Determining the prevalence and incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in prisons in England: the Rationale, Conceptualization and Design of the COVID in Prisons Study (CiPS) (Preprint)

BACKGROUND There are over 80,000 people imprisoned in England and Wales in 117 prisons. The management of the COVID-19 pandemic presents particular challenges in this setting where the confined, crowded and poorly ventilated conditions facilitate the rapid spread of infectious diseases. The consequences for imprisoned people are likely to be serious given the high proportion of individuals with risk factors for serious disease and death. OBJECTIVE The COVID-19 in Prison Study (CiPS) aims to examine the epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 in prisons in England in order to inform public health policy and practice during the pandemic and the recovery period. METHODS CiPS Phase 1 comprises a repeated panel survey of prison residents and staff in a sample of 28 prisons across England, selected to be as representative of the closed prison estate as possible. All residents and all staff in the study prisons are eligible for inclusion. Participants will be tested for SARS-CoV-2 antigens using nasopharyngeal swab twice, six weeks apart. Staff will also be tested for antibodies to SARS-CoV-2. Phase 2 focuses on SARS-CoV-2 infection in prisons with recognised COVID-19 outbreaks. Any prison in England will be eligible to participate if an outbreak is declared. In three outbreak prisons, all participating staff and residents will be tested for SARS-CoV-2 antigens at three timepoints: as soon as possible after the outbreak is declared (day 0), seven days later (day 7) and at day 28. They will be swabbed twice: a nasal swab for lateral flow device testing and a nasopharyngeal swab for PCR testing. Data will also be collected on individual, prison level and community factors. RESULTS Data collection started on 20th July 2020 and will end on 31st May 2021. As of May 2021, we had enrolled 4,192 staff members and 6,496 imprisoned people in the study. Data analysis has started and we expect to publish initial findings in summer/autumn 2021 CONCLUSIONS CiPS presents an important opportunity to gather data in a unique high-risk setting from the whole population - residents and staff alike. It will provide important epidemiological data to develop our understanding of the transmission dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 in prisons and provide preliminary data on the mental wellbeing of staff and residents. However, there are huge logistical challenges compounded by the fact researchers are currently not allowed into prisons and therefore testing teams, trained in antigen testing for SARS-CoV-2 and the use of PPE must be deployed. CLINICALTRIAL Not applicable

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Adverse events of special interest in clinical trials of rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ulcerative colitis and psoriasis with 37 066 patient-years of tofacitinib exposure

RMD Open ◽

10.1136/rmdopen-2021-001595 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 (2) ◽

pp. e001595

Author(s):

Gerd R Burmester ◽

Peter Nash ◽

Bruce E Sands ◽

Kim Papp ◽

Lori Stockert ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Rheumatoid Arthritis ◽

Ulcerative Colitis ◽

Clinical Trials ◽

Psoriatic Arthritis ◽

Adverse Events ◽

Special Interest ◽

Phase 1 ◽

Incidence Rates ◽

Study Data ◽

System Organ Class

ObjectivesTo analyse adverse events (AEs) of special interest across tofacitinib clinical programmes in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis (PsA), ulcerative colitis (UC) and psoriasis (PsO), and to determine whether the incidence rates (IRs; unique patients with events per 100 patient-years) of these events are consistent across diseases.MethodsThe analysis included data from patients exposed to ≥1 dose of tofacitinib in phase 1, 2, 3 or 3b/4 clinical trials and long-term extension (LTE) studies (38 trials) in RA (23 trials), PsA (3 trials), UC (5 trials) and PsO (7 trials). All studies were completed by or before July 2019, except for one ongoing UC LTE study (data cut-off May 2019). IRs were obtained for AEs of special interest.Results13 567 patients were included in the analysis (RA: n=7964; PsA: n=783; UC: n=1157; PsO: n=3663), representing 37 066 patient-years of exposure. Maximum duration of exposure was 10.5 years (RA). AEs within the ‘infections and infestations’ System Organ Class were the most common in all diseases. Among AEs of special interest, IRs were highest for herpes zoster (non-serious and serious; 3.6, 1.8, 3.5 and 2.4 for RA, PsA, UC and PsO, respectively) and serious infections (2.5, 1.2, 1.7 and 1.3 for RA, PsA, UC and PsO, respectively). Age-adjusted and sex-adjusted mortality ratios (weighted for country) were ≤0.2 across cohorts.ConclusionsThe tofacitinib safety profile in this analysis was generally consistent across diseases and with longer term follow-up compared with previous analyses.

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Transmission of COVID-19 in Public and Private Schools in Benghazi, Libya: 13th -28th February 2021

Asian Journal of Research in Infectious Diseases ◽

10.9734/ajrid/2021/v7i130208 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 32-37

Author(s):

Naeima Houssein ◽

Alsalihin Majeed ◽

Emad Amkhatirha ◽

Abdelghffar F. Abdelghffar ◽

Asma Abubakr Mustafa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Private Schools ◽

Viral Antigen ◽

School Setting ◽

Nasopharyngeal Swab ◽

Eastern Region ◽

Antigen Test ◽

Prevention Measures ◽

Public And Private ◽

Staff Members ◽

Pcr Test

The aim of the present study was to provide a national estimate for transmission of COVID-19 Cases in public and private schools in Benghazi city in the Eastern region of Libya. A multistage procedure was followed to obtain a representative sample of students and teaching staffs at randomly selected schools across the Eastern region of Libya. The resultant sample consisted of 101 schools, 808 students, and 202 staff members. Data were collected on age, sex, class, and symptoms of COVID19. Rapid antigen test was performed as a diagnostic test for SARS-CoV-2 to detect the presence of a viral antigen. Specimen was taken from the upper nasopharyngeal swab. Out of 808 students tested, 5 specimens were positive. Every positive rapid antigen test was further confirmed by PCR test. All Specimens taken from staff members were negative. This survey highlights epidemiological concern on COVID-19 among students and staff members in school setting in Benghazi. Implementation and compliance with prevention measures are crucial.

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Molecular typing and epidemiologic profiles of human metapneumovirus infection among children with severe acute respiratory infection in Huzhou, China

Molecular Biology Reports ◽

10.1007/s11033-021-06776-1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Lei Ji ◽

Liping Chen ◽

Deshun Xu ◽

Xiaofang Wu

Keyword(s):

Respiratory Infection ◽

Acute Respiratory Infection ◽

Epidemiological Data ◽

Human Metapneumovirus ◽

Respiratory Pathogen ◽

Nasopharyngeal Swab ◽

F Gene ◽

Severe Acute Respiratory Infection ◽

Hmpv Infection ◽

High Incidence

Abstract Background Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) is one of the important pathogens in infant respiratory tract infection. However, the molecular epidemiology of hMPV among children < 14 years of age hospitalized with severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) is unclear. We investigated the hMPV infection status and genotypes of children hospitalized with SARI from January 2016 to December 2020 in Huzhou, China. Methods A nasopharyngeal flocked swab, nasal wash, or nasopharyngeal swab/or opharyngeal swab combination sample was collected from children with SARI in Huzhou from January 2016 to December 2020. Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction was performed to detect hMPV RNA. The hMPV F gene was amplified and sequenced, followed by analysis using MEGA software (ver. 7.0). Epidemiological data were analyzed using Microsoft Excel 2010 and SPSS (ver. 22.0) software. Results A total of 1133 children with SARI were recruited from 2016 to 2020. Among them, 56 (4.94%) were positive for hMPV-RNA. Children < 5 years of age accounted for 85.71% of the positive cases. The hMPV incidence was high in spring and winter, especially in December and January to March. Phylogenetic analysis of the F-gene sequences of 28 hMPV strains showed that the A1, B1, and B2 genotypes were prevalent in Huzhou, and the dominant hMPV genotype varied according to surveillance year. Conclusions HMPV is an important respiratory pathogen in children in Huzhou, with a high incidence in winter and spring in children < 5 years of age. In this study, genotypes A1, B1, and B2 were the most prevalent.

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Abstract 207: Burden of Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) on Economic Cost. Comparison of Outcomes in US and Europe

Circulation Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes ◽

10.1161/circoutcomes.10.suppl_3.207 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 10 (suppl_3) ◽

Author(s):

Dalia Giedrimiene ◽

Rachel King

Keyword(s):

Heart Disease ◽

Economic Cost ◽

Epidemiological Data ◽

Study Data ◽

Cost Comparison ◽

World Health ◽

Productivity Costs ◽

The Us ◽

Lost Productivity ◽

The Uk

CVD is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, responsible for nearly a third of all deaths. In US, 85.6 million Americans are living with CVD, including 15.5 million with coronary heart disease (CHD). Heart disease (HD) specifically is responsible for approximately one in every seven American deaths, taking 370,213 lives per year. Perhaps even more striking than CHD’s mortality is its preventability. The CDC estimates that 34% of deaths caused by HD could potentially be prevented with modifiable risk factors including hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, smoking, poor diet, and sedentary lifestyle. By comparing the mortality of CVD and CHD in the US, Europe, and the United Kingdom (UK), we aim to gain a better understanding of the CVD burden and economic cost. Methods: We conducted a literature review of the most recent epidemiological data for US, Europe, and UK to compare mortality due to CVD and CHD between these three regions. Data sources for US include the AHA and CDC. Data for Europe was obtained from the European Society of Cardiology, following the World Health Organization’s definition of 53 states as the European region. The UK is included as it was considered independently in this study. Data for the UK was published by the British Heart Foundation. Results: The comparison of data shows that high mortality is evident in all represented countries and regions with a highest percent of CVD of total deaths in Europe as compared to US (45% vs 30.8%) and CHD (20% vs 14.2%). Very similar findings according annual mortality are evident comparing US to UK for CVD (30.8% vs 28%) and for CHD (14.2% vs 13%). The treatment for CVD is increasing over time, with prescriptions and operations costs around 6.8 billion in England, the majority spend on secondary care. CDC data in US show that Americans suffer 1.5 million heart attacks and strokes each year, which contributes more than $320 billion in annual healthcare costs and lost productivity. By 2030, this cost is projected to rise to $818 billion, while lost productivity costs to $275 billion. Conclusions: Although there is some variation between Europe as a group of 53 countries compared to the US and UK, it is clear that CVD has a major impact on mortality in all three regions studied. Improved prevention of CVD, including heart disease, has the potential to save lives around the globe and to reduce economic burden.

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Vaccination uptake among Australian early childhood education staff: assessing perceptions, behaviours and workplace practices

BMC Infectious Diseases ◽

10.1186/s12879-019-4427-z ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Holly Seale ◽

Stephanie Dwyer ◽

Alamgir Kabir ◽

Rajneesh Kaur

Keyword(s):

Early Childhood ◽

Early Childhood Education ◽

Policy And Practice ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Center Staff ◽

Childhood Education ◽

Staff Members ◽

Education Centre ◽

Mandatory Vaccination

Abstract Background Early Childhood Education Centre (ECEC) staff are strongly recommended to receive several immunizations including influenza and pertussis. However, evidence regarding the uptake is either old or lacking across all Australian States/Territories. This study aimed to explore the attitudes and barriers around ECEC staff vaccination and the immunisation policy/practices employed at their workplaces. Methods An online cross-sectional survey was undertaken of staff members (administrators and childcare center staff) in early 2017. We compared the individual’s knowledge, attitude and practices as well as the centre’s policy and practice variables between the vaccinated and unvaccinated respondents. A logistic model was used to identify the factors associated with uptake of the different vaccines. Results A total of 575 ECEC staff completed the survey. Sixty percent reported being aware of the recommendations about staff immunisation. While participants did acknowledge that they could spread diseases if unvaccinated (86%), 30% could not recall receiving a dTpa in the last 10 years. Private centres were less likely to provide free or onsite vaccination compared to other categories of centres. Less than half reported receiving any encouragement to get the influenza vaccine and only 33% reported that their centre provides onsite influenza vaccination. Regarding the introduction of mandatory policies, 69% stated that they would support a policy. Conclusion Employers should consider supporting methods to maximize vaccination of their employees including providing free onsite vaccination. Participants were open to idea of mandatory vaccination; however, this needs to be explored further to determine how vaccine costs and access issues could be resolved.

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Constructing resilience at three scales: The 100 Resilient Cities programme, Durban's resilience journey and water resilience in the Palmiet Catchment

Human Geography ◽

10.1177/194277861901200103 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. 33-49 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Catherine Sutherland ◽

Debra Roberts ◽

Jo Douwes

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Disaster Risk Reduction ◽

Phase 1 ◽

Disaster Risk ◽

Global City ◽

Political Systems ◽

Policy And Practice ◽

Physical Hazards ◽

Resilience Thinking ◽

The World

Resilience is a ‘re-emerging concept’ which is being applied to deal with the shocks and stresses facing society and the environment as a result of both human induced and physical hazards. Resilience thinking is shaping policy and practice across the world through global programmes such as the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR)'s Making Cities Resilient Campaign; UN Habitat's City Resilience Profiling Programme; and Rockefeller Foundation's 100 Resilient Cities (100 RC). The global post-2015 sustainable development and climate change frameworks and related agreements all have resilience embedded in them. However, the concept of resilience remains contested, with resilience reflecting a continuum of approaches from those that are more deliberative, political, systemic, relational and transformational, to those that are more consultative, post-political, systems based, sectoral and instrumental. Questions of how resilience is being constructed, by whom and for whom therefore need to be explored. This paper focuses on the construction of resilience at three scales: The Rockefeller Foundation's 100 Resilient Cities (100RC) programme (global), Phase 1 of Durban's 100RC journey (city), and the Palmiet Catchment Rehabilitation Project (sub-catchment within a city). It presents the different approaches adopted by global, city-scale and local programmes to build resilience using different framings, approaches and methodologies.

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Sexual harassment from older residents at long-term care facilities: is it really part of the job?

International Psychogeriatrics ◽

10.1017/s1041610219001431 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 32 (3) ◽

pp. 325-333

Author(s):

Feliciano Villar ◽

Josep Fabà ◽

Rodrigo Serrat ◽

Montserrat Celdrán ◽

Teresa Martínez

Keyword(s):

Sexual Harassment ◽

Best Practices ◽

Long Term Care ◽

Study Data ◽

Nursing Assistant ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Term Care ◽

Staff Members ◽

Care Facilities

ABSTRACTObjectives:To explore the extent to which staff members in long-term care facilities (LTCF) have experienced situations of sexual harassment, how they commonly and ideally manage the situation, and how their work position influences their responses.Design:Cross-sectional quantitative study, using the vignette technique.Method:A total of 2,196 staff-members who were currently working in Spanish LTCF participated in the study. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire. Questions regarding sexual harassment were analysed by a vignette that described a case of sexual harassment. Participants had to choose common and best practices for dealing with the case, and report the frequency with which they had experienced similar situations.Results:The results indicate that 29.9% of participants had experienced an episode of sexual harassment in a LTCF similar to the one presented in the vignette. Responses to the situation were diverse and there were significant differences between common and perceived best practices. Differences were also found depending on the work position of the participant (manager, technical staff or nursing assistant).Conclusions:There is a need for a fuller recognition of the sexual needs of older people. However, the presence of inappropriate sexual behavior must also be acknowledged. The right of staff to work in an environment free of harassment must be respected. The need for explicit institutional guidelines and training opportunities is discussed.

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Sustainable HRM: toward addressing diverse employee roles

Employee Relations ◽

10.1108/er-01-2019-0016 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Nataliya Podgorodnichenko ◽

Adeel Akmal ◽

Fiona Edgar ◽

Andrè M. Everett

Keyword(s):

Human Resource ◽

Holistic Approach ◽

Study Data ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Policy And Practice ◽

Content Type ◽

Hr Practices ◽

Using Data ◽

Hr Managers ◽

Levels Of Integration

PurposeThe purpose of this empirical study is to develop an understanding of how human resource (HR) managers employed by organizations with an explicit sustainability agenda view employees as stakeholders, and to explore how such views are operationalized in HR policies and practices.Design/methodology/approachAn interpretive approach using data from 35 semi-structured interviews was adopted for this study. Data were transcribed and analyzed using the Gioia methodology.FindingsComparison of approaches to sustainable human resource management (HRM) revealed three distinctive conceptualizations of employees with respect to the sustainability agenda – employees as a driving force for sustainability, employees as consumers of HR practices and employees as members of a community. Strong levels of integration between the HRM and sustainability agendas were only evidenced in those organizations where an attempt had been made to address all three roles simultaneously. Findings suggest that engagement with a sustainability agenda widens the remit of the HRM function, underscoring the importance of employees' roles as consumers of HR practices and as members of wider communities.Practical implicationsBy addressing the integration of HRM with a sustainability agenda, this article helps practitioners recognize diversity among employees' roles and the varying associated needs. Examples of policy and practice initiatives that effectively address these needs are provided.Originality/valueHRM has been widely criticized for overemphasizing shareholder value, thereby lacking in attention to the needs of other stakeholders, including employees. Findings from this study suggest the holistic approach advocated by a sustainability agenda can effectively quell these concerns.

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Working out What Works: The Role of Tacit Knowledge Where Urban Greenspace Research, Policy and Practice Intersect

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su11185029 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (18) ◽

pp. 5029 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Julian Dobson ◽

Nicola Dempsey

Keyword(s):

Tacit Knowledge ◽

Research Policy ◽

Academic Research ◽

Mental Wellbeing ◽

Local Context ◽

Urban Nature ◽

Policy And Practice ◽

Health And Wellbeing ◽

Urban Greenspace

Policymakers and practitioners working in urban greenspace management want to know what kind of interventions are effective in promoting mental wellbeing. In practice, however, they rely on multiple forms of knowledge, often in unwritten form. This paper considers how such knowledge is interpreted and used by a range of stakeholders to identify greenspace interventions to support residents’ health and wellbeing in one UK city. It examines the interface between academic research, policy and practice, drawing on the findings of a three-year study in Sheffield, UK. The Improving Wellbeing through the Urban Nature project investigated the links between ‘urban nature’ and mental health. One strand of the research sought to influence policy and practice, and this article presents findings and reflects on some of the processes of this exercise. It highlights the role of tacit knowledge in practice and its influence on practitioners’ choice of greenspace interventions and the challenges in drawing on such knowledge to influence policy. The findings affirm practice-based knowledge as socially situated, interpretively fashioned and politically weighted. This paper concludes by demonstrating the importance of considering the local context when devising policy prescriptions for greenspace provision and management.

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Process evaluation of appreciative inquiry to translate pain management evidence into pediatric nursing practice

10.32920/14638998 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Tricia Kavanagh ◽

Bonniue Stevens ◽

Kate Seers ◽

Souraya Sidani ◽

Judy Watt-Watson

Keyword(s):

Pain Management ◽

Appreciative Inquiry ◽

Action Plan ◽

Implementation Process ◽

Study Data ◽

Pediatric Care ◽

Clinical Issue ◽

Staff Members

Background Appreciative inquiry (AI) is an innovative knowledge translation (KT) intervention that is compatible with the Promoting Action on Research in Health Services (PARiHS) framework. This study explored the innovative use of AI as a theoretically based KT intervention applied to a clinical issue in an inpatient pediatric care setting. The implementation of AI was explored in terms of its acceptability, fidelity, and feasibility as a KT intervention in pain management. Methods A mixed-methods case study design was used. The case was a surgical unit in a pediatric academic-affiliated hospital. The sample consisted of nurses in leadership positions and staff nurses interested in the study. Data on the AI intervention implementation were collected by digitally recording the AI sessions, maintaining logs, and conducting individual semistructured interviews. Data were analysed using qualitative and quantitative content analyses and descriptive statistics. Findings were triangulated in the discussion. Results Three nurse leaders and nine staff members participated in the study. Participants were generally satisfied with the intervention, which consisted of four 3-hour, interactive AI sessions delivered over two weeks to promote change based on positive examples of pain management in the unit and staff implementation of an action plan. The AI sessions were delivered with high fidelity and 11 of 12 participants attended all four sessions, where they developed an action plan to enhance evidence-based pain assessment documentation. Participants labeled AI a 'refreshing approach to change' because it was positive, democratic, and built on existing practices. Several barriers affected their implementation of the action plan, including a context of change overload, logistics, busyness, and a lack of organised follow-up. Conclusions Results of this case study supported the acceptability, fidelity, and feasibility of AI as a KT intervention in pain management. The AI intervention requires minor refinements (e.g., incorporating continued follow-up meetings) to enhance its clinical utility and sustainability. The implementation process and effectiveness of the modified AI intervention require evaluation in a larger multisite study.

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