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Kumar P, Hama S, Cheung HYW, Hadjichristodoulou C, Mouchtouri VA, Anagnostopoulos L, Kourentis L, Wang Z, Galea ER, Ewer J, Grandison A, Jia F, Siilin N. Airborne pathogen monitoring and dispersion modelling on passenger ships: A review. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2025; 980:179571. [PMID: 40318375 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.179571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2025] [Revised: 04/08/2025] [Accepted: 04/28/2025] [Indexed: 05/07/2025]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated a profound inability of pre-pandemic passenger ship policies implemented by both ship operators and governmental authorities to detect and address newly emerging diseases. The essentiality of maritime transport puts into focus the risk of approach to address known and new emerging airborne infectious diseases that, due to increasing capacity, are likely to occur on passenger ships. In order to enhance the passenger experience, prepare shipping for pandemics like COVID-19, and improve the resilience and safety of the industry, this review critically synthesises existing literature on (1) monitoring ventilation conditions and aerosol dispersion, linking them to airborne transmission risk using airborne aerosols and ventilation performance as input parameters for computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations, and (2) modelling airborne disease transmission risk in controlled passenger ship environments. This review analysed 39 studies on aerosol monitoring, thermal comfort, and infection risk modelling on passenger ships (2000-2023). Additionally, 55 papers on CFD modelling of airborne pathogen dispersion were reviewed: 22 included validation, with most focused on built environments and only four specifically addressing ship environments. Two major challenges relate to the complexity and poorly characterised ventilation boundary conditions on passenger ships, and the other is the lack of suitable validation data. For this reason, ship experimental studies are required for CFD model validation. Only a handful of studies were found that have measured aerosol concentrations on board passenger ships. To the best of our knowledge, there have been no studies conducted on aerosol mass or airborne transmission sampling on board passenger ships or other types of vessels. The results of this review have the potential to create synergistic connections between experimental and modelling studies to inform, characterise and improve the development of numerical models that can accurately estimate infection risk on ships for prevention, mitigation and management of outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prashant Kumar
- Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE), School of Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, United Kingdom; Institute for Sustainability, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, Surrey, United Kingdom.
| | - Sarkawt Hama
- Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE), School of Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, United Kingdom
| | - Ho Yin Wickson Cheung
- Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE), School of Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, United Kingdom
| | | | - Varvara A Mouchtouri
- Laboratory of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Thessaly, Larissa 41222, Greece
| | - Lemonia Anagnostopoulos
- Laboratory of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Thessaly, Larissa 41222, Greece
| | - Leonidas Kourentis
- Laboratory of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Thessaly, Larissa 41222, Greece
| | - Zhaozhi Wang
- Fire Safety Engineering Group, School of Computing and Mathematical Sciences, Faculty of Engineering and Science, University of Greenwich, Greenwich SE10 9LS, United Kingdom
| | - Edwin R Galea
- Fire Safety Engineering Group, School of Computing and Mathematical Sciences, Faculty of Engineering and Science, University of Greenwich, Greenwich SE10 9LS, United Kingdom
| | - John Ewer
- Fire Safety Engineering Group, School of Computing and Mathematical Sciences, Faculty of Engineering and Science, University of Greenwich, Greenwich SE10 9LS, United Kingdom
| | - Angus Grandison
- Fire Safety Engineering Group, School of Computing and Mathematical Sciences, Faculty of Engineering and Science, University of Greenwich, Greenwich SE10 9LS, United Kingdom
| | - Fuchen Jia
- Fire Safety Engineering Group, School of Computing and Mathematical Sciences, Faculty of Engineering and Science, University of Greenwich, Greenwich SE10 9LS, United Kingdom
| | - Niko Siilin
- VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd, 02150 Espoo, Finland; Aalto University, Department of Civil Engineering, 00076 Espoo, Finland
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2
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Tchounga BK, Tchakounte Youngui B, Epée E, Djikeussi T, Fokam J, Goura AP, Feuzeu L, Mbunka MA, Dani P, Viana S, Hoppe A, Boum Y, Machekano R, Guay L, Zoung-Kanyi Bissek AC, Ditekemena J, Tiam A, Etoundi AG, Tchendjou P, Gill MM. Implementing SARS-CoV-2 Testing during a Large-Scale Sporting Event in Africa: Lessons Learned from the Africa Football Cup of Nations Tournament in Cameroon. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2025; 112:99-108. [PMID: 39591638 PMCID: PMC11965711 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.23-0898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2024] [Indexed: 11/28/2024] Open
Abstract
During the 33rd Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) football tournament in Cameroon, organizers and health authorities required a negative SARS-CoV-2 test result <48 hours before entry and provided free SARS-CoV-2 testing and vaccination at stadium and fan zone entrances. We describe the outcomes and implementation of mandatory SARS-CoV-2 testing at fan zones during AFCON. All consenting fan zones attendees were administered an electronic questionnaire capturing exposure factors, COVID-19-like symptoms, and COVID-19 vaccination status, before being tested for SARS-CoV-2 using an antigen rapid diagnostic test (Ag-RDT). Participants testing positive were sampled for confirmatory real-time SARS-CoV-2 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing for variant surveillance. The case detection rate was estimated using PCR-confirmed cases, and the challenges were summarized from staff discussions and project/study documentation. In total, 4,820 fan zone attendees (median [interquartile range] age 30 [24-38], 27.7% females) were tested for SARS-CoV-2, including 1,228 (25.5%) fully vaccinated. Of 4,820 participants, 148 (3.1%) had a positive Ag-RDT result, of whom 67 consented to PCR testing and 19 of 64 (29.7%) were confirmed PCR-positive. The case detection rate was 40.1 (95% CI: 24.2-62.7) per 10,000 attendees. The Omicron variant (B.1.1.529) was found in all 11 samples successfully sequenced. The implementation of mandatory SARS-CoV-2 Ag-RDT at fan zone entrances was challenged by high attendance volume just prior to matches, lobbying of economic stakeholders, and inconsistent quality assurance when using test kits. Despite the challenges encountered, implementing mandatory SARS-CoV-2 Ag-RDT at fan zones, was a unique opportunity for SARS-CoV-2 case identification and genomic surveillance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boris K. Tchounga
- Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, Yaoundé, Cameroon, and Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Boris Tchakounte Youngui
- Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, Yaoundé, Cameroon, and Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Emilienne Epée
- National Public Health Emergency Operations Coordination Centre, Ministry of Public Health, Yaoundé, Cameroon
- Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaoundé, Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Tatiana Djikeussi
- Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, Yaoundé, Cameroon, and Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Joseph Fokam
- Chantal BIYA International Reference Centre for Research on HIV/AIDS Prevention and Management, Messa, Yaoundé, Cameroon
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
| | - André P. Goura
- Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, Yaoundé, Cameroon, and Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Loic Feuzeu
- Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, Yaoundé, Cameroon, and Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Muhamed Awulo Mbunka
- Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, Yaoundé, Cameroon, and Washington, District of Columbia
| | | | - Shannon Viana
- Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, Yaoundé, Cameroon, and Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Anne Hoppe
- Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, Yaoundé, Cameroon, and Washington, District of Columbia
- FIND, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Yap Boum
- National Public Health Emergency Operations Coordination Centre, Ministry of Public Health, Yaoundé, Cameroon
- Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaoundé, Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Rhoderick Machekano
- Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, Yaoundé, Cameroon, and Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Laura Guay
- Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, Yaoundé, Cameroon, and Washington, District of Columbia
- George Washington University, Milken Institute School of Public Health, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Anne-Cecile Zoung-Kanyi Bissek
- Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaoundé, Yaoundé, Cameroon
- Division of Health Operational Research, Ministry of Public Health, Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - John Ditekemena
- Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, Yaoundé, Cameroon, and Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Appolinaire Tiam
- Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, Yaoundé, Cameroon, and Washington, District of Columbia
- George Washington University, Milken Institute School of Public Health, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Alain G. Etoundi
- National Public Health Emergency Operations Coordination Centre, Ministry of Public Health, Yaoundé, Cameroon
- Department of Disease, Epidemic and Pandemic Control, Ministry of Public Health, Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Patrice Tchendjou
- Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, Yaoundé, Cameroon, and Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Michelle M. Gill
- Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, Yaoundé, Cameroon, and Washington, District of Columbia
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3
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Jeon J, Kang D, Kim SW. Advances in Triboelectric Nanogenerators for Microbial Disinfection. MICROMACHINES 2025; 16:281. [PMID: 40141892 PMCID: PMC11946175 DOI: 10.3390/mi16030281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2024] [Revised: 02/19/2025] [Accepted: 02/20/2025] [Indexed: 03/28/2025]
Abstract
The global COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the pivotal role of microbial disinfection technologies, driving the demand for innovative, efficient, and sustainable solutions. Triboelectric technology, known for efficiently converting ambient mechanical energy into electrical energy, has emerged as a promising candidate to address these needs. Self-powered electro-based microbial disinfection using triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) has emerged as a promising solution. TENGs have demonstrated effective disinfection capabilities in various settings, including water, air, surfaces, and wounds. This review explores the advancements in TENG-based microbial disinfection, highlighting its mechanisms and applications. By utilizing triboelectric technology, it provides comprehensive insights into the development of sustainable and efficient solutions for microbial control across diverse environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinyoung Jeon
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
- Center for Human-Oriented Triboelectric Energy Harvesting, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Donghyeon Kang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
- Center for Human-Oriented Triboelectric Energy Harvesting, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang-Woo Kim
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
- Center for Human-Oriented Triboelectric Energy Harvesting, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
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Geisler SM, Lausch KH, Hehnen F, Schulz I, Kertzscher U, Kriegel M, Paschereit CO, Schimek S, Hasirci Ü, Brockmann G, Moter A, Senftleben K, Moritz S. Comparing strategies for the mitigation of SARS-CoV-2 airborne infection risk in tiered auditorium venues. COMMUNICATIONS ENGINEERING 2024; 3:161. [PMID: 39521872 PMCID: PMC11550442 DOI: 10.1038/s44172-024-00297-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/15/2024] [Indexed: 11/16/2024]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated that reliable risk assessment of venues is still challenging and resulted in the indiscriminate closure of many venues worldwide. Therefore, this study used an experimental, numerical and analytical approach to investigate the airborne transmission risk potential of differently ventilated, sized and shaped venues. The data were used to assess the magnitude of effect of various mitigation measures and to develop recommendations. Here we show that, in general, positions in the near field of an emission source were at high risk, while the risk of infection from positions in the far field varied depending on the ventilation strategy. Occupancy, airflow rate, residence time, virus variants, activity level and face masks affected the individual and global infection risk in all venues. The global infection risk was lowest for the displacement ventilation case, making it the most effective ventilation strategy for keeping airborne transmission and the number of secondary cases low, compared to mixing or natural ventilation.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Mareike Geisler
- Section of Clinical Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Halle (Saale), Ernst-Grube Str. 40, 06120, Halle (Saale), Germany.
| | - Kevin H Lausch
- Institute of Energy Technology, Department Energy, Comfort and Health in Buildings, Technical University of Berlin, Marchstraße 4, 10587, Berlin, Germany
| | - Felix Hehnen
- Biofluid Mechanics Laboratory, Institute of Computer-assisted Cardiovascular Medicine, Deutsches Herzzentrum der Charité, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Isabell Schulz
- Biofluid Mechanics Laboratory, Institute of Computer-assisted Cardiovascular Medicine, Deutsches Herzzentrum der Charité, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ulrich Kertzscher
- Biofluid Mechanics Laboratory, Institute of Computer-assisted Cardiovascular Medicine, Deutsches Herzzentrum der Charité, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Martin Kriegel
- Institute of Energy Technology, Department Energy, Comfort and Health in Buildings, Technical University of Berlin, Marchstraße 4, 10587, Berlin, Germany
| | - C Oliver Paschereit
- Institute of Fluid Dynamics and Technical Acoustics, Hermann-Föttinger-Institute, Chair of Fluid Dynamics, Technical University of Berlin, Müller-Breslau-Str. 8, 10623, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sebastian Schimek
- Institute of Fluid Dynamics and Technical Acoustics, Hermann-Föttinger-Institute, Chair of Fluid Dynamics, Technical University of Berlin, Müller-Breslau-Str. 8, 10623, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ümit Hasirci
- Biofluid Mechanics Laboratory, Institute of Computer-assisted Cardiovascular Medicine, Deutsches Herzzentrum der Charité, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany
| | - Gerrid Brockmann
- Institute of Energy Technology, Department Energy, Comfort and Health in Buildings, Technical University of Berlin, Marchstraße 4, 10587, Berlin, Germany
| | - Annette Moter
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Institute of Microbiology, Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203, Berlin, Germany
| | - Karolin Senftleben
- Section of Clinical Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Halle (Saale), Ernst-Grube Str. 40, 06120, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Stefan Moritz
- Section of Clinical Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Halle (Saale), Ernst-Grube Str. 40, 06120, Halle (Saale), Germany.
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5
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Yoneoka D, Eguchi A, Nomura S, Kawashima T, Tanoue Y, Hashizume M, Suzuki M. Indirect and direct effects of nighttime light on COVID-19 mortality using satellite image mapping approach. Sci Rep 2024; 14:25063. [PMID: 39443573 PMCID: PMC11499862 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-75484-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2024] [Accepted: 10/07/2024] [Indexed: 10/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of understanding environmental factors in disease transmission. This study aims to explore the spatial association between nighttime light (NTL) from satellite imagery and COVID-19 mortality. It particularly examines how NTL serves as a pragmatic proxy to estimate human interaction in illuminated nocturnal area, thereby impacting viral transmission dynamics to neighboring areas, which is defined as spillover effect. Analyzing 43,199 COVID-19 deaths from national mortality data during January 2020 and October 2022, satellite-derived NTL data, and various environmental and socio-demographic covariates, we employed the Spatial Durbin Error Model to estimate the direct and indirect effect of NTL on COVID-19 mortality. Higher NTL was initially directly linked to increased COVID-19 mortality but this association diminished over time. The spillover effect also changed: during the early 3rd wave (December 2020 - February 2021), a unit (nanoWatts/sr/cm2) increase in NTL led to a 7.9% increase in neighboring area mortality (p = 0.013). In contrast, in the later 7th wave (July - September 2022), dominated by Omicron, a unit increase in NTL resulted in an 8.9% decrease in mortality in neighboring areas (p = 0.029). The shift from a positive to a negative spillover effect indicates a change in infection dynamics during the pandemic. The study provided a novel approach to assess nighttime human activity and its influence on disease transmission, offering insights for public health strategies utilizing satellite imagery, particularly when direct data collection is impractical while the collection from space is readily available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daisuke Yoneoka
- Center for Surveillance, Immunization, and Epidemiologic Research, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Toyama, Shinjuku-Ku, Tokyo, 162-0052, Japan.
| | - Akifumi Eguchi
- Center for Preventive Medical Sciences, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Shuhei Nomura
- Department of Health Policy and Management, School of Medicine, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Global Health Policy, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Global Research Institute, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Yuta Tanoue
- Faculty of Marine Technology, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masahiro Hashizume
- Department of Global Health Policy, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Motoi Suzuki
- Center for Surveillance, Immunization, and Epidemiologic Research, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Toyama, Shinjuku-Ku, Tokyo, 162-0052, Japan
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6
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Luo S, Xie J, Chen J, Li H, Zhang S. Survey of public knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding personal protection against COVID-19 in the post-pandemic era. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1411055. [PMID: 38915426 PMCID: PMC11195805 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1411055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/26/2024] Open
Abstract
In the emerging post-pandemic era (the 'wavelet' era), humans must coexist with viruses for the foreseeable future, and personal protective behaviors will largely replace national-level preventive measures. In this new normal, encouraging the public to implement proper personal protective behaviors against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is vital to the sustainable development of cities and communities. This knowledge-attitude-practice (KAP) survey conducted in Chengdu (N = 900) narrowed the knowledge gap regarding post-pandemic public practices of protective behavior. Findings show that:(1) approximately 1/3 of the respondents are currently not concerned about COVID-19 at all; (2) respondents with different demographics and individual COVID-19-related factors showed significant differences in practice behaviors indoors and outdoors; (3) vulnerable groups performed better in practice behavior indoors/outdoors; (4) because the public may relax their vigilance outdoors, public places may become a transmission threat in the next outbreak; (5) attitudes are important, but limited incentives for practice; and (6) when knowledge increases beyond a threshold (68.75-75% in this study), protective behaviors decrease. Our results suggest that authorities must continue to educate and motivate the public, extending measures to cover personal protective practices, and have targeted policies for specific demographics to ensure equity in healthcare in the event of another pandemic (COVID-19 and alike crisis). Besides, comparing the results of the current study with similar studies conducted in other parts of the world can provide insights into how different populations respond to and adopt COVID-19 protective behaviors. The epidemiologists can use the data collected by this and other KAP surveys to refine epidemiologic models, which can help predict the spread of the virus and the impact of interventions in different settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shixian Luo
- School of Architecture, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, China
| | - Jing Xie
- Graduate School of Horticulture, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Jie Chen
- Graduate School of Horticulture, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Hongyu Li
- Graduate School of Horticulture, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Sining Zhang
- School of Architecture, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, China
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Suh IY, Huo ZY, Jung JH, Kang D, Lee DM, Kim YJ, Kim B, Jeon J, Zhao P, Shin J, Kim S, Kim SW. Highly efficient microbial inactivation enabled by tunneling charges injected through two-dimensional electronics. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadl5067. [PMID: 38701201 PMCID: PMC11067992 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adl5067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024]
Abstract
Airborne pathogens retain prolonged infectious activity once attached to the indoor environment, posing a pervasive threat to public health. Conventional air filters suffer from ineffective inactivation of the physics-separated microorganisms, and the chemical-based antimicrobial materials face challenges of poor stability/efficiency and inefficient viral inactivation. We, therefore, developed a rapid, reliable antimicrobial method against the attached indoor bacteria/viruses using a large-scale tunneling charge-motivated disinfection device fabricated by directly dispersing monolayer graphene on insulators. Free charges can be stably immobilized under the monolayer graphene through the tunneling effect. The stored charges can motivate continuous electron loss of attached microorganisms for accelerated disinfection, overcoming the diffusion limitation of chemical disinfectants. Complete (>99.99%) and broad-spectrum disinfection was achieved <1 min of attachment to the scaled-up device (25 square centimeters), reliably for 72 hours at high temperature (60°C) and humidity (90%). This method can be readily applied to high-touch surfaces in indoor environments for pathogen control.
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Affiliation(s)
- In-Yong Suh
- School of Advanced Materials Science and Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Zheng-Yang Huo
- School of Environment and Natural Resources, Institute of Ecological Civilization, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, PR China
| | - Jae-Hwan Jung
- Thin Film Materials Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), Daejeon 34114, Republic of Korea
| | - Donghyeon Kang
- School of Advanced Materials Science and Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong-Min Lee
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Center for Human-oriented Triboelectric Energy Harvesting, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Young-Jun Kim
- School of Advanced Materials Science and Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Bosung Kim
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Center for Human-oriented Triboelectric Energy Harvesting, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Jinyoung Jeon
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Center for Human-oriented Triboelectric Energy Harvesting, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Pin Zhao
- Division of Advanced Materials, Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215123, PR China
| | - Jeonghune Shin
- School of Advanced Materials Science and Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea
- Research and Development Center, SEMS CO., Ltd., Suwon 16229, Republic of Korea
| | - SeongMin Kim
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Center for Human-oriented Triboelectric Energy Harvesting, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang-Woo Kim
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Center for Human-oriented Triboelectric Energy Harvesting, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
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8
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Alqarni Z, Rezgui Y, Petri I, Ghoroghi A. Viral infection transmission and indoor air quality: A systematic review. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 923:171308. [PMID: 38432379 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 02/03/2024] [Accepted: 02/25/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Respiratory disease transmission in indoor environments presents persistent challenges for health authorities, as exemplified by the recent COVID-19 pandemic. This underscores the urgent necessity to investigate the dynamics of viral infection transmission within indoor environments. This systematic review delves into the methodologies of respiratory infection transmission in indoor settings and explores how the quality of indoor air (IAQ) can be controlled to alleviate this risk while considering the imperative of sustainability. Among the 2722 articles reviewed, 178 were retained based on their focus on respiratory viral infection transmission and IAQ. Fifty eight articles delved into SARS-CoV-2 transmission, 21 papers evaluated IAQ in contexts of other pandemics, 53 papers assessed IAQ during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, and 46 papers examined control strategies to mitigate infectious transmission. Furthermore, of the 46 papers investigating control strategies, only nine considered energy consumption. These findings highlight clear gaps in current research, such as analyzing indoor air and surface samples for specific indoor environments, oversight of indoor and outdoor parameters (e.g., temperature, relative humidity (RH), and building orientation), neglect of occupancy schedules, and the absence of considerations for energy consumption while enhancing IAQ. This study distinctly identifies the indoor environmental conditions conducive to the thriving of each respiratory virus, offering IAQ trade-offs to mitigate the risk of dominant viruses at any given time. This study argues that future research should involve digital twins in conjunction with machine learning (ML) techniques. This approach aims to enhance IAQ by analyzing the transmission patterns of various respiratory viruses while considering energy consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahi Alqarni
- School of Engineering, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF24 3AA, UK; School of Computer Science, King Khalid University, Abha 62529, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Yacine Rezgui
- School of Engineering, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF24 3AA, UK
| | - Ioan Petri
- School of Engineering, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF24 3AA, UK
| | - Ali Ghoroghi
- School of Engineering, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF24 3AA, UK
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9
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Atamer Balkan B, Chang Y, Sparnaaij M, Wouda B, Boschma D, Liu Y, Yuan Y, Daamen W, de Jong MCM, Teberg C, Schachtschneider K, Sikkema RS, van Veen L, Duives D, ten Bosch QA. The multi-dimensional challenges of controlling respiratory virus transmission in indoor spaces: Insights from the linkage of a microscopic pedestrian simulation and SARS-CoV-2 transmission model. PLoS Comput Biol 2024; 20:e1011956. [PMID: 38547311 PMCID: PMC11003685 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 04/09/2024] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 transmission in indoor spaces, where most infection events occur, depends on the types and duration of human interactions, among others. Understanding how these human behaviours interface with virus characteristics to drive pathogen transmission and dictate the outcomes of non-pharmaceutical interventions is important for the informed and safe use of indoor spaces. To better understand these complex interactions, we developed the Pedestrian Dynamics-Virus Spread model (PeDViS), an individual-based model that combines pedestrian behaviour models with virus spread models incorporating direct and indirect transmission routes. We explored the relationships between virus exposure and the duration, distance, respiratory behaviour, and environment in which interactions between infected and uninfected individuals took place and compared this to benchmark 'at risk' interactions (1.5 metres for 15 minutes). When considering aerosol transmission, individuals adhering to distancing measures may be at risk due to the buildup of airborne virus in the environment when infected individuals spend prolonged time indoors. In our restaurant case, guests seated at tables near infected individuals were at limited risk of infection but could, particularly in poorly ventilated places, experience risks that surpass that of benchmark interactions. Combining interventions that target different transmission routes can aid in accumulating impact, for instance by combining ventilation with face masks. The impact of such combined interventions depends on the relative importance of transmission routes, which is hard to disentangle and highly context dependent. This uncertainty should be considered when assessing transmission risks upon different types of human interactions in indoor spaces. We illustrated the multi-dimensionality of indoor SARS-CoV-2 transmission that emerges from the interplay of human behaviour and the spread of respiratory viruses. A modelling strategy that incorporates this in risk assessments can help inform policy makers and citizens on the safe use of indoor spaces with varying inter-human interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Büsra Atamer Balkan
- Quantitative Veterinary Epidemiology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - You Chang
- Quantitative Veterinary Epidemiology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Martijn Sparnaaij
- Department of Transport & Planning, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Berend Wouda
- Gamelab, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Doris Boschma
- Gamelab, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Yangfan Liu
- Quantitative Veterinary Epidemiology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Yufei Yuan
- Department of Transport & Planning, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Winnie Daamen
- Department of Transport & Planning, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Mart C. M. de Jong
- Quantitative Veterinary Epidemiology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Colin Teberg
- Steady State Scientific Computing, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | | | | | - Linda van Veen
- Gamelab, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Dorine Duives
- Department of Transport & Planning, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Quirine A. ten Bosch
- Quantitative Veterinary Epidemiology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
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10
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Bok S, Shum J, Lee M. Path analysis of perceived disease vulnerability, COVID-19 fear, and lower vaccine hesitancy within the context of protection motivation theory. Heliyon 2024; 10:e25889. [PMID: 38390175 PMCID: PMC10881856 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e25889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
COVID-19 vaccinations have demonstrated effectiveness in reducing severe infections. However, vaccine hesitancy posed a major public health hurdle to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Online spread of vaccine conspiracy beliefs generated unwarranted mistrust and resistance to vaccines. While numerous studies have explored the factors influencing vaccine hesitancy, there remains a lack of comprehensive understanding regarding the interplay between perceived disease vulnerability, COVID-19 fear, and vaccine hesitancy. Protection motivation theory posits citizens will evaluate perceived threats and take actions to mitigate potential harm. With a large U.S. sample, path analysis demonstrated individuals' perceived disease vulnerability was associated with lower vaccine hesitancy. Greater perceived disease vulnerability was associated with higher COVID-19 fear. Greater COVID-19 fear was associated with lower vaccine hesitancy. Greater vaccine conspiracy beliefs associated with higher vaccine hesitancy. However, in the presence of perceived vulnerability to disease, vaccine conspiracy beliefs associated with higher fear of COVID-19 and thereby lower vaccine hesitancy. We found under circumstances of higher perceived vulnerability to disease and fear of COVID-19, vaccine conspiratorial believers were less vaccine hesitant. We discuss how public health messaging can highlight personal risks to contracting COVID-19 to appeal to those who self-identify as disease prone, but may have reservations about vaccines because of misinformation. Successfully combating diseases entails reaching and gaining cooperation from misbelievers because misinformation is expected to continue in the digital age. By understand individual differences to vaccine hesitancy, it can help increase vaccinations and prevent severe illnesses in the post COVID-19 pandemic era.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen Bok
- Department of Marketing, College of Business and Economics, California State University, East Bay, United States
| | - James Shum
- School of Accounting, Golden Gate University, San Francisco, United States
| | - Maria Lee
- Department of Urban Planning and Public Policy, University of California, Irvine, United States
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11
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Asai T, Kurosaki E, Kimachi K, Nakayama M, Koido M, Hong S. Peak risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection within 5 s of face-to-face encounters: an observational/retrospective study. Sci Rep 2023; 13:17520. [PMID: 37845540 PMCID: PMC10579401 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-44967-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The link between aerosol dynamics and viral exposure risk is not fully understood, particularly during movement and face-to-face interactions. To investigate this, we employed Particle Trace Velocimetry with a laser sheet and a high-speed camera to measure microparticles from a human mannequin's mouth. The average peak time in the non-ventilated condition (expiratory volume, 30 L; passing speed, 5 km/h) was 1.33 s (standard deviation = 0.32 s), while that in the ventilated condition was 1.38 s (standard deviation = 0.35 s). Our results showed that the peak of viral exposure risk was within 5 s during face-to-face encounters under both ventilated and non-ventilated conditions. Moreover, the risk of viral exposure greatly decreased in ventilated conditions compared to non-ventilated conditions. Based on these findings, considering a risk mitigation strategy for the duration of 5 s during face-to-face encounters is expected to significantly reduce the risk of virus exposure in airborne transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takeshi Asai
- Faculty of Health and Sports Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tennodai 1-1-1, Tsukuba, 305-8574, Japan.
- Faculty of Physical Education, International Pacific University, Okayama, Japan.
| | - Erina Kurosaki
- Faculty of Health and Sports Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tennodai 1-1-1, Tsukuba, 305-8574, Japan
| | - Kaoru Kimachi
- Faculty of Health and Sports Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tennodai 1-1-1, Tsukuba, 305-8574, Japan
| | - Masao Nakayama
- Faculty of Health and Sports Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tennodai 1-1-1, Tsukuba, 305-8574, Japan
| | - Masaaki Koido
- Faculty of Health and Sports Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tennodai 1-1-1, Tsukuba, 305-8574, Japan
| | - Sungchan Hong
- Faculty of Health and Sports Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tennodai 1-1-1, Tsukuba, 305-8574, Japan
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12
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AlSamhori JF, Alshrouf MA, AlSamhori ARF, Alshadeedi FM, Madi AS, Alzoubi O. Implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on athletes, sports events, and mass gathering events: Review and recommendations. SPORTS MEDICINE AND HEALTH SCIENCE 2023; 5:165-173. [PMID: 37753427 PMCID: PMC10518794 DOI: 10.1016/j.smhs.2023.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2023] [Revised: 07/02/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Since the coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19), which caused several respiratory diseases, was formally declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11, 2020, it affected the lifestyle and health of athletes, both directly through cardiorespiratory and other health related effects, and indirectly as the pandemic has forced the suspension, postponement, or cancellation of most professional sporting events around the world. In this review, we explore the journey of athletes throughout the pandemic and during their return to their competitive routine. We also highlight potential pitfalls during the process and summarize the recommendations for the optimal return to sport participation. We further discuss the impact of the pandemic on the psychology of athletes, the variance between the team and individual athletes, and their ability to cope with the changes. Moreover, we specifically reviewed the pandemic impact on younger professional athletes in terms of mental and fitness health. Finally, we shaded light on the various impacts of mass gathering events and recommendations for managing upcoming events.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mohammad Ali Alshrouf
- Medical Internship, Jordan University Hospital, The University of Jordan, Amman, 11942, Jordan
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13
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Igarashi Y, Yoshikawa T, Morita Y, Imai T, Yoshikawa E, Hasegawa K, Kanai S, Kikkawa K, Kobayashi Y, Ogikubo Y, Wada K. [A case report of COVID-19 preventive measures at an academic meeting of the Japan Society for Occupational Health]. SANGYO EISEIGAKU ZASSHI = JOURNAL OF OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH 2023; 65:212-217. [PMID: 36123049 DOI: 10.1539/sangyoeisei.2022-019-d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Yu Igarashi
- Infection Control Team of The 94th Japan Society for Occupational Health
- Disaster Occupational Health Center, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan
| | - Toru Yoshikawa
- Infection Control Team of The 94th Japan Society for Occupational Health
- National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, Japan
| | - Yusaku Morita
- Infection Control Team of The 94th Japan Society for Occupational Health
- Nippon Steel Corporation
| | - Teppei Imai
- Infection Control Team of The 94th Japan Society for Occupational Health
- OH Support Company
| | - Etsuko Yoshikawa
- Infection Control Team of The 94th Japan Society for Occupational Health
- Japanese Red Cross College of Nursing
| | - Kohei Hasegawa
- Infection Control Team of The 94th Japan Society for Occupational Health
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, School of Medicine, Shinshu University
| | - Shinichiro Kanai
- Infection Control Team of The 94th Japan Society for Occupational Health
- Department of Infection Control, Shinshu University Hospital
| | - Keizo Kikkawa
- Infection Control Team of The 94th Japan Society for Occupational Health
- Seiko Epson Corporation, Toyoshina Plant Health Support Office
| | - Yoshikiyo Kobayashi
- Infection Control Team of The 94th Japan Society for Occupational Health
- Nagano City Public Health Office
| | - Yuuko Ogikubo
- Infection Control Team of The 94th Japan Society for Occupational Health
- Yodakubo Hospital
| | - Koji Wada
- Infection Control Team of The 94th Japan Society for Occupational Health
- Department of Public Health, International University of Health and Welfare, School of Medicine
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14
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Siebler L, Rathje T, Calandri M, Stergiaropoulos K, Donker T, Richter B, Spahn C, Nusseck M. A coupled experimental and statistical approach for an assessment of SARS-CoV-2 infection risk at indoor event locations. BMC Public Health 2023; 23:1394. [PMID: 37474924 PMCID: PMC10357618 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-16154-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Indoor event locations are particularly affected by the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. At large venues, only incomplete risk assessments exist, whereby no suitable measures can be derived. In this study, a physical and data-driven statistical model for a comprehensive infection risk assessment has been developed. At venues displacement ventilation concepts are often implemented. Here simplified theoretical assumptions fail for the prediction of relevant airflows for airborne transmission processes. Thus, with locally resolving trace gas measurements infection risks are computed more detailed. Coupled with epidemiological data such as incidences, vaccination rates, test sensitivities, and audience characteristics such as masks and age distribution, predictions of new infections (mean), situational R-values (mean), and individual risks on- and off-seat can be achieved for the first time. Using the Stuttgart State Opera as an example, the functioning of the model and its plausibility are tested and a sensitivity analysis is performed with regard to masks and tests. Besides a reference scenario on 2022-11-29, a maximum safety scenario with an obligation of FFP2 masks and rapid antigen tests as well as a minimum safety scenario without masks and tests are investigated. For these scenarios the new infections (mean) are 10.6, 0.25 and 13.0, respectively. The situational R-values (mean) - number of new infections caused by a single infectious person in a certain situation - are 2.75, 0.32 and 3.39, respectively. Besides these results a clustered consideration divided by age, masks and whether infections occur on-seat or off-seat are presented. In conclusion this provides an instrument that can enable policymakers and operators to take appropriate measures to control pandemics despite ongoing mass gathering events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukas Siebler
- Institute for Building Energetics, Thermotechnology and Energy Storage (IGTE), University of Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 35, Stuttgart, 70569, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.
| | - Torben Rathje
- Institute for Building Energetics, Thermotechnology and Energy Storage (IGTE), University of Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 35, Stuttgart, 70569, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
| | - Maurizio Calandri
- Institute for Building Energetics, Thermotechnology and Energy Storage (IGTE), University of Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 35, Stuttgart, 70569, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
| | - Konstantinos Stergiaropoulos
- Institute for Building Energetics, Thermotechnology and Energy Storage (IGTE), University of Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 35, Stuttgart, 70569, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
| | - Tjibbe Donker
- Institute for Infection Prevention and Hospital Epidemiology, University Medical Center Freiburg, Breisacher Straße 115 B, Freiburg, 79106, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
| | - Bernhard Richter
- Freiburg Institute for Musicians' Medicine, University of Music Freiburg, University Medical Center Freiburg, Medical Faculty of the Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Freiburg Center for Research and Teaching in Music, Germany, Elsässer Straße 2m, Freiburg, 79110, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
| | - Claudia Spahn
- Freiburg Institute for Musicians' Medicine, University of Music Freiburg, University Medical Center Freiburg, Medical Faculty of the Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Freiburg Center for Research and Teaching in Music, Germany, Elsässer Straße 2m, Freiburg, 79110, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
| | - Manfred Nusseck
- Freiburg Institute for Musicians' Medicine, University of Music Freiburg, University Medical Center Freiburg, Medical Faculty of the Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Freiburg Center for Research and Teaching in Music, Germany, Elsässer Straße 2m, Freiburg, 79110, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
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15
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Wang H, Wang H, Wang K, Xiong J, Huang S, Wolfson JM, Koutrakis P. Characterization of chemical transport in human skin and building material. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2023; 458:131917. [PMID: 37379590 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.131917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023]
Abstract
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) are ubiquitous in indoor environment. They can emit from source into air, and subsequently penetrate human skin into blood through dermal uptake, causing adverse health effects. This study develops a two-layer analytical model to characterize the VOC/SVOC dermal uptake process, which is then extended to predict VOC emissions from two-layer building materials or furniture. Based on the model, the key transport parameters of chemicals in every skin or material layer are determined via a hybrid optimization method using data from experiments and literature. The measured key parameters of SVOCs for dermal uptake are more accurate than those from previous studies using empirical correlations. Moreover, the association between the absorption amount of studied chemicals into blood and age is preliminarily investigated. Further exposure analysis reveals that the contribution of dermal uptake to the total exposure can be comparable with that of inhalation for the examined SVOCs. This study makes the first attempt to accurately determine the key parameters of chemicals in skin, which is demonstrated to be critical for health risk assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Wang
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Haimei Wang
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Keliang Wang
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Jianyin Xiong
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China.
| | - Shaodan Huang
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China; Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston 02115, United States.
| | - Jack M Wolfson
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston 02115, United States
| | - Petros Koutrakis
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston 02115, United States
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16
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Iwamura N, Tsutsumi K. SARS-CoV-2 airborne infection probability estimated by using indoor carbon dioxide. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023:10.1007/s11356-023-27944-9. [PMID: 37286835 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-27944-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Airborne transmission is one of the main routes of SARS-CoV-2 spread. It is important to determine the circumstances under which the risk of airborne transmission is increased as well as the effective strategy to reduce such risk. This study aimed to develop a modified version of the Wells-Riley model with indoor CO2 to estimate the probability of airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron strains with a CO2 monitor and to evaluate the validity of this model in actual clinical practices. We used the model in three suspected cases of airborne transmission presented to our hospital to confirm its validity. Next, we estimated the required indoor CO2 concentration at which R0 does not exceed 1 based on the model. The estimated R0 (R0, basic reproduction number) based on the model in each case were 3.19 in three out of five infected patients in an outpatient room, 2.00 in two out of three infected patients in the ward, and 0.191 in none of the five infected patients in another outpatient room. This indicated that our model can estimate R0 with an acceptable accuracy. In a typical outpatient setting, the required indoor CO2 concentration at which R0 does not exceed 1 is below 620 ppm with no mask, 1000 ppm with a surgical mask and 16000 ppm with an N95 mask. In a typical inpatient setting, on the other hand, the required indoor CO2 concentration is below 540 ppm with no mask, 770 ppm with a surgical mask, and 8200 ppm with an N95 mask. These findings facilitate the establishment of a strategy for preventing airborne transmission in hospitals. This study is unique in that it suggests the development of an airborne transmission model with indoor CO2 and application of the model to actual clinical practice. Organizations and individuals can efficiently recognize the risk of SARS-CoV-2 airborne transmission in a room and thus take preventive measures such as maintaining good ventilation, wearing masks, or shortening the exposure time to an infected individual by simply using a CO2 monitor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Narumichi Iwamura
- Sasebo Chuo Hospital, 15, Yamato-Cho, Sasebo-Shi, Nagasaki, 857-1165, Japan.
| | - Kanako Tsutsumi
- Sasebo Chuo Hospital, 15, Yamato-Cho, Sasebo-Shi, Nagasaki, 857-1165, Japan
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17
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Shausan A, Nazarathy Y, Dyda A. Emerging data inputs for infectious diseases surveillance and decision making. Front Digit Health 2023; 5:1131731. [PMID: 37082524 PMCID: PMC10111015 DOI: 10.3389/fdgth.2023.1131731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2022] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Infectious diseases create a significant health and social burden globally and can lead to outbreaks and epidemics. Timely surveillance for infectious diseases is required to inform both short and long term public responses and health policies. Novel data inputs for infectious disease surveillance and public health decision making are emerging, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. These include the use of technology-enabled physiological measurements, crowd sourcing, field experiments, and artificial intelligence (AI). These technologies may provide benefits in relation to improved timeliness and reduced resource requirements in comparison to traditional methods. In this review paper, we describe current and emerging data inputs being used for infectious disease surveillance and summarize key benefits and limitations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aminath Shausan
- School of Public Health, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- School of Mathematics and Physics, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Yoni Nazarathy
- School of Mathematics and Physics, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Amalie Dyda
- School of Public Health, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
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18
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Dekker MM, Coffeng LE, Pijpers FP, Panja D, de Vlas SJ. Reducing societal impacts of SARS-CoV-2 interventions through subnational implementation. eLife 2023; 12:e80819. [PMID: 36880190 PMCID: PMC10023153 DOI: 10.7554/elife.80819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
To curb the initial spread of SARS-CoV-2, many countries relied on nation-wide implementation of non-pharmaceutical intervention measures, resulting in substantial socio-economic impacts. Potentially, subnational implementations might have had less of a societal impact, but comparable epidemiological impact. Here, using the first COVID-19 wave in the Netherlands as a case in point, we address this issue by developing a high-resolution analysis framework that uses a demographically stratified population and a spatially explicit, dynamic, individual contact-pattern based epidemiology, calibrated to hospital admissions data and mobility trends extracted from mobile phone signals and Google. We demonstrate how a subnational approach could achieve similar level of epidemiological control in terms of hospital admissions, while some parts of the country could stay open for a longer period. Our framework is exportable to other countries and settings, and may be used to develop policies on subnational approach as a better strategic choice for controlling future epidemics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark M Dekker
- Department of Information and Computing Sciences, Utrecht UniversityUtrechtNetherlands
- Centre for Complex Systems Studies, Utrecht UniversityUtrechtNetherlands
- PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment AgencyThe HagueNetherlands
| | - Luc E Coffeng
- Department of Public Health, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center RotterdamRotterdamNetherlands
| | - Frank P Pijpers
- Statistics NetherlandsThe HagueNetherlands
- Korteweg-de Vries Institute for Mathematics, University of AmsterdamAmsterdamNetherlands
| | - Debabrata Panja
- Department of Information and Computing Sciences, Utrecht UniversityUtrechtNetherlands
- Centre for Complex Systems Studies, Utrecht UniversityUtrechtNetherlands
| | - Sake J de Vlas
- Department of Public Health, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center RotterdamRotterdamNetherlands
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19
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Malki-Epshtein L, Adzic F, Roberts BM, Hathway EA, Iddon C, Mustafa M, Cook M. Measurement and rapid assessment of indoor air quality at mass gathering events to assess ventilation performance and reduce aerosol transmission of SARS-CoV-2. BUILDING SERVICES ENGINEERING RESEARCH & TECHNOLOGY : BSER & T 2023; 44:113-133. [PMID: 38603254 PMCID: PMC9760526 DOI: 10.1177/01436244221137995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
To assess risk factors for COVID-19 transmission and address the closure of mass gathering events since March 2020, the UK Government ran the Events Research Programme (ERP), following which it reopened live events in sports, music, and culture in July 2021. We report the rapid post-occupancy evaluation of Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) and associated long-range airborne transmission risk conducted in the Environmental Study of the ERP. Ten large venues around the UK were monitored with CO2 sensors at a high spatial and temporal resolution during 90 events. An IAQ Index based on CO2 concentration was developed, and all monitored spaces were classified in bands from A to G based on their average and maximum CO2 concentrations from all events. High resolution monitoring and the IAQ Index depicted the overall state of ventilation at live events, and allowed identification of issues with ventilation effectiveness and distribution, and of spaces with poor ventilation and the settings in which long-range airborne transmission risk may be increased. In numerous settings, CO2 concentrations were found to follow patterns relating to event management and specific occupancy of spaces around the venues. Good ventilation was observed in 90% of spaces monitored for given occupancies. Practical applications: High-resolution monitoring of indoor CO2 concentrations is necessary to detect the spatial variation of indoor air quality (IAQ) in large mass gathering event venues. The paper summarises COVID-19 ventilation guidance for buildings and defines a methodology for measurement and rapid assessment of IAQ during occupancy at live events that can be implemented by venue managers. Comparisons of the CO2 concentrations measured during the events identified the spaces at high risk of long-range transmission of airborne pathogens. Building operators should be mindful of the ventilation strategies used relative to the total occupancy in different spaces and the occupant's activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liora Malki-Epshtein
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, University College London, London, UK
| | - Filipa Adzic
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, University College London, London, UK
| | - Ben M Roberts
- Building Energy Research Group, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK
| | | | | | | | - Malcolm Cook
- Building Energy Research Group, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK
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20
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Huo D, Shen Y, Zhou T, Yu T, Lyu R, Tong Y, Gao T, Wang Q. Case study of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games: Implications for global mass gathering events amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1068023. [PMID: 36815167 PMCID: PMC9939634 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1068023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective This study aimed to evaluate the public health countermeasures against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) that are important for organizing mass gathering events (MGEs) during a pandemic and to identify the practices suitable for application at future MGEs. Methods This study analyzed data from the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games. The aforementioned analysis was conducted from the viewpoints of overseas stakeholders and Chinese residents. The comprehensive set of countermeasures established to prevent the transmission of the COVID-19 pandemic comprised the bubble strategy, the three-layer testing strategy (pre-departure testing, testing at the airport, and daily screening), the mandatory wearing of N95 masks, and mandatory vaccination. Findings A total of 437 positive cases within the bubble were reported during the Games, of which 60.6% were detected through screening at the airport and 39.4% were detected through routine screening. Nearly, 92.0% of the positive cases were detected within 7 days of arrival in China, and 80.8% of the cases had already been identified before the Opening Ceremony of the Games. Outside the bubble, no Games stakeholders were infected and no spectator contracted COVID-19. The bubble strategy, the three-layer testing strategy, the mandatory wearing of N95 masks, and mandatory vaccination are promising countermeasures to prevent the transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) during MGEs. Conclusion Public health countermeasures introduced during the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games were proven to be useful. The success in delivering and organizing the Games instills confidence and leaves a public health legacy for future MGEs amid the pandemic of COVID-19 or future emerging infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Da Huo
- Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Beijing, China,Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, Beijing, China,School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China,Beijing Municipal Key Laboratory of Clinical Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Ying Shen
- Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Beijing, China,Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, Beijing, China,*Correspondence: Ying Shen ✉
| | - Tao Zhou
- Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Beijing, China,Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, Beijing, China
| | - Tong Yu
- Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Beijing, China,Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, Beijing, China
| | - Ruoran Lyu
- Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, Beijing, China,Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Beijing, China
| | - Ying Tong
- Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Beijing, China,Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, Beijing, China
| | - Ting Gao
- Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Beijing, China,Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, Beijing, China
| | - Quanyi Wang
- Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Beijing, China,Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, Beijing, China
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21
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Zhu P, Tan X, Wang M, Guo F, Shi S, Li Z. The impact of mass gatherings on the local transmission of COVID-19 and the implications for social distancing policies: Evidence from Hong Kong. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0279539. [PMID: 36724151 PMCID: PMC9891527 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0279539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Mass gatherings provide conditions for the transmission of infectious diseases and pose complex challenges to public health. Faced with the COVID-19 pandemic, governments and health experts called for suspension of gatherings in order to reduce social contact via which virus is transmitted. However, few studies have investigated the contribution of mass gatherings to COVID-19 transmission in local communities. In Hong Kong, the coincidence of the relaxation of group gathering restrictions with demonstrations against the National Security Law in mid-2020 raised concerns about the safety of mass gatherings under the pandemic. Therefore, this study examines the impacts of mass gatherings on the local transmission of COVID-19 and evaluates the importance of social distancing policies. With an aggregated dataset of epidemiological, city-level meteorological and socioeconomic data, a Synthetic Control Method (SCM) is used for constructing a 'synthetic Hong Kong' from over 200 Chinese cities. This counterfactual control unit is used to simulate COVID-19 infection patterns (i.e., the number of total cases and daily new cases) in the absence of mass gatherings. Comparing the hypothetical trends and the actual ones, our results indicate that the infection rate observed in Hong Kong is substantially higher than that in the counterfactual control unit (2.63% vs. 0.07%). As estimated, mass gatherings increased the number of new infections by 62 cases (or 87.58% of total new cases) over the 10-day period and by 737 cases (or 97.23%) over the 30-day period. These findings suggest the necessity of tightening social distancing policies, especially the prohibition on group gathering regulation (POGGR), to prevent and control COVID-19 outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengyu Zhu
- Urban Governance and Design Thrust, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, Hong Kong
- Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Kowloon, Hong Kong
- * E-mail:
| | - Xinying Tan
- Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Kowloon, Hong Kong
| | | | - Fei Guo
- International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis
| | - Shuai Shi
- University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong
| | - Zhizhao Li
- Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Kowloon, Hong Kong
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22
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Zhang H, Zhang Y, He S, Fang Y, Cheng Y, Shi Z, Shao C, Li C, Ying S, Gong Z, Liu Y, Dong L, Sun Y, Jia J, Stanley HE, Chen J. A general urban spreading pattern of COVID-19 and its underlying mechanism. NPJ URBAN SUSTAINABILITY 2023; 3:3. [PMID: 37521201 PMCID: PMC9883831 DOI: 10.1038/s42949-023-00082-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
Currently, the global situation of COVID-19 is aggravating, pressingly calling for efficient control and prevention measures. Understanding the spreading pattern of COVID-19 has been widely recognized as a vital step for implementing non-pharmaceutical measures. Previous studies explained the differences in contagion rates due to the urban socio-political measures, while fine-grained geographic urban spreading pattern still remains an open issue. Here, we fill this gap by leveraging the trajectory data of 197,808 smartphone users (including 17,808 anonymous confirmed cases) in nine cities in China. We find a general spreading pattern in all cities: the spatial distribution of confirmed cases follows a power-law-like model and the spreading centroid human mobility is time-invariant. Moreover, we reveal that long average traveling distance results in a high growth rate of spreading radius and wide spatial diffusion of confirmed cases in the fine-grained geographic model. With such insight, we adopt the Kendall model to simulate the urban spreading of COVID-19 which can well fit the real spreading process. Our results unveil the underlying mechanism behind the spatial-temporal urban evolution of COVID-19, and can be used to evaluate the performance of mobility restriction policies implemented by many governments and to estimate the evolving spreading situation of COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongshen Zhang
- College of Control Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yongtao Zhang
- College of Control Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Shibo He
- College of Control Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yi Fang
- Westlake Institute for Data Intelligence, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yanggang Cheng
- College of Control Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhiguo Shi
- College of Information Science and Electronic Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Collaborative sensing and autonomous unmanned systems of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
| | - Cunqi Shao
- College of Control Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Chao Li
- College of Control Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Songmin Ying
- School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhenyu Gong
- Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yu Liu
- Westlake Institute for Data Intelligence, Hangzhou, China
| | - Lin Dong
- Westlake Institute for Data Intelligence, Hangzhou, China
| | - Youxian Sun
- College of Control Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jianmin Jia
- Shenzhen Finance Institute, School of Management and Economics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, China
| | - H. Eugene Stanley
- Center for Polymer Studies and Physics Department, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215 USA
| | - Jiming Chen
- College of Control Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
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23
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Saeed HM, Saad Elghareeb A, El-Hodhod MAA, Samy G. Assessment of COVID-19 preparedness response plan on higher education students simulation of WHO intra-action review in Egypt. Sci Rep 2023; 13:741. [PMID: 36639553 PMCID: PMC9839230 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-27713-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Because of the COVID-19 outbreak, Mass gathering restrictions were imposed. The lockdown of the Higher Education Institutions was obligatory to save lives. In February 2021 in Egypt, HEIs were allowed to ease the lockdown restrictions on a case-by-case basis gradually. In this paper, we propose a risk evaluation of planned regular mass gathering events during the pandemic, such as students gathering on-campus during indoor exams, by implementing WHO COVID-19 Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan through Intra-Action Review guidance. This one-group posttest-only design study was done on October 6 University campus during indoor students' exams in Giza, Egypt. We conducted IAR to implement the WHO's COVID- 19 SPRP; Country-level coordination; risk communication; surveillance, rapid response teams; points of entry; infection prevention control; laboratories; supply chain; case management; essential health services, and other possible topics. Between February-21, 2021; April-10, 2021, 25,927 students attended the on-campus living exams. Our result suggests that the high level of Readiness-Capacity during mass gatherings will reduce COVID-19 transmission. The most compelling evidence is the significance of synchronization between the ten pillars in preventing COVID-19 transmission. These findings may be used to influence decision-making for continual improvement of the operational planning guidelines during the outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Gamal Samy
- October 6 University, 6th of October City, Giza, Egypt
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24
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Namilae S, Wu Y, Mubayi A, Srinivasan A, Scotch M. Reply to comments on "Identifying mitigation strategies for COVID-19 superspreading on flights using models that account for passenger movement". Travel Med Infect Dis 2023; 51:102453. [PMID: 36162716 PMCID: PMC9500346 DOI: 10.1016/j.tmaid.2022.102453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
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25
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Hu Y, Ni R, Lu Q, Qiu X, Ma J, Wang Y, Zhao Y. Functionalized multi-effect air filters with bimodal fibrous structure prepared by direction growth of keratin nanofibers. Sep Purif Technol 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.seppur.2022.122070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
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26
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Asanjarani A, Shausan A, Chew K, Graham T, Henderson SG, Jansen HM, Short KR, Taylor PG, Vuorinen A, Yadav Y, Ziedins I, Nazarathy Y. Emulation of epidemics via Bluetooth-based virtual safe virus spread: Experimental setup, software, and data. PLOS DIGITAL HEALTH 2022; 1:e0000142. [PMID: 36812628 PMCID: PMC9931351 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pdig.0000142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
We describe an experimental setup and a currently running experiment for evaluating how physical interactions over time and between individuals affect the spread of epidemics. Our experiment involves the voluntary use of the Safe Blues Android app by participants at The University of Auckland (UoA) City Campus in New Zealand. The app spreads multiple virtual safe virus strands via Bluetooth depending on the physical proximity of the subjects. The evolution of the virtual epidemics is recorded as they spread through the population. The data is presented as a real-time (and historical) dashboard. A simulation model is applied to calibrate strand parameters. Participants' locations are not recorded, but participants are rewarded based on the duration of participation within a geofenced area, and aggregate participation numbers serve as part of the data. The 2021 experimental data is available as an open-source anonymized dataset, and once the experiment is complete, the remaining data will be made available. This paper outlines the experimental setup, software, subject-recruitment practices, ethical considerations, and dataset description. The paper also highlights current experimental results in view of the lockdown that started in New Zealand at 23:59 on August 17, 2021. The experiment was initially planned in the New Zealand environment, expected to be free of COVID and lockdowns after 2020. However, a COVID Delta strain lockdown shuffled the cards and the experiment is currently extended into 2022.
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Affiliation(s)
- Azam Asanjarani
- Department of Statistics, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Aminath Shausan
- School of Mathematics and Physics, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Keng Chew
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Thomas Graham
- School of Mathematics and Physics, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Shane G. Henderson
- School of Operations Research and Information Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
| | - Hermanus M. Jansen
- Department of Engineering, University College Roosevelt, Middelburg, the Netherlands
| | - Kirsty R. Short
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Peter G. Taylor
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Aapeli Vuorinen
- Department of Industrial Engineering and Operations Research, Columbia University, New York, United States of America
| | - Yuvraj Yadav
- Mechanical Engineering Department, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Ilze Ziedins
- Department of Statistics, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Yoni Nazarathy
- School of Mathematics and Physics, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
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27
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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: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [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
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28
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Hohmuth N, Khanyaree I, Lang AL, Duering O, Konigorski S, Višković V, Heising T, Egender F, Remschmidt C, Leistner R. Participatory disease surveillance for a mass gathering — a prospective cohort study on COVID-19, Germany 2021. BMC Public Health 2022; 22:2074. [PMID: 36376856 PMCID: PMC9660174 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-14505-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Mass gatherings (MGs) such as music festivals and sports events have been associated with a high risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission. On-site research can foster knowledge of risk factors for infections and improve risk assessments and precautionary measures at future MGs. We tested a web-based participatory disease surveillance tool to detect COVID-19 infections at and after an outdoor MG by collecting self-reported COVID-19 symptoms and tests. Methods We conducted a digital prospective observational cohort study among fully immunized attendees of a sports festival that took place from September 2 to 5, 2021 in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Participants used our study app to report demographic data, COVID-19 tests, symptoms, and their contact behavior. This self-reported data was used to define probable and confirmed COVID-19 cases for the full “study period” (08/12/2021 – 10/31/2021) and within the 14-day “surveillance period” during and after the MG, with the highest likelihood of an MG-related COVID-19 outbreak (09/04/2021 – 09/17/2021). Results A total of 2,808 of 9,242 (30.4%) event attendees participated in the study. Within the study period, 776 individual symptoms and 5,255 COVID-19 tests were reported. During the 14-day surveillance period around and after the MG, seven probable and seven PCR-confirmed COVID-19 cases were detected. The confirmed cases translated to an estimated seven-day incidence of 125 per 100,000 participants (95% CI [67.7/100,000, 223/100,000]), which was comparable to the average age-matched incidence in Germany during this time. Overall, weekly numbers of COVID-19 cases were fluctuating over the study period, with another increase at the end of the study period. Conclusion COVID-19 cases attributable to the mass gathering were comparable to the Germany-wide age-matched incidence, implicating that our active participatory disease surveillance tool was able to detect MG-related infections. Further studies are needed to evaluate and apply our participatory disease surveillance tool in other mass gathering settings. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-022-14505-x.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nils Hohmuth
- Data4Life gGmbH, Charlottenstraße 13, 10969 Berlin, Germany ,grid.6363.00000 0001 2218 4662Medizinische Klinik für Gastroenterologie-, Infektiologie-, und Rheumatologie, Charité University Medicine Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Anna-Lena Lang
- Data4Life gGmbH, Charlottenstraße 13, 10969 Berlin, Germany
| | - Ohad Duering
- Data4Life gGmbH, Charlottenstraße 13, 10969 Berlin, Germany
| | - Stefan Konigorski
- grid.11348.3f0000 0001 0942 1117Digital Health Center, Hasso Plattner Institute for Digital Engineering, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany ,grid.59734.3c0000 0001 0670 2351Hasso Plattner Institute for Digital Health at Mount Sinai, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA
| | | | - Tobias Heising
- Medizinisches Versorgungszentrum Bohmte, Bremer Str. 37, 49163 Bohmte, Germany
| | - Friedemann Egender
- grid.6363.00000 0001 2218 4662Medizinische Klinik für Nephrologie und Intensivmedizin, Charité University Medicine Berlin, Campus Virchow, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Rasmus Leistner
- grid.6363.00000 0001 2218 4662Medizinische Klinik für Gastroenterologie-, Infektiologie-, und Rheumatologie, Charité University Medicine Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany
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29
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Lee JW, Kim Y, Han DH. LDA-based topic modeling for COVID-19-related sports research trends. Front Psychol 2022; 13:1033872. [PMID: 36452388 PMCID: PMC9704505 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1033872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 09/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic could generate a turning point for introducing a new system for sports participation and business. The purpose of this study is to explore trends and topic structures of COVID-19-related sports research by analyzing the relevant literature. Methods Sports studies related to COVID-19 were collected in searching international academic databases. After the pre-processing step using the refinement and morpheme analysis function of the Net Miner program, topic modeling and social network analysis were used to analyze Journal Citation Reports found using the search term 'COVID-19 sports'. Results As a result, this study used subject modeling to reveal important potential topics in COVID-19-related sports research articles. 'Sports participation', 'elite players', and 'sports industry' were macroscopically classified, and detailed research topics could be identified from each division. Conclusion This study revealed important latent topics from COVID-19-related sports research articles using topic modeling. The results of the research elucidate the structure of academic knowledge on this topic and provide guidance for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jea Woog Lee
- Intelligent Information Processing Lab, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - YoungBin Kim
- Department of Image Science and Arts, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Doug Hyun Han
- Department of Psychiatry, Chung-Ang University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
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30
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Dixon BE, Fadel WF, Duszynski TJ, Caine VA, Meyer JF, Saysana M. Mitigation of COVID-19 at the 2021 National Collegiate Athletic Association Men’s Basketball Tournament. BMC Public Health 2022; 22:2061. [DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-14547-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Data are lacking regarding the risk of viral SARS-CoV-2 transmission during a large indoor sporting event involving fans utilizing a controlled environment. We sought to describe case characteristics, mitigation protocols used, variants detected, and secondary infections detected during the 2021 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Men’s Basketball Tournament involving collegiate athletes from across the U.S.
Methods
This retrospective cohort study used data collected from March 16 to April 3, 2021, as part of a closed environment which required daily reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing, social distancing, universal masking, and limited contact between tiers of participants. Nearly 3000 players, staff, and vendors participated in indoor, unmasked activities that involved direct exposure between cases and noninfected individuals. The main outcome of interest was transmission of SARS-CoV-2 virus, as measured by the number of new infections and variant(s) detected among positive cases. Secondary infections were identified through contact tracing by public health officials.
Results
Out of 2660 participants, 15 individuals (0.56%) screened positive for SARS-CoV-2. Four cases involved players or officials, and all cases were detected before any individual played in or officiated a game. Secondary transmissions all occurred outside the controlled environment. Among those disqualified from the tournament (4 cases; 26.7%), all individuals tested positive for the Iota variant (B.1.526). All other cases involved the Alpha variant (B.1.1.7). Nearly all teams (N = 58; 85.3%) reported that some individuals had received at least one dose of a vaccine. Overall, 17.9% of participants either had at least one dose of the vaccine or possessed documented infection within 90 days of the tournament.
Conclusion
In this retrospective cohort study of the 2021 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament closed environment, only a few cases were detected, and they were discovered in advance of potential exposure. These findings support the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines for large indoor sporting events during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Goupil de Bouillé J, Luong Nguyen LB, Crépey P, Garlantezec R, Doré V, Dumas A, Ben Mechlia M, Tattevin P, Gaudart J, Spire B, Lert F, Yazdanpanah Y, Delaugerre C, Noret M, Zeggagh J. Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 during indoor clubbing events: A clustered randomized, controlled, multicentre trial protocol. Front Public Health 2022; 10:981213. [PMID: 36438274 PMCID: PMC9687087 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.981213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic led to the implementation of several non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs), from closings of bars and restaurants to curfews and lockdowns. Vaccination campaigns started hoping it could efficiently alleviate NPI. The primary objective of the "Indoor Transmission of COVID-19" (ITOC) study is to determine among a fully vaccinated population the relative risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission during one indoor clubbing event. Secondary objectives are to assess the transmission of other respiratory viruses, risk exposure, and attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccination, health pass, and psychological impact of indoor club closing. Methods and analysis Four thousand four hundred healthy volunteers aged 18-49 years and fully vaccinated will be included in Paris region. The intervention is an 8-hour indoor clubbing event with no masks, no social distance, maximum room capacity, and ventilation. A reservation group of up to 10 people will recruit participants, who will be randomized 1:1 to either the experimental group (2,200 volunteers in two venues with capacities of 1,000 people each) or the control group (2,200 volunteers asked not to go to the club). All participants will provide a salivary sample on the day of the experiment and 7 days later. They also will answer several questionnaires. Virological analyses include polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of salivary samples and air of the venue, investigating SARS-CoV-2 and 18 respiratory viruses. Ethics and dissemination Ethical clearance was first obtained in France from the institutional review board (Comité de Protection des Personnes Ile de France VII - CPP), and the trial received clearance from the French National Agency for Medicines and Health Products (Agence National de Sécurité du Médicament - ANSM). The trial is supported and approved by The Agence Nationale Recherche sur le SIDA, les hépatites et maladies émergences (ANRS-MIE). Positive, negative, and inconclusive results will be published in peer-reviewed scientific journals. Trial registration number IDR-CB 2021-A01473-38. Clinicaltrial.gov, identifier: NCT05311865.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeanne Goupil de Bouillé
- Service de Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales, Hôpital Avicenne, AP-HP, Bobigny, France,LEPS Laboratoire Éducations et Pratiques de Santé, Université Paris 13, Bobigny, France,*Correspondence: Jeanne Goupil de Bouillé
| | | | - Pascal Crépey
- Univ Rennes, EHESP, CNRS, INSERM, Arènes - UMR 6051, RSMS - U 1309, Rennes, France
| | - Ronan Garlantezec
- CHU de Rennes, University Rennes, INSERM, EHESP, Irset (Institut de Recherche en Santé, Environnement et Travail) – UMR_S 1085, Rennes, France
| | | | - Audrey Dumas
- ANRS, Agence Nationale Recherche Sida, Paris, France
| | | | - Pierre Tattevin
- Infectious Diseases and Intensive Care Unit, Pontchaillou University Hospital, Rennes, France
| | - Jean Gaudart
- Aix Marseille University, APHM, INSERM, IRD, SESSTIM, ISSPAM, UMR1252, Hop Timone, BioSTIC, Biostatistic and ICT, Marseille, France
| | - Bruno Spire
- Aix Marseille University, APHM, INSERM, IRD, SESSTIM, ISSPAM, UMR1252, Marseille, France
| | - France Lert
- ANRS, Agence Nationale Recherche Sida, Paris, France
| | - Yazdan Yazdanpanah
- ANRS, Agence Nationale Recherche Sida, Paris, France,Service de Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales, Hôpital Bichat, AP-HP, Paris, France
| | - Constance Delaugerre
- Service de Virologie, Hôpital Saint-Louis, AP-HP, INSERM U944, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | | | - Jeremy Zeggagh
- Service de Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales, Hôpital Saint-Louis, AP-HP, Paris, France
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Sypsa V, Mameletzis I, Tsiodras S. Transmission Potential of Human Monkeypox in Mass Gatherings. Open Forum Infect Dis 2022; 9:ofac501. [PMID: 36340738 PMCID: PMC9620358 DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofac501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Since May 2022, a large number of monkeypox cases have been reported in Europe, the United States, and other nonendemic settings. Taking into account the strict measures implemented due to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic and the desire of people to reclaim what is perceived as lost time, mass gatherings this summer were highly attended. Based on data for the secondary attack rate among unvaccinated contacts from endemic countries, we estimate that, on average, >1 secondary case is anticipated per infectious person if he/she has a high number of group contacts (>30) or >8 close contacts. Although the role of group contacts in mass gatherings is uncertain (less likely to involve physical contact, shorter duration), close contacts associated with the event (eg, intimate/sexual contact with other attendees) might be the amplifying event. Enforcing awareness, early recognition, and engaging affected populations in the monkeypox response are important to control transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vana Sypsa
- Correspondence: Vana Sypsa, PhD, Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Medical School, M. Asias 75 11527, Athens, Greece ()
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Ozaki J, Shida Y, Takayasu H, Takayasu M. Direct modelling from GPS data reveals daily-activity-dependency of effective reproduction number in COVID-19 pandemic. Sci Rep 2022; 12:17888. [PMID: 36284166 PMCID: PMC9595098 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-22420-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
During the COVID-19 pandemic, governments faced difficulties in implementing mobility restriction measures, as no clear quantitative relationship between human mobility and infection spread in large cities is known. We developed a model that enables quantitative estimations of the infection risk for individual places and activities by using smartphone GPS data for the Tokyo metropolitan area. The effective reproduction number is directly calculated from the number of infectious social contacts defined by the square of the population density at each location. The difference in the infection rate of daily activities is considered, where the 'stay-out' activity, staying at someplace neither home nor workplace, is more than 28 times larger than other activities. Also, the contribution to the infection strongly depends on location. We imply that the effective reproduction number is sufficiently suppressed if the highest-risk locations or activities are restricted. We also discuss the effects of the Delta variant and vaccination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun’ichi Ozaki
- grid.32197.3e0000 0001 2179 2105Institute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259 Nagatsuta-cho, Midori-ku, Yokohama, 226-8503 Japan
| | - Yohei Shida
- grid.32197.3e0000 0001 2179 2105Department of Mathematical and Computing Science, School of Computing, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259 Nagatsuta-cho, Midori-ku, Yokohama, 226-8503 Japan
| | - Hideki Takayasu
- grid.32197.3e0000 0001 2179 2105Institute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259 Nagatsuta-cho, Midori-ku, Yokohama, 226-8503 Japan ,grid.452725.30000 0004 1764 0071Sony Computer Science Laboratories, Inc., 3-14-13, Higashigotanda, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, 141-0022 Japan
| | - Misako Takayasu
- grid.32197.3e0000 0001 2179 2105Institute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259 Nagatsuta-cho, Midori-ku, Yokohama, 226-8503 Japan ,grid.32197.3e0000 0001 2179 2105Department of Mathematical and Computing Science, School of Computing, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259 Nagatsuta-cho, Midori-ku, Yokohama, 226-8503 Japan
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Wang JX, Wu Z, Wang H, Zhong M, Mao Y, Li Y, Wang M, Yao S. Ventilation reconstruction in bathrooms for restraining hazardous plume: Mitigate COVID-19 and beyond. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2022; 439:129697. [PMID: 36104926 PMCID: PMC9335364 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.129697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Converging evidence reports that the probability of vertical transmission patterns via shared drainage systems, may be responsible for the huge contactless community outbreak in high-rise buildings. Publications indicate that a faulty bathroom exhaust fan system is ineffective in removing lifted hazardous virus-laden aerosols from the toilet bowl space. Common strategies (boosting ventilation capability and applying disinfection tablets) seem unsustainable and remain to date untested. Using combined simulation and experimental approaches, we compared three ventilation schemes in a family bathroom including the traditional ceiling fan, floor fan, and side-wall fan. We found that the traditional ceiling fan was barely functional whereby aerosol particles were not being adequately removed. Conversely, a side-wall fan could function efficiently and an enhanced ventilation capability can have increased performance whereby nearly 80.9% of the lifted aerosol particles were removed. There exists a common, and easily-overlooked mistake in the layout of the bathroom, exposing occupants to a contactless vertical pathogen aerosol transmission route. Corrections and dissemination are thus imperative for the reconstruction of these types of family bathrooms. Our findings provide evidence for the bathroom and smart ventilation system upgrade, promoting indoor public health and human hygiene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji-Xiang Wang
- College of Electrical, Energy and Power Engineering, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, PR China; Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, PR China.
| | - Zhe Wu
- College of Electrical, Energy and Power Engineering, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, PR China
| | - Hongmei Wang
- College of Electrical, Energy and Power Engineering, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, PR China
| | - Mingliang Zhong
- Institute of Optics and Electronics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610209, PR China
| | - Yufeng Mao
- Institute of Optics and Electronics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610209, PR China
| | - Yunyun Li
- School of Energy and Environment, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, PR China
| | - Mengxiao Wang
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, PR China
| | - Shuhuai Yao
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, PR China; Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, PR China.
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Chacoma A, Billoni OV, Kuperman MN. Complexity emerges in measures of the marking dynamics in football games. Phys Rev E 2022; 106:044308. [PMID: 36397551 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.106.044308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
In this article, we study the dynamics of marking in football matches. To do this, we survey and analyze a database containing the trajectories of players from both teams on the field of play during three professional games. We describe the dynamics through the construction of temporal bipartite networks of proximity. Based on the introduced concept of proximity, the nodes are the players, and the links are defined between opponents that are close enough to each other at a given moment. By studying the evolution of the heterogeneity parameter of the networks during the game, we characterize a scaling law for the average shape of the fluctuations, unveiling the emergence of complexity in the system. Moreover, we propose a simple model to simulate the players' motion in the field from where we obtained the evolution of a synthetic proximity network. We show that the model captures with a remarkable agreement the complexity of the empirical case, hence it proves to be helpful to elucidate the underlying mechanisms responsible for the observed phenomena.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Chacoma
- Instituto de Física Enrique Gaviola (IFEG-CONICET), Ciudad Universitaria, 5000 Córdoba, Argentina and Facultad de Matemática, Astronomía, Física y Computación, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Ciudad Universitaria, 5000 Córdoba, Argentina
| | - O V Billoni
- Instituto de Física Enrique Gaviola (IFEG-CONICET), Ciudad Universitaria, 5000 Córdoba, Argentina and Facultad de Matemática, Astronomía, Física y Computación, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Ciudad Universitaria, 5000 Córdoba, Argentina
| | - M N Kuperman
- Instituto Balseiro, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, R8402AGP Bariloche, Argentina and Centro Atómico Bariloche and CONICET, R8402AGP Bariloche, Argentina
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36
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Silver CM, Joung RH, Visenio MR, Wang TS, Pawlik TM, Kim ES, Bilimoria KY. COVID-19 Positivity Following an In-Person Surgical Society Meeting: A Cross-Sectional Survey Study. J Surg Res 2022; 278:267-270. [PMID: 35636202 PMCID: PMC9058023 DOI: 10.1016/j.jss.2022.04.067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Revised: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Many surgical societies have recently resumed in-person meetings after canceling or adopting virtual formats during the COVID-19 pandemic. These meetings implemented safety measures to limit viral exposure and ensure participant safety. While there have been anecdotal reports of COVID-19 cases after attendance, no large-scale assessments have been undertaken. The objective of this study was to evaluate COVID-19 positivity following an in-person surgical society meeting. METHODS An online survey was administered to participants of the Society for Asian Academic Surgeons annual meeting, which was held in Chicago, Illinois in September 2021. This survey assessed vaccination status, in-person versus virtual conference attendance, and COVID-19 testing and symptoms in the 7 d immediately following the meeting. RESULTS Among the 220 meeting participants, 173 attended in person (79%). There were 91 survey respondents (41% response rate): 67% attending physicians, 27% trainees, and 6% medical students. Nearly, all (99%) reported being fully vaccinated against COVID-19. COVID-19 testing was sought within 7 d of the meeting by 15% of in-person respondents, and all reported negative results. Among individuals who were not tested, no one reported development of symptoms (cough, shortness of breath, fever, new loss of taste/smell, etc.). CONCLUSIONS Among in-person attendees of a recent surgical society meeting, no one reported positive COVID-19 testing after the meeting, and individuals who were not tested denied developing symptoms. While these results are encouraging, societies hosting meetings should continue to proactively assess the safety of in-person meetings to promptly identify outbreaks and opportunities for improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Casey M Silver
- Surgical Outcomes and Quality Improvement Center, Department of Surgery, Northwestern Medicine, Chicago, Illinois.
| | - Rachel H Joung
- Surgical Outcomes and Quality Improvement Center, Department of Surgery, Northwestern Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Michael R Visenio
- Surgical Outcomes and Quality Improvement Center, Department of Surgery, Northwestern Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Tracy S Wang
- Department of Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
| | - Timothy M Pawlik
- Deparment of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, The Ohio State Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Eugene S Kim
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Children's Hospital of Los Angeles, Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California
| | - Karl Y Bilimoria
- Surgical Outcomes and Quality Improvement Center, Department of Surgery, Northwestern Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
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Ghoroghi A, Rezgui Y, Wallace R. Impact of ventilation and avoidance measures on SARS-CoV-2 risk of infection in public indoor environments. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 838:156518. [PMID: 35688237 PMCID: PMC9172255 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Revised: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 06/02/2022] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The literature includes many studies which individually assess the efficacy of protective measures against the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. This study considers the high infection risk in public buildings and models the quality of the indoor environment, related safety measures, and their efficacy in preventing the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. METHODS Simulations are created that consider protective factors such as hand hygiene, face covering and engagement with Covid-19 vaccination programs in reducing the risk of infection in a university foyer. Furthermore, a computational fluid dynamics model is developed to simulate and analyse the university foyer under three ventilation regimes. The probability of transmission was measured across different scenarios. FINDINGS Estimates suggest that the Delta variant requires the air change rate to be increased >1000 times compared to the original strain, which is practically not feasible. Consequently, appropriate hygiene practices, such as wearing masks, are essential to reducing secondary infections. A comparison of different protective factors in simulations found the overall burden of infections resulting from indoor contact depends on (i) face mask adherence, (ii) quality of the ventilation system, and (iii) other hygiene practices. INTERPRETATION Relying on ventilation, whether natural, mechanical, or mixed, is not sufficient alone to mitigate the risk of aerosol infections. This is due to the internal configuration of the indoor space in terms of (i) size and number of windows, their location and opening frequency, as well as the position of the air extraction and supply inlets, which often induce hotspots with stagnating air, (ii) the excessive required air change rate. Hence, strict reliance on proper hygiene practices, namely adherence to face coverings and hand sanitising, are essential. Consequently, face mask adherence should be emphasized and promoted by policymakers for public health applications. Similar research may need to be conducted using a similar approach on the Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Ghoroghi
- School of Engineering, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.
| | - Yacine Rezgui
- School of Engineering, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Ruth Wallace
- School of Engineering, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
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Silver CM, Joung RH, Morris MS, Wang KS, Ghaferi AA, Bilimoria KY, Clarke CN. Comparison of COVID-19 Rates Among In-Person and Virtual Attendees of a National Surgical Society Meeting in the US. JAMA Netw Open 2022; 5:e2230300. [PMID: 36069986 PMCID: PMC9453540 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.30300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Casey M. Silver
- Surgical Outcomes and Quality Improvement Center, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Rachel H. Joung
- Surgical Outcomes and Quality Improvement Center, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | | | - Kasper S. Wang
- Department of Surgery, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | | | - Karl Y. Bilimoria
- Surgical Outcomes and Quality Improvement Center, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Callisia N. Clarke
- Division of Oncology, Department of Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
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Wu J, Geng J, Fu M, Weng W. Multi-person movement-induced airflow and the effects on virus-laden expiratory droplet dispersion in indoor environments. INDOOR AIR 2022; 32:e13119. [PMID: 36168216 DOI: 10.1111/ina.13119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Revised: 09/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The multi-person movement might cause complex induced airflow and affect the virus-laden expiratory droplet transmission in indoor environments. Using the dynamic mesh model in computational fluid dynamics, the multi-person movement with different personnel location distributions was realized. The induced airflow patterns, virus-laden droplet dispersion, and concentration distribution were investigated in detail. The results show that multi-person movement might intensify inter-regional convection, which has been rarely found in single-person movement conditions. Side-by-side distribution and ladder distribution of moving persons could cause a connected low-pressure area behind the moving persons, which might enhance lateral virus transport, especially where droplets might suspend at the height of the breathing zone. Not only 1-10 μm aerosols but also some 20-50 μm droplets are carried by the multi-person movement-induced airflow to over 3 m. Since the width of induced airflow is about 0.6-1.0 m, moving persons should keep enough horizontal distance (>1.0 m) to limit the air mixing and virus-laden droplet transmission. This paper could provide a detailed reference for the numerical study of multi-person movement-induced airflow patterns, droplet dispersion, and indoor infection control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jialin Wu
- Department of Engineering Physics, Tsinghua University, Institute of Public Safety Research, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of City Integrated Emergency Response Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Jing Geng
- Department of Engineering Physics, Tsinghua University, Institute of Public Safety Research, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of City Integrated Emergency Response Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Ming Fu
- Hefei Institute for Public Safety Research, Tsinghua University, Hefei, Anhui Province, China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Human Safety, Hefei, Anhui Province, China
| | - Wenguo Weng
- Department of Engineering Physics, Tsinghua University, Institute of Public Safety Research, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of City Integrated Emergency Response Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
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40
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Luque-Paz D, Orhant E, Michel F, Kuentz P, Chapellier JF, Rolland E, Rabaud C, Tattevin P. Incidence and characteristics of COVID-19 in French professional football players during the 2020–2021 season. Infect Dis Now 2022; 52:371-373. [PMID: 35817246 PMCID: PMC9264723 DOI: 10.1016/j.idnow.2022.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2022] [Revised: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Objectives To describe the epidemiology of COVID-19 in French professional football players, and to compare the infection incidence with the general population across the first three waves. Methods During the 2020–2021 season, all professional football players (n = 1217) in the two primary French leagues underwent weekly testing for SARS-CoV-2 infection by nasopharyngeal PCR, in combination with rigorous infection control measures. Results Among all players, 572 (47%) tested positive at least once, with no COVID-19-related death or hospital admission. Monthly incidence estimates in players ranged from 1486 to 6731 per 100,000 individuals, i.e. 2–17 times higher than incidence estimates in the general population in France during the study period. Conclusion Almost 50% of professional football players developed SARS-CoV-2 infection during the 2020–2021 season in France, with no severe complication.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Luque-Paz
- Service de maladies infectieuses et réanimation médicale, Hôpital Pontchaillou, CHU Rennes, France.
| | | | - Fabrice Michel
- Service de Médecine Physique et de Réadaptation et de Médecine du Sport, CHU Jean Minjoz, Besançon, France; Association des Médecins de Club de Football Professionnel, France
| | - Philippe Kuentz
- Association des Médecins de Club de Football Professionnel, France
| | | | - Eric Rolland
- Association des Médecins de Club de Football Professionnel, France
| | - Christian Rabaud
- Service des Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales, CHRU Nancy, France
| | - Pierre Tattevin
- Service de maladies infectieuses et réanimation médicale, Hôpital Pontchaillou, CHU Rennes, France
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Adzic F, Roberts BM, Hathway EA, Kaur Matharu R, Ciric L, Wild O, Cook M, Malki-Epshtein L. A post-occupancy study of ventilation effectiveness from high-resolution CO 2 monitoring at live theatre events to mitigate airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2. BUILDING AND ENVIRONMENT 2022; 223:109392. [PMID: 35937085 PMCID: PMC9339161 DOI: 10.1016/j.buildenv.2022.109392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 07/10/2022] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Mass-gathering events were closed around the world in 2020 to minimise the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Emerging research on the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 emphasised the importance of sufficient ventilation. This paper presents the results of an indoor air quality (IAQ) monitoring study over 82 events in seven mechanically ventilated auditoria to support the UK government Events Research Programme. Indoor carbon dioxide concentration was measured at high resolution before, during, and after occupancy to allow for assessment of the ventilation systems. Generally, good indoor air quality was measured in all auditoria, with average IAQ found to be excellent or very good for 70% of spaces. In some auditoria, spatial variation in IAQ was identified, indicating poor mixing of the air. In addition, surface and air samples were taken and analysed for the presence of bacteria by culture and SARS-CoV-2 using RT-qPCR in one venue. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected on a small number of surfaces at very low copy numbers, which are unlikely to pose an infection risk. Under the ventilation strategies and occupancy levels investigated, it is likely that most theatres pose a low risk of long-range transmission of COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filipa Adzic
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, University College London, UK
| | - Ben M Roberts
- Building Energy Research Group, School of Architecture, Building and Civil Engineering, Loughborough University, UK
| | | | - Rupy Kaur Matharu
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, University College London, UK
| | - Lena Ciric
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, University College London, UK
| | - Oliver Wild
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, University College London, UK
| | - Malcolm Cook
- Building Energy Research Group, School of Architecture, Building and Civil Engineering, Loughborough University, UK
| | - Liora Malki-Epshtein
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, University College London, UK
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Droste JN, Marshall RP, Borte S, Seyler S, Riepenhof H. COVID-19 in European Soccer: A Public 2-Year Comparison of COVID-19 Case Management and Case Characteristics between the 1st Bundesliga, La Liga, Serie A and the Premier League. Life (Basel) 2022; 12:life12081220. [PMID: 36013399 PMCID: PMC9409953 DOI: 10.3390/life12081220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Revised: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
To evaluate the extent and characteristics of COVID-19 cases in relation to environmental COVID-19 incidences in the four best European soccer leagues (Bundesliga, Premier League, Serie A and La Liga) from the first of January 2020 until the end of January 2022. Methods: A retrospective evaluation of all publicly available COVID-19 cases in the studied cohorts was performed. The 14-day case incidences from epidemiological national data were used as reference values. The leagues studied are the Bundesliga (Germany), Premier League (Great Britain), Serie A (Italy) and La Liga (Spain). For all cases, the duration of time loss and date of case notification were recorded. Results: League-specific mean time loss due to disease or quarantine per COVID-19 case differs significantly between La Liga (11.45; ±5.21 days) and the other leagues studied (Bundesliga 20.41; ±33.87; p 0.0242; Premier League 17.12; ±10.39; p 0.0001; Serie A 17.61; ±12.71; p < 0.0001). A positive correlation between 14-day national incidence with COVID-19 disease occurrence in soccer leagues was found for all leagues studied. The correlations were strong in the Bundesliga (r 0.5911; CI 0.4249−0.7187; p < 0.0001), Serie A (r 0.5979; CI 0.4336−0.7238; p < 0.0001) and La Liga (r 0.5251; CI 0.3432−0.6690; p < 0.0001). A moderate correlation was found for the Premier League (r 0.3308; CI 0.1147−0.5169; p 0.0026). Odds ratios for altered environmental case risk in the cohorts studied could be calculated for four different national COVID-19 incidence levels (<50/100.000 to >500/100.000). A trend towards shorter COVID-19 case duration in the second half of 2021 was shown for all leagues studied. Conclusions: There was a significantly lower mean time-loss caused by a COVID-19 infection for cases occurred in La Liga compared with the other three leagues studied. For all four leagues studied, a positive, significant correlation of national environmental COVID-19 incidence level and the incidence of COVID-19 cases in the cohort of a football league was found.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan-Niklas Droste
- Medical Department, RasenBallsport Leipzig GmbH, 04177 Leipzig, Germany
- Center for Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine, BG Klinikum Hamburg, 21033 Hamburg, Germany
- Correspondence: (J.-N.D.); (R.P.M.)
| | - Robert Percy Marshall
- Medical Department, RasenBallsport Leipzig GmbH, 04177 Leipzig, Germany
- Correspondence: (J.-N.D.); (R.P.M.)
| | - Stephan Borte
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Hospital St. Georg Leipzig, 04129 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Sebastian Seyler
- Center for Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine, BG Klinikum Hamburg, 21033 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Helge Riepenhof
- Center for Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine, BG Klinikum Hamburg, 21033 Hamburg, Germany
- Red Bull Athlete Performance Center Thalgau, 5303 Salzburg, Austria
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Byun JA, Sim TJ, Lim TY, Jang SI, Kim SH. Association of compliance with COVID-19 public health measures with depression. Sci Rep 2022; 12:13464. [PMID: 35931789 PMCID: PMC9355947 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-17110-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Although previous studies have demonstrated increased depression related to COVID-19, the reasons for this are not well-understood. We investigated the association of compliance with COVID-19 public health measures with depression. Data from the 2020 Korea Community Health Survey were analyzed. The main independent variable was compliance with rules based on three performance variables (social distancing, wearing a mask in indoor facilities, and outdoors). Depression was assessed using Patient Health Questionnaire-9 scores. Of 195,243 participants, 5,101 participants had depression. Bad and moderate performance scores for compliance were associated with depression (Bad score, men: adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 2.24, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.29-3.87; women: aOR = 2.42, 95% CI = 1.42-4.13; moderate score, men: aOR = 1.31, 95% CI = 1.02-1.68; women: aOR = 1.28, 95% CI = 1.07-1.53). In the subgroup analysis, among the quarantine rules, not wearing a mask indoors was the most prominently associated with depression. In participants with a high level of education, non-compliance with quarantine rules was significantly associated with depression. People who do not comply with public health measures are more likely to be depressed. The preparation and observance of scientific quarantine rules can help mental health in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and another infectious disease pandemic that may come.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ju An Byun
- Premedical Courses, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Tae Jun Sim
- Premedical Courses, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Tae Yoon Lim
- Premedical Courses, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung-In Jang
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
- Institute of Health Services Research, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
| | - Seung Hoon Kim
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
- Institute of Health Services Research, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
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González-Val R, Marcén M. Mass gathering events and the spread of infectious diseases: Evidence from the early growth phase of COVID-19. ECONOMICS AND HUMAN BIOLOGY 2022; 46:101140. [PMID: 35525103 PMCID: PMC9027297 DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2022.101140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Revised: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
This paper studies the impact on reported coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) cases and deaths in Spain resulting from large mass gatherings that occurred from March 6 to March 8, 2020. To study these outcomes, the geographic differences in the planned pre-pandemic major events that took place on these dates were exploited, which is a quasi-random source of variation for identification purposes. We collected daily and detailed information about the number of attendees at football (soccer) and basketball matches in addition to individuals participating in the Women's Day marches across Spain, which we merged with daily data on reported COVID-19 cases and deaths at the provincial level. Our results reveal evidence of non-negligible COVID-19 cases related to the differences in the percentage of attendees at these major events from March 6 to March 8. In a typical province, approximately 31% of the average daily reported COVID-19 cases per 100,000 inhabitants between mid-March and early April 2020 can be explained by the participation rate in those major events. A back-of-the-envelope calculation suggests that this implies almost five million euros (169,000 euros/day) of additional economic cost in the health system of a typical province with one million inhabitants in the period under consideration. Several mechanisms behind the spread of COVID-19 are also examined.
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Sumer J, Flury D, Kahlert CR, Mueller NJ, Risch L, Nigg S, Seneghini M, Vernazza P, Schlegel M, Kohler P. Safety Evaluation of a Medical Congress Held During the COVID-19 Pandemic-A Prospective Cohort. Int J Public Health 2022; 67:1604147. [PMID: 35250429 PMCID: PMC8889572 DOI: 10.3389/ijph.2022.1604147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives: During the COVID-19 pandemic, few scientific congresses have been held on-site. We prospectively evaluated the safety concept of the congress of the Swiss Societies of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Hygiene. Methods: The congress was held in Geneva (Switzerland) while local COVID-19 incidence (with SARS-CoV-2 wild type circulating) was 65/100,000 population (September 2020). A rigorous safety concept was implemented. Congress attendees filled out a questionnaire to assess risk perception, exposures, symptoms and diagnoses of SARS-CoV-2 before, during and after the congress. Dried blood spots were taken on-site and 4 weeks later to detect SARS-CoV-2 seroconversions. Results: Of 365 congress attendees, 196 (54%) either answered the questionnaire (N = 150) or provided baseline and follow-up blood samples (N = 168). None of the participants reported a positive PCR in the 2 weeks after the congress. Five of 168 (3%) participants were seropositive at follow-up, all of which had already been positive at baseline. Conclusion: Findings indicate that congresses with a rigorous safety concept may take place, even in areas with moderately-high COVID-19 activity. Whether this holds true in vaccinated populations and with more transmissible viral variants circulating remains unclear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Sumer
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, Cantonal Hospital St. Gallen, St Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Domenica Flury
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, Cantonal Hospital St. Gallen, St Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Christian R. Kahlert
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, Cantonal Hospital St. Gallen, St Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Nicolas J. Mueller
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Lorenz Risch
- Labormedizinische Zentrum Dr Risch, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Susanne Nigg
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, Cantonal Hospital St. Gallen, St Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Marco Seneghini
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, Cantonal Hospital St. Gallen, St Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Pietro Vernazza
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, Cantonal Hospital St. Gallen, St Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Matthias Schlegel
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, Cantonal Hospital St. Gallen, St Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Philipp Kohler
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, Cantonal Hospital St. Gallen, St Gallen, Switzerland
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Herng LC, Singh S, Sundram BM, Zamri ASSM, Vei TC, Aris T, Ibrahim H, Abdullah NH, Dass SC, Gill BS. The effects of super spreading events and movement control measures on the COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia. Sci Rep 2022; 12:2197. [PMID: 35140319 PMCID: PMC8828893 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-06341-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
This paper aims to develop an automated web application to generate validated daily effective reproduction numbers (Rt) which can be used to examine the effects of super-spreading events due to mass gatherings and the effectiveness of the various Movement Control Order (MCO) stringency levels on the outbreak progression of COVID-19 in Malaysia. The effective reproduction number, Rt, was estimated by adopting and modifying an Rt estimation algorithm using a validated distribution mean of 3.96 and standard deviation of 4.75 with a seven-day sliding window. The Rt values generated were validated using thea moving window SEIR model with a negative binomial likelihood fitted using methods from the Bayesian inferential framework. A Pearson’s correlation between the Rt values estimated by the algorithm and the SEIR model was r = 0.70, p < 0.001 and r = 0.81, p < 0.001 during the validation period The Rt increased to reach the highest values at 3.40 (95% CI 1.47, 6.14) and 1.72 (95% CI 1.54, 1.90) due to the Sri Petaling and Sabah electoral process during the second and third waves of COVID-19 respectively. The MCOs was able to reduce the Rt values by 63.2 to 77.1% and 37.0 to 47.0% during the second and third waves of COVID-19, respectively. Mass gathering events were one of the important drivers of the COVID-19 outbreak in Malaysia. However, COVID-19 transmission can be fuelled by noncompliance to Standard Operating Procedure, population mobility, ventilation and environmental factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lai Chee Herng
- Institute for Medical Research (IMR), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Ministry of Health Malaysia, 40170, Setia Alam, Malaysia
| | - Sarbhan Singh
- Institute for Medical Research (IMR), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Ministry of Health Malaysia, 40170, Setia Alam, Malaysia.
| | - Bala Murali Sundram
- Institute for Medical Research (IMR), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Ministry of Health Malaysia, 40170, Setia Alam, Malaysia
| | - Ahmed Syahmi Syafiq Md Zamri
- Institute for Medical Research (IMR), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Ministry of Health Malaysia, 40170, Setia Alam, Malaysia
| | - Tan Cia Vei
- Institute for Medical Research (IMR), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Ministry of Health Malaysia, 40170, Setia Alam, Malaysia
| | - Tahir Aris
- Institute for Medical Research (IMR), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Ministry of Health Malaysia, 40170, Setia Alam, Malaysia
| | | | | | | | - Balvinder Singh Gill
- Institute for Medical Research (IMR), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Ministry of Health Malaysia, 40170, Setia Alam, Malaysia
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COVID-19 and other respiratory tract infections at mass gathering religious and sporting events. Curr Opin Pulm Med 2022; 28:192-198. [PMID: 35102092 DOI: 10.1097/mcp.0000000000000859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Mass gathering (MG) religious events provide ideal conditions for transmission and globalization of respiratory tract infections (RTIs). We review recent literature on COVID-19 and other RTIs at recurring international annual MG religious and sporting events. RECENT FINDINGS Due to the COVID-19 pandemic organizers of MG religious and sporting events introduced risk-based infection control measures that limited transmission of RTIs. The 2020 and 2021 Hajj were conducted with limited numbers of pilgrims compared to the annual millions of pilgrims. The Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games were cancelled and held in 2021. The success of the COVID-19 countermeasures at the 2021 Hajj and 2021 Tokyo Olympics was based on implementing good public health and social measures alongside a comprehensive testing strategy. SUMMARY MG events are associated with transmission of a range of bacterial and viral RTIs. Introducing risk based a multitude of public health interventions can reduce transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and other RTIs.
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Donnat C, Bunbury F, Kreindler J, Liu D, Filippidis FT, Esko T, El-Osta A, Harris M. Predicting COVID-19 Transmission to Inform the Management of Mass Events: Model-Based Approach. JMIR Public Health Surveill 2021; 7:e30648. [PMID: 34583317 PMCID: PMC8638785 DOI: 10.2196/30648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Revised: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Modelling COVID-19 transmission at live events and public gatherings is essential to controlling the probability of subsequent outbreaks and communicating to participants their personalized risk. Yet, despite the fast-growing body of literature on COVID-19 transmission dynamics, current risk models either neglect contextual information including vaccination rates or disease prevalence or do not attempt to quantitatively model transmission. OBJECTIVE This paper attempted to bridge this gap by providing informative risk metrics for live public events, along with a measure of their uncertainty. METHODS Building upon existing models, our approach ties together 3 main components: (1) reliable modelling of the number of infectious cases at the time of the event, (2) evaluation of the efficiency of pre-event screening, and (3) modelling of the event's transmission dynamics and their uncertainty using Monte Carlo simulations. RESULTS We illustrated the application of our pipeline for a concert at the Royal Albert Hall and highlighted the risk's dependency on factors such as prevalence, mask wearing, and event duration. We demonstrate how this event held on 3 different dates (August 20, 2020; January 20, 2021; and March 20, 2021) would likely lead to transmission events that are similar to community transmission rates (0.06 vs 0.07, 2.38 vs 2.39, and 0.67 vs 0.60, respectively). However, differences between event and background transmissions substantially widened in the upper tails of the distribution of the number of infections (as denoted by their respective 99th quantiles: 1 vs 1, 19 vs 8, and 6 vs 3, respectively, for our 3 dates), further demonstrating that sole reliance on vaccination and antigen testing to gain entry would likely significantly underestimate the tail risk of the event. CONCLUSIONS Despite the unknowns surrounding COVID-19 transmission, our estimation pipeline opens the discussion on contextualized risk assessment by combining the best tools at hand to assess the order of magnitude of the risk. Our model can be applied to any future event and is presented in a user-friendly RShiny interface. Finally, we discussed our model's limitations as well as avenues for model evaluation and improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Donnat
- Department of Statistics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Freddy Bunbury
- Department of Plant Biology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Jack Kreindler
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Public Health, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom
| | - David Liu
- Department of Statistics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Filippos T Filippidis
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Public Health, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom
| | - Tonu Esko
- Institute of Genomics, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Austen El-Osta
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Public Health, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew Harris
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Public Health, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom
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Garcia W, Mendez S, Fray B, Nicolas A. Model-based assessment of the risks of viral transmission in non-confined crowds. SAFETY SCIENCE 2021; 144:105453. [PMID: 34511728 PMCID: PMC8418781 DOI: 10.1016/j.ssci.2021.105453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Revised: 07/10/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
This work assesses the risks of Covid-19 spread in diverse daily-life situations involving crowds of maskless pedestrians, mostly outdoors. More concretely, we develop a method to infer the global number of new infections from patchy observations, by coupling ad hoc spatial models for disease transmission via respiratory droplets to detailed field-data about pedestrian trajectories and head orientations. This allows us to rank the investigated situations by the infection risks that they present; importantly, the obtained hierarchy of risks is very largely conserved across transmission models: Street cafés present the largest average rate of new infections caused by an attendant, followed by busy outdoor markets, and then metro and train stations, whereas the risks incurred while walking on fairly busy streets are comparatively quite low. While our models only approximate the actual transmission risks, their converging predictions lend credence to these findings. In situations with a moving crowd, density is the main factor influencing the estimated infection rate. Finally, our study explores the efficiency of street and venue redesigns in mitigating the viral spread: While the benefits of enforcing one-way foot traffic in (wide) walkways are unclear, changing the geometry of queues substantially affects disease transmission risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Willy Garcia
- Institut Lumière Matière, CNRS & Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, F-69622, France
| | - Simon Mendez
- Institut Montpelliérain Alexander Grothendieck, CNRS, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, F-34095, France
| | - Baptiste Fray
- Institut Lumière Matière, CNRS & Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, F-69622, France
- École nationale des travaux publics de l'État (ENTPE), Université de Lyon, Vaulx-en-Velin, F-69518, France
| | - Alexandre Nicolas
- Institut Lumière Matière, CNRS & Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, F-69622, France
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Decision analysis support for evaluating transmission risk of COVID-19 in places where people gather. Can Commun Dis Rep 2021; 47:446-460. [PMID: 34880707 DOI: 10.14745/ccdr.v47i11a02] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The coronavirus diseases 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has presented an unprecedented public health challenge. Prior to vaccination, non-pharmaceutical interventions, including closures, were necessary to help control the epidemic. With the arrival of variants of concern and insufficient population vaccination coverage, ongoing evaluation of transmission risk in settings and the use of non-pharmaceutical interventions are necessary to help control the epidemic. This study aimed to produce a framework for evaluating transmission risk in settings where individuals gather and inform decision-making. Methods A multi-criteria decision analysis process was used to structure the framework. Fifteen criteria were identified as important to consider for COVID-19 transmission risk based on the literature. This list was ranked by experts and then categorized. The analysis was structured by the consensus list of criteria and relative positioning of each criteria within the list to produce sets of factors to consider when assessing transmission risk at gatherings. Results Fifteen experts from across Canada participated in ranking the criteria. Strong consensus was found on the relative importance of criteria and this relative consensus was used to create four categories: critical (3 criteria); important (6 criteria); good to consider (5 criteria); and if time permits (1 criterion). Conclusion The resulting consensus list and categories constitutes a set of important elements that can be applied to any setting as an objective and transparent framework to assess transmission risk in the venue. In conjunction with further consideration of the local epidemiology of COVID-19, an overall risk of transmission assessment can be established and uniformly implemented.
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