Project description:In light of the ongoing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, this study aims to examine the relationship between the availability of public health resources and the mortality rate of this disease. We conducted empirical analyses using linear regression, a time-varying effect model, and a regression discontinuity design to investigate the association of medical resources with the mortality rate of the COVID-19 patients in Hubei, China. The results showed that the numbers of hospital beds, healthcare system beds, and medical staff per confirmed cases all had significant negative effects on the coronavirus disease mortality rate. Furthermore, in the context of the severe pandemic currently being experienced worldwide, the present study summarized the experience and implications in pandemic prevention and control in Hubei province from the perspective of medical resource integration as follows: First, hospitals' internal medical resources were integrated, breaking interdepartmental barriers. Second, joint pandemic control was realized by integrating regional healthcare system resources. Finally, an external medical resource allocation system was developed.
Project description:BackgroundOveruse of health care resources has been identified as the leading contributor to waste in the US health care system.ObjectiveTo explore health care system factors associated with regional variation in systemic overuse of health care resources as measured by the Johns Hopkins Overuse Index (JHOI) which aggregates systemic overuse of 20 health care services.DesignUsing Medicare fee-for-service claims data from beneficiaries age 65 or over in 2008, we calculated the JHOI for the 306 hospital referral regions in the United States. We used ordinary least squares regression and multilevel models to estimate the association of JHOI scores and characteristics of regional health care delivery systems listed in the Area Health Resource File and Dartmouth Atlas.Key resultsRegions with a higher density of primary care physicians had lower JHOI scores, indicating less systemic overuse (P < 0.001). Regional characteristics associated with higher JHOI scores, indicating more systemic overuse, included number per 1000 residents of acute care hospital beds (P = 0.002) and of hospital-based anesthesiologists, pathologists, and radiologists (P = 0.02).ConclusionsRegional variations in health care resources including the clinician workforce are associated with the intensity of systemic overuse of health care. The role of primary care doctors in reducing health care overuse deserves further attention.
Project description:Cryptosporidium is a group of protistan parasites of a range of vertebrates including mammals and birds. Stimulated by previous work that revealed "zoonotic" Cryptosporidium meleagridis subtypes (i.e. IIIbA26G1R1b and IIIbA22G1R1c) in diarrhoeic children and domestic chickens in Wuhan city and environs in Hubei Province, China, here we explored whether zoonotic C. meleagridis subtypes might also occur in pet birds in Wuhan city. From 11 bird markets in this city, we collected 322 faecal samples from 48 species of birds (representing six taxonomic orders), isolated genomic DNA and then conducted PCR-based sequencing of genetic markers in the small subunit (SSU) of the nuclear ribosomal RNA and the 60 kDa glycoprotein (gp60) genes of Cryptosporidium. Using SSU, Cryptosporidium was detected in 55 (17%) of the 322 samples. Cryptosporidium avium, C. baileyi, C. meleagridis, C. muris and C. proventriculi were characterised in 18%, 47%, 11%, 2% and 20% of the 55 samples, respectively, and a novel Cryptosporidium galli-like taxon in one sample. Using gp60, only one subtype (IIIeA17G2R1) of C. meleagridis was identified, which had not been detected in a previous study of diarrhoeic children in Wuhan. However, IIIe subtypes have been found in both humans and birds around the world. The relatively high prevalence and genetic diversity of Cryptosporidium recorded here in pet birds raise awareness about possible reservoirs of zoonotic variants of Cryptosporidium in birds in Wuhan, and potentially, other provinces in China.
Project description:ObjectiveDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, many parents faced heightened stress, anxiety and depression due to the local and global COVID-19 mitigation measures and lockdowns.DesignThis is a cross-sectional study.SettingThis study used stratified whole-cluster sampling to randomly select three elementary schools within Ezhou City.ParticipantsAn online survey was administered to the parents of students in one or two classes in grades 1-6, respectively, of each school. Among them, males account for 30.4% and females account for 69.6%. The inclusion criteria included (1) the parent or legal guardian of a primary school student or a person directly responsible for the child's education and (2) the ability to operate a computer or smartphone to complete the survey. Only one representative from each family was allowed to participate, and surveys with incomplete data were considered invalid and thus excluded.ResultsA total of 764 participants completed the online survey. Overall, 90.4% of the participants were concerned about their children's mental health and learning during the pandemic. Additionally, 97.0% were aware of the typical symptoms of COVID-19. Only 48.0% of the participants felt the pandemic negatively impacted their lives. The average psychological status score among parents was 87.79±8.91, with 51.6% showing signs of high psychological distress. Significant differences in psychological status were linked to age, education, professional background, sleep status, personal views on the pandemic's impact and concern for children's learning (p<0.05). Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that a negative perception of the pandemic's impact on one's life (OR 0.367, 95% CI: 0.272 to 0.493) was associated with psychological distress.ConclusionParents of school children in Ezhou City have a good knowledge base on COVID-19 infection and have a high awareness of the corresponding protective measures. However, priority attention and care should be given to individuals who have experienced mental distress in relation to the pandemic.
Project description:Snakebite accidents are considered category A neglected tropical diseases. Brazil stands out for snakebite accidents, mainly in the Amazon region. The best possible care after snakebite accidents is to obtain antiophidic sera on time. And the maximum ideal time to reach it is about 2 hours after an accident. Based on public health information and using a tool to analyze geographical accessibility, we evaluate the possibility of reaching Brazilian serum-providing health facilities from the relationship between population distribution and commuting time. In this exploratory descriptive study, the geographic accessibility of Brazilian population to health facilities that supply antiophidic serum is evaluated through a methodology that articulates several issues that influence the commuting time to health units (ACCESSMOD): population and facilities' distribution, transportation network and means, relief and land use, which were obtained in Brazilian and international sources. The relative importance of the population without the possibility of reaching a facility in two hours is highlighted for Macro-Regions, States and municipalities. About nine million people live in locations more than two hours away from serum-providing facilities, with relevant variations between regions, states, and municipalities. States like Mato Grosso, Pará and Maranhão had the most important participation of population with reaching time problems to those units. The most significant gaps are found in areas with a dispersed population and sometimes characterized by a high incidence of snakebites, such as in the North of the country, especially in the Northeastern Pará state. Even using a 2010 population distribution information, because of the 2020 Census postponement, the tendencies and characteristics analyzed reveal challenging situations over the country. The growing availability of serum-providing health facilities, the enhanced possibilities of transporting accident victims, and even the availability of sera in other types of establishments are actions that would allow expanding the possibilities of access to serum supply.
Project description:Country governments and the WHO advocated that the "whole-of-government" and the "whole-of-society" approaches are necessary to fight against the pandemic. However, it is unclear what it means in practice and its implications in the of context of food security and in emergencies. This article examines the “whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach” (WOG-WOS), how the government and non-government stakeholders have quickly engaged in collaborative governance to address the community food supply challenges. This research analyzed government policies and reports, scanned grey literature and conduced in-depth interviews with key stakeholders in Wuhan working on the frontline of food supply during the first wave of COVID-19 lockdown. The findings contribute to the literature on collaborative governance in emergency management. The case of Wuhan makes the point that the government and the society are interdependent in emergencies. For the whole society to achieve its full potential, the governments need to focus on the goals, function as open-minded coordinators and adopt a flexible governing structure.
Project description:AimSince December 2019, new COVID-19 outbreaks have occurred and spread around the world. However, the clinical characteristics of patients in other areas around Wuhan, Hubei Province are still unclear. In this study, we performed epidemiological and clinical characteristics analysis on these regional cases.MethodsWe retrospectively investigated COVID-19 patients positively confirmed by nucleic acid Q-PCR at Taihe Hospital from January 16 to February 4, 2020. Their epidemiological, clinical manifestations, and imaging characteristics were analysed.ResultsAmong the 73 patients studied, 12.3 % developed symptoms after returning to Shiyan from Wuhan, and 71.2 % had a history of close contact with Wuhan personnel or confirmed cases. Among these patients, 9 cases were associated with family clustering. The first main symptoms presented by these patients were fever (84.9 %) and cough (21.9 %). The longest incubation period was 26 days, and the median interval from the first symptoms to admission was 5 days. Of the patients, 67.1 % were originally healthy people with no underlying diseases, others mostly had common comorbidities including hypertension (12.3 %) and diabetes (5.5 %), 10.9 % were current smokers, 30.1 % had low white blood cell counts and 45.2 % showed decreased lymphocytes at the first time of diagnosis. CT scans showed that multiple patchy ground glass shadows outside of the patient lungs were commonly observed, and a single sub-pleural sheet of ground glass shadow with enhanced vascular bundles was also found located under the pleura. Patient follow-up to February 14 presented 38.4 % severe cases and 2.7 % critical cases. After follow-up, the parameter of lymphocyte counts below 0.8 × 109/L cannot be used to predict severe and critical groups from the ordinary group, and a lower proportion of smokers and higher proportion of diabetes patients occur in the poor outcome group. Other co-morbidities are observed but did not lead to poor outcomes.ConclusionThe epidemiological characteristics of patients in the area around Wuhan, such as Shiyan, at first diagnosis are described as follows: Patients had histories of Wuhan residences in the early stage and family clustering in the later period. The incubation period was relatively long, and the incidence was relatively hidden, but the virulence was relatively low. The initial diagnosis of the patients was mostly ordinary, and the percentage of critical patients who evolved into the ICU during follow-up is 2.7 %, which is lower than the 26.1 % reported by Wuhan city. According to the Shiyan experience, early diagnosis with multiple swaps of the Q-PCR test and timely treatment can reduce the death rate. Diabetes could be one of the risk factors for progression to severe/critical outcomes. No evidence exists that smoking protects COVID-19 patients from developing to severe/critical cases, and the absolute number of lymphocytes at initial diagnosis could not predict the progression risk from severe to critical condition. Multivariate regression analysis should be used to further guide the allocation of clinical resources.
Project description:Several teaching resources are used to enhance the learning of anatomy. The purpose of this study was to examine the preference of medical students on the use of various resources to learn anatomy and their link to 12 learning outcomes. A selected response item questionnaire was administered that asked students to rank six laboratory teaching resources from most to least preferred, and rate how useful these six resources were towards achieving 12 learning outcomes. These learning outcomes covered many of the learning domains such as demonstrating an understanding of anatomy, visualizing structures, appreciating clinical correlations, and understanding anatomical variations. Medical students ranked cadaveric prosections paired with an active learning clinical tutorial as the highest rank and most useful resource for learning anatomy, followed by dissection videos, electronic resources, and printed material, followed by plastinated specimens and plastic models. Overall, cadaveric prosections were also rated as the most helpful teaching resource in achieving various learning outcomes. In conclusion, anatomy teachers should provide prosections coupled with clinical tutorials as well as electronic resources as students prefer these and think they help them learn anatomy. Future studies will investigate the impact of using these resources on students' performance.Supplementary informationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40670-021-01436-2.