Persistence, prevalence, and polymorphism of sequelae after COVID-19 in unvaccinated, young adults of the Swiss Armed Forces: a longitudinal, cohort study (LoCoMo).

Background: Persistent COVID-19 sequelae could have global, public health ramifications. We therefore aimed to describe sequelae presenting more than 180 days after COVID-19-focussing on several organ systems, general health, and laboratory parameters-in non-hospitalised, unvaccinated, young adults.

Methods: We did a longitudinal cohort study of all army bases in Switzerland.

Seasonal variability of the vitamin D effect on physical fitness in adolescents.

Studies investigating the relationship between vitamin D and physical fitness in youth have provided inconsistent findings. Recent evidence indicates that the expression of receptors and vitamin D-modulated genes in young subjects has a seasonal profile. Therefore, we investigated the role of vitamin D on physical fitness across seasons in a total of 977 male adolescents.

Social Distancing Alters the Clinical Course of COVID-19 in Young Adults: A Comparative Cohort Study.

Background: Social distancing and stringent hygiene seem to be effective in reducing the number of transmitted virus particles, and therefore the infectivity, of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and could alter the mode of transmission of the disease. However, it is not known if such practices can change the clinical course in infected individuals.

Methods: We prospectively studied an outbreak of COVID-19 in Switzerland among a population of 508 predominantly male soldiers with a median age of 21 years.

Vitamin D Status Among Male Late Adolescents Living in Southern Switzerland: Role of Body Composition and Lifestyle.

Background: Poor vitamin D status is a worldwide health problem. Yet, knowledge about vitamin D status among adolescents in Southern Europe is limited. This study investigated concentrations and modulating factors of vitamin D in a healthy population of male late adolescents living in Southern Switzerland.

Clustering of cardiovascular disease risk factors among male youths in Southern Switzerland: preliminary study.

Principles: The distribution of cardiovascular disease risk factors among youths in Southern Switzerland is poorly understood. The aim of this preliminary study was therefore to describe the prevalence of cardiovascular disease risk factors in 18- to 20-year-old males undergoing medical examination to assess fitness for recruitment into the army.

Methods: Between 2009 and 2013, 1541 (21%) out of 7310 conscripts volunteered for answering a structured questionnaire addressing smoking behaviour, sedentariness and familial cardiovascular risk factors, as well as for measurement of blood pressure, lipidaemia and waist circumference.

H1N1 outbreak in a Swiss military boot camp--observations and suggestions.

Questions Under Study: The A(H1N1)pdm09 influenza virus is a highly contagious pathogen which caused the 2009 influenza pandemic. The virus is known to affect mainly younger people and may be a problem in crowded living conditions. The aim of the study was to describe a major A(H1N1)pdm09 outbreak in a Swiss military boot camp and to develop suggestions for similar future situations.

The Self-screen-Prodrome as a short screening tool for pre-psychotic states.

Background: Early detection of psychosis is an important issue in current research. Early intervention helps to improve the outcome of the disorder. Therefore, a comprehensive examination in large populations, necessary as it might be, is economically almost not feasible.

Prediction of caseness for mental pathology in Swiss conscripts: the Self-Screen Prodrome.

Background: Basic military training (BMT) is an environment of higher stress levels than are encountered in civilian life. It may trigger mental disorders in predisposed individuals. To reduce BMT attrition because of mental problems a psychiatric assessment is part of the Swiss recruitment process.

[Important principles of war and disaster surgery].

The actual situation in surgical training doesn't allow for intensive studies of war and disaster surgery anymore. There is a real risk for Switzerland to loose the know-how on these subjects in the future. With continuous surge in urban violence and increasing risks for technological and natural disasters, such knowledge is necessary to successfully manage such situations through optimal utilization of the available resources.

The value of protocol-driven CT scanning in stab wounds to the head.

A prospective study involving 179 patients with cranial and orbital stab wounds was undertaken to evaluate the incidence and relationship of clinical findings, radiographs, and computed tomography (CT) findings and treatment decision. Indications for a CT scanning of the head are a of loss of consciousness, convulsions, any neurological deficit, palpable or visible fracture on the skull X-ray film after an attack with a sharp instrument, presence of an impaling weapon. A CT scan and plain radiography were performed in 179 patients.