Extending the R number by applying hyperparameters of Log Gaussian Cox process models in an epidemiological context to provide insights into COVID-19 positivity in the City of Edinburgh and in students residing at Edinburgh University.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on University students has been a topic of fiery debate and of public health research. This study demonstrates the use of a combination of spatiotemporal epidemiological models to describe the trends in COVID-19 positive cases on spatial, temporal and spatiotemporal scales. In addition, this study proposes new epidemiological metrics to describe the connectivity between observed positivity; an analogous metric to the R number in conventional epidemiology.

Evolution and effects of COVID-19 outbreaks in care homes: a population analysis in 189 care homes in one geographical region of the UK.

Background: COVID-19 has affected care home residents internationally, but detailed information on outbreaks is scarce. We aimed to describe the evolution of outbreaks of COVID-19 in all care homes in one large health region in Scotland.

Methods: We did a population analysis of testing, cases, and deaths in care homes in the National Health Service (NHS) Lothian health region of the UK.

A case of cutaneous toxigenic likely acquired from a domestic dog.

Introduction: can produce diphtheria toxin and although still rare, is now the predominant cause of toxigenic diphtheria infection in the UK, making this organism of great clinical and public health importance. Here we describe a cutaneous case, likely secondary to domestic animal contact.

Case Presentation: A 60-year-old female presented with a slow-healing finger-burn wound.

Home versus in-patient treatment for deep vein thrombosis.

Background: Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) occurs when a blood clot blocks blood flow through a vein, which can occur after surgery, after trauma, or when a person has been immobile for a long time. Clots can dislodge and block blood flow to the lungs (pulmonary embolism (PE)), causing death. DVT and PE are known by the term venous thromboembolism (VTE).

Epidemiology and clinical characteristics of parainfluenza virus 3 outbreak in a Haemato-oncology unit.

Objectives: We describe molecular investigations of a large hospital outbreak of parainfluenza virus type 3 (PIV3), in which 32 patients became infected. We outline infection control measures that successfully limited further spread of PIV3 in a Haemato-oncology unit.

Methods: Clinical retrospective review of infected haemato-oncology patients was undertaken.