COVID-19 vaccines are effective at preventing symptomatic and severe infection among healthcare workers: A clinical review

\ua9 2024 The AuthorsIntroduction: Health care workers (HCWs) have been at increased risk of infection during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and as essential workers have been prioritised for vaccination. Due to increased exposure HCW are considered a predictor of what might happen in the general population, particularly working age adults. This study aims to summarise effect of vaccination in this ‘at risk’ cohort. Methods: Ovid MEDLINE and Embase were searched, and 358 individual articles were identified. Of these 49 met the inclusion criteria for review and 14 were included in a meta-analysis. Results: Participants included were predominantly female and working age. Median time to infection was 51 days. Reported vaccine effectiveness against infection, symptomatic infection, and infection requiring hospitalisation were between 5 and 100 %, 34 and 100 %, and 65 and 100 % (respectively). No vaccinated HCW deaths were recorded in any study. Pooled estimates of protection against infection, symptomatic infection, and hospitalisation were, respectively, 84.7 % (95 % CI 72.6–91.5 %, p < 0.0001), 86.0 % (95 % CI 67.2 %-94.0 %; p < 0.0001), and 96.1 % (95 % CI 90.4 %-98.4 %). Waning protection against infection was reported by four studies, although protection against hospitalisation for severe infection persists for at least 6 months post vaccination. Conclusions: Vaccination against SARS-CoV2 in HCWs is protective against infection, symptomatic infection, and hospitalisation. Waning protection is reported but this awaits more mature studies to understand durability more clearly. This study is limited by varying non-pharmacological responses to COVID-19 between included studies, a predominantly female and working age population, and limited information on asymptomatic transmission or long COVID protection

COVID-19 vaccines are effective at preventing symptomatic and severe infection among healthcare workers:A clinical review

INTRODUCTION: Health care workers (HCWs) have been at increased risk of infection during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and as essential workers have been prioritised for vaccination. Due to increased exposure HCW are considered a predictor of what might happen in the general population, particularly working age adults. This study aims to summarise effect of vaccination in this 'at risk' cohort.METHODS: Ovid MEDLINE and Embase were searched, and 358 individual articles were identified. Of these 49 met the inclusion criteria for review and 14 were included in a meta-analysis.RESULTS: Participants included were predominantly female and working age. Median time to infection was 51 days. Reported vaccine effectiveness against infection, symptomatic infection, and infection requiring hospitalisation were between 5 and 100 %, 34 and 100 %, and 65 and 100 % (respectively). No vaccinated HCW deaths were recorded in any study. Pooled estimates of protection against infection, symptomatic infection, and hospitalisation were, respectively, 84.7 % (95 % CI 72.6-91.5 %, p &lt; 0.0001), 86.0 % (95 % CI 67.2 %-94.0 %; p &lt; 0.0001), and 96.1 % (95 % CI 90.4 %-98.4 %). Waning protection against infection was reported by four studies, although protection against hospitalisation for severe infection persists for at least 6 months post vaccination.CONCLUSIONS: Vaccination against SARS-CoV2 in HCWs is protective against infection, symptomatic infection, and hospitalisation. Waning protection is reported but this awaits more mature studies to understand durability more clearly. This study is limited by varying non-pharmacological responses to COVID-19 between included studies, a predominantly female and working age population, and limited information on asymptomatic transmission or long COVID protection.</p

COVID-19 vaccines are effective at preventing symptomatic and severe infection among healthcare workers:A clinical review

INTRODUCTION: Health care workers (HCWs) have been at increased risk of infection during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and as essential workers have been prioritised for vaccination. Due to increased exposure HCW are considered a predictor of what might happen in the general population, particularly working age adults. This study aims to summarise effect of vaccination in this 'at risk' cohort.METHODS: Ovid MEDLINE and Embase were searched, and 358 individual articles were identified. Of these 49 met the inclusion criteria for review and 14 were included in a meta-analysis.RESULTS: Participants included were predominantly female and working age. Median time to infection was 51 days. Reported vaccine effectiveness against infection, symptomatic infection, and infection requiring hospitalisation were between 5 and 100 %, 34 and 100 %, and 65 and 100 % (respectively). No vaccinated HCW deaths were recorded in any study. Pooled estimates of protection against infection, symptomatic infection, and hospitalisation were, respectively, 84.7 % (95 % CI 72.6-91.5 %, p &lt; 0.0001), 86.0 % (95 % CI 67.2 %-94.0 %; p &lt; 0.0001), and 96.1 % (95 % CI 90.4 %-98.4 %). Waning protection against infection was reported by four studies, although protection against hospitalisation for severe infection persists for at least 6 months post vaccination.CONCLUSIONS: Vaccination against SARS-CoV2 in HCWs is protective against infection, symptomatic infection, and hospitalisation. Waning protection is reported but this awaits more mature studies to understand durability more clearly. This study is limited by varying non-pharmacological responses to COVID-19 between included studies, a predominantly female and working age population, and limited information on asymptomatic transmission or long COVID protection.</p

TAURUS observations of active galaxies: NGC 1275 and NGC 4151

We have used the TAURUS technique to study the morphology and velocity field of spatially extended emission–line gas in a number of active galaxies. This paper describes our results for NGC 1275 and NGC 4151. The emission line maps of NGC 1275 are the first scientific data from the new 4.2-m William Herschel Telescope, and show that the morphology of the foreground galaxy falling into the Perseus cluster bears a close relationship to that of NGC 1275 itself, implying that the two galaxies are physically associated.In the case of NGC 4151, we find the emission line region is elongated along the same axis as the nuclear radio source. This cannot be due to emission-line gas being accelerated by radio ejecta, since the emission-line gas rotates with the galactic disk. We suggest that the emission-line gas is being ionized by a highly anisotropic nuclear continuum source, UV photons escaping from the nucleus preferentially along the radio axis.</jats:p

The intersection of the social determinants of health and antimicrobial resistance in human populations: a systematic review

Introduction The social determinants of health (SDoH) impact the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). We conducted a systematic review of literature mapping evidence on the intersection of SDoH, drug-resistant infections, antibiotic use, and public-facing interventions.Methods Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, PsycINFO and Scopus were searched for published evidence in English between 2000 and 2022. Covidence software was used for data extraction. The evidence was mapped to the SDoH frameworks and the systematic review objectives.Results Of 17 252 retrieved papers, 16 636 were included in title and abstract review, with 153 included in data extraction (126 empirical studies and 27 papers with secondary data). Of these, 92/126 (73%) were quantitative, 23/126 (18%) qualitative and 11/126 (9 %) mixed methods. There was evidence from high income 60/126 (47%), lower-middle income 41/126 (33%), low income 14 (11%) and upper-middle income 11 (9%) countries.There is limited evidence associated with the complete range of SDoH in different populations. Reported determinants affecting the risk of exposure to and spread of AMR include (a) socioeconomic status and the associated impact on health seeking behaviours, (b) housing—living in a deprived area and overcrowding and (c) knowledge linked with education affecting practices, exacerbated by interconnected complexity with the associated influence of socioeconomic status. A gap in understanding the upstream systems which create inequality and negatively impact SDoH is evident. Numerous definitions are used to identify vulnerable populations. There is very limited research examining specific population groups, for example, traveller communities and the disabled. Reported interventions focus on awareness programmes with little evidence on sustained behaviour change.Conclusions This review identified the need to (a) develop policies and context-specific solutions to manage upstream determinants, (b) include population groups where current evidence is limited and (c) prioritise community-based research using co-production methods.</p