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  • Open Access English
    Authors: 
    Kannan Govindan; Hassan Mina; Behrouz Alavi;
    Country: Denmark

    The disasters caused by epidemic outbreaks is different from other disasters due to two specific features: their long-term disruption and their increasing propagation. Not controlling such disasters brings about severe disruptions in the supply chains and communities and, thereby, irreparable losses will come into play. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is one of these disasters that has caused severe disruptions across the world and in many supply chains, particularly in the healthcare supply chain. Therefore, this paper, for the first time, develops a practical decision support system based on physicians' knowledge and fuzzy inference system (FIS) in order to help with the demand management in the healthcare supply chain, to reduce stress in the community, to break down the COVID-19 propagation chain, and, generally, to mitigate the epidemic outbreaks for healthcare supply chain disruptions. This approach first divides community residents into four groups based on the risk level of their immune system (namely, very sensitive, sensitive, slightly sensitive, and normal) and by two indicators of age and pre-existing diseases (such as diabetes, heart problems, or high blood pressure). Then, these individuals are classified and are required to observe the regulations of their class. Finally, the efficiency of the proposed approach was measured in the real world using the information from four users and the results showed the effectiveness and accuracy of the proposed approach. Highlights • Developed a practical decision support system for COVID-19 healthcare supply chain. • Grouped people and provided an independent classification method for each group. • Evaluated the efficiency of the proposed approach using real-world data.

  • Open Access English
    Authors: 
    Manuel Fernández Cruz; José Álvarez Rodríguez; Inmaculada Ávalos Ruiz; Mercedes Cuevas López; Claudia de Barros Camargo; Francisco Díaz Rosas; Esther González Castellón; Daniel González González; Antonio Hernández Fernández; Pilar Ibáñez Cubillas; +1 more
    Publisher: FRONTIERS MEDIA SA
    Country: Spain

    Background: In a situation of compulsory home isolation enacted by governments at the spreading of the Covid-19 pandemic, the emotional health and well-being of students became a key factor in the successful implementation of distance teaching methodologies in face-to-face education universities. Psychological well-being, an essential factor in preventing academic failure, has been threatened in this serious situation of unprecedented and stressful isolation. The aim of this study is to analyze the students’ cognitive-emotional regulation as well as their beliefs and perceptions about the pandemic and this lockdown situation. With this extensive study we are carrying out, want to describe the extent to which the lockdown situation is a risk factor, and, in the future, make proposals for preventive and palliative actions, if necessary, to minimize this potential risk. Method: We applied the CERQ Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire by means of an online application together with a questionnaire, CC/covid-19, of objective description and subjective perception of the lockdown situation of the students, their conditions to study, general opinions about the pandemic and specific opinions about the real possibilities of implementing online education in the middle of the academic year at the university. 1910 valid responses from more than 80 universities in 13 different Spanish-speaking countries were obtained and submitted to descriptive analysis and modeling using structural equations. Results: Most of them consider that the lockdown decision is correct, that health systems are not prepared to deal with the pandemic, and that although the universities have adequate means, the teaching staff is not competent to implement online teaching methodologies. They have a good perception of the conditions of isolation, however, the time devoted to studying has not increased. One of the results of our study is the students’ self-evaluation about their digital competence and their capacity to perform in online interactive communication. This is key to rejecting a feeling of loneliness or social isolation, even if there is momentary physical separation with friends and classmates which is consistent with the results of emotional well-being the surveyed students present. The cognitive strategies used by the students surveyed have allowed them coping with events arising from the pandemic, mandatory isolation and university closure, certainly adaptive and functional, while maintaining a positive perception of their new living and learning situation. FEDER/Junta de AndaluciaConsejeria de Economia y Conocimiento/Proyecto B-SEJ-516-UGR18

  • Open Access
    Authors: 
    Sofie Rosenlund Lau; Nanna Hauge Kristensen; Bjarke Oxlund;
    Publisher: University Library System, University of Pittsburgh
    Country: Denmark

    n/a

  • Open Access English
    Authors: 
    R. Talotta; Shervin Bahrami; Magdalena Janina Laska;

    OBJECTIVES: To investigate in silico the presence of nucleotide sequence complementarity between the RNA genome of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoronaVirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) and human non-coding (nc)RNA genes.METHODS: The FASTA sequence (NC_045512.2) of each of the 11 SARS-CoV-2 isolate Wuhan-Hu-1 genes was retrieved from NCBI.nlm.nih.gov/gene and the Ensembl.org library interrogated for any base-pair match with human ncRNA genes. SARS-CoV-2 gene-matched human ncRNAs were screened for functional activity using bioinformatic analysis. Finally, associations between identified ncRNAs and human diseases were searched in GWAS databases.RESULTS: A total of 252 matches were found between the nucleotide sequence of SARS-CoV-2 genes and human ncRNAs. With the exception of two small nuclear RNAs, all of them were long non-coding (lnc)RNAs expressed mainly in testis and central nervous system under physiological conditions. The percentage of alignment ranged from 91.30% to 100% with a mean nucleotide alignment length of 17.5 ± 2.4. Thirty-three (13.9%) of them contained predicted R-loop forming sequences, but none of these intersected the complementary sequences of SARS-CoV-2. However, in 31 cases matches fell on ncRNA regulatory sites, whose adjacent coding genes are mostly involved in cancer, immunological and neurological pathways. Similarly, several polymorphic variants of detected non-coding genes have been associated with neuropsychiatric and proliferative disorders.CONCLUSION: This pivotal in silico study shows that SARS-CoV-2 genes have Watson-Crick nucleotide complementarity to human ncRNA sequences, potentially disrupting ncRNA epigenetic control of target genes. It remains to be elucidated whether this could result in the development of human disease in the long term.

  • Open Access
    Authors: 
    Bente Olesen; Thomas Arn Hansen; Vivian Møller Hansen; Helene Bjergegaard Gyrup; Tina Marloth; Lene Nielsen;
    Publisher: Elsevier BV
  • Open Access
    Authors: 
    Vermeulen, Nathalie; Hambartsoumian, Eduard; Nouri, Kazem; Ebner, Thomas; Wyns, Christine; Verheyen, Greta; Petrovskaya, Elena; Vujnic, Sasha; Sibincic, Sanja; Nikolov, Gueorgui; +78 more
    Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
    Countries: Turkey, Finland, Spain, Denmark, Malta

    Study question: how did coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) impact on medically assisted reproduction (MAR) services in Europe during the COVID-19 pandemic (March to May 2020)? Summary answer: MAR services, and hence treatments for infertile couples, were stopped in most European countries for a mean of 7 weeks. What is known already: with the outbreak of COVID-19 in Europe, non-urgent medical care was reduced by local authorities to preserve health resources and maintain social distancing. Furthermore, ESHRE and other societies recommended to postpone ART pregnancies as of 14 March 2020. Study design size duration: a structured questionnaire was distributed in April among the ESHRE Committee of National Representatives, followed by further information collection through email. Participants/materials setting methods: the information was collected through the questionnaire and afterwards summarised and aligned with data from the European Centre for Disease Control on the number of COVID-19 cases per country. Main results and the role of chance: by aligning the data for each country with respective epidemiological data, we show a large variation in the time and the phase in the epidemic in the curve when MAR/ART treatments were suspended and restarted. Similarly, the duration of interruption varied. Fertility preservation treatments and patient supportive care for patients remained available during the pandemic. Large scale data: N/A. Limitations reasons for caution: data collection was prone to misinterpretation of the questions and replies, and required further follow-up to check the accuracy. Some representatives reported that they, themselves, were not always aware of the situation throughout the country or reported difficulties with providing single generalised replies, for instance when there were regional differences within their country. Wider implications of the findings: the current article provides a basis for further research of the different strategies developed in response to the COVID-19 crisis. Such conclusions will be invaluable for health authorities and healthcare professionals with respect to future similar situations. Study funding/competing interests: there was no funding for the study, apart from technical support from ESHRE. The authors had no COI to disclose. NA

  • Open Access English
    Authors: 
    Mclean, K A; Kamarajah, S K; Chaudhry, D; Gujjuri, R R; Raubenheimer, K; Trout, I; Al Ameer, E; Creagh-Brown, B; Harrison, E M; Nepogodiev, D; +190 more
    Countries: Netherlands, Italy, Italy, Finland, United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, France, Italy, Italy ...

    Association of Surgeons in Training Surgical Summit, online, 17 Oct 2020 - 17 Oct 2020 2021 Virtual Annual Meeting / Surgical Research Society, online, 24 Mar 2021 - 25 Mar 2021, National Research Collaborative Meeting, online, 10 Dec 2020 - 10 Dec 2020, Royal Australasian College of Surgeons Annual Academic Surgery Conference, online, 5 Nov 2020 - 5 Nov 2020; The British journal of surgery : BJS 108(12), 1448-1464 (2021). doi:10.1093/bjs/znab336 Published by Wiley, New York, NY [u.a.]

  • Open Access
    Authors: 
    John Broughan; Geoff McCombe; Jayleigh Lim; Donal O'Keeffe; Katherine Brown; Mary Clarke; Ciaran Corcoran; David Hanlon; Ned Kelly; John Lyne; +7 more
    Publisher: Wiley

    AIM: Early intervention for people experiencing first episode psychosis is a priority, and keyworkers are vital to such services. However, keyworkers' roles in addressing first episode psychosis patients' physical health are under researched. This study addresses this knowledge gap by evaluating a keyworker-mediated intervention promoting physical health among first episode psychosis patients. METHODS: The study was informed by the Medical Research Council's Framework for Complex Interventions to Improve Health. First episode psychosis participants were recruited from three Irish mental health services. The intervention was evaluated in terms of its feasibility/acceptability. RESULTS: Feasibility outcomes were mixed (recruitment rate = 24/68 [35.3%]; retention rate = 18/24 [75%]). The baseline sample was predominantly male (M:F ratio = 13:6; Med age = 25 y; IQR = 23-42 y). Common health issues among participants included overweightness/obesity (n = 11) and substance use (smoking/alcohol consumption [n = 19]). Participants' initial health priorities included exercising more (n = 10), improving diet (n = 6), weight loss (n = 7) and using various health/healthcare services. The intervention's acceptability was evidenced by the appreciation participants had for physical health keyworkers' support, as well as the healthy lifestyle, which the intervention promoted. Acceptability was somewhat compromised by a low-recruitment rate, variable linkages between keyworkers and general practitioners (GPs) and COVID-19 restrictions. CONCLUSIONS: Physical health-oriented keyworker interventions for first episode psychosis patients show promise and further evaluation of such initiatives is warranted. Future interventions should be mindful of participant recruitment challenges, strategies to enhance relationships between keyworkers and GPs, and if necessary, they should mitigate COVID-19 restrictions' impacts on care.

  • Open Access English
    Authors: 
    Wenbing Liu; Li Liu; Chunwen Xu; Linzhi Fu; Yi Wang; Peter Nielsen; Chen Zhang;
    Country: Denmark

    In the context of COVID-19, new requirements are occurring in ventilation systems to mitigate airborne transmission risk in indoor environment. Personalized ventilation (PV) which directly delivers clean air to the occupant’s breathing zone is considered as a promising solution. To explore the potentials of PV in preventing the spread of infectious aerosols between closely ranged occupants, experiments were conducted with two breathing thermal manikins with three different relative orientations. Nebulized aerosols were used to mimic exhaled droplets transmitted between the occupants. Four risk assessment models were applied to evaluate the exposure or infection risk affected by PV with different operation modes. Results show that PV was effective in reducing the user’s infection risk compared with mixing ventilation alone. Relative orientations and operation modes of PV significantly affected its performance in airborne risk control. The infection risk of SARS-CoV-2 was reduced by 65% with PV of 9 L/s after an exposure duration of 2 h back-to-back as assessed by the dose–response model, indicating effective protection effect of PV against airborne transmission. While the side-by-side orientation was found to be the most critical condition for PV in airborne risk control as it would accelerate diffusion of infectious droplets in lateral diffusion to occupants by side. Optimal designs of PV for closely ranged occupants were hereby discussed. The four risk assessment models were compared and validated by experiments with PV, implying basically consistent rules of the predicted risk with PV among the four models. The relevance and applicability of these models were discussed to provide a basis for risk assessment with non-uniformly distributed pathogens indoor. Graphical abstract

  • Open Access
    Authors: 
    Evangelos J. Giamarellos-Bourboulis; Vincenzo Bettoli; Gregor B.E. Jemec; Véronique Del Marmol; Angelo V. Marzano; Errol P. Prens; Thrasyvoulos Tzellos; Christos C. Zouboulis;
    Publisher: Wiley
    Country: Netherlands

    Abstract The reported incidence of COVID‐19 among cohorts of patients with inflammatory bowel and skin diseases under treatment with biologicals is low. Treatment may further modify disease severity as some biological modifiers, such as anakinra, are also proposed for the management of COVID‐19 patients potentially providing HS patients with an advantage. The above preliminary evidence suggests that hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) does probably not provide an increased susceptibility for COVID‐19 and that any susceptibility is unlikely to be modified negatively by treatment with biologicals. On the occasion of its 10th International Conference, experts of the European Hidradenitis Suppurativa Foundation e.V. have prepared a consensus statement regarding anti‐COVID‐19 measurements for HS patients. Based on the available knowledge, patients with HS may be vaccinated against SARS‐CoV2 and patients affected by metabolic syndrome constitute a high‐risk group for COVID‐19 and should be vaccinated at the earliest convenient point in time. HS patients on treatment with adalimumab can be vaccinated with non‐living virus anti‐SARS‐CoV2 vaccines. A possible suboptimal effect of the vaccine may be suspected but might not be expected universally. The management of the biological treatment in HS patients is at the discretion of the dermatologist / responsible physician.

Advanced search in Research products
Research products
arrow_drop_down
Searching FieldsTerms
Any field
arrow_drop_down
includes
arrow_drop_down
Include:
The following results are related to COVID-19. Are you interested to view more results? Visit OpenAIRE - Explore.
2,777 Research products, page 1 of 278
  • Open Access English
    Authors: 
    Kannan Govindan; Hassan Mina; Behrouz Alavi;
    Country: Denmark

    The disasters caused by epidemic outbreaks is different from other disasters due to two specific features: their long-term disruption and their increasing propagation. Not controlling such disasters brings about severe disruptions in the supply chains and communities and, thereby, irreparable losses will come into play. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is one of these disasters that has caused severe disruptions across the world and in many supply chains, particularly in the healthcare supply chain. Therefore, this paper, for the first time, develops a practical decision support system based on physicians' knowledge and fuzzy inference system (FIS) in order to help with the demand management in the healthcare supply chain, to reduce stress in the community, to break down the COVID-19 propagation chain, and, generally, to mitigate the epidemic outbreaks for healthcare supply chain disruptions. This approach first divides community residents into four groups based on the risk level of their immune system (namely, very sensitive, sensitive, slightly sensitive, and normal) and by two indicators of age and pre-existing diseases (such as diabetes, heart problems, or high blood pressure). Then, these individuals are classified and are required to observe the regulations of their class. Finally, the efficiency of the proposed approach was measured in the real world using the information from four users and the results showed the effectiveness and accuracy of the proposed approach. Highlights • Developed a practical decision support system for COVID-19 healthcare supply chain. • Grouped people and provided an independent classification method for each group. • Evaluated the efficiency of the proposed approach using real-world data.

  • Open Access English
    Authors: 
    Manuel Fernández Cruz; José Álvarez Rodríguez; Inmaculada Ávalos Ruiz; Mercedes Cuevas López; Claudia de Barros Camargo; Francisco Díaz Rosas; Esther González Castellón; Daniel González González; Antonio Hernández Fernández; Pilar Ibáñez Cubillas; +1 more
    Publisher: FRONTIERS MEDIA SA
    Country: Spain

    Background: In a situation of compulsory home isolation enacted by governments at the spreading of the Covid-19 pandemic, the emotional health and well-being of students became a key factor in the successful implementation of distance teaching methodologies in face-to-face education universities. Psychological well-being, an essential factor in preventing academic failure, has been threatened in this serious situation of unprecedented and stressful isolation. The aim of this study is to analyze the students’ cognitive-emotional regulation as well as their beliefs and perceptions about the pandemic and this lockdown situation. With this extensive study we are carrying out, want to describe the extent to which the lockdown situation is a risk factor, and, in the future, make proposals for preventive and palliative actions, if necessary, to minimize this potential risk. Method: We applied the CERQ Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire by means of an online application together with a questionnaire, CC/covid-19, of objective description and subjective perception of the lockdown situation of the students, their conditions to study, general opinions about the pandemic and specific opinions about the real possibilities of implementing online education in the middle of the academic year at the university. 1910 valid responses from more than 80 universities in 13 different Spanish-speaking countries were obtained and submitted to descriptive analysis and modeling using structural equations. Results: Most of them consider that the lockdown decision is correct, that health systems are not prepared to deal with the pandemic, and that although the universities have adequate means, the teaching staff is not competent to implement online teaching methodologies. They have a good perception of the conditions of isolation, however, the time devoted to studying has not increased. One of the results of our study is the students’ self-evaluation about their digital competence and their capacity to perform in online interactive communication. This is key to rejecting a feeling of loneliness or social isolation, even if there is momentary physical separation with friends and classmates which is consistent with the results of emotional well-being the surveyed students present. The cognitive strategies used by the students surveyed have allowed them coping with events arising from the pandemic, mandatory isolation and university closure, certainly adaptive and functional, while maintaining a positive perception of their new living and learning situation. FEDER/Junta de AndaluciaConsejeria de Economia y Conocimiento/Proyecto B-SEJ-516-UGR18

  • Open Access
    Authors: 
    Sofie Rosenlund Lau; Nanna Hauge Kristensen; Bjarke Oxlund;
    Publisher: University Library System, University of Pittsburgh
    Country: Denmark

    n/a

  • Open Access English
    Authors: 
    R. Talotta; Shervin Bahrami; Magdalena Janina Laska;

    OBJECTIVES: To investigate in silico the presence of nucleotide sequence complementarity between the RNA genome of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoronaVirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) and human non-coding (nc)RNA genes.METHODS: The FASTA sequence (NC_045512.2) of each of the 11 SARS-CoV-2 isolate Wuhan-Hu-1 genes was retrieved from NCBI.nlm.nih.gov/gene and the Ensembl.org library interrogated for any base-pair match with human ncRNA genes. SARS-CoV-2 gene-matched human ncRNAs were screened for functional activity using bioinformatic analysis. Finally, associations between identified ncRNAs and human diseases were searched in GWAS databases.RESULTS: A total of 252 matches were found between the nucleotide sequence of SARS-CoV-2 genes and human ncRNAs. With the exception of two small nuclear RNAs, all of them were long non-coding (lnc)RNAs expressed mainly in testis and central nervous system under physiological conditions. The percentage of alignment ranged from 91.30% to 100% with a mean nucleotide alignment length of 17.5 ± 2.4. Thirty-three (13.9%) of them contained predicted R-loop forming sequences, but none of these intersected the complementary sequences of SARS-CoV-2. However, in 31 cases matches fell on ncRNA regulatory sites, whose adjacent coding genes are mostly involved in cancer, immunological and neurological pathways. Similarly, several polymorphic variants of detected non-coding genes have been associated with neuropsychiatric and proliferative disorders.CONCLUSION: This pivotal in silico study shows that SARS-CoV-2 genes have Watson-Crick nucleotide complementarity to human ncRNA sequences, potentially disrupting ncRNA epigenetic control of target genes. It remains to be elucidated whether this could result in the development of human disease in the long term.

  • Open Access
    Authors: 
    Bente Olesen; Thomas Arn Hansen; Vivian Møller Hansen; Helene Bjergegaard Gyrup; Tina Marloth; Lene Nielsen;
    Publisher: Elsevier BV
  • Open Access
    Authors: 
    Vermeulen, Nathalie; Hambartsoumian, Eduard; Nouri, Kazem; Ebner, Thomas; Wyns, Christine; Verheyen, Greta; Petrovskaya, Elena; Vujnic, Sasha; Sibincic, Sanja; Nikolov, Gueorgui; +78 more
    Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
    Countries: Turkey, Finland, Spain, Denmark, Malta

    Study question: how did coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) impact on medically assisted reproduction (MAR) services in Europe during the COVID-19 pandemic (March to May 2020)? Summary answer: MAR services, and hence treatments for infertile couples, were stopped in most European countries for a mean of 7 weeks. What is known already: with the outbreak of COVID-19 in Europe, non-urgent medical care was reduced by local authorities to preserve health resources and maintain social distancing. Furthermore, ESHRE and other societies recommended to postpone ART pregnancies as of 14 March 2020. Study design size duration: a structured questionnaire was distributed in April among the ESHRE Committee of National Representatives, followed by further information collection through email. Participants/materials setting methods: the information was collected through the questionnaire and afterwards summarised and aligned with data from the European Centre for Disease Control on the number of COVID-19 cases per country. Main results and the role of chance: by aligning the data for each country with respective epidemiological data, we show a large variation in the time and the phase in the epidemic in the curve when MAR/ART treatments were suspended and restarted. Similarly, the duration of interruption varied. Fertility preservation treatments and patient supportive care for patients remained available during the pandemic. Large scale data: N/A. Limitations reasons for caution: data collection was prone to misinterpretation of the questions and replies, and required further follow-up to check the accuracy. Some representatives reported that they, themselves, were not always aware of the situation throughout the country or reported difficulties with providing single generalised replies, for instance when there were regional differences within their country. Wider implications of the findings: the current article provides a basis for further research of the different strategies developed in response to the COVID-19 crisis. Such conclusions will be invaluable for health authorities and healthcare professionals with respect to future similar situations. Study funding/competing interests: there was no funding for the study, apart from technical support from ESHRE. The authors had no COI to disclose. NA

  • Open Access English
    Authors: 
    Mclean, K A; Kamarajah, S K; Chaudhry, D; Gujjuri, R R; Raubenheimer, K; Trout, I; Al Ameer, E; Creagh-Brown, B; Harrison, E M; Nepogodiev, D; +190 more
    Countries: Netherlands, Italy, Italy, Finland, United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, France, Italy, Italy ...

    Association of Surgeons in Training Surgical Summit, online, 17 Oct 2020 - 17 Oct 2020 2021 Virtual Annual Meeting / Surgical Research Society, online, 24 Mar 2021 - 25 Mar 2021, National Research Collaborative Meeting, online, 10 Dec 2020 - 10 Dec 2020, Royal Australasian College of Surgeons Annual Academic Surgery Conference, online, 5 Nov 2020 - 5 Nov 2020; The British journal of surgery : BJS 108(12), 1448-1464 (2021). doi:10.1093/bjs/znab336 Published by Wiley, New York, NY [u.a.]

  • Open Access
    Authors: 
    John Broughan; Geoff McCombe; Jayleigh Lim; Donal O'Keeffe; Katherine Brown; Mary Clarke; Ciaran Corcoran; David Hanlon; Ned Kelly; John Lyne; +7 more
    Publisher: Wiley

    AIM: Early intervention for people experiencing first episode psychosis is a priority, and keyworkers are vital to such services. However, keyworkers' roles in addressing first episode psychosis patients' physical health are under researched. This study addresses this knowledge gap by evaluating a keyworker-mediated intervention promoting physical health among first episode psychosis patients. METHODS: The study was informed by the Medical Research Council's Framework for Complex Interventions to Improve Health. First episode psychosis participants were recruited from three Irish mental health services. The intervention was evaluated in terms of its feasibility/acceptability. RESULTS: Feasibility outcomes were mixed (recruitment rate = 24/68 [35.3%]; retention rate = 18/24 [75%]). The baseline sample was predominantly male (M:F ratio = 13:6; Med age = 25 y; IQR = 23-42 y). Common health issues among participants included overweightness/obesity (n = 11) and substance use (smoking/alcohol consumption [n = 19]). Participants' initial health priorities included exercising more (n = 10), improving diet (n = 6), weight loss (n = 7) and using various health/healthcare services. The intervention's acceptability was evidenced by the appreciation participants had for physical health keyworkers' support, as well as the healthy lifestyle, which the intervention promoted. Acceptability was somewhat compromised by a low-recruitment rate, variable linkages between keyworkers and general practitioners (GPs) and COVID-19 restrictions. CONCLUSIONS: Physical health-oriented keyworker interventions for first episode psychosis patients show promise and further evaluation of such initiatives is warranted. Future interventions should be mindful of participant recruitment challenges, strategies to enhance relationships between keyworkers and GPs, and if necessary, they should mitigate COVID-19 restrictions' impacts on care.

  • Open Access English
    Authors: 
    Wenbing Liu; Li Liu; Chunwen Xu; Linzhi Fu; Yi Wang; Peter Nielsen; Chen Zhang;
    Country: Denmark

    In the context of COVID-19, new requirements are occurring in ventilation systems to mitigate airborne transmission risk in indoor environment. Personalized ventilation (PV) which directly delivers clean air to the occupant’s breathing zone is considered as a promising solution. To explore the potentials of PV in preventing the spread of infectious aerosols between closely ranged occupants, experiments were conducted with two breathing thermal manikins with three different relative orientations. Nebulized aerosols were used to mimic exhaled droplets transmitted between the occupants. Four risk assessment models were applied to evaluate the exposure or infection risk affected by PV with different operation modes. Results show that PV was effective in reducing the user’s infection risk compared with mixing ventilation alone. Relative orientations and operation modes of PV significantly affected its performance in airborne risk control. The infection risk of SARS-CoV-2 was reduced by 65% with PV of 9 L/s after an exposure duration of 2 h back-to-back as assessed by the dose–response model, indicating effective protection effect of PV against airborne transmission. While the side-by-side orientation was found to be the most critical condition for PV in airborne risk control as it would accelerate diffusion of infectious droplets in lateral diffusion to occupants by side. Optimal designs of PV for closely ranged occupants were hereby discussed. The four risk assessment models were compared and validated by experiments with PV, implying basically consistent rules of the predicted risk with PV among the four models. The relevance and applicability of these models were discussed to provide a basis for risk assessment with non-uniformly distributed pathogens indoor. Graphical abstract

  • Open Access
    Authors: 
    Evangelos J. Giamarellos-Bourboulis; Vincenzo Bettoli; Gregor B.E. Jemec; Véronique Del Marmol; Angelo V. Marzano; Errol P. Prens; Thrasyvoulos Tzellos; Christos C. Zouboulis;
    Publisher: Wiley
    Country: Netherlands

    Abstract The reported incidence of COVID‐19 among cohorts of patients with inflammatory bowel and skin diseases under treatment with biologicals is low. Treatment may further modify disease severity as some biological modifiers, such as anakinra, are also proposed for the management of COVID‐19 patients potentially providing HS patients with an advantage. The above preliminary evidence suggests that hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) does probably not provide an increased susceptibility for COVID‐19 and that any susceptibility is unlikely to be modified negatively by treatment with biologicals. On the occasion of its 10th International Conference, experts of the European Hidradenitis Suppurativa Foundation e.V. have prepared a consensus statement regarding anti‐COVID‐19 measurements for HS patients. Based on the available knowledge, patients with HS may be vaccinated against SARS‐CoV2 and patients affected by metabolic syndrome constitute a high‐risk group for COVID‐19 and should be vaccinated at the earliest convenient point in time. HS patients on treatment with adalimumab can be vaccinated with non‐living virus anti‐SARS‐CoV2 vaccines. A possible suboptimal effect of the vaccine may be suspected but might not be expected universally. The management of the biological treatment in HS patients is at the discretion of the dermatologist / responsible physician.