Prosocial behavior predicts meaning in life during the COVID-19 pandemic: The longitudinal mediating role of perceived social support.

The COVID-19 pandemic was an unexpected, long-term negative event. Meaning in life has been linked to better psychological adjustment to such events. The current study uses longitudinal data collected during the COVID-19 pandemic to discover whether perceived social support mediates the relationship between six dimensions of prosocial behavior (Altruistic, Anonymous, Public, Compliant, Emotional, and Dire) and meaning in life. A sample of Chinese college students (N = 514) was tracked at three time points (T1, T2, and T3) during the COVID-19 outbreak. A cross-lagged panel model (CLPM) was used for mediation analysis. The mediation effect was found in all the dimensions of prosocial behavior except for Public prosocial behavior. We also found a longitudinal, bidirectional association between perceived social support and meaning in life. The current study contributes to the growing literature on the significance of prosocial behavior in predicting meaning in life.

Stationary distribution and probability density for a stochastic SEIR-type model of coronavirus (COVID-19) with asymptomatic carriers.

In this paper, we propose a stochastic SEIR-type model with asymptomatic carriers to describe the propagation mechanism of coronavirus (COVID-19) in the population. Firstly, we show that there exists a unique global positive solution of the stochastic system with any positive initial value. Then we adopt a stochastic Lyapunov function method to establish sufficient conditions for the existence and uniqueness of an ergodic stationary distribution of positive solutions to the stochastic model. Especially, under the same conditions as the existence of a stationary distribution, we obtain the specific form of the probability density around the quasi-endemic equilibrium of the stochastic system. Finally, numerical simulations are introduced to validate the theoretical findings.

Evaluation of Potential for Nature-Based Recreation in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau: A Spatial-Temporal Perspective

Nature-based recreation (NBR) is an important cultural ecosystem service providing human well-being from natural environments. As the most concentrated and high-quality wilderness in China, the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) has unique advantages for NBR. In this study, we designed an integrated nature-based recreation potential index (INRPI) based on four aspects: nature-based recreation resources, landscape attractiveness, recreation comfort and opportunity, and recreation reception ability. A combination of the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and entropy evaluation method was adopted to assess the NBR potential in the QTP from 2000 to 2020. The research shows that: (i) The INRPI for the QTP decreases gradually from southeast to northwest and increases slightly from 2000 to 2020. (ii) The INRPI displays a pronounced difference on either side of the Qilian-Gyirong line. The areas with very high and high potentials mainly distributed in the southeast of the line, while areas with very low and low potentials distributed in the northwest. (iii) The construction of protected areas effectively improves NBR potential. Areas of INRPI at diverse levels within protected areas obviously increased in 2020. (iv) Increasing altitude has a notable effect on INRPI, and 3000 m is a critical dividing line for the NBR in the QTP. These findings can contribute to decision-makers in guiding rational use and spatial planning of natural land and promoting sustainable recreational development.

The SARS-CoV-2 outbreak: what we know. (Coronavirus (COVID-19) collection.)

There is a current worldwide outbreak of the novel coronavirus Covid-19 (coronavirus disease 2019;the pathogen called SARS-CoV-2;previously 2019-nCoV), which originated from Wuhan in China and has now spread to 6 continents including 66 countries, as of 24:00 on March 2, 2020. Governments are under increased pressure to stop the outbreak from spiraling into a global health emergency. At this stage, preparedness, transparency, and sharing of information are crucial to risk assessments and beginning outbreak control activities. This information should include reports from outbreak site and from laboratories supporting the investigation. This paper aggregates and consolidates the epidemiology, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, treatments and preventions of this new type of coronavirus.

Structural basis for SARS-CoV-2 envelope protein recognition of human cell junction protein PALS1.

The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, has created global health and economic emergencies. SARS-CoV-2 viruses promote their own spread and virulence by hijacking human proteins, which occurs through viral protein recognition of human targets. To understand the structural basis for SARS-CoV-2 viral-host protein recognition, here we use cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) to determine a complex structure of the human cell junction protein PALS1 and SARS-CoV-2 viral envelope (E) protein. Our reported structure shows that the E protein C-terminal DLLV motif recognizes a pocket formed exclusively by hydrophobic residues from the PDZ and SH3 domains of PALS1. Our structural analysis provides an explanation for the observation that the viral E protein recruits PALS1 from lung epithelial cell junctions. In addition, our structure provides novel targets for peptide- and small-molecule inhibitors that could block the PALS1-E interactions to reduce E-mediated virulence.

Low serum calcium and phosphorus and their clinical performance in detecting COVID-19 patients.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to evaluate the clinical performance of low serum calcium and phosphorus in discriminative diagnosis of the severity of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We conducted a single-center hospital-based study and consecutively recruited 122 suspected and 104 confirmed patients with COVID-19 during January 24 to April 25, 2020. Clinical risk factors of COVID-19 were identified. The discriminative power of low calcium and phosphorus regarding the disease severity was evaluated. Low calcium and low phosphorus are more prevalent in severe or critical COVID-19 patients than moderate COVID-19 patients (odds ratio [OR], 15.07; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.59-143.18 for calcium; OR, 6.90; 95% CI, 2.43-19.64 for phosphorus). The specificity in detecting the severe or critical patients among COVID-19 patients reached 98.5% (95% CI, 92.0%-99.7%) and 84.8% (95% CI, 74.3%-91.6%) by low calcium and low phosphorus, respectively, albeit with suboptimal sensitivity. Calcium and phosphorus combined with lymphocyte count could obtain the best discriminative performance for the severe COVID-19 patients (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.80), and combined with oxygenation index was promising (AUC = 0.71). Similar discriminative performances of low calcium and low phosphorus were found between suspected and confirmed COVID-19 patient. Low calcium and low phosphorus could indicate the severity of COVID-19 patients, and may be utilized as promising clinical biomarkers for discriminative diagnosis.

Anxiety and depressive symptoms among COVID-19 patients in Jianghan Fangcang Shelter Hospital in Wuhan, China.

Fangcang shelter hospitals were established in China during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic as a countermeasure to stop the spread of the disease. To our knowledge, no research has been conducted on mental health problems among patients in Fangcang shelter hospitals. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and major influencing factors of anxiety and depressive symptoms among COVID-19 patients admitted to Fangcang shelter hospitals. From February 23, 2020, to February 26, 2020, we obtained sociodemographic and clinical characteristics information of COVID-19 patients in Jianghan Fangcang Shelter Hospital (Wuhan, China) and assessed their mental health status and sleep quality. Data were obtained with an online questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of a set of items on demographic characteristics, a set of items on clinical characteristics, the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale, Self-Rating Depression Scale, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Three hundred seven COVID-19 patients who were admitted to Jianghan Fangcang Shelter Hospital participated in this study. The prevalence of anxiety and depressive symptoms were 18.6% and 13.4%, respectively. Poor sleep quality and having ≥ two current physical symptoms were independent risk factors for anxiety symptoms. Female sex, having a family member with confirmed COVID-19, and having ≥ two current physical symptoms were independent risk factors for depressive symptoms. Anxiety and depressive symptoms were found to be common among COVID-19 patients in Fangcang Shelter Hospital, with some patients being at high risk.

The evaluation of sleep disturbances for Chinese frontline medical workers under the outbreak of COVID-19.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate sleep disturbances of Chinese frontline medical workers (FMW) under the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and make a comparison with non-FMW. METHODS: The medical workers from multiple hospitals in Hubei Province, China, volunteered to participate in this cross-sectional study. An online questionnaire, including Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS) and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), was used to evaluate sleep disturbances and mental status. Sleep disturbances were defined as PSQI>6 points or/and AIS>6 points. We compared the scores of PSQI, AIS, anxiety and depression VAS, as well as prevalence of sleep disturbances between FMW and non-FMW. RESULTS: A total of 1306 subjects (801 FMW and 505 non-FMW) were enrolled. Compared to non-FMW, FMW had significantly higher scores of PSQI (9.3 ± 3.8 vs 7.5 ± 3.7; P < 0.001; Cohen's d = 0.47), AIS (6.9 ± 4.3 vs 5.3 ± 3.8; P < 0.001; Cohen's d = 0.38), anxiety (4.9 ± 2.7 vs 4.3 ± 2.6; P < 0.001; Cohen's d = 0.22) and depression (4.1 ± 2.5 vs 3.6 ± 2.4; P = 0.001; Cohen's d = 0.21), as well as higher prevalence of sleep disturbances according to PSQI > 6 points (78.4% vs 61.0%; relative risk [RR] = 1.29; P < 0.001) and AIS > 6 points (51.7% vs 35.6%; RR = 1.45; P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: FMW have higher prevalence of sleep disturbances and worse sleep quality than non-FMW. Further interventions should be administrated for FMW, aiming to maintain their healthy condition and guarantee their professional performance in the battle against COVID-19.

Anxiety and Depression Symptoms of Patients in Fangcang Shelter Hospital During the COVID-19 Outbreak in China: a Web-Based Cross-Sectional Study (preprint)

Background The COVID-19 pandemic is a major health crisis has led to adverse mental health consequences in the general public, medical staff, and individual in self isolation. In order to stop transmission of the virus and save lives, Fangcang shelter hospitals were developed and used for the first time in China. However, there is no research on mental health problems in Fangcang shelter hospitals patients during the COVID-19 outbreak. The aim of this study was to survey the prevalence and major influencing factors of anxiety, depression among the hospitalized Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in Fangcang shelter hospital.Methods From February 23rd, 2020, to February 26th, 2020, we obtained the information of demographic data, clinical symptoms, and assessed the mental health status, sleep quality by using an online questionnaire including self-rating anxiety scale (SAS), self-rating depressive scale (SDS) and pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) at Jianghan Fangcang shelter hospital. We assessed the prevalence of anxiety, depression symptoms and poor sleep quality via the scores of SAS, SDS and PSQI. We explored the influencing factors of anxiety and depression in COVID-19 patients using multivariable logistic regression models.Results We collected data from 307 COVID-19 patients in Jianghan Fangcang shelter hospital. The prevalence of anxiety, depression symptoms were 18.6% and 13.4%, respectively. Poor Sleep quality, number of current physical symptoms ≥ 2 were independent risk factors for anxiety symptoms (P < 0.05); female, family member confirmed COVID-19, number of current physical symptoms ≥ 2 were independent risk factors for depression symptoms (P < 0.05). PSQI scores were significant positively associate with SAS scores and SDS scores (P ༜ 0.05).Conclusions Anxiety and depression are common among the COVID-19 patients in Fangcang shelter hospital. Those with more current physical symptoms, poor sleep quality are more likely to have anxiety. Females, those with their family members diagnosed with COVID-19, more current physical symptoms are more vulnerable to depression symptom. Our findings can be used to formulate targeted psychological interventions to reduce adverse psychological impacts in Fangcang shelter hospital during the outbreak of epidemic disease in the future.

The SARS-CoV-2 outbreak: What we know.

There is a current worldwide outbreak of the novel coronavirus Covid-19 (coronavirus disease 2019; the pathogen called SARS-CoV-2; previously 2019-nCoV), which originated from Wuhan in China and has now spread to 6 continents including 66 countries, as of 24:00 on March 2, 2020. Governments are under increased pressure to stop the outbreak from spiraling into a global health emergency. At this stage, preparedness, transparency, and sharing of information are crucial to risk assessments and beginning outbreak control activities. This information should include reports from outbreak site and from laboratories supporting the investigation. This paper aggregates and consolidates the epidemiology, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, treatments and preventions of this new type of coronavirus.