Family clustering of SARS-CoV-2 in Qazvin, Northwest of Iran

Background: Human infection affected by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been recognized as a global health concern. We report the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of patients with a familial cluster from Qazvin province (located in the northwest of Iran). f SARS-CoV-2 Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we enrolled 332 hospitalized patients that were confirmed SARS-CoV-2 diseases with laboratory-based (PT-PCR) test in Qazvin p ovince, Iran. Having family infection transmission and subsequently, family clustering of SARS-COV-2 disease was assessed with the Generalized Estimating Equation model in patients. Results: Crude odds ratio estimates of creating family clustering of SARS-CoV-2 infection was 0. 47 times [95% CI: 0.23, 0.98, p=0.045] less for female compared to the males; 2.26 [95% CI: 1.11, 4.58, p=0.024] and 2.69 [95% CI: 1.47, 4.93, p=0.001] for SARS-CoV-2 patients that had digestive and muscle pain in comparison with those did not this mentioned symptoms, respectively. 1.52 [95% CI: 1.05, 2.23, p=0.024] for pa ients with a longer hospitalization compar d with patients that had shorter duration of hospitalization and adjusted odds ratio estimates were 2.13 [95% CI: 1.12, 4.03, p=0.020] for patients who receive public health services in comparison those did not receive public health services. Conclusion: Our findings confirm the person-to-person transmission of this novel coronavirus in family settings and hospitals, and the reports of infected travelers in other geographical regions. Major gaps in our knowledge about the potential factors in creating family clustering of SARS-CoV-2 infection, epidemiology, duration of human transmission and etc. need fulfillment by future studies. Keywords: Epidemiology, SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19, Family Clustering, Close Contact , Ira

Current epidemiological status of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus in the world from 1.1.2017 to 17.1.2018: a cross-sectional study

Abstract Background Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) is considered to be responsible for a new viral epidemic and an emergent threat to global health security. This study describes the current epidemiological status of MERS-CoV in the world. Methods Epidemiological analysis was performed on data derived from all MERS-CoV cases recorded in the disease outbreak news on WHO website between 1.1.2017 and 17.1.2018. Demographic and clinical information as well as potential contacts and probable risk factors for mortality were extracted based on laboratory-confirmed MERS-CoV cases. Results A total of 229 MERS-CoV cases, including 70 deaths (30.5%), were recorded in the disease outbreak news on world health organization website over the study period. Based on available details in this study, the case fatality rate in both genders was 30.5% (70/229) [32.1% (55/171) for males and 25.8% (15/58) for females]. The disease occurrence was higher among men [171 cases (74.7%)] than women [58 cases (25.3%)]. Variables such as comorbidities and exposure to MERS-CoV cases were significantly associated with mortality in people affected with MERS-CoV infections, and adjusted odds ratio estimates were 2.2 (95% CI: 1.16, 7.03) and 2.3 (95% CI: 1.35, 8.20), respectively. All age groups had an equal chance of mortality. Conclusions In today’s “global village”, there is probability of MERS-CoV epidemic at any time and in any place without prior notice. Thus, health systems in all countries should implement better triage systems for potentially imported cases of MERS-CoV to prevent large epidemics

Isolation Compliance and Associated Factors Among COVID-19 Patients in North-West Iran: A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has now turned into a public health emergency. Isolation of patients is a possible solution for controlling epidemic infectious diseases. We assessed the compliance of isolation and associated factors among patients with COVID-19. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 320 COVID-19 patients discharged from hospitals of Qazvin province. Patients’ isolation, self-care health behaviors, reference to public health services and possible related factors were assessed. Data were analyzed using multiple logistic regression. Results: In this study, 320 patients were enrolled, including 175 men (54.7%). Two hundred and eighty-six patients (89.4%) had complete isolation. Factors such as phone tracking by health center (OR = 1.30; 95% CI: 1.01 to 1.75) and dry cough (OR = 2.36; 95% CI: 1.09 to 5.09) increased odds of complete isolation in COVID-19 patients, but having a COVID-19 patient in the family (OR = 0.32; 95% CI: 0.15 to 0.71) and symptoms of disease like shortness of breath(OR = 0.39; 95% CI: 0.18 to 0.85) and muscle pain (OR = 0.43; 95% CI: 0.20 to 0.95) decreased odds ratio for these patients. Conclusion: Phone tracking by the health center was the most important factor to increase the odds of patient isolation. Thus, the health system should consider improving health workers’ knowledge and skills through education Keywords: COVID-19, isolation, self-care, compliance, Ira

Movement state noise and output noise relate to visuomotor adaptation rate in an optimal way

Human movement relies on noisy processes in neurons, muscle cells and sensory cells. Therefore, movements are variable and can never be exactly reproduced. The nervous system seems to exploit this movement noise for motor learning and specifically motor adaptation. However, a positive relation between movement noise and motor adaptation has not been consistently found in motor adaptation literature. Possibly, noise is comprised of distinct processes which contribute to motor adaptation in different ways. In Kalman filter theory, motor adaptation rate is calculated optimally from state noise and output noise, with state noise and adaptation rate positively correlated and output noise and adaptation rate negatively correlated. Therefore, if people learn (close) optimally from error, we would expect a similar relation. To investigate the relation between state noise, output noise and adaptation rate, we performed a visuomotor reaching adaptation experiment with a baseline and a perturbation block in 69 subjects. State noise, output noise and adaptation rate in the baseline and perturbation block were extracting using Bayesian fitting of a trial-to-trial state-space model. We found that adaptation rate in the perturbation block correlates positively with baseline state noise (r=0.27; 95%HDI=[0.05 0.50]) and negatively with baseline output noise (r= 0.41; 95%HDI=[ 0.63 0.16]). In addition, the steady-state Kalman gain calculated from baseline state and output noise correlated positively with adaptation rate in the perturbation block (r = 0.31; 95%HDI = [0.09 0.54]). Therefore, noise can be viewed both as a supporting factor for motor adaptation (state noise) and as a noise factor hampering optimal performance (output noise), and in order to understand the relationship of noise to learning, one must decompose noise into its constituent components

MOESM2 of Quality of observational studies in prestigious journals of occupational medicine and health based on Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) Statement: a cross-sectional study

Additional file 2: Table S2. Percent agreement between reviewers A and B expected by chance alone

MOESM3 of Quality of observational studies in prestigious journals of occupational medicine and health based on Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) Statement: a cross-sectional study

Additional file 3: Figure S1. Percentages of adequately reported STROBE sub-items in articles published in the top four occupational medicine and health journals