Chronic, acute and protocol-dependent effects of exercise on psycho-physiological health during long-term isolation and confinement.

Exercise could prevent physical and psychological deteriorations, especially during pandemic times of lock-down scenarios and social isolation. But to meet both, the common exercise protocols require optimization based on holistic investigations and with respect to underlying processes. This study aimed to explore individual chronic and acute effects of continuous and interval running exercise on physical and cognitive performance, mood, and affect and underlying neurophysiological factors during a terrestrial simulated space mission. Six volunteers (three females) were isolated for 120 days. Accompanying exercise training consisted of a continuous and interval running protocol in a cross-over design. Incremental stage tests on a treadmill were done frequently to test physical performance. Actigraphy was used to monitor physical activity level. Cognitive performance, mood (MoodMeter®), affect (PANAS), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), vascular-endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and saliva cortisol were investigated prior to, four times during, and after isolation, pre- and post-exercise on two separate days, respectively. As a chronic effect, physical performance increased (and IGF-1 tended) in the course of isolation and training until the end of isolation. Subjective mood and affect state, as well as cognitive performance, basal BDNF and VEGF levels, were well-preserved across the intervention. No acute effects of exercise were detected, besides slower reaction time after exercise in two out of nine cognitive tests, testing sensorimotor speed and memory of complex figures. Consistently higher basal IGF-1 concentrations and faster reaction time in the psychomotor vigilance test were found for the continuous compared to the interval running protocol. The results suggest that 120 days of isolation and confinement can be undergone without cognitive and mental deteriorations. Regular, individual aerobic running training supporting physical fitness is hypothesized to play an important role in this regard. Continuous running exercise seems to trigger higher IGF-1 levels and vigilance compared to interval running. Systematic and prolonged investigations and larger sample size are required to follow up on exercise-protocol specific differences in order to optimize the exercise intervention for long-term psycho-physiological health and well-being.

The Aviation Industry and COVID-19

International flight restrictions, local stay-at-home orders, and a general fear of contracting and spreading COVID-19 through air travel had a sudden and profound effect on the U.S. aviation industry. According to Department of Transportation (DOT) statistics, passenger traffic in April 2020 was 96 percent lower system-wide than April 2019, and remained 60 percent below 2019. This book examines the immediate effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on businesses across the aviation industry;actions those businesses took in response;actions the FAA took to help the industry respond to the pandemic;and the outlook for industry recovery, among other issues. © 2022 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Mental Well-Being of Young Children and Families at the Beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Germany

During the spring of 2020, the lockdown in Europe, enacted as a countermeasure to the COVID-19 pandemic, dramatically changed the social and daily life of young families. This online study explored the potential consequences of these unprecedented circumstances for the well-being of young German families. Caregivers completed a standardized questionnaire on their positive mental well-being and open-ended questions referring to their family situation and children. Although there is an emerging body of research describing pandemic-related outcomes in older children, little is known about its impact during early development. Hence, our analyses focused on a subset of caregivers of N = 798 children aged 0 to 23 months. Answers to open-ended questions revealed predominantly negative changes in their children and family life as a whole. During the lockdown, the well-being of the caregivers decreased. Taken together, the data show that social changes caused by the tockdown affected the well-being of young families. Potential mechanisms of stress transmission between parents and children are discussed.

Mitigating the impacts of pandemics on the supply chain using Earth Observation Data

With sudden changes in demand for certain goods, strict border control, and movement restrictions, pandemics can cause an immense disruption of the supply chain especially as it pertains to sustenance goods and job security. The most important recommendations on how this disruption can be mitigated by applying Remote Sensing have been outlined. Earth Observation (EO) and ground data can be used to mitigate the effects of pandemics on the interconnected global and local supply chain;with the COVID-19 pandemic as a case study. The scope of effects by COVID-19 includes issues in the supply chain, operational logistics, and goods production. EO data can be used to track goods like foods, medical kits, hand sanitizers, etc. which in turn aids the reallocation of high-demand goods to areas with limited supply. Satellite-based communication channels will be useful for more remote areas. The supply chain deals with adequate production, the food security issues faced by a significant part of the world's population, can be tackled with an integrated approach. An integrated application of Remote Sensing, (IoT), and Machine Learning is proposed for food security. EO can be used for agricultural monitoring using GNSS coupled with available tools to assess and predict produce status. This is useful in disaster management during restrictions of pandemics;machine learning models can be deployed in conjunction with IoT systems to help with farm monitoring watering of crops using weather data, environment monitoring and fertilizer requirement reminders, and triggering of risk management protocols during disasters. Copyright © 2021 by the International Astronautical Federation (IAF). All rights reserved.

COVID-19 as an occupational disease and work-related accident - Analysis of reported and recognised cases handled by German Social Accident Insurance (DGUV)

Objectives: This article analyses the number of cases of occupational disease (OD) and work-related accidents in connection with COVID-19 reported to all accident insurance funds (UVT) in Germany and duly recognised as claims. Methods: The analysis covers data from a special survey of the German Social Accident Insurance (DGUV), the umbrella association of the accident insurance institutions for the industrial and public sectors (the BGs and the public-sector accident insurers respectively), and routine data from the social accident insurance provider for the health and welfare sector (BGW). In the case of the BGW data, we present the COVID-19 cases per 1,000 full-time equivalents (FTE) separated by sector. Results: Since the beginning of the pandemic, the UVT have registered 202,945 cases related to COVID-19 and recognised 121,027 of these as insurance claims. Most reports related to an OD (83.3 %). The most affected UVT is the BGW, with 59.7 % of all reported cases. On average, 24.05 OD per 1,000 FTE were reported to the BGW. Clinics and nursing homes had the highest rates (53.9 and 46.7 OD per 1,000 FTE). Nursing and kindergarten jobs, typically held by women, accounted for 77 % of reports to the BGW. Nurses accounted for 71.2 % of insured persons treated in hospital and 44.8 % of deaths. Conclusion: The number of reported cases of COVID-19 recognised as insurance claims is high. The UVT are affected to varying degrees. The BGW is the most affected. The infection risk for nurses, a predominantly female job, is particularly high. Provision and compensation for insured persons will continue to be a major challenge over the next few years due to the potential long-term adverse effects of COVID-19. © 2022 Alfons W. Gentner Verlag GmbH & Co. KG. All rights reserved.

Pediatric Emergency Department Visits in US Hospitals Across 2019 and 2020

Background: This research leverages Clinical Emergency Data Registry (CEDR) data collected from 2019 to 2020. Developed by ACEP, CEDR is the first Emergency Medicine (EM) specialty-wide registry to measure acute care quality, outcomes, practice patterns, and trends in emergency care. ACEP began CEDR in 2015 focusing on quantifying and enhancing quality of emergency care through collection of quality data and development of EM-specific quality metrics. CEDR has collected data for 50 million visits representing 30 million unique patients. Study Objectives: Early in the pandemic, impact on emergency departments (ED) was substantial. By May, ED visits declined nearly 40%. CDC data indicated ED visits for patients younger than 14 declined by 70%. While several studies evaluated pandemic impact on pediatric cases, most focused on children’s hospitals or particular illnesses. This research assesses the impact on pediatric visits to all US EDs over the more extended timeline of the pandemic, including total visits, visits for influenza, and visits for COVID-19. Methods: The database was queried for visit data on patients 18 years and younger from January 2019 to December 2020. Visits were counted, not individuals, so two visits by the same individual count as two visits. Percentage of visits in this cohort with a diagnosis of influenza (ICD 10 Codes: J09.X2, J10.-, J11.-) and COVID-19 (ICD 10 Code: U07.1) were calculated. Data were compared to age-agnostic ED visits and percentage of visits for COVID-19 and influenza in the general public. This data was obtained from the National Syndromic Surveillance Program (NSSP), run by the CDC. NSSP received data from 93% of US hospitals and is provided to ACEP through an agreement with the CDC. It includes data on the number of ED visits and percentage of those visits made for COVID-19 and influenza. Simple descriptive analysis was used. Results: Pediatric ED visits experienced a 72% decline starting week 11 of 2020, coinciding with the WHO characterization of COVID-19 as a pandemic. Sharp decline continues for six weeks before plateauing. However, pediatric visits remain 38% below previous visit rates (Figure 1). General population ED visits decline significantly over an identical period, however, only decrease by 42%. These ED visits make a quicker recovery, returning to 88% of previous patient volume. When reviewing influenza and COVID-19 data, general public visits indicated a considerable lack of influenza cases during COVID-19 surges. Conversely, pediatric visits do not demonstrate the same surges. Instead, data showed repeated smaller COVID-19 spikes during the year. In addition, pediatrics did not reveal influenza suppression seen in the general public. Spiking in pediatric influenza was proportional to COVID-19 spikes, offset in time (Figure 2). Conclusion: This study reveals pediatric ED visits sharply decreased in early weeks of the pandemic. Recovery of ED visits is slower in pediatric populations compared to the general population. Further, percentage of visits for influenza and COVID-19 remain low in this population and do not show typical “waves” seen in the general population. The reduction in 2020 influenza cases seen in the adult population is not reflected in the pediatric population. Influenza spiked uniquely in the pediatric population throughout 2020. Isolation of children at home during the COVID-19 pandemic may account for limited vaccination resulting in equal exposure risks. [Formula presented] [Formula presented]

The impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on human psychology and physical activity;a space analogue research perspective

Introduction Astronauts will encounter isolated, confined and extreme (ICE) conditions during future missions, and will have to be able to adapt. Until recently, however, few places on Earth could serve as acceptable space analogues (i.e., submarine and polar regions). The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19)-related lockdowns around the globe provided a good opportunity to obtain more comprehensive datasets on the impact of prolonged isolation on human functioning in a very large sample. Methods Seven hundred forty-eight individuals (Belgium 442, Spain 183, Germany 50, Italy 50, US 23;Mean age +/- SD: 41 +/- 14 years, with an age range of 18-83 years;66% women) filled out an online survey assessing the impact of the COVID-lockdown on psychological, exercise and general health variables a first time near the beginning of the initial lockdown (hereafter 'T1';24 +/- 13 days after the start of the first lockdown;i.e., 3 weeks after the start of the first lockdown) and a second time a couple of weeks thereafter (hereafter 'T2';17 +/- 5 days after the first online survey;i.e., 6 weeks after the start of the first lockdown). Results From T1 to T2 an improvement of subjective sleep quality was observed (P = 0.003), that was related to an increase in subjective sleep efficiency and a decrease in sleep latency and disturbance (P <= 0.013). Weekly sitting time decreased, and the weekly amount of moderate and vigorous physical activity increased from T1 to T2 (P <= 0.049). No differences from T1 to T2 were observed in terms of mood, loneliness and state anxiety. A lower amount of sitting time was significantly correlated with improved subjective sleep quality (r = 0.096, P = 0.035) and with an increased amount of moderate (r = -0.126, P = 0.005) and vigorous (r = -0.110, P = 0.015) physical activity. Conclusion Compared to 3 weeks into the first COVID-imposed lockdown, 6-weeks after the start of the first COVID-imposed lockdown, physical activity and subjective sleep scores were positively impacted. The present, large sample size study further confirms exercise as a worthwhile countermeasure to psycho-physiological deconditioning during confinement.

Experiences of Stigma in the United States During the COVID-19 Pandemic

An increasing number of U.S. news headlines report violence targeting Asian populations and harassment of health care workers, which suggests growing coronavirus disease (COVID-19)-related stigmatization of certain groups across the country. Empirical research characterizing the breadth of COVID-19-related stigma in the U.S. is lacking and yet is critically needed to inform interventions that mitigate known negative health impacts of such stigma. Using mixed methods, we explored experiences of COVID-19-related stigma reported in an online U.S.-based survey conducted in April 2020 (N = 1,366). Forty-two respondents (3.1%) reported experiencing COVID-19-related stigma. Qualitative analysis of open-ended responses revealed that perceived race and ethnicity was the characteristic most frequently connected to experiencing stigma followed by COVID-19 guideline adherence, suspected or confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, profession or place of employment, and age. Most COVID-19-related stigma connected to race and ethnicity was specific to anti-Asian, specifically anti-Chinese, sentiment. Exploratory quantitative analysis found identifying as Asian (OR = 6.96) and testing positive for COVID-19 (OR = 4.99) were associated with the highest odds of experiencing stigma (all p < .001). Employment as a health care worker and/or first responder, working with COVID-19 patients, being at high-risk of serious illness, or having COVID-19 symptoms (OR range = 2.50-2.94, all p < .01) were also associated with greater odds of experiencing stigma. Together, our quantitative and qualitative results suggest that Asian populations in the U.S. may be disproportionately affected by COVID-19-related stigma. Our findings also suggest associations between experiences of stigma and COVID-19-related health factors and vulnerability. This study may help inform future research that demonstrates the extent of COVID-19-related stigma and interventions to combat adverse effects.

Mental Health in Times of the COVID-19 Pandemic Current Knowledge and Implications From a European Perspective

The COVID-19 pandemic is one of the most serious health and economic crises of the 21st century. From a psychological point of view, the COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences can be conceptualized as a multidimensional and potentially toxic stressor for mental health in the general population. This selective literature review provides an overview of longitudinal studies published until June 2021 that have investigated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health in the European population. Risk and protective factors identified in the studies are summarized. Forty-two studies that met inclusion and search criteria (COVID-19, mental health, longitudinal, and Europe) in PubMed, Psyclnfo, and Web of Science databases indicate differential effects of the pandemic on mental distress, depression, and anxiety, depending on samples and methods used. Age-specific (e.g., young age), social (e.g., female, ethnical minority, Loneliness), as well as physical and mental health-related factors (e.g., pre-pandemic illness) were identified as risk factors for poor mental health. The studies point to several protective factors such as social support, higher cognitive ability, resilience, and self-efficacy. Increasing evidence supports the assumption of the pandemic being a multidimensional stressor on mental health, with some populations appearing more vulnerable than others, although inconsistencies arise. Whether the pandemic will lead to an increase in the prevalence of mental disorders is an open question. Further high-quality longitudinal and multi-national studies and meta-analyses are needed to draw the complete picture of the consequences of the pandemic on mental health.

Social Media as Source of Information, Stress Symptoms, and Burden Caused by Coronavirus (COVID-19) A Cross-National Investigation of Predictors

This cross-national study investigated the extent of social media use (SMU) as a source of information about COVID-19, and its relationship with the experienced burden caused by the pandemic. Representative data from eight countries (France, Germany, Poland, Russia, Spain, Sweden, the UK, the USA) were collected online (end of May to the beginning of June 2020). Of the overall 8,302 participants, 48.1% frequently used social media (SM) as a COVID-19 information source (range: 31.8% in Germany, to 65.4% in Poland). In the overall samples and in all country-specific samples, regression analyses revealed the experienced burden caused by COVID-19 to be positively associated with SMU and stress symptoms. Furthermore, stress symptoms partly mediated the relationship between SMU and the burden. The results emphasize the significant association between the use of SM as a source of information, individual emotional state, and behavior during the pandemic, as well as the significance of conscious and accurate use of SM specifically during the COVID-19 outbreak.

COVID-ECHO : description échographique des pneumonies COVID-19

Introduction Dès le début de l’épidémie COVID-19, l’intérêt de l’échographie thoracique a été souligné, tant dans le diagnostic que comme facteur pronostique. Cependant, même si les lésions élémentaires sont connues, leur fréquence et leur répartition ont été moins décrites. Le but de cette étude est de décrire la sémiologie échographique des pneumonies COVID-19 hospitalisées. Méthodes Étude prospective multicentrique de mars à juin 2020. Inclusion des patients hospitalisés en pneumologie dans 15 centres du G-ECHO pour une pneumonie COVID-19 prouvée par scanner thoracique typique±PCR nasopharyngée. Une échographie thoracique était réalisée dans les 24h de la réalisation du scanner thoracique. Résultats 106 pts ont été inclus (âge médian 62 [30 à 90]). Le délai entre les premiers signes et l’hospitalisation était de 8jours (0 à 26). À l’arrivée, 67 % des pts étaient en air ambiant et 33 % sous oxygène. 10,4 % des pts avaient une atteinte scannographique <10 %, 32,1 % de 10 à 25 %, 35,8 %, de 25 à 50 %, 19,8 % de 50 à 75 % et 0,9 %>75%. 8 zones échographiques ont été analysées chez les 106 pts, soit 846 zones. Les signes retrouvés étaient des lignes B éparses (27%), un syndrome alvéolaire sous pleural (12 %), une irrégularité de la ligne pleuropulmonairere (12 %), des lignes B confluentes (10 %), un syndrome alvéolaire franc (>2cm de profondeur) (3 %). 34% des zones explorées étaient normales. Les lignes B éparses et confluentes et l’irrégularité de la lige pleuro pulmonaire étaient réparties sur toutes les zones. Les syndromes alvéolaires prédominaient nettement dans les zones postéro-inférieures. Une atteinte de la totalité des 8 zones explorées était retrouvée chez 23 % des pts, 52 % avaient une atteinte de 5 à 7 zones, 25 % avaient une atteinte de 4 zones ou moins. Aucun n’avait une écho normale. 11 pts avaient une pleurésie, toujours de moins de 1cm et jamais ponctionnée. 11 pts avaient une dysfonction diaphragmatique, 45 % d’entre eux ont eu une évolution défavorable versus 12 % en l’absence de dysfonction. L’extension des lésions à l’échographie était corrélée à l’extension des lésions scannographiques. Conclusion La pneumonie COVID donne avant tout un syndrome interstitiel hétérogène de répartition diffuse et parfois un syndrome alvéolaire prédominant aux bases. Les pleurésies sont rares. L’écho est très sensible (100 % dans cette population de patients hospitalisés). Le degré d’atteinte échographique est corrélée à l’extension des lésions scannographiques.