Body mass index in young men in Switzerland after the national shutdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic: results from a cross-sectional monitoring study at the population level since 2010.

Background: Owing to the coronavirus disease pandemic, the Swiss goverment imposed a shutdown twice in 2020, which may have changed diet and physical activity. Regarding the question of weight change during the pandemic, little information based on measured weight data is available. We aimed to investigate whether the body mass indices (BMIs) of young Swiss men after the two shutdowns in spring and fall 2020 differed from those of young men examined before the shutdowns.

Titers of Neutralizing Antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 Are Independent of Symptoms of Non-Severe COVID-19 in Young Adults.

Neutralizing antibodies are an important part of the humoral immune response to SARS-CoV-2. It is currently unclear to what extent such antibodies are produced after non-severe disease or asymptomatic infection. We studied a cluster of SARS-CoV-2 infections among a homogeneous population of 332 predominantly male Swiss soldiers and determined the neutralizing antibody response with a serum neutralization assay using a recombinant SARS-CoV-2-GFP.

Reduced maximal aerobic capacity after COVID-19 in young adult recruits, Switzerland, May 2020.

In March 2020, we observed an outbreak of COVID-19 among a relatively homogenous group of 199 young (median age 21 years; 87% men) Swiss recruits. By comparing physical endurance before and in median 45 days after the outbreak, we found a significant decrease in predicted maximal aerobic capacity in COVID-19 convalescent but not in asymptomatically infected and SARS-CoV-2 naive recruits. This finding might be indicative of lung injury after apparently mild COVID-19 in young adults.

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.

Patients' Views on Regional Anesthesia for Elective Unilateral Carotid Endarterectomy--A Prospective Cohort Study.

Background: Carotid endarterectomy (CEA) can be performed under general anesthesia (GA) or locoregional anesthesia (LA). However, the patients' views on the choice between GA and LA are currently poorly understood. We aimed at identifying the preoperative patient information needs, their role in decision-making, and influencing factors associated with LA and anxiety regarding surgery and anesthesia in CEA as a base for improving preoperative consultation and decision-making in the informed consent process.