Comparison of longitudinal trends in self-reported symptoms and COVID-19 case activity in Ontario, Canada

Background Limitations in laboratory diagnostic capacity impact population surveillance of COVID-19. It is currently unknown whether participatory surveillance tools for COVID-19 correspond to government-reported case trends longitudinally and if it can be used as an adjunct to laboratory testing. The primary objective of this study was to determine whether self-reported COVID-19-like illness reflected laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 case trends in Ontario Canada. Methods We retrospectively analyzed longitudinal self-reported symptoms data collected using an online tool–Outbreaks Near Me (ONM)–from April 20th, 2020, to March 7th, 2021 in Ontario, Canada. We measured the correlation between COVID-like illness among respondents and the weekly number of PCR-confirmed COVID-19 cases and provincial test positivity. We explored contemporaneous changes in other respiratory viruses, as well as the demographic characteristics of respondents to provide context for our findings. Results Between 3,849–11,185 individuals responded to the symptom survey each week. No correlations were seen been self-reported CLI and either cases or test positivity. Strong positive correlations were seen between CLI and both cases and test positivity before a previously documented rise in rhinovirus/enterovirus in fall 2020. Compared to participatory surveillance respondents, a higher proportion of COVID-19 cases in Ontario consistently came from low-income, racialized and immigrant areas of the province- these groups were less well represented among survey respondents. Interpretation Although digital surveillance systems are low-cost tools that have been useful to signal the onset of viral outbreaks, in this longitudinal comparison of self-reported COVID-like illness to Ontario COVID-19 case data we did not find this to be the case. Seasonal respiratory virus transmission and population coverage may explain this discrepancy.

Tracing contacts to evaluate the transmission of COVID-19 from highly exposed individuals in public transportation

We investigate, through a data-driven contact tracing model, the transmission of COVID-19 inside buses during distinct phases of the pandemic in a large Brazilian city. From this microscopic approach, we recover the networks of close contacts within consecutive time windows. A longitudinal comparison is then performed by upscaling the traced contacts with the transmission computed from a mean-field compartmental model for the entire city. Our results show that the effective reproduction numbers inside the buses, $$Re^{bus}$$ R e bus , and in the city, $$Re^{city}$$ R e city , followed a compatible behavior during the first wave of the local outbreak. Moreover, by distinguishing the close contacts of healthcare workers in the buses, we discovered that their transmission, $$Re^{health}$$ R e health , during the same period, was systematically higher than $$Re^{bus}$$ R e bus . This result reinforces the need for special public transportation policies for highly exposed groups of people.

A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of the Effect of Oral Exercises on Masticatory Function

The aim of the current systematic review was to summarize and to evaluate the available information on the effectiveness of oral exercise in improving the masticatory function of people ≥18 y. Electronic databases (Medline, Embase, CENTRAL) and gray literatures were searched (up to December 2020) for relevant randomized and nonrandomized controlled clinical trials. Two reviewers independently conducted the study selection, data extraction, and quality assessments. Meta-analysis was conducted for the comparison of bite force and masticatory performance using mean difference (MD) and standardized mean difference (SMD), respectively. GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation) assessment was adopted for collective grading of the overall body of evidence. Of the 1,576 records identified, 18 studies (21 articles) were included in the analysis. Results of meta-analysis indicated that oral exercise could significantly improve the mean bite force of the participants (parallel comparison: MD, 41.2; 95% CI, 11.6–70.7, P = 0.006; longitudinal comparison: MD, 126.5; 95% CI, 105.2–144.9, P < 0.001). However, the improvement in masticatory performance was not significant (parallel comparison: SMD, 0.11; 95% CI, –0.20 to 0.42, P = 0.48; longitudinal comparison: SMD, 0.4; 95% CI, –0.11 to 0.91, P = 0.13). Results of meta-regression showed that greater improvements in bite force can be achieved among younger adults and with more intensive exercise. Chewing exercise is the most effective oral exercise, followed by clenching exercise, while simple oral exercise may not have a significant effect. Based on the results of the meta-analysis and GRADE assessment, a weak recommendation for people with declined masticatory function to practice oral exercise is made.

Lifestyle segmentation of older Koreans: a longitudinal comparison of segments and life satisfaction

PurposeAging is a global phenomenon for many countries, and South Korea has become the fastest aging country in the world. The purpose of this study is to identify and validate a representative typology of older Koreans based on their lifestyle and value orientations. This study also makes a longitudinal comparison of these segments in two waves using similar survey data collected in 2009 and 2017 and examines any meaningful changes that occurred during the periods.Design/methodology/approachUsing survey data collected from 750 older adults living in four major cities in Korea, this study conducted factor and cluster analysis to identify lifestyle segmentation of elderly Koreans. Both descriptive and mean comparison analyses are followed to characterize the segments with relevant demographic and behavioral variables. In addition, this study makes a longitudinal comparison of these segments in two waves (2009 and 2017) and examines any meaningful changes that occurred during the periods.FindingsSix distinctive lifestyle segments of elderly Koreans are identified. The longitudinal comparison reveals some changes that occurred during the period. The level of importance of values and things to own has been declined during the period on most of the aspects, which can be interpreted that older Koreans become more realistic and practical. The level of life satisfaction between the two periods turned out to be similar. However, satisfaction in material comfort and health has been improved during the period, which means that the perception of their financial and physical aspects has been improved over the years.Originality/valueFirst, based on Tempest et al.’s three grey discontinuity framework (2002), the segmentation model provides comprehensive coverage of psychological transitions experienced by older people due to economic, physical and mental discontinuities with age. Second, this might be the first longitudinal study to examine the changes in segmentation over time in terms of the lifestyle of older adults. Practically, the findings of this study provide useful insights for policymakers in developing aging-related policies as well as for marketers who are interested or currently doing business in Korea or Asian consumer markets.

In-Depth Longitudinal Comparison of Clinical Specimens to Detect SARS-CoV-2

The testing and isolation of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are indispensable tools to control the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. PCR tests are considered the “gold standard” of COVID-19 testing and mostly involve testing nasopharyngeal swab specimens. Our study aimed to compare the sensitivity of tests for various sample specimens. Seventy-five participants with confirmed COVID-19 were included in the study. Nasopharyngeal swabs, oropharyngeal swabs, Oracol-collected saliva, throat washes and rectal specimens were collected along with pooled swabs. Participants were asked to complete a questionnaire to correlate specific clinical symptoms and the symptom duration with the sensitivity of detecting COVID-19 in various sample specimens. Sampling was repeated after 7 to 10 days (T2), then after 14 to 20 days (T3) to perform a longitudinal analysis of sample specimen sensitivity. At the first time point, the highest percentages of SARS-CoV-2-positive samples were observed for nasopharyngeal samples (84.3%), while 74%, 68.2%, 58.8% and 3.5% of throat washing, Oracol-collected saliva, oropharyngeal and rectal samples tested positive, respectively. The sensitivity of all sampling methods except throat wash samples decreased rapidly at later time points compared to the first collection. The throat washing method exhibited better performance than the gold standard nasopharyngeal swab at the second and third time points after the first positive test date. Nasopharyngeal swabs were the most sensitive specimens for early detection after symptom onset. Throat washing is a sensitive alternative method. It was found that SARS-CoV-2 persists longer in the throat and saliva than in the nasopharynx.