scholarly journals Time trends in social contacts before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: the CONNECT study

Author(s):  
Mélanie Drolet ◽  
Aurélie Godbout ◽  
Myrto Mondor ◽  
Guillaume Béraud ◽  
Léa Drolet-Roy ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTBackgroundSince the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, many countries, including Canada, have adopted unprecedented physical distancing measures such as closure of schools and non-essential businesses, and restrictions on gatherings and household visits. We described time trends in social contacts for the pre-pandemic and pandemic periods in Quebec, Canada.MethodsCONNECT is a population-based study of social contacts conducted shortly before (2018/2019) and during the Covid-19 pandemic (April 2020 – February 2021), using the same methodology for both periods. We recruited participants by random-digit-dialing and collected data by self-administered web-based questionnaires. Questionnaires documented socio-demographic characteristics and social contacts for two assigned days. A contact was defined as a two-way conversation at a distance ≤2 meters or as a physical contact, irrespective of masking. We used weighted generalized linear models with a Poisson distribution and robust variance (taking possible overdispersion into account) to compare the mean number of social contacts over time by characteristics.ResultsA total of 1291 and 5516 Quebecers completed the study before and during the pandemic, respectively. Contacts significantly decreased from a mean of 8 contacts/day prior to the pandemic to 3 contacts/day during the spring 2020 lockdown. Contacts remained lower than the pre-Covid period thereafter (lowest=3 contacts/day during the Christmas 2020/2021 holidays, highest=5 in September 2020). Contacts at work, during leisure activities/other locations, and at home with visitors showed the greatest decreases since the beginning of the pandemic. All sociodemographic subgroups showed significant decreases of contacts since the beginning of the pandemic.ConclusionPhysical distancing measures in Quebec significantly decreased social contacts, which most likely mitigated the spread of Covid-19.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aurélie Godbout ◽  
Mélanie Drolet ◽  
Myrto Mondor ◽  
Marc Simard ◽  
Chantal Sauvageau ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTObjectivesTo describe time trends in social contacts of individuals according to comorbidity and vaccination status before and during the first three waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in Quebec, Canada.DesignRepeated cross-sectional population-based surveys.SettingGeneral population.ParticipantsNon-institutionalized adults from Quebec, Canada, recruited by random digit dialling before (2018/2019) and during the pandemic (April 2020 to July 2021). A total of 1441 and 5185 participants with and without comorbidities, respectively, were included in the analyses.Main outcome measuresNumber of social contacts (two-way conversation at a distance ≤2 meters or a physical contact, irrespective of masking) documented in a self-administered web-based questionnaire. We compared the mean number of contacts according to the comorbidity status of participants (pre-existing medical conditions with symptoms/medication in the past 12 months) and 1-dose vaccination status during the third wave. All analyses were performed using weighted generalized linear models with a Poisson distribution and robust variance.ResultsContacts significantly decreased from a mean of 6.1 (95% confidence interval 4.9 to 7.3) before the pandemic to 3.2 (2.5 to 3.9) during the first wave among individuals with comorbidities, and from 8.1 (7.3 to 9.0) to 2.7 (2.2 to 3.2) among individuals without comorbidities. Individuals with comorbidities maintained fewer contacts than those without comorbidities in the second wave, with a significant difference before the Christmas 2020/2021 holidays (2.9 (2.5 to 3.2) v 3.9 (3.5 to 4.3); P<0.001). During the third wave, contacts were similar for individuals with (4.1, 3.4 to 4.7) and without comorbidities (4.5, 4.1 to 4.9; P=0.27). This could be partly explained by individuals with comorbidities vaccinated with their first dose who increased their contacts to the level of those without comorbidities.ConclusionsThe lower level of contacts maintained by individuals with comorbidities could have influenced the burden of hospitalisations and deaths of the second wave in Quebec. It will be important to closely monitor COVID-19-related outcomes and social contacts by comorbidity and vaccination status to inform targeted or population-based interventions.


2015 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. CMED.S24111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juha Saltevo ◽  
Hannu Kautiainen ◽  
Pekka Mäntyselkä ◽  
Antti Jula ◽  
Sirkka Keinänen-Kiukaanniemi ◽  
...  

The association between thyroid function and depression is controversial. Both conditions express many similar symptoms, but the studies done give conflicting results. This study draws on a random, population-based sample of 4500 subjects aged 45–75 years old from Finland. The basic clinical study was done in 2007 for 1396 men and 1500 women (64% participation rate). Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), free thyroxine (F-T4), and free triiodothyronine (F-T3) were measured in 2013 from frozen samples. The 21-item Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-21) was applied to assess depressive symptoms (score ≥10 points). The prevalence of depressive symptoms was 17.5% in women and 12.5% in men. In women, the mean levels of TSH, F-T4, and F-T3 without depressive symptoms vs. with the presence of depressive symptoms were 1.92/1.97 mU/L, 13.1/13.1 pmol/L, and 3.91/3.87 pmol/L (NS), respectively. In men, the levels were 1.87/1.94 mU/L, 13.5/13.7 pmol/L, and 4.18/4.12 pmol/L (NS), respectively. In multiple regression analysis, TSH had no relationship to BDI-21 total score. We found no association between depressive symptoms and thyroid values.


2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 216-219
Author(s):  
Alisson Padilha de Lima ◽  
Ezequiel Vitório Lini ◽  
Marilene Rodrigues Portella ◽  
Marlene Doring ◽  
Fabrício Bruno Cardoso

ABSTRACT Introduction The increase in chronic diseases and physical inactivity are major public health problems among elderly populations worldwide. Objective This article aimed to determine the prevalence and factors associated with the practice of physical activity (PA) among elderly people living in urban environment. Methods A cross-population-based study was conducted in 2014, with 196 elderly people aged ≥ 60 years of age living in urban environment in the city of Passo Fundo, in the State of Rio Grande do Sul. Gross and multivariable analyses were conducted using Poisson regression, estimating the ratios of gross and adjusted prevalence and calculating their respective 95% confidence intervals. Results The mean age was 71.3 (± 8.4). The gross prevalence for the practice of PA was 56.1%. After adjusted analysis, only the variable independent in activities of daily living (ADLs) remained significant (95% CI 1.05 to 4.83) (p = 0.037). Conclusions This research showed an association between the practice of PA and independence in ADLs. Level of Evidence II, Economic and decision analysis - Development of economic model or decision.


2018 ◽  
Vol 73 (5) ◽  
pp. 1395-1401 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nhung T H Trinh ◽  
Pierre Chahwakilian ◽  
Tim A Bruckner ◽  
Stéphane Sclison ◽  
Corinne Levy ◽  
...  

2016 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 296-299 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gideon Koren ◽  
Meital Shlezinger ◽  
Rachel Katz ◽  
Varda Shalev ◽  
Yona Amitai

With increasing shortage of fresh water globally, more countries are consuming desalinated seawater (DSW). In Israel &gt;50% of drinking water is now derived from DSW. Desalination removes magnesium, and hypomagnesaemia has been associated with increased cardiac morbidity and mortality. Presently the impact of consuming DSW on body magnesium status has not been established. We quantified changes in serum magnesium in a large population based study (n = 66,764), before and after desalination in regions consuming DSW and in regions where DSW has not been used. In the communities that switched to DSW in 2013, the mean serum magnesium was 2.065 ± 0.19 mg/dl before desalination and fell to 2.057 ± 0.19 mg/dl thereafter (p &lt; 0.0001). In these communities 1.62% of subjects exhibited serum magnesium concentrations ≤1.6 mg/dl between 2010 and 2013. This proportion increased by 24% between 2010–2013 and 2015–2016 to 2.01% (p = 0.0019). In contrast, no such changes were recorded in the communities that did not consume DSW. Due to the emerging evidence of increased cardiac morbidity and mortality associated with hypomagnesaemia, it is vital to consider re-introduction of magnesium to DSW.


2003 ◽  
Vol 98 (6) ◽  
pp. 1170-1174 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christoph Burkhard ◽  
Pier-Luigi Di Patre ◽  
Danielle Schüler ◽  
Georges Schüler ◽  
M. Gazi Yaşargil ◽  
...  

Object. The incidence of pilocytic astrocytomas and the rate of patient survival were analyzed in a population-based study in the canton of Zürich, Switzerland. Methods. Between 1980 and 1994, 987 astrocytic and oligodendroglial tumors were diagnosed, of which 55 (5.5%) were pilocytic astrocytomas. The incidence rate, adjusted to the World Standard Population, was 4.8 per 1 million per year. The mean age at clinical diagnosis was 19.6 ± 12.7 years, and the male/female ratio was 1.12. The most frequent tumor sites were the cerebellum (40%), followed by supratentorial locations (35%), the optic pathway and hypothalamus (11%), and the brainstem (9%). The mean follow-up period was 12 years. Observed survival rates were 100% at 5 years and 95.8% at 10 years after diagnosis (relative survival rate at 10 years: 96.8%). Seven patients (13%) received postoperative radiotherapy, but this did not significantly affect survival. In all patients the tumors were histologically classified as WHO Grade I, except in two patients who had anaplastic pilocytic astrocytoma (Grade III), one of whom died after 7 years, whereas the other was still alive after 10 years. Conclusions. This population-based study shows that, because of the benign biological behavior of pilocytic astrocytomas and advances in microneurosurgery, the survival rates for patients with these tumors are excellent, regardless of postoperative radiotherapy.


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