Impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on unemployment in selected countries and country groups

The economic crisis caused by Covid-19 differs from previous economic crises in several ways. It is a global event that developed unexpectedly and hit the world unprepared, primarily attacking human resources, requiring strong governmental measures. The involvement of the human sphere directly affected people's income and lives through labour market effects. Based on literature and statistical data, this study analyses the evolution of the unemployment data of 11 countries (Australia, Chile, the UK, Israel, Japan, China, Hungary, Germany, Italy, Turkey, and the US) and two country groups (EU-27 and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development - OECD) during the economic crisis. Based on the results, the authors identified three distinct groups of countries with 1. moderate growth, slow consolidation;2. robustious upturn, fast then slow correction, and 3. individual patterns. The study demonstrated how government measures took effect differently from the unemployment perspective. The authors referred to the influence of the inhabitants' collective way of thinking and considered it essential to emphasise the positive impact of vaccines.

Hypothetical demand curve and price for the COVID-19 vaccine

This research aims to study the demand for a COVID-19 vaccine. The main objective of this research was to investigate the willingness to pay (WTP) of those people who are eligible for the government-fi-nanced vaccination programme under which this medication is available free of charge. Based on this, the study aimed to assess the optimum price that people are willing to pay for the vaccine. More than 300 undergraduate students were questioned in classroom experiments about their personal preferences in order to derive the demand curve for a hypothetical market for the COVID-19 vaccine. A regression analysis of the results showed that the linear and power functions could describe consumer behaviour and predict an optimal market price for the investigated item. In addition, the linear model fitted better. Finally, we compared our result with the real prices of the various vaccines available on the market to see if the predicted price was viable under the prevailing market conditions. The optimal price informs us how many people will receive the next vaccine if it is offered at a specific market price. It also informs us what price the government should assign to the vaccine to secure a particular target vaccination rate. © 2022, WSB University. All rights reserved.

Investigation of citizens' attitudes towards coronavirus vaccination using sentiment analysis

A global pandemic caused by a new type of coronavirus in 2020 has posed several challenges for societies. In this regard, cybersecurity has become more important in many respects, as vaccine research institutions have been high on the list of targets for attackers. An even more serious challenge is the vaccine-infodemic state, in which many fake news stories are spread aimed at influencing public attitudes towards certain vaccines. Using sentiment analysis, the authors analyse international and domestic comparisons of social attitudes towards different vaccines (AstraZeneca, Johnson and Johnson, Mod- erna, Pfizer, Sinopharm, Sputnik V). The research (sampling) was carried out between 1 January 2020 and 31 July 2021, in 30 languages, by examining publicly available shares on the internet.

Is Posaconazole Therapeutic Drug Monitoring Required In Primary Prophylaxis Of Invasive Fungal Disease In Adult Allogeneic Stem Cell Recipients?

Posaconazole is a triazole antifungal which is indicated for the prophylaxis of invasive fungal disease (IFD) in allogeneic stem cell transplant (SCT) patients. As a suspension posaconazole has variable pharmacokinetics leading to the routine use of therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM). 1 Delayed-release tablet formulations have more predictable pharmacokinetics and higher serum concentrations than suspension 1 . The ideal role of TDM of posaconazole with this formulation is unknown and TDM in the primary prophylaxis of IFD in adult SCT patients remains recommended in guidelines 2 . Local practise in our centre for IFD primary prophylaxis in SCT is posaconazole with TDM. We retrospectively reviewed the records of SCT recipients at our centre from 1 January 2019 to 30 September 2021. We included patients who received posaconazole as primary prophylaxis from day 0 of treatment. For each patient we recorded the presence of posaconazole serum concentration, whether this was sufficient for prophylaxis (>0.7 mg/l) 1 and whether there was a subsequent diagnosis of IFD defined by EORTC/MSG criteria 3 . There were 66 SCTs in the study period. Of these;49 patients received posaconazole as primary prophylaxis. A posaconazole level was taken in 49% ( n = 24) of these patients and 92% ( n = 22) had a level >0.7 mg/l. Two of these patients (8%) had a level <0.7 mg/l. Twenty-five patients (51%) had no posaconazole level taken. There were a total of three IFD diagnosed in our cohort;one probable IFD and two possible IFDs. In patients with IFD, one patient had a prior posaconazole level >0.7 mg/l, one patient had a posaconazole level of <0.7 mg/l (0.68 mg/l) and one patient was unmonitored. Our data show no significant difference in incidence of IFD between monitored and unmonitored groups( p = 0.52) . Of note, one patient with IFD had a subtherapeutic posaconazole level. This patient had diarrhoea and high BMI which are associated with lower posaconazole levels with the delayed-release tablet formulation 4 . The one patient with a subtherapeutic level and no IFD also had diarrhoea. We acknowledge that the number of patients in our retrospective analysis is small. Also, due to reduced access to diagnostics during the COVID-19 pandemic it is possible that some IFDs were not diagnosed in both groups. In view of our findings, we suggest that routine use of posaconazole TDM in the primary prophylaxis of IFD in adult SCT recipients, in the absence of specific risk factors, is not required. Our findings highlight the importance of TDM in at-risk groups. These findings need further evaluation in large prospective studies..

Transitioning to Emergency Online University Education: An Analysis of Key Factors

Restrictions and lockdown measures implemented in response to the Covid-19 pandemic exerted unprecedented pressure on higher education institutions to switch to online-only teaching. This transition was characterised by swift implementation of policy, and the adoption of a wide range of information technologies at extraordinary speed and scale. Our aim was to explore which factors contributed to a successful switch and to what extent. We collected data from university students related to their experience with the deployment of emergency remote teaching. Using a framework of Person, Artefact, and Task factors as indicators, we conducted a hierarchical logistic regression analysis to predict problem-free transition to online-only university education. Transparency of tasks and difficulties with practicals emerged as the most important predictors, among factors related to IT equipment (availability, experience, and attitude), and teachers' availability to communicate with students. We present an impact-prevalence analysis of the predictors to provide guidance for managerial decision-making and prioritisation for future intervention and research. The findings are used to provide an evaluative reflection of the transition, and to promote improvement and planning. Knowledge generated within the pandemic context is especially valuable for future contingencies, such as natural emergencies and disasters, times of conflict, and other unforeseen events. © 2022 Eskisehir Osmangazi University. All rights reserved.

Low Incidence of COVID-19 Infection in Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia Undergoing Reduced Intensity/Venetoclax Based Treatment: Initial Results of the PACE Prospective Clinical Study from the UK Trials Acceleration Program

The impact of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on outcomes in patients with cancer remains unclear. Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)/high-risk myelodysplasia (MDS) are common hematological malignancies resulting in profound immunosuppression, which is exacerbated by intensive and less-intensive chemotherapy. Importantly, venetoclax based regimens have been increasingly used during the pandemic as a strategy to reduce patient hospitalization however, there is little information concerning the impact of such regimens on COVID-19 infection rates. We therefore opened a prospective clinical study (PACE), at the start of the current pandemic in April 2020 to characterize the risk of COVID-19 infection in patients with AML/MDS-EB2 receiving intensive or non-intensive treatment, including patients treated with venetoclax-based regimens. The primary aim was to determine the incidence of COVID-19 in patients with AML /MDS-EB2 including both, prior to study entry and during treatment until 4 weeks after the last cycle of treatment. Secondary aims were to: characterize the presentation of COVID-19;define the severity and type of both non-COVID-19 and COVID-19 infections;and undertake an exploratory analysis to quantify the incidence of COVID-19 infection in patients receiving (less-intensive) venetoclax based regimens. All analysis conducted to date has been descriptive. 211/230 recruited patients had full treatment histories available, of whom 116 patients received intensive chemotherapy and 95 low intensity regimens. 48 patients received a venetoclax-based regimen. The median age of the non-intensive treatment arm was 72 years;(range 19.1-86.5) and of the intensive arm was 59 years (range 16.1-76.1). There were more cases of secondary AML and relapsed disease in the non-intensive arm as compared to the intensive arm. 25/226 evaluable patients tested positive for COVID-19 as defined by positive SARS-CoV2 PCR test, 10 with a prior diagnosis at study entry and 15 tested positive during the study. The incidence of COVID-19 infection for patients with AML/MDS-EB2 was 11.1% (90%CI: 7.8%-15.1%) (Table). A lower proportion of patients (n=6/91 6.6%) undergoing non-intensive treatment suffered COVID-19 as compared to those undergoing more intensive chemotherapy regimens (n=19/116, 16.4%). Specifically, only 3/48 (6.3%) patients undergoing a venetoclax regimen were infected with SARS-CoV2. The most common presenting symptoms of COVID-19 in this study, regardless of the intensity of chemotherapy, was fever and cough with 6/25 patients asymptomatic. The risk of death at 30 days following study entry in patients who had prior COVID-19 infection or who contracted COVID-19 during this period was 13.6%, compared to 3.9% in the overall cohort without COVID-19 infection. There was a lower incidence of non-COVID-19 related infections in patients receiving venetoclax-based regimens, n=43 infections in 24 (50.0%) of patients;with 313 infections in 94 (81%) of intensively treated patients. The overall occurrence of non-COVID-19 infection in the non-intensive arm was 87 infections in 50 (54.9%) patients. Our multi-center study provides real-world estimates for the incidence and presentation of COVID-19 infection in a cohort of patients with AML/MDS-EB2, and indicates a higher risk of death at 30 days in patients with prior COVID-19 infection prior to, or during treatment. Venetoclax based, and other non-intensive, regimens, increasingly implemented during the pandemic, to minimize patient exposure and reduce usage of hospital beds, appeared to be associated with a low incidence of COVID-19. Further follow-up will be required to understand the long-term impact of this strategy. Analysis of immune responses to COVID-19 infection and vaccination is on-going. Acknowledgments: This study was funded by Cure Leukaemia under the Trials Acceleration Program (TAP), and grants from BMS and Blood Cancer UK. [Formula presented] Disclosures: Loke: Novartis: Other: Travel;Janssen: Honoraria;Amgen: Honoraria;Pfizer: Honoraria;Daichi Sankyo: Other: Travel. K apper: Pfizer: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau;Astellas: Ended employment in the past 24 months, Speakers Bureau;Jazz: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau;Novartis: Consultancy, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau. Khan: Abbvie: Honoraria;Astellas: Honoraria;Takeda: Honoraria;Jazz: Honoraria;Gilead: Honoraria;Novartis: Honoraria. Dillon: Amgen: Other: Research support (paid to institution);Astellas: Consultancy, Other: Educational Events, Speakers Bureau;Menarini: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees;Novartis: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Session chair (paid to institution), Speakers Bureau;Pfizer: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: educational events;Jazz: Other: Education events;Abbvie: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Research Support, Educational Events;Shattuck Labs: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Culligan: AbbVie Ltd: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau;Celgene Ltd: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau;Gilead: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau;Jazz Pharma: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau;Takeda UK Ltd: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau. McMullin: Bristol Myers Squibb: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: clinical trial support, Research Funding;Celgene: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau;AbbVie: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau;Novartis: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau;AOP Orphan: Research Funding, Speakers Bureau. Murthy: Abbvie: Other: support to attend educational conferences. Craddock: Novartis Pharmaceuticals: Other: Advisory Board;Celgene/BMS: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding.

Serum ACE2 activity for the assessment of disease prognosis in COVID-19

Background : Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. Angiotensinconverting enzyme 2 (ACE2) represents the main receptor for SARSCoV-2 to enter endothelial cells. Interestingly, controversial data have been reported for soluble ACE2 levels in COVID-19 patients. Aims : Here we analyzed circulating ACE2 activity to correlate with routinely measured laboratory parameters as well as the severity and outcome of COVID-19 disease. Methods : In this retrospective, dual-center study, we determined serum ACE2 activity from 57 subjects with moderate COVID-19 and 119 critically ill patients. ACE2 levels were correlated with IL-6 and ferritin concentrations and clinical outcome. In addition, ACE2 levels were also measured in follow-up samples ( n = 106). Results : ACE2 activity was significantly higher in patients with severe COVID-19 (127.9 [83.1-209.7] vs. 73.8 [54.6-89.6] mU/L in nonsevere patients;P < 0.0001). Nevertheless, all COVID-19 patients had higher ACE2 than formerly measured serum ACE2 levels of healthy individuals (16.2 ± 0.8 mU/L) and of hypertensives (24.8 ± 0.8 mU/L) (Úri K et al., 2016). Circulating ACE2 showed a significant ( P < 0.0001) but moderate correlation with IL-6 ( r = 0.345) and ferritin ( r = 0.277). Substantial area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC-AUC) value was determined for baseline ACE2 to indicate disease severity (0.774 [95% CI 0.702-0.846];P < 0.0001). Furthermore, significantly higher serum ACE2 was measured in nonsurviving vs. surviving COVID-19 patients (131.2 [84.8-217.1] vs. 77.8 [56.5-123.0] mU/L;P < 0.0001), and a high ACE2 level before treatment predicted poor outcome with a ROC-AUC value of 0.709 [95% CI 0.632-0.787] ( P < 0.0001). Finally, a larger elevation in ACE2 activity was observed compared to baseline values during monitoring in non-survivors vs. survivors ( P < 0.0001 vs. P = 0.076). Conclusions : Elevated serum ACE2 activity strongly correlates with both COVID-19 severity and prognosis, thus represents a promising laboratory biomarker.

Students' perception regarding digital education amid the covid-19 pandemic

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared Covid-19 as a global public health emergency of international concern on 30th January 2020. Covid-19 pandemic has affected higher education all over the world, including Hungarian colleges and universities. These institutions instantly had to move from traditional face-to-face education to remote education. The primary purpose of present study is to determine the perceptions of students towards online learning during the lockdown due to Covid-19. The main objectives include (1) evaluating the quality of online teaching, (2) measuring the quality of student learning, (3) measuring the quality of facilities used in online teaching, (4) evaluating the quality of instructors, and (5) developing some recommendations based on the study findings. © 2021 Slovak Association for the Study of English. All rights reserved.

Serum ACE2 activity for the assessment of disease prognosis in COVID-19

Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) represents the main receptor for SARS-CoV-2 to enter endothelial cells. Interestingly, controversial data have been reported for soluble ACE2 levels inCOVID-19.Herewe analyzed circulating ACE2 activity to correlate with laboratory parameters as well as the severity and outcome of COVID-19 disease. We determined serum ACE2 activity from 66 subjects with moderate COVID-19 and 110 critically ill patients. ACE2 levels were correlated with IL-6 and ferritin concentrations as well as clinical outcome. Baseline ACE2 activity was significantly higher than normal in patients with severe COVID-19 (54.4 [36.7-90.8] vs. 34.5 [25.2-48.7] mU/L in non-severe patients;P<0.0001). Circulating ACE2 showed a significant (P<0.0001) but moderate correlation with IL-6 (r=0.345) and ferritin (r=0.295). Substantial area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC-AUC) value was determined for baseline ACE2 to indicate disease severity (0.701 [95% CI 0.621-0.781];P<0.0001). Furthermore, significantly higher serumACE2was measured innon-surviving vs. survivingCOVID-19patients (54.6 [37.3-94.7] vs. 35.6 [25.3-58.5]mU/L;P<0.0001), and increased ACE2 level before treatment predicted a poor outcome with a ROC-AUC value of 0.679 [95% CI 0.600-0.759] (P<0.0001). Overall, serum ACE2 activity correlates with COVID-19 severity and acts as a new prognosis biomarker.