Familiar Faces, Worn Out Places: The Effect of Personal and Place Prosperity On Well-Being

Higher rates of income inequality are correlated with lower average well-being across different domains (such as health, financial security, friendship etc.) across nations. It is unclear, however, whether this pattern is driven by income differences between people or if places also play a role. In this paper, I test this by constructing a Se- nian Capability Index of well-being and then testing the relative role of personal and place-based prosperity on its domains using linked individual-area data. I find that while personal income has the strongest link to well-being domains, places also also have a significant, non-uniform, association as well. These effects differ between the labour market and neighbourhood level spatial scales. Local labour market prosperity gives its residents higher potential incomes and is associated with greater financial se- curity and more friends. Moving to a more prosperous labour market also indirectly improves well-being by increasing potential incomes. Neighbourhood prosperity is as- sociated with greater overall well-being, physical security, and a lower probability of death. These results suggest that policies aimed at improving personal and place-based characteristics are needed to create a “good life” for all citizens.

Usefulness of the MAGGIC Score in Predicting the Competing Risk of Non-Sudden Death in Heart Failure Patients Receiving an Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator: A Sub-Analysis of the OBSERVO-ICD Registry

The role of prognostic risk scores in predicting the competing risk of non-sudden death in heart failure patients with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) receiving an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) is unclear. To this goal, we evaluated the accuracy and usefulness of the Meta-Analysis Global Group in Chronic Heart Failure (MAGGIC) score. The present analysis included 1089 HFrEF ICD recipients enrolled in the OBSERVO-ICD registry (NCT02735811). During a median follow-up of 36 months (1st–3rd IQR 25–48 months), 193 patients (17.7%) experienced at least one appropriate ICD therapy, and 133 patients died (12.2%) without experiencing any ICD therapy. The frequency of patients receiving ICD therapies was stable around 17–19% across increasing tertiles of 3-year MAGGIC probability of death, whereas non-sudden mortality increased (6.4% to 9.8% to 20.8%, p < 0.0001). Accuracy of MAGGIC score was 0.60 (95% CI, 0.56–0.64) for the overall outcome, 0.53 (95% CI, 0.49–0.57) for ICD therapies and 0.65 (95% CI, 0.60–0.70) for non-sudden death. In patients with higher 3-year MAGGIC probability of death, the increase in the competing risk of non-sudden death during follow-up was greater than that of receiving an appropriate ICD therapy. Results were unaffected when analysis was limited to ICD shocks only. The MAGGIC risk score proved accurate and useful in predicting the competing risk of non-sudden death in HFrEF ICD recipients. Estimation of mortality risk should be taken into greater consideration at the time of ICD implantation.

The Potential Benefits of the Influenza Vaccination on COVID-19 Mortality Rate—A Retrospective Analysis of Patients in Poland

In this study, we used publicly available data from the Centrum e-Zdrowia (CeZ) Polish Databank proposing a possible correlation between influenza vaccination and mortality due to COVID-19. We limited our search to the patients with positive COVID‑19 laboratory tests from 1 January 2020 to 31 March 2021 and who filled a prescription for any influenza vaccine during the 2019–2020 influenza season. In total, we included 116,277 patients and used a generalized linear model to analyze the data. We found out that patients aged 60+ who received an influenza vaccination have a lower probability of death caused by COVID-19 in comparison to unvaccinated, and the magnitude of this difference grows with age. For people below 60 years old, we did not observe an influence of the vaccination. Our results suggest a potential protective effect of the influenza vaccine on COVID-19 mortality of the elderly. Administration of the influenza vaccine before the influenza season would reduce the burden of increased influenza incidence, the risk of influenza and COVID‑19 coinfection and render the essential medical resources accessible to cope with another wave of COVID-19. To our knowledge, this is the first study showing a correlation between influenza vaccination and the COVID-19 mortality rate in Poland.

Clinical characteristics, risk factors and outcomes in patients with severe COVID-19 registered in the ISARIC WHO clinical characterisation protocol: a prospective, multinational, multicentre, observational study

Due to the large number of patients with severe COVID-19, many were treated outside of the traditional walls of the ICU, and in many cases, by personnel who were not trained in critical care. The clinical characteristics and the relative impact of caring for severe COVID-19 patients outside of the ICU is unknown. This was a multinational, multicentre, prospective cohort study embedded in the ISARIC WHO COVID-19 platform. Severe COVID-19 patients were identified as those admitted to an ICU and/or those treated with one of the following treatments: invasive or non-invasive mechanical ventilation, high-flow nasal cannula, inotropes, and vasopressors. A logistic Generalised Additive Model was used to compare clinical outcomes among patients admitted and not to the ICU. A total of 40 440 patients from 43 countries and six continents were included in this analysis. Severe COVID-19 patients were frequently male (62.9%), older adults (median [IQR], 67 years [55, 78]), and with at least one comorbidity (63.2%). The overall median (IQR) length of hospital stay was 10 days (5–19) and was longer in patients admitted to an ICU than in those that were cared for outside of ICU (12 [6–23] versus 8 [4–15] days, p<0.0001). The 28-day fatality ratio was lower in ICU-admitted patients (30.7% [5797/18831] versus 39.0% [7532/19295], p<0.0001). Patients admitted to an ICU had a significantly lower probability of death than those who were not (adjusted OR:0.70, 95%CI: 0.65-0.75, p<0.0001). Patients with severe COVID-19 admitted to an ICU had significantly lower 28-day fatality ratio than those cared for outside of an ICU.

PROBABILITY OF HOSPITALIZATION AND DEATH AMONG COVID-19 PATIENTS WITH COMORBIDITY DURING OUTBREAKS OCCURRING IN MEXICO CITY

ABSTRACTBackgroundWorldwide, it has been observed that there is a strong association between the severity of COVID-19 and with being over 40 years of age, having diabetes mellitus (DM), hypertension and/or obesity.ObjectiveTo compare the probability of death caused by COVID-19 in patients with comorbidities during three periods defined for this study as follows: first wave (March 23 to July 12, 2020), interwave period (July 13 to October 25, 2020), and the second wave (October 26, 2020, to March 29, 2021) using the different fatality rates observed in Mexico City.MethodsThe cohort studied included individuals over 20 years of age. During the first wave (symptomatic), the interwave period, and the second wave (symptomatic and asymptomatic), participants were diagnosed using nasopharyngeal swabs taken in kiosks. Symptomatic individuals with risk factors for serious disease or death were referred to hospital. SARS-CoV-2 infection was defined by real time polymerase chain reaction in all hospitalized patients. All data from hospitalized patients and outpatients were added to the SISVER database.ResultsThe total cohort size for this study was 2,260,156 persons (having a mean age of 43.1 years). Of these, 8.6% suffered from DM, 11.6% from hypertension, and 9.7% from obesity. Of the total of 2,260,156 persons, 666,694 tested positive (29.5%) to SARS CoV-2, (with a mean age of 45). During the first wave, 82,489 tested positive; in the interwave period, 112,115; and during the second wave, 472,090. That is, a considerable increase in the number of cases of infection was observed in all age groups between the first and second waves (an increase of +472% on the first wave).Of the infected persons, a total of 85,587 (12.8%) were hospitalized: 24,023 in the first wave (29.1% of those who tested positive in this period); 16,935 (15.1%) during the interwave period, and 44,629 (9.5%) in the second wave, which represents an increase of 85.77% on the first wave.Of the hospitalized patients, there were 42,979 deaths (50.2% of those hospitalized), in the first wave, 11,964 (49.8% of those hospitalized in this period), during the interwave period, 6,794 (40.1%), and in the second wave 24,221 (54.3%), an increase of +102.4% between the first wave and the second.While within the general population, the probability of a patient dying having both COVID-19 and one of the specified comorbidities (DM, obesity, or arterial hypertension) showed a systematic reduction across all age groups, the probability of death for a hospitalized patient with comorbidities increased across all age groups during the second wave. When comparing the fatality rate of hospitalized COVID-19 patients in the second wave with those of the first wave and the interwave period, a significant increase was observed across all age groups, even in individuals without comorbidities.ConclusionThe data from this study show a considerable increase in the number of detected cases of infection in all age groups between the first and second waves. In addition, 12.8% of those infected were hospitalized for severe COVID-19, representing an increase of +85.9% from the first wave to the second. A high mortality rate was observed among hospitalized patients (>50%), as was a higher probability of death in hospitalized COVID-19 patients with comorbidities for all age groups during the second wave, although there had been a slight decrease during the interwave period.SUMMARY BOXWhat is already known?Worldwide the resurging of COVID-19 cases in waves has been observed. In Mexico, like in the rest of the world, we have observed surges of SARS CoV-2 infections, COVID-19 hospitalizations and fatal outcomes followed by decreases leading to local minima. Pre-existing health conditions such as being older, having diabetes mellitus (DM), hypertension and/or obesity has been observed to be associated with an increase in the severity of COVID-19.What are the new findings?Between the first and second waves, considerable increases were observed in the number of detected cases of infection (+472%), in the number of hospitalized subjects (+85.9%), and the number of hospitalized subjects and deaths (+102.4%) in all age groups.When analysing only hospitalized individuals, with or without comorbidities, the Case Fatality Rate was high (50.2%), the probability of death increased considerably in all age groups between the first and second waves. This increase was more noticeable in those individuals with previously identified comorbidities (DM, hypertension, or obesity).An increased probability of death among individuals without comorbidities was observed between the first and second waves.What do the new findings imply?During the second wave, demand for hospitalization increased, magnifying the impact of age and comorbidities as risk factors. This situation highlights the importance of decreasing the prevalence of comorbidities among the population.

Effect of comorbidities and risk conditions on death from COVID-19 in migrants in Mexico

Background Comorbidities increase the risk of death for patients with COVID-19, however, little is known about how it affects the prognosis of migrants who contract the virus. Therefore, this article aims to determine which comorbidities and risk conditions are associated with the probability of death among migrants infected with COVID-19 in Mexico. Methods We use a sample of migrants with a positive diagnosis for COVID-19 (N = 2126) registered in the public database published in the National Epidemiological Surveillance System of the Mexican Ministry of Health; the technique used was a Probit regression. Results The findings show that most of the comorbidities commonly associated with death from COVID-19 in the native-born population were actually not significant when present in migrants infected with COVID-19. Additionally, migrants have lower comorbidities than locals. The results further indicate that the factors related to the death of migrants infected with COVID-19 are: age, intubation, nationality group, pneumonia and the Health Care Management of Patients. Conclusions In contrast to preceding studies with native-born populations with COVID-19, where pre-existing diseases aggravated the diagnosis of COVID-19 and sometimes led to death, in the case of migrants, only pneumonia was the significant comorbidity associated with mortality among migrants diagnosed with COVID-19.

Beyond Chronological Age: Frailty and Multimorbidity Predict In-Hospital Mortality in Patients With COVID-19

Background We evaluated whether frailty and multimorbidity predict in-hospital mortality in patients with COVID-19 beyond chronological age. Methods 165 patients admitted from March 8th to April 17th, 2020, with COVID-19 in an acute geriatric ward in Italy were included. Pre-disease frailty was assessed with the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS). Multimorbidity was defined as the co-occurrence of ≥2 of these in the same patient. The hazard (HR) of in-hospital mortality as a function of CFS score and number of chronic diseases in the whole population and in those aged 70+ years were calculated. Results: Among the 165 patients, 112 were discharged, 11 were transferred to intensive care units and 42 died. Patients who died were older (81.0 vs. 65.2 years, p&lt;0.001), more frequently multimorbid (97.6 vs. 52.8%; p&lt;0.001) and more likely frail (37.5 vs. 4.1%; p&lt;0.001). Less than 2.0% of patients without multimorbidity and frailty, 28% of those with multimorbidity only and 75% of those with both multimorbidity and frailty died. Each unitary increment in the CFS was associated with a higher risk of in-hospital death in the whole sample (HR=1.3; 95%CI=1.05-1.62) and in patients aged 70+ years (HR=1.29;95%CI=1.04-1.62), whereas the number of chronic diseases was not significantly associated with higher risk of death. The CFS addition to age and sex increased mortality prediction by 9.4% in those aged 70+ years. Conclusions Frailty identifies patients with COVID-19 at risk of in-hospital death independently of age. Multimorbidity contributes to prognosis because of the very low probability of death in its absence.

Socio-cultural Importance of Newborn Healthcare Practices of Parengi Porja Tribe Living in Hilly Forested Areas of Andhra Pradesh, India: An Anthropological Analysis

The study aims to understand the traditional healthcare management of the newborns of the Parengi Porja tribe. The Parengi Porja tribe is a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) that inhabits the Eastern Ghats, which is a continuous high hilly region of Visakhapatnam district, Andhra Pradesh, India. The members of this tribe strongly believe that the earliest weeks of a newborn’s life is the time for the greatest probability of death and disability. To avoid these misfortunes, they strictly follow the traditional healthcare regimen for newborns, which has significant socio-cultural importance. For this study, 105 neonates were purposively selected, and their mothers were interviewed for data collection. The research data were analysed by qualitative methods that included participant observation, in-depth interviews and focus group discussion. The collected data were repeatedly cross-checked with other elderly female members like grandmothers, and sutranimaizi (traditional birth attendant [TBA]) through interviews to strengthen the efficiency and authenticity of the data. The findings of the study show that this tribal population has its understanding of the management of neonatal health, which is socio-culturally ingrained, sanctioned and transmitted through generations.

А New Combination of Prognostic Markers in Follicular Lymphoma That Influences the Choice of Therapy

Background: Follicular lymphoma (FL) is characterized by clinical and morphological heterogeneity. It is based on the pathogenetic mechanisms of the development of tumor cells. The identification and assessment of risk factors associated with the course of the disease and treatment outcome in FL is an important task, as it allows to evaluate and predict the effectiveness of therapy. Objective: Identify and estimate risk factors for overall survival (OS) and progression free survival (PFS) in FL. Patients and Methods: The prospective exploratory study conducted at National Research Center for Hematology (Moscow) from 01/2017 to 04/2021 included patients (pts)(in total, 80) with FL. Morpho-immunohistochemical, cytogenetic and molecular studies were performed on biopsies of lymph nodes taken before the start of therapy. The mutational status of exon 16 and intron polymorphism rs_2072407 of the EZH2 gene were investigated by Sanger sequencing. 18q21/BCL-2 rearrangements were determined by conventional cytogenetic analysis and/or FISH study. The results obtained in a blind study were compared with the effect of the therapy. Results: Of the 80 pts 34 were male: Me (median) age 50 years (range 30-72) and 46 were female: Me 56 (range 21-81). The median follow-up (FU) time was 53 months. As a result of the study in the multivariate Cox regression model (likelihood-ratio test, p=0.01) of significant factors, selected in the previously univariate analysis, the following statistically significant (Wald test) risk factors for OS and PFS (the events: progression, relapse, or death) were obtained: • BCL-2 gene rearrangements (no vs yes) • EZH2 gene genotypes (AA/AG vs GG) • proliferation index Ki-67 (&gt;35%) • morphological grade (3А vs 1/2) • tumor size (&gt;6 cm /bulky/) (Tab. 1, Fig. 1) The BCL-2 rearrangements were found in 45 from 80 pts (56%; 95 % CI 45-66). The probability of BCL-2 rearrangements is estimated to be about 0.5 (50%). According to the results of Cox-regression analysis (by OS) in the absence of BCL-2 rearrangements, the risk of death in FL was generally significantly (p = 0.01) higher than in the group with its presence: HR = 4.3 (95 % CI 1.5-13.0) (Fig. 2) Mutations in the 16th exon of the EZH2 gene (mutEZH2) were found in 10/80 (13%) pts. Analysis of EZH2 gene mutations with BCL-2 rearrangements revealed that in the mutEZH2 group with the presence of BCL-2 rearrangements, the number of deaths associated with progression is significantly less than in the control initial groups (mutEZH2 with BCL-2 rearrangements - 0/6, mutEZH2 without BCL-2 rearrangements - 2/4, wEZH2 with BCL-2 rearrangements - 3/39 (8%), wEZH2 without BCL-2 rearrangements - 11/31 (35%)) . The prognostic significance of EZH2 genotypes in lymphomas was studied for the first time in this study. The frequencies of rs_2072407 genotypes were: AA - 24% (19), AG - 42% (34), and GG - 34% (27). AA and AG genotypes of the EZH2 gene in pts with FL were associated with an increased risk of death (compared to the GG genotype) : HR = 2.9 (95% CI: 1.2-10.6), p = 0.01 (Fig. 3). The GG variant in most cases was associated with wEZH2 (26/27 (96%)) with BCL-2 rearrangements (16/26 (62%)) and a favorable prognosis (26/27 (96%)) (p = 0.01). Index of proliferative activity Ki-67&gt; 35% (n = 40) and Ki-67 ≤ 35% (n = 40) were equally common in the study group. With a Ki-67&gt; 35%, the probability of death is 2.9 (95% CI 1.1-9.7) times higher. The frequency distribution of morphological grade was as follows: grade 3A - 53% (n = 43) and grade 1-2 - 47% (n = 37). At grade 3A, the probability of death is 2.5 (95% CI 1.1-7.8) times higher. The number of pts with tumor size &gt;6 cm (bulky) and ≤ 6 cm in the sample is approximately the same (41 and 39, respectively), the presence of bulky increased the mortality risk by 2.1 (95% CI 1.0-6.5) times. A short time from the manifestation of the disease to appeal to medical care is a predictor of poor prognosis, but this result we received earlier on a large sample of pts was not significant on a smaller sample. Conclusions: As a result of the multivariable Cox regression analysis, we identified and confirmed the previously obtained factors (bulky, grade 3A, Ki-67 &gt; 35%, short medical history), and discovered new biogenetic factors (BCL-2 rearrangements and the GG rs2072407 genotype of the EZH2 gene). The model based on these independent risk factors improves the accuracy of predicting adverse events and allows to use more personalized treatment options for patients with FL. Figure 1 Figure 1. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.