[Germina: tool for automatic detection of clusters of COVID-19 cases]. / Germina: herramienta para la detección automática de agrupaciones de casos de COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic showed that epidemiological surveillance was under-resourced to respond to increases in cases and outbreaks. The high community transmissibility among the school population in the city of Barcelona at the beginning of the sixth wave strained the local COVID-19 surveillance unit. Using SCRUM methodology, Germina was developed and implemented as a software tool capable of capturing, harmonizing, integrating, storing, analysing and visualizing data from multiple information sources on a daily basis. Germina identifies clusters of three or more school cases and calculates epidemiological indicators. The implementation of Germina facilitated the epidemiological response to the sixth wave of COVID-19 in the school setting in the city of Barcelona. This tool is transferable to other exposure settings and communicable diseases. The use of automated informatics tools such, as Germina, improves epidemiological surveillance systems and supports evidence-based decision making.

Community outbreak of COVID-19 among people who use drugs attending a harm reduction centre in Barcelona, Spain.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic particularly affected the health of vulnerable population, such as people who use drugs. Due to compromised baseline health status, certain drug uses and settings and socioeconomic deprivation related to poverty and homelessness, drug users faced higher risk of COVID-19 infection. They had difficulty in adhering to the public health measures (i.e. physical distancing, hand hygiene and mask use). Also, the struggle to implement non-pharmaceutical actions (i.e. test-trace-isolate-quarantine strategy) among SARS-COV-2-infected drug users and their close contacts challenged the public health response. Therefore, this study aimed to describe a community COVID-19 outbreak and its approach among drug users of a harm reduction programme in an outpatient drug treatment centre in Barcelona, Spain. METHODS: We conducted an observational descriptive study of an outbreak of COVID-19 among people who use drugs attending the harm reduction programme of an outpatient drug treatment centre in the city of Barcelona, between July and October 2021 (n = 440). A passive search for cases was carried out with rapid antigens tests targeting symptomatic users who attended the facilities. RESULTS: Nineteen positive COVID-19 cases were identified among symptomatic drug users, between July and October 2021, with an attack rate of 4.3%. Specific measures were taken to control the outbreak, such as offering accommodation to self-isolate in a low-threshold residential resource to homeless drug users who tested positive and intensifying the vaccination strategy. The management of the outbreak was carried out in close collaboration between the outpatient centre and the main public health stakeholders in the city of Barcelona. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows the complexity of managing and investigating COVID-19 outbreaks in vulnerable population groups. Epidemiological control measures, such as the test-trace-isolate-quarantine strategy, were challenging to implement due to technology-related barriers and socioeconomic vulnerabilities, especially homelessness. Community-based interventions, cooperation among stakeholders and housing-related policies were helpful in tackling outbreaks among people who use drugs. When addressing vulnerable and hidden populations, the perspective of inequalities should be included in epidemiological surveillance and outbreak control strategies.

[The problematic use of the mobile phone: cross-sectional analysis of the individual profile and associated factors.] / El uso problemático del teléfono móvil: análisis transversal del perfil individual y factores asociados.

OBJECTIVE: The problematic use of mobile phones is a phenomenon that can be associated with a specific individual profile and it has been seen that there are associated factors, although most of them have been studied in a limited way and in small samples. The aim of this study was to describe the association between the problematic use of the mobile phone and social traits, health, and health-related behaviors among high school students. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study performed in a representative sample of students aged 13-18 years in the Lifestyle Risk Factors in Secondary School Students (FRESC) survey conducted in 2016 in Barcelona (n=3,778). Problematic mobile phone use was obtained from the Mobile Related Experiences Questionnaire (CERM). Multivariate logistic regression models were built to assess the relationship between this variable and social, health and behavioural variables. RESULTS: A total of 52% of girls and 44% of boys reported frequent or occasional problems with their mobile phone usage. The factors associated with the dependent variable were poor relationships with the family, mobile phone usage before sleeping or during dinner, inadequate hours of sleep, sedentariness, substance consumption and poor mental health. CONCLUSIONS: The problematic use of the mobile is frequent among students and there are several associated social, health and behavioral factors. There are substantial differences by sex and age, with the strongest associations in younger girls.

OBJETIVO: El uso problemático del teléfono móvil es un fenómeno que puede estar asociado a un perfil individual concreto y se ha visto que hay factores asociados, aunque, mayoritariamente, se han estudiado de forma limitada y en muestras pequeñas. El objetivo de este estudio fue describir la asociación entre el uso problemático del teléfono móvil y los rasgos sociales, la salud y las conductas relacionadas con la salud entre estudiantes de Secundaria. METODOS: Se realizó un estudio transversal realizado en una muestra representativa de estudiantes de trece a dieciocho años procedentes de la encuesta Factores de riesgo en el estilo de vida en estudiantes de secundaria (FRESC), realizada en 2016 en Barcelona (n=3.778). El uso problemático del móvil se obtuvo del Cuestionario de experiencias relacionadas con el móvil (CERM). Se construyeron modelos de regresión logística multivariante para evaluar la relación entre esta variable y las variables sociales, de salud y de comportamiento. RESULTADOS: Un total de 52% de chicas y 44% de chicos reportaron problemas frecuentes u ocasionales con el uso de su teléfono móvil. Los factores asociados al uso problemático del teléfono móvil fueron: malas relaciones con la familia; uso del móvil antes de dormir o visionado de pantallas durante la cena; horas de sueño inadecuadas; sedentarismo; consumo de sustancias; y mala salud mental. CONCLUSIONES: El uso problemático del teléfono móvil es frecuente entre los estudiantes y hay varios factores sociales, de salud y comportamientos asociados. Existen diferencias sustanciales por sexo y edad, siendo las asociaciones más fuertes en las chicas más jóvenes.

El uso problemático del teléfono móvil: análisis transversal del perfil individual y factores asociados / The problematic use of the mobile phone: cross-sectional analysis of the individual profile and associated factors

Fundamentos: El uso problemático del teléfono móvil es un fenómeno que puede estar asociado a un perfil individual concretoy se ha visto que hay factores asociados, aunque, mayoritariamente, se han estudiado de forma limitada y en muestras pequeñas. Elobjetivo de este estudio fue describir la asociación entre el uso problemático del teléfono móvil y los rasgos sociales, la salud y lasconductas relacionadas con la salud entre estudiantes de Secundaria.Métodos: Se realizó un estudio transversal realizado en una muestra representativa de estudiantes de trece a dieciocho añosprocedentes de la encuestaFactores de riesgo en el estilo de vida en estudiantes de secundaria (FRESC), realizada en 2016 enBarcelona (n=3.778). El uso problemático del móvil se obtuvo delCuestionario de experiencias relacionadas con el móvil (CERM). Seconstruyeron modelos de regresión logística multivariante para evaluar la relación entre esta variable y las variables sociales, desalud y de comportamiento.Resultados: Un total de 52% de chicas y 44% de chicos reportaron problemas frecuentes u ocasionales con el uso de suteléfono móvil. Los factores asociados al uso problemático del teléfono móvil fueron: malas relaciones con la familia; uso del móvilantes de dormir o visionado de pantallas durante la cena; horas de sueño inadecuadas; sedentarismo; consumo de sustancias; ymala salud mental.Conclusiones: El uso problemático del teléfono móvil es frecuente entre los estudiantes y hay varios factores sociales, desalud y comportamientos asociados. Existen diferencias sustanciales por sexo y edad, siendo las asociaciones más fuertes en laschicas más jóvenes.(AU)

Background: The problematic use of mobile phones is a phenomenon that can be associated with a specific individual profileand it has been seen that there are associated factors, although most of them have been studied in a limited way and in small sam-ples. The aim of this study was to describe the association between the problematic use of the mobile phone and social traits, health,and health-related behaviors among high school students.Methods: This is a cross-sectional study performed in a representative sample of students aged 13-18 years in theLifestyle RiskFactors in Secondary School Students (FRESC) survey conducted in 2016 in Barcelona (n=3,778). Problematic mobile phone use wasobtained from theMobile Related Experiences Questionnaire (CERM). Multivariate logistic regression models were built to assess therelationship between this variable and social, health and behavioural variables.Results: A total of 52% of girls and 44% of boys reported frequent or occasional problems with their mobile phone usage. Thefactors associated with the dependent variable were poor relationships with the family, mobile phone usage before sleeping or duringdinner, inadequate hours of sleep, sedentariness, substance consumption and poor mental health.Conclusions: The problematic use of the mobile is frequent among students and there are several associated social, health andbehavioral factors. There are substantial differences by sex and age, with the strongest associations in younger girls.(AU)

Germina: herramienta para la detección automática de agrupaciones de casos de COVID-19 / Germina: tool for automatic detection of clusters of COVID-19 cases

La pandemia de COVID-19 evidenció que la vigilancia epidemiológica no disponía de recursos para responder a los aumentos de casos ni a los brotes. La alta transmisibilidad comunitaria entre la población escolar en la ciudad de Barcelona al inicio de la sexta ola tensionó la unidad de vigilancia de COVID-19 de la ciudad. Mediante metodología SCRUM se desarrolló e implementó Germina, una herramienta informática capaz de capturar, armonizar, integrar, almacenar, analizar y visualizar diariamente datos de múltiples fuentes de información. Germina permite identificar agrupaciones de tres o más casos escolares y calcular indicadores epidemiológicos. La implementación de Germina facilitó la respuesta epidemiológica a la sexta ola de COVID-19 en el ámbito escolar en Barcelona. Esta herramienta es aplicable a otros ámbitos de exposición y a otras enfermedades transmisibles. El uso de herramientas informáticas automatizadas, como Germina, mejora los sistemas de vigilancia epidemiológica y apoya la toma de decisiones basada en la evidencia.(AU)

The COVID-19 pandemic showed that epidemiological surveillance was under-resourced to respond to increases in cases and outbreaks. The high community transmissibility among the school population in the city of Barcelona at the beginning of the sixth wave strained the local COVID-19 surveillance unit. Using SCRUM methodology, Germina was developed and implemented as a software tool capable of capturing, harmonizing, integrating, storing, analysing and visualizing data from multiple information sources on a daily basis. Germina identifies clusters of three or more school cases and calculates epidemiological indicators. The implementation of Germina facilitated the epidemiological response to the sixth wave of COVID-19 in the school setting in the city of Barcelona. This tool is transferable to other exposure settings and communicable diseases. The use of automated informatics tools such, as Germina, improves epidemiological surveillance systems and supports evidence-based decision making.(AU)