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2022 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paolo Malune ◽  
Giovanna Piras ◽  
Maria Monne ◽  
Maura Fiamma ◽  
Rosanna Asproni ◽  
...  

BackgroundThe SARS-CoV-2 pandemic stimulated an outstanding global sequencing effort, which allowed to monitor viral circulation and evolution. Nuoro province (Sardinia, Italy), characterized by a relatively isolated geographical location and a low population density, was severely hit and displayed a high incidence of infection.MethodsAmplicon approach Next Generation Sequencing and subsequent variant calling in 92 respiratory samples from SARS-CoV-2 infected patients involved in infection clusters from March 2020 to May 2021.ResultsPhylogenetic analysis displayed a coherent distribution of sequences in terms of lineage and temporal evolution of pandemic. Circulating lineage/clade characterization highlighted a growing diversity over time, with an increasingly growing number of mutations and variability of spike and nucleocapsid proteins, while viral RdRp appeared to be more conserved. A total of 384 different mutations were detected, of which 196 were missense and 147 synonymous ones. Mapping mutations along the viral genome showed an irregular distribution in key genes. S gene was the most mutated gene with missense and synonymous variants frequencies of 58.8 and 23.5%, respectively. Mutation rates were similar for the S and N genes with one mutation every ∼788 nucleotides and every ∼712 nucleotides, respectively. Nsp12 gene appeared to be more conserved, with one mutation every ∼1,270 nucleotides. The frequency of variant Y144F in the spike protein deviated from global values with higher prevalence of this mutation in the island.ConclusionThe analysis of the 92 viral genome highlighted evolution over time and identified which mutations are more widespread than others. The high number of sequences also permits the identification of subclusters that are characterized by subtle differences, not only in terms of lineage, which may be used to reconstruct transmission clusters. The disclosure of viral genetic diversity and timely identification of new variants is a useful tool to guide public health intervention measures.


2022 ◽  
pp. 003335492110655
Author(s):  
Chloe A. Teasdale ◽  
Luisa N. Borrell ◽  
Yanhan Shen ◽  
Spencer Kimball ◽  
Michael L. Rinke ◽  
...  

Objectives: Testing remains critical for identifying pediatric cases of COVID-19 and as a public health intervention to contain infections. We surveyed US parents to measure the proportion of children tested for COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, preferred testing venues for children, and acceptability of school-based COVID-19 testing. Methods: We conducted an online survey of 2074 US parents of children aged ≤12 years in March 2021. We applied survey weights to generate national estimates, and we used Rao–Scott adjusted Pearson χ2 tests to compare incidence by selected sociodemographic characteristics. We used Poisson regression models with robust SEs to estimate adjusted risk ratios (aRRs) of pediatric testing. Results: Among US parents, 35.9% reported their youngest child had ever been tested for COVID-19. Parents who were female versus male (aRR = 0.69; 95% CI, 0.60-0.79), Asian versus non-Hispanic White (aRR = 0.58; 95% CI, 0.39-0.87), and from the Midwest versus the Northeast (aRR = 0.76; 95% CI, 0.63-0.91) were less likely to report testing of a child. Children who had health insurance versus no health insurance (aRR = 1.38; 95% CI, 1.05-1.81), were attending in-person school/daycare versus not attending (aRR = 1.67; 95% CI, 1.43-1.95), and were from households with annual household income ≥$100 000 versus income <$50 000-$99 999 (aRR = 1.19; 95% CI, 1.02-1.40) were more likely to have tested for COVID-19. Half of parents (52.7%) reported the pediatrician’s office as the most preferred testing venue, and 50.6% said they would allow their youngest child to be tested for COVID-19 at school/daycare if required. Conclusions: Greater efforts are needed to ensure access to COVID-19 testing for US children, including those without health insurance.


2022 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Brückner ◽  
Timo Falkenberg ◽  
Christine Heinzel ◽  
Thomas Kistemann

Research in recent years has demonstrated that urban surface waters (“urban blue spaces”) can provide beneficial effects on human health and wellbeing. Despite blue spaces prevailing on urban development agendas across the world, little investigation has been done whether and how the regeneration of such spaces is used as a (community-based) public health intervention. Therefore, a review was conducted to analyze urban blue space regeneration projects in terms of their significance for public health. Results show that the regeneration of urban blue spaces displays a diversity of intervention types and follows certain development trends seen in general urban regeneration: Similarities mainly arise in relation to objectives (multi-dimensional goals with increasing focus on environmental sustainability and economic interests), stakeholders (shift to multi-actor governance with a rise of partnerships and community participation), and funding (prevalence of mixed financial schemes and increasing reliance on external funding sources). Although threefold public health effects have been noted across the projects (i. behavioral changes toward healthier lifestyles, ii. healthier urban environments, iii. health policy changes), results of this review indicate that the potential to use urban blue regeneration as a community-based health intervention has yet to be realized.


2022 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerald Okello ◽  
Jonathan Izudi ◽  
Immaculate Ampeire ◽  
Frehd Nghania ◽  
Carine Dochez ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Childhood vaccination is an important public health intervention but there is limited information on coverage, trends, and determinants of vaccination completion in Uganda at the regional level. We examined trends in regional vaccination coverage and established the determinants of vaccination completion among children aged 12-23 months in Uganda. Methods We analyzed data from the women’s questionnaire for the 1995-2016 Uganda Demographic Health Survey (UDHS). Vaccine completion was defined as having received a dose of Bacillus-Calmette Guerin (BCG) vaccine; three doses of diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus (DPT) vaccine; three doses of oral polio vaccine (OPV) (excluding OPV given at birth); and one dose of measles vaccine. We performed Chi-square tests to compare vaccination completion by socio-demographic factors stratified by 10 sub-regions: Eastern, East Central, Central 1, Central 2, Kampala, Karamoja, North, Western, West Nile, and Southwest. We performed logistic regression analysis for each of the regions to identify factors associated with vaccination completion at 5% level of statistical significance. Results Overall vaccination completion was 48.6% (95%CI, 47.2, 50.1) and ranged from 17.3% in Central 1 to 65.9% in Southwest. Vaccination completion rates declined significantly by 10.4% (95% confidence interval (CI), − 16.1, − 4.6) between 1995 and 2000, and increased significantly by 10.0% (95% CI, 4.6, 15.4) between 2000 and 2006, and by 5.4% (95% CI, 0.2, 10.6) between 2006 and 2011. Maternal education (secondary or higher level), receipt of tetanus toxoid (TT) during pregnancy, and possession of a child health card were associated with vaccination completion across all the sub-regions. Other factors like place of residence, religious affiliation, household wealth, maternal age, childbirth order, size of child at birth, and place of delivery were associated with vaccination completion but differed between the 10 sub-regions. Conclusion Besides considerable regional variations, the vaccination completion rate among children aged 12-23 months in Uganda remains suboptimal despite the availability of vaccines. Maternal education, receipt of TT, and possession of a child health card are associated with a higher likelihood of vaccination completion among children aged 12-23 months in all the regions of Uganda. Interventions to improve the utilization of vaccination services in Uganda should consider these factors.


2022 ◽  
Vol 163 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-38

Összefoglaló. Bevezetés: Nagyszámú kutatás igazolta, hogy a dohányzás növeli a legjelentősebb krónikus betegségek kockázatát. Habár 2009 óta csökkenő tendenciát mutat Magyarországon a hagyományos dohányzók aránya, az e-cigarettát kipróbálóké az utóbbi években folyamatosan növekszik. Célkitűzés: A 2018-ban a felnőtt lakosság körében végzett Népegészségügyi Felmérés dohányzásra és e-cigaretta-használatra vonatkozó eredményeinek bemutatása az előző vizsgálatok tükrében. Módszer: A kérdőíves felmérésben 1586 fő került személyesen lekérdezésre. Az iteratív súlyozás a többlépcsős mintavételi designhatást és a 2016-os mikrocenzus adatait vette figyelembe. Eredmények: 2018-ban a dohányzók aránya a magyar felnőtt lakosság körében 28,7% (95% MT: 26,3–31,1%), az e-cigarettát használók aránya pedig 1,7% (95% MT: 1,1–2,5%) volt. Az iskolai végzettség a 65 év alattiak esetében a dohányzást befolyásoló tényező volt (EH: 3,32; 95% MT: 2,53–4,34), de a 65 éves és annál idősebb korcsoportban már nem (EH: 1,11; 95% MT: 0,59–2,09). Az e-cigarettát kipróbálók és használók között a leginkább említett (54,3% 95% MT: 44,0–64,5%) motivációs tényezőcsoport a dohányzásról való leszokással, az ártalomcsökkentéssel és a visszaesés megelőzésével volt kapcsolatos. A 65 éves és idősebb korcsoportban a dohányzók aránya 2015-höz képest emelkedett. 2018-ban az alapfokú iskolai végzettségűek körében volt a legmagasabb a dohányzók aránya, míg 2014-ben az érettségivel nem rendelkező középfokú végzettségűek körében. Következtetés: Bár összességében csökkent, az alacsony iskolai végzettségűek és az idősek körében emelkedett a dohányzók aránya Magyarországon. Az e-cigarettát kipróbálók és használók száma növekvő tendenciát mutat hazánkban. Eredményeink az alacsony iskolai végzettségűekre kiemelten fókuszáló, megelőző és leszokást támogató népegészségügyi alprogramokat is tartalmazó komplex beavatkozást sürgetnek. Orv Hetil. 2022; 163(1): 31–38. Summary. Introduction: The body of evidence suggests that smoking increases the risk of the most prevalent chronic diseases. Although the proportion of traditional smokers in Hungary has been on a declining trend since 2009, the proportion of those who tried e-cigarette has been steadily increasing in recent years. Objective: To present – in the light of previous studies – the results of the Public Health Survey among adults in 2018 on smoking and e-cigarette use. Method: 1586 persons were personally interviewed in a survey. The iterative weighting algorithm considered both the design effect of multistaged sampling and the 2016 Hungarian microcensus. Results: In 2018, the proportion of smokers in the Hungarian adult population was 28.7% (95% CI 26.3–31.1%), and the proportion of e-cigarette users was 1.7% (95% CI 1.1–2.5%). Educational level was a predictor of smoking among respondents younger than 65 years old (OR 3.32; 95% CI 2.53–4.34), but not for those aged 65 years or older (OR 1.11; 95% CI 0.59–2.09). Among e-cigarette ever or current users, the most commonly mentioned (54.3% 95% CI 44.0–64.5%) motivational factor-group to try or use e-cigarettes included motivations to quit smoking, to reduce harm, and to avoid relapsing. In the population aged 65 years old or older, the proportion of smokers increased compared to 2015. The proportion of smokers was the highest among those with primary education in 2018, while in 2014, it was the highest among those with secondary education without a graduation certificate. Conclusion: In Hungary, although overall smoking rates are declining, the smoking rate in the low educational group and among the elderly increased. The number of people trying or using e-cigarettes is showing an increasing trend in our country. Our results call for a complex public health intervention program including prevention and smoking cessation supporting subprograms with high focus on those with primary education. Orv Hetil. 2022; 163(1): 31–38.


Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 280
Author(s):  
Uzoma Rita Alo ◽  
Friday Onwe Nkwo ◽  
Henry Friday Nweke ◽  
Ifeanyi Isaiah Achi ◽  
Henry Anayo Okemiri

The COVID-19 Pandemic has punched a devastating blow on the majority of the world’s population. Millions of people have been infected while hundreds of thousands have died of the disease throwing many families into mourning and other psychological torments. It has also crippled the economy of many countries of the world leading to job losses, high inflation, and dwindling Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The duo of social distancing and contact tracing are the major technological-based non-pharmaceutical public health intervention strategies adopted for combating the dreaded disease. These technologies have been deployed by different countries around the world to achieve effective and efficient means of maintaining appropriate distance and tracking the transmission pattern of the diseases or identifying those at high risk of infecting others. This paper aims to synthesize the research efforts on contact tracing and social distancing to minimize the spread of COVID-19. The paper critically and comprehensively reviews contact tracing technologies, protocols, and mobile applications (apps) that were recently developed and deployed against the coronavirus disease. Furthermore, the paper discusses social distancing technologies, appropriate methods to maintain distances, regulations, isolation/quarantine, and interaction strategies. In addition, the paper highlights different security/privacy vulnerabilities identified in contact tracing and social distancing technologies and solutions against these vulnerabilities. We also x-rayed the strengths and weaknesses of the various technologies concerning their application in contact tracing and social distancing. Finally, the paper proposed insightful recommendations and open research directions in contact tracing and social distancing that could assist researchers, developers, and governments in implementing new technological methods to combat the menace of COVID-19.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 98-106
Author(s):  
Hazeqa Salleh ◽  
Nicholas Tze Ping Pang ◽  
Mohammad Saffree Jeffree ◽  
Helen Lasimbang ◽  
Syed Sharizman Syed Abdul Rahim ◽  
...  

   Background: COVID-19 pandemic that started in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, has spread globally, and Sabah is one of the states in Malaysia that is affected by it. The outburst in social media on discrimination against the people from China impacted the international students from China. Thus, University Malaysia Sabah (UMS) had to play a role in mitigating the COVID-19 pandemic and protecting its students. This article aimed to describe the actions taken by UMS for its international student from China during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Methods: This study used a cross-sectional design where all 379 students from China in UMS were screened from February 2020 until March 2020 during the early phase of COVID 19.  Results: During this study period, 0.5% of the students were classified as Persons under Investigation (PUI), while 99.5% were classified as Person under Surveillance (PUS).  Conclusion: The public health interventions included surveillance, contact tracing, monitoring, quarantine, isolation, social distancing, mental health support, and mental health intervention activities. These actions to control the pandemic reduce the state health department's health burden and help the students in need. 


Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 68
Author(s):  
Daniel J. Lamport ◽  
Szu-Yun Wu ◽  
Jenni Drever-Heaps ◽  
Orla Hugueniot ◽  
Daniel J. W. Jones ◽  
...  

The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the U.K. Change4Life Sugar Swaps campaign for improving nutritional intake in a small sample of families prior to the 2015 nationwide launch. A total of 49 participants from 14 families received information and materials during a two-week intervention period in November 2014 encouraging them to swap high sugar foods and drinks for low sugar alternatives. Daily dietary intake was reported with online food diaries over four stages, each two weeks in length: (i) baseline (no information provided), (ii) intervention when Sugar Swaps materials were accessible, (iii) immediate follow-up, and (iv) one year on from baseline. Data were analysed for sugar, glucose, fructose, sucrose, lactose, fat, saturated fat, carbohydrate, protein, salt, fibre, vitamin C, and energy. During the intervention, significant daily reductions of 32 g sugar, 11 g fat, and 236 kcal for each family member were observed, among others, and 61% of benefits achieved during the intervention period were maintained at immediate follow-up. Encouragingly, for children, reductions in sugar, sucrose, fat, saturated fat, carbohydrate, and energy were observed one year on. The Sugar Swaps Campaign is potentially an effective public health intervention for improving short- and long-term dietary behaviour for the whole family.


2021 ◽  
Vol 45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacina Walker ◽  
Odewumi Adegbija ◽  
Nicolas Smoll ◽  
Arifuzzaman Khan ◽  
Jordan Whicker ◽  
...  

Background In recent years, there have been ongoing outbreaks of mumps reported in Northern and North-Western Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory, Australia. We aimed to define the epidemiology of mumps outbreaks in Central Queensland, Australia between October 2017 and October 2018 and evaluate the effectiveness of an additional dose of measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine. Methods A retrospective case control study was conducted, including outbreak investigations with laboratory-confirmed cases of mumps and subsequent comparison with matched controls. We analysed mandatory notifications from the Queensland Health Notifiable Conditions System database and immunisation information from the Queensland Health Vaccination Information and Admin System (VIVAS) and the Australian Immunisation Register. Results Between October 2017 and October 2018, there were 93 cases of mumps reported in Central Queensland with three distinct outbreaks: a discrete Indigenous community; a correctional facility; and a boarding school. Among all cases, 74 (79.6%) were fully vaccinated and 14 (15.1%) were partially vaccinated with MMR vaccine. Eighty-six cases (92.5%) were reported among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. In all outbreaks, an additional dose of MMR vaccine was offered with 35.4%, 73.6% and 35.8% of the target population being immunised in the discrete Indigenous community, the correctional facility and the boarding school, respectively. Prior to this additional dose of MMR, the mumps attack rate was 31.0 (95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 24.2–39.0) per 1000 population, compared to the post-additional dose MMR attack rate of 10.6 (95% CI: 6.7–15.9) per 1000 population. Conclusion An additional or booster dose of MMR should be included as an effective public health intervention strategy, particularly in communal or high-density living conditions to control mumps outbreaks in highly vaccinated populations.


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