Effectiveness of BNT162b2 and ChAdOx1 Vaccines against Symptomatic COVID-19 among Healthcare Workers in Kuwait: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Background: Estimating vaccine effectiveness (VE) against severe, acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) among healthcare workers (HCWs) is necessary to demonstrate protection from the disease. Between 24 December 2020 and 15 June 2021, we determined the factors associated with vaccine coverage and estimated VE against SARS-CoV-2 infection in HCWs at a secondary hospital in Kuwait. Methods: We extracted sociodemographic, occupational, SARS-CoV-2 infection, and vaccination data for eligible HCWs from the hospital records. Vaccine coverage percentages were cross-tabulated with the HCW factors. Cox regression was used to estimate hazard ratios in vaccinated versus unvaccinated. Results: 3246 HCWs were included in the analysis, of which 82.1% received at least one vaccine dose (50.4% only one dose of ChAdOx1, 3.3% only one dose of BNT162b2, and 28.3% two doses of BNT162b2). However, 17.9% of HCWs were unvaccinated. A significantly lower vaccination coverage was reported amongst female HCWs, younger age group (20–30 years), and administrative/executive staff. The adjusted VE of fully vaccinated HCWs was 94.5% (95% CI = 89.4–97.2%), while it was 75.4% (95% CI = 67.2–81.6%) and 91.4% (95% CI = 65.1–97.9%) in partially vaccinated for ChAdOx1 and BNT162b2, respectively. Conclusions: BNT162b2 and ChAdOx1 vaccines prevented most symptomatic infections in HCWs across age groups, nationalities, and occupations.

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Comorbid disease burden among MS patients 1968–2012: A Swedish register–based cohort study

Multiple Sclerosis Journal ◽

10.1177/1352458520910497 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 135245852091049 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Kelsi A Smith ◽

Sarah Burkill ◽

Ayako Hiyoshi ◽

Tomas Olsson ◽

Shahram Bahmanyar ◽

...

Keyword(s):

General Population ◽

Age Groups ◽

Comorbid Disease ◽

Hazard Ratios ◽

Time Period ◽

Younger Age ◽

Cardiovascular Depression ◽

Prevalence Prevalence ◽

Time Periods ◽

Prevalence Ratios

Background: People with multiple sclerosis (pwMS) have increased comorbid disease (CMD) risk. Most previous studies have not considered overall CMD burden. Objective: To describe lifetime CMD burden among pwMS. Methods: PwMS identified using Swedish registers between 1968 and 2012 ( n = 25,476) were matched by sex, age, and county of residence with general-population comparators ( n = 251,170). Prevalence, prevalence ratios (PRs), survival functions, and hazard ratios by MS status, age, and time period compared seven CMD: autoimmune, cardiovascular, depression, diabetes, respiratory, renal, and seizures. Results: The magnitude of the PRs for each CMD and age group decreased across time, with higher PRs in earlier time periods. Before 1990, younger age groups had higher PRs, and after 1990, older age groups had higher PRs. Male pwMS had higher burden compared with females. Overall, renal, respiratory, and seizures had the highest PRs. Before 2001, 50% of pwMS received a first/additional CMD diagnosis 20 years prior to people without MS, which reduced to 4 years after 2001. PwMS had four times higher rates of first/additional diagnoses in earlier time periods, which reduced to less than two times higher in recent time periods compared to people without MS. Conclusion: Swedish pwMS have increased CMD burden compared with the general population, but this has reduced over time.

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Cataract among elderly in Sri Lanka

10.1101/540518 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

A.A. Nilanga Nishad ◽

S.A. Hewage ◽

K. Arulmoly ◽

M.S. Amaratunge ◽

J de Silva ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sri Lanka ◽

Screening Programme ◽

National Level ◽

Age Groups ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Community Based ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Future Studies ◽

Factors Associated ◽

Younger Age

AbstractOut of 39 billion people who are blind around the world, 20 billion (51.3%) is due to cataract, which is preventable. This study intended to assess the prevalence and factors associated with cataract among elderly in a divisional secretariat area in Sri Lanka. This community based cross sectional study assessed randomly selected470 adults over 60 years of age. Diagnosis of cataract was made by a slit lamp examination by medical officers, and classified according to Oxford Lens Opacity Classification system (LOCS III). Majority was between 60-69 age groups and 71% was females. The prevalence of cataract was estimated to be 80.6% including operated eye and 73.6% excluding the operated eye, with a female preponderance in lower age categories. Commonest type of cataract was the nuclear type (n=422; 44.9%), with a majority in grade 2 (218; 23.2%). The prevalence of cataract surgery in the diseased population was as low as 7%. Cataract leading to blindness is very prevalent among adults over 60 years of age in the studied area. Females tend to develop the disease at an early age than males. These findings warrant screening programme for elderly at community level, targeting females at a younger age than males. Future studies are recommended to assess the coverage and barriers for cataract surgeries at national level, which would be immensely useful in planning and improving health services.

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Knowledge about mammography and associated factors: population surveys with female adults and elderly

Revista Brasileira de Epidemiologia ◽

10.1590/s1415-790x2013000400013 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 16 (4) ◽

pp. 930-942 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Ione Jayce Ceola Schneider ◽

Marui Weber Corseuil ◽

Antonio Fernando Boing ◽

Eleonora d'Orsi

Keyword(s):

Associated Factors ◽

Elderly Women ◽

Descriptive Analysis ◽

Age Groups ◽

The Elderly ◽

Cancer Information ◽

Population Surveys ◽

Factors Associated ◽

Younger Age ◽

Adjusted Model

The purpose of this paper is to describe the knowledge about mammography and to identify associated factors in female adults and elderly. Data were obtained from two population surveys, one with female adults and another with elderly women from Florianópolis (SC) in 2009 - 2010. A descriptive analysis of the variables was carried out, the appropriate mean of responses about mammography was estimated and crude and adjusted Poisson regression was conducted to identify associated factors. Among adults, 23.1% answered all of the questions appropriately and the appropriate average responses was 7.2 (95%CI 7.1 - 7.3) in a total of 9. In the adjusted model, older age, higher education and income were associated with knowledge about mammography. For the elderly, 15.3% answered all questions appropriately and the average of appropriate responses was 6.4 (95%CI 5.2 - 6.5) and the factors associated with knowledge about mammography in the adjusted model were younger age groups, increased education and income, and identification of mammography as the main diagnostic method for breast cancer. Information about mammography can neither be transmitted in a clear way nor be easily understood; there are also demographic and socioeconomic differences concerning the knowledge about the exam.

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Can Existing Improvements of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) in Urban Slums Reduce the Burden of Typhoid Fever in These Settings?

Clinical Infectious Diseases ◽

10.1093/cid/ciaa1429 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Justin Im ◽

Md Taufiqul Islam ◽

Faisal Ahmmed ◽

Deok Ryun Kim ◽

Ashraful Islam Khan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cox Regression ◽

Learning Algorithm ◽

Age Groups ◽

Prospective Data ◽

Sanitation And Hygiene ◽

Younger Age ◽

Virtual Clusters ◽

Household Members ◽

Training Subset ◽

Coverage Increase

Abstract Background Sustained investments in water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) have lagged in resource-poor settings; incremental WASH improvements may, nonetheless, prevent diseases such as typhoid in disease-endemic populations. Methods Using prospective data from a large cohort in urban Kolkata, India, we evaluated whether baseline WASH variables predicted typhoid risk in a training subpopulation (n = 28 470). We applied a machine learning algorithm to the training subset to create a composite, dichotomous (good, not good) WASH variable based on 4 variables, and evaluated sensitivity and specificity of this variable in a validation subset (n = 28 470). We evaluated in Cox regression models whether residents of “good” WASH households experienced a lower typhoid risk after controlling for potential confounders. We constructed virtual clusters (radius 50 m) surrounding each household to evaluate whether a prevalence of good WASH practices modified the typhoid risk in central household members. Results Good WASH practices were associated with protection in analyses of all households (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.57; 95% confidence interval [CI], .37–.90; P = .015). This protection was evident in persons ≥5 years old at baseline (HR = 0.47; 95% CI, .34–.93; P = .005) and was suggestive, though not statistically significant, in younger age groups (HR = 0.61; 95% CI, .27–1.38; P = .235). The level of surrounding household good WASH coverage was also associated with protection (HR = 0.988; 95% CI, .979–.996; P = .004, for each percent coverage increase). However, collinearity between household WASH and WASH coverage prevented an assessment of their independent predictive contributions. Conclusions In this typhoid-endemic setting, natural variation in household WASH was associated with typhoid risk. If replicated elsewhere, these findings suggest that WASH improvements may enhance typhoid control, short of major infrastructural investments.

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Adverse Effects on Work and Daily Life Interference among Healthcare Workers after the First and Second ChAdOx1 and BNT162b2 COVID-19 Vaccine Doses

Vaccines ◽

10.3390/vaccines9080926 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (8) ◽

pp. 926

Author(s):

Chulyong Park ◽

Joon Sakong ◽

Seongmin Jo ◽

Minkeun Kim ◽

Kiook Baek

Keyword(s):

General Population ◽

Adverse Effects ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Daily Life ◽

Vaccine Dose ◽

Multivariate Model ◽

Factors Associated ◽

Vaccine Type ◽

Interaction Term ◽

Numeric Scale

In this study, we assessed the adverse effects and the work and daily life interference associated with each dose of the ChAdOx1 and BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccines. Questionnaires were distributed to workers after they received both doses; only those who worked the day after receiving the vaccine were included in the analysis. Overall, 368 ChAdOx1-vaccinated and 27 BNT162b2-vaccinated participants were included. Among the ChAdOx1-vaccinated participants, the incidence of adverse effects was significantly lower after the second dose than after the first dose. Among the BNT162b2-vaccinated participants, however, no differences in adverse effects or work and daily life interference were found between the doses. After the first and second dose, the numeric scale score (0–10) for interference with work was 3.9 ± 2.9 and 1.6 ± 1.9 for the ChAdOx1 and 3.2 ± 2.5 and 3.6 ± 3.0 for the BNT162b2 vaccine, respectively. A similar trend was observed for interference with daily life. Factors associated with work and daily life interference in the multivariate model were age, vaccine dose (first or second), and the interaction term of vaccine type and dose. These results could be used to inform the general population of the adverse effects associated with these vaccinations.

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Effect of a hospital-wide campaign on COVID-19 vaccination uptake among healthcare workers in the context of raised concerns for life-threatening side effects

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0258236 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (10) ◽

pp. e0258236

Author(s):

Min Hyung Kim ◽

Nak-Hoon Son ◽

Yoon Soo Park ◽

Ju Hyun Lee ◽

Da Ae Kim ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Healthcare Workers ◽

Online Survey ◽

Vaccine Coverage ◽

Intervention Strategy ◽

National Policy ◽

Vaccine Dose ◽

Vaccination Uptake ◽

Severance Hospital ◽

Life Threatening ◽

To Receive

Background All healthcare workers (HCWs) in Yongin Severance Hospital were allocated to receive the ChAdOx1 nCov-19 vaccine according to national policy. A report of thrombosis and thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) associated with ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 led to hesitancy about receiving the second dose among HCWs who had received the first dose. Methods From 7 to 14 May, 2021, we performed a survey to identify the factors associated with hesitancy about receiving the second vaccine dose among HCWs at the hospital who had received the first dose of the vaccine. Based on survey results, a hospital-wide campaign was implemented on 18 May 2021 to improve vaccine coverage. HCWs who completed the second dose completed a self-administered questionnaire to evaluate the effect of the campaign. Findings Of 1,171 HCWs who had received the first dose of the vaccine, 71.5% completed the online survey, of whom 3.7% refused to take the second dose and 22.3% showed hesitancy. Hesitancy to receive a second dose was significantly associated with age under 30 years and concerns about TTS, and was less common among those who trusted effectiveness and safety of the vaccine. Among HCWs who received the first dose, 96.2% completed vaccination with the second dose between 27 May and 4 June, 2021. Of those who answered the questionnaire asked about the timing of their decision to receive the second dose, 57.1% reported that they were motivated by the hospital-wide campaign. Conclusion A tailored intervention strategy based on a survey can improve COVID-19 vaccination uptake among HCWs.

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Impact of Age and Sex on Antibody Response Following the Second Dose of COVID-19 BNT162b2 mRNA Vaccine in Greek Healthcare Workers

Microorganisms ◽

10.3390/microorganisms9081725 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (8) ◽

pp. 1725

Author(s):

Niki Vassilaki ◽

Antonios N. Gargalionis ◽

Anastasia Bletsa ◽

Nikolaos Papamichalopoulos ◽

Elisavet Kontou ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Healthcare Workers ◽

Venous Blood ◽

Age Groups ◽

Vaccine Dose ◽

Humoral Response ◽

Continuous Variables ◽

Igg Antibody ◽

Female Population ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Antibody Titers

Anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike RBD (receptor-binding domain) IgG antibody levels were monitored in 1643 volunteer healthcare workers of Eginition, Evangelismos, and Konstantopoulio General Hospitals (Athens, Greece), who underwent vaccination with two doses of COVID-19 BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine (Pfizer) and had no history of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Venous blood was collected 20–30 days after the second vaccine dose and anti-RBD IgG levels were determined using CMIA SARS-CoV-2 IgG II Quant (Abbott) on ARCHITECT i System or ADVIA Centaur SARS-CoV-2 IgG (Siemens) on Centaur XP platform. From the total population of 1643 vaccinees (533 M/1110 F; median age = 49; interquartile range-IQR = 40–56), 1636 (99.6%) had anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG titers above the positivity threshold of the assay used. One-Way ANOVA Kruskal-Wallis H test showed a statistically significant difference in the median of antibody titers between the different age groups (p < 0.0001). Consistently, Spearman’s correlation coefficient (r) for IgGs and age as continuous variables was −0.2380 (p = 1.98 × 10−17). Moreover, antibody titers were slightly higher by 1.2-mean fold (p = 3 × 10−6) in the total female population of the three hospitals (median = 1594; IQR = 875–2584) as compared to males (median = 1292; IQR = 671.9–2188). The present study supports that BNT162b2 vaccine is particularly effective in producing high anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG levels in healthy individuals, and this humoral response is age- and gender-dependent.

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Origin and schizophrenia in young refugees and inter-country adoptees from Latin America and East Africa in Sweden: a comparative study

BJPsych Open ◽

10.1192/bjpo.bp.115.002048 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

pp. 6-9 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Hélio Manhica ◽

Anna-Clara Hollander ◽

Ylva B. Almquist ◽

Mikael Rostila ◽

Anders Hjern

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Latin America ◽

East Africa ◽

Regression Models ◽

Psychiatric Care ◽

Cox Regression ◽

Income Levels ◽

Latin Americans ◽

Factors Associated ◽

Hazard Ratios

BackgroundMigrants' socioeconomic adversity has been linked to schizophrenia.AimsTo investigate whether the more favourable socioeconomic situation of adoptees prevents them from the high risk of schizophrenia found in other migrants.MethodRegister study in a cohort of refugees and inter-country adoptees aged 16–40 years, born in East Africa (n=8389), Latin America (n=11 572) and 1.2 million native Swedes. Cox-regression models estimated hazard ratios (HRs) of schizophrenia in data from psychiatric care.ResultsDespite diverse income levels, HRs for schizophrenia were similar for refugees and adoptees, with East Africans having the highest HRs: 5.83 (3.30–10.27) and 5.80 (5.03–6.70), followed by Latin Americans: HRs 3.09 (2.49–3.83) and 2.31 (1.79–2.97), compared with native Swedes. Adjustment for income decreased these risks slightly for refugees, but not for adoptees.ConclusionsThis study suggests that risk factors associated with origin are more important determinants of schizophrenia than socioeconomic adversity in the country of settlement.

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The Effect of Serum Sodium on Survival in Patients Treated by Peritoneal Dialysis in the United Kingdom

Peritoneal Dialysis International ◽

10.3747/pdi.2015.00305 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 37 (1) ◽

pp. 70-77 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Asmaa Al-Chidadi ◽

Dorothea Nitsch ◽

Andrew Davenport

Keyword(s):

Peritoneal Dialysis ◽

Serum Sodium ◽

Cox Regression ◽

Strong Association ◽

Age Groups ◽

Older Age ◽

Age Group ◽

Younger Age ◽

Increased Risk ◽

The Uk

Background Studies in hemodialysis patients suggest that hyponatremia is associated with increased mortality. However, results from peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients are discordant. We wished to establish whether there was an association between serum sodium and mortality risk in PD patients. Methods We analyzed 3,108 PD patients enrolled at day 90 of renal replacement therapy (RRT) into the UK Renal Registry (UKRR) data base with available serum sodium measurements (in 3 groups: ≤ 137, 138 - 140, ≥ 141 mmol/L) who were then followed up until death or the censoring date (31 December 2012). Analysis used Cox-regression with adjustment for age, sex, year of starting RRT, primary renal disease, serum albumin, smoking, and comorbidities. Results Unadjusted mortality rates were 118.6/1,000 person-years (py), 83.4/1,000 py, and 83.5/1,000 py for the lowest, middle, and highest serum sodium tertiles, respectively. After adjustment for covariates, patients in the lowest serum sodium group had almost 50% increased risk of dying compared with those with the highest serum sodium (hazard ratio [HR] 1.49, confidence interval [CI]:1.28 - 1.74), with a graded association between serum sodium and mortality. The association of serum sodium with mortality varied by age (p interaction < 0.001), and whilst this association attenuated after adjustment for confounding variables in the older age groups (55 - 64, and > 65 years), it remained in the younger age group of 18 - 54 years (HR 2.24 [1.36 – 3.70] in the lowest compared with the highest sodium tertile). Conclusions Lower serum sodium concentrations at the start of RRT in PD patients are associated with increased risk of mortality. Whilst this association may well be due to confounding in the older age groups, the persistent strong association between hyponatremia and mortality in the younger age group after adjustment for the available confounders suggests that prospective studies are required to assess whether active intervention to maintain serum sodium changes outcomes.

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Self-reported visual impairment, physical activity and all-cause mortality: The HUNT Study

Scandinavian Journal of Public Health ◽

10.1177/1403494816680795 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 45 (1) ◽

pp. 33-41 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Audun Brunes ◽

W. Dana Flanders ◽

Liv Berit Augestad

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Visual Impairment ◽

Mortality Risk ◽

Cox Regression ◽

Age Groups ◽

Health Study ◽

Cox Models ◽

Hazard Ratios ◽

All Cause Mortality ◽

Hunt Study

Aims: To examine the associations of self-reported visual impairment and physical activity (PA) with all-cause mortality. Methods: This prospective cohort study included 65,236 Norwegians aged ⩾20 years who had participated in the Nord-Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT2, 1995−1997). Of these participants, 11,074 (17.0%) had self-reported visual impairment (SRVI). The participants’ data were linked to Norway’s Cause of Death Registry and followed throughout 2012. Hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were assessed using Cox regression analyses with age as the time-scale. The Cox models were fitted for restricted age groups (<60, 60−84, ⩾85 years). Results: After a mean follow-up of 14.5 years, 13,549 deaths were identified. Compared with adults with self-reported no visual impairment, the multivariable hazard ratios among adults with SRVI were 2.47 (95% CI 1.94–3.13) in those aged <60 years, 1.22 (95% CI 1.13–1.33) in those aged 60–84 years and 1.05 (95% CI 0.96–1.15) in those aged ⩾85 years. The strength of the associations remained similar or stronger after additionally controlling for PA. When examining the joint associations, the all-cause mortality risk of SRVI was higher for those who reported no PA than for those who reported weekly hours of PA. We found a large, positive departure from additivity in adults aged <60 years, whereas the departure from additivity was small for the other age groups. Conclusions: Adults with SRVI reporting no PA were associated with an increased all-cause mortality risk. The associations attenuated with age.

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