The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on academic performance among developmental age students: a systematic review with meta-analysis.

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted educational systems worldwide, raising concerns about its impact on academic performance, particularly among developmental age students. Methods: A systematic review with meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the association between the COVID-19 pandemic and the academic performance in this population was performed according to PRISMA 2020 guidelines. PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus and Embase were searched on December 2023 to identify relevant studies. Both fixed and random effect models were performed. The Effect size was reported as Cohen's d with a 95% Confidence Interval. Studies' quality was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale. The protocol was registered in PROSPERO. Results: A total of 30 studies met the inclusion criteria, but only 13 could be combined in the meta-analysis. Based on a sample size of 4,893,499 students, pooled Cohen's d was -0.07 [(95% CI = -0.10; -0.03); p-value <0.001]. Subgroup analyses by subject suggested that performance in math was affected the most, Cohen's d= -0.14 [(-0.18; -0.10); p-value <0.001]. Conclusion: The findings revealed a significant negative association between the COVID-19 pandemic and academic performance among developmental age students. Interventions to mitigate the adverse effects of the pandemic on educational outcomes in this population are needed.

Vaccination Open Day: A Cross-Sectional Study on the 2023 Experience in Lombardy Region, Italy.

BACKGROUND: Vaccination is a highly effective tool for controlling infectious diseases, particularly in populations at high risk of contagion due to clinical conditions or occupational exposure, such as healthcare workers. The purpose of this study is to present the open day event that marked the beginning of the influenza and anti-COVID-19 vaccination campaign in the Lombardy region and to describe the experience of an Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico in Milan. METHODS: During the vaccination open day, eligible individuals received free vaccinations for influenza, COVID-19, pneumococcal disease, and shingles, as provided by the Lombardy Agenzia per la Tutela della Salute. In celebration of the centenary of the Università degli Studi di Milano, the Fondazione Ca'Granda Ospedale Policlinico, a contracted hospital of the university, created a special electronic diary for a total of 150 individuals, equally divided between children aged 2-6, pregnant women, and university staff. RESULTS: At the regional level, a total of 6634 influenza vaccines, 2055 anti-COVID-19 vaccines, 108 anti-pneumococcal vaccines, and 37 anti-zoster vaccines were administered. A total of 3134 (47.3%) influenza vaccines, 1151 (56%) anti-COVID-19 vaccines, and 77 (62%) anti-pneumococcal vaccines, were given to individuals aged 60-79. No differences were observed between the total number of male and female vaccinees (1017 and 1038, respectively), who received the anti-COVID-19 vaccine. At the Policlinico Foundation, out of 150 available booking slots, 154 vaccines were administered, including 117 influenza vaccines. CONCLUSIONS: The establishment of vaccine open days is a beneficial way to increase vaccine compliance. Co-administration of little-known vaccinations outside of healthcare settings could also be a useful tool.

How a laboratory-based antimicrobial resistance (AMR) regional surveillance system can address large-scale and local AMR epidemiology: the MICRO-BIO experience.

Antimicrobial resistance is a significant threat to public health, with Italy experiencing substantial challenges in terms of AMR rate, surveillance system and activities to combat AMR. In response, the MICRO-BIO project was initiated as part of the National Plan to Combat Antibiotic Resistance by Region Lombardy health department. It was launched in 2018 with the aim of creating a surveillance tool by integrating data on bacterial isolates from microbiology laboratories. The participating laboratories were directly involved in reviewing and addressing discrepancies in the transmission data quality assessment. Despite the disruptions caused by COVID-19, 30 out of 33 laboratories in the Lombardy Region were successfully integrated by October 2023, with 1,201,000 microbiological data collected in the first nine months of 2023. In 2022 the analysis yielded 15,037 blood culture results from 20 labs passing validation. Data regarding the antimicrobial resistance profile of high-priority pathogens was analyzed at regional and single-hospital levels. The MICRO-BIO project represents a significant step toward strengthening AMR surveillance in a highly populated region. As a multi-disciplinary tool encompassing the fields of public health and IT (information technology), this tool has the potential to inform regional and local AMR epidemiology.

Vaccinome landscape in nearly 620,000 patients with diabetes.

INTRODUCTION: Type 1 (T1D) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) are associated with an elevated incidence of infectious diseases and a higher risk of infections-related hospitalization and death. In this study, we delineated the "vaccinome" landscape obtained with a large immunization schedule offered by the Regional Government of Lombardy in a cohort of 618,396 patients with diabetes (T1D and T2D). METHODS: Between September 2021 and September 2022, immunization coverage for influenza, meningococcus, pneumococcus, and herpes zoster was obtained from the public computerized registry of the healthcare system of Lombardy Region (Italy) in 618,396 patients with diabetes and in 9,534,087 subjects without diabetes. Type of diabetes, age, mortality, and hospitalizations were retrospectively analyzed in vaccinated and unvaccinated patients. RESULTS: Among patients with diabetes (T1D and T2D), 44.6% received the influenza vaccine, 10.9% the pneumococcal vaccine, 2.5% the anti-meningococcus vaccine and 0.7% the anti-zoster vaccine. Patients with diabetes immunized for influenza, zoster and meningococcus showed a 2-fold overall reduction in mortality risk and a decrease in hospitalizations. A 3-fold lower risk of mortality and a decrease in hospitalizations for both cardiac and pulmonary causes were also observed after influenza, zoster, and meningococcus immunization in older patients with diabetes. CONCLUSIONS: Immunization coverage is still far from the recommended targets in patients with diabetes. Despite this, influenza vaccination protected nearly 3,800 per 100,000 patients with diabetes from risk of death. The overall impressive decrease in mortality and hospitalizations observed in vaccinated patients strengthens the need for scaling up the "vaccinome" landscape in patients with diabetes.