Timing and Depth Selection for Sedated Gastroscopy After SARS-CoV-2 Infection—A Retrospective Cohort Study (preprint)

Background Sedated gastroscopy is a crucial procedure for patients with upper respiratory infections. SARS-CoV-2-infected patients are more susceptible to anesthesia-related complications, such as edema, pharyngeal mucosa congestion, laryngospasm, and pulmonary infections.Methods We retrospectively analyzed a total of 386 patients who underwent sedated gastroscopy at the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University during the SARS-CoV-2 infection period. The patients were divided into three groups based on SARS-CoV-2 status: Negative (N), Two-week post-SARS-CoV-2 infection (T), and Three-week post-SARS-CoV-2 infection (Th) groups. Based on the anesthesia method, patients were divided into mild/moderate sedation and deep sedation/general anesthesia groups. Additionally, patients were categorized into groups based on COVID-19 severity and vaccination status. We recorded the laryngeal mucosal conditions, the occurrence rates of adverse reactions such as coughing, laryngospasm, and transient oxygen desaturation during the examination, as well as the satisfaction of patients and endoscopists were recorded.Results The T group displayed a significantly higher occurrence rate of adverse reactions when compared to the N and Th group, with decreased satisfaction levels of patients and endoscopists. In the T group, the occurrence rate of adverse reactions was higher in mild to moderate sedation than in deep sedation/general anesthesia methods, while patient and endoscopist satisfaction was lower. In the Th group, there was no statistically significant difference in the examination success rate or patient satisfaction between the mild/moderate sedation and deep sedation/general anesthesia methods; however, endoscopist satisfaction was lower with mild/moderate sedation method than deep sedation/general anesthesia method. There was a significant difference in the gastroscopy success rates of patients with different COVID-19 classifications. A significant difference was observed in the gastroscopy success rates among patients with different vaccination statuses.Conclusions Sedated gastroscopy post-three weeks of SARS-CoV-2 infection is safe. Moreover, using a deep sedation/general anesthesia method for sedated gastroscopy in SARS-CoV-2-infected patients within three weeks is significantly safer.

How do digital technologies improve supply chain resilience in the COVID-19 pandemic? Evidence from Chinese manufacturing firms

Digital technologies (DTs) can assist businesses in coping with supply chain (SC) disruptions caused by unpredictability, such as pandemics. However, the current knowledge of the relationship between DTs and supply chain resilience (SCR) is insufficient. This study draws on information processing theory to develop a serial mediation model to address this deficiency. We analyze a sample set consisting of 264 Chinese manufacturers. The empirical results reveal that digital supply chain platforms (DSCPs), as well as supply chain traceability (SCT) and supply chain agility (SCA), fully mediate the favorable association between DTs and SCR. Specifically, the four significant indirect paths indicated that firms can improve SCR only if they use DTs to directly or indirectly improve SCT and SCA (through DSCPs). Our study contributes to the literature on resilience by examining the possible mechanism of mediation through which DTs influence SCR. The findings also offer essential insights for firms to modify their digital strategies and thrive in a turbulent environment.

Social media reconstructions of urban identity during the COVID‐19 pandemic

The COVID‐19 pandemic has profoundly affected people in urban areas. This article reports on a comparative empirical study of the pandemic in Guangzhou and Xi’an in 2021 and analyses how residents responded to social media during the crisis. Using Baidu’s hot search time machine to search for hot topics related to the spread of disease during each outbreak of COVID‐19, we collected 35 and 41 hashtags for Guangzhou’s and Xi’an’s epidemics, respectively. Based on a thematic analysis of those hashtags, we considered how residents reconstructed expressions of urban identity in both cities. We found that China’s unique official accountability system in local anti‐epidemic practices led to stricter forms of top‐down urban governance and that urban residents deployed forms of bottom‐up agency in response. Our work provides a refined agenda for geographers and other social scientists to examine the interconnections among urban resilience, urban social responses to major public crises, and urban culture. [ FROM AUTHOR]

A Cross-Sectional Study of Olfactory and Taste Disorders in COVID-19 Patients in China (preprint)

Objective To determine the prevalance and features of olfactory and taste disorders in coronavirus disease of 2019（CoVID-19）patients in China. Methods A cross-sectional study was performed from 3 April to 15 April 2020 in Wuhan. A total of 187 patients with confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection completed face-to-face interviews or telephone follow-up. Patients information including epidemiological, clinical, imaging, and serological records and treatment and outcomes data. Patients were further evaluated using questionnaires and visual analogue scale. Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS software (version 22.0).  Results The enrolled 187 patients, 23 (12.3%) reported olfactory disorders, 42 (22.46%) reported taste disorders. Females are more prone to olfactory and taste disorders. Among patients that can clearly describe the fluctuation of olfactory and taste disfunctions, 4 (20.0%) and 7(18.92%) cases occurred before other symptoms appeared, the average number of days in advance was 3.5 and 3.57, respectively. The majority of patients can return to normal or basic normal, but in 4(17.39%) and 9(21.43%) cases olfactory and taste can not fully recoveried during the research period. Conclusions  Prevalence of olfactory and taste disorders substantially lower in China cohorts compared to abroad COVID-19 cohorts. The prevalence of olfactory and taste disorders in COVID-19 patients was higher in females than in males. In some patients, olfactory and taste disorders precede other symptoms and can be used as a symbol for early screening and warning. The restoration of olfactory and taste function was independent of age; females recover more easily than males; olfactory or taste disorders was not easily recovered for patients with clinically classified as severe; when olfactory or taste disorders itself was serious, it was not easy to recover; olfactory or taste disorders occured early in the disease were more likely to be recovered, otherwise they were hard to be recovered.