scholarly journals The drop in reported invasive pneumococcal disease among adults during the first COVID-19 wave in the Netherlands explained.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirsten K. T. Dirkx ◽  
Bert Mulder ◽  
Annelies Post ◽  
Martijn Rutten ◽  
Caroline Swanink ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pneumococcal Disease ◽  
Respiratory Infections ◽  
Diagnostic Testing ◽  
Bacterial Pathogen ◽  
Surveillance Systems ◽  
Disease Dynamics ◽  
Monitoring Strategies ◽  
Disease Rates ◽  
Referral Practices ◽  
The World

Streptococcus pneumoniae is the main bacterial pathogen causing respiratory infections. Since the COVID-19 pandemic emerged, less pneumococcal disease was identified by surveillance systems around the world. Measures to prevent transmission of SARS-CoV-2 also reduce transmission of pneumococci, but this would gradually lead to lower disease rates. Here, we explore additional factors that have contributed to the instant drop in pneumococcal disease cases captured in surveillance. Our observations on referral practices and other impediments to diagnostic testing indicate that residual IPD has likely occurred but remained undetected by conventional hospital-based surveillance. Depending on setting, we discuss alternative monitoring strategies that could improve sight on pneumococcal disease dynamics.

THE 2019 NOVEL PANDEMIC OF CORONAVIRUS DISEASE (COVID-19): A STUDY OF EXISTING EVIDENCE IN THE INDIAN POPULATION

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 199-204
Author(s):  
Shrikant Verma ◽  
Mohammad Abbas ◽  
Sushma Verma ◽  
Syed Tasleem Raza ◽  
Farzana Mahdi
Keyword(s):  
Disease Transmission ◽  
Indian Population ◽  
Respiratory Infections ◽  
Clinical Signs ◽  
Case Fatality ◽  
Public Health Emergency ◽  
The World ◽  
And Control ◽  
General Wellbeing ◽  
Different Parts

A novel spillover coronavirus (nCoV), with its epicenter in Wuhan, China's People's Republic, has emerged as an international public health emergency. This began as an outbreak in December 2019, and till November eighth, 2020, there have been 8.5 million affirmed instances of novel Covid disease2019 (COVID-19) in India, with 1,26,611 deaths, resulting in an overall case fatality rate of 1.48 percent. Coronavirus clinical signs are fundamentally the same as those of other respiratory infections. In different parts of the world, the quantity of research center affirmed cases and related passings are rising consistently. The COVID- 19 is an arising pandemic-responsible viral infection. Coronavirus has influenced huge parts of the total populace, which has prompted a global general wellbeing crisis, setting all health associations on high attentive. This review sums up the overall landmass, virology, pathogenesis, the study of disease transmission, clinical introduction, determination, treatment, and control of COVID-19 with the reference to India.

Crowdsourcing Covid-19 signals in sub-Saharan Africa: Leveraging digital contributor networks for participatory surveillance of Covid-19 symptoms and deaths (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ngozi A Erondu ◽  
Sagal A Ali ◽  
Mohamed Ali ◽  
Schadrac C Agbla
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Specific Information ◽  
Surveillance Systems ◽  
Health Seeking ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Local Networks ◽  
The World ◽  
Sub Saharan

BACKGROUND In sub-Saharan Africa, underreporting of cases and deaths has been attributed to various factors including, weak disease surveillance, low health-seeking behaviour of flu like symptoms, and stigma of Covid-19. There is evidence that SARS-CoV-2 spread mimics transmission patterns of other countries across the world. Since the Covid-19 pandemic has changed the way research can be conducted and in light of restrictions on travel and risks to in-person data collection, innovative approaches to collecting data must be considered. Nearly 50% of Africa’s population is a unique mobile subscriber and it is one of the fastest growing smart-phone marketplaces in the world; hence, mobile phone platforms should be considered to monitor Covid-19 trends in the community. OBJECTIVE We demonstrate the use of digital contributor platforms to survey individuals about cases of flu-like symptoms and instances of unexplained deaths in Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Somalia, and Zimbabwe. METHODS Rapid cross-sectional survey of individuals with severe flu and pneumonia symptoms and unexplained deaths in Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Somalia and Zimbabwe RESULTS Using a non-health specific information platform, we found COVID-19 signals in five African countries, specifically: •Across countries, nearly half of the respondents (n=739) knew someone who had severe flu or pneumonia symptoms in recent months. •One in three respondents from Somalia and one in five from Zimbabwe respondents said they knew more than five people recently displaying flu and/or pneumonia symptoms. •In Somalia there were signals that a large number of people might be dying outside of health facilities, specifically in their homes or in IDP or refugee camps. CONCLUSIONS Existing digital contributor platforms with local networks are a non-traditional data source that can provide information from the community to supplement traditional government surveillance systems and academic surveys. We demonstrate that using these distributor networks to for community surveys can provide periodic information on rumours but could also be used to capture local sentiment to inform public health decision-making; for example, these insights could be useful to inform strategies to increase confidence in Covid19 vaccine. As Covid-19 continues to spread somewhat silently across sub-Saharan Africa, regional and national public health entities should consider expanding event-based surveillance sources to include these systems.

scholarly journals 1718. Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Surveillance in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), 2010-2018

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S843-S843
Author(s):  
Cynthia Lucero-Obusan ◽  
Patricia Schirmer ◽  
Gina Oda ◽  
Mark Holodniy
Keyword(s):  
Respiratory Syncytial Virus ◽  
Respiratory Infections ◽  
Diagnostic Testing ◽  
Fold Increase ◽  
Respiratory Illness ◽  
Veterans Affairs ◽  
Department Of Veterans Affairs ◽  
Management And Development ◽  
Syncytial Virus ◽  
National Trends

Abstract Background Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is an increasingly recognized cause of acute respiratory illness in older adults, leading to an estimated 177,000 hospitalizations and 14,000 deaths each year in the US. In adult populations, diagnostic testing for RSV has historically been underutilized. Herein, we examine national trends in RSV testing and infection across the Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare system. Methods Electronic RSV laboratory testing results, ICD-coded hospitalizations and outpatient encounters were obtained from VA’s Praedico Surveillance System (1/1/2010-12/31/2018). Patients were reviewed for positive results, repeat testing, and demographics. Antibody tests were excluded. Results A total of 102,251 RSV results were included. Overall, 4,372 (4.3%) specimens from 4,263 unique individuals were positive with a median age of 67 years (range 0-101) and 90% were male. 1,511 individuals (35.4%) also had an RSV-coded hospitalization. RSV type was specified for only 7.8% of positives (Table). During 2010-2018 there were 2,522 RSV-coded hospitalizations (median length of stay = 4 days) among 2,444 unique individuals, which included 413 ICU stays (16.4%) and 98 deaths (3.9%) during the RSV-coded hospitalization. Approximately 78% of RSV-coded hospitalizations within VA (excluding all non-VA hospitalizations) had a documented positive test result. A greater than 15-fold increase in RSV tests performed, hospitalizations and outpatient encounters was observed from 2010-2018, although the percent testing positive remained relatively stable (Figure, Table). Figure. Testing for Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), Department of Veterans Affairs, 2010-2018. Table. Select RSV Surveillance Metrics, Department of Veterans Affairs, 2010-2018 Conclusion RSV testing and identification of patients with RSV infection increased dramatically during the time period analyzed, likely due to increased availability of PCR-based multi-pathogen panels and duplex assays. While the percentage of tests positive for RSV remained relatively stable, the rise in coded hospitalizations may be due to increased testing for RSV among hospitalized Veterans with severe respiratory infections. These surveillance data may allow for further characterization of RSV disease burden estimates which can help inform clinical management and development of interventions for adults, such as vaccines and antiviral therapies. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

scholarly journals Global Food Security in a Pandemic: The Case of the New Coronavirus (COVID-19)

World ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 171-190
Author(s):  
Diosey Ramon Lugo-Morin
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Respiratory Infections ◽  
Economic Sectors ◽  
Global Food Security ◽  
The World ◽  
Production And Distribution ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
And Control ◽  
Global Food

The world is currently experiencing a pandemic: a virus in the family Coronaviridae is causing serious respiratory infections in humans. The outbreak of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was declared a pandemic by the WHO on 11 March 2020. The outbreak began in December 2019 in Wuhan, China, and has since spread throughout the world. Despite measures taken by governments throughout the world to contain and control the spread, economic disruption at the global level is imminent and will affect all economic sectors, particularly the food sector. In a post-pandemic scenario, the use of new technologies will be decisive in a new model of food commercialization. The production and distribution of food will be configured to make supply chains optimal and safe systems. Against this background, the present study aims to explore and analyze the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for global food security.

scholarly journals Systematic Review of Hepatitis E Virus in Brazil: A One-Health Approach of the Human-Animal-Environment Triad

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 2290
Author(s):  
Danny Franciele da Silva Dias Moraes ◽  
João R. Mesquita ◽  
Valéria Dutra ◽  
Maria São José Nascimento
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
One Health ◽  
Hepatitis E ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Surveillance Systems ◽  
Industrialized Countries ◽  
Genotype 3 ◽  
The World ◽  
Waterborne Transmission ◽  
Sanitary Conditions

Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world with diverse socioeconomic and sanitary conditions, also being the fourth largest pig producer in the world. The aim of the present systematic review was to collect and summarize all HEV published data from Brazil (from 1995 to October 2020) performed in humans, animals, and the environment, in a One Health perspective. A total of 2173 papers were retrieved from five search databases (LILACs, Mendeley, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science) resulting in 71 eligible papers after application of exclusion/inclusion criteria. Data shows that HEV genotype 3 (HEV-3) was the only retrieved genotype in humans, animals, and environment in Brazil. The South region showed the highest human seroprevalence and also the highest pig density and industry, suggesting a zoonotic link. HEV-1 and 2 were not detected in Brazil, despite the low sanitary conditions of some regions. From the present review we infer that HEV epidemiology in Brazil is similar to that of industrialized countries (only HEV-3, swine reservoirs, no waterborne transmission, no association with low sanitary conditions). Hence, we alert for the implementation of HEV surveillance systems in swine and for the consideration of HEV in the diagnostic routine of acute and chronic hepatitis in humans.

TIRYAQ-E-ARBA (A POLY HERBAL UNANI FORMULATION) IN FIGHTING AGAINST COVID 19 LIKE CONDITIONS – UNANI PERSPECTIVE

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nafisa Qibriya Khan ◽  
A. H. Farooqui ◽  
Syed Ayesha Fatima ◽  
Jalil Ahmad ◽  
Tausif S. Khan
Keyword(s):  
Respiratory Infections ◽  
Transmission Rate ◽  
Multiple Organ ◽  
World Health ◽  
Upper Respiratory Tract ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Unani Medicine ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Almost All

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a pandemic disease of modern time with unique and rapid transmission rate and affected almost all the nations without respecting any border. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is arguably the biggest health crisis the world has faced in 21st century. It is an infectious disease and declared pandemic by the World Health Organization. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, which originated in Wuhan, China, has now spread to 192 countries and administrative regions infecting nearly 800,000 individuals of all ages as of 31 March 2020. Though most infected individuals exhibit mild symptoms including fever, upper respiratory tract symptoms, shortness of breath, and diarrhoea, or are asymptomatic altogether, severe cases of infection can lead to pneumonia, multiple organ failure, and death. Globally, at least 7900 deaths have been directly attributed to COVID19, and this number is expected to rise with the ongoing epidemic. This is particularly crucial as the current outbreak involves a new pathogen (SARS-CoV-2), on which limited knowledge exists of its infectivity and clinical profile. Research is in progress on therapeutic efficacy of various agents including anti-malarials (Chloroquine and Hydroxychloroquine), antiviral drugs, and convalescent serum of recovered patients. Unani system of medicine is one of the traditional systems of medicine which is being explored for providing preventive, supportive and rehabilitative care to patients. Unani system of medicine has a detailed description of drugs that are utilized in many infectious diseases, including respiratory infections. Immune response is essential to eliminate virus and to preclude disease progression to severe stages. Therefore, it is important to summarize the evidence regarding the preventive measures, control options such as immune-stimulator and prophylactic treatment in Unani medicine against Covid19. This review summarizes various pharmacological actions of Unani formulation Tiryaq-e-Arba in Unani literature and various reported pharmacological activities which can possibly provide prevention, control and reduction of complications of this deadly disease.

scholarly journals Inference on the dynamics of the COVID pandemic from observational data

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Satarupa Bhattacharjee ◽  
Shuting Liao ◽  
Debashis Paul ◽  
Sanjay Chaudhuri
Keyword(s):  
Temporal Dynamics ◽  
Diagnostic Testing ◽  
Compartment Model ◽  
Confidence Bands ◽  
Stochastic Dynamic ◽  
Disease Dynamics ◽  
System Of Difference Equations ◽  
Bootstrap Procedure ◽  
Estimation Strategy ◽  
The Social

AbstractWe describe a time dependent stochastic dynamic model in discrete time for the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic in various states of USA. The proposed multi-compartment model is expressed through a system of difference equations that describe their temporal dynamics. Various compartments in our model is connected to the social distancing measures and diagnostic testing rates. A nonparametric estimation strategy is employed for obtaining estimates of interpretable temporally static and dynamic epidemiological rate parameters. The confidence bands of the parameters are obtained using a residual bootstrap procedure. A key feature of the methodology is its ability to estimate latent compartments such as the trajectory of the number of asymptomatic but infected individuals which are the key vectors of COVID-19 spread. The nature of the disease dynamics is further quantified by the proposed epidemiological markers, which use estimates of such key latent compartments.

scholarly journals Respiratory infections due to Streptococcus pneumoniae and the influenza virus in South Africans undertaking the Hajj

2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Salim Parker ◽  
Anwar A. Hoosen ◽  
Charles Feldman ◽  
Amgad Gamil ◽  
Jerusha Naidoo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Influenza Virus ◽  
Streptococcus Pneumoniae ◽  
South African ◽  
Pneumococcal Disease ◽  
Respiratory Infections ◽  
Mass Gathering ◽  
South Africans ◽  
Causes Of Disease ◽  
Prophylactic Vaccines

The Hajj is the largest annual mass gathering on Earth. Respiratory infections are one of the leading causes of disease and hospitalisation during the pilgrimage, with pneumonia and influenza most common among these infections despite the availability of prophylactic vaccines. In fact, immunisation against influenza and pneumococcal disease is currently not a requirement for South African pilgrims entering Saudi Arabia. This review examines the burden of respiratory infections during the Hajj, particularly pneumonia and influenza, with a focus on pilgrims from South Africa. Although the number of South African pilgrims attending the Hajj has been capped at 2 000 since 2013, 30 000 South Africans perform the minor Umrah pilgrimage annually. Understanding the aetiology of disease in this group could have implications for medical resourcing during the Hajj.

scholarly journals How to Help Children and Adolescents with Austism SprectrumDisorder during Covid-19 Pandemic

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Social Isolation ◽  
Social Communication ◽  
Respiratory Infections ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
World Health ◽  
Behavioral Strategies ◽  
Daily Lives ◽  
The Social ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization

The Autism Spectrum Disorder(ASD) are distinguished by persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction and restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior. Coronaviruses are an extremely common cause of colds and other upper respiratory infections. COVID-19, short for “coronavirus disease 2019”. The fast spread of the virus that causes COVID-19 has sparked alarm worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared this rapidly spreading coronavirus outbreak a pandemic. Most of the countries around the world are adopting social distancing to slow the spread of coronavirus. There are several possible impacts of this pandemic on the daily lives of individuals with ASD, such as worsening of dysfunctional behaviors and regression of skills already acquired in different domains of development due to the social isolation. The objective of this article is to provide guidance to parents, health and education professionals that live or work with ASD individuals during the social isolation, on how to manage interventions that can be executed in the home environment, like remote training in language and social communication skills, behavioral strategies and sensory integration activities

scholarly journals The Relationship Between the Global Burden of Influenza From 2017 to 2019 and COVID-19: Descriptive Epidemiological Assessment (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan David Baral ◽  
Katherine Blair Rucinski ◽  
Jean Olivier Twahirwa Rwema ◽  
Amrita Rao ◽  
Neia Prata Menezes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Respiratory Infections ◽  
Temporal Trends ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
World Health ◽  
Respiratory Pathogens ◽  
Modes Of Transmission ◽  
The World ◽  
Influenza Activity ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Health Organization

BACKGROUND SARS-CoV-2 and influenza are lipid-enveloped viruses with differential morbidity and mortality but shared modes of transmission. OBJECTIVE With a descriptive epidemiological framing, we assessed whether recent historical patterns of regional influenza burden are reflected in the observed heterogeneity in COVID-19 cases across regions of the world. METHODS Weekly surveillance data reported by the World Health Organization from January 2017 to December 2019 for influenza and from January 1, 2020 through October 31, 2020, for COVID-19 were used to assess seasonal and temporal trends for influenza and COVID-19 cases across the seven World Bank regions. RESULTS In regions with more pronounced influenza seasonality, COVID-19 epidemics have largely followed trends similar to those seen for influenza from 2017 to 2019. COVID-19 epidemics in countries across Europe, Central Asia, and North America have been marked by a first peak during the spring, followed by significant reductions in COVID-19 cases in the summer months and a second wave in the fall. In Latin America and the Caribbean, COVID-19 epidemics in several countries peaked in the summer, corresponding to months with the highest influenza activity in the region. Countries from regions with less pronounced influenza activity, including South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, showed more heterogeneity in COVID-19 epidemics seen to date. However, similarities in COVID-19 and influenza trends were evident within select countries irrespective of region. CONCLUSIONS Ecological consistency in COVID-19 trends seen to date with influenza trends suggests the potential for shared individual, structural, and environmental determinants of transmission. Using a descriptive epidemiological framework to assess shared regional trends for rapidly emerging respiratory pathogens with better studied respiratory infections may provide further insights into the differential impacts of nonpharmacologic interventions and intersections with environmental conditions. Ultimately, forecasting trends and informing interventions for novel respiratory pathogens like COVID-19 should leverage epidemiologic patterns in the relative burden of past respiratory pathogens as prior information.

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