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Kulmala I, Taipale A, Sanmark E, Lastovets N, Sormunen P, Nuorti P, Saari S, Luoto A, Säämänen A. Estimated relative potential for airborne SARS-CoV-2 transmission in a day care centre. Heliyon 2024; 10:e30724. [PMID: 38756615 PMCID: PMC11096945 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e30724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2023] [Revised: 05/01/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
We estimated the hourly probability of airborne severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission and further the estimated number of persons at transmission risk in a day care centre by calculating the inhaled dose for airborne pathogens based on their concentration, exposure time and activity. Information about the occupancy and activity of the rooms was collected from day care centre personnel and building characteristics were obtained from the design values. The generation rate of pathogens was calculated as a product of viral load of the respiratory fluids and the emission of the exhaled airborne particles, considering the prevalence of the disease and the activity of the individuals. A well-mixed model was used in the estimation of the concentration of pathogens in the air. The Wells-Riley model was used for infection probability. The approach presented in this study was utilised in the identification of hot spots and critical events in the day care centre. Large variation in the infection probabilities and estimated number of persons at transmission risk was observed when modelling a normal day at the centre. The estimated hourly infection probabilities between the worst hour in the worst room and the best hour in the best room varied in the ratio of 100:1. Similarly, the number of persons at transmission risk between the worst and best cases varied in the ratio 1000:1. Although there are uncertainties in the input values affecting the absolute risk estimates the model proved to be useful in ranking and identifying the hot spots and events in the building and implementing effective control measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilpo Kulmala
- VTT Smart Energy and Built Environment, Visiokatu 4, PO Box 1300, FI-33101, Tampere, Finland
| | - Aimo Taipale
- VTT Smart Energy and Built Environment, Visiokatu 4, PO Box 1300, FI-33101, Tampere, Finland
| | - Enni Sanmark
- Helsinki University Hospital, Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Phoniatrics – Head and Neck Surgery, Helsinki, Finland
- University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Natalia Lastovets
- Tampere University, Faculty of Built Environment, Civil Engineering Unit, Korkeakoulunkatu 5D, FI-33720, Tampere, Finland
| | - Piia Sormunen
- Tampere University, Faculty of Built Environment, Civil Engineering Unit, Korkeakoulunkatu 5D, FI-33720, Tampere, Finland
| | - Pekka Nuorti
- Tampere University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Health Sciences Unit, Arvo Ylpön Katu 34, 33520, Tampere, Finland
| | - Sampo Saari
- Tampere University of Applied Sciences, Kuntokatu 3, 33520, Tampere, Finland
| | - Anni Luoto
- Granlund Oy, Malminkaari 21, 00700, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Arto Säämänen
- VTT Smart Energy and Built Environment, Visiokatu 4, PO Box 1300, FI-33101, Tampere, Finland
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Roccetti M. Drawing a parallel between the trend of confirmed COVID-19 deaths in the winters of 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 in Italy, with a prediction. Math Biosci Eng 2024; 21:3742-3754. [PMID: 38549304 DOI: 10.3934/mbe.2024165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
We studied the weekly number and the growth/decline rates of COVID-19 deaths of the period from October 31, 2022, to February 9, 2023, in Italy. We found that the COVID-19 winter wave reached its peak during the three holiday weeks from December 16, 2022, to January 5, 2023, and it was definitely trending downward, returning to the same number of deaths as the end of October 2022, in the first week February 2023. During this period of 15 weeks, that wave caused a number of deaths as large as 8,526. Its average growth rate was +7.89% deaths per week (10 weeks), while the average weekly decline rate was -15.85% (5 weeks). At the time of writing of this paper, Italy has been experiencing a new COVID-19 wave, with the latest 7 weekly bulletins (October 26, 2023 - December 13, 2023) showing that deaths have climbed from 148 to 322. The weekly growth rate had risen by +14.08% deaths, on average. Hypothesizing that this 2023/2024 wave will have a total duration similar to that of 2022/2023, with comparable extensions of both the growth period and the decline period and similar growth/decline rates, we predict that the number of COVID-19 deaths of the period from the end of October 2023 to the beginning of February 2024 should be less than 4100. A preliminary assessment of this forecast, based on 11 of the 15 weeks of the period, has already confirmed the accuracy of this approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Roccetti
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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Vallée A. Geoepidemiological perspective on COVID-19 pandemic review, an insight into the global impact. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1242891. [PMID: 37927887 PMCID: PMC10620809 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1242891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic showed major impacts, on societies worldwide, challenging healthcare systems, economies, and daily life of people. Geoepidemiology, an emerging field that combines geography and epidemiology, has played a vital role in understanding and combatting the spread of the virus. This interdisciplinary approach has provided insights into the spatial patterns, risk factors, and transmission dynamics of the COVID-19 pandemic at different scales, from local communities to global populations. Spatial patterns have revealed variations in incidence rates, with urban-rural divides and regional hotspots playing significant roles. Cross-border transmission has highlighted the importance of travel restrictions and coordinated public health responses. Risk factors such as age, underlying health conditions, socioeconomic factors, occupation, demographics, and behavior have influenced vulnerability and outcomes. Geoepidemiology has also provided insights into the transmissibility and spread of COVID-19, emphasizing the importance of asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic transmission, super-spreading events, and the impact of variants. Geoepidemiology should be vital in understanding and responding to evolving new viral challenges of this and future pandemics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Vallée
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Foch Hospital, Suresnes, France
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Miao G, Chen Z, Cao H, Wu W, Chu X, Liu H, Zhang L, Zhu H, Cai H, Lu X, Shi J, Liu Y, Feng T. From Immunogen to COVID-19 vaccines: Prospects for the post-pandemic era. Biomed Pharmacother 2023; 158:114208. [PMID: 36800265 PMCID: PMC9805901 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2022.114208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected millions of people and posed an unprecedented burden on healthcare systems and economies worldwide since the outbreak of the COVID-19. A considerable number of nations have investigated COVID-19 and proposed a series of prevention and treatment strategies thus far. The pandemic prevention strategies implemented in China have suggested that the spread of COVID-19 can be effectively reduced by restricting large-scale gathering, developing community-scale nucleic acid testing, and conducting epidemiological investigations, whereas sporadic cases have always been identified in numerous places. Currently, there is still no decisive therapy for COVID-19 or related complications. The development of COVID-19 vaccines has raised the hope for mitigating this pandemic based on the intercross immunity induced by COVID-19. Thus far, several types of COVID-19 vaccines have been developed and released to into financial markets. From the perspective of vaccine use in globe, COVID-19 vaccines are beneficial to mitigate the pandemic, whereas the relative adverse events have been reported progressively. This is a review about the development, challenges and prospects of COVID-19 vaccines, and it can provide more insights into all aspects of the vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ganggang Miao
- Department of General Surgery, The People’s Hospital of Danyang, Affiliated Danyang Hospital of Nantong University, Danyang, China,Department of General Surgery, The Affiliated Nanjing Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhiqiang Chen
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Suzhou University, Suzhou, China
| | - Hengsong Cao
- Department of General Surgery, The Affiliated Nanjing Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Wenhao Wu
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Nanjing Medical University The First School of Clinical Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Xi Chu
- Department of Radiology, Nanjing Medical University The Fourth School of Clinical Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Hanyuan Liu
- Department of General Surgery, The Affiliated Nanjing Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Leyao Zhang
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Nanjing Medical University The First School of Clinical Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Hongfei Zhu
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Nanjing Medical University The First School of Clinical Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Hongzhou Cai
- Department of Urology, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital &The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University & Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Nanjing, China.
| | - Xiaolan Lu
- Department of Clinical laboratory, Canglang Hospital of Suzhou, Suzhou, China.
| | - Junfeng Shi
- Department of Oncology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China; Department of Molecular and Celluar Biochemistry, Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA.
| | - Yuan Liu
- Department of Infectious Disease,The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Tingting Feng
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Institute of Biology and Medical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
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Yuan P, Tan Y, Yang L, Aruffo E, Ogden NH, Bélair J, Arino J, Heffernan J, Watmough J, Carabin H, Zhu H. Modeling vaccination and control strategies for outbreaks of monkeypox at gatherings. Front Public Health 2022; 10:1026489. [PMID: 36504958 PMCID: PMC9732364 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.1026489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The monkeypox outbreak in non-endemic countries in recent months has led the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC). It is thought that festivals, parties, and other gatherings may have contributed to the outbreak. Methods We considered a hypothetical metropolitan city and modeled the transmission of the monkeypox virus in humans in a high-risk group (HRG) and a low-risk group (LRG) using a Susceptible-Exposed-Infectious-Recovered (SEIR) model and incorporated gathering events. Model simulations assessed how the vaccination strategies combined with other public health measures can contribute to mitigating or halting outbreaks from mass gathering events. Results The risk of a monkeypox outbreak was high when mass gathering events occurred in the absence of public health control measures. However, the outbreaks were controlled by isolating cases and vaccinating their close contacts. Furthermore, contact tracing, vaccinating, and isolating close contacts, if they can be implemented, were more effective for the containment of monkeypox transmission during summer gatherings than a broad vaccination campaign among HRG, when accounting for the low vaccination coverage in the overall population, and the time needed for the development of the immune responses. Reducing the number of attendees and effective contacts during the gathering could also prevent a burgeoning outbreak, as could restricting attendance through vaccination requirements. Conclusion Monkeypox outbreaks following mass gatherings can be made less likely with some restrictions on either the number and density of attendees in the gathering or vaccination requirements. The ring vaccination strategy inoculating close contacts of confirmed cases may not be enough to prevent potential outbreaks; however, mass gatherings can be rendered less risky if that strategy is combined with public health measures, including identifying and isolating cases and contact tracing. Compliance with the community and promotion of awareness are also indispensable to containing the outbreak.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pei Yuan
- Laboratory of Mathematical Parallel Systems (LAMPS), Department of Mathematics and Statistics, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada,Canadian Centre for Diseases Modeling (CCDM), York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Yi Tan
- Laboratory of Mathematical Parallel Systems (LAMPS), Department of Mathematics and Statistics, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada,Canadian Centre for Diseases Modeling (CCDM), York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Liu Yang
- Laboratory of Mathematical Parallel Systems (LAMPS), Department of Mathematics and Statistics, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada,Canadian Centre for Diseases Modeling (CCDM), York University, Toronto, ON, Canada,School of Mathematics and Statistics, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
| | - Elena Aruffo
- Laboratory of Mathematical Parallel Systems (LAMPS), Department of Mathematics and Statistics, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada,Canadian Centre for Diseases Modeling (CCDM), York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Nicholas H. Ogden
- Canadian Centre for Diseases Modeling (CCDM), York University, Toronto, ON, Canada,Public Health Risk Sciences Division, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada
| | - Jacques Bélair
- Canadian Centre for Diseases Modeling (CCDM), York University, Toronto, ON, Canada,Département de Mathématiques et de Statistique, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Julien Arino
- Canadian Centre for Diseases Modeling (CCDM), York University, Toronto, ON, Canada,Department of Mathematics, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Jane Heffernan
- Canadian Centre for Diseases Modeling (CCDM), York University, Toronto, ON, Canada,Department of Mathematics and Statistics, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - James Watmough
- Canadian Centre for Diseases Modeling (CCDM), York University, Toronto, ON, Canada,Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB, Canada
| | - Hélène Carabin
- Département de Pathologie et Microbiologie, Faculté de médecine vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada,Département de médecine sociale et préventive, École de santé publique de l'Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada,Centre de Recherche en Santé Publique (CReSP) de l'université de Montréal et du CIUSS du Centre Sud de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada,Groupe de Recherche en Épidémiologie des Zoonoses et Santé Publique (GREZOSP), Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada
| | - Huaiping Zhu
- Laboratory of Mathematical Parallel Systems (LAMPS), Department of Mathematics and Statistics, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada,Canadian Centre for Diseases Modeling (CCDM), York University, Toronto, ON, Canada,*Correspondence: Huaiping Zhu
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Núñez-Delgado A, Ahmed W, Bontempi E, Domingo JL. The environment, epidemics, and human health. Environ Res 2022; 214:113931. [PMID: 35921907 PMCID: PMC9339168 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.113931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
In this editorial piece, the Editors of the Virtual Special Issue (VSI) "The environment, epidemics, and human health" comment on the papers accepted for publication, which were selected after peer-reviewing among all those manuscripts submitted to the Special Issue. In view of the title of the VSI, it is clear that its aim goes beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, trying to explore relations among environmental aspects, any kind of epidemics, and human health. However, COVID-19 is still hitting as a global and current main issue, causing that manuscripts dealing with this disease and the SARS-CoV-2 virus are of high relevance in the whole set of research papers published.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avelino Núñez-Delgado
- Dept. Soil Sci. and Agric. Chem., Univ. Santiago de Compostela, Engineering Polytechnic School, Campus Univ. S/n, 27002, Lugo, Spain.
| | - Warish Ahmed
- CSIRO Land and Water, Ecosciences Precinct, 41 Boggo Road, Qld, 4102, Australia
| | - Elza Bontempi
- INSTM and University of Brescia, Via Branze 38, 25123, Brescia, Italy
| | - José L Domingo
- Laboratory of Toxicology and Environmental Health, School of Medicine, Universitat Rovira I Virgili, Reus, Spain
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Zhang S, Zhu L, Liang R, Yin X, Wang R, Ma X, Li H, Tang Q. Effectiveness and safety of Tai Chi for anxiety disorder of COVID-19: A protocol of systematic review and meta-analysis. Medicine (Baltimore) 2022; 101:e30992. [PMID: 36254045 PMCID: PMC9575401 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000030992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Anxiety disorders pose a significant threat to the clinical rehabilitation of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Tai Chi is a therapeutic exercise that can be used to treat anxiety disorders. We aim to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of Tai Chi for treating patients with anxiety disorders caused by COVID-19. METHODS The PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Biomedical Literature, Wan Fang, and Chinese Clinical Trial Registry databases will be searched for reports of randomized controlled trials on Tai Chi for the treatment of anxiety disorders caused by COVID-19, published from December 1, 2019, to August 22, 2022. Two researchers will screen the articles and extract the relevant information. RESULTS The results will provide a systematic overview of the current evidence on the use of Tai Chi to treat anxiety disorders caused by COVID-19 among patients. CONCLUSION The conclusions of this study will help clarify whether Tai Chi is effective and safe for treating anxiety disorders caused by COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiqiang Zhang
- Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, China
| | - Luwen Zhu
- The Second Affiliated Hospital of Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, China
| | - Runyu Liang
- Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, China
| | - Xia Yin
- Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, China
| | - Ruoyu Wang
- Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, China
| | - Xiyuan Ma
- Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, China
| | - Hongyu Li
- The Second Affiliated Hospital of Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, China
| | - Qiang Tang
- The Second Affiliated Hospital of Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, China
- *Correspondence: Qiang Tang, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, China (e-mail: )
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Xu J, Zhou Y, Jiang L, Shen L. Exploring Sustainable Fashion Consumption Behavior in the Post-Pandemic Era: Changes in the Antecedents of Second-Hand Clothing-Sharing in China. Sustainability 2022; 14:9566. [DOI: 10.3390/su14159566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Second-hand consumption of clothing plays a vital role in promoting the overall global trend of low-carbon transition; however, the COVID-19 outbreak put this consumption model into a development dilemma. Cultivating consumers’ sustainable behavior will be an effective way to promote the sustainable development of the apparel industry. Based on the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT), this study starts with fashion-sharing behavior and investigates the antecedents that influence consumers’ use of second-hand clothing-sharing platforms in the post-pandemic era. The research background involves the Chinese clothing-sharing market in the growing period. The findings revealed that the pandemic raised people’s awareness of health and hygiene protection. In addition, the cleaning problem of platform clothing has become the primary reason for curbing consumers’ choice of sharing. High-cost performance, high efficiency, and convenience can stimulate consumers to use shared services. Considering that the pandemic has driven consumer economic fluctuations, perceived economic risks could widen the gap between willingness and behavior. In conclusion, platforms must fully realize the transparency of the clothing cleaning and maintenance process, improve their own construction level such as ease of use, convenience, and safety, and incorporate functional clothing-sharing to refine people’s sustainable consumption habits.
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