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Ann Fam Med 2022 May-Jun;20(3):220-226

Department of Family Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

Purpose: COVID-19 has increased the need for innovative virtual care solutions. Electronic consultation (eConsult) services allow primary care practitioners to pose clinical questions to specialists using a secure remote application. We examined eConsult cases submitted to a COVID-19 specialist group in order to assess usage patterns, impact on response times and referrals, and the content of clinical questions being asked. Read More

Ann Fam Med 2022 May-Jun;20(3):273-276

Australian National University, Canberra, Acton, Australia.

Integrating primary care with the health response is key to managing pandemics and other health emergencies. In recognition of this, the Australian Government established a network of respiratory clinics led by general practitioners in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic as part of broader measures aimed at supporting primary care. General practitioner (GP) respiratory clinics provide holistic face-to-face assessment and treatment to those with respiratory symptoms in an environment with strict protocols for infection prevention and control. Read More

BMJ Open Diabetes Res Care 2022 May;10(3)

Department of Internal Medicine, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.

Introduction: Various studies have shown a number of glycemic parameters to improve over several weeks in people with type 1 diabetes during the first surge of the COVID-19 pandemic. Whether and to what extent such improvement is sustained during following COVID-19 surges remains unknown. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate glycemic parameters during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in people with type 1 diabetes and to determine factors associated with glycemic improvement. Read More

BMJ Glob Health 2022 May;7(5)

International Public Health, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK.

COVID-19 brings uncertainties and new precarities for communities and researchers, altering and amplifying relational vulnerabilities (vulnerabilities which emerge from relationships of unequal power and place those less powerful at risk of abuse and violence). Research approaches have changed too, with increasing use of remote data collection methods. These multiple changes necessitate new or adapted safeguarding responses. Read More

J Med Ethics 2022 May 23. Epub 2022 May 23.

Health Research Institute-Fundación Jiménez Díaz University Hospital, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, large-scale research and pharmaceutical regulatory processes have proceeded at a dramatically increased pace with new and effective, evidence-based COVID-19 interventions rapidly making their way into the clinic. However, the swift generation of high-quality evidence and the efficient processing of regulatory authorisation have given rise to more specific and complex versions of well-known research ethics issues. In this paper, we identify three such issues by focusing on the authorisation of molnupiravir, a novel antiviral medicine aimed at reducing the ability of SARS-CoV-2 to multiply in the body, for clinical use by the National Health Service in England and the concomitant testing of molnupiravir through the large-scale Platform Adaptive trial of Novel antiviRals for eArly treatMent of COVID-19 In the Community randomised control trial. Read More

Respir Care 2022 Jun;67(6):709-714

Department of Respiratory Therapy, Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing and Health Professions, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia.

Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) and hookah smoking have gained tremendous popularity over the past decade. With the constantly evolving e-cigarette market and potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on users of these tobacco products, research is needed to assess the prevalence and safety of these devices as well as potential public health implications and cessation tools. For this year in review, PubMed was searched from January 2021-December 14, 2021, for articles related to e-cigarettes, vaping-related lung injury, and hookah smoking. Read More

BMJ 2022 May 23;377:o1284. Epub 2022 May 23.

London.

Aust J Prim Health 2022 May 24. Epub 2022 May 24.

The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged the mental health of communities worldwide, with the triple pressures of financial insecurity, lockdowns, and worry about the infection. Australia rapidly deployed resources to protect the mental wellbeing of the community through supplementing existing services, supporting at-risk groups, investing in social supports, embracing technology, and supporting the health workforce. This paper describes the Australian Government's investment in mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic in relation to the 10 priority areas identified in Australia's National Mental Health Pandemic Response Plan. Read More

Am J Obstet Gynecol MFM 2022 May 20:100667. Epub 2022 May 20.

Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Lenox Hill Hospital - Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, New York, NY.

Virus Res 2022 May 20:198824. Epub 2022 May 20.

Multi-Omics Laboratory, School of Pharmacy, Lebanese American University, P.O. Box 36, 1401 Byblos, Lebanon. Electronic address:

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to pose a global health concern, despite the ongoing vaccination campaigns, due to the emergence and rapid spread of new variants of the causative agent SARS-CoV-2. These variants are identified and tracked via the marker mutations they carry, and the classification system put in place following tremendous sequencing efforts. In this study, the genomes of 1,230 Lebanese SARS-CoV-2 strains collected throughout 2 years of the outbreak in Lebanon were analyzed, 115 of which sequenced within this project. Read More

Antiviral Res 2022 May 20:105345. Epub 2022 May 20.

Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmaceutics Development and Safety Evaluation, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China. Electronic address:

In addition to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), SARS-CoV-2 has become the third deadly coronavirus that infects humans and causes the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19). COVID-19 has already caused more than six million deaths worldwide and it is likely the biggest pandemic of this century faced by mankind. Although many studies on SARS-CoV-2 have been conducted, a detailed understanding of SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 is still lacking. Read More

Am J Med Sci 2022 May 19. Epub 2022 May 19.

Dental Research Center, Dentistry Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Electronic address:

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to many problems in cancer patients, which in part are due to insufficient knowledge of the exact implications of the virus on these individuals. Perceptions based on known facts about previous pandemics and coronaviruses might not agree with actual real-life experience and objective findings. We present a compilation of scientific facts and actual observations on different aspects of SARS-CoV-2 infection in cancer patients. Read More

Am J Trop Med Hyg 2022 May 23. Epub 2022 May 23.

Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Environmental Health Sciences, Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, Georgia.

This study characterized COVID-19 transmission in Ghana in 2020 and 2021 by estimating the time-varying reproduction number (Rt) and exploring its association with various public health interventions at the national and regional levels. Ghana experienced four pandemic waves, with epidemic peaks in July 2020 and January, August, and December 2021. The epidemic peak was the highest nationwide in December 2021 with Rt ≥ 2. Read More

Am J Trop Med Hyg 2022 May 23. Epub 2022 May 23.

Department of Public Works and Town & Country Planning, National and Regional Planning Bureau, Thailand.

This study aimed to analyze the influence of ethnicity and other demographic and social factors on urban slum dwellers' threat appraisal, awareness, and protective practices against COVID-19. It was conducted via 20 semi-structured interviews and 453 questionnaires for different ethnic groups from Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia in the slum communities of Khlong Toei, Bangkok-the largest slum in Thailand. A phenomenological approach was used to analyze the semi-structured interviews to understand dwellers' lived experiences and behaviors regarding COVID-19. Read More

Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol 2022 May 20. Epub 2022 May 20.

Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands.

Health Place 2022 May 20;76:102811. Epub 2022 May 20.

Department of Population Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, 550 1st Ave, New York, NY, 10016, USA. Electronic address:

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Online Purchasing Pilot (OPP) was rapidly expanded across the US. This program, enabling direct-to-home grocery delivery, could be a transformative step towards improving fresh-food access. However, lack of information on which areas are serviced by SNAP OPP hinders the identification of potential demographic and regional disparities in access. Read More

J Surg Res 2022 May 20;278:179-189. Epub 2022 May 20.

Division of Pediatric Surgery, Children's Wisconsin and Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Electronic address:

Introduction: Telemedicine (TM) use accelerated out of necessity during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the utility of TM within the pediatric surgery population is unclear. This study measured utilization, adequacy, and disparities in uptake of TM in pediatric surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: Scheduled outpatient pediatric surgery clinic encounters at a large academic children's hospital from January 2020 through March 2021 were reviewed. Read More

Clin Neurol Neurosurg 2022 May 19;218:107304. Epub 2022 May 19.

Department of Medicine, King Abdulaziz Medical City, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; College of Medicine, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

The coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is caused by a novel coronavirus SARS-Cov-2. Four major vaccine types are being used to fight against this deadly pandemic and save precious human lives. All types of vaccines have been associated with a risk of neurological complications ranging from mild to severe. Read More

Comput Biol Med 2022 May 17;146:105615. Epub 2022 May 17.

Department of Computing and Information Technology, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian City, Liaoning Province, China.

The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has severely impacted the world. The early diagnosis of COVID-19 and self-isolation can help curb the spread of the virus. Besides, a simple and accurate diagnostic method can help in making rapid decisions for the treatment and isolation of patients. Read More

Child Abuse Negl 2022 May 18;129:105673. Epub 2022 May 18.

Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany; MSH Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.

Background: Individuals with a history of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) display heightened symptoms of psychopathology during the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, no study has investigated what aspects of the pandemic are of particular concern for this population and ways in which strategies to coping with pandemic stressors may exacerbate their clinical symptomatology.

Objective: This study explores what pandemic stressors and coping strategies are associated with ACEs, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) during the COVID-19 pandemic, before investigating whether the identified chief stressors and coping styles mediate the effects of ACEs on depression and PTSD. Read More

Epidemics 2022 May 14;39:100576. Epub 2022 May 14.

Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich, Basel, CH 4058, Switzerland; Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, CH 1015, Switzerland. Electronic address:

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic led to a huge increase in global pathogen genome sequencing efforts, and the resulting data are becoming increasingly important to detect variants of concern, monitor outbreaks, and quantify transmission dynamics. However, this rapid up-scaling in data generation brought with it many IT infrastructure challenges. In this paper, we report about developing an improved system for genomic epidemiology. Read More

Soc Sci Med 2022 Mar 26;303:114946. Epub 2022 Mar 26.

School of Psychology, University of Sussex, UK.

Objectives: Physical distancing, defined as keeping 1-2m apart when co-located, can prevent cases of droplet or aerosol transmitted infectious diseases such as SARS-CoV2. During the COVID-19 pandemic, distancing was a recommendation or a requirement in many countries. This systematic review aimed to determine which interventions and behavior change techniques (BCTs) are effective in promoting adherence to distancing and through which potential mechanisms of action (MOAs). Read More

Addict Behav 2022 May 18;132:107370. Epub 2022 May 18.

Business Administration Department, College of Science and Humanities at Shaqra, Shaqra University, Saudi Arabia. Electronic address:

Based on the Stressor-Strain-Outcome (SSO) model, this study investigates the mechanism by which problematic social media use (PSMU) influences academic performance decrement via two psychological factors namely, technostress and exhaustion. It also identifies the social media usage characteristics of undergraduate students in Saudi Arabia during Covid-19. An online questionnaire was distributed to undergraduate social media users from Shaqra University. Read More

Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2022 Apr 20;615:56-62. Epub 2022 Apr 20.

HTLV-1/ATL Research, Education and Medical Facility, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Japan; Project for Advanced Medical Research and Development, Project Research Division, Frontier Science Research Center, University of Miyazaki, University of Miyazaki, Japan.

With the current worldwide pandemic of COVID-19, there is an urgent need to develop effective treatment and prevention methods against SARS-CoV-2 infection. We have previously reported that the proanthocyanidin (PAC) fraction in blueberry (BB) leaves has strong antiviral activity against hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human T-lymphocytic leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1). In this study, we used Kunisato 35 Gou (K35) derived from the rabbit eye blueberry (Vaccinium virgatum Aiton), which has a high PAC content in the leaves and stems. Read More

Water Res 2022 May 3;219:118535. Epub 2022 May 3.

Antimicrobial Resistance Interdisciplinary Research Group, Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, Singapore; Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE), Singapore; Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; Center for Microbiome Informatics and Therapeutics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA. Electronic address:

Wastewater-based surveillance (WBS) has been widely used as a public health tool to monitor the emergence and spread of SARS-CoV-2 infections in populations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Coincident with the global vaccination efforts, the world is also enduring new waves of SARS-CoV-2 variants. Reinfections and vaccine breakthroughs suggest an endemic future where SARS-CoV-2 continues to persist in the general population. Read More

Behav Res Ther 2022 Apr 12;154:104095. Epub 2022 Apr 12.

Health Sciences Research Institute, University of California, Merced, 5200 N. Lake Rd., Merced, CA, 95343, USA; School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, Mt. Gravatt Campus, 176 Messines Ridge Rd, Mt. Gravatt, QLD, 4122, Australia; Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, G40 Griffith Health Centre, Level 8.86, Gold Coast Campus, QLD, 4222, Australia.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had unprecedented health, economic, and social consequences worldwide. Although contact reductions and wearing face coverings have reduced infection rates, and vaccines have reduced illness severity, emergence of new variants of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, and the shift from pandemic to endemic patterns of infection, highlights the importance of ongoing preventive behavior adherence to manage future outbreaks. Research applying social cognition theories may assist in explaining variance in these behaviors and inform the development of efficacious behavior change interventions to promote adherence. Read More

Vestn Otorinolaringol 2022 ;87(2):70-75

Morozovskaya Pediatric Municipal Clinical Hospital, Moscow, Russia.

The pandemic of the new coronavirus infection (COVID-19) has identified new diagnostic and medical tasks before different doctors. As observations show, children have the flow of infection easier than adults. However, in some cases, COVID-19 in children proceeds extremely difficult, with fever and multisystem inflammation, possibly requiring treatment in the resuscitation department. Read More

Vestn Otorinolaringol 2022 ;87(2):10-16

Center of Pediatric Audiology, St. Petersburg, Russia.

Objective: To evaluate advantages and effectiveness of remote rehabilitation services for hearing-impaired children at Center of Pediatric Audiology during COVID-19 pandemic.

Material And Methods: 181 children with different types and degrees of permanent hearing loss, their parents and 10 hearing care professionals (audiologists, speech-language therapists) were included in the study. 2115 rehabilitation services were provided during 3 months: video- and text consultations, video lessons with child, sending homework to parents, etc. Read More