Disparities in the level of COVID-19 health literacy and the associated factors among employees in long-term care facilities in Taiwan.

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) poses a significant threat to the safety of residents in long-term care facilities, and the staff of long-term care facilities are essential in the care and prevention of major infectious diseases and therefore require good health literacy to ensure the health of residents. The main objective of this study was to examine the health literacy of staff in long-term care facilities and analyze the factors associated with their COVID-19 health literacy in Taiwan to provide a basis for the response mechanism to emerging infectious diseases.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey with a structured questionnaire by a convenience sample method and to assess the COVID-19 health literacy of caregivers working in long-term care facilities in this study.

Differences in and Factors Related to Willingness to Provide Care to Patients with Suspected or Confirmed COVID-19 in Long-Term Care Facilities.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has exerted tremendous effects on the residents of and caregivers at long-term care facilities (LTCF). The combination of a vulnerable, aged population, staffing shortages, and inadequate resources in LTCF will cause a great negative impact in these sectors. Addressing the caregiver's lack of interest in providing care for patients with COVID-19 is a great challenge for institutional managers.

Distribution of SARS-CoV-2 RNA signal in a home with COVID-19 positive occupants.

Although many COVID-19 patients isolate and recover at home, the dispersal of SARS-CoV-2 onto surfaces and dust within the home environment remains poorly understood. To investigate the distribution and persistence of SARS-CoV-2 in a home with COVID-19 positive occupants, samples were collected from a household with two confirmed COVID-19 cases (one adult and one child). Home surface swab and dust samples were collected two months after symptom onset (and one month after symptom resolution) in the household.

Serum vitamin D, intact parathyroid hormone, and Fetuin A concentrations were associated with geriatric sarcopenia and cardiac hypertrophy.

With aging, intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) increases. It plays a crucial role in left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). Also, 25-hydroxy vitamin D (Vit-D) and iPTH have been observed to be determinants of muscle wasting known as sarcopenia.

Cyclophilin A is associated with peripheral artery disease and chronic kidney disease in geriatrics: The Tianliao Old People (TOP) study.

Cyclophilin A (CyPA), secreted by vascular smooth muscle cells in response to oxidative stress, is important in the pathogenesis of progressive peripheral arterial occlusion disease (PAOD), which is common among chronic kidney disease. We explored the prevalence of PAOD in Taiwan's elderly (≥ 65 years old) population and its association with CyPA and renal function. Residents of Tianliao District, a rural community in southern Taiwan, were surveyed.