Factors associated with the worsening of COVID-19 symptoms among cohorts in community- or home-isolation care in southern Thailand.

Introduction: This study aimed to investigate factors associated with time-to-referral due to worsening symptoms in patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 in southern Thailand. While underlying diseases have been evaluated to assess COVID-19 severity, the influence of vaccinations and treatments is also crucial. Methods: A cohort of 8,638 patients quarantined in home or community isolation with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 was analyzed. Survival analysis and the Cox proportional hazard ratio were employed to assess factors influencing time-toreferral. Results: Age ≥ 60 years, neurologic disorders, cardiovascular disease, and human immunodeficiency virus infection were identified as significant risk factors for severe COVID-19 referral. Patients who received full- or booster-dose vaccinations had a lower risk of experiencing severe symptoms compared to unvaccinated patients. Notably, individuals vaccinated during the Omicron-dominant period had a substantially lower time-to-referral than those unvaccinated during the Delta-dominant period. Moreover, patients vaccinated between 1 and 6 months prior to infection had a significantly lower risk of time-to-referral than the reference group. Discussion: These findings demonstrate early intervention in high-risk COVID-19 patients and the importance of vaccination efficacy to reduce symptom severity. The study provides valuable insights for guiding future epidemic management strategies and optimising patient care during infectious disease outbreaks.

Bienestar emocional, percepciones y actitudes frente a la COVID-19 en adolescentes / Emotional well-being, perceptions and attitudes against COVID-19 on adolescents

Introducción: La pandemia mundial por SARS-CoV-2 ha ocasionado un gran impacto en la vida de los adolescentes afectando el bienestar infanto-juvenil, sin embargo, existe escasa evidencia del efecto que ha tenido a nivel emocional en esta población. Objetivo: Explorar los conocimientos, percepciones y actitudes de los jóvenes frente a la COVID-19 y el impacto provocado en el bienestar emocional. Material y método: Estudio observacional transversal y descriptivo, a partir de una encuesta realizada a alumnos de 16-20 años de cinco institutos del área metropolitana de Barcelona. Resultados: El estudio se efectuó sobre 291 encuestas. De los participantes, 56,7% fueron mujeres. La edad media fue de 16,8 años y la mediana de 17 años. Se detectó un mayor desconocimiento sobre la transmisión de la enfermedad. Las fuentes de información más utilizadas fueron las redes sociales. En cuanto al malestar emocional, destaca la preocupación por enfermar (64%), los problemas económicos familiares (46%), la ansiedad e irritabilidad (27%) y la apatía (26,5%). Se detectan diferencias entre géneros en cuanto a la preocupación (mujeres: 28,8%, hombres: 11,1%), tristeza (mujeres: 29,3%, hombres: 15,5%) y sensación de tener miedo (mujeres: 24,5%, hombres 11%). De los sujetos, 16,7% consultaron con un profesional de salud mental, siendo más frecuente en mujeres (23,8%, hombres: 7,4%). Conclusiones: La COVID-19 ha afectado el bienestar emocional de los adolescentes, sobre todo en la población femenina. Se detecta un mayor uso de las redes sociales para evitar el aislamiento social. Los resultados del estudio pueden ayudar a diseñar estrategias para evitar malestares futuros en el ámbito biopsicosocial.(AU)

Introduction: The worldwide pandemic of SARS-Cov2 has had a great impact on the lives of adolescents, affecting their health and well-being. There is little evidence of the emotional impact of the pandemic on adolescents. Objectiv: To explore the knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes of young people regarding COVID-19 and its impact on emotional well-being. Method: A cross-sectional observational and descriptive study based on a survey of students aged 16–20 from five high schools in Barcelona metropolitan area. Results: The study was carried out on 291 surveys. Females made up 56.7% of the population. The average age was 16.9 years. A greater lack of knowledge about the transmission of the disease was detected. The most frequently used sources of information were social networks. In terms of emotional distress, the most important aspects were worry about getting sick (64%), family financial problems (46%), anxiety and irritability (27%), and apathy (26.5%). Gender differences were detected in terms of worries (women: 28.8%; men: 11.1%), sadness (women: 29.3%, men: 15.5%), and feelings of fear (women: 24.5%; men: 11%). 16.7% of the participants consulted a mental health professional, with this being more common in women (women: 23.8%; men: 7.4%). Conclusions: COVID-19 has affected the emotional well-being of adolescents, especially the female population. It is necessary to implement emotional well-being strategies in early childhood to cope with possible stressful situations in daily life and avoid future mental health problems. There is a growing use of social media to combat social isolation. The results of the study hold the potential to strategies aimed at preempting forthcoming biopsychosocial distress.(AU)

Assessing the impact of different contact patterns on disease transmission: Taking COVID-19 as a case.

Human-to-human contact plays a leading role in the transmission of infectious diseases, and the contact pattern between individuals has an important influence on the intensity and trend of disease transmission. In this paper, we define regular contacts and random contacts. Then, taking the COVID-19 outbreak in Yangzhou City, China as an example, we consider age heterogeneity, household structure and two contact patterns to establish discrete dynamic models with switching between daytime and nighttime to depict the transmission mechanism of COVID-19 in population. We studied the changes in the reproduction number with different age groups and household sizes at different stages. The effects of the proportion of two contacts patterns on reproduction number were also studied. Furthermore, taking the final size, the peak value of infected individuals in community and the peak value of quarantine infected individuals and nucleic acid test positive individuals as indicators, we evaluate the impact of the number of random contacts, the duration of the free transmission stage and summer vacation on the spread of the disease. The results show that a series of prevention and control measures taken by the Chinese government in response to the epidemic situation are reasonable and effective, and the young and middle-aged adults (aged 18-59) with household size of 6 have the strongest transmission ability. In addition, the results also indicate that increasing the proportion of random contact is beneficial to the control of the infectious disease in the phase with interventions. This work enriches the content of infectious disease modeling and provides theoretical guidance for the prevention and control of follow-up major infectious diseases.

Design and Modification of COVID-19 Case Investigation and Contact Tracing Interview Scripts Used by Health Departments Throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic.

OBJECTIVES: We sought to (1) document how health departments (HDs) developed COVID-19 case investigation and contact tracing (CI/CT) interview scripts and the topics covered, and (2) understand how and why HDs modified those scripts. DESIGN: Qualitative analysis of CI/CT interview scripts and in-depth key informant interviews with public health officials in 14 HDs. Collected scripts represent 3 distinct points (initial, the majority of which were time stamped May 2020; interim, spanning from September 2020 to August 2021; and current, as of April 2022). SETTING: Fourteen state, local, and tribal health jurisdictions and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-six public health officials involved in leading CI/CT from 14 state, local, and tribal health jurisdictions (6 states, 3 cities, 4 counties, and 1 tribal area). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Interview script elements included in CI/CT interview scripts over time. RESULTS: Many COVID-19 CI/CT scripts were developed by modifying questions from scripts used for other communicable diseases. Early in the pandemic, scripts included guidance on isolation/quarantine and discussed symptoms of COVID-19. As the pandemic evolved, the length of scripts increased substantially, with significant additions on contact elicitation, vaccinations, isolation/quarantine recommendations, and testing. Drivers of script changes included changes in our understanding of how the virus spreads, risk factors and symptoms, new treatments, new variants, vaccine development, and adjustments to CDC's official isolation and quarantine guidance. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings offer suggestions about components to include in future CI/CT efforts, including educating members of the public about the disease and its symptoms, offering mitigation guidance, and providing sufficient support and resources to help people act on that guidance. Assessing the correlation between script length and number of completed interviews or other quality and performance measures could be an area for future study.

Effectiveness of contact tracing on networks with cliques.

Contact tracing, the practice of isolating individuals who have been in contact with infected individuals, is an effective and practical way of containing disease spread. Here we show that this strategy is particularly effective in the presence of social groups: Once the disease enters a group, contact tracing not only cuts direct infection paths but can also pre-emptively quarantine group members such that it will cut indirect spreading routes. We show these results by using a deliberately stylized model that allows us to isolate the effect of contact tracing within the clique structure of the network where the contagion is spreading. This will enable us to derive mean-field approximations and epidemic thresholds to demonstrate the efficiency of contact tracing in social networks with small groups. This analysis shows that contact tracing in networks with groups is more efficient the larger the groups are. We show how these results can be understood by approximating the combination of disease spreading and contact tracing with a complex contagion process where every failed infection attempt will lead to a lower infection probability in the following attempts. Our results illustrate how contact tracing in real-world settings can be more efficient than predicted by models that treat the system as fully mixed or the network structure as locally treelike.

Confinement tonicity on epidemic spreading.

Emerging and re-emerging pathogens are latent threats in our society with the risk of killing millions of people worldwide, without forgetting the severe economic and educational backlogs. From COVID-19, we learned that self isolation and quarantine restrictions (confinement) were the main way of protection till availability of vaccines. However, abrupt lifting of social confinement would result in new waves of new infection cases and high death tolls. Here, inspired by how an extracellular solution can make water move into or out of a cell through osmosis, we define confinement tonicity. This can serve as a standalone measurement for the net direction and magnitude of flows between the confined and deconfined susceptible compartments. Numerical results offer insights on the effects of easing quarantine restrictions.

Psychosocial assessment of quarantine (sign-on and sign-off) among oil and gas workers in Malaysia during COVID-19 outbreak.

INTRODUCTION: COVID-19 still wreaking havoc in Malaysia, with 3,221,680 cases and 32,326 deaths as of 20 February 2022. In the Oil and Gas industry, implementing quarantine before mobilising to or after mobilising from onshore and offshore locations was mandatory to help stop the spread of the virus. However, previous studies have shown that quarantine can significantly impact public mental health. This study intends to assess the psychosocial stress experienced by Oil and Gas industry employees during periods of quarantine in various regions (PMA: Terengganu, SBA: Sabah, SKA: Sarawak) and between onshore and offshore employees. Additionally, it aims to identify the factors that are linked to psychosocial stress in this workforce. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study involving 86 respondents was conducted using an online survey between the middle of March and April 2022. The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) developed by Cohen et al., (1983) was used to assess the stress levels of individuals. Data analysis was carried out using the SPSS statistical program, which included descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney, Kruskal Wallis and Linear Regression tests. RESULTS: The majority of respondents, 75.6% (n=65) reported moderate stress levels, while 14.0% (n=12) declared severe stress levels. The Mann-Whitney test showed no significant difference in psychosocial stress scores among workers between onshore and offshore (χ2=-0.523, p=0.601), whereas the Kruskal Wallis test showed a significant difference in psychosocial stress scores among workers between states (PMA, SKA, and SBA) (χ2=6.415, p=0.040). According to the regression test, workers with medical histories of diabetes and Covid-19 (R2=0.158) (p<0.005) are two factors linked to psychosocial stress. CONCLUSION: The study found that there were significant differences in psychosocial stress among oil and gas workers between SKA, SBA, and PMA due to quarantine activity. Mobile workers and those with certain medical histories were identified as being particularly vulnerable to psychosocial stress. However, it was noted that the overall improvement in the quarantine period had a positive impact on the mental health of these workers.

A mathematical model to assess the effectiveness of test-trace-isolate-and-quarantine under limited capacities.

Diagnostic testing followed by isolation of identified cases with subsequent tracing and quarantine of close contacts-often referred to as test-trace-isolate-and-quarantine (TTIQ) strategy-is one of the cornerstone measures of infectious disease control. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted that an appropriate response to outbreaks of infectious diseases requires a firm understanding of the effectiveness of such containment strategies. To this end, mathematical models provide a promising tool. In this work, we present a delay differential equation model of TTIQ interventions for infectious disease control. Our model incorporates the assumption of limited TTIQ capacities, providing insights into the reduced effectiveness of testing and tracing in high prevalence scenarios. In addition, we account for potential transmission during the early phase of an infection, including presymptomatic transmission, which may be particularly adverse to a TTIQ based control. Our numerical experiments inspired by the early spread of COVID-19 in Germany demonstrate the effectiveness of TTIQ in a scenario where immunity within the population is low and pharmaceutical interventions are absent, which is representative of a typical situation during the (re-)emergence of infectious diseases for which therapeutic drugs or vaccines are not yet available. Stability and sensitivity analyses reveal both disease-dependent and disease-independent factors that impede or enhance the success of TTIQ. Studying the diminishing impact of TTIQ along simulations of an epidemic wave, we highlight consequences for intervention strategies.

Psychological experience of university students during prolonged quarantine in China: a qualitative study.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the psychological experiences of university students in prolonged quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic. DESIGN: A qualitative descriptive study based on semistructured interviews; data were analysed using a thematic topic analysis approach. SETTING: Interviews were conducted via WeChat video. PARTICIPANTS: 20 full-time undergraduate students from seven districts in Shanghai Province who experienced prolonged quarantine were interviewed from June to August 2022. RESULTS: The data analysis revealed three themes with corresponding subthemes related to the psychological experiences of university students during prolonged quarantine: (1) dynamic and complex psychological experiences, encompassing the feelings of relief, confusion, anxiety, insecurity, loneliness, craving for catharsis and emotional numbness; (2) desire for diverse support; and (3) self-reflection and growth, mainly including learning to be grateful, self-efficacy enhancement, reconsideration of the meaning of life and restructuring of future planning. CONCLUSION: This study explored the psychological experiences of university students in prolonged quarantine through qualitative interviews, which contributed to our understanding of their emotions, needs and conceptual changes during quarantine. Combined with the experiences of university students in quarantine, they reported complex emotional changes and diverse needs, as well as the impact of prolonged quarantine on their outlook on life. These findings can serve as a reference and basis for the development of future psychological intervention measures in line with national conditions.

COVID-19 isolation and quarantine orders in Berlin-Reinickendorf (Germany): How many, how long and to whom?

Isolating COVID-19 cases and quarantining their close contacts can prevent COVID-19 transmissions but also inflict harm. We analysed isolation and quarantine orders by the local public health agency in Berlin-Reinickendorf (Germany) and their dependence on the recommendations by the Robert Koch Institute, the national public health institute. Between 3 March 2020 and 18 December 2021 the local public health agency ordered 24 603 isolations (9.2 per 100 inhabitants) and 45 014 quarantines (17 per 100 inhabitants) in a population of 266 123. The mean contacts per case was 1.9. More days of quarantine per 100 inhabitants were ordered for children than for adults: 4.1 for children aged 0-6, 5.2 for children aged 7-17, 0.9 for adults aged 18-64 and 0.3 for senior citizens aged 65-110. The mean duration for isolation orders was 10.2 and for quarantine orders 8.2 days. We calculated a delay of 4 days between contact and quarantine order. 3484 contact persons were in quarantine when they developed an infection. This represents 8% of all individuals in quarantine and 14% of those in isolation. Our study quantifies isolation and quarantine orders, shows that children had been ordered to quarantine more than adults and that there were fewer school days lost to isolation or quarantine as compared to school closures. Our results indicate that the recommendations of the Robert Koch Institute had an influence on isolation and quarantine duration as well as contact identification and that the local public health agency was not able to provide rigorous contact tracing, as the mean number of contacts was lower than the mean number of contacts per person known from literature. Additionally, a considerable portion of the population underwent isolation or quarantine, with a notable number of cases emerging during the quarantine period.

Surveillance of the recurrence time of the effectiveness of national and region-level quarantines of COVID-19 pandemic in Chile.

The World Health Organization has recommended a range of social and health measures to mitigate the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), including strategies such as quarantines, border closures, social distancing, and mask usage, among others. Specifically, the Chilean authorities implemented the "step-by-step" plan, built on the concept of dynamic quarantine. Numerous studies have examined the effectiveness of these quarantines in Chile during the pandemic, utilizing data published by the Chilean Ministry of Health. This study's primary aim was to enhance our understanding of quarantine effectiveness in Chile during the pandemic. We accomplished this by analyzing the distributional behavior of the time until the COVID-19 pandemic was deemed under control or not. In our study, we defined an event with two potential outcomes related to the instantaneous reproductive number (Rt), which signifies the time until a change in the event outcome occurs. Importantly, we did not predefine a specific temporal observation unit. These findings allowed us to complement the concept of effective quarantine by considering the dynamics generated by the protocols, such as phase 1 of the quarantine, in achieving natural herd immunity in response to the number of COVID-19 cases and Rt. We assessed the behavior of the mean and median residual lifetime until the initiation of controlled/uncontrolled episodes of the COVID-19 pandemic based on Rt in all regions of Chile. Despite variations in the distribution of residual times for controlled/uncontrolled episodes in different regions, there was a similar observation during the period considered (between March 2020 and March 2021): the mitigation measures did not produce a clear positive effect for controlling the epidemic. The residual times of episodes with Rr,t > 1 were not different from those episodes with Rr,t ≤ 1.

Remote surveillance and detection of SARS-CoV-2 transmission among household members in King County, Washington.

BACKGROUND: Early during the COVID-19 pandemic, it was important to better understand transmission dynamics of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Household contacts of infected individuals are particularly at risk for infection, but delays in contact tracing, delays in testing contacts, and isolation and quarantine posed challenges to accurately capturing secondary household cases. METHODS: In this study, 346 households in the Seattle region were provided with respiratory specimen collection kits and remotely monitored using web-based surveys for respiratory illness symptoms weekly between October 1, 2020, and June 20, 2021. Symptomatic participants collected respiratory specimens at symptom onset and mailed specimens to the central laboratory in Seattle. Specimens were tested for SARS-CoV-2 using RT-PCR with whole genome sequencing attempted when positive. SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals were notified, and their household contacts submitted specimens every 2 days for 14 days. RESULTS: In total, 1371 participants collected 2029 specimens that were tested; 16 individuals (1.2%) within 6 households tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 during the study period. Full genome sequences were generated from 11 individuals within 4 households. Very little genetic variation was found among SARS-CoV-2 viruses sequenced from different individuals in the same household, supporting transmission within the household. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates web-based surveillance of respiratory symptoms, combined with rapid and longitudinal specimen collection and remote contact tracing, provides a viable strategy to monitor households and detect household transmission of SARS-CoV-2. TRIAL REGISTRATION IDENTIFIER: NCT04141930, Date of registration 28/10/2019.

Efectos de la pandemia de COVID-19 sobre la salud mental de niños y adolescentes: revisión sistemática y meta-análisis / Effects of the covid-19 pandemic on the mental health of children and adolescents: systematic review and meta-analysis

Introducción: La enfermedad por COVID-19 ha afectado a millones de personas en todo el mundo y ha planteado un desafío sin precedentes a los sistemas de salud, provocando medidas como el distanciamiento social y el confinamiento domiciliario, que han afectado a la vida diaria y las relaciones sociales de la población. El objetivo principal de este artículo fue examinar las consecuencias de estas circunstancias en la salud mental infanto-juvenil. Método: Se realizó una revisión sistemática de la literatura científica disponible en PubMed, PsycINFO, Embase y ScinceDirect, de acuerdo con las recomendaciones de la Declaración PRISMA. La selección de los estudios se realizó en base a los siguientes criterios: estudios de investigación originales, con un diseño metodológico prospectivo, publicados a partir del año 2020 y que en sus resultados evaluaran mediante escalas niveles de depresión, estrés, ansiedad y/o problemas conductuales de la población infanto-juvenil durante la pandemia por SARS-CoV-2. Resultados: De los 334 estudios identificados, 14 cumplían los criterios establecidos para ser incluidos en esta revisión. Se agruparon los resultados en sintomatología internalizante y externalizante. En relación a la sintomatología internalizante, la diferencia de medias pre-post, analizada mediante la d de Cohen, fue de 0.172 (0.036; 0.308) siendo significativa (p = 0.0131). Por el contrario, no se objetivaron diferencias significativas en la sintomatología externalizante (p = 0.7314).Conclusiones: Durante la pandemia se observó un aumento de la sintomatología internalizante, pero no de la externalizante, en niños y adolescentes. Al mismo tiempo, se observaron variaciones que sugieren que el efecto podría estar modulado por factores individuales y contextuales.(AU)

Introduction: COVID-19 disease has affected millions of people worldwide and has posed an unprecedented challenge to health systems, leading to measures such as social distancing and home confinement that have affected the daily life and social relationships of the population. This article reviews the consequences of these circumstances on child and adolescent mental health. Methods: A systematic review of the scientific literature available in PubMed, PsycINFO, Embase and ScinceDirect was carried out, in accordance with the recommendations of the PRISMA Declaration. The selection of studies followed the following criteria: original research studies with a prospective methodological design published from the year 2020 and whose results evaluated levels of depression, stress, anxiety and/or behavioral problems in the child and adolescent population during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic using clinical scales. Results: Of the 334 studies identified, 14 met the criteria established to be included in this review. Results were grouped into internalizing and externalizing symptomatology. In relation to internalizing symptomatology the mean difference pre-post analyzed using Cohen’s d was 0.172 (0.036; 0.308), which was significant (p = 0.0131). No significant differences were observed in externalizing symptomatology (p = 0.7314). Conclusions: During the pandemic an increase in internalizing symptoms was observed, but not in externalizing symptoms, in children and adolescents. Also were observed variations suggesting that the effect could be modulated by individual and contextual factors.(AU)

Calidad de vida de las personas con enfermedad de Parkinson durante el confinamiento por la pandemia por covid-19 / Quality of life of people with Parkinson's disease during confinement due to the covid-19 pandemic

Introducción: El estudio tuvo como objetivo explorar la calidad de vida de las personas con enfermedad de Parkinson durante el confinamiento por la pandemia de coronavirus de 2019 (covid-19). Material y métodos: El estudio fue de carácter cuantitativo, descriptivo y correlacional. La muestra fue de 51 personas con enfermedad de Parkinson de la región de Magallanes y Antártica Chilena, y cuya información fue recogida desde la base de datos de la Corporación de Rehabilitación Club de Leones Cruz del Sur, a la cual pertenecen. Resultados: Los principales resultados muestran que el 51,6% de las personas manifiestan una calidad de vida «buena y muy buena» y que los principales dominios del Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39) afectados son: malestar corporal, movilidad y bienestar emocional. Según el análisis de los rangos cualitativos del PDQ-39, las dimensiones que se mostraron más comprometidas durante el confinamiento por la pandemia por covid-19 fueron: comunicación, estigma y bienestar emocional. Además, las mujeres presentaron peor calidad de vida que los hombres. Por último, se demostró que la progresión de síntomas afecta la calidad de vida de las personas con enfermedad de Parkinson. Conclusiones: Durante el confinamiento por la pandemia por covid-19 las personas con enfermedad de Parkinson aumentaron los síntomas y presentaron una menor calidad de vida, sobre todo las de sexo femenino.(AU)

Introduction: The study was aimed to explore the quality of life of people with Parkinson's disease during confinement due to the coronavirus infectious disease 2019 (covid-19) pandemic. Material and methods: The study was quantitative, descriptive and correlational. The sample was 51 people with Parkinson's disease, from the region of Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica, and whose information was collected from the database of the Rehabilitation Corporation Club de Leones Cruz del Sur, to which they belong. Results: The main results show that 51.6% of people with Parkinson's disease report a «good and very good» quality of life and that the main domains of the Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39) affected are: body discomfort, mobility and emotional well-being. According to the analysis of the qualitative ranges of the PDQ-39, the dimensions that were most compromised during the confinement by the covid-19 pandemic were: communication, stigma and emotional well-being. In addition, women had a poorer quality of life than men. Finally, it was shown that the progression of symptoms affects the quality of life of people with Parkinson's disease. Conclusions: In conclusion, during the confinement due to the covid-19 pandemic people with Parkinson's disease increased symptoms and presented a lower quality of life, especially women.(AU)

Myopia progression in children during home confinement in the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Purpose Myopia is a growing pandemic, especially in children, who risk low vision later in life. Home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic may have increased myopia progression through increased screentime, decreased time outdoors and increased near work activities. The aim of this study is to compare progression of myopia in children during home confinement period in the COVID-19 pandemic with pre-COVID-19 progression. Methods On January 2023 PubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane were searched for relevant studies. Studies meeting the following criteria were eligible for inclusion: children (under 18 years), home confinement due to COVID-19, spherical equivalent refractive (SER) and axial length (AL) measurements and a follow-up period to measure progression. Quality appraisal was performed by two reviewers independently using the Joanna Briggs Institute tool for cohort studies. Outcomes for myopia were assessed through meta-analysis, analyzing SER (random effects) and AL (fixed effects). Results Hundred and two articles were identified in the search, of which five studies were included in the analysis. Risk of bias is moderate with a few critical flaws in the studies. Myopia progressed more rapidly during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the pre-COVID-19 period, both in terms of SER (-0.83D [95 %CI, −1.22, −0.43] and AL (0.36 mm [95 %CI, 0.13, 0.39]). Conclusion Progression of myopia during the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated more rapidly compared to the pre-COVID-19 period. Impact of home confinement on myopia may be considered when future lockdown measures are being contemplated. (AU)

On the date of the epidemic peak.

Epidemiologists have used the timing of the peak of an epidemic to guide public health interventions. By determining the expected peak time, they can allocate resources effectively and implement measures such as quarantine, vaccination, and treatment at the right time to mitigate the spread of the disease. The peak time also provides valuable information for those modeling the spread of the epidemic and making predictions about its future trajectory. In this study, we analyze the time needed for an epidemic to reach its peak by presenting a straightforward analytical expression. Utilizing two epidemiological models, the first is a generalized $ SEIR $ model with two classes of latent individuals, while the second incorporates a continuous age structure for latent infections. We confirm the conjecture that the peak occurs at approximately $ T\sim(\ln N)/\lambda $, where $ N $ is the population size and $ \lambda $ is the largest eigenvalue of the linearized system in the first model or the unique positive root of the characteristic equation in the second model. Our analytical results are compared to numerical solutions and shown to be in good agreement.

The impact of public health lockdown measures during the COVID-19 pandemic on the epidemiology of children's orthopedic injuries requiring operative intervention.

BACKGROUND: In March 2020, Ontario instituted a lockdown to reduce spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Schools, recreational facilities, and nonessential businesses were closed. Restrictions were eased through 3 distinct stages over a 6-month period (March to September 2020). We aimed to determine the impact of each stage of the COVID-19 public health lockdown on the epidemiology of operative pediatric orthopedic trauma. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was performed comparing emergency department (ED) visits for orthopedic injuries and operatively treated orthopedic injuries at a level 1 pediatric trauma centre during each lockdown stage of the pandemic with caseloads during the same date ranges in 2019 (prepandemic). Further analyses were based on patients' demographic characteristics, injury severity, mechanism of injury, and anatomic location of injury. RESULTS: Compared with the prepandemic period, ED visits decreased by 20% (1356 v. 1698, p < 0.001) and operative cases by 29% (262 v. 371, p < 0.001). There was a significant decrease in the number of operative cases per day in stage 1 of the lockdown (1.3 v. 2.0, p < 0.001) and in stage 2 (1.7 v. 3.0; p < 0.001), but there was no significant difference in stage 3 (2.4 v. 2.2, p = 0.35). A significant reduction in the number of playground injuries was seen in stage 1 (1 v. 62, p < 0.001) and stage 2 (6 v. 35, p < 0.001), and there was an increase in the number of self-propelled transit injuries (31 v. 10, p = 0.002) during stage 1. In stage 3, all patient demographic characteristics and all characteristics of operatively treated injuries resumed their prepandemic distributions. CONCLUSION: Provincial lockdown measures designed to limit the spread of SARS-CoV-2 significantly altered the volume and demographic characteristics of pediatric orthopedic injuries that required operative management. The findings from this study will serve to inform health system planning for future emergency lockdowns.

An assessment of factors for the cruise port of call selection: The modified fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process.

Improving cruise ports of call is essential for enhancing the overall cruise experience for passengers, promoting tourism, and supporting the economic development of the regions served by these ports. Therefore, this article aims to assess selection factors (SFs) for the cruise port of call from the perspective of cruise operators (COs) and port operators (POs). In doing so, this paper first identifies SFs for the cruise port of call and establishes their hierarchical structure thanks to the extensive literature and expert brainstorming. Afterwards, The Modified Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (MFAHP) is developed to gauge the discrepancy in SFs between COs and POs. Empirical results from MFAHP pinpoint two significant SFs for POs to improve and attract their customers: customs, immigration control and quarantine (CIQ), and incentive measures. Besides, theoretical and managerial implications, and potential limitations for the next research are discussed.

Comportamiento alimentario e indicadores aterogénicos en pandemia por COVID-19 en trabajadores de campamento de hidrocarburos / Eating behavior and atherogenic indicators in the COVID-19 pandemic in hydrocarbon camp workers

Introducción: El confinamiento obligatorio o voluntario durante la pandemia por COVID-19, ha modificado la ingesta de alimentos e incrementó el estilo de vida sedentario; aumentando el riesgo aterogénico en la población. Objetivo: Determinar la asociación entre el comportamiento alimentario y los indicadores aterogénicos durante el periodo pandémico por COVID-19 en trabajadores de un campamento de hidrocarburos. Materiales y métodos: Investigación de enfoque cuantitativo, diseño observacional, descriptivo de asociación cruzada, retrospectivo. La muestra final de estudio estuvo conformada por 85 trabajadores de la empresa de hidrocarburos Compañía Operadora de Gas del Amazonas (COGA), en Perú; durante el periodo enero a diciembre del 2021. Se incluyó en el estudio a trabajadores adultos de ambos sexos, con registro de información en los exámenes médicos ocupacionales. El comportamiento alimentario se recolectó a través de un cuestionario de frecuencia de consumo de alimentos (EFCA) semicuantitativo; el perfil bioquímico se obtuvo de los exámenes de salud ocupacional determinando el Índice de Castelli, índice TG/HDL, índice Kannel. Para evaluar la asociación entre las variables se utilizó la prueba Chi cuadrado. Resultados: El 63.5% de los trabajadores evaluados presentó riesgo cardiovascular; los indicadores de Castelli de 40,0% y Kannel 41,2%; se encuentran dentro de un rango de riesgo; siendo menor al 50% de los entrevistados; el indicador de TG/HDL fue 63.5% con riesgo cardiovascular. Asimismo, el 60% presentó un comportamiento alimentario no saludable. Al evaluar la asociación entre el comportamiento alimentario y los indicadores aterogénicos se obtuvo un valor p<0.05. Conclusión: El comportamiento alimentario tiene asociación con los indicadores aterogénicos en trabajadores de un campamento de hidrocarburos, aumentando el riesgo cardiovascular en trabajadores con un comportamiento no saludable.(AU)

Introduction: Mandatory or voluntary confinement duringthe COVID-19 pandemic has modified food intake and in-creased the sedentary lifestyle; increasing the atherogenicrisk in the population. Objective: Determine the association between eating be-havior and atherogenic indicators during the COVID-19 pan-demic period in workers at a hydrocarbon camp. Materials and methods: Research with a quantitative approach, observational design, descriptive cross-association retrospective. The final study sample was made up of 85workers from the hydrocarbon company Compañía Operadorade Gas del Amazonas (COGA), in Peru; during the periodJanuary to December 2021. Adult workers of both sexes wereincluded in the study, with information recorded in occupaional medical examinations. Eating behavior was collectedthrough a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire(EFCA). The biochemical profile was obtained from occupa-tional health examinations by determining the Castelli index,TG/HDL index, and Kannel index. To evaluate the associationbetween eating behavior and atherogenic indicators, the non-parametric Chi square statistical test was used.Results: 63.5% of the evaluated workers presented car-diovascular risk; the Castelli and Kannel indicators with 40.0%and 41.2%; respectively, they are within a risk range; beingless than 50% of those interviewed; The TG/HDL indicatorwas 63.5% with cardiovascular risk. Likewise, 60.0% pre-sented unhealthy eating behavior. When evaluating the asso-ciation between eating behavior and atherogenic indicators, ap value <0.05 was obtained. Conclusion: Eating behavior has an association withatherogenic indicators in workers at a hydrocarbon camp; in-creasing cardiovascular risk in those who exhibited unhealthybehavior.(AU)