Publications by authors named "Wootton D"

Interactive visualizations are powerful tools for Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA), but how do they affect the observations analysts make about their data? We conducted a qualitative experiment with 13 professional data scientists analyzing two datasets with Jupyter notebooks, collecting a rich dataset of interaction traces and think-aloud utterances. By qualitatively coding participant utterances, we introduce a formalism that describes EDA as a sequence of analysis states, where each state is comprised of either a representation an analyst constructs (e.g.

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  • - The study aimed to determine the prevalence of antibodies to equine epizootic lymphangitis (EL) in horses and donkeys in rural Gambia and identify risk factors for seropositivity.
  • - A total of 555 equids were tested, revealing a seroprevalence of 79.9% in horses and 46.7% in donkeys, with factors like age, sex, and season impacting these rates.
  • - Two models showed that female horses and those from rainy season samples had higher odds of seropositivity, while younger horses and those involved in firewood transportation had lower odds.
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Background: In patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) requiring supplemental oxygen, dexamethasone reduces acute severity and improves survival, but longer-term effects are unknown. We hypothesised that systemic corticosteroid administration during acute COVID-19 would be associated with improved health-related quality of life (HRQoL) 1 year after discharge.

Methods: Adults admitted to hospital between February 2020 and March 2021 for COVID-19 and meeting current guideline recommendations for dexamethasone treatment were included using two prospective UK cohort studies (Post-hospitalisation COVID-19 and the International Severe Acute Respiratory and emerging Infection Consortium).

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Introduction: Non-ventilator-associated hospital-acquired pneumonia (nv-HAP) is the most common healthcare-associated infection (HCAI), is associated with high mortality and morbidity and places a major burden on healthcare systems. Diagnosis currently relies on chest x-rays to confirm pneumonia and sputum cultures to determine the microbiological cause. This approach leads to over-diagnosis of pneumonia, rarely identifies a causative pathogen and perpetuates unnecessary and imprecise antibiotic use.

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Low-dose azithromycin prophylaxis is associated with improved outcomes in people suffering frequent exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but the use of macrolides in patients with cardiovascular disease has been debated. To investigate the risk of adverse events after COPD exacerbations in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) treated with azithromycin prophylaxis. Retrospective cohort study within the TriNetX Platform, including AF patients with COPD exacerbations.

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Background And Aim: Long Covid is often stigmatised, particularly in people who are disadvantaged within society. This may prevent them from seeking help and could lead to widening health inequalities. This coproduced study with a Community Advisory Board (CAB) of people with Long Covid aimed to understand healthcare and wider barriers and stigma experienced by people with probable Long Covid.

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  • One in ten COVID-19 infections lead to long COVID, characterized by prolonged symptoms, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear.
  • In a study of 657 individuals, certain inflammatory markers were linked to long COVID symptoms, revealing connections to cardiorespiratory issues, fatigue, anxiety, gastrointestinal problems, cognitive impairments, and potential nerve tissue repair disturbances.
  • Findings suggest that targeting specific inflammatory pathways could offer new therapeutic options for treating different subtypes of long COVID in future clinical trials.*
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Robust surveillance of species is warranted in endemic regions, including investigation of community-level transmission dynamics. This cross-sectional study explored anti- antibody seroprevalence and risk factors for exposure in a general population in Upper River Region (URR), The Gambia. Study participants were recruited (December 2022-March 2023) by random household sampling across 12 Enumeration Areas (EAs) of URR.

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Objective: Long COVID can include impaired cognition ('brain fog'; a term encompassing multiple symptoms) and mental health conditions. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate their prevalence and to explore relevant factors associated with the incidence of impaired cognition and mental health conditions.

Methods: Searches were conducted in Medline and PsycINFO to cover the start of the pandemic until August 2023.

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Background: Inclusion of in the World Health Organization's first Fungal Priority Pathogens List under "high-priority" fungal species highlights the need for robust surveillance of spp. in endemic and underrepresented regions. Despite increasing reports of histoplasmosis in Africa, data on the burden of this fungal disease are sparse in The Gambia.

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Objectives: To inform clinical practice guidelines, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of the management of pneumonia need to address the outcomes that are most important to patients and health professionals using consistent instruments, to enable results to be compared, contrasted, and combined as appropriate. This systematic review describes the outcomes reported in clinical trials of pneumonia management and the instruments used to measure these outcomes.

Study Design And Setting: Based on a prospective protocol, we searched MEDLINE/PubMed, Cochrane CENTRAL and clinical trial registries for ongoing or completed clinical trials evaluating pneumonia management in adults in any clinical setting.

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Pronounced immune escape by the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant has resulted in many individuals possessing hybrid immunity, generated through a combination of vaccination and infection. Concerns have been raised that omicron breakthrough infections in triple-vaccinated individuals result in poor induction of omicron-specific immunity, and that prior SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with immune dampening. Taking a broad and comprehensive approach, we characterize mucosal and blood immunity to spike and non-spike antigens following BA.

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  • A study aimed to determine how common issues like swallowing, communication, voice, and cognitive problems are among patients who were hospitalized for COVID-19 in the UK.
  • It involved data from over 2,000 patients collected through questionnaires at two different times after their discharge, focusing on the complications faced after intensive care unit (ICU) treatment.
  • The results showed that many experienced difficulties: 20% with swallowing issues, 34% with voice problems, 23% with communication challenges, and a significant 70% reported cognitive problems, highlighting the need for urgent research and rehabilitation strategies.
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Background And Aim: Long Covid is a significant public health concern with potentially negative implications for health inequalities. We know that those who are already socially disadvantaged in society are more exposed to COVID-19, experience the worst health outcomes and are more likely to suffer economically. We also know that these groups are more likely to experience stigma and have negative healthcare experiences even before the pandemic.

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Background: Sleep disturbance is common following hospital admission both for COVID-19 and other causes. The clinical associations of this for recovery after hospital admission are poorly understood despite sleep disturbance contributing to morbidity in other scenarios. We aimed to investigate the prevalence and nature of sleep disturbance after discharge following hospital admission for COVID-19 and to assess whether this was associated with dyspnoea.

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  • The study examines the immune responses in UK healthcare workers after vaccination with BNT162b2 or AZD1222, focusing on the effects of prior SARS-CoV-2 infection on these responses.
  • Over 6-9 months, researchers found that while antibody levels declined, T and memory B cell responses remained stable; booster doses effectively increased antibody levels and enhanced immunity against variants.
  • Prior infection significantly enhanced T cell responses, which persisted for at least six months after vaccination, indicating that "hybrid" immunity (from both infection and vaccination) may lead to better protection against severe illness.
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Objectives: To determine the prevalence of organ impairment in long COVID patients at 6 and 12 months after initial symptoms and to explore links to clinical presentation.

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Participants: Individuals.

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Background: Immunocompromised patients may be at higher risk of mortality if hospitalised with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) compared with immunocompetent patients. However, previous studies have been contradictory. We aimed to determine whether immunocompromised patients were at greater risk of in-hospital death and how this risk changed over the pandemic.

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Background: Most studies of immunity to SARS-CoV-2 focus on circulating antibody, giving limited insights into mucosal defences that prevent viral replication and onward transmission. We studied nasal and plasma antibody responses one year after hospitalisation for COVID-19, including a period when SARS-CoV-2 vaccination was introduced.

Methods: In this follow up study, plasma and nasosorption samples were prospectively collected from 446 adults hospitalised for COVID-19 between February 2020 and March 2021 via the ISARIC4C and PHOSP-COVID consortia.

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Shared symptoms and genetic architecture between coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and lung fibrosis suggest severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection may lead to progressive lung damage. The UK Interstitial Lung Disease Consortium (UKILD) post-COVID-19 study interim analysis was planned to estimate the prevalence of residual lung abnormalities in people hospitalized with COVID-19 on the basis of risk strata. The PHOSP-COVID-19 (Post-Hospitalization COVID-19) study was used to capture routine and research follow-up within 240 days from discharge.

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Introduction: As mortality rates from COVID-19 disease fall, the high prevalence of long-term sequelae (Long COVID) is becoming increasingly widespread, challenging healthcare systems globally. Traditional pathways of care for Long Term Conditions (LTCs) have tended to be managed by disease-specific specialties, an approach that has been ineffective in delivering care for patients with multi-morbidity. The multi-system nature of Long COVID and its impact on physical and psychological health demands a more effective model of holistic, integrated care.

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