Publications by authors named "Mary Alvarez"

Background: Long COVID remains a significant public health concern. This study investigated risk factors for long COVID in outpatient settings.

Methods: A US-based prospective survey study (clinicaltrials.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigated long COVID symptom patterns among COVID-19 patients, identifying clusters based on how many symptoms co-occurred and examining their effects on Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) and work productivity.
  • It involved 328 participants divided into three groups: low (less than 2 symptoms), moderate (2-6 symptoms), and high (more than 6 symptoms) symptom burden, with higher symptom counts linked to poorer HRQoL and work productivity.
  • Vaccinated individuals with the BNT162b2 vaccine reported fewer symptoms over time compared to those unvaccinated, suggesting that vaccination may help reduce the burden of long COVID symptoms.
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Background: Long COVID has become a central public health concern. This study characterized the effectiveness of BNT162b2 BA.4/5 bivalent COVID-19 vaccine (bivalent) against long COVID symptoms.

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Evidence on the impact of COVID-19 vaccination on symptoms, Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) and Work Productivity and Activity Impairment (WPAI) is scarce. We analyzed associations between bivalent BA.4/5 BNT162b2 (BNT162b2) and these patient-reported outcomes (PROs).

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COVID-19 infection adversely impacts patients' wellbeing and daily lives. This survey-based study examined differences in patient-reported COVID-19 symptoms, Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) and Work Productivity and Activity Impairment (WPAI) among groups of patients defined based on age and symptom-based long COVID status. Symptomatic, COVID-19-positive US outpatients were recruited from 31 January-30 April 2022.

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Background: Longitudinal estimates of long COVID burden during Omicron remain limited. This study characterized long-term impacts of COVID-19 and booster vaccination on symptoms, Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL), and Work Productivity Activity Impairment (WPAI).

Methods: Outpatients with ≥ 1 self-reported symptom and positive SARS-CoV-2 test at CVS Health United States test sites were recruited between 01/31 and 04/30/2022.

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Background: Recruitment to intrapartum research is complex. Women are expected to understand unfamiliar terminology and assess potential harm versus benefit to their baby and themselves, often when an urgent intervention is required. Time pressures of intrapartum interventions are a major challenge for recruitment discussions taking place during labour, with research midwives expected to present, discuss and answer questions whilst maintaining equipoise.

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Background: Although there is extensive literature on the clinical benefits of COVID-19 vaccination, data on humanistic effects are limited. This study evaluated the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on symptoms, Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) and Work Productivity and Impairment (WPAI) prior to and one month following infection between individuals vaccinated with BNT162b2 and those unvaccinated.

Methods: Subjects with ≥ 1 self-reported symptom and positive RT-PCR for SARS-CoV-2 at CVS Health US test sites were recruited between 01/31/2022 and 04/30/2022.

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Background: The Odon Device™ is a new device for assisted vaginal birth that employs an air cuff around the fetal head for traction. Assisted vaginal birth (AVB) is a vital health intervention that can result in better outcomes for mothers and their babies when complications arise in the second stage of labour. Unfortunately, instruments for AVB (forceps and ventouse) are often not used in settings where there is most clinical need often due to lack of training and resources, resulting in maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality which could have been prevented.

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Background: No new method of assisting vaginal birth has been introduced into clinical practice since the development of the vacuum extractor in the 1950s. The Odon Device is a new device that employs a circumferential air cuff over the fetal head to assist birth. In this study, the Odon Device has been used to assist vaginal birth for standard clinical indications.

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Background: Postpartum haemorrhage remains a major cause of maternal mortality and morbidity worldwide. Active management of the third stage of labour reduces the risk of postpartum haemorrhage. Oxytocin and oxytocin/ergometrine are commonly used in the UK, with oxytocin/ergometrine being more effective at preventing moderate, but not severe, blood loss.

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Purpose: Barth syndrome is an X-linked rare disorder that typically affects only males. This study investigates 1) agreement between child self-reports and parent proxy-reports of HRQoL in boys with Barth syndrome and 2) relationship between parental HRQoL and parent proxy-reports of HRQoL for the child.

Materials And Methods: Twenty-eight boys with Barth syndrome and their parents participated in this study.

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Team training for safer birth.

Best Pract Res Clin Obstet Gynaecol

November 2015

Effective and coordinated teamworking is key to achieving safe birth for mothers and babies. Confidential enquiries have repeatedly identified deficiencies in teamwork as factors contributing to poor maternal and neonatal outcomes. The ingredients of a successful multi-professional team are varied, but research has identified some fundamental teamwork behaviours, with good communication, proficient leadership and situational awareness at the heart.

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The discussion on ethical issues, it is said, should not be confined to experts but should be extended to patients and local communities, because of the real need to engage stakeholders and non-stakeholders alike not only in carrying out any biomedical research project, but also in the drafting and legislation of bioethics instruments. Several local and inter-country consultations have already been conducted in furtherance of this goal, but there is much left to be desired in them. The consultations may have helped in articulating local principles, but not in making the instruments embody these principles.

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