Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the management of imported malaria in China / 中国血吸虫病防治杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To examine the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the epidemic status of imported malaria and national malaria control program in China, so as to provide insights into post-elimination malaria surveillance.@*METHODS@#All data pertaining to imported malaria cases were collected from Anhui Province, Hubei Province, Henan Province, Zhejiang Province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region during the period from January 1, 2018 through December 31, 2021. The number of malaria cases, species of malaria parasites, country where malaria parasite were infected, diagnosis and treatment after returning to China, and response were compared before (from January 1, 2018 to January 22, 2020) and after the COVID-19 pandemic (from January 23, 2020 to December 31, 2021).@*RESULTS@#A total of 2 054 imported malaria cases were reported in Anhui Province, Hubei Province, Henan Province, Zhejiang Province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region during the period from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2021, and there were 1 722 cases and 332 cases reported before and after the COVID-19 pandemic, respectively. All cases were reported within one day after definitive diagnosis. The annual mean number of reported malaria cases reduced by 79.30% in Anhui Province, Hubei Province, Henan Province, Zhejiang Province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region after the COVID-19 pandemic (171 cases) than before the pandemic (826 cases), and the number of monthly reported malaria cases significantly reduced in Anhui Province, Hubei Province, Henan Province, Zhejiang Province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region since February 2020. There was a significant difference in the constituent ratio of species of malaria parasites among the imported malaria cases in Anhui Province, Hubei Province, Henan Province, Zhejiang Province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region before and after the COVID-19 pandemic (χ2 = 146.70, P < 0.05), and P. falciparum malaria was predominant before the COVID-19 pandemic (72.30%), while P. ovale malaria (44.28%) was predominant after the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by P. falciparum malaria (37.65%). There was a significant difference in the constituent ratio of country where malaria parasites were infected among imported malaria cases in Anhui Province, Hubei Province, Henan Province, Zhejiang Province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region before and after the COVID-19 pandemic (χ2 = 13.83, P < 0.05), and the proportion of malaria cases that acquired Plasmodium infections in western Africa reduced after the COVID-19 pandemic that before the pandemic (44.13% vs. 37.95%; χ2 = 4.34, P < 0.05), while the proportion of malaria cases that acquired Plasmodium infections in eastern Africa increased after the COVID-19 pandemic that before the pandemic (9.58% vs. 15.36%; χ2 = 9.88, P = 0.02). The proportion of completing case investigation within 3 days was significantly lower after the COVID-19 pandemic than before the pandemic (96.69% vs. 98.32%; χ2= 3.87, P < 0.05), while the proportion of finishing foci investigation and response within 7 days was significantly higher after the COVID-19 pandemic than before the pandemic (100.00% vs. 98.43%; χ2 = 3.95, P < 0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#The number of imported malaria cases remarkably reduced in Anhui Province, Hubei Province, Henan Province, Zhejiang Province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of China during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a decreased proportion of completing case investigations within 3 days. The sensitivity of the malaria surveillance-response system requires to be improved to prevent the risk of secondary transmission of malaria due to the sharp increase in the number of imported malaria cases following the change of the COVID-19 containment policy.

Statistical reporting requirements for medical journals: Amplifications and explanations / 中华流行病学杂志

Our study aimed to amplify and explain the items of statistical reporting requirements proposed by medical journals, and to improve the statistical reporting quality of medical articles. Statistical reporting requirements were obtained from the reporting standards published by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), the Enhancing the QUAlity and Transparency of Health Research (EQUATOR) network, and the editorial board of Chinese Medical Journal, etc. The items involved in statistical reporting requirements were summarized as issues of study design, statistical analysis, and interpretation of results. Each item was amplified based on cases of original articles. It is noticeable that the statistical reporting requirements of English medical journals generally referring to guidance documents, including "Recommendations for the conduct, reporting, editing, and publication of scholarly work in medical journals" proposed by the ICMJE, or the statements for different study types published by the EQUATOR network, where the statistical reporting of medical articles had been detailed specified. The statistical reporting requirements of Chinese medical journals, however, were usually stated by the editorial boards. Although the formats and contents of statistical analysis had been regulated, the requirements of Chinese medical journals were to some extent insufficient and should be enhanced in accordance with the international standards. In conclusion, the amplification and explanation of statistical reporting requirements were expected to help investigators understand the requirements for statistical reporting in medical researches, so as to effectively improve the quality of medical articles.

Effect of interpregnancy interval of childbearing aged women on birth weight of single live birth neonates / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective: To understand the effect of interpregnancy interval (IPI) of childbearing aged women on the birth weight of single live birth neonates in Shaanxi province. Methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted among the childbearing aged women selected through multistage stratified random sampling in Shaanxi during 20l0-2013, all the childbearing aged women had definite pregnancy outcomes. The interpregnancy interval of the childbearing aged women and the birth weight of the newborns were used as the independent variables and dependent variables respectively in multiple linear regression model and quantile regression model, and confounding factors were controlled. Results: A total of 13 063 women at childbearing age and their infants were investigated. The incidence of low birth weight and macrosomia was 3.54% and 7.62% respectively. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that there was no significant difference in birth weight among different IPI group and control group. Quantile regression analysis showed when birth weight was at 5 percentiles, the difference in birth weight between newborns whose mothers had short interpregnancy interval (<12 months) and those in control group was significant, when the birth weight was ≥90 percentiles, the birth weights of newborns whose mothers had long interpregnancy interval (60-119 months) were higher than those in control group, the difference was significant. As the increase of the percentiles of birth weight, the extent of changes gradually increased. Conclusion: The analysis indicated that both short (<12 months) and long (60-119 months) interpregnancy interval would had negative effects on birth weights of newborns. Therefore, planning for pregnancy is important for having a good perinatal outcome.

A propensity score-matched study on relationship between maternal respiratory infection in early pregnancy and gestational age / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective: To explore the association between maternal respiratory infection in early pregnancy and gestational age of single live birth. Methods: A face to face questionnaire survey was conducted among child bearing aged women in 30 counties (district) of Shaanxi province selected through stratified multistage sampling. Propensity score (PS) matched (1∶1) analysis was used to match participants with respiratory infections to those without respiratory infections. A multilevel linear model was used to investigate the association between respiratory infections and gestational age. Through the control of the confounders step by step, three models were established in this study: model 1 for the variable of respiratory infections before PS matching, model 2 was adjusted for variables in model 1 plus some other individual differences of mother and baby, and model 3 for the variable of respiratory infections after PS matching. Results: Of 28 848 child bearing aged women surveyed, 3 676 (12.74%) had respiratory infections in early pregnancy. After PS matching, 2 762 pairs were matched. Analysis with model 1 indicated that a decrease of 0.111 week (P<0.001) in gestational age was associated with a respiratory infection during the first trimester. Analysis with model 2 and model 3 indicated that a decrease of 0.058 week (P=0.025) and a decrease of 0.076 week (P=0.036) were associated with respiratory infection during the first trimester, respectively. Conclusion: The respiratory infection during the first trimester was associated with the decrease of the gestational age of newborn.

Association between congenital heart disease and medication taken during pregnancy among women of childbearing age / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective: To analyze the relationship between medication taken during pregnancy and congenital heart disease of the newborns. Methods: A large cross-sectional survey was conducted between August and November 2013. A questionnaire survey was conducted among the childbearing aged women, selected through multistage stratified random sampling in Shaanxi from 2010 to 2013. All of the childbearing aged women under study were in pregnancy and with definite pregnancy outcomes. Multivariable Poisson regression was conducted for data analyses. Results: A total of 28 680 cases were included in this study. The proportion of medication taken at any time during pregnancy was 16.0%, and the prevalence of congenital heart disease among the newborns was 67.9/10 000. After adjustment for factors as general demographic characteristic, history of heart disease and drug allergy and the situation of disease during pregnancy of these women, results from the multivariable Poisson regression showed that, factors as taking drugs (RR=1.95, 95%CI: 1.42- 2.68), cold medicine (RR=1.68, 95%CI: 1.07-2.64), antibiotics (RR=1.90, 95%CI: 1.25-2.90), salicylates (RR=5.01, 95%CI: 1.84-13.64) and antifungal drugs (RR=10.22, 95%CI: 3.25-32.19) during pregnancy were all related to congenital heart disease, and with the history of taking cold medicine (RR=1.90, 95%CI: 1.01-3.61), antibiotics (RR=2.18, 95%CI: 1.17-4.06), salicylates (RR=6.07, 95%CI: 1.45-25.41), antifungal drugs (RR=21.01, 95%CI: 4.17-105.87) and other drugs (RR=2.31, 95%CI: 1.19-4.47) during early pregnancy. These factors were with higher risks for congenital heart disease. Conclusion: Women of childbearing age who took cold medicine, antibiotics, salicylic acid drugs, antifungal drugs and other drugs during early pregnancy would increase the risks related to congenital heart diseases.