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Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a global health issue with various effects on the physical and mental state of the societies. The aim of this study was to identify the demographic characteristics and mental health condition of Tehran Municipality employees during the COVID-19 pandemic., Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on Tehran Municipality employees in 2020-2021. Participants were selected using stratified random sampling and were divided into COVID-19 and uninfected groups. Demographic characteristics, COVID-19 risk behaviors, General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28), and Well- Being Social Inventory were filled for all participants., Results: A total of 510 participants (363 uninfected participants and 147 participants with COVID-19) were evaluated. The prevalence of female gender was significantly higher in COVID-19 group compared to uninfected group (p < 0.001). There was a significant difference between groups in terms of education level (p < 0.001), prevalence of excess weight (p < 0.001), and working sector (p < 0.001). The uninfected group mainly had low contact with clients (p < 0.001) and few underlying diseases (p = 0.004) compared to the COVID-19 group. The mean GHQ-28 and Well- Being Social Inventory were significantly higher in the uninfected group compared to the COVID-19 group (p = 0.002 and p < 0.001, respectively). The prevalence of no and low contact level was significantly higher in the high infection cluster compared to moderate and low infection clusters (p = 0.024)., Conclusions: The findings of this study indicated that all workers should be educated about the significance of social distancing and follow the recommendations regardless of their level of contact with clients., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Introduction: The Queensland Basic Paediatric Training Network (QBPTN) is responsible for the selection of candidates into paediatric training in Queensland. The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated interviews to be conducted 'virtually' as virtual Multiple-Mini-Interviews (vMMI). The study aimed to describe the demographic characteristics of candidates applying for selection into paediatric training in Queensland, and to explore their perspectives and experiences with the vMMI selection tool., Methodology: The demographic characteristics of candidates and their vMMI outcomes were collected and analysed with a mixed methods approach. The qualitative component was comprised of seven semi-structured interviews with consenting candidates., Results: Seventy-one shortlisted candidates took part in vMMI and 41 were offered training positions. The demographic characteristics of candidates at various stages of selection were similar. The mean vMMI scores were not statistically different between candidates from the Modified Monash Model 1 (MMM1) location and others [mean (SD): 43.5 (5.1) versus 41.7 (6.7), respectively, p  = 0.26]. However, there was a statistically significant difference ( p value 0.03) between being offered and not offered a training position for candidates from MMM2 and above. The analysis of the semi-structured interviews suggested that candidate experiences of the vMMI were influenced by the quality of the management of the technology used. Flexibility, convenience, and reduced stress were the main factors that influenced candidates' acceptance of vMMI. Perceptions of the vMMI process focused on the need to build rapport and facilitate communication with the interviewers., Discussion: vMMI is a viable alternative to face-to-face (FTF) MMI. The vMMI experience can be improved by facilitating enhanced interviewer training, by making provision for adequate candidate preparation and by having contingency plans in place for unexpected technical challenges. Given government priorities in Australia, the impact of candidates' geographical location on the vMMI outcome for candidates from MMM >1 location needs to be further explored.

Background: Nursing is a high-risk profession and nurses' exposure to workplace risk factors such as heavy workloads and inadequate staffing is well documented. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated nurses' exposure to workplace risk factors, further deteriorating their mental health. Therefore, it is both timely and important to determine nursing groups in greatest need of mental health interventions and supports., Purpose: The purpose of this study is to provide a granular examination of the differences in nurse mental health across nurse demographic and workplace characteristics before and after COVID-19 was declared a pandemic., Methods: This secondary analysis used survey data from two cross-sectional studies with samples (Time 1 study, 5,512 nurses; Time 2, 4,523) recruited from the nursing membership (∼48,000) of the British Columbia nurses' union. Data was analyzed at each timepoint using descriptive statistics and ordinal logistic regression., Results: Several demographic and workplace characteristics were found to predict significant differences in the number of positive screenings on measures of poor mental health. Most importantly, in both survey times younger age was a strong predictor of worse mental health, as was full-time employment. Nurse workplace health authority was also a significant predictor of worse mental health., Conclusions: Structural and psychological strategies must be in place, proactively and preventively, to buffer nurses against workplace challenges that are likely to increase during the COVID-19 crisis.

Within 1 month after the first case occurred in Hainan Province, China, the number of confirmed cases rose to 168, and there was no increase in almost 3 months. As the southernmost province and a famous tourist destination in China, its regular economic exchanges and high-intensity population movements may affect the spread of the epidemic. It is of great theoretical and practical significance to investigate the spatiotemporal evolution, the pattern of diffusion, and factors influencing the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic in Hainan Province. Basic and geographic information of confirmed COVID-19 cases was obtained from government websites and other official media. We examined the groups of infection and calculated the diffusion ratio to demonstrate the trend of the epidemic. Map drawing, spatial analysis, and partial least squares regression were used to express the spatiotemporal evolution, the pattern of diffusion, and factors affecting the epidemic. Furthermore, we have made recommendations on the formulation and adaptation of possible future preventive steps. Results show that the COVID-19 epidemic in Hainan Province has substantial spatial heterogeneity but minimal distribution. The tourist city and central city have formed a dual-core pattern for the spread of the epidemic, which could extend to other similar regions. Population density, mobility, and level of urban development have been the major factors of epidemic distribution in the study area., (© 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Due to current advances and growing experience in the management of coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), the outcome of COVID-19 patients with severe/critical illness would be expected to be better in the second wave compared with the first wave. As our hospitalization criteria changed in the second wave, we aimed to investigate whether a favorable outcome occurred in hospitalized COVID-19 patients with only severe/critical illness. Among 642 laboratory-confirmed hospitalized COVID-19 patients in the first wave and 1121 in the second wave, those who met World Health Organization (WHO) definitions for severe or critical illness on admission or during follow-up were surveyed. Data on demographics, comorbidities, C-reactive protein (CRP) levels on admission, and outcomes were obtained from an electronic hospital database. Univariate analysis was performed to compare the characteristics of patients in the first and second waves. There were 228 (35.5%) patients with severe/critical illness in the first wave and 681 (60.7%) in the second wave. Both groups were similar in terms of age, gender, and comorbidities, other than chronic kidney disease. Median serum CRP levels were significantly higher in patients in the second wave compared with those in the first wave [109 mg/L (interquartile range [IQR]: 65-157) vs. 87 mg/L (IQR: 39-140); p < 0.001]. However, intensive care unit admission and mortality rates were similar among the waves. Even though a lower mortality rate in the second wave has been reported in previous studies, including all hospitalized COVID-19 patients, we found similar demographics and outcomes among hospitalized COVID-19 patients with severe/critical illness in the first and second wave., (© 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Background: With the spread of vaccines, more and more countries have controlled the outbreak of the COVID-19. In this post-epidemic era, these countries began to revive their economy. However, pollution remains in the environment, and people's physical and psychological health has been under threat due to some over-prevention behaviors. Instruments for governmental agencies to manage these behaviors are not yet available. This study aims to develop a measurement model to identify and measure the degree of over-prevention behaviors during the COVID-19 epidemic in China., Methods: A survey online was conducted to collect cognition from 1528 Chinese people, including descriptions of various over-prevention behaviors defined by health authorities. Factor analyses were used to develop the measurement model and test its validity. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to explore demographic characteristics, indicating people who are inclined to exhibit over-prevention behaviors., Results: Four main factors were extracted to develop the model (eigenvalue = 7.337, 3.157, 1.447, and 1.059, respectively). The overall reliability (Cronbach's α = 0.900), the convergent (AVE > 0.5, CR > 0.8 for each factor) and discriminant validity is good. There is also a good internal consistency among these factors (Cronbach's α = 0.906, 0.852, 0.882, and 0.763, respectively). In Factor 1, gender has a negative effect (Beta = - 0.294, P <  0.05, OR = 0.745), whereas employment has a positive effect. Workers in institutions exhibit the greatest effect (Beta = 0.855, P <  0.001, OR = 2.352). In Factor 2, employment has a negative effect, with workers in institutions exhibit the greatest role (Beta = - 0.963, P <  0.001, OR = 0.382). By contrast, education level has a positive effect (Beta = 0.430, P <  0.001, OR = 1.537). In Factor 3, age plays a negative role (Beta = - 0.128, P < 0.05, OR = 0.880)., Conclusions: People show a discrepancy in the cognition toward various over-prevention behaviors. The findings may have implications for decision-makers to reduce the contradiction between the epidemic and economic revival via managing these behaviors., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Background: Mortality rates of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) continue to rise across the world. The impact of several risk factors on coronavirus mortality has been previously reported in several meta-analyses limited by small sample sizes. In this systematic review, we aimed to summarize available findings on the association between comorbidities, complications, smoking status, obesity, gender, age and D-dimer, and risk of mortality from COVID-19 using a large dataset from a number of studies., Method: Electronic databases including Google Scholar, Cochrane Library, Web of Sciences (WOS), EMBASE, Medline/PubMed, COVID-19 Research Database, and Scopus, were systematically searched till 31 August 2020. We included all human studies regardless of language, publication date or region. Forty-two studies with a total of 423,117 patients met the inclusion criteria. To pool the estimate, a mixed-effect model was used. Moreover, publication bias and sensitivity analysis were evaluated., Results: The findings of the included studies were consistent in stating the contribution of comorbidities, gender, age, smoking status, obesity, acute kidney injury, and D-dimer as a risk factor to increase the requirement for advanced medical care. The analysis results showed that the pooled prevalence of mortality among hospitalized patients with COVID-19 was 17.62% (95% CI 14.26-21.57%, 42 studies and 423,117 patients). Older age has shown increased risk of mortality due to coronavirus and the pooled odds ratio (pOR) and hazard ratio (pHR) were 2.61 (95% CI 1.75-3.47) and 1.31 (95% CI 1.11-1.51), respectively. A significant association were found between COVID-19 mortality and male (pOR = 1.45; 95% CI 1.41-1.51; pHR = 1.24; 95% CI 1.07-1.41), and current smoker (pOR = 1.42; 95% CI 1.01-1.83). Furthermore, risk of mortality among hospitalized COVID-19 patients is highly influenced by patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Cardiovascular Disease (CVD), diabetes, hypertension, obese, cancer, acute kidney injury and increase D-dimer., Conclusion: Chronic comorbidities, complications, and demographic variables including acute kidney injury, COPD, diabetes, hypertension, CVD, cancer, increased D-dimer, male gender, older age, current smoker, and obesity are clinical risk factors for a fatal outcome associated with coronavirus. The findings could be used for disease's future research, control and prevention., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea in January 2020, many South Korean employees have been experiencing work stressors, threats of job insecurity, and feelings of isolation, which together lead to emotional exhaustion. The present study aimed to compare the emotional exhaustion of South Korean employees before and after the pandemic, as well as to examine how the demographic characteristics of employees affected their emotional exhaustion. We administered surveys to 276 employees before the COVID-19 pandemic (from July to October 2019) and 301 employees after its onset (from March to April 2020). A series of t-tests demonstrated that both employee samples were similar demographically. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that even when controlling for baseline emotions, the employees assessed after the COVID-19 experienced significantly higher emotional exhaustion than those assessed before. Furthermore, in reaction to COVID-19, female employees felt more emotionally exhausted than their male counterparts. Finally, after the COVID-19 pandemic, younger and short-tenured employees reported higher emotional exhaustion than older and more experienced employees. These findings provide insight into managing the mental health of employees during the COVID-19 crisis. PRACTITIONER POINTS: The emotional exhaustion of the South Korean workforce increased after the COVID-19 pandemic. After the pandemic, female employees experienced a higher level of emotional exhaustion than their male counterparts. After the pandemic, younger and short-tenured employees experienced a higher level of emotional exhaustion than older and long-tenured employees., (© 2020 The British Psychological Society.)

Background: To limit the rapid spread of COVID-19, countries have asked their citizens to stay at home. As a result, demographic and cultural factors related to home life have become especially relevant to predict population well-being during isolation. This pre-registered worldwide study analyses the relationship between the number of adults and children in a household, marital status, age, gender, education level, COVID-19 severity, individualism-collectivism, and perceived stress., Methods: We used the COVIDiSTRESS Global Survey data of 53,524 online participants from 26 countries and areas. The data were collected between 30 March and 6 April 2020., Results: Higher levels of stress were associated with younger age, being a woman, lower level of education, being single, staying with more children, and living in a country or area with a more severe COVID-19 situation., Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic revealed that certain people may be more susceptible to experience elevated levels of stress. Our findings highlight the need for public health to be attentive to both the physical and the psychological well-being of these groups., (© 2020 International Association of Applied Psychology.)

The authors conducted a survey containing the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory to explore the degree and type of burnout experienced by academic librarians in the spring of 2023. The average burnout score of the respondents (N = 267) was found to be middling (M = 45.68142). When subtypes of burnout were explored, academic librarians showed the most personal burnout, followed closely by work-related burnout. Client-related burnout was low. Analyses were conducted to explore differences due to demographic or workplace characteristics; however, the only significant relationship observed was between the duration of a librarian's career and their degree of client-related burnout. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To identify the differences between COVID-19-associated and non-COVID-19-associated olfactory dysfunction (OD), we analyzed demographic and clinical characteristics based on the causative virus (COVID versus non-COVID groups) in patients with post-infectious olfactory dysfunction (PIOD) who underwent the olfactory questionnaire and olfactory function test. Out of 169 patients with PIOD, 99 were diagnosed with COVID-19 (COVID group), while 70 were not (non-COVID group). The COVID group was younger and had a higher percentage of male patients as well as patients with parosmia than the non-COVID group. In the initial olfactory function tests, the TDI, discrimination and identification scores were significantly higher in the COVID group than in the non-COVID group. TDI scores were significantly increased in patients with PIOD after treatment, regardless of the group. The threshold score was significantly increased by 1.38 in the COVID group while the identification score was significantly increased by 2.67 in the non-COVID group. Patients with COVID-19-associated OD were younger in age, tended to be male, had a higher incidence of parosmia, and had better initial olfactory function test results compared to those with non-COVID-19-associated OD. Following treatment, odor detection threshold improved in the COVID group, whereas odor identification improved in the non-COVID group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Objectives: The main outcomes of the COVID-19 pandemic can be used to assess the capability and sustainability of public healthcare and Long-Term Care (LTC) systems. This study aims to identify the population's demographic and socio-economic characteristics, as well as other national resources associated with the incidence and mortality of COVID-19, by comparing three European countries during the first pandemic period (Italy, Spain, and Germany). The results will identify possible strengths and weaknesses that could be considered as hints of the need for health and social intervention. Methods: Variables describing the countries' core demographics, socio-economic characteristics, and national resources were collected from 2001–2021 from well-established international databases. COVID-19 incidence and death figures from 1 March 2020 to 31 March 2021 were extracted from national health databases. Analysis focused on bivariate and weighted multivariable linear regressions between incidence, mortality, and socio-economic covariates. Results: Findings show that both care models and socio-demographic characteristics influenced the capability of the first year's response to the COVID-19 emergency. Formal public care appears to represent the most effective strategy against incidence and mortality regarding COVID-19, especially for older people, because it mitigates the adverse effects of socio-economic characteristics. Conclusions: Current strategies oriented towards privatizing care should, therefore, be considered critically, since they may result in weaker protection of vulnerable groups, such as frail older people, due to the unequal position of individuals with different socio-economic conditions in purchasing services from the care market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pakistan reported 1.57 million COVID-19 cases between 2020 and 2022, based on approximately 30.6 million SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR (reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction) tests conducted. This study utilized data from one of the largest in-country testing facilities, Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH) in Karachi, Pakistan, to explore gender and age-related in RT-PCR testing patterns. Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR test data extracted from AKUH clinical laboratory records between February 2020 and February 2022. Gender and age distributions were examined in the context of testing patterns across the period. Multivariate regression models assessed independent associations between COVID-19 positivity and key variables. Results: We reviewed 470,249 RT-PCR tests, finding that most tests were in those aged 21–40 years (48.1%). Overall, COVID-19 test positivity was 20.6%. In all, 57.7% were performed for males, predominant amongst those tested across all age groups and waves. Females had significantly lower odds of testing positive for COVID-19 (OR: 0.9; 95% CI: 0.9-1.0). However, when adjusted for gender, age and pandemic phases, the positivity rates between males and females were the same. The odds of a positive result increased significantly with age; individuals aged > 80 years had 2.5 times higher odds of testing positive than those aged 0–10 years (aOR 2.5, 95% CI 2.3–2.7). Conclusions: The analysis indicates a consistent male dominance in COVID-19 testing, with higher positivity rates in older age groups. Our study highlight the importance of examining demographic characteristics in disease associated data especially, representation of females amongst cohorts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/aim: The relation between the demographic characteristics of individuals and their health-seeking behaviors was presented and the effects of health cognitions, healthy lifestyle behaviors, and coronavirus fear levels on health-seeking behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic were examined. Materials and methods: This descriptive survey study was conducted in the Tuzla District of İstanbul, Türkiye, between March and June 2021. Results: From analysis of the 391 participants, 60.0% were females, 27.1% were between 31 and 40 years of age, 47.0% were healthcare professionals, and the perceived socioeconomic status of 50.9% was above average. According to the results, the women exhibited more health-seeking behavior than the men (p < 0.05). While the young participants showed more online health-seeking behavior (p < 0.05), the older ones showed greater health responsibility (p < 0.05). The participants with a high level of education exhibited traditional health-seeking behavior (p < 0.05) more than the others, and below-low socioeconomic status increased the COVID-19 fear level 1.94 times (95.0% CI: 1.08-3.48). The Health-Seeking Behavior Scale (HSBS) score was related to the Health Cognitions Questionnaire (HCQ) (p < 0.0001) and the Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors Scale-II (HLBS-II) scores (p = 0.002; Table 3). While the HSBS score was positively associated with an increase in the HCQ score and HLBS-II score (p < 0.05), the HSBS score was not significantly related to the Fear of COVID-19 Scale score (p > 0.05). Conclusion: While fear of COVID-19 was not significantly influential, health cognitions and healthy lifestyle behaviors were the main factors that led to health-seeking behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we use transaction data from a large grocery store retailer to describe changes in grocery shopping behavior associated with the progression of the COVID‐19 pandemic before and after the vaccines were developed. We find that in general, households increased their spending and decreased their number of transactions early in the pandemic. Further, most households increased their reliance on online shopping during the pandemic and this shift persisted into the post‐vaccine period. We find somewhat mixed results on how overall healthfulness of grocery store purchases changed during the pandemic, and we find that changes in healthfulness vary with market and household demographics. Perhaps most interestingly, we find that changes in a store's spending and transactions, along with the healthfulness of these purchases, vary significantly with the racial composition of a store's market and that these differential changes persisted after vaccines were available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Researchers and advocates have long called for improved research methods that better include people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), but challenges to doing so persist. Proxy responses are frequently used to circumvent some of these challenges, but may not fully capture the perspectives of people with IDD. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the possibility of consequences due to a lack of research about health outcomes for people with IDD, with documented disproportionate impact but little understanding about specific experiences for people with IDD. Using exploratory graph analysis (EGA) we explored the use of proxy responses on the COVID-19 Supplement of the National Core Indicators In-Person Survey. Findings suggest significant differences in response patterns between people who answered independently, via proxy, and with a mix of response types beyond what would be expected due to demographic differences in participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An increasing number of consumers are buying organic foods, resulting in an enhancement of the value of this market, which recorded constant growth both before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Concerns for health, environmental protection, animal welfare, and support for the local economy contribute to greater purchases of organic foods, whereas high prices, lack of trust in certification, scarce supply, and unavailability of organic products represent obstacles to their purchase. This paper examined the prevalence of certain types of organic food in purchasing, as well as its relationship with the level of physical activity, gender, education, and age of the consumer. The sample consists of 600 respondents with different socio-demographic characteristics. The SPSS program was used for data processing. In addition to descriptive statistics, non-parametric techniques were also used due to the distribution of scores on the tested variables, which significantly deviates from the normal. The results obtained indicate that among the organic foods in the Republic of Serbia, fruits and vegetables are the most purchased, and that females, persons with higher education, and older people are the most typical buyers.

Objective: This study investigates the association between convalescent plasma therapy and the negative conversion rate in patients with persistent COVID-19 test positivity. Method: A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients with severe or mild to moderate COVID-19 whose viral nucleic acid tests remained positive for over 30 days. Patients were categorized into two groups: those who administered convalescent plasma therapy and those who were not. Data collected included information on therapy strategies used (convalescent plasma, corticosteroids, interferons, etc.), patients' demographic characteristics, comorbidities, therapeutic medications, and nucleic acid testing results. Patients in the convalescent plasma therapy group were matched 1:2 ratio with those in the non-convalescent plasma therapy group. Cumulative negative conversion rates on the fifth, tenth, and fifteenth days post-therapy initiation were analyzed as dependent variables. Independent variables included therapy strategies, demographic characteristics, comorbidities, and therapeutic medication usage. Univariate analysis was conducted, and factors with a p-value (P) less than 0.2 were included in a paired Cox proportional hazards model. Results: There was no statistically significant difference in the cumulative negative conversion rate between the convalescent plasma therapy group and the non-convalescent plasma therapy group on the fifth, tenth, and fifteenth days. Specifically, on day the fifth, the negative conversion rate was 41.46% in the convalescent plasma therapy group compared to 34.15% in the nonconvalescent plasma therapy group (HR: 1.72, 95% CI: 0.82-3.61, P = 0.15). On the tenth day, it was 63.41% in the convalescent plasma therapy group and 63.41% in the non-convalescent plasma therapy group (HR: 1.25, 95% CI: 0.69~2.26, P = 0.46). On the fifteenth day, the negative conversion rate was 85.37% in the convalescent plasma therapy group and 75.61% in the non-convalescent plasma therapy group (HR: 1.19, 95% CI: 0.71-1.97, P = 0.51). Conclusion: Our finding does not support the hypothesis that convalescent plasma therapy could accelerate the time to negative conversion in patients who consistently test positive for COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge about neighborhood characteristics that predict disease burden can be used to guide equity-based public health interventions or targeted social services. We used a case-control design to examine the association between area-level social vulnerability and severe COVID-19 using electronic health records (EHR) from a regional health information hub in the greater Philadelphia region. Severe COVID-19 cases (n = 15,464 unique patients) were defined as those with an inpatient admission and a diagnosis of COVID-19 in 2020. Controls (n = 78,600; 5:1 control-case ratio) were a random sample of individuals who did not have a COVID-19 diagnosis from the same geographic area. Retrospective data on comorbidities and demographic variables were extracted from EHR and linked to area-level social vulnerability index (SVI) data using ZIP codes. Models adjusted for different sets of covariates showed incidence rate ratios (IRR) ranging from 1.15 (95% CI, 1.13–1.17) in the model adjusted for individual-level age, sex, and marital status to 1.09 (95% CI, 1.08–1.11) in the fully adjusted model, which included individual-level comorbidities and race/ethnicity. The fully adjusted model indicates that a 10% higher area-level SVI was associated with a 9% higher risk of severe COVID-19. Individuals in neighborhoods with high social vulnerability were more likely to have severe COVID-19 after accounting for comorbidities and demographic characteristics. Our findings support initiatives incorporating neighborhood-level social determinants of health when planning interventions and allocating resources to mitigate epidemic respiratory diseases, including other coronavirus or influenza viruses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Numerous studies have explored the treatment outcomes of Nirmatrelvir-Ritonavir and Azvudine in older patients with COVID-19. However, direct comparisons between these two drugs are still relatively limited. This study aims to compare the safety and effectiveness of these two drugs in Chinese older patients with early infection to provide strategies for clinical treatment. Methods: Older COVID-19 patients (age =65) hospitalized during the winter 2022 epidemic in China were included and divided into Nirmatrelvir-Ritonavir and Azvudine. Demographics, medication information, laboratory parameters, and treatment outcomes were collected. All-cause 28-day mortality, delta cycle threshold (ΔCt), nucleic acid negative conversion time, and incidence of adverse events were defined as outcomes. Propensity score matching (PSM), Kaplan-Meier, Cox proportional hazards model, subgroup analysis, and nomograms were selected to evaluate the outcomes. Results: A total of 1,508 older COVID-19 patients were screened. Based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 1,075 patients were eligible for the study. After PSM, the final number of older COVID-19 patients included in the study was 375, and there were no significant differences in demographic characteristics between the two groups (p > 0.05). Compared to the Azvudine group, the Nirmatrelvir-Ritonavir group showed a higher incidence of multiple adverse events (12.8% vs 5.2%, p = 0.009). The incidence of adverse events related to abnormal renal function was higher in the Nirmatrelvir-Ritonavir group compared to the Azvudine group (13.6% vs 7.2%, p = 0.045). There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of all-cause 28-day mortality (HR = 1.020, 95% CI: 0.542 - 1.921, p = 0.951), whereas there were significant differences in nucleic acid negative conversion time (HR = 1.659, 95% CI: 1.166 - 2.360, p = 0.005) and ΔCt values (HR = 1.442, 95% CI: 1.084 - 1.918, p = 0.012). Conclusion: Azvudine and Nirmatrelvir-Ritonavir have comparable effectiveness in reducing mortality risk. Azvudine may perform better in nucleic acid negative conversion time and virus clearance and shows slightly better safety in older patients. Further studies with a larger sample size were needed to validate the result. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study employs comprehensive clustering analysis to examine COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and related socio-demographic factors across U.S. counties, using the collected and curated data from Johns Hopkins University. Utilizing K-Means and hierarchical clustering, we identify five distinct clusters characterized by varying levels of vaccine hesitancy, MMR vaccination coverage, population demographics, and political affiliations. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was conducted to reduce dimensionality, and key variables were selected based on their contribution to cumulative explained variance. Our analysis reveals significant geographic and demographic patterns in vaccine hesitancy, providing valuable insights for public health strategies and future pandemic responses. Geospatial analysis highlights the distribution of clusters across the United States, indicating areas with high and low vaccine hesitancy. In addition, multiple regression analyses within each cluster identify key predictors of vaccine hesitancy in corresponding U.S. county clusters, emphasizing the importance of socio-economic and demographic factors. The findings underscore the need for targeted public health interventions and tailored communication strategies to address vaccine hesitancy across the United States and, potentially, across the globe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The emergency department (ED) is a vital source of healthcare for individuals living with sickle cell disease (SCD). Prior research indicates that during the COVID-19 pandemic some individuals with SCD avoided the ED for fear of acquiring COVID-19 or delayed visiting the ED by self-management of symptoms or pain crisis at home. The purpose of the current study was to understand ED utilization rates before and during the pandemic among individuals living with SCD. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using population-based SCD surveillance systems in California, Georgia, Michigan, and Tennessee to assess the impact of the pandemic on ED utilization among people with SCD by (1) analyzing trends in monthly ED utilization from January 2019 - December 2020, with specific attention given to immediate changes at the onset of the pandemic; and (2) calculating changes in the volume of utilization by comparing the total ED visits made from March - December 2020 to the same period in 2019, both overall and by demographic characteristics. Results: Across all states, a decline in ED utilization during the onset of the pandemic was seen, with the largest decline seen in those under age 10. By December 2020, utilization rates were higher than their lowest observed month of April 2020, but had not fully returned to pre-COVID levels. During the pandemic, ED visits in each state decreased by as much as 25%, and the number of people with any ED utilization decreased by as much as 26%. Conclusions: This study confirms and extends the existing literature related to the impact of the pandemic on healthcare utilization patterns in the US, in a unique population with increased healthcare needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Utilizing data collected from the 2021 Perspectives on the Pandemic Survey (n = 6,916), part of the Health and Retirement Study, this article examined the role of having a significant other on subjective and objective measures of financial strain during the COVID-19 pandemic. When controlling for income, net worth, employment status, and demographic characteristics, the empirical results suggest that those who had a significant other, compared with those who did not, experienced less financial strain during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ensuing discussion highlights the importance of the protective role of having a significant other in financial health and offers pragmatic implications for financial practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long COVID has been recognized since early 2020, but its definition is not unanimous, which complicates epidemiological assessments. This study estimated the prevalence of long COVID based on several definitions and severity thresholds in the adult population of mainland France and examined variations according to sociodemographic and infection characteristics. A cross-sectional survey using random sampling was conducted in August–November 2022. Participants declaring SARS-CoV-2 infection were assessed for infection dates and context, post-COVID symptoms (from a list of 31, with onset time, daily functioning impact, and alternative diagnosis), and perceived long COVID. Long COVID prevalence was estimated according to the WHO, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, United States National Centre for Health Statistics, and United Kingdom Office for National Statistics definitions. Of 10 615 participants, 5781 (54.5%) reported SARS-CoV-2 infection, with 123–759 (1.2–13.4%) having long COVID, depending on the definition. The prevalence of WHO post-COVID condition (PCC) was 4.0% (95% CI: 3.6–4.5) in the overall population and 8.0% (95% CI: 7.0–8.9) among infected individuals. Among the latter, the prevalence varied from 5.3% (men) to 14.9% (unemployed) and 18.6% (history of hospitalization for COVID-19). WHO-PCC overlapped poorly with other definitions (kappa ranging from 0.18 to 0.59) and perceived long COVID (reported in only 43% of WHO-PCC). Regardless of its definition, long COVID remains a significant burden in the French adult population that deserves surveillance, notably for forms that strongly impact daily activities. More standardized definitions will improve integrated surveillance of, and better research on, long COVID. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to develop and validate prediction models to estimate the risk of death and intensive care unit admission in COVID-19 inpatients. All RT-PCR-confirmed adult COVID-19 inpatients admitted to Fujian Provincial Hospital from October 2022 to April 2023 were considered. Elastic Net Regression was used to derive the risk prediction models. Potential risk factors were considered, which included demographic characteristics, clinical symptoms, comorbidities, laboratory results, treatment process, prognosis. A total of 1906 inpatients were included finally by inclusion/exclusion criteria and were divided into derivation and test cohorts in a ratio of 8:2, where 1526 (80%) samples were used to develop prediction models under a repeated cross-validation framework and the remaining 380 (20%) samples were used for performance evaluation. Overall performance, discrimination and calibration were evaluated in the validation set and test cohort and quantified by accuracy, scaled Brier score (SbrS), the area under the ROC curve (AUROC), and Spiegelhalter-Z statistics. The models performed well, with high levels of discrimination (AUROCICU [95%CI]: 0.858 [0.803,0.899]; AUROCdeath [95%CI]: 0.906 [0.850,0.948]); and good calibrations (Spiegelhalter-ZICU: − 0.821 (p-value: 0.412); Spiegelhalter-Zdeath: 0.173) in the test set. We developed and validated prediction models to help clinicians identify high risk patients for death and ICU admission after COVID-19 infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Variation in COVID-19 vaccination coverage and increasing vaccine hesitancy are well documented, especially amongst ethnic minority populations and current channels of vaccine and communication have been found to be inadequate. It has been suggested that more be done to utilise community-led pathways to improve vaccine readiness in ethnic minority communities in Australia. The study aimed to explore receptiveness towards the role of different actors and methods of communication about immunisation. A cross-sectional survey of 1,227 adults in Australia was conducted to examine the roles of various actors in promoting vaccine uptake. Chi-square analyses and independent samples t-tests were used to identify significant associations between sociodemographic characteristics, vaccine practices, and vaccine information-seeking behaviours and (1) COVID-19 vaccine uptake (at least one dose) and (2) speaking a language other than English. At the time of the survey, 93% of respondents had received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. There were significant associations between COVID-19 vaccine uptake and: perceived capacity to locate accurate and timely vaccine information; receiving the COVID-19 vaccination information from a Nurse or Pharmacist; and receiving a vaccine recommendation by a GP. Additionally, respondents who spoke a language other than English reported were significantly more likely to have received information from family, friends, workplaces, local councils, religious centres, community leaders, and religious leaders than those who only spoke English. Significant variations in vaccine practices and vaccine information-seeking behaviours were found, especially in those who speak a language other than English. To enhance vaccine uptake and to address vaccine hesitancy in Australia, vaccine promotion strategies and health communication efforts require significant consideration of information accessibility and communication source preferences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Following COVID-19 infection, as many as a third of patients have long-term symptoms, known as post-acute sequelae (PASC). The mechanisms contributing to PASC remain largely unknown and, due to the heterogeneity of symptoms, treating PASC provides unique challenges. Objective: Our study sought to (1) identify clinical symptom profiles based on PROMIS Global Health (GH) items, (2) evaluate demographic and clinical differences across profiles, and (3) identify predictors of change in health-related quality of life (HRQL) over time. Design: This was an observational cohort study of patients with PASC who completed PROMIS-GH between 2/11/21 and 12/3/21 as part of routine care, with data extracted from the electronic health record. Participants: There were 1407 adult patients (mean age 49.6 ± 13.7, 73% female, 81% White race) with PASC seen in the recovery clinic between 2/11/21 and 12/3/21, with 1129 (80.2%) completing PROMIS-GH as routine care. Main Measures: HRQL was measured with PROMIS-GH at initial visit and after 12 months. Key Results: Latent profile analysis identified symptom classes based on five PROMIS-GH items (mental health, ability to carry out physical activities, pain, fatigue, and emotional problems). Four latent profiles were identified: (1) "Poor HRQL" (n = 346), (2) "Mixed HRQL: good mental/poor physical" (n = 232), (3) "Mixed HRQL: poor mental/good physical" (n = 324), and (4) "Good HRQL" (n = 227). Demographics and comorbidities varied significantly across profile with patients with more severe COVID-19 infection more likely to be in profiles 1 and 2. Overall, patients improved 2 T-score points on PROMIS-GH after 12 months, with differences by profile. Predictors of improved HRQL included profile, lower body mass index, and fewer COVID symptoms. Conclusions: Patients with PASC have distinct HRQL symptom profiles which were able to differentiate across COVID-19 severity and symptoms. Improvement over 12 months differed by profile. These profiles may be used to better understand the mechanisms behind PASC. Future research should evaluate their ability to guide treatment decisions to improve HRQL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long COVID is a multisystemic condition that affects the lives of millions of people globally, yet factors associated with it are poorly defined. Our purpose in this study was to identify factors associated with long COVID. This cross-sectional study used data from the 2022 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) and the 2022 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). We restricted the sample to individuals aged 18 and older who reported a positive COVID-19 test or doctor's diagnosis. Individuals who reported symptoms of at least 3 months were assumed to have long COVID. We identified demographic and clinical characteristics associated with long COVID, in unadjusted and adjusted analyses. The study included 124,313 individuals in the BRFSS cohort and 10,131 in the NHIS cohort who reported a COVID-19 infection, with 26,783 (21.5%) and 1797 (17.7%) reporting long COVID, respectively. We found middle age, female sex, lack of a college degree, and severity of acute COVID-19 infection to be associated with long COVID. In contrast, non-Hispanic Asian and Black Americans were less likely to report long COVID compared with non-Hispanic White individuals. These findings were consistent across datasets. Several demographic features were associated with long COVID, which may be the result of social, clinical, or biological influences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a global health issue with various effects on the physical and mental state of the societies. The aim of this study was to identify the demographic characteristics and mental health condition of Tehran Municipality employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods This cross-sectional study was performed on Tehran Municipality employees in 2020–2021. Participants were selected using stratified random sampling and were divided into COVID-19 and uninfected groups. Demographic characteristics, COVID-19 risk behaviors, General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28), and Well- Being Social Inventory were filled for all participants. Results A total of 510 participants (363 uninfected participants and 147 participants with COVID-19) were evaluated. The prevalence of female gender was significantly higher in COVID-19 group compared to uninfected group (p

• COVID-19 vaccine mandates are controversial but proposed to increase vaccination. • 59% of vaccinated individuals who responded to a survey at a vaccine clinic in South Texas in the U.S. supported a COVID-19 vaccine mandate. • Significant racial, ethnic and age differences were found in mandate endorsement. • Demographic differences must be considered when promoting COVID-19 vaccination. Vaccine mandates are controversial, and people vary widely in their preferences to support or reject vaccine mandates. For some, vaccine mandates represent a commitment to reduce harm and support public health. For others, vaccine mandates are viewed as a threat to individual freedom and a violation of personal choice. This manuscript investigated support for a COVID-19 vaccine mandate among COVID-19-vaccinated individuals and identified differences by demographic characteristics and COVID-19 experience. Cross-sectional surveys were given to COVID-19-vaccinated individuals at a vaccination clinic in South Texas in the U.S. with the goal of identifying attitudes, beliefs, and perceptions about COVID-19 vaccination and willingness to support a COVID-19 vaccination mandate. Associations of interest were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Approximately half of the sample was of Hispanic or Latino origin (48 %); most respondents identified as White (59 %), followed by 12 % who identified as Asian. Overall, 59 % of participants supported the possibility for a COVID-19 vaccine mandate. Preliminary data showed significant racial differences in willingness to support a possible COVID-19 vaccine mandate (χ 2 (1, n = 893) = 26.7, p <.001, phi =.17); 80 % of Asian people reported support for COVID-19 vaccination mandate compared to 50 % to 57 % for other racial groups. Significant differences also emerged by ethnicity (χ 2 (4, n = 1033) = 7.12, p =.008, phi =.08) whereby a higher percentage of Latino participants (66 %) reported willingness to support a COVID-19 vaccine mandate. Similarly, significant differences were found by age (χ 2 (4, n = 1045) = 20.92, p <.001, phi =.21), yet no significant differences were found by sex or previous COVID-19 diagnosis. Support for a COVID-19 vaccination mandate is controversial even among vaccinated people. Identifying and understanding cultural and contextual factors that underlie differences in attitudes and beliefs about COVID-19 vaccination mandates is essential to advance dialogue and inform educational health campaigns to increase COVID-19 vaccination rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Adults 60 years and older are among the high-risk group for COVID-19. • We identified two groups with less than 80% booster uptake using a latent class analysis. • Both groups were characterized by low education and living in rural areas. Estimate COVID-19 vaccine booster uptake and identify sociodemographic profiles associated with vaccine booster uptake in Mexican adults aged 60 and older. Using data from the 2022 National Health and Nutrition Survey, we estimated COVID-19 booster uptake in Mexican adults 60 and older. We conducted a latent class analysis using sociodemographic characteristics and then estimated group-specific booster prevalence. Adults aged 60 and older with a completed vaccination schedule had 80.3% booster coverage. Two groups showed the lowest coverage: 1) unemployed and informal working men with elementary education with low socioeconomic status (73.8% boosted), and 2) female homekeepers with elementary education or less living in rural areas (77.0% boosted). Our analysis points to the need to reach out to men and women with elementary education or less who live in rural areas to strengthen booster campaigns in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reminiscence refers to the process or act of thinking or telling about past experiences. Few studies address the relationship between reminiscence functions and trauma-related cognitions and emotions. This study aimed to expand the previous literature by investigating the frequency of different types of reminiscence during the COVID-19 pandemic and their relations to the likelihood of developing post-traumatic growth (PTG) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), using an adult sample. Altogether, 184 participants (Mage = 30.38; SD = 10.95) completed the Reminiscence Functions Scale to report the purposes for which they shared their experiences during the first two waves of COVID-19. They also responded to the COVID-Transitional Impact Scale, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5, Post Traumatic Growth Inventory, Revised Form of The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, and Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, when considering the first two waves of COVID-19. The results demonstrated that pro-social reminiscence and self-positive reminiscence were significantly more common than self-negative reminiscence. Yet, these differences disappeared when the presence of COVID virus was controlled. Pro-social and self-positive reminiscence significantly predicted PTG beyond demographic characteristics, COVID-19 impact, social support, and resilience. In contrast, only self-negative reminiscence predicted PTSD beyond COVID-19 impact and demographic characteristics. Furthermore, serial mediation analysis indicated that pro-social reminiscence predicted PTG via its association with perceived social support and resilience. Our findings suggest the benefit of using reminiscence therapy-type interventions to facilitate PTG and reduce PTSD after large-scale disasters like pandemics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Identifying profiles of hospitalized COVID-19 patients and explore their association with different degrees of severity of COVID-19 outcomes (i.e. in-hospital mortality, ICU assistance, and invasive mechanical ventilation). The findings of this study could inform the development of multiple care intervention strategies to improve patient outcomes. Methods: Prospective multicentre cohort study during four different waves of COVID-19 from March 1st, 2020 to August 31st, 2021 in four health consortiums within the southern Barcelona metropolitan region. From a starting point of over 292 demographic characteristics, comorbidities, vital signs, severity scores, and clinical analytics at hospital admission, we used both clinical judgment and supervised statistical methods to reduce to the 36 most informative completed covariates according to the disease outcomes for each wave. Patients were then grouped using an unsupervised semiparametric method (KAMILA). Results were interpreted by clinical and statistician team consensus to identify clinically-meaningful patient profiles. Results: The analysis included nw1 = 1657, nw2 = 697, nw3 = 677, and nw4 = 787 hospitalized-COVID-19 patients for each of the four waves. Clustering analysis identified 2 patient profiles for waves 1 and 3, while 3 profiles were determined for waves 2 and 4. Patients allocated in those groups showed a different percentage of disease outcomes (e.g., wave 1: 15.9% (Cluster 1) vs. 31.8% (Cluster 2) for in-hospital mortality rate). The main factors to determine groups were the patient's age and number of obese patients, number of comorbidities, oxygen support requirement, and various severity scores. The last wave is also influenced by the massive incorporation of COVID-19 vaccines. Conclusion: Our study suggests that a single care model at hospital admission may not meet the needs of hospitalized-COVID-19 adults. A clustering approach appears to be appropriate for helping physicians to differentiate patients and, thus, apply multiple care intervention strategies, as another way of responding to new outbreaks of this or future diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding factors influencing the adoption of preventive behaviors is crucial in pandemic prevention and control. This study employs the social-ecological model to examine the determinants of preventive actions against COVID-19 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Data from a household survey were analyzed using a linear regression model. The findings indicate a moderate level of preventive behavior adoption among residents. Interpersonal behavior, community norms, and organizational-level factors are identified as significant predictors, while personal and demographic factors have little influence. These results highlight the need for context-specific health interventions, addressing social and structural aspects, to effectively combat COVID-19 in Addis Ababa and similar low- and middle-income settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Recent literature has highlighted the overlapping contribution of demographic characteristics and spatial factors to urban-rural disparities in SARS-CoV-2 transmission and outcomes. Yet the interplay between individual characteristics, hospitalisation, and spatial factors for urban-rural disparities in COVID-19 mortality have received limited attention. Methods: To fill this gap, we use national surveillance data collected by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and we fit a generalized linear model to estimate the association between COVID-19 mortality and the individuals' age, sex, hospitalisation status, population density, share of the population over the age of 60, and pandemic wave across urban, intermediate and rural territories. Findings: We find that in what type of territory individuals live (urban-intermediate-rural) accounts for a significant difference in their probability of dying given SARS-COV-2 infection. Hospitalisation has a large and positive effect on the probability of dying given SARS-CoV-2 infection, but with a gradient across urban, intermediate and rural territories. For those living in rural areas, the risk of dying is lower than in urban areas but only if hospitalisation was not needed; while for those who were hospitalised in rural areas the risk of dying was higher than in urban areas. Conclusions: Together with individuals' demographic characteristics (notably age), hospitalisation has the largest effect on urban-rural disparities in COVID-19 mortality net of other individual and regional characteristics, including population density and the share of the population over 60. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: COVID-19 epidemics often lead to elevated levels of depression. To accurately identify and predict depression levels in home-quarantined individuals during a COVID-19 epidemic, this study constructed a depression prediction model based on multiple machine learning algorithms and validated its effectiveness. Methods: A cross-sectional method was used to examine the depression status of individuals quarantined at home during the epidemic via the network. Characteristics included variables on sociodemographics, COVID-19 and its prevention and control measures, impact on life, work, health and economy after the city was sealed off, and PHQ-9 scale scores. The home-quarantined subjects were randomly divided into training set and validation set according to the ratio of 7:3, and the performance of different machine learning models were compared by 10-fold cross-validation, and the model algorithm with the best performance was selected from 15 models to construct and validate the depression prediction model for home-quarantined subjects. The validity of different models was compared based on accuracy, precision, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, and area under the ROC curve (AUC), and the best model suitable for the data framework of this study was identified. Results: The prevalence of depression among home-quarantined individuals during the epidemic was 31.66% (202/638), and the constructed Adaboost depression prediction model had an ACC of 0.7917, an accuracy of 0.7180, and an AUC of 0.7803, which was better than the other 15 models on the combination of various performance measures. In the validation sets, the AUC was greater than 0.83. Conclusions: The Adaboost machine learning algorithm developed in this study can be used to construct a depression prediction model for home-quarantined individuals that has better machine learning performance, as well as high effectiveness, robustness, and generalizability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine the level of knowledge and practices of laboratory staff regarding COVID-19 infection. Materials and methods: It was a Multicenter, Cross-sectional Descriptive, Questionnaire-based study done in the Pathology laboratory of Khyber Teaching Hospital and Hayatabad Medical Complex Peshawar. The participants were asked to fill out proformas after obtaining consent. The data was analyzed by SPSS. The normality of data was determined by the Shapiro-Wilks test. The difference in scores between demographic characteristics was determined by the Whitney U test and the Kruskal Wallis test. Kendall Tau determined the correlation between scores and demographics. b, point biserial and Spearman rho tests. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The age of 89 study participants ranged from 15-58 years (mean age of 34±9.6). The male-to-female ratio was 15.6:1. Mean knowledge and practice scores were 10.19±1.66 and 10.2±2.4. Knowledge and practices were good in all participants except that 42 (45%) participants denied avoiding going to crowded places. Mean knowledge score and practice score were higher in females (as compared to males) and in married participants (as compared to unmarried ones), but lower in undergraduates. There was no correlation between scores and demographic characteristics. Conclusion: The laboratory staff had good knowledge of COVID-19 and observed good practices. This shows the commitment of healthcare workers in Pakistan towards themselves and society in the crucial situation of COVID-19 infection. The scores were not associated with gender, marital status, or education level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To describe the (a) frequency of improving, static, and worsening chest radiograph (CXR) appearances; (b) differences in demographic, initial rudimentary haematological and CXR variables and these patterns; and (c) frequency of different trajectories of serial CXR evolution, in COVID-19 patients presenting consecutively. This multicentre retrospective study included all COVID-19 patients admitted from 1–30 April 2020, meeting the inclusion criteria across 24 (blinded) hospitals. Follow-up CXRs on admission, the subsequent (where available), and at 4–8 weeks were scored for the presence of parenchymal opacities across six zones. Three cohorts were defined: improved, static, and/or worsened. The chi-squared and Kruskal–Wallis tests were used to compare demographic, laboratory, and CXR variables. Trajectories of CXR evolution were assessed when all three CXRs were available (226 patients). Of 452 included patients (median age 66 years, interquartile range 54.3–79, 262 men), 211 (46.7%) improved, 140 (31%) were static, and 101 (22.3%) worsened. Improving patients were more likely younger, with a classic COVID-19 radiograph and higher initial CXR zonal severity scores (both p< 0.001), while worsening patients had lower initial lymphocyte counts (p= 0.008). The most frequent trajectory was worsened then improved (n= 63, 27.9%) followed by static then improved (n= 46, 20.4%) and static (n= 42, 18.6%). Most patients with COVID-19 during the first wave of the pandemic demonstrated radiographic improvement; these patients were more likely younger with classic COVID-19 appearances and initially more extensive abnormality. Conversely, radiographic deterioration was associated with lower lymphocyte counts. The three most common trajectories were worsening then improvement, static then improvement, and static throughout. • COVID-19 patients were more likely to have radiographic improvement on follow up. • Worsening CXR was associated with older age and lower admission lymphocyte count. • The least common trajectory was the improved then worsened CXR trajectory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Excess mortality is often used to estimate the effect of a certain crisis on the population. It is defined as the number of deaths during a crisis exceeding the expected number based on historical trends. Here, we calculated excess mortality due to the COVID-19 pandemic for Croatia in the 2020–2021 period. The excess was calculated on the national and county level for different age and sex categories. In addition to the absolute number, the excess mortality was also expressed as a ratio of excess deaths to the predicted baseline and excess mortality rate. We showed that using both measures is necessary to avoid incorrect conclusions. The estimated excess mortality on the national level was 14,963, corresponding to an excess percentage of 14.3%. With respect to sex, there was a higher excess mortality rate for men compared to women. An exponential relationship was observed between age and the excess mortality rate.These trends wee representative of most counties as well, with large variations in the magnitude of the effect. However, there were also exceptions to the general rule. The reasons for these deviations were discussed in terms of between-county differences in demographic structure, population density and special events that took place during the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Across the United States, the COVID-19 pandemic created myriad challenges for youth and families, including losses of basic needs which may be associated with increased use of maladaptive coping behaviors. In a sample of 2491 U.S. youth (ages 13–16), demographic differences in loss of basic needs and maladaptive coping were assessed using regression models. More than 21% of adolescents endorsed losing one or more basic needs (e.g., loss of access to food or shelter) and 83% endorsed use of maladaptive coping strategies (e.g., using drugs or alcohol; self-harming behaviors) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although adolescents with both majority and minority identities reported losing basic needs and engaging in maladaptive coping behaviors, minoritized youth reported more basic needs losses (ps < 0.05) and greater reliance on maladaptive coping strategies (ps <.05) than their non-minoritized peers. Furthermore, adolescents who endorsed losing basic needs were more likely to also endorse engaging in maladaptive coping behaviors (p <.05). Healthcare providers and teachers must consider basic need losses while structuring emotional and behavioral supports for youth during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: The COVID‐19 pandemic and the infection of numerous individuals from diverse societies have emerged as major global challenges. Given the limited resources in intensive care units, effective bed management and resource allocation require a deep understanding of the disease. This study aimed to assess the epidemiology and treatment outcomes of COVID‐19 patients admitted to an intensive care unit in an Iranian hospital in Neyshabur city. Methods: This cross‐sectional study was conducted on COVID‐19 patients hospitalized in intensive care units in Razavi Khorasan, Iran in 2021. Census sampling was used to include all intensive care units. Of the initial 480 cases, 54 cases were excluded based on the exclusion criteria, leaving 426 cases for the study. Data were collected with the help of a data collection form that was designed by the researcher and its content validity and reliability were measured with Cronbach's alpha coefficient (α = 89%.). Data were analyzed with SPSS version 20 software. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. Mean, standard deviation, and interquartile range indicators were used for descriptive statistics, and absolute frequency and relative frequency (percentage) were used to show numbers and ratios. Results: The mean (SD) age of the patients was 66.33 (15.05) years, and 49.3% were female. The results showed that arterial blood oxygen saturation, respiratory rate, and Alzheimer's disease were significant variables for predicting mortality. Furthermore, arterial blood oxygen saturation, respiratory rate, and the need for transfusion of blood products were significant variables in predicting hospitalization and the risk of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Conclusion: This study demonstrated that arterial blood oxygen saturation, respiratory rate, and Alzheimer's disease are crucial variables for predicting death. Furthermore, arterial blood oxygen saturation and respiratory rate are significant factors in predicting the risk of ARDS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When humanity faces a potentially contagious disease, most processes of society are affected, the workforce capable of performing tasks decreases, and healthcare systems become overwhelmed by sudden disease outbreaks. In 2020, the world fell victim to Covid-19. Its spread had devastating consequences in many countries, changing the lives of all individuals. The poor management of the pandemic on a global scale highlighted the lack of preparedness for this type of catastrophe, leading to efforts and research being conducted to facilitate the management of this disease. One of the most important endeavors undertaken to control the spread of the infectious virus was to attempt to predict its behavior and take measures to mitigate the damage caused. Pandemic control models, such as the SEIR model, were employed to create predictions, but the results proved to be imprecise due to the lack of infection data. Furthermore, a highly contagious virus that is transmitted by people behaves in a very erratic manner, making it more challenging to develop rigid prediction methods. It was determined that geographic and demographic characteristics greatly influenced the virus's behavior. Agent-Based Simulation was used to model processes and environments with unique characteristics while allowing for individual interaction. In this work, Agent-Based Simulation is employed to model the spread of a virus that affects individuals in a city in Cuba. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rumors about COVID-19 have been prevalent around the world during the pandemic. Using a veracity judgment task, the present study investigates whether young adults (N = 112) demonstrated measurable differences in processing COVID-19 rumors during the pandemic. They were instructed to read a statement related to COVID-19 and then to evaluate whether it was true or false. We examine the influence of the content characteristics of the statement and the demographic variables on the reading times, the accuracy rates, and the response times of the veracity judgment. We found that the reading times of rumors were only influenced by the length of rumors. Participants spent more time reading a rumor when it was longer. The length of rumors also influenced the accuracy rates of the veracity judgment. Participants were less accurate when the rumor was longer. Furthermore, we found that participants were faster at correctly rejecting false rumors than at accepting true rumors. Importantly, we found a significant effect of family socioeconomic status (SES) on the accuracy rates for which participants from families with higher SES had higher accuracy rates of veracity judgment. Our results demonstrated that both content characteristics (i.e., length) and demographic variables (i.e., family SES) influenced the veracity judgment of COVID-19 rumors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a global health issue with various effects on the physical and mental state of the societies. The aim of this study was to identify the demographic characteristics and mental health condition of Tehran Municipality employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods This cross-sectional study was performed on Tehran Municipality employees in 2020–2021. Participants were selected using stratified random sampling and were divided into COVID-19 and uninfected groups. Demographic characteristics, COVID-19 risk behaviors, General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28), and Well- Being Social Inventory were filled for all participants. Results A total of 510 participants (363 uninfected participants and 147 participants with COVID-19) were evaluated. The prevalence of female gender was significantly higher in COVID-19 group compared to uninfected group (p<0.001). There was a significant difference between groups in terms of education level (p<0.001), prevalence of excess weight (p<0.001), and working sector (p<0.001). The uninfected group mainly had low contact with clients (p<0.001) and few underlying diseases (p=0.004) compared to the COVID-19 group. The mean GHQ-28 and WellBeing Social Inventory were significantly higher in the uninfected group compared to the COVID-19 group (p=0.002 and p<0.001, respectively). The prevalence of no and low contact level was significantly higher in the high infection cluster compared to moderate and low infection clusters (p=0.024). Conclusions The findings of this study indicated that all workers should be educated about the significance of social distancing and follow the recommendations regardless of their level of contact with clients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to evaluate the awareness and attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccination among the Jordanian population. A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a validated questionnaire. The awareness and attitudes toward the COVID-19 vaccine were assessed via five-item and seven-item scales, respectively. The survey results were analyzed using SPSS with a chi-square test and multivariable logistic regression. A total of 407 participants were enrolled, with the majority being female (74.9%), under 49 years old (73.2%), holding a bachelor's degree (57.7%), and working in the private sector (46.2%). Results revealed a fairly high level of awareness about the COVID-19 vaccine (51.4%), with no significant association between awareness and demographic characteristics. While 51.4% of the participants perceived the importance of getting the vaccine, only 37.1% agreed that the newly developed vaccine was safe, and 77.4% expressed a preference for natural immunity. The overall attitude towards COVID-19 vaccination appears cautiously optimistic, with 60.2% of respondents scoring above Bloom's 60.0% cutoff point, despite mixed opinions on vaccine safety and necessity. Moreover, attitudes towards the vaccine showed a significant association with participants' age and occupation. Among the age group of 18-29 years old, 47.6% had a positive attitude towards the vaccine, compared to 33.3% in the 30-49 years old group, and 38.5% in the ≥50 years old group. In terms of occupation, 30.7% in the public sector had a positive attitude, compared to 44.1% in the private sector and 48.5% among students. Given the mixed but cautiously optimistic attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccination observed among the Jordanian population, this study underscores the critical importance of targeted educational and communication strategies. Such initiatives should focus on enhancing the perception of vaccine safety and efficacy to improve vaccination acceptance and uptake across different age and occupational groups within Jordan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The emerging respiratory disease known as the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) became a global concern and was declared as a global health emergency by the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11, 2022. This study aimed to assess knowledge, attitude, and practice and associated factors toward COVID-19 and its prevention measures among residents of Mekelle city, Tigray, Northern Ethiopia. Subject and methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 604 residents of selected kebelles in Mekelle city, Tigray region from April to February 2022. A structured questionnaire and observation check list were used to collect the data. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used with SPSS version 25 to identify factors associated with the outcome variables. Results: A total of 604 residents were participated in the study with 100% response. Among the total study participants (n = 604), 74.2%, 58.8%, and 39.2%, of them had good knowledge, a positive attitude, and good practice toward COVID-19 and its preventive measures, respectively. Results from the multivariate analysis showed that age, level of education, and family size were found to be significantly associated with good knowledge of study participants toward COVID-19. Additionally, occupation, family size, income level, and having knowledge about COVID-19 were significant factors associated with the attitude of the study participants toward COVID-19. Moreover, practice of study participants to prevent COVID-19 was also significantly associated with educational status, occupation status, income level, and having a positive attitude about the practice toward COVID-19 prevention. Conclusion: This study result revealed that the study participants' knowledge and attitude regarding COVID-19 were good. However, their practice toward COVID-19 and its preventive measure was poor, which will affect combating the pandemic. Therefore, continuous and effective public health education programs, community mobilization, law enforcements, and breaking siege and allowing all types of humanitarian aids in the region are urgently needed to improve knowledge, attitude, and practices toward COVID-19 and its preventive measures among the residents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: COVID-19 adversely affects the nutritional characteristics of patients which may negatively impact their quality of life (QOL). The current study determined the association between the nutritional status of COVID-19 patients, its impact on their QOL, and the factors that affected patients' QOL. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at Al Madinah Al Munawarah in Saudi Arabia. Patients confirmed with COVID-19 infection by a nucleic acid-positive test and identified as acute severe or acute non-severely ill were enrolled. The World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire (WHO-BREF QOL) was used to assess the patients' QOL, and nutritional status was assessed using the Malnutrition Screening Tool. Demographic characteristics, food intake, and body mass index (BMI) were also assessed. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 28. Results: 515 patients were enrolled, with 391 (76%) having acute non-severe symptoms. Patients (15%) were malnourished and suffered from loss of appetite (32%), low food intake (19.4%) and weight loss (16%). Most patients were satisfied or very satisfied with their health (80.2%), and 76.2% rated their QOL as good or very good. Loss of appetite negatively impacted the physical (p = 0.004, 95% CI 0.086, 0.458) and psychological (p = 0.021, 95% CI 0.034, 0.405) QOL domains. Also, decreased food intake affected patients' physical (p = 0.034, 95% CI 0.018, 0.458) QOL domain. Greater weight loss influenced the psychological (p = 0.005.95% CI 0.002, 0.049) QOL domain. Conclusions: Poor nutritional status among COVID-19 patients was associated with adverse health outcomes and impaired QOL. Nutritional interventions should focus on patients with poor nutritional status or nutrition-related parameters such as weight loss, and loss of appetite which will help improve their QOL.