Influence of Preseason Antibodies Against Influenza Virus on Risk of Influenza Infection Among Healthcare Personnel.

BACKGROUND: The association of hemagglutination inhibition (HAI) antibodies with protection from influenza among healthcare personnel (HCP) with occupational exposure to influenza viruses has not been well-described. METHODS: The Respiratory Protection Effectiveness Clinical Trial was a cluster-randomized, multisite study that compared medical masks to N95 respirators in preventing viral respiratory infections among HCP in outpatient healthcare settings for 5180 participant-seasons. Serum HAI antibody titers before each influenza season and influenza virus infection confirmed by polymerase chain reaction were studied over 4 study years. RESULTS: In univariate models, the risk of influenza A(H3N2) and B virus infections was associated with HAI titers to each virus, study year, and site. HAI titers were strongly associated with vaccination. Within multivariate models, each log base 2 increase in titer was associated with 15%, 26% and 33%-35% reductions in the hazard of influenza A(H3N2), A(H1N1), and B infections, respectively. Best models included preseason antibody titers and study year, but not other variables. CONCLUSIONS: HAI titers were associated with protection from influenza among HCP with routine exposure to patients with respiratory illness and influenza season contributed to risk. HCP can be reassured about receiving influenza vaccination to stimulate immunity.

Risk Factors for Healthcare Personnel Infection With Endemic Coronaviruses (HKU1, OC43, NL63, 229E): Results from the Respiratory Protection Effectiveness Clinical Trial (ResPECT).

BACKGROUND: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) presents a large risk to healthcare personnel (HCP). Quantifying the risk of coronavirus infection associated with workplace activities is an urgent need. METHODS: We assessed the association of worker characteristics, occupational roles and behaviors, and participation in procedures with the risk of endemic coronavirus infection among HCP who participated in the Respiratory Protection Effectiveness Clinical Trial (ResPECT), a cluster randomized trial to assess personal protective equipment to prevent respiratory infections and illness conducted from 2011 to 2016. RESULTS: Among 4689 HCP seasons, we detected coronavirus infection in 387 (8%). HCP who participated in an aerosol-generating procedure (AGP) at least once during the viral respiratory season were 105% (95% confidence interval, 21%-240%) more likely to be diagnosed with a laboratory-confirmed coronavirus infection. Younger individuals, those who saw pediatric patients, and those with household members <5 years of age were at increased risk of coronavirus infection. CONCLUSIONS: Our analysis suggests that the risk of HCP becoming infected with an endemic coronavirus increases approximately 2-fold with exposures to AGPs. Our findings may be relevant to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic; however, SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, may differ from endemic coronaviruses in important ways. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION: NCT01249625.

Prescribing practices in the treatment of wasting: secondary analysis from a randomised trial.

Introduction: Current guidelines for the outpatient treatment of severe acute malnutrition (SAM) recommend the provision of routine medications to all children at admission and prescribed medications as clinically indicated thereafter. The objective of this study was to describe the amount and purpose of medications prescribed during outpatient SAM treatment and explore the effect of routine antibiotics at admission on subsequent medication prescription. Methods: Medications prescribed during outpatient treatment were described by medication category, time from admission, and diagnoses among children with SAM in a placebo-controlled, double-blind trial of 7-day amoxicillin use. Total medications were compared by parent trial intervention arm (amoxicillin vs placebo) and differences assessed using Χ2 and two-sample t-tests. Results: Of the 2399 children enrolled, 74.6% of children received ≥1 prescribed medication during outpatient treatment. Antipyretics/analgesics (44.1% of children), antimalarials (56.6%) and antibiotics (30.0%) were prescribed most frequently. Children who received placebo in the parent trial received fewer total medications (mean difference: -0.80, 95% CI: -0.96 to -0.65) and oral antibiotics (mean difference: -0.96, 95% CI: -0.99 to -0.92) during treatment compared with children who received routine amoxicillin. Conclusions: We found high rates of medication prescription during outpatient treatment for SAM, but fewer total medications and oral antibiotics prescribed to children receiving placebo in the parent trial. Our findings underscore the role of outpatient treatment programmes as an important source of medicine prescription and suggest that provision of antibiotics on a clinically indicated basis for outpatient SAM cases may be a strategy to support prudent antibiotic use in certain settings. Trial registration number: ClinicalTrials.gov Registry (NCT01613547; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01613547).

Analysis of Postdischarge Interventions for Children Treated for Moderate or Severe Wasting, Growth Faltering or Failure, or Edema: A Systematic Review.

Importance: Children treated for acute malnutrition remain at increased risk of relapse, infection, and mortality after programmatic recovery. Global guidelines for the management of acute malnutrition currently provide no recommendations to sustain recovery following treatment discharge. Objective: To inform guideline development by evaluating the evidence on postdischarge interventions to improve outcomes within 6 months after discharge. Evidence Review: In this systematic review, 8 databases were searched from inception through December 2021 and included randomized and quasi-experimental studies investigating interventions delivered after discharge from nutritional treatment for children aged 0 to 59 months. Outcomes were relapse, deterioration to severe wasting, readmission, sustained recovery, anthropometry, all-cause mortality, and morbidity within 6 months after discharge. The risk of bias was assessed using Cochrane tools, and the certainty of the evidence was evaluated with the GRADE approach. Findings: Of 7124 records identified, 8 studies, conducted in 7 countries between 2003 and 2019 with 5965 participants, were included. The study interventions included antibiotic prophylaxis (n = 1), zinc supplementation (n = 1), food supplementation (n = 2), psychosocial stimulation (n = 3), unconditional cash transfers (n = 1), and an integrated biomedical, food supplementation, and malaria prevention package (n = 1). Risk of bias was moderate or high for half the studies. Only unconditional cash transfers were associated with reduced relapse, while the integrated package was associated with improved sustained recovery. Zinc supplementation, food supplementation, psychosocial stimulation, and unconditional cash transfers were associated with improvements in postdischarge anthropometry, while zinc supplementation was associated with reductions in multiple postdischarge morbidities. Conclusions and Relevance: In this systematic review of postdischarge interventions to reduce relapse and improve other postdischarge outcomes among children treated for acute malnutrition, evidence was limited. Biomedical, cash, and integrated interventions showed promise in improving certain postdischarge outcomes for children treated for moderate or severe acute malnutrition in single studies. Further evidence on the efficacy, effectiveness, and operational feasibility of postdischarge interventions in other contexts is needed to inform global guidance development.

Practices and challenges related to antibiotic use in paediatric treatment in hospitals and health centres in Niger and Uganda: a mixed methods study.

BACKGROUND: Antibiotic resistance is a significant public health problem and is responsible for high mortality in children and new-borns. Strengthening the rational use of antibiotics and improving the quality and access to existing antibiotics are important factors in the fight against antibiotic resistance. This study aims to provide knowledge on the use of antibiotics in children in resource-limited countries in order to identify problems and possible avenues for improvement of antibiotics use. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study in July 2020 and collected quantitative clinical and therapeutic data on antibiotic prescriptions between January and December 2019 in 4 hospitals or health centres in both Uganda and Niger, respectively from January to December 2019. Semi-structured interviews and focus groups were conducted among healthcare personnel and carers for children under 17 years of age, respectively. RESULTS: A total of 1,622 children in Uganda and 660 children in Niger (mean age of 3.9 years (SD 4.43)) who received at least one antibiotic were included in the study. In hospital settings, 98.4 to 100% of children prescribed at least one antibiotic received at least one injectable antibiotic. Most hospitalized children received more than one antibiotic in both Uganda (52.1%) and Niger (71.1%). According to the WHO-AWaRe index, the proportion of prescriptions of antibiotics belonging to the Watch category was 21.8% (432/1982) in Uganda and 32.0% (371/1158) in Niger. No antibiotics from the Reserve category were prescribed. Health care provider's prescribing practices are rarely guided by microbiological analyses. Prescribers are faced with numerous constraints, such as lack of standard national guidelines, unavailability of essential antibiotics at the level of hospital pharmacies, the limited financial means of the families, and pressure to prescribe antibiotics from caregivers as well as from drug company representatives. The quality of some antibiotics provided by the National Medical Stores to the public and private hospitals has been questioned by some health professionals. Self-medication is a widespread practice for the antibiotic treatment of children for economic and access reasons. CONCLUSION: The study findings indicate that an intersection of policy, institutional norms and practices including individual caregiver or health provider factors, influence antibiotic prescription, administration and dispensing practices.

Preschool-Aged Household Contacts as a Risk Factor for Viral Respiratory Infections in Healthcare Personnel.

Background: Viral respiratory infections (VRIs) are common and are occupational risks for healthcare personnel (HCP). VRIs can also be acquired at home and other settings among HCPs. We sought to determine if preschool-aged household contacts are a risk factor for VRIs among HCPs working in outpatient settings. Methods: We conducted a secondary analysis of data from a cluster randomized trial at 7 medical centers in the United States over 4 influenza seasons from 2011-2012 to 2014-2015. Adult HCPs who routinely came within 6 feet of patients with respiratory infections were included. Participants were tested for respiratory viruses whenever symptomatic and at 2 random times each season when asymptomatic. The exposure of interest was the number of household contacts 0-5 years old (preschool-aged) at the beginning of each HCP-season. The primary outcome was the rate of polymerase chain reaction-detected VRIs, regardless of symptoms. The VRI incidence rate ratio (IRR) was calculated using a mixed-effects Poisson regression model that accounted for clustering at the clinic level. Results: Among the 4476 HCP-seasons, most HCPs were female (85.4%) and between 30 and 49 years of age (54.6%). The overall VRI rate was 2.04 per 100 person-weeks. In the adjusted analysis, HCPs having 1 (IRR, 1.22 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 1.05-1.43]) and ≥2 (IRR, 1.35 [95% CI, 1.09-1.67]) preschool-aged household contacts had higher VRI rates than those with zero preschool-aged household contacts. Conclusions: Preschool-aged household contacts are a risk factor for developing VRIs among HCPs working in outpatient settings.

Impact of mandatory vaccination of healthcare personnel on rates of influenza and other viral respiratory pathogens.

OBJECTIVE: The implementation of mandatory influenza vaccination policies among healthcare personnel (HCP) is controversial. Thus, we examined the affect of mandatory influenza vaccination policies among HCP working in outpatient settings. SETTING: Four Veterans' Affairs (VA) health systems and three non-VA medical centers. METHODS: We analyzed rates of influenza and other viral causes of respiratory infections among HCP working in outpatient sites at 4 VA health systems without mandatory influenza vaccination policies and 3 non-VA health systems with mandatory influenza vaccination policies. RESULTS: Influenza vaccination was associated with a decreased risk of influenza (odds ratio, 0.17; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.13-0.22) but an increased risk of other respiratory viral infections (incidence rate ratio, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.02-1.57). CONCLUSIONS: Our fitted regression models suggest that if influenza vaccination rates in clinics where vaccination was not mandated had equalled those where vaccine was mandated, HCP influenza infections would have been reduced by 52.1% (95% CI, 51.3%-53.0%). These observations, their possible causes, and additional strategies to reduce influenza and other viral respiratory illnesses among HCP working in ambulatory clinics warrant further investigation.

An exploratory qualitative study of caregivers' knowledge, perceptions and practices related to hospital hygiene in rural Niger.

BACKGROUND: The risk of healthcare-associated infections is exacerbated by poor hygiene practices in health care facilities and can contribute to increased patient morbidity and mortality. In low-income settings, caregivers play a key role in maintaining proper hygiene during inpatient stays. We aimed to explore caregivers' knowledge, perceptions and practices related to hospital hygiene in a rural, sub-Saharan African setting. METHODS: We conducted an exploratory qualitative study among caregivers of children admitted to an inpatient therapeutic feeding center in Madarounfa, Niger. Individual interviews with 28 caregivers of hospitalized children were conducted to explore their knowledge, perceptions and practices of hygiene in the health facility. FINDINGS: Caregivers described a broad understanding of hygiene and reported knowledge of its importance in the hospital, particularly to prevent disease transmission and protect child health. Hygiene was perceived as a collective rather than individual responsibility. Caregivers reported on the poor hygiene practice of others and cited a lack of space and hygiene materials as barriers to correct hygiene practice. Caregivers described educational sessions and informal sharing with other caregivers as tools to gain knowledge and improve practice. CONCLUSION: This exploratory study is unique in describing the perspective of caregivers in a low-resource hospital setting, a group often underrepresented when designing health interventions to improve hospital hygiene. Our findings suggest a strong knowledge of hospital hygiene among caregivers in this setting, with positive perception of its importance in health promotion. Poor individual practice was reported but may be improved through additional education and provision of hygiene materials.

Outpatient healthcare personnel knowledge and attitudes towards infection prevention measures for protection from respiratory infections.

BACKGROUND: Healthcare personnel (HCP) knowledge and attitudes toward infection control measures are important determinants of practices that can protect them from transmission of infectious diseases. METHODS: Healthcare personnel were recruited from Emergency Departments and outpatient clinics at seven sites. They completed knowledge surveys at the beginning and attitude surveys at the beginning and end of each season of participation. Attitudes toward infection prevention and control measures, especially medical masks and N95 respirators, were compared. The proportion of participants who correctly identified all components of an infection control bundle for seven clinical scenarios was calculated. RESULTS: The proportion of participants in the medical mask group who reported at least one reason to avoid using medical masks fell from 88.5% on the pre-season survey to 39.6% on the post-season survey (odds ratio [OR] for preseason vs. postseason 0.11, 95% CI 0.10-0.14). Among those wearing N95 respirators, the proportion fell from 87.9% to 53.6% (OR 0.24, 95% CI 0.21-0.28). Participants correctly identified all components of the infection control bundle for 4.9% to 38.5% of scenarios. CONCLUSIONS: Attitudes toward medical masks and N95 respirators improved significantly between the beginning and end of each season. The proportion of HCP who correctly identified the infection control precautions needed for clinical scenarios was low, but it improved over successive years of participation in the study.

Take-home kits to detect respiratory viruses among healthcare personnel: Lessons learned from a cluster randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Health care personnel (HCP) working in outpatient settings routinely interact with patients with acute respiratory illnesses. Absenteeism following symptom development and lack of staff trained to obtain samples limit efforts to identify pathogens among infected HCP. METHODS: The Respiratory Protection Effectiveness Clinical Trial assessed respiratory infection incidence among HCP between 2011 and 2015. Research assistants obtained anterior nasal and oropharyngeal swabs from HCP in the workplace following development of respiratory illness symptoms and randomly while asymptomatic. Participants received take-home kits to self-collect swabs when absent from work. Samples mailed to a central laboratory were tested for respiratory viruses by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: Among 2,862 participants, 3,467 swabs were obtained from symptomatic participants. Among symptomatic HCP, respiratory virus was detected in 904 of 3,467 (26.1%) samples. Self-collected samples by symptomatic HCP at home had higher rates of viral detection (40.3%) compared to 24% obtained by trained research assistants in the workplace (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: In this randomized clinical trial, take-home kits were an easily implemented, effective method to self-collect samples by HCP. Other studies have previously shown relative equivalence of self-collected samples to those obtained by trained healthcare workers. Take-home kit self-collection could diminish workforce exposures and decrease the demand for personnel protective equipment worn to protect workers who collect respiratory samples.

Effect of specific non-pharmaceutical intervention policies on SARS-CoV-2 transmission in the counties of the United States.

Non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) remain the only widely available tool for controlling the ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. We estimated weekly values of the effective basic reproductive number (Reff) using a mechanistic metapopulation model and associated these with county-level characteristics and NPIs in the United States (US). Interventions that included school and leisure activities closure and nursing home visiting bans were all associated with a median Reff below 1 when combined with either stay at home orders (median Reff 0.97, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.58-1.39) or face masks (median Reff 0.97, 95% CI 0.58-1.39). While direct causal effects of interventions remain unclear, our results suggest that relaxation of some NPIs will need to be counterbalanced by continuation and/or implementation of others.

A systematic review of antibody mediated immunity to coronaviruses: antibody kinetics, correlates of protection, and association of antibody responses with severity of disease.

The duration and nature of immunity generated in response to SARS-CoV-2 infection is unknown. Many public health responses and modeled scenarios for COVID-19 outbreaks caused by SARSCoV-2 assume that infection results in an immune response that protects individuals from future infections or illness for some amount of time. The timescale of protection is a critical determinant of the future impact of the pathogen. The presence or absence of protective immunity due to infection or vaccination (when available) will affect future transmission and illness severity. The dynamics of immunity and nature of protection are relevant to discussions surrounding therapeutic use of convalescent sera as well as efforts to identify individuals with protective immunity. Here, we review the scientific literature on antibody immunity to coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2 as well as the related SARS-CoV-1, MERS-CoV and human endemic coronaviruses (HCoVs). We reviewed 1281 abstracts and identified 322 manuscripts relevant to 5 areas of focus: 1) antibody kinetics, 2) correlates of protection, 3) immunopathogenesis, 4) antigenic diversity and cross-reactivity, and 5) population seroprevalence. While studies of SARS-CoV-2 are necessary to determine immune responses to it, evidence from other coronaviruses can provide clues and guide future research.

A systematic review of antibody mediated immunity to coronaviruses: kinetics, correlates of protection, and association with severity.

Many public health responses and modeled scenarios for COVID-19 outbreaks caused by SARS-CoV-2 assume that infection results in an immune response that protects individuals from future infections or illness for some amount of time. The presence or absence of protective immunity due to infection or vaccination (when available) will affect future transmission and illness severity. Here, we review the scientific literature on antibody immunity to coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2 as well as the related SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV and endemic human coronaviruses (HCoVs). We reviewed 2,452 abstracts and identified 491 manuscripts relevant to 5 areas of focus: 1) antibody kinetics, 2) correlates of protection, 3) immunopathogenesis, 4) antigenic diversity and cross-reactivity, and 5) population seroprevalence. While further studies of SARS-CoV-2 are necessary to determine immune responses, evidence from other coronaviruses can provide clues and guide future research.