Commentary: Educational Policies in Pandemic Times. A View from Latin America

Most countries in the world closed their educational centers and maintained classes online to prevent the spread of the virus SARSV-Cov-2. Latin America is not an exception. Estimates of the transmission dynamics of the pandemic indicate the application of actions that will affect educational contexts for years. This piece reflects on necessary changes in educational policies to take account of the current setting of COVID-19. We focus this reflection from a Latino American perspective, but it is not exclusive. The discussion can be useful to other countries with similar characteristics. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Journal of Latinos & Education 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.)

Opportunistic oppression: U.S. migration restrictions and public health policy during the COVID-19 pandemic

As the COVID-19 pandemic swept the world in Spring 2020, the Trump administration invoked war against the coronavirus to severely restrict admission of migrants and asylum seekers into the United States. At the same time, it declined to enact national measures to control viral community spread and sharply criticised public health policies. We analyse this notable inconsistency as a case of opportunistic oppression whereby policymakers take advantage of a crisis to pursue pre-existing, and often unrelated, policy preferences. We identify how the securitisation of health and the crisis-enabled politics of enmity allowed the Trump administration to cynically erode migrant human rights protections while simultaneously failing to contain the pandemic. Opportunistic oppression represents an attractive strategy for states facing real and imagined emergencies to pursue political agendas that are not necessarily part of a coherent and effective response to the crisis at hand. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of International Journal of Human Rights is the property of Routledge 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.)

Evidence for Human-to-Human Transmission of Hantavirus: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Hantavirus is known to be transmitted from rodents to humans. However, some reports from Argentina and Chile have claimed that the hantavirus strain Andes virus (ANDV) can cause human-to-human transmission of the disease. The aim of this systematic review was to assess the evidence for human-to-human transmission of hantavirus. METHODS: We searched PubMed (inception to 28 February 2021), Cochrane Central, Embase, LILACS and SciELO (inception to 3 July 2020), and other sources. We included studies that assessed whether interpersonal contact with a person with laboratory-confirmed hantavirus infection led to human-to-human transmission. Two reviewers conducted screening, selection, data extraction, and risk of bias assessment. RESULTS: Twenty-two studies met the inclusion criteria. Meta-analysis was not possible due to heterogeneity. With the exception of 1 prospective cohort study of ANDV in Chile with serious risk of bias, evidence from comparative studies (strongest level of evidence available) does not support human-to-human transmission of hantavirus infection. Noncomparative studies with a critical risk of bias suggest that human-to-human transmission of ANDV may be possible. CONCLUSIONS: The balance of the evidence does not support the claim of human-to-human transmission of ANDV. Well-designed cohort and case-control studies that control for co-exposure to rodents are needed to inform public health recommendations.

[Translated article] SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Patients With or at Risk for Venereal Infections: Incidence and Associated Factors in a Sexual Health Clinic.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: SARS-CoV-2 is more easily spread by close contact, which is inherent to sexual intercourse. People with, or at risk for, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) may therefore have higher rates of COVID-19. The aim of this study was to estimate SARS-CoV-2 antibody seroprevalence in people seen at a dedicated STI clinic, compare our findings to the estimated seroprevalence in the local general population, and study factors associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection in this setting. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Cross-sectional observational study including consecutive patients older than 18 years of age who had not yet been vaccinated against COVID-19 and who underwent examination or screening at a dedicated municipal STI clinic in March and April 2021. We ordered rapid SARS-CoV-2 serology and collected information on demographic, social, and sexual variables, STI diagnoses, and history of symptoms compatible with SARS-CoV-2 infection. RESULTS: We studied 512 patients (37% women). Fourteen (24.2%) had a positive SARS-CoV-2 test. Variables associated with positivity were use of FFP2 masks (odds ratio 0.50) and a higher-than-average number of sexual partners (odds ratio 1.80). Use of FFP2 masks was not randomly distributed in this sample. CONCLUSIONS: Sexually active members of the population in this study had a higher incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection than the general population. The main route of infection in this group appears to be respiratory, linked to close contact during sexual encounters; sexual transmission of the virus is probably limited.

Knowledge, attitude and adherence to standard precautions among frontline clinical physiotherapists during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional survey

Purpose: To investigate the knowledge of pathology and prevention of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), attitude towards clinical practice, and adherence to standard precautions among clinical physiotherapists during the pandemic. Material(s) and Method(s): A snowballing method was used to recruit physiotherapists (across 53 countries) who responded to a newly designed and validated survey on the participants’demographics, knowledge of COVID-19, attitude, practices, and standard precaution adherence during the pandemic. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Cronbach’s Alpha, Pearson’s correlation, and ANOVA. Result(s): All participants (n = 2550, 100%) were knowledgeable on COVID-19 symptomatology. However, only (n = 312, 12.2%) were actively involved in the management of confirmed cases. The percentage score of participants’knowledge regarding COVID-19 pathology, and prevention, their attitude, and adherence to standard precautions averaged 77.73 ±10.11, 89.70 ±9.26, 77.44 ±7.04, and 61.59 ±16.63, respectively. Knowledge about COVID-19 pathology differed significantly across demographic variables (p <0.001, Ƞ2 ≤0.07). Most participants (n = 1936, 75.9%) reported an inadequate supply of personal protective equipment (PPE). Conclusion(s): Participants had good knowledge of COVID-19 pathology and a positive attitude towards safe clinical practice. However, adherence to standard precautions was suboptimal due to inadequate infectious disease training and PPE supply.Copyright © 2021 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor &Francis Group.

COVID-19 and pregnancy. Review and update / COVID-19 and pregnancy. Review and update / COVID-19 y embarazo. Revisión y actualización

RESUMEN Objetivo . Buscar toda la información y evidencia disponible sobre el SARS-CoV-2 -que surgió en estos primeros 4 meses de 2020y el embarazo. Metodología . Revisión sistemática en las bases de datos PubMed y Google Scholar, hasta el 25 de abril de 2020. Se buscó artículos publicados relacionados con mujeres embarazadas infectadas con SARS-CoV-2. No hubo restricción de idioma. La búsqueda se extendió a las referencias de los artículos encontrados. Resultados . La enfermedad COVID-19 en mujeres embarazadas se caracteriza porque más del 90% de las pacientes evoluciona en forma leve, 2% requiere ingresar a las unidades de cuidados intensivos. Una muerte materna ha sido reportada. La prematuridad es alrededor de 25%, con predominio de recién nacidos prematuros tardíos; aproximadamente el 9% se complica con rotura prematura de membranas; la mortalidad perinatal es baja o similar a la de la población general y no se ha demostrado la transmisión vertical. Conclusiones . Los ginecólogos obstetras deben prepararse para atender cada vez más casos con COVID-19 y, por lo tanto, es necesario tener su conocimiento. La enfermedad evoluciona de la misma manera que en las no embarazadas, genera mayor prematuridad, no se ha demostrado la transmisión vertical, pero hay altas posibilidades de transmisión horizontal durante el parto vaginal.

ABSTRACT Objective : To search for all the information and available evidence on infection with SARS-CoV-2, a virus that appeared during the first 4 months of 2020, and pregnancy. Methods : Systematic review in PubMed and Google Scholar databases until April 25, 2020. We searched for published articles related to pregnant women infected with SARS-CoV-2. There was no language restriction. The search was extended to the references of the articles found. Results : In pregnant women with COVID-19, more than 90% of patients evolve mildly, 2% require intensive care. One maternal death has been reported. Prematurity occurs in approximately 25% of the cases, with predominance of late preterm infants; premature rupture of membranes presents in about 9%. Perinatal mortality is lower or similar to that of the general population, and vertical transmission has not been shown. Conclusions : Obstetrician-gynecologists must prepare to attend more cases with COVID-19 and therefore they need to know this disease. COVID-19 progresses similarly in pregnant and non-pregnant women, although it is associated to prematurity. While vertical transmission has not been demonstrated, horizontal transmission during vaginal birth is very likely.

Pregnant women with coronavirus disease 2019 and intrauterine vertical transmission: a systematic review / Gestantes con enfermedad por coronavirus 2019 y transmisión vertical intrauterina: una revisión sistemática

Resumen Introducción . La enfermedad por coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) es una enfermedad de las vías respiratorias potencialmente severa, producida por el coronavirus tipo 2 causante del síndrome respiratorio agudo grave (SARS-CoV-2). La transmisión intrauterina de la madre al feto es un motivo de debate. Objetivo. Identificar la evidencia disponible de transmisión vertical intrauterina en la gestante con COVID-19. Metodología. Revisión sistemática utilizando los términos: "Vertical transmission" AND "COVID-19" OR "SARS-CoV-2". Las bases de datos consultadas fueron MEDLINE/PubMed, Science Direct, Clinical Key, LILACS, SciELO, Google Scholar, medRxiv y SciELO Preprints. Resultados . Se identificaron 30 estudios que cumplieron los criterios de selección e incluían 476 gestantes. La infección se encontró en 9 neonatos (1,9%), el hisopado faríngeo en ellos se hizo dentro de las 48 horas del nacimiento. En 4 de ellos no se buscó la presencia del virus en otros tejidos y fluidos maternos, mientras que en los 5 casos restantes se identificó el ARN en la placenta de tres de ellos, en dos se encontró en el líquido amniótico y en uno en el canal vaginal. Los estudios fueron muy heterogéneos; así podemos mencionar la variedad de la población reportada, el número de muestras y momento de la toma en los neonatos, la falta de muestreo en los tejidos y fluidos maternos. Conclusiones . La transmisión vertical intrauterina del SARS-CoV-2 no ha sido demostrada de forma contundente debido a que la mayoría de las gestantes con la enfermedad ha tenido neonatos con la prueba molecular negativa (98,1%). Sin embargo, la heterogeneidad de los estudios tampoco permite descartar esta posibilidad.

ABSTRACT Introduction: Coronavirus disease 2019, also called COVID-19, is a potentially severe respiratory disease originated by the type 2 coronavirus that causes severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV-2). Intrauterine transmission from mother to fetus is a matter of debate. Objective: To identify the available evidence of vertical intrauterine transmission in pregnant women with COVID-19. Methodology: A systematic review was performed using the terms: "Vertical transmission" AND "COVID-19" OR "SARSCoV-2" NOT "Review *". The databases consulted were MEDLINE/PubMed, Science Direct, Clinical Key, LILACS, SciELO, Google Scholar, medRxiv and SciELO Preprints. Results: Thirty primary studies met the selection criteria and included 476 pregnant women. Infection was found in 9 neonates (1.9%) in whom pharyngeal swabs were done within 48 hours of birth. In four of them the presence of the virus was not looked for in other maternal tissues and fluids; in the remaining 5 cases, the virus RNA was identified in the placenta of three of them, in two it was found in the amniotic fluid and in one in vaginal secretion. Studies were very heterogeneous, with great variety of the reported population, the number of samples and time of collection in neonates, the lack of sampling in maternal tissues and fluids. Conclusions: Vertical intrauterine transmission of SARS-CoV-2 has not been conclusively demonstrated in pregnant women with COVID-19 as the majority of patients with the disease had newborns with negative molecular test (98,1%). The heterogeneity of the studies does not allow to rule out this possibility either.

Influence of Lived Experiences on Public Responses to Future Diseases via (De)Sensitization of Concern.

OBJECTIVES: Public responses to a future novel disease might be influenced by a subset of individuals who are either sensitized or desensitized to concern-generating processes through their lived experiences during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Such influences may be critical for shaping public health messaging during the next emerging threat. METHODS: This study explored the potential outcomes of the influence of lived experiences by using a dynamic multiplex network model to simulate a COVID-19 outbreak in a population of 2000 individuals, connected by means of disease and communication layers. Then a new disease was introduced, and a subset of individuals (50% or 100% of hospitalized during the COVID-19 outbreak) was assumed to be either sensitized or desensitized to concern-generating processes relative to the general population, which alters their adoption of non-pharmaceutical interventions (social distancing). RESULTS: Altered perceptions and behaviors from lived experiences with COVID-19 did not necessarily result in a strong mitigating effect for the novel outbreak. When public disease response is already strong or sensitization is assumed to be a robust effect, then a sensitized subset may enhance public mitigation of an outbreak through social distancing. CONCLUSIONS: In preparing for future outbreaks, assuming an experienced and disease-aware public may compromise effective design of effective public health messaging and mitigative action.

SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients with or at risk for venereal infections: Incidence and associated factors in a sexual health clinic. / Infección por SARS-CoV-2 en pacientes con o en riesgo de infecciones venéreas: estudio de su incidencia y factores asociados en un centro monográfico de infecciones de transmisión sexual.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: SARS-CoV-2 is more easily spread by close contact, which is inherent to sexual intercourse. People with, or at risk for, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) may therefore have higher rates of COVID-19. The aim of this study was to estimate SARS-CoV-2 antibody seroprevalence in people seen at a dedicated STI clinic, compare our findings to the estimated seroprevalence in the local general population, and study factors associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection in this setting. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Cross-sectional observational study including consecutive patients older than 18 years of age who had not yet been vaccinated against COVID-19 and who underwent examination or screening at a dedicated municipal STI clinic in March and April 2021. We ordered rapid SARS-CoV-2 serology and collected information on demographic, social, and sexual variables, STI diagnoses, and history of symptoms compatible with SARS-CoV-2 infection. RESULTS: We studied 512 patients (37% women). Fourteen (24.2%) had a positive SARS-CoV-2 test. Variables associated with positivity were use of FFP2 masks (odds ratio 0.50) and a higher-than-average number of sexual partners (odds ratio 1.80). Use of FFP2 masks was not randomly distributed in this sample. CONCLUSIONS: Sexually active members of the population in this study had a higher incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection than the general population. The main route of infection in this group appears to be respiratory, linked to close contact during sexual encounters; sexual transmission of the virus is probably limited.

Clinical features of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 Omicron variant infection in mother-infant dyads during lactation

Objective To summarize the clinical features, viral load changes, and outcomes of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron variant infection in mother-infant dyads during lactation period. Methods A total of 24 pairs of lactating mothers and infants under one year old who were infected with SARS-CoV-2 and hospitalized in Lingang Branch of Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital from April 8 to May 30, 2022, were selected as the lactation group in this retrospective study. Another 24 non-lactating mothers, with children of one to three years old, who matched with those mothers in the lactation group in clinical classification and admission date were selected as the control group. Vaccination status, clinical symptoms, daily cycle threshold (Ct) of open reading frame 1ab (ORF1ab) gene and nucleocapsid protein (N) gene, and the duration of positive nucleic acid test were compared between the groups and were analyzed using two independent samples t test, one-way analysis of variance, LSD test, and Chi-square test. Results Among the 24 infants in the lactation group with an age of (6.5±2.1) months, 23 cases were mild type, one was common, and none had been vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2. The maternal age of the lactation and the control group did not differ statistically [(28.7±6.4) vs (28.2±5.2) years, t=0.30, P=0.768]. Mothers with mild type accounted for 88% (21/24) and those with common for 12% (3/24) in both groups of mothers. Three mothers received one dose of vaccine and two received two in the lactation group, while three received one dose and three received two in the control group [21%(5/24) vs 25%(6/24), χ2=0.12, P=0.731]. The most common symptoms of lactating infants were fever (100%, 24/24), followed by diarrhea (58%, 14/24), cough (50%, 12/24), and wheeze (29%, 7/24), those of the lactating mothers were fever (75%, 18/24), cough (75%, 18/24), and sore throat (63%, 15/24), while those of non-lactating mothers were cough (88%, 21/ 24), sore throat (71%, 17/24), and fever (58%, 14/24). The duration of positive nucleic acid test was the shortest in the lactating infants [(9.2±2.1) d (5-14 d)], followed by mothers in the control group [(11.2± 2.4) d (6-16 d)] and mothers in the lactation group [(14.0±4.2) d (8-26 d)] (LSD test, all P<0.05). Each day from day 2 to 9 after diagnosis, Ct values of nucleic acid of infants in the lactation group were all higher than those of mothers in both the lactation and control groups (LSD test, all P<0.05). On day 10, Ct value of nucleic acid infants was higher than that in mothers in the lactation group (ORF1ab gene: 37.91±4.34 vs 32.79±5.47;N gene: 37.95±4.58 vs 32.66±5.77), which was lower than those in mothers in the control group (ORF1ab gene: 32.79±5.47 vs 35.90±4.17;N gene: 32.66±5.77 vs 36.08±4.16) (LSD test, all P< 0.05). On day 11, the nucleic acid Ct values of mothers in the lactation group were all lower than those in the control group (ORF1ab gene: 35.03±3.74 vs 37.84±3.26, t=－2.78, P=0.008;N gene: 35.30±3.75 vs 38.11±2.90, t=－2.90, P=0.006). On day 12, Ct value of ORF1ab gene and N gene in mothers in the lactation group were similar to those in mothers in the control group (both P>0.05). Conclusions The SARS-CoV-2 vaccination rate of mothers and infants were low during lactation. Lactating infants infected with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant have low virus load and may have a quick recovery, while for the lactating mothers, the virus load is high and the recovery is slow. © 2022 Chinese Medical Journals Publishing House Co.Ltd. All rights reserved.

Modeling and Analysis of Infectious Disease Transmission Considering Protection and Isolation.

Based on the SEIR model, two compartments for self-protection and isolation are introduced, and a more general infectious disease transmission model is proposed. Through qualitative analysis of the model, the basic reproduction number of the model is calculated, and the local asymptotic stability of the disease-free equilibrium point and the endemic equilibrium point of the model is analyzed through eigenvalue theory and Routh-Hurwitz criterion. The numerical simulation and fitting results of COVID-19 virus show that the proposed SEIQRP model can effectively describe the dynamic transmission process of the infectious disease. In the model, the three parameters, i. e. protection rate, incubation period isolation rate, and infected person isolation rate play a very critical role in the spread of the disease. Raising people' s awareness of self-protection, focusing on screening for patients in the incubation period, and isolating and treating infected people can effectively reduce the spread of infectious diseases. (English) [ FROM AUTHOR] 基于 SEIR 模型, 引入自我防护和隔离两个仓室, 提出一个更加通用的传染病传播模型. 通过对 模型进行定性分析, 计算模型的基本再生数, 通过特征值理论和 Routh - Hurwitz 判据, 分析模型的无病平衡 点和地方病平衡点的局部渐近稳定性. 数值模拟和 COVID - 19 病毒真实数据拟合结果表明, 所提出的 SEIQRP 模型能够有效地描述传染病的动态传播过程. 模型中防护率、潜伏期隔离率和感染者隔离率这三个 参数对疾病的传播起着非常关键的作用. 提高人们加强自我防护意识、重点排查潜伏期患者和对感染者进行 隔离治疗可以有效降低传染病的传播. (Chinese) [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Journal of Northeastern University (Natural Science) is the property of Dongbei Daxue Xuebao 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.)

Demographic and risk characteristics of healthcare workers infected with SARS-CoV-2 from two tertiary care hospitals in the United Arab Emirates.

BACKGROUND: Understanding the transmission dynamics of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection among healthcare workers (HCWs) and their social contacts is crucial to plan appropriate risk-reduction measures. AIM: To analyze the socio-demographic risk factors and transmission of SARS-CoV-2 infection among HCWs in two tertiary care hospitals in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. METHODS: The demographic and clinical characteristics were available for all HCWs in both facilities from the human resources department. A cross-sectional survey was conducted from January-April 2022 among HCWs who tested positive through Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction of the nasopharyngeal swab for SARS-CoV-2 between March 2020 and August 2021 in two tertiary-level hospitals. The survey included questions on demographics, work profile, characteristics of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and infection among their household or co-workers. The survey also checked the knowledge and perception of participants on the infection prevention measures related to SARS-CoV-2. RESULTS: Out of a total of 346 HCWs infected with SARS-CoV-2, 286 (82.7%) HCWs consented to participate in this study. From the sample population, 150 (52.5%) of participants were female, and a majority (230, 80.4%) were frontline HCWs, including 121 nurses (121, 42.4%). Only 48 (16.8%) participants were fully vaccinated at the time of infection. Most infected HCWs (85%) were unaware of any unprotected exposure and were symptomatic at the time of testing (225, 78.7%). Nearly half of the participants (140, 49%) had co-infection among household, and nearly one-third (29.5%) had co-infection among three or more household. Another 108 (37.8%) participants reported cross-infection among co-workers. The frontline HCWs were significantly more infected (25.1% vs 8.6%, P < 0.001) compared to non-frontline HCWs. Another significant risk factor for a high infection rate was male sex (P < 0.001). Among the infected frontline HCWs, a significantly higher proportion were male and shared accommodation with family (P < 0.001). COVID-19 vaccination significantly reduced the infection rate (83.2% vs 16.8, P < 0.001) among HCWs. Most participants (99.3%) were aware about importance of appropriate use of personal protective equipment. However, only 70% agreed with the efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccination in preventing an infection and severe disease. CONCLUSION: The risk profiling of the HCWs infected with SARS-CoV-2 found that working at frontline and being male increase the rate of infection. COVID-19 vaccination can effectively reduce the rate of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 among HCWs.

Hybrid Clinics: A New Model for Ambulatory Care to Reduce Infection Risk.

Objectives: To assess the viability of a hybrid clinic model combining in-person examination with video-based consultation to minimize viral transmission risk. Methods: Data were collected prospectively in a pediatric urology clinic for in-person visits from January to April 2018 ("classic") and hybrid visits from October to December 2020 of the COVID-19 pandemic ("hybrid"). Variables included provider, diagnosis, patient type, time of day, prior surgery, postoperative status, and decision-making for surgery. The primary outcome was "room time" or time in-person. The secondary outcome was "total time" or visit duration. Proportion of visits involving close contact (room time ≥15 min) was assessed. Univariate analyses were performed using the Wilcoxon rank-sum test and Fisher's exact test. Mixed models were fitted for visit approach and other covariates as fixed effects and provider as random effect. Results: Data were collected for 346 visits (256 classic, 90 hybrid). Hybrid visits were associated with less room time (median 3 min vs. 10 min, p < 0.001) but greater total time (median 13.5 min vs. 10 min, p = 0.001) as compared with classic visits. On multivariate analysis, hybrid visits were associated with 3 min less room time (95% confidence intervals [CIs]: -5.3 to -1.7, p < 0.001) but 3.8 min more total time (95% CI: 1.5-6.1, p = 0.001). Close contact occurred in 6.7% of hybrid visits, as compared with 34.8% of classic visits (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Hybrid clinic visits reduce room time as compared with classic visits. This approach overcomes the examination limitations of telemedicine while minimizing viral transmission, and represents a viable model for ambulatory care whenever close contact carries infection risk.

COVID-19 and gastrointestinal endoscopy-proper strategies related to pandemic changes.

The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in December 2019 was associated with new challenges in many fields of medicine. Preventing transmission of the virus and infection of professional healthcare workers became of major concern in our daily clinical practice during the pandemic. Viral particles within aerosols can be detected up to 3h after aerosolization. Recent work defined endoscopic procedures of the upper gastrointestinal tract as being aerosol-generating procedures (AGPs);thus, they can carry the possibility of transmitting airborne viruses to personnel. Because severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is primarily transmitted by aerosols and/or droplets, the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) is warranted. Guideline recommendations from the WHO and other societies were also modified early to include PPE as an infection prevention measure. The strict use of PPE has proven to be an effective prevention strategy over the 3 years since its implementation. With the introduction of vaccinations against SARS-CoV-2, increasing immunization of the population, and a changing pandemic infection pattern, the requirements for endoscopic departments in hospitals and outpatient care settings continued to change. In the postpandemic situation, there are only minor restrictions that affect the new "postpandemic reality", thus, allowing endoscopic services to be performed without major restrictions. Here, we present a review of recent and most relevant knowledge to summarize the prophylactic measures that must be taken to perform endoscopy under safe conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic.Copyright © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Medizin Verlag GmbH, ein Teil von Springer Nature.

Global transmission of COVID-19 — A gravity model approach

This paper aims to describe the spatiotemporal transmission of COVID-19 and examine how various factors influence the global spread of COVID-19 using a modified gravity model. Log-linearizing the model, we run a negative binomial regression with observational data from 22 January 2020 to 31 December 2020. In the first model, population size and GDP per capita are positively related to the sum of newly confirmed COVID-19 cases within a 10-day window;the values for both variables are statistically significant throughout the study period. However, the significance of geographic distance varies. When a single geographic source exits in the early stage, the value is statistically significant. In the intermediate stage, when disease transmission is explosive between countries, the distance loses its statistical significance due to the emergence of multiple geographic transmission sources. In the containment stage, when the spread of disease is more likely to occur within a country, distance becomes statistically significant. According to the second model, the government's internal movement control and nonpharmaceutical intervention policy, percentage of the population over 70 years old, and population-weighted density are statistically significant and are positively related to the incidence of COVID-19. By contrast, average monthly temperature, international travel restriction policies, and political regimes are statistically significant and negatively associated with the dependent variable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of International Journal of Modern Physics C: Computational Physics & Physical Computation is the property of World Scientific Publishing Company 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 abstract 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 abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Modeling and interactive simulation of measures against infection transmission

In this paper we develop an approach to modeling and simulating the process of infection transmission among individuals and the effectiveness of protective counter-measures. We base our approach on pedestrian dynamics and we implement it as an extension of the Vadere simulation framework. In order to enable a convenient simulation process for a variety of scenarios, we allow the user to interact with the simulated virtual environment (VE) during run time, for example, by dynamically opening/closing doors for room ventilation and moving/stopping agents for re-positioning their locations. We calibrate and evaluate our approach on a real-life case study—simulating COVID-19 infection transmission in two kinds of scenarios: large-scale (such as the city of Münster, Germany) and small-scale (such as the most common indoor environments—classrooms, restaurants, etc.). By using the tunable parameters of our modeling approach, we can simulate and predict the effectiveness of specific anti-COVID protective measures, such as social distancing, wearing masks, self-isolation, schools closing, etc. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Simulation is the property of Sage Publications, 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.)

Infection Prevention Considerations for a Multi-Mission Convention Center Field Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The state of Maryland identified its first case of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on March 5, 2020. The Baltimore Convention Center (BCCFH) quickly became a selected location to set up a 250-bed inpatient field hospital and alternate care site. In contrast to other field hospitals throughout the United States, the BCCFH remained open throughout the pandemic and took on additional COVID-19 missions, including community severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) diagnostic testing, monoclonal antibody infusions for COVID-19 outpatients, and community COVID-19 vaccinations.To prevent the spread of pathogens during operations, infection prevention and control guidelines were essential to ensure the safety of staff and patients. Through multi-agency collaboration, use of infection prevention best practices, and answering what we describe as PPE-ESP, an operational framework was established to reduce infection risks for those providing or receiving care at the BCCFH during the COVID-19 pandemic.

High Rate of SARS-CoV-2 Transmission Due to Choir Practice in France at the Beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: To document the case of a high transmission rate of SARS-CoV-2 generating a cluster linked to an indoor choir rehearsal hold at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in France. METHOD: Case study. Data were obtained via a questionnaire. RESULTS: Twenty-seven participants, including 25 singers, 1 conductor and 1 accompanist attended a choir practice on March 12, 2020. The practice was indoor and took place in a non ventilated space of 45 m2. No choir member reported having been symptomatic for COVID-19 between March 2 and March 12.The mean age of the participants was 66.9 (range 35-86) years. The secondary attack rate was 70%: 19/27 participants were diagnosed with COVID-19 from 1 to 12 days after the rehearsal with a median of 5.1 days. Thirty-six percent of the cases needed a hospitalization (7/19), and 21% (4/19) were admitted to an ICU. The index cases were asymptomatic and possibly multiple. CONCLUSION: In the absence of valid barrier measures to prevent COVID-19 transmission, indoor choir practice should be suspended during the SARSCoV-2 surging phases. Transmission of the virus among gatherings from asymptomatic cases is a crucial issue and a main challenge to COVID-19 control.

Stability analysis of a model of epidemic dynamics with nonlinear feedback producing recurrent infection waves

Complex dynamics characterizing human behavior in an epidemiological scenario can be modeled via a system of ordinary differential equations starting from a simple SIR (susceptible–infected–recovered) model. Here we propose a nonlinear mathematical model that describes the evolution in time of susceptible, infected and hospitalized individuals. A new variable that reflects the society's "memory" of the severity of the epidemic is introduced, and this variable feeds back on the transmission rate of the disease. The nonlinear transmission rate reflects the fact that changes (e.g., an increase) in the number of hospitalized individuals can influence the behavior of society and individuals, which would affect (reduce) the probability of transmission. Differently from the standard SIR model, the nonlinear transmission rate may lead to complex dynamics with oscillatory solutions due to a Hopf bifurcation. Such oscillations correspond to recurrent infection waves. Using two parameter bifurcation diagrams we investigate the parameter space of the model. Finally, we report two examples on how the multiple infection waves present for the COVID-19 pandemic can be fitted by our model. [ FROM AUTHOR]