scholarly journals An Epidemiological Cohort Study of SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 in German Healthcare Workers – Interim Analysis after Six Months of Follow-up

Author(s):  
Stephan Gehring ◽  
Omar Okasha ◽  
Frank Kowalzik ◽  
Tobias Engelmann ◽  
Daniel Schreiner ◽  
...  

Abstract BackgroundHealthcare workers (HCWs) are at increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection. We assessed incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 before the roll out of COVID-19 vaccines in a cohort of HCWs in Mainz, Germany.MethodsUsing prospective observational cohort design, antibody status was assessed at baseline and every 6 weeks (±2 weeks). Daily self-reported COVID-19 symptoms were collected using a smartphone application. Symptomatic HCWs were tested using RT-PCR. We estimated symptomatic and asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection rates based on two case definitions of varying sensitivity and specificity.Results3664 HCWs were enrolled with a median follow-up of 101 days. The seroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies increased from 2.7% at baseline to 3.8%, with the number of seroconversions (65) outweighing seroreversions (26) by end of follow-up. Among HCWs who seroconverted, 12 (~19%) did not report any symptoms. The estimated incidence rate was 4.5 per 1000 person-months, but none the incident cases developed severe disease. Anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies fell below diagnostic cut-off value in a third of those positive at baseline and in one incident case.ConclusionsWe observed increasing COVID-19 rates among HCWs during an accelerated community transmission period, with relatively lower rate of asymptomatic infections. Our findings indicate a relatively long-lasting humoral immune response following natural infection.

Circulation ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 131 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
An Pan ◽  
Gim Gee Teng ◽  
Jian-Min Yuan ◽  
Woon-Puay Koh

Introduction: Although it has been hypothesized that the hypertension-gout relation is bidirectional, few studies have addressed this hypothesis in a prospective setting, particularly in the Asian populations. Methods: We analyzed data from the Singapore Chinese Health Study (SCHS), a cohort of 63,257 Chinese aged 45-74 years at recruitment from 1993-98. The information about self reports of physician-diagnosed hypertension and gout was enquired at follow-ups I (1999-2004) and II (2006-2010). We included participants with complete data for both follow-ups and who were free of heart disease, stroke and cancer at follow-up I. For the analysis of hypertension and risk of incident gout, participants with prevalent gout were further excluded and the final analysis included 31,694 participants. For the analysis of gout and risk of incident hypertension, participants with prevalent hypertension were further excluded and the final analysis included 20,490 participants. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate multivariable-adjusted relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) with adjustment for age, sex, years of interview, dialect group, education, smoking status, alcohol intake, physical activity, body mass index (BMI) and history of diabetes. Results: The mean age of the participants at baseline was 60.1 (SD 7.3) years, and the average follow-up year was 6.8 (SD 1.4) years. In the analysis of hypertension and risk of gout, 836 incident cases were identified. Compared to normotensive participants, hypertensive patients had a 93% increased risk of developing gout (RR 1.93; 95% CI 1.66-2.24). The association was slightly stronger in women (RR 2.09; 95% CI 1.69-2.58) compared to men (RR 1.72; 95% CI 1.39-2.14; P for interaction=0.056). The association was also stronger in normal weight adults (BMI <24 kg/m2; RR 2.25; 95% CI 1.82-2.77) compared to overweight/obese individuals (BMI ≥24 kg/m2; RR 1.66; 95% CI 1.34-2.04; P for interaction=0.03). In the parallel analysis of gout and risk of hypertension, 5491 participants reported to have newly diagnosed hypertension during the follow-up. Compared to participants without gout, those with gout had a 17% increased risk of developing hypertension (RR 1.17; 95% CI 1.01-1.35). The association was evident in men (RR 1.29; 95% CI 1.07-1.55) but not in women (RR 0.94; 95% CI 0.73-1.20; P for interaction=0.03). The association was present in normal weight adults (RR 1.34; 95% CI 1.09-1.64) but not among overweight/obese individuals (RR 0.99; 95% CI 0.80-1.23; P for interaction=0.03). Conclusions: Our results provide compelling evidence that the hypertension-gout association is bidirectional in Chinese population. The potential interactions of the bidirectional association with sex and obesity deserve further investigations.


2020 ◽  
Vol 31 (6) ◽  
pp. 1150-1156 ◽  
Author(s):  

BackgroundThe novel SARS-CoV-2 virus has caused a global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Although immunosuppressed individuals are thought to be at an increased risk of severe disease, little is known about their clinical presentation, disease course, or outcomes.MethodsWe report 15 kidney transplant recipients from the Columbia University kidney transplant program who required hospitalization for confirmed COVID-19, and describe their management, clinical course, and outcomes.ResultsPatients presented most often with a fever (87%) and/or cough (67%). Initial chest x-ray most commonly showed bilateral infiltrates, but 33% had no acute radiographic findings. Patients were managed with immunosuppression reduction and the addition of hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin. Although 27% of our patients needed mechanical ventilation, over half were discharged home by the end of follow-up.ConclusionsKidney transplant recipients with COVID-19 have presentations that are similar to that of the general population. Our current treatment protocol appears to be associated with favorable outcomes, but longer follow-up of a larger cohort of patients is needed.


2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 295-303
Author(s):  
Sanne A. E. Peters ◽  
◽  
Ling Yang ◽  
Yu Guo ◽  
Yiping Chen ◽  
...  

AbstractPregnancy and pregnancy loss may be associated with increased risk of diabetes in later life. However, the evidence is inconsistent and sparse, especially among East Asians where reproductive patterns differ importantly from those in the West. We examined the associations of pregnancy and pregnancy loss (miscarriage, induced abortion, and still birth) with the risk of incident diabetes in later life among Chinese women. In 2004–2008, the nationwide China Kadoorie Biobank recruited 302 669 women aged 30–79 years from 10 (5 urban, 5 rural) diverse localities. During 9.2 years of follow-up, 7780 incident cases of diabetes were recorded among 273,383 women without prior diabetes and cardiovascular disease at baseline. Cox regression yielded multiple-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for the risk of diabetes associated with pregnancy and pregnancy loss. Overall, 99% of women had been pregnant, of whom 10%, 53%, and 6% reported having a history of miscarriage, induced abortion, and stillbirth, respectively. Among ever pregnant women, each additional pregnancy was associated with an adjusted HR of 1.04 (95% CI 1.03; 1.06) for diabetes. Compared with those without pregnancy loss, women with a history of pregnancy loss had an adjusted HR of 1.07 (1.02; 1.13) and the HRs increased with increasing number of pregnancy losses, irrespective of the number of livebirths; the adjusted HR was 1.03 (1.00; 1.05) for each additional pregnancy loss. The strength of the relationships differed marginally by type of pregnancy loss. Among Chinese women, a higher number of pregnancies and pregnancy losses were associated with a greater risk of diabetes.


Diabetologia ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 62 (12) ◽  
pp. 2298-2309 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ari V. Ahola-Olli ◽  
Linda Mustelin ◽  
Maria Kalimeri ◽  
Johannes Kettunen ◽  
Jari Jokelainen ◽  
...  

Abstract Aims/hypothesis Metabolomics technologies have identified numerous blood biomarkers for type 2 diabetes risk in case−control studies of middle-aged and older individuals. We aimed to validate existing and identify novel metabolic biomarkers predictive of future diabetes in large cohorts of young adults. Methods NMR metabolomics was used to quantify 229 circulating metabolic measures in 11,896 individuals from four Finnish observational cohorts (baseline age 24–45 years). Associations between baseline metabolites and risk of developing diabetes during 8–15 years of follow-up (392 incident cases) were adjusted for sex, age, BMI and fasting glucose. Prospective metabolite associations were also tested with fasting glucose, 2 h glucose and HOMA-IR at follow-up. Results Out of 229 metabolic measures, 113 were associated with incident type 2 diabetes in meta-analysis of the four cohorts (ORs per 1 SD: 0.59–1.50; p< 0.0009). Among the strongest biomarkers of diabetes risk were branched-chain and aromatic amino acids (OR 1.31–1.33) and triacylglycerol within VLDL particles (OR 1.33–1.50), as well as linoleic n-6 fatty acid (OR 0.75) and non-esterified cholesterol in large HDL particles (OR 0.59). The metabolic biomarkers were more strongly associated with deterioration in post-load glucose and insulin resistance than with future fasting hyperglycaemia. A multi-metabolite score comprised of phenylalanine, non-esterified cholesterol in large HDL and the ratio of cholesteryl ester to total lipid in large VLDL was associated with future diabetes risk (OR 10.1 comparing individuals in upper vs lower fifth of the multi-metabolite score) in one of the cohorts (mean age 31 years). Conclusions/interpretation Metabolic biomarkers across multiple molecular pathways are already predictive of the long-term risk of diabetes in young adults. Comprehensive metabolic profiling may help to target preventive interventions for young asymptomatic individuals at increased risk.


Gut ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 69 (3) ◽  
pp. 453-461 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ola Olén ◽  
Johan Askling ◽  
Michael C Sachs ◽  
Martin Neovius ◽  
Karin E Smedby ◽  
...  

ObjectivesTo examine all-cause and cause-specific mortality in adult-onset and elderly-onset IBD and to describe time trends in mortality over the past 50 years.DesignSwedish nationwide register-based cohort study 1964–2014, comparing mortality in 82 718 incident IBD cases (inpatient and non-primary outpatient care) with 10 times as many matched general population reference individuals (n=801 180) using multivariable Cox regression to estimate HRs. Among patients with IBD, the number of participants with elderly-onset (≥60 years) IBD was 17 873.ResultsDuring 984 330 person-years of follow-up, 15 698/82 718 (19%) of all patients with IBD died (15.9/1000 person-years) compared with 121 095/801 180 (15.1%) of reference individuals, corresponding to an HR of 1.5 for IBD (95% CI=1.5 to 1.5 (HR=1.5; 95% CI=1.5 to 1.5 in elderly-onset IBD)) or one extra death each year per 263 patients. Mortality was increased specifically for UC (HR=1.4; 95% CI=1.4 to 1.5), Crohn’s disease (HR=1.6; 95% CI=1.6 to 1.7) and IBD-unclasssified (HR=1.6; 95% CI=1.5 to 1.8). IBD was linked to increased rates of multiple causes of death, including cardiovascular disease (HR=1.3; 1.3 to 1.3), malignancy (HR=1.4; 1.4 to 1.5) and digestive disease (HR=5.2; 95% CI=4.9 to 5.5). Relative mortality during the first 5 years of follow-up decreased significantly over time. Incident cases of 2002–2014 had 2.3 years shorter mean estimated life span than matched comparators.ConclusionsAdult-onset and elderly-onset patients with UC, Crohn’s disease and IBD-unclassified were all at increased risk of death. The increased mortality remained also after the introduction of biological therapies but has decreased over time.


2009 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 1319-1327 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zumin Shi ◽  
Minghao Zhou ◽  
Baojun Yuan ◽  
Lu Qi ◽  
Yue Dai ◽  
...  

AbstractObjectiveFe supplementation has been used to prevent anaemia in China; however, high Fe intake and body Fe stores may increase diabetes risk. The present study aimed to prospectively examine the association between Fe intake/stores and hyperglycaemia, and to assess the joint effects on anaemia.DesignWe followed 1056 healthy adults aged 20 years and older from 2002 to 2007. Body Fe stores were measured. Dietary data were collected using a 3 d food record and FFQ. Hyperglycaemia was defined as fasting plasma glucose >5·6 mmol/l.ResultsOf the participants, 28·8 % were anaemic at baseline. During the 5 years of follow-up, we documented 125 incident cases of hyperglycaemia, among them twenty-three were diabetic. Haem Fe intake was positively associated with the risk of hyperglycaemia in men and women: the OR (95 % CI) across increasing quartiles of haem Fe intake was 1·00 (referent), 1·49 (0·74, 3·01), 2·16 (1·06, 4·42) and 3·48 (1·71, 7·11), respectively (P for trend <0·001). Comparing the fourth quartile of serum ferritin with the others, the age- and gender-adjusted OR (95 % CI) was 1·54 (1·01, 2·34), P for trend = 0·043. The association between total Fe intake and the risk of hyperglycaemia was significant in men (P for trend = 0·002). Anaemia added additional risk of hyperglycaemia on haem Fe intake. Comparing extreme quartiles of haem Fe intake, the OR (95 % CI) was 5·67 (1·43, 22·49) and 3·44 (1·51, 7·85) for hyperglycaemia among anaemic and non-anaemic participants (P for trend = 0·008 and 0·010, respectively).ConclusionsThe present cohort study suggests that high haem Fe intake, anaemia and high ferritin are associated with an increased risk of hyperglycaemia in Chinese men and women. There was a joint effect between anaemia and haem Fe intake on the risk of hyperglycaemia.


2021 ◽  
pp. jrheum.201005
Author(s):  
Reto D. Kurmann ◽  
Edward A. El-Am ◽  
Yasser A. Radwan ◽  
Avneek S. Sandhu ◽  
Cynthia S. Crowson ◽  
...  

Objective Cardiac involvement is a poor prognostic marker in systemic sclerosis (SSc). While diastolic dysfunction, myocardial fibrosis, and arrhythmias are traditionally considered features of primary cardiac involvement in SSc, the incidence of valvular heart disease (VHD) is not well reported. Our objective was to examine the prevalence of VHD at time of SSc diagnosis and incidence of VHD during follow up compared to non-SSc subjects. Methods Medical records of patients with suspicion of SSc were reviewed to identify incident cases. SSc subjects were matched 1:2 by age- and sex to non-SSc subjects. Results The study included 78 incident SSc cases and 156 non-SSc comparators [56 years (± 15.7), 91% female]. A nearly 4-fold increase in the prevalence of moderate/severe VHD prior to SSc diagnosis compared to non-SSc subjects (6% vs. 0%; P=0.004) was identified. During follow up, 18 SSc and 12 non-SSc patients developed moderate/severe VHD. The cumulative incidence of VHD at 10 years after SSc incidence/index was 17.9% (95% CI: 10.7-29.9%) in patients with SSc compared with 2.3% (95% CI: 0.7-6.3%) in non-SSc subjects (HR: 4.23; 95% CI: 2.03-8.83). Coronary heart disease was the only significant risk factor for VHD. Conclusion SSc patients have a 4-fold increase in the prevalence of moderate/severe VHD at diagnosis compared to non-SSc patients. They also have a 4-fold increased risk of developing moderate/severe VHD after diagnosis of SSc. Aortic stenosis and mitral regurgitation have a much higher prevalence in SSc patients, besides secondary tricuspid regurgitation. Underlying mechanisms for this association require further elucidation.


Author(s):  
Mahwish Amin ◽  
Javaria Syed ◽  
Hafiz Muhammad Salman ◽  
Azza Sarfraz ◽  
Syed Hashim Abbas Ali Bokhari ◽  
...  

Objective: To investigate social, economic, and environmental contributors to quit or continue smoking and vaping during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A qualitative study design was adopted to identify smokers&rsquo; beliefs in a LMIC, using a small community sample. Results: 276 participants were primarily surveyed. Motivation to continue smoking included temporary pleasurable effects, working remotely, stress or anxiety, whereas a motivator to quit smoking was the overlap with COVID-19 symptomatology. There was a rise in social awareness regarding the potential harm of smoking and vaping during the pandemic yet those participants who were younger felt they were immune from its morbid complications. Conclusions: With paradoxical associations of COVID-19 with cigarette and vape usage, it is important to pay attention to biases in data in favor of educating its users of the increased risk of severe disease.


2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Azra Ramezankhani ◽  
Firoozeh Hosseini-Esfahani ◽  
Parvin Mirmiran ◽  
Fereidoun Azizi ◽  
Farzad Hadaegh

Abstract Background The aim of this study was to investigate the association of dietary patterns with incident hypertension. Materials/methods This prospective study was conducted on 4793 individuals of Tehran lipid and glucose study participants, aged ≥ 18 years who were followed for a median of 6.3 years from 2008–2011 to 2016–2018. A valid and reliable semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire was used to assess usual dietary intakes. Anthropometrics and blood pressure were assessed at baseline and during follow up examinations. Dietary patterns were derived using principal component analysis (PCA). Healthy eating index (HEI) and dietary approach to stop hypertension (DASH) score were measured based on dietary recommendations. Time-dependent Cox models adjusting for confounders were used to examine the association between dietary patterns and the risk of hypertension. Results During follow-up, a total of 727 incident cases of hypertension were identified. The mean ± SD age at baseline was 40.3 ± 13.5 and 37.9 ± 12.1 years in men and women, respectively. Two dietary patterns (the healthy and unhealthy) were extracted by PCA. Compared with participants in the first quartile, a 23% (HR: 1.23; 95%CI 1.00–1.53; P trend: 0.056) increased risk of hypertension was found in the fourth quartile of HEI score. This association was disappeared after further adjustment for confounders. Increasing DASH score, the healthy and unhealthy dietary pattern were not associated with risk of hypertension. Conclusion Our findings showed that higher adherences to the posteriori- and priori-dietary patterns were not associated with risk of hypertension in this population.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S289-S290
Author(s):  
Matthew Westercamp ◽  
Giselle Soto ◽  
Rachel Smith ◽  
Eduardo Azziz-Baumgartner ◽  
Susan Bollinger ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Peru has one of the highest per capita SARS-CoV-2 death rates in Latin America. Healthcare workers (HCW) are a critical workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic but are themselves often at increased risk of infection. We evaluated SARS-CoV-2 attack rate and risk factors among frontline HCWs. Methods We performed a prospective cohort study of HCW serving two acute care hospitals in Lima, Peru from Aug 2020 to Mar 2021. Participants had baseline SARS-CoV-2 serology using the CDC ELISA, active symptom monitoring, and weekly respiratory specimen collection with COVID-19 exposure/risk assessment for 16-weeks regardless of symptoms. Respiratory specimens were tested by real-time reverse transcriptase PCR (rRT-PCR). Results Of 783 eligible, 667 (85%) HCW were enrolled (33% nurse assistants, 29% non-clinical staff, 26% nurses, 7% physicians, and 6% other). At baseline and prior to COVID-19 vaccine introduction, 214 (32.1%; 214/667) were reactive for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. In total, 72 (10.8%; 72/667) HCWs were found to be rRT-PCR positive during weekly follow-up. Of the rRT-PCR positive HCWs, 37.5% (27/72) did not report symptoms within 1-week of specimen collection. During follow up, HCW without detectable SARS-CoV-2 antibodies at baseline were significantly more likely to be rRT-PCR positive (65/453, 14.3%) compared to those with SARS-CoV-2 antibodies at baseline (4/214, 1.9%) (p-value: &lt; 0.001). Three HCW were both serologically reactive and rRT-PCR positive at baseline. Looking only at HCW without SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, nurse assistants (rRT-PCR positive: 18.6%; 27/141) and non-clinical healthcare workers (16.5%; 21/127) were at greater risk of infection compared to nurses (8.5%; 10/118), physicians (7.9%; 3/38), and other staff (10.3%; 4/29) (RR 1.95;95%CI 1.2,3.3; p-value: 0.01). Conclusion Baseline SARS-CoV-2 prevalence and 16-week cumulative incidence were substantial in this pre-vaccination Peruvian HCW cohort. Almost 40% of new infections occurred in HCW without complaint of symptoms illustrating a limitation of symptom-based HCW screening for COVID-19 prevention. Nurse assistants and non-clinical healthcare workers were at greater risk of infection indicating a role for focused infection prevention and risk reduction strategies for some groups of HCW. Disclosures Fernanda C. Lessa, MD, MPH, Nothing to disclose


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