Hope During the COVID-19 Epidemic Decreased Anxiety and Depression Symptoms Mediated by Perceived Stress: Coping Style Differences Among Patients with COVID-19.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate whether perceived stress mediated the relationship between hope and anxiety/depression symptoms among patients with COVID-19 during the epidemic. In addition, the potential moderating effect of coping styles was examined. METHODS: From February 26 to March 10, 2020, patients with COVID-19 were asked to complete a questionnaire online, which included demographic characteristics, as well as the SCL-90-Anxiety, SCL-90-Depression, Chinese Perceived Stress Scale (CPSS), Herth Hope Index (HHI), and Trait Coping Style Questionnaire (TCSQ). Hierarchical linear regression was performed to explore independent factors of anxiety/depression. A multi-group structural equation modeling with the collected data from patients in the Negative Coping style (NC) group and Positive Coping style (PC) group was used to test the hypothesized mechanism. RESULTS: In total, 382 valid questionnaires of patients were obtained, including 96 from NC patients and 286 from PC patients. In the hierarchical linear regression, hope and perceived stress were independent risk factors for both anxiety and depression in the total sample and PC group. However, hope was not independently related to anxiety/depression in the NC group. As hypothesized, the hope of patients had significant and negative indirect effects on both anxiety and depression that were mediated by perceived stress, However, the direct effect from stress on anxiety and depression was stronger for NC patients than for PC patients. Besides, hope had significant direct effects on anxiety/depression in PC patients, but not in NC patients. CONCLUSION: During the COVID-19 epidemic, perceived stress could mediate the relationship between hope and anxiety/depression symptoms among COVID-19 patients, with coping style moderating this cultivation process.

Chinese Consensus Report on Family-Based Helicobacter pylori Infection Control and Management (2021 Edition).

OBJECTIVE: Helicobacter pylori infection is mostly a family-based infectious disease. To facilitate its prevention and management, a national consensus meeting was held to review current evidence and propose strategies for population-wide and family-based H. pylori infection control and management to reduce the related disease burden. METHODS: Fifty-seven experts from 41 major universities and institutions in 20 provinces/regions of mainland China were invited to review evidence and modify statements using Delphi process and grading of recommendations assessment, development and evaluation system. The consensus level was defined as ≥80% for agreement on the proposed statements. RESULTS: Experts discussed and modified the original 23 statements on family-based H. pylori infection transmission, control and management, and reached consensus on 16 statements. The final report consists of three parts: (1) H. pylori infection and transmission among family members, (2) prevention and management of H. pylori infection in children and elderly people within households, and (3) strategies for prevention and management of H. pylori infection for family members. In addition to the 'test-and-treat' and 'screen-and-treat' strategies, this consensus also introduced a novel third 'family-based H. pylori infection control and management' strategy to prevent its intrafamilial transmission and development of related diseases. CONCLUSION: H. pylori is transmissible from person to person, and among family members. A family-based H. pylori prevention and eradication strategy would be a suitable approach to prevent its intra-familial transmission and related diseases. The notion and practice would be beneficial not only for Chinese residents but also valuable as a reference for other highly infected areas.

Features of capsule endoscopy in COVID-19 patients with a six-month follow-up: A prospective observational study.

Recently, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused a global pandemic. Several studies indicate that the digestive system can also be affected by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Therefore, patients with digestive symptoms should have a capsule endoscopy (CE). COVID-19 patients with gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms who underwent CE were recruited from March 2020 to April 2020. We collected patients' data and performed a prospective follow-up study for 6 months. All 11 COVID-19 cases with GI symptoms who underwent CE presented gastritis. Eight cases (72.7%) had intestinal mucosa inflammation. Among them, two cases showed intestinal ulcers or erosions. Moreover, two cases displayed colonic mucositis. One case was lost during follow-up. At 3-6 months after hospital discharge, five patients underwent CE again, presenting gastrointestinal lesions. Five of the 10 cases had GI symptoms, such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, constipation, and others. Among these five cases, the GI symptoms of three patients disappeared at the last follow-up and two patients still presented diarrhea symptoms. Overall, we observed damaged digestive tract mucosa that could be caused by SARS-CoV-2. Moreover, after discharge, some patients still presented intestinal lesions and GI symptoms.

Liver damage at admission is an independent prognostic factor for COVID-19.

OBJECTIVE: Abnormal liver function is a common form of extra-pulmonary organ damage in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Patients with severe COVID-19 have a higher probability and progression of liver injury than those without severe disease. We aimed to evaluate the prognosis of liver injury in patients with COVID-19. METHODS: We retrospectively included 502 patients with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. Clinical features and survival of patients with and without liver injury were compared. Cox proportional hazards models were used to determine the variables that might have an effect on survival. RESULTS: Among the 502 patients enrolled, 301 patients had abnormal liver function with increased neutrophil count, C-reactive protein, creatinine, troponin I (TnI), D-dimer, lactose dehydrogenase and creatine kinase. Patients with abnormal liver functions had a higher mortality rate (28.9% vs 9.0%, P < 0.001), a higher ratio of male sex (65.1% vs 40.8%, P < 0.001) and a higher chance of developing systemic inflammatory response syndrome (53.5% vs 41.3%, P = 0.007). Among patients with abnormal liver functions, patients with grade 2 liver damage (with both abnormal alanine aminotransferase or aspartate aminotransferase levels and abnormal alkaline phosphatase or gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase levels) had a higher ratio of male patients, elevated neutrophil count, procalcitonin, D-dimer levels and mortality rate. Multivariate Cox regression analyses suggested that the grade of liver damage (hazard ratio: 1.377, 95% confidence interval: 1.000-1.896, P = 0.049) was an independent predictor of death. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with COVID-19 and abnormal liver functions have a higher mortality than those with normal liver functions. Liver damage is an independent prognostic factor of COVID-19.