ADHERENCE TO COVID-19 MITIGATION MEASURES IN SLOVENIA: THE ROLE OF SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC AND PERSONALITY FACTORS -

Objective: To investigate the perception and adherence to mitigation measures during the first wave of the COVID-19 epidemic in Slovenia by examining their trends across several sociodemographic categories and personality dimensions. Methods: Descriptive and correlative analyses were used to examine which sociodemographic and personality factors were associated with participants’ attitudes and adherence to measures. Results: More than 90% of participants considered the following four measures as important and practiced them always/often: keeping a safe interpersonal distance, regular and thorough hand washing/disinfection, adherence to the rules of cough hygiene, and regular indoor ventilation. The strongest predictors of confidence in the preventive measures and their implementation were the participants’ concern of infection and concern of infecting their loved ones, followed by gender (with higher measure adherence in women) and age (with higher measure adherence in participants under 30 and over 60 years of age). Education, settlement size, field and type of employment, household type, own medical problems, and the age and health of the participants’ loved ones had a smaller influence on the perceived importance and implementation of guidelines. Adherence to measures was positively related to the participants’ score in conscientiousness and, in lesser extent, openness. Agreeableness, energy, and emotional stability correlated positively with adherence to basic guidelines. Conclusions: Study provides information useful for developing and adapting future public health policies and interventions in Slovenia.

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COVID-19: A Boon or a Bane for Creativity? -

In many countries, the COVID-19 pandemic led to a period of lockdown that impacted individual’s lifestyles, in both professional and personal spheres. New problems and challenges arose, as well as opportunities. Numerous studies have examined the negative effects of lockdown measures, but few have attempted to shine light on the potential positive effects that may come out of these measures. We focused on one particular positive outcome that might have emerged from lockdown: creativity. To this end, this paper compared professional creativity (Pro-C) and everyday creativity (little-c) before and during lockdown, using a questionnaire-based study conducted on a French sample (N = 1266). We expected participants to be more creative during than prior to lockdown, in both professional and everyday spheres. Regarding professional creativity, we did not see any significant differences between the two comparison points, before and during lockdown. Regarding everyday creativity, we observed a significant increase during lockdown. Furthermore, our results suggest that participants with a lower baseline creativity (before lockdown) benefited more from the situation than those with a higher initial baseline creativity. Our results provide new insights on the impact of lockdown and its positive outcomes. These measures may have inarguably negative consequences on the physical and mental health of many, but their positive impact exists as well.

🖺 Full Text HTML: COVID-19: A Boon or a Bane for Creativity?

Acute Endotheliitis (Type 3 Hypersensitivity Vasculitis) in Ten COVID-19 Autopsy Brains -

Central nervous system (CNS) involvement in COVID-19 may occur through direct SARS-CoV-2 invasion through peripheral or cranial nerves or through vascular endothelial cell infection. The renin-angiotensin system may play a major part in CNS morbidity. Effects of hypoxia have also been implicated in CNS lesions in COVID-19. This communication reports on ten consecutive autopsies of individuals with death due to COVID-19 with decedent survival ranging from 30 minutes to 84 days after admission. All ten brains examined had neutrophilic microvascular endotheliitis present in variable amounts and variably distributed. Importantly, this acute stage of type 3 hypersensitivity vasculitis can be followed by fibrinoid necrosis and inner vascular wall sclerosis, but these later stages were not found. These results suggest that a vasculitis with autoimmune features occurred in all ten patients. It is possible that viral antigen in or on microvascular walls or other antigen-antibody complexes occurred in all ten patients proximate to death as a form of autoimmune vasculitis.

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Correlates of and changes in aerobic physical activity and strength training before and after the onset of COVID-19 pandemic in the UK. Findings from the HEBECO study. -

Objectives: Understanding changes in moderate to vigorous aerobic physical activity (MVPA) and strength training (MSA) from before to after (pre-/post-) the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in the UK (first lockdown) and their correlates can inform interventions. Methods: Cross-sectional analysis of retrospective and concurrent data on MVPA/MSA pre- and post-Covid-19 (until 14th June 2020) among 2,657 UK adults. The associations between socio-demographic and health characteristics, MVPA/MSA pre-Covid-19, living and exercise conditions and meeting WHO recommended levels for MVPA/MSA/both (vs meeting neither), and changes in MVPA/MSA from pre- to post-Covid-19 following stratification for pre-Covid-19 MVPA/MSA levels were evaluated. Results: A third of adults maintained (30.4%), decreased (36.2%) or increased (33.4%) their MVPA levels post-Covid-19. For MSA, the percentages were 61.6%, 18.2%, and 20.2%, respectively. MVPA increased or decreased by an average of 150min/week, and MSA by 2 days/week. Meeting both MSA+MVPA recommendations during lockdown (vs. meeting neither) was positively associated with meeting MVPA+MSA pre-lockdown (aOR=16.11,95%CI=11.24-23.07), and post-16-years of age education (aOR=1.57,1.14-2.17), and negatively associated with being obese (aOR=0.49,0.33-0.73), older age (65+ vs ≤34; aOR=.53,.32-.87), and annual household income <50.000GBP (vs ≥50.000GBP; aOR=0.65,0.46-0.91). The odds for decreasing MVPA were significantly lower for white ethnicity, post-16-years of age education, access to garden/balcony, and higher for those who were in total isolation. The odds for decreasing MSA were significantly higher for those who were overweight or obese. Conclusion: Aerobic and strength training were differently impacted during the first UK lockdown, with poorer outcomes associated with older age, lower education, and higher body mass index.

🖺 Full Text HTML: Correlates of and changes in aerobic physical activity and strength training before and after the onset of COVID-19 pandemic in the UK. Findings from the HEBECO study.

Epidemiology of the early COVID-19 epidemic in Orange County, California: comparison of predictors of test positivity, mortality, and seropositivity -

COVID-19 is one of the largest public health emergencies in modern history. Here we present a detailed analysis from a large population center in Southern California (Orange County, population of 3.2 million) to understand heterogeneity in risks of infection, test positivity, and death. We used a combination of datasets, including a population-representative seroprevalence survey, to assess the true burden of disease as well as COVID-19 testing intensity, test positivity, and mortality. In the first month of the local epidemic, case incidence clustered in high income areas. This pattern quickly shifted, with cases next clustering in much higher rates in the north-central area which has a lower socio-economic status. Since April, a concentration of reported cases, test positivity, testing intensity, and seropositivity in a north-central area persisted. At the individual level, several factors (e.g., age, race/ethnicity, zip codes with low educational attainment) strongly affected risk of seropositivity and death.

🖺 Full Text HTML: Epidemiology of the early COVID-19 epidemic in Orange County, California: comparison of predictors of test positivity, mortality, and seropositivity

Poor metabolic health increases COVID-19-related mortality in the UK Biobank sample -

Previous studies link obesity, components of metabolic health, such as hypertension or inflammation, to increased hospitalisations and death rates of patients with COVID-19. Here, in two overlapping samples of over 1,000 individuals from the UK Biobank we investigate whether metabolic health as measured by waist circumference, dyslipidaemia, hypertension, diabetes, and systemic inflammation is related to increased COVID-19 infection and mortality rates. Using logistic regression and controlling for confounding variables such as socioeconomic status, age, sex or ethnicity, we find that individuals with worse metabolic health (measured on average eleven years prior to 2020) have an increased risk for COVID-19-related death (adjusted odds ratio: 1.67). We also find that specific factors contributing to increased mortality are increased serum glucose levels, systolic blood pressure and waist circumference.

🖺 Full Text HTML: Poor metabolic health increases COVID-19-related mortality in the UK Biobank sample

Excess Mortality probably due to COVID-19 in Tokyo, Japan in August, 2020 -

Background: As of the mid of December, 2020, the COVID-19 outbreak has been record the highest peak in November and December. Nevertheless, no remarkable excess mortality attributable to COVID-19 has been observed. Object: We sought to quantify excess mortality in April using the National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIID) model. Method: We applied the NIID model to deaths of all causes from 1987 up through October, 2020 for the whole of Japan and up through July for Tokyo. Results: Results show very few excess mortality in August and October, 2020 It was estimated as 12 and 104. Conversely, in Tokyo, 595 excess mortality was detected in August, which was 3.1% of baseline. Discussion and Conclusion: This is the first time to detect substantial excess mortality in Tokyo but a few in Japan. It might be important to continue to monitor excess mortality of COVID-19 carefully hereafter.

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Stress and worry in the 2020 coronavirus pandemic: Relationships to trust and compliance with preventive measures across 48 countries in the COVIDiSTRESS global survey -

The COVIDiSTRESS global survey collects data on early human responses to the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic from 173,429 respondents in 48 countries. The open science study was co-designed by an international consortium of researchers to investigate how psychological responses differ across countries and cultures, and how this has impacted behaviour, coping and trust in government efforts to slow the spread of the virus. Starting in March 2020, COVIDiSTRESS leveraged the convenience of unpaid online recruitment to generate public data. The objective of the present analysis is to understand relationships between psychological responses in the early months of global coronavirus resreictions, and help understand how different government measures succeed or fail in changing public behaviour. There were variations between and within countries. Although Western Europeans registered as more concerned over COVID-19, more stressed, and having slightly more trust in the governments’ efforts, there was no clear geographical pattern in compliance with behavioural measures. Detailed plots illustrating between-countries differences are provided. Using both traditional and Bayesian analyses, we found that individuals who worried about getting sick worked harder to protect themselves and others. However, concern about the coronavirus itself did not account for all of the variance in experienced stress during the early months of coronavirus restrictions. More alarmingly, such stress was associated with less compliance. Further, those most concerned over the coronavirus trusted in government measures primarily where policies were strict. While concern over a disease is a source of mental distress, other factors including strictness of protective measures, social support, and personal lockdown conditions must also be taken into consideration to fully appreciate the psychological impact of COVID-19 and to understand why some people fail to follow behavioral guidelines intended to protect themselves and others from infection.

🖺 Full Text HTML: Stress and worry in the 2020 coronavirus pandemic: Relationships to trust and compliance with preventive measures across 48 countries in the COVIDiSTRESS global survey

SARS-CoV-2 viral load distribution in different patient populations and age groups reveals that viral loads increase with age. -

Objectives: To describe the SARS-CoV-2 viral load distribution in different patient groups and age categories. Methods: All SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR results from nasopharyngeal (NP) and oropharyngeal (OP) swabs (first PCR from unique patients only) that were collected between January 1 and December 1, 2020, in the Public Health Services regions Kennemerland and Hollands Noorden, province of Northern Holland, the Netherlands were included in this study. Swabs were derived from patients with respiratory symptoms who were presented at the general practitioner (GP) or hospital, hospital health care workers (HCWs) of four regional hospitals, nursing home residents and HCWs of multiple nursing homes, and in majority (>75%) from Public Health testing facilities of the two Public Health Services. SARS-CoV-2 PCR crossing point (Cp) values were used to estimate viral loads (higher Cp-values indicate lower viral loads). Results: In total, 278.470 unique patients were tested of whom 9.1% (n=25.365) were SARS-CoV-2 positive. As there were differences in viral load distribution between tested populations, further analyses focused on PCRs performed by public health services (n=211.933) where sampling and inclusion were uniform. These data present reveal a clear relation between age and SARS-CoV-2 viral load, with especially children aged<12 years showing lower viral loads than shown in adults (β: -0.03, 95CI% -0.03 to -0.02, p<0.001), independent of sex and/or symptom duration. Interestingly, the median Cp values between the oldest (>79 years) and youngest (<12 years) population differed by over 4 PCR cycles, suggesting approximately a 16 fold difference in viral load. In addition, the proportion of children aged < 12 years with a Cp-value >30 was significantly higher compared to the other patients (31.1% vs. 16.9%, p-value<0.001). Conclusion: We observed that in patients tested by public health services, SARS-CoV2 viral load increases significantly with age. Previous studies suggest that young children (<12 years) play a limited role in SARS-CoV-2 transmission. Currently, the relation between viral load and infectivity is not yet well understood, and further studies should elucidate whether the lower viral load in children is indeed related to their suggested limited role in SARS-CoV-2 transmission. Moreover, as antigen tests are less sensitive than PCR, these results suggest that SARS-CoV-2 antigen tests could have lower sensitivity in children than in adults.

🖺 Full Text HTML: SARS-CoV-2 viral load distribution in different patient populations and age groups reveals that viral loads increase with age.

Factors that influence the provision of home- based rehabilitation services for people needing rehabilitation: a qualitative evidence synthesis (Protocol) -

This is a protocol for a Cochrane Qualitative Evidence Synthesis. The objectives are as follows: • To identify factors that influence the organisation and delivery of home-based and telerehabilitation for people needing rehabilitation. • To identify factors that may influence the organisation and delivery of and home- based rehabilitation and telerehabilitation in pandemic contexts, such as COVID-19.

🖺 Full Text HTML: Factors that influence the provision of home- based rehabilitation services for people needing rehabilitation: a qualitative evidence synthesis (Protocol)

Early Evidence and Predictors of Mental Distress of Adults One Month in the COVID-19 Epidemic in Brazil -

Objective: We aim to provide early evidence of mental distress and its associated predictors among adults one month into the COVID-19 crisis in Brazil. Methods: We conducted an online survey of 638 adults in Brazil on March 25-28, 2020, about one month (32 days) cross-sectionally after the first COVID-19 case in South America was confirmed in Sao Paulo. The 638 adults were in 25 states out of the 26 Brazilian states, with the only exception being Roraima, the least populated state in the Amazon. Of all the participating adults, 24%, 20%, and 18% of them were located in Rio de Janeiro state, Santa Catarina state, and Sao Paulo state respectively. Results: In Brazil, 52% (332) of the sampled adults experienced mild or moderate distress, and 18.8% (120) suffered severe distress. Adults who were female, younger, more educated, and exercised less reported higher levels of distress. The distance of each individual from the Brazilian epicenter of Sao Paulo interacted with age and workplace attendance to predict the level of distress. The typhoon eye effect was stronger for people who were older or attended their workplace less. The most vulnerable adults were those who were far from the epicenter and did not go to their workplace in the week before the survey. Conclusion: Identifying the predictors of distress enables mental health services to better target finding and helping the more mentally vulnerable adults during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. Keywords: Coronavirus; 2019-nCoV; Mental health; Psychiatric identification; Pandemic; Latin America

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Điểm tin RW Weekend Read ngày 16-1-2021 -

Bản Weekend Read của RetractionWatch ngày 16-1 có tựa đề: Pollution of COVID-19 research; climate papers lead to reassignment; time to publish less?

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How should we present the epidemic curve for COVID-19? -

Epidemic curves are used by decision makers and the public to infer the trajectory of the COVID-19 pandemic and to understand the appropriateness of current response measures. Symptom onset date is commonly used to date cases on the epidemic curve in public health reports and dashboards. However, third-party trackers often plot cases on the epidemic curve by the date they were publicly reported by the public health authority. These two curves create very different impressions of epidemic progression. On April 1, the epidemic curve for Ontario, Canada based on public reporting date showed an accelerating epidemic, whereas the curve based on a proxy variable for symptom onset date showed a rapidly declining epidemic. This illusory downward trend (the "ghost trend") is a feature of epidemic curves anchored using date variables earlier in time than the date a case was publicly reported, such as symptom onset date or sample collection date. This is because newly discovered cases are backdated, creating a perpetual downward trend in incidence due to incomplete data in the most recent days. Public reporting date is not subject to backdating bias and can be used to visualize real-time epidemic curves meant to inform the public and policy makers.

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Mapping the Landscape of COVID-19 Crisis Visualizations -

In response to COVID-19, a vast number of visualizations have been created to communicate information to the public. Information exposure in a public health crisis can impact people’s attitudes towards and responses to the crisis and risks, and ultimately the trajectory of a pandemic. As such, there is a need for work that documents, organizes, and investigates what COVID-19 visualizations have been presented to the public. We address this gap through an analysis of 668 COVID-19 visualizations. We present our findings through a conceptual framework derived from our analysis, that examines who, (uses) what data, (to communicate) what messages, in what form, under what circumstances in the context of COVID-19 crisis visualizations. We provide a set of factors to be considered within each component of the framework. We conclude with directions for future crisis visualization research.

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Resilience, mood, and mental health outcomes during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Bulgaria -

Background: The fundamental challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic may have lasting negative effects on the quality of mental health worldwide. Resilience is considered an important protective factor in reducing the risk of psychopathology in the face of various adverse events, such as the ongoing health crisis. The aims of the current study were to: (1) evaluate the predictive utility of resilience in accounting for positive and negative moods, substance use, depression and anxiety; and (2) compare negative and positive moods experienced before the pandemic to emotions reported during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Bulgaria, when the country still had low prevalence of infections and fatalities. Methods: 179 Bulgarian participants completed the international online Minnesota Global Survey on Stress and Resilience in the Face of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), which included measures of resilience, depression and anxiety, substance use, positive and negative moods experienced both before and during the COVID-19 outbreak. Results: Resilience predicted higher levels of positive affect and lower anxiety, depression, and negative mood during the first wave of the COVID-19 outbreak in Bulgaria. A significant increase was found in negative mood and a corresponding decrease in positive mood in the time since COVID-19 began spreading compared to before the pandemic. Conclusions: Results suggest that the initial wave of the COVID-19 crisis impacted individuals’ well-being, even in countries with relatively low prevalence of COVID-19 and associated fatalities. In this challenging global setting, resilience may serve as a buffer against negative emotional states and psychological distress.

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