Humoral responses to the CoronoVac vaccine in healthcare workers.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to assess the immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody response rate in emergency department (ED) healthcare workers (HCWs) and potential adverse effects after CoronaVac vaccination. METHODS: All included HCWs were grouped based on the previous history of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the number of vaccinations. Furthermore, the IgG antibody response was evaluated based on the sex and smoking status of HCWs. Those with a cut-off index of ≥1.00 after vaccination with CoronaVac were considered to have had COVID-19 and had an adequate humoral response. RESULTS: Among 224 ED HCWs, 18% experienced the adverse effects of CoronaVac vaccine, the most prevalent being pain in the injection site. The IgG antibody response rate was 20% after the first dose of vaccine, while the response rate increased to 90% after the second dose. Female HCWs had higher IgG response rates compared with male HCWs (53.8 [15.9-147.0] vs 31.2 [4.5-124.0]). Non-smokers had higher IgG response rate compared with smokers (49.0 [11.5-160.5] vs 23.1 [7.4-98.5]). CONCLUSION: A single dose of CoronaVac does not produce a sufficient antibody response; hence, two doses are recommended. Men have a lower IgG response compared with women. Smokers had a lower IgG response rate compared with non-smokers. Therefore, it may be necessary to carefully assess the humoral responses of men and smokers when implementing a community vaccination program.

Investigation of an alternative education module in raising middle school student's awareness of acute stroke.

INTRODUCTION: Public knowledge and recognition of stroke and prompt calls to ambulance services when stroke is suspected are vital to the survival of stroke patients and to minimize their disability. In this study, our aim was to investigate the effectiveness of an online education session to increase middle school (11-14-year-old) students' awareness of stroke. METHODS: An interactive education session was organized for students using the online education portal of a local middle school. The effectiveness of this intervention was measured using knowledge measurement tests before, immediately after, and three months after the session. The compliance of the data with the normal distribution was checked with the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. The McNemar chi-square analysis was used to compare the distribution of correct and incorrect answers among the tests, and one-way analysis of variance was conducted to compare the mean values of correct answers. RESULTS: The students' stroke knowledge levels were found to be higher in both tests applied after the educational session and all the questions compared to the baseline evaluation. Stroke awareness was also determined to be higher among the students living with a family member aged over 65 years. CONCLUSIONS: Online interactive education can increase students' awareness of stroke. Such programs can be included in the education curriculum of schools. Public awareness of vital diseases should continue even in extraordinary situations, such as pandemics.

Evaluation of Anxiety, Depression, and Insomnia Levels of Healthcare Professionals after Inactive COVID-19 Vaccination (CoronaVac)

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine changes in the levels of depression, anxiety, and insomnia after inactive COVID-19 vaccination among healthcare professionals working actively during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from January 1, 2021, to June 30, 2021, using an online survey across frontline healthcare professionals in Turkey. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) scale were used to evaluate the mental health of the participants, and the Insomnia Severity Index-7 (ISI-7) was used to evaluate their sleep problems. The data obtained from two different periods, pre-vaccination and post-vaccination, were examined. Results: The study included 416 healthcare professionals. The frequency of depression, anxiety, and insomnia was 27.9%, 31.5%, and 41.1%, respectively, in the pre-vaccination period, and there was a decrease in these rates (22.8%, 21.9%, and 34.1%, respectively) in the post-vaccination period. The differences between the two periods were also statistically significant for the PHQ-9 (p=0.000), GAD-7 (p=0.002), and ISI-7 (p=0.038) scores. We determined that the presence of long weekly working hours, being female, living alone, and presence of psychiatric disease were effective in the development of depression and anxiety. Conclusion: Among frontline healthcare professionals, depression, anxiety, and insomnia symptoms and the frequency of the diagnosis of these clinical conditions increased due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, after the start of the immunization process, the frequency of these mental disorders and the anxiety levels of the healthcare professionals significantly decreased. (English) [ FROM AUTHOR] Amaç: COVID-19 pandemi sürecinde ön saflarda görev yapan sağlık çalışanlarının inaktif COVID-19 aşısı sonrasındaki depresyon, anksiyete ve insomnia düzeylerindeki değişimleri incelemek. Gereç ve Yöntem: Bu kesitsel çalışma, 1 Ocak--30 Haziran 2021 tarihleri arasında Türkiye'de ön saflarda yer alan sağlık profesyonellerini değerlendirmek için çevrimiçi bir anket kullanılarak yürütülmüştür. Katılımcıların mental sağlığını değerlendirmek için Patient Health Questionnaire- 9 (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) ölçekleri kullanıldı. Uyku problemlerini değerlendirmek için Insomnia Severity Index-7 (ISI-7) kullanıldı. Çalışmada aşılama öncesi (AÖ) ve sonrası (AS) olmak üzere iki ayrı döneme dair veriler incelendi. Bulgular: Çalışmaya 416 sağlık çalışanı dahil edildi. AÖ dönemde depresyon, anksiyete ve insomnia sıklığı sırasıyla;%27.9, %31.5 ve %41.1 şeklindeydi. Bu oranlarda AS dönemde azalma olup;%22.8, %21.9 ve %34.1 şeklinde olduğu görüldü. Dönemler arasındaki bu farklar PHQ-9 (p=0.000), GAD-7 (p=0.002) ve ISI-7 (p=0.038) için istatistiksel olarak da anlamlıydı. Çalışmamızda yüksek haftalık çalışma saatleri, kadın cinsiyet, tek başına yaşam ve psikiyatrik hastalık varlığı faktörlerinin depresyon ve anksiyete gelişiminde etkili olduğunu tespit ettik. Sonuç: Ön saflardaki sağlık çalışanlarında depresyon, anksiyete ve insomnia semptomları ve bu kinik tablolara tanı konma sıklığının COVID- 19 pandemisine bağlı olarak arttığı görülmektedir. Ancak bağışıklama süreci başladıktan sonra bu mental bozuklukların sıklığı ve sağlık çalışanlarının endişe düzeyleri belirgin bir şekilde azalma göstermiştir. (Turkish) [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Southern Clinics of Istanbul Eurasia is the property of KARE Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)