about diabetes in Poland. Scientific papers on diabetes published between 1 January 2010-31 January 2023, available in the PubMed database, were identified using a combination of the following key words: 'diabetes', 'Poland', 'public knowledge', 'management' and 'costs'. Particular attention was paid to the following diabetes-related issues: (1) current and forecast prevalence of diabetes in Poland, (2) diabetic care before and after the COVID-19 pandemic onset, (3) public knowledge of diabetes and diabetes risk factors, and (4) public health interventions to reduce the diabetes burden at the population level. Abbreviated description of the state of knowledge: A continuous growth of both the incidence and the prevalence of diabetes is predicted. Due to insufficient public awareness of diabetes risk factors and symptoms, and the health-debt caused by COVID-19 pandemic, a further rise in the number of diabetic complications is expected, as well as an increase in public spending on health care and social insurance systems. Summary: Public health interventions targeted at preventing diabetes and its complications should not be confined to reducing complications and improving diabetes care, but also include a wide range of initiatives aimed at addressing the fundamental causes of diabetes. Future study should look at the cost-effectiveness of such initiatives in order to mobilize different stakeholders and society.
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Coronavirus disease 2019 is a pandemic disease, which commonly presents with fatigue, loss of smell, fever and ground-glass opacities on diagnostic imaging of the lungs. After the first few months of the pandemic, we noticed a tendency for audio-vestibular complaints on out-patient visits post-hospitalization for COVID-19. Objective. The aim of this study was to study the prevalence of audio-vestibular complaints in COVID-19. Materials and methods. This study included 57 patients with audio-vestibular complaints during and after hospitalization for COVID-19 at University Hospital Kaspela in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. The patients underwent both auditory and vestibular tests, as well as a computed tomography of the cranial brain. Results. The ratio of males to females was 1,35:1, with most belonging to the age group of 51 to 70 years (63,2%). All 57 patients had sudden hearing loss - unilateral in 36 (63,2%) and bilateral in 21 (36,8%), while 17 patients (29.8%) additionally had subjective tinnitus. Forty-eight patients (84,2%) had vestibular complaints - general dizziness in 46 (95,8%) and rotatory vertigo in two (4,2%). Two patients had spontaneous nystagmus (3,5%), 43 (75,4%) - saccades, and 25 (43,9%) - smooth pursuit and gaze disturbances. Romberg with closed eyes was positive in two patients (3,5%), and Fukuda lateralized to the healthy ear also in two patients (3,5%). Dix-Hallpike was positive in one patient (1,8%). The video head-impulse test was positive in two patients (3,5%). Vascular encephalopathy was found on computed tomography in 33 patients (57,9%). Conclusions. Coronavirus disease 2019 may be associated with vestibulocochlear nerve damage, and in most cases, it is an isolated injury to the auditory nerve. Complaints of dizziness are most likely due to vascular changes in the central nervous system.
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OBJECTIVE: To characterize clinical and epidemiologic features of SARS-CoV-2 in companion animals detected through both passive and active surveillance in the US. ANIMALS: 204 companion animals (109 cats, 95 dogs) across 33 states with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infections between March 2020 and December 2021. PROCEDURES: Public health officials, animal health officials, and academic researchers investigating zoonotic SARS-CoV-2 transmission events reported clinical, laboratory, and epidemiologic information through a standardized One Health surveillance process developed by the CDC and partners. RESULTS: Among dogs and cats identified through passive surveillance, 94% (n = 87) had reported exposure to a person with COVlD-19 before infection. Clinical signs of illness were present in 74% of pets identified through passive surveillance and 27% of pets identified through active surveillance. Duration of illness in pets averaged 15 days in cats and 12 days in dogs. The average time between human and pet onset of illness was 10 days. Viral nucleic acid was first detected at 3 days after exposure in both cats and dogs. Antibodies were detected starting 5 days after exposure, and titers were highest at 9 days in cats and 14 days in dogs. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results of the present study supported that cats and dogs primarily become infected with SARS-CoV-2 following expo- sure to a person with COVID-19, most often their owners. Case investigation and surveillance that include both people and animals are necessary to understand transmission dynamics and viral evolution of zoonotic diseases like SARS-CoV-2.
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Introduction: Since 1990, Internet usage is increasing day by day and availability of smart mobile phones and electronic gazettes like tablet, laptop etc. has given it an exponential rise. During COVID-19 lockdown period, Internet usage pattern has changed a lot as per behaviour of students studying in schools, colleges, educational and coaching institutes etc. Background: To study the prevalence of Internet addiction and the effect of Internet usage on lifestyle of college students of Haryana. Method: Total 1035 students, of various educational streams in various colleges of Haryana state were included in the study and data was collected by pre-tested self-designed questionnaire and young's Internet addiction test questionnaire was used to assess its effect on life style. Results: Out of 1035 students, 436 (42%) participants were below average users of Internet, followed by 369 (36%) average users and 230 (22%) excessive users of Internet. Average of total score of young Internet addiction questionnaire was 27.72. Various life style factors like feeling stressed while working, neglects other activities, miss a diet, checks Internet many times, obsessed with phone and Internet usage per day were found significantly associated with Internet addiction (p < 0.05). Conclusion : Excessive Internet usage during COVID-19 pandemic may lead to various abnormal behavior changes which cause negative effect on various aspects of students like emotional, hyperactivity, depression, sleeping disorder etc.
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Background: Clostridium spp. spores are resistant to many factors, including alcohol-based disinfectants. The presence of clostridial spores in a hospital environment may lead to infection outbreaks among patients and health care workers. Background: This study is aimed to detect clostridial spores in the aurology hospital using C diff Banana BrothTM and assess the antibiotic sensitivity and toxinotypes of isolates. Methods: After diagnosing COVID-19 in medical staff and closing an 86-bed urology hospital in 2020 for H2O2 fogging, 58 swabs from the hospital environment were inoculated to C diff Banana BrothTM, incubated at 37 degrees C for 14 days, checked daily, and positive broths were sub-cultured anaerobically for 48 h at 37 degrees C. After identification, multiplex PCR (mPCR) was performed for Clostridium perfringens, C. difficile toxin genes, and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) determination. Results: In this study, 16 out of 58 (~ 28%) strains of Clostridium spp. were cultured: 11 - C. perfringens, 2 - C. baratii, and 1 each of C. paraputrificum, C. difficile, and C. clostridioforme. 11 C. perfringens were positive for the cpa, 7 - the cpb2, 2 - cpiA, and 1 - cpb toxin genes. All isolates were sensitive to metronidazole, vancomycin, moxifloxacin, penicillin/tazobactam, and rifampicin. Two out of the 11 C. perfringens strains were resistant to erythromycin and clindamycin. Conclusions: Regardless of the performed H2O2 fogging, antibiotic-resistant, toxigenic strains of C. perfringens (69%) obtained from the urology hospital environment were cultured using C diff Banana BrothTM, indicating the need to develop the necessary sanitary and epidemiological procedures in this hospital.
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Introduction: The Coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) is a catastrophic emerging global health threat caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). COVID-19 has a wide range of complications and sequelae. It is devastating in developing countries, causing serious health and socioeconomic crises as a result of the increasingly overburdened healthcare system. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in Ethiopia. Methods: Electronic databases, such as PubMed, Google Scholar, Web of Science, Research Gate, Embase, and Scopus were thoroughly searched from March to April 2022 to identify relevant studies. The quality of the included studies was evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality scale for cross-sectional studies. STATA-12 was used for analysis. A random-effects model was used to compute the pooled prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The heterogeneity was quantified by using the I2 value. Subgroup analysis was done for sex, age of study subjects, population type, diagnostic methods, and publication year. Publication bias was assessed using a funnel plot and Egger's test. A sensitivity analysis was also done. Result: 11 studies consisting of 35,376 study participants (15,759 male and 19,838 female) were included in this systematic review and meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 was 8.83%. There was substantial heterogeneity, with an I2 value of 99.3%. The pooled prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 was higher in males (9.27%) than in females (8.8%). According to the publication year, a higher prevalence was obtained in 2021 (12.69%). Similarly, it was higher in the population of specific groups (16.65%) than in the general population (5.75%). Conclusion: the national pooled prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the Ethiopian population was 8.83%. This indicates that the burden of COVID-19 is still high, which urges routine screening and appropriate treatment. [ 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.)
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Health is a multifaceted issue and providing and promoting all its dimensions is an interdisciplinary task. Examination of crisis conditions shows that the retention of health human resources is very important due to the high volume of work in these conditions. Due to the severity of the prevalence of COVID-19, the health system must have an acceptable plan for dealing with this disease. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the factors affecting the retention and stability of human resources in crises. We used a critical review method using specific keywords ("human resources retention", "COVID-19", and some other related keywords) in, Pubmed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and SID databases until September 2022 without time limitation. Reviewers screened founded studies separately and finally, we summarized the main results of 12 eligible articles. Four main strategies (Organizational management and leadership, risk reduction, improving the mental health of health workers, and financial and welfare support) are possible solutions to reduce healthcare workers' burnout and increase their resilience to this hard situation. It seems that planning, appropriate policy-making to implement the solutions found, division of tasks, and compilation of a national document on human resource protection in crises with the cooperation of people and officials can be very helpful.
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Background: There exists a treatment dilemma regarding the optimal and effective use of therapeutic drugs (hydroxychloroquine/chloroquine/azithromycin) for COVID-19. Furthermore, with changing guidelines, the data on drug utilization patterns across India are limited. Hence, this study was conducted to assess the prescription pattern and drug utilization trends in COVID-19 patients with the aim to study the drug utilization pattern in patients affected with COVID-19 in a dedicated COVID-19 hospital. Aims and Objectives: The objectives of the study are as follows: (1) To study drug utilization patterns according to the severity of the disease. (2) To study the prevalence of adverse drug reactions (ADRs). Materials and Methods: Data were collected retrospectively from 100 medical records of patients 18 years irrespective of sex admitted in the COVID ward and ICU of a dedicated COVID hospital from May to August 2020. Pregnant and lactating women were excluded from the study. ADRs reported were also analyzed. Results: About 71% were mild in this study, 18% were moderate, and 11% were severe COVID-19 patients. Overall, the most common drugs prescribed were multivitamins, followed by pantoprazole, paracetamol, and azithromycin. Hydroxychloroquine was prescribed in 22%, favipiravir in 7%, and remdesivir in 3% of cases. The majority of moderate COVID patients received injectables piperacillin-tazobactam, methylprednisolone, and enoxaparin. The mean number of medications, duration of admission, and number of days on oxygen were higher and significant in moderate compared to mild and severe COVID patients. Overall, ADRs were encountered in 9% of cases. Conclusion: The prescribed pattern of drugs was by the national standard guidelines. Multivitamins, followed by pantoprazole, paracetamol, and azithromycin dominated the prescription pattern. Polypharmacy was encountered, which needs to be addressed for the rational use of drugs.
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Background: Monitoring the spread of SARS-CoV-2 has been considered by the World Health Organization (WHO). We examined the prevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulin antibodies in southwestern Iran in spring 2020. The circulation of SARS-CoV-2 is high in the general population, especially among health care workers (HCWs) who are in close contact with patients. Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antigen in high-risk occupational and low-risk groups to investigate risk factors for serum positivity in Shiraz, southwestern Iran. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was performed on 366 participants (204 from high-risk and 162 from low-risk subjects). IgG and IgM antibodies were detected using Pishtaz Teb COVID-19 ELISA Kits to evaluate SARS-CoV-2-antigen in serum samples. After enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), serum prevalence, as well as IgG/IgM positive factors, was determined using logistic regression. Results: From July to September 2020 (a few months after reporting the first case of COVID-19 cases in Iran), out of 366 survived people, 72 (40.9%) were IgG positive, and 50 (27.5%) were IgM positive. The frequency of positive serology for IgG and IgM antibodies in individuals aged < 30 years was higher in the low-risk group than in the high-risk group. Multivariate logistic regression showed that headache (OR 0.312 [95% CI: 0.136 - 0.717]) and cough (OR 0.427 [95% CI: 0.182 - 1.004]) factors were associated with IgG or IgM positive serology. Conclusions: Between July and September 2020, the prevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antigen was high in Shiraz. The prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 IgG/IgM antibodies in the high-risk group and their family as low risk was shown to increase viral infection due to close contact with COVID 19 patients than in the general population. Several factors were found to be related to the prevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antigen that needs to be considered by policymakers to determine what to do about the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.
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Health-care providers or health-care workers (HCWs) are at higher risk of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection when compared to the general population. An early routine screening of both symptomatic and asymptomatic HCWs is essential to prevent transmission of infection and thus the nosocomial spread. The cumulative prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection among Indian HCWs is unknown. This systematic review was aimed to analyse the prevalence of SARS-Co-V2 disease (COVID-19) among Indian HCWs. Data were collected from a comprehensive computerised search in PubMed, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, ResearchGate, Scopus and Web of Science using the terms 'Prevalence of COVID-19 among HCWs in India' and 'prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 among HCWs in India'. Results of original research papers and meta-analysis published were collected and data analysed. Results of seven studies on 31656 HCWs in India were pooled. Overall, average prevalence of COVID-19 among the HCWs was 12.3%. Majorities were frontline workers irrespective of the gender. Most of the cases were symptomatic, with cough and fever as major clinical presentations. Findings suggest that adequate organisation of clinical wards and personnel, appropriate personal protective equipment supply and training of all workers directly and repeatedly exposed to COVID-19 patients should be prioritised to decrease the risk of infection. Furthermore, the duty time of HCWs who works in COVID treating area should be minimised.
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Background and Objectives: Serological studies are based on the detection of antibodies. However, the produced antibodies decrease over time;therefore, such methods cannot provide a valid estimate of prevalence and incidence. The present study aimed to determine the serum prevalence and cumulative incidence in the Ravansar cohort population (Youth and RaNCD Cohort) in October 2020. Methods: A random sample of 716 people aged > 18 years old were selected from the participants in the Ravansar cohort study in October 2020. Euroimmun anti-SARS COV-2 IgG ELISA kits (Lubeck, Germany) were used to measure antibody levels. Seroprevalence was estimated with considering of cut-off = 1, and cumulative incidence (modified and modified based on test specificity) was determined using modeling. Results: In the present study, the serum prevalence of COVID-19 viral infection in the Ravansar cohort population from 22 October 2020 to 18 November 2020 was estimated to be %35.16 (95%CI: %31.64, %38.79). Modified Cumulative incidence and modified based on test characteristics from 20 February to 18 November 2020 were estimated to be %68.85 and %67.71, respectively. Conclusion: Although very high cumulative incidence may be a sign of approaching herd immunity, adherence to health protocols is still recommended due to the potential role of asymptomatic cases in transmitting the disease to other members of the community;and the presence of new variants of the virus and reduced antibody levels should be considered.
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These proceedings comprise 85 articles spanning diverse fields such as bacteriology, molecular biology, biotechnology, dermatology, infectious and parasitic diseases, epidemiology, physiotherapy, immunology, mycology, parasitology, pathology, collective health, and virology. The articles delve into a wide range of research topics, from repurposing drugs for Mycobacterium abscessus complex infections to utilising artificial intelligence for SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis. In bacteriology, investigations explore the correlation between smoking and Helicobacter pylori infection in gastric adenocarcinoma patients, as well as the resistance profiles of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in tracheostomised children. Molecular biology studies focus on gene polymorphisms related to diseases like paracoccidioidomycosis. Biotechnology research emphasises bioactive molecules in species like Croton urucurana and the development of computational models for cytotoxicity prediction. Dermatology articles address stability characterisation in vegetable oil-based nanoemulsions. The section on infectious and parasitic diseases encompasses studies on COVID-19 vaccine response in pregnant women and the impact of infection prevention measures in rehabilitation hospitals. Epidemiology investigations analyse trends in premature mortality, tuberculosis in diabetic patients, and public adherence to non-pharmacological COVID-19 measures. Physiotherapy research covers topics such as telerehabilitation through a developed game and the prevalence of congenital anomalies. Immunology studies explore immune responses in HIV and Leishmaniasis, whilst mycology investigates the biotechnological potential of fungi from the cerrado biome. Parasitology research evaluates treatment efficacy against vectors parasites such as Aedes aegypti and Toxoplasma gondii. Pathology articles discuss intentional intoxication in cattle and the influence of curcumin on acute kidney injury therapy. Collective health studies focus on intervention plan development in healthcare settings and pesticide use in horticulture. Lastly, virology research investigates parvovirus occurrence in hospitalised children during the COVID-19 pandemic, hidden hepatitis B virus infection in inmates, and the prevalence of HPV and HTLV-1/2 infections in specific populations.
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This publication presents Peru's illegal wildlife trade activity before and after Covid-19 pandemic which creates a perfect conditions for zoonotic emerging infectious diseases such as SARS-CoV-2 to emerge and spread among animals and people, thus recommendations to prevent this scenario are highlighted.
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Objective: To analyze the epidemic characteristics of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases aged 60 years or older during the outbreak epidemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron variant in Sanya City, Hainan Province, August-September 2022, and to provide scientific and effective basis for formulating strategies for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 in the elderly in the future. Methods: The data of 1 785 COVID-19 cases aged 60 years reported from August 1 to September 8, 2022 in Sanya City, and 537 local COVID-19 inpatients aged 60 years treated in Sanya Central Hospital were collected and analyzed using WPS Office 2018 software for data cleaning, database assistance, and drawing, and SPSS 22.0 software was used to statistically describe and analyze the counting data. Results: A total of 1 785 local COVID-19 cases aged 60 years were reported in China's Disease Prevention and Control Information System, including 1 509 confirmed cases (84.54%) and 276 asymptomatic cases (15.46%). Of the confirmed cases, 1 448 were mild cases (95.96%), 40 were common cases (2.65%), 10 were severe cases (0.66%), and 11 were critical cases (0.73%), and no deaths were reported. The ratio of male to female was 0.88:1. The youngest was 60 years old, the oldest age was 107 years old, with a median age of 67 years old. Most of them (1 559 cases, 87.34%) were non-social employed personnel. Among them, 952 (53.33%) were from Tianya District and 733 (41.06%) from Jiyang District. Among the 537 COVID-19 elderly infected patients hospitalized in Sanya Central Hospital, infected patients with underlying diseases accounted for 287 (53.45%) cases of hypertension, diabetes and other types of basic diseases (chronic kidney disease, hyperlipidemia, chronic gastritis, gastric ulcer, etc.), and there were serious infections. Conclusions: Most of the elderly infected with Omicron variants were mild cases with few symptoms, but the elderly infected with Omicron variants were difficult to recover or even worsen the condition due to old age and underlying diseases. Therefore, by analyzing the various aspects of elderly infected cases, scientific and effective basis can be provided to prevent and control the epidemic situation in the future, and reduce the occurrence of severe, critical and death cases of COVID-19 in the elderly.
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The emergence of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variant Omicron (B.1.1.529) has been a cause for serious concern worldwide due to its high rate of transmission and number of mutations. During genomic studies in South Africa and Botswana in November 2021, a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 was identified associated with a rapid resurgence of infections in Gauteng Province, South Africa. Omicron variant was identified as a type of concern by the World Health Organization after sequence uploads of the first genome. It was subsequently identified in 87 countries within three weeks. The Omicron variant is a very exceptional virus carrying more than 30 mutations in the spike glycoprotein that are predicted to affect antibody neutralization and spike function. Omicron is highly contagious and spreads faster than previous variants, but may cause less severe symptoms than previous variants. Omicron variant can evade the immune system. It can also evade the vaccine responses developed against COVID-19. Rapid and careful preventive steps, including vaccination, will always be a key for suppression of the Omicron variant. This review summarizes the highly mutated regions, core infectiousness, vaccine elimination, and antibody resistance of the Omicron variant of SARSCoV-2.
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SARS-CoV-2 virus emerged in January 2020 in Korea, and the COVID-19 pandemic changed quarantine policy, personal hygiene awareness, social contact policy, and so on. Therefore, prevalence of diseases has also changed. We investigated the prevalence of 16 respiratory viruses during the COVID-19 pandemic period. We analyzed 20,513 sputum specimens of patients with acute respiratory symptoms from over 350 hospitals in southwest region of Korea for 2 years (July 2020-June 2022) to determine positive rates of detection using the Allplex Respiratory Panel 1/2/3 (Seegene, Republic of Korea) which is a multiplex real-time PCR assay by month. The positive rate of most respiratory viruses was less than 5% at the early period (July 2020-June 2021) of COVID-19 pandemic, except for adenovirus, human rhinovirus and human bocavirus (hBoV). The positive rate of most respiratory viruses tends to decrease during the period of rapid increase in the number of COVID-19 infections except for coronavirus OC43 and hBoV. The positive rates of respiratory syncytial virus A, respiratory syncytial virus B, and parainfluenza virus 3 increased during the cold season just before the rapid increase in the number of COVID-19 infections. Influenza virus positivity was very low (<2%) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The low positive rate of most respiratory viruses in the early period of the COVID-19 pandemic may be related to strict quarantine policy at that time. The patterns of outbreaks of other respiratory viruses vary from virus to virus during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rapid increase in the number of COVID-19 infections during the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the prevalence of other respiratory viruses. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of International Journal of Infectious Diseases is the property of Elsevier B.V. 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.)