Search results for "Coronavirus disease"
showing 10 items of 961 documents
Is large-scale rapid CoV-2 testing a substitute for lockdowns?
2021
Background Various forms of contact restrictions have been adopted in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Around February 2021, rapid testing appeared as a new policy instrument. Some claim it may serve as a substitute for contact restrictions. We study the strength of this argument by evaluating the effects of a unique policy experiment: In March and April 2021, the city of Tübingen set up a testing scheme while relaxing contact restrictions. Methods We compare case rates in Tübingen county to an appropriately identified control unit. We employ the synthetic control method. We base interpretations of our findings on an extended SEIR model. Findings The experiment led to an increase in the …
Fact checking during COVID-19: a comparative analysis of the verification of false contents in Spain and Italy
2021
With the spread of COVID-19 around the world, a large number of hoaxes or false and out of context news are also spreading. In the moment, the studies that have been carried out regarding the topic have mainly focused on single-territory research. For this reason, we consider it pertinent to widen the spectrum and observe the behaviour of more than just one country. More specifically, the present study compiles a comparative analysis between Spain and Italy regarding fake contents and the diverse elements that have come into play in the media during the first months of the new type of coronavirus in Europe. To do this, we have used the fact checking platforms Maldita.es and Open. Once the i…
Intersecciones críticas. Experiencias y estrategias desde la museología y el feminismo gitano, bajo el prisma del covid-19 = Critical Intersections. …
2020
La pandemia de 2020 enfrentó las áreas que tratan la memoria desde los márgenes con la necesidad de transformar sus experiencias en estrategias con potencial de futuro. El artículo busca reflejar la intersección entre dos campos de acción cultural comprometida: el de algunos museos valencianos y el de las asociaciones de mujeres gitanas, vistas también desde el ámbito local. El objeto de nuestro análisis son dos vertientes de la actuación cultural emancipadora: las experiencias, fenómenos a menudo caóticos y coyunturales, y las estrategias razonadas, que unen prácticas del conocimiento crítico hasta ahora no contiguas. El estado de alarma definió estas ramas estratégicas como inclusión digi…
Update I. A systematic review on the efficacy and safety of chloroquine/hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19
2020
Purpose To assess efficacy and safety of chloroquine (CQ)/hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) for treatment or prophylaxis of COVID-19 in adult humans. Materials and methods MEDLINE, PubMed, EMBASE and two pre-print repositories (bioRxiv, medRxiv) were searched from inception to 8th June 2020 for RCTs and nonrandomized studies (retrospective and prospective, including single-arm, studies) addressing the use of CQ/HCQ in any dose or combination for COVID-19. Results Thirty-two studies were included (6 RCTs, 26 nonrandomized, 29,192 participants). Two RCTs had high risk, two ‘some concerns’ and two low risk of bias (Rob2). Among nonrandomized studies with comparators, nine had high risk and five moderat…
Towards a System to Monitor the Virus’s Aerosol-Type Spreading
2021
Recent scientific studies indicate that attention should be paid to the indoor spread of the Covid-19 virus. It is recommended to reduce the number of visitors to the premises and to provide frequent ventilation of the premises. The problem is that it is not known what the risk of infection is in a particular room at a specific time, when and what actions should be taken to reduce the risk. We offer a system that helps monitor the conditions in the premises with the help of sensors, calculate the risk of infection and provide information to reduce the infection risk. We give an insight into the created prototype with data collection from public spaces and data visualization according to use…
Discrimination of non-infectious SARS-CoV-2 particles from fomites by viability RT-qPCR.
2021
The ongoing coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic constitutes a concerning global threat to public health and economy. In the midst of this pandemic scenario, the role of environment-to-human COVID-19 spread is still a matter of debate because mixed results have been reported concerning SARS-CoV-2 stability on high-touch surfaces in real-life scenarios. Up to now, no alternative and accessible procedures for cell culture have been applied to evaluate SARS-CoV-2 infectivity on fomites. Several strategies based on viral capsid integrity have latterly been developed using viability markers to selectively remove false-positive qPCR signals resulting from free nucleic acids and damaged viruses. T…
Organoids of human airways to study infectivity and cytopathy of SARS-CoV-2
2020
Viability RT-PCR for SARS-CoV-2: a step forward to solve the infectivity quandary
2021
Background Isolation, contact tracing and restrictions on social movement are being globally implemented to prevent and control onward spread of SARS-CoV-2, even though the infection risk modelled on RNA detection by RT-qPCR remains biased as viral shedding and infectivity are not discerned. Thus, we aimed to develop a rapid viability RT-qPCR procedure to infer SARS-CoV-2 infectivity in clinical specimens and environmental samples. Methods We screened monoazide dyes and platinum compounds as viability molecular markers on five SARS-CoV-2 RNA targets. A platinum chloride-based viability RT-qPCR was then optimized using genomic RNA, and inactivated SARS-CoV-2 particles inoculated in buffer, s…
Characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern B.1.1.7, B.1.351 or P.1: data from seven EU/EEA countries, weeks 38/2020 to 10/2021
2021
COVID study groups - PORTUGAL: Portuguese Laboratory Network for the Diagnosis of COVID-19 and Public Health Department of the Health Administrative Regions, Physicians that provided data and samples from suspected cases and SARS-CoV-2 genetic characterization. INSA laboratory team for the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2. Algarve Biomedical Center and Unilabs. We compared 19,207 cases of SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.1.7/S gene target failure (SGTF), 436 B.1.351 and 352 P.1 to non-variant cases reported by seven European countries. COVID-19 cases with these variants had significantly higher adjusted odds ratios for hospitalisation (B.1.1.7/SGTF: 1.7, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.0-2.9; B.1.351: 3.6, 95…
The gender gap in the diagnostic-therapeutic journey of the infertile couple
2021
Medical procreation impairs both the biological and psychological lives of couples. However, male and female attitudes to infertility are different and require a different approach during the IVF journey. Thus, the gender impact assessment (GIA) method was used to analyse original studies present in the literature. We found some gender-related differences and, subsequently, possible outcomes of intervention to improve healthy reproduction management and prevent infertility. In particular, it became apparent that there was the need for an in-depth male infertility assessment and a gender-specific follow-up.