scholarly journals Spatial variability of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the Silesian voivodeship, Poland

2020 ◽  
pp. 432-440
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Epidemiological Data ◽  
Study Data ◽  
Risk Of Infection ◽  
Descriptive Model ◽  
Global Challenge ◽  
Molecular Tests ◽  
Secondary Form ◽  
Source Of Information ◽  
Symptomatic Form

INTRODUCTION. SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) and related to infection COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) remain a new and global challenge for public health. Due to the location, specifics of employment, and the high density of population in the Silesia voivodeship it is appropriate to study the available epidemiological data in a region with a potentially higher risk of infection. MATERIALS AND METHODS. In the descriptive model of the study, data on the number of infected, hospitalized, and dead people due to SARS-CoV-2 infection were analyzed. The source of information was daily reports conducted by the Provincial Sanitary and Epidemiological Station in Katowice, in the period from March 5 to August 18, 2020. RESULTS. Results of antigenic molecular tests for SARS-CoV-2 infection in the Silesian voivodeship indicate that in the first half of 2020, the infection rate was approximately 5% and the symptomatic form of the disease was approximately 20%. CONCLUSIONS. The analysis of the frequency of infection and mortality in the poviats reveals a large variation in the occurrence of both phenomena, but the explanation of this difference is not possible due to the descriptive nature of the analysis and the secondary form of epidemiological data.

scholarly journals COVID-19 Susceptibility and Severity Risks in a Survey of Over 500,000 People

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Spencer C. Knight ◽  
Shannon R. McCurdy ◽  
Brooke Rhead ◽  
Marie V. Coignet ◽  
Danny S. Park ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Risk Factors ◽  
Nasal Swab ◽  
Area Under The Curve ◽  
Epidemiological Data ◽  
Large Datasets ◽  
Risk Of Infection ◽  
Risk Models ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
The U.S

AbstractThe growing toll of the COVID-19 pandemic has heightened the urgency of identifying individuals most at risk of infection and severe outcomes, underscoring the need to assess susceptibility and severity patterns in large datasets.1 The AncestryDNA COVID-19 Study collected self-reported survey data on symptoms, outcomes, risk factors, and exposures for over 563,000 adult individuals in the U.S., including over 4,700 COVID-19 cases as measured by a self-reported positive nasal swab test. We observed significant associations between several risk factors and COVID-19 susceptibility and severity outcomes. Many of the susceptibility associations were accounted for by differences in known exposures; a notable exception was elevated susceptibility odds for males after adjusting for known exposures and age. We also leveraged the dataset to build risk models to robustly predict individualized COVID-19 susceptibility (area under the curve [AUC]=0.84) and severity outcomes including hospitalization and life-threatening critical illness amongst COVID-19 cases (AUC=0.87 and 0.90, respectively). The results highlight the value of self-reported epidemiological data at scale to provide public health insights into the evolving COVID-19 pandemic.

Disposal Practices of Unused Medications Among Patients in Public Health Centers of Dessie Town, Northeast Ethiopia: A Cross-sectional Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 105-110
Author(s):  
Haile Kassahun ◽  
Dugessa Tesfaye
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Health Centers ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Global Challenge ◽  
Northeast Ethiopia ◽  
Unused Medications ◽  
At Home

Background: Disposal of pharmaceutical waste among patients is a global challenge especially in developing countries like Ethiopia. Improper medication disposal can lead to health problems and environmental contaminations. Therefore, the present study aimed to assess disposal practices of unused medications among patients in public health centers of Dessie town, Northeast Ethiopia. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 263 patients in four public health centers of Dessie town, Ethiopia from March to June, 2019. Face-to-face interviews using structured questionnaires were used to collect data from each study subject. Results: The majority of the respondents, 224 (85.17%) had unused medications at their home during the study period. The most commonly reported disposal method in the present study was flushing down into a toilet 66 (25.09%). None of the respondents practiced returning unused medications to Pharmacy. Moreover, 85 (32.31%) of the respondents reported never disposing their medications and believed that it is acceptable to store medications at home for future use. Conclusion: In the present study, there was a high practice of keeping medications at home and most of the disposal practices were not recommended methods. In addition, most of the respondents did not get advice from pharmacists and other health care professionals on how to dispose off unused medications. Hence, there is a need for proper education and guidance of patients regarding disposal practices of unused medications.

scholarly journals Rubella Immunity among Pregnant Women in a Canadian Provincial Screening Program

2009 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 73-77 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark J Kearns ◽  
Sabrina S Plitt ◽  
Bonita E Lee ◽  
Joan L Robinson
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Screening Program ◽  
Study Data ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Childbearing Age ◽  
Younger Women ◽  
The Public ◽  
Health Significance ◽  
Health Database ◽  
Northern Alberta

BACKGROUND: There are limited recent data on rubella immunity in women of childbearing age in Canada. In the present paper, the proportion of rubella seroreactivity and redundant testing (testing of women previously seropositive when tested by the same physician) in the Alberta prenatal rubella screening program were studied.METHODS: In the present retrospective observational study, data on all specimens submitted for prenatal screening in Alberta between August 2002 and December 2005 were extracted from the Provincial Laboratory for Public Health database. The proportion of rubella screening and immunoglobulin G (IgG) seroreactivity were determined. Demographic variables were compared between rubella seroreactors and nonseroreactors. The proportion of redundant testing was determined.RESULTS: Of 159,046 prenatal specimens, 88.3% (n=140,473) were screened for rubella immunity. In total, 8.8% of specimens tested negative for rubella IgG. Younger women (23.2% of women younger than 20 years of age versus 4.7% of women between 35 and 39 years of age; P<0.001) and women from northern Alberta (11.9% versus 8.1% [overall]; P<0.001) were significantly more likely to have seronegative specimens. Of the 20,044 women who had multiple rubella immunity screenings, 88.1% (n=17,651) had multiple positive test results. In total, 20.7% of the 42,274 specimens submitted from women with multiple screenings were deemed redundant.DISCUSSION: Younger women were most likely to be seronegative for rubella. The public health significance of women entering their childbearing years with low or undetectable rubella IgG levels remains to be determined. A large number of women with documented rubella immunity were unnecessarily retested.

scholarly journals A participatory modelling approach for investigating the spread of COVID-19 in countries of the Eastern Mediterranean Region to support public health decision-making

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. e005207
Author(s):  
Keyrellous Adib ◽  
Penelope A Hancock ◽  
Aysel Rahimli ◽  
Bridget Mugisa ◽  
Fayez Abdulrazeq ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Mediterranean Region ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean Region ◽  
Epidemiological Data ◽  
Regional Office ◽  
Participatory Modelling ◽  
Public Health Decision ◽  
Epidemiological Modelling

Early on in the COVID-19 pandemic, the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office recognised the importance of epidemiological modelling to forecast the progression of the COVID-19 pandemic to support decisions guiding the implementation of response measures. We established a modelling support team to facilitate the application of epidemiological modelling analyses in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) countries. Here, we present an innovative, stepwise approach to participatory modelling of the COVID-19 pandemic that engaged decision-makers and public health professionals from countries throughout all stages of the modelling process. Our approach consisted of first identifying the relevant policy questions, collecting country-specific data and interpreting model findings from a decision-maker’s perspective, as well as communicating model uncertainty. We used a simple modelling methodology that was adaptable to the shortage of epidemiological data, and the limited modelling capacity, in our region. We discuss the benefits of using models to produce rapid decision-making guidance for COVID-19 control in the WHO EMR, as well as challenges that we have experienced regarding conveying uncertainty associated with model results, synthesising and comparing results across multiple modelling approaches, and modelling fragile and conflict-affected states.

scholarly journals A case of neck abscess caused by rare hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae, capsular type K20 and sequence type 420

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
John Alexander McHardy ◽  
Vathshalan Selvaganeshapillai ◽  
Priya Khanna ◽  
Ashley Michael Whittington ◽  
Jane Turton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Case Report ◽  
Antimicrobial Resistance ◽  
Klebsiella Pneumoniae ◽  
East Asia ◽  
South East Asia ◽  
Neck Abscess ◽  
Global Challenge ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
The Uk

Abstract Background This case report describes a neck abscess caused by a strain of Hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae in a middle aged man with diabetes without a history of travel to East and South East Asia. This case report is of notable significance as Hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae neck abscesses are rarely seen in the UK and are very infrequently documented in individuals who have not first travelled to the high prevalence areas of East and South East Asia. Case presentation This case report describes a 53 year old diabetic man who contracted a Hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae neck abscess which led to the development of sepsis. Klebsiella pneumoniae was cultured from blood cultures and fluid aspirated from the abscess grew the pathogen with same antimicrobial susceptibility. Hypervirulence was demonstrated after the samples were analysed, at the Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare Associated Infections Reference Unit Public Health England Colindale, and found to contain the K20 (rmp)A and rmpA2 virulence genes. Discussion Hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae is a Gram-negative, encapsulated, non-motile bacillus notable for its ability to metastatically spread and cause potentially life threatening infections in otherwise healthy adults, but especially in those with diabetes. Genes responsible for the production of hyperviscous mucoid polysaccharide capsules and siderophores, such as those isolated in this case, enable the bacteria to more efficiently evade the hosts immune system and disseminate and invade surrounding and distant tissues. Data from Public Health England shows Hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae are rare in the UK. A review of current literature also showed Hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae almost exclusively occur in those who have traveled to East and South East Asia. Conclusions This case reported a rare Hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae neck abscess outside of, and without travel to, East and South East Asia. This raises concerns about future, potentially life threatening, Hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae infections becoming more widespread without the need for endemic travel. This concern is further exacerbated by the growing global challenge of antimicrobial resistance.

scholarly journals Public Interest in Neurological Diseases on Wikipedia during Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-63
Author(s):  
Stela Rutovic ◽  
Ana Isabel Fumagalli ◽  
Inna Lutsenko ◽  
Francesco Corea
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Public Policy ◽  
Public Interest ◽  
Neurological Disease ◽  
General Trend ◽  
Neurological Diseases ◽  
Information Distribution ◽  
Research Discipline ◽  
Online Encyclopedia ◽  
Source Of Information

Infodemiology is a research discipline that investigates parameters of information distribution in order to support public health and public policy. Wikipedia, a free online encyclopedia, is commonly used as a source of information for infodemiological studies. Using Pageviews analysis, we descriptively assessed the total monthly number of views of the Wikipedia articles in English describing main neurological diseases in the period from January 2018 to July 2020. Our results show a general trend of a decrease in interest in neurological disease-related pages throughout years and especially during the burst of interest towards coronavirus. The monitoring of infodemiological indicators shall be prioritized to reshape global campaigns and tailored advocacy programs.

scholarly journals SARS-CoV-2 shifting transmission dynamics and hidden reservoirs potentially limit efficacy of public health interventions in Italy

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta Giovanetti ◽  
Eleonora Cella ◽  
Francesca Benedetti ◽  
Brittany Rife Magalis ◽  
Vagner Fonseca ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Epidemiological Data ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Transmission Dynamics ◽  
Public Health Interventions ◽  
Viral Spread ◽  
Three Phase ◽  
Phylodynamic Analysis ◽  
Epidemic Wave ◽  
Over Time

AbstractWe investigated SARS-CoV-2 transmission dynamics in Italy, one of the countries hit hardest by the pandemic, using phylodynamic analysis of viral genetic and epidemiological data. We observed the co-circulation of multiple SARS-CoV-2 lineages over time, which were linked to multiple importations and characterized by large transmission clusters concomitant with a high number of infections. Subsequent implementation of a three-phase nationwide lockdown strategy greatly reduced infection numbers and hospitalizations. Yet we present evidence of sustained viral spread among sporadic clusters acting as “hidden reservoirs” during summer 2020. Mathematical modelling shows that increased mobility among residents eventually catalyzed the coalescence of such clusters, thus driving up the number of infections and initiating a new epidemic wave. Our results suggest that the efficacy of public health interventions is, ultimately, limited by the size and structure of epidemic reservoirs, which may warrant prioritization during vaccine deployment.

scholarly journals COVID-19 in patients undergoing chronic kidney replacement therapy and kidney transplant recipients in Scotland: findings and experience from the Scottish renal registry

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Samira Bell ◽  
◽  
Jacqueline Campbell ◽  
Jackie McDonald ◽  
Martin O’Neill ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Replacement Therapy ◽  
Study Data ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Kidney Transplant Recipients ◽  
The Public ◽  
Transplant Patients ◽  
Kidney Replacement Therapy ◽  
Observational Cohort ◽  
Respiratory Coronavirus

Abstract Background Infection with the severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has led to a worldwide pandemic with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, overwhelming healthcare systems globally. Preliminary reports suggest a high incidence of infection and mortality with SARS-CoV-2 in patients receiving kidney replacement therapy (KRT). The aims of this study are to report characteristics, rates and outcomes of all patients affected by infection with SARS-CoV-2 undergoing KRT in Scotland. Methods Study design was an observational cohort study. Data were linked between the Scottish Renal Registry, Health Protection Scotland and the Scottish Intensive Care Society Audit Group national data sets using a unique patient identifier (Community Health Index (CHI)) for each individual by the Public Health and Intelligence unit of Public Health, Scotland. Descriptive statistics and survival analyses were performed. Results During the period 1st March 2020 to 31st May 2020, 110 patients receiving KRT tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 amounting to 2% of the prevalent KRT population. Of those affected, 86 were receiving haemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis and 24 had a renal transplant. Patients who tested positive were older and more likely to reside in more deprived postcodes. Mortality was high at 26.7% in the dialysis patients and 29.2% in the transplant patients. Conclusion The rate of detected SARS-CoV-2 in people receiving KRT in Scotland was relatively low but with a high mortality for those demonstrating infection. Although impossible to confirm, it appears that the measures taken within dialysis units coupled with the national shielding policy, have been effective in protecting this population from infection.

Triage Management, Survival, and the Law in the Age of Ebola

2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 38-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frederick M Burkle ◽  
Christopher M Burkle
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
International Health ◽  
Epidemiological Data ◽  
Population Based ◽  
World Health ◽  
Economic Stability ◽  
Budget Cuts ◽  
The Public ◽  
Level 3 ◽  
Health Organization

AbstractLiberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea lack the public health infrastructure, economic stability, and overall governance to stem the spread of Ebola. Even with robust outside assistance, the epidemiological data have not improved. Vital resource management is haphazard and left to the discretion of individual Ebola treatment units. Only recently has the International Health Regulations (IHR) and World Health Organization (WHO) declared Ebola a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, making this crisis their fifth ongoing level 3 emergency. In particular, the WHO has been severely compromised by post-2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) staffing, budget cuts, a weakened IHR treaty, and no unambiguous legal mandate. Population-based triage management under a central authority is indicated to control the transmission and ensure fair and decisive resource allocation across all triage categories. The shared responsibilities critical to global health solutions must be realized and the rightful attention, sustained resources, and properly placed legal authority be assured within the WHO, the IHR, and the vulnerable nations. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2014;0:1-6)

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