Journal of Infection and Public Health最新文献

{"title":"Comparison of the therapeutic effect of Paxlovid and Azvudine in the treatment of COVID-19: A retrospective study","authors":"Wei Yang ,&nbsp;Weiting Zhang ,&nbsp;Jing Zhou ,&nbsp;Xinyue Ma ,&nbsp;Changsong Wang ,&nbsp;Mingyan Zhao ,&nbsp;Kaijiang Yu","doi":"10.1016/j.jiph.2024.102583","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jiph.2024.102583","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>COVID-19 pneumonia has spread across China and globally since late 2019, becoming a pandemic. Its extremely contagious nature as well as high morbidity and mortality rates have attracted widespread attention globally. For the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia, two commonly used antiviral drugs in the clinic are nirmatrelvir/ritonavir(Paxlovid) and Azvudine, while the therapeutic efficacy of the two drugs and their impact on patient prognosis remain inconclusive. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate the effects of two antiviral drugs, Azvudine and Paxlovid, on the disease development and prognosis of patients with COVID-19.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>This study collected and analyzed in Inner Mongolia hospital treated 267 cases of COVID - 19 patients. According to the use of antiviral medications, the participants in this experiment were split into the Azvudine and Paxlovid groups. The effectiveness of the medications was evaluated using the length of hospitalization, Nucleic acid into negative time for the first time, and laboratory indices such as total protein, lymphocytes, leukocytes, albumin, creatinine, and platelets.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Compared with the Azvudine group, patients in the Paxlovid group had a shorter recovery time, a higher degree of rise in lymphocytes, a faster recovery of the immune system, a lower rise in creatinine, and a lesser renal burden, but patients in the Paxlovid group had a greater decrease in total protein.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>In assessing patient conditions for treatment selection, Paxlovid may be preferable for individuals with renal insufficiency or those exhibiting compromised immune responses. Conversely, for patients experiencing malnutrition or cirrhotic hypoproteinemia, Azvudine could be considered to mitigate the reduction in protein levels.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16087,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Infection and Public Health","volume":"17 12","pages":"Article 102583"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2024-10-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142579122","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Molecular investigation of Coxiella burnetii, Brucella spp., Ehrlichia spp., and Borrelia spp. among patients suspected of having Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever in Iran","authors":"Safoura Moradkasani ,&nbsp;Mina Latifian ,&nbsp;Mostafa Salehi-Vaziri ,&nbsp;Fahimeh Bagheri Amiri ,&nbsp;Ehsan Mostafavi ,&nbsp;Ahmad Ghasemi ,&nbsp;Saber Esmaeili","doi":"10.1016/j.jiph.2024.102582","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jiph.2024.102582","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objectives</h3><div>Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) is a tick-borne zoonotic viral disease that could be a public health concern. The overlapping of clinical symptoms of some acute bacterial febrile diseases with CCHF is of importance for clinical diagnosis. This study aimed to molecularly examination of <em>Brucella</em>, <em>Coxiella burnetii</em>, <em>Borrelia</em>, and <em>Ehrlichia</em> infections among individuals suspected of CCHF in Iran.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>In this study, 260 serum samples of suspected cases of CCHF with definitively negative laboratory test results for CCHF virus infection, were examined for <em>Brucella</em> spp., <em>Coxiella burnetii</em>, <em>Borrelia</em> spp., and <em>Ehrlichia</em> spp. by Real-time PCR.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>According to the results, 3.46 % and 3.07 % of the patients were positive for brucellosis and Q fever, respectively. Notably, no cases of borreliosis or ehrlichiosis were detected. Among the positive cases for brucellosis (N = 9), three cases were identified as <em>Brucella abortus</em> infection. Individuals under the age of 43 displayed a significantly higher positivity rate for Q fever (p &lt; 0.01). Furthermore, patients presenting with chills had a 5.81-fold increased likelihood of being infected with Q fever (95 % CI: 1.39–24.26) compared to those without chills. Notably, no other variables demonstrated a statistically significant association with Q fever infection.</div></div><div><h3>Discussion and conclusions</h3><div>The results of this study showed that bacterial infections such as Q fever and brucellosis should be considered as differential diagnoses of CCHF. It is recommended that other bacterial infections that can cause early clinical symptoms similar to CCHF should also be taken into consideration in future studies and serological and molecular investigations of these infections should be tested on a wide scale.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16087,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Infection and Public Health","volume":"17 12","pages":"Article 102582"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2024-10-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142621991","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Risk of admission requirement among children with respiratory infection in the post-COVID-19 pandemic era","authors":"Takahiro Mori ,&nbsp;Taito Kitano ,&nbsp;Daisuke Kitagawa ,&nbsp;Masayuki Murata ,&nbsp;Mai Onishi ,&nbsp;Soshi Hachisuka ,&nbsp;Tenshin Okubo ,&nbsp;Naohiro Yamamoto ,&nbsp;Hiroki Nishikawa ,&nbsp;Masayuki Onaka ,&nbsp;Rika Suzuki ,&nbsp;Madoka Sekine ,&nbsp;Soma Suzuki ,&nbsp;Fumihiko Nakamura ,&nbsp;Sayaka Yoshida","doi":"10.1016/j.jiph.2024.102570","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jiph.2024.102570","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>To evaluate the effect of the type and codetection of respiratory viruses on admission requirements among children with respiratory infections in the post-COVID-19 pandemic era.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>In this retrospective study, we analyzed patients with acute respiratory symptoms using FilmArray® Respiratory Panel between December 2020 and March 2024. The viruses were classified into eight groups: adenovirus, seasonal coronavirus, human metapneumovirus, human rhinovirus/enterovirus, influenza virus, parainfluenza virus, respiratory syncytial virus, and severe acute respiratory virus coronavirus-2. The impact of the detected viral groups and viral codetection on hospitalization rates were examined using multivariable regression analysis in three pediatric age groups (&lt;2 years, 2–4 years, and 5–17 years).</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>A total of 4684 tests were performed, of which 3555 (75.9 %) tested positive for at least one respiratory virus and negative for atypical bacteria. Of these, 946 (26.6 %) were hospitalized. Multivariable regression analyses showed that respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection was associated with hospitalization requirement among young children (adjusted odds ratios (aOR) 2.46 [1.65–3.67], <em>p</em> &lt; 0.001 in &lt; 2 years, and 1.34 [1.02–2.30], <em>p</em> = 0.042 in 2–4 years). Influenza (aOR 0.23 [0.07–0.83], <em>p</em> = 0.025) and SARS-CoV-2 (aOR 0.39 [0.22–0.69], <em>p</em> = 0.001) were negatively correlated with hospitalization among children younger than 2 years. Viral codetection was not significantly associated with hospitalization in any pediatric age group.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>RSV infection was associated with a higher risk of hospitalization in children younger than 5 years than other respiratory viruses. These results highlight the importance of preventive measures against RSV infections, including maternal vaccination and childhood immunization.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16087,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Infection and Public Health","volume":"17 12","pages":"Article 102570"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2024-10-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142554485","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Characterization of COVID-19 infected pregnant women with ICU admission and the risk of preterm: A cluster analysis","authors":"Antonio Sarria-Santamera ,&nbsp;Nurly Kapashova ,&nbsp;Radmir Sarsenov ,&nbsp;Kymbat Mukhtarova ,&nbsp;Aigerim Sipenova ,&nbsp;Milan Terzic ,&nbsp;Gauri Bapayeva ,&nbsp;Asselzhan Sarbalina ,&nbsp;Saule Zhumambayeva ,&nbsp;Kamalzhan Nadyrov ,&nbsp;Karina Tazhibayeva ,&nbsp;Kulyash K. Jaxalykova ,&nbsp;Aigul Myrzabekova ,&nbsp;Zaituna Khamidullina","doi":"10.1016/j.jiph.2024.102572","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jiph.2024.102572","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>The unique physiological changes during pregnancy present challenges in understanding the full scope and effects of COVID-19 on pregnant women, adding complexity to their medical management. Given the significant changes in the immune, circulatory, respiratory, and hormonal systems during the progression of the pregnancy, and the specific factors with higher risk of COVID-19, like metabolic, vascular, and endothelial factors, typically also associated with maternal and neonatal unfavorable outcomes, the full understanding of how COVID-19 affects pregnant women is not clarified yet.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>In this study, anonymous data from medical records of pregnant women with lab-confirmed COVID‐19 in Astana, Kazakhstan from May 1, 2021, to July 14, 2021, were collected retrospectively. A multivariate regression model was built to identify factors associated with the risk of ICU admission. Cluster analysis was performed to identify distinct groups among women admitted to the ICU based on their blood parameters, coagulation profiles, and oxygenation saturation levels.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>10.7 % of pregnant women were admitted to ICU. Among them, 4.36 % were in the 2nd trimester and 13.58 % in the 3rd trimester. No women in the 1st trimester were admitted to ICU. A multivariate regression model demonstrates that gestational diabetes, leukocytes, CRP, and saturation were the factors significantly associated with a higher risk of ICU admission. Three clusters of pregnant women were segmented, and preterm birth was frequent in clusters 1 (serious systemic conditions affecting multiple organs) and 3 (women with hypertension and preeclampsia), whereas cluster 2 represents women who can also be characterized as suffering from infections with a possible autoimmune component. Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio was frequent in clusters 1 and 3.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>In this study, multivariable analysis identified factors with a risk of ICU admission, and clustering analysis helped to identify groups of COVID-19-infected pregnant women admitted to ICU with similar risk profiles. Differences in clusters can help to explain discrepancies in COVID-19 outcomes and suggest biochemical and molecular mechanisms involved in COVID-19 and outline a more personalized approach to understanding, diagnosing, and treating women.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16087,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Infection and Public Health","volume":"17 12","pages":"Article 102572"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2024-10-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142622001","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Difference between real world practice and clinical research: A comparison of oropharyngeal and nasopharyngeal sampling data in influenza","authors":"Tongyan Zhang ,&nbsp;Yajun Du ,&nbsp;Yanyan Ren ,&nbsp;Hui Chen ,&nbsp;Xuehong Wen ,&nbsp;Xiumei Gao","doi":"10.1016/j.jiph.2024.102581","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jiph.2024.102581","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Oropharyngeal (OP) sampling is one of the most commonly used methods for respiratory sampling, but its positivity rate in real practice compared with that of nasopharyngeal (NP) sampling is not fully known. The differences between OP and NP in practice and between practice and the literature were compared. In total, 2323 positive results from 6708 patients were recorded in the laboratory test system, and 15,021 positive results from 31,333 patients were recorded in the national report. The positivity rate changed from 2.3 % to 38.11 % after the sampling method was changed from OP to NP in the same setting. The difference between OP and NP (calculated as (NP-OP)/NP) varies from −7.73–28.57 % in the literature and from 61.35–94.59 % in practice. Real-world practice is complicated and thus different from strictly quality-controlled studies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16087,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Infection and Public Health","volume":"17 12","pages":"Article 102581"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2024-10-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142545918","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Proteomic analysis of post-COVID condition: Insights from plasma and pellet blood fractions","authors":"Alejandro Seco-González ,&nbsp;Paula Antelo-Riveiro ,&nbsp;Susana B. Bravo ,&nbsp;P.F. Garrido ,&nbsp;M.J. Domínguez-Santalla ,&nbsp;E. Rodríguez-Ruiz ,&nbsp;Á. Piñeiro ,&nbsp;R. Garcia-Fandino","doi":"10.1016/j.jiph.2024.102571","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jiph.2024.102571","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Persistent symptoms extending beyond the acute phase of SARS-CoV-2 infection, known as Post-COVID condition (PCC), continue to impact many individuals years after the COVID-19 pandemic began. This highlights an urgent need for a deeper understanding and effective treatments. While significant progress has been made in understanding the acute phase of COVID-19 through omics-based approaches, the proteomic alterations linked to the long-term effects of the infection remain underexplored. This study aims to investigate these proteomic changes and develop a method for stratifying disease severity.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Using Sequential Window Acquisition of All Theoretical Fragment Ion Mass Spectra (SWATH-MS) technology, we performed comprehensive proteomic profiling of blood samples from 65 PCC patients. Both plasma and pellet (cellular components) fractions were analyzed to capture a wide array of proteomic changes associated with PCC.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Proteomic profiling revealed distinct differences between symptomatic and asymptomatic PCC patients. In the plasma fraction, symptomatic patients exhibited significant upregulation of proteins involved in coagulation, immune response, oxidative stress, and various metabolic processes, while certain immunoglobulins and proteins involved in cellular stress responses were downregulated. In the pellet fraction, symptomatic patients showed upregulation of proteins related to immune response, coagulation, oxidative stress, and metabolic enzymes, with downregulation observed in components of the complement system, glycolysis enzymes, and cytoskeletal proteins. A key outcome was the development of a novel severity scale based on the concentration of identified proteins, which correlated strongly with the clinical symptoms of PCC. This scale, derived from unsupervised clustering analysis, provides precise quantification of PCC severity, enabling effective patient stratification.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>The identified proteomic alterations offer valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying PCC, highlighting potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets. This research supports the development of tailored clinical interventions to alleviate persistent symptoms, ultimately enhancing patient outcomes and quality of life. The quantifiable measure of disease severity aids clinicians in understanding the condition in individual patients, facilitating personalized treatment plans and accurate monitoring of disease progression and response to therapy.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16087,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Infection and Public Health","volume":"17 12","pages":"Article 102571"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2024-10-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142560747","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Health screening disparities in people living with HIV; A nationwide organized screening setting","authors":"Boyoung Park ,&nbsp;Yoonyoung Jang ,&nbsp;Taehwa Kim ,&nbsp;Yunsu Choi ,&nbsp;Kyoung Hwan Ahn ,&nbsp;Jung Ho Kim ,&nbsp;Hye Seong ,&nbsp;Youn Jeong Kim ,&nbsp;Jun Yong Choi ,&nbsp;Joon Young Song ,&nbsp;Shin-Woo Kim ,&nbsp;Sang Il Kim","doi":"10.1016/j.jiph.2024.102567","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jiph.2024.102567","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>We identified the uptake of people living with HIV (PLWH) using health-screening services and compared the screening rate with the general population, to identify factors associated with the use of screening services by PLWH.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>This population-based study used data from the Korean National Health Insurance, a single mandatory health insurance system covering all residents. The uptake rates for screening for general health, gastric cancer, and colorectal cancer, which were provided by a national health screening program with free of charge or minimal cost in Korea from 2010–2020. Factors associated with general health, gastric cancer, and colorectal cancer screening were also explored.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Screening uptake rates for general health, gastric cancer, and colorectal cancer in PLWH increased from 2010–2019 but decreased in 2020. The standardized screening ratio showed lower screening rates for general health, gastric cancer, and colorectal cancer in PLWH with 0.80 (95 % confidence interval (CI) = 0.77–0.83), 0.64 (95 % CI = 0.61–0.67), and 0.67 (95 % CI = 0.64–0.71) in 2019. Increased age, Charlson Comorbidity Index, and years since HIV diagnosis were associated with increased screening uptake in PLWH. Otherwise, PLWH recipients of medical aid programs received less for each screening compared to PLWH who paid insurance premiums higher than 50 %. An increased medication possession ratio of highly active antiretroviral therapy was associated with decreased general health and gastric cancer screening uptake but increased colorectal cancer screening uptake.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Significant disparities in health-screening uptake were observed in PLWH compared to the general population in a nationwide organized screening setting without cost barriers.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16087,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Infection and Public Health","volume":"17 12","pages":"Article 102567"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2024-10-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142587232","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparison of the standardized incidence ratio of tuberculosis among workers at medical and educational institutions: a nationwide LTBI observational cohort study","authors":"Yun-Hee Lee ,&nbsp;Ju Sang Kim ,&nbsp;Young-Joon Park ,&nbsp;Gahee Kim ,&nbsp;Yujin Kim ,&nbsp;Gyuri Park ,&nbsp;Hyung Woo Kim ,&nbsp;Jun-Pyo Myong","doi":"10.1016/j.jiph.2024.102569","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jiph.2024.102569","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>The objective of this study was to determine the incidence of tuberculosis (TB) among workers at medical institutions based on interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA) and compare it with that of workers at educational institutions and the general population.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>From March 2017 to December 2020, we used a cohort of workers from medical and educational institutions in Korea, who underwent IGRA as part of a national screening program for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). After connecting to the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) database to detect for any actual cases of active TB, we estimated standardized incidence ratio (SIR) and the expected number of cases to compare the incidence of TB with that of the general population.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Significant disparities in TB incidence were revealed among workers in medical and educational institutions, based on IGRA results, age, and occupation. Individuals positive for IGRA in medical institutions displayed substantially higher SIR for TB, 7.19 (6.15–8.41), compared to counterparts in educational institutions, 3.69 (3.02–4.51). Comparing by age group, we see that the SIRs are higher in younger age groups compared to older ones, with 37.30 (28.11–49.50) and 11.89 (7.28–19.41) for IGRA-positive medical and education workers under 30 years of age, respectively. In the results by occupation within the medical institutions, nurses had the highest SIR at 14.17 (11.14–18.04).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Healthcare workers in medical institutions are more likely to develop actual TB after a positive result of LTBI screening in Korea. Intensive management and surveillance programs should be reinforced.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16087,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Infection and Public Health","volume":"17 12","pages":"Article 102569"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2024-10-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142583492","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Retrospective analysis of COVID-19 clinical and laboratory data: Constructing a multivariable model across different comorbidities","authors":"Mahdieh Shokrollahi Barough ,&nbsp;Mohammad Darzi ,&nbsp;Masoud Yunesian ,&nbsp;Danesh Amini Panah ,&nbsp;Yekta Ghane ,&nbsp;Sam Mottahedan ,&nbsp;Sohrab Sakinehpour ,&nbsp;Tahereh Kowsarirad ,&nbsp;Zahra Hosseini-Farjam ,&nbsp;Mohammad Reza Amirzargar ,&nbsp;Samaneh Dehghani ,&nbsp;Fahimeh Shahriyary ,&nbsp;Mohammad Mahdi Kabiri ,&nbsp;Marzieh Nojomi ,&nbsp;Neda Saraygord-Afshari ,&nbsp;Seyedeh Ghazal Mostofi ,&nbsp;Zeynab Yassin ,&nbsp;Nazanin Mojtabavi","doi":"10.1016/j.jiph.2024.102566","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jiph.2024.102566","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>The clinical pathogenesis of COVID-19 necessitates a comprehensive and homogeneous study to understand the disease mechanisms. Identifying clinical symptoms and laboratory parameters as key predictors can guide prognosis and inform effective treatment strategies. This study analyzed comorbidities and laboratory metrics to predict COVID-19 mortality using a homogeneous model.</div></div><div><h3>Method</h3><div>A retrospective cohort study was conducted on 7500 COVID-19 patients admitted to Rasoul Akram Hospital between 2022 and 2022. Clinical and laboratory data, along with comorbidity information, were collected and analyzed using advanced coding, data alignment, and regression analyses. Machine learning algorithms were employed to identify relevant features and calculate predictive probability scores.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The frequency and mortality rates of COVID-19 among males (19.3 %) were higher than those among females (17 %) (p = 0.01, OR = 0.85, 95 % CI = 0.76–0.96). Cancer (p &lt; 0.05, OR = 1.9, 95 % CI = 1.48–2.4) and Alzheimer's (p &lt; 0.05, OR = 2.36, 95 % CI = 1.89–2.9) were the two most common comorbidities associated with long-term hospitalization (LTH). Kidney disease (KD) was identified as the most lethal comorbidity (45 % of KD patients) (OR = 5.6, 95 % CI = 5.05–6.04, p &lt; 0.001). Age &gt; 55 was the most predictive parameter for mortality (p &lt; 0.001, OR = 6.5, 95 % CI = 1.03–1.04), and the CT scan score showed no predictive value for death (p &gt; 0.05). WBC, Cr, CRP, ALP, and VBG-HCO3 were the most significant critical data associated with death prediction across all comorbidities (p &lt; 0.05).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>COVID-19 is particularly lethal for elderly adults; thus, age plays a crucial role in disease prognosis. Regarding death prediction, various comorbidities rank differently, with KD having a significant impact on mortality outcomes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16087,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Infection and Public Health","volume":"17 12","pages":"Article 102566"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2024-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142502083","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Norovirus outbreaks due to contaminated drinking water and probable person-to-person transmission, Kerala, India, 2021","authors":"Amjith Rajeevan ,&nbsp;Manikandanesan Sakthivel ,&nbsp;Nikhilesh Menon ,&nbsp;Sachin KC ,&nbsp;Harisree Sudersanan ,&nbsp;Ramya Nagarajan ,&nbsp;Mohankumar Raju ,&nbsp;Sharan Murali ,&nbsp;Chethrapilly Purushothaman Girish Kumar ,&nbsp;Anukumar Balakrishnan ,&nbsp;Renuka Raveendran ,&nbsp;Dineesh Perumbil ,&nbsp;Devaki Antherjanam ,&nbsp;Sherin Joseph Xavier Kallupurackal ,&nbsp;Bipin Balakrishnan ,&nbsp;Nandu Krishna ,&nbsp;Sibin Samuel ,&nbsp;Prabhdeep Kaur ,&nbsp;Manoj Vasant Murehkar","doi":"10.1016/j.jiph.2024.102568","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jiph.2024.102568","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>In July 2021, the Alappuzha district in Kerala, India, reported an unexpected number of acute gastroenteritis (772) cases (Outbreak A). On October 10, 2021, a university in Wayanad, Kerala, reported 25 acute gastroenteritis cases (Outbreak B). We described both the outbreaks and determined the agent, source and risk factors.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We defined a suspected case as the occurrence of vomiting or at least three episodes of loose stools within 24 h and a confirmed case as those with stool samples/rectal swabs positive for norovirus. We did a matched case-control study in Outbreak A and a retrospective cohort study in Outbreak B. We calculated the adjusted odds ratio (aOR) in outbreak A, relative risk (aRR) in outbreak B and population attributable fraction (PAF). We tested stool and water samples for bacteria and viruses.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>We identified Group II norovirus in stool samples in both outbreaks and 4/5 water samples in Outbreak A. Suspected norovirus infection was associated with drinking inadequately boiled water from the municipal water supply in outbreak A [aOR: 4.5; 95 % C.I: 1.2–15.8; PAF: 0.23] and well water in hostels in outbreak B [aRR: 2.2; 95 % C.I: 1.2–3.9; PAF: 0.15]. In Outbreak A, groundwater from tube wells was mixed in the municipal water supply overhead tanks without chlorination.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>The gastroenteritis outbreaks were caused by Group II norovirus due to the consumption of inadequately boiled contaminated groundwater (outbreak A) and well water (outbreak B). We recommended superchlorination of overhead tanks and wells and boiled water for drinking.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16087,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Infection and Public Health","volume":"17 12","pages":"Article 102568"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2024-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142560746","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}