scholarly journals The impact of invisible-spreaders on COVID-19 transmission and work resumption

PLoS ONE ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. e0252994
Author(s):  
Chao Wu ◽  
Cong Xu ◽  
Feng Mao ◽  
Xiaolin Xu ◽  
Chan Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Nucleic Acid Detection ◽  
Prevention Measures ◽  
Upward Trend ◽  
Intervention Measures ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
Series Of Experiments ◽  
Asymptomatic Infections ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Late Stages ◽  
Work Resumption

The global impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is unprecedented, and many control and prevention measures have been implemented to test for and trace COVID-19. However, invisible-spreaders, who are associated with nucleic acid detection and asymptomatic infections, have received insufficient attention in the current COVID-19 control efforts. In this paper, we analyze the time series infection data for Italy, Germany, Brazil, India and Sweden since the first wave outbreak to address the following issues through a series of experiments. We conclude that: 1) As of June 1, 2020, the proportion of invisible-spreaders is close to 0.4% in Sweden, 0.8% in early Italy and Germany, and 0.4% in the middle and late stages. However, in Brazil and India, the proportion still shows a gradual upward trend; 2) During the spread of this pandemic, even a slight increase in the proportion of invisible-spreaders could have large implications for the health of the community; and 3) On resuming work, the pandemic intervention measures will be relaxed, and invisible-spreaders will cause a new round of outbreaks.

scholarly journals Evaluation of Work Resumption Strategies after COVID-19 Reopening in the Chinese City of Shenzhen: A Mathematical Modeling Study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lu Bai ◽  
Haonan Lu ◽  
Hailin Hu ◽  
M. Kumi Smith ◽  
Katherine Harripersaud ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Population Control ◽  
Epidemiological Data ◽  
Population Mobility ◽  
Mobility Data ◽  
Intervention Measures ◽  
Imported Cases ◽  
High Level ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Second Wave ◽  
Work Resumption

Abstract BackgroundAs China is facing a potential second wave of the epidemic, we reviewed and evaluated the intervention measures implemented in a major metropolitan city, Shenzhen, during the early phase of Wuhan lockdown. MethodsBased on published epidemiological data on COVID-19 and population mobility data from Baidu Qianxi, we constructed a compartmental model to evaluate the impact of work and traffic resumption on the epidemic in Shenzhen in various scenarios.ResultsImported cases account for the majority (58.6%) of the early reported cases in Shenzhen. We demonstrated that with strict inflow population control and a high level of mask usage following work resumption, various resumption schemes resulted in only an insignificant difference in the number of cumulative infections. Shenzhen may experience this second wave of infections approximately two weeks after the traffic resumption if the incidence risk in Hubei is high at the moment of resumption.ConclusionControl of imported cases and extensive use of facial masks were the key for the prevention of the COVID-19 epidemic in Shenzhen during its reopening and work resumption.

scholarly journals Presence of Equine Infectious Anemia in Work Horses in San Andrés Itzapa, Chimaltenango, Guatemala

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-4
Author(s):  
García-García Sandy Stephanie ◽  
Chávez-López Juan José ◽  
Villatoro-Chacón Daniela Mariel
Keyword(s):  
Prevention Measures ◽  
Blood Samples ◽  
Worldwide Distribution ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
Equine Infectious Anemia ◽  
Study Population ◽  
The Mean ◽  
San Andres ◽  
The Impact

Equine infectious anemia (IEA) is a worldwide distribution disease caused by a lentivirus associated with the presence of transmitting vectors of the gender Tabanus and equines by producing anemia and consequently hypoxia that produces a multi-organ deterioration. The presence of AIE in the working equine of San Andrés Itzapa, Chimaltenango was evaluated. This in order to assess the presence of the disease since this group of equines is part of the food security of the community. 100 blood samples were analyzed using the gel agar immunodi-fusion test. The presence of the disease was found in 8% of the sampled animals. The prevalence was higher in females than in males. The mean age of the horses sampled was 5 years. The mean body condition of the study population was 2. The presence of the disease in the study population should be evaluated and considered as a starting point for the implementation of control and prevention measures given the vector spread of the disease. -age and the impact on the community due to the zootechnical function of the sampled animals.

scholarly journals SARS-CoV-2/DENV co-infection: a series of cases from the Federal District, Midwestern Brazil

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Heidi Luise Schulte ◽  
José Diego Brito-Sousa ◽  
Marcus Vinicius Guimarães Lacerda ◽  
Luciana Ansaneli Naves ◽  
Eliana Teles de Gois ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Signs ◽  
Federal District ◽  
Therapeutic Interventions ◽  
Diagnostic Process ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Prevention Measures ◽  
Laboratory Findings ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Since the novel coronavirus disease outbreak, over 179.7 million people have been infected by SARS-CoV-2 worldwide, including the population living in dengue-endemic regions, particularly Latin America and Southeast Asia, raising concern about the impact of possible co-infections. Methods Thirteen SARS-CoV-2/DENV co-infection cases reported in Midwestern Brazil between April and September of 2020 are described. Information was gathered from hospital medical records regarding the most relevant clinical and laboratory findings, diagnostic process, therapeutic interventions, together with clinician-assessed outcomes and follow-up. Results Of the 13 cases, seven patients presented Acute Undifferentiated Febrile Syndrome and six had pre-existing co-morbidities, such as diabetes, hypertension and hypopituitarism. Two patients were pregnant. The most common symptoms and clinical signs reported at first evaluation were myalgia, fever and dyspnea. In six cases, the initial diagnosis was dengue fever, which delayed the diagnosis of concomitant infections. The most frequently applied therapeutic interventions were antibiotics and analgesics. In total, four patients were hospitalized. None of them were transferred to the intensive care unit or died. Clinical improvement was verified in all patients after a maximum of 21 days. Conclusions The cases reported here highlight the challenges in differential diagnosis and the importance of considering concomitant infections, especially to improve clinical management and possible prevention measures. Failure to consider a SARS-CoV-2/DENV co-infection may impact both individual and community levels, especially in endemic areas.

scholarly journals Survey of Saliva Components and Virus Sensors for Prevention of COVID-19 and Infectious Diseases

Biosensors ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 14
Author(s):  
Priya Dave ◽  
Roberto Rojas-Cessa ◽  
Ziqian Dong ◽  
Vatcharapan Umpaichitra
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Dental Health ◽  
The United States ◽  
Human Saliva ◽  
Field Application ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Prevention Measures ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
Close Distance

The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers saliva contact the lead transmission mean of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which causes the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Saliva droplets or aerosols expelled by sneezing, coughing, breathing, and talking may carry this virus. People in close distance may be exposed directly to these droplets or indirectly when touching the droplets that fall on surrounding surfaces and ending up contracting COVID-19 after touching the mucosa tissue of their faces. It is of great interest to quickly and effectively detect the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in an environment, but the existing methods only work in laboratory settings, to the best of our knowledge. However, it may be possible to detect the presence of saliva in the environment and proceed with prevention measures. However, detecting saliva itself has not been documented in the literature. On the other hand, many sensors that detect different organic components in saliva to monitor a person’s health and diagnose different diseases, ranging from diabetes to dental health, have been proposed and they may be used to detect the presence of saliva. This paper surveys sensors that detect organic and inorganic components of human saliva. Humidity sensors are also considered in the detection of saliva because a large portion of saliva is water. Moreover, sensors that detect infectious viruses are also included as they may also be embedded into saliva sensors for a confirmation of the presence of the virus. A classification of sensors by their working principles and the substances they detect is presented, including the sensors’ specifications, sample size, and sensitivity. Indications of which sensors are portable and suitable for field application are presented. This paper also discusses future research and challenges that must be resolved to realize practical saliva sensors. Such sensors may help minimize the spread of not only COVID-19 but also other infectious diseases.

scholarly journals Cutaneous anthrax outbreak associated with handling dead animals, Rhino Camp sub-county: Arua District, Uganda, January–May 2018

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vivian Ntono ◽  
Daniel Eurien ◽  
Lilian Bulage ◽  
Daniel Kadobera ◽  
Julie Harris ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Workers ◽  
Clinical Sample ◽  
Health Centre ◽  
Skin Lesions ◽  
Suspected Case ◽  
Prevention Measures ◽  
Multiple Exposures ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
Cutaneous Anthrax

Abstract Background On 18 January 2018 a 40 year old man presented with skin lesions at Rhino Camp Health Centre. A skin lesion swab was collected on 20 January 2018 and was confirmed by PCR at Uganda Virus Research Institute on 21 January 2018. Subsequently, about 9 persons were reported to have fallen ill after reporting contact with livestock that died suddenly. On 9 February 2018, Arua District notified Uganda Ministry of Health of a confirmed anthrax outbreak among humans in Rhino Camp sub-county. We investigated to determine the scope and mode of transmission and exposures associated with identified anthrax to guide control and prevention measures. Methods We defined a suspected cutaneous anthrax case as onset of skin lesions (e.g., papule, vesicle, or eschar) in a person residing in Rhino Camp sub-county, Arua District from 25 December 2017 to 31 May 2018. A confirmed case was a suspected case with PCR-positivity for Bacillus anthracis from a clinical sample. We identified cases by reviewing medical records at Rhino Camp Health Centre. We also conducted additional case searches in the affected community with support from Community Health Workers. In a retrospective cohort study, we interviewed all members of households in which at least one person had contact with the carcasses of or meat from animals suspected to have died of anthrax. We collected and tested hides of implicated animals using an anthrax rapid diagnostic test. Results We identified 14 case-patients (1 confirmed, 13 suspected); none died. Only males were affected (affected proportion: 12/10,000). Mean age of case-persons was 33 years (SD: 22). The outbreak lasted for 5 months, from January 2018–May 2018, peaking in February. Skinning (risk ratio = 2.7, 95% CI = 1.1–6.7), dissecting (RR = 3.0, 95% CI = 1.2–7.6), and carrying dead animals (RR = 2.7, 95% CI = 1.1–6.7) were associated with increased risk of illness, as were carrying dissected parts of animals (RR = 2.9, 95% CI 1.3–6.5) and preparing and cooking the meat (RR = 2.3, 95% CI 0.9–5.9). We found evidence of animal remains on pastureland. Conclusion Multiple exposures to the hides and meat of animals that died suddenly were associated with this cutaneous anthrax outbreak in Arua District. We recommended public education about safe disposal of carcasses of livestock that die suddenly.

The impact of a multimodel approach to designing a new orthopedic department

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Elad Keren ◽  
Abraham Borer ◽  
Lior Nesher ◽  
Tali Shafat ◽  
Rivka Yosipovich ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hand Hygiene ◽  
Antibiotic Stewardship ◽  
Infection Prevention ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Surgical Site Infections ◽  
Antibiotic Use ◽  
Prevention Measures ◽  
Orthopedic Department ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Objective: To determine whether a multifaceted approach effectively influenced antibiotic use in an orthopedics department. Design: Retrospective cohort study comparing the readmission rate and antibiotic use before and after an intervention. Setting: A 1,000-bed, tertiary-care, university hospital. Patients: Adult patients admitted to the orthopedics department between January 2015 and December 2018. Methods: During the preintervention period (2015–2016), 1 general orthopedic department was in operation. In the postintervention period (2017–2018), 2 separate departments were created: one designated for elective “clean” surgeries and another that included a “complicated wound” unit. A multifaceted strategy including infection prevention measures and introducing antibiotic stewardship practices was implemented. Admission rates, hand hygiene practice compliance, surgical site infections, and antibiotic treatment before versus after the intervention were analyzed. Results: The number of admissions and hospitalization days in the 2 periods did not change. Seven-day readmissions per annual quarter decreased significantly from the preintervention period (median, 7 days; interquartile range [IQR], 6–9) to the postintervention period (median, 4 days; IQR, 2–7; P = .038). Hand hygiene compliance increased and surgical site infections decreased in the postintervention period. Although total antibiotic use was not reduced, there was a significant change in the breakdown of the different antibiotic classes used before and after the intervention: increased use of narrow-spectrum β-lactams (P < .001) and decreased use of β-lactamase inhibitors (P < .001), third-generation cephalosporins (P = .044), and clindamycin (P < .001). Conclusions: Restructuring the orthopedics department facilitated better infection prevention measures accompanied by antibiotic stewardship implementation, resulting in a decreased use of broad-spectrum antibiotics and a significant reduction in readmission rates.

scholarly journals Interrupted time series design to evaluate ICD-9-CM to ICD-10-CM coding changes on trends in Colorado emergency department visits related to traumatic brain injury

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren Alexis De Crescenzo ◽  
Barbara Alison Gabella ◽  
Jewell Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Traumatic Brain Injury ◽  
Emergency Department ◽  
Brain Injury ◽  
Interrupted Time Series ◽  
Emergency Department Visits ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
Icd 10 ◽  
Ed Visits ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background The transition in 2015 to the Tenth Revision of the International Classification of Disease, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) in the US led the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to propose a surveillance definition of traumatic brain injury (TBI) utilizing ICD-10-CM codes. The CDC’s proposed surveillance definition excludes “unspecified injury of the head,” previously included in the ICD-9-CM TBI surveillance definition. The study purpose was to evaluate the impact of the TBI surveillance definition change on monthly rates of TBI-related emergency department (ED) visits in Colorado from 2012 to 2017. Results The monthly rate of TBI-related ED visits was 55.6 visits per 100,000 persons in January 2012. This rate in the transition month to ICD-10-CM (October 2015) decreased by 41 visits per 100,000 persons (p-value < 0.0001), compared to September 2015, and remained low through December 2017, due to the exclusion of “unspecified injury of head” (ICD-10-CM code S09.90) in the proposed TBI definition. The average increase in the rate was 0.33 visits per month (p < 0.01) prior to October 2015, and 0.04 visits after. When S09.90 was included in the model, the monthly TBI rate in Colorado remained smooth from ICD-9-CM to ICD-10-CM and the transition was no longer significant (p = 0.97). Conclusion The reduction in the monthly TBI-related ED visit rate resulted from the CDC TBI surveillance definition excluding unspecified head injury, not necessarily the coding transition itself. Public health practitioners should be aware that the definition change could lead to a drastic reduction in the magnitude and trend of TBI-related ED visits, which could affect decisions regarding the allocation of TBI resources. This study highlights a challenge in creating a standardized set of TBI ICD-10-CM codes for public health surveillance that provides comparable yet clinically relevant estimates that span the ICD transition.

scholarly journals Migrants’ Quarantine and COVID-19 Pandemic in Italy: a Medico-anthropological View

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvia Di Meo ◽  
Enrico Bentivegna
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factor ◽  
Global Health ◽  
Infection Control ◽  
Social Inequalities ◽  
Patient Relationship ◽  
Prevention Measures ◽  
Cultural Aspects ◽  
Health Response ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
Infection Control And Prevention

AbstractThe COVID-19 pandemic represents an important risk factor for migrants’ health. Paul Farmer highlighted the risk of global health response in emergency conditions exacerbating global and social inequalities. We argue that this is the case for quarantine ships and migrants’ management during the pandemic. Every aspect of infection-control and prevention measures acquires detention characteristics in these situations. With emphasis to the evolution of the doctor-patient relationship and to the anthropological and cultural aspects that were established during the pandemic, this article aims to provide an integrated view where physicians and anthropologists collaborate to deepen the understanding of the topic.

scholarly journals N-CDAD in Canada: Results of the Canadian Nosocomial Infection Surveillance Program 1997 N-CDAD Prevalence Surveillance Project

2001 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 81-88 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meaghen Hyland ◽  
Marianna Ofner-Agostini ◽  
Mark Miller ◽  
Shirley Paton ◽  
Marie Gourdeau ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Nosocomial Infection ◽  
Toxin Production ◽  
Health Care Facilities ◽  
Surveillance Program ◽  
Prevention Measures ◽  
Case Definitions ◽  
Infection Surveillance ◽  
Positive Stool ◽  
The Impact

BACKGROUND:A 1996 preproject survey among Canadian Hospital Epidemiology Committee (CHEC) sites revealed variations in the prevention, detection, management and surveillance ofClostridium difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD). Facilities wanted to establish national rates of nosocomially acquired CDAD (N-CDAD) to understand the impact of control or prevention measures, and the burden of N-CDAD on health care resources. The CHEC, in collaboration with the Laboratory Centre for Disease Control (Health Canada) and under the Canadian Nosocomial Infection Surveillance Program, undertook a prevalence surveillance project among selected hospitals throughout Canada.OBJECTIVE:To establish national prevalence rates of N-CDAD.METHODS:For six weeks in 1997, selected CHEC sites tested all diarrheal stools from inpatients for eitherC difficiletoxin orC difficilebacteria with evidence of toxin production. Questionnaires were completed for patients with positive stool assays who met the case definitions.RESULTS:Nineteen health care facilities in eight provinces participated in the project. The overall prevalence of N-CDAD was 13.0% (95% CI 9.5% to 16.5%). The mean number of N-CDAD cases were 66.3 cases/100,000 patient days (95% CI

scholarly journals The Impact of COVID-19 on Pedestrian Flow Patterns in Urban POIs—An Example from Beijing

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 479
Author(s):  
Yihang Li ◽  
Liyan Xu
Keyword(s):  
Prevention And Control ◽  
Control Period ◽  
Flow Patterns ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Pedestrian Flow ◽  
Prevention Measures ◽  
Government Control ◽  
Functional Categories ◽  
And Control ◽  
The Impact

The COVID-19 pandemic is a major challenge for society as a whole, and analyzing the impact of the spread of the epidemic and government control measures on the travel patterns of urban residents can provide powerful help for city managers to designate top-level epidemic prevention policies and specific epidemic prevention measures. This study investigates whether it is more appropriate to use groups of POIs with similar pedestrian flow patterns as the unit of study rather than functional categories of POIs. In this study, we analyzed the hour-by-hour pedestrian flow data of key locations in Beijing before, during, and after the strict epidemic prevention and control period, and we found that the pedestrian flow patterns differed greatly in different periods by using a composite clustering index; we interpreted the clustering results from two perspectives: groups of pedestrian flow patterns and functional categories. The results show that depending on the specific stage of epidemic prevention and control, the number of unique pedestrian flow patterns decreased from four before the epidemic to two during the strict control stage and then increased to six during the initial resumption of work. The restrictions on movement are correlated with most of the visitations, and the release of restrictions led to an increase in the variety of unique pedestrian flow patterns compared to that in the pre-restriction period, even though the overall number of visitations decreased, indicating that social restrictions led to differences in the flow patterns of POIs and increased social distance.

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