Articles: sars-cov-2.
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The aim of this study was to systematically appraise the quality of a sample of COVID-19-related systematic reviews (SRs) and discuss internal validity threats affecting the COVID-19 body of evidence. ⋯ The methodological and reporting quality of current COVID-19 SR is far from optimal. In addition, most of the current SRs fail to address relevant threats to their internal validity, including repeated patients and heterogeneity in the definition of severe COVID-19. Adherence to proper study design and peer-review practices must remain to mitigate current limitations.
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Healthcare workers (HCWs), particularly those from ethnic minority groups, have been shown to be at disproportionately higher risk of infection with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) compared to the general population. However, there is insufficient evidence on how demographic and occupational factors influence infection risk among ethnic minority HCWs. ⋯ We identified key sociodemographic and occupational risk factors associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection among UK HCWs, and have determined factors that might contribute to a disproportionate odds of infection in HCWs from Black ethnic groups. These findings demonstrate the importance of social and occupational factors in driving ethnic disparities in COVID-19 outcomes, and should inform policies, including targeted vaccination strategies and risk assessments aimed at protecting HCWs in future waves of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Emerging and future SARS-CoV-2 variants may jeopardize the effectiveness of vaccination campaigns. Therefore, it is important to know how the different vaccines perform against diverse SARS-CoV-2 variants. ⋯ Overall, this study shows that the mRNA vaccines appear superior to adenovirus vector-based vaccines in inducing neutralizing antibodies against VOCs four weeks after initial vaccination and after booster vaccination, which implies the use of mRNA vaccines for both initial and booster vaccination.
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Pneumomediastinum and pneumothorax are recognised complications encountered in COVID-19 before or during invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV). The clinical course of patients developing pneumomediastinum before IMV is yet to be evaluated. Four-thousand, one-hundred and thirty-one patients hospitalised with COVID-19 over a 12-month period were retrospectively reviewed to evaluate for incidence, clinical characteristics and outcomes. ⋯ The incidence of PneumoCoV, despite being low, is associated with increased mortality. It is a hallmark of moderate to severe disease with multifaceted contributory factors. Both demographic and clinical factors predict survival.
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Postgraduate medicine · May 2022
ReviewThe impact of physical activity on well-being, lifestyle and health promotion in an era of COVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2 variant.
We must recognize the limitations of the current situation and vaccines where SARS-CoV-2 variants continue to transform and spread and need to build strategies to maintain and promote health in adherence to the suggested recommended action of the WHO. The purpose of this review is to examine the literature and latest research on the effects of physical activity (PA) on health in preparation for the SARS-CoV-2 strain and future infectious diseases era. In addition, it provides some general guidelines for actionable PA. ⋯ As a result, PA suggests opportunities to not only maintain and promote health by strengthening the immune system in an era where the COVID-19 variant is a crisis but also implement opportunities for well-being (WB), healthy lifestyles, and long-term health improvement. In particular, maintaining a regular PA routine outdoors or at home could be an important means to lower infection rates and maintain health during the potential impact of the current COVID-19 crisis and future pandemics (i.e. dramatic moments). The clinical relevance of the present review is crucial to understanding the impact of PA on WB, lifestyle, physical and mental health, maintaining regular PA, and important preventive factor to better prepare for the era of COVID-19 variants and similar pandemics in the future as it is emphasized as a prevention strategy and key strategy for continuous health promotion.