scholarly journals Mobile Phone-Based Population Flow Data for the COVID-19 Outbreak in Mainland China

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Xin Lu ◽  
Jing Tan ◽  
Ziqiang Cao ◽  
Yiquan Xiong ◽  
Shuo Qin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Driving Forces ◽  
National Level ◽  
Mainland China ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Human Migration ◽  
Virus Spread ◽  
Risk Population ◽  
Population Movements ◽  
Infectious Disease Outbreaks

Background. Human migration is one of the driving forces for amplifying localized infectious disease outbreaks into widespread epidemics. During the outbreak of COVID-19 in China, the travels of the population from Wuhan have furthered the spread of the virus as the period coincided with the world’s largest population movement to celebrate the Chinese New Year. Methods. We have collected and made public an anonymous and aggregated mobility dataset extracted from mobile phones at the national level, describing the outflows of population travel from Wuhan. We evaluated the correlation between population movements and the virus spread by the dates when the number of diagnosed cases was documented. Results. From Jan 1 to Jan 22 of 2020, a total of 20.2 million movements of at-risk population occurred from Wuhan to other regions in China. A large proportion of these movements occurred within Hubei province (84.5%), and a substantial increase of travels was observed even before the beginning of the official Chinese Spring Festival Travel. The outbound flows from Wuhan before the lockdown were found strongly correlated with the number of diagnosed cases in the destination cities (log-transformed). Conclusions. The regions with the highest volume of receiving at-risk populations were identified. The movements of the at-risk population were strongly associated with the virus spread. These results together with province-by-province reports have been provided to governmental authorities to aid policy decisions at both the state and provincial levels. We believe that the effort in making this data available is extremely important for COVID-19 modelling and prediction.

scholarly journals When disasters strike the emergency department: a case series and narrative review

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dennis G. Barten ◽  
Vincent W. Klokman ◽  
Sigrid Cleef ◽  
Nathalie A. L. R. Peters ◽  
Edward C. T. H. Tan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Structural Damage ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Case Series ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Mass Casualty ◽  
Acute Onset ◽  
Infectious Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Information And Communication

Abstract Introduction Emergency departments (EDs) are reasonably well prepared for external disasters, such as natural disasters, mass casualty incidents, and terrorist attacks. However, crises and disasters that emerge and unfold within hospitals appear to be more common than external events. EDs are often affected. Internal hospital crises and disasters (IHCDs) have the potential to endanger patients, staff, and visitors, and to undermine the integrity of the facility as a steward of public health and safety. Furthermore, ED patient safety and logistics may be seriously hampered. Methods Case series of 3 disasters within EDs. Narrative overview of the current IHCD-related literature retrieved from searches of PubMed databases, hand searches, and authoritative texts. Discussion The causes of IHCDs are multifaceted and an internal disaster is often the result of a cascade of events. They may or may not be associated with a community-wide event. Examples include fires, floods, power outages, structural damage, information and communication technology (ICT) failures, and cyberattacks. EDs are particularly at-risk. While acute-onset disasters have immediate consequences for acute care services, epidemics and pandemics are threats that can have long-term sequelae. Conclusions Hospitals and their EDs are at-risk for crises and their potential escalation to hospital disasters. Emerging risks due to climate-related emergencies, infectious disease outbreaks, terrorism, and cyberattacks pose particular threats. If a hospital is not prepared for IHCDs, it undermines the capacity of administration and staff to safeguard the safety of patients. Therefore, hospitals and their EDs must check and where necessary enhance their preparedness for these contingencies.

scholarly journals Resident physicians’ mental health during COVID-19: Advocating for supports during and post pandemic

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma Gregory
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
At Risk ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Infectious Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
Resident Physicians ◽  
Rapid Responses ◽  
Healthcare Work ◽  
Mental Health Effects ◽  
Frontline Healthcare Workers

There is already considerable evidence of how this novel corona virus (COVID-19) has had a major impact on our mental health and wellbeing. We are reminded of the mental health consequences of previous infectious disease outbreaks, not only for the public, but for frontline healthcare workers. Yet the lived experiences of resident physicians are missing from this discussion despite them being essential to the COVID-19 response and continuing to provide care during this time. The author asserts that considering what is known about the mental health effects of frontline healthcare work during previous outbreaks, residents are at risk given their role as physicians. In addition to baseline systemic stressors that put residents at risk of mental distress, they also face COVID-19 related stressors that exacerbate the risk given their role as trainees too. The author acknowledges and welcomes several rapid responses to residents’ developing mental health needs from medical leaders across Canadian hospitals, programs, and resident bodies. Ultimately, however, medical leaders need to advocate for and implement changes that will support residents’ mental health now and in the long-term well after COVID-19 has left its mark.

Towards Polio Eradication in Nigeria: Identifying at Risk Population for Low Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) Uptake

PEDIATRICS ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 137 (Supplement 3) ◽  
pp. 389A-389A
Author(s):  
Oluyemisi O. Falope ◽  
Korede K. Adegoke ◽  
Chukwudi O. Ejiofor ◽  
Nnadozie C. Emechebe ◽  
Taiwo O Talabi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Oral Polio Vaccine ◽  
Polio Eradication ◽  
Risk Population ◽  
Polio Vaccine

scholarly journals Infectious disease outbreaks in the African region: overview of events reported to the World Health Organization in 2018

2019 ◽  
Vol 147 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Mboussou ◽  
P. Ndumbi ◽  
R. Ngom ◽  
Z. Kassamali ◽  
O. Ogundiran ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Disease Onset ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Case Fatality ◽  
World Health ◽  
African Region ◽  
Regional Office ◽  
Member States ◽  
Infectious Disease Outbreaks ◽  
The World

Abstract The WHO African region is characterised by the largest infectious disease burden in the world. We conducted a retrospective descriptive analysis using records of all infectious disease outbreaks formally reported to the WHO in 2018 by Member States of the African region. We analysed the spatio-temporal distribution, the notification delay as well as the morbidity and mortality associated with these outbreaks. In 2018, 96 new disease outbreaks were reported across 36 of the 47 Member States. The most commonly reported disease outbreak was cholera which accounted for 20.8% (n = 20) of all events, followed by measles (n = 11, 11.5%) and Yellow fever (n = 7, 7.3%). About a quarter of the outbreaks (n = 23) were reported following signals detected through media monitoring conducted at the WHO regional office for Africa. The median delay between the disease onset and WHO notification was 16 days (range: 0–184). A total of 107 167 people were directly affected including 1221 deaths (mean case fatality ratio (CFR): 1.14% (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.07%–1.20%)). The highest CFR was observed for diseases targeted for eradication or elimination: 3.45% (95% CI 0.89%–10.45%). The African region remains prone to outbreaks of infectious diseases. It is therefore critical that Member States improve their capacities to rapidly detect, report and respond to public health events.

scholarly journals Antibiotic Prescriptions among China Ambulatory Care Visits of Pregnant Women: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study

Antibiotics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 601
Author(s):  
Houyu Zhao ◽  
Mei Zhang ◽  
Jiaming Bian ◽  
Siyan Zhan
Keyword(s):  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Ambulatory Care ◽  
National Level ◽  
Mainland China ◽  
Antibiotic Use ◽  
First Trimester ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Fetal Safety ◽  
First Trimester Of Pregnancy

Background: Antibiotic use in pregnant women at the national level has rarely been reported in China. Objectives: We aimed to investigate antibiotic prescriptions during pregnancy in ambulatory care settings in China. Methods: Data of 4,574,961 ambulatory care visits of pregnant women from October 2014 to April 2018 were analyzed. Percentages of Antibiotic prescriptions by different subgroups and various diagnosis categories and proportions of inappropriate antibiotic prescriptions for different subgroups were estimated. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) pregnancy categories were used to describe the antibiotic prescription patterns. The 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using the Clopper––Pearson method or Goodman method. Results: Among the 4,574,961 outpatient visits during pregnancy, 2.0% (92,514 visits; 95% CI, 2.0–2.0%) were prescribed at least one antibiotic. The percentage of antibiotic prescriptions for pregnant women aged >40 years was 4.9% (95% CI, 4.7–5.0%), whereas that for pregnant women aged 26–30 years was 1.5% (95% CI, 1.4–1.5%). In addition, percentages of antibiotic prescriptions varied among different trimesters of pregnancy, which were 5.4% (95% CI, 5.3–5.4%) for the visits in the first trimester of pregnancy and 0.5% (95% CI, 0.4–0.5%) in the third trimester of pregnancy. Furthermore, the percentages of antibiotic prescriptions substantially varied among different diagnosis categories and nearly three-quarters of antibiotic prescriptions had no clear indications and thus might be inappropriate. In total, 130,308 individual antibiotics were prescribed; among these, 60.4% (95% CI, 60.0–60.8%) belonged to FDA category B, 2.7% (95% CI, 2.1–3.5%) were classified as FDA category D and 16.8% (95% CI, 16.2–17.4%) were not assigned any FDA pregnancy category. Conclusions: Antibiotic prescriptions in ambulatory care during pregnancy were not highly prevalent in mainland China. However, a substantial proportion of antibiotics might have been prescribed without adequate indications. Antibiotics whose fetal safety has not been sufficiently illustrated were widely used in pregnant women.

scholarly journals Antimicrobial Activity of Chitosan Oligosaccharides with Special Attention to Antiparasitic Potential

Marine Drugs ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 110
Author(s):  
Nayara Sousa da Silva ◽  
Nathália Kelly Araújo ◽  
Alessandra Daniele-Silva ◽  
Johny Wysllas de Freitas Oliveira ◽  
Júlia Maria de Medeiros ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Biological Properties ◽  
Enzymatic Production ◽  
Infectious Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Chitosan Oligosaccharides ◽  
Lower Viscosity ◽  
Biomedical Industry ◽  
Parasite Aggregation ◽  
Hydrolysis Of

The global rise of infectious disease outbreaks and the progression of microbial resistance reinforce the importance of researching new biomolecules. Obtained from the hydrolysis of chitosan, chitooligosaccharides (COSs) have demonstrated several biological properties, including antimicrobial, and greater advantage over chitosan due to their higher solubility and lower viscosity. Despite the evidence of the biotechnological potential of COSs, their effects on trypanosomatids are still scarce. The objectives of this study were the enzymatic production, characterization, and in vitro evaluation of the cytotoxic, antibacterial, antifungal, and antiparasitic effects of COSs. NMR and mass spectrometry analyses indicated the presence of a mixture with 81% deacetylated COS and acetylated hexamers. COSs demonstrated no evidence of cytotoxicity upon 2 mg/mL. In addition, COSs showed interesting activity against bacteria and yeasts and a time-dependent parasitic inhibition. Scanning electron microscopy images indicated a parasite aggregation ability of COSs. Thus, the broad biological effect of COSs makes them a promising molecule for the biomedical industry.

scholarly journals 549. Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of Patients with COVID-19 treated with Convalescent Plasma in Miami, Florida

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S340-S341
Author(s):  
Shweta Anjan ◽  
Dimitra Skiada ◽  
Miriam Andrea Duque Cuartas ◽  
Douglas Salguero ◽  
David P Serota ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Treatment Options ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Nasopharyngeal Swab ◽  
Rt Pcr ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Infectious Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Reactive Protein ◽  
High Acuity ◽  
Us Fda ◽  
Oxygen Requirements

Abstract Background The Coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) global health crisis caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has resulted in unprecedented mortality, impacted society, and strained healthcare systems, yet sufficient data regarding treatment options are lacking. Convalescent plasma, used since 1895 for infectious disease outbreaks, offers promise as a treatment option for COVID-19. Methods This is a retrospective study of patients diagnosed by a nasopharyngeal swab SARS-CoV-2 reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), who received convalescent plasma between April to June 2020 at two large hospitals in Miami, Florida, as part of the US FDA Expanded Access Program for COVID-19 convalescent plasma (CCP). Results A total of 23 patients received CCP, 13 (57%) had severe COVID-19 disease, while 8 (35%) had critical or critical with multiorgan dysfunction. Median time of follow up was 26 (range, 7–79) days. Overall, 11 (48%) survived to discharge, 6 (26%) died, while 6 (26%) are currently hospitalized. All deaths reported were due to septic shock from secondary infections. 15 (65%) showed improvement in oxygen requirements 7 days post CCP transfusion. Measured inflammatory markers, c-reactive protein, lactate dehydrogenase, ferritin and d-dimer improved 7 days post transfusion in 13 (57%) patients. No adverse events due to the transfusion were reported. 10 (43.4%) patients had a negative SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR at a median of 14.5 (range, 4–31) days after receiving convalescent plasma. Conclusion Administration of convalescent plasma was found to be safe, with favorable outcomes in this small cohort of relatively high acuity patients. Larger studies including control arms are needed to establish the efficacy of convalescent plasma on clinical and virologic outcomes for patients with COVID-19. Table Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

scholarly journals Digital proximity tracing on empirical contact networks for pandemic control

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Cencetti ◽  
G. Santin ◽  
A. Longa ◽  
E. Pigani ◽  
A. Barrat ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Physical Distance ◽  
Contact Tracing ◽  
Reproductive Number ◽  
Modeling Framework ◽  
Infectious Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Contact Patterns ◽  
Contact Data ◽  
The Impact

AbstractDigital contact tracing is a relevant tool to control infectious disease outbreaks, including the COVID-19 epidemic. Early work evaluating digital contact tracing omitted important features and heterogeneities of real-world contact patterns influencing contagion dynamics. We fill this gap with a modeling framework informed by empirical high-resolution contact data to analyze the impact of digital contact tracing in the COVID-19 pandemic. We investigate how well contact tracing apps, coupled with the quarantine of identified contacts, can mitigate the spread in real environments. We find that restrictive policies are more effective in containing the epidemic but come at the cost of unnecessary large-scale quarantines. Policy evaluation through their efficiency and cost results in optimized solutions which only consider contacts longer than 15–20 minutes and closer than 2–3 meters to be at risk. Our results show that isolation and tracing can help control re-emerging outbreaks when some conditions are met: (i) a reduction of the reproductive number through masks and physical distance; (ii) a low-delay isolation of infected individuals; (iii) a high compliance. Finally, we observe the inefficacy of a less privacy-preserving tracing involving second order contacts. Our results may inform digital contact tracing efforts currently being implemented across several countries worldwide.

Essence and Scope of Strengthening Community-Based Preventive Child Care and Protection Systems in India

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ranjan Kanti Panda ◽  
Lopamudra Mullick ◽  
Subhadeep Adhikari ◽  
Neepa Basu ◽  
Archana Kumari
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Child Care ◽  
Child Protection ◽  
Public Discourse ◽  
National Level ◽  
Family Care ◽  
Children At Risk ◽  
Development Organization ◽  
Sectoral Development ◽  
Family Based

This article reflects different programmes and resource components that may be promoted to keep children with either their own family or within alternative family care, satisfying the rights of their overall development. In India, the concept of promoting family-based care mechanisms through government systems has not been fully realised, owing to lack of synergy between resource allocation and existing government programmes, policies and plans of action for child protection. Additionally, the common public discourse is that Child Care Institutions (CCIs) offer suitable care and protection for children outside the parental care. CCIs continue to be identified as the ultimate and the most common response for children at risk. This practice nullifies the scope to explore opportunities for the child to live with their family or in any alternative family care mechanisms. Child in Need Institute (CINI), 1 1 CINI is a national level development organization working on establishing child-friendly communities through its work on health, nutrition, child protection and education for the last forty-five years in India. partnering with Hope and Homes for Children, have analysed the vulnerability factors that led children to arrive at the selected CCIs in Ranchi and Khunti districts of Jharkhand in India. While working with children in the communities, CINI endeavoured to understand the drivers and vulnerabilities leading to family/child separation and what mechanisms could address the vulnerabilities at source and prevent separation. CINI promoted a participatory governance process with the involvement of community-level institutions along with children’s and women’s groups, incubating safe spaces for children that aided in identifying, tracking and promoting multi-sectoral development plans for children at risk. 

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