How the Japanese workcation embraces digital nomadic work style employees. (Special Issue: Leisure, knowledge work and the digital nomadism.)

In Japan, workcations have gained attention as a way to offset the economic damage caused to inbound tourism by the COVID-19 pandemic. Considering its aims to contribute to the local community and increase interactions with local residents, the Japanese-style workcation can be positioned as a form of digital nomadism that seeks alternatives to existing work styles. This study is based on fieldwork in Tottori Prefecture in Japan and includes interviews and participant observation. It aims to examine (1) national and local government workcation policies, (2) the development of new services and businesses that facilitate workcation, and (3) the process of introducing hybrid work in companies. Japanese-style workcation as a social design can offer solutions to problems such as the concentration of population in cities, ageing population, and declining tourism industry. The work styles and lifestyles suggested by the Japanese-style workcation should continue to be explored as an area where new tourism, social design, and community design overlap. At the same time, incorporating digital nomadism as individualism into the workcation remains a future issue.

How the Japanese workcation embraces digital nomadic work style employees

In Japan, workcations have gained attention as a way to offset the economic damage caused to inbound tourism by the COVID-19 pandemic. Considering its aims to contribute to the local community and increase interactions with local residents, the Japanese-style workcation can be positioned as a form of digital nomadism that seeks alternatives to existing work styles. This study is based on fieldwork in Tottori Prefecture in Japan and includes interviews and participant observation. It aims to examine (1) national and local government workcation policies, (2) the development of new services and businesses that facilitate workcation, and (3) the process of introducing hybrid work in companies. Japanese-style workcation as a social design can offer solutions to problems such as the concentration of population in cities, ageing population, and declining tourism industry. The work styles and lifestyles suggested by the Japanese-style workcation should continue to be explored as an area where new tourism, social design, and community design overlap. At the same time, incorporating digital nomadism as individualism into the workcation remains a future issue.

Transient endothelial injury and release of lupus anticoagulant in COVID-19

Introduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been described as an endothelial disease associated with a procoagulant state and a high prevalence of lupus anticoagulant (LA). No study has so far evaluated the persistence of endothelial injury after recovery. Purpose: We report the results of a systematic biologic assessment more than 12 weeks after the acute phase of COVID-19. Methods: Patients hospitalized for COVID-19 at Strasbourg university hospital, France, and tested positive for LA were included in the microparticles in COVID-19 (MICO) study. During the prospective follow-up, blood samples were obtained at least 12 weeks after COVID-19 diagnosis. Results: Between March 3 and May 5, 2020, 56 COVID-19 patients with positive LA were included in the study. Five patients were excluded from the analysis because of direct oral anticoagulant treatment at the time of follow-up. A total of 51 patients were included in the final analysis. The mean age was 61 years. During the acute phase of COVID-19, 38 patients (74.5%) required mechanical ventilation, 10 patients (19.7%) presented a venous thrombotic event and mean von Willebrand factor antigen (vWF:Ag) level was 409.5%. Follow-up visit was performed at a median of 144 (interquartile range 129–179) days after COVID-19 diagnosis. LA detection was positive only in three patients (5.9%) and mean level of vWF:Ag was 158.0% at the time of follow-up. No thrombotic event was observed during the follow-up phase (Fig. 1, Table 1). Conclusions: We showed disappearance of LA in a large majority of patients and a drastic decrease of vWF:Ag levels, clinically translated by the absence of thrombosis event during the follow-up. Our results suggest that endothelial dysfunction is transient in COVID-19 patients and therefore associated to a potential temporary and limited pathophysiological effect.

Post-neoliberalism, post-Covid-19 pandemic and global civil society

The neoliberal globalization drives the social, economic, cultural, and ideological worldwide processes in the 21st century, which takes precedence to the division of each nation, community, region, and the pattern of thinking, including the constructions of walls, huge numbers of refugee and emigrations, and many conflict and terrorist activities. According to a 2019 Oxfam's report, a new billionaire is created every two days and the world's 26 richest people own as much as the poorest 50 percent. By making this polarization and inequality escalate, neoliberal globalization has fueled the chronic problem of overaccumulation and militarization. This article focuses on the present of neoliberal globalization under the Covid-19 pandemic. It entails a critical reconsideration of modern capitalism, which now brings deep misery to human history, including poverty, refugees, immigration, transnational crimes, climate change and pandemic. Furthermore, fundamental human rights are violated as a consequence of the utter control of the market, competition, and deregulation by multinational companies.

Impact of Covid-19 infection in high-risk coronary patients

Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD) has been recognized as a major determinant of Covid-19 vulnerability and severity. We sought to compare demographic characteristics, clinical presentation, and outcomes for Covid-19 in a large cohort of chronic CAD patients living in Strasbourg's cluster region (Fig. 1). Methods: Follow-up was conducted by telephone interviews performed by cardiologists one month after the start of the French lockdown. The primary outcome was the composite of death or hospitalization related to Covid-19 infection. Secondary endpoints included Covid-19 related death, Covid-19 related hospitalization, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, allcause mortality, cardiovascular (CV) mortality and healthcare compliance. Results: Out of 891 patients included, twenty CAD patients (2.2%) had RT-PCR confirmed Covid-19 infection. Confirmed or suspect cases were evidenced in 48 patients (5.4%). Covid-19 patients showed lower left ventricular ejection fraction, were more frequently obese, less likely to smoke or follow lipid lowering therapy. The composite of death or hospitalization related to Covid-19 was 90%. Mortality rate was 30% among confirmed Covid-19 patients. Drugs’ discontinuation rate was low (1.1%) during the confinement. Reticence to consult a healthcare professional occurred in 6.4%. Postponement or cancellation of non-essential medical visits occurred in 15,7% (Table 1). Conclusions: Coronary patients from a large French cluster of COVID-19 showed a high risk of Covid-19 infection and worse in-hospital outcomes.

Venous thromboembolism in non-critically ill patients with COVID-19 infection

Background: Systemic coagulation activation and thrombotic complications are frequent among critically ill patients with COVID-19. Limited data are available in non-intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Purpose: To determine the incidence, risk factors and prognosis of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in non-ICU COVID-19 patients. Methods: We studied consecutive COVID-19 patients admitted to general ward at Strasbourg Hospital, France (25.02.2020–19.04.2020). The primary outcome was any VTE complication. The secondary outcome was the composite of death or transfer to ICU. Results: Among the 289 patients included (62.2 ± 17.0 years, 59.2% male), VTE occurred in 49 (17.0%). Padua prediction score for VTE was similar between VTE and non-VTE patients. VTE imaging tests were performed in 100 (34.6%) patients and VTE diagnosed in median 7 (3–11) days after admission. On-admission, time from symptom onset to admission (OR 1.07, CI 95% [1.00–1.16], P = 0.045), Improve score (OR 1.37, [1.02–1.83], P = 0.032), leukocyte count (OR 1.16, [1.06–1.27], P = 0.001) and lack of thromboprophylaxis (OR 27.85, CI 95% [9.35–82.95], P < 0.001) were independent predictors of VTE. The incidence of the composite of death or ICU transfer was 31.0% and more frequent among patients with VTE (47.9% vs. 27.9%, P = 0.01). Fever (OR 5.37, CI 95% [1.44–19.97], P = 0.012), VTE (OR 3.44, CI 95% [1.63–7.25], P = 0.001), lymphopenia (OR 0.32, 95% CI [0.15–0.71];P = 0.005) and extent of COVID-19 evaluated by chest CT severity (OR 1.56, 95% CI [1.12–2.16];P = 0.007) were independently associated with in-hospital death or transfer to ICU (Table 1, Fig. 1). Conclusions: The 17.0% incidence of VTE in non-ICU patients with COVID-19 was associated with worse outcomes. Given the high incidence of VTE in ward patients, there is an urgent need to investigate the optimal anticoagulation regimen.