COVID-19 international border surveillance at Toronto’s Pearson Airport: a cohort study

ObjectivesThe primary objective was to estimate the positivity rate of air travellers coming to Toronto, Canada in September and October 2020, on arrival and on day 7 and day 14. The secondary objectives were to estimate the degree of risk based on country of origin and to assess knowledge and attitudes towards COVID-19 control measures and subjective well-being during the quarantine period.DesignProspective cohort of arriving international travellers.SettingToronto Pearson Airport Terminal 1, Toronto, Canada.ParticipantsParticipants of this study were passengers arriving on international flights. Inclusion criteria were those aged 18 or older who had a final destination within 100 km of the airport, spoke English or French, and provided consent. Excluded were those taking a connecting flight, had no internet access, exhibited symptoms of COVID-19 on arrival or were exempted from quarantine.Main outcome measuresPositive for SARS-CoV-2 virus on reverse transcription PCR with self-administered oral-nasal swab and general well-being using the WHO-5 Well-being Index.ResultsOf 16 361 passengers enrolled, 248 (1.5%, 95% CI 1.3% to 1.7%) tested positive. Of these, 167 (67%) were identified on arrival, 67 (27%) on day 7, and 14 (6%) on day 14. The positivity rate increased from 1% in September to 2% in October. Average well-being score declined from 19.8 (out of a maximum of 25) to 15.5 between arrival and day 7 (p<0.001).ConclusionsA single arrival test will pick up two-thirds of individuals who will become positive by day 14, with most of the rest detected on the second test on day 7. These results support strategies identified through mathematical models that a reduced quarantine combined with testing can be as effective as a 14-day quarantine.

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COVID-19 International Border Surveillance Cohort Study at Toronto’s Pearson Airport

10.1101/2021.02.25.21252404 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Vivek Goel ◽

David Bulir ◽

Eric De Propetis ◽

Munaza Jamil ◽

Laura Rosella ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mathematical Models ◽

Well Being ◽

Primary Objective ◽

Control Measures ◽

List Type ◽

Subjective Well Being ◽

Loss To Follow Up ◽

Final Destination ◽

Airport Terminal ◽

International Border

AbstractObjectivesThe primary objective was to estimate the positivity rate of air travelers coming to Toronto, Canada in September and October, 2020, at arrival, day 7 and day 14. Secondary objectives were to estimate degree of risk based on country of origin; to assess knowledge and attitudes towards COVID-19 control measures; and subjective well-being during the quarantine period.DesignProspective cohort of arriving international travelers.SettingToronto Pearson Airport Terminal 1, Toronto, Canada.ParticipantsPassengers arriving on international flights. Inclusion criteria were those aged 18 or older who had a final destination within 100 km of the airport; spoke English or French; and provided consent. Excluded were those taking a connecting flight; who had no internet access; who exhibited symptoms of COVID-19 on arrival; or who were exempted from quarantine.Main outcome measuresPositive for SARS-CoV-2 virus on RT-PCR with self-administered nasal-oral swab, and general well-being using the WHO-5 index.ResultsOf 16,361 passengers enrolled, 248 (1·5%, 95% CI 1.3%,1.5%) tested positive. Of these, 167 (67%) were identified on arrival, 67 (27%) on day 7, and 14 (6%) on day 14. The positivity rate increased from 1% in September to 2% in October. Average well-being score declined from 19.8 (out of a maximum of 25) to 15.5 between arrival and day 7 (p<0.001).ConclusionsA single arrival test will pick up two-thirds of individuals who will become positive, with most of the rest detected on the second test at day 7. These results support strategies identified through mathematical models that a reduced quarantine combined with testing can be as effective as a 14 day quarantine.Article SummaryStrengths and limitations of this studyDecisions regarding border restrictions have been based on trial and error and mathematical models with limited empirical data to support such decision-making.This study assessed the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in a cohort of international travellers at arrival, day 7 and 14 of quarantine.It is limited to one airport and there is the potential from bias due to non-participation and loss to follow-up.Self-collected nasal-oral swabs were used which facilitated participation but may have reduced sensitivity.

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Conflict Avoidance in Old Age

GeroPsych ◽

10.1024/1662-9647/a000168 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 30 (2) ◽

pp. 61-70 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Lia Oberhauser ◽

Andreas B. Neubauer ◽

Eva-Marie Kessler

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Perceived Social Support ◽

Well Being ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Conflict Avoidance ◽

Subjective Well Being ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Adult Lifespan ◽

Set Up

Abstract. Conflict avoidance increases across the adult lifespan. This cross-sectional study looks at conflict avoidance as part of a mechanism to regulate belongingness needs ( Sheldon, 2011 ). We assumed that older adults perceive more threats to their belongingness when they contemplate their future, and that they preventively react with avoidance coping. We set up a model predicting conflict avoidance that included perceptions of future nonbelonging, termed anticipated loneliness, and other predictors including sociodemographics, indicators of subjective well-being and perceived social support (N = 331, aged 40–87). Anticipated loneliness predicted conflict avoidance above all other predictors and partially mediated the age-association of conflict avoidance. Results suggest that belongingness regulation accounts may deepen our understanding of conflict avoidance in the second half of life.

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Leisure Activities and the Subjective Well-Being of Older Adults in Croatia

GeroPsych ◽

10.1024/1662-9647/a000179 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 31 (1) ◽

pp. 31-39 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Ljiljana Kaliterna Lipovčan ◽

Tihana Brkljačić ◽

Zvjezdana Prizmić Larsen ◽

Andreja Brajša-Žganec ◽

Renata Franc

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Leisure Activities ◽

Leisure Activity ◽

Later Life ◽

Perceived Health ◽

Well Being ◽

Hierarchical Regression ◽

Subjective Well Being ◽

Convenience Sample ◽

Financial Status

Abstract. Research shows that engagement in leisure activities promotes well-being among older adults. The objective of the current study was to examine the relationship between subjective well-being (flourishing) and leisure activities (total number of different activities in the previous year) in a sample of older adults in Croatia, thereby considering the variables of sex, marital status, financial status, and self-perceived health. The differences in the examined variables between the groups of older adults who reported to be engaged in new activities with those who did not were also examined. The sample of N = 169 older adults aged 60 years and above was drawn from a convenience sample of adult internet users in Croatia. Participants reported their self-perceived health and the number of leisure activities they engaged in over the previous year as well as completing the Flourishing Scale. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that older adults who were engaged in more various leisure activities, who perceived better financial status, and who were married reported higher levels of flourishing. A comparison of the two groups of older adults with and without engagement in leisure activities showed that those engaged in at least one leisure activity were more likely to be women, reported higher levels of flourishing, and perceived their own financial status as better. This study indicated that engaging in leisure activities in later life might provide beneficial effects for the well-being of older adults.

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Intraindividual Variability and Stability of Affect and Well-Being

GeroPsych ◽

10.1024/1662-9647/a000094 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 26 (3) ◽

pp. 185-199 ◽

Cited By ~ 40

Author(s):

Christina Röcke ◽

Annette Brose

Keyword(s):

Age Differences ◽

Well Being ◽

Subjective Well Being ◽

Emotional Experiences ◽

Short Term ◽

Regulatory Processes ◽

Functional Implications ◽

Methodological Approaches ◽

Underlying Processes

Whereas subjective well-being remains relatively stable across adulthood, emotional experiences show remarkable short-term variability, with younger and older adults differing in both amount and correlates. Repeatedly assessed affect data captures both the dynamics and stability as well as stabilization that may indicate emotion-regulatory processes. The article reviews (1) research approaches to intraindividual affect variability, (2) functional implications of affect variability, and (3) age differences in affect variability. Based on this review, we discuss how the broader literature on emotional aging can be better integrated with theories and concepts of intraindividual affect variability by using appropriate methodological approaches. Finally, we show how a better understanding of affect variability and its underlying processes could contribute to the long-term stabilization of well-being in old age.

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