Project description:Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19) severely impacted the health, society, and economy around the world. With declining protective efficacy of primary vaccination and the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants, a Covid-19 booster vaccination is being fully implemented globally. Many people received three doses of BBIBP-CorV inactivated vaccine in China and other developing countries. However, the antibody response and immune persistence of the homologous BBIBP-CorV booster vaccination is yet to be thoroughly evaluated, as previous studies focused within one month after the third dose. In this study, 97 participants were enrolled to analyze the antibody response and immune persistence within 6 months as well as the safety within 7 days after the third-dose of homologous BBIBP-CorV inactivated vaccine. The seroconversion rate for total antibody against the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein were both 100% at month 1 and month 6 after the third dose. The IgG against the RBD of the SARS-CoV-2 S protein seroconversion rate increased from 42.27% before the third dose to 100% 1 month after the third dose and then slightly decreased to 98.97% 5 months later. Positive IgM against the RBD of the SARS-CoV-2 S protein was rare and was observed in only one participant at month 1 after the third dose. The neutralizing antibody levels at month 1 and month 6 after the third dose increased 63.32-fold and 13.16-fold compared with those before the third dose, and the positive rate for neutralizing antibody was still 100% at month 6 after the third dose. Importantly, the antibody responses induced by the vaccine and immune persistence were not affected by sex or age. No serious adverse reactions were reported. Total antibody and IgG against the RBD of the SARS-CoV-2 S protein were highly correlated with neutralizing antibody, suggesting that total antibody and IgG against the RBD of the SARS-CoV-2 S protein could be used as predictors for neutralizing antibody. In conclusion, the third dose of homologous BBIBP-CorV inactivated vaccine induced a robust antibody response and moderate immune persistence. These finding are of great significance for development future vaccination strategies.
Project description:This study demonstrated a favorable short-term safety profile after a third dose of the BNT162b2 vaccine among healthcare workers (HCWs). There were more frequent local reactions and less systemic reactions compared to the second dose. The HCWs who reported reactions had higher prebooster titer of anti-S1 antibodies compared to those who reported no reactions.
Project description:The working life of individuals is now longer because of increases to state pension age in the United Kingdom. Older workers may be at particular risk in the workplace, compared with younger workers. Successful workplace interventions to reduce occupational stress amongst older workers are essential, but little is known about their effectiveness. The aim is to evaluate current evidence of the effectiveness of interventions for reducing stress in older workers in non-healthcare settings. Four database searches were conducted. The search terms included synonyms of "intervention", "workplace" and "occupational stress" to identify original studies published since 2011. Dual screening was conducted on the sample to identify studies which met the inclusion criteria. The RoB 2.0 tool for RCTs was used to assess the risk of bias. From 3708 papers retrieved, ten eligible papers were identified. Seven of the papers' interventions were deemed effective in reducing workplace stress. The sample size for most studies was small, and the effectiveness of interventions were more likely to be reported when studies used self-report measures, rather than biological measures. This review indicates that workplace interventions might be effective for reducing stress in older workers. However, there remains an absence of high-quality evidence in this field.
Project description:IntroductionData have suggested that SARS-CoV-2 infection causes an antibody response at least as strong as one BNT162b2 vaccine dose. Nevertheless, some aspects require further investigation to better understand the immunogenicity of one vaccine dose among infected individuals. Thus, we evaluated how previous SARS-CoV-2 infection may influence the humoral immunity after a single Pfizer BNT162b mRNA vaccine dose in a sample of healthcare workers (HCWs).MethodsAs part of the routine surveillance activity conducted among HCWs of the Policlinico Riuniti Foggia Hospital (Apulia region, Italy), we conducted a retrospective serosurvey in the period January-March 2021. We compared specific antibody titres (anti-spike IgGs measured by enzyme-linked immunoassay, ELISA) after SARS-CoV-2 infection and after the first dose of the BNT162b2 vaccine, analysing the impact of sex, age, time since infection, and presence of symptoms on the humoral response.ResultsWe included in the study 58 HCWs (mean age 44.1 years, 48.2% male) with anti-spike IgG titres available before and after the first BNT162b2 vaccine dose. Among these, we observed higher titres in previously infected cases (N = 21) than in COVID-19-naïve subjects (N = 37) (medians 1510 vs. 0.68; p < 0.001). A statistically significant difference in anti-spike IgG titres was also observed among previously infected HCWs before vaccine dose in comparison with post-dose infection-naïve HCWs (medians 18.37 vs. 0.68, p < 0.001). Among infected individuals, no differences by sex, age, or time since infection were reported (p > 0.05). Post-dose titres of symptomatic and asymptomatic infected HCWs slightly differed (medians = 1900 vs. 1090; p = 0.048).ConclusionOur data support the viable hypothesis of a single-dose vaccine regimen in individuals with a history of COVID-19, but no conclusion on duration of protection in this group can be drawn from our study.
Project description:RNA was extracted from whole blood of subjects collected in Tempus tubes prior to COVID-19 mRNA booster vaccination. D01 and D21 correspond to samples collected at pre-dose 1 and pre-dose 2 respectively. RNA was also extracted from blood collected at indicated time points post-vaccination. DB1, DB2, DB4 and DB7 correspond to booster day 1 (pre-booster), booster day 2, booster day 4 and booster day 7 respectively. The case subject experienced cardiac complication following mRNA booster vaccination. We performed gene expression analysis of case versus controls over time.
Project description:BackgroundThe knowledge, from laboratory studies dating back to the 1950s on the importance of the association between cardiorespiratory fitness and aerobic workload for workers health, is fundamental for promoting sustainable healthy employability among ageing blue-collar workers today. However, the association between cardiorespiratory fitness and aerobic workload has not yet been documented during daily work, and we do not know if it applies to the normal work of blue-collar workers in different age groups. We aim to investigate the association between cardiorespiratory fitness and aerobic workload among blue-collar workers using measurements of 24-h heart rate collected over consecutive working days.MethodsWe analyzed baseline cardiorespiratory fitness, assessed using a sub-maximal cycle ergometer test, and 1-4 days of 24-h heart rate measurement from 497 blue-collar workers participating in the DPHACTO study. We investigated the association between cardiorespiratory fitness and aerobic workload defined as the average percentage of heart rate reserve (%HRR), maximum %HRR and the duration time spent at a high HRR (> 30%) during working hours. The association was assessed using multivariate linear regression models adjusted for age, sex, self-rated health, shift-work, prescription medication and occupation, as well as for different age strata.ResultsHigher cardiorespiratory fitness was significantly associated with decreased mean %HRR -0.32 [95% CI -0.39 to -0.25], maximum %HRR -0.35 [95% CI -0.45 to -0.25] and time spent at ≥ 30% HRR; -1.8% [95% CI -2.2 to -1.5%]. These associations were evident across age groups, with slightly stronger associations for workers aged 46-51 (total range 18-68).ConclusionsHigher cardiorespiratory fitness was associated with the decreased aerobic workload during normal work across all age groups and levels of work intensity. Our findings highlight the importance of cardiorespiratory fitness when considering the workload and its relevance in the promotion of healthy sustainable employment.
Project description:We evaluated epidemiologic and molecular characteristics of monkeypox virus (MPXV) infections sampled from 2 healthcare nurses. Five days after collecting samples from an infected patient, the nurses showed typical MPXV manifestations; quantitative PCR and whole-genome sequencing confirmed MPXV infection, most likely transmitted through contact with fomites.
Project description:BackgroundAsthma-related health outcomes are known to be associated with indoor moisture and renovations. The objective of this study was to estimate the frequency of these indoor environmental quality (IEQ) factors in healthcare facilities and their association with asthma-related outcomes among workers.MethodsNew York City healthcare workers (n = 2030) were surveyed regarding asthma-related symptoms, and moisture and renovation factors at work and at home during the last 12 months. Questions for workplace moisture addressed water damage (WD), mold growth (MG), and mold odor (MO), while for renovations they addressed painting (P), floor renovations (FR), and wall renovations (WR). Regression models were fit to examine associations between work and home IEQ factors and multiple asthma-related outcomes.ResultsReports of any moisture (n = 728, 36%) and renovations (n = 1412, 70%) at work were common. Workplace risk factors for asthma-related outcomes included the moisture categories of WD by itself, WD with MO (without MG), and WD with MG and MO, and the renovation category with the three factors P, FR, and WR. Reports of home IEQ factors were less frequent and less likely to be associated with health outcomes. Data analyses suggested that MG and/or MO at work and at home had a synergistic effect on the additive scale with a symptom-based algorithm for bronchial hyperresponsiveness.ConclusionsThe current study determined that moisture and renovation factors are common in healthcare facilities, potentially putting workers at risk for asthma-related outcomes. More research is needed to confirm these results, especially prospective studies.
Project description:BackgroundWorkplace violence has become a global issue, especially among healthcare workers. This study aimed to determine the influencing factors and legal processes of workplace violence incidents, as well as the frequency of workplace violence in a tertiary hospital.MethodsThis observational, descriptive, retrospective frequency study was conducted between January 2020 and March 2022. This study examined the workplace violence records of 135 healthcare professionals at a tertiary hospital's Patient Rights and Employee Safety and Law departments. Factors affecting workplace violence were categorized as noncompliance with the procedure, communication, and dissatisfaction.ResultsWorkplace violence frequency was observed in the cumulative total of 10821 healthcare workers at 1.2%. In terms of workplace violence types, 71.9% were verbal and 28.1% were physical. In terms of exposure to workplace violence, doctors accounted for 62.3%, nurses for 20%, and medical secretaries for 7.4%. Most cases were observed in outpatient clinics (34.8%), followed by emergency departments (25.9%). Among the main reasons for workplace violence against healthcare workers, non-compliance with procedures (49.6%), communication (27.4%), and dissatisfaction (23.1%) were identified. Legal aid was provided to all notifications of workplace violence. 37.1% were not prosecuted, 55.5% were under investigation, 4.4% were accepted indictments, and 3.0% were punished by a judicial fine.ConclusionThis study can provide significant contributions to the formulation of workplace violence prevention policies and programs by analyzing white-code notifications for workplace violence frequency and preventable factors. Healthcare workers may have underreported workplace violence events due to the length of the proceedings and the perceived lack of protection from legal regulations.
Project description:Improving health and safety at work has been an important issue for the European Union since the 1980s. The existing literature supports that shift work is associated with multiple indicators of poor health but frequently neglects the potential impact of occupational hazards. This study aims at describing and comparing the exposure to different workplace hazards among shift and other workers before and after 1980. Exposure to different workplace hazards (noise, dust, pollutant, and other physical stressors) were analyzed among 119,413 participants from the UK Biobank cohort. After stratifying the analyses before and after 1980, exposure was compared between shift and other workers. Potential confounding variables (sex, age, ethnicity, education level, occupational category, and neuroticism) were adjusted for in the log-binomial regression. Shift workers had a higher prevalence ratio (PR) than other workers of being exposed to almost all identified hazards both before or after 1980. They were also more likely to be exposed to multiple hazards compared to other workers, both before 1980 (PR: 1.25; 95% CI: 1.21-1.30) and after 1980 (PR: 1.34; 95% CI: 1.30-1.38). The prevalence of all measured risk factors was higher after 1980 than before 1980 among shift workers. Of note, the work environment has improved overall for other workers. Our findings suggest that changes at the workplace have benefited other workers more than shift workers as they are still more exposed to all occupational hazards.