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We aimed to investigate the immunoglobulin G response and neutralizing activity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) among primary health care workers (PHCW) in France and assess the association between the neutralizing activity and several factors, including the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination scheme. A cross-sectional survey was conducted between 10 May 2021 and 31 August 2021. Participants underwent capillary blood sampling and completed a questionnaire. Sera were tested for the presence of antibodies against the nucleocapsid (N) protein and the S-1 portion of the spike (S) protein and neutralizing antibodies. In total, 1612 PHCW were included. The overall seroprevalences were: 23.6% (95% confidence interval (CI) 21.6-25.7%) for antibodies against the N protein, 94.7% (93.6-95.7%) for antibodies against the S protein, and 81.3% (79.4-83.2%) for neutralizing antibodies. Multivariate regression analyses showed that detection of neutralizing antibodies was significantly more likely in PHCW with previous SARS-CoV-2 infection than in those with no such history among the unvaccinated (odds ratio (OR) 16.57, 95% CI 5.96-59.36) and those vaccinated with one vaccine dose (OR 41.66, 95% CI 16.05-120.78). Among PHCW vaccinated with two vaccine doses, the detection of neutralizing antibodies was not significantly associated with previous SARS-CoV-2 infection (OR 1.31, 95% CI 0.86-2.07), but was more likely in those that received their second vaccine dose within the three months before study entry than in those vaccinated more than three months earlier (OR 5.28, 95% CI 3.51-8.23). This study highlights that previous SARS-CoV-2 infection and the time since vaccination should be considered when planning booster doses and the design of COVID-19 vaccine strategies.

Objectives: Herpes zoster (HZ) exposes to alterations of the quality-of-life. HZ is more frequent in immunocompromised individuals, but whether immunosuppression is associated with a higher rate of complications is not well documented. We aimed to assess association between drug-induced immunosuppression and HZ complications., Methods: Data from a sample of the French healthcare claims from 01/01/2006 to 12/31/2018 were analyzed. Complicated zoster (CZ) was defined as a hospitalization with a code for HZ or the first-time dispensation of high-dose valacyclovir and specific neuralgia analgesics. Drug-induced immunosuppression was identified through medication dispensation. Risk ratios were calculated to compare incidences in exposed individuals (EI) and non-exposed to immunosuppressive therapy (NEI)., Results: We identified 227 and 2838 CZ, accounting for an incidence of 178 per 100,000 person-year (95%CI[154.9-201.1]) and 51.7 per 100,000 person-year (95%CI[49.8-53.6]), in EI and NEI, respectively (risk ratio: 3.44 (95%CI[3.01-3.94]). Mean age was 66 years in both groups. CZ occurred after a median of 11.7 months (IQR[5.3-49.9]) of immunosuppressive therapy. Post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN) lasted at least 3 months in 32.6% and 22.5% of cases in EI and NEI, respectively (p=.01)., Conclusions: Drug-induced immunosuppression increases the risk of CZ and exposes to longer-lasting PHN. Figures provided in this study could help guide prophylaxis of HZ., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors have no conflict nor link or interest to declare with regards to that work., (Copyright © 2022 The British Infection Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Unrealistic optimism, the underestimation of one's risk of experiencing harm, has been investigated extensively to understand better and predict behavioural responses to health threats. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, a relative dearth of research existed in this domain regarding epidemics, which is surprising considering that this optimistic bias has been associated with a lack of engagement in protective behaviours critical in fighting twenty-first-century, emergent, infectious diseases. The current study addresses this gap in the literature by investigating whether people demonstrated optimism bias during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe, how this changed over time, and whether unrealistic optimism was negatively associated with protective measures. Taking advantage of a pre-existing international participative influenza surveillance network ( n = 12,378), absolute and comparative unrealistic optimism were measured at three epidemic stages (pre-, early, peak), and across four countries-France, Italy, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Despite differences in culture and health response, similar patterns were observed across all four countries. The prevalence of unrealistic optimism appears to be influenced by the particular epidemic context. Paradoxically, whereas absolute unrealistic optimism decreased over time, comparative unrealistic optimism increased, suggesting that whilst people became increasingly accurate in assessing their personal risk, they nonetheless overestimated that for others. Comparative unrealistic optimism was negatively associated with the adoption of protective behaviours, which is worrying, given that these preventive measures are critical in tackling the spread and health burden of COVID-19. It is hoped these findings will inspire further research into sociocognitive mechanisms involved in risk appraisal.

Background: The protocol study will focus on the seroprevalence of IgG antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 achieved by vaccination and/or natural protection as well as the history, symptoms, and risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 in four primary health-care workers (PHCWs) and their household contacts in metropolitan France., Methods: Here, we propose a protocol for a nationwide survey to determine the seroprevalence of IgG antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 achieved by vaccination and/or natural protection in four PHCW populations (general practitioners, pediatricians, pharmacists and assistants, and dentists and assistants) and their household contacts. Participants will be included from June to July 2021 (Phase 1) among PHCW populations located throughout metropolitan France. They will be asked to provide a range of demographic and behavioral information since the first SARS-CoV-2 wave and a self-sampled dried blood spot. Phase 1 will involve also a questionnaire and serological study of PHCWs' household contacts. Seroprevalence will be estimated using two ELISAs designed to detect specific IgG antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in humoral fluid, and these results will be confirmed using a virus neutralization test. This study will be repeated from November to December 2021 (Phase 2) to evaluate the evolution of immune status achieved by vaccination and/or natural protection of PHCWs and to describe the history of exposure to SARS-CoV-2.

Background: The safety of non-steroids anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in the context of pharyngitis is doubtful with contradictory results in the literature., Objective: To evaluate the risk of peritonsillar abscess (PTA) associated to NSAIDs consumption during a pharyngitis episode observed in primary care., Method: A retrospective cohort study using Observatory of General Medicine Datalink from 1995 to 2010. All patients consulting a GP from the Datalink network for pharyngitis have been included. The occurrence of a PTA in the 15 days following the consultation for pharyngitis was matched. The association between PTA and prescriptions of NSAIDs was studied via an adjusted logistic regression model., Results: During the study period, 105 802 cases of pharyngitis and 48 cases of PTA following a pharyngitis were reported, concerning respectively 67 765 and 47 patients. In the multivariate analysis, the risk of PTA was associated positively with a NSAIDs prescription (OR = 2.9, 95% CI = 1.6-5.2). Other factors associated with PTA occurrence were the prescription of corticosteroids (OR = 3.1, 95% CI = 1.3-7.6) and an age between 20 and 40 years (OR = 5.7, 95% CI = 2.5-13.0). The prescription of antibiotics was not significantly associated with PTA (P = 0.7)., Conclusion: Prescription of NSAIDs in pharyngitis may increase the risk of PTA. This study encourages considering cautiously the balance between benefits and harms before prescription of NSAIDs for pharyngitis., (© The Author(s) 2018. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Is there a role for the screening method in estimating influenza vaccine effectiveness (VE)? The answer is yes, but the simplicity of the method used has raised concerns about its validity, and several cautions should be noted. The screening method provides an approximation of influenza VE by comparing the proportion of cases vaccinated (PCV) with the proportion of persons vaccinated (PPV) in the general population. This method has an important disadvantage: VE estimation could be inaccurate if the values for PCV and PPV are drawn from different populations, but it has an important strength, compared with other observational studies, in providing an early indication of VE in the field. Thus, when an infrastructure, such as routine surveillance, is in place to collect robust PCV values, and PPV can be obtained from routine vaccine uptake monitoring systems, the screening method can provide early estimates of influenza VE in target groups.

Thanks to the screening method, we estimated among target groups the 2010/2011 field vaccine effectiveness (FVE) against laboratory confirmed influenza cases seen in general practice. We also compared the values of FVE estimations obtained by using three sources of the population vaccination coverage (VC) based on three different methodologies: (1) administrative data from the main social security scheme (Caisse Nationale d'Assurance Maladie des Travailleurs Salariés--CNAMTS) covering about 85% of the French population, (2) a cross-sectional national telephone survey in the general population, and (3) a declarative survey in the population seen in a one-day general practitioner (GP) consultations. The FVE estimates among target groups were stratified by age (< 65 y old with reported chronic illness; ≥65 y old and overall). Using the VC of the CNAMTS, the FVE of the 2010/2011 seasonal trivalent vaccine against laboratory confirmed infection with any influenza virus was 59% (95% Confidence Interval, 17 to 81). It was 85% (17 to 99) and 50% (-16 to 80) for A(H1N1)pdm09 and B influenza infections, respectively. The values of FVE using the influenza VC obtained in a sample of the general population and of the population of GPs' patients were 73% (45 to 87) and 82% (63 to 92), respectively. We estimated a moderate influenza FVE in preventing confirmed influenza viruses in target groups by using the VC of the CNAMTS. We also observed that the screening method generates FVE values dependent on the choice of the source of VC and thus should be used cautiously.