Annals of medicine
-
To explore the potential of SARS-CoV-2 spread during air travel and the risk of in-flight transmission. ⋯ We found that the universal use of face masks on the flight, together with the plane's ventilation system, significantly decreased the infectivity of COVID-19.KEY MESSAGESThe COVID-19 pandemic is changing the lifestyle in the world, especially air travel which has the potential to spread SARS-CoV-2.The universal use of face masks on the flight, together with the plane's ventilation system, significantly decreased the infectivity of COVID-19 on an aircraft.Our findings suggest that the risk of infection in aircraft was negligible.
-
This study aimed to understand the clinical characteristics and outcomes of children with Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) in China. ⋯ In this study, LCH was a highly heterogeneous disease characterized molecularly by MAPK-pathway activating mutations. Vincristine, prednisone and cytarabine-based chemotherapy combined with vemurafenib improved the prognosis of childhood LCH. In future, prospective clinical trials and novel therapeutic strategies should be developed to improve outcomes in paediatric patients with LCH.KEY MESSAGEChildren with Langerhans cell histiocytosis in China present highly heterogeneous clinical characteristics, with up to 60% of cases harbouring mutations in MAPK pathway.Treatment response at 12-week is associated with EFS in our study.Vincristine, prednisone and cytarabine-based chemotherapy combined with vemurafenib improved the prognosis of Chinese childhood LCH, but the reactivation rate is still high.
-
A few studies have mentioned that post-bronchoscopy sputum (PBS) could improve the diagnostic yield in pauci-bacillary pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB). Therefore, we evaluated the diagnostic yield of PBS for diagnosing pauci-bacillaryPTB. ⋯ PBS could improve the diagnostic yield by 20% when diagnosing pauci-bacillary PTB. In addition, about 8% of the patients could be diagnosed rapidly because of AFB smear microscopy positivity for PBS. Therefore, PBS use should be considered as a complementary diagnostic approach in patients with suspected pauci-bacillary PTB.
-
The COVID-19 pandemic has been influencing people's psychological health, especially in pregnant women. We aimed to examine associated factors of fear of COVID-19, anxiety and depression among pregnant women during the pandemic where the impacts of healthy eating behaviour (HES) and health literacy (HL) were emphasized. ⋯ Among others, HES and HL had positive impacts on protecting pregnant women against anxiety and depression. Improving HES and HL should be addressed as a strategic approach to improve reproductive health during the pandemic.KEY MESSAGEThe COVID-19 pandemic influences antenatal mental disorders with the higher level as opposed to that before the pandemic.Healthy eating behaviour and better health literacy (HL) had critical roles in lowering prenatal anxiety and depression during the COVID-19 crisis.Strategic approaches for improving healthy eating and HL should be recommended for protecting pregnant women from mental health problems during the pandemic.
-
The impact of the changes in the obesity status on mortality has not been established; thus, we investigated the long-term influence of body fat (BF) changes on all-cause deaths and cardiovascular outcomes in a general population. ⋯ Increasing BF was associated with a lower risk of all-cause death, cardiovascular death, and MACE in the general population.Key messagesIncreasing body fat is associated with a lower risk of all-cause death, cardiovascular death, and major cardiovascular adverse events in a low-risk ageing general population, independently of physical activity, underlying cardiovascular disease burden, changes in muscle mass, and baseline obesity status.Fatness measured at baseline requires adjustment for the changes in fatness during the follow-up to reveal its impact on the clinical outcomes.