Tracking Emergence and Spread of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant in Large and Small Communities by Wastewater Monitoring in Alberta, Canada.

Wastewater monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 enables early detection and monitoring of the COVID-19 disease burden in communities and can track specific variants of concern. We determined proportions of the Omicron and Delta variants across 30 municipalities covering >75% of the province of Alberta (population 4.5 million), Canada, during November 2021-January 2022. Larger cities Calgary and Edmonton exhibited more rapid emergence of Omicron than did smaller and more remote municipalities. Notable exceptions were Banff, a small international resort town, and Fort McMurray, a medium-sized northern community that has many workers who fly in and out regularly. The integrated wastewater signal revealed that the Omicron variant represented close to 100% of SARS-CoV-2 burden by late December, before the peak in newly diagnosed clinical cases throughout Alberta in mid-January. These findings demonstrate that wastewater monitoring offers early and reliable population-level results for establishing the extent and spread of SARS-CoV-2 variants.

Influence of Childhood Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccines on Invasive Pneumococcal Disease in Adults With Underlying Comorbidities in Calgary, Alberta (2000-2013).

BACKGROUND: Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) was introduced into Alberta, Canada's routine childhood immunization programs in 2002 (7-valent [PCV7]) and 2010 (13-valent [PCV13]). We assessed the effect of these programs on the epidemiology of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) to determine if PCV-associated indirect protection was relatively reduced in adults with underlying comorbidities. METHODS: Demographic and clinical data were collected by a prospective, population-based surveillance system in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, from January 2000 to December 2013. An indirect cohort study design was used to assess for changes in the proportion of IPD cases with underlying comorbidities. RESULTS: There were 1598 overall and 1346 adult IPD cases from 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2013. Overall IPD incidence decreased 33% (age 0-5 months), 86% (6-23 months), 67% (2-4 years), 26% (5-17 years), 22% (18-64 years), 36% (65-84 years), and 42% (≥85 years) from the prevaccine (January 2000-July 2002) to the post-PCV13 (July 2010-December 2013) period. Over the same timeframe, PCV7 serotype disease incidence declined to ≤1 case per 100 000 persons in all age groups. Neither the proportion of adult cases with immunocompetent comorbidities (relative risk ratio [RRR], 0.93; 95% confidence interval [CI], .62-1.40) nor immunocompromising comorbidities (RRR, 0.99; 95% CI, .61-1.61) differed between the pre-PCV period and post-PCV era. CONCLUSIONS: Childhood PCV programs have provided considerable benefit, with substantial declines in overall and vaccine-serotype IPD in vaccinated children and in unvaccinated persons. Conjugate vaccine-associated indirect protection for adults with comorbidities was similar to that for healthy adults.

Early childhood risk and resilience factors for behavioural and emotional problems in middle childhood.

BACKGROUND: Mental disorders in childhood have a considerable health and societal impact but the associated negative consequences may be ameliorated through early identification of risk and protective factors that can guide health promoting and preventive interventions. The objective of this study was to inform health policy and practice through identification of demographic, familial and environmental factors associated with emotional or behavioural problems in middle childhood, and the predictors of resilience in the presence of identified risk factors. METHODS: A cohort of 706 mothers followed from early pregnancy was surveyed at six to eight years post-partum by a mail-out questionnaire, which included questions on demographics, children's health, development, activities, media and technology, family, friends, community, school life, and mother's health. RESULTS: Although most children do well in middle childhood, of 450 respondents (64% response rate), 29.5% and 25.6% of children were found to have internalising and externalising behaviour problem scores in the lowest quintile on the NSCLY Child Behaviour Scales. Independent predictors for problem behaviours identified through multivariable logistic regression modelling included being male, demographic risk, maternal mental health risk, poor parenting interactions, and low parenting morale. Among children at high risk for behaviour problems, protective factors included high maternal and child self-esteem, good maternal emotional health, adequate social support, good academic performance, and adequate quality parenting time. CONCLUSIONS: These findings demonstrate that several individual and social resilience factors can counter the influence of early adversities on the likelihood of developing problem behaviours in middle childhood, thus informing enhanced public health interventions for this understudied life course phase.

Long-term health care use and diagnosis after hospitalization for COVID-19: a retrospective matched cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Knowledge pertaining to the health and health care utilization of patients after recovery from acute COVID-19 is limited. We sought to assess the frequency of new diagnoses of disease and health care use after hospitalization with COVID-19. METHODS: We included all patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in Alberta between Mar. 5 and Dec. 31, 2020. Additionally, 2 matched controls (SARS-CoV-2 negative) per case were included and followed up until Apr. 30, 2021. New diagnoses and health care use were identified from linked administrative health data. Repeated measures were made for the periods 1-30 days, 31-60 days, 61-90 days, 91-180 days, and 180 and more days from the index date. We used multivariable regression analysis to evaluate the association of COVID-19-related hospitalization with the number of physician visits during follow-up. RESULTS: The study sample included 3397 cases and 6658 controls. Within the first 30 days of follow-up, the case group had 37.12% (95% confidence interval [CI] 35.44% to 38.80%) more patients with physician visits, 11.12% (95% CI 9.77% to 12.46%) more patients with emergency department visits and 2.92% (95% CI 2.08% to 3.76%) more patients with hospital admissions than the control group. New diagnoses involving multiple organ systems were more common in the case group. Regression results indicated that recovering from COVID-19-related hospitalization, admission to an intensive care unit, older age, greater number of comorbidities and more prior health care use were associated with increased physician visits. INTERPRETATION: Patients recovered from the acute phase of COVID-19 continued to have greater health care use up to 6 months after hospital discharge. Research is required to further explore the effect of post-COVID-19 conditions, pre-existing health conditions and health-seeking behaviours on health care use.

Longitudinal SARS-CoV-2 RNA wastewater monitoring across a range of scales correlates with total and regional COVID-19 burden in a well-defined urban population.

Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is an emerging surveillance tool that has been used to monitor the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic by tracking SARS-CoV-2 RNA shed into wastewater. WBE was performed to monitor the occurrence and spread of SARS-CoV-2 from three wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) and six neighborhoods in the city of Calgary, Canada (population 1.44 million). A total of 222 WWTP and 192 neighborhood samples were collected from June 2020 to May 2021, encompassing the end of the first-wave (June 2020), the second-wave (November end to December 2020) and the third-wave of the COVID-19 pandemic (mid-April to May 2021). Flow-weighted 24-hour composite samples were processed to extract RNA that was then analyzed for two SARS-CoV-2-specific regions of the nucleocapsid gene, N1 and N2, using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Using this approach SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in 98.06% (406/414) of wastewater samples. SARS-CoV-2 RNA abundance was compared to clinically diagnosed COVID-19 cases organized by the three-digit postal code of affected individuals' primary residences, enabling correlation analysis at neighborhood, WWTP and city-wide scales. Strong correlations were observed between N1 & N2 gene signals in wastewater and new daily cases for WWTPs and neighborhoods. Similarly, when flow rates at Calgary's three WWTPs were used to normalize observed concentrations of SARS-CoV-2 RNA and combine them into a city-wide signal, this was strongly correlated with regionally diagnosed COVID-19 cases and clinical test percent positivity rate. Linked census data demonstrated disproportionate SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater from areas of the city with lower socioeconomic status and more racialized communities. WBE across a range of urban scales was demonstrated to be an effective mechanism of COVID-19 surveillance.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour: A Qualitative Study in a Canadian City.

Public health measures introduced to combat the COVID-19 pandemic have impacted the physical activity, health, and well-being of millions of people. This grounded theory study explored how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected physical activity and perceptions of health among adults in a Canadian city (Calgary). Twelve adults (50% females; 20-70 years) were interviewed between June and October (2020) via telephone or videoconferencing. Using a maximum variation strategy, participants with a range of sociodemographic characteristics, physical activity levels, and perceptions of seriousness and anxiety related to COVID-19 were selected. Semi-structured interviews captured participant perceptions of how their physical activity and perceptions of health changed during the pandemic. Using thematic analysis, four themes were identified: (1) Disruption to Daily Routines, (2) Changes in Physical Activity, (3) Balancing Health, and (4) Family Life. Participants experienced different degrees of disruption in their daily routines and physical activity based on their individual circumstances (e.g., pre-pandemic physical activity, family life, and access to resources). Although participants faced challenges in modifying their daily routines and physical activity, many adapted. Some participants reported enhanced feelings of well-being. Public health strategies that encourage physical activity and promote health should be supported as they are needed during pandemics, such as COVID-19.

A multicenter study investigating SARS-CoV-2 in tertiary-care hospital wastewater. viral burden correlates with increasing hospitalized cases as well as hospital-associated transmissions and outbreaks.

SARS-CoV-2 has been detected in wastewater and its abundance correlated with community COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths. We sought to use wastewater-based detection of SARS-CoV-2 to assess the epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 in hospitals. Between August and December 2020, twice-weekly wastewater samples from three tertiary-care hospitals (totaling > 2100 dedicated inpatient beds) were collected. Hospital-1 and Hospital-2 could be captured with a single sampling point whereas Hospital-3 required three separate monitoring sites. Wastewater samples were concentrated and cleaned using the 4S-silica column method and assessed for SARS-CoV-2 gene-targets (N1, N2 and E) and controls using RT-qPCR. Wastewater SARS-CoV-2 as measured by quantification cycle (Cq), genome copies and genomes normalized to the fecal biomarker PMMoV were compared to the total daily number of patients hospitalized with active COVID-19, confirmed cases of hospital-acquired infection, and the occurrence of unit-specific outbreaks. Of 165 wastewater samples collected, 159 (96%) were assayable. The N1-gene from SARS-CoV-2 was detected in 64.1% of samples, N2 in 49.7% and E in 10%. N1 and N2 in wastewater increased over time both in terms of the amount of detectable virus and the proportion of samples that were positive, consistent with increasing hospitalizations at those sites with single monitoring points (Pearson's r = 0.679, P < 0.0001, Pearson's r = 0.799, P < 0.0001, respectively). Despite increasing hospitalizations through the study period, nosocomial-acquired cases of COVID-19 (Pearson's r = 0.389, P < 0.001) and unit-specific outbreaks were discernable with significant increases in detectable SARS-CoV-2 N1-RNA (median 112 copies/ml) versus outbreak-free periods (0 copies/ml; P < 0.0001). Wastewater-based monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 represents a promising tool for SARS-CoV-2 passive surveillance and case identification, containment, and mitigation in acute- care medical facilities.

Public health: who, what, and why?

There has been renewed concern about the state of public health in Canada, with several recent articles in this journal suggesting that the discipline of public health is under threat and that there has been a significant erosion of its core infrastructure. We strongly agree with the need for a well-resourced formal public health system and preservation of capacity to carry out core public health functions, while also positing a complementary narrative that emphasizes the possibility for a broad notion of public health to persevere and thrive in the face of these challenges. We consider what public health is, who public health is, and why public health exists, and suggest that the answers to these questions point to opportunities to strengthen the necessary interdisciplinary approaches that can best address current and future public health concerns.

The effect of mechanical context on attentional cost in unimanual coordination.

The purpose of this study was to address the attentional cost of sensorimotor coordination by determining if changes to the mechanical context of movement would influence the ability to attend and respond to an alternate stimulus. Nine right-handed participants performed rhythmic pronation and supination movements of the forearm in time with an auditory metronome. A secondary task, consisting of a pedal response to visual probe stimuli, was employed to infer the attentional cost of the coordination task. When the axis-of-rotation (AOR) was placed below the long axis of the forearm, the average time to react (RT) to the probe stimuli was greater for the supinate-on-the-beat condition than for the pronate-on-the-beat condition. Conversely, with the AOR above the forearm, RT for the pronate-on-the-beat pattern was greater than that for the supinate-on-the-beat pattern. Thus, changing the mechanical context of an upper limb coordination task altered the central processing cost required to maintain pattern stability. This finding provides further evidence that the attentional resources required to produce a particular movement are determined by the ease with which the action is executed by the sensorimotor system.