[Molecular Ion Channel Blockers of Influenza A and SARS-CoV-2 Viruses].

Molecules were proposed to block the functional cycles of the influenza virus A and SARS-CoV- 2. The blocker molecules efficiently bind inside the M2 and E channels of influenza A and SARS-CoV-2 viruses and block diffusion of H^(+)/K^(+) ions, thus distorting the virus functional cycle. A family of positively charged (+2 e.

Incidence of primary care chest pain consultations during the COVID-19 pandemic: an interrupted time series analysis with routine care data.

Background: The COVID-19 lockdown had profound effects on society and healthcare. Cardiology departments reported declines in chest pain evaluations and acute coronary syndrome (ACS) diagnoses. However, the pattern of chest pain in primary care is not clear yet.

Evaluation and improvement of nursing undergraduates' informatics competencies using a hybrid multi-criteria decision-making model.

Background: Nursing staff need to be constantly exposed to information systems at work and encounter patients who share medical data obtained from the internet; this was widely observed during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Hence, nursing staff should have the necessary skills and education that can help them develop nursing students' informatics competencies. However, research on assessing and improving nursing students' informatics competencies remains scarce.

Needs, rights and perspectives in the Birth Care Pathway during COVID-19 lockdown in Italy: the BiSogni Study, an exploratory qualitative research.

Background: With the COVID-19 emergency, the provision of healthcare had to be reorganized. Community Health Services for Families of Trieste adopted new methods to ensure continuity of care and the maintenance of the Standards and Good Practices of the Baby Friendly Initiative of UNICEF for the Birth Care Pathway. The aim of the study was to identify the perceived needs of women, couples, caregivers, and health professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic and evaluate new healthcare strategies, identifying weaknesses and strengths, and future developments.

Public health system in post-pandemic Sierra Leone: a scoping review.

Background: Since the outbreak of the novel SARS-CoV-2 that caused COVID-19 in 2019, the government of Sierra Leone implemented immediate preventive measures to stop the disease from entering the country. On March 24, 2020, the country declared a state of emergency in response to the emerging global COVID-19 pandemic, even though no confirmed cases had been reported at that time. However, Sierra Leone recorded its first COVID-19 case later in March 2020.

The profound impact of COVID-19 on the control and care of diabetic patients: a comprehensive retrospective cohort study.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a significant shift in healthcare services, focusing on pandemic response and emergency preparedness. The Oman Ministry of Health implemented various measures to combat and control COVID-19. However, this shift disrupted routine outpatient appointments, particularly for chronic diseases such as diabetes mellitus (DM) and hypertension (HTN).

Efficacy of quality improvement interventions on antibiotic prescription practices for ventilator-associated pneumonia at a tertiary care centre: a prospective pre-post interventional study.

Background: Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a prevalent nosocomial infection in the intensive care unit (ICU), significantly increasing patient morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs. Effective management is essential, particularly in the context of antimicrobial resistance and the frequent use of antibiotics in ICUs.

Methods: This prospective pre-post interventional study was conducted in the medical ICU of a tertiary care centre, over 6 months.

Streptococcus agalactiaeInfection of a Reconstructed Human Respiratory Epithelium Revealed Infection and Host Response Characteristics by Different Serotypes.

Background: Streptococcus agalactiae poses a significant threat to neonatal health, causing morbidity and mortality when transmitted from the maternal vagina to the newborn's respiratory tract. Among its various strains, serotype III is predominant in severe neonatal infections in Asia. However, the mechanisms of pathogenesis and host responses underlying serotype-specific disease outcomes remain poorly understood.

Safety, Efficacy, and Effectiveness of Maternal Vaccination against Respiratory Infections in Young Infants.

Lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) is a major cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality worldwide. Maternal vaccination is an effective strategy in protecting young infants from LRTI, particularly in the first few months after birth when infant is most vulnerable, and most primary childhood vaccinations have not been administered. Additionally, maternal vaccination protects the mother from illness during pregnancy and the postnatal period, and the developing fetus from adverse outcomes such as stillbirth and prematurity.

Invasive group A streptococcal infections as a consequence of coexisting or previous viral infection in the post-COVID-19 pandemic period.

Background: Group A Streptococci (GAS) may cause infections of the pharynx and soft tissues and invasive infections in children (iGAS). A significant increase in severe iGAS infections has been reported in Europe since the fall of 2022.

Objectives: This retrospective study aims to analyse clinical data of children with invasive and non-invasive GAS infections in the post-COVID-19 pandemic era, searching for predisposing factors to developing invasive infections.

Causative diseases of bloody sputum and hemoptysis in respiratory clinics in Japan.

Background: No previous studies have compared respiratory clinics and respiratory specialized facilities regarding causative diseases for bloody sputum and hemoptysis in Japan.

Methods: We retrospectively compared causative diseases for bloody sputum and hemoptysis between 3 respiratory clinics (clinic group) and 7 departments of respiratory medicine at hospitals (hospital group) in Japan.

Results: We collected data from 231 patients (median age, 51 years; age range, 24-96 years; 109 men (47.

Guselkumab for the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis in pediatric patients: results of the phase 3, randomized, placebo-controlled PROTOSTAR study.

Background: No currently approved treatment for pediatric plaque psoriasis selectively targets interleukin (IL)-23. In adults, guselkumab (a selective IL-23 inhibitor targeting the p19 subunit) demonstrated substantial efficacy with a favorable safety profile in treating moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis.

Objective: PROTOSTAR (NCT03451851) evaluated the efficacy and safety of guselkumab in pediatric patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis.

Does the treatment modality affect nosocomial pneumonia and other in-hospital outcomes in patients with combined injuries to the ribs and clavicle? A propensity score weighted analysis of a retrospective cohort.

Objective: What is the effect of surgical or conservative treatment on the in-hospital outcomes of patients with combined fractures of the clavicle and ribs?

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Setting: Two level-1 trauma centers and academic teaching hospitals in Boston, Massachusetts.

Patients: All adult patients with a clavicle fracture and ≥3 rib fractures admitted from 2016 to 2021.

COVID-19-sensitive tumour response: 2-year assessment of the SARS-CoV-2 humoral response in cancer patients in oncology hospital in Poland.

Unlabelled: Vaccination has been considered the most crucial defence against viral infections, including SARS-CoV-2. Numerous reports have demonstrated the effectiveness of the above vaccines in oncological patients. It has also been proven that, apart from vaccinations and oncological therapy, the course of the cancer process itself influences the magnitude of the humoral response, especially in people after infection with SARS-CoV-2.

Rates and Factors Related to COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake in Racialized and Indigenous Individuals in Canada: The Deleterious Effect of Experience of Racial Discrimination.

Racialized and Indigenous communities have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19 infections and mortality, driven by systemic socioeconomic inequalities. However, how these factors specifically influence COVID-19 vaccine uptake is not documented among racialized individuals in Canada. The present study aims to examine COVID-19 vaccine uptake rates and related factors among racialized and Indigenous communities compared to White people in Canada.

Impact of COVID-19 infection on cyclooxygenase-2 gene expression and mast cell count in testicular tissue of azoospermic men.

The COVID-19 pandemic has posed significant threats to human life and health. Numerous studies have shown that men are more vulnerable to this infection, and recent evidence suggests that the presence of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors in male reproductive tissues may particularly predispose them to viral infection. Therefore, it is crucial to assess the potential impact of COVID-19 infection on male fertility.

Australian preferences for influenza vaccine attributes and cost: A discrete choice experiment.

People in Australia have access to different influenza vaccines, but may be unaware of their options and features. Preference studies for differentiated influenza vaccines including cell-based vaccines are limited, particularly in Australia. This study investigated which influenza vaccine attributes people in Australia value using a discrete choice experiment (DCE).

Prevalence and risk factors of long covid and its associated adverse work outcomes among workers in the manufacturing sector in Malaysia - a mixed-methods study protocol.

Background: The manufacturing sector in Malaysia has been severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This is further exacerbated by Long COVID-19 symptoms among the manufacturing workers, which are proven to influence work performance and quality of life. Of note, there is currently a lack of knowledge regarding the burden of Long COVID-19 in the Malaysian manufacturing sector.

Acute kidney injury and tacrolimus toxicity in a kidney transplant recipient treated with nirmaltrevir/ritonavir: a case report.

Background: Kidney transplant recipients with severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 infection have an increased risk of severe disease and mortality. Nirmaltrevir/ritonavir (Paxlovid) is an effective oral disease-modifying therapy that has been shown to reduce risk of progression to severe disease in high-risk, nonhospitalized adults. However, owing to the potential for serious drug-drug interactions owing to ritonavir-induced inhibition of the CYP3A enzyme, this drug is not suitable option for transplant recipients with mild-moderate severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 infection.

Exponential decline, ceiling effect, downregulation, and T-cell response in immunoglobulin G antibody levels after messenger RNA vaccine boosters: a case report.

Background: Vaccine protection against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection reduces gradually over time, requiring administration of updated boosters. However, long-term immune response following up to the sixth dose of the messenger RNA vaccine has not been well studied.

Case Presentation: We longitudinally determined anti-spike protein immunoglobulin G antibody levels in a 69-year-old Japanese man 76 times (first to sixth dose) to investigate their dynamics.

Bacterial contamination of mobile handwashing stations in hospital settings in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Background: As part of the containment of the COVID-19 pandemic, mobile handwashing stations (mHWS) were deployed in healthcare facilities in low-resource settings. We assessed mHWS in hospitals in the Democratic Republic of the Congo for contamination with Gram-negative bacteria.

Methods: Water and soap samples of in-use mHWS in hospitals in Kinshasa and Lubumbashi were quantitatively cultured for Gram-negative bacteria which were tested for antibiotic susceptibility.

Tracking cryptic SARS-CoV-2 hospital outbreak through quasispecies analysis.

Background: Since the beginning of the pandemic, contact tracing has been one of the most relevant issues to understand SARS-CoV-2 transmission dynamics and, in this context, the analysis of quasispecies may turn out to be a useful tool for outbreak investigations. Analysis of the intra-host single nucleotide variants (iSNVs) found in the nsp2, ORF3, and ORF7 genes of SARS-CoV-2 was conducted in order to correctly identify virus transmission chain among patients hospitalized in Brescia Civic Hospital.

Methods: During the period between August and October 2023, 13 nasopharyngeal specimens, collected from patients admitted to Brescia Civic Hospital, were tested for SARS-CoV-2 positivity and molecularly characterized.

Insights into general practitioners' self-care across 38 countries during the pandemic: a cross-sectional study.

Background: The adoption of healthy self-care practices has proven necessary for professional life, as they often serve as a shield against stressors in the workplace. The COVID-19 pandemic created a high strain on general practitioners (GPs), contributing to increased workload, burnout, and anxiety. The present study aimed to identify self-care practices adopted by GPs amid the COVID-19 pandemic; and to explore the relationships between self-care practices and risk of distress.