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.

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.

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.

Construction and validation of machine learning algorithm for predicting depression among home-quarantined individuals during the large-scale COVID-19 outbreak: based on Adaboost model.

OBJECTIVES: COVID-19 epidemics often lead to elevated levels of depression. To accurately identify and predict depression levels in home-quarantined individuals during a COVID-19 epidemic, this study constructed a depression prediction model based on multiple machine learning algorithms and validated its effectiveness. METHODS: A cross-sectional method was used to examine the depression status of individuals quarantined at home during the epidemic via the network. Characteristics included variables on sociodemographics, COVID-19 and its prevention and control measures, impact on life, work, health and economy after the city was sealed off, and PHQ-9 scale scores. The home-quarantined subjects were randomly divided into training set and validation set according to the ratio of 7:3, and the performance of different machine learning models were compared by 10-fold cross-validation, and the model algorithm with the best performance was selected from 15 models to construct and validate the depression prediction model for home-quarantined subjects. The validity of different models was compared based on accuracy, precision, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, and area under the ROC curve (AUC), and the best model suitable for the data framework of this study was identified. RESULTS: The prevalence of depression among home-quarantined individuals during the epidemic was 31.66% (202/638), and the constructed Adaboost depression prediction model had an ACC of 0.7917, an accuracy of 0.7180, and an AUC of 0.7803, which was better than the other 15 models on the combination of various performance measures. In the validation sets, the AUC was greater than 0.83. CONCLUSIONS: The Adaboost machine learning algorithm developed in this study can be used to construct a depression prediction model for home-quarantined individuals that has better machine learning performance, as well as high effectiveness, robustness, and generalizability.

Exploring depressive symptom trajectories in COVID-19 patients with clinically mild condition in South Korea using remote patient monitoring: longitudinal data analysis.

Background: During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Korean government temporarily allowed full scale telehealth care for safety and usability. However, limited studies have evaluated the impact of telehealth by analyzing the physical and/or mental health data of patients with COVID-19 diagnosis collected through telehealth targeting Korean population. Objective: This study aimed to identify subgroup of depressive symptom trajectories in patients with clinically mild COVID-19 using collected longitudinal data from a telehealth-based contactless clinical trial. Methods: A total of 199 patients with COVID-19 were accrued for contactless clinical trial using telehealth from March 23 to July 20, 2022. Depressive symptoms were measured using the patient health questionnaire-9 on the start day of quarantine, on the final day of quarantine, and 1 month after release from quarantine. Additionally, acute COVID-19 symptoms were assessed every day during quarantine. This study used a latent class mixed model to differentiate subgroups of depressive symptom trajectories and a logistic regression model with Firth's correction to identify associations between acute COVID-19 symptoms and the subgroups. Results: Two latent classes were identified: class 1 with declining linearity at a slow rate and class 2 with increasing linearity. Among COVID-19 symptoms, fever, chest pain, and brain fog 1 month after release from quarantine showed strong associations with class 2 (fever: OR, 19.43, 95% CI, 2.30-165.42; chest pain: OR, 6.55, 95% CI, 1.15-34.61; brain fog: OR, 7.03, 95% CI 2.57-20.95). Sleeping difficulty and gastrointestinal symptoms were also associated with class 2 (gastrointestinal symptoms: OR, 4.76, 95% CI, 1.71-14.21; sleeping difficulty: OR, 3.12, 95% CI, 1.71-14.21). Conclusion: These findings emphasize the need for the early detection of depressive symptoms in patients in the acute phase of COVID-19 using telemedicine. Active intervention, including digital therapeutics, may help patients with aggravated depressive symptoms.

COVID-19 patient satisfaction and associated factors in telemedicine and hybrid system.

Background: The quality assessment of the home-based isolation and care program (HBIC) relies heavily on patient satisfaction and length of stay. COVID-19 patients who were isolated and received HBIC were monitored through telephone consultations (TC), in-person TC visits, and a self-reporting application. By evaluating patient satisfaction and length of stay in HBIC, healthcare providers could gauge the effectiveness and efficiency of the HBIC program. Methods: A cross-sectional study design enrolled 444 HBIC patients who answered a structured questionnaire. A binary logistic regression model assessed the association between independent variables and patient satisfaction. The length of stay in HBIC was analyzed using Cox regression analysis. The data collection started on April (1-30), 2022, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Results: The median age was 34, and 247 (55.6%) were females. A greater proportion (313, 70.5%) of the participants had high satisfaction. Higher frequency of calls (>3 calls) (AOR = 2.827, 95% CI = 1.798, 4.443, p = 0.000) and those who were symptomatic (AOR = 2.001, 95% CI = 1.289, 3.106, p = 0.002) were found to be significant factors for high user satisfaction. Higher frequency of calls (>3 calls) (AHR = 0.537, 95% CI = 0.415, 0.696, p = 0.000) and more in-person visits (>1 visit) (AHR = 0.495, 95% CI = 0.322, 0.762, p = 0.001) had greater chances to reduce the length of stay in the COVID-19 HBIC. Conclusion: 70.5% of the participants had high satisfaction with the system, and frequent phone call follow-ups on patients' clinical status can significantly improve their satisfaction and length of recovery. An in-person visit is also an invaluable factor in a patient's recovery.

Military affected by the first wave of COVID-19 in Senegal: stress and resilience factors during care.

COVID-19 had a psychological impact on the population, particularly those affected. Our objective was to investigate stress and resilience factors in the Senegalese soldiers affected during the first wave of COVID-19. Our retrospective and qualitative study included military personnel listed as contacts, suspects, or positive cases and supported by the Armed Forces Psychological Support Program during the period of isolation. The stress factors were health-related, sociological, and occupational. The conditions and the experience of isolation, stigmatization, and suspension of their professional projects were concerns for the soldiers. They had relied on personal, familial, and professional resources to cultivate resilience during the quarantine. Isolation during the pandemic showed psychological consequences, the foundations of which have been found in our study.

Daily Activities in European Children and Adolescents During COVID-19 School Closure: A Longitudinal Study Exploring Physical Activity, Use of Screens, and Sleep Patterns.

This longitudinal study aimed to analyze the evolution of patterns of daily activities (physical activity time, screen usage time, and sleep hours) in European youth during school closure due to the COVID-19 health crisis. Participants were 624 caregivers of children and adolescents aged 3-18 from Italy, Spain, and Portugal. Evaluations were online, and four time-points were considered: retrospective measurement of daily activities before confinement (T1), and two (T2), five (T3), and eight (T4) weeks after starting the lockdown. Generally accepted international guidelines on physical activity time, screen usage time, and hours of sleep by age group were used to determine whether the pattern might increase the risk for ill health or not. To estimate the evolution of daily activities, generalized estimating equations (GEE) were used. The percentage of children who practiced less than 60 min of daily exercise increased significantly from before home confinement (47.8%) to T2 (86.4%); it slightly decreased at T3 (79.8%), and remained stable at T4 (76.1%). The percentage of children who made excessive use of screens (according to their age group) significantly increased from T1 to T2 and remained stable and high in the rest of the evaluations. The percentage of children who slept fewer or more hours than recommended for their age group remained stable between T1 and T4, although there was a significant increase at T3. In general, results found unhealthier behaviors as confinement was extended. Results are discussed in order to find strategies for promoting healthy daily activities for future pandemics.

When one door closes: a qualitative exploration of women's experiences of access to sexual and reproductive health services during the COVID-19 lockdown in Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 pandemic widely disrupted health services provision, especially during the lockdown period, with females disproportionately affected. Very little is known about alternative healthcare sources used by women when access to conventional health services became challenging. This study examined the experiences of women and adolescent girls regarding access to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services during the COVID-19 lockdown in Nigeria and their choices of alternative healthcare sources. METHODS: The study sites were two northern states, two southern states, and the Federal Capital Territory. Qualitative data were obtained through 10 focus group discussion sessions held with married adolescents, unmarried adolescents, and older women of reproductive age. The data were transcribed verbatim and analysed using a thematic approach and with the aid of Atlas ti software. RESULTS: Women reported that access to family planning services was the most affected SRH services during the COVID-19 lockdown. Several barriers to accessing SRH services during COVID-19 lockdown were reported, including restriction of vehicular movement, harassment by law enforcement officers, fear of contracting COVID-19 from health facilities, and fear of undergoing compulsory COVID-19 tests when seeking care in health facilities. In the face of constrained access to SRH services in public sector facilities during the COVID-19 lockdown, women sought care from several alternative sources, mostly locally available and informal services, including medicine vendors, traditional birth attendants, and neighbours with some health experience. Women also widely engaged in self-medication, using both orthodox drugs and non-orthodox preparations like herbs. The lockdown negatively impacted on women's SRH, with increased incidence of sexual- and gender-based violence, unplanned pregnancy resulting from lack of access to contraceptives, and early marriage involving adolescents with unplanned pregnancies. CONCLUSION: COVID-19 negatively impacted access to SRH services and forced women to utilise mostly informal service outlets and home remedies as alternatives to conventional health services. There is a need to ensure the continuity of essential SRH services during future lockdowns occasioned by disease outbreaks. Also, community systems strengthening that ensures effective community-based health services, empowered community resource persons, and health-literate populations are imperative for overcoming barriers to healthcare access during future lockdowns.

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)

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.

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.

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.

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.

Measuring reconceptualization and reprioritization during France's first COVID-19-related lockdown in women with and without a history of cancer: an adaptation of the SeiQol-DW and PGI.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to provide a better understanding of the patient-perceived effects of France's first COVID-19-related lockdown on the quality of life (QoL) of women affected by cancer, and to test an ad hoc measurement scale for evaluating quasi-individualized QoL. QoL was measured for both during (i.e., current) and before (i.e., retrospectively) the lockdown. Respondents were women registered on the research platform Seintinelles. METHODS: A tool for measuring quasi-individualized QoL was adapted from the SeiQol-DW and PGI. It was distributed as part of a larger online self-questionnaire to a sample of 1303 women with a history of cancer (i.e., former or current) and with no such history. RESULTS: Current and retrospective QoL scores were not significantly different between the two respondent groups. An analysis of reconceptualization and reprioritization revealed a cancer-specific effect: women with a history of cancer reconceptualized more, while women with no such history reprioritized more. CONCLUSION: Our novel ad hoc quasi-qualitative tool made it possible to assess the QoL of women with a history of cancer, a particularly vulnerable population in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, it highlighted a difference in reconceptualization and reprioritization between this population and women with no such history.

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.

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.

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)

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)