Affectionate touch and diurnal oxytocin levels: An ecological momentary assessment study.

Background: Affectionate touch, which is vital for mental and physical health, was restricted during the Covid-19 pandemic. This study investigated the association between momentary affectionate touch and subjective well-being, as well as salivary oxytocin and cortisol in everyday life during the pandemic. Methods: In the first step, we measured anxiety and depression symptoms, loneliness and attitudes toward social touch in a large cross-sectional online survey (N = 1050). From this sample, N = 247 participants completed ecological momentary assessments over 2 days with six daily assessments by answering smartphone-based questions on affectionate touch and momentary mental state, and providing concomitant saliva samples for cortisol and oxytocin assessment. Results: Multilevel models showed that on a within-person level, affectionate touch was associated with decreased self-reported anxiety, general burden, stress, and increased oxytocin levels. On a between-person level, affectionate touch was associated with decreased cortisol levels and higher happiness. Moreover, individuals with a positive attitude toward social touch experiencing loneliness reported more mental health problems. Conclusions: Our results suggest that affectionate touch is linked to higher endogenous oxytocin in times of pandemic and lockdown and might buffer stress on a subjective and hormonal level. These findings might have implications for preventing mental burden during social contact restrictions. Funding: The study was funded by the German Research Foundation, the German Psychological Society, and German Academic Exchange Service.

Sensory training system for use at home by people with complex regional pain syndrome in England: protocol for a proof-of-concept study.

INTRODUCTION: Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a disabling and distressing chronic pain condition characterised by a range of sensory, motor, autonomic and trophic symptoms. UK guidelines recommend therapy interventions to help normalise touch perception through self-administered tactile and thermal desensitisation activities. Interventions have been developed, aiming to help individuals broaden their sensory experience, thereby relieving chronic pain. However, therapy-led interventions often experience practical constraints and poor adherence. In response, a sensory training system (STS) device has been designed for unsupervised independent home-use. METHODS: This proof-of-concept study aims to explore whether people with CRPS use the device at home for 30 minutes a day for 30 days. Secondary aims are to determine whether the STS device will change tactile acuity and perceived levels of pain intensity, pain interference, sensitivity or feelings towards the affected limb. We will seek to recruit 20 eligible participants. Participants will be asked to measure tactile acuity using a two-point discrimination assessment, complete an online questionnaire before and after use of the device and complete a daily diary. On completion of the 30-day use, participants will be invited to take part in a semi-structured interview to explore their experiences of using the device. ANALYSIS: Pain intensity and pain interference will be scored using the online Assessment Center Scoring Service or using the look-up table in the PROMIS scoring manual. The remaining questionnaire data, including tactile acuity results, and device-use data, including frequency and duration of use, will be analysed using descriptive statistics. Qualitative data will be thematically analysed. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: London-Stanmore Research Ethics Committee provided a favourable opinion on 19 April 2021 (ref 21/LO/0200). The NHS Health Research Authority, UK, approved this study on 7 June 2021. Dissemination will include peer-reviewed publications, presentations at conferences, social media and reports to the funder and patient charities. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ISRCTN89099843.

Integrating social services with disease investigation: A randomized trial of COVID-19 high-touch contact tracing.

COVID-19 exposed and exacerbated health disparities, and a core challenge has been how to adapt pandemic response and public health in light of these disproportionate health burdens. Responding to this challenge, the County of Santa Clara Public Health Department designed a model of "high-touch" contact tracing that integrated social services with disease investigation, providing continued support and resource linkage for clients from structurally vulnerable communities. We report results from a cluster randomized trial of 5,430 cases from February to May 2021 to assess the ability of high-touch contact tracing to aid with isolation and quarantine. Using individual-level data on resource referral and uptake outcomes, we find that the intervention, randomized assignment to the high-touch program, increased the referral rate to social services by 8.4% (95% confidence interval, 0.8%-15.9%) and the uptake rate by 4.9% (-0.2%-10.0%), with the most pronounced increases in referrals and uptake of food assistance. These findings demonstrate that social services can be effectively combined with contact tracing to better promote health equity, demonstrating a novel path for the future of public health.

Lost Touch? Implications of Physical Touch for Physical Health.

OBJECTIVES: Growing research on the impact of physical touch on health has revealed links to lower blood pressure, higher oxytocin levels, and better sleep, but links to inflammation have not been fully explored. Physical touch may also buffer stress, underscoring its importance during the stressful time of living in the COVID-19 global pandemic-a time that has substantially limited social interactions and during which physical touch has been specifically advised against. METHOD: We analyze nationally representative longitudinal data on older adults (N = 1,124) from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project using cross-lagged path models. RESULTS: More frequent physical touch is significantly related to a lower likelihood of subsequent elevated inflammation. DISCUSSION: These findings highlight the importance of finding safe ways to incorporate physical touch, even in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Longing for Touch and Quality of Life during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

To combat the spread of the COVID-19, regulations were introduced to limit physical interactions. This could induce a longing for touch in the general population and subsequently impact social, psychological, physical and environmental quality of life (QoL). The aim of this study was to investigate the potential association between COVID-19 regulations, longing for touch and QoL. A total of 1978 participants from different countries completed an online survey, including questions about their general wellbeing and the desire to be touched. In our sample, 83% of participants reported a longing for touch. Longing for touch was subsequently associated with a lower physical, psychological and social QoL. No association was found with environmental QoL. These findings highlight the importance of touch for QoL and suggest that the COVID-19 regulations have concurrent negative consequences for the wellbeing of the general population.

Face touch monitoring using an instrumented wristband using dynamic time warping and k-nearest neighbours.

One of the main factors in controlling infectious diseases such as COVID-19 is to prevent touching preoral and prenasal regions. Face touching is a habitual behaviour that occurs frequently. Studies showed that people touch their faces 23 times per hour on average. A contaminated hand could transmit the infection to the body by a facial touch. Since controlling this spontaneous habit is not easy, this study aimed to develop and validate a technology to detect and monitor face touch using dynamic time warping (DTW) and KNN (k-nearest neighbours) based on a wrist-mounted inertial measurement unit (IMU) in a controlled environment and natural environment trials. For this purpose, eleven volunteers were recruited and their hand motions were recorded in controlled and natural environment trials using a wrist-mounted IMU. Then the sensitivity, precision, and accuracy of our developed technology in detecting the face touch were evaluated. It was observed that the sensitivity, precision, and accuracy of the DTW-KNN classifier were 91%, 97%, and 85% in controlled environment trials and 79%, 92%, and 79% in natural environment trials (daily life). In conclusion, a wrist-mounted IMU, widely available in smartwatches, could detect the face touch with high sensitivity, precision, and accuracy and can be used as an ambulatory system to detect and monitor face touching as a high-risk habit in daily life.

Efficacy of detergent-based cleaning and wiping against SARS-CoV-2 on high-touch surfaces.

Efficacy of cleaning methods against SARS-CoV-2 suspended in either 5% soil load (SARS-soil) or simulated saliva (SARS-SS) was evaluated immediately (hydrated virus, T0) or 2 hours post-contamination (dried virus, T2). Hard water dampened wiping (DW) of surfaces, resulted in 1.77-3.91 log reduction (T0) or 0.93-2.41 log reduction (T2). Incorporating surface pre-wetting by spraying with a detergent solution (D + DW) or hard water (W + DW) just prior to dampened wiping did not unilaterally increase efficacy against infectious SARS-CoV-2, however, the effect was nuanced with respect to surface, viral matrix, and time. Cleaning efficacy on porous surfaces (seat fabric, SF) was low. W + DW on stainless steel (SS) was as effective as D + DW for all conditions except SARS-soil at T2 on SS. DW was the only method that consistently resulted in > 3-log reduction of hydrated (T0) SARS-CoV-2 on SS and ABS plastic. These results suggest that wiping with a hard water dampened wipe can reduce infectious virus on hard non-porous surfaces. Pre-wetting surfaces with surfactants did not significantly increase efficacy for the conditions tested. Surface material, presence or absence of pre-wetting, and time post-contamination affect efficacy of cleaning methods.

Impact on touch DNA of an alcohol-based hand sanitizer used in COVID-19 prevention.

In the last years, forensic research has been focused on touch DNA in order to improve its evidential value in criminal activity investigations as well as to understand the variables impacting touch DNA. One of the emerging variables is represented by the use of alcohol-based sanitizers, which was suggested for hand hygiene during the COVID-19 pandemic. The aims of the present study were to assess the effect of a hand sanitizer on touch DNA deposition, transfer, and recovery and also to evaluate STR typing success, quality of DNA profiles, and personal identification. Before and after the use of an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, 20 volunteers deposited on glass surfaces 120 fingerprints, containing skin-derived or salivary DNA. Samples were quantified by real-time quantitative PCR (q-PCR), and 76 samples yielding > 15 pg/µl were typed for 21 autosomal STRs by GlobalFiler® PCR Amplification Kit. DNA profiles were classified into single source, mixed, and inconclusive profiles, and a LR assessment was performed by comparison to the reference samples using LRmix Studio software. After the use of hand sanitizer, samples yielded lower quantities of recovered transferred DNA, especially considering samples containing salivary DNA (p < 0.05 by Friedman test). All the 76 amplified samples (63.3% of the total) showed at least 10 typed loci, and 83-100% of profiles were consistent with the reference ones on the basis of a LR value ≥ 106. Results showed that, although the hand sanitizer reduces the DNA recovering, touch DNA samples might still be useful for forensic personal identification even when hand sanitizers are used.

To End Workplace Violence, Integrate High-Tech With High-Touch.

A leader should create an environment in which everyone feels safe. Yet, there is a rising, deadly epidemic in healthcare on the heels of the COVID-19 pandemic: workplace violence. Healthcare workers, particularly nurses, are at a far higher risk of violence on the job compared with most other professions. Leaders have the power to reverse this trend by sounding the alarm, doubling down on their commitment to workplace safety organization-wide, and taking a comprehensive approach that integrates high-tech with high-touch strategies.

[Educating to properly close the toilet knob taps or to replace them]. / Educare a chiudere in modo corretto i rubinetti a manopola del bagno o a sostituirli.

Systematic reviews have shown a prevalence close to 20% of gastrointestinal symptoms in COVID-19 positive patients, with nearly 40% of patients shedding viral RNA in their faeces, even if it may not be infectious, possibly because of inactivation by colonic fluid.According to current evidence, this virus is primarily transmitted by respiratory droplets and contact routes, including contaminated surfaces. The virus is quite stable on stainless steel, being detected up to 48-72 hours after application. Therefore, some individuals can be infected touching common contaminated surfaces, such as bathroom taps. Taps can be underestimated critical points in the transmission chain of the infection. Indeed, just by turning the knob, people leave germs on it, especially after coughing over their hands, sneezing, and/or blowing their nose. After handwashing with soap, user take back their germs when turning the knob. Paradoxically, the following user collects the germs back on his/her fingers by implementing a preventive measure, maybe before putting food into the mouth or wearing contact lenses.The Italian National Institute of Health recommends to clean and disinfect high-touched surfaces, but it is unrealistic and inefficient to do so after each tap use. As an alternative, new toilets should install long elbow-levers - or at least short levers - provided that people are educated to close them with the forearm or the side of the hand. This is already a standard measure in hospitals, but it is particularly important also in high-risk communities, such as retirement homes and prisons. It would be important also in schools, in workplaces, and even in families, contributing to the prevention both of orofaecal and respiratory infections.In the meantime, people should be educated to close existing knobs with disposable paper towel wipes or with toilet paper sheets.

"Let me touch him": Perceptions and experiences of family caregivers of nursing home residents during the COVID-19 outbreak in Israel.

Older adults in nursing homes were particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 morbidity and mortality worldwide. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, visitations in nursing homes were restricted. The present study examined the perceptions and experiences of family caregivers of nursing home residents during the COVID-19 crisis in Israel and their coping strategies. Online focus group interviews were held with 16 family caregivers of nursing home residents. Three main categories were identified through Grounded Theory techniques: (a) Anger and decreased trust in nursing homes; (b) Perception of the residents as victims of the nursing home policy; (c) Coping strategies at different levels. The outbreak redefined family caregivers' understanding of their role. Practical implications include making the voice of the family caregivers heard, identifying effective coping strategies, and creating a dialogue between family caregivers, nursing home managements, and staff.

Actual conditions of person-to-object contact and a proposal for prevention measures during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This study focused on human contact behavior with objects and discussed countermeasures during the COVID-19 pandemic across 15 location types. Reducing contact with objects and disinfecting items can be implemented at a relatively low cost. We created a protocol for organizing the objects, and 1260 subjects who went outside during a day between December 3-7, 2020 in Tokyo and Kanagawa, Japan were surveyed. The participants touched 7317 objects in total; the most common objects were doors, chairs, baskets, elevator equipment, and cash. One-way analysis of variance and Scheffé's multiple comparison test showed that supermarkets had the lowest mean and median values despite having the highest number of users, contact objects, and object types. Conversely, the values for hotels were the highest, significantly higher than that for other places, excluding amusement parks, workplaces, and schools and universities. Furthermore, the long-tailed frequency distribution of the number of objects suggests that the objects touched by many individuals are limited; thus, it is important to determine the objects to be prioritized for disinfection at each location. The data and protocol could inform infection countermeasures that properly address the contact realities as they pertain to people's behavior and objects.

Tactile Biography Questionnaire: A contribution to its validation in an Italian sample.

As the interest in the beneficial effects of positive touch experiences is rapidly growing, having reliable and valid tools to its assessment is essential. The Tactile Biography Questionnaire (TBQ) allows to quantify individual differences in affective touch experiences throughout life. The aim of this article is to present a contribution to its validation in the Italian population. Data analysis were run on a sample of 2040 Italian individuals (Females = 1342, 64%) participating in an on-line survey. Confirmatory Factor Analysis and invariance analyses for gender were applied. Concurrent validity was checked using two specific subscales of the Touch Avoidance Questionnaire (TAQ-i.e., Family and Stranger). The four-dimensional structure of the TBQ was confirmed in the overall sample and by gender. Also, the TBQ showed an excellent internal consistency and a good concurrent validity with TAQ. The present study suggests that the TBQ can be used to support healthcare professionals and researchers to assess experiences of affective touch in different settings.

Cognitive and emotional regulation processes of spontaneous facial self-touch are activated in the first milliseconds of touch: Replication of previous EEG findings and further insights.

Spontaneously touching one's own face (sFST) is an everyday behavior that occurs in people of all ages, worldwide. It is-as opposed to actively touching the own face-performed without directing one's attention to the action, and it serves neither instrumental (scratching, nose picking) nor communicative purposes. These sFST have been discussed in the context of self-regulation, emotional homeostasis, working memory processes, and attention focus. Even though self-touch research dates back decades, neuroimaging studies of this spontaneous behavior are basically nonexistent. To date, there is only one electroencephalography study that analyzed spectral power changes before and after sFST in 14 participants. The present study replicates the previous study on a larger sample. Sixty participants completed a delayed memory task of complex haptic relief stimuli while distracting sounds were played. During the retention interval 44 of the participants exhibited spontaneous face touch. Spectral power analyses corroborated the results of the replicated study. Decreased power shortly before sFST and increased power right after sFST indicated an involvement of regulation of attentional, emotional, and working memory processes. Additional analyses of spectral power changes during the skin contact phase of sFST revealed that significant neurophysiological changes do not occur while skin contact is in progress but at the beginning of sFST (movement toward face and initial skin contact). The present findings clearly illustrate the complexity of sFST and that the specific trigger mechanisms and functions of this spontaneous behavior need to be further investigated in controlled, experimental studies.

Unidirectional Tactile Paving: Circulation for the Visually Impaired.

The COVID-19 pandemic heightened inequalities of universal accessibility in the built environment. The visually impaired have been affected by the lack of mobility that resulted from social distancing and physical distancing. Numerous circulation networks, from small retail shops to large-scale public spaces, have been reorganized to limit the spread of COVID-19. By assigning an orientation to each lane, unidirectional circulation networks allow for physical distancing by limiting face-to-face interactions among most pedestrians. These unidirectional networks are communicated visually, by placing flat arrows on the floor, but not through the other senses and are thus inaccessible to the visually impaired. This demonstrates a lack of universally accessible design for unidirectional circulation. We propose two designs (asymmetrical blocks and cobblestone blocks) for a novel unidirectional tactile paving which allows the visually impaired to navigate through unidirectional circulation networks by feeling tiles with their feet and/or canes.

Hot to touch: the story of the 2021 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

The 2021 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Ardem Patapoutian and David Julius for their research on receptor channels responsible for the perception of touch and temperature. Somatosensation, an overarching sense that enables us to safely interface with the physical forces around and within us, is the fourth sensory modality to be recognized by the Nobel Committee. The story of the discovery of TRP and PIEZO channels, and subsequent investigations into their myriad roles in the perception of noxious and mild temperature, touch, pain, pressure and body position, is an archetype for how translational research into human and animal health is built on a foundation of excellence in basic science.