Reactive surveillance of suicides during the COVID-19 pandemic in France, 2020 to March 2022

Abstract Aims Mitigation actions during the COVID-19 pandemic may impact mental health and suicide in general populations. We aimed to analyse the evolution in suicide deaths from 2020 to March 2022 in France. Methods Using free-text medical causes in death certificates, we built an algorithm, which aimed to identify suicide deaths. We measured its retrospective performances by comparing suicide deaths identified using the algorithm with deaths which had either a Tenth revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) code for ‘intentional self-harm’ or for ‘external cause of undetermined intent’ as the underlying cause. The number of suicide deaths from January 2020 to March 2022 was then compared with the expected number estimated using a generalized additive model. The difference and the ratio between the observed and expected number of suicide deaths were calculated on the three lockdown periods and for periods between lockdowns and after the third one. The analysis was stratified by age group and gender. Results The free-text algorithm demonstrated high performances. From January 2020 to mid-2021, suicide mortality declined during France’s three lockdowns, particularly in men. During the periods between and after the two first lockdowns, suicide mortality remained comparable to the expected values, except for men over 85 years old and in 65–84 year-old age group, where a small number of excess deaths was observed in the weeks following the end of first lockdown, and for men aged 45–64 years old, where the decline continued after the second lockdown ended. After the third lockdown until March 2022, an increase in suicide mortality was observed in 18–24 year-old age group for both genders and in men aged 65–84 years old, while a decrease was observed in the 25–44 year-old age group. Conclusions This study highlighted the absence of an increase in suicide mortality during France’s COVID-19 pandemic and a substantial decline during lockdown periods, something already observed in other countries. The increase in suicide mortality observed in 18–24 year-old age group and in men aged 65–84 years old from mid-2021 to March 2022 suggests a prolonged impact of COVID-19 on mental health, also described on self-harm hospitalizations and emergency department’s attendances in France. Further studies are required to explain the factors for this change. Reactive monitoring of suicide mortality needs to be continued since mental health consequences and the increase in suicide mortality may be continued in the future with the international context

Lieux du livre et usages de lecteurs

La bibliothèque publique d’information (Bpi) et l’enssib organisent leur journée d’étude annuelle consacrée à l\u27actualité de la recherche sur la thématique « Lieux du livre et usages de lecteurs ». À partir des travaux d’élèves conservateurs de l’enssib et de ceux menés avec le service Études et Recherches de la Bpi, il s’agit de s’interroger sur certains usages des lecteurs, et sur les lieux singuliers que sont les bibliothèques et les librairies. Ces lieux, dont on prédit la mort de façon régulière, résistent et même mieux : existent parce qu’ils proposent des services, des collections, un accueil, une implantation significatifs pour les usagers, les clients, les visiteurs ; d’autant plus significatifs qu’ils sont pensés et conçus pour cela

The influence of a major sporting event upon emergency department attendances; A retrospective cross-national European study

Major sporting events may influence attendance levels at hospital emergency departments (ED). Previous research has focussed on the impact of single games, or wins/losses for specific teams/countries, limiting wider generalisations. Here we explore the impact of the Euro 2016 football championships on ED attendances across four participating nations (England, France, Northern Ireland, Wales), using a single methodology. Match days were found to have no significant impact upon daily ED attendances levels. Focussing upon hourly attendances, ED attendances across all countries in the four hour pre-match period were statistically significantly lower than would be expected (OR 0.97, 95% CI 0.94–0.99) and further reduced during matches (OR 0.94, 95% CI 0.91–0.97). In the 4 hour post-match period there was no significant increase in attendances (OR 1.01, 95% CI 0.99–1.04). However, these impacts were highly variable between individual matches: for example in the 4 hour period following the final, involving France, the number of ED attendances in France increased significantly (OR 1.27, 95% CI 1.13–1.42). Overall our results indicate relatively small impacts of major sporting events upon ED attendances. The heterogeneity observed makes it difficult for health providers to predict how major sporting events may affect ED attendances but supports the future development of compatible systems in different countries to support cross-border public health surveillance

Real-time monitoring shows substantial excess all-cause mortality during second wave of COVID-19 in Europe, October to December 2020.

The European monitoring of excess mortality for public health action (EuroMOMO) network monitors weekly excess all-cause mortality in 27 European countries or subnational areas. During the first wave of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in Europe in spring 2020, several countries experienced extraordinarily high levels of excess mortality. Europe is currently seeing another upsurge in COVID-19 cases, and EuroMOMO is again witnessing a substantial excess all-cause mortality attributable to COVID-19.Funding statement: The EuroMOMO network hub at Statens Serum Institut receives funding from European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Solna, Sweden, through a framework contract 2017-2020.S

Protonated Cyclopropane as an Intermediate in Cation-Olefin Cyclizations. Ab initio and Density Functional Theory Investigations

In order to investigate the mechanism of cation–olefin cyclizations, the model calculations for the cyclization of cis-5,6-dimethyl-5-hexenyl cation were studied with both ab initio and density functional theory methods. The geometry optimization of the cis-5,6-dimethyl-5-hexenyl cation reveals its spontaneous rearrangement into protonated cyclopropane intermediates, for which four conformers were identified on the potential energy surface of C8H15+ ions. The present study demonstrates that two of these conformers are suitably preorganized to undergo chair- and boat-like cation–olefin cyclizations. The result is the formation of the chair cyclohexyl cation and the protonated cyclopropane moiety embedded into the cyclohexyl cation in boat conformation. The analysis of the intrinsic reaction coordinates show that the formation of the latter species via the boat-like pathway is preferred by 2.0 kcal/mol. To appreciate the influence of the leaving group, the cyclization reactions of protonated cis-1,2-dimethyl-6-hydroxyhexene were also studied by the MP2 and MP4 methods, using the 6-31G* and 6-311+G* basis sets. In this model system, the neutral water molecule was used to simulate the leaving group during the cyclization step in which the cyclohexyl cation–water complexes were generated. The MP4(SDQ)/6-31G*//MP2/6-31G* computed energy barriers are almost identical for the chair- and boat-like cyclization reactions of the appropriately preorganized reactants. The boat-like cyclization pathway, preferred only by 0.2 kcal/mol, again leads to the incorporation of the protonated cyclopropane into the cyclohexyl cation–water complex in boat conformation. To evaluate the cyclization energy barriers when the preorganization of the reactant is not taken into account, the lowest conformer of protonated alcohol has to be considered. In this case, the chair-like cyclization pathway is preferred by a small margin of 0.8 kcal/mol for the formation of the C–C hyperconjugated chair cyclohexyl cation–water complex. The use of a larger basis set and the inclusion of polarization functions has little, if any, effect on the relative stability of cation–water complexes. The MP2 and MP4 methods appear to be well suited for investigations of cation–olefin cyclizations for the model systems proposed in this study. In contrast to intermolecular cation–olefin additions, which are barrier-less processes, the present study demonstrates that the MP2 and, to an even greater extent, the MP4 method, reveal distinct energy barriers for intramolecular cation–olefin cyclizations

Modeling of Solvolysis Reaction Mechanism for Cation-Olefin Cyclizations

We report on a computational study of cation-olefin cyclization mechanism under solvolytic conditions. The combined explicit-continuum solvent model aimed at providing a complete estimate of media effects is used to investigate the nature, stability, and conformational behavior of cationic species involved in the reaction. The comparison between the explicit-continuum and leaving group models is also provided. Our study of reactionpath ways shows that protonated cyclopropane is the key intermediate on the potential energy surface of cation-olefin cyclizations

Comparing Findings from Syndromic Surveillance Systems at a European Level

The Triple-S project (Syndromic Surveillance Survey, Assessment towards Guidelines for Europe) is a 3 year European project. One main objective is to produce a proposal for coordinating syndromic surveillance (SyS) systems operated by European countries and for comparing findings from these systems. Three models have been identified for ensuring the comparison and reporting of findings from EU countries. For the sustainability of the models, a SyS coordinating group is needed to coordinate SyS activities in Europe

Synergies Between Human and Animal Health Syndromic Surveillance: Triple-S Outputs

Existing synergies between human and animal health syndromic surveillance (SyS) in Europe and proposal to enhance this collaboration are presented based on the outputs of the European Triple-S project. For the time being, collaborations are limited to regular meetings to discuss outputs of the human and animal health systems. Two reasons for enhancing synergies were highlighted. First, experts on both sides face common statistical and epidemiological issues when dealing with SyS and could thus share their experiences. Second, animal and human SyS systems can target similar health threats. Triple-S guidelines for implementation of SyS systems will aim at promoting synergy

Comparing Findings from Syndromic Surveillance Systems at a European Level

The Triple-S project (Syndromic Surveillance Survey, Assessment towards Guidelines for Europe) is a 3 year European project. One main objective is to produce a proposal for coordinating syndromic surveillance (SyS) systems operated by European countries and for comparing findings from these systems. Three models have been identified for ensuring the comparison and reporting of findings from EU countries. For the sustainability of the models, a SyS coordinating group is needed to coordinate SyS activities in Europe