COVID-19 prevalence and predictors in United States adults during peak stay-at-home orders

Background Early recognition of COVID-19 cases is essential for effective public health measures aimed at isolation of individuals infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS–COV-2). The objective of this study was to describe characteristics, self-reported symptoms, and predictors of testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection in a community-based sample. Methods and findings This was a cross-sectional nationwide survey of adults in the US conducted between April 24 through May 13, 2020. The survey targeted a representative sample of approximately 5,000 respondents. The rate of COVID-19 cases and testing, most frequently reported symptoms, symptom severity, treatment received, impact of COVID-19 on mental and physical health, and factors predictive of testing positive were assessed. Most of the 5,203 participants (85.6%) reported no COVID-19-like symptoms. Of the 747 (14.5%) participants reporting COVID-19-like symptoms, 367 (49.1%) obtained a diagnostic test. Eighty-nine participants (24.3%) reported a positive COVID-19 test result, representing 1.7% of the total sample. For those testing positive, the most common symptoms were dry cough, fever, and shortness of breath/difficulty breathing. Those who tested positive were more likely to report greater symptom severity versus those who tested negative. Severe dry cough, new loss of taste or smell, trouble waking up, living with someone experiencing symptoms, recent international travel, respiratory issues, and reporting ethnicity of Black or African American were predictive of testing positive. Conclusions This study assessed the impact of COVID-19 using community-level self-reported data across the US during the peak of most stay at home’ orders. Self-reported symptoms and risk factors identified in this study are consistent with the clinical profile emerging for COVID-19. In the absence of widespread testing, this study demonstrates the utility of a representative US community-based sample to provide direct-reported symptoms and outcomes to quickly identify high-risk individuals who are likely to test positive and should consider taking greater precautions.

Download Full-text

Psychological impact in the time of COVID-19: A cross-sectional population survey study during confinement

Journal of Health Psychology ◽

10.1177/1359105320985580 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 135910532098558

Author(s):

Carmina Castellano-Tejedor ◽

María Torres-Serrano ◽

Andrés Cencerrado

Keyword(s):

Chronic Conditions ◽

Population Survey ◽

Psychological Impact ◽

Survey Study ◽

Psychological Interventions ◽

Community Based ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Young Females ◽

The World ◽

The Impact

The transformation that COVID-19 has brought upon the world is unparalleled. The impact on mental health is equally unprecedented and yet unexplored in depth. An online-based survey was administered to 413 community-based adults during COVID-19 confinement to explore psychological impact and identify high risk profiles. Young females concerned about the future, expressing high COVID-related distress, already following psychological therapy and suffering from pre-existing chronic conditions, were those at highest risk of psychological impact due to the COVID-19 situation. Findings could be employed to design tailored psychological interventions in the early stages of the outbreak to avoid the onset/exacerbation of psychopathology.

Download Full-text

The Impact of Policy Measures on Human Mobility, COVID-19 Cases, and Mortality in the US: A Spatiotemporal Perspective

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18030996 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (3) ◽

pp. 996

Author(s):

Yun Li ◽

Moming Li ◽

Megan Rice ◽

Haoyuan Zhang ◽

Dexuan Sha ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Growth Rate ◽

Human Mobility ◽

Public Information ◽

Key Factors ◽

Information Campaigns ◽

Rapid Spread ◽

The Us ◽

Policy Measures ◽

The Impact ◽

At Home

Social distancing policies have been regarded as effective in containing the rapid spread of COVID-19. However, there is a limited understanding of policy effectiveness from a spatiotemporal perspective. This study integrates geographical, demographical, and other key factors into a regression-based event study framework, to assess the effectiveness of seven major policies on human mobility and COVID-19 case growth rates, with a spatiotemporal emphasis. Our results demonstrate that stay-at-home orders, workplace closures, and public information campaigns were effective in decreasing the confirmed case growth rate. For stay-at-home orders and workplace closures, these changes were associated with significant decreases (p < 0.05) in mobility. Public information campaigns did not see these same mobility trends, but the growth rate still decreased significantly in all analysis periods (p < 0.01). Stay-at-home orders and international/national travel controls had limited mitigation effects on the death case growth rate (p < 0.1). The relationships between policies, mobility, and epidemiological metrics allowed us to evaluate the effectiveness of each policy and gave us insight into the spatiotemporal patterns and mechanisms by which these measures work. Our analysis will provide policymakers with better knowledge regarding the effectiveness of measures in space–time disaggregation.

Download Full-text

The impact of arthritis on the physical function of a rural Maya-Yucateco community and factors associated with its prevalence: a cross sectional, community-based study

Clinical Rheumatology ◽

10.1007/s10067-015-3084-x ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 35 (S1) ◽

pp. 25-34 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Adalberto Loyola-Sanchez ◽

Julie Richardson ◽

Ingris Pelaez-Ballestas ◽

José Alvarez-Nemegyei ◽

John N. Lavis ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Function ◽

Community Based ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Factors Associated ◽

The Impact

Download Full-text

Servant leadership, team-based learning and hope and optimism: A sectoral comparative study

South African Journal of Business Management ◽

10.4102/sajbm.v52i1.2444 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 52 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Anton Grobler ◽

Aden-Paul Flotman

Keyword(s):

Servant Leadership ◽

Empirical Evidence ◽

Future Orientation ◽

Well Being ◽

Total Sample ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Team Based Learning ◽

The Future ◽

Private And Public ◽

The Impact

Purpose: This is an era of unprecedented turbulence. The current coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) global pandemic testifies to this turmoil as, daily, the unknown dynamically unfolds. It is important during challenging times like these that leadership and organisational response enhance a shared positive vision for the future of humanity. This study aimed at determining the role played by servant leadership (SL) in promoting employee well-being, specifically, a positive future expectation in terms of hope and optimism (HO), as well as the impact that team-based learning (TBL) has on this relationship, and whether this is the same for both the private and public sectors.Design/methodology/approach: This study employed an empirical paradigm, using a cross-sectional design and quantitative analysis. The total sample consisted of 1560 participants, with 780 employed in the private and public sector, respectively.Findings/results: The results suggest that both SL and TBL have a significant impact on employees’ HO, with TBL being a mediating variable and with stronger relationships reported for the private sector. Technically, the TBL instrument employed was validated for South African use and the study included a statistical assessment of common method bias, which was found not to skew the results.Practical implications: This study provides further empirical evidence that SL is positively associated with HO. Secondly, the future-mindedness and future-orientation of HO could stimulate adaptive responses during this time of uncertainty and turmoil. Thus, HO, as potential resilience factors, could generate resilience by harnessing opportunities and setbacks both during the Covid-19 pandemic and in its aftermath.Originality/value: The practical value of this article is in the empirical evidence that both the leaders and the organisation have an impact on the employees’ wellness and positive work attitudes.

Download Full-text

Relationship between self-care activities, stress and well-being during COVID-19 lockdown: a cross-cultural mediation model

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2020-048469 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (12) ◽

pp. e048469

Author(s):

Elkin Luis ◽

Elena Bermejo-Martins ◽

Martín Martinez ◽

Ainize Sarrionandia ◽

Cristian Cortes ◽

...

Keyword(s):

General Population ◽

Online Survey ◽

Self Care ◽

Well Being ◽

Active Role ◽

Total Sample ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Psychological Well Being ◽

Sociodemographic Variables ◽

The Impact

ObjectivesTo examine the mediation role of self-care between stress and psychological well-being in the general population of four countries and to assess the impact of sociodemographic variables on this relationship.DesignCross-sectional, online survey.ParticipantsA stratified sample of confined general population (N=1082) from four Ibero-American countries—Chile (n=261), Colombia (n=268), Ecuador (n=282) and Spain (n=271)—balanced by age and gender.Primary outcomes measuresSociodemographic information (age, gender, country, education and income level), information related to COVID-19 lockdown (number of days in quarantine, number of people with whom the individuals live, absence/presence of adults and minors in charge and attitude towards the search of information related to COVID-19), Perceived Stress Scale-10, Ryff’s Psychological Well-Being Scale-29 and Self-Care Activities Screening Scale-14.ResultsSelf-care partially mediates the relationship between stress and well-being during COVID-19 confinement in the general population in the total sample (F (3,1078)=370.01, p<0.001, R2=0.507) and in each country. On the other hand, among the evaluated sociodemographic variables, only age affects this relationship.ConclusionThe results have broad implications for public health, highlighting the importance of promoting people’s active role in their own care and health behaviour to improve psychological well-being if stress management and social determinants of health are jointly addressed first. The present study provides the first transnational evidence from the earlier stages of the COVID-19 lockdown, showing that the higher perception of stress, the less self-care activities are adopted, and in turn the lower the beneficial effects on well-being.

Download Full-text

Obesity contributes toward hypertension in young and older adult

Zinc supplementation improves heme biosynthesis in rats exposed to lead ◽

10.18051/univmed.2016.v35.96-104 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 35 (2) ◽

pp. 96 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Julianty Pradono ◽

Sintawati Sintawati

Keyword(s):

Central Obesity ◽

Blood Pressure Measurement ◽

Population Data ◽

Total Sample ◽

National Health Survey ◽

Age Group ◽

Healthy Weight ◽

General Obesity ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Impact

Background Obesity and hypertension are independent risk factors in the increasing prevalence of non-communicable diseases. The proportion of obesity in Indonesia has increased in the last 5 years according to the National Health Survey. The purpose of this research was to obtain the contribution of obesity toward hypertension in the age group of 18 years and above. Methods An observational study of cross-sectional design was conducted using the National Basic Health Research 2013 population data. The total sample of subjects was 2,741,297 from 33 provinces in Indonesia. Data were collected through interviews, blood pressure measurement, and anthropometry. Analysis of categorical data was by means of the chi-square statistical test, followed by calculation of the attributable fraction in the population, and analysis of factors influencing the impact fraction. Results The prevalence of general obesity (BMI>25 kg/m2) was 31.5% in males and 48.0% in females, while central obesity was 20.9% in males and 42.5% in females. In females with general obesity the risk of hypertension was 1.84 (95% CI: 1.82-1.86) times higher than in those with normal BMI. If general obesity and central obesity can be reduced, the prevalence of hypertension may be reduced by 2.9% in males and by 12.2% in females. Conclusion The prevalence of hypertension in the age group of 18 years or more can be reduced by 2.9% in males and by 12.2% in females, by overcoming the contribution of obesity. Therefore efforts should be geared towards promoting healthy eating habits and maintaining a healthy weight through health education.

Download Full-text

Regional Innovation Systems of Medical Technology

REGION ◽

10.18335/region.v8i2.352 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (2) ◽

pp. 57-81

Author(s):

Rucha Vadia ◽

Katharina Blankart

Keyword(s):

Knowledge Production ◽

Spillover Effects ◽

External Funding ◽

Regional Innovation ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Horizon 2020 ◽

Product Categories ◽

The Us ◽

Number Of Publications ◽

The Impact

We investigated the role of external funding in cardiovascular device innovation across 31 countries in Europe. We rely on the knowledge production function (KPF) framework that establishes the knowledge output of a region as a function of innovatory effort and other characteristics of that region. In a cross-sectional analysis, we investigated regional variation in knowledge production by the number of publications in cardiovascular device research obtained from the bibliometric data of the world’s largest biomedical library, the US National Library of Medicine, 2014‒2017. We mapped these publications to product categories of medical devices approved for cardiovascular diseases by the US Food and Drug Administration. Considering spatial correlation across regions of Europe in our estimates of the KPF, we investigated the impact of two types of funding mechanisms: grants reported in the publications and the volume of European Union Horizon 2020 funding received by the innovating regions. We obtained 123,487 cardiovascular device-related publications distributed across 1,051 (75% of total) regions (NUTS-3 level). Receiving external funding strongly contributes to a region’s knowledge output. The estimated elasticities of innovatory effort range between 0.51 and 0.64. These estimates were consistently larger than the elasticities of other characteristics in the region measured by gross domestic product (0.14‒0.56). We also documented spillover effects from neighboring regions when the funding was measured by the grants reported in the publications, concluding that innovatory efforts in the form of external research investments are effective for promoting innovation in the medical device industry at the regional level.

Download Full-text

Abstract 13237: Impact of Pain and Heart Failure Symptom Severity on Physical Performance

Circulation ◽

10.1161/circ.130.suppl_2.13237 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 130 (suppl_2) ◽

Author(s):

Suzanne Wingate ◽

Kushang V Patel ◽

Jack Guralnik ◽

Sarah Goodlin

Keyword(s):

Heart Failure ◽

Physical Performance ◽

Symptom Severity ◽

Kansas City ◽

Brief Pain Inventory ◽

Lower Extremity Function ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Limited Mobility ◽

Mobility Function ◽

The Impact

Introduction: The purpose was to determine whether pain and heart failure (HF) symptom severity are associated with physical performance in patients with advanced HF. Methods: Cross-sectional data were analyzed on 160 adults with advanced HF (dyspnea or fatigue at rest or with minimal exertion despite optimal medical therapy). Demographics, comorbidity (Charlson), pain (Brief Pain Inventory), HF symptom severity (Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire), and depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9) data were obtained. Physical function was assessed with the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), a measure of lower extremity function (timed walking speed, standing balance, chair rises). Scores range 0-12 (higher scores=better). Multivariable linear regression assessed the associations of pain and HF symptom severity with SPPB scores. Results: Subjects had a mean (standard deviation [SD]) age of 67.0 (15.9) years, 43% were women, and 19.6% were non-white. The mean (SD) SPPB score was 6.4 (3.6), indicating limited mobility function. Subjects in the highest quartile of pain (severe), as compared to those in the lowest quartile, had clinically significant decreased SPPB scores (b coefficient = -2.1; p<0.01), adjusting for demographics, comorbidity, and depression. However, this association was no longer significant when adjusting for HF symptom severity. For every SD increase in HF symptom severity, SPPB scores decreased 1.2 points (p<0.01). The combined effect of pain and HF symptom severity on SPPB scores (Table) suggests that pain exacerbates the impact of HF symptom severity on physical performance. Conclusions: Among patients with advanced HF, symptom severity was strongly associated with decreased physical performance. Pain may exacerbate HF symptom severity and contribute to decline in mobility function.

Download Full-text

Indication-Specific Generic Uptake of Imatinib Demonstrates the Impact of Skinny Labeling

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.21.02139 ◽

2022 ◽

Author(s):

Bryan S. Walsh ◽

Aaron S. Kesselheim ◽

Ameet Sarpatwari ◽

Benjamin N. Rome

Keyword(s):

Patent Protection ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Myelogenous Leukemia ◽

Brand Name ◽

Generic Competition ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Us ◽

Lower Drug ◽

The Impact ◽

Brand Name Drugs

PURPOSE Generic competition can be delayed if brand-name manufacturers obtain additional patents on supplemental uses. The US Food and Drug Administration allows generic drug manufacturers to market versions with skinny labels that exclude patent-protected indications. This study assessed whether use of generic versions of imatinib varied between indications included and excluded from the skinny labels. METHODS In this cross-sectional study, we identified adult patients covered by commercial insurance or Medicare Advantage plans who initiated imatinib from February 2016 (first generic availability) to September 2020. Generic versions were introduced with skinny labels that included indications covering treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) but excluded treatment of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) because of remaining patent protections. Logistic regression was used to determine whether use of generic versus brand-name imatinib differed between patients with a diagnosis of CML or GIST, adjusting for demographics, insurance type, prior use of brand-name drugs, and calendar month. RESULTS Among 2,000 initiators, 934 (47%) had CML and 686 (34%) had GIST. Within 3 years after generics entered the market, more than 90% of initiators in both groups used generic imatinib. Initiation of generic imatinib was slightly lower among patients with GIST than among patients with CML (85% v 88%; adjusted odds ratio 0.56; 95% CI, 0.39 to 0.80; P ≤ .001). CONCLUSION Generic versions of imatinib were dispensed frequently for indications both included (CML) and excluded (GIST) from the skinny labeling, although patients with GIST were slightly less likely to receive a generic version. The skinny labeling pathway allowed generics to enter the market before patent protection for treating patients with GIST expired, facilitating lower drug prices.

Download Full-text

Living with Migraine in Canada – A National Community-Based Study

Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences / Journal Canadien des Sciences Neurologiques ◽

10.1017/cjn.2019.3 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 46 (2) ◽

pp. 216-223

Author(s):

Kristianne Chelsea Altura ◽

Scott B. Patten ◽

Jeanne V. A. Williams ◽

Kirsten M. Fiest ◽

Nathalie Jetté

Keyword(s):

Health Status ◽

Age Groups ◽

Health Utility Index ◽

Health Utility ◽

Community Based ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Utility Index ◽

Related Quality ◽

Health Related ◽

The Impact

ABSTRACT:Objective: To develop a detailed profile of individuals living with migraine in Canada. Such a profile is important for planning and administration of services. Methods: The 2011–2012 Survey of Living with Neurological Conditions in Canada (SLNCC), a cross-sectional community-based survey, was used to examine a representative sample of migraineurs (N = 949) aged 15 years and older. Several health-related variables were examined (e.g., general health, health utility index (HUI) [a measure of health status and health-related quality of life, where dead = 0.00 and perfect health = 1.00], stigma, depression, and social support). Respondents were further stratified by sex, age, and age of migraine onset. Weighted overall and stratified prevalence estimates and odds ratios, both with 95% CIs, were used to estimate associations. Results: Overall, males had poorer health status compared with females (e.g., mean HUI was 0.67 in males vs. 0.82 in females; men had over two times the odds of their migraine limiting educational and job opportunities compared with females). Poorer health-related variables were seen in the older age groups (35–64 years/≥65 years) compared with the 15–34-year age group. There were no differences between those whose migraine symptoms began before versus after the age of 20 years. Conclusions: In this Canadian sample, migraine was associated with worse health-related variables in men compared with women. However, both men and women were significantly affected by migraine across various health-related variables. Thus, it is important to improve clinical and public health interventions addressing the impact of migraine across individuals of all ages, sexes, and sociodemographic backgrounds.

Download Full-text