Workplace violence and associations with health outcomes in public health administration agencies in Taiwan: a survey during the COVID-19 pandemic

Objectives: To investigate the prevalence of workplace violence in public health administration agencies and its effects on health outcomes. Methods: A survey was conducted in March 2022. Staff who had been working for at least one year in the Ministry of Health and Welfare or its subordinate agencies, the Department of Health, or in public health centers were recruited. Data were collected anonymously with a structured, online questionnaire. A total of 492 valid questionnaires were collected. Results: A total of 48.17% participants reported having experienced workplace violence (physical, psychological, verbal, or sexual). The most common type of violence was verbal (43.50%), followed by psychological (31.71%). Supervisors were the primary perpetrators of verbal and psychological violence, followed by clients and colleagues. Staff reported long working hours and high levels of psychological and physical stress. Furthermore, 22.97% of workers reported poor self-rated health, 60.57% had personal burnout levels higher than 50, and 63.41% reported poor mental health. Regression analyses showed that low workplace justice was most strongly associated with internal verbal and psychological violence, whereas routine work requiring interaction with the public was most strongly associated with external verbal violence. Staff who had experienced workplace violence in the past year had significantly higher risks of poor self-rated health, mental health, and personal burnout, and poor health was more strongly associated with workplace violence that originated inside the organization than with workplace violence that originated from outside the organization. Conclusions: This survey was conducted on-line anonymously, so the representativeness of our findings might be limited. However, heavy workloads and workplace violence in public health administration agencies during the COVID-19 pandemic are important issues deserving urgent attention. (Taiwan J Public Health. 2023;42(1) :42-61)

Combined Diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2: Rapid Antigen Detection as an Adjunct to Nucleic Acid Detection.

Coronavirus disease 2019 is a serious threat to human life, and early diagnosis and screening can help control the COVID-19 pandemic. The high sensitivity of reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay is the gold standard for the diagnosis of COVID-19, but there are still some false-negative results. Rapid antigen detection (RAD) is recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a screening method for COVID-19. This review analyzed the characteristics of RDT and found that although the overall sensitivity of RAD was not as high as that of RT-PCR, but RAD was more sensitive in COVID-19 patients within 5 days of the onset of symptoms and in COVID-19 patients with Ct ≤ 25. Therefore, RAD can be used as an adjunct to RT-PCR for screening patients with early COVID-19. Finally, this review provides a combined diagnostic protocol for RAD and nucleic acid testing with the aim of providing a feasible approach for COVID-19 screening.

Comparison of the performance of two real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR kits for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid: a study based on large real clinical samples.

BACKGROUND: The global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has led to the development of multiple detection kits by national manufacturers for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 viral nucleic acid testing. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the performance of different kits (i.e., Maccura kit and Sansure kit) in real clinical work using clinical samples, which will help with the optimization of the test kits. METHOD: During the past three months (March-May 2022), 1399 pharyngeal swabs from suspected COVID-19 patients have been initially screened using the Maccura kit in Jilin, China, and the test results were verified using the Sansure kit. The cycle threshold (Ct) values generated by the two kits were compared at different viral load levels. Correlation and consistency of the Ct values were investigated using Spearman correlation, Deming regression, and Bland-Altman plots. The cut-off Ct values of the Maccura kit were recalculated by referencing the result of the Sansure kit as a standard. Furthermore, another 163 pharyngeal swabs from suspected COVID-19 patients were collected to verify the new cut-off values. RESULTS: As a result of the Maccura kit testing, 1192 positive cases and 207 suspected COVID-19 cases were verified. After re-examination by the Sansure kit, 1118 positive cases were confirmed. The difference between the Ct values provided by the two kits was statistically significant, except for the N gene at high viral load. The Ct values obtained from the two kits presented a linear positive correlation. The Maccura kit used new cut-off Ct values of 35.00 (ORF1ab gene) and 35.07 (N gene). Based on that, the validation pass rate for the new cut-off Ct values was 91.41%. CONCLUSION: Since the Maccura kit is found to have false positives in actual clinical work, recalculation of the cut-off values can reduce this occurrence. In order to improve the accuracy of the testing, laboratories should use two kits for COVID-19 testing, and the adjusting and optimizing of the kits for their situation are needed.

A complete blood count-based multivariate model for predicting the recovery of patients with moderate COVID-19: a retrospective study.

Many resource-limited countries need an efficient and convenient method to assess disease progression in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This study developed and validated a complete blood count-based multivariate model for predicting the recovery of patients with moderate COVID-19. We collected the clinical data and laboratory test results of 86 patients with moderate COVID-19. These data were categorized into two subgroups depending on the laboratory test time. Univariate logistic regression and covariance diagnosis were used to screen for independent factors, and multifactorial logistic regression was used for model building. Data from 38 patients at another hospital were collected for external verification of the model. Basophils (OR 6.372; 95% CI 3.284-12.363), mean corpuscular volume (OR 1.244; 95% CI 1.088-1.422), red blood cell distribution width (OR 2.585; 95% CI 1.261-5.297), and platelet distribution width (OR 1.559; 95% CI 1.154-2.108) could be combined to predict recovery of patients with moderate COVID-19. The ROC curve showed that the model has good discrimination. The calibration curve showed that the model was well-fitted. The DCA showed that the model is clinically useful. Small increases in the above parameters within the normal range suggest an improvement in patients with moderate COVID-19.

Potential Predictive Value of miR-125b-5p, miR-155-5p and Their Target Genes in the Course of COVID-19.

Purpose: This study aimed to provide new biomarkers for predicting the disease course of COVID-19 by analyzing the dynamic changes of microRNA (miRNA) and its target gene expression in the serum of COVID-19 patients at different stages. Methods: Serum samples were collected from all COVID-19 patients at three time points: the acute stage, the turn-negative stage, and the recovery stage. The expression level of miRNA and the target mRNA was measured by Quantitative Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-qPCR). The classification tree model was established to predict the disease course, and the prediction efficiency of independent variables in the model was analyzed using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Results: The expression of miR-125b-5p and miR-155-5p was significantly up-regulated in the acute stage and gradually decreased in the turn-negative and recovery stages. The expression of the target genes CDH5, STAT3, and TRIM32 gradually down-regulated in the acute, turn-negative, and recovery stages. MiR-125b-5p, miR-155-5p, STAT3, and TRIM32 constituted a classification tree model with 100% accuracy of prediction and AUC >0.7 for identification and prediction in all stages. Conclusion: MiR-125b-5p, miR-155-5p, STAT3, and TRIM32 could be useful biomarkers to predict the time nodes of the acute, turn-negative, and recovery stages of COVID-19.

Early changes in laboratory tests predict liver function damage in patients with moderate coronavirus disease 2019: a retrospective multicenter study.

BACKGROUND: Most patients with coronavirus disease 2019 demonstrate liver function damage. In this study, the laboratory test data of patients with moderate coronavirus disease 2019 were used to establish and evaluate an early prediction model to assess the risk of liver function damage. METHODS: Clinical data and the first laboratory examination results of 101 patients with moderate coronavirus disease 2019 were collected from four hospitals' electronic medical record systems in Jilin Province, China. Data were randomly divided into training and validation sets. A logistic regression analysis was used to determine the independent factors related to liver function damage in patients in the training set to establish a prediction model. Model discrimination, calibration, and clinical usefulness were evaluated in the training and validation sets. RESULTS: The logistic regression analysis showed that plateletcrit, retinol-binding protein, and carbon dioxide combining power could predict liver function damage (P < 0.05 for all). The receiver operating characteristic curve showed high model discrimination (training set area under the curve: 0.899, validation set area under the curve: 0.800; P < 0.05). The calibration curve showed a good fit (training set: P = 0.59, validation set: P = 0.19; P > 0.05). A decision curve analysis confirmed the clinical usefulness of this model. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, the combined model assesses liver function damage in patients with moderate coronavirus disease 2019 performed well. Thus, it may be helpful as a reference for clinical differentiation of liver function damage. Trial registration retrospectively registered.

Tau-load in the lingual gyrus impacts anxiety levels during the COVID-19 pandemic in participants of longitudinal observational studies in aging

Background By obtaining a better grasp on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on individuals with cognitive impairment, this knowledge could be used to improve the delivery of information to this particular group. We aimed to assess the relationship between tau deposition and the change in anxiety levels, before and during the pandemic. We hypothesized that since the pandemic, higher tau loads would lower the change in anxiety. Furthermore, we expected these anxiety levels not to be associated with COVID-19 related stress in participants with cognitive decline. Methods 63 participants of the Translational Biomarker of Aging and Dementia (TRIAD) cohort (cognitively healthy, N=38;cognitively impaired, N=25, of which 7 had dementia due to Alzheimer?s disease), were assessed to evaluate their individual change in anxiety levels (GAD-7). This was done at three different timepoints, of which the latest fell during the COVID-19 lockdown period. Two rates of change, one before and one during the pandemic, were determined using the following definition: (next timepoint ? current timepoint)/time difference. In addition, at the latest timepoint, subjective stress due to COVID-19 was measured using the Montreal Assessment of Stress related to COVID-19 (MASC). To assess the levels of tau, standard uptake value ratios (SUVR) from previously obtained [18F]MK-6240 PET-scans were used. Results [18F]MK-6240 tracer binding in the lingual gyrus was negatively associated with the rate of change in GAD-7 scores after correcting for age, sex, years of education and the presence of APOE ε4, but only in cognitively impaired individuals during the pandemic (fig 1A). In addition, the GAD-7 score at the latest timepoint was associated with stress related to COVID-19, but only in cognitively healthy individuals (fig 1B and 1C). Conclusions The presence of tau in the lingual gyrus negatively affected the rate of change in GAD-7 scores during the COVID-19 pandemic in individuals with cognitive impairment. This could indicate that information pertaining to the pandemic does not reach these individuals in an efficient manner. The missing association between COVID-19 induced stress and the latest GAD-7 scores in these individuals is a further indication of this.

Novel nucleocapsid protein-targeting phenanthridine inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is unprecedented in human history. As a major structural protein, nucleocapsid protein (NPro) is critical to the replication of SARS-CoV-2. In this work, 17 NPro-targeting phenanthridine derivatives were rationally designed and synthesized, based on the crystal structure of NPro. Most of these compounds can interact with SARS-CoV-2 NPro tightly and inhibit the replication of SARS-CoV-2 in vitro. Compounds 12 and 16 exhibited the most potent anti-viral activities with 50% effective concentration values of 3.69 and 2.18 µM, respectively. Furthermore, site-directed mutagenesis of NPro and Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) assays revealed that 12 and 16 target N-terminal domain (NTD) of NPro by binding to Tyr109. This work found two potent anti-SARS-CoV-2 bioactive compounds and also indicated that SARS-CoV-2 NPro-NTD can be a target for new anti-virus agents.

Exploring the potential of phenanthridine derivatives against SARS-CoV-2based on virtual screening

With the SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro) and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) as targets, phenanthridine-type compounds for discoverying potential inhibitor on viral replication were designed and screened. Using open source software of molecular docking Autodock vina and molecular visualization system Pymol 2.1.0, the designing and virtual screening of phenanthridine-type ligand library were established. Hit compound to analyze binding mode and structure-activity relationship was extracted. Results show that specific phenanthridine derivatives can strongly bind to Mpro and RdRp respectively. It indicates the phenanthridine derivatives with rational design have great potential against SARS-CoV-2.

COVID-19 data visualization public welfare activity

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic started in early 2020. At the beginning of February, a public welfare activity in epidemic data visualization, jointly launched by China Computer Federation CCF CAD & CG Technical Committee, Alibaba Cloud Tianch, JiqiZhixin, Alibaba Cloud DataV, and DataWhale, was launched with the theme “Fighting the Epidemic with One Mind and Talents like Tianchi.” Developers in general are expected to focus on several demand scenarios, such as epidemic situation display, epidemic popular science, trend prediction, material-supply situation, and rework and return situation of employees from all sectors and areas, to discover the relationship between complex heterogeneous multi-source data, develop various upbeat works and present useful information to the public in a coherent manner. The entry works take the form of data visualization and are divided into two categories: popular science publicity and application scenarios. The popular science publicity category includes works for the public, focused on epidemic situation display, epidemic popular science publicity, epidemic prevention and control, and others. The application scenario category consists of the works of frontline officers, which can provide anti-epidemic workers with effective data tools for efficient and intuitive epidemic analysis;offer reliable, understandable, and easily transmitted information for disease prevention;and assist governments, enterprises, and institutions in the fight against COVID-19.