[Quarantine Alone or in Combination with Other Public Health Measures to Control COVID-19: A Rapid Review (Review)]

Impact of the Pandemic on Dementia Care and Caregivers: A Qualitative Study

Physical distancing measures to limit contagion in the COVID-19 pandemic made it difficult to care for older persons with dementia. Non-essential home visits were prevented and family caregivers took over most of their care. The aim of our study was to describe the lived experience of peoples living with dementia caregivers during the pandemic regarding the care provided and the person cared for. A qualitative phenomenological design was used. Participants were recruited using purposeful sampling. Informants were selected from primary healthcare centers, day centers, and a community mental health unit. The study participants comprised 21 caregivers. Semi-structured in-depth interviews by telephone were used, and field notes were collected from the researchers. A thematic analysis was conducted. The criteria used to control trustworthiness were credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability. Three main themes and six related sub-themes were identified: (1) care for the person with dementia during the pandemic, including lockdown, associated with difficulties in coping with restrictions, deterioration in health, and the impact of the closure of health and social resources; (2) health and social care provided to people with dementia after the disruptions and the care received from primary care prior to hospital or residential admission; and (3) the caregiver's perspective on the effects of the psycho-emotional impact, and coping strategies adopted in caring. Interventions for people with dementia should be planned in order to prevent the worsening of their health and cognitive status, while also developing programs to prevent stress and alleviate caregiver burden in case of health crises.

Association between attitudes toward the COVID-19 vaccines and mental health among 140,259 college students in China

Background

With the launch of the COVID-19 vaccines, the vaccination rate has become a hot issue of concern. However, the evidence for the relationship between college students' attitudes toward vaccines and anxiety and depressive symptoms has been limited.

Methods

In total, 140,259 college students were recruited using a cluster sampling method in Zhengzhou, Xinxiang, Xinyang city of Henan Province, China, May 21-27, 2021. Anxiety symptoms were determined by the Generalized Anxiety Disorder tool (GAD-7) and depressive symptoms were determined by the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Multiple logistic regression was performed to estimate the association between students' attitudes toward the vaccines and anxiety and depressive symptoms.

Results

The results indicate that 22.45% of students are unclear whether the vaccine can protect them from infection and 45.57% are unclear whether the vaccine is safe and has no side effects. In addition, after adjusting, the model showed that students who think vaccines can protect them and are safe had 0.128 (95%CI 0.110-0.150; Ptrend < 0.001) times lower risk of anxiety compared to their counterparts who think vaccines can neither protect them nor are safe. Similar ORs were found in depression (aOR = 0.157; 95%CI 0.137-0.180).

Conclusion

This large-scale study has shown an association between symptoms of anxiety and depression and reluctance to obtain vaccination.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10389-023-01830-7.

Mitigating virus spread through dynamic control of community-based social interactions for infection rate and cost

The emergence of a new virus in a community may cause significant overload on health services and may spread out to other communities quickly. Social distancing may help reduce the infection rate within a community and prevent the spread of the virus to other communities. However, social distancing comes at a cost; how to strike a good balance between reduction in infection rate and cost of social distancing may be a challenging problem. In this paper, this problem is formulated as a bi-objective optimization problem. Assuming that in a community-based society interaction links have different capacities, the problem is how to determine link capacity to achieve a good trade-off between infection rate and the costs of social distancing restrictions. A standard epidemic model, Susceptible-Infected-Recovered, is extended to model the spread of a virus in the communities. Two methods are proposed to determine dynamically the extent of contact restriction during a virus outbreak. These methods are evaluated using two synthetic networks; the experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the methods in decreasing both infection rate and social distancing cost compared to naive methods.

Anxiety, insomnia, and depression during COVID-19 lockdown in elite individual and team sport athletes

PURPOSE

Pandemic-induced lockdowns disrupted sport training and competition. We aimed to identify the impact on the mental health of high-level athletes and clarify whether the effects differ for team-based and individual athletes.

METHODS

This cross-sectional survey, stratified by sex and sport type, collected demographic data and mental health measurements from 274 Brazilian high-performance athletes (142 from team sports and 132 from individual sports) involved with the Brazilian Olympic Committee program for the Tokyo Olympics 2021. Depression, disturbed sleep, and anxiety were assessed by the 9-Item Patient Health Questionnaire, 7-Item Insomnia Severity Index, and 7-Item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale respectively. Responses were analyzed dichotomously according to published threshold values, characterizing the relative frequency distribution of prevalence (PCRS) or non-prevalence of clinically relevant symptoms (NPCRS).

RESULTS

Out of all participants, 47 [17.1%], Z(274) = 15.38, p = .001, 32 [11.7%], Z(274) = 17.94, p = .001, and 49 [17.9%], Z(274) = 15.04, p = .001 had PCRS of anxiety, insomnia, and depression, respectively. There were no significant differences in the PCRS among genders. Compared with individual sport athletes, team sport athletes were more likely to report PCRS of insomnia (12 [37.5%] vs 20 [62.5%], Z(274) = -2.00, p = .046), and depression (18 [36.7%] vs 31 [63.3%], Z(274) = -2.63, p = .009) but not for anxiety.

CONCLUSION

Athletes reported high levels of mental health problems during the lockdown. Team sport athletes reported worse symptoms of insomnia and depression than individual sport athletes, possibly due to the impact of unaccustomed social isolation and lack of social team activity. Therefore, it becomes relevant to consider psychological support to team sport athletes who for some reason, such as a pandemic, enduring crisis even injury rehabilitation needs to be isolated.

Evaluation of Non-Pharmacological Measures Implemented in the Management of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Romania

The management of the COVID-19 pandemic in Romania has included the involvement of not only the medical system, but also that of the administrative and social services. All these organizations are working together to lower the impact on the health of the general population, to increase the health system’s response capabilities and even to diminish the negative effects upon the economy due to the epidemic’s length. Therefore, non-pharmacological measures (NPMs) imposed through restrictive measures (administrative, economic and individual) have influenced the evolution of morbidity and mortality. Even from the first months of the pandemic’s progression, researchers have shown the impact of the NPMs’ existence, as there were many studies on all NPMs in conjunction, as well as those targeting specific measures such as school closures. Our study started by establishing a temporal relationship between the non-pharmacological measures found in most countries (wearing a mask, washing hands and physical distancing, limiting economic activities, closing schools, limiting internal and international movement, banning public and private events in closed spaces) and the evolution of the pandemic in Romania. The degree of novelty brought by this study consists of extending the analysis to the pre-existing state of the health system and to the measures meant to increase the resilience of the population, as well as to the measures aimed at reducing the type of risk, and factors that can equally influence the evolution of the number of cases. The results of the statistical analysis show the important effects of certain NPMs (mask mandates, online schooling, decisions regarding imposing or lifting local restrictions) as well as the reduced impact of other measures (hand disinfection, social distancing or the restriction of public and private events). Hence, it can be concluded that during such pandemics, implementing quick, simple measures can prevent the spread of the disease and help fight the contagion in a better manner.

Global Trends and Research Hotspots of Exercise for Intervening Diabetes: A Bibliometric Analysis

Background

Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disease characterized by hyperglycemia that often occurs in adults. Many studies have indicated that exercise is beneficial to the medical management of diabetes. Bibliometric analysis can help investigators to identify the current research concerns to guide future research directions. Nevertheless, the overview bibliometric analysis of this global research topic related to exercise and diabetes is lacking. The present bibliometric study aimed to investigate development trends and research hotspots of exercise and diabetes research and provide researchers with new perspectives in further studies.

Materials and Methods

The articles and reviews regarding exercise and diabetes between 2000 and 2020 were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection. The scientometrics analytical tool CiteSpace software was used to analyze the cooperation among countries/institutions/journals/authors, analysis of co-occurrence keywords, keywords bursts, and references.

Results

In all, 3,029 peer-reviewed papers were found with a persistently increased tendency over time. The most prolific country and institution were the USA (965) and Univ Alberta (76), respectively. Diabetes Care published most papers (178) and was the most co-cited journal (2,630). Riddell MC had the most publications (53), and Sigal RJ was the most influential author (503 cited times). Colberg et al.'s paper (co-citation counts: 183) showed the strongest citation bursts by the end of 2020, which was the most representative reference. The four research focuses were mellitus, exercise, physical activity, and glycemic control. The two frontiers trends were sedentary behavior and stress. The combination of aerobic and resistance training can effectively improve glycemic control, decrease HbA1c levels, enhance cardiorespiratory fitness, improve lipid levels, and decrease the demand for non-insulin antihyperglycemic agents.

Conclusions

This study offers a scientific perspective on exercise and diabetes research and provides investigators with valuable information to detect the current research condition, hotspots, and emerging trends for further study.

Association between mask wearing and anxiety symptoms during the outbreak of COVID 19: A large survey among 386,432 junior and senior high school students in China

AIM

To evaluate the association between mask wearing practice and the risk of anxiety symptoms during the COVID-19 epidemic among Chinese students aged 12-18 years old.

METHODS

Totally, 386,432 junior and senior high school students were recruited using a cluster sampling method across three cities of Henan Province in China during February 4-12, 2020. Mask wearing practice was defined according to its type and the behavior exhibited in relation to wearing a mask. Presence of anxiety symptoms was determined by Generalized Anxiety Disorder tool (GAD-7). Multiple logistic regression was performed to estimate the association between mask wearing and anxiety symptoms.

RESULTS

Among the participants, compared with students who completely adhered to the all the mask wearing practice, students who did not adhere to all the mask wearing practice had 1.97 times more likely to suffer from anxiety symptoms (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 1.97; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.74-2.22). Furthermore, compared with students who did not know the proper type of mask, students who knew the proper type of mask had a lower risk of anxiety symptoms (aOR = 0.78; 95%CI: 0.76-0.80). Students who adhered to proper behavior of mask wearing was associated with 34% decreased odds for anxiety symptoms (aOR = 0.68; 95%CI: 0.62-0.74).

CONCLUSIONS

To conclude, proper mask wearing may be an important attribute that play a significant role in reducing the risk of anxiety symptoms among junior and senior school student. However, since this study is a cross-sectional study, prospective studies are needed to further verify.

Investigating the predicting role of COVID-19 preventive measures on building brand legitimacy in the hospitality industry in Tanzania: mediation effect of perceived brand ethicality

The COVID-19 pandemic undesirably affected the hospitality industry, and therefore, preventive measures have been advocated as crucial when revitalizing or rejuvenating the industry. This study investigated the interplay of predicting role of COVID-19 preventive measures, perceived brand ethicality, and brand legitimacy in the hospitality industry in Tanzania during the period of reviving the industry. Furthermore, the study examines the mediating role of perceived brand ethicality in the relationship between COVID-19 preventive measures and brand legitimacy. Data were collected from a total of 405 customers of hospitality organizations recruited via an on-site survey. Data analyses were done using structural equation modeling. Overall, the results have shown that COVID-19 preventive measures had a direct positive effect on brand legitimacy. Additionally, COVID-19 preventive measures could enhance brand legitimacy indirectly via perceived brand ethicality. The study has significant implications for different hospitality organizations and operators in Tanzania and other countries during post the COVID-19 period.

Effective public health measures to mitigate the spread of COVID-19: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

In December 2019, a novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) was recognized in Wuhan, China. It was characterised by rapid spread causing a pandemic. Multiple public health interventions have been implemented worldwide to decrease the transmission of the 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The objective of this systematic review is to evaluate the implemented public health interventions to control the spread of the outbreak of COVID-19.

METHODS

We systematically searched PubMed, Science Direct and MedRxiv for relevant articles published in English up to March 16, 2021. We included quasi experimental studies, clinical trials, cohort studies, longitudinal studies, case-control studies and interrupted time series. We included the studies that investigated the effect of the implemented public health measures to prevent and control the outbreak of 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

RESULTS

The database search using the predefined combinations of Mesh terms found 13,497 studies of which 3595 in PubMed, 7393 in Science Direct 2509 preprints in MedRxiv. After removal of the duplicates and the critical reading only 18 articles were included in this systematic review and processed for data extraction.

CONCLUSIONS

Public health interventions and non-pharmaceutical measurements were effective in decreasing the transmission of COVID-19. The included studies showed that travel restrictions, borders measures, quarantine of travellers arriving from affected countries, city lockdown, restrictions of mass gathering, isolation and quarantine of confirmed cases and close contacts, social distancing measures, compulsory mask wearing, contact tracing and testing, school closures and personal protective equipment use among health workers were effective in mitigating the spread of COVID-19.

Attitudes and predictive factors of psychological distress and occupational burnout among dentists during COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey

The aim of this study was to evaluate the factors affecting the ability and willingness of dentists to work during the COVID-19 pandemic and the effect of this situation on occupational burnout. A 51-question survey, including demographic and pandemic questions and the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), was used as a data collection method and administered to dentists in Turkey via the internet in two stages. A link to the survey (onlineanketler.com) was sent to the participants by e-mail or social media (WhatsApp©). A total of 442 dentists in the first stage and 264 dentists in the second stage answered the questionnaire. The second stage of the survey only applied to dentists who are assigned within the scope of COVID-19 measures in Turkey. Standard descriptive statistics, the chi-square test, independent samples t test and the Kruskal-Wallis test were used for statistical analysis. Most of the participants showed higher stress levels. Occupational burnout levels of participants according to filiation service (serve/FP, did not serve/FN) were 34.4% and 17.6%, respectively. The FP group showed significantly higher stress levels than the FN group. It is important to consider how these results, collected during an infectious disease epidemic, reflect the effects of psychological distress and burnout on dental staff.

Trial Registration Number and Date of Registration: NCT04605692–10/27/2020.

COVID-19 versus SARS: A comparative review

The two genetically similar severe acute respiratory syndrome coronaviruses, SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2, have each been responsible for global epidemics of vastly different scales. Although both viruses arose from similar origins, they quickly diverged due to differences in their transmission dynamics and spectrum of clinical presentations. The potential involvement of multiple organs systems, including the respiratory, cardiac, gastrointestinal and neurological, during infection necessitates a comprehensive understanding of the clinical pathogenesis of each virus. The management of COVID-19, initially modelled after SARS and other respiratory illnesses, has continued to evolve as we accumulate more knowledge and experience during the pandemic, as well as develop new therapeutics and vaccines. The impact of these two coronaviruses has been profound for our health care and public health systems, and we hope that the lessons learned will not only bring the current pandemic under control, but also prevent and reduce the impact of future pandemics.

Effects of Comorbid Factors on Prognosis of Three Different Geriatric Groups with COVID-19 Diagnosis

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a new zoonotic infectious disease that was first reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) on December 31, 2019, and declared as a pandemic by WHO on March 11, 2020. Due to the increased incidence of multimorbidity in geriatric age groups, COVID-19 disease leads to more severe consequences in the elderly. We aimed to determine the effects of age, comorbidity factors, symptoms, laboratory findings, and radiological results on prognosis by dividing our patients into 3 different geriatric age groups, using a retrospective descriptive analysis method. Patients included in the retrospective study (n = 483) were divided into the following three different geriatric age groups: young-old (65-74 years), middle-aged (75-84 years), and the oldest-elderly (85 years and over).The length of stay in the intensive care unit of the patients between the ages of 75-84 was higher than the other two groups (p = 0.013). Mortality rates were lowest in patients aged 65-74 years (p < 0.001). The rate of ground glass opacity in thorax CT was higher in patients with mortality (p < 0.001). While the rate of COPD-bronchial asthma was higher in surviving patients (p = 0.001), malignancy (p = 0.005) and cerebrovascular disease (p < 0.001) were higher in patients who died. Patients aged between 75 and 84 (OR: 2.602; 95% CI: 1.306-5.183; p = 0.007) or ≥ 85 (OR: 4.086; 95% CI: 1.687-9.9; p = 0.002) had higher risk for mortality compared to patients aged between 65 and 74. The lowest mortality rates were observed in patients aged 65-74 years. Among the supportive diagnostic methods in 3 different geriatric age groups, PCR positivity has no effect on mortality, while the ground glass opacity on tomography is closely related to the need for intensive care and increased mortality. In patients with COPD-bronchial asthma comorbidity and those with symptoms of fatigue, dry cough, and sore throat, transfer to intensive care and mortality rates were lower, while patients who were transferred to intensive care and who developed mortality had higher malignancy and cerebrovascular disease comorbidities and dyspnea symptoms.

rRT-PCR Results of a Covid-19 Diagnosed Geriatric Patient

In this study, we aimed to present a geriatric patient with the diagnosis of COVID-19 and with contradictory results in rRT-PCR examinations in short time intervals. A 69-year-old male patient was admitted to the emergency room on the 18th day of May 2020, with the complaints of fever, sweating, myalgia, dry cough that continued for 5 days, and the lack of taste that started on the day he applied to the emergency room. Comorbidity factors include diabetes mellitus, bronchial asthma, and hypertension. The patient has a history of 36 years of smoking 1.5 packs per day. High laboratory findings during hospitalization: monocytes, creatinine, CRP (C-reactive protein). In the thorax CT, in the parenchyma areas of both lungs, there are increases in attenuation with multilobe distributions (more visible at the level of the upper lobes) in the form of ground-glass opacities. May 19, 2020, was subjected to the rRT-PCR test, repeated twice on the 19th of May which also resulted in positive. Despite rRT-PCR tests, which were negative on 27th of May and positive on 28th of May, the patient, whose symptoms disappeared, and general condition improved, was discharged on June 1, 2020, with the recommendation for home isolation. In our case, unlike the incubation period only, we encountered a negative rRT-PCR result on the 8th day after diagnosis. Therefore, the COVID-19 pandemic control and filiation evaluation with the rRT-PCR test may produce false negative results.