SARS-CoV-2 Circulation in the School Setting: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

The contribution of children to viral spread in schools is still debated. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies to investigate SARS-CoV-2 transmission in the school setting. Literature searches on 15 May 2021 yielded a total of 1088 publications, including screening, contact tracing, and seroprevalence studies. MOOSE guidelines were followed, and data were analyzed using random-effects models. From screening studies involving more than 120,000 subjects, we estimated 0.31% (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.05–0.81) SARS-CoV-2 point prevalence in schools. Contact tracing studies, involving a total of 112,622 contacts of children and adults, showed that onward viral transmission was limited (2.54%, 95% CI 0.76–5.31). Young index cases were found to be 74% significantly less likely than adults to favor viral spread (odds ratio (OR) 0.26, 95% CI 0.11–0.63) and less susceptible to infection (OR 0.60; 95% CI 0.25–1.47). Lastly, from seroprevalence studies, with a total of 17,879 subjects involved, we estimated that children were 43% significantly less likely than adults to test positive for antibodies (OR 0.57, 95% CI 0.49–0.68). These findings may not applied to the Omicron phase, we further planned a randomized controlled trial to verify these results

SARS-CoV-2 Circulation in the School Setting: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

The contribution of children to viral spread in schools is still debated. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies to investigate SARS-CoV-2 transmission in the school setting. Literature searches on 15 May 2021 yielded a total of 1088 publications, including screening, contact tracing, and seroprevalence studies. MOOSE guidelines were followed, and data were analyzed using random-effects models. From screening studies involving more than 120,000 subjects, we estimated 0.31% (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.05–0.81) SARS-CoV-2 point prevalence in schools. Contact tracing studies, involving a total of 112,622 contacts of children and adults, showed that onward viral transmission was limited (2.54%, 95% CI 0.76–5.31). Young index cases were found to be 74% significantly less likely than adults to favor viral spread (odds ratio (OR) 0.26, 95% CI 0.11–0.63) and less susceptible to infection (OR 0.60; 95% CI 0.25–1.47). Lastly, from seroprevalence studies, with a total of 17,879 subjects involved, we estimated that children were 43% significantly less likely than adults to test positive for antibodies (OR 0.57, 95% CI 0.49–0.68). These findings may not applied to the Omicron phase, we further planned a randomized controlled trial to verify these results

The association between pesticide use and cutaneous melanoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: The incidence of cutaneous melanoma (CM), the deadliest form of skin cancer, has gradually increased in the last decades among populations of European origin. Epidemiological studies suggested that farmers and agricultural workers are at an increased risk of CM because they were exposed to pesticides. However, little is known about the relationship between pesticides and CM. Objectives: To investigate the association between exposure to pesticides and CM by systematically reviewing the literature. Secondary aim was to determine the categories of pesticides mainly involved in CM development. Methods: A systematic review of the literature was performed up to September 2018 using MEDLINE, Embase and Web of Science. Studies assessing CM risk in licensed pesticide applicators were considered. Strict criteria were established to select independent studies and risk estimates; random effect models, taking into account heterogeneity, were applied. A pooled risk estimate for CM was calculated for the use of each type of pesticide and type of exposure. Between-study and estimate heterogeneity was assessed and publication bias investigated. Results: A total of nine studies (two case-controls and seven cohorts) comprising 184 389 unique subjects were included. The summary relative risks for the categories 'herbicides - ever exposure', 'insecticides - ever exposure', 'any pesticide - ever exposure' and 'any pesticide - high exposure' resulted 1.85 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01, 3.36], 1.57 (95% CI: 0.58, 4.25), 1.31 (95% CI: 0.85, 2.04) and 2.17 (95% CI: 0.45, 10.36), respectively. Herbicides and insecticides had no between-study heterogeneity (I2 = 0%), while a significant heterogeneity (I2 > 50%) was detected for the high exposure to any pesticide. No indication for publication bias was found. Conclusions: Individuals exposed to herbicides are at an increased risk of CM. Future properly designed observational studies are required to confirm this finding

Sports activity limitation during the COVID-19 pandemic in young Italian athletes: impact on mental health in children, adolescents, and young adults

IntroductionThe closure of sports centres was implemented as a preventive measure to mitigate the transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Given the observed global decline in physical activity and concurrent rise in sedentary behaviour, even among younger age groups, a retrospective cross-sectional study was undertaken to evaluate the effects of this measure on mental health in children, adolescents, and young adults during the initial phases of the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsA total of 1,717 non-professional athletes (age range: 6–25; 53.9% males, 44.6% females) completed an online questionnaire including widely used and validated measures for mental health assessment (SDQ and PGWB-S) and questions regarding sociodemographic characteristics (such as gender), physical activity, and screen time. The association between mental health and sociodemographic characteristics, physical activity, and screen time was evaluated by using univariate and multivariable logistic regression models.ResultsIn children and adolescents, the incidence of psychological difficulties was associated with not being physically active (OR = 1.49; 95% CI: 1.09, 2.07; p = 0.015). Engaging in physical activity during the period of closures, particularly if more than twice a week, was significantly associated with less psychological difficulties for children/adolescents (OR = 0.54; 95% CI: 0.35, 0.82; p = 0.004) and psychological symptoms (i.e., psychological well-being lower than the median) for youth/young adults (OR = 0.25; 95% CI: 0.14, 0.45; p < 0.001). More psychological difficulties were also found in males for children and adolescents (OR = 1.37; 95% CI: 1.06, 1.79; p = 0.018). However, young adult males showed less psychological symptoms than females (OR = 0.35; 95% CI: 0.22, 0.55; p = 0.001). Additionally, a greater amount of screen time was associated with a higher incidence of psychological symptoms in the whole sample.ConclusionsOur results confirm the positive impact of physical activity on mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic among younger age groups. They also provide valuable insights into the risk-benefit relationship of interrupting sports activities as a preventive measure for infectious diseases

Application of nnU-Net for Automatic Segmentation of Lung Lesions on CT Images and Its Implication for Radiomic Models.

Radiomics investigates the predictive role of quantitative parameters calculated from radiological images. In oncology, tumour segmentation constitutes a crucial step of the radiomic workflow. Manual segmentation is time-consuming and prone to inter-observer variability. In this study, a state-of-the-art deep-learning network for automatic segmentation (nnU-Net) was applied to computed tomography images of lung tumour patients, and its impact on the performance of survival radiomic models was assessed. In total, 899 patients were included, from two proprietary and one public datasets. Different network architectures (2D, 3D) were trained and tested on different combinations of the datasets. Automatic segmentations were compared to reference manual segmentations performed by physicians using the DICE similarity coefficient. Subsequently, the accuracy of radiomic models for survival classification based on either manual or automatic segmentations were compared, considering both hand-crafted and deep-learning features. The best agreement between automatic and manual contours (DICE = 0.78 ± 0.12) was achieved averaging 2D and 3D predictions and applying customised post-processing. The accuracy of the survival classifier (ranging between 0.65 and 0.78) was not statistically different when using manual versus automatic contours, both with hand-crafted and deep features. These results support the promising role nnU-Net can play in automatic segmentation, accelerating the radiomic workflow without impairing the models' accuracy. Further investigations on different clinical endpoints and populations are encouraged to confirm and generalise these findings

A cross-sectional and prospective cohort study of the role of schools in the SARS-CoV-2 second wave in Italy

none6noBackground: During COVID-19 pandemic, school closure has been mandated in analogy to its effect against influenza, but it is unclear whether schools are early COVID-19 amplifiers. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional and prospective cohort study in Italy during the second COVID-19 wave (from September 30, 2020 until at least February 28, 2021). We used databases from the Italian Ministry of Education, the Veneto region systems of SARS-CoV-2 cases notification and of schools’ secondary cases tracing to compare SARS-CoV-2 incidence in students/school staff and general population and incidence across age groups. Number of tests, secondary infections by type of index case and ratio cases/ tests per school were estimated using an adjusted multivariable generalized linear regression model. Regional reproduction numbers Rt were estimated from Italian Civil Protection daily incidence data with a method of posterior distribution using a Markov Chain Monte Carlo algorithm. Findings: SARS-CoV-2 incidence among students was lower than in the general population. Secondary infections at school were <1%, and clusters of ≥2 secondary cases occurred in 5–7% of the analysed schools. Incidence among teachers was comparable to the population of similar age (P = 0.23). Secondary infections among teachers were rare, occurring more frequently when the index case was a teacher than a student (37% vs. 10%, P = 0.007). Before and around the date of school opening in Veneto, SARS-CoV-2 incidence grew maximally in 20–29- and 45–49-years old individuals, not among students. The lag between school opening dates in Italian regions and the increase in the regional COVID-19 Rt was not uniform. Finally, school closures in two regions where they were implemented before other measures did not affect Rt decrease. Interpretation: This analysis does not support a role for school opening as a driver of the second COVID-19 wave in Italy, a large European country with high SARS-CoV-2 incidence. Funding: Fondazione MITE.noneGandini S.; Rainisio M.; Iannuzzo M.L.; Bellerba F.; Cecconi F.; Scorrano L.Gandini, S.; Rainisio, M.; Iannuzzo, M. L.; Bellerba, F.; Cecconi, F.; Scorrano, L

Beware of regional heterogeneity when assessing the role of schools in the SARS-CoV-2 second wave in Italy-Authors´ reply

none6nononeGandini S.; Rainisio M.; Iannuzzo M.L.; Bellerba F.; Cecconi F.; Scorrano L.Gandini, S.; Rainisio, M.; Iannuzzo, M. L.; Bellerba, F.; Cecconi, F.; Scorrano, L

The Impact of Sport Activity Shut down during the COVID-19 Pandemic on Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults: Was It Worthwhile?

We conducted a national retrospective survey of 1764 athletes aged ≤25 years to investigate the benefit–risk balance of sport closure during the COVID-19 pandemic peaks in Italy. Univariate and multivariable analyses were carried out to investigate the association between sport practice during the study period and (1) the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection in athletes and their families and (2) body mass index (BMI) change, and adherence to World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for physical activity. The percentage of subjects with a positive SARS-CoV-2 test was similar in those participating and not taking part into sport activities (11% vs. 12%, respectively, p = 0.31). Restricting the analysis to subjects who practiced sports within an organized sport society/center, the risk of SARS-CoV-2 positivity was reduced for athletes who had never stopped their training (odds ratio (OR); 95% confidence intervals (CI): 0.62; 0.41–0.93). On the other side, responders who had stopped sport activity showed a 1% increase in BMI. Adherence to WHO guidelines for physical activity was significantly higher for athletes who had continued sport activities. In conclusion, sport closure and limitations had an important negative impact on the overall health of young athletes, being also not effective in reducing the spread of COVID-19

Geographical Distribution of E-cadherin Germline Mutations in the Context of Diffuse Gastric Cancer: A Systematic Review

Hereditary diffuse gastric cancer (HDGC) is a complex and multifactorial inherited cancer predisposition syndrome caused by CDH1 germline mutations. Nevertheless, current CDH1 genetic screening recommendations disregard an unbalanced worldwide distribution of CDH1 variants, impacting testing efficacy and patient management. In this systematic review, we collected and analyzed all studies describing CDH1 variants in gastric cancer patients originating from both high- and low-prevalence countries. Selected studies were categorized as family study, series study, and unknown study, according to the implementation of HDGC clinical criteria for genetic testing. Our results indicate that CDH1 mutations are more frequently identified in gastric cancer low-incidence countries, and in the family study group that encompasses cases fulfilling criteria. Considering the type of CDH1 alterations, we verified that the relative frequency of mutation types varies within study groups and geographical areas. In the series study, the missense variant frequency is higher in high-incidence areas of gastric cancer, when compared with non-missense mutations. However, application of variant scoring for putative relevance led to a strong reduction of CDH1 variants conferring increased risk of gastric cancer. Herein, we demonstrate that criteria for CDH1 genetic screening are critical for identification of individuals carrying mutations with clinical significance. Further, we propose that future guidelines for testing should consider GC incidence across geographical regions for improved surveillance programs and early diagnosis of disease

Vitamin D Supplementation and Cancer Mortality: Narrative Review of Observational Studies and Clinical Trials

Several studies have investigated the beneficial effects of vitamin D on survival of cancer patients. Overall evidence has been accumulating with contrasting results. This paper aims at narratively reviewing the existing articles examining the link between vitamin D supplementation and cancer mortality. We performed two distinct searches to identify observational (ObS) studies and randomized clinical trials (RCTs) of vitamin D supplementation (VDS) in cancer patients and cohorts of general population, which included cancer mortality as an outcome. Published reports were gathered until March 2021. We identified 25 papers published between 2003 and 2020, including n. 8 RCTs on cancer patients, n. 8 population RCTs and n. 9 ObS studies. There was some evidence that the use of VDS in cancer patients could improve cancer survival, but no significant effect was found in population RCTs. Some ObS studies reported evidence that VDS was associated with a longer survival among cancer patients, and only one study found an opposite effect. The findings do not allow conclusive answers. VDS may have the potential as treatment to improve survival in cancer patients, but further investigations are warranted. We strongly support investment in well-designed and sufficiently powered RCTs to fully evaluate this association