Articles: covid-19.
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During the COVID-19 pandemic children and young people (CYP) mortality in England reduced to the lowest on record, but it is unclear if the mechanisms which facilitated a reduction in mortality had a longer lasting impact, and what impact the pandemic, and its social restrictions, have had on deaths with longer latencies (e.g., malignancies). The aim of this analysis was to quantify the relative rate, and causes, of childhood deaths in England, before, during, and after national lockdowns for COVID-19 and its social changes. ⋯ In this study, overall child mortality in England after the national lockdowns was higher than before them. We observed different temporal profiles across the different causes of death, with reassuring trends in deaths from Intrapartum deaths after lockdowns were lifted. However, for all other causes of death, rates are either static, or increasing. In addition, the relative rate of dying for children from non-white backgrounds, compared to white children, is now higher than before or during the lockdowns.
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Leaving before medically advised (BMA) is a significant issue in the US healthcare system, leading to adverse health outcomes and increased costs. Despite previous research, multi-year studies using up-to-date nationwide emergency department (ED) data, are limited. This study examines factors associated with leaving BMA from EDs and trends over time, before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. ⋯ In this study, several demographics, socio-economic, and clinical characteristics were associated with higher incidences of leaving ED BMA. The COVID-19 pandemic also exacerbated BMA rates. These findings highlight the need for targeted interventions to improve patient-provider communication and ED triage efficiency, especially in resource-constrained facilities serving lower-income individuals.
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Background: Telemedicine became a fundamental part of healthcare provision during COVID-19 pandemic. An evaluation of telemedicine-associated satisfaction helps the service develop more viable applications. This review evaluated the satisfaction of healthcare users and providers and their willingness to use this modality in future. ⋯ Satisfaction was high among both recipient and provider of healthcare. Telemedicine managed to provide a continued care throughout the pandemic while maintaining social distance. The current review presented commendable evidence to encourage different specialities to engage in telemedicine application.
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This study aimed to assess the kinetics of antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2, following natural infection in a cohort of employees of the Institut Pasteur de Tunis (IPT) and to assess the risk of reinfection over a 12-months follow-up period. A prospective study was conducted among an open cohort of IPT employees with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection that were recruited between September 2020 and March 2021. Sera samples were taken at 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months after confirmation of COVID-19 infection and tested for SARS-CoV-2-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies to the spike (S-RBD) protein (IgG anti-S-RBD) and for neutralizing antibodies. ⋯ Among the 70 participants with three or more prospective blood samples, 32.8% were reinfected among whom 11 (47.8%) reported COVID-19 like symptoms. Up to 12 months of follow up, 100% and 42.9% of participants had detectable IgG anti-S-RBD and neutralizing antibodies, respectively. This study showed that humoral immune response following COVID-19 infection may persist up to 12 months after infection despite the potential risk for reinfection that is mainly explained by the emergence of new variants.