To better inform efforts to treat and control the current outbreak with a comprehensive characterization of COVID-19.
We searched PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and CNKI (Chinese Database) for ...studies published as of March 2, 2020, and we searched references of identified articles. Studies were reviewed for methodological quality. A random-effects model was used to pool results. Heterogeneity was assessed using I2. Publication bias was assessed using Egger's test.
43 studies involving 3600 patients were included. Among COVID-19 patients, fever (83.3% 95% CI 78.4–87.7), cough (60.3% 54.2–66.3), and fatigue (38.0% 29.8–46.5) were the most common clinical symptoms. The most common laboratory abnormalities were elevated C-reactive protein (68.6% 58.2–78.2), decreased lymphocyte count (57.4% 44.8–69.5) and increased lactate dehydrogenase (51.6% 31.4–71.6). Ground-glass opacities (80.0% 67.3–90.4) and bilateral pneumonia (73.2% 63.4–82.1) were the most frequently reported findings on computed tomography. The overall estimated proportion of severe cases and case-fatality rate (CFR) was 25.6% (17.4–34.9) and 3.6% (1.1–7.2), respectively. CFR and laboratory abnormalities were higher in severe cases, patients from Wuhan, and older patients, but CFR did not differ by gender.
The majority of COVID-19 cases are symptomatic with a moderate CFR. Patients living in Wuhan, older patients, and those with medical comorbidities tend to have more severe clinical symptoms and higher CFR.
Background: A safe and effective vaccine against COVID-19 has become a public health priority. However, little is known about the public willingness to accept a future COVID-19 vaccine in China. This ...study aimed to understand the willingness and determinants for the acceptance of a COVID-19 vaccine among Chinese adults.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey using an online questionnaire was conducted in an adult population in China. Chi-square tests were used to identify differences for various intentions regarding COVID-19 vaccination. The t test was used to identify differences among vaccine hesitancy scores. Multivariable logistic regression was used to analyze the predicated factors associated with the willingness to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.
Results: Of the 3195 eligible participants, 83.8% were willing to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, and 76.6% believed the vaccine would be beneficial to their health; however, 74.9% expressed concerns or a neutral attitude regarding its potential adverse effects. Of the participants, 76.5% preferred domestically manufactured vaccines and were more willing to be vaccinated than those who preferred imported vaccines. Multivariable logistic regression indicated that lack of confidence, complacency in regard to health, risk of the vaccine, and attention frequency were the main factors affecting the intention to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.
Conclusion: Our study indicated that the respondents in China had a high willingness to accept a COVID-19 vaccine, but some participants also worried about its adverse effects. Information regarding the efficacy and safety of an upcoming COVID-19 vaccine should be disseminated to ensure its acceptance and coverage.
This paper develops a two-dimensional (2D) radiomics approach with computed tomography (CT) to differentiate between benign and malignant ovarian neoplasms. A retrospective study was conducted from ...July 2017 to June 2019 for 134 patients with surgically-verified benign or malignant ovarian tumors. The patients were randomly divided in a ratio of 7:3 into two sets, namely a training set (of n = 95) and a test set (of n = 39). The ITK-SNAP software was used to delineate the regions of interest (ROI) associated with lesions of the largest diameters in plain CT image slices. Texture features were extracted by the Analysis Kit (AK) software. The training set was used to select the best features according to the maximum-relevance minimum-redundancy (mRMR) criterion, in addition to the algorithm of the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO). Then, we employed a radiomics model for classification via multivariate logistic regression. Finally, we evaluated the overall performance of our method using the receiver operating characteristics (ROC), the DeLong test. and tested in an external validation test sample of patients of ovarian neoplasm. We created a radiomics prediction model from 14 selected features. The radiomic signature was found to be highly discriminative according to the area under the ROC curve (AUC) for both the training set (AUC = 0.88), and the test set (AUC = 0.87). The radiomics nomogram also demonstrated good calibration and differentiation for both the training (AUC = 0.95) and test (AUC = 0.96) samples. External validation tests gave a good performance in radiomic signature (AUC = 0.83) and radiomics nomogram (AUC = 0.95). The decision curve explicitly indicated the clinical usefulness of our nomogram method in the sense that it can influence major clinical events such as the ordering or abortion of other tests, treatments or invasive procedures. Our radiomics model based on plain CT images has a high diagnostic efficiency, which is helpful for the identification and prediction of benign and malignant ovarian neoplasms.
Various modalities of vaccines against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), based on different platforms and immunization procedures, have been successively approved for marketing worldwide. A ...comprehensive review for clinical trials assessing the safety of COVID-19 vaccines is urgently needed to make an accurate judgment for mass vaccination.
A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to determine the safety of COVID-19 vaccine candidates in randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Data search was performed in PubMed, Embase, Cochrane library, Scopus, Web of Science, and MedRxiv. Included articles were limited to RCTs on COVID-19 vaccines. A total of 73,633 subjects from 14 articles were included to compare the risks of adverse events following immunization (AEFI) after vaccinating different COVID-19 vaccines. Pooled risk ratios (RR) of total AEFI for inactivated vaccine, viral-vectored vaccine, and mRNA vaccine were 1.34 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.11-1.61, P < 0.001, 1.65 (95% CI 1.31-2.07, P < 0.001), and 2.01 (95% CI 1.78-2.26, P < 0.001), respectively. No significant differences on local and systemic AEFI were found between the first dose and second dose. In addition, people aged ≤ 55 years were at significantly higher risk of AEFI than people aged ≥ 56 years, with a pooled RR of 1.25 (95% CI 1.15-1.35, P < 0.001).
The safety and tolerance of current COVID-19 vaccine candidates are acceptable for mass vaccination, with inactivated COVID-19 vaccines candidates having the lowest reported AEFI. Long-term surveillance of vaccine safety is required, especially among elderly people with underlying medical conditions.
The global burden of lung cancer (LC) is increasing. Quantitative projections of the future LC burden in different world regions could help optimize the allocation of resources and provide a ...benchmark for evaluating LC prevention and control interventions.
We aimed to predict the future incidence of LC in 40 countries by 2035, with an emphasis on country- and sex-specific disparities.
Data on LC incidence from 1978 to 2012 were extracted from 126 cancer registries of 40 countries in Cancer Incidence in Five Continents Volumes V-XI and used for the projection. Age-standardized incidence rates (ASRs) per 100,000 person-years and the number of incident cases were predicted through 2035, using the NORDPRED age-period-cohort model.
Global ASRs of the 40 studied countries were predicted to decrease by 23% (8.2/35.8) among males, from 35.8 per 100,000 person-years in 2010 to 27.6 in 2035, and increase by 2% (0.3/16.8) among females, from 16.8 in 2010 to 17.1 in 2035. The ASRs of LC among females are projected to continue increasing dramatically in most countries by 2035, with peaks after the 2020s in most European, Eastern Asian, and Oceanian countries, whereas the ASRs among males will continue to decline in almost all countries. The ASRs among females are predicted to almost reach those among males in Ireland, Norway, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Canada, the United States, and New Zealand in 2025 and in Slovenia in 2035 and even surpass those among males in Denmark in 2020 and in Brazil and Colombia in 2025. In 2035, the highest ASRs are projected to occur among males in Belarus (49.3) and among females in Denmark (36.8). The number of new cases in 40 countries is predicted to increase by 65.32% (858,000/1,314,000), from 1.31 million in 2010 to 2.17 million in 2035. China will have the largest number of new cases.
LC incidence is expected to continue to increase through 2035 in most countries, making LC a major public health challenge worldwide. The ongoing transition in the epidemiology of LC highlights the need for resource redistribution and improved LC control measures to reduce future LC burden worldwide.
Shenzhen is a city of 22 million people in south China that serves as a financial and trade center for East Asia. The city has extensive ties to Hubei Province, the first reported epicenter of the ...coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in the world. Initial predictions suggested Shenzhen would experience a high number of COVID-19 cases. These predictions have not materialized. As of 31 March 2020 Shenzhen had only 451 confirmed cases of COVID-19. Contact tracing has shown that no cases were the result of community transmission within the city. While Shenzhen did not implement a citywide lockdown like Wuhan, it did put into place a rapid response system first developed after the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic in 2003. In the wake of the 2003 SARS outbreak, Shenzhen health authority created a network for surveillance and responding to novel respiratory infections, including pneumonia of unknown causes (PUC). The network rapidly detected mass discussion about PUC and immediately deployed emergency preparedness, quarantine for close contacts of PUC. Five early actions (early detection, early reporting, early diagnosis, early isolation, and early treatment) and four centralized responses (centralized coordination by experts, centralized allocation of resources, centralized placement of patients, and centralized provision of treatment) ensured effective prevention and control. Tripartite working teams comprising community cadres, medical personnel and police were formulated to conduct contact tracing at each neighborhood and residential community. Incorporation of mobile technology, big data, and artificial intelligence into COVID-19 response increased accessibility to health services, reduced misinformation and minimized the impact of fake news. Shenzhen's unique experience in successfully controlling the COVID-19 outbreak may be a useful model for countries and regions currently experiencing rapid spread of the virus.
College students generally have good knowledge about COVID-19 and may facilitate COVID-19 vaccination in family. The purpose of this study is to understand college students' willingness to persuade ...their grandparents to initiate COVID-19 vaccination and the effect of their persuasion.
A combined cross-sectional and experimental study will be conducted online. In the cross-sectional study (Phase I), eligible participants are college students who are aged ≥ 16 years and have at least one living grandparent aged ≥ 60 years who has/have not completed the COVID-19 vaccination. Participants self-complete Questionnaire A to collect information on the socio-demographics of themselves and their grandparents, their knowledge about older adults' COVID-19 vaccination, as well as Health Belief Model (HBM) and Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) predictor variables. The primary outcome at Phase I is college students' willingness to persuade grandparents to receive COVID-19 vaccines. Those who are willing to persuade grandparents and participate in a follow-up survey will be invited to participate in a randomized controlled trial (Phase II). At Phase II, eligible participants are those who have at least one living grandparent aged ≥ 60 years who completed the COVID-19 initial vaccination series but has/have not received a booster dose. At the baseline, participants self-complete Questionnaire B to collect information on individual grandparents' COVID-19 vaccination status, attitude towards and intention to COVID-19 booster dose. Participants will then be randomly allocated 1:1 to either intervention arm (one-week smartphone-based health education on older adults' COVID-19 vaccination plus two weeks' waiting period) or control arm (three weeks' waiting period). At the end of week three, participants in both arms self-complete Questionnaire C to collect information on their grandparents' COVID-19 vaccination status. The primary outcome at Phase II is the uptake rate of COVID-19 booster dose among grandparents. Secondary outcomes include grandparents' attitude and intention to get a COVID-19 booster dose.
No previous study had measured the effect of college students' persuasion on COVID-19 vaccination uptake in older adults. Findings from this study will provide evidence for innovative and potentially feasible interventions that further promote COVID-19 vaccination in older adults.
Chinese Clinical Trial Registry: ChiCTR2200063240. Registered 2 September 2022.
ObjectiveTo investigate the relationship between job satisfaction, work stress, work–family conflict and turnover intention, and explore factors associated with turnover intention, among physicians ...in Guangdong Province, China.MethodsFrom August to October 2013, physicians completed questionnaires and scales with regard to their job satisfaction, work stress, work–family conflict, and turnover intention. Binary logistic regression and structural equation modelling (SEM) were used in data analysis.ResultsA total of 3963 physicians were approached, with 3563 completing the questionnaire. The mean score of the overall perception of turnover intention of physicians who worked in Guangdong was 2.71 on a scale ranging from 1 to 6. Hours worked per week, working in an urban/rural area, type of institution, and age significantly impacted on turnover intention. Turnover intention was directly and negatively related to job satisfaction, and it was directly, indirectly and positively related to work stress and work–family conflict.ConclusionJob satisfaction, work stress, work–family conflict, hours worked per week, working in an urban/rural area, types of institution and age are influencing factors of turnover intention. Reducing working hours, raising salary, providing more opportunities for career development and training, supporting and encouraging physicians by senior managers could potentially contribute to the reduction in turnover intention.
This meta-analysis aims to synthesize global evidence on the risk of reinfection among people previously infected with SARS-CoV-2. We systematically searched PubMed, Scopus, Embase and Web of Science ...as of April 5, 2021. We conducted: (1) meta-analysis of cohort studies containing data sufficient for calculating the incidence rate of SARS-CoV-2 reinfection; (2) systematic review of case reports with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 reinfection cases. The reinfection incidence was pooled by zero-inflated beta distribution. The hazard ratio (HR) between reinfection incidence among previously infected individuals and new infection incidence among infection-naïve individuals was calculated using random-effects models. Of 906 records retrieved and reviewed, 11 studies and 11 case reports were included in the meta-analysis and the systematic review, respectively. The pooled SARS-CoV-2 reinfection incidence rate was 0.70 (standard deviation SD 0.33) per 10,000 person-days. The incidence of reinfection was lower than the incidence of new infection (HR = 0.12, 95% confidence interval 0.09-0.17). Our meta-analysis of studies conducted prior to the emergency of the more transmissible Omicron variant showed that people with a prior SARS-CoV-2 infection could be re-infected, and they have a lower risk of infection than those without prior infection. Continuing reviews are needed as the reinfection risk may change due to the rapid evolution of SARS-CoV-2 variants.