关键词： COVID-19   mental health   substance use   neuroinflammation   neuropsychological effects  

摘要： Objective To explore the ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic on Mental Health and Substance *** and methods Relevant literature examining the correlation between COVID-19 and mental health/substance use was reviewed, and findings were *** Specific mechanisms regarding COVID-19's effects on the brain are unclear, but preliminary studies and biomarkers have been suggested in the literature. Numerous studies demonstrated COVID-19 has immediate and lingering neuropsychiatric impacts on affected patients. Psychiatric disorders and substance abuse increased during the COVID-19 pandemic due to biological and psychosocial factors, with a significant burden on individuals and societies worldwide, particularly in the United *** COVID-19 has shown us that underlying causes of mental health and substance abuse problems are more complicated than we have appreciated. Neuroinflammation and psychosocial stresses impact mental health and substance use. These factors need to be explored further for a better understanding and intervention.

关键词： COVID-19   APPENDICITIS  

摘要： Background. On December 2019, a novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) spread worldwide and became a pandemic. Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) due to cytokine release syndrome following COVID-19 presents with various manifestations. We hypothesize that one of the rare manifestations is acute abdomen. Case Presentation. In this case series, eight cases (five girls and three boys) of gastrointestinal (GI) involvement and acute abdomen were reported to be associated with the cytokine storm due to COVID-19 infection. All patients were of Iranian nationality (Caucasian ethnicity), with a mean age of 8.9 years (range 3.5-14). They all presented with fever and acute abdominal pain. Additionally, maculopapular rash and edema of the extremities were common presentations. Free fluid on abdominal ultrasound or computerized tomography (CT) scan was observed in all patients. All cases tested positive for COVID-19. In six cases, laparotomy or abdominal surgery was performed for a diagnosis of acute abdomen, but appendicitis was confirmed in only one case. None of the cases presented with phlegmon. Elevated serum lipase and amylase levels were noted in two cases. Seven patients received corticosteroid pulse therapy. Clinical symptoms improved after one or two doses, and all patients were discharged after 4 weeks of follow-up with no mortality or morbidity. Conclusion. Patients experiencing unexplained acute abdominal pain along with fever, skin rash, and peripheral edema, who had a history of COVID-19 infection prior to or during the episode of acute abdomen symptoms, should be considered to have MIS-C. Furthermore, methylprednisolone pulse therapy could be a safe treatment option, reducing hospitalization duration in this patient population.

关键词： Toxic epidermal necrolysis   TEN   Stevens-Johnson syndrome   SJS   COVID-19   relapsing  

关键词： Coronavirus disease 2019   Hemoperfusion   Blood purification   Cytokine   HA-330   Mortality   BLOOD PURIFICATION  

摘要： The evidence supporting additional hemoperfusion (HP) with cytokine adsorbents for improving clinical outcomes in severe to critical coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients remains limited. We compared severe to critical COVID-19 patients who received additional HP with a cytokine adsorbent to matched cases receiving standard medical treatment (SMT). The primary outcome was hospital mortality. In our study, we matched 45 patients who received additional HP 1:1 with the SMT group based on key clinical parameters. The hospital mortality rates did not differ between the groups (33% vs 38%, p = 0.83). The HP group had a significantly shorter ICU stay (22 vs 32 days; p = 0.017) and reduced mechanical ventilation duration (15 vs 35 days; p < 0.001). Additionally, the incidence of pulmonary complications (20% vs 42%; p = 0.04), sepsis (38% vs 64%; p = 0.02), and disseminated intravascular coagulopathy (DIC) (13% vs 33%; p = 0.046) were significantly lower in the HP group. In conclusion, among severe to critical COVID-19 patients, additional HP with a cytokine adsorbent did not improve hospital mortality. However, it reduced ICU length of stay, mechanical ventilator days, and incidences of lung complications, sepsis, and DIC.

关键词： Tuberculosis   COVID-19   Integrated screening   IMPLEMENTATION SCIENCE  

摘要： BackgroundFollowing the World Health Organization's declaration of COVID-19 as a global pandemic, several countries implemented population-wide lockdowns. However, these responses to COVID-19 caused severe healthcare system disruptions to service delivery. The TB case notification rate in Uganda decreased by 22% between January and April 2020, which coincided with a lockdown and an increase in COVID-19 cases. In this study, we tested the effect of screening all patients with both COVID-19-positive and negative symptom screen for TB at a National Referral ***/MethodsFollowing our formative assessment, we identified potential barriers to and facilitators of integrating screening for COVID-19 and TB at Kiruddu National Referral Hospital. To address the barriers, in February 2021 we trained healthcare providers on integrated COVID-19-TB screening tools and provided COVID-19/TB screening tools/Standard operating procedures and personal protective equipment. From March 1, 2021, to June 30, 2021, we screened patients presenting to the emergency and outpatient departments for COVID-19 symptoms, and subsequently, we performed TB symptom screening for both patients with COVID-19 positive and negative symptom screen using the intensified tuberculosis case-finding (ICF) guide. We then compared the outcomes of TB symptom screening for patients initially with a positive COVID-19 symptom screen with those who initially had a negative COVID-19 symptom *** March 2021 to June 2021, we screened 1464 patients (44.3% male and 55.7% female) for COVID-19 symptoms. Out of these participants, 1252 (85.5%) screened positive for COVID-19 symptoms, while 212 (14.5%) screened negative. The majority of patients with a positive COVID-19 symptom screen, 717 (57.3%), also screened positive for TB symptoms compared to 19 (8.9%) among patients with a negative COVID-19 symptom screen. Out of the total 736 presumptive TB cases identified, 717 (97.4%) initially screened positi

关键词： Clinical trial participation   COVID-19 pandemic   Trust   Federal oversight   Government regulation   GENERALIZED ESTIMATING EQUATIONS   CANCER  

摘要： BackgroundThe Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic precipitated an urgent need for clinical trials to discover safe and efficacious treatments. We examined how COVID-19 experiences, clinical trial awareness, and trust in the vaccine safety process were associated with willingness to participate in COVID-19 clinical trials. The objective was to investigate the relationship between trust in federal oversight of vaccine safety and willingness to participate in clinical trials for COVID-19 treatment across four distinct time points over an 18-month period during the COVID-19 *** used four waves of data collected from September 2021 to March 2023 among 582 Philadelphia residents (with a missing data rate of 0.9%). Generalized estimating equations estimated the association between willingness to participate in COVID-19 clinical trials and participants' trust in the federal government's oversight of COVID-19 vaccine safety, COVID-19-related variables (COVID-19 related health challenges, history of COVID-19 infection), awareness of clinical trials and how to enroll in them, and sociodemographic characteristics (age, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, parental status, education, and insurance).ResultsOn average, willingness to participate in a COVID-19 clinical trial was positively associated with greater trust in the federal government's oversight of vaccine safety [beta = 0.34, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.15-0.53], having COVID-19 (beta = 0.40, 95% CI: 0.08-0.73), awareness of clinical trials (beta = 0.38, 95% CI: 0.04-0.73), and knowledge of how to enroll (beta = 0.83, 95% CI: 0.44-1.23). Among sociodemographic characteristics, race/ethnicity (p = 0.001) and gender (p = 0.018) were identified as predictors for COVID-19 trial *** to participate in clinical trials may be bolstered by strengthening the public's trust in the federal government's role within vaccine safety oversight, increasing the perceived rel

关键词： FACE-TO-FACE   PERFORMANCE   SUPPORT   SCALE  

摘要： The online form of education has been intensively used worldwide for many years and gains additional importance in emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic, natural disasters, and wars, when it becomes the dominant form of class delivery. Besides the recent pandemic, the world is now facing wars and the threat of their spread, making the research on the impact of fear and anxiety on human behavior relevant. The student population already faces increased depression and anxiety, which affect their behavior; therefore, it is crucial to investigate their impact on academic behavior in an online context during disruptions to the educational process. Consequently, this research focuses on analyzing student satisfaction and their academic effort and performance with online education during the COVID-19 pandemic. The empirical part of the study involves investigating the impact of instructor quality, fear of COVID and students' anxiety on student satisfaction with online classes and students' effort and performance at the higher education institutions in Croatia during the COVID-19 pandemic. A quantitative study was conducted on a sample of 359 respondents, students from two universities in Croatia. Results showed that the quality of instructor has a positive effect on student satisfaction and that student satisfaction positively affected students' academic effort. Results also suggested that emotional reaction in fear of COVID-19 affected anxiety reported by students, but emotional fear reactions to COVID-19, and anxiety alike, did not affect academic effort of students, nor their satisfaction with online classes.

关键词： Mammography   Papanicolaou test   Pandemics   Noncommunicable diseases   Disease prevention   Time series studies   NONCOMMUNICABLE DISEASES   HEALTH-SERVICES   CERVICAL-CANCER   RISK   INEQUALITIES  

摘要： BackgroundBreast and cervical cancer are major public health issues globally. The reduction in incidence and mortality rates of these cancers is linked to effective prevention, early detection, and appropriate treatment measures. This study aims to analyze the temporal trends in the prevalence of mammography and Papanicolaou test coverage among women living in Brazilian state capitals between 2007 and 2023, and to compare the coverage of these tests before and during the Covid-19 *** time series study was conducted using data from the Surveillance System for Risk and Protective Factors for Chronic Diseases by Telephone Survey from 2007 to 2023. The variables analyzed included mammography and Papanicolaou test coverage according to education level, age group, race/skin color, regions, and Brazilian capitals. The Prais-Winsten regression model was used to analyze the time series, and Student's t-test was employed to compare the prevalence rates between 2019 and *** 2007 and 2023, mammography coverage showed a stationary trend (71.1% in 2007 and 73.1% in 2023; p-value = 0.75) with a declining trend observed among women with 12 years or more of education (APC= -0.52% 95%CI -1.01%; -0.02%). Papanicolaou test coverage for all women aged between 25 and 64 exhibited a downward trend from 82% in 2007 to 76.8% in 2023 (APC= -0.45% 95%CI -0.76%; -0.13%). This decline was also noticed among those with 9 years or more of education; in the 25 to 44 age group; among women with white and mixed race; and in the Northeast, Central-West, Southeast, and South regions. When comparing coverage before and during Covid-19 pandemic, a reduction was noted for both *** the years, there has been stability in mammography coverage and a decline in Papanicolaou test. The COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted the number of these tests carried out among women, highlighting the importance of actions aimed at increasing coverage, especially among the mo

关键词： leadership   leadership competencies   Christian religiosity   faith-work integration   work attitudes and values   influence  

摘要： Purpose: Surviving the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic required much of leaders. It highlighted the complexities of faith in the workplace. Christian business leaders drew on their faith to influence employees' work intentions and behaviours through specific leadership competencies. This study aimed to gain insights into the leadership competencies of Christian leaders during COVID-19 and its perceived influence on colleagues' values and workplace behaviour through the leaders' integration of faith and work. Design/methodology/approach: The study used a qualitative, grounded theory approach with semi-structured interviews to collect data. Participants (N = 14) were full-time Christian leaders selected through purposeful, convenient, and snowball sampling. Findings/results: The findings indicated that Christian business leaders exhibited distinctive leadership competencies attributed to their faith. These competencies allowed them to express their beliefs to co-workers in ways that surpassed verbal communication. Practical implications: Organisations should consider implementing leadership development programmes focusing on integrating faith and values into leadership practices. Providing Christian leaders with tools and resources to align their leadership approach with their spiritual beliefs can enhance their ability to create a positive and ethical workplace culture. Contribution/value-add: Although no study has directly explored religion's role in dealing with pandemics, understanding the impact of beliefs such as Christian religiosity on work can complement management and organisational practices. The findings contribute to leadership studies by laying the groundwork for future investigation into the role of faith integration in leadership behaviours and outcomes.

关键词： infectious diseases   surveillance   pandemic   non-pharmaceutical interventions   influenza   chickenpox   norovirus gastroenteritis   rotavirus gastroenteritis   COVID-19   EPIDEMIOLOGY   INFLUENZA  

摘要： Background The COVID-19 pandemic and associated non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) have led to substantial decreases in case numbers of infectious diseases in several countries worldwide. As NPIs were gradually lifted, intense or out-of-season outbreaks of respiratory and gastrointestinal diseases were reported, raising the hypothesis of a potential catch-up effect of infections. By analysing surveillance data from the federal reporting system for notifiable infectious diseases, we aimed to assess the potential impact of lifting COVID-19 associated NPIs on notifications of selected infectious diseases in Bavaria, *** We compared influenza, chickenpox, norovirus gastroenteritis, rotavirus gastroenteritis weekly case numbers in a pre-pandemic period (2016-2019) and 2022 using two time series analyses approaches: (i) a predictive model forecasting weekly case numbers for the pandemic years 2020-2022, based on 2016-2019 data, (ii) interrupted time series model, based on 2016-2022 data, including a term per pandemic *** In 2022, incidence rates were higher compared to pre-pandemic period for influenza (IRR = 3.47, 95%CI: 1.49-7.94) and rotavirus gastroenteritis (IRR = 1.36, 95%CI: 0.95-1.93), though not significant for rotavirus gastroenteritis. Conversely, case numbers remained significantly below pre-pandemic levels for chickenpox (IRR = 0.52, 95%CI: 0.41-0.65) and norovirus gastroenteritis (IRR = 0.59, 95%CI: 0.42-0.82). Seasonality changed notably for influenza, showing an earlier influenza wave compared to pre-pandemic *** The lifting of NPIs was associated with heterogenic epidemiological patterns depending on the selected disease. The full impact of NPIs and their discontinuation may only become clear with continued monitoring and assessment of potential additional contributing factors.