Patients with benign breast disease and breast cancer need more COVID-19 vaccines

Albeit the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines in immunocompromised patients is undermined, it is still found beneficial. Patients with cancer have a much lower COVID-19 vaccination rate globally, and the vaccination coverage in breast cancer patients in China remains elusive. A total of 23029 patients with benign breast diseases and breast cancers were included in the study, and the vaccination rates of patients with benign breast tumors and other benign breast diseases, nonmetastatic and metastatic breast cancer were 44.0%, 54.7%, 19.2% and 9.6%, respectively. Breast cancer in situ patients had a similar vaccination rate with patients with benign breast tumors (45.9% vs 44.0%) while those with invasive breast cancer had much lower vaccination rates. The overall vaccination rate remains meager in breast cancer patients, and gap was found in patients with lower clinical stage. Hence vaccination should be further promoted among patients with benign breast diseases and breast cancer.

The comparison of vaccine hesitancy of COVID-19 vaccination in China and the United States

ObjectivesTo investigate the differences in vaccine hesitancy and preference of the currently available COVID-19 vaccines between two countries, viz. China and the United States (US). MethodA cross-national survey was conducted in both China and the US, and discrete choice experiments as well as Likert scales were utilized to assess vaccine preference and the underlying factors contributing to the vaccination acceptance. A propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to enable a direct comparison between the two countries. ResultsA total of 9,077 (5,375 and 3,702, respectively, from China and the US) respondents have completed the survey. After propensity score matching, over 82.0% respondents from China positively accept the COVID-19 vaccination, while 72.2% respondents form the US positively accept it. Specifically, only 31.9% of Chinese respondents were recommended by a doctor to have COVID-19 vaccination, while more than half of the US respondents were recommended by a doctor (50.2%), local health board (59.4%), or friends and families (64.8%). The discrete choice experiments revealed that respondents from the US attached the greatest importance to the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines (44.41%), followed by the cost of vaccination (29.57%), whereas those from China held a different viewpoint that the cost of vaccination covers the largest proportion in their trade-off (30.66%), and efficacy ranked as the second most important attribute (26.34%). Also, respondents from China tend to concerned much more about the adverse effect of vaccination (19.68% vs 6.12%) and have lower perceived severity of being infected with COVID-19. ConclusionWhile the overall acceptance and hesitancy of COVID-19 vaccination in both countries are high, underpinned distinctions between countries are observed. Owing to the differences in COVID-19 incidence rates, cultural backgrounds, and the availability of specific COVID-19 vaccines in two countries, the vaccine rollout strategies should be nation-dependent.

Meteorological factors and domestic new cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in nine Asian cities: A time-series analysis

AIMTo investigate the associations of meteorological factors and the daily new cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in nine Asian cities. METHODPearsons correlation and generalized additive modeling were performed to assess the relationships between daily new COVID-19 cases and meteorological factors (daily average temperature and relative humidity) with the most updated data currently available. RESULTSThe Pearson correlation showed that daily new confirmed cases of COVID-19 were more correlated with the average temperature than with relative humidity. Daily new confirmed cases were negatively correlated with the average temperature in Beijing (r=-0.565, P<0.01), Shanghai (r=-0.471, P<0.01), and Guangzhou (r=-0.530, P<0.01), yet in contrast, positively correlated with that in Japan (r=0.441, P<0.01). In most of the cities (Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Seoul, Tokyo, and Kuala Lumpur), generalized additive modeling analysis showed the number of daily new confirmed cases was positively associated with both average temperature and relative humidity, especially in lagged 3d model, where a positive influence of temperature on the daily new confirmed cases was discerned in 5 cities except in Beijing, Wuhan, Korea, and Malaysia. Nevertheless, the results were inconsistent across cities and lagged time, suggesting meteorological factors were unlikely to greatly influence the COVID-19 epidemic. CONCLUSIONThe associations between meteorological factors and the number of COVID-19 daily cases are inconsistent across cities and lagged time. Large-scale public health measures and expanded regional research are still required until a vaccine becomes available and herd immunity is established. Significance statementWith increasing COVID-19 cases across China and the world, and previous studies showing that meteorological factors may be associated with infectious disease transmission, the saying has it that when summer comes, the epidemic of COVID-19 may simultaneously fade away. We demonstrated the influence of meteorological factors on the daily domestic new cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in nine Asian cities. And we found that the associations between meteorological factors and the number of COVID-19 daily cases are inconsistent across cities and time. We think this important topic may give better clues on prevention, management, and preparation for new events or new changes that could happen in the COVID-19 epidemiology in various geographical regions and as we move towards Summer.

Facemask shortage and the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak: Reflection on public health measures

BackgroundTo analyse the impact of the Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia (NCP) outbreak on the facemask shortage in China and provide insight into the development of emergency plans for future infectious disease outbreaks. MethodsPolicy review using government websites and shortage analysis using mathematical modelling based on data obtained from the National Health Commission (NHC), the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the Peoples Republic of China. FindingsSupplies of facemasks in the whole of China would have been sufficient for both the healthcare workers and the general population if the NCP outbreak only occurred in Hubei province. However, if the outbreak occurred in both Hubei and Guangdong provinces, facemask supplies in the whole of China could last for 34 days if no alternative public health intervention was introduced. There would be a shortage of 480 million facemasks by mid-February 2020. If the outbreak occurred in the whole of China, facemask supplies could only last for 16 days and the shortage would considerably worsen, with a shortage of 11{middle dot}5 billion facemasks by mid-February 2020. InterpretationIn light of the novel coronavirus outbreak in China, insufficient medical resources (e.g., shortage of facemasks) can considerably compromise the efficacy of public health measures. An effective public health intervention should also consider the adequacy and affordability of existing medical resources. Global collaboration should be strengthened to prevent the development of a global pandemic from a regional epidemic via easing the medical resources crisis in the affected countries.