Clinical Characteristics of COVID-19 Reinfection: A Retrospective Study in China (preprint)

Purpose The number of patients with COVID-19 reinfection is gradually increasing.In this study, we aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics of individuals who experienced COVID-19 reinfection.Methods A retrospective data analysis was conducted involving patients diagnosed with COVID-19 between April 1, 2023, and June 20, 2023. The patients were categorized into two groups: the observation group, consisting of individuals with reinfection, and the control group, comprising those with primary infection.Results A Total 905(905/1025) patients were included in the study,with 407 in the observation group and 498 in the control group. The top three clinical symptoms in both groups were fever, cough with expectoration, and dizziness with fatigue (p < 0.001). The clinical classification of patients in the observation group primarily consisted of non-severe cases, (p<0.001). The proportion of hospitalized patients was lower in the observation group than in the control group (p < 0.001). The observation group exhibited a shorter clinical symptom recovery time than that of the control group (median, 5 d vs. 7 d,p < 0.001).Conclusion Patients experiencing COVID-19 reinfection were primarily classified as non-severe cases, with lower proportions of occurrence of severe and rare critical conditions. The severity was milder compared to that in patients with primary COVID-19 infections.

Analysis of risk factors of Omicron infection and antibody response in people with HIV: a multi-center cross-sectional study (preprint)

[Purpose]Analyse the factors that influence the rate of Omicron infection, symptom severity, symptom duration and antibody levels in PLWH, in particular the role of vaccination. [Methods]We randomly investigated the Omicron infection status in 338 PLWH at multiple centers and examined their WT and Omicron specific antibodies, separately. [Results]Age was the only factor that affected the rate of Omicron infection, severity of symptoms, and duration of symptoms in PLWH. Infection, number of vaccination, ART regimen and time all affect antibody levels.With the increase of number of vaccination, both WT and BA.5 specific antibodies were gradually increased, and the overall antibody levels of PLWH with hybrid immunity were higher than those of PLWH with only vaccine immune. [Conclusions]The prevalence of Omicron is higher and symptoms is more severe in PLWH younger than 40 years, but the duration of symptoms is shorter in PLWH younger than 40 years. Although vaccination does not reduce the infection rate of SARS-CoV-2, it can significantly not only enhance the antibody level against the original strain, but also expand the antibody response against the newly emerged virus variant strain. What’s more, although breakthrough infections still occur, antibody levels can be significantly increased after hybrid immunization. For PLWH at high risk of infection, booster vaccination may be beneficial for them to cope with SARS-CoV-2 normalized infection.

Fatigue as a Cause of Professional Dissatisfaction Among Chinese Nurses in Intensive Care Unit During COVID-19 Pandemic.

Aim: To clarify the mediating role of burnout and the moderating role of turnover intention in the association between fatigue and job satisfaction among Chinese nurses in intensive care units (ICU) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of fifteen provinces in China was conducted, using an online questionnaire, from December 2020 to January 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 374 ICU nurses (effective response rate: 71.37%) provided sufficient responses. Sociodemographic factors, job demographic factors, fatigue, burnout, job satisfaction, and turnover intention were assessed using questionnaires. General linear modeling (GLM), hierarchical linear regression (HLR) analysis, and generalized additive modeling (GAM) were performed to examine all the considered research hypotheses. Results: Fatigue was found to be negatively and significantly associated with job satisfaction. Moreover, burnout played a partial mediating role and turnover intention played a moderating role in the relationship between fatigue and job satisfaction. Conclusion: Over time, a state of physical and mental exhaustion and work weariness among Chinese ICU nurses potentially results in job burnout and consequently promotes the level of job dissatisfaction. The results also found that turnover intention played a moderating role in the relationship between burnout and job satisfaction. Specific policies could be considered to eliminate nurses' fatigue and negative attitudes during times of public health emergencies.

Influencing factors of COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy among adults in Taiwan, China: a cross-sectional study (preprint)

Objectives The promotion of the COVID-19 vaccine is key to controlling the spread of COVID-19. One of the most significant obstacles in tackling the pandemic is vaccine hesitancy. While many published studies have examined vaccine hesitancy among adults, there is a dearth of such studies exploring vaccine hesitancy among adults in Taiwan, China.Study design and Methods We surveyed 384 adults in Taiwan from July 14 to September 23, 2021. Using a Chi-square test and a binary logistic regression, we examined the prevalence of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and the factors influencing this. In addition, we summarized the regional differences in vaccine hesitancy across China that was reported by previous research.Results Overall, 64.3% of participants were hesitant to be vaccinated. Gender and perception of the safety of the COVID-19 vaccine was identified as a risk factor for vaccine hesitancy. Additionally, hesitancy in mainland China was found to be lower than that in Taiwan and Hong Kong.Conclusion The results of this study highlight the attitudes of the adults towards vaccination and the factors that influence it. The results can inform the government’s development of epidemic prevention and control policies that would improve vaccine uptake.

Can resilience promote calling among Chinese nurses in intensive care units during the COVID-19 pandemic? The mediating role of thriving at work and moderating role of ethical leadership

Background Nurses working in the intensive care unit (ICU) clung tenaciously to their job during the COVID-19 pandemic in spite of enduring stressed psychological and physical effects as a result of providing nursing care for the infected patients, which indicates that they possessed a high degree of professionalism and career calling. The aim of this study was to explain the associations between resilience, thriving at work, and ethical leadership influencing the calling of ICU nurses. Methods From December 2020 to January 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic, a cross-sectional survey of 15 provinces in China was conducted using an online questionnaire. A total of 340 ICU nurses (effective response rate: 64.89%) completed sufficient responses to be used in the study. Sociodemographic factors, job demographic factors, resilience, calling, thriving at work, and ethical leadership were assessed using the questionnaire. General linear modeling (GLM), hierarchical linear regression (HLR) analysis, and generalized additive model (GAM) were performed to examine all the considered research hypotheses. Results Resilience was positively and significantly associated with calling. Moreover, thriving at work partially mediated the relationship between resilience and calling. The indirect effect of resilience on calling was 0.204 (p < 0.0001), and the direct effect of resilience on calling through thriving at work was 0.215 (p < 0.0001). The total effect of resilience on calling was 0.419 (p < 0.0001). In addition, ethical leadership played a moderating role in the relationship between resilience and calling (β = 0.16, p < 0.05). Conclusion Greater resilience can positively predict increased calling among Chinese ICU nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, thriving at work is a mechanism that partly transmits the positive effects of resilience on calling. Overall, nurses possessing greater resilience tend to maintain thriving at work in the face of such adversity, further resulting in subsequently increased calling. Besides, findings suggest that there is stronger influence of resilience on calling among nurses working in an organization managed by an ethical leader. The current findings may offer two insights for nursing practitioners and policymakers in the postpandemic world. First, resilience training and intervention are necessary to foster nurses' sense of thriving at work in the nursing industry, further promoting career calling. Second, better training and effort on the development of ethical leadership for leaders in nursing practice are essential to encourage followers to engage in social learning of ethical behaviors and abiding by normatively appropriate conduct, further enacting prosocial values and expressing moral emotions.

Parents in Taiwan are hesitant to have their children vaccinated against COVID-19 and its influencing factors (preprint)

Background Since July 2021, some countries and regions have initiated the vaccination of minors against COVID-19, and the parents' COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy will affect the vaccination of minors. The motive of our learning was to be to discover the hesitancy of parents in Taiwan to vaccinate their children towards COVID-19 and its influencing factors.Methods We conducted a population-based self-administered online questionnaire in Taiwan to assess parental hesitancy and the factors influencing their children’s vaccination against COVID-19.Results Among the 384 respondents, 64.1% of the parents were hesitant to have their children vaccinated toward the COVID-19. Mothers were more extra hesitant to vaccinate their teens than their fathers (67.5% vs. 50%, P < 0.005). Multivariate logistic regression evaluation confirmed that the lack of understanding of the COVID-19 vaccine (OR = 1.87, 95%CI: 1.22–2.86), the belief that the COVID-19 vaccine is dangerous (OR = 0.31, 95%CI: 0.20–0.49), and vaccination with the COVID-19 vaccine for themselves who are hesitant (OR = 13.16, 95%CI: 7.86–22.05) are greater hesitant to vaccinate their children, and parents who have a greater opinion rating (OR = 3.83, 95%CI: 2.80–7.05) for their adolescents to vaccinate their children do not hesitate.Conclusions According to the study's findings, 64.1% of Taiwanese parents were hesitant to have their children vaccinated against COVID-19. Parents' reservations about immunizing their children against COVID-19 are connected to the amount of information about the vaccine, its safety, their hesitation to receive the vaccine themselves, and their attitudes toward vaccinating children. An in-depth discussion of the factors that affect vaccine hesitancy and targeted health education is conducive to promoting vaccination of children with the COVID-19.

COVID-19 booster vaccine willingness among patients with chronic kidney disease in Taizhou, China (preprint)

Purpose Investgate the willingness of CKD patients to receive a COVID-19 booster vaccine dose and analyze the related factors of COVID-19 booster vaccine willingness in such patients.Methods An online questionnaire investigation addressing participants’ willingness to receive a booster dose of COVID-19 vaccine was organized among patients with chronic kidney disease in Taizhou, China.Result A total of 350 valid copies were retrieved, among which 246 respondents (70.29%) were willing to receive a COVID-19 booster vaccine dose. Binary logistic regression analysis showed that high perceived vaccine safety and effectiveness, non-hemodialysis treatment, and one or two rounds of COVID-19 vaccine were related to COVID-19 booster vaccine willingness of CKD patients. Therefore, enhancing propaganda on safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccine for CKD patients, raising their awareness about vaccination, and increasing vaccination of the first and second rounds can help increase the COVID-19 booster vaccination rate.