Western Pacific Surveillance and Response最新文献

{"title":"Post-COVID-19 health-care utilization: one year after the 2020 first wave in \u2028Brunei Darussalam.","authors":"Muhammad Syafiq Abdullah,&nbsp;Rosmonaliza Asli,&nbsp;Pui Lin Chong,&nbsp;Babu Ivan Mani,&nbsp;Natalie Raimiza Momin,&nbsp;Noor Affizan Rahman,&nbsp;Chee Fui Chong,&nbsp;Vui Heng Chong","doi":"10.5365/wpsar.2023.14.1.949","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5365/wpsar.2023.14.1.949","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Patients who recover from coronavirus disease (COVID-19) infection are at risk of long-term health disorders and may require prolonged health care. This retrospective observational study assesses the number of health-care visits before and after COVID-19 infection in Brunei Darussalam.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>COVID-19 cases from the first wave with 12 months of follow-up were included. Health-care utilization was defined as health-care visits for consultations or investigations. Post-COVID condition was defined using the World Health Organization definition.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>There were 132 cases; 59.1% were male and the mean age was 37.1 years. The mean number of health-care visits 12 months after recovery from COVID-19 (123 cases, 93.2%; mean 5.0 ± 5.2) was significantly higher than the prior 12 months (87 cases, 65.9%, <i>P</i> < 0.001; mean 3.2 ± 5.7, <i>P</i> < 0.001). There was no significant difference when scheduled COVID-19 visits were excluded (3.6 ± 4.9, <i>P</i> = 0.149). All 22 cases with moderate to critical disease recovered without additional health-care visits apart from planned post-COVID-19 visits. Six patients had symptoms of post-COVID condition, but none met the criteria for diagnosis or had alternative diagnoses.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>There were significantly more health-care visits following recovery from COVID-19. However, this was due to scheduled post-COVID-19 visits as per the national management protocol. This protocol was amended before the second wave to omit post-COVID-19 follow-up, except for complicated cases or cases with no documented radiological resolution of COVID-19 pneumonia. This will reduce unnecessary health-care visits and conserve precious resources that were stretched to the limit during the pandemic.</p>","PeriodicalId":31512,"journal":{"name":"Western Pacific Surveillance and Response","volume":"14 1","pages":"1-9"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9936207/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10774647","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Using an online calculator to describe excess mortality in the Philippines during the COVID-19 pandemic.","authors":"Julius R Migriño,&nbsp;Ma Rosario Bernardo-Lazaro","doi":"10.5365/wpsar.2023.14.1.984","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5365/wpsar.2023.14.1.984","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Excess mortality is an indicator of the impact of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. This study aims to describe excess mortality in the Philippines from January 2020 to December 2021 using an online all-cause mortality and excess mortality calculator.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>All-cause mortality data sets from 2015 to 2021 from the Philippine Statistics Authority were obtained and analysed using the World Health Organization Western Pacific Regional Office All-Cause Mortality Calculator. Expected mortality, excess mortality and P-scores were obtained using two models, 5-year averages and negative binomial regression, for total deaths and by administrative region.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Reported national all-cause mortality exceeded the expected mortality in August 2020 and from January to November 2021, peaking in September 2021 at 104 per 100 000. Total excess mortality using negative binomial regression was -13 900 deaths in 2020 and 212 000 deaths in 2021, peaking in September 2021. P-scores were -2% in 2020 and 33% in 2021, again peaking in September 2021 at 114%. Reported COVID-19 deaths accounted for 20% of excess deaths in 2021. In 2020, consistently high P-scores were recorded in the National Capital Region from July to September and in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao from June to July. In 2021, most regions recorded high P-scores from June to October.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>Tracking excess mortality using a robust, accessible and standardized online tool provided a comprehensive assessment of the direct and indirect impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines. Furthermore, analysis by administrative region highlighted the key regions disproportionately affected by the pandemic, information that may not have been fully captured from routine COVID-19 surveillance.</p>","PeriodicalId":31512,"journal":{"name":"Western Pacific Surveillance and Response","volume":"14 1","pages":"1-11"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10090036/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9703944","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Early pandemic use of face masks in Papua New Guinea under a mask mandate.","authors":"Mark Raphael,&nbsp;Angela Kelly-Hanku,&nbsp;David Heslop,&nbsp;Danielle Hutchinson,&nbsp;Mohana Kunasekaran,&nbsp;Ashley Quigley,&nbsp;Raina MacIntyre","doi":"10.5365/wpsar.2023.14.1.998","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5365/wpsar.2023.14.1.998","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>During the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, face mask wearing was mandated in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea in July 2020, but compliance was observed to be low. We aimed to determine the frequency of face mask wearing by the general public in Papua New Guinea under the mask mandate.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>To estimate compliance with the mandate, we analysed photographs of people gathering in Port Moresby published between 29 September and 29 October 2020. Photo-epidemiology was performed on the 40 photographs that met pre-defined selection criteria for inclusion in our study.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Among the total of 445 fully visible photographed faces, 53 (11.9%) were observed wearing a face mask over mouth and nose. Complete non-compliance (no faces wearing masks) was observed in 19 (4.3%) photographs. Physical distancing was observed in 10% of the 40 photographs. Mask compliance in indoor settings (16.4%) was higher than that observed in outdoor settings (9.8%), and this difference was statistically significant (<i>P</i> < 0.05). Mask compliance was observed in 8.9% of large-sized gatherings (> 30 people), 12.7% of medium-sized gatherings (11-30 people) and 25.0% of small-sized gatherings (4-10 people; photographs with < 4 people were excluded from analysis).</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>We found very low population compliance with face mask mandates in Papua New Guinea during the pre-vaccine pandemic period. Individuals without face coverings and non-compliant with physical distancing guidelines are considered to be in a high-risk category for COVID-19 transmission particularly in medium- and large-sized gatherings. A new strategy to enforce public health mandates is required and should be clearly promoted to the public.</p>","PeriodicalId":31512,"journal":{"name":"Western Pacific Surveillance and Response","volume":"14 1","pages":"1-6"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10150155/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9414589","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Contribution of the Australian field epidemiology training workforce to the COVID-19 response, 2020.","authors":"Amy Elizabeth Parry, Charlee Law, Davoud Pourmarzi, Florian Vogt, Emma Field, Samantha Colquhoun","doi":"10.5365/wpsar.2022.13.4.979","DOIUrl":"10.5365/wpsar.2022.13.4.979","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":31512,"journal":{"name":"Western Pacific Surveillance and Response","volume":"13 4","pages":"1-5"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9912282/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9326127","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ready to respond: adapting rapid response team training in Papua New Guinea during the COVID-19 pandemic.","authors":"Celeste Marsh, Sharon Salmon, Tambri Housen, James Flint, Joanne Taylor, Emmanuel Hapolo, Maria Trinidad Velasco Ortuzar, Bernnedine Sissai Smaghi, Anthony Eshofonie, Berry Ropa","doi":"10.5365/wpsar.2022.13.4.981","DOIUrl":"10.5365/wpsar.2022.13.4.981","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Problem: </strong>Rapid response teams (RRTs) are critical for effective responses to acute public health events. While validated training packages and guidance on rolling out training for RRTs are available, they lack country-specific adaptations. Documentation is limited on RRT programming experiences in various contexts.</p><p><strong>Context: </strong>In Papua New Guinea, there remain gaps in implementing standardized, rapid mobilization of multidisciplinary RRTs at the national, provincial and district levels to investigate public health alerts.</p><p><strong>Action: </strong>The human resources needed to respond to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic forced a review of the RRT training programme and its delivery. The training model was contextualized and adapted for implementation using a staged approach, with the initiation training phase designed to ensure RRT readiness to deploy immediately in response to COVID-19 and other public health events.</p><p><strong>Lessons learned: </strong>Selecting appropriate trainees and using a phased training approach, incorporating after-training reviews, and between-phase support from the national programme team were found to be important for programme design in Papua New Guinea. Using participatory training methods based on principles of adult learning, in which trainees draw on their own experiences, was integral to building confidence among team members in conducting outbreak investigations.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>The RRT training experience in Papua New Guinea has highlighted the importance of codeveloping and delivering a context-specific training programme to meet a country's unique needs. A staged training approach that builds on knowledge and skills over time, used together with ongoing follow-up and support in the provinces, has been critical in operationalizing ready-to-respond RRTs.</p>","PeriodicalId":31512,"journal":{"name":"Western Pacific Surveillance and Response","volume":"13 4","pages":"1-7"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9912294/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9373757","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An epidemiological overview of human infections with HxNy avian influenza in \u2028the Western Pacific Region, 2003-2022.","authors":"Jozica Skufca, Leila Bell, J C Pal Molino, Dina Saulo, Chin-Kei Lee, Satoko Otsu, May Chiew, Phetdavanh Leuangvilay, Sarika Patel, Asheena Khalakdina, Vanra Ieng, Tamano Matsui, Babatunde Olowokure","doi":"10.5365/wpsar.2022.13.4.987","DOIUrl":"10.5365/wpsar.2022.13.4.987","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Avian influenza subtype A(HxNy) viruses are zoonotic and may occasionally infect humans through direct or indirect contact, resulting in mild to severe illness and death. Member States in the Western Pacific Region (WPR) communicate and notify the World Health Organization of any human cases of A(HxNy) through the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005) mechanism. This report includes all notifications in the WPR with illness onset dates from 1 November 2003 to 31 July 2022. During this period, there were 1972 human infections with nine different A(HxNy) subtypes notified in the WPR. Since the last report, an additional 134 human avian influenza infections were notified from 1 October 2017 to 31 July 2022. In recent years there has been a change in the primary subtypes and frequency of reports of human A(HxNy) in the region, with a reduction of A(H7N9) and A(H5N1), and conversely an increase of A(H5N6) and A(H9N2). Furthermore, three new subtypes A(H7N4), A(H10N3) and A(H3N8) notified from the People's Republic of China were the first ever recorded globally. The public health risk from known A(HxNy) viruses remains low as there is no evidence of person-to-person transmission. However, the observed changes in A(HxNy) trends reinforce the need for effective and rapid identification to mitigate the threat of a pandemic from avian influenza if person-to-person transmission were to occur.</p>","PeriodicalId":31512,"journal":{"name":"Western Pacific Surveillance and Response","volume":"13 4","pages":"1-6"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9912292/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9390196","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Progress on diagnosis and treatment of drug-resistant tuberculosis in line with World Health Organization recommendations in six priority countries in the Western Pacific Region.","authors":"Kyung Hyun Oh, Maria Imelda Quelapio, Fukushi Morishita, Kalpeshsinh Rahevar, Manami Yanagawa, Tauhid Islam","doi":"10.5365/wpsar.2022.13.4.972","DOIUrl":"10.5365/wpsar.2022.13.4.972","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Diagnosis and treatment of drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) have radically changed in accordance with recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO) in the past decade, allowing rapid and simple diagnosis and shorter treatment duration with new and repurposed drugs.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A descriptive analysis of the status and progress of DR-TB diagnosis and treatment in six priority countries in the Western Pacific Region was conducted using information from interviews with countries and the WHO TB database.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Over the past decade, the use of Xpert MTB/RIF has increased in the six priority countries, in parallel with implementation of national policies and algorithms to use Xpert MTB/RIF as an initial diagnostic test for TB and detection of rifampicin resistance. This has resulted in increases in the number of people diagnosed with multidrug-resistant or rifampicin-resistant TB (MDR/RR-TB). Shorter treatment regimens with new and repurposed drugs have also been adopted for MDR/RR-TB cases, alongside a decentralized model of care, leading to improved treatment outcomes.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>The Western Pacific Region has achieved considerable progress in the diagnosis and treatment of DR-TB, in line with the evolving WHO recommendations in the past decade. The continued commitment of Member States is needed to address remaining challenges, such as the impact of the coronavirus disease pandemic, suboptimal management and health system issues.</p>","PeriodicalId":31512,"journal":{"name":"Western Pacific Surveillance and Response","volume":"13 4","pages":"1-12"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9912284/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9390198","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Descriptive analysis of deaths associated with COVID-19 in Fiji, 15 April to 14 November 2021.","authors":"Nashika Sharma, Dashika Balak, Shaneel Prakash, Julia Maguire","doi":"10.5365/wpsar.2022.13.4.964","DOIUrl":"10.5365/wpsar.2022.13.4.964","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>There is limited published information about deaths due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Fiji, the World Health Organization's Western Pacific Region and low- and middle-income countries. This report descriptively analyses deaths directly associated with COVID-19 in Fiji by age group, sex, ethnicity, geographical location, vaccination status and place of death for the first 7 months of the 2021 community outbreak.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A retrospective analysis was conducted of deaths directly associated with COVID-19 that occurred from 15 April to 14 November 2021 in Fiji. Death rates per 100 000 population were calculated by using divisional population estimates obtained from medical zone nurses in 2021.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 1298 deaths relating to COVID-19 were reported, with 696 directly associated with COVID-19 and therefore included in the analysis. Of these, 71.1% (495) were reported from the Central Division, 54.6% (380) occurred among males, 75.6% (526) occurred among people of indigenous (iTaukei) ethnicity and 79.5% (553) occurred among people who were unvaccinated. Four deaths were classified as maternal deaths. The highest percentage of deaths occurred in those aged ³70 years (44.3%, 308), and the majority of deaths (56.6%, 394) occurred at home.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>At-risk populations for COVID-19 mortality in Fiji include males, iTaukei peoples, and older (³70 years) and unvaccinated individuals. A high proportion of deaths occurred either at home or during the first 2 days of hospital admission, potentially indicating both a reluctance to seek medical care and a health-care system that was stressed during the peak of the outbreak.</p>","PeriodicalId":31512,"journal":{"name":"Western Pacific Surveillance and Response","volume":"13 4","pages":"1-8"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2022-11-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9912270/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9390200","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mass COVID-19 testing of asymptomatic health-care workers in a tertiary hospital during an outbreak in another hospital in Singapore: an effective strategy?","authors":"William T Wang, Hwang Ching Chan, Jyoti Somani, See Ming Lim","doi":"10.5365/wpsar.2022.13.4.951","DOIUrl":"10.5365/wpsar.2022.13.4.951","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":31512,"journal":{"name":"Western Pacific Surveillance and Response","volume":"13 4","pages":"1-3"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2022-11-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9912269/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9326125","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Epidemiological profile of dengue in Champasak and Savannakhet provinces, Lao People's Democratic Republic, 2003-2020.","authors":"Sumaira Zafar, Hans J Overgaard, Tiengkham Pongvongsa, Nanthasane Vannavong, Sysavanh Phommachanh, Oleg Shipin, Joacim Rocklöv, Richard E Paul, Md Siddikur Rahman, Mayfong Mayxay","doi":"10.5365/wpsar.2022.13.4.932","DOIUrl":"10.5365/wpsar.2022.13.4.932","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":31512,"journal":{"name":"Western Pacific Surveillance and Response","volume":"13 4","pages":"1-13"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2022-11-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9912291/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9326126","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}