scholarly journals Efficacy of FFP3 respirators for prevention of SARS-CoV-2 infection in healthcare workers

eLife ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Ferris ◽  
Rebecca Ferris ◽  
Chris Workman ◽  
Eoin O'Connor ◽  
David A Enoch ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Medical Research Council ◽  
Screening Programme ◽  
Research Centre ◽  
Infection Rates ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Charitable Trust ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Second Wave

Background: Respiratory protective equipment recommended in the UK for healthcare workers (HCWs) caring for patients with COVID-19 comprises a fluid resistant surgical mask (FRSM), except in the context of aerosol generating procedures (AGPs). We previously demonstrated frequent pauci- and asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection HCWs during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK, using a comprehensive PCR-based HCW screening programme (Rivett et al., 2020; Jones et al., 2020). Methods: Here, we use observational data and mathematical modelling to analyse infection rates amongst HCWs working on 'red' (COVID-19) and 'green' (non-COVID-19) wards during the second wave of the pandemic, before and after the substitution of filtering face piece 3 (FFP3) respirators for FRSMs. Results: Whilst using FRSMs, HCWs working on red wards faced an approximately 31-fold (and at least 5-fold) increased risk of direct, ward-based infection. Conversely, after changing to FFP3 respirators, this risk was significantly reduced (52-100% protection). Conclusions: FFP3 respirators may therefore provide more effective protection than FRSMs for healthcare workers caring for patients with COVID-19, whether or not AGPs are undertaken. Funding: Wellcome Trust, Medical Research Council, Addenbrooke's Charitable Trust, NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, NHS Blood and Transfusion, UKRI.

Can multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging predict upgrading of transrectal ultrasound biopsy results at more definitive histology?11Mohamed Abd-Alazeez receives funding from the Egyptian government. Mark Emberton and Hashim U. Ahmed receive funding from USHIFU and Advanced Medical Diagnostics for clinical trials. Mark Emberton is a paid consultant for Steba Biotech, USHIFU and Sanofi-Aventis. Mark Emberton has received research support by GSK for a study evaluating the role of MRI in men with prostate cancer. Mark Emberton and Hashim Ahmed have previously received medical consultancy fees from GE Healthcare/Oncura and Hashim Ahmed previously from Steba Biotech. Mark Emberton is a medical director of Mediwatch PLC. Hashim Uddin Ahmed and Mark Emberton receive funding from the Medical Research Council, the NIHR-HTA, NIHR-i4i, the US NIH/NCI, Pelican Cancer Foundation, Prostate Cancer UK, and St Peter׳s Trust. This work was part funded by research support for Mark Emberton and Alex Kirkham from the UK National Institute of Health Research UCLH/UCL Comprehensive Biomedical Research Centre, London, UK.

2014 ◽  
Vol 32 (6) ◽  
pp. 741-747 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamed Abd-Alazeez ◽  
Hashim U. Ahmed ◽  
Manit Arya ◽  
Clare Allen ◽  
Nikolaos Dikaios ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prostate Cancer ◽  
Medical Research Council ◽  
Transrectal Ultrasound ◽  
Medical Diagnostics ◽  
Research Centre ◽  
Research Support ◽  
The Us ◽  
Egyptian Government ◽  
The Uk

Cervical cancer screening programme

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 526-533
Author(s):  
Ian Peate
Keyword(s):  
Cervical Cancer ◽  
Cancer Screening ◽  
Cervical Cancer Screening ◽  
Screening Programme ◽  
Cervical Screening ◽  
Signs And Symptoms ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Cancer Screening Programme ◽  
Cervical Cancer Screening Programme ◽  
The Uk

Screening for cervical cancer saves lives. This article provides an overview of cervical screening programmes offered by the NHS. All four countries in the UK provide a cervical cancer screening programme. Cervical screening identifies apparently healthy women who may be at increased risk of a disease or condition; this then provides an opportunity for earlier treatment or better informed decisions. In some instances, the healthcare assistant and assistant practitioner (HCA and AP) may be needed in order to provide assistance with the screening procedure, offering the woman physical and psychological support. This article offers the reader an overview of the cervix, along with a brief description of signs and symptoms of cervical cancer.

scholarly journals “Data makes the story come to life.” Understanding the ethical and legal implications of Big Data research involving ethnic minority healthcare workers: a qualitative study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward S. Dove ◽  
Ruby Reed-Berendt ◽  
Manish Pareek
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Big Data ◽  
Ethnic Minority ◽  
Health Research ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Minority Groups ◽  
Significant Implication ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
The Uk

The aim of UK-REACH (“The United Kingdom Research study into Ethnicity And COVID-19 outcomes in Healthcare workers”) is to understand if, how, and why healthcare workers (HCWs) in the UK from ethnic minority groups are at increased risk of poor outcomes from COVID-19. In this article, we present findings from Work Package 3, the ethico-legal stream, which undertook qualitative research seeking to understand and address legal, ethical, and social acceptability issues around data protection, privacy, and information governance associated with the linkage of HCWs’ registration data and healthcare data. We interviewed 22 key opinion leaders in healthcare and health research from across the UK in two-to-one semi-structured interviews. Transcripts were manually coded using qualitative thematic analysis. Participants told us that a significant implication across all stages of Big Data research in public health are drivers of mistrust – of the research itself, research staff and funders, and broader concerns of mistrust within participant communities, particularly in the context of COVID-19 and those situated in more marginalised community settings. However, despite the challenges, participants also identified ways in which legally compliant and ethically informed approaches to research can be crafted to mitigate or overcome mistrust and establish confidence in Big Data public health research. Overall, our research indicates that a “Big Data Ethics by Design” approach can help assure 1) that meaningful engagement is taking place and that extant challenges are addressed, and 2) that any new challenges or hitherto unknown unknowns can be rapidly and properly considered to ensure potential (but material) harms are identified and minimised where necessary. Our findings indicate such an approach, in turn, will help drive better scientific breakthroughs that translate into medical innovations and effective public health interventions, which benefit the publics studied.

scholarly journals Successful incorporation of a genetic risk prediction research platform into routine newborn screening

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Owen M Bendor-Samuel ◽  
Tabitha Wishlade ◽  
Louise Willis ◽  
Parvinder Aley ◽  
Edward Choi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Newborn Screening ◽  
Genetic Risk ◽  
Screening Programme ◽  
Genomic Medicine ◽  
Genetic Research ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Clinical Genetic ◽  
Screening Programs ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
The Uk

ABSTRACTAn increasing number of diseases can be offered treatments that are transformative if administered in a timely manner. However, many of these diseases are currently not included in the newborn screening programs because they lack sensitive and specific metabolic biomarkers, and detection of children at increased risk relies on genetic methods. Type 1 diabetes (T1D) constitutes a potential example of such disease.Between April 2018 and November 2020, over 15500 babies were enrolled into ‘INGR1D’ (Investigating Genetic Risk for T1D), a research study to identify newborns with an increased genetic risk of T1D. This project, performed as part of a T1D primary prevention study (the Primary Oral Insulin Trial, POInT), has helped to pioneer the integration of genetic screening into the NHS Newborn Blood Spot Screening Programme (NBSSP) for consenting mothers, without affecting the screening pathway. The use of prospective consent to perform personalised genetic testing on samples obtained through the routine NBSSP represents a novel mechanism for clinical genetic research in the UK and provides a model for further population based genetic studies in the newborn.This project builds on the UK’s role as a world leader in genomic medicine, e.g. through its inception and completion of the 100 000 Genomes Project, and its subsequent ambition to map 5 million further genomes over the next 5 years.Our aim is therefore to describe the methodology used by INGR1D as a way to demonstrate how a successful research and clinical trial tool can be integrated into a national screening programme, with the potential for the tool to be developed to incorporate multiple diseases with genetic markers without altering the screening pathway.

scholarly journals Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in previously undiagnosed health care workers in New Jersey, at the onset of the U.S. COVID-19 pandemic

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily S. Barrett ◽  
Daniel B. Horton ◽  
Jason Roy ◽  
Maria Laura Gennaro ◽  
Andrew Brooks ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Absolute Risk ◽  
Risk Difference ◽  
Infection Rates ◽  
University Hospitals ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Sectional Analysis

Abstract Background Healthcare workers (HCW) are presumed to be at increased risk of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection due to occupational exposure to infected patients. However, there has been little epidemiological research to assess these risks. Methods We conducted a prospective cohort study of HCW (n = 546) and non-healthcare workers (NHCW; n = 283) with no known prior SARS-CoV-2 infection who were recruited from a large U.S. university and two affiliated university hospitals. In this cross-sectional analysis of data collected at baseline, we examined SARS-CoV-2 infection status (as determined by presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in oropharyngeal swabs) by healthcare worker status and role. Results At baseline, 41 (5.0%) of the participants tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection, of whom 14 (34.2%) reported symptoms. The prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection was higher among HCW (7.3%) than in NHCW (0.4%), representing a 7.0% greater absolute risk (95% confidence interval for risk difference 4.7, 9.3%). The majority of infected HCW (62.5%) were nurses. Positive tests increased across the two weeks of cohort recruitment in line with rising confirmed cases in the hospitals and surrounding counties. Conclusions Overall, our results demonstrate that HCW had a higher prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection than NHCW. Continued follow-up of this cohort will enable us to monitor infection rates and examine risk factors for transmission.

Tuberculosis in healthcare workers, Scotland

2017 ◽  
Vol 62 (3) ◽  
pp. 101-103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin G Pollock ◽  
Eisin McDonald ◽  
Alison Smith-Palmer ◽  
Fiona Johnston ◽  
Syed Ahmed
Keyword(s):  
Incidence Rate ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Latent Tuberculosis Infection ◽  
Screening Programme ◽  
Latent Tuberculosis ◽  
Mycobacterial Infection ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Tuberculosis Infection ◽  
The Mean ◽  
The Uk

In an attempt to explore healthcare worker acquisition of tuberculosis infection, we conducted population-based surveillance of all cases recorded as healthcare workers reported to Enhanced Surveillance of Mycobacterial Infection from 2000 to 2015. Over the study period, the mean incidence rate of tuberculosis among all healthcare workers was 15.4 per 100,000 healthcare workers. However, the incidence rate of tuberculosis amongst those healthcare workers born outside the UK was 164.8 per 100,000 compared with 5.0 per 100,000 UK-born healthcare workers. Fifty-seven per cent of all non-UK-born healthcare workers were diagnosed within five years of their arrival in the UK and would have been new entrants to the NHS. An effective new entrant occupational health screening programme for latent tuberculosis infection may have prevented some of these active cases of infection.

scholarly journals Healthcare workers' SARS-CoV-2 infection rates during the second wave of the pandemic: prospective cohort study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Mette Wurtz ◽  
Martin B. Kinnerup ◽  
Kirsten Pugdal ◽  
Vivi Schlunssen ◽  
Jesper Medom Vestergaard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cohort Study ◽  
Incidence Rate ◽  
Prospective Cohort Study ◽  
Prospective Cohort ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Close Contact ◽  
Infection Rates ◽  
Positive Polymerase Chain Reaction ◽  
Preventive Actions ◽  
Second Wave

Objectives: To assess if healthcare workers during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic had increased SARS-CoV-2 infection rates following close contact with patients, co-workers and persons outside work with COVID-19. Design: Prospective cohort study. Setting: Public hospital employees in Denmark. Participants: 5985 healthcare workers (88.6% women) who daily on a smartphone reported COVID-19 contact. Main outcome measures: SARS-CoV-2 infection rates defined by the first positive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test recorded in a register with complete test coverage. Results: 159 positive and 35 996 negative PCR tests for SARS-CoV-2 were recorded during 514 165 person-days of follow-up November 25, 2020 - April 30, 2021. The SARS-CoV-2 infection rate for healthcare workers who during the previous 3-7 days had close contact with COVID-19 patients was 153.7 per 100 000 person-days (0.15% per day) corresponding with an incidence rate ratio of 3.17 (40 cases, 95% CI 2.15 to 4.66) when compared with no close contact with COVID-19 patients. SARS-CoV-2 incidence rate ratios following close contact with co-workers and persons outside work with COVID-19 were 2.54 (10 cases, 95% CI 1.30 to 4.96) and 17.79 (35 cases, 95% CI 12.05 to 26.28). These estimates were mutually adjusted and further adjusted for age, sex, month and number of previous PCR tests. Conclusions: Despite strong focus on preventive actions during the second wave of the pandemic, healthcare workers were still at increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection when in close contact with patients with COVID-19. The numbers affected were comparable to the numbers affected following COVID-19 contact outside work. Close contact with co-workers was also a risk factor. This stresses the need for increased focus on preventive actions to secure healthcare workers' health during ongoing and future waves of SARS-CoV-2 and other infections.

scholarly journals Urology Amidst the War on COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 113-119
Author(s):  
Bishoy Hanna ◽  
Stuart Jackson ◽  
Harry Narroway ◽  
Amanda Chung
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Elective Surgery ◽  
Length Of Hospital Stay ◽  
Infection Rates ◽  
Testing Procedures ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Hospital Resources ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact

Objectives: We sought to review the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the practice of urology internationally, with particular focus on the Australian response. Methods: A literature search of PubMed was conducted using search terms “urology,” “coronavirus,” “COVID-19,”and “surgery.” This generated 165 articles. The abstracts were reviewed for relevance, and 33 articles were selected, reviewed in depth, and information synthesised along with relevant government, surgical college, and urological society policy documents. Results: Extensive health care changes have been implemented worldwide to curb infection rates. Elective surgery cancellations have been widely mandated to curb infection rates with mixed success. Whilst demand on hospital resources was reduced by up to 80%, the estimated cost to clear the surgical backlog in the UK has reached £100 million. Strict perioperative precautions have also been employed with mandatory personal protective equipment for all surgical staff and guidelines fast tracked for safe aerosol-generating procedures. Attempts to reduce exposure to patients and health care workers resulted in compromised operative time, blood loss, and length of hospital stay, with potential increased risk of short- and long-term complications. Systemic changes to education and training have also been made. Clinically, the cancellation of training examinations and a freeze on rotations and elective surgery restrictions have blunted surgical experience and teaching. The effect has rippled through junior doctor positions, with uncertainty remaining for training positions in 2021. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic is the greatest current challenge facing health care worldwide. Amidst elective surgery restrictions, novel preoperative testing procedures and intraoperative precautions, providing safe and appropriate urological care is a major challenge. This review was derived entirely from expert opinion articles. Further research into the virus is needed to bring the world safely through the pandemic, and post-pandemic recovery will likely be the next challenge.

scholarly journals Puberty timing and adiposity change across childhood and adolescence: disentangling cause and consequence

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (12) ◽  
pp. 2784-2792
Author(s):  
Linda M O’Keeffe ◽  
Monika Frysz ◽  
Joshua A Bell ◽  
Laura D Howe ◽  
Abigail Fraser
Keyword(s):  
Medical Research ◽  
Fat Mass ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Research Council ◽  
Medical Research Council ◽  
Birth Cohort Study ◽  
Early Puberty ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Uk ◽  
University Of Bristol

Abstract STUDY QUESTION Is earlier puberty more likely a result of adiposity gain in childhood than a cause of adiposity gain in adulthood? SUMMARY ANSWER Pre-pubertal fat mass is associated with earlier puberty timing but puberty timing is not associated with post-pubertal fat mass change. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Age at puberty onset has decreased substantially in the last several decades. Whether reducing childhood adiposity prevents earlier puberty and if early puberty prevention itself also has additional independent benefits for prevention of adult adiposity is not well understood. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION Prospective birth cohort study of 4176 participants born in 1991/1992 with 18 232 repeated measures of fat mass from age 9 to 18 years. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS We used repeated measures of height from 5 to 20 years to identify puberty timing (age at peak height velocity, aPHV) and repeated measures of directly measured fat mass from age 9 to 18 years, from a contemporary UK birth cohort study to model fat mass trajectories by chronological age and by time before and after puberty onset. We then examined associations of these trajectories with puberty timing separately in females and males. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE In models by chronological age, a 1-year later aPHV was associated with 20.5% (95% confidence interval (CI): 18.6–22.4%) and 23.4% (95% (CI): 21.3–25.5%) lower fat mass in females and males, respectively, at 9 years. These differences were smaller at age 18 years: 7.8% (95% (CI): 5.9–9.6%) and 12.4% (95% (CI): 9.6–15.2%) lower fat mass in females and males per year later aPHV. Trajectories of fat mass by time before and after puberty provided strong evidence for an association of pre-pubertal fat mass with puberty timing, and little evidence of an association of puberty timing with post-pubertal fat mass change. The role of chance is likely to be small in this study given the large sample sizes available. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION Participants included in our analyses were more socially advantaged than those excluded. The findings of this work may not apply to non-White populations and further work examining associations of puberty timing and fat mass in other ethnicities is required. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS Previous research has relied on self-reported measures of puberty timing such as age of voice breaking in males, has lacked data on pre-and post-pubertal adiposity together and relied predominantly on indirect measures of adiposity such as BMI. This has led to conflicting results on the nature and direction of the association between puberty timing and adiposity in females and males. Our work provides important clarity on this, suggesting that prevention of adiposity in childhood is key for prevention of early puberty, adult adiposity and associated cardiovascular risk. In contrast, our findings suggest that prevention of early puberty without prevention of childhood adiposity would have little impact on prevention of adult adiposity. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) The UK Medical Research Council and Wellcome (Grant ref: 102215/2/13/2) and the University of Bristol provide core support for Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). L.M.O.K. is supported by a UK Medical Research Council Population Health Scientist fellowship (MR/M014509/1) and a Health Research Board (HRB) of Ireland Emerging Investigator Award (EIA-FA-2019-007 SCaRLeT). J.A.B. is supported by the Elizabeth Blackwell Institute for Health Research, University of Bristol and the Wellcome Trust Institutional Strategic Support Fund (204813/Z/16/Z). L.D.H. and A.F. are supported by Career Development Awards from the UK Medical Research Council (grants MR/M020894/1 and MR/M009351/1, respectively). All authors work in a unit that receives funds from the UK Medical Research Council (grant MC_UU_00011/3, MC_UU_00011/6). No competing interests to declare. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER N/A.

scholarly journals Job Type, Neighborhood Prevalence, and Risk of COVID-19 Among Healthcare Workers in New York City

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Fran A. Ganz-Lord ◽  
Kathryn R. Segal
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
New York City ◽  
York City ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Environmental Services ◽  
Infection Rates ◽  
Job Type ◽  
Increased Risk

NARRATIVE ABSTRACT This study compared the risk of COVID-19 between clinical and non-clinical HCWs while adjusting for home zip codes. Clinical HCWs did not have higher risk of COVID-19, but living in higher-risk zip codes was associated with increased infection rates. However, environmental services workers showed increased risk of COVID-19.

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