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The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic brought about several features that increased the sense of fear and confusion, such as quarantine and financial losses among other stressors, which may have led to adverse psychosocial outcomes. The influence of such stressors took place within a broader sociocultural context that needs to be considered. The objective was to examine how the psychological response to the pandemic varied across countries and identify which risk/protective factors contributed to this response. An online survey was conducted from 29 May 2020&ndash, 12 June 2020, among a multinational sample of 8806 adults from eight countries/regions (Canada, United States, England, Switzerland, Belgium, Hong Kong, Philippines, New Zealand). Probable generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and major depression episode (MDE) were assessed. The independent role of a wide range of potential factors was examined using multilevel logistic regression. Probable GAD and MDE were indicated by 21.0% and 25.5% of the respondents, respectively, with an important variation according to countries/regions (GAD: 12.2&ndash, 31.0%, MDE: 16.7&ndash, 32.9%). When considered together, 30.2% of the participants indicated probable GAD or MDE. Several factors were positively associated with a probable GAD or MDE, including (in descending order of importance) weak sense of coherence (SOC), lower age, false beliefs, isolation, threat perceived for oneself/family, mistrust in authorities, stigma, threat perceived for country/world, financial losses, being a female, and having a high level of information about COVID-19. Having a weak SOC yielded the highest adjusted odds ratio for probable GAD or MDE (3.21, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.73&ndash, 3.77). This pandemic is having an impact on psychological health. In some places and under certain circumstances, however, people seem to be better protected psychologically. This is a unique opportunity to evaluate the psychosocial impacts across various sociocultural backgrounds, providing important lessons that could inform all phases of disaster risk management.

Ocular diseases involving photoreceptor degeneration still lead to blindness. However, different therapeutic strategies preserving vision have been validated recently, as in age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) or Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA). In the latter, gene therapy was found to restore vision in patients progressively losing eyesight due the loss of their photoreceptors. This major success opened the way for many other forms of gene therapy to prevent blindness or even restore some degree of sight. Optogenetic therapy is one such example, where a gene coding for a photosensitive protein from algae or bacteria is introduced in the genome of a cell to restore some light perception in the blind retina. Other therapeutic strategies rely on trophic factors, such as Ciliary Neurotrophic factor (CNTF) or RdCVF (rod-derived cone viability factor), or calcium channel blockers. Finally, stem cell transplantation is likely to provide new modes of treatment in a near future. These therapeutic strategies therefore hold great promises for diseases leading to blindness and considered as incurable., Les maladies oculaires avec dégénérescence des photorécepteurs sont toujours à l’origine de cécités. Cependant, différentes approches thérapeutiques ont récemment été validées pour préserver la vision, comme dans les cas de la dégénérescence maculaire liée à l’âge ou de l’amaurose congénitale de Leber. Pour cette dernière maladie, la thérapie génique a permis de restaurer la vision de patients perdant progressivement la vue à la suite de la dégénérescence de leurs photorécepteurs. Ce succès majeur a ouvert la voie à de nombreuses autres formes de thérapie génique pour prévenir la cécité ou restaurer une certaine vision par la thérapie optogénétique. Dans ce dernier cas, un gène codant une protéine photosensible issue d’algues ou de bactéries est introduit dans le génome d’une cellule pour restaurer une perception à la lumière dans la rétine aveugle. D’autres approches thérapeutiques reposent sur les facteurs trophiques comme le CNTF (ciliary neurotrophic factor) ou le RdCVF (rod-derived cone viability factor), ou encore les inhibiteurs des canaux Ca2+. Enfin, la transplantation de cellules souches est amenée à devenir un mode thérapeutique dans un futur proche. Ces différentes approches offrent donc un grand espoir de traitement des maladies entraînant la cécité et considérées comme incurables., Fradot Mathias, Yang Ying, Rosolen Serge Georges, Sahel José-Alain, Picaud Serge. Dégénérescence des photorécepteurs: stratégies thérapeutiques et nouvelles perspectives. In: Bulletin de l'Académie Vétérinaire de France tome 164 n°1, 2011. pp. 57-65.