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BackgroundContact investigation is an important strategy for maintaining control of tuberculosis (TB) in the United States. However, testing and treatment outcomes specifically to foreign-born populations are poorly understood. We reviewed literature on testing and LTBI identified during contact investigations in foreign-born populations living in the US.MethodsWe conducted a comprehensive search of peer-reviewed and grey literature using Cochrane systematic review methods. We included studies with adult and adolescent populations that were at least 50% foreign-born. Pooled proportions and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated via inverse-variance weighted meta-analysis, and cumulative proportions were calculated as products of adjacent step proportions.ResultsWe identified 22 studies published between 1997 and 2014 that included at least 50% foreign-born participants. From studies of predominantly (>90%) foreign-born populations, almost all identified contacts were recruited and had valid test results, and 54.8% (95% CI 45.1-62.5%) of contacts with valid test results tested positive. From studies of majority (50% to 90%) foreign-born populations, 78.4% (95% CI 78.0-78.9%) of identified contacts were recruited, 92.0% (95% CI 91.6-92.3%) of recruited contacts had valid test results, and 38.5% (95% CI 31.9%-44.2%) of persons with valid results tested positive. These proportions varied by test type in studies of predominantly foreign-born populations. For every 1000 contacts identified in predominantly foreign-born populations, we estimate that 535 (95% CI 438 to 625) will test positive, and 354 (95% CI 244 to 453) will complete LTBI treatment. For every 1000 contacts identified in majority foreign-born populations, these estimates are 276 (95% CI 230 to 318), and 134 (95% CI 44 to 264), respectively.ConclusionsContact investigation is a high yield activity for identifying and treating foreign-born persons with LTBI, but must be complemented by other tuberculosis control activities in order to achieve continued progress toward TB elimination.

BackgroundPassive surveillance of malaria in health facilities remains vital for implementation of control and elimination programs. It is therefore essential understanding current age profile of clinical malaria morbidity, mortality and presentations in areas with variant infection susceptibility. This study aimed at understanding the current malaria morbidity and mortality in Western Kenya.MethodsSurveillance of clinical and asymptomatic parasitological positivity rates of all malaria suspected patients and school children were respectively determined from June 2015 to August 2016. From 2014 to 2016, register books in hospitals were referred and the confirmed malaria cases in conjunction with total number of monthly outpatient visits (OPD) counted. All registered malaria admissions were counted together with other causes of admissions. Moreover, outcome of malaria admissions in terms of discharge or death was recorded using inpatient charts within the same time frame. Prospective surveillance of severe malaria collected information on clinical features of the disease. Giemsa stained blood slides confirmed existence of malaria parasitemia. Chi-square and analysis of variance tests were used, respectively, to compute proportions and means; then a comparison was made between different age groups, periods, and study areas.ResultsDuring the survey of asymptomatic infections among school children, overall blood slide positivity ranged from 6.4% at the epidemic prone site to 38.3% at the hyperendemic site. During the clinical malaria survey, school age children (5-14) presented with overall the highest (45%) blood slide positivity rate among those suspected to have the infection at the epidemic prone study site. The survey of all malaria confirmed and registered cases at OPD found 17% to 27% of all consultations among 0.05) and 40% of all malaria admissions were school age children. Malaria related death rate was highest among

Aims: The West African Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak of 2014-2016 was the most disastrous EVD epidemic in history. We aimed to investigate and provide unique theoretical insights which could help inform future responses to EVD outbreaks. Methods: After searching five key databases in May 2021 and February 2022 (Medline, Embase, PubMed, Scopus and Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL)), 412 papers were collected. Following abstract and full text screening, 35 papers were identified for inclusion. Coded data was synthesised in accordance with the protocol set out by Thomas and Hardon. Findings: Regarding geographical context, most fieldwork underpinning included studies was conducted within Western Urban Area in Sierra Leone, suggesting that some geographical discrepancy exists within the literature base. In terms of quality, some issues were identified regarding researcher reflexivity, ethical procedures and data analysis. Following thematic synthesis, it was found that beliefs and/or practices relating to distrust, fear, socio-cultural considerations and denial hindered engagement with control measures. By contrast, experiencing the virus first-hand and engaging with survivors prompted the uptake of such measures. Building from these findings, we then proposed an amendment to Barry Hewlett’s Evolutionary Cultural Anthropology (ECA) framework, shedding light on the determinants of such beliefs and/or practices. Conclusion: Our review provides a systematic mapping of which beliefs and/or practices either promoted or hindered response efforts during the outbreak as well as an authentic and holistic way of understanding why such beliefs and/or practices emerged, by synthesising Hewlett’s ECA framework with our findings. By drawing from our cross contextual analysis, health professionals throughout West Africa and beyond could use this work in further reflecting on and guiding the implementation of control measures prior or during future EVD outbreaks.

Throughout history, communicable diseases have created serious problems for humanity. In this review, it is aimed to prepare a resource that presents the current situation of communicable diseases in Turkey and in the world and that contains the communicable disease control programs in Turkey. In 2019, 36.8% of all deaths in Turkey were caused by circulatory system diseases, 18.4% by neoplasms and 8.5% by infectious diseases. When deaths from communicable diseases are examined, it is seen that deaths from pneumonia and sepsis are prominent in both genders. In Turkey, AIDS incidence rate was 0.06, measles incidence rate was 0.74, tuberculosis incidence rate was 10.6 and malaria incidence rate was 0.16 per hundred thousand people in 2020. For 2019, DALYs (Disability-adjusted life years) attributed to communicable diseases in Turkey were 0.08%, which is quite low compared to DALYs attributed to noncommunicable diseases (83.5%). The frequency of deaths because of communicable diseases worldwide for 2019 is 13.81% of all deaths, with 4.41%, the largest share belongs to lower respiratory tract infections. In 2019, the total incidence of communicable diseases was 337.91 per hundred thousand people worldwide. When DALYs of communicable diseases are examined, DALYs related to communicable diseases were 16.49% worldwide. There are national control programs in Turkey of Legionnaires' disease, viral hepatitis, HIV/AIDS, healthcare-associated infections, influenza, zoonoses, and tuberculosis. Communicable diseases continue to exist and influence as a public health problem both in the world and in Turkey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION: Medicine and communicable disease control are embedded in many Islamic teachings as conveyed by the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) through the Al-Quran, Al-sunnah, and Al-hadith more than 1400 years ago. Therefore, when the COVID-19 outbreak hit Malaysia, with the majority of the population being Muslims, the society should have been equipped with knowledge in dealing with this pandemic. This study investigates the knowledge towards dealing with COVID-19 based on the guidance of Al-Quran and Al- Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) among undergraduate students in Malaysia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study using self-constructed questionnaires was performed. The questionnaires were pre-validated and distributed to pharmacy and health sciences students via an online survey platform. One of the selection criteria was that the respondent must be a Muslim. RESULTS: The students scored a median of 26 (IQR 4) in the knowledge test. Students' percentage knowledge levels were divided into three categories: poor (n = 42, 15%); moderate (n = 207, 73%) and good (n = 33, 12%). The lowest scored knowledge item was observed on the Islamic terminology, Maqasid Shariah (4.3%), and differences between hadith and sunnah (20.9%). No significant differences in knowledge scores were observed in the pre-determined independent variables such as age, year of study, accommodation, and previous religious school admission. CONCLUSION: The study findings suggest that the students have a good understanding of scientific aspects of COVID-19 but lack knowledge in handling the pandemic as recommended by Al-Quran and Al-Sunnah. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Based on the correlation between air pollution and COVID-19 incidence/mortality already existing in the literature, we aimed to develop a study to investigate the link between the average level of PM10 (particulate matter 10 - particulate matter 10 microns in diameter) and NO2 (nitrogen dioxide) concentration over five years and the cumulative incidence of COVID-19 cases per 1000 people in Romania. Methods: To assess PM10 and NO2 exposure, we determined the average value of annual PM10 and NO2 concentration for each city over five years (2015-2019). For this purpose, the average of annual PM10 and NO2 concentrations collected from monitoring stations in selected cities was calculated. Then, the annual values over five years were averaged to finally obtain the average PM10 and NO2 concentration for each city. Data on the cumulative number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 up to the 28th of September 2020 were provided by the National Centre for Surveillance and Control of Communicable Diseases (CNSCBT) of the National Institute of Public Health (INSP). The study used the cumulative incidence/hour per 1000 population on 28.09.2020. Results: According to Law no. 104/2011, the annual permissible limit value of PM10 concentration of 40 μg/m³ was not exceeded in any of the 43 cities in our study. The average for all cities was 24.0±4.8 μg/m³, with a minimum value of average PM10 concentration of 13.9 μg/m³ measured in Alba Iulia and a maximum value of 39.1 μg/m³ in Iasi. The regression model shows that, in Bucharest, 77.9% of the variation in case incidence is explained by the variation in PM10 concentration. In order to find the number of new cases that would correspond to a cumulative incidence of 0.166, taking as an example one of the districts with a population of 259,084, the above regression model shows that an increase in the average PM10 concentration by one unit is associated with 43 new cases. Conclusions: The study demonstrates that an exposure of the population to particulate matter in atmospheric air, at low values, below the permissible limit values but for a long time (the follow-up period in our study was five years, between 2015 and 2019), can have effects on the health status of the population, which becomes much more vulnerable to external agents, in our case pathogenic microorganisms (viruses). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Biomédica: Revista del Instituto Nacional de Salud is the property of Instituto Nacional de Salud of Colombia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Like all SSI, the COVID-19 pandemic requires decisions that are contentious, involve scientific thinking, and vary across social groups. This investigation determined how perceptions about COVID-19 science and sociocultural membership associate with 557 university biology students': (1) COVID-19 behaviors after stay-at-home orders and (2) support for future societal COVID-19 responses. Hierarchical moderated multiple regression analyses demonstrate that students' COVID-19 mitigating actions after stay-at-home orders were significantly and positively associated with, in order of importance: (1) higher levels of COVID-19 spread prevention knowledge; (2) espousing more liberal, as opposed to conservative, political orientations; (3) being female; and (4) increased disbelief of COVID-19 misinformation/disinformation claims. Furthermore, the students' political orientation moderated the relationship between their trust in scientific models to guide COVID-19 decisions and their personal COVID-19 actions, with trust in scientific models to guide COVID-19 decision-making being a significant positive predictor of moderate, conservative, and very conservative student groups' COVID-19 mitigating actions. Conversely, there was no association between trust in scientific models to guide COVID-19 decision-making and very liberal and liberal students' conducting COVID-19 actions. Hierarchical moderated multiple regression analyses revealed that students' support for societal-wide COVID-19 mitigating measures going forward is positively associated with, in order of importance: (1) espousing more liberal, as opposed to conservative, political orientations; (2) higher levels of COVID-19 spread prevention knowledge; (3) increased disbelief of COVID-19 misinformation/disinformation claims; (4) trust in scientific models for guiding COVID-19 decision-making; and (5) beliefs that factors beyond science and technology (e.g., personal actions) are necessary for pandemic resolution. Implications discussed include the importance for helping students analyze how sociocultural membership, personal biases, and trust in science interactively influence socioscientific decision-making. Further recommendations discussed include how science communication strategies must account for sociocultural variance in order to optimize trust in science and reasoned and responsible action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Non-pharmaceutical interventions, including hand hygiene, wearing masks, and cough etiquette, and public health measures such as social distancing, used to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), could reduce the incidence rate of respiratory viral infections such as influenza. We evaluated the effect of COVID-19 on the incidence of influenza in Korea.Methods: This retrospective study included all patients who visited five urban emergency departments (EDs) during the influenza epidemic seasons of 2017-18, 2018-19, and 2019-20. Influenza was defined as ICD-10 codes J09, J10, and J11, determined from ED discharge records. The weekly incidence rates of influenza per 1000 ED visits during the 2019-20 season, when COVID-19 became a pandemic, were compared with those of 2017-18 and 2018-19. The actual incidence rate of the 2019-20 season was compared with the predicted value using a generalized estimation equation model based on 2017-18 and 2018-19 data.Results: The weekly influenza incidence rate decreased from 101.6 to 56.6 between week 4 and week 5 in 2020 when the first COVID-19 patient was diagnosed and public health measures were implemented. The weekly incidence rate during week 10 and week 22 of the 2019-20 season decreased most steeply compared to 2017-18 and 2018-19. The actual influenza incidence rate observed in the 2019-20 season was lower than the rate predicted in the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons starting from week 7 when a COVID-19 outbreak occurred in Korea.Conclusions: The implementation of non-pharmaceutical interventions and public health measures for the COVID-19 epidemic effectively reduced the transmission of influenza and associated ED use in Korea. Implementing appropriate public health measures could reduce outbreaks and lessen the burden of influenza during future influenza epidemics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Crítica de Ciências Sociais is the property of Centro de Estudos Sociais and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background : Groups at high risk of severe illness/death from COVID-19 (older people and those identified as clinically extremely vulnerable: CEV) experienced increased restrictions, poor mental health and loneliness during the first UK lockdown. Methods : Seventeen older adults, eight CEV adults, one parent of a CEV child, and two family carers of CEV adults, shared their experiences of the first UK lockdown through various media: written reflections, interviews, poetry, videos, photographs, and visual artwork. Results : Through a positive psychology lens, five themes were identified: experiencing loss; community and connection; finding joy, hope and optimism; adapting to change; and sense- and meaning-making. Conclusion : High-risk groups fostered wellbeing and flourishing and formed a sense of coherence in a time of great loss. Engagement with artistic, creative, and cultural activities facilitated this. The arts not only provided a creative means of collecting data but was also identified as a central thread in the findings.

Rwanda is a country in East Africa, a region characterized by highly mobile populations and outbreaks of high-consequence infectious diseases occurring on a regular basis. To increase the level of outbreak preparedness in the region, the Rwandan government and the German Ministry of Health signed a joint agreement to construct a new high-level isolation unit in Rwanda, the first in East Africa, and implement a training program for Rwandan healthcare workers to equip them with the necessary skills and knowledge for medical management of patients under high-level isolation conditions, including intensive care treatment. To better understand the scope and format of the planned training program, a needs assessment was performed based on findings from a standardized survey of 4 intensive care units in Rwanda as well as observations from 2 members of a German high-level isolation unit who completed clinical internships at Rwandan hospitals. In this case study, we describe the necessary steps to promote the sustainability and capabilities of the new high-level isolation unit in Kigali and ensure the successful implementation of the training program.

We use Twitter, Google mobility, and Oxford policy data to study the relationship between trust and compliance over the period March 2020 to January 2021 in ten, mostly European, countries. Trust has been shown to be an important correlate of compliance with COVID-19 containment policies. However, the previous findings depend upon two assumptions: first, that compliance is time invariant, and second, that compliance can be measured using self reports or mobility measures alone. We relax these assumptions by calculating a new time-varying measure of compliance as the association between containment policies and people's mobility behavior. Additionally, we develop measures of trust in others and national institutions by applying emotion analysis to Twitter data. Results from various panel estimation techniques demonstrate that compliance changes over time and that increasing (decreasing) trust in others predicts increasing (decreasing) compliance. This evidence indicates that compliance changes over time, and further confirms the importance of cultivating trust in others., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that no conflicts of interest exist., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

This study examined changes in physical and mental health quality-of-life and health services access before and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic among individuals of lower and higher socio-economic status (SES) in Australia. Difference-in-differences and logistic regression models were undertaken using data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey and government data on COVID-19 lockdowns between January 2020 and February 2021. Individuals from higher SES reported larger decreases in mental health quality-of-life scores than those from lower SES after the onset of the pandemic. Those from lower SES reported less disruption with any health services (24.2% vs 30.4%; OR = 0.68; p < 0.001), specifically dental services (8.2% vs 15.4%; OR = 0.51; p < 0.001) and allied health services (5.9% vs 8.5%; OR = 0.60; p < 0.001), compared with those from higher SES. Additional days under lockdown were associated with reduced access to all health services (OR = 1.19). Furthermore, long-term health conditions (higher SES: OR = 1.54) and scores indicative of poorer physical (lower SES: OR = 1.17; higher SES: OR = 1.07) and mental health (lower SES: OR = 1.16; higher SES: OR = 1.12) were associated with increased health services disruption. While individuals from higher SES were more likely than those from lower SES to experience greater relative declines in mental health and increased disruption with health services access, individuals with a greater apparent need for health services, regardless of SES, may have faced inequalities in accessing these services during the COVID-19 pandemic., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press.)

We assessed the associations of social distancing and mask use with symptomatic, laboratory-confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection in Porto Alegre, Brazil. We conducted a population-based case-control study during April–June 2020. Municipal authorities furnished case-patients, and controls were taken from representative household surveys. In adjusted logistic regression analyses of 271 case-patients and 1,396 controls, those reporting moderate to greatest adherence to social distancing had 59% (odds ratio [OR] 0.41, 95% CI 0.24–0.70) to 75% (OR 0.25, 95% CI 0.15–0.42) lower odds of infection. Lesser out-of-household exposure (vs. going out every day all day) reduced odds from 52% (OR 0.48, 95% CI 0.29–0.77) to 75% (OR 0.25, 95% CI 0.18–0.36). Mask use reduced odds of infection by 87% (OR 0.13, 95% CI 0.04–0.36). In conclusion, social distancing and mask use while outside the house provided major protection against symptomatic infection.

OBJECTIVES It is necessary to investigate tobacco or nicotine product (TNP) use which acts as a risk factor for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection. Especially, wearing a mask is difficult to practice while using TNP. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the association between TNP use behaviors and non-compliance with mask-wearing during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS The samples of 208,618 Korean adults from 2020 Community Health Survey in Korea were used. As an independent variable, TNP use behaviors such as TNP use status, changes in TNP use after the COVID-19 outbreak, TNP types, and attempt to quit were analyzed. Logistic regression was performed on gender-stratified participants. RESULTS Among men, the odds ratio (OR) of current and former TNP users were 2.00 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.66 to 2.40) and 1.32 (95% CI, 1.09 to 1.60), respectively, compared to never users. In women, OR was 1.50 (95% CI, 1.00 to 2.26) for former users. Cigarette use was more associated with not wearing a mask than non-cigarette tobacco or nicotine product (NCTNP) use (OR, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.12 to 2.08). Men whose TNP use decreased had lower non-compliance (OR, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.36 to 0.74); while women whose TNP use increased had lower non-compliance (OR, 0.13; 95% CI, 0.07 to 0.26). CONCLUSIONS Current and former users were less likely to wear masks. Cigarette use was more associated with not wearing a mask than NCTNP use. Changes in TNP use showed association for men and women; however, in the opposite direction. Therefore, more attention should be paid to TNP use prevention and cessation support during the epidemic of respiratory infectious diseases. Moreover, it is necessary to identify risk factors of cigarette users in compliance with mask-wearing.

The behaviour of individuals is a main actor in the control of the spread of a communicable disease and, in turn, the spread of an infectious disease can trigger behavioural changes in a population. Here, we study the emergence of individuals' protective behaviours in response to the spread of a disease by considering two different social attitudes within the same population: concerned and risky. Generally speaking, concerned individuals have a larger risk aversion than risky individuals. To study the emergence of protective behaviours, we couple, to the epidemic evolution of a susceptible-infected-susceptible model, a decision game based on the perceived risk of infection. Using this framework, we find the effect of the protection strategy on the epidemic threshold for each of the two subpopulations (concerned and risky), and study under which conditions risky individuals are persuaded to protect themselves or, on the contrary, can take advantage of a herd immunity by remaining healthy without protecting themselves, thanks to the shield provided by concerned individuals. This article is part of the theme issue 'Emergent phenomena in complex physical and socio-technical systems: from cells to societies'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vaccine mandates have historically been implemented and regulated by the states, not by the federal government. Nevertheless, the federal government has “broad, flexible power” to prevent the spread of communicable disease among the states through section 361 of the Public Health Service Act. Although the federal government has never used section 361to mandate a vaccine to prevent the spread of disease and the authority to mandate a vaccine is not expressly provided in the statute, there is speculation that the federal government could use section 361 to mandate a vaccine to prevent the spread of disease. However, there is no authoritative interpretation of the scope of the powers in section 361, and the text remains ambiguous. This Comment sets aside the question of whether the federal government should mandate a vaccine and instead explores whether the federal government could mandate a vaccine through section 361. Ultimately, this Comment concludes that section 361 authorizes a federal vaccine mandate and recommends a framework for potentially implementing a vaccine mandate under this authority. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Angle Health Law Review is the property of Angle Publishing Co., Ltd. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Several neglected infectious pathogens, such as the monkeypox virus (MPXV), have re-emerged in the last few decades, becoming a global health burden. Despite the incipient vaccine against MPXV infection, the global incidence of travel-related outbreaks continues to rise. About 472 confirmed cases have been reported in 27 countries as of 31 May 2022, the largest recorded number of cases outside Africa since the disease was discovered in the early 1970s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report two clusters of SARS-CoV-2 B.1.617.2 (Delta variant) infections in a group of 41 Indian nursing students who travelled from New Delhi, India, to Belgium via Paris, France. All students tested negative before departure and had a second negative antigen test upon arrival in Paris. Upon arrival in Belgium, the students were quarantined in eight different houses. Four houses remained COVID-free during the 24 days of follow-up, while all 27 residents of the other four houses developed an infection during quarantine, including the four residents who were fully vaccinated and the two residents who were partially vaccinated. Genome sequencing revealed two distinct clusters affecting one and three houses, respectively. In this group of students, vaccination status did not seem to prevent infection nor decrease the viral load. No severe symptoms were reported. Extensive contact tracing and 3 months of nationwide genomic surveillance confirmed that these outbreaks were successfully contained and did not contribute to secondary community transmission in Belgium. These clusters highlight the importance of repeated testing and quarantine measures among travelers coming from countries experiencing a surge of infections, as all infections were detected 6 days or more after arrival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Universidad Médica Pinareña is the property of Editorial Ciencias Medicas and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)