RESUMEN
The media is a valuable pathway for transforming people's attitudes towards conservation issues. Understanding how bats are framed in the media is hence essential for bat conservation, particularly considering the recent fearmongering and misinformation about the risks posed by bats. We reviewed bat-related articles published online no later than 2019 (before the recent COVID19 pandemic), in 15 newspapers from the five most populated countries in Western Europe. We examined the extent to which bats were presented as a threat to human health and the assumed general attitudes towards bats that such articles supported. We quantified press coverage on bat conservation values and evaluated whether the country and political stance had any information bias. Finally, we assessed their terminology and, for the first time, modelled the active response from the readership based on the number of online comments. Out of 1095 articles sampled, 17% focused on bats and diseases, 53% on a range of ecological and conservation topics, and 30% only mention bats anecdotally. While most of the ecological articles did not present bats as a threat (97%), most articles focusing on diseases did so (80%). Ecosystem services were mentioned on very few occasions in both types (< 30%), and references to the economic benefits they provide were meagre (< 4%). Disease-related concepts were recurrent, and those articles that framed bats as a threat were the ones that garnered the highest number of comments. Therefore, we encourage the media to play a more proactive role in reinforcing positive conservation messaging by presenting the myriad ways in which bats contribute to safeguarding human well-being and ecosystem functioning.
Asunto(s)
COVID-19 , Quirópteros , Animales , Humanos , Ecosistema , Europa (Continente) , ComunicaciónRESUMEN
INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) causes high mortality in elderly patients. Some studies have shown a benefit of statin treatment in the evolution of this disease. Since there are no similar publications in this population group, the aim of this study is to analyze in-hospital mortality in relation to preadmission treatment with statins in an exclusively elderly population of octogenarian patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A single-center retrospective cohort study was performed including a total of 258 patients ≥80 years with hospital admission for confirmed COVID-19 between March 1 and May 31, 2020. They were divided into two groups: taking statins prior to admission (n=129) or not (n=129). RESULTS: In-hospital mortality due to COVID-19 in patients ≥80 years (86.13±4.40) during the first wave was 35.7% (95% CI: 30.1-41.7%). Mortality in patients previously taking statins was 25.6% while in those not taking statins was 45.7%. Female sex (RR 0.62 [0.44-0.89]; p=0.008), diabetes (RR 0.61 [0.41-0.92]; p=0.017) and pre-admission treatment with statins (RR 0.58 95% CI [0.41-0.83]; p=0.003) were associated with lower in-hospital mortality. Severe lung involvement was associated with increased in-hospital mortality (RR 1.45 95% CI [1.04-2.03]; p=0.028). Hypertension, obesity, age, cardiovascular disease and a higher Charlson index did not, however, show influence on in-hospital mortality. CONCLUSIONS: In octogenarian patients treated with statins prior to admission for COVID-19 in the first wave, lower in-hospital mortality was observed.
RESUMEN
Antecedentes y objetivos: La COVID-19 (Coronavirus disease 2019) produce una elevada mortalidad en pacientes ancianos. Algunos estudios han señalado un beneficio del tratamiento con estatinas en la evolución de esta enfermedad. El objetivo de este estudio es analizar la mortalidad intrahospitalaria en relación al tratamiento previo al ingreso con estatinas en una población de pacientes octogenarios, ya que no existen estudios específicamente en este grupo de población. Materiales y métodos: Se realizó un estudio de cohortes retrospectivo unicéntrico incluyendo un total de 258 pacientes ≥80 años con ingreso hospitalario por COVID-19 confirmada, entre el 1 de Marzo y el 31 de Mayo de 2020. Se dividieron en dos grupos: toma de estatinas previas al ingreso (n=129) o no (n=129). Resultados: La mortalidad intrahospitalaria por COVID-19 en pacientes ≥80 años (86.13+-4.40) durante la primera ola fue del 35.7% (IC 95%:30.1%-41.7%). La mortalidad de los pacientes que tomaban previamente estatinas fue del 25.6% mientras que la de aquellos que no las tomaban fue del 45.7%. El sexo femenino (RR 0.62 IC 95%[0.44-0.89];p 0.008), la diabetes (RR 0.61 IC 95% [0.41-0.92];p 0.017) y el tratamiento previo al ingreso con estatinas (RR 0.58 IC 95% [0.41-0.83];p 0.003) se asociaron a una menor mortalidad intrahospitalaria. La afectación pulmonar grave se asoció a un aumento de la mortalidad intrahospitalaria (RR 1.45 IC 95% [1.04-2.03];p 0.028). La hipertensión arterial, la obesidad, la edad, la enfermedad cardiovascular y un mayor índice de Charlson no mostraron sin embargo influencia sobre la mortalidad intrahospitalaria. Conclusiones: En pacientes octogenarios tratados con estatinas previo al ingreso por COVID-19 se observó una menor mortalidad intrahospitalaria en la primera ola.