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Introduction: People who inject drugs (PWID) are at increased risk for infectious disease transmission, including hepatitis C and HIV. Understanding trends in injection risk behaviors and syringe service program (SSP) use over time can help improve infectious disease prevention and other harm reduction services. Methods: Using National HIV Behavioral Surveillance System data from Baltimore, Maryland, we examined changes in receptive sharing of (1) syringes, (2) injection equipment, (3) syringes to divide drugs; and (4) receipt of syringes from SSPs among PWID from 2009 to 2018 (n = 518 in 2009, n = 638 in 2012, n = 586 in 2015, and n = 575 in 2018) using unadjusted and adjusted logistic models calculated across time for the total sample. Results: The conditional probability of receptive sharing of syringes and receipt of syringes from SSPs remained relatively stable, while receptive sharing of injection equipment and receptive sharing of syringes to divide drugs dropped substantially after 2009. White race and daily injection frequency were positively associated with sharing syringes and injection equipment and negatively associated with SSP use over time. In 2015, there was a notable shift such that women were twice as likely as men to receive syringes from SSPs and less likely than men to report the use of shared syringes or equipment. Conclusion: Findings indicate overall steady or decreasing trends in injection risk and steady trends in SSP usage over time, with some notable improvements among women and indications of shifting drug market patterns. Injection-related risk behaviors remain high among White PWID and may require targeted outreach and interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Economic growth theory distinguishes between reproducible and nonreproducible factors of production. In traditional growth models based on factor-augmenting technical change, perpetual economic growth requires that each essential nonreproducible factor, such as labor, be augmented by a reproducible factor, such as human capital. Recent models of factor-eliminating technical change deliver perpetual growth by eliminating the nonreproducible factors. Heretofore, the literature has kept factor augmentation and factor elimination separate. We analyze a model with both. The model generalizes the traditional factor augmentation approach by relaxing the usual restriction that factor elimination is absent. We obtain the striking result that factor-augmenting technical change is a misspecification when factor-eliminating technical change is present. The result raises several questions about technical change and endogenous growth. (JEL O41, O31, O33), I. INTRODUCTION In this paper, we study the interaction of factor-augmenting and factor-eliminating technical progress and their effects on economic growth. Factor-augmenting progress is an old and familiar concept. It [...]

Background: While the use of convalescent plasma (CP) in the ongoing COVID‐19 pandemic has been inconsistent, CP has the potential to reduce excess morbidity and mortality in future pandemics. Given constraints on CP supply, decisions surrounding the allocation of CP must be made. Study Design and Methods: Using a discrete‐time stochastic compartmental model, we simulated implementation of four potential allocation strategies: administering CP to individuals in early hospitalization with COVID‐19; administering CP to individuals in outpatient settings; administering CP to hospitalized individuals and administering any remaining CP to outpatient individuals and administering CP in both settings while prioritizing outpatient individuals. We examined the final size of SARS‐CoV‐2 infections, peak and cumulative hospitalizations, and cumulative deaths under each of the allocation scenarios over a 180‐day period. We compared the cost per weighted health benefit under each strategy. Results: Prioritizing administration to patients in early hospitalization, with remaining plasma administered in outpatient settings, resulted in the highest reduction in mortality, averting on average 15% more COVID‐19 deaths than administering to hospitalized individuals alone (95% CI [11%–18%]). Prioritizing administration to outpatients, with remaining plasma administered to hospitalized individuals, had the highest percentage of hospitalizations averted (22% [21%–23%] higher than administering to hospitalized individuals alone). Discussion: Convalescent plasma allocation strategy should be determined by the relative priority of averting deaths, infections, or hospitalizations. Under conditions considered, mixed allocation strategies (allocating CP to both outpatient and hospitalized individuals) resulted in a larger percentage of infections and deaths averted than administering CP in a single setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: COVID-19 continues to affect millions of individuals worldwide, both in the short and long term. The post-acute complications of SARS-CoV-2 infection, referred to as long COVID, result in diverse symptoms affecting multiple organ systems. Little is known regarding how the symptoms associated with long COVID progress and resolve over time. The Johns Hopkins COVID Long Study aims to prospectively examine the short-term and long-term consequences of COVID-19 in individuals both with and without a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection using self-reported data collected in an online survey., Participants: 16 764 adults with a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection and 799 adults without a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection who completed an online baseline survey., Findings to Date: This cohort profile describes the baseline characteristics of the Johns Hopkins COVID Long Study. Among 16 764 participants with a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection and defined long COVID status, 75% reported a very good or excellent health status prior to infection, 99% reported experiencing at least one COVID-19 symptom during the acute phase of infection, 9.9% reported hospitalisation and 63% were defined as having long COVID using the WHO definition., Future Plans: Analysis of longitudinal data will be used to investigate the progression and resolution of long COVID symptoms over time., Competing Interests: Competing interests: SHM receives material support from Abbott Laboratories (not related to this study)., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)