The 17th National Annual Conference on Neurological Infectious Diseases and Cerebrospinal Fluid Cytology of the Chinese Medical Association Neurology Branch was successfully held

The 17th National Annual Conference on Neurological Infectious Diseases and Cerebrospinal Fluid Cytology of the Chinese Medical Association Neurology Branch was successfully held in Wuhan, Hubei, China. During the conference, many well-known neurology experts in China conducted in-depth and detailed discussions on the research progress of infectious diseases of the nervous system and cerebrospinal fluid cytology, which benefited the participants a lot.Copyright © 2021

The 25th Bangkok International Symposium on HIV Medicine

Proceedings of: 25th Bangkok International Symposium on HIV Medicine, 18-20 January 2023, held virtually and on site at Samyan Mitrtown Hall, Bangkok, Thailand. The Bangkok International Symposium on HIV Medicine has commenced on the third Wednesday of January since 1998. The Symposium aims to provide professional healthcare workers in Thailand and the region an opportunity to receive the most up-to-date information on HIV and its related conditions if they are unable to attend other HIV conferences abroad. This year's hybrid symposium was held from 18 January to 20 January 2023. A total of six plenary sessions were held in the mornings, and four afternoon workshops held on Wednesday and Thursday. Expert speakers from Thailand, China, Malaysia, Singapore, India, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Australia, the UK, The Netherlands and the USA participated in the symposium.Copyright © 2023 Future Medicine Ltd.

IDWeek 2022

IDWeek is the joint annual meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA), the HIV Medicine Association (HIVMA), the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society (PIDS) and the Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists (SIDP). For the first time since the COVID-19 public health emergency began, IDWeek 2022 returned to in-person attendance. It was held in Washington, D.C., and the meeting comprised 5 days of live sessions and on-demand content that included posters and oral presentations.Copyright © 2023 Clarivate.

Knowledge, Perception, and Reporting Practices of Healthcare Providers about Adverse Events Following the COVID-19 Vaccination in Iraq

Routine vaccination activities, such as detection, reporting, and management of adverse events following immunization (AEFIs), are generally handled by healthcare providers (HCPs). Safe vaccines against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) were introduced to control the Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic. The study aimed to assess the knowledge, perceptions, and practice of HCPs in Iraq about reporting adverse events following COVID-19 vaccination, and their association with sociodemographic variables. The study was a cross-sectional study that was carried out between August and September 2021 at the COVID-19 vaccination centers in Iraq. This study used an online and paper-based questionnaire, which was distributed among HCPs (physicians and pharmacists) in COVID-19 vaccination centers. A total of 117 pharmacists and physicians responded to the survey. Two-thirds of respondents were pharmacists. The majority of the respondents (49.6%) had fair knowledge levels on AEFIs. The perception of 43% of the participants was very good, whereas the perception of 28%, 23%, and 6% of the participants was fair, good, and poor, respectively. The reporting practice of HCPs was inadequate in 53% of respondents. The number of pharmacists who had good knowledge of AEFIs was significantly higher than that of the physicians. The age group (30-39) years of HCPs was significantly associated with more positive perception towards AEFIs. The number of pharmacists that had good perception was significantly higher than that of the physicians. Furthermore, HCPs aged 30 to 39 years had significantly higher reporting practices than other age groups. The study highlighted that the HCPs working at the COVID-19 vaccination centers have low knowledge of AEFIs. On the other hand, HCPs had more positive perception towards reporting AEFIs. Education programs and reference materials are needed to increase their awareness about AEFIs.Copyright © 2022 University of Baghdad - College of Pharmacy. All rights reserved.

Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices, and Online Distance Learning Experience of Malaysian University Students towards COVID-19: A Cross Sectional Study

Some new norms need to be adapted due to COVID-19 pandemic period where people need to wear masks, wash their hands frequently, maintain social distancing, and avoid going out unless necessary. Therefore, educational institutions were closed to minimize the spread of COVID-19. As a result of this, online education was adapted to substitute face-to-face learning. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the Malaysian university students' adaptation to the new norms, knowledge and practices toward COVID-19, besides, their attitudes toward online learning. This study was conducted from January to February 2021 and included a sample of 500 Malaysian university students. For data collection, all students were asked to fill in a questionnaire that was developed based on previous literature, using Google Forms. 498 students completed the questionnaire (response rate 99.6%). Malaysian Ministry of Health was the main source (83.73%) that students refer to when looking for information on COVID-19. Only 40% of the participants had good overall knowledge about COVID-19;such knowledge was influenced by the students' field of study. The current practice towards COVID-19 was good only by 26.1% of participating students;such practice was influenced by the ethnic groups. Additionally, 60% of participated students agreed that COVID-19 can be successfully controlled. About one-third of participants had positive attitudes toward online learning. The major challenges facing students during online learning include distraction of the learning environment (80%), unstable internet connectivity (75%), lack of motivation (70%), limited technical skills (41%), and limited broadband data (34%). In conclusion, the knowledge and practice toward COVID-19 was good in less than half of Malaysian university students. Attitudes to the controlling of COVID- 19 were positive, while the attitudes toward online learning were neutral among most of the Malaysian university students. Challenges toward online learning are diverse and include both technical and student-related problems.Copyright © 2022 University of Baghdad - College of Pharmacy. All rights reserved.

Pneumococcal Vaccination is a Challenge of Pediatric Allergists

Objective: An increased risk of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) has been reported in children with asthma before the introduction of pneumococcal vaccines (PVs). However, the evidence is limited after PV entered the routine immunization schedule. We aimed to investigate whether pediatric allergists recommend additional PV (aPV) to asthmatic children and if so whether there are any asthma-specific risk factors they consider. We also wanted to determine any changes in their recommendations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Material(s) and Method(s): A questionnaire was e-mailed to all members of the Academy of Pediatric Allergy and Asthma in Turkey. The questionnaire was filled online and consisted of 14 questions. Result(s): The questionnaire was e-mailed to 220 members. The response rate was 56.3% and 60.5% of PA recommended aPV. The most frequent asthma specific factors for aPV were severe asthma (70.2%), long term oral corticosteroid use (65.3%) and frequent exacerbations / hospitalizations (62.9%). COVID-19 pandemic increased the rate of questions asked to PA about aPV for asthmatic children compared to previous periods (75.8 vs 33.9%) (p<0.001) and %27 of PA changed their recommendations in favor of aPV during pandemic. Conclusion(s): Asthmatic children is not infrequent. Severe asthma and related factors seem to be the leading reasons to recommend aPV for asthmatic children. The aPV recommendation by PA is increased during COVID-19 pandemic.Copyright © 2022 Bilimsel Tip Yayinevi. All rights reserved.

Meeting report: 6th Global Forum on Tuberculosis Vaccines, 22–25 February 2022, Toulouse, France

Safe, effective, and accessible vaccines are urgently needed to end tuberculosis (TB) by 2030. The 6th Global Forum on TB Vaccines, convened virtually 22–25 February 2022, was hosted by Toulouse, France, under the high patronage of President Emmanuel Macron, and the patronages of Minister for Solidarity and Health, Olivier Véran, and Minister for Higher Education, Research and Innovation, Frédérique Vidal. The theme for the meeting, "New horizons for TB vaccines”, reflected the changing landscape in which TB vaccine research and development (R&D) is being conducted: TB vaccines advancing into late-stage clinical trials and toward licensure, innovative research toward diversifying the TB vaccine pipeline and developing the next generation of candidates, increasing political, civil society, and community support for TB vaccines, and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In this report, we summarize key themes and findings from the meeting, highlighting progress and gaps in the TB vaccine field.

Back to the First Days of the Pandemic: How Well Have We Done to Diagnose COVID-19 in Healthcare Workers?

Introduction: Healthcare workers (HCWs) are one of the most vulnerable groups for COVID-19. SARS-CoV-2 PCR was offered to HCWs who had symptoms compatible with COVID-19 or who had a close contact with COVID-19 patient. A rapid antibody test was used to identify the risk of exposure of the HCWs who worked at high-risk units in our hospital during the first month of the pandemic. Herein, we aimed to evaluate the usefulness of this approach. Materials and Methods: The records of the HCWs from a university hospital who were tested by SARS-CoV-2 PCR or rapid antibody test between March 12, 2020 and April 04, 2020 were reviewed retrospectively. Demographic and clinical characteristics of HCWs were extracted from the electronic database. Wards or outpatient clinics that served COVID-19 patients were defined as high-risk units. Results: A total of 599 HCWs were tested for SARS-CoV-2 by PCR and 409 by rapid antibody test. Thirty-seven (6.2%) were found to be PCR positive. Eleven (29.7%) out of 37 HCWs were asymptomatic when they were tested. There was no statistically significant relationship between PCR positivity and occupation or working unit. A positive PCR result was detected in 24 HCWs during the first admission. Eleven out of 114 HCWs who were tested by a second PCR were found to be positive and two out of 17 HCWs who were tested by a third test were reported as PCR positive. Median interval between the first and second PCR was seven days (IQR= 8.5 days) and median interval between second and third PCR test was 4.5 days for the HCWs who were reported as positive at repeated PCR tests. Rapid antibody test was positive in one HCW who did not have a history of COVID-19. Conclusion: Approximately, one third of the SARS-CoV-2 PCR positive HCWs were asymptomatic. In case of increasing incidence of COVID-19 in the community, a regular screening policy for the HCWs regardless of their occupation and contact tracing might help to have a safe environment in hospitals. Screening policy should be based on well validated tests.

European Respiratory Society - 32nd International Congress

The 32nd European Respiratory Society (ERS) International Congress was held again in person at the FIRA Barcelona Gran Via Conference Center in Spain, as well as online. On-site attendance was limited to 10,000 delegates, with the spaces selling out before the conference began. The program included live streamed presentations, thematic poster discussion sessions, oral presentations, mini-symposia, industry exhibitors and skills workshops to discuss major respiratory fields that included thoracic oncology, respiratory infections, interstitial lung diseases, respiratory critical care, sleep and breathing disorders and pulmonary vascular diseases. This report will cover some of the most interesting presentations related to respiratory disease treatment. Copyright © 2022 Clarivate.