Dataset Information

Assessing the State of Knowledge Regarding the Effectiveness of Interventions to Contain Pandemic Influenza Transmission: A Systematic Review and Narrative Synthesis.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:Influenza pandemics occur when a novel influenza strain, to which humans are immunologically naïve, emerges to cause infection and illness on a global scale. Differences in the viral properties of pandemic strains, relative to seasonal ones, can alter the effectiveness of interventions typically implemented to control seasonal influenza burden. As a result, annual control activities may not be sufficient to contain an influenza pandemic. PURPOSE:This study seeks to inform pandemic policy and planning initiatives by reviewing the effectiveness of previous interventions to reduce pandemic influenza transmission and infection. Results will inform the planning and design of more focused in-depth systematic reviews for specific types of interventions, thus providing the most comprehensive and current understanding of the potential for alternative interventions to mitigate the burden of pandemic influenza. METHODS:A systematic review and narrative synthesis of existing systematic reviews and meta-analyses examining intervention effectiveness in containing pandemic influenza transmission was conducted using information collected from five databases (PubMed, Medline, Cochrane, Embase, and Cinahl/EBSCO). Two independent reviewers conducted study screening and quality assessment, extracting data related to intervention impact and effectiveness. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION:Most included reviews were of moderate to high quality. Although the degree of statistical heterogeneity precluded meta-analysis, the present systematic review examines the wide variety of interventions that can impact influenza transmission in different ways. While it appears that pandemic influenza vaccination provides significant protection against infection, there was insufficient evidence to conclude that antiviral prophylaxis, seasonal influenza cross-protection, or a range of non-pharmaceutical strategies would provide appreciable protection when implemented in isolation. It is likely that an optimal intervention strategy will employ a combination of interventions in a layered approach, though more research is needed to substantiate this proposition. TRIAL REGISTRATION:PROSPERO 42016039803.

SUBMITTER: Saunders-Hastings P

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5158032 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Assessing the State of Knowledge Regarding the Effectiveness of Interventions to Contain Pandemic Influenza Transmission: A Systematic Review and Narrative Synthesis.

Saunders-Hastings Patrick P Reisman Jane J Krewski Daniel D

PloS one 20161215 12

<h4>Background</h4>Influenza pandemics occur when a novel influenza strain, to which humans are immunologically naïve, emerges to cause infection and illness on a global scale. Differences in the viral properties of pandemic strains, relative to seasonal ones, can alter the effectiveness of interventions typically implemented to control seasonal influenza burden. As a result, annual control activities may not be sufficient to contain an influenza pandemic.<h4>Purpose</h4>This study seeks to info ...[more]

PMID: 27977760

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Project description:BackgroundClinical trials often struggle to retain the number of participants required to make valid and reliable assessments about the effectiveness of treatments. Several individual randomised comparisons of interventions to improve retention in trials have been shown to be effective. Many of these retention interventions target participants' behaviour (e.g. returning questionnaires or attending a follow-up visit). Although not designed as such, these interventions can be thought of as behaviour change interventions. By coding the constituent behaviour change components of effective retention interventions, the interventions' potential 'active ingredients' responsible for improvements in retention can be identified and maximised for future gains.MethodsStudies reporting effective retention interventions were identified from existing meta-analyses in the literature. Published manuscripts and intervention and comparator group material were coded into their behaviour change techniques (BCTs) using the BCT taxonomy version 1. Two authors independently coded materials using a standardised coding manual and discussed any disagreements to reach consensus. Data on study characteristics including host trial context, timing, mode of delivery and dosage of retention intervention were recorded.ResultsTwo intervention types were identified as having evidence of improving retention in existing meta-analyses: monetary incentives and electronic prompts. None of the interventions identified from the included studies explicitly stated a theoretical rationale for their development. BCTs were identified in both intervention and comparator groups across both intervention types and there was heterogeneity with regard to their presentation within and across interventions. The BCTs identified in the 'monetary incentive' interventions differed to the comparator group. Contrastingly, the BCTs identified in 'electronic prompts' interventions were identical in both the control and intervention groups (within studies) and differed only in terms of mode of delivery and dosing.ConclusionsAttending a measurement visit or returning a questionnaire is a behaviour and trialists should be mindful of this when designing retention interventions. Our work in this area provides some of the first evidence of the impact of implicit use of BCTs in retention interventions and highlights their potential promise for future trials.

Project description:BackgroundA range of strict nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) were implemented in many countries to combat the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. These NPIs may also be effective at controlling seasonal influenza virus infections, as influenza viruses have the same transmission path as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of different NPIs on the control of seasonal influenza.MethodsData for 14 NPIs implemented in 33 countries and the corresponding influenza virological surveillance data were collected. The influenza suppression index was calculated as the difference between the influenza positivity rate during its period of decline from 2019 to 2020 and during the influenza epidemic seasons in the previous 9 years. A machine learning model was developed using an extreme gradient boosting tree regressor to fit the NPI and influenza suppression index data. The SHapley Additive exPlanations tool was used to characterize the NPIs that suppressed the transmission of influenza.ResultsOf all NPIs tested, gathering limitations had the greatest contribution (37.60%) to suppressing influenza transmission during the 2019-2020 influenza season. The three most effective NPIs were gathering limitations, international travel restrictions, and school closures. For these three NPIs, their intensity threshold required to generate an effect were restrictions on the size of gatherings less than 1000 people, ban of travel to all regions or total border closures, and closing only some categories of schools, respectively. There was a strong positive interaction effect between mask-wearing requirements and gathering limitations, whereas merely implementing a mask-wearing requirement, and not other NPIs, diluted the effectiveness of mask-wearing requirements at suppressing influenza transmission.ConclusionsGathering limitations, ban of travel to all regions or total border closures, and closing some levels of schools were found to be the most effective NPIs at suppressing influenza transmission. It is recommended that the mask-wearing requirement be combined with gathering limitations and other NPIs. Our findings could facilitate the precise control of future influenza epidemics and other potential pandemics.

Dataset Information

Assessing the State of Knowledge Regarding the Effectiveness of Interventions to Contain Pandemic Influenza Transmission: A Systematic Review and Narrative Synthesis.

Publications

Assessing the State of Knowledge Regarding the Effectiveness of Interventions to Contain Pandemic Influenza Transmission: A Systematic Review and Narrative Synthesis.

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