摘要： Hospitals should prepare for emerging diseases and protect healthcare workers (HCWs) from work-related infection. This study aims to assess public hospital preparedness for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) a year after the Myanmar government began implementing COVID-19 prevention measures, and to identify factors associated with work-related COVID-19 infection among HCWs in Myanmar. In January 2021, data were collected from 101 hospitals and 706 HCWs who had COVID-19 in Myanmar in 2020. Data from the hospitals included basic information, the status of infection prevention and control (IPC), the preparedness for COVID-19 (guidelines, checklists, fever screening, patient pathway, and training), handwashing facilities, and availability of personal protective equipment (PPE). Data of COVID-19 infected HCWs included age, occupation, workplace, severity and source of COVID-19 infection, knowledge and practice of handwashing, and working environment. Chi-square test was performed to compare the preparedness for COVID-19 among three hospital levels (primary, secondary and tertiary levels). Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the associated factors of work-related infection of HCWs. The total number of beds, HCWs, and COVID-19 patients in 2020 at the 101 hospitals was 12,888, 14,421, and 19,835, respectively. The availability of PPE was high in hospitals at all levels. Approximately 80% of hospitals had functional status of IPC, set up fever screening and patient pathway, and provided training on IPC and COVID-19. However, only 39.6% of hospitals had developed COVID-19 guidelines and 55.4% had developed checklists. The percentage of hospitals that prepared each measurement was lowest at the primary level. The factors associated with work-related COVID-19 among HCWs were being 30–39 years old, working as a doctor, working at isolation wards, having disinfection technique training, and having enough PPE at the workplace. The preparedness for COVID-19

摘要： The world has witnessed various scientific disciplines’ rapid growth and advancement, leading to groundbreaking discoveries and advances in multiple fields in recent years. One such field that has gained significant attention, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, is the application of graph theory techniques in studying the spread and mitigation of the virus. In this paper, we delve into the intricacies of graph theory and its utilization in analyzing COVID-19, shedding light on the innovative approaches researchers worldwide employ. Also, the study evaluates the various implementation of graph theories in spreading and controlling the virus using diverse datasets. The researchers retrieved several works in the COVID-19 and graph theory field from digital databases. However, studies deducted that GT approaches, algorithms and techniques offer insights into transmission hotspots, spread dynamics in social, control and mobility networking, vaccination optimization, evaluation of interventions and epidemic prediction, among other valuable findings. Limitations and future directions were also directed in the study.

摘要： There are very few and limited studies on the role of the thymus in COVID-19 infection. It is known that thymus morphology changes in individuals vaccinated against COVID-19 although they do not have active infection. Our study aims to evaluate these differences in detail. This research was conducted in a total of 141 people, 75 women and 66 men. The research consisted of three groups: unvaccinated persons who have had the disease (n = 49), vaccinated persons who have not had the disease (n = 37), and unvaccinated persons who have not had the disease (control group, n = 55). In the study, the thymus volume, structure, and fat content were investigated and the differences between groups were evaluated. Thymus volume was greatest (0.43 ± 0.11) in the vaccinated group that had not had the disease and smallest (0.15 ± 0.07) in the unvaccinated group that had had the disease, and a significant difference was found between the groups. Thymus steatosis was seen mostly in the unvaccinated group that had had the disease (72%; p = 0.04). The diffuse nodular pattern was only present in the diseased group. This research is the first study in the literature to date on the effect of COVID-19 and vaccines on the thymus. In addition to the acute consequences of the virus, the possibility of negative symptoms after COVID-19 should also be kept in mind, especially in unvaccinated people. Further studies are needed to confirm the results reported herein.

关键词： Nonpharmaceutical Interventions   Asthma Exacerbations   Viral Infections   SARS-CoV-2   Pediatric Asthma   NPIs   Nonpharmaceutical interventions   SARS-CoV-2   Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2   U.S.   United States   HIPAA   Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act   MRNs   Medical Record Numbers   ICD10   International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision   ED   Emergency Department   ICU   Intensive Care Unit   IP   Inpatient   CHI   Containment Health Index   GRI   Government Response Index   BRP   BioFire® Respiratory Panel   R/E   Rhinovirus/Enterovirus   RSV   Respiratory Syncytial Virus   PR   Positivity Rate   μ   Mean   SE   Significant Error   HMPV   Human Metapneumovirus   PIV   Parainfluenza virus  

摘要： Background The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 in March 2020 led to the implementation of nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) to curb its spread. Studies have shown adult asthma exacerbations and viral infections decreased during NPI usage. Few studies have shown NPI effects on pediatric asthma exacerbations and infections during and after the pandemic. Objective This study aimed to understand the impact of NPIs on asthma exacerbations and viral respiratory infections in pediatric patients at our institution from March 2018 to December 2022. Methods Medical Record Numbers of children with asthma exacerbations seen at our institution between March 2018 and December 2022 were analyzed. Subjects were categorized based on the timing of their exacerbation concerning NPI enforcement. We used the results from clinical testing with the BioFire® Respiratory Panel (BRP) to detect up to 22 respiratory pathogens and correlated these to asthma exacerbation severity. Results There were 5,758 asthma exacerbations recorded, with a 50% decline in average weekly exacerbations during NPI enforcement. Of 70,682 BRP tests, 87% were positive for at least one pathogen. Several viruses (Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Parainfluenza, Influenza) had a decrease in positivity rate (PR) with NPIs while Rhinovirus/Enterovirus PRs were unchanged throughout the pandemic. Asthma exacerbations with a positive BRP required higher clinical levels of care during the admission. Conclusion NPIs were associated with significantly reduced asthma exacerbations and respiratory viral infections. The post-NPI period saw a return to pre-pandemic levels of asthma exacerbations and an unusual surge in RSV infections, emphasizing the need for continuous monitoring and adaptive strategies in the post-pandemic landscape.

摘要： The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a swift transition to e-learning, significantly impacting nursing education due to its reliance on practical, hands-on experiences and the critical role nurses play in healthcare. Nursing students need to achieve high levels of clinical competence through experiences traditionally obtained in clinical settings, which e-learning had to replicate or supplement. Understanding the unique challenges faced by nursing students in e-learning environments is crucial for developing educational strategies that enhance learning outcomes and contribute to improved patient care. This study aimed to explore the experiences of nursing students and newly qualified nurses (as students) with e-learning during the COVID-19 lockdown, focusing on how it influenced their learning and professional development. This exploratory and descriptive study employed qualitative interviews with 31 participants, including full-time nursing students, part-time nursing students, and newly qualified nurses (as nursing students). Conducted online via Zoom during February and March 2022. The findings suggest that integrating small group interactions and employing strategic pedagogical support can enhance e-learning effectiveness. However, barriers such as technological difficulties, psychological challenges, and social isolation were also identified. Understanding these unique opportunities and challenges can help educational institutions optimize e-learning strategies, ensuring nursing students are well-prepared for their crucial roles in healthcare. The rapid shift to e-learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic presented challenges such as technological, psychological and social aspects, but also opportunities to rethink and enhance nursing education delivery. Implementing appropriate pedagogical e-learning strategies, such as scaffolding and small group learning, can better prepare nursing students for their essential roles in healthcare. This study contributes to the bod

关键词： Sustainable healthcare network   COVID-19   Reliability   Metaheuristics  

摘要： The COVID-19 pandemic, which is still spreading its new mutations all around the world, is considered a healthcare challenge around the world. The best approach to forestall this pandemic is to avoid exposure to the virus. Therefore, medical protective equipment is essential for fighting this pandemic. This underlines the chief role of having a sustainable supply chain network (SCN) for producing and distributing personal protective equipment to avoid shortage and augmenting costs. The reality, however, is that the COVID-19 pandemic leads to many developments in countries and this study is another step for these purposes. This research develops   a multi-period, multi-objective, multi-echelon, and multi-product medical protective equipment sustainable SCN considering the production, distribution, allocation, and inventory with “risk pooling” strategy effect with the aim of filling the existing gaps in health SCN research during the COVID-19 pandemic. By applying the risk pooling strategy, lower inventory levels or higher service levels can be achieved without increasing inventory costs. This model explores the possibility of lateral transshipments between distribution centers, as a way to increase the reliability of SCN performance. We model a new production, inventory, distribution, location, and allocation problem and consider four objectives for our suggested model (i) minimizing total SCN costs, (ii) minimizing environmental effects, (iii) minimizing social impacts, and (iv) maximizing the reliability of demand delivery. The proposed   model simultaneously examines all three dimensions of sustainability (economic, environmental, and social) as well as the reliability of demand delivery. Considering all of these decisions and assumptions brings the studied problem closer to reality. We employ various algorithms for solving our developed model with different sizes: the improved version of the augmented ε-constraint (AUGMECON2) algorithm for small and medium-sized

关键词： homeworking   pandemic   railway systems   transport planning  

摘要： The Covid-19 pandemic led to fundamental changes in working and commuting patterns for a segment of the workforce, with significant impacts on the level of patronage of public transport systems that are focused on catering to commuters. This aim of this work was to quantify this impact in the long term, using a longitudinal sample of 3826 commuters with a focus on those using rail in Great Britain. Using a panel built in 2020, commuting habits pre-pandemic were compared with those in February 2023. Survey data can now shed light on long-term behavioural adjustments. Building on previous waves, the current wave addresses topics such as commuting frequency, frequency of working from home (WFH) and individual perceptions of WFH and/or in the workplace plus long-term individual decisions such as changes in home location. The results revealed that the pandemic led to a reduction of 1.18 in the number of days commuting to work per week and an increase of 0.85 in the number of days WFH. In addition, if employers had not put restrictions on workplace attendance, the return to commuting would have been 12 percentage points lower. Nonetheless, there is evidence employees are internalising their employer's restrictions to some extent.

摘要： This research compares drivers of full COVID-19 vaccinations and booster doses across US counties. Booster doses are contingent upon primary doses being received, and the risk attitudes and propensities to get vaccinated may respond to different motivations across individuals, along with distinctions in the supply chain. Our results, obtained in a quantitative framework through fractional probit, logit and quantile regressions, show that new COVID cases do not significantly impact vaccinations, while supply chain aspects via doctors’ visits have a positive impact. Income, race, age, and education also play a significant role. Further, political ideologies matter, while government decentralization does not. The differences in the effects across primary versus booster doses are discussed.

摘要： This paper presents the first analysis of impacts of COVID-19 on willingness-to-pay for wetland restoration. Two potential effects were identified that may affect willingness-to-pay for wetland restoration and empirically tested using a referendum-style contingent valuation survey that was administered in the midst of the pandemic to measure willingness-to-pay for restoring mangroves and saltmarshes in Tampa Bay, Florida. Results indicate that willingness-to-pay was $2,791 per household during COVID, but it would have been $3,262 if there had not been COVID. These results imply a loss of $3.8 billion in the total value of restoring wetlands in the state of Florida.