The influence of COVID-19 prevention and control measures on the transmission and epidemic of influenza in Chongqing

Objective: To evaluate the influence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) prevention and control measures on the transmission and epidemic of influenza in Chongqing, so as to provide references for formulating targeted influenza prevention and control strategies. Methods: The influenza surveillance data, during the year 2018 to 2020, were collected through the "China Influenza Surveillance Information System", and the seasonal characteristics of influenza epidemic were analyzed. The percentage of influenza like cases (ILI%) and influenza virus positive rate between 2020 and 2018-2019 were compared, so as to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 prevention and control measures on influenza epidemic characteristics. Results: The annual proportions of ILI cases in Chongqing were respectively 3.53%, 2.23% and 1.2% from 2018 to 2020, while the positive rates of influenza virus were respectively 13.97%, 23.81% and 2.65%. The distribution trend of ILI% from 2018 to 2019 fluctuated were similar, but it continued to drop and remain at a low level since February 2020. The positive rate of influenza virus showed an epidemic peak from December to March in 2018-2019, also peaked from November 2019 to January 2020, but decreased to 0 in March. ILI% was positively correlated with the positive rate of influenza virus (r=0.404 8, P < 0.05). In 2020, compared with the same period of 2018-2019, the growth rate of ILI% was -66.09% and -46.32%, respectively. The positive rate of influenza virus in 2020 decreased by 81.03% and 88.87% compared with the same period of 2018-2019, respectively. The growth rates of influenza virus positive rate in January 2020 were decreased with a small rate of about 39.87%, and with a significantly decline of more than 93.65% from February. No influenza epidemic was found after March. Conclusions: Since COVID-19 prevention and control measures were implemented in January 2020 in Chongqing, the ILI% and the positive rate of influenza virus in sentinel hospitals decreased significantly. In the season of high incidence of respiratory infectious diseases, personal protection and other measures can effectively reduce influenza virus infection.

Review on COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy

COVID-19 vaccination is one of the most effective ways in the prevention and control of the pandemic worldwide. Achieving high levels of vaccine coverage is a key in minimizing the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on health systems, aged care systems, and communities. However, in many countries and regions, COVID-19 vaccine hesitation and rejection gradually become a huge hurdle for open-up the world again and for the recovery of the global economy. Vaccine hesitancy was already a growing concern worldwide even before COVID-19 pandemic, which significantly reduced the vaccine coverage and hindered the speed of vaccination. Therefore, it was listed as one of the top 10 threats to global health in 2019. The reasons for vaccine hesitancy and rejection remain complex and omnifarious. Targeted interventions tailored to vaccine hesitancy and refusal in specific populations may increase vaccine uptake. The communication-based interventions in health education and health promotion can effectively address the issues of vaccine hesitancy, such as raising vaccine knowledge and prevention awareness in specific populations, improving vaccine availability and accessibility, enforcing vaccination or implementing regulations to those unvaccinated, integrating the newest vaccine knowledge and evidence into routine health practices and procedures, addressing mistrust via dialogue and improving authority of healthcare providers and institutions.

Current status of management of medical waste in medical institutions of Chongqing

OBJECTIVE: To understand the status of generation and management of medical waste in medical institutions of Chongqing. METHODS: By means of onsite investigation and questionnaire survey, the generation categories and current status of management of medical waste in 50 medical institutions were investigated from Oct 2021 to Apr 2022 the existing limitations and prominent problems in the whole-process management of medical waste were identified so as to enable the safe disposal of medical waste based on laws and regulations. RESULTS: The average pollutants generation coefficient of medical waste was 0.22-0.72 kg/bed.day among all the grades of hospitals, the average pollutant generation coefficient of medical waste was 0.28-2.30 kg/10 people among grass-root medical institutions. The management of medical waste was more standardized in tertiary hospitals. There were a variety of problems in management of medical waste in clinics and village clinics, such as nonstandard classification of medical waste, unreasonable site selection for temporary storage of medical waste, unsatisfactory transportation means and untimely collection and transportation of medical waste. The problems of chemical, pharmaceutical and pathological medical waste were more prominent. The costs of disposal of medical waste were not strictly implemented in accordance with standards. The packaging, storage, loading, handover and disinfection of COVID-19 medical waste have been carried out in accordance with regulations. CONCLUSION: It is necessary to further standardize the management of medical waste, explore and formulate the collection and transportation modes of medical waste in primary medical institutions, intensify the supervision of classification, collection, storage, transportation and disposal of medical waste, optimize and upgrade the medical waste management information system, and encourage subsidies for the disposal of medical waste in Chongqing medical waste disposal enterprises during the COVID-19 period.

Tea Culture Tourism Perception: A Study on the Harmony of Importance and Performance

Tea culture tourism is a product of the combination of agricultural tourism and ecotourism. After the COVID-19 period, this product is more and more popular. Tourism performance is an important index for measuring the development level of tourist destinations, and research on the influencing factors of tourism performance is an important way to promote the high-quality development of tea culture tourism. Using the tea tourism town of Wushan as a case study, 452 valid questionnaires were used as research data, and exploratory factor analysis, paired sample t-test and IPA analysis were applied. The results indicate that: (1) tourism performance is mainly divided into 5 dimensions and 22 specific indicators, including service quality, resource environment, tourism transportation, tourism-supporting facilities and tea tourism products;(2) there is a significant difference between the degree of importance and performance of visitors to each indicator, and the overall tourism performance of the case sites at an average level;(3) convenient service, professional service, business management, park traffic, parking conditions, environmental design, shopping environment, tea quality, and tea culture characteristics are potential advantageous factors, and ‘service with a smile', accessibility, trail layout, overall image, air quality, natural scenery, landscape vignettes, network communication, public toilets, sanitation facilities, tourist service centers, tea travel activities, and tourism souvenirs are areas in need of improvement. © 2023 by the authors.

Research on sustainable development of tourist attractions in Chongqing under the background of epidemic normalization. A case study of Wulong 5A Karst travelling site

Since the outbreak of COVID-19 in early 2020, the epidemic has gradually become normalized. This has affected all sectors in China, especially tourism, which has been hit hard. Many travelling sites have to close, making it difficult to make a living. This paper studies Wulong Karst scenic spot by case study method and SWOT analysis method, and puts forward suggestions and countermeasures to the existing problems of this scenic spot, so that Wulong Karst scenic spot, as a world natural heritage, can better maintain sustainable development under the background of the epidemic. [ FROM AUTHOR]

Early Improvement of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome in Patients With COVID-19 in the Intensive Care Unit: Retrospective Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been over 2 million deaths globally. Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) may be the main cause of death. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to describe the clinical features, outcomes, and ARDS characteristics of patients with COVID-19 admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) in Chongqing, China. METHODS: The epidemiology of COVID-19 from January 21, 2020, to March 15, 2020, in Chongqing, China, was analyzed retrospectively, and 75 ICU patients from two hospitals were included in this study. On day 1, 56 patients with ARDS were selected for subgroup analysis, and a modified Poisson regression was performed to identify predictors for the early improvement of ARDS (eiARDS). RESULTS: Chongqing reported a 5.3% case fatality rate for the 75 ICU patients. The median age of these patients was 57 (IQR 25-75) years, and no bias was present in the sex ratio. A total of 93% (n=70) of patients developed ARDS during ICU stay, and more than half had moderate ARDS. However, most patients (n=41, 55%) underwent high-flow nasal cannula oxygen therapy, but not mechanical ventilation. Nearly one-third of patients with ARDS improved (arterial blood oxygen partial pressure/oxygen concentration >300 mm Hg) in 1 week, which was defined as eiARDS. Patients with eiARDS had a higher survival rate and a shorter length of ICU stay than those without eiARDS. Age (<55 years) was the only variable independently associated with eiARDS, with a risk ratio of 2.67 (95% CI 1.17-6.08). CONCLUSIONS: A new subphenotype of ARDS-eiARDS-in patients with COVID-19 was identified. As clinical outcomes differ, the stratified management of patients based on eiARDS or age is highly recommended.

Expression of TNF-a, IFN-?, sIL-2R and CRP in COPD patients complicated with pulmonary tuberculosis

OBJECTIVE: To explore the expression of tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-a), interferon-? (IFN-?), soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2 R) and C-reactive protein (CRP) in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients complicated with pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB). METHODS: From Mar 2016 to Mar 2019, the acute stage of COPD patients complicated with active stage of PTB who were treated in the department of respiratory and critical care medicine of the People's Hospital of Liangping District, Chongqing were assigned as the group, the acute stage of COPD patients complicated with recovery stage of PTB were assigned as the group B, the stable stage of COPD patients complicated with active stage of PTB were assigned as the group C, and the stable stage of COPD patients complicated with recovery stage of PTB were assigned as the group D. 25 patients with simple stable stage of COPD, 25 patients with simple recovery stage of PTB, 25 patients with simple acute stage of COPD, 25 patients with simple active stage of PTB and 25 people who received physical examination were chosen as the control group. The serum TNF-a, IFN-?, sIL-2 R and CRP were observed and compared among the groups, and the data were statistically analyzed. RESULTS: The levels of TNF-a, IFN-?, sIL-2 R and CRP of the case groups were significantly higher than those of the control group (P < 0.05). The levels of serum TNF-a, IFN-?, sIL-2 R and CRP of the simple stable stage of COPD group, the simple acute stage of COPD group, the simple recovery stage of PTB group, the simple active stage of PTB group, the group D, the group B, the group C and the group A were elevated successively (P < 0.05). The levels of serum TNF-a, IFN-?, sIL-2 R and CRP of the patients with improved illness condition were reduced after treatment. The AUCs of the TNF-a, IFN-?, sIL-2 R and CRP were respectively 0.706, 0.718, 0.768 and 0.807 in prediction of deterioration of disease. CONCLUSION: The PTB patients complicated with COPD show abnormal expression of serum TNF-a, IFN-?, sIL-2 R and CRP. The TNF-a, IFN-?, sIL-2 R and CRP are associated with the severity of disease and have high value in prediction of the deterioration of disease.

Epidemiological investigation of an imported COVID-19 case infected with Delta variant from Nepal in Chongqing of China

Objective: To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of a COVID-19 case imported from Nepal in Chongqing of China, and provide evidence for the prevention and control of imported COVID-19.

Case report on cured COVID-19 patients with viral nucleic acid test positive in fecal specimens in Chongqing, China

The outbreak of the novel coronavirus in China (2019-nCoV) has spread to all 31 provinces in China and more than 24 countries in the world. The cure criterion was based on the negative results with respiratory specimens in real-time reverse transcription polymerise chain reaction (RT-PCR) assays with an interval of 24 hrs. This report describes the controversial viral nucleic acid test in 27 cases after hospitalization for medical treatment for various periods. Of 27 cases, 6 cases showed positive results for fecal specimen, and 2 cases showed negative results with respiratory secretion but positive with fecal specimen. In summary, the consistence of results of nucleic acid test with different type of specimens from patients infected with 2019-nCoV varied, deeper research is needed to reveal the criteria of nucleic acid detection during different stages of the 2019-nCoV infection.

Anxiety of hearing impaired students in special schools during COVID-19

Objective: To understand anxiety status among students with hearing loss under the epidemic of novel coronarirus pneumonia, and to provide evidence for promoting mental health of hearing impaired students.

Clinical characteristics of COVID-19 in young patients differ from middle-aged and elderly patients.

Introduction: Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) has spread worldwide. The study aimed to understand the clinical characteristics of young COVID-19 patients. Material and methods: Ninety patients with severe COVID-19 infection in western Chongqing were collected from 21 January to 14 March 2020. They were divided into 4 groups based on age: youth (< 39 years), middle-aged (39-48 years), middle-elderly aged (49-60 years), and elderly (> 60 years). The clinical symptoms, laboratory findings, imaging findings, and treatment effects were compared among the groups. Results: There were 22, 27, 19, and 22 cases in the youth, middle-aged, middle-elderly, and elderly groups, respectively. There were no significant differences with respect to gender or smoking status among the four groups. The clinical indicators of severe disease in the youth group were significantly different from the other three groups, and included the lymphocyte count (p < 0.001), C-reactive protein level (p = 0.03), interleukin-6 level (p = 0.01), chest computed tomography (CT) findings (p < 0.001), number of mild cases (p = 0.02), education level (p < 0.001), and CD4 + T lymphocyte level (p = 0.02) at the time of admission, and the pneumonia severity index (PSI) at the time of discharge (p < 0.001). The complications (p < 0.001) among the youth group were also significantly different from the other groups. Conclusions: Young patients have milder clinical manifestations, which may be related to higher education level, higher awareness and higher acceptance of the prevention and control of the COVID-19 epidemic, as well as their good immune function.

Prediction and analysis of natural gas consumption in chongqing with a grey prediction model group in the context of COVID-19.

In this paper, a grey prediction model group is employed to quantitatively study the impact of COVID-19 on natural gas consumption in Chongqing, China. First, a grey prediction model group suitable for the prediction of Chongqing's natural gas consumption is introduced, which consists of GM(1,1), TWGM(1,1), and the newly-developed ODGM(1,1). Then, the model group is constructed to predict Chongqing's natural gas consumption in 2020. Finally, compare the predicted results of the model group with the actual consumption and quantitatively analyze the impact of the epidemic on natural gas in Chongqing. It is found that the impact of the epidemic on the consumption of natural gas in the first quarter of the year is very small, but relatively bigger in the second and third quarters. The study is of positive significance to maintain the supply and demand balance of natural gas consumption in Chongqing in the background of COVID-19; and it enriches and develops the theoretical system of grey prediction models.

Nutrition Literacy of Middle School Students and Its Influencing Factors: A Cross-Sectional Study in Chongqing, China.

Nutrition literacy plays an important role in children's dietary habits and nutrition. This study aimed to analyse the status of nutrition literacy and its influencing factors amongst middle school students in Chongqing, China. "Nutrition literacy scale for middle school students in Chongqing" was used in 29 districts of Chongqing in September 2020. The scores of nutrition literacy and its' three sub-domains (functional, interactive and critical nutrition literacy) were divided into low and high groups based on their median scores. Binary logistic regression was used to measure the influencing factors of nutrition literacy. A total of 18,660 middle school students were included in this study. The median of nutrition literacy of middle school students was 61.68 (IQR = 14.37). Interactive nutrition literacy had the highest score (median = 70.00, IQR = 20.00), followed by functional nutrition literacy (median = 68.69, IQR = 14.14) and critical nutrition literacy (median = 45.83, IQR = 25.00). Students who were the minority (OR = 0.71, 95% CI = 0.637-0.785), in senior high school (OR = 0.51, 95% CI = 0.477-0.548), in rural areas (OR = 0.85, 95% CI = 0.790-0.911), receiving school meal support from the government (OR = 0.63, 95% CI = 0.591-0.664), with other caregivers' parenting (OR = 0.86, 95% CI = 0.805-0.914), with parents having a low level of education and with an abnormal BMI [thin (OR = 0.91, 95% CI = 0.837-0.990), overweight (OR = 0.87, 95% CI = 0.785-0.968), and obese (OR = 0.83, 95% CI = 0.767-0.902)] presented less probability of being a high level of nutrition literacy. Our results could assist public health authorities in developing strategies of nutrition literacy promotion for references and theoretical foundations.

Research on Influencing Factors and Dimensions of Health Literacy in Different Age Groups: Before and After the COVID-19 Era in Chongqing, China.

Background: Understanding the levels of health literacy among different groups is essential for better public health interventions targeting specific subgroups of the population. Additionally, this article explores the prevalence and influencing factors of the health literacy levels of different age groups during the COVID-19 epidemic. Methods: Multistage stratified cluster random sampling and the Probability Proportion to Size (PPS) method were used to select permanent residents aged 15-69 in Chongqing (54,706) for the questionnaire survey. The survey period is from July 2019 and July 2020. Single-factor analysis and logistic regression models were used to study the relationship between demographics, socioeconomic factors, other independent covariates, and health literacy. Results: The health literacy levels of residents declined with age, and there were significant differences in health literacy levels between age groups (χ2 = 3332.884, P < 0.05). As far as the factors affecting health literacy level are concerned, high education and high income are the protective factors for health literacy level for residents of all ages. For adolescents (OR = 1.383, 95% CI: 1.217-1.571), young adults (OR = 1.232, 95% CI = 1.117-1.358), and middle-aged people (OR = 1.096, 95% CI = 1.017-1.182), residence in rural areas was a protective factor. In terms of the dimensions of health literacy, in particular, elderly health literacy in 2020 in Scientific Health Concepts, Safety and First Aid, Basic Medical Care decreased significantly compared with 2019. Conclusions: For adolescents, young adults, middle-aged people, to solve the problem of urban and rural health quality gap, we should not only use the geographical division, but also consider the social population and socio-economic differences. For the elderly, the following four dimensions of health literacy need to be paid more attention than those of other age: Basic Knowledge and Concepts, Scientific Health Concepts, Safety and First Aid, and Basic Medical Care. A lack of knowledge on the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases is the main reason for the recent decline in health literacy. And the health literacy among residents in major public health emergencies is needed.

Tourism and Livable Towns Beyond the Coronavirus Disease 2019: A Case Study for Chongqing, China.

Based on the data of 812 small towns in Chongqing, China, this paper attempts to conduct an empirical analysis on whether tourist towns with excellent natural environment, policy advantage, and market preference are more ecologically livable than ordinary small towns. It is found that as a whole, tourist towns are indeed more ecologically livable than ordinary small towns. Also, from the perspective of grading, both the national and provincial tourist towns have the advantage of ecological livability, but the advantage of national ones is more prominent. Furthermore, the ecological livability of tourist towns is affected by location advantage and policy inclination. The implications of the results are discussed following the outcomes of the coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak. The suggestions beyond the coronavirus disease 2019 are also provided.

Epidemiological and clinical characteristics of 136 cases of COVID-19 in main district of Chongqing.

BACKGROUND: We did a comprehensive exploration of the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of 136 patients with confirmed COVID-19 in main district of Chongqing which was adjacent to the west of Hubei province. METHODS: This study was conducted on 136 patients with COVID-19 in main district of Chongqing from Jan 25 to Feb 20, 2020. Data of patients included demographic, epidemiological, clinical features, chest radiographs of imported cases, local cases, second-generation cases and third-generation cases. Student's t-test was adopted for quantitative variables while Pearson Chi-squared test or Fisher's exact test for categorical variables. RESULTS: The median age was 47 years and common symptoms of illness were cough (50.7%), fever (47.1%) and fatigue (14.0%). The time from contact symptomatic case to illness was 7.7 days, and 88 patients (64.7%) were cluster cases, radiological evidence found bilateral lung involvement was common (57.4%).Compared with the imported cases, the local cases were significantly older, the proportion of men is lower. There was higher proportion of cluster cases in local cases. Unlike imported cases, which fever was the dominant symptom, the local cases have more cough patients, with a significant higher proportion of asymptomatic patients. The third-generation cases have a significant higher proportion of asymptomatic patients. CONCLUSION: We concluded the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of the cases andsuggested to take more comprehensive measures for screening patients, especially for elderly person, avoid family gatherings, and implement more closely surveillance of suspect patients and their close contacts.

Clinical features and treatment of COVID-19 patients in northeast Chongqing.

The outbreak of the novel coronavirus in China (SARS-CoV-2) that began in December 2019 presents a significant and urgent threat to global health. This study was conducted to provide the international community with a deeper understanding of this new infectious disease. Epidemiological, clinical features, laboratory findings, radiological characteristics, treatment, and clinical outcomes of 135 patients in northeast Chongqing were collected and analyzed in this study. A total of 135 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 were enrolled. The median age was 47 years (interquartile range, 36-55), and there was no significant gender difference (53.3% men). The majority of patients had contact with people from the Wuhan area. Forty-three (31.9%) patients had underlying disease, primarily hypertension (13 [9.6%]), diabetes (12 [8.9%]), cardiovascular disease (7 [5.2%]), and malignancy (4 [3.0%]). Common symptoms included fever (120 [88.9%]), cough (102 [76.5%]), and fatigue (44 [32.5%]). Chest computed tomography scans showed bilateral patchy shadows or ground glass opacity in the lungs of all the patients. All patients received antiviral therapy (135 [100%]) (Kaletra and interferon were both used), antibacterial therapy (59 [43.7%]), and corticosteroids (36 [26.7%]). In addition, many patients received traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) (124 [91.8%]). It is suggested that patients should receive Kaletra early and should be treated by a combination of Western and Chinese medicines. Compared to the mild cases, the severe ones had lower lymphocyte counts and higher plasma levels of Pt, APTT, d-dimer, lactate dehydrogenase, PCT, ALB, C-reactive protein, and aspartate aminotransferase. This study demonstrates the clinic features and therapies of 135 COVID-19 patients. Kaletra and TCM played an important role in the treatment of the viral pneumonia. Further studies are required to explore the role of Kaletra and TCM in the treatment of COVID-19.

Knowledge and awareness level of syrian dentists towards novel coronavirus pandemic: Cross-sectional study

Objetive: An outbreak of a novel and alarmingly coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was announced in China in December 2019, which later affected about 180 countries worldwide. Thus, this study aims to assess the awareness and attitude of dentists towards COVID-19 in Syria. Materials and Methods: The questionnaire was an online survey;it contained 19 questions formulated based on the information given by WHO and CDC for COVID-19. Study participants were dentists practicing in Syria. The questionnaire was translated into Arabic and published on the internet into multiple platforms. Results: 7233 dentists responded to the questionnaire;64% of the participants were females. The majority of the respondents were general practitioner (78%), nearly half of the respondents had been practicing dentistry for at least 2-4 years (51%). The majority of the respondents has knowledge about COVID-19 and was aware it is contagious. Over half of the Syrian dentists received their information about COVID-19 from social media platforms (55%). Even though the majority of the dentists were aware that the incubation period could last up to 14 days, nearly half of the participants were not aware that symptomless patients can spread the virus (49%). Conclusions: Syrian dental practitioners were aware of COVID-19 definition, incubation period and prevention measures in the dental clinic. However, they had limited attitude regarding COVID-19 symptoms, mode of transmission and management. © 2020, Universidad de Concepcion. All rights reserved.